Cooperation
Cooperation
After securing a room and unpacking, we headed straight down to the restaurant.
The old man pleaded exhaustion, skipped the meal, and went to sleep first.
Was the old man's stamina finally giving out?
No loss to us. If anything, I was glad that foul-smelling human wasn't around to kill my appetite.
The restaurant we arrived at was fairly luxurious.
The rows of food on display reminded me of a familiar buffet.
The quality wasn't bad at all, and the taste was quite decent.
Mostly meat and seafood, but the ingredients were, how should I put it — fresh.
Nothing was tough, and not a hint of fishiness anywhere.
Frozen was definitely off the table.
We even spotted sashimi from time to time, so it seemed Gwanak-gu had some method of procuring ingredients.
Or maybe it was the power of this place's ruler, the Gladiator.
If she was creating and raising livestock, this level of quality made perfect sense.
After all, if she could create Sky Cutlassfish, mere cows, pigs, or fish would be no big deal.
'Thinking about it like that, it's fucking broken.'
Creation — the Granary Office.
Wasn't that the very definition of an all-purpose power?
About the time I was stuffing the food I'd brought over into my mouth,
Mirkella, seated across from me, took a bite of grilled fish and made an enormous fuss.
"Ohhh... this is truly remarkable. The springy flesh, the savory flavor, the grilling, the seasoning... everything is perfect!"
As if unable to contain her emotions, she clasped her hands together and let out a string of admiration, looking rather clumsy about it.
For my part, I wondered — was it really that good?
Sure, the execution was quite high, but I was a bit skeptical whether it deserved a fit like that.
"Hey, Mir-mir. I realize I'm only just thinking of this now, but wouldn't it be better for your side to trade with the big boss here instead of me?"
"Munch munch. What are you suddenly talking about?"
"No, think about it. They've got so much leeway they can hand out free meals to outsiders like this. Is there really a need to use me as a trading partner?"
"That's... gulp... we also have munch munch... our circumstances."
Could you finish eating before you talk?
And so you were a noisy eater.
Subtly annoying.
"Gulp. It's not that our Cult Leader didn't consider that option initially. But the Gladiator's attitude was quite firm, you see."
"They refused?"
"It's practically the same thing. They said they'd provide support if we acknowledged unconditional submission. Hah. Their arrogance knows no bounds!"
I see. So their positions were fundamentally at odds.
The Cult Leader's side seemed to want an equal relationship, but the big boss here wouldn't even give the cult the time of day.
But if it were me... I probably would've flat-out refused too, if some rootless pseudo-religion tried to stand on equal footing with me.
"For a bunch who got abandoned, your loyalty is impressive."
"A-Abandoned...! I was not abandoned! This too is a trial bestowed by the Cult Leader! Someday I will be reborn as a holy being again! Returned to the rightful place I deserve! Someday! Without fail!"
Maybe Angelica's casually tossed remark had pressed a trigger, because Mirkella shrieked, her whole body trembling.
I wondered if this girl knew that overreacting like that was proof she herself was wavering.
Kim Ha-yoon must have had a similar impression, because she spoke with a completely disinterested expression.
"Dream big. Why don't you just give up? Honestly, staying with us isn't so bad."
"No, no! I'm fine, thank you! Do not try to tempt me! I will not fall for any more wicked enticements!"
"She's never even been enticed. What is she talking about."
Mirkella covered her ears and shook her head back and forth.
Like every time, her reactions were really something.
To the point I wondered if she would've done quite well as a streamer, before the world turned out like this.
"Right, Mir-mir. Do your best. Who knows — your efforts might really be rewarded someday."
"It's Mirkella! I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me whatever name you please! Still, thank you for the... comfort."
At my soulless words, she looked genuinely moved.
So pure.
Just as I was putting the last bite of food into my mouth, someone suddenly approached our table.
The shadow that fell abruptly belonged to that MILF I'd had my eye on.
"Excuse me — do you have a moment?"
Wearing a gentle smile, she pulled over a chair and naturally joined our table.
I'd been keeping an eye out for a chance to make contact eventually, but I never expected her to approach me first.
At the unexpected development, my eyes widened slightly.
"What is it, all of a sudden?"
"Oh, it's nothing. It's just that this competition is a team battle, as you all know? So I was wondering — if it's alright with you — would you consider joining hands with us?"
Straight to the point.
I was quite taken aback, but I didn't let it show. I gestured with my chin for her to continue.
"Especially since this competition is so large in scale, there are a lot of participants. Honestly, I don't think having just a few comrades means you can take on hundreds of people."
"That's true. But why us, of all people?"
"Well, that's...."
Trailing off, the MILF's gaze swept over the women seated beside me.
...Ah. I got the general idea.
There weren't any other groups like ours with a majority of women.
For this purpose, there was no better target to readily approach than us.
"Because there are a lot of fellow women? I'm a woman too, so it's a bit uncomfortable when there are a lot of rough-looking men around."
"For one thing, there are two men here."
"I was observing earlier, and one of them is an old man, right? His attire was a bit shabby, but he didn't look like someone who'd go around messing with just anyone."
The old man wasn't that kind of person, that was true.
Though it hadn't been long since we met, his conduct so far was that of a dignified old man through and through.
An old man living solely for his lost granddaughter.
A pitiful creature bound by the past.
But what about me, then?
"And me?"
"You're not thinking of laying a hand on him, are you?"
The boldly tossed question wasn't directed at me.
It was directed at the women beside me.
If I were to interpret it, it went something like this —
'You all seem pretty close to this man. Are you planning to just stand by and let him lay a hand on me?'
Naturally, there was no way these girls wouldn't grasp the hidden meaning, and every one of them put on a sulky expression.
It was a considerably rude attitude for a first meeting.
"So basically, you're saying we join hands and eliminate the remaining competitors. When it's just us left, it won't be too late to settle things then. Right?"
"Exactly. To put it bluntly — don't you think it'll be hard for you to beat those prominent people too?"
Her quick glance pointed toward the group clad in black robes and the stick-thin figures in full plate armor.
Even at a considerable distance, they were intimidating enough. Her proposal had justification.
Troublesome enemies should be crushed through cooperation.
Right. It was a proposal with no particular reason to refuse.
"There's certainly merit. But what do we have, in terms of trust, that'll make us join hands?"
"Is trust necessary? The important thing is the alignment of interests, isn't it?"
"....."
I tried bouncing the ball once, but she didn't fall for it.
Well — she's a woman who's endured with her daughter all this time. Of course she'd have guts.
"Even if we don't cooperate, agreeing not to touch each other until we become the final fifty — wouldn't that alone be a considerable benefit? That's what I think."
"That's... true. But you made that proposal to other groups too, not just us, right?"
"Of course. The more numbers, the more helpful it is. Ah, but I did screen people while accepting. People who are too foul-natured are a bit off-putting to me as well."
That figures.
But what you overlooked is that we also happen to fall into that foul-natured category.
Did you know I'm constantly looking for an opportunity to covet that plump ass of yours?
And that even if the women beside me disapprove, if I tell them to help me bang you, they'll help as if they have no choice?
Mirkella was a bit ambiguous... but at least she wasn't the type to interfere, and Angelica and Kim Ha-yoon would grumble but ultimately follow my will.
This is why appearances matter.
Look — among all these rough-looking faces, just having a face like Jjintta means they don't even feel wary.
'Pretend to cooperate for a while, then stab her in the back and... yeah. Fuck her senseless right in front of her daughter.'
I shoved my vile thoughts deliberately into a corner and put on a good-natured smile.
"Yeah. Sure, sounds good. Like you said, there's no downside, so I'll accept."
"A wise choice. Ah — my name is Park Soo-jin. My daughter is Kim So-jin. If you happen to meet her, please treat her kindly."
"Will do."
At those words, Park Soo-jin gathered the corners of her mouth in satisfaction and rose from her seat.
Then, with a "Thank you for your time. Enjoy your meal," she swayed her plump hips and faded from view.
...I'd love to just grab that.
"Your eyes."
Pinch.
Just as if she'd sensed my impure gaze, Angelica suddenly pinched my side.
There was no pain.
As if she only wanted to give a warning, it was closer to a caress.
"I know. I was too obvious, right?"
"Yes. At least don't make it so blatant in front of me. Because it hurts my heart."
...When she says it like that, I do feel a bit sorry.
"But you'll help me if I ask, won't you?"
"That's... of course. I have no choice but to grant whatever you wish. Didn't you use the spell scroll on me for times like this in the first place?"
From the moment the enslavement spell was engraved on her, Angelica had no choice but to grant what I desired.
Even if it meant the person she loved embracing another woman.
"Ha-yoon, you have no complaints, right?"
"Me? Well, it's always happening. Do whatever you want. Like always, I'll go along with it."
This is what I really like about our Ha-yoon.
She usually snaps and acts spoiled, but when I want to do something, she follows without a single complaint.
"Mir-mir — just don't get in the way, alright? Got it?"
"I have no intention of doing so. As long as you don't forget the essence, I won't get involved at all."
More than any of that, the former Saintess was solely focused on her meal, munching away.
The sight of her cheeks puffed up like a hamster was quite adorable.
For some reason, I felt like stuffing my cock into that mouth today.
"After the meal — how about a round?"
"Huh?"
At first she asked back with a dumbfounded face as if she didn't understand, but soon grasped the meaning and flushed bright red.
"Ho-How vulgar. Is there nothing but... but things like that in your head? A little bit of wholesome—"
"If you don't want to, don't. I'll just enjoy myself with the three of us without you."
"....."
When I cut her off as if I had no lingering attachment, Mirkella looked flustered instead.
After showing signs of hesitation for a while, she fidgeted with her chair and subtly closed the distance between us.
"I didn't exactly say... I didn't want to...."
She whispered it into my ear with a shy voice.
Really — she was truly an adorable creature.