Epilogue

Five years later.

Thwack!

Ivlik’s head whipped to the side from the man’s punch. A tangy taste filled his mouth. Blood dripping from his parted lips fell to the floor. Seems the inside was torn. Seeing this, Ivlik sighed.

“My wife won’t like this when we kiss.”

She’ll stop kissing when she tastes blood as our tongues mingle. Then she’ll surely bring the first aid kit, asking if I’ve applied ointment. The men surrounding Ivlik, tied to a chair, each had something to say.

「What the hell is this bastard saying?」

「Dunno. Just cursing at us, maybe?」

「He was speaking our language fine until now, why’d he suddenly switch just then?」

The one who had been watching with arms crossed from behind pushed through the men and approached. He looked at Ivlik like he was looking down at an ant before stepping on it.

「This one, he’s speaking Meric.」

At those words, the men looked at each other and murmured.

「Meric, you say? But he looks exactly like a Tenian. Tall, slim build with black hair, ice-blue eyes. I’ve worked with Tenians before, and they looked just like this, I tell you.」

「Me too. I was dead certain he was Tenian.」

「Is he mixed? A traitor?」

Unlike the other men, the one who understood Ivlik’s words didn’t seem particularly fazed. He grabbed a fistful of Ivlik’s hair and yanked it back. His bowed head was forcibly tilted back. As their eyes met, Ivlik wondered what it would feel like to torture someone like him.

「Are you loyal to the king? Or do you vote for a president? Your accent sounds like the latter.」

“I’ve got a bit of that blood mixed in too.”

「Seems you have a wife.」

His lovable wife, just thinking about her made him feel warm. Ivlik smiled, his eyes gently curving.

One of the group whispered something to the man who seemed to be the leader. Hearing this, the leader’s thick eyebrows twitched. The gaze of the man looking down at Ivlik became more vicious than before.

「Is this wife you’re talking about perhaps referring to your ex-wife? I hear researcher Sophia Becker is your ex-wife. You decided not to tell others about it, apparently.」

「Usually, people don’t refer to their divorced ex-wife as their wife.」

「But your resume says you’re single. Then the only woman you could call wife is your ex-wife, right?」

“Think what you like.”

「…I don’t like how uncooperative you’re being.」

The leader roughly let go of Ivlik’s hair. He looked thoughtful for a moment, then gestured to two of the men.

Dressed in gray uniforms reminiscent of military or police attire, they were the armed security of Kohlrov Research Institute. Every research facility has security. But while most just carry flashlights and batons on their belts, those at Kohlrov carried rifles.

The reason this was possible was because the institute’s director had close ties with key figures in the republic’s government. The projects underway inside the institute were treated with almost the same level of importance as top military secrets. Even on maps, the institute’s grounds were marked as empty lots.

Ivlik, who had infiltrated as one of these armed guards about a month ago, had witnessed a foreign spy being shot dead by the guards while attempting to extract data. They all looked nonchalant even after killing someone, as if it wasn’t their first time.

Well, he should have known when they said only those with military backgrounds could apply. Combat experience preferred. In other words, have you ever shot someone with a gun?

「You said you’re done with her, right? Then you won’t mind if we take turns mounting her.」

‘Cedine, is the time I’m buying with my body useful? But you know what? I hope you’re moving quickly, but it’d be better if you could speed things up even more.’

Ivlik smiled crookedly at the man approaching him.

‘Otherwise, all these bastards will die.’

* * *

Two hours earlier.

It was nearing the end of lunch break for the Kohlrov Research Institute staff. Ivlik walked down the corridor, swinging his baton. His swaggering posture was quite menacing. The armed guards here had permission to shoot and kill anyone suspicious, and they were drunk on the arrogance that the great director had their backs. Thus, the inside of the institute was practically their lawless domain.

To Ivlik, it looked like they had handed guns to criminals. Of course, there were a few who just collected their paychecks without mixing with the crowd, but they were a minority. To avoid suspicion among these gun-toting idiots, he had no choice but to act like an idiot himself.

Ivlik became one of those who never put down the 50kg dumbbell in the gym during break time. He had already been tested on how much he could bench press on his first day at work.

Eventually, not long after joining the institute, his uniform sleeves became so tight that he had to exchange them for a larger size. When he said his clothes had become too small, his idiot colleagues finally grinned and gave him a belated welcome.

Anyway, that was the situation. Even though his strength had increased, the bulkier muscles were a bit cumbersome. His days continued, having to needlessly glare at passing employees while loitering in the corridors.

‘This act will end soon, though.’

Just then, one of his colleagues called out to Ivlik. Here, he went by the name Yanick Richter.

「Hey, is it true?」

「What is?」

「That researcher Sophia Becker is your ex-wife.」

「Who?」

「Sophia Becker. You know, the one with the bob cut who wears glasses. The one with the big chest.」

The young guard listening to the conversation a step behind his colleague tapped the man in front’s shoulder.

「Hey, watch what you’re saying.」

「No, why? Did I say something wrong?」

「Still.」

The young guard gestured towards Ivlik with his chin.

「Even if he’s not a stranger, you shouldn’t be talking about chests and stuff.」

「Do you think Yanick is a sissy like you? This guy doesn’t get upset over such trivial things. It’s fine, it’s fine.」

The colleague who arbitrarily said it was okay snickered.

「Actually, this girly Otto has liked that female researcher for a few weeks now. In my opinion, her body looks decent, but her face is quite plain. I don’t know, he likes her anyway. The other day, he spoke to her for the first time. Ms. Becker said she prefers being alone? Hearing that, he just left, so today I pushed him to talk to her again.」

The guy whose forearm was as thick as Ivlik’s waist had an unpleasant laugh as well.

「Women are all like that at first, you know. They act hard to get because they don’t want to seem easy. Anyway, then Ms. Becker said she actually has an ex-husband at work, so she feels uncomfortable. When I asked who it was, she said it was you, Yanick. Though the feelings faded long, long ago.」

Ivlik’s neck stiffened involuntarily. The feelings, long, long ago, faded? He wanted to immediately ask Cedine what this meant. Long, long ago?

「She says she feels uncomfortable. She says she can’t help it. So we came to ask you. If it’s okay for Otto to date your ex-wife.」

Ivlik suppressed the answer that was about to burst out and internally counted backwards. Counting in his familiar native language would end too quickly to have a delaying effect, so he deliberately counted in the foreign language of the Republic. After that, he smirked.

「What’s the big deal? How old are we to ask for permission for such things? And that woman is strange too. She always said to keep it a secret from people because it’s good gossip material.」

The colleague slapped Otto’s shoulder as if to prove a point.

「See? I told you Yanick isn’t a timid guy.」

「So, should I keep asking her out?」

「Do as you like.」

Unaware of Ivlik’s churning insides, the colleague chuckled. He seemed to be under the delusion that he was some kind of love messenger. Feeling pleased, he put his arm around Otto’s shoulder and started reciting methods to ‘knock a woman flat’.

Ivlik contemplated aiming his rifle at the backs of the two men’s heads as they turned away. Or maybe it wouldn’t be bad to use the baton for a good feel. It would feel a bit like cracking a watermelon.