SYNO Chapter 21

Ssangryeong had expected something more impressive Object, but it was just an ordinary Zippo lighter.

‘Is he showing off that he’s a chain smoker or something?’

He’d known it from the way the man constantly smoked away.

Though taken aback, Ssangryeong immediately began memorizing everything. The tiny engraved code, the weakness, and the Name partner’s information.

He planned to leave the Object behind and escape with the information perfectly memorized, just in case. In these situations, his extraordinary memory was quite handy..

‘But… what is this?’

Ssangryeong’s brow furrowed as he traced the engraved letters on the Zippo lighter with his fingertip.

It was subtly different.

The letters of the engraving, which he had touched thousands of times before, felt off.

People’s Name Objects changed every five years, and the information, including the weakness, would sometimes change.

This was a phenomenon that had persisted throughout human history. Some Name scholars analyzed the Name phenomenon as a whims of a god, while others believed it was the work of a machine created by humans.

In any case, the font of the engraving on the Object was always the same for everyone.

‘That much is certain…’

This meant that this lighter was a fake Object.

Ssangryeong gulped.

The moment he realized the Zippo lighter was a fake, the crimson lights in the bedroom suddenly brightened.

“Ugh!”

Ssangryeong staggered from the sudden flash of light in the darkness, as if blinded. He blinked rapidly, still sitting on the bed.

And then, someone pressed down on his shoulders, pushing him onto the soft bed. It was a force strong enough to pull his body along involuntarily.

“Ssangryeong.”

Ssangryeong’s eyes widened as soon as he heard the low voice. The hair on his arms stood on end; it was definitely the Commander’s voice.

‘Why is this bastard here…when he was supposed to have left for the Home Nation?!’

As his vision cleared, he could vaguely saw the man’s large figure looming over him. He was now straddling Ssangryeong.

“G-Get off me!”

Ssangryeong, yelling curses, suddenly found his arms pinned above his head. It was a humiliating position, especially as a man.

No matter how much he struggled, his neck straining, the man’s solid body didn’t budge. The handsome face, which seemed like he hadn’t seen it in ages, slowly opened its mouth.

“Did you come here to be fucked? In my bedroom?”¹

His lips curved into a smooth smile.

“You’d better answer carefully.”

Ssangryeong broke out in a cold sweat. Pinned beneath Pienne under the almost romantic lighting, he couldn’t help but think he was utterly screwed.

“If you came here to steal, I’ll execute you on the spot.”

Ssangryeong’s eyes wavered at the chillingly low voice.

‘This bastard… his eyes aren’t smiling at all.’

Ssangryeong swallowed hard.

The Commander had given him two choices.

Did he come to be fucked, or did he come to steal?

A bleak choice, no matter which he picked.

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

Meanwhile, the executives, who had been leisurely discussing potentially treasonous plans as if they were jokes, were suddenly apprehended.

The men who stormed in like a tide arrested all the executives.

“W-What are you doing?!”

“Do you know who I am…?! Release me at once!”

“You are under arrest for conspiracy and plotting of rebellion, collective insubordination, and solicitation of theft, according to Article 3 of the Military Criminal Code.”

Vice Commander Frederick, standing with his hands clasped behind his back, listed the charges. The executives’ eyes widened as handcuffs were placed on their wrists.

“What the…?! Fredrick! What is the meaning of this?!”

Frederick avoided eye contact, as if refusing to acknowledge them.

The executives resisted fiercely, while their minds struggled to comprehend the situation. The men who had arrested them were Commander Pienne’s aides.

To arrest high-ranking executives like themselves, an arrest warrant from the Commander was required.

This meant that the current situation was directly ordered by the Commander himself.

The executives exchanged worried glances.

‘How is this possible?! We confirmed that the Commander left for the Home Nation…! Didn’t Fredrick accompany him?!’

‘Could it be that they found out Ssangryeong broke into the Commander’s bedroom?’

Their eyes were filled with questions.

The executive who had spearheaded the plan to use Ssangryeong panted, his breath ragged.

‘Where did it all go wrong?!’

They had prepared for this day for a long time. They had even enlisted the help of several high-ranking officials in the Home Nation who shared their views and worked tirelessly to send all of the Commander’s aides back to the Home Nation.

They had hired a technician to secretly tamper with the government building’s electricity and CCTV system, manipulated work schedules months in advance to position their people today, and run countless simulations to determine the location of the Commander’s Name Object.

They had been more cautious than ever, as this operation targeted the Commander. A single misstep could ruin not only them but also Brigadier General Lucas.

They had even sent someone to confirm that the Commander had left the Dependent Nation…!

“Take them away.”

“Yes, sir!”

As Frederick gestured with his chin, the officials began to escort the arrested executives away.

“Frederick… ! Do you know what you’re doing? The Commander is clearly in the Home Nation!”

“Is he, now?”

“Wh-What?”

“Do you think he would leave for the Home Nation, leaving you hyenas with bloodshot eyes alone with Ssangryeong?”

“B-But we clearly…!”

“You seem to underestimate our Commander. It’s baffling, really. After being played like that, you still haven’t learned?”

Fredrick shrugged, his tone mocking, and turned away. The officials, who had paused momentarily, resumed escorting the executives.

Fredrick listened to their desperate cries, his expression unreadable, and looked out the window, fidgeting with his hands behind his back.

“Hmm.”

Honestly, if it weren’t for the Commander, with his sharp intuition, this incident would have gone unnoticed. Even he hadn’t noticed anything amiss until the Commander alerted him and ordered an investigation.

The executives had prepared thoroughly, as they were so confident, so it took considerable effort to uncover their scheme.

“Tsk, they even pulled some strings with the higher-ups.”

The Home Nation’s insistent demands had almost forced the Commander to actually leave for the Home Nation.

Well, even though it had meant he had to work countless hours of overtime, it was a good outcome, as they had caught the other side red-handed.

Brigadier General Lucas’ loyal followers wouldn’t reveal their backer so easily, but torture might loosen their tongues.

“I wonder if they’ve caught Ssangryeong.”

Frederick glanced at his wristwatch.

They should have caught him by now. Frederick recalled what the Commander had said to him began,

“I’ll capture Ssangryeong myself.”

“…You, Commander? Personally?”

“Yes.”

The only person in the Dependent State who could handle the incorrigible Ssangryeong was the Commander.

But there was something else the Commander had said that bothered Fredrick,

“Keep everyone away from my quarters.”

“…What? You’re going alone again, Commander? Even though we’ve prepared for every possibility, it’s too dangerous for you to act alone.”

“Focus on your own task.”

“Of course I’ll do my job. But what are you planning to do in your quarters…? You’re just going to capture Ssangryeong, who’s in the middle of stealing, aren’t you?”

At his puzzled question, the Commander gave an unreadable, expressionless look.

“I’m going to make him surrender.”

“…Ssangryeong? How?”

Fredrick was skeptical.

They had tried every form of non-physical torture, but Ssangryeong hadn’t budged.

Instead of cooperating, he seemed to be enjoying the torture, and they were at their wit’s end trying to figure out how to persuade the crazy thief.

They had even resorted to using the organization members who had turned themselves in as hostages.

But Ssangryeong, who they thought would soften, refused to cooperate. This was an unexpected setback, and Ssangryeong was more stubborn than they had imagined.

The Commander, silent for a moment, slowly opened his mouth.

“I’ve seen it before. A moment when Ssangryeong was completely vulnerable.”

“…Really? When was that? Are you planning to use that method this time? Do you think you can win him over?”

Despite the barrage of questions, the Commander simply turned away.

“I’ll have to try.”

He said, and left.

Frederick slowly stroked his newly grown beard.

“A moment when Ssangryeong was completely vulnerable…”

What method was that?

Whatever it was, the Commander would accomplish his goal and return. He was a man who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

Ssangryeong squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again.

‘Is this really happening?’

His hands, tied together above his head, were a source of immense humiliation. Being straddled beneath the large Commander added to the shame.

He wanted to kick him off and run, but he had already exhausted most of his strength struggling.

Ssangryeong took a deep breath.

‘Damn it… what should I do?’

As he’d thought before, Pienne had a nasty habit of anticipating every possibility of him escaping and blocking it.

That must have been how he survived and rose to his current position in the Home Nation, but it was still infuriating every time it happened.

And right now, the Commander surely had a desired outcome in mind.

Ssangryeong stared at Pienne in confusion.

‘This bastard… what is he planning? Why isn’t he getting off me?’

If he was going to arrest him, he would have done it already.

Pienne hadn’t averted his gaze for a single moment. His expressionless eyes were looking directly down at him.

Meeting those intense blue eyes, Ssangryeong felt like… this bastard was either going to kill him or… entirely ravish him.