Ch.132For a Quiet Meal

“Stop talking about romance. I have no interest in that area and it’s tiring.”

With a thud, Starlight put down her earthenware bowl and glared at me.

“Park Deun-deun, I think you have many issues, but I’m grateful to you this time. Thanks to you, we were able to arrest the operatives without any casualties.”

“It was difficult in many ways. We were lucky, senior. Neither of us has abilities well-suited for subduing opponents.”

If Iron Might transforms his body to strike, it becomes like being hit with a chunk of iron, and Starlight’s attack is an anomalous ability with threatening power even to me, who has become Annihilation-rank.

While powerful against monsters, it’s inevitably difficult when it comes to subduing humans.

“What happens to the captured superhumans?”

“We’ll educate them.”

“We’ll show them the actual situation in W City and remove the delusions that were planted in other cities. If they continue after that… then they’re villains.”

“That’s a light punishment. I thought you’d at least cut off their arms.”

“You really need urgent socialization education…”

A sense of frustration spread from Starlight like glass noodles in beef soup, branching in multiple directions.

“They may be extremists, but when you think about it, neither the superhumans who came as operatives nor the refugees are particularly bad people. They all just want safety for the people in their cities. Since their method involves taking away W City’s safety, W City citizens are bound to be upset, but everyone’s just desperate.”

“It’s especially making people crazy because Black Cat is actually creating a safe zone in W City.”

From the perspective of W City citizens and heroes, they don’t understand why Black Cat protects humans, so they want to approach cautiously to avoid any mistakes.

Give everything it likes, don’t give orders, don’t upset it.

Don’t let it leave W City.

Meanwhile, those from other cities hope it will come to their cities somehow.

It might return later, but for now, their only goal is to relocate Black Cat.

“Refugees are often different, so it’s even harder to punish them.”

“They’re people who want to settle in W City but are starving because they won’t hire them, claiming they’re part of the Wae-ong Faction.”

“Arresting them would just lead to the same problems when new refugees arrive. As long as Black Cat protects W City, refugees will keep increasing, and unless we solve the fundamental problem…”

“That’s why education is the answer.”

The operatives incite refugees and cause trouble based on the misunderstanding that W City knows how to control Black Cat.

If they continue despite education, they’ll have to be arrested.

The heroes of W City aim to clear up these misunderstandings among refugees as well.

“If W City knew how to tame an Annihilation-rank monster, I’d be flying to A City right now to catch monsters… I’d have tamed them all…”

“You’ve had it rough.”

“Haaa… my head hurts. If we leave the employment problem alone, the crime rate will only rise, so I want to solve it somehow, but what the Wae-ong Faction did makes that difficult too. Restoration projects would be most appropriate, but we can’t ask Black Cat to bring in monsters to create jobs, and demolishing buildings is a waste of resources.”

Clatter, clatter. Starlight scraped her spoon against the bowl and sighed.

“Maybe we really should push for the Black Cat Special District…”

“What’s that?”

“It’s the recent city expansion plan. Since we have Black Cat, the idea is to take over the closed zones and expand W City’s territory. If we create facilities and jobs for Black Cat there…”

“It would solve the problems of refugees and those who lost jobs because monsters aren’t appearing anymore.”

“Sounds good.”

If they do that, I could work at construction sites again, and laborers and refugees would have jobs too.

“Yeah, it sounds good… but it’s too big of a project.”

“Is there a problem?”

“It’s a solution that relies too heavily on Black Cat. If Black Cat disappears, we can’t handle it.”

The size of a fortress city is proportional to the range its heroes can manage.

If they expand the city for Black Cat, that area would exist solely because Black Cat is there.

“Black Cat has already left W City twice to eat monsters in other cities.”

“If we carelessly expand the city and Black Cat goes to another city, the number of victims in W City could increase.”

“If we don’t know why an Annihilation-rank monster is protecting humans, we might be wasting precious resources. What if Black Cat leaves because it doesn’t like the city expansion?”

“It won’t leave.”

“How can you guarantee that? You’re not Black Cat.”

I am Black Cat though.

While thinking this answer, I didn’t voice it out loud.

I don’t want to reveal my identity and give up this quiet mealtime.

“If we make a mistake, it could become unmanageable. So I want to be careful… and I don’t even know what Black Cat wants.”

“Can’t you just ask Black Cat directly?”

“I’d like to, but… honestly, I’m scared.”

“Scared?”

“I’ve already tried to kill Black Cat several times. I’m grateful it forgave me, but what if it holds a grudge, or gets annoyed if I keep asking questions?”

With a long sigh, Starlight revealed the anxiety she had been hiding deep inside.

“From our brief confrontation before, I know Black Cat is overwhelmingly stronger than me now. If it gets even slightly upset or irritated, there’s nothing we could do to stop it… if it goes to another city, gets angry, or starts eating humans. I’m afraid I might ruin the current Black Cat…?”

Starlight, who had been calmly sharing her inner thoughts, suddenly widened her eyes.

Rapidly blinking eyes, confusion, surprise.

“Why am I telling Park Deun-deun all this?”

“I thought you wanted to hear opinions from someone who isn’t a W City hero?”

“No, I just… somehow spoke freely without thinking.”

Covering her mouth with her hand, Starlight frowned at her own behavior, finding it strange.

“I said more than I needed to. Park Deun-deun, do you perhaps have mental manipulation abilities like Gu Seo-ryong? Are you a dual awakener?”

“No.”

“Right… I didn’t sense any abilities… what is it? You feel too comfortable. Is it because you’re wearing firefighter pants that makes me feel at ease?”

“What do those old firefighter pants have to do with anything?”

“Ah.”

At Iron Might’s question, Yu Hye-na hesitated, and a flavor of emotion I’d never felt from Yu Anna spread out.

The monster’s sense that perceives emotions as sweeter the more negative they are drools at the intensely sweet smell that could rot teeth.

“Come to think of it, what’s your real name, Park Deun-deun?”

“Real name?”

“Park Deun-deun, Han Mu-ryo, aren’t both of those aliases you made up? Do you have an original name?”

“Original name.”

At those words, I briefly searched through my memories that had been torn apart in various places.

My name and memories related to it had already been eaten away long ago.

“I ate it.”

“Hey, you don’t say you ‘ate’ it, you say you ‘forgot’ it.”

“Is that so.”

“Were you imprisoned for so long that you even forgot your name…?”

“So that’s why you were using aliases?”

“Mm.”

There’s no need to explain the sensation of being eroded by a monster that eats memories.

I brushed off the answer and continued eating my beef soup.

“Since there’s nothing more to discuss, the investigation is over. Let me warn you about one thing… using multiple aliases isn’t a good practice. You’re already doing many suspicious things, aren’t you? If you use aliases on top of that, you’ll be easily suspected. At least settle on one.”

“Speaking of which, Mr. Mu-ryo, did you properly introduce yourself as Mr. Mu-ryo at the butcher shop? I heard someone named Baepoman came, don’t tell me…”

“Slurp!”

I avoided Yu Hye-na’s gaze and lifted the pot to drink the soup.

Is using multiple names really that bad?

Park Deun-deun, Han Mu-ryo, Mound of rice, Double portion… all such wonderful names that I hate to give up any of them, but I have to choose just one.

Just then, Starlight, who had been gulping down the remaining soup from her bowl across from me, stood up first.

“Sorry for keeping you so long. I’ll go ahead.”

“Sis, are you going to… oppa again?”

“…I haven’t been able to go lately because he’s been busy.”

Yu Hye-na’s worried look, Starlight’s bright smile as if looking forward to meeting a close friend, and her head gradually burst into flames.

“Mr. Park Deun-deun, I hope we meet under better circumstances next time. Don’t cause trouble, and if you’re really hungry, come to the hero headquarters and go to the staff cafeteria before doing anything strange. You can enter with the superhuman registration card you have.”

“Oh.”

“Um, I should tell you in advance, free meals at the staff cafeteria are limited to 3 servings.”

“Hmm.”

My excitement at the news of more free food was shattered in less than a few seconds.

Shortly after, once Starlight left the restaurant, the sound of flames whooshing could be heard from outside.

After hearing Starlight fly away, Yu Hye-na mumbled with a spoon in her mouth.

“It’s not that she has no interest in romance, she just still only knows… oppa.”

I couldn’t hear part of it.

And any curiosity about it was soon eaten away.

This isn’t mine anymore anyway.

#

After parting with Yu Hye-na, I headed to the closed zone and immediately returned to my monster form.

Is it because I’ve become an Annihilation-rank monster? Humanization has become uncomfortable.

It’s like cramming my body into a much smaller room than before with limited movement, so it’s natural.

I curled up to sleep and thought about recent events.

To eat quietly, I need to do something.

The anxiety that I, now beyond even Starlight’s control, might leave W City at any time.

Crime arising from lack of jobs to earn money, misunderstandings and delusions because people don’t know much about me.

If those are resolved, wouldn’t I be able to eat quietly?

“Black Cat! Please, I beg you! Restore the closed zone next to this one! It’s my hometown!”

“Black Cat! Please take just one picture with me!”

When I appeared in the closed zone, humans who had heard the news somewhere immediately flocked to the outer wall and called for me.

Humans annoying me with their wishes, each shouting their desires.

I have no intention of granting such requests.

Just enough so I can eat quietly, that’s all.

And the next day.

During breakfast/lunch time at Black Cat Park in Zone 3.

“Grrrr…”

“Huh?”

“It’s r-rubbing!”

“Black Cat is rubbing its body against the park in W City!”

After finishing my meal, I showed clearly that I recognized W City as my territory, and the citizens cheered happily.

“Black Cat must think of W City as its home!”

“Did you enjoy today’s meal?”

“What food did we make today?! Record the recipe!”

“Could it be this? My pineapple pizza!”

“Hyaaak!”

“I’ll never make it again!”

“Black Cat must hate pineapple pizza.”

Unlike before when I ate whatever was given, now I showed dislike for foods I didn’t like and licked clean the ones I enjoyed, which actually reassured people.

“I think I understand what food Black Cat likes.”

“So you like this…!”

Citizens cling to me anxiously because they don’t know about me.

After thinking while sleeping, I decided to show everyone clearly what kind of monster Black Cat is.

And what I want.

“Waoooong.”

“What is it? What is Black Cat doing?”

“Where is it going?”

I led the people following me to a corner of the park.

When I arrived at the refugee area, the refugees who were usually dragged out by superhumans and made noise were quietly hiding in their cardboard box homes with complex emotions.

I approached those cardboard boxes and rubbed my head against them, crushing the boxes.

“Waaah?! Wh-what’s going on!”

“Woong.”

“Eh?! B-Black Cat?! Uwaaaaak!”

I grabbed the necks of the surprised refugees who jumped out of the boxes one by one and placed them among the citizens.

Come on, stop fighting and get along.

I think they’ll understand the meaning of this.

“Why is Black Cat doing this?”

“Could it be asking us to beat up the Wae-ong Faction?”

“It must have disliked the Wae-ong Faction making noise during meal times!”

“Black Cat wants us to eliminate the Wae-ong Faction!”

“Eek?!”

They didn’t understand at all.

I got angry at the humans who were picking up potential weapons from nearby trash cans.

“Kyaaaak!”

“I guess not.”

“It doesn’t seem to want that!”

“Drop your weapons!”

After I showed my anger, the citizens put their heads together to consider the meaning of my actions.

“Then what is it?”

“Maybe it’s saying not to discriminate against the Wae-ong Faction and to get along?”

“My pet cat did something similar once, bringing kittens in its mouth to introduce them…”

And among them, the interpretation I wanted emerged.

I nodded to indicate that was correct.

“Woooong~”

“That must be it!”

I crushed other boxes with my head, taking out refugees one by one and placing them among the citizens. The refugees looked up at me in bewilderment.

Some of them burst into tears of sorrow.

“Ugh…”

“Black Cat doesn’t discriminate against us as the Wae-ong Faction…”

“If Black Cat is doing this, our dislike of the Wae-ong Faction must have been visible even to Black Cat.”

“Maybe we were too sensitive… they also came to live in W City and were asking for help for their families left in their cities.”

“Maybe we were too harsh.”

“No, those guys have crossed the line more than once, what’s harsh about that?”

“But to Black Cat, the Wae-ong Faction are just the same humans!”

“Ohhh! As expected of the cat of salvation! Love thy neighbor, love thy enemy, treat all humans equally!”

Black Cat is a monster that protects humans.

With this understanding, W City citizens began approaching the refugees one by one.

Thinking the citizens had sufficiently understood what I wanted, I yawned and left the park.

“Ah, Black Cat is leaving!”

“Black Cat! Come again tomorrow!”

“Blackie! Don’t go far! I got it! Just go to the closed zone!”

“Have a good nap!”

As I flew toward the closed zone, I listened carefully, hoping the citizens would reconcile with the refugees.

“As long as you don’t talk about sending Black Cat to another city, we don’t hate you.”

“How could we send it anywhere? It’s an Annihilation-rank monster. We’re also anxious every day that we can’t keep it here and it might leave W City.”

“If we could definitely control Black Cat, would we hate you? We wouldn’t even care.”

“Do you know how anxious we get whenever you say things like that? What if Black Cat starts hating humans altogether?”

The citizens talked with the refugees, sharing their accumulated complaints and reasons for disliking the Wae-ong Faction.

Without the operatives present, the refugees also honestly expressed their thoughts.

Heroes who arrived late at the park after hearing that Black Cat had done something didn’t interfere, watching from a distance to let the citizens talk among themselves.

“I came without family. I just want to be a W City citizen. I don’t care about liberating Black Cat or whatever.”

“I’d still prefer if it could be sent to another city… I wish Black Cat would protect our city too.”

“Are there really no drugs? I definitely heard that W City secretly continued monster weaponization experiments and made a new discovery.”

“What are you talking about now? If such a thing existed, would they only tame an Annihilation-rank monster?”

“I didn’t expect W City citizens to say they’re anxious too.”

“Even when it was Despair-rank, Black Cat suddenly went to A City and came back. We really can’t control it either.”

“I heard Starlight took Black Cat there.”

“Really?”

As they talked to each other, they raised their voices at times and conceded points when their arguments were refuted.

It won’t change immediately, but it will gradually change like this.

After that, my meal times will also become quiet.

“By the way, refugee mister, are you selling that box?”

“What?”

And after some of their misunderstandings were cleared…

“Are you selling the box that Black Cat rubbed its head against?”

“Huh? You want to buy this?”

“Excuse me, are you selling that shirt? The shirt with Black Cat’s saliva on it.”

W City citizens revealed their sticky desires and held out money-filled hands to the refugees.

The refugees, who needed money for immediate survival.

One by one, they picked up the crushed boxes.

“Selling boxes that Black Cat rolled on!”

“I’ll buy it for 200,000 won!”

“I-I’m selling a shirt with Black Cat’s saliva!”

“500,000 won!”

Hmm.

Since the refugees will be able to eat today, should I consider this a good outcome?

“My box has fur stuck to it!”

“What?! Fine! 1,000,000 won!”

“Sell it to me! Please!”

I covered my ears, not wanting to hear more.