Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Dark Hero
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Black Woman and Yushin, having left the Clan behind.
The pair arrived in the heart of the city in an instant.
'Unexpected.'
Black Woman didn't care for noise.
That was why she kept few people close.
Neither the sycophants rubbing their hands in anticipation of some gain,
nor the heroes spewing empty rage out of ignorance.
True to her status as the supreme, she lived ignoring it all with clean precision.
Thud!
Black Woman halted on the rooftop of a building and turned around.
A midsummer night's breeze blew lightly, tousling her hair.
"This should do nicely."
"Oh? Are you planning to scold me up here on the roof?"
"... ."
"Hahaha! Just kidding, just kidding!"
Yushin deliberately flashed a cheeky grin.
Then, just as Black Woman opened her mouth to speak,
"I'm truly sorry for hiding the secretary's role from you, Boss."
In that brief moment, he wiped the smile from his face and turned serious.
He addressed her with a solemn voice devoid of any playfulness.
"This is undeniably my mistake."
Well now. Even after I take the initiative like this, are you still going to chew me out?
No, right? You can't. You have no choice but to let it slide!
There's a saying that you can't spit in the face of a smiling man.
And a sincere apology is hard to brush off, to boot.
After all, begging forgiveness before the rod falls is the best policy, right? Hahaha!
"...Do you really think I'd call you all the way out here just to scold you?"
"Oh? You wouldn't?"
In truth, he'd toyed with the idea of a light scolding, just a bit.
But look at that utterly solemn face from moments ago.
What more could she do when he admitted his fault in such a firm tone?
This was trouble. Anyone would think they'd been together for life.
How did she know the situation better than the man involved?
It was truly wondrous. At a glance, she seemed utterly disinterested in others.
Yet she knew more about people than anyone.
As if she possessed eyes that pierced through everything.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"...I'm suddenly wondering. Are those eyes of yours really open?"
Black Woman waved her hand back and forth in front of Yushin's eyes.
Good heavens. Wasn't this the classic test every narrow-eyed character had endured at least once!
The others had never bothered, leaving him a tad miffed.
As expected of the Boss. Perfect choice for a narrow-eyed fan!
"Hahaha. They may look like this, but I see just fine."
"Really? Then what are these?"
"Right one's black stone, left one's white... Oh. Hold on. Boss?"
No, she even brought a Go board in a moment like this?
How serious was she? It was downright scary!
Perhaps reading Yushin's inner thoughts with ease,
Black Woman spoke in a voice pouty in a way uncharacteristic of her.
"Don't worry. I only plan to play one game today."
"If I believe that this time, it'll make exactly a thousand games."
"...This time, really just one. Trust me."
"Oh, of course I trust you, Boss. Absolutely!"
Though he couldn't trust that other Boss obsessed with Go!
To cut to the chase.
Today's Go session didn't end after one game either.
Black Woman suffered three straight losses again today.
And today, too, the Smiling Man smiled.
"...Stop smiling."
"Oh, come on. My name's Smiling Man—how can you tell me not to smile!"
"Don't smile!"
"Hahaha! I'm looking for the Boss who said just one game earlier! Where did you go, my dear?"
"Enough!!"
In a place where the city's lights mingled with the dark night sky,
the pair laughed and bantered for quite a while like that.
Precisely, only one of them laughed, but anyway.
"...Smiling Man."
"Yes, Boss. Ah, now I really won't play anymore."
"Keep it up, and I might suggest more."
"Eek! I'm so scared my hands and feet are shaking!"
Constant pranks and silly jokes at any moment.
At a glance, he seemed no different from other deranged villains.
But no. Comparing that man to them would be an insult.
One who advanced with firm convictions was no ordinary soul.
Especially if they kept it hidden from all.
"Should I just keep calling you Smiling Man?"
"What do you mean? I don't quite... ."
"The secretary showed me before. The world calls you Dark Hero."
Oh. He hadn't expected that goosebump-inducing moniker to resurface.
Yushin waved his hand as if the very thought made him nauseous.
"I don't want to be called that. No need for you to worry either, Boss. The attention won't last long anyway, and the name will fade."
"Is that so? Shame. I thought it suited you rather well."
"...Boss?"
For a very brief moment, Yushin's face wavered noticeably.
The Clan Boss, Black Woman, saying something like that?
Impossible. No matter how he thought about it, she couldn't.
'Hahaha. Well now. I don't even know how far things have changed anymore.'
He understood now why possessors obsessed over "the original flow" and such.
They hated when things veered into unexpected directions like this.
If others were here, they'd probably be clutching their heads.
The future changed again! The future I knew is gone again!
'But I'm different.'
If it's changed, just adapt and make it work. Simple as that.
Since I created the wave, I'll ride it.
Who knows? It might turn out better in the end.
Whining about spilled milk is for fools.
Charge ahead with all your might. Throw yourself in!
"Oh, Boss. That's unexpected."
"Is it because of what you thought I'd say?"
At Black Woman's words, Yushin cleared his throat with a cough.
Then he stood up and... did this:
"You scum! How dare you become a hero before me! You've betrayed me! Deceived me! I'll kill you with my own hands!!"
"... ."
"I figured you'd say something like that! Of course, you didn't!"
Me, saying that in that voice? Those words?
Black Woman cried foul, refusing to accept it.
"Boss. But why bring that up all of a sudden?"
Why, you really don't know?
Black Woman fiddled with a Go stone as she replied.
"Didn't I tell you? You reek strongly of blood."
"I can explain that... ."
"It wasn't heroes' blood. The scent you'd carried until now was from heroes, and even that was faint. But this time... it was thick."
At her words, Yushin gave a wry internal smile.
Anyway, our Boss was impressive as ever. Noticing even that.
Probably from rooting out those rats everywhere.
He'd ended up spilling a bit of the riffraff's blood unexpectedly.
"I said making the whole world your enemy would be no fun. Some are foes, some spectators, some sympathizers—that kind of roles add flavor, didn't I?"
"Heavens. I didn't think you'd remember all that."
"A villain spouting such lofty nonsense—how could I forget?"
She'd be mad at the phrasing, but her tone sounded just like a hero.
Those idiots staking their lives on the laughable creed of justice.
"The others scoffed, but I thought it wasn't bad. Yeah, that's right. To establish a strong-over-weak order, there have to be weaklings at the bottom, no?"
What a bunch of idiots. All they knew was killing.
Yushin instantly knew whom Black Woman meant.
The runaway dogs. Yeah, they'd been a problem.
And they'd keep causing issues going forward.
'Back then, it was just me rambling my romantic notions. For her to remember... impressive.'
The romance of a narrow-eyed character lay in always straddling the line.
So, everyone as enemies? No. Everyone as allies? No.
'Crazy about the concept? Exactly. That's the romance!'
Become narrow-eyed without that romance? Then you're no true narrow-eyed— just an extra!
"Boss."
"I'm listening."
"I'll clean up the Go board."
She'd been glancing at it repeatedly since earlier.
Odds were 100% she'd suggest another game.
Clearing it before trouble brewed was wise.
"Care for a short walk?"
"...Not really in the mood."
"It's fine. I'll guide you somewhere quiet."
At Yushin's suggestion, Black Woman finally agreed.
They descended from the rooftop no one could casually reach.
The pair's feet finally touched ground, and they walked a deserted path.
The dazzling city lights behind them stood in for the stars in the night sky.
"Hold on."
Yushin cut in front of the Boss and looked her over.
Just as Black Woman opened her mouth to demand what he was doing,
"Hmm. Not my imagination after all."
"What are you on about?"
"You've become even more beautiful!"
"...What?"
"Not a joke, by the way. Hahaha!"
Yeah. She really had become more beautiful, our Boss.
Or rather, younger. More youthful. Something like that.
Uncontrollable power was a bit scary even for him.
Best not to use it if possible.
He'd feel surprisingly lonely without the Boss around.
Having something and losing it is lonelier than never having it!
"You're insane."
"Oh, such harsh words to a subordinate. Too much!"
"...Truly insane."
Black Woman turned sharply and walked off ahead.
Hmm. Had his sudden flattery upset her?