Hero’s Downfall Report

4 – Retirement of Hope (4)

For two days, Cain was quite busy.

He was dragged to a meeting of the officers to discuss how to handle the work in his absence, and he also had to answer public inquiries. He had to finish writing his statement and schedule meetings with law professors and graduate students waiting outside the security agency building to prepare for a lawsuit.

The security agency serves the empire and operates under the command of the emperor. According to the emperor’s authority, the power of the security agency also fluctuates.

The nobles, including the Preemptive Nobles, coveted the security agency’s formidable power, which allowed them to obtain information about the entire empire, but they did not want to use that authority to spy on themselves.

Therefore, the nobles sought to “tame” the security agency to their liking. The most elegant and noble way was through lawsuits. As a result, there were many legal disputes that could be debated in court.

Being able to argue a point of contention meant it was a good subject for a thesis.

It was an objective fact that waiting for about a month could yield a normal thesis, waiting for six months could yield a thesis worthy of presentation at an academic conference, and waiting for six months could yield a graduation thesis.

Thanks to the security agency, law, administration, and political science professors of the empire enjoyed happy days. It was a time of suffering for graduate students, but at least they did not suffer from the pain of creating or the poverty of subject matter. There was a gold mine, so all they had to do was pick up a spoon.

The empire’s laws became more sophisticated, political theories advanced, and the administration changed textbooks entirely every year.

Even the printers benefited from the security agency. As the years went by, legal and textbook volumes became thicker and thicker.

Thanks to this, Cain was not worried about the various lawsuits poured on him. He just had to follow the mechanical procedures.

After writing his statement and submitting it to the general affairs department, they would erase any sensitive parts or names and hand it to the graduate student waiting outside the door.

Then, within a month, a plausible legal advice response would arrive

Retired agents must report to the Imperial Security Bureau’s “safe house” for a year to avoid sticking to foreigners or other nobles with vivid information. Until the known information becomes outdated. Of course, there are other purposes as well.

Anyway. The lawsuit won’t last more than six months. Cain will be acquitted, Gotes will be released, they have plenty of money, but those with a bad reputation will legally be fleeced of their money. Lawyers will rejoice, new papers will pour out, and printers will welcome prosperity day by day.

Of course, to achieve that, he had to finish the statement he was writing now properly. In the office of the Imperial Security Bureau Section 4, Cain focused on writing. The statement was still a blank page, and he couldn’t even write his name.

He couldn’t. Whenever he tried to pick up the pen, the ink he wrote with welled up from within.

In the end, Cain sighed and put the pen into the inkwell. He soaked his body in the chair and fell into a light nap.

Did he sleep for about 5 minutes?

“Imperial Security Bureau Section 4, Chief Cain, right?”

A man’s voice was heard. It was a thick and solid mid-low pitch. Cain answered.

“Yeah.”

“You’re sent for immediate judgment.”

The voice was the same as before, but the intonation was subtly different. A difference like black shoes and white shoes. Cain replied indifferently.

“Why?”

“Why ask why? If you received a bonus, you should treat us to a drink!”

There was no chance to make a sound of protest. Two rough men grabbed and hugged Cain.

“Oh, brother! We caught Gotes! As expected, our brother!”

“How long has it been, brother! You lost weight! Brother! We’ll treat you with a barrel of beer and five plates of pig trotters for the fine!”

Because the same voice was heard from front and back, Cain couldn’t regain his composure.

“Let go of this, you bastards! It’s dizzy!”

It had the opposite effect. The men hugged Cain more tightly.

“Oh, because our brother had nothing to eat, he just took a sip of age. What should we do about this, brother? Not long ago, you could easily laugh it off!”

“That’s right, Auya! Didn’t they say age is something you wash away with alcohol?”

“Why would I be your younger brother?”

“I’m the one talking here.”

The two men couldn’t continue their conversation. It was because Cain had caressed their spines with his elbow. Of course, the thick muscles of the men might not have felt much impact, but the twin brothers exaggeratedly complained about it.

Cain looked down at the left man. Straw-colored hair, blue eyes, chubby face.

“Hello.”

He looked down at the right man. Straw-colored hair, blue eyes, chubby face.

“Hi.”

Vom and Bom. The twin agents. Their hometown is Central Mirdenburg, famous for its high-quality coal mines. Nobody knows who is the older one. They just insist on being each other’s older brothers.

“When did you arrive?”

“Just now!” Vom shouted cheerfully. “Just returned from the north. Oh, thought I was going to freeze to death in the highlands. Shivering, I returned to headquarters, and hey, all talking about the boss, huh?”

“Tell us about catching that bastard! How did you catch him? With a sword? A staff?”

Cain looked at the brothers as if he couldn’t believe it.

“And what about Sharpening Stone? Didn’t he say anything?”

Vom and Bom exchanged glances and smirked.

“Don’t know Sharpening Stone yet? He said, ‘I cannot talk about that.’ with his mouth shut.”

“I peeked a bit, and he said, ‘Since the operation commander is an officer, what I hear from him is more accurate than what I hear from me.’ Something like that. How can a kid’s mouth be heavier than the walls of the Hwanggung Fortress.”

Cain secretly felt proud. The virtue of Imperial agents is silence. But at the same time, he was worried. Lilly Agent’s silence was almost at the level of muteness.

Maybe it’s the characteristic education of the Blood Knight Commander. Absolute obedience to superiors. Loyalty and obedience. ‘But that doesn’t mean you have to raise a child like a leaf in the wind.’

“That aside. Boss. Did you even buy a meal for Sharpening Stone?”

Bom and Bae argued. Cain narrowed his eyes.

“Who’s buying food for whom?”

“No, hyung. That’s too much. Don’t you know how Sutdori sees you? Do you know what Sutdori said earlier? Like this, standing straight and saying, ‘I can’t tell you.’ He hesitated like that. Like this.”

“Ah, hey. Come on. You don’t have to mimic my expression.”

Bom swung a fist at Bae. Naturally, Bae easily avoided it. But Bom, with a subtle tone, didn’t give up.

“Hyung, what’s wrong with our Sutdori? Our household is prosperous, our chests are full, and our butts are plump. What’s the problem?”

“Your cheeks are also plump.”

Bae made a mocking remark. Bom raised his head.

“Hey, that’s all baby fat. Even if you’re not fully developed by twenty-two, you’re out. He’s twenty now. Hyung, do you dislike women taller than you?”

“No.”

“Then do you dislike women younger than you? Is an eight-year age difference too much for you?”

“No.”

“No, then what’s the problem?”

“Your catastrophic sense of humor.” Cain crossed his arms. Bae and Bom burst into laughter.

“No, why? This worked really well with the people from the North. They said humor that was popular in the Empire ten years ago worked well there. We received the same pre-education as them.”

‘It must have been an infiltration mission,’ Cain thought.

News had recently come that the Northern heretics were showing signs of alliance. Bae and Bom probably went to make connections. Gathering information, making friends… it was only a month-long mission, nothing too burdensome.

“Hyung, look at the picture. The second daughter of the leader of the Imperial Swordsmanship Clan, Baekhyul, and the marriage of a promising elite from the Imperial Security Bureau.”

“You crazy bastard.”

“Hey, when a kid likes someone, they should get married quickly. It’s rare to find someone like Sutdori. He’s not talkative, stubborn, doesn’t play tricks, but he’s deep and passionate. If he sets his heart on someone like that, wow. They won’t look back. I know because I’ve fallen for a woman like that.”

“Crazy bastards.”

That’s what he said, but Cain opened the drawer with a creak. He raised a wallet filled with money.

“It seems like we should control you guys with some booze and meat. Hey, Bum, where are you going?”

Bum hurriedly ran out. Bom chuckled.

“It’s been two months since the division’s dinner, and we have to bring Soo-dol. It’s only natural, isn’t it, hyung?”

Should I stop her? But Cain decided not to say anything. Talking about retirement soberly was pointless. It would be better to speak after getting a bit drunk and well-fed.

* * * * *

Restaurants in the bustling downtown area are well soundproofed. Not because they cater to the tastes of regular customers who need to keep secrets, but because they are located in places that used to be fortresses, armories, or gunpowder storage.

The walls are thick, and the ceiling is low, but thanks to the continuous influx of customers and the roaring oven, the room is warm. Even the people sitting in the four-person room feel the warmth.

“So, I opened the letter from the post carriage secretly. Quietly.”

Bum picked up a well-cooked pork thigh. It was cooked with dark beer, and the smell of alcohol and the rich taste of dark beer eliminated any unpleasant odors.

“But do you know what was written inside? ‘There’s a flea in this letter. If there’s no flea, it means someone has opened it.’ I thought I was going crazy. It was opened under dim moonlight, so I couldn’t tell if there was a flea.”

“So what did you do?”

“I took off all my clothes and searched, but there was no flea, even when I looked with my eyes closed. I had no choice but to search behind the haystack in the stable and put one in. I was so nervous I thought I was going crazy.”

“Pfff.”

For the first time, Soo-dol burst into laughter. She had been silent and smiling all along. Bom chuckled.

“Hey, funny, isn’t it? Should I tell you something funnier? You’ll be catching fleas and going around next year, too, won’t you? Of course, no one knows if it will be in the North or East. It might even be in the West or South.”

“It’s two years from now,” Cain corrected. “Soo-dol has only been here for six months. Foreign assignments have to last at least a year. Until then, we have to carry out our duties within the empire.”

“By the way, this was Soo-dol’s first mission, right? Although it was a probationary one. How was it?”

As if she wanted to answer casually, Cain closed his mouth. Soo-dol’s eyes twinkled.

“Well, well done.”

Cain muttered unintentionally. Sudoori’s face lit up. Bum and Bom smiled meaningfully.

“Hey, Hyungnim. Why are you doing this uninterestingly? Sudoori, come on. Tell us. Do you think you did well or not? Objectively.”

“I lacked a lot.”

There was no hesitation at all. Bum filled Sudoori’s glass and asked.

“Really? Why do you think that way? Humility, huh?”

“No. I didn’t do much in the Gwotz arrest operation. Most of it was done by Gwotz-nim, and my task was just surveillance.”

“Yeah, you were lacking. You couldn’t even shave properly.”

Cain casually played along. Sudoori’s ears were now red.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Oh, come on! Why is this kid being so stiff? It was a joke. Loosen up. Let’s have a drink. Cheers!”

As Bum raised his glass, Bom followed suit. Cain’s eyes became a bit moist.

When should I speak? What should I say?

Lost in thought, he missed the timing.

“No. Aside from that. Sudoori. That… I mean.”

Bum lowered his voice. Sudoori’s eyes sparkled again. Cain became uneasy once more.

What nonsense am I trying to say again?