Long-term salvation

"This is truly rare," Yang said with a smile. She sat down next to Rhodes and glanced at the long table already covered with small dishes. "Mr. Irons is a rare visitor. I heard the commander say on the phone that you wanted to talk to me."

"I'm very interested in the person who can force Atlas's Great Lakes investment director to stay up all night for two weeks in a row and eventually be sent to the hospital," Irons smiled a little, but then returned to his usual calm self, so quickly that it almost made people think it was an illusion.

"That was only possible thanks to the commander's wise leadership and the help of my companions."

"With the help of my friends...Do you have any idea about the serial bank robberies in the Rust Belt?"

"No, Mr. Irons," Nikki said with a half-real smile on her face.

Hearing this, Ains snorted coldly, turned his head to look at Rhodes who was poking tofu with chopsticks, and said unhappily:

"The FBI has been arresting people like crazy lately, so tell your girls to be careful. And the CIA, that agent named Adler is very capable and difficult, and he's definitely looking for revenge, so be careful. I can't just kill that agent, that would break the rules... at least not before Atlas's main force is transferred out of North America."

Rhode nodded gravely, but then remembered the "Dangerous Seat Unit" in NIKKE, where the Nikkis were responsible for investigations and assassinations. His impression of the unit's main member, Nikki D, was still her long legs and the subsequent variations of the character... the assassin's wife, and her appearance was likely to cause another bloodbath.

However, it was definitely time to assemble a team specializing in lurking, investigation, and assassination, and having Nikki as a professional was great news. Rhode really didn't want Yuuka and the others to be tainted by the filthy side of human society; they just wanted them to follow him peacefully and fight the monsters of the other world.

Looking at Rhodes lost in thought, Irons hooked his fingers and tapped the table with his knuckles, then spoke again:

"Rhode, let Miss Yang stay in Japan for a while. I hope she can participate in the audit and asset inventory of the Japanese branch by Atlas Corporation headquarters. Her external identity will be a special commissioner from headquarters."

Hearing this, Rhode hadn't completely recovered from his deep thoughts. He subconsciously leaned back tactically. Just as he was about to refuse, Nikki beside him grabbed his hand. Rhode immediately put his chin down and nodded in agreement with a serious expression.

"I have no opinion."

Seeing the interaction between the two and Rhodes's expression, Irons showed a helpless expression and said jokingly:

"Eat, I'm hungry."

No one talked about these serious matters during the lunch break, and even Ains relaxed a lot. He sipped the slightly sweet and sour rice wine and looked quietly at Rhodes sitting across from him.

Rhode picked up the lacquer bowl, which contained slightly scalding miso soup with double the amount of kelp and chopped green onions. He stirred the light brown broth with chopsticks, and a slightly strange aroma emanated from it. But he didn't drink it directly. Instead, he stared blankly, his eyes wide open, wondering what he was thinking.

Sitting next to Rhodes was Asuka Iki. This girl with long black hair was always timid when facing Ains for some reason... It was not out of fear, but some more strange mentality.

Besides Yang, who was eating indifferently, there was also Nikki, a girl with long red hair, known as "Little Red Riding Hood." This made Irons wonder if there were other girls named after fairy tales. However, the latter was in a strange state, not only giggling from time to time, but also often glancing at Rhode, who was in a trance.

All right. Irons knew it. He'd been like that when his late wife got into a relationship, and then what? Falling in love, getting married, having kids, just like everyone else in the world.

Yes, just like everyone else... Listening to the soft conversations at the table and the crisp sound of dishes and chopsticks hitting each other, and seeing Rod sitting opposite him, Irons suddenly felt inexplicably irritated and sad.

He stood up suddenly, leaving only the words "It's too hot in the room, I want to go out for a walk", and then fled from the long house without looking back, leaving Rhodes and the girls looking at each other in bewilderment.

After a moment, Yang reacted and chuckled. She kissed Rhodes on the cheek and said with a hint of amusement:

"It's just that Mr. Irons was moved by the scene, and you should pay more attention to your words and actions in the future."

"???"

On the other side, Irons, who had just left the inner room, took his coat, put it on, and slowly walked along the courtyard path towards the door.

The hot spring inn's grounds were immaculately swept, free of weeds, and the low ornamental shrubs lining the road on either side were devoid of snow. The pond, thanks to its flowing water, remained unfrozen, but the thick bamboo deer statues nearby were frozen solid, preventing them from making the crisp sound of striking the rocks below.

The weather was pleasant, though a bit chilly, but Irons was still in a bad mood because of the empty and bleak scenery. He wasted a moment, and just as he was about to go somewhere else, Sawai Soichiro's cheerful voice came from outside the courtyard gate:

"Please, everyone. I'll introduce you... Irons, what are you doing here?"

"It's too hot in the house, I'm going out for a walk."

Irons lied calmly. He turned his head slightly and saw a pair of twins, a man in a priest's uniform, and a girl dressed as a shrine maiden - she seemed to be the daughter of the former. After hearing what Sawai Soichiro said, they all looked a little restrained, obviously knowing very well who was in front of them.

It was a curious combination, Irons thought.

At least it would give him a reason to go back inside with them.

"Then don't waste time," Irons said, turning and walking towards the house. "After we finish talking about this, I'm going to leave. There is still a lot of work waiting for me."

Hearing this, Sawai Soichiro instinctively felt that his friend was a little worried, but he did not ask. Instead, he smiled and said to the guests:

"Please come in, the girls of the Amakura family and the two of the Saikawa family. The future leaders of the Kogito Foundation have been waiting for you for a long time."

Chapter 121: The Divine Affairs Hall? The Global Occult Coalition! (3K)

Following the same route he had taken, he crossed the courtyard, entered the long house, and hung up his coat. Irons remained in his original position without changing his expression, as if his departure had never happened.

The dining table in the house had been removed, leaving only the tea-making utensils and exquisite porcelain teacups.

Scalding hot water was poured into the teapot somewhat casually, infusing the tea leaves. Soon, the amber-colored water began to swirl in each cup, causing the tea stems to slowly stand upright, bringing a touch of joy to everyone.

She glanced at the tea in front of her, then cautiously looked up at the young man sitting opposite her. Saikawa Ayane, who was about to go to high school, straightened her back to avoid embarrassing her father in front of the bigwigs.

"Well, let me introduce myself. My name is Rod, and I'm the leader of the special forces against the otherworld—the Army Without Borders... While the organization isn't fully established yet, initial work has begun. I'd appreciate your guidance from now on."

Rhode said this while sitting at the main seat with a gentle smile on his face. The others sat on either side, and the Tiancang sisters, still naive about these matters, were now poring over the materials Zejing had given them.

"We are here, and we would appreciate your guidance," replied Saikawa Seiya (Note ①), the head of the Saikawa family, in a serious tone. He had already spoken with Sawai Soichiro on the way here, and naturally understood the significance of the young man's presence. "The current situation is unstable, the future is uncertain, and the pressure on Saikawa Shrine is also great."

"Indeed, let's make it short."

The moment he saw the newcomers, some fragmented memories surfaced in Rhodes' mind - these two members of the Saikawa family were from the game "Kinki Spiritual Affairs Bureau". Although the game had a terrible feel and was full of bugs, the plot was unexpectedly interesting and full of black humor. At least it was more like Call of Duty than some other Call of Duty games.

In the game, the Saihe Shrine in Saihe Village preserves a powerful barrier called the "Ghost Migration Barrier", which can temporarily seal the entire Saihe Village between the real world and the spiritual world, thereby avoiding many wars and disasters in history.

In this world with an inner world, Rhodes guessed that they were temporarily hiding in the [Blurred Zone·Spiritual Prison] rather than the deeper inner world.

"You must be familiar with the technology behind the Phantom Migration Barrier," Saikawa Cheng explained without hesitation. "The last recorded use was in 1945, when Saihe Village attempted to evade a massive US bombing raid... I'm not sure if it was successful, but I do know that the US military wasn't bothered to bomb the small village on the mountainside, and Saihe Village was spared."

"But in recent years, I've always had a hunch that maybe barrier techniques will actually come in handy, and maybe they can actually be used successfully, especially after I learned about the existence of the other world from Sawai."

Saikawa Seiya's face was filled with fear. If the barrier failed in the slightest, the entire Saikawa Village would be thrown into a terrifying and bizarre otherworld! At that time, a quick death would be extremely lucky, but if it fell into the hands of a malicious organization, it would be enough to cause tens of millions of casualties.

This is a heavy but important responsibility, but the current Saikawa Shrine does not have the power to protect it... To be honest, Saikawa Seiya does not have much trust in the Cogito Foundation and Atlas Corporation. If it were not for the strenuous persuasion and proof of his good friend Sawai Soichiro, he would never reveal a single word of the secret of the barrier technique.

Rhodes could see the inner struggle of the head of the Saichuan family. He knew that similar situations would definitely occur in the future, such as having to deal with existing religions, animist shamans, mediums, and other "traditionalists."

Because of this, Rhode had an idea for these independent organizations that, in most cases, would not obey the orders of the Army Without Borders:

"Organizational support, military assistance, intelligence sharing—have you heard of the whole range of services offered by private military contractors?" Rhodes said. He gestured for Nikki and the others to bring two boxes and place them in front of the Saichuan family's head. "Atlas Corporation will provide weapons and supplies. The Army Without Borders will send personnel to conduct military training against the inner world and humans. Project research will be supervised by the Cogito Foundation. Of course, research is optional."

Of course, you don't have to study, share, or touch upon it, but once you've taken something and stepped onto this giant ship of Rhodes, getting off will be incredibly difficult!

The underworld is not about fighting and killing, it is about human relationships and worldly wisdom. Besides, although using tough measures can produce quick results, they also cause more troubles. We still need to "make more friends and fewer enemies."

If this is really implemented, then the shrine maidens of Saikawa Shrine may have to wear bulletproof vests and carry automatic rifles to patrol and protect the shrine... and so on. Then the Christian Lucy (Luce, the mascot launched by the Vatican) will have to be fully armed to exorcise demons.

Thinking of this, Rhode almost couldn't hold back the smile on his face. After drinking a few sips of water, he continued:

"I intend to have Atlas Corporation and Aperture Technologies take the lead in establishing and operating the system. Once the true nature of the other world is gradually known to the nations of the United Nations, we'll officially hand it over to the Global Occult Coalition (GOC), that's what I'm calling this organization."

This was essentially a product of borrowing chickens and laying eggs. Rhode didn't think that in the future, countries around the world would watch helplessly as matters related to the inner world were controlled by the Army Without Borders.

Not to mention the inner world cracks scattered across the continents, the inevitable containment sites, and the frequent inner world events, etc., which are not something the Army Without Borders can handle fully. Even if they could, they would be exhausted.

In Rhodes's vision, the Army Without Borders should be an elite force that can quickly respond to, intervene in, and resolve major events in the outside world. Therefore, it is important to strive for official support from various countries - even if it is only superficial.

At least they won't be chased and attacked by the armies of those countries while on missions. It's not easy to train elite troops specialized in world operations, and losing one is enough to make people sad.

Thinking about it this way, it would be better to simply dump the miscellaneous tasks and things that won't cause any major harm to the countries around the world so that they can have a sense of participation, while the agencies under the Army Without Borders will specialize in handling major otherworldly disasters and incidents, and the containment, research, and concealment of high-risk otherworldly creations.

The future military operations of the Army Without Borders will basically be divided into open cooperation with the official authorities to resolve otherworldly events, and covert operations carried out in secret... Special agent organizations specializing in intelligence gathering should also prepare in advance.

There was so much work to do that Rhode felt a headache every time he thought about it, but he could only do it one by one.

Rhode opened the box Nikki and the others had just brought, and inside it were neatly stacked US dollars.

"This is the incense money I give to the Saihe Shrine. Please accept it."

Saikawa family head, Saikawa Ayane: "..."

"This is a bribe," Amakura Mio said in a low voice, but she was immediately pinched on the waist by her sister Amakura Mayu.

Looking at the Saichuan father and daughter with their eyes wide open, Rhodes drank a sip of tea with satisfaction and continued:

"Now, I hope that the Saikawa family can set up a branch in the former site of Minamigami Village. It would be best if you could personally take care of it for a while. Then... Ayane, right? Your name."

"Ah! Yes, Mr. Rhodes!" Saikawa Ayane responded loudly, reluctantly taking her eyes off the piles of US dollars. "What do you want?"

"If your father allows, I hope you can protect the shrine and the barrier, and together with those two idiots in the corner, become a solid force for the future Army Without Borders and the GOC in Japan," Rhodes said with a smile, ignoring the protests of the Amakura sisters. "You're still in high school, but you should go to college... Have you decided which university you want to apply to?"

"I, I probably won't go to college."

Saikawa Ayane glanced at her father, nervously pinched the corner of her clothes with both hands, and whispered:

"After all, the shrine needs to be passed down, and my father doesn't seem like someone who can take care of himself."

"No, Ayane, you have to go to university, and you have to go to university in Tokyo," the head of the Saikawa family suppressed the shock and joy on his face at seeing the US dollars, turned to face his daughter, and a little more tenderness on his face, "Study hard, get into a university in Tokyo, and explore a wider world. Soichiro, I'm leaving this matter to you."

After saying that, Saikawa Seiya faced his good friend, sat up straight, and bowed seriously, while Sawai Soichiro also put away his smile and returned the greeting seriously.

There is no need for words to be said between men; the rest will fall into place naturally.

Looking at the Saichuan family's head comforting his tearful daughter, Rhode nodded slightly, feeling that he had finally solved an important matter. As for the rest... He tilted his body, waved to the Chongtiancang sisters, and asked them to come to him, smiling and asking:

"You will be witches in the future. What are your thoughts?"

"Didn't you say you wanted to learn some special operations?!" Tiancang Mio complained, and Tiancang Jian also nodded repeatedly beside her, "You are lying to me and my sister again."

"Why can't a witch know special operations? You're discriminating!"

"I'm going to hit you on the head with a hammer!" Tiancang Mio waved her fist at Rhodes, but Tiancang Jian next to her had a thoughtful expression on his face, "The kind that makes a bang bang sound!"

How come this girl is addicted to hitting people on the head?

After muttering something in his heart, Rhode cleared his throat and got down to business:

"Mio, Kanon, you two have strong clairvoyance abilities, so I hope you can visit more shrines in Japan in your free time and collect urban legends and the like. Sawai will teach you how to do it. But don't worry about money, I'll have someone remit money to you regularly."

Wait, why does this sound like keeping someone?

After throwing those random thoughts out of his mind, Rhodes drank the tea in the cup, turned to look at Ains, and said:

"I'll be returning to the United States tomorrow. The private plane you allowed me to use should still be parked at the airport, right?"

"Obviously not," Irons waved his hand. "Don't ask me about such trivial matters. Most of Atlas's authority is already open to you. Ask them yourself."

"Oh! Thank you for your generosity!"

"...That's a bit disgusting, Rhodes." Irons raised his eyebrows. His mood was actually much better than before. "But I accept your thanks."

Note ①: The name of the deity is not given in the game, so I just wrote one here.

Chapter 122 Daily Life: The Days When Rhodes Is Absent

The sand wolf Baizi rode his bicycle along the road on the edge of the town of Arkham, and the warm rays of the late winter sun shone softly - nature was finally willing to show some mercy to the humans living here, but the north wind was still a little cold, which made the girl's wolf ears tremble, and she raised her hand to tuck her scarf in tighter.

The number of vehicles traveling on this state highway is not as large as that of marching ants, but it is enough to support the prosperity of Arkham and several nearby small towns such as Salem. People drive for an hour to go to work in nearby big cities, and then return home in the same amount of time in the evening.

Follow the road north, turn left when you see the dense forest and the fork in the road, and then walk two kilometers along the cement road by the river to turn into the territory of the town of Arkham.

Perhaps this land has been haunted by dark forces since ancient times, or perhaps some ominous creatures have chosen to settle here, causing the forest here to appear particularly depressing and cold in late autumn or winter, as if it were a deep lake inverted on the ground, reflecting a terrifying darkness.

But now it was different. The girl rang the bicycle bell cheerfully, letting the crisp ring echo through the snow-free forest, adding a touch of vitality to the place. Holding the handlebars with her left hand, she let go of her right hand and gestured a pistol towards the depths of the forest:

The soldier who was training to lurk in the woods shrank back into his camouflage, not understanding how he was discovered.

After riding for twenty minutes through the forest and along the river, Baizi turned his bike into the small town of Arkham. It was Friday, and the children still had to go to school. Only some housewives were pushing strollers or carrying children too young to go to the supermarket to buy food.

"Oh! Miss Baizi!"

"Little Abigail isn't here."

“…Aaaaaaah, riding a bike again in this cold weather.”

Along the way, the girls were greeted by the diverse townspeople of Arkham, who had a subtle personality somewhere between rural and urban, more welcoming than city dwellers and more respectful than farmers. Because of this, the girls were able to quickly integrate into the town... perhaps also because of a large "donation" to the town government?

But no matter what, the soldiers who moved to live near the town, the special cars from Atlas Corporation and Aperture Technology that came here from time to time, and these cute girls of all kinds made the already legendary Hill Manor quickly become the topic of conversation at the dinner table of every household in the town.

And, of course, there’s the mysterious Mr. Rhodes, who’s on vacation in Japan—some fiction-loving residents have compared him to the “Count of Monte Cristo” and are secretly speculating about his origins.

Baizi stopped at the pedestrian crossing on her bicycle, waiting for the light to turn green. In the brief moment, she saw Abigail leading the three girls from the Crane family across the street. They were wearing witch-style robes decorated with cute cat patterns, and their faces were full of smiles.

The black cat Pickman was following behind them, also wearing a pointed wizard hat on his head.