Chapter 124: A Loose Tongue
When I went down to the basement, I was met by Eileen, who was waiting for me with her arms crossed and a serious expression.
"Ms. Eileen."
"Did you rest well?"
"No."
"Something happened, then."
"Mostly mentally exhausting things."
"And physically, you're okay?"
"More than I expected."
She looked at me with a pitying expression before turning her body away.
"Anyway, you called me here because..."
"There's something bothering me."
Eileen continued speaking as she paced back and forth.
"But it's just a feeling. There's no concrete evidence."
"What do you mean by 'no concrete evidence'?"
"Exactly what it sounds like."
She turned around and made eye contact with me.
"I don't see any massive changes."
"If it's not a massive change, that still means there is some change, right?"
"Correct."
"Then there is a change, isn't there?"
"...That's the problem."
Eileen sighed and stopped in front of a certain room.
"As a concrete example, look at this."
"..."
I followed her gaze.
"A fish tank."
"That's right."
There was a fish tank.
A semi-transparent window appeared before me.
[Name : Fish Tank]
[Age : Created 12 years ago]
[Specialty : Holding Fish]
[Talent : Holding Fish]
[Background : The fish that enter this tank are said to be special.]
[Weakness : Break the tank.]
Three fish were swimming inside the tank.
"...Did one of the fish disappear, by any chance?"
"Right."
Eileen nodded in response to my words.
"Do you think something's wrong?"
"...Well, I don't know yet."
I had no way of knowing exactly what it meant for the fish to be "special," or what would happen if a fish disappeared.
However.
"If you're keeping track, there must be a reason. Is there anything else?"
"Next..."
Eileen looked around and then pulled me along somewhere else.
"This."
This time, it was a container of vitamins.
[Name : White-White]
[Age : Created 1 year ago]
[Specialty : Becoming Healthy]
[Talent : Becoming Healthy]
[Background : These are vitamins that must not be taken more than three times a day. Taking up to two provides healthy benefits to the body, but taking a third will result in certain death.]
[Weakness : Just don't take more than three.]
"When I counted, there were clearly 129 vitamins in here."
"Yes."
"But now there are 127."
"..."
I knew exactly what Eileen meant.
"So it's true that someone has tampered with the isolated objects."
This seemed serious enough to report to the Branch Chief.
"Then I'll go to the Branch Chief—"
"But there's a problem."
"A problem?"
Eileen looked at me with a serious expression.
"There's no trace."
"...But there must be a record."
"That's also a problem."
"Don't tell me..."
"You're thinking correctly."
Eileen nodded.
"I checked with the Management Team, and the records are fixed, too."
"..."
"And I can't very well say I was running around the basement isolation floor checking everything one by one."
"Huh? Why not?"
"Why not?"
Eileen stared straight at me.
"I did it because you asked, but this is technically an overreach of authority."
"Oh, really?"
"What do you mean, 'Oh, really?'"
She sighed, running a hand through her dull blonde hair.
"I have my reasons, and I owe you. That's why I made time to check. Don't forget that I dumped some paperwork on my subordinates and spent time wandering around here."
"You went through a lot of trouble."
"Just knowing is enough. People are already talking because I'm in and out of the HR Team so much."
People are talking?
When I stared at her, she let out a big sigh.
"They say I only hang around with one guy, even though there are plenty of beauties in HR. They're wondering if I'm somehow..."
"Ah, we're not that kind of rela—"
"Or that I'm living by exploiting his weakness. There's even talk like that."
"...People's imaginations truly know no bounds."
That was really going too far.
"It's fine."
Eileen patted my back as if to comfort me. Thump.
"You know that's not the case. You're a good guy."
"I appreciate that."
Though I'm not sure if those are words I should be hearing from someone six years younger than me.
"So, what are you going to do about this? Report it?"
"Hmm."
I pondered her question for a moment.
If telling someone wouldn't solve anything anyway...
"First of all, thank you for telling me. Let's just keep it between us for now. You should be careful too, Ms. Eileen."
"I'm not sure who I should be careful of, but okay. So we won't say anything separately?"
"Even if I wanted to, it'd be pointless."
I recalled what happened with the Branch Chief.
"It would be meaningless."
"...Got it."
She stared straight at me.
"Next."
"Yes?"
Next?
"You heard some things, right?"
"...Heard things?"
"Yeah. About a church, or something happening."
"Ah."
There had been something.
I looked at Eileen and began to explain.
About Kim Chan-ho and the church, and the other things.
"..."
After hearing me out, Eileen closed and opened her eyes as if deep in thought.
"The church..."
"I think I will go to the church at some point."
"...Really?"
Eileen's eyes widened as she looked at me.
"Yes."
There were things I was curious about. And things I needed to be careful about.
Come to think of it. I hadn't tried this yet.
"Ms. Eileen."
"Yeah?"
"I am fighting a regressor."
*
"...Really?"
Eileen's eyes widened as she looked at me.
Just as I thought.
"Yes, if I do go, I'll let you know."
"Okay. Ah, and one more thing."
"Yes?"
Eileen stared straight at me.
"You remember the Gangdong Branch's mountain?"
"Ah, yes."
The Gangseo Branch had a forest, and the Gangdong Branch had a mountain, right.
So was that a wedge too?
"I heard they're starting a large-scale ritual there from today. They said the range is quite wide, so it might cause local changes."
"Don't tell me we're being summoned..."
"No. We're from the Gangseo Branch."
Eileen cut me off firmly and continued.
"However, we could get caught up in it, right? So be careful."
"...If you put a curse like that on us, there might be situations where you and I are together, Ms. Eileen."
"Even as a joke, that's a bit scary."
Eileen let out a small laugh.
"Anyway, that fulfills your request."
"Understood."
"I'll also look into things more when I have time to wander around. If you need anything, just say so."
"Yes, I'll be counting on you."
"Alright, I'm off."
I took the elevator with Eileen, and when we got off on the first floor, she waved and left first.
"..."
On my way back to the HR Team, I was lost in endless thought.
The reason why time reversed when I told the Gangseo Branch Chief wasn't clear.
So I had formulated two hypotheses.
First. The possibility that the Branch Chief is in cahoots with the regressor.
This was the first thought that came to mind.
It wasn't that I suspected the Branch Chief. It's just that our opponent is a regressor.
I had no way of knowing what he might have said to her.
Second. The possibility that the regressor has arranged for information control to activate if anyone speaks about him.
That if anyone, at all, speaks about fighting a regressor or mentions anything related to a regressor, it forcibly triggers a reset.
But there was a big problem with this.
The HR Team members weren't affected.
If that were the case, then when I told Yu Daon, Jang Chae-yeon, and Song A-rin, I should have been reset every time.
But that didn't happen.
So what was the reason?
I couldn't know for sure, but there was a commonality among the people who didn't cause a time reversion when they heard about the regressor.
[Coordinate Tear : 3 times]
[Method : 1 time]
[Chronos's Shield : 10 seconds]
A semi-transparent window floated before my eyes.
They were people with whom I had a Joint Technique.
In other words, people directly or indirectly connected to me.
"...Damn."
I rested my chin on my hand, lost in thought.
So, for some reason, I can escape the regressor's ability when I'm with them?
I can't figure this out.
"...Mr. Heon."
Or was it the Manual?
"Mr. Jae-heon."
"Whoa, you startled me. Where are the others?"
"They're inside the office."
Yu Daon, who had whispered in my ear with her hands cupped, grinned playfully.
"What were you thinking about so deeply?"
"Ah. About the regressor."
"Ah..."
Yu Daon nodded.
"Like, how to deal with him?"
"Correct."
"Hmm... I've been thinking..."
"Oh."
Yu Daon's thoughts.
"...Would I lose if I fought him?"
"...Uh..."
For a moment, I was at a loss for words at her question.
"Well... wouldn't you lose?"
For Yu Daon, he was no different from someone from the future.
No matter what she did, wouldn't he have already read it all?
"Of course, right?"
Yu Daon looked at me with an expression that said she was asking the obvious.
"But every time I die, doesn't he die once too?"
"Uh... I suppose that could be true?"
No matter how much he came from the future, his past self would have to be defeated by Yu Daon at least once to go through the process of preparing for that pattern.
"Then I'll win."
Yu Daon smiled softly.
"The point is, no matter how many times I die, if I hold on, he'll also die and have to come find me again, right?"
"...That's right."
"No one can beat me in that regard."
"...I'll keep that in mind for now."
Even if Yu Daon can't die, that's too cruel a treatment for her.
"I'd appreciate it if you thought about it."
She smiled softly and opened the HR Team's door.
"Seeing you run out in a panic and come back looking relieved, I guess you solved something."
Song A-rin muttered indifferently.
"...Are you okay?"
Jang Chae-yeon examined my expression.
"Yes, I'm fine."
I answered them both and headed to my seat.
Before I started sorting out the payroll, I needed to consider what I should be careful about.
First, the regressor, the fish, and the vitamins.
That was probably it for now.
She said as long as we don't get caught up in the Gangdong Branch's mountain, it should be fine. It probably won't be a big deal.
Thinking that, I began writing in the payroll ledger.
For now, let's enjoy this break.
"...Huh? It's snow!"
"Don't talk nonsense."
"No, look at this! It's snowing! It's summer right now?"
"Don't talk nonsen— It really is!"
...Let's enjoy the break.
*
-Whoooosh!!
A fierce wind blew.
"...Why...?"
"If you have time to chatter, walk faster! I'm freezing to death!"
Song A-rin shouted loudly up ahead as she walked forward.
I looked ahead.
A fiercely blowing blizzard, and a Manual half-frozen solid.
"Doesn't it feel like we're camping, though?"
"Be quiet."
Jang Chae-yeon, dragging a cheerfully talking Yu Daon by the arm, spoke in an emotionless voice as she passed me.
"..."
-Shoooruk!
The Manual unfolded.
[Manual for Office Workers]
[Caution: Hypothermia]
1. Warm your body.
2. Afterwards, place the Manual on a warm campfire. The book becomes mushy after freezing and thawing.
"Got it."
I put the Manual back inside my coat and kept walking.
How did things end up like this?