Chapter 38
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: O-range
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O-range
“I’m going to kill Pilaf tonight.”
Aron, scrunched into a tiny chair, spoke as calmly as if he were deciding on the dinner menu.
Sho’ne, who had been chewing on a piece of hard bread, froze, his eyes blinking rapidly.
‘What in the world is this man talking about…?’
He had heard him clearly, but the words made no sense. Sho’ne tilted his head.
“Philippe, you mean?”
“Ah, right. The leader of the Lone Wolves.”
At Aron’s reply, Sho’ne nodded.
Ah, so Aron planned to kill Philippe tonight—the most infamous villain in Karzan and the leader of the Lone Wolves.
Sho’ne nodded again, then tilted his head, wondering if he had understood correctly.
“That’s right. You’ve got it.”
As if reading his mind, Aron affirmed in his deep voice, though Sho’ne hadn’t even asked.
“Wha—?!!”
“Keep your voice down. It’s a secret.”
The scar near Aron’s mouth crinkled into a mischievous smile, and Sho’ne guessed this was another one of Aron’s pranks, much like the ‘O-range’ one.
No matter how crazy someone was, they wouldn’t declare they were going to kill *the* Philippe on their very first day in Karzan.
‘What kind of joke is this…?’
It was absurd, but Sho’ne didn’t want to lose to Aron again. Hadn’t he been tricked five times on the way here?
If he fell for it again, words like ‘idiot’ and ‘fool’ wouldn’t even begin to cover it.
He kept getting drawn in, but this time would be different.
“Ahem… So how are you going to kill him?”
Sho’ne replied, feigning nonchalance and mimicking the composed demeanor of Penn, the Grade 2 Administrator he most admired.
“I’ll figure that out as I go.”
Aron stated calmly, downing a cup of hot tea in one go.
‘Just as I thought, it’s a joke! He thinks I’ll fall for it again! I’m Sho’ne, a Grade 3 Administrator!’
Hearing Aron’s answer, Sho’ne struggled to suppress a smirk. In this situation, Penn would—.
“Figure it out as you go? So you don’t have a plan.”
“A plan is good enough if you just set a clear beginning and end. You can just slot in the middle parts according to the situation. It’s called flexibility.”
Aron whispered as if imparting some top-secret information, and Sho’ne found himself leaning forward slightly without realizing it.
‘I almost fell for it again!’
Suddenly snapping back to his senses, Sho’ne shook his head to clear the thoughts.
“That’s not a plan. That’s just a goal.”
“Goal, plan, they’re all pretty much the same. Don’t they sound similar?”
Aron replied, his face scrunching up slightly as if the tea was bitter.
‘Goal and plan… sound similar?’
They didn’t sound similar at all, but with the massive Aron saying it in his deep voice, it almost seemed plausible.
‘Goal… plan…’ Sho’ne mouthed the words and tilted his head.
“They don’t sound similar at all…”
“Anyway, I don’t know this city well, so I need your help. Will you assist me?”
Aron extended a large hand.
Sho’ne stared at the hand for a moment, thinking.
‘He’s really committed to this joke! But I’m a Grade 3 Administrator too.’
He didn’t want to lose to Aron’s pranks anymore.
He didn’t want to be tricked into foolishly muttering ‘O—range’ again.
He would show Aron the dignity of a Grade 3 Administrator.
Having made his decision, Sho’ne nodded.
“Sure! Why not! I couldn’t stand the sight of that bastard anyway. He looks like a snake, all scrawny… I bet I could take him in a fight, you know?”
The hand he shook was incredibly large.
“The first part of the plan is filled. A very good start.”
As Aron muttered and smiled, Sho’ne forced a smile in return.
“Then let’s start by visiting those fellows called the ‘White Rabbits’.”
“The cute rabbits?”
Aron nodded, and Sho’ne stood up first to hide his anxiety.
Looking at Aron, whose eye level matched his own even while seated, Sho’ne made a silent vow.
This time, he would absolutely not be the one to cry O-range.
He would make Aron say O---range.
He was determined.
***
I thought Sho’ne might get scared and run off, but the kid took my story surprisingly well.
‘He’s a brave one, for a little guy.’
I gave a slight nod as I watched his back, marching confidently ahead of me.
Hearing him boast that he could beat Philippe in a fight, it seemed he might actually be of some help in the upcoming brawl.
If Sho’ne had refused, I’d planned to just grab some other guy to be my guide.
In a city this big, there would be plenty of men willing to follow you to the grave for a few silver coins.
As I followed Sho’ne, the clean streets gradually turned into dirty ones, and men with hammers and chisels tucked into their belts roamed about.
‘So the place called ‘Cute Rabbits’ is a local guild. Stonemasons, huh.’
It made sense. A city this large would have a high demand for stonemasons, and few were stronger than the men who shattered massive stones with hammers and chisels.
I imagined most people would flee at the sight of a burly stonemason approaching with a hammer and chisel.
Sho’ne stopped in front of a shabby tavern.
Near the entrance, a man with particularly thick arms stood with them crossed, as if to show them off, glaring at the surroundings with fierce eyes.
A chisel and hammer were stuck in his belt, the sharp tip of the chisel looking especially menacing.
“This is the Cute Rabbits’ headquarters. On the surface, it’s a shabby tavern, but inside, you’ll find the toughest men in Karzan!”
Sho’ne explained, his arms crossed and a strange smirk on his face.
The way he looked up at me seemed to ask what I was going to do now.
In response, I headed for the tavern.
I had to move quickly if I wanted to finish everything by noon tomorrow.
“Hold it.”
The big guy in front of the tavern raised a hand, blocking my path.
I glanced at the man’s palm.
It was the hand of a stonemason, with calluses in different places on each hand.
He was bound to be strong, being a mason, but there was a fundamental difference between him and a swordsman.
“Go somewhere else. We’re closed for the day.”
The man said politely, his eyes flicking to the sword at my hip.
Just then, the sound of men roaring with laughter, ‘Hahaha!’, came from inside. I tilted my chin toward the sound.
“Company party?”
“I said we’re closed.”
I contemplated my options as the man’s face scrunched up and his voice rose.
The easy way, or the hard way.
He’d probably take one punch as a warm, manly greeting. Or I could just insist it was the latest way to say hello in Kaesadix Castle.
“Are you deaf? I said we’re closed.”
Yes, introducing him to the unique greeting of Kaesadix Castle didn’t seem like a bad idea.
“Ah! John, he’s my guest!”
Just then, Sho’ne popped his head in from the side.
“…You should have said so sooner.”
The man stepped aside, apparently knowing Sho’ne.
I’d almost forgotten due to his small frame and characteristically deferential posture, but Sho’ne was a Grade 3 Administrator.
Someone of his rank would be treated with respect almost anywhere in the city.
I pushed the door open and stepped inside, immediately hit by a foul stench.
The smell of sweat, booze, piss, and tobacco mixed into a hellish odor that filled the space.
“Ugh… I’ll wait outside. I have a weak stomach!”
Sho’ne, after swallowing a wave of nausea, bolted back outside.
It was a blatantly rude act, one that would surely offend the men laughing and drinking inside.
As Sho’ne fled, all eyes turned to me.
‘Did the little bastard do that on purpose?’
Remembering how I’d teased him earlier, I scratched my head.
About twenty sweaty men were now glaring at me.
It wasn’t a pleasant sight.
The smell was making me feel foul, too.
“Who’s the boss here?”
I asked bluntly.
“Some ill-mannered bastard who just rolled in from who-knows-where…”
A blunt response came right back.
A few red-faced men approached, huffing hot air from their nostrils.
‘Right, the easy and fast way is better.’
I nodded and was about to offer the closest man a Kaesadix-style greeting when—
“Everyone, stop.”
A deep voice stopped them.
I turned my head to see an old man, who looked like he must have been quite large in his prime, descending the stairs in the middle of the tavern.
“You idiots. I told you to look at the iron on a man before you pick a fight… Tsk, come on up.”
The old man, after chiding his men, beckoned with his hand, his eyes shining brightly despite the wrinkles around them.
“You guys stink. Try washing once in a while.”
I patted the shoulder of the man in front of me and followed the old man upstairs.
It was a relief that the old man, who seemed to be the boss, was reasonable.
Beating up an old man would have left a bad taste in my mouth.
***
Sho’ne stared at the shabby tavern, nervously scratching the back of his ear.
Contrary to their cute name, the Cute Rabbits were a gathering of rough-and-tumble men.
As a commoner, Sho’ne had hung out with them a few times before becoming an administrator and was acquainted with their leader, the old man.
They would surely be hostile to an outsider like Aron.
He planned to swoop in and save Aron if he came running out.
These guys were at least reasonable, so as long as it wasn’t a major issue, he could probably smooth things over.
Aron might be big and wearing thick armor, but there was no way he could take on everyone inside.
Just as he was deep in thought, rehearsing what cool line he would use to save a fleeing Aron—
The door opened, and Aron walked out perfectly fine.
They must have let him go peacefully since he’d come with him. Feeling a strange sense of disappointment, Sho’ne ran up to Aron.
“Next, we’re going to the ‘Drunken Widow’.”
Aron said calmly, his expression unchanged.
The Drunken Widow.
He knew the tavern.
It was meticulously managed by the ‘Chilly Dagger’ and was ranked as the number one tavern to avoid in Karzan. It was impossible not to know of it.
‘Should I just say O-range?’
Sho’ne considered it for a moment, then shook his head.
He couldn’t bear to see Aron’s smug smile anymore.
‘Alright, let’s see this through! I can play pranks too.’
Steeling his resolve, Sho’ne nodded and started walking.
Along the way, Aron asked him various things, and Sho’ne answered.
“There’s this guy among the Grade 3 Administrators named Piyor. He’s from the Empire, and he’s so arrogant, my fists clench every time I see him. Oh, a promotion? Not a chance for a commoner like me. Unless I bring them Philippe’s head, that is. What? It’s a joke. A joke.”
As he chatted with Aron, they arrived in front of a four-story building in the central district.
As usual, the streets were crowded, and scantily clad women wandered about, flaunting their charms.
Sho’ne, trying hard to hide his blushing face, walked confidently toward the Drunken Widow.
‘He’ll probably stop me around here!’
Sho’ne thought as he entered the Drunken Widow.
“Welcome— oh? Isn’t it Administrator Sho’ne?”
Recognized by a waiter, Sho’ne felt embarrassed and cleared his throat. “Ahem…”
“We’ll take the Red Room.”
A deep voice answered from behind him.
‘How does Aron know about the Red Room?’
Sho’ne tilted his head.
Following the waiter’s lead, they went up to the top floor.
‘He’ll probably stop me around here!’
Sho’ne thought as he entered the huge, dazzling room.
Aron very naturally took the seat of honor, and Sho’ne sat beside him.
‘Is he just unwilling to admit that the O-range prank won’t work anymore?!’
Looking at Aron’s tightly shut lips, Sho’ne chuckled to himself.
The winner of this prank would surely be him—
“Oh my, Administrator Sho’ne, your arms are thicker than they look.”
“Look at this. Your cheeks are so soft.”
‘Aron! Shouldn’t you be stopping this by now?!’
The heavy scent of powder from both sides and the hands caressing him made Sho’ne’s head spin.
“Have some of this.”
“Wow! You drink so well! A true man among men.”
“Hehe… I guess I am…”
After a few drinks, the table began to spin.
‘He’ll really stop me around here! Right? Aron?’
Only then did Sho’ne realize he was alone in the room. He blinked.
‘Is this also an O-range?!’
Sho’ne pondered deeply.
Had he been hit with an O—range without even realizing it? It might even be an O---range.
“Here, have this too…”
The softness pressing in from both sides was hard to resist, so Sho’ne had no choice but to accept what was given.
Then, a hand ventured deep, and Sho’ne’s mind snapped back to clarity.
“Aaaah! No!”
“Oh my!”
Startled, Sho’ne shot to his feet. The women looked up at him with wide, round eyes.
A moment later, and it wouldn’t have been an O-range, but a ba-nana.
The heavy intoxication vanished in an instant, and his mind cleared a little.
Sho’ne looked at the women staring up at him like startled rabbits, thought for a moment, and then spoke.
“This is sufficient. Now, tell me your stories.”
After all, they were citizens of this city too.
Listening to their stories was the duty and responsibility of an administrator.
Though he was looked down upon by his colleagues because of his commoner background, Sho’ne was still a proper Grade 3 Administrator.
He had to show the dignity of his position.
“Oh my, Administrator, you’re so cute.”
“Ahem— How insolent.”
However, seeing them giggle, it didn’t seem like he would get any serious stories out of them.
They whispered to him softly, as if telling fairy tales to a child.
Sho’ne tried to listen to their stories earnestly and offer advice, but their worries were mostly far beyond his realm of experience, leaving him with nothing to say.
So, just as he used to listen to his drunk father, Sho’ne just repeated, “Hmm… ah… that must have been tough…”
Even so, the women were delighted, saying that people only ever wanted them to listen, but never listened to them.
Feeling a sense of pride as an administrator, Sho’ne silently vowed to visit the courtesans more often in the future.
‘My salary is tight, but this is also part of an administrator’s job!’
And so, just as he learned that a courtesan’s popularity rarely lasts more than two years, that the new girls were rude, and that knights don’t take off their upper armor even when performing the ‘grand deed’, Aron returned.
“Goodbye! Administrator!”
“Yes! I shall definitely return!”
Sho’ne didn’t understand why they were giggling, but he ran to catch up with Aron, who was already some distance away.
The sun had completely set, and the night was dark.
Magical lanterns placed along the street illuminated the darkness.
Even in his drunken state, Sho’ne looked at the lanterns and briefly wondered, ‘How much was the budget for those again…?’
There were even more people on the street than during the day, and Aron still stood tall among them.
“Did you have a good time?”
Aron turned and asked playfully. Sho’ne nodded.
He had genuinely enjoyed his conversation with the women.
“I did! It was the first time I felt pride as an administrator. I plan to visit the courtesans often from now on!”
“Hmm… I see.”
Aron muttered under his breath, “The kid’s already corrupted.” The alcohol must have been affecting him, because the voice sounded unusually distant. Sho’ne tilted his head.
“Why are you talking like that? Want a Kaesadix-style greeting?”
“Ah, I was just trying to speak with dignity like an administrator… So, are we done now?”
In response, Aron’s lips curled into a smile, which looked chilling due to the scar near his mouth.
“The plan is sailing smoothly with the wind, my friend.”
A rough hand clapped his back, and his stomach lurched.
*Blech—*
Sho’ne promptly threw up everything he had eaten.
“Seems being an administrator is a bit taxing on you.”
Aron chuckled smugly.
“S-So, are we done now?”
Sho’ne asked, wiping his mouth after heaving for a while.
“No, what are you talking about? We’ve just finished the prep work. Now it’s time for the main course. Next up is ‘The Lucky Gambler’. Now, lead the way—Sho’nevy.”
“Huh? I’m Sho’ne… Wha?! The Lucky Gambler?! That’s a gambling den run by the Lone Wolves! Why are we going there?!”
“Well, to catch the top dog bastard whose location we don’t know, don’t we have to smash all his doghouses?”
Only then could Sho’ne read the sincerity in Aron’s face. It was so clear that he was amazed he hadn’t noticed it until now.
‘I’m going to kill Philippe tonight.’
Remembering Aron’s words, Sho’ne trembled slightly.
He finally realized that those brutal, absurd words weren’t an ‘O-range’ after all.
This madman truly intended to kill Philippe—the devil, the villain, the scoundrel of Karzan.
Sho’ne swallowed hard.
It was an unbelievably reckless story, but maybe it was because of Aron’s immense size, or the countless scars etched on his face, or perhaps his deep voice.
Or maybe it was just the alcohol making his face hot, but Sho’ne had a premonition.
He would be tricked by this man once again and end up crying ‘O—range’.
“O—range.”
“Cut the crap. Now, hurry up and lead the way, Sho’nevy.”
At the sound of the low, chuckling voice, Sho’ne nodded vigorously.
***
A ‘professional’ gambler… It was funny to attach the word ‘professional’ to a gambler, but Herbin was a man who deserved it.
Thanks to his gambling-addict father, he had been holding dice since he could walk. Although it had cost him his left arm, the fact that he was still alive past the age of twenty-five proved he was a ‘professional’ gambler.
He had even been recognized by the Lone Wolves and hired by them, leaving no doubt that the word ‘professional’ was fitting.
Such a ‘professional’ gambler, Herbin, couldn’t help but smirk at the two naive fools sitting across from him.
The giant of a man had a face full of scars that made him look savage, but his mismatched, colorful armor made him look like a clown.
And the frail-looking fellow, about half the man’s size, seemed drunk, muttering to himself, “You said it was an orange. You said it was an orange… no more…” before leaning on the big man’s shoulder and falling asleep.
The stark contrast between the two made them a truly ridiculous sight.
‘You fool. Challenging a gambler to a dice game?’
The idiot had challenged him to a game of dice, the most basic of the basics for a gambler.
Dice games hadn’t been popular in Karzan recently, so it had been a while, but even now, the ‘professional’ gambler Herbin could roll a 6 eight times out of ten.
Of all the people to run into…
These guys were truly unlucky.
“Is he asleep?”
Herbin struggled to hold back his laughter at the man urging him on, completely oblivious to his situation.
“Yes, I almost fell asleep myself. Let’s begin.”
Herbin slowly swirled the cup containing the dice.
*Rattle—.*
He lifted the cup to the sound that soothed his soul.
“Ah, my apologies for this right from the start.”
As expected, the die showed a 6, and his lips curled into a smirk.
“You’ll have a lot to apologize for.”
The big man let out a small laugh, glared at Herbin, and swirled his cup.
*Rattle—.*
‘That guy looks really savage.’
Herbin had seen all sorts of people at the gambling table, but he had never seen anyone who looked so savage.
His face was covered in so many scars, it looked like he’d stuck his head in a beast’s maw. With that many scratches, even his own mother wouldn't recognize him.
‘It’ll be quite a sight to see that fierce face crumple.’
Watching the face of a loser who, after being cleaned out, would shout ‘It’s a cheat! A cheat!’ was one of the driving forces in Herbin’s life.
The thought of that fierce-looking man crying and clinging to him made him smile.
Herbin smirked, focusing on the man’s hand.
*Clack—.*
The man nonchalantly lifted the cup, and the die showed a 6.
‘Lucky bastard.’
“Lucky you.”
As if reading Herbin’s mind, the man muttered the exact same words.
‘No, this is even better. This way, the pot will get bigger.’
The man and Herbin casually placed five silver coins each, bringing the pot to twenty silver coins.
*Rattle—.*
The man swirled the cup again.
The die showed a 6.
“Lucky you.”
‘This guy is a goddamn lucky bastard.’
Now it was Herbin’s turn.
Herbin took a small, deep breath and swirled the cup.
*Rattle—.*
Herbin’s die also showed a 6.
Herbin took out an additional 10 silver coins and placed them in the pot.
The man followed suit, adding 10 silver coins, bringing the total in the pot to 40 silver coins.
‘If I can clean him out this one time…’
Herbin swallowed hard and swirled the cup.
*Rattle—.*
When he lifted the cup, the die showed a 4 this time.
‘…It’s been a while, my hand must be rusty.’
Herbin consoled himself with the thought of the silver coins piled in the pot.
It was fine.
In gambling, it was more important to let the opponent win a few times to mess with their head than to win from the very beginning.
That’s how you got a crazed fool to bet his house, his wife, and even his children.
*Rattle—.*
This time, the man swirled the cup.
“Moderately lucky.”
The man’s die showed a 4.
‘…A 4?’
A strange sense of familiarity washed over him as he watched the man casually place twenty silver coins in the pot.
‘Is he a player? He’s no ordinary fool.’
Herbin swallowed hard as the man, having filled the pot with silver, looked at him as if to ask what he was waiting for.
His ‘professional’ gambler’s instinct told him.
This bastard had rolled a 4 on purpose.
However, he couldn’t back down.
Herbin was a ‘professional’ gambler; this table was his battlefield. Just as a knight does not flee from the battlefield, the ‘professional’ gambler Herbin does not flee from a dice game.
Besides, there was no reason to flee.
This was the Lone Wolves’ territory, and he was a ‘professional’ gambler in their employ.
Here, even if Herbin lost, he couldn’t lose.
Even if he lost, he would win.
Herbin didn’t hide his sneer.
“It’s been a while since we had an interesting one.”
Herbin added twenty silver coins to the pot and cracked his knuckles.
“Dice games are always interesting.”
The man muttered, the corners of his mouth lifting.
*Rattle—.*
The die tumbled inside the cup.
The man slowly lifted the cup—
The die showed a 6.
“Because I always win.”
Herbin swallowed hard, caught in the man’s blazing stare.
***
Sho’ne’s head was spinning.
He remembered his father’s words: beware of beautiful women and alcohol.
Maybe even a drunkard of a father was still a father after all.
That’s when it happened.
The world turned upside down.
Startled, Sho’ne opened his eyes—
“It’s a cheat! A cheat!!! He’s a cheater!!”
Far away in the inverted world, a goat-faced man was screaming his lungs out.
And upside-down, fierce-looking men were chasing after them, shouting curses.
However, the distance between them wasn’t closing; it was widening.
‘Is this a dream? Those guys look… really fierce.’
Keep running, you guys.
Sho’ne gave them a small wave.
“Hey, Sho’nevy. Where is the ‘Goblin with the Gold Coin’?”
“That—way. To the right…”
“Hmm, a right turn it is.”
‘What a fun dream. Yawn…’
After vaguely pointing in a direction, Sho’ne yawned widely and closed his eyes again.