Magic on the Dead Chapter 66

Stride, stride. The man who walked into the warehouse stopped in front of Hajin. After tilting his head for a moment as if observing Hajin’s appearance, he held out a hand toward him.

“Ah, right, you can’t shake hands. My apologies, my apologies.”

As the magnanimous apology continued, Hajin’s eyes contorted fiercely.

“Officer Kim. Don’t just stand there gawking. Go get the handcuff key from outside and unlock that person over there.”

At the man’s command, Officer Kim, letting out a short sigh, went and got a handcuff key from somewhere. Eden’s body was soon free, but Hajin’s was not yet.

“I am Lieutenant Colonel So Jongtae, stationed here at Misan Ranch. You can simply call me Lieutenant Colonel So.”

The man, who introduced himself as Lieutenant Colonel So, began to untie Hajin’s ropes with an utterly unhurried touch. Hajin glared at Lieutenant Colonel So with a look that said he wanted to beat him to death for what seemed like a deliberate attempt to drag out the time.

When the ropes were finally undone, his stiffened body fell forward onto the floor. His wrists and ankles, which had been tied for a long while, wouldn’t listen to him.

“Fuck, seriously…”

He didn’t know how many times he had cursed already. He spat out a vicious curse as he struggled to push his staggering body upright. Nervously avoiding Lieutenant Colonel So’s hand as he tried to help, he looked at Eden, who was approaching.

Like the ‘newborn baby giraffe’ he had heard about sometime in the past, Hajin’s limbs trembled incessantly.

“Can you stand?”

“Hoo… Yes.”

“Hold on to me.”

A hand suddenly slipped under his armpit. Hajin clenched his jaw, trying not to be conscious of the touching skin, and moved his swollen feet with difficulty.

Following the guidance of the toad-like Lieutenant Colonel So, they went outside the warehouse. Even though it had only been one night, his body trembled as if he were a person basking in the sun for the first time in a very long while.

When he came out, being supported like a defeated soldier, he saw men in military uniforms and civilian clothes lined up and waiting. There seemed to be at least a dozen of them. It appeared they were all henchmen Lieutenant Colonel So had brought along.

“So they were soldiers.”

Hajin glanced at Eden, who was muttering under his breath. When their eyes met up close, he whispered in a low voice.

“Don’t get separated. Stay right next to me.”

“Of course. You’re the one who should try not to get separated, Mr. Jung Taegeon.”

Just then, Lieutenant Colonel So, who was walking ahead, turned back and chuckled with a good-natured face.

“You two are in quite a state. I guess we handled you a bit roughly yesterday. You must be hungry, so please sit on that bench and wait for a moment.”

What on earth was he plotting? After tying their bodies up tightly with ropes, the old ruffian now offered to serve them a meal and abruptly left.

Hajin and Eden sat on a wooden bench about 100 meters from the warehouse. Lieutenant Colonel So’s subordinates also took up positions near the bench where the two had moved.

Some of them seemed to have recognized Hajin, as they whispered among themselves. Hajin, who had sharp ears, caught the word ‘magic’ and sighed deeply to himself.

A short while later, Lieutenant Colonel So, who had left, reappeared with Officer Kim. In their hands were round rice balls coated in black seaweed flakes.

“Let’s eat first and then have a little talk.”

Lieutenant Colonel So handed them the rice balls, which were placed on top of a plastic bag. Hajin, unable to control his seething emotional reaction, trembled. On the back of his hand, Chunbeom’s blood was still crusted dry.

Toward him, who was bristling with hostility, Officer Kim spoke first.

“It’s been about two days since they were made, but we heated them in a microwave, so they should be edible.”

At the word ‘microwave,’ Eden’s eyes filled with interest.

Food and electricity exist in this place.

And in a generous enough quantity to put on a show of compassion for their hostages.

Three weeks had already passed since the city collapsed, and there was no way a complete power system would still be intact, so they must have their own power generation system. That was likely the decisive reason the military unit was stationed at the ranch.

Toward the two who did not readily touch the food, Lieutenant Colonel So spoke benevolently.

“It seems there is some kind of misunderstanding between us. First, let’s eat a hearty meal, and then we can talk.”

A misunderstanding? For a moment, Hajin had to barely suppress the urge to throw the rice ball in the lieutenant colonel’s face. Eden, noticing his surge of emotion, placed a hand gently on Hajin’s thigh. A couple of pats, as if to calm him down, followed.

“Then let’s hear this misunderstanding you’re talking about. I think I’ll only be able to get any food down after that.”

Eden placed the two rice balls he had been given down next to the bench and spoke. As expected, his face showed no emotional disturbance, but Hajin could also read the on-the-verge-of-exploding patience in his voice.

Lieutenant Colonel So looked at the hostages, who had not lost their spirit overnight, as if it were unexpected. It was also surprising that they didn’t lose their nerve even with food in front of them. Most people who came here didn’t hesitate to pledge their loyalty for even a single warm rice ball.

The situation flowing in an unexpected direction, the lieutenant colonel scratched his broad cheek, then turned to his subordinates and gave a quiet order. One man, bowing to a 90-degree angle, disappeared behind the warehouse.

“About the person who died on the pasture yesterday. I’d first like to ask if he was your colleague.”

Toward Lieutenant Colonel So, who was asking the obvious, Hajin let out a hollow breath.

“You call that a question right now?”

Lieutenant Colonel So looked at him, who was growling consistently, with displeasure.

“I’m asking to get things straight, aren’t I? Goodness, the way this young person speaks… Which unit are you from, by any chance? Did you even serve in the military?”

“Cut the bullshit.”

Hajin, finally losing his cool, lunged at the lieutenant colonel. Eden, barely blocking the panting, gaunt body, quickly spun him around to stand behind him. In that time, the subordinates standing behind the lieutenant colonel aimed their guns at the two of them.

“Whoa, whoa… everyone calm down. How can we have a conversation like this?”

Lieutenant Colonel So, clicking his tongue briefly, clasped his hands behind his back and got to the point.

“To get straight to the conclusion, we did not kill your colleague. We’ve collected the body and laid it to rest in the machine shed, so you can check later.”

To have killed him and then claim they didn’t—it was a completely incomprehensible statement. Hajin grabbed Eden’s forearm with a complicated expression. Eden glanced at the hand that had instinctively grabbed his body.

Lieutenant Colonel So continued speaking with an exaggerated sigh.

“Originally, this place was operated as a shelter for survivors. We were a military unit stationed in Nogwang City, and after the situation broke out, we came over here and devoted all our efforts to the zombie cleanup operation.”

His explanation was that they had secured enough supplies and drinking water and had been taking in a constant stream of survivors.

“But since the seeds of discord are everywhere, a riot broke out when some residents, coveting more food, started an incident…”

As if his throat was dry in the middle of speaking, the lieutenant colonel gave a loud, dry cough and tapped the shoulder of the lanky man closest to him.

The man who was singled out, in a voice full of discipline, fluently continued speaking in the lieutenant colonel’s stead.

“When the riot broke out, the ranch’s temporary wall collapsed, and zombies attacked through the gap. Because of that, we lost many residents and some of our personnel.”

Hajin had no way to hide his growing confusion. He couldn’t figure out their intentions in suddenly reciting the rise and fall of Misan Ranch in the slightest.

“We managed to defend the pasture, but some of the residents who survived after starting the riot continue to harbor discontent and have recently been attacking this place with increasing frequency.”

As the dry explanation of the situation, like an audio guide for an art exhibition, continued, Eden raised his hand to stop him.

“So you’re saying that you mistook us for those rioters and opened fire… is that it?”

At the sharply-edged question, this time the lieutenant colonel stopped him with an overly exaggerated tone.

“That’s exactly the part that’s a misunderstanding. It’s true we imprisoned you because we mistook you for rioters, but the body lying on the ground has nothing to do with us. In fact, I thought you all had an internal shootout. Some of the rioters looted a lot of our weapons. Besides, no one fires recklessly without my order. It’s about time we started conserving bullets, after all.”

Hajin was struck speechless by his unexpected claim.

Just then, the subordinate who had disappeared behind the warehouse on some order appeared, catching his breath.

“Battalion commander, I’ve brought the items.”

In his hands were two familiar bags. They were Eden and Hajin’s bags.