Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Contradictions
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Following Autoreu's long strides, Lee Si-woo finally arrived at their destination, his expression turning uncomfortable.
The slums.
This was where most of the city's humans resided, a place Lee Si-woo knew existed but had never once set foot in. And Autoreu had brought him here.
Filth left to rot on the streets.
People slumped on the ground, looking like hollow shells without souls.
Buildings rusted and worn by time, teetering precariously as if they might collapse at any moment.
But more potent than any of that was the smell.
*What is that smell...*
The repulsive stench stinging his nostrils made Lee Si-woo pinch his nose.
So nauseated that he didn't want to find the source of the smell, or even imagine it, Lee Si-woo squeezed his eyes shut.
A burning discomfort and disgust tickled his throat.
He wanted to scream that they should leave this instant, but his wish was futile.
Autoreu's arrival had already started to cause a stir in the streets, as people began to recognize him one by one.
He seemed to be quite the celebrity here, for whatever reason.
"Gramps, you here for another drink today?"
Autoreu didn't dismiss even the homeless man's words.
"Kekeke, of course. Booze is like water. A day without it is bad for your health."
"Hehehe, you're a real piece of work, Gramps. Heard you were a big shot back in the day. Why'd you always come here to cause a ruckus instead of all those other nice places?"
"Hmph, I come here because it's a convenient place to cause a ruckus. Would I come if it was inconvenient? Tsk, tsk, you must not have had enough to drink, seeing how slow your brain is. I have a companion today, so it won't work, but let's have a drink next time. It's good for your brain health."
"Don't you forget that lie. I'll be waiting for that day with bated breath."
"Kekeke, how'd you know it was a lie? Now that you've found me out, I'll have no choice but to come back again."
After passing the homeless man, a group of children approached.
Dressed in clothes that looked scavenged, all of them too large for their small frames, the children smiled brightly and spoke.
"Grandpa! Candy! You promised you'd give us candy last time!"
"And chocolate! You promised chocolate too!"
"No, he said he'd give us ice cream too!"
Autoreu flicked one of the children on the forehead and said.
"Not ice cream, you little rascal."
The child stuck out his tongue and rubbed his forehead.
"Hehe, you caught me."
"Kekeke, still wet behind the ears, but you know what's good to eat. This won't do. I'll have to give you rascals a very sweet scolding."
Autoreu chuckled and pulled candies and chocolates from his pocket, handing them out.
The children cheered, snatched the treats, and scattered in all directions.
Autoreu shouted after their retreating figures.
"You little thieves! Don't eat it all by yourselves, share!"
"No way! It's mine!"
"I'll think about it!"
"I'll share when I'm reborn!"
Autoreu grinned, turning his now-empty pockets inside out to show them.
It seemed to be a gesture to show any would-be pickpockets that he had nothing left.
With his hands behind his back, Autoreu asked.
"Does it still stink?"
Not expecting such a question at this moment, Lee Si-woo flinched.
But for some reason?
The smell was still foul, but strangely, the nauseating revulsion had vanished.
"...My nose must have gotten used to it. It's a bit better now."
"Kekeke, is that so? Well, if you say so. Let's go. My usual spot isn't far from here."
The bar Autoreu led him to was nothing special.
It was just a dreary-looking food stall on the side of the street.
A faint lantern quietly illuminated the inside of the red tent.
A middle-aged woman in an apron, serving all sorts of side dishes.
Lee Si-woo blankly surveyed the stall and sat woodenly on a wooden chair.
Suddenly, he couldn't tell if he was on Earth or in the Main Dimension.
Was this place the dream, or was that one?
As Lee Si-woo was lost in a sentiment he couldn't quite place, Autoreu asked.
"Seems like this is your first time in the slums."
"Yes. It's my first time."
The woman brought out potato soup and fruit wine without them even ordering.
It seemed to be Autoreu's usual.
When Autoreu offered him the food and drink, Lee Si-woo picked up his spoon with a bitter smile.
The peculiar taste of the potato soup, sour as if made with lemon. The fruit wine, a coexistence of sweetness and bitterness.
It was neither bad nor good.
Autoreu poured the fruit wine into his gourd flask and spoke.
"Why haven't you visited? A human summoned by a ticket should have come here at least once."
How did he know he was a human summoned by a ticket?
Whether he had guessed or investigated, the old man was clearly inscrutable.
"Why do you ask? It's not something you necessarily need to know."
In response to Lee Si-woo's cheeky question, Autoreu chuckled.
"Kekeke, did that make you uncomfortable? Then I won't ask."
As if not wanting to pressure him, Autoreu quietly tilted his gourd.
It was an unexpected attitude, which made it all the more strange.
Lee Si-woo silently drank the fruit wine.
It was bitter but sweet, and sweet but tasteless.
Yet, he kept drinking, perhaps due to the subtle charm of alcohol.
"It is uncomfortable, but what can I do? It's a question from my master. I didn't want to see it. That's all."
"Didn't want to see it?"
"Coming to this place called the Pit, I could picture how the humans of this world live. Life is busy enough just looking at good things, so why bother seeing how wretchedly others live?"
"That's true enough."
"I've answered, but it seems you haven't given me your answer yet, Master."
At Lee Si-woo's calm words, Autoreu's eyebrows, which looked like white grubs, twitched.
"Kekeke, since I've taken a disciple, shouldn't I know what kind of person he is?"
"Are you saying you had to drag me all the way to the slums just to get to know me? Tsk... I would have answered obediently if you'd just asked. I'm disappointed."
There was a strange edge to Lee Si-woo's words.
It was a slightly different reaction from his usual behavior of responding gently, no matter how hostile the other party was.
Perhaps it was because Autoreu had tried to peer into the depths of his soul.
Just then, the street suddenly grew noisy.
Uniforms bearing a badge of a crossed shield and arrow on the chest.
Private police belonging to a corporation had raided the slums.
"Move it, move it! Why are you so slow!"
The private police were dragging around numerous humans on leashes.
In front of the people being dragged like dogs with collars around their necks, someone who looked like a corporal shouted.
"What are you doing, you slugs! Check their levels and citizen IDs first!"
At the corporal's command, the officers began scanning the humans' fingerprints and irises with scanners.
After finishing the scans, officers reported from various spots.
"Level 13. Subject for the Pit."
"Age?"
"No ID, so it's not exact, but looks to be in his twenties."
"Hmm, the slum population has grown too much lately, so we need to clean up. Good, throw him in a cage. He's going to the Pit. Officer, you said you had the list earlier, right? Read it out."
"Children aged 13 or younger. Gender doesn't matter, and their appearance just needs to be passable. They said about three would be enough."
The corporal scanned his officers and asked.
"Do we have any?"
At his words, the officers forced a few leashed children, who they must have caught somewhere, to their knees on the ground.
Candy spilled from the children's pockets and rolled onto the ground.
Recognizing the captured kids as the same ones who had just received candy, Lee Si-woo looked at Autoreu.
But Autoreu simply tilted his gourd to his lips, wetting his throat with alcohol, and did nothing.
Since Autoreu remained silent, Lee Si-woo also stayed quiet.
He didn't want to get involved in troublesome matters.
But for some reason.
A nagging feeling remained uncomfortably in a corner of his heart.
*Damn it, this is why I didn't want to see or hear any of this.*
If he had his way, he would cover his eyes and ears and leave this place right now.
But he couldn't.
He was already here.
"Hmm, this should be enough to save face. Take them away. What's next?"
"The Magic Tower requests 10 subjects for biological experiments. Ages 20 to 40."
As soon as the constable finished, another officer raised his hand and spoke.
"We have some over here, but we're a bit short. We only have seven."
"Is that so? Hmm... What's that red tent over there? A bar? Well, whatever. Just grab some from there."
No sooner had the corporal spoken than an officer holding a pistol stormed into the food stall.
The owner was trembling with fear, and a few customers were caught by the police while trying to flee.
One of the officers barely glanced at Autoreu, the half-elf, before passing him and grabbing Lee Si-woo's shoulder.
"Get up. There's a temporary inspection—"
Lee Si-woo waved his hand casually, and a Magic Arrow shot from his fingertips, cutting through the air and out of the tent.
Stunned by the sudden appearance of a Magic Arrow, the officer took off his cap and hastily bowed.
"A-a mage?! I'm sorry. I didn't recognize you."
Lee Si-woo asked back in a cold voice.
"Didn't you say there was an inspection? Are you not doing it?"
"Wh-what an outrageous thing to say! How could we possibly dare to inspect a mage? If you just sit tight, we'll finish our business without anyone knowing and be on our way."
Ignoring the officer's words, Lee Si-woo turned to look at Autoreu.
"Aren't you going to step in?"
Autoreu didn't answer.
Lee Si-woo let out a dry laugh at the old man's stubbornness in not answering difficult questions.
Truly, the man was detestable from head to toe.
In the end, Lee Si-woo couldn't hold back and snapped at the officer.
"Indeed, it would have been so much better for everyone if you had handled things without anyone knowing."
The officer asked back with a dumbfounded expression.
"Pardon?"
"I'm saying, what's the point of trying to handle this quietly now that I've already seen and heard everything?"
"I... I don't understand what you mean..."
"What do you think I mean? Today's business is a wash, so release everyone you were planning to take and leave the slums."
At Lee Si-woo's firm words, the constable's eyes darted around before he ran over to the corporal, who was watching them with a wary gaze.
A moment later, after speaking with the constable, the corporal came running over, looking startled.
The corporal examined Lee Si-woo's attire, confirmed the yellow robe and the crest of the Senior Magic Tower, and spoke in a cautious voice.
"You're a mage from the Senior Magic Tower. It's an honor to meet you."
"Honor? This is just inconvenient for both of us."
Despite being a private officer of a corporation, the corporal treated Lee Si-woo with the utmost respect.
It was a testament to how high the social status and position of a mage were in this city.
"Not at all. How could it be inconvenient? I'm blessed to meet a mage who contributes so much to our city's development. More importantly, I am deeply sorry that our handling of this matter has inadvertently displeased you."
"If you understand, I'd like you to leave the people you were taking and go."
"Of course, we must. How could we dare disobey your words? But Mage-nim, if I may be so bold... might I ask if you have decided to sponsor this section of the slums?"
"Sponsor... you say?"
"Yes. Occasionally, human mages sponsor a slum. In those cases, we do not touch any of the humans in this area. So I was wondering if this might be one of those cases..."
Sponsoring them? All this because of a whim?
Lee Si-woo shook his head.
"No. It's not a sponsorship. It was just bothering me while I was having a drink. I don't live in the slums, but I'm human too, am I not? It was just a bit uncomfortable to watch."
"Ah, so it's not a sponsorship. I understand. Then we won't make a point of excluding this street during our next official duties. And Mage-nim, I'm only saying this just in case... but while we can let today's matter slide, if you interfere with official duties again without a sponsorship, the corporation may send an official notice."
It was a veiled warning: they would let it go today, but if he interfered with their operations again, they would report it to their superiors.
Having unintentionally obstructed the private police's work, Lee Si-woo rubbed his dry face and said in a low voice.
"I understand."
"Thank you. We will leave the children and the others behind. Once again, please accept our apologies for unintentionally disturbing your valuable time."
With that, the corporal released everyone they had intended to take and left.
Even as they left, each officer came up to bow politely, a stark reminder of the heaven-and-earth difference in treatment between fellow humans.
Once the commotion died down, one of the children freed by the police approached Lee Si-woo and offered him a piece of candy with both hands.
"Here, have this. Mister Mage."
"...I'm not that old."
"Then... have this, big brother. It's delicious. It's my favorite, orange flavor."
Lee Si-woo took the candy, and the child bowed politely at a ninety-degree angle before scurrying away.
Lee Si-woo rolled the candy he'd received in his palm.
It wasn't a bad feeling.
But a nagging unease still lingered in his chest like dregs.
As if he were wearing clothes that didn't suit him.
"An interesting fellow."
At Autoreu's words, Lee Si-woo whipped his head around.
Seeing the faint resentment in his eyes, Autoreu grinned like a mean old man.
"During the selection, you killed all the mages from the West. A rather cold-blooded way of handling things. But... I later found out you gave them healing potions."
Realizing Autoreu knew more than he'd expected, Lee Si-woo's mouth felt dry.
As expected, this old man was not to be underestimated.
Autoreu stroked his beard and said.
"Do you know? You remind me of a friend I once knew."
"...What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"He was similar to you. A cold-blooded villain when it came to his own interests, but he liked to play the hypocrite as long as it didn't cost him anything."
Hypocrisy.
He was right.
Lee Si-woo hadn't helped them out of goodwill, but to avoid the stress and unease he would feel if he ignored them.
He had stepped in simply to dispose of all those feelings.
Therefore, he hadn't acted for them, but purely for himself.
Yes, just as he always had.
"So I used to ask him. Just what the hell kind of person are you? Do you know what he said?"
Was it because he'd been told they were similar?
Lee Si-woo suddenly found himself curious about the answer of the man in Autoreu's story.
"I wonder. I don't know. What did he say?"
"He asked me instead. Selfish, yet altruistic. Vicious, yet also kind. Born inherently ambiguous and living more contradictorily than anyone else. He asked, 'Do you know what such a bizarre creature is?'"
Lee Si-woo's expression became strange.
It was likely because of the answer that had unconsciously popped into his head.
Seeing his expression, which was caught between a laugh and a cry, Autoreu smiled with his eyes.
"Looks like you get the gist of it. Yes, that's what he said. That unbelievably bizarre creature is none other than a human, and he was simply unfortunate enough to be born as one. So, he said that everything strange about him was because he was born into this damn species. Kekeke, yes, my first disciple... he was a strange one like that."
Autoreu drained the alcohol in his gourd in one go, his face flushed red from the drink, and said.
"Since we've formed a bond, I wanted to know you, and in trying to know you, I saw... that aside from your resemblance to my former disciple, I can't seem to figure you out at all. Well, but you've barely passed, nonetheless."
"Passed? Passed what?"
"What else? It means you're intriguing enough that I'm willing to teach you. So..."
Autoreu's wrinkled eyes crinkled as he continued.
"Lee Si-woo, are you willing to learn the magic of the Sixth School from me?"