### Chapter Summary
#### Invocation of Protection
“Lord of Humanity, we seek your protection
O King of Humanity,
To the God of Humanity,
From the evil of the whisperers who come secretly,
Whispering into the hearts of men,
Among spirits and humans.”
– Quran, Surah An-Nas, 114th chapter.
—
#### War on Terrorism
The West was still in the midst of a war against terrorism.
[French police arrest 15 terror plotters… Investigation linked to Valpurgis ongoing.]
Media reported that French police had raided a hideout of terror plotters near Paris, arresting some.
Authorities held back on announcements as they were still tracking escapees.
However, France’s largest private broadcaster, TF1, disregarded government recommendations and publicly released all secret documents held by the terror plotters.
The documents detailed personal information of 2,004 members of Valpurgis, along with plans for future international terrorism and kidnappings.
Late in the game, France’s National Security Bureau announced that they should refrain from speculation as the truth was not fully determined.
[While the terror plots of Valpurgis have always existed, most were discarded without execution. France has the capability to immediately neutralize terrorists on-site.]
Indeed, across Europe, protests against Islam were frequent, and retaliatory terror plots had been planned multiple times.
For instance, there were attempts to kidnap diplomats from various countries as hostages to extract Valpurgis officials imprisoned.
Terror plotters had targeted a national exchange event scheduled to be held in France in 2053.
Operation name: “An-Nas.”
The plan included starting with the assassination of the French President and causing great chaos with a suicide bombing, but there was something more noteworthy:
[Recover the vessel of the Messiah stolen by the infidels without damage.]
Their ultimate target was not an object but a person.
The name “No Name” was explicitly written in English.
Once again, Valpurgis strongly denied any link to unrelated parties through Telegram,
But as always, strong denial often implies a strong acknowledgment.
The shaken South Korean government hastily mobilized security personnel.
While the budget was being processed, they secretly dispatched an intelligence agent to No Name to fill the gap.
Manager Park, an operative from White who had been closely monitoring No Name since last year, accepted the mission.
From the first day of his surveillance, he never imagined he would be discovered by No Name.
“Am I in danger right now?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I feel like someone has been following me since earlier.”
“Wasn’t it your bodyguard?”
“Where would I have a bodyguard? You’re sounding like a swimming coach.”
Was there such a thing as a swimming safety officer?
No Name tilted her head for a moment.
—
#### Introduction of Security Agent
“Hello, I’m Manager Park Seong-won from the National Intelligence Service. I’m not some black ops agent out of a movie. I’m White, a sort of field agent. It’s nice to meet you like this.”
“Do I know you?”
Shaking his head,
“What’s your name?”
“Park Seong-won.”
“Seong-wang?”
“Yes, please call me Seong-wang. It’s cool since it sounds Chinese.”
“Why are you following me?”
Being followed was certainly not a welcome reality.
The author seemed to want to deflect the situation with a smile, but I wouldn’t let it go that easily.
“Originally, the South Korean government intended to provide security personnel to No Name, but given the situation, we had to hurriedly dispatch from the National Intelligence Service.”
“Why?”
“Don’t you know? A news report broke out in France early this morning.”
I narrowed my eyes.
Looking over at Ulysses Murphy, he seemed to have a rough idea of what was going on.
The word Valpurgis came from Manager Park’s lips.
It was clear they were prioritizing me for capture due to the upcoming national exchange event next year.
I listened to the situation with a serious expression.
“Moreover, there’s something about No Name lately… uh, what should I call it, magic that awakens sight?”
“Optic Nerve Connectome Akashic Record.”
“Yes, exactly that. There was an announcement recently from the Vatican, and it has stirred quite a buzz in religious circles. While you must have made it with scientific methods, if you take the wording away, it essentially opened the eyes of the blind, like Jesus.”
“And?”
“There are concerns that you might become a target for fanatic groups. Also, there’s an invasion of privacy issue.”
“From what I see, it seems you’re the ones invading my privacy right now.”
“I sincerely apologize. I’m sorry…”
“And if your purpose was security, was there really a need to follow me? Oh, thinking about it.”
I scrutinized the man’s face.
He had a very ordinary face that seemed to blend in anywhere.
But still, it was somewhat familiar.
As I delved into my memories, I finally remembered.
“Korea University, Incheon International Airport.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’ve followed me before, right? It seems you’re not a first-time offender. Minister Murphy, please file a stalking report on this person.”
“Wait a moment! That never happened. My face is very ordinary, so you must have mistaken me for someone else.”
“Wow, now you’re even lying. I usually don’t let things slide past three strikes, but since this is the first time, I’ll make an exception. If you understand, please leave immediately.”
“Even on a security mission?”
“Do you want to be bitten by the press? Would you like to be criticized for the National Intelligence Service failing its mission like amateurs? After that, a simple report won’t suffice.”
I spoke with utmost politeness.
Manager Park let out a deep sigh and trudged away.
Only after confirming his departure did I start to feel the reality confronting me.
My safety wouldn’t be an issue.
But for my acquaintances, that wasn’t the case.
Just because I was in Korea, I couldn’t relax as if nothing would happen like last year’s bombing incident.
After receiving the notification that Ban So Wol had finished her visit, we moved back to near the military base.
“Worried, huh?”
Ulysses Murphy patted my shoulder to offer comfort.
“It’s frustrating that people born in such fertile land are so unpleasant. I can’t understand those who sacrifice their lives for such people.”
“The world is mad. We are trying to understand this crazy world.”
For what reason were they trying to kidnap me?
Is it because I held value as a hostage?
If so, politicians with many intertwined interests would be of greater value.
Had I publicly made any strong criticisms?
In Europe, burning the Quran had become an annual event.
It was becoming clear.
There must be another reason behind their actions.
[Recover the vessel of the Messiah stolen by the infidels without damage.]
Stolen, vessel, recover.
“Wait, are they treating me like some object?”
In the distance, Ban So Wol waved at me.
“Watch out for the stone in front.”
“I can see it now.”
Ban So Wol laughed lightly, avoiding the stone and stepping forward.
“You weren’t gone as long as I thought?”
“Yeah. Yeon-ho has duty later.”
“That’s tough.”
“Shall we go?”
“Yes. Minister, about studying in the U.S. that you mentioned, I’ll seriously consider it.”
As I was about to greet Ulysses Murphy and leave,
“It’s a confidential matter, but since we met, I’ll share good news. You’ll surely like it.”
“Good news?”
“Being the Secretary of State, you hear all sorts of news. They say it will eventually become useful for diplomacy.”
I paid attention to his words.
Murphy had a friendly smile on his face.
“America has decided to participate in the 28th national exchange event. It’s the first participation in 26 years. So, there’s nothing to fear from Valpurgis. The moment they strike us, the Middle East will disappear from the planet.”
—
#### At Home
“Saetbyeol, please run some bath water for me.”
On the way home, I started planning roughly.
Going abroad to study at Philips Academy seemed excessive.
What does a diploma even matter.
I think perhaps it was a type of inferiority complex stemming from past lives that prevented me from making sound judgments.
However, wouldn’t an exchange student program be acceptable?
I felt the need to quietly stay out of the public eye for a month or two.
Above all, the environment where I could fight with children without limits was most appealing.
Top-tier students were almost comparable to national representatives, so they would be suitable practice opponents.
Just as I had infinite sparring sessions with Emika this summer, I could invite Cecilia to play in the winter.
“No Name, hey, No Name.”
“What? Did you turn the water on?”
“Come here for a moment.”
Suddenly, Saetbyeol appeared wearing glasses like Professor Cheon, clicking a pen.
What prank was this now?
“No Name, can you share just one memory from your childhood?”
“Childhood? How early are we talking?”
“Hm, very early?”
“I ate rice with a roller.”
“Really? Roller sounds good. When was the time you had the most kills in a game?”
“July 14, 2048, with 50 kills.”
“Oh… then can you name your team members from that time?”
“Can’t Hold Back, Challenger Seekers, Icheon Rice Noodles, Picking Up Grain.”
“No way, for real? This sounds even less believable the more I think about it.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
Saetbyeol showed me an article with utterly ridiculous content.
[Arrested Valpurgis high-ranking officer confesses. “Conducting new humanity experiments in Korea… No Name is the first artificial life form implanted with ASI self-awareness.”]
“This is slander.”
This was the first time I had encountered such bizarre trolling in my life.
