Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: ACT.7 How to Eliminate Variables (4)
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Once you got close enough to Cha Eun-ha, there was a phrase she'd say like a habit.
‘Don't you have any romantic fantasies?’
‘Romantic fantasies?’
‘You know, something that's not likely to ever happen, but you'd still want to experience at least once in your life.’
‘Me? I... want a prince on a white horse to come rescue me in a moment of mortal danger?’
‘Pfft.’
‘D-don't laugh! You're dead! I know it doesn't suit me, okay!?’
A moment of crisis.
A savior appearing as if out of a fairy tale.
And what if you knew that person was completely on your side?
“...Wow.”
Cha Eun-ha's eyes widened, and she let out a short gasp of admiration.
Well, I'm not handsome enough to be called a prince on a white horse.
But making a heroic entrance like this was something I'd always wanted to try at least once.
“Seeing as you haven't let go yet, I'm guessing you don't need that arm?”
“Eek!”
The man, startled, released his arm that was restraining Cha Eun-ha.
Cha Eun-ha quickly broke free, then, in a flash of anger, kicked the man squarely in the groin.
“Gyaaaaargh!!”
My god.
[The 'Devil Who Mocks the Heavens' is appalled!]
“Where do you think you're touching? Filthy.”
Cha Eun-ha grumbled, brushing off her clothes with her hands.
Meanwhile, the man was foaming at the mouth, unconscious.
The other two I'd sent flying earlier had hit their heads on the wall and floor, respectively, and were also out cold.
I had planned on using these guys to get some information.
As I stood there, speechless at the gruesome scene, Cha Eun-ha approached, keeping some distance.
“Thank you for saving me. But...”
Unlike before, her voice sounded youthful, almost childish for her age.
Her gaze was fixed on the scabbard at my waist.
Just as I thought. She checked that first.
“That crest. What's the story behind it?”
***
There are five major guilds in Korea.
One of them is the Jamryong Guild, to which Lee Seon-yul and Kim Ji-hyeon belong.
And Jeon Do-jin, the one we have to rescue, was also a member of one such guild, the 'Hongryeon' Guild.
I use the past tense because he has since left the guild.
When you belong to a guild, its crest is engraved on your main equipment. Since Jeon Do-jin left, he deliberately scarred his own crest.
The result was the Hongryeon Guild's crest, a red flower petal, with a long horizontal gash across it. That symbol came to represent Jeon Do-jin himself.
It's something you'd only know if you were close to Jeon Do-jin, so presenting this crest alone can trigger all sorts of events.
For instance, by openly displaying a scabbard engraved with that very symbol.
“Only my master and I use that crest. I'm curious as to why you have it.”
You may have saved me from a dangerous situation, but I can't let my guard down so easily.
A good attitude.
This series of events must have helped her grow.
I deliberately adjusted the scabbard to draw her attention before sheathing my sword.
“This crest is sometimes used by those with a special connection to Jeon Do-jin-nim. And you just called him Master, didn't you? Does that make you his disciple?”
“...Yes. I'm Cha Eun-ha, his one and only disciple. And you are?”
A small smile played on my lips.
When I consciously added the honorific '-nim' to Jeon Do-jin's name, Cha Eun-ha's wariness seemed to soften a bit.
“I have an old connection with Jeon Do-jin-nim. I heard things had taken a turn for the worse and came to offer my help.”
“An old connection?”
“To be precise, it's not me, but the leader of our group, a woman named Kim Ji-hyeon.”
She seemed to be wracking her brain, as if she didn't know much about Kim Ji-hyeon.
It made sense. After leaving all guilds behind, Jeon Do-jin had focused solely on teaching his disciple, Cha Eun-ha, and hadn't told her much about guild affairs.
Besides, you couldn't exactly say Jeon Do-jin and Kim Ji-hyeon were on good terms.
I shook my head and added.
“I heard Jeon Do-jin was here, but when I arrived, I found some strange guy had taken over Dongdaemun. His men claimed they'd captured Jeon Do-jin, and while I was wondering what to do, I remembered you. I was looking for you when we happened to cross paths.”
“I-is that really...!”
Her expression brightened and her voice was about to rise, but she suddenly clamped her mouth shut.
What's this? Is there still something holding her back?
“No. I can't completely trust you yet.”
Cha Eun-ha's eyes grew calm.
I was inwardly impressed.
The Cha Eun-ha I remembered would have been convinced by now.
Has she grown more than in the original story?
“Then what will it take for you to believe me?”
Still, it was a given that she was almost convinced.
When I gave her the choice, Cha Eun-ha made a mischievous face, pointed a finger forward, and said.
“Tell me my master's weakness. If you're that close, you should know it, right?”
“He's bald. But he's managed to wear a wig for six years without getting caught. Sometimes, when he overuses his abilities, the static electricity nearly gives him away, so he always has to control his power.”
“Wow. You're legit.”
I answered without a moment's hesitation, and Cha Eun-ha clapped her hands, smiling brightly.
...Is this really okay?
For some reason, I felt sorry for Jeon Do-jin.
It seems Cha Eun-ha already knew, so I guess telling her wouldn't change anything.
“You... damn... bastards...”
The man who'd been sent flying first staggered to his feet and was glaring at us.
I hadn't even sent him flying that hard, so his passing out was rather inconvenient.
I gave a faint smile and walked toward him.
At that, the memory of what happened earlier must have returned, because he flinched, visibly startled, and then screamed.
“Yang Gyu-hyeok-nim won't let you get away with this! You think you can defy him while you're in Dongdaemun!?”
“Why do you think we can't?”
“Y-you only say that because you don't know. As long as you're here, you can never beat him.”
“We'll see.”
I already had an idea why he was talking like this.
A certain trait that Jeon Do-jin was supposed to have.
Yang Gyu-hyeok must have it now.
A troublesome, complicated, and annoying story was about to unfold.
But there was also much to be gained from it.
And things that absolutely had to be done.
I slowly reached out and grabbed the man's neck.
When I applied a little pressure, his eyes began to tremble uncontrollably as fear washed over him.
Cha Eun-ha just watched us quietly.
She must be used to killing, having hunted many demonic beasts, but killing and murdering are two different things.
Besides, Jeon Do-jin had repeatedly taught her, 'Avoid harming people if you can.'
There was also the matter of the Holy Judge, and if they quickly noticed contact was lost because I'd killed him, our plan for a surprise attack could be exposed.
“Go on.”
I created a ring of darkness around the man's neck and shooed him away with a wave of my hand, like chasing off a dog.
He looked bewildered, as if he'd expected me to kill him, but soon glared at me with fierce eyes.
“I'm going to report what just happened to Yang Gyu-hyeok-nim immediately. You're finished.”
“He will?”
“W-why are you smiling? I know you're strong, but you're not strong enough to beat him!”
“With his personality, you think he'll care that a few lackeys got hurt in a squabble? He probably doesn't even know who you are. He'll just beat you again for coming back defeated.”
The man's face gradually turned pale.
He bit his lip, unable to find a retort.
I chuckled and tapped my own neck with my finger.
“By the way, you should check your neck.”
“What? ...What is this?”
“It's a kind of bomb collar. If you even think about betraying me, spikes will shoot out and pierce your throat. I can also trigger it myself if you get on my nerves. Cheon Man-gi and a few others are already wearing one, so if you're curious whether it's real, go ask them.”
Not just him, but the other two who were still unconscious as well.
Realizing he had no way out, his eyes went dark and dead.
He was alive, but in a state where he could die at any moment.
[The 'Holy Judge' is perplexed.]
There's a saying that scamming a scammer isn't a scam.
My current actions were the kind that would earn the antipathy of angels of the absolute good alignment, but since the target was of such poor character, they didn't openly rebuke me.
Murder is a bad thing.
But when the target is evil, they condone it.
That's the Holy Judge for you.
Back when I used to stream, a viewer once asked if it wasn't just a psychopath brandishing its own arbitrary sense of justice.
Whether that was true or not didn't matter.
What mattered was how to exploit that fact.
Only after the man had slung the other two over his shoulders and listlessly departed did Cha Eun-ha cautiously ask.
“That thing you put on their necks, is it real?”
“Depends on what you think.”
I gave an ambiguous answer and left the alley.
Cha Eun-ha wore a complicated expression, but in the end, she followed me.
***
“Hello, I'm Cha Eun-ha. I'm Master Jeon Do-jin's disciple. I, uh, heard you're the ones who will be helping... I'll be in your care!”
When I returned to our base with Cha Eun-ha, the group had various reactions.
Jeong Ha-yeon, in particular, looked at Cha Eun-ha with surprise.
“You're younger than I expected.”
“I'm all grown up, you know. I'm eighteen.”
Cha Eun-ha grumbled and sat down in an empty spot.
A classic trait of that age.
They think they're all grown up, but to everyone else, they're still just a kid.
“Let's hear the situation first. How did Jeon Do-jin get caught by guys like that?”
“...It was because of me.”
Cha Eun-ha fidgeted with the hands resting on her knees.
“I was the one they caught first. Unlike my master, I can't win if that many of them attack me at once... That bastard Yang Gyu-hyeok said he'd let me go if my master surrendered, so he let himself be captured.”
I thought it was strange.
Yang Gyu-hyeok is nowhere near skilled enough to beat Jeon Do-jin.
Even with all his lackeys, it's not nearly enough.
Despite that, if he subdued Jeon Do-jin so easily, there was only one way.
By capturing Cha Eun-ha, whom Jeon Do-jin treats like his own daughter, and using her as a hostage.
Against Cha Eun-ha, at least, they had a chance of winning.
“He's like a parent to me. As his child, I will save my master, no matter what.”
Cha Eun-ha's words spread quietly through the base.
Listening to her story, the faces of my companions slowly changed.
“Parents...”
The situation had unfolded so rapidly that it was hard enough to just keep themselves alive.
As they remembered something they should have thought of first but had forgotten, their expressions all darkened.
All except for me.
“Se-hyeon-ssi, aren't you worried about your family...?”
“I...”
I closed my eyes, then slowly opened them.
“I don't have any.”
The one who asked, Jeong Ha-yeon, looked flustered, not knowing what to do with her hands.
“Ah, I... um, that is...”
“They went missing. A year ago.”
“What? Missing?”
It must have been an unexpected answer, as not only Jeong Ha-yeon but the others also reacted with questions.
Except for one person.
Someone was muttering with a complicated expression, as if something was bothering them.
“Missing a year ago...?”
“Is something wrong?”
“...No, it's nothing. No need to speak of something uncertain.”
Kim Ji-hyeon shook her head, refusing to elaborate.
I glanced at her for a moment before looking away.
How could a character from the game be related to my parents? There was no reason to worry about it.
Right now, I needed to focus on rescuing Jeon Do-jin.
“By the way, how did you two meet? You came back sooner than I expected.”
Perhaps trying to change the awkward atmosphere, Jo Min-ah changed the subject.
“Ah, I was teaching some of Yang Gyu-hyeok's lackeys a lesson when I let my guard down and fell into a trap. I was in a bit of trouble, but he showed up right then and saved me.”
“Like a prince on a white horse.”
“Huh?”
The situation was perfect, so I thought reminding her would make her trust me more.
But instead, Cha Eun-ha just looked at me as if I were ridiculous.
“Excuse me. You've seen a mirror, right? You're a far cry from a prince.”
“...”
Damn. If only I were more handsome.
The game's protagonist was tall and handsome, so everything he did worked. Now that it's reality, it doesn't.
“Hyung, I think you're pretty decent, aren't you?”
“...Why are you looking at me?”
“Am I wrong? That's what I think.”
“Not interested.”
Jo Min-woo glanced around, trying to elicit agreement, but Kim Ji-hyeon was indifferent and Jeong Ha-yeon just laughed awkwardly.
Cha Eun-ha turned her head away from me completely.
...I shouldn't have said anything.
I guess it's a relief that I now know my place.
As I was sighing inwardly, I noticed the expression on Jo Min-ah, who was sitting in the direction Cha Eun-ha had turned.
A smile was spreading across her lips. I couldn't tell why.
I cleared my throat lightly.
“Let's start the briefing right away. There's something we need to do beforehand.”
A light rain, which had started to fall at some point, was tapping against the window.