Chapter 242: Not A Hit-and-Run Protester (2)
Thand was in chaos.
Lace had died, but countless people who had been his aplices, especially the generals and officers under General Jeokrang, caused riots, bringing additional chaos.
But the greatest chaos was immediately found at the ind called the resting ce of the gods.
“I had to manage the high-level addicts there every day. Others managed marijuana and cannabis…”
“If you resisted, you were sent straight to the execution chamber. Everyone who came out of there lost their heads. Something was imnted in their heads, but the Goblin cured it all.”
“Yes? How did you end up there? Well, if I tell the truth, it’s a bit… Actually, I pretended to be Korean and tried to have fun with the girls at a club…”
First, the ‘former ves,’ whose hair was all shaved and had numbers burned onto their heads with aser.
Everyone was puzzled over what to call these people, but soon they were named ‘The Escapees’.
Some suggested calling them ‘Baldies’ or ‘Bold-M.I.A,’ but no matter what, you couldn’t officially call people Baldies in a formal setting.Their hair wasn’t shaved off by their own choice but forcibly by the army of General Jeokrang.
“Those who did not listen… were all killed. I didn’t see it directly, but I heard that their organs were harvested and their bodies were buried in the cannabis fields, used as human fertilizer.”
“Children were selected and bred. They were sent to other ces for adoption. Surely somewhere, receiving military training on a secret ind created by General Jeokrang. When they grow up, they will join the military…”
“Even ordinary kids were like this. What about ability users? The children shown in the files by the investigator, born and raised on that ind. They know nothing about the outside. If we even start to tell those kids about the outside world, we would be executed immediately.”
In any case, the escapees spoke about everything they had heard and experienced.
As there were so many people, and the stories emerging were so shocking, not only Thand but also the internationalmunity was plunged into great confusion.
The most serious issue was separate from the escapees; it was the children with abilities who were subdued at the tollgate to the ind.
“This is not just child abuse! It’s an affront to human dignity…”
Raising ability users on an ind to be soldiers.
“Ah, also, about the ability-using children who were recently rescued. Their education was wrong. Everything they were taught was fictitious; it was brainwashing.”
“Even the Nazis would admire this and learn from it, calling it ‘masterful.’ It’s worse than what the Nazis did. How could such acts bemitted?”
“Think about when they grow up. I always say that heroes don’t necessarily have to contribute to all of humanity, but I never said they should be used as someone’s soldiers.”
The children had never seen the outside world and had been indoctrinated from a young age, so they couldn’t understand what was socially right or wrong.
“Brainwashing ability users from childhood to raise them as soldiers? This only happens in fiction. Is this really happening? It’s disgusting. It’s hard to believe they are the same humans.”
Truly, it was shocking and horrifying.
And at the same time, people began to wonder.
If such things happened in Thand.
Maybe, such things were happening around them.
To that, I wanted to reply.
‘That is correct.’<hr>
We rented a car in Bangkok and headed down to Pattaya, visiting a church a little off the streets of Pattaya.
“Hello, brother. Nice to meet you, sister.”
Even though Thand was predominantly Buddhist, there were churches, and the white-haired old nun we met at the church greeted us with a smile.
“You must have had a hard timest night, thank you foring so far.”
“It’s nothing. The real hardships are yet toe for the people of this country. We are just witnessing them.”
“After finding and removing cancer cells, the body’s owner must handle the side effects. It’s paramount to find them before they reach the terminal stage. Pleasee inside.”
“Excuse me, Sister Haniel.”
Yun Hye-ra and I followed Sister Haniel into the church.
“Oh, a visitor!”
“It’s a Korean couple!”
The children in the church greeted us, cheering and saying hello.
Yun Hye-ra and I waved lightly to the children, who politely sped their hands and greeted us with a bow.
“The children are quite cheerful.”
“It’s all thanks to your support. They eat well, live happily, and enjoy everything. The only thing theyck is the love of their biological parents.”
“But aren’t the other sisters giving them love?”
“Even if they are raised with love, it is less than the bond of blood.”
Sister Haniel opened the door leading further into the church with a bittersweet smile.
The interior was impably clean, needing no repairs, and while there were asional signs of children’s yful graffiti, next to it were murals painted on the wall.
“We have modest offerings, but I brewed some tea knowing you wereing. Would you like a cup of cha yen?”
“That sounds good. Hye-ra, you?”
“I’ll have the same.”
“…We also have sikhye and sujeonggwa prepared.”
“I prefer that.”
Homemade tea made locally.
It’s been a while since we arrived in Thand, but I was beginning to really feel the Thai atmosphere.
“Are you two here to check on the children’s condition?”
“Yes. We were concerned they might be disturbed by yesterday’s events.”
“They are disturbed. But they’re all smart children. They understand the situation and actually feel sympathy for the children who were on the ind.”
Haniel sipped her cha yen—Thai milk tea—with a bitter smile.
“The children here, perhaps because they use their heads more as they awaken their abilities, tend to be 2-3 years more advanced intellectuallypared to other non-ability users. I’m not sure about other ces…”
“It’s simr everywhere. That’s the case wherever you go.”
Ability users grew quickly.
Even 17-year-old S-ss heroes like Armored Taejo or Baridegi were fully grown adults, their brain development significantly advancedpared to other children their age.
It’s no wonder there were proposals everywhere to lower the legal adult age for ability users.
Their physical development was just that fast.
The children here might look like middle school students on the outside, but many were actually the age of elementary school students.
Raising these children required careful attention, but Sister Haniel and others at this church were doing their utmost to provide love and service to the children.
“Excuse me.”
“Ah, wee, Gabriel.”
A young man in priestly robes approached.
Nearly 180cm tall, he was of mixed Korean-Thai descent—a Kosian.
“I greet you both, heroes. My name is Gabriel.”
“…And your age this year?”
“I just turned 20, by Korean age standards. My ability rank is—”
“B-ss. It seems you’ve grown this year.”
“…Thank you for noticing.”
It was slightly embarrassing to see a young man blush at me, but I stood up and offered my hand to Gabriel for a handshake.
“Nice to meet you. If you’re not too busy, would you sit with us?”
“Thank you for the invitation, but I must go now; it’s time for the children’s physical education.”
Gabriel grimaced, shook my hand, then bowed his head again.
“Wee to Thand. Many have been saved thanks to both of you. Goodbye.”
Gabriel regretfully left the reception room.
His gaze was like that of a high school student looking up at a top professional gamer, which was why I had offered him the handshake.
“Haha. Just the other day, Mr. Gabriel won’t wash his hands for a while since you shook hands with him.”
“But it’s the hand that has taken lives.”
“People vary. God understands and forgives, especially since it was the person who ground human bones to drink.”
Sister Haniel, though a nun, spoke without hesitation.
“That’s why she cooperates with the society.”
If anyone said that even God did notmand them to kill but to repent, they would not cooperate with the society in the first ce.
“Sister, if there is anything ufortable or needed, please tell us anytime.”
“Nothing at all. Well, if there is one thing, it might be this.”
Sister Haniel pointed with her eyes through the window at the children stepping out onto a spacious courtyard.
“I wonder if they would be shocked to find out one day that the society is actually the one makingrge donations to this church. And their dreams and hopes might be shaken.”
“…It’s best not to let them know.”
“Yes. Some, like Gabriel, havepletely joined this side, but I don’t think it’s something to discuss in front of you both. However, I hope the children don’t walk the path of the society.”
“I think so too.”
The society did its utmost for the growth and development of abandoned children, whether ability users or not.
Was it like what General Jeokrang and Lace did, to make them blindly loyal soldiers?
Not at all.
“How much do the people of the world know? If they knew that orphanages around the world were actually operated by the society.”
“…Since we’re not raising them to be people of the society, it should be fine. Right, Hye-ra?”
“Of course.”
The society simply supported the children to the best of their ability until they became proper members of society when they grew up.
“Even if walking the path of a hero impedes the society, we can’t let the children suffer the same pain we did.”
The current core members of the society, including the Chief and other senior ability users over the age of 20, strived to prevent future generations from experiencing the humiliations and pains they endured in their childhood.
That’s why I was confident.
“Everything is for the peace of the world.”
A world conquered by the society was the path to global peace.