Chapter 168
Chapter 168
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: Under the Shadow (5)
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Only then did I pull my hand away from tapping on the table.
Afterward, I crossed my arms, leaned back against the chair, and tilted my head slightly.
I wasn’t particularly speaking up, but I kept my eyes fixed on Coconut, glaring at him with a chilling intensity.
If I had to put it into words, my eyes were saying it all.
‘Shut your mouth.’
Or else I’d step in and make him shut it.
Coconut seemed to understand my unspoken pressure better than expected.
He opened and closed his mouth a few times before swallowing dryly.
And since he didn’t say another word after that, it looked like he’d swallowed whatever he was about to say, too.
The tense atmosphere quickly spread to the other players who had been siding with Coconut.
Even the cult officials dealing with them had no reason to keep shouting.
Only after this satisfactory outcome did I relax my gaze and raise my hand into the air.
Then, folding my fingers one by one, I said,
“Malcolm Graren, Erumato Sham, Sigren Kaol……”
As I listed a total of seven names, the faces of several priests darkened.
‘You know who they are.’
That reaction was only natural, then.
The names I’d just mentioned were the leaders of a fairly prominent human trafficking organization in the old Kairot Kingdom, where non-Betas resided.
Of course, I knew about them thanks to Horpe.
- If their base is near Non-Beta, one of them has to be the supplier.
And these seven weren’t the only ones.
Horpe had all of them marked—both the illegal human traffickers and the legitimate slave traders.
The reason he left them alone without cleaning them up was simple.
‘They haven’t touched the beastkin yet.’
If any of them started trafficking beastkin, I’d go and kill them without mercy.
The massacre in Non-Beta last time had gone down just like that.
In that sense, Horpe’s information network was broader than I’d imagined.
And it seemed the Seven Cults were the same.
“Some of you know them, and some don’t, it looks like.”
I leaned slightly toward the table and continued.
“Honestly, I don’t think not knowing is something to brag about. Even I, a mere outsider, was able to investigate this easily.”
I’d borrowed Horpe’s power, but it was true that it hadn’t been hard to find out.
“Ahem.”
There was no real backlash to the uncomfortable point. Just some visible displeasure.
It was because my position differed from Coconut’s. Or in other words, the difference in presence.
“Setting aside those who don’t know, I’d like to ask those who do: why haven’t you arrested them? Why leave them be?”
It might sound like I was picking a fight at first glance.
“Our answer to this question is the same one you’d give.”
Looking closer, it was a proposal to understand each other’s positions.
Pointing out and bashing each other’s realities, limitations, and mistakes wouldn’t change the situation.
The right move was to acknowledge the unchangeable fixed elements as quickly as possible and seek solutions accounting for them.
That way, we could save time and effort.
“We can’t unconditionally punish those involved in organ trafficking, either.”
So I mentioned their limitations while also bringing up ours.
‘It’s not just your problem.’
This was a clear concession and consideration.
The cult officials who caught on had their expressions soften a bit.
It might look like shooting ourselves in the foot by admitting a weakness.
But it was better to acknowledge and move on than to hide it.
“Moreover, publicizing this issue in our world is impossible.”
As I spoke, I glanced at Lily for confirmation.
She, who had been watching me the whole time, nodded slightly with a stiffened expression.
No surprise there. That was reality.
‘Reality, reality, that damn fucking reality.’
My hand, hidden under the table, clenched tightly as I took a deep breath.
After regaining my composure that way, I presented the most feasible solution for the current situation.
“But there’s plenty of room to resolve it here in Bihar.”
By having the association put bounties on players involved in human trafficking.
And by forming an investigation team of players and Biharis, leaving the arrests to the Biharis.
‘That should minimize incidents of innocent players killing other innocent players.’
If they hadn’t come through a Hole to Bihar, they couldn’t return to Earth without contacting a Gate.
So detaining those arrested in Bihar wouldn’t be too difficult.
However, to prevent Biharis from using this as an excuse to indiscriminately kill other players, players had to retain leadership of the search operations.
‘Players as the heads, Biharis as the hands and feet.’
That was the best I could come up with for this issue.
“That’s why we need an official investigative body formally authorized by Bihar.”
Instead of ending there, I added one more thing.
“If things proceed that way, I plan to volunteer for the investigation.”
I already had a bounty mission on me anyway.
No matter how many more innocent players they killed, it wouldn’t add to my bounty mission.
‘The ten-day timer will end soon.’
From then on, I’d be able to check the locations of other bounty hunters, too.
Meaning I could control the risks to some extent.
Considering all the factors, I was the player most optimized for killing players.
Even though I’d agonized over it, I chose to volunteer instead of storming out of the meeting room.
Once I made my intent clear, Hose Volprian, who had been quietly surveying the room, finally spoke up.
“Then……”
At last, the proper meeting began.
* * *
The realistic issues were so numerous they were hard to count on two hands, and working through them one by one toward the goal wasn’t easy.
That was why the general assembly didn’t end until five or six hours later.
Of course, not every process was finished.
We’d only sorted out the agency’s responsibilities, investigative jurisdictions, and coordination with the nobles governing those areas today.
We’d need a second meeting to finalize what we’d just discussed.
‘Fastest then.’
If not, the practical staff selection would happen at the next third meeting.
‘At least the first button’s sewn on right.’
I rubbed my sore eyes and let out a long breath.
Even if a player’s body surpassed human limits, mental stamina was a separate issue.
Prolonged focus was more than enough to bring fatigue.
Habitually massaging the back of my neck, I stood from my seat.
‘Let’s get out for now.’
As I started walking, Kim Yul quickly caught up and asked,
“We don’t have to come next time, right?”
“More precisely, we don’t have a reason to.”
I’d only attended today under the pretext of being the first discoverer.
Since I wasn’t with the association, I had no pretext to keep attending follow-ups.
It’d be hard to interfere further until the practical staff selection was announced.
It was a bit nagging that I couldn’t control the situation perfectly.
‘But I know plenty of people in the association, so getting updates on progress shouldn’t be an issue.’
The best I could do was reassure myself that we’d avoid the worst case.
“Total relief. Couldn’t do it twice. Ugh, so stiff.”
Unlike me, with lingering unease, Kim Yul seemed thrilled at not having to attend these boring meetings anymore.
“Fwaaaah.”
Stretching to loosen his stiff body, he yawned so wide his mouth nearly split.
He’d been fighting sleep the whole time, shaking his head in the seat next to me, so it wasn’t surprising.
‘No blame there.’
I’d brought him to introduce him to the association folks anyway.
I’d memorized all the meeting content, so I didn’t need Kim Yul’s help.
“But, Hyung.”
“What.”
As we headed to the meeting room entrance, Kim Yul glanced back and asked,
“About that ‘let’s eat after’ thing earlier— it’s the association guys’ after-party, right? Can we crash it?”
“They invited us themselves, so no reason we can’t.”
The ones who suggested dinner first were definitely association players.
They wouldn’t turn around now and say non-association folks shouldn’t come.
“So we’re going?”
“For now.”
If I sent Kim Yul alone, Fabian’s side might pick a fight, so I should stick around as much as possible.
“We go ahead and wait?”
“Hmm……”
Checking Lily’s direction, she was talking with a priest from her Mephroseta Cult.
The other players were the same.
I’d already said everything I needed to the Palao Cult side, so no need to stay.
‘Let’s head out.’
Fortunately, the gathering spot was set for Robole’s tavern.
Better to leave quickly than linger and get dragged into something annoying.
The moment I decided to take Kim Yul and go first, I sensed someone approaching rapidly from behind.
If I’d stayed put, we would’ve collided.
But I had no intention of just taking it, so I sidestepped smoothly.
Sure enough, the one who’d approached with clear intent, maintaining deliberate speed and distance, brushed past me and scowled fiercely.
‘That guy.’
Gallonic, Senao’s senior priest who’d tried to ruin the atmosphere right as the meeting started.
‘Really set on wrecking this meeting.’
Probably because I’d thwarted him, his glare was pretty vicious.
‘Not even bothering to hide his hostility.’
Maybe he didn’t feel the need to.
‘Must have some seriously impressive backing.’
I hadn’t heard anything from Jordan or Rashaar.
But Gallonic definitely had backing.
The key was how impressive that backing was.
‘At least enough that even the chair, Temoria’s High Chancellor Priest, can’t touch him lightly.’
He’d picked a blatant fight, yet hadn’t been kicked out and kept his seat.
Just that showed Hose Volprian couldn’t handle him roughly and had to tolerate him to some degree.
‘Not good.’
How many with that kind of background could there be?
No matter how I racked my brain, I couldn’t come up with more than two or three candidates.
If one of them really was his backer, it’d make me sigh involuntarily.
‘Then his brazenness makes sense.’
Confidence that any connection to human traffickers could be swept under the rug.
Standing at the meeting room entrance, I watched Gallonic’s retreating back.
‘Why didn’t anyone warn me about him?’
No matter how I thought about it, it was weird that Jordan or Rashaar hadn’t mentioned him.
‘Did they not know?’
No way.
‘Acting that openly? Impossible not to know.’
From what I’d seen and his behavior, it was more plausible they’d deliberately withheld the info.
‘Why?’
As I mulled over the question, someone came hurrying back from the direction Gallonic was heading.
‘Senao’s junior priest.’
Confirming the newcomer’s affiliation from his attire, I immediately circulated mana through my body.
Just then, Gallonic spoke first to the newly arrived junior priest.
“What’s the matter, coming all the way here?”
As expected, they knew each other.
“A visitor just arrived suddenly. They said it’s urgent and they must see you……”
“A visitor? Who the hell comes without prior notice?”
“They didn’t give a name. But……”
The junior priest lowered his voice noticeably.
Damn System