A Convenient Exile

I asked Kim Dokja to banish me from the Chungmuro group. And yet—

...Whoa. Is it that shocking? Her face has gone completely pale...

Kim Dokja's complexion drained of all color, and she stared at me blankly with an expression I couldn't quite put into words.

Behind her, Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung were looking at me with equally stunned faces.

Faced with their reactions, I hurriedly opened my mouth.

"...Uh, hang on a second. What I mean is that I'm going to leave the party's side for a little while. Not that I'm permanently abandoning everyone."

"Then why would you ask to be banished...?"

"Th-that's right! Jinwoo-ssi, why would you suddenly say something like that?"

"Indeed. Have we perhaps done something to wrong you, Jinwoo-ssi...?"

Kim Dokja, Jung Heewon, and Lee Hyunsung fired off questions at me in rapid succession.

I'd originally planned to pull a little prank if they didn't react much. I never expected them to take it this seriously...

Guess I can't even pull a small prank now...

Wearing a bitter smile, I began laying out the excuses I'd prepared in advance.

"There are three reasons, for starters."

"Three?"

"Yes. The first is because of the Tyrant King you all mentioned."

"The Tyrant King? What about him...?"

"Actually, when Dokja-ssi died to that disaster—while I was killing Ignir—I asked a few surviving Prophets a question. I asked them which station the so-called Tyrant King's main base was at."

Having the entire party and both Prophets fix their gazes on me all at once was a little overwhelming, but I pressed on.

"And every one of those Prophets told me the Tyrant King's main base was Dobong Station."

Kim Dokja nodded at my words. In the Ways of Survival she had read, the Tyrant King's base had been Dobong Station as well.

"You're probably wondering why I'm bringing this up. The reason is actually very simple. I have a close acquaintance at Nowon Station, which is near Dobong."

"Ah... so what Jinwoo-ssi is trying to do is—"

Kim Dokja and the others finally understood what I meant and let out small sighs.

"Yes, exactly. As you've all guessed—I intend to go to Nowon Station to check whether my acquaintance is alive or dead. That's the first reason."

"Then what's the second?"

"The second one is about Dokja-ssi... just a second, lean in—"

"Huh? Okay."

I brought my lips to Kim Dokja's ear and whispered.

"As Dokja-ssi well knows, Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi is currently at Chungmuro."

"Right?"

"You remember what I did to Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi on the theater rooftop... If I go to Chungmuro right now, I'm dead for sure... Please save me..."

"Ah........."

Kim Dokja blinked slowly, as if the memory had only just resurfaced. Then her face crumpled as she spoke.

"That's just you reaping what you sowed, Jinwoo-ssi..."

Thud!

I dropped to both knees on the floor, wrapped my arms around Kim Dokja's bare legs, and wailed.

"P-please save me! Dokja-ssi! If I go there now I'm dead for sure! Think of it as saving one person's life—please, pleeease!!"

"Wh-where do you think you're grabbing?! G-get off! Get off me, you pervert?!"

Kim Dokja tried every method she could think of to pry me off her legs—forcing me away with both hands, kicking at me with her free leg, and more.

But when I clung on stubbornly, she finally nodded with an utterly exhausted expression and told me to let go already. I released her legs at once.

"Dokja-ssi, your legs are so smooth. Nice rewa— gah?!"

Wham!

Kim Dokja slapped me across the face with a terrifyingly blank expression.

".........So what's the third and final reason?"

Clutching my stinging cheek, I quietly continued.

"The third and final reason is connected to the second one."

"To the second?"

"To put it precisely, this last reason is for Dokja-ssi's sake."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Right now, Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi has come to her senses and seen what she currently looks like. And the prime suspect—me—just so happens to be absent from Chungmuro? Who do you think she'll go looking for first?"

"Well... the vice-representative, or maybe the representative... Ah, don't tell me?"

"Exactly. The moment she arrives at Chungmuro, Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi will grab Dokja-ssi by the throat, snarl about where Park Jinwoo is, and demand his location on the spot. That's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the kind of person she is."

"That... is true..."

Kim Dokja made an ambiguous face, then glared at me. The look in her eyes clearly said this was all going to be my fault anyway.

"That's why I'm asking to be banished. Then at least she can tell Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi that Park Jinwoo was banished from Chungmuro, so stop asking her about it."

"But does Joonghyuk look like someone who'd back off just because of that?"

"No?"

"Then what happens after that?"

"After that, Dokja-ssi will just have to handle it with that god-tier silver tongue of hers."

"You little son of a—"

Kim Dokja's face began to twist with rage. She had finally realized I was dumping the whole mess on her.

"Hahaha... I'll leave that part entirely in Dokja-ssi's capable hands. And while I wouldn't exactly call this compensation—"

I placed two Fire Dragon scales, two bones, and a Grade 5 Fire Dragon core into Kim Dokja's hands as I spoke.

"Please take these. They'll definitely be useful."

"Ahem... ahem! You didn't have to go this far..."

Kim Dokja cleared her throat and awkwardly gathered up the materials I'd handed her. Smiling faintly at the sight, I leaned in toward her ear once more and whispered.

"...If you're going to list them on the exchange, put them up for at least 30,000 coins each."

"Huh? What do you mean by—"

Faced with Kim Dokja's questioning look, I simply smiled quietly and shrugged.

".........Haa. Fine, I suppose there's no choice. But before we go any further, let me confirm just one thing."

"Confirm what?"

Kim Dokja looked me straight in the eyes with a solemn expression and asked,

"Once everything is settled, will you really come back?"

Lie Detection...?! How does Kim Dokja have that at this point in time... Ah—because of me, she no longer had any reason to acquire Cold Resistance, so she picked Lie Detection instead...?

Originally, Kim Dokja obtained the Lie Detection skill during the "Three Promises" arc. But it seemed my presence had twisted the story a little.

It was a bit nerve-wracking, but there was no real need to worry. I was only going to speak the truth, after all.

"Of course. I will definitely come back."

"................."

Kim Dokja looked back and forth between me and the system message for a long while, then let out a small sigh and began manipulating something in the air.

Ding!

I smiled faintly and spoke.

"...Thank you so much for trusting me, Dokja-ssi."

"...Whatever. Anyway, before you leave, open up My Room for a moment. I need to change clothes."

"Of course."

I immediately placed my hand against a nearby wall and generated a door to My Room. Kim Dokja yanked it open without hesitation and stepped inside.

I then quietly approached Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung, who were still staring at me blankly, took their hands, and said,

"I'll rejoin you within two days, no matter what. Don't get yourselves hurt in the meantime, and take care of each other, okay?"

"Jinwoo-ssi..."

Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung both looked deeply disappointed, but having heard my circumstances, they forced smiles and told me they'd see me in two days.

"Ah, and Heewon-ssi—take this."

I handed Jung Heewon a golden lamp and three cartridges I'd purchased from the Dokkaebi Bag.

"What's this?"

"A product I bought from the Dokkaebi Bag. It's called a Recovery Lamp. Insert one of the cartridges I just gave you, light the lamp, and it'll release recovery smoke for thirty minutes. It's not quite as good as an intermediate HP recovery potion, but for treating a large number of people, nothing beats it."

If Kim Dokja's party arrived at Chungmuro now, a great many people would be injured. That included Yoo Sangah, Gong Pildu, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Lee Jihye, and Lee Gilyoung alike.

They risked their lives defending Chungmuro while we were gone. They're more than qualified to receive this—overqualified, even.

They were the ones who had fought to protect Chungmuro in Kim Dokja's absence. So I was handing this over to Jung Heewon with the hope that even one fewer person among them would die.

"Ooh... just hearing the item description, it sounds incredibly expensive. How many coins did all of this cost?"

"Not that expensive. The lamp is 3,000 coins, and the cartridges are about 500 coins each?"

"Wh—whaaat...?! So that's 4,500 coins total?!"

Hearing the price of the lamp and cartridges, Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung's eyes went wide as they looked back and forth between the items.

Jung Minseob and Lee Seongguk's expressions, in particular, were priceless. Their eyes bulged like cartoon characters as they alternated between staring at me and the lamp.

"Is it really that surprising? Dokja-ssi could buy something like this easily, you know."

I glanced at Jung Minseob and Lee Seongguk with a smile.

It was a little bit of lip service. We were this ridiculously powerful, so they'd better work hard if they wanted to stay in our good graces.

And the two naive Prophets took the bait completely.

"W-we really did pick the right side, huh...?!"

"O-ooh! We're so lucky we ended up under the Representative!"

The two clueless Prophets clasped each other's hands and agreed that joining under the Representative had been the best decision of their lives.

"Well then, I'd better head out before it gets any later. I'll see you all in two days. Ah—and please pass along my regards to Sangah-ssi, Gilyoung, Jihye, and old man Pildu at Chungmuro."

"Got it. You be careful too, Jinwoo-ssi."

"Indeed. You must be careful."

"Understood. Then I'll see you all in two days!"

Without looking back, I bolted toward Jongno 3-ga. Kim Dokja was about to figure it out any second now.

"Hey—! Park Jinwoo——!! Have you completely lost your mind?! What the hell did you put on me?!"

"Pfft... so she finally noticed."

The real number-one reason I wanted to be banished from the Chungmuro group was simple: I had secretly stuck a pair of bunny ears on Kim Dokja's head without her noticing.

Hoping the words would reach her, I shouted at the top of my lungs.

"Hahahahaha—!! Dokja-ssi! This is my escape route! You lost our battle of wits!"

I thought I heard Kim Dokja seething with rage somewhere behind me, but I'd already put enough distance between us that I couldn't be sure whether I'd actually heard it or not.

I stopped mid-stride toward Jongno 3-ga and stood still for a moment.

"I feel a little bad. I ended up lying to the party."

Why had I deliberately chosen the option of banishing myself from the protagonist party of Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint?

The answer was very simple.

I slowly ran a hand through my hair and opened my mouth.

"Well then—shall we go steal it? The King's Flag."

The "King" attribute, obtainable by occupying ten stations. I wanted it badly.

And to obtain it, I had to become a Wanderer.

The King's Flag I currently desired was none other than the Tyrant King's Flag.

Which meant the place I needed to head for now was the Tyrant King's main base—Dobong Station.

Kim Dokja's party chatted among themselves as they made their way toward Chungmuro.

In the middle of their conversation, the platform of Chungmuro Station came into view in the distance.

The party walked toward the platform with relieved expressions—only to be met by the sight of bloodstained tracks, and Yoo Sangah and Gong Pildu directing people with bodies covered in wounds. Around them, group members equally battered and bloodied were still trying to restore order to Chungmuro.

Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung, the first to take it in, went wide-eyed and sprinted toward the Chungmuro platform.

Right behind them, Kim Dokja, Jung Minseob, and Lee Seongguk also broke into a run.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

"Hm? Ah..."

Yoo Sangah turned her head at the sound of footsteps racing through the tunnel. Spotting Kim Dokja, Jung Heewon, and Lee Hyunsung running toward her from afar, color returned to her face and tears welled in her eyes.

Jung Heewon, at the front of the group, called out to her.

"Yoo Sangah-ssi?! What on earth happened here?"

"Ah, everyone..."

Yoo Sangah had bandages wrapped tightly around her shoulder. The wound must have been deep—blood had soaked through the cloth.

Of course, she wasn't the only one hurt. Lee Gilyoung had minor bruises on his arms and legs, Gong Pildu was covered in wounds from head to toe, and Lee Jihye had sustained serious injuries and still had not regained consciousness.

The same was true of Chungmuro's group members. Many of them lay on the platform floor, bleeding.

Every last one of them had stepped forward to defend Chungmuro in Kim Dokja's absence.

Seeing Yoo Sangah and the people of Chungmuro in that state, Jung Heewon hurriedly pulled out the ornate golden lamp she'd been carrying on her back.

"That guy—did he know? The timing on this is unreal..."

"Heewon-ssi, what is that?"

Kim Dokja asked, looking at the golden lamp Jung Heewon had been holding so carefully.

"Ah, this is what Jinwoo-ssi handed me before he left. He said it's a Recovery Lamp sold in the Dokkaebi Bag."

"Jinwoo-ssi...?"

Kim Dokja fell briefly into thought at Jung Heewon's words. Meanwhile, Jung Heewon examined the surface of the Recovery Lamp, found what looked like a cartridge slot, and inserted one of the three cartridges from her pocket.

"Jinwoo-ssi said if I do this and light it..."

Jung Heewon picked up a lighter lying in a corner of Chungmuro and lit the Recovery Lamp. A soft green smoke began to drift from it.

Fwoooosh—

Before long, the smoke had spread enough to fill the entire Chungmuro platform, and the breathing of the group members—large wounds and small alike—began to steady as they inhaled it.

"Huh...? The pain in my shoulder is starting to ease!"

As the pain in her injured shoulder lessened, Yoo Sangah's eyes lit up. She looked around and, seeing the wounds of the other injured group members gradually healing as well, let out a sigh of relief.

Having exhaled that breath of relief at the sight of wounds slowly mending, Yoo Sangah then tilted her head and peered behind Kim Dokja, glancing around as if searching for ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠someone.

When she couldn't find the person she was looking for anywhere, she asked Kim Dokja about their whereabouts.

"Um... Dokja-ssi, where is Jinwoo-ssi? I don't see him anywhere."

"Th-that is... Jinwoo-ssi is..."

Kim Dokja made an awkward face at Yoo Sangah's question and avoided her gaze. Sensing something wrong, Yoo Sangah covered her mouth with both hands and asked in a trembling voice,

"D-don't tell me... it's not what I'm thinking, is it...?"

"Huh...? Ah, ah?! No! It's not what you're thinking, Yoo Sangah-ssi!"

Watching Yoo Sangah carefully, Kim Dokja realized what she was imagining and hurriedly denied it.

"Then what on earth...?"

"Jinwoo-ssi had some personal business to take care of, so he'll be joining us a little later. It's not what you're thinking, Sangah-ssi, so please don't worry too much."

"I-is that so? Thank goodness..."

Yoo Sangah let out a sigh of relief that the worst outcome she'd imagined had not come to pass.

Lee Seongguk and Jung Minseob watched Kim Dokja and Yoo Sangah talk for a moment, then looked around. Jung Minseob suddenly froze, staring at one particular spot, then pointed with his index finger and stammered,

"Th-that...!"

Kim Dokja turned her head toward the platform tracks Jung Minseob was pointing at. Jung Heewon, Lee Hyunsung, and Lee Seongguk turned with her—and their faces went slightly pale.

"Aren't those the Apostles...?"

"Where did Yoo Joonghyuk go? That woman and her disgusting hobbies."

Seeing the Apostles' heads displayed along the platform tracks—just as she had witnessed in Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint—Kim Dokja's face twisted as she searched for Yoo Joonghyuk.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Clatter-roll.

Something roughly the size of a human head came rolling toward where the Apostles' heads were displayed.

What had rolled over was a human head.

"Eek?!"

Someone let out a small scream upon recognizing it. At the same time, Yoo Joonghyuk came walking slowly from the Hoehyeon-side tunnel.

"Yoo Joonghyuk?"

"............"

Even though Kim Dokja had called her name, Yoo Joonghyuk gave no response, glancing around as if searching for someone.

Watching her, Kim Dokja realized it. Ah—she's looking for Park Jinwoo right now.

Then someone shouted loudly from the platform tracks.

"It was you! The bitch who ruined all my plans!"

"?!"

"Whoa, what the hell!"

Kim Dokja turned her head and fixed her eyes on the platform tracks. There sat the head of the First Apostle, still smiling even though it had been severed.

Kim Dokja looked briefly startled, then quickly composed her expression and jumped down onto the platform tracks.

It was time for a nice, long conversation with the mastermind behind the attack on Chungmuro.

Crunch!

Yoo Joonghyuk stomped the First Apostle's head flat. She then sheathed her sword and spoke.

"All talk, just as I thought."

Yoo Joonghyuk glanced at Kim Dokja for a moment, then looked around again and asked,

"Where is he?"

"What?"

"Park Jinwoo. I asked you where that bastard is right now."

Kim Dokja looked briefly flustered by Yoo Joonghyuk's question, then answered with a calm face.

"He's been banished."

"What?"

Hearing Kim Dokja's answer, Yoo Joonghyuk frowned and asked again.

"Explain properly, or I'll kill you first."

"...It's true. He was banished from the Chungmuro group a few hours ago. More precisely, I banished him at his own request."

"......Why?"

"Uh... he told me that if you asked why, I should say this. Ahem, ahem!"

Kim Dokja cleared her throat, then began imitating Park Jinwoo's manner of speaking.

"'I've done something wrong to Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi, so I'm going to leave the group for a few days. Please, just banish me, Dokja-ssi!'—that's what he said."

"........."

Grit!

A chilling sound came from Yoo Joonghyuk's jaw. She wore an expression of pure frustration at being unable to kill someone, then abruptly spun on her heel and started walking away.

Seeing Yoo Joonghyuk turn without the slightest hesitation after hearing her answer, Kim Dokja called out urgently.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

Kim Dokja quickly came up alongside Yoo Joonghyuk, glanced at Lee Jihye leaning against the platform wall, and continued.

"Wait! Are you just going to leave Lee Jihye behind?"

"There's no one left here that I need to kill. And since the future has changed, so have my plans."

"Since you're doing it anyway, why not do it together? I can help."

Yoo Joonghyuk ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stopped walking, turned, and looked at Kim Dokja.

"I've repaid the debt. Not taking your flag is my final courtesy."

"You can't leave the station unless I remove you from the group roster anyway. Want to take a Penalty?"

Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes twitched, and her hand slowly drifted toward her sword hilt. Seeing that, Kim Dokja flinched and raised both hands slightly.

"I know what your plan is. You're going to head toward Jung-gu and join the flag contest, right? Walking the Path of the King to complete the Black Flag—that's your goal."

Kim Dokja smiled faintly and continued.

"I'll help you. And as a bonus, I'll find that bastard Park Jinwoo and deliver him right to you."

"It'd be faster to just take your flag right now. And I can find and kill Park Jinwoo myself."

"Then try me. Let's see whether your sword is faster, or my tongue."

Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk glared at each other for a moment. Relieved that Yoo Joonghyuk made no further move, Kim Dokja spoke again.

"You don't need to go toward Jung-gu. Let's head north. I'll help you take the Tyrant King's territory and flag for yourself. And I can also tell you roughly where Park Jinwoo is right now."

"I can do it alone."

"There are forty-eight hours left until the Fourth Scenario ends. Can you occupy twenty stations and complete the Black Flag by then?"

"............"

"Besides... you have a reason to go north anyway, don't you? Don't tell me you're planning to abandon your family in this regression?"

"?!"

At the mention of her family, Yoo Joonghyuk glared at Kim Dokja with furious eyes.

"...You bitch."

"Calm down. I'm saying this out of goodwill, so don't get worked up. I really will help."

A brief silence settled between them. Yoo Joonghyuk stopped glaring and slowly opened her mouth.

"There's no such thing as goodwill in this world. What's your condition?"

"Simple. Tell me just one thing."

"Fine. But you answer one question of mine as well."

"Alright. Mind if I go first?"

"Do as you like."

"That guy you just stepped on—what were his attribute names? One of them would have been 'Last One Off.' What was the other?"

"———."

Yoo Joonghyuk whispered so quietly that only Kim Dokja could hear. Kim Dokja's eyes widened for an instant at the answer, but she quickly composed her expression.

"Thanks. That was a big help. Your turn."

"......Where is Park Jinwoo right now?"

"It's been a while since he left, so I don't know his exact location—but I know where he's headed. Before he split off from us, he said he had business at Nowon Station."

"Is that so."

Having gotten her answer from Kim Dokja, Yoo Joonghyuk spun around as if she had no further business and began walking away.

Watching Yoo Joonghyuk's retreating figure, Kim Dokja realized one thing for certain.

If Park Jinwoo got caught by Yoo Joonghyuk right now, he might actually die.