Mercenary Black Mamba

"Zulu is a Mamluk warrior. We let you have him as a bodyguard."

"What is Mamluk?"

"A warrior graced by Mu Ssang himself. Zulu can subdue an adult male lion with bare hands.

Zulu grinned, revealing his red gums. Jeong Pil-su and Kim Myung-jin gulped. His razor-sharp teeth seemed to be able to bite them at any moment.

"Do you have money?"

"5000 American dollars."

"What about Congolese francs?"

"We haven't been able to exchange money."

Kim Myung-jin didn't know that Zaire's currency was Congolese francs. Even if he had known, it was impossible to get Congolese francs in Korea.

"You are unprepared. Give me 3,000."

Matanga took 3,000 dollars and tossed a bundle of Congolese franc bills to Kim Myung-jin.

"That's worth 1,000 dollars. You will be buried alive in the jungle flaunting US dollars. You can take the highway up to Novatopia. Tell the governor what you've told me and ask for help. There is a rumor that the remaining Odam unified forces, decimated by Mu Ssang, appear along the highway. Don't try to defend yourself. Let Zulu handle it."

"What about the remaining 2,000 dollars?" Jeong Pil-su asked.

"Would you help a stranger for free?"

Matanga looked at him intensely.

The two Koreans were rendered speechless.

Jeong Pil-su's face turned flushed hot. That was a matter of course. He was acting like Korean politicians and high officials vacationing overseas with taxpayer money.

"The 2,000 dollars are for the jeep, airplane, and renting Zulu. It also covers your room and board, and my advice also costs money. I am a merchant and a public servant. I calculate all the costs transparently. If you were not Mu Ssang's guests, a million dollars wouldn't have paid for my service."

"I must be out of my mind. Thank you."

Jeong Pil-su wanted to smack his own mouth. He lost face for no reason whatsoever.

"You will stay in a hotel. They have good amenities. May you rest well."

"Why are you helping us?"

Kim Myung-jin glanced at Zulu, feeling anxious. He was worried that they might be trafficked without anyone knowing.

"Mu Ssang said so. If you are to help someone, do it properly. You will live if you end up seeing Mu Ssang. Otherwise, you will die. Your families will be sad if the case ends up being the latter. Confined in one's experience and thoughts, one does not see the truth."

Again, there was only silence between the two Koreans.

Kim Myung-jin felt ashamed. His prejudice against Africa and black people clouded him from the truth of genuine hospitality.

* * *

That evening, Jeong Pil-su and Kim Myung-jin were welcomed with unexpected hospitality at the hotel. Their room was clean. There was a Europe-style sauna and sophisticated French cuisine. The massage got rid of their fatigue. They didn't expect such luxuries in the middle of Africa. It was well worth the 2,000 dollars.

"Myung-jin, why do you think Matanga readily told us where Mu Ssang was?"

"It must be loyalty. We are someone Mu Ssang awaits for his curiosity to be quenched."

"Loyalty my ass. It was because he was a measly merchant without any sense of security. Since he sent someone to spy on us, it may not be so though."

Jeong Pil-su glanced at Zulu who refused to join their table and sat aside like a shadow.

"Jeong, Matanga is a wise person. We are the petty ones. I want to see Mu Ssang now since Matanga revered him so much."

"Now a Korean will join their fanatical cult. You don't know how petty and cruel that guy is."

Jeong Pil-su waved away.

"What are you talking about? There is no reason Matanga would welcome us with such hospitality otherwise."

"We are from the same country as him. It is implied that we speak well of him to Mu Ssang. He said he is a servant candidate. He wants to get that promotion."

"I'd rather say nothing.'

Kim Myung-jin stopped talking. Everyone judges and analyzes a given situation through the lens of their own experience. Matanga's words, "confined to one's experience and thoughts, one is blind to the truth", swirled in his head.

"Let's call it a day. If we are to enter hell itself, we must be well rested and prepared."

"Yeah. This is quite good. I like the sweet taste. Will I be able to try it once again?"

Kim Myung-jin shook the liquor bottle with eyes full of longing.

"Don't say such an ominous thing. My wife and daughter need me."

Jeong Pil-su sighed. He was not sure if he will be able to see Mu Ssang or survive the battlefield. He kept thinking about his wife and daughter.

* * *

The next day, Ongore drove a jeep to the hotel early in the morning. The two men, still sleepy, got on the jeep and arrived in Jipoon Dari on a well-maintained highway. Ombuti, contacted by Matanga, didn't waste a moment. The two people were taken to the airstrip before they had time to be overwhelmed by the majesty of Novatopia, the land of water.

"What?"

Jeong Pil-su and Kim Myung-jin were instantly out of breath as soon as they exited Falcon. Everyone who visited East Africa for the first time went through the same thing. Zulu pushed aside the two men and ran down the landing strip.

"Hail! I'm Zulu, the head of security of the Wakil Store."

"At ease!"

A short, lean man waved. It was Sun Woo-hyun who came from Mavivi on a high-mobility vehicle.

"Fellows from South Korea, welcome."

The two men were shocked by the unexpected Hamgyong dialect. The man wearing a military uniform without any insignia had the vibe of a North Korean military officer. It was causing cognitive dissonance.

"A commie!"

Jeong Pil-su was immediately on guard.

"Relax. Are you here for Wakil?"

"Wakil? We are here for Mu Ssang."

"Do you want to die? You don't call his name so easily here."

Sun Woo-hyun glared at them. He had driven 350 kilometers through the harsh terrain of the Great Rift Valley from Mavivi to the airstrip. If it were not for the GPS, he wouldn't have dared to start the journey. Just thinking of the return trip made his joints ache. He was feeling tense and these two were a liability at a first glance. If it were up to him, he would have killed them and buried their remains in the ground.

"Is it a sin to call his name?"

Jeong Pil-su flinched at the cold reaction.

"Of course, it is. I am the third servant and a general and I still need to be cautious. You are rookies and you shouldn't act up so much. Call him Wakil," said Sun Woo-hyun.

"Is he insane?" asked Jeong Pil-su inwardly.

Jeong Pil-su, at a loss for words, looked at Kim Myung-jin. After Matanga, a North Korean military officer was saying things like "servant". Mu Ssang was indeed an extraordinary person, capable of recruiting even a Juche-soaked North Korean military officer.

"I see. I am Kim Myung-jin and this is Jeong Pil-su. Thank you for coming to get us."

Kim Myung-jin restrained Jeong Pil-su, who was about to jump at the North Korean. He would have appreciated anyone coming to get them. Even a gorilla would have been fine, let alone a North Korean military officer.

"I am Brigadier General Sun Woo-hyun. Think of it as Wakil saving your life. Zulu, drive!"

Sun Woo-hyun yielded the steering wheel and took out two rifles from the floor of the jeep.

"Be on your guard. Any lapse in focus can result in death. A leopard may hunt you. A viper may bite you. You may drown in a swamp. These rifles are used by Soviet special ops squads. Think of it as an honor to be able to hold them in your hands!"

"Rifles?"

Kim Myung-jin took the rifle. Being an office worker, he never had any experience shooting a firearm except for some seasonal pistol exercises. He felt hopeless.

"How long will it take from here?"

Jeong Pil-su was an experienced field agent. He woke from his shock as soon as he held the rifle. He was going through a succession of unexpected events. Still, he didn't want to lose his face even if that meant he had to face dangers.

"We will have to drive for 20 hours or more. That is the shortened journey, thanks to the opening of the Second Northern Road. You will see the state of the road soon enough. Let's go!"

The jeep hurried along the "road". Red dust rose and chased them. The road was but some path cleared of trees, shrubs, and boulders. The jeep jumped up and down like a vehicle in a theme park. Its wheels ran through swamps. They had to stop many times and push the jeep out of swamps or clear the tree blocking their way. Before a mere hour could pass, the agents of the ANS were totally exhausted.

The jeep, hurtling through the terrain, slowed down suddenly. A log blocked the road. Zulu grabbed the handle of the steel bat strapped on his back.

"We have no time. Just pay them."

Sun Woo-hyun waved away.

"Aye, general."

Zulu paid five dollars and passed the checkpoint.

"Those were Rwandan rebels. About 30,000 beggars like those are wandering about here. They are killed in batches but their number doesn't dwindle," Sun Woo-hyun complained.

"At this speed, I think we will get there in several hours."

"Don't be so optimistic."

Unfortunately, as soon as Sun Woo-hyun finished his sentence, the jeep stopped. A muddy stream blocked their path. Zulu steered into the surrounding jungle without saying a word. A custom-made Renault engine, boasting 300 horsepower, pushed through the lush jungle full of shrubs and bushes.

Jeong Pil-su and Kim Myung-jin ceaselessly pushed and ran until they emptied their stomachs on nature. After six full hours, at sundown, they got to a small village named Kinki situated north of Lake Kivu.

"You did a good job, South Korean fellas. Let's get some rest."

As Zulu set up a tent, the two people, exhausted, clung to the ground in exhaustion. They have been toiling on a roller coaster all day. It was a matter of course.

"We had a smooth drive because we drove along the lake. It will be a bumpy ride tomorrow."

"What?"

"God damn!"

They yelped. If that was smooth, they couldn't imagine bumpy. They began to hate life itself. Then, there was a swishing sound.

Sun Woo-hyun flicked his hand. A giant yellowish brown viper dropped onto Kim Myung-jin's shoulder. A shuriken had buried itself in the snake's big triangular head.

"Aargh!"

Kim Myung-jin flinched and fell over. Zulu grabbed the wriggling viper, skinned it, and placed it on the campfire.

"It's a Gaboon Viper. Once bitten, you won't last 10 minutes. It is considered a tame species in Ituri."

Sun Woo-hyun was indifferent as if he had stepped on a mere cockroach.

"Huh?"

Kim Myung-jin looked at Zulu who was feasting on the barely cooked snake meat. The human and the snake both were dripping with raw savageness. Africa, the black continent, was suddenly up to their very faces.

"If we had Wakil with us, we would have some spicy seafood soup and enjoy some boar barbecue. We only have snake meat and beef jerky."

"Can you not hunt?"

Sun Woo-hyun looked at Jeong Pil-su with eyes full of pity.

"Hunt? Animals are not just waiting there to be hunted. Don't underestimate the jungle. You are unprepared. If Wakil hadn't sent me, you would already be digested in some beast or eaten alive by ants."

Sun Woo-hyun told them off as if they were his naive younger brothers. The two men were at a loss for words. They felt they were indeed unprepared. They only had some chocolate in their backpacks. Africa barely had any roads let alone restaurants for truckers.

"What country is Novatopia? I didn't get to see it properly because we were in such a hurry, but I could have never imagined that such a remarkable country would exist in the middle of the Sahara. I thought I was seeing a mirage," Kim Myung-jin blurted out.

"If you truly understand, you will be in awe. It is the most beautiful and habitable country in the world founded by Mu Ssang himself. It is full of justice and love. You should come for sightseeing next time."

Sun Woo-hyun was proud. If North Korea was a paradise for Kim Il Sung and the executive party members, Novatopia was a paradise for its citizens. Kim Myung-jin nodded. Even at a glance, Novatopia seemed like a paradise where humanity and nature coexisted in harmony.

"Is Mu Ssang Black Mamba?"

"How did you know?"

Sun Woo-hyun glared at Jeong Pil-su.

"The Korean branch of the CIA asked the ANS for help. When the director tarried, they attempted to infiltrate the Culturel Institute with their agents."

"Infiltrate Eungsim-je with agents? The Americans must have been out of their mind. They must have vanished without a trace. Hahaha!"

Sun Woo-hyun guffawed. There was a being as fearsome as Mu Ssang lurking in Eungsim-je.

"What happened?"

According to their boss, the CIA, after losing 30 agents at the French cultural institute, was keeping silent. Even though it was a veritable beast den, it was a mysterious event.

"Is it your business? If you are sated, go to sleep."

Jeong Pil-su suppressed the questions popping up in his head. Sun Woo-hyun didn't seem like a person who would answer them willingly.

"My chest feels heavy. I am out of breath. I don't think I will be able to fall asleep."

"We are past the altitude of 2,500 meters. There is an active volcano nearby. A high mountain too. The heat of the volcano and sulfur dioxide is mixed in the muggy air. You should sleep to be able to exert some force tomorrow."