Episode 42: Harua’s Safety Net

My mind returns from an endless sinking death.

The Grim Reaper still had no intention of taking me.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a room lit with red lamps.

It was the room where the infected had gathered.

I felt a languid sensation in my body.

It was proof that my body was still returning from death.

Now, there shouldn’t be time for the Apostle’s disease to take hold.

I groped for the floor, got up, and moved towards the door.

Kkiiiiiik- Kung-

Finally, as I opened the firmly closed door, I saw a dark hallway.

,You’re awake?

An additional familiar face came into view.

Following the moonlight, hair with a black base and white inside shone.

The name of the woman sitting in the corner was Aransul.

Babi-yen was lying on her lap, sleeping.

,Why are you here?

,I was waiting for Harua.

Aransul knew that I was returning from death.

Perhaps that’s why she had a look on her face that suggested she knew what had happened inside.

,The others kept trying to open the room since you weren’t coming out, Harua-ya, so I stopped them.

,Thanks.

I guess that’s why she was guarding it in front of here.

Kung-

The infected’s room was closed again.

The Madam will take care of this room from now on.

My role is over.

Meanwhile, Aransul quietly laid Babi-yen on the floor and got up.

Then, she came to me and felt around the collar of my neck.

There was blood on the collar from when I stabbed the dagger.

Aransul bit her lip slightly.

,…I should change.

,I’ll ask the Madam for some clothes. I mean, I saved some of her people, so she’ll do anything, right?

,A hundred people.

She looked up at me.

,Harua, you saved a hundred people in one day. How is that ‘some’?

,That was the deal. I needed the money.

,Because of that, you had to die, Harua.

Aransul squeezed her eyes shut.

,I… I don’t know. Harua, you saved so many people with what you did, but I can’t just understand and move on from the fact that you’re suffering so much.

And I know how contradictory what I’m saying is, which makes it even more complicated.

Aransul had also willingly gone to the Fairy Forest where Cosmic was located to save strangers she didn’t even know.

But even for her, my actions now were hard to accept.

,But, simply deciding to die and coming back to life from death are two different things, right?

Aransul looked at me again.

I could clearly feel the worry in her eyes.

Is it because she saw me coming back from death with her own eyes?

Aransul was particularly worried about this kind of thing.

,Harua, are you really okay?

If you ask me if I’m okay after going through something like this.

,Of course, I’m fine. Look at my face. Do I look like a crazy bastard?

I had already broken down once a long time ago.

From the first day I was caught by the cult, from that day when my limbs were torn apart amidst desperate screams.

That day, I died.

And the death I had already experienced was no longer scary.

The only thing I’m afraid of.

Is the situation where I have to continue to suffer even after returning to death.

If it wasn’t for that, death wasn’t just scary anymore.

But maybe my appearance looks different to Aransul.

She looked at me, then took two steps back without saying anything more.

,Then, I understand.

Aransul took a breath and raised her head.

Brightness was cast on her face.

,I’ll always take care of you if you’re not doing well, Harua. So, if you feel like something’s not right, lean on me.

,Am I going to have an Aransul mama like Babi-yen too?

I got hit by Aransul.

It was a heavy punch.

,This is a safety net for Harua.

Does my behavior look that unstable to Aransul?

I feel a little sorry for making her worry for no reason.

,Then, can I ask you just one thing, Aransul?

,What is it?

,Aransul, why are you doing so much for me?

Aransul and I have gone through quite a lot of eventful things.

In the process, we revealed our true feelings for the first time.

But, I don’t know why Aransul takes care of me so much.

When I asked about this, Aransul turned her gaze out the window.

,…You remember when I said I wanted to create a world where people in our world don’t hate transmigrators, right?

Aransul’s parents were killed by a transmigrator.

Since then, she has been looking at all transmigrators with colored glasses and hating them.

The murderer still hasn’t been caught.

However, she hoped that others would not experience the same life that she couldn’t escape from.

,I think Harua is that kind of transmigrator.

Moonlight seeps in through the window.

The subtle smile on Aransul’s lips was so beautiful as it shone in the moonlight.

,So, I hope you don’t change in the future, Harua.

Doesn’t change.

It was a story that I couldn’t really feel.

,Of course, I don’t mean you should overdo it like today, but I just hope you don’t go through too many difficult things that would change you as a person, Harua. Because you’re the first transmigrator I thought was okay.

It was a warm word for me.

Aransul pressed her neck as if she was a little embarrassed by what she said.

,There’s no reason to attach reasons to why I’m being nice to you. I just do it if I feel like you’re a good person.

Human relationships are complicated.

But sometimes they are simple.

I like this person.

That alone could keep the relationship going.

,I don’t know about anything else, but I have good luck with people.

At the end of all the events I experienced after being transmigrated to this world, there were people.

Aransul was one of them.

,Eheum, heum.

Aransul, who was embarrassed for no reason, swallowed a dry cough.

She took two steps back with slightly reddened cheeks.

,Then, now that I’ve done all the worrying, it’s time to see the results you’ve created, Harua.

Aransul woke up the sleeping Babi-yen and moved her feet.

After walking with her for a while, we arrived at a large room.

There, a hundred people were lying down.

Some of the women from Monghwagol were taking care of them.

Their faces were very bright.

A colleague who they thought would never return alive came back.

There couldn’t be anything more joyful than this.

The atmosphere of Monghwagol, which was dark until just now, is bright.

That was the result I created.

,Ah, Harua-ssi!

Horizon was also among the people taking care of the women.

She smiled brightly as soon as she saw me.

She is happy that those who have gone through thick and thin together are safe.

Ttok-ttok-

At that time, the sound of heels was heard.

There, the Madam, Karuang, was walking in.

,The women in Monghwagol are all those whose parents or family relationships are unknown.

This is the street of pleasure, Monghwagol.

Most of the women who work here have been caught and sold or abandoned.

It was impossible for them, living in the underworld, to have proper family relationships.

,And that’s why we decided to consider each other as family. No matter how they feel, I’ve always thought of them that way.

Karuang stopped in front of me.

Then, she bowed her head deeply.

,So now you are a benefactor who saved a hundred family members.

,Then, will you grant anything that the benefactor asks for?

This is an opportunity.

When I quickly snatched it, Karuang covered her mouth with a fan and laughed.

,Yes, I have no intention of lowering the value of my family members myself. I’ll have to pay that much value.

Besides the advance payment, I’m more than willing to grant personal requests.

Karuang’s smile deepened even more.

,Now, I’ll give you a chance to embrace a beauty called the greatest beauty of all time.

That’s a great opportunity.

Aransul’s eyes narrowed for some reason.

,I’ll decline.

,Oh my, what a waste. You can’t even buy it with money anymore.

Aransul’s eyes quickly returned to normal.

,I’ll gladly accept more money if you give it to me, but separately from that, I want to find someone.

,Finding someone, I know a few people who specialize in that.

They are the ones who specialize in finding people in Nokseo.

They will find him regardless of the means.

,It’s a guy named Bulldog. He was a textbook magician who handled fire and lightning and worked as a pioneer.

He went missing a few months ago. He disappeared with his wife before his son’s wedding.

,Bulldog?

Karuang tilted her head.

Could it be that she knows Bulldog ahjussi?

,Do you know something?

,No, I don’t really know anything. Monghwagol is a place where mouths open carelessly, so useful information sometimes comes in, and that name has been mentioned before.

My eyes sparkled.

There was information in a place I never expected.

As much as the lower body loosens, so does the upper mouth.

Information always has monetary value.

So, the women remembered each piece of information and passed it on to the Madam.

,Please tell me more about that.

,Do you know the Radiant Faith Society?

Shit.

My face instantly contorted.

Of course, I know.

The Radiant Faith Society, the cult that tore my limbs apart.

,There was a guest related to that place, and he said that the name Bulldog was among the names he listed.

,Of all people.

The Radiant Faith Society is a crazy cult.

But apart from that, there is a question.

What they hate are transmigrators, not other people from another world.

Why are they and Bulldog ahjussi involved?

Seeing my complicated expression, Karuang snapped her fan shut.

,I’ll look into that information further. I’ll have Horizon deliver the information to you as soon as I find it, so leave it to me.

,Thank you. I’ll ask you for a favor.

Bulldog ahjussi was the first person I could trust after coming to this world.

If something happened to him, I wanted to solve it.

,Is that the end of the favors?

,Yes, that’s enough.

I also earned money to buy elixirs from the designated merchant.

There is no better situation than this.

,Then, now receive the hospitality.

,Yes?

,Okay, girls. It’s time to entertain the guest who has worked hard. Give him the best full course.

,Yes, Madam.

When Karuang clapped her hands, women suddenly appeared from all over the place.

They surrounded me and linked arms.

The weapons of those rumored to be beauties of Monghwagol were amazing.

,Wait a minute.

,Okay, over there too.

When Aransul showed embarrassment, women flocked to her side as well.

,Mammaa.

At that time, Babi-yen woke up and started looking for food.

Then, she looked at the women who had half their breasts exposed and wiggled her fingers and shouted.

,Mamma.

There was plenty of Babi-yen’s mamma there.

That’s how Babi-yen was also caught by the women.

When I looked at Karuang with a dumbfounded face, she smiled.

,We don’t just let benefactors go. Indulge in the dream of Monghwagol to your heart’s content.

The repayment of kindness is excessive.