episode_0150

The day after arriving in the first city.

Jinye Seo and I sat across from each other, spread out the drawings, and reviewed the plan again.

A central district with a concentration of factories. Four outer districts spread out around it.

“So today, I plan to first explore District A, where the sewer outlet is located… ”

“… ”

I was continuing my explanation by pointing at the fingers.

The gaze that I had been feeling since earlier became increasingly stinging and poked my head.

I raised my head and looked ahead.

His earlobes are bright red and his eyes are slightly moist. His face looks haggard, as if he hasn’t slept well.

A girl with black hair and black eyes was glaring at me without even looking at the drawing.

As if he had some deep-rooted resentment.

“Sigh… ”

I couldn’t figure out why he was doing that.

I asked the old man and found the best place to stay in the neighborhood. I gave up the soft bed and spent the night on a chair. I also gave up washing myself because I thought I might be covered in dirt.

Is that still not enough?

“… ”

Although he is of the lowest rank, Jin Ye-seo is a true member of the Baek Gwang clan.

When I stopped by the home of the Red and Black Lotus, I was able to get a glimpse of the high-class lifestyle that was beyond my imagination.

Since you’ve probably lived your whole life in that kind of environment, it might be natural for you to be dissatisfied.

Looking at it that way, I feel that the captain and his sisters are even more amazing. They were able to adapt to that environment much more skillfully than I was.

In fact, what I have done since coming here is nothing more than an imitation of them.

Get information from stores frequented by locals, pretend to be a married couple rather than an ambiguous relationship, imitate confidently, hold the waist, show off a friendly distance, etc.

I’ve seen the leader and his sisters do that a few times. Unlike the leader who didn’t like it, the sisters were excited and fought for their turn.

I tried practicing with my older sisters’ help two or three times, but I remember being the butt of the leader’s jokes because I couldn’t get used to it.

But yesterday was pretty good. Objectively speaking, it was more natural than the captain’s. Looking back, it was a pretty satisfactory imitation.

“If you have something to say, say it?”

“No…uh.”

He shakes his head but doesn’t take his eyes off me. He definitely looks dissatisfied.

But the one who said he would help was Jin Ye-seo, and the one who stubbornly followed him to the first city was also Jin Ye-seo.

And honestly, it feels like it’s not very useful, because yesterday’s impersonation of the couple was the most helpful thing Jin Ye-seo has ever done.

On that subject, I don’t think you should complain about something as trivial as sleeping. I have no intention of comforting or appeasing you.

“If you don’t have it, that’s fine. Let’s go. I’ll remember what I have to do… ”

“I know! I know! You said it before… !”

Then suddenly he screams “Bam-“.

“While you’re exploring Earth A, you’ll gather information at the plaza…! Bill, while you’re pretending to be your fucking wife…! Got it…?”

“… That’s correct. But… can you really do it well?”

“… I’ll keep my word. I’ll make sure to do what I say. You don’t have to worry so much.”

Jin Ye-seo, who had been acting all angry, finally calmed down and said.

“Well, that’s fortunate, but… ”

“Still, you…keep this in mind.”

“… ?”

“You… Yesterday’s humiliation… Someday, for sure… Haa… ”

Jin Ye-seo sighed without finishing her sentence.

Then I quickly got up, packed my bags, and went outside.

“… ”

I blankly stared at his back.

Seriously, that black hair… makes me think a lot.

***

A broad daylight view of the first city. It looks much better than yesterday’s orange first impression.

The city is still covered in hazy smog and smoke like fog. Because of that, the sunlight cannot reach the city, making it feel like a cloudy day.

Stores selling groceries and miscellaneous goods are also operating actively. People wearing hats and clothes head to the factories in the central district.

The scenery doesn’t seem much different from the capital, except that the air is so bad that it’s hard to breathe.

There may be something creepy going on in the basement of a place like this. It’s a rumor worthy of being called an urban legend. It’s also the kind of story that’s perfect for talking about in a bar.

Until the true nature of what we’re chasing becomes clear, we plan to continue our exploration only during the day.

I took the exact opposite path to those who were walking busily. After a while, the number of people decreased and the scenery of gray brick roads and gloomy alleys gradually began to appear.

The reason the old man told you not to set foot on the outskirts is probably not because this place is a northern demon realm or some other kind of extra-human realm.

He was probably just worried that an unresponsive outsider with a wife would get caught up in a commotion that would be difficult to handle on his own.

Areas with poor public security and the existence of lawbreakers are inseparable.

Just like right now.

“Hey! Over there!”

A group of four large men appeared out of nowhere and blocked the narrow alleyway. It seemed like they were the ones who had been watching me since a while ago.

Those who threaten and extort money from outsiders.

The man who seemed to be the leader approached, took out a short knife, and smiled wryly.

“Take everything off. From the gas mask to your underwear. Then I’ll spare your life… Ugh!”

-Phukk! Phukk!

“Kkaaaak… !”

“Brother… !”

“Hey! Everyone, come running!”

But there was no need to waste time hanging out with these guys.

I twisted the arm of the guy who approached me in the opposite direction. The guys who rushed at me after that also couldn’t avoid being rolled on the floor in an instant.

“Ugh… ”

I approached the fallen men, groaning, holding the knife the leader had dropped.

“No matter what, killing them feels awkward.”

“What the… What are you doing… Kkaaaak!”

He wasn’t a warlock or a demon, so there was no need to take his life. Instead, I used my strength to cut off several tendons in his arms and legs. It wasn’t that treatment was impossible, but I wondered if there were medical facilities of that level in a place like this.

Still, they left behind one limb each. One had a left arm, one had a right arm, one had a left foot, one had a right foot…

‘Why are you sparing me?’

‘This way, those guys will learn how to help each other and live together.’

Between the painful groans, the old captain’s voice rings in my head.

“Wow… ”

And then suddenly someone’s exclamation of wonder is heard.

I immediately looked up at the wall where the sound had come from.

A small girl, who looked to be about five or six years old, was sticking her head out with an expression of genuine admiration.

“Oppa. Seriously, Seda… He’s the one who can take care of four people all by himself… ”

“… ”

Don’t you have any prejudice against the strange figure wearing a gas mask?

Somehow, that purity makes me feel a little at ease.

I shook my hands and held out both my hands to the little boy.

“Come down. It’s dangerous up there… ”

-Pok!

And before I could even finish my sentence, the little boy flew away as if he had been waiting for me.

“Heehee~ This is fun! I want to do it again!”

“… Don’t do it, it’s dangerous.”

“Heeeek… ”

I carefully placed the crying little boy on the floor.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he suddenly got up and started walking down the road alone.

He didn’t forget to look at me and talk to me every now and then.

“Why did you come here, oppa?”

“I have something to find.”

“What are you looking for? Treasure hunt? I want to join you… !”

The sight of her body turning around with her eyes shining.

The little kid who lives nearby seems to be very good at finding his way around.

Maybe this will help.

“… Hey. By any chance… ”

“Woong?”

But while talking to the little boy.

Suddenly, a commotion, as if several people were talking, began to resonate from some direction.

I hugged the little boy, wondering what was happening.

But the child still had an indifferent expression on his face.

As if this kind of thing was already a daily occurrence.

“Do you know why it’s so noisy?”

“Hmm… I guess the angel took my friend away again… ”

“Angel… ?”

Feeling uneasy, I walked down the alley in the direction of the commotion.

Then, a huge sewer outlet spewing out sewage and people murmuring at it begin to appear.

I might be able to achieve my purpose for coming to Earth A faster than I thought. The reason I came here was to see that for myself.

According to the diagram, all the sewage from the first city is finally discharged here through the sewer. If there is anything suspicious that the old man mentioned, it must show its traces here.

“Again… ”

“I’m scared to death… I need to get out of this fucking place right now… ”

I put the child down and walked through the noisy crowd.

Two pale, discolored corpses were floating on the water. The terrible horror of death was still visible on their faces.

Clearly evidence of an abnormal death.

But surprisingly, the appearance is fine. Except for the fact that the skin looks pale as if all the blood has been sucked out.

“Gyah… !”

“I, I… ”

Someone went into the sewage and turned the corpse over, probably to try to salvage something.

Then screams burst out from people’s mouths.

The only thing that looked intact was the skin on the face. The back of the corpse’s head was gone without a trace.

As if something had eaten it.

“… ”

Something is strange.

Considering the old man’s testimony and the overall situation, I thought that maybe the demons were hiding.

It’s not completely uncommon for demons to nest in sewers. I’ve seen similar situations before.

But this isn’t a sign of being attacked by a demon. They would never rip their victims apart and eat them whole. They are definitely not picky eaters.

Traces that are unusual for a warlock or a mutant…

“… ”

Suddenly, the word angel that the little boy had mentioned earlier comes to mind.

When I went back up, the little boy was still waiting for me.

“Can I ask what an angel is?”

“I don’t know either.”

The child with his finger in his mouth shook his head.

“But my blind sister said. Those people coming out of there are friends that the angel took…!”

What about the blind sister?

It’s really hard to interpret a child’s words literally.

-Oh my… Where did you go again…!

“Grandma!”

And then I hear a voice looking for someone.

Upon hearing this, the little boy reacts immediately and heads there.

I followed the little boy.

Before she knew it, the girl was in the arms of a short old man, being scolded.

“Hey, where are you wandering around like that! How many times did grandma say it was dangerous… ”

“I’m not alone! I was playing with this guy!”

Then the little boy shakes his head vigorously. Was the reason he followed me around all this time just to make up some excuse like that?

The old man hugs the little boy and looks at me with a wary gaze.

“… Who are you?”

“Hello.”

When I bowed my head to greet him, the old man seemed to let his guard down a little.

“… I guess you’re a foreigner.”

“This guy is so strong! He fought four people and won all by himself!”

My heart aches. Surely he wasn’t watching the whole scene from the beginning to the end. Even if he was knocked down, it’s still a bit strange to think that the child saw him cut the tendon.

“You alone in that gang? Now that I look at it, you’re no ordinary gentleman.”

“… I was lucky. Can I ask you something else?”

“What?”

“The child saw the body and said that an angel took it away… ”

“Ah, what should I say again?”

The old man answered with a calm face.

“There’s a wife who comes and looks after the kids sometimes. That’s probably what she said. It’s not easy to make kids understand things like that, you know.”

“Then what about the blind sister…?”

“That’s right. That’s the girl. You’ll know what I mean when you see her.”

Are you blind? If so, I guess you could use that expression when children see you.

But something feels a bit uneasy.

… Maybe it was because I heard the word angel while tracing the traces of heresy.

It doesn’t seem like it would hurt to check it out once.

“Where can I meet him?”

“I don’t know. She’s a woman who comes and goes as she pleases. Maybe she came from District B. I always saw her coming and going from that road.”

“B Earth… Okay.”

“Wait a minute. I was talking about that gang of guys earlier… ”

As I was about to say hello and turn around, the old woman turned me around.

“Why are you like that?”

“Did you kill him?”

“I didn’t kill him. Why did you do that?”

Contrary to expectations, the old woman had a worried expression on her face.

“Those guys aren’t usually bad guys. I’m worried that they might be venting their anger for no reason.”

“That won’t happen. I’ve cut off all the strength in my limbs. It’ll be hard to move even one part of my body.”

“Really?”

“Yes. If an old man pokes you with a stick, you will fall backwards right away.”

“Puhhhh… Well then, that’s a relief… ”

Only then does the old woman show a relieved expression.

“If anything happens, come here. I will help you right away.”

I gave him the address of my accommodation just in case and turned around.

The boy raised his hand and waved, his expression clearly showing regret.

“Brother! Come again! Next time, let’s go treasure hunting together!”

***

I spent the whole day wandering around District A, but other than that, I didn’t get much out of it.

As the sun was setting, I headed toward the square in the central district where I had promised to meet Jin Ye-seo.

Poor people in shabby clothes are bustling about, looking for work. They light a fire in a rusty drum and stand around it, chatting in twos and threes.

Among them, there is one person who stands out in particular.

Her hair is disheveled and her face is covered in soot, but it seems her natural beauty cannot be hidden.

Jin Ye-seo was talking about something with a group of middle-aged women. While talking, she occasionally covered her mouth and smiled as if she was enjoying herself.

“… ”

Is this really the kind of kid who always has words like “lower class” and “poor” on his lips?

Come to think of it, Jin Ye-seo seems to have gotten along quite well with the female students even in high school. She is quite different from Yeon Min-ha, who was more like a leader than a friend.

I’m starting to think that maybe I’m not as sociable as I thought. But what on earth was so frustrating about that morning?

I started walking to pick up Jinyeseo.

Jin Ye-seo also sensitively senses my presence and turns her head towards me.

He glares at me with a sullen expression, as if his anger hasn’t completely subsided yet.

But the next moment.

He seemed to be thinking about something for a moment, then let out a small sigh.

And then, all of a sudden, he starts walking towards me.

With a big smile on her face, she greeted me as if she was really there to greet my husband…

“… ?”

Jin Ye-seo, standing in front of me, was still smiling brightly. I couldn’t guess what she was thinking.

And before I could even open my mouth in wonder.

Suddenly he turns to the side and wraps one of his arms tightly around mine.

As if linking arms.

Then he lets out a voice full of affection.

“Honey, you worked hard today. Are you tired? Come here… ”

I had no choice but to tightly close my eyes.

So that the black hair is not visible.