SYNO Chapter 18

The officer, oblivious to Lucas’ change in expression, continued, addressing the others,

“Besides, Ssangryeong has an extraordinary memory, doesn’t he? If he sees the Object, he’ll memorize it perfectly. Luring a thief is easy. We can figure out the details later.”

The officer began explaining the specifics of the plan. The other officers nodded in agreement.

Except for one person. Only Lucas remained unconvinced.

‘Use… Ssangryeong?’

It would be a good plan if it were feasible, but he had no intention of using the imprisoned Ssangryeong as a tool.

Ssangryeong’s trust in him had already hit rock bottom after discovering his true identity as a Brigadier General from the Home Nation. If he pushed him any further, he might incur Ssangryeong’s unrestrained wrath.

‘No, wait… As long as he doesn’t know I’m the one behind it, it’ll be fine.’

That would work, but he still felt uneasy about it.

Using Ssangryeong as a pawn, despite the high risk of him falling into the Commander’s trap…

Lucas looked around the table. His officers were waiting for his response.

‘They don’t know about my relationship with Ssangryeong.’

And it was a relationship that shouldn’t be known.

If he spoke in Ssangryeong’s defense in this situation, he would surely raise suspicion from the officers.

And as the officer said, if the Commander’s Name Object was really hidden in his bedroom, the reckless Ssangryeong would jump at the chance to steal it, and it would be an effective way to shake the Commander’s position.

After a moment of silence, Lucas finally spoke,

“…It’s not a bad plan. But you’d better plan it carefully. This is still within the Dependent Nation. The Commander’s influence extends far and wide. Don’t forget that.”

“Yes, sir. We’ll prepare thoroughly.”

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

The solitary cell was far worse than he had expected. Just barely enough space to stretch his limbs. If he stretched, his feet would barely touch the toilet.

It seemed it really had been used as a storage room, as the musty smell of mold lingered no matter how much he sniffed.

Despite the conditions, Ssangryeong had a satisfied smile on his face.

“They underestimate me. This is quite comfortable.”

It was far better than the streets where he had slept through storms, coexisted with vermin, and constantly being harassed by robbers in the Dependent Nation.

At least it had walls and a roof.

“Good. Very good.”

With his restraints gone, this place felt like paradise.

He looked up at the ceiling with relaxed eyes. Staring at the neatly plastered gray ceiling, he was reminded of an image of Commander Pienne.

“Idiot.”

Having grown up pampered in the Home Nation, this was probably the extent of his imagination when it came to inflicting suffering.

Ssangryeong raised his middle finger at the ceiling.

He didn’t know then that the benevolent Commander had given him a one-day grace period to rest.

He found out the very next day.

Ssangryeong’s arrogant assumption that they wouldn’t dare touch him just because he held valuable information was completely wrong.

“Ugh, ugh! Gasp! Shit, this classic torture, mmmph!”

He was repeatedly dunked in ice-cold water, his head submerged dozens of times, until he was jolted awake. The official, following Pienne’s orders, repeated the same question monotonously,

“Will you cooperate with the plan?”

“Go fuck…yourself…! Mmmph! Haa!”

“Will you cooperate with the plan?”

Next was sleep deprivation. Whenever he was about to drift off, the officials would take turns shaking him awake.

“Say you’ll cooperate. Then I’ll let you sleep for days.”

How sweet those words sounded. Later, his mind became so hazy that he almost mumbled his agreement.

Then, he was forced to face a room filled with various insects and rats.

Fortunately, he had coexisted with such creatures for so long that he could endure it, though the experience was still undeniably disgusting and repulsive.

‘What else was fucking there, damn it?’

He was force-fed root vegetables until he was stuffed, and then deprived him of water.

“Say you surrender. Then I’ll give you all the water you want.”

These petty, infuriating tortures continued for several days, and Ssangryeong finally realized why the methods were so specific.

Pienne avoided physical torture, like beatings, dismemberment, or burning.

He understood that if Ssangryeong died or became seriously ill during torture, it would be inconvenient for him.

Instead, he chose methods that would mentally break him without inflicting physical harm.

“Haa, damn it… It’s the first time I’ve been afraid to open my eyes.”

Ssangryeong, who was being dragged somewhere early in the morning, looked noticeably thinner than before.

With dark circles reaching his nose, he trudged along until he reached an unfamiliar door.

“Get in.”

The official shoved him inside the room.

Ssangryeong, too exhausted to even get angry at the rough treatment, looked up with blurry eyes.

“…What the…”

His eyes widened as he noticed something.

Unexpected people were tied to chairs in the room.

Two of the men looked familiar.

No, he knew them.

“Malcolm, Robert.”

Saying their names out loud made it feel even more real.

They were organization members he had often carried out requests with. They were the two who had been shot by Pienne during the drug deal, just before he was captured, and had barely escaped with their lives.

The men he’d assumed were alive and well somewhere in the Dependent Nation were imprisoned here in the government building, just like him.

Ssangryeong frowned deeply.

“What the hell? Why are you guys locked up here?”

He was dumbfounded.

“…Mr. Ssangryeong.”

Malcolm spoke in a raspy voice. Looking at his pathetic state, Ssangryeong felt a tightness in his neck.

If they had abandoned him and escaped, they should be living comfortably. Even though Malcolm couldn’t send his daughter on a plane¹anymore, he should be laughing and spending time with his adorable daughter, having quit that damned organization.

That’s how they should have been.

“Why are you here, you idiots?!”

As he roared our like thunder, Ssangryeong suddenly realized.

That they were his next form of torture.

Malcolm’s hand, severely injured by the gunshot, seemed to have been beyond treatment and had been amputated, leaving only his wrist. Even that was wrapped in bloodstained bandages.

Robert, who had been shot in the abdomen, still looked unwell.

It was clear that both of them had received some form of treatment.

“Were you caught again after escaping? Did the Commander track you down?”

He couldn’t understand it, even as he asked.

He didn’t know Pienne well, but he had assumed the man wasn’t someone who would go back on his word.

Pienne had clearly stated at the drug deal that he would let them go.

So he had them recaptured behind their backs?

Was he that petty?

As Ssangryeong’s golden eyes darkened, Malcolm slowly shook his head.

“That’s not it. We… came to the government building ourselves.”

“What?”

“To be precise, it was Diana’s decision. She said the only way to save us was to turn ourselves in to the government…”

Ssangryeong pondered Malcolm’s words.

Diana.

He knew who she was.

The most skilled medic in Lucas’ organization.

Although she didn’t have an official medical license, he had heard that she had been studying medical books smuggled into the Dependent Nation since she was young and possessed more specialized knowledge than most doctors.

‘Diana brought these two here?’

Ssangryeong glared and snapped,

“I don’t understand a single word you’re saying. Explain it clearly. What happened?”

“…We headed straight to the organization’s hideout after we escaped. We lost consciousness as soon as we arrived, and when we woke up, Diana was there.”

His dull hazel eyes stared at the floor.

“She said the boss had abandoned us. That he ordered her to dispose of us, the ones who failed the mission… But Diana disobeyed his orders and saved us.”

“What…?”

Ssangryeong couldn’t believe his ears.

‘Lucas gave that order?’

As far as he knew, Lucas cared for his organization members. He’d taken in those well-built young men struggling in the Dependent Nation, providing them with food and shelter, earning their gratitude.

After pondering for a moment, Ssangryeong dismissed the thought.

‘I guess that’s the kind of person he was.’

There was no point in questioning it. After all, Lucas was a shady person who had been living under a false identity.

It wasn’t surprising that such a two-faced bastard would act duplicitously.

“So, you came to this government building with Diana? Because you were afraid Lucas would kill you if you stayed on the streets of the Dependent Nation?”