Season 4: Chapter 141. Ghost Busters Assemble (3)

At long last, Bubblegum arrived at the Knight Order’s base even though they had once marked him for immediate rejection on paper.

“Bubblegum has arrived!”

Now, things had changed.

Clack!

The servant duo and Maid Black Tea lined up in formation, standing at attention.

At the far end, Almond welcomed him with open arms. “Brother Gum~!”

Bubblegum, unaware of ever having been rejected, gladly opened his arms too. “Almond~!”

Bonk.

Their oversized heads bumped together.

“Ah,

ouch

. Our arms don’t reach properly.”

“Guess not.”

Their giant heads and stubby arms made even a simple hug awkward.

— The G2B duo unite in the Knight Order!

— HAHAHA this is adorable

— Too cute hahaha

— Somebody call Su-Yeon, please!

Almond wasted no time on pleasantries. “You read the gist of it in my DM, right?”

“Yeah, you need my strength?”

“Come upstairs.” He led Bubblegum to the second floor.

Bubblegum followed without question, oblivious to how the other knights subtly closed off the exits behind him.

“Wow, nice place! This is quite healing!” He looked around and admired the house.

Thud.

Almond set down a large box before him.

“What... what’s this?”

“A gift.”

“Really?”

‘Why upstairs, though?’

Bubblegum found it odd, but the reason was simple. The other knights had sealed off the exits, and Radish Servant guarded the staircase.

“A special gift for you, reporter.”

“W-What could it be?” Bubblegum looked around nervously.

— What’s happening? These guys look scary lol

— Uhh this feels shady

“What’s the greatest gift for a journalist?”

“Fertile Soil?”

— ????

— LOL his true desires slipped out

— LMAO

“

Ahem.

A scoop, of course.”

“Oh... right?” Bubblegum didn’t look convinced.

“Go on, open it.”

He lifted the lid.

“What the...?”

“Remote bombs and the placard left by the terrorist Zelo.”

“...!”

[The Union never forgets. The Union never forgives.]

— WTF HAHAHA

— They really went this far??

— Is this for real lol

— The Union never forgets. The Union never forgives.

Bubblegum’s viewers howled. They hadn’t realized that the conflict had escalated this much.

“Zelo... was working for the Union?”

“That’s right.” Radish Servant picked up one of the bombs. “It’s the same type that Zelo used.”

“But... didn’t it explode?”

“Yes, that one did. This was recovered from the Union members’ corpses.”

“!?”

From the corpses? When and how did they even see those bodies? Bubblegum’s eyes shook.

‘No way.’

He had read

The Farmer’s Daily

piece. Was it actually true?

‘They really burned the Union alive?’

— Holy crap

— Shivers...

— No way

— The Farmer’s Daily was right??

Bubblegum whispered on a private channel to only his viewers, “Guys, I think I’m in big trouble here.”

— HAHA oh no

— The Farmer’s Daily vindicated

— This is a disaster lmao

— The Bubble Daily = total clown show

— Might as well rename it The Hot-Air Daily

— The Farmer’s Daily W

While Bubblegum panicked, Radish Servant calmly continued.

“These bombs were found on Union corpses. That placard was on Zelo’s body. This is no coincidence.”

“R-Right...” Bubblegum’s gaze darted around for an escape.

“Yes. A fine article, isn’t it? The Union pretending to be virtuous while secretly sponsoring terrorism.” Radish Servant showed him each piece of evidence.

However, Bubblegum barely heard him. His instincts screamed that he had been trapped.

‘Dammit, every exit is blocked.’

He would die if he stayed involved in this.

“Oh, right.” Radish Servant pointed to the box again. “There’s more inside.”

“...?”

“Check the bottom.”

Beneath the evidence lay sheets of paper. Bubblegum lifted them out.

Rustle.

“!”

Bubblegum froze at the golden glow...

“These Union bastards are evil!” he shouted with conviction. “As a storyteller, I can’t let this go unchallenged!”

— HAHAHAHA

— “Something inside me has awakened...”

— G2B duo reunited lol

— Too much money to refuse hahaha

Whoosh.

He stashed the box into his inventory.

“I knew you’d come through, brother.” Almond grinned and raised his hand.

“Ghost...”

“Busters!!”

Clap!

They high-fived each other.

— Yesss Ghost Busters!

— This is kind of touching somehow

— LOL that’s more like it

Now that the two had united, Almond also controlled the press.

***

Moments later,

The Bubble Daily

’s headline changed.

[Union by Day, Terrorists by Night: The Two Faces of the Union]

“What?”

“They... they sponsored terrorism?”

“Look, there’s evidence!”

Convincing photos backed the story. Right beside it...

[The Bubble Daily Caught Colluding with the Knight Order (With Proof)]

“What the hell!?”

— That blunt headline tho

— This isn’t journalism, it’s a forum post

— The Farmer’s Daily is going all-in lol

It worked.

“What? It says there’s proof?”

“No way, Bubblegum wouldn’t...”

“Look at the photos!”

Even Bubblegum peeked at the rival piece.

“What the...?”

==== ====

The Bubble Daily has long favored the Knight Order, even publishing falsehoods. Recently, paparazzi captured proof of collusion: Bubblegum visited the knights and received a box on the second floor with Fertile Soil in the background...

(photo)

==== ====

Multiple photos followed, including the damning shot of him accepting a box.

“Holy crap, it’s real collusion.”

“Look at that photo. Wow.”

“He definitely got the goods...”

Bubblegum smacked his forehead. “I’m screwed...”

He’d been caught red-handed. Next to

The Farmer’s Daily

’s evidence, his own article became worthless.

“Then,

The Bubble Daily

is just trash.”

“It’s all lies. Always pro-knight.”

“And the Knight Order has interviews today? They’re done.”

“Bubblegum! Say something!”

“Dammit!” Bubblegum bolted.

“Come back here!”

“Stay away from me!”

***

Thirty minutes later, Radish Servant slumped on the couch.

‘Dammit.’

He had sensed that Bubblegum was trouble, and he’d been right.

“

Hmm...

” Almond stared at the floor, deep in thought.

Maid Black Tea suddenly cursed, “Bastards! They had spies on us!?”

— LOL she snapped

— Not wrong tho

— Dirty tactics

She punched the wall. “Let me go torch them all and die fighting!”

Emotions flared.

“Sir... what now? We’re cornered!” Radish Servant groaned.

“This isolates us completely... Zelo and Choco are with them too...”

“The Union is swaying public opinion! Even recruits are cancelling! What if nobody shows up for interviews!?” Potato Servant wailed.

— Potato’s damn obsession with getting new recruits hahaha

— The Knight Order is falling apart

They were still wealthy and armed, but Almond understood.

‘Isolation. That’s the true fear.’

In

Survival Craft

, communication was everything. Isolation killed streams. And it wasn’t just content.

‘It’s pain.’

He remembered his own past of ostracism, whispers, and suffocating exclusion.

“Isn’t this blatant nepotism?”

“How did he even enter the company? Did he even go to school?”

“Just... stay put. Don’t cause us any more trouble.”

“Are you ever going to mature?”

Separation from all forms of interactions. This would make anyone panic and question themselves. Even he had broken after five years.

‘But I lasted five years.’

Those five years hadn’t been a waste. A way always existed to survive even in such hardships.

‘Kim Ju-Hyeok.’

They could endure if even one person truly believed in them.

“We’ll be fine if we stick together.” He clapped once. “Focus on our work. Do it well. Allies will come, eventually.”

Viewers felt shocked to hear Almond say something so mature.

— What, focus on what? Burning farmers alive?

— Allies won’t come, only Fertile Soil lol

However, the viewers didn’t believe him. Even his knights said nothing.

“...”

Almond kept going to shift the mood. “First, let’s see the interviewees. We owe them that.”

“Y-Yes...” Potato Servant trudged out.

“They’re probably waiting at the gate... or most likely no-shows...”

Almond braced himself for an empty yard.

‘Stay calm, whatever happens.’

He opened the gate.

“Now, Knight Order interviews...”

“

WAAAAAAAH!!

”

A thunderous cheer cut him off. Outside, a massive crowd was waiting.

— ???

— What??

— Did everyone show up?

Potato Servant gasped. “Th-This is... way more than we invited!”

Instead of cancellations, extra recruits had come.

“How?”

The chanting answered them.

“Fertile Soil! Fertile Soil!”

In Bubblegum’s photo, they hadn’t just seen bribery. They’d seen proof.

“All Black IS REAL!”

“Let me join! Take my loyalty!”

“Farmer King! Almon D. Roger[1]!!!”

— LMAO

— Bubblegum lied again

— They came for Fertile Soil hahaha

Almond also recalled why he’d endured five years at Ah-Sung.

‘Big companies pay very well.’

It was all for the money.

1. A

One Piece

reference to Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King. ☜