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The radio began to buzz. A crackling noise emitted from the device.

“What the heck? Why is it going off again?”

The terrorist, seemingly flustered, tapped the radio lightly while mumbling.

“Who’s chirping on the radio? Is it the kids from the broadcasting room? Where are they anyway?”

“They’re underground. Trying to talk to the police. I just checked, they seemed fine.”

Amidst the panicking terrorists murmuring, a doctor neatly bandaged a beastman’s wound, fiddling with his blood-stained hands as he stood up.

“What’s going on?”

“Oh, Doc. The radio suddenly went off…”

“Radio…?”

The middle-aged doctor pushed his way through the huddled group to examine the radio. It was one of the few radios that he had obtained long ago from hunters for several times its value.

The doctor, carefully inspecting the radio like handling an orchid, turned his head to ask the nearby terrorist.

“Who took the radio?”

“Um… there’s one with the broadcasting room kids, and we have one… Ah! We gave two to the kids who went outside earlier.”

“You only brought four, huh?”

“Well, it’s expensive. Hunters usually don’t venture deep into No Man’s Land. We left all the important stuff back in town.”

“So where are the kids who went outside now?”

“Well, obviously out moving cargo….”

He didn’t finish his sentence. The terrorist stopped mid-sentence and stiffened. The others also stared blankly at the radio.

With an expression that was hard to describe, the doctor slowly shifted his gaze down to the radio.

Just then, a voice that had never been heard before came through the radio.

-‘…Ah, ah, this is a broadcast to all personnel on standby in Hyunmang. A situation 415 has occurred at the department store on Prigis Street. I repeat, armed suspects of unknown identity are causing a commotion at the Prigis Street department store. Anyone on the watchtower, please respond.’

Episode 8 – Say Hello To My Little Friend

As the suspicious voice of a man came through the radio, chaos erupted among the terrorists.

“Who’s talking? Is it Victor? Sounds like that idiot.”

“Victor’s from Kien, you fool! This guy’s jabbering in Abas!”

“What’s he blabbering about? Doesn’t anyone here speak Abas?”

“I can speak a little. Everyone, be quiet! We can’t hear the radio!”

As the clustered terrorists threw out one-liners, the commotion around them intensified. Some whispered to each other, while others shouted for quiet.

In the midst of it all, the radio continued.

-‘Damn it! If anyone can hear this, be it the police or whoever, please respond!’

Amidst the noisy chaos, the middle-aged doctor extended his hand.

The raucous terrorists suddenly fell silent. The loud-mouthed ones kept quiet, while the one attempting to decipher the Abas coming from the radio passed it to the doctor. Though no one spoke it, everyone understood what the doctor intended to do.

The doctor took the radio, breaking the awkward silence to speak up. He posed a question to the mystery voice with a passable Abas accent.

“Who’s broadcasting right now? Identify yourself.”

The response was immediate.

-‘Who are you?’

“We’re guests visiting this department store.”

-‘What? So you’re the terrorists then.’

Mockery laced the response from the radio. It was more instinctual mumbling from someone registering their dire situation than actual taunting, but that was beside the point.

Taken aback by the sudden mockery, the doctor paused before leaning in closer to the radio.

“That may be the case. Now that I’ve introduced myself, it’s your turn. Who is the gentleman talking to me?”

-‘…This is John from the Rockford Police Department’s Criminal Division.”

“A cop? A look of astonishment flickered in the doctor’s eyes.

While the doctor pondered briefly, a terrorist eavesdropping from the side spoke up. The terrorist spoke in Kien with a Southern drawl.

“Doc, what’s this guy talking about?”

“He says he’s a cop.”

“Cop? Damn it, we’re screwed. What’s a pig doing here?!”

While the third-year No Man’s Land terrorist vented his frustration, another one, raised in No Man’s Land, awkwardly raised a hand.

“Uh… what’s a cop?”

“Like a sheriff. They don’t belong to the community but to the government.”

“A sheriff? Why is such a person here?”

“That’s something we’re about to find out.”

The doctor, engaging in conversation with the terrorists in Kien, picked up the radio again.

“Okay. Let me ask you a few things.”

The doctor closed his eyes for a moment to gather his thoughts. He remembered the idle chatter of a professor who loved to travel abroad during university.

“You said you were from Rockford, right? I remember Rockford is a city in western Abas with a harbor and beaches. Am I right?”

-‘Correct.’

“Came quite a distance, huh? How did you happen to visit this department store at this time?”

-‘…Came to buy a gift.’

“A gift for whom? A coworker? Or maybe a girlfriend?”

-‘…For my fiancée.’

“Oh! An engagement! How romantic!”

The doctor exclaimed softly.

Having once been married himself, he knew well the significance of an engagement.

The middle-aged man recalled his wife who had been forcibly divorced and cast out to her family the moment he lost his medical license. Over a decade had passed, but even now, he worried that in the night, she was out searching for him, circling around their children.

While briefly lost in nostalgia, the doctor brought himself back to reality.

He nodded to indicate there was no issue, reassuring those around him.

“So you came shopping and ended up trapped here. It seems we unintentionally intruded on something. Was it an anniversary gift you were shopping for?”

-‘Well, in a way, yes.’

“What’s your fiancée’s taste like?”

-‘…Moderate. She likes whatever I give her. She doesn’t care much for expensive things.’

“Sounds like she loves you a lot.”

Just as the doctor prepared to ask another question to the man on the other end…

“…That bastard.”

A pale white hand, visibly calloused, clasped the doctor’s hand gripping the radio. It belonged to a beastman.

“That’s the voice of the guy who stole the gun that Franz’s dad left for him, the one who’s been waving it around. I remember him clearly.”

“……”

“Doc. That guy killed Franz. He killed Vicente and Viktor, too.”

The beastman, called Morrian, glared at the doctor with brown eyes reminiscent of a wheat field.

The doctor silently stared back at the beastman before gently patting his shoulder, as if to indicate understanding.

“Got it, Morrian. Just take a break.”

“This guy’s not a cop. He’s obviously lying.”

“Hey, Furry. What do you know to talk? You didn’t even graduate before getting expelled from the Academy for biting a teacher.”

“…This crazy. You wanna die, Marco?”

As the beastman and one terrorist began to bicker, the terrorist brandishing the shotgun hesitated to get closer, fearful of the sharp fangs of the hurt beastman before him. Of course, his mouth flapped continuously nonetheless.

In the midst of Marco’s teasing, he suddenly approached the beastman, worried that perhaps the wound was opening up, only to be caught by the neck and flailing helplessly.

As the terrorists gathered to watch the two engage in their slapstick moment with dissatisfaction, one terrorist led the doctor a short distance away from the group.

“What do we do, Doc? If what Morrian said is right, that means the guy you’re talking to is the one who killed our kids.”

“…What do you think we should do? You’re one of the elders in the village, speak up.”

“I get where you’re coming from, but… If we let that guy live, the young ones are gonna see it badly. Not Viktor, but Vicente and Franz had many close friends…”

“So, you want to kill this guy?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s not happening.”

The doctor firmly rejected the terrorist’s proposal.

“Regardless of how many of our comrades he killed, we can’t just kill anyone without thought. Do you think murder is simple?”

“I agree with the sentiment of not harming innocent people. But this guy’s different. He’s already killed six, no seven of our kids.”

“Still not happening.”

The terrorist licked his lips while looking at the doctor. But the doctor showed no sign of backing down, continuing to meet his gaze.

“Distinguishing between animals and humans is our rule. It’s what sets us apart from them. Without it, we’re no different than animals, and because of that rule, we’ve managed to survive in No Man’s Land for over a decade.”

“……”

“And that’s why we’re here now.”

“…Hah. Alright, Doc. I’ll at least try to reason with them.”

“Thank you. Really, thank you.”

“Why are you thanking me for something like this?”

The terrorist, shaking his head in disappointment, slipped back into the group to separate the beastman and the terrorist wrangling on the ground. The doctor watched the terrorist’s retreating back, exhaling a faint sigh before addressing the radio.

“Detective. Are you still there?”

-‘Yeah.’

“I need to consult with my friends for a moment. Sorry about that.”

-‘Wow, I guess even terrorists have friends to discuss with, huh.’

“Everyone’s got friends, right? But there’s one thing I want to clarify. You call me a terrorist, but in fact, we aren’t terrorists.”

-‘You guys come crashing into a department store and start shooting, and you have the audacity to say that. Alright, if you’re not terrorists, then what are you? And why are you here?’

“We’re…

“How should I put this? It’s like a complainant, you see? A complainant who came to protest to the Government of Abas.”

-‘…Do complainants come armed these days? What kind of complainant is that?’

The doctor said into the radio.

“Several months ago, the armies of the Kingdom of Abas and the Kien Empire entered No Man’s Land and engaged in combat. It was a night when the crescent moon hung in the sky. The moment the two armies met, gunfire erupted. Shortly after, the rain of shells fell from the sky, turning the area into chaos. The bombs that fell struck nearby houses, killing people.”

-‘…’

“I remember the illumination flares brightening the night sky as if it were daytime, the flashes of light sparkling in the darkness, the deafening gunfire, and the moment the shells penetrated the roofs of family homes and exploded. And yet, the soldiers calmly exited the scene, as if unperturbed. I have never forgotten that moment.”

The teacher spoke.

“Sure, one might think of that as a tragic accident that happened by chance. Like stepping on a landmine or getting bitten by a monster. Those types of unlucky disasters, you might say. But such things don’t only happen in No Man’s Land.”

-‘…’

“In recent years, numerous companies have ventured into No Man’s Land with adventurers in tow. Mining, construction, agriculture, security… The reasons differ, but their goals were similar.”

Money.

Although the nationalities were diverse, companies are, after all, just companies. No matter how different languages or cultures might be, there are no people who dislike money in this world. And whether it’s the government or the company, ultimately, it’s people who run it, not machines.

The doctor continued.

“At first glance, it might not seem like an attractive prospect for companies to poke around a No Man’s Land infested with monsters. But underneath lie resources like parabaite and zerodimium, fertile soil, and vast territories, which are alluring for both the government and corporations. Plus, there’s no landowner to claim ownership, making it all the more convenient! In fact, there are several locations in No Man’s Land that have proven stable enough to maintain facilities, simply because monsters don’t frequently roam those areas.”

-‘…’

“Of course, there are people living in those places, but that’s a trivial matter for the companies. They can just toss a few coins, scare off the adventurers, or push them away with their military if need be. What matters here is time. The sooner they make a profit, the happier those shareholder folks will be, clamoring about their falling stocks.”

The doctor spoke in a calm and collected tone, yet it was perhaps too calm, making each word he uttered feel strangely jarring.

However, he was not someone who easily got worked up. He maintained his cool voice as he continued speaking into the radio.

“Companies see all this merely as a venture for profit, but we’re different. The moment we step away from the safer areas, we risk being eaten by monsters.”

-‘…’

“In short, it’s about the right to survive. That’s why we’re here.”

With that, a moment of silence lingered. Short enough to be brief, yet long enough to feel substantial.

The first to break the silence was the man on the radio.

-‘Did you come from No Man’s Land?’

“Yes.”

-‘Quite a long way, it seems.’

A small sigh could be heard from the other side of the radio. Even though there was a radio in between them, the doctor felt he could sense much from that sigh. Perhaps this was an occupational hazard borne from dealing with patients and people.

After a long exhale, a sound of lips parting followed, and the man on the radio began to speak.

-‘Hey. I get what you mean, but sorry, that’s not my problem. I’m not high up enough to solve such issues. The people here aren’t in a position to do so either.’

“True. But the Government of Abas can resolve this matter. Whether it’s corporations or military, all groups operating in No Man’s Land are under government control.”

-‘That might be true for Abas… But what about other countries? There are more than just Abbas companies doing business in No Man’s Land.’

“Not only Abas people live in Abas land. In fact, just two blocks down, there are foreign embassies gathered.”

-‘The Abas government can’t dictate the actions of foreign governments. That would be interference in internal affairs.’

“That’s not something for you to worry about; it’s a matter we need to settle with your government.”

The man on the other end of the radio replied to the doctor. It was a proposal.

-‘If you’re going to negotiate with the government, why not start by releasing the hostages? Given how things are going, it doesn’t seem like this will be resolved within a day. If you release a few hostages, the government will be more inclined to talk with you.’

“Thanks for the advice, but that decision lies not with you but with us.”

-‘I’m not suggesting releasing all the hostages. Just a few. Like the children, the elderly, and the patients—those who can barely survive a day out there.’

“We’ve already discussed that with the government. We’ll release the hostages we’ve chosen, at the time we designate.”

-‘The government…? Is it possible to connect with the outside world right now…?’

For a moment, the doctor felt a sudden pang of realization. He had revealed too much.

He panicked for a brief moment, but then inhaled deeply to steady himself. Closing his eyes for a moment, he gathered his voice and suggested into the radio.

“Sure. We’re in negotiations with the Government of Abas. That’s precisely why we came here.”

-‘…’

“How about you come here? I heard you were injured. Conveniently, we have an injured comrade, so when we release the hostages, we’re planning to bring in supplies. Leaving wounds untreated isn’t good.”

-‘You want me to surrender now? That’s insane. Look, I’ve got a bullet wound. Just wrapping it in a bandage won’t do. I need proper surgery in a hospital.’

“That’s fine. Despite my appearance, I’m a doctor.”

The doctor spoke softly into the radio. In fact, he was indeed a doctor, so it wasn’t a lie.

While he waited for a response, the man on the other end of the radio suddenly asked.

-‘A doctor…? You really are a doctor?’

“Yes. I was a doctor once.”

-‘Where did you practice? Tell me your specialty and workplace.’

“I specialized in emergency medicine at Sejo-nof Medical College. I worked as a doctor at the Imperial Hospital and served as a military doctor in the Northern Regions for three years. Although it’s been a long time, I’ve treated plenty of gunshot victims back then, so I can still treat them adequately with the right tools.”

-‘…Sejo-nof. So you’re from the empire. It’s quite something for a graduate of the Imperial College to end up a terrorist in No Man’s Land. What a twist of fate. I suspected your accent was strange.’

The doctor chuckled at the response from the radio.

“Isn’t that just how life goes? Given that you know about Sejo-nof, I assume my explanation suffices. So, have you made a decision?”

-‘Doctor, I killed some of your comrades. Do you really think I can just surrender and live?’

“Everyone dies eventually. Especially in times like these, that’s inevitable. Death isn’t something humans can avoid.”

-‘…’

“But I am a doctor. I know about etiquette. I assure you, I won’t harm you. I promise.”

-‘…How can I trust that?’

“There’s a saying in my homeland. Do you speak Kien?”

-‘…No.’

“After a fight ends, one cannot wield fists. Even if you wish to rectify something that’s past, that’s impossible.”

-‘…’

“I don’t wish to harm you. And you also have no reason to shed blood. I understand your feelings as an officer, but don’t you have someone out there waiting for you to return safely?”

-‘…’

“I believe you’re wise enough to understand what I mean.”

The doctor paused, awaiting an answer calmly.

While he waited, he addressed the surrounding terrorists.

“Bring this officer over. Alive.”

“…Teacher, do we really have to do that?”

“Of course we do. We are not savages; we are civilized people. Moreover, it wouldn’t do us any good to lose more lives here.”

The doctor disregarded the anxious expressions of the terrorists and checked the radio. Still, there was no answer.

After a significant amount of time passed, he began to wonder if something had gone awry and spoke up.

“Officer. Are you still there?”

-‘Yes, I’m here.’

“Great. So there seems to be no problem. Have you made a decision? I’d like to hear your answer now.”

He wrapped up his sentence, awaiting a positive response. The terrorists surrounding him also awaited the reply from the radio.

After a brief silence.

The man on the other end of the radio finally responded.

-‘You little punk, fuck you!’

*

The radio cut off, and the doctor leaned back in his chair. He then reached out and turned off the recording device that had been diligently capturing the conversation.

“…Hoo.”

He exhaled, releasing the breath he had been holding, and smiled at the gathered group around the table who had been eagerly listening to the radio exchange.

“Well, it seems like we’ve gathered almost all the information we could.”

“……”

“……”

“……”

“Why is everyone looking at me like that?”

“Well, I do recognize that Die Hard is a classic, but openly cursing seems a bit much…”

 

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