Chapter 24
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 024
Chapter Title: Residents' Meeting
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What?
Did this woman just say...?
A lowly species?
The great seeker of truth?
It wasn't something I could grasp right away.
But I didn't blurt out a mindless question.
Just from her meekly prostrated posture, I could tell.
This woman was afraid of me.
I had no idea why, but...
No.
Did I really know?
Let me sort out the situation.
For starters, this woman was one of the terrorists.
And to her, I was the mad sorcerer who suddenly burst in, ruined their perfectly going ritual, and buried all her terrorist buddies underground in one go.
She'd barely clawed her way out of the dirt pile, only to lock eyes with that sorcerer.
...I see.
Now that I thought about it, yeah, she had every reason to be terrified.
It'd be weirder if she wasn't.
From an ordinary citizen's perspective, they were the heinous terrorists, but from her view, I was the terrorist who'd mass-buried her friends.
Even if I consulted the angel and devil in my mind for validation, I'd probably get the same answer.
Affirmative.
Whoa, check out those tits.
Fuck, that devil wasn't right in the head either.
I let out a deep breath and blew away the devil spouting nonsense.
No matter how her sprawled chest strained against her prostrated pose, that wasn't the thing to say right now.
Seemed like even the devil had gotten caught up in the grimoire's madness.
I swear I saw an illusion of the Book Goat shaking its head like it was definitely not its fault, but that had to be my imagination.
And as I stared at her lost in those thoughts, she spoke first.
"But... may I ask why a great one such as yourself has come to a place like this?"
That question confirmed she wasn't right in the head either.
Was she seriously asking the guy who just massacred her friends why he was screwing up their spot?
No, even aside from that, did she not know what they were even doing?
Wasn't stopping terrorism just basic common sense?
"...Do I need a reason?"
I shot back without thinking, baffled.
For a split second, I wondered if I should've used informal speech, but she didn't seem to care.
"Ah, no! This humble girl spoke out of turn. Please forgive me."
She slammed her forehead into the ground in fear instead.
What the hell.
She was clearly a terrorist, but her reaction made me look like the bully intimidating a woman with brute force.
Nothing I could do about it.
She didn't seem eager to fight anyway, so maybe we could talk.
"More importantly, who are you?"
"...This humble girl is Yeo Su-jin."
"Yeo Su-jin?"
"I dare to use the name Poison King. Have you heard of it?"
Of course I had.
Not in real life, but back when I played Dungeon & Fighter.
I keep saying it, but memorizing every ability user's nickname would require three heads.
Still, the "King" in there meant she wasn't ordinary.
Wait, no way.
"You're that 500 million bounty?"
"...Pardon?"
"...Never mind."
Even so, calling her by her market price felt off, so I dropped it.
She wasn't a damn tuna.
Still, I should confirm it properly.
I approached Yeo Su-jin.
Of course, the grimoire was still open.
You never knew what a criminal might pull.
"Ms. Yeo Su-jin."
"Y-Yes... yes."
As I got closer, her voice trembled even more.
"Do you know what you've done?"
"I... I'm sorry! This girl is too lacking to understand what you mean! But I had no intention of offending a great one like you!"
What the hell was this woman saying?
I figured she'd bring up the terrorism, but no—she seemed more worried about upsetting me.
Guess that's what made her a criminal.
Her whole mindset was alien to me.
In a barbaric world like this, fists were scarier than laws, huh.
I couldn't relate as an intellectual, but it wasn't bad for now.
If she feared me, I could use that.
"Do you truly mean that?"
"Yes, yes! Of course. Though I had business here and performed the ritual, had I known a great one was present, I would've done it elsewhere!"
No, just don't do it at all!
Why was "do it somewhere else" even an option!
The words rose to my lips, but I said something else.
"Very well. Then I'll give you a chance to atone."
"...Atone, you say?"
"Yes. Stand up."
I helped Yeo Su-jin to her feet.
Her body flinched when my hand touched her.
"Wh-what are you...?"
"No questions. Hm, you look a bit heavy."
But I ignored it and disarmed her.
She wasn't holding a gun, but there were a few daggers at her waist.
After that minimal safety measure, I led the terrified woman along the tracks.
"The chimeras are still... Why?"
I ignored her mutterings.
No point clearing up her doubts for someone I'd ditch soon.
I planned to hand her over to the authorities.
If she really was the 500 million bounty, I'd get paid—nice.
Even if not, executing a neutralized foe felt awkward.
Who was I kidding? I just buried a dozen terrorists.
But international law required humane treatment for captured prisoners.
Oh, right.
Who exactly do I hand her to?
The police?
Doubt those guys posing at police lines could handle a high-bounty criminal.
The Investigation Bureau? ...Nah, pass.
They couldn't pay for carving out my heart with just 5 million won.
Only one reliable guy for this.
"So Boss. Can you talk?"
-Yeah, how'd it go?
"Handled it in one shot. Who do you think I am?"
I called So Boss.
After destroying the altar, the signal came back midway.
I gave a rough rundown of events and glanced at Yeo Su-jin walking beside me.
"By the way, I caught that Yeo Su-jin... or whatever, the one claiming to be Poison King?"
-What? For real?
"Yeah, this is her, right? The 500 million one."
-Uh, yeah.
My guess was spot on.
I felt my fondness for Yeo Su-jin skyrocketing.
Not personally, but performance-wise.
-Damn, didn't think you'd actually nab her. I threw that out half as bait.
"Means I'm that good, doesn't it?"
-Can't deny it this time.
"Heh."
Then a thought flashed through my mind.
"Oh, but if you had info like this, shouldn't you have explained in detail? Nearly buried her with the other terrorists."
-Buried? What's that about?
"Long story. The Book Goat was too competent."
-Enough with the Book Goat excuses. Whatever you did, would you have focused properly if I'd worried you? With your personality?
That... made sense.
The key was destroying the altar.
Chasing 500 million could've derailed everything.
Guy knew me better than I knew myself sometimes.
Anyway, we got to the point.
I asked how to handle Yeo Su-jin, and the answer was absurd.
"Pardon? Keep her with me for now?"
-Yeah. Police can't do shit with her. She'd escape in a heartbeat.
"I figured, but what about the Bureau?"
-For bounty, yeah, that's the spot. But there's stuff I need to check first.
"Gotta report to your superiors as an agent?"
-Not that, dumbass.
Obvious lie, but I played along. So Boss added:
-Fine, I'll tell you. The real issue isn't her—it's the constellation behind her.
"Got it."
-Habaek. Some nutjob from the heavenly realm desperate to descend to Earth. Gotta chat through her. Rare chance to talk to a constellation from another world.
So, use her as a comms terminal before handing her off.
Why the hell is a bento shop boss doing that?
I couldn't wrap my head around it.
But I didn't voice it.
He wouldn't tell me anyway.
So I focused on practicalities.
"I see. But is that okay?"
-What?
"Nothing, just... bringing a criminal like this to where Ro Boss lives?"
Come on.
She's scared now after her friends got buried, but she's a 500 million wanted criminal.
Couldn't stomach dragging this superhuman psycho to where Ro Boss lived.
"Wouldn't it be safer if I came to you?"
But all I got was laughter.
-Hahahahahahaha!
Real hearty guffaws.
What the...?
Why was that so hilarious?
I was the one asking, and even I felt awkward.
"Boss? What's so funny?"
-Kuhahaha, khh. Han-sik.
"Yes."
-Hahahahahaha!
What the hell was with this guy all of a sudden!
-Kuhahahaha!
"Hahahahahaha."
I had no clue why, but he was laughing, so I joined in.
Yeo Su-jin's face twisted weirdly as she followed.
She was putting a bit more distance between us.
But not running, so I let it slide.
Then So Boss stopped laughing and said:
-Heh, Han-sik. You and Yeo Su-jin in a truck together, and that girl still wouldn't lose.
What.
-Just bring her. Don't believe me? Ask her yourself. Busy now, gotta go. See you tomorrow.
What?!
I froze at So Boss's bombshell.
No way.
What the hell did I just hear?
After hanging up with So Boss...
I immediately called Ro Boss.
Obviously to verify that bombshell.
-It's fine! Don't worry, I can protect myself just fine.
Ro Boss said not to worry at all.
My reaction to all that, in two words:
What the fuck.
I was genuinely floored.
This cute Ro Boss was actually a martial powerhouse?
One who could combo a 500 million bounty criminal no problem?
It hit like finding out your childhood friend was a Challenger 2000.
Impossible.
But they wouldn't lie to me about this.
So, I had to trust and follow.
Of course, my mind raced: How does such a cute, powerful beauty end up a total hikikomori with a 10 AM bedtime and 4 PM wake-up?
But I didn't pry.
Better to play dumb till she tells me herself.
After that, I led Yeo Su-jin out of the subway. The cops we passed ignored us completely.
As we neared Happiness Apartment, she spoke softly.
"...Great one, may this humble girl dare to ask a question?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"Where are we headed?"
Guess silently walking had her curious about her fate.
No reason to hide it, so I answered.
"My house."
"...Pardon?"
Her eyes shook wildly.
I got it.
If some mad sorcerer who massacred my friends dragged me to his house, I'd think I was totally fucked too.
No words would reassure her now.
So I kept walking without explaining further.
Even if I could reassure her, I wouldn't have.
Not after what she'd done.
Lost in those thoughts, we reached the apartment.
Suddenly, I recalled my pre-mission musing.
I'd been thinking of ways to find new residents.
And somehow, a new one showed up.
Not a real resident, just an overnight guest—and a psycho terrorist with a 500 million bounty on her neck.
Still, having someone besides me and Ro Boss felt fresh.
We'd had visitors, but they'd only been glimpsed in the yard or stairs.
That's when it hit her.
The anxious Yeo Su-jin finally asked:
"N-no, no way... this place is...?"
"Yes, our home. Come on in."
I climbed the entrance stairs.
But she just stared around with trembling eyes, rooted in place.
"What are you doing?"
"...Th-that is..."
Was she finally growing defiant?
No way I'd let her go.
Money aside, she was a vicious criminal.
I'd guarantee basic human rights, but disobedience meant no mercy.
I sighed and opened the grimoire.
"Should I carry you myself?"
"Hic!"
Only then did she start up the stairs.