#282
Entering Europe (1)
Woooooung—
The sound of the loud engine resonated heavily, and the sounds of people moving around and murmuring were all around.
It was a scene not so easily seen in modern society, where terrorism is rampant, as if this were a different world.
‘It also means that the defenses are that thorough.’
One side of that space.
Heinz II, who was quietly crossing his arms as he watched countless people coming and going, glanced around and nodded slightly.
After all, this is one of the country’s most important strategic facilities.
Because it was Incheon International Airport.
‘…okay. Originally, if I was going abroad, it was best to take a plane.’
I had forgotten that I had been moving from place to place so comfortably, but traveling long distances on Earth was not that easy.
In order to use “Hero’s Footsteps,” you had to visit that place at least once, and there were limits to using Hans’ space movement service.
‘If the distance is close like Japan or China, I might fly there directly to get the coordinates.’
Even though Hans’s moving speed was as fast as that of an airplane, he couldn’t get anywhere near the other side of the world that way.
In that case, it would be better to just sneak onto the plane.
-I will give you guidance. Ariana Airlines flight OG501 to Paris will depart in a short while, so for those passengers who did not board…
Just then, the announcement they had been waiting for began to play.
And Heinz, who was calmly leaning against the wall and looking around, carried out what he had decided in advance.
They really attempted to infiltrate the airport through its tight security.
‘No matter how much you have a fake ID, the inspection process is more complicated than you think. It’s easier to just do it this way than to leave useless traces.’
There were numerous awakened people and magical tool barriers placed throughout the airport, but they were unable to capture the “existence denial” that he used with all his might, as he had the power to overwhelm them all.
Even though it was a strategic location, there was no way that one of the few superpowers in the country would be hanging out in a place like this all day.
‘At this point, I think I need to visit other areas in advance. So that you can travel to “Hero’s Footsteps” at any time.’
He infiltrated from near the airport, hiding his presence, and eventually succeeded in sneaking into the plane to France like a ghost.
-Guests, we will take off soon. Please check again whether you have fastened your seat belt…
After that, we were able to start the long-distance flight to Europe without any problems.
‘The first plane I’ve ever boarded was a stowaway.’
That was a bit disappointing, but there are plenty of opportunities later.
Heinz passed by the awakened person patrolling the cabin, sat down in the empty seat with his legs crossed, and leisurely closed his eyes.
Approximately 13 hours until arrival.
It was a countdown until the vampire king who ruled the world landed in Europe.
***
Cool wind and slowly flowing clouds.
In this weather that is perfect for traveling somewhere….
“Sad premonitions are not always wrong.”
Kang Tae-san, a new agent in the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ability Management Bureau, looked at the sky and muttered as if complaining.
The concerns that came up during a conversation with a friend not long ago have become reality.
“Why are you murmuring to yourself again?”
“Ah, senior! Isn’t this too much? Why are we… or rather, white knights aren’t even criminals?”
The team he belonged to was mobilized for another tracking mission following Hahoetal.
‘White Knight’ was a code name arbitrarily given by the Ability Management Bureau to the Holy Knight who was active in the hospital terrorist incident.
In the first place, it was natural that it was inappropriate to use such a common noun to refer to a specific person when there were more than one holy man active in Korea.
So the title he was given was White Knight, which came from his symbol of pure white armor.
“There’s nothing you can do about it. In any case, it is true that he did not register as a returnee.”
First of all, since the law itself was like that, the justification was sufficient.
Of course, he was a hero who prevented dangerous terrorism and protected civilians, so he was not really treated as a criminal.
Even though the terrorist died in the process, the situation was sufficiently extenuating.
However, that doesn’t mean you can just sit back and let go…
“Think about it. Does it make sense to know nothing about such a famous person, even though it is a government institution in name only? In fact, I still lose face because of the Hahoe mask.”
Strictly speaking, the number of people who have not voluntarily reported so far is by no means small.
However, they are the ones who hide themselves as much as possible and do not come out to the public.
This case is different from the white knight who received extensive media attention and attracted global attention.
“…Okay, that’s right.”
Kang Taesan couldn’t help but scratch the back of his head in agreement.
I was still dissatisfied with only doing random things instead of chasing down real criminals, but what power does an ordinary office worker… especially a low-level civil servant, have?
All you have to do is do what you are told from above.
“But still, it’s a bit too much to consider the Pantheon’s convenience like this… We’re not guides.”
Of course, that didn’t mean I fully understood the current situation.
It may be that this side was asking for cooperation in the investigation, but what we see now is not at that level.
Kang Taesan turned his gaze and looked at the group of foreigners wandering around the hospital inside the Line of Control.
They were not priests from the Korean branch of the Pantheon, but were dispatched from the headquarters in the United States.
The senior, who followed his gaze and glanced in that direction, exhaled lightly and shook his head.
“…That’s a bit of a shame for me too, but what can I do? I get tired when I hang out with them. “We are also receiving quite a bit of help here.”
Due to its nature, the Pantheon has very weak cohesiveness, but this does not change the fact that it is a group that represents the clergy’s position.
They had quite close relationships with state agencies for their own rights and interests, and among the agents of the Ability Management Bureau who were often involved in dangerous work, there were many cases where their lives were saved thanks to this.
‘Of course, the welfare benefits do not extend to the family.’
Because of that, Kang Tae-san’s grandmother had no choice but to be hospitalized.
Supply was too small compared to demand to expect that far.
Considering the status of such priests, something like this would not be such a big deal.
“&$#%&@!”
“@$^#@#.”
At that time, foreigners who were observing the scene had a conversation with the Korean priests next to them.
Then they each nodded and started coming towards us all at once.
“Oh, I guess it’s over?”
With that thought in mind, Kang Taesan straightened his posture with his senior, but their investigation was not yet complete.
“Huh?”
When he was taken aback by the sudden question and asked again without realizing it, the Korean priest spoke again in a soft voice.
“I heard you were there at the time.”
“Ah… yes. But I don’t know anything because I was immediately knocked out by the first attack. “I just got caught up in the explosion and lost consciousness while flying.”
This was something I was already sick of after returning from vacation.
He smiled awkwardly and waved his hand.
“I heard that the reason you were in the hospital at that moment was because your grandmother was discharged.”
“Yes, I had bad luck. “Unfortunately, the accident happened just as I was standing at the front gate.”
The priest nodded seriously at those words.
I already knew that much because I had already received some information.
What was important was what happened next.
“According to the medical chart, I heard that your grandmother began to recover rapidly at some point.”
“…That’s right. “Maybe it’s because of my age, but it wasn’t completely cured.”
He looked around at the priests who were with him, then turned his gaze back to Kang Tae-san and slowly opened his mouth.
“Can we see him?”
***
Now that I think about it, it seemed like I was lucky to get “Xenoglossy” from “Random Guitar Skill Acquisition (500000)” in the “VIP Market.”
Heinz II, who left the plane as secretly as he boarded it, thought of this as he looked around Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport.
“Are you sure you packed your luggage properly? Why are you like this?…”
“I’ll take you to your accommodation first. This way…”
“Oh! Agnes, you arrived safely! “Hurry home…”
I was able to naturally understand the exotic languages coming from all directions, and I could read the letters on signs located here and there in an instant without difficulty.
I felt it once in China, but I was able to experience its performance even more keenly after being in such a far away place.
‘It’s nice that I don’t have to repeat the cumbersome process like when I first went to Japan.’
Heinz nodded, avoiding the security devices deployed here and there, just like at Incheon International Airport.
Since I had no intention of returning to France after just staying there, being able to immediately understand languages from all over Europe was a great advantage.
Language was the biggest barrier to direct action and information collection.
‘hmm?’
While he was thinking about that, he noticed a blonde woman sitting on a bench in the middle of the airport playing a game on her phone, glancing in his direction.
She frowned slightly and tilted her head as if she could see it, then looked down again and tapped on her smartphone again.
‘It’s pretty good.’
But Heinz knew.
Even though she seemed to be preoccupied with the game, she was still paying attention and watching his direction closely.
He gathered his mind, which had been relaxed for a moment, and slowly walked forward, using “Denial of Existence” with all his might.
Of course, the watcher could not detect his movements at all.
‘Gyeongji appears to be mid-level even in the extreme. ‘Is it a detection system specialization?’
As a vampire, he was roughly at the end of level 7.
However, just because she felt a slight sense of discomfort with her level 9 stealth, it was possible to get a good idea of the level of her sensing ability.
I can’t believe someone of that caliber is working at airport security in a place like this.
‘Is the level of this place that high, or is there a reason why it has to be that way?’
Either way, it was an interesting fact.
Heinz, who left the airport with ghost-like steps in a situation where no one recognized him, immediately put his hand into his arms and took out a pure white mask.
A pure white opera mask that covers from the forehead to the nose without any special patterns.
‘Now that I think about it, the original version of The Phantom of the Opera was a French work.’
Somehow I felt pleasant.
After looking at it for a moment, he slowly brought it to his face.
It was a mask I had been wearing all along, but wearing it in a new place made me feel uplifted.
It feels like you have become a real phantom.
‘Then where is my Christine?’
He took a deep breath while wearing his mask, and his gaze turned in one direction.
Guided by the “longing of bloodline,” which had been fluctuating wildly for a few hours as we approached European soil.
Right after that.
His appearance disappeared on the spot.
Of course, no one even recognized that.
The place where he appeared again was in an alley in a downtown area, about ten kilometers away from the airport.
Now that he has fully revealed himself without using “denial of existence,” he straightens his clothes and walks confidently.
A black fedora
and a high-quality suit and polished shoes contrast with the white mask on his face.
Heinz, who was clearly a sophisticated gentleman, approached the young man at the end of the alley who was frowning and wary of him.
And he said something in his usual cold voice.
“Are you my Christine?”
“…What is this crazy guy?”
After making an unintentional slip of the tongue and facing the other person’s bewildered expression, Heinz was only then able to realize that he was not just excited.
‘It was too late to realize it because I kept filtering it through this “Mind Hub.”‘
If Heinz II was the original, cynical and calm person, he would never have made this mistake.
It seemed that “bloodline longing” had a greater effect on the individual than I thought.
“Excuse me. “I’m Phantom. Or you can call me Eric.”
“…I’m talking nonsense just to get rid of this…!”
The young vampire in Paris was about to explode in anger by distorting his face.
“I’m sorry.”
My body suddenly stiffened at the sound of a voice coming from behind me.
In front of him, where there had been people until just now, there was only an empty space.
I couldn’t even recognize when the other person went behind me.
‘What happened all of a sudden…!’
As he was swearing inwardly, a cold hand grabbed the back of his neck.
Sharp nails dug into my flesh and muscles, constricting my breathing.
“We’ll talk later.”
After becoming more obedient.