Chapter 26 - Underground Grocery Store #4
Underground Grocery Store #4
Translator : Elizabeth
[Title: F* what is this?]**
- I just saw something weird.
I was hiding under a shop in Street 3 of the Grocery Zone just now, and saw something pass by whoosh, so I looked?
But some incredibly pretty woman was carrying an incredibly cute little kid in a princess carry.
F* are my eyes weird?**
↳ What kind of bullshit is that f*.**
↳ Yes~ They say it's mental pollution~
↳ Nonono I saw it just now too. Seriously what is it?
↳ ?
↳ What, these bastards are seeing good things only among themselves.
[↳ Author: No it's not a lie, it really was like that?
↳ Author: Saw a super pretty person dressed up in something like a suit carrying a seriously freaking cute kid.
↳ Isn't it because it's the Underground Grocery Store?
↳ That's a place where all sorts of Anomalies gather originally.
↳ But even thinking so, a suuuuuper pretty person Anomaly is rare though.]
[Title: Wait, suit?]
- Surely that isn't a Guide<< that guy?
↳ What is that.
↳ Author: They are that.
↳ Author: Among guests there, sometimes there are Anomalies receiving special treatment, and they mark them exclusively.
↳ Author: While all being same Anomaly bastards, status discrimination is immense yep;
↳ So it means if you pretend not to be a guest, dying is all the same?]
[↳ Author: Even worse, those guys are like a disposal squad handling sudden situations in the street, so you really shouldn't act up against them.
↳ Yep I saw an Anomaly acting up against a Guide last time get split into four pieces.
↳ ?
↳ Saying they slice their own guests while being Guides?
↳ ???: Seems you haven't understood right now, but the original owner of this street is me.
↳ Kya lol.]
[Title: Then earlier]
- What is the freaking cute Anomaly dragged away(?) by princess carry?
↳ I don't know either.
↳ Was wearing some black dress and had silver hair.
↳ For a moment thought I came to a Fashion Street.
↳ Author: Why do only you see precious things f*.**
↳ Uh?
↳ Wait a sec, silver hair and freaking cute Anomaly?
↳ Waitwaitwait.
↳ Author: What is it why are these bastards like this?
↳ Surely Gallery Owner-nim...?]
Inside the room where heavy silence has settled.
I said it myself but felt 'oops', so I had no choice but to glance around stealthily.
Thump. Thump.
If it were outside, it would just be thought of as a normal hug sharing hearts, but right now this place is considerably strange...!
A closed secret room, seems thoroughly soundproofed so noise isn't heard, and no one's interference works.
Just leaving when wanting to leave, and if not—
It means remaining in the place until seeing the very end with the opponent.
'Wait.'
At the sensation of my face burning hot again, I barely turned my thoughts elsewhere and waited for Bella's answer calmly.
"I, If you don't want to, you can just ignore it."
"If the Customer wishes, you may do so. Up to there is a part of the service our Underground Merchant Guild provides."
"No."
"?"
I corrected my gaze that turned away briefly, and looked at Bella.
"Bella has to decide."
"Do you mean me."
"...Yes. Bella, by Bella's will, has to decide on her own."
At those words, Bella tilted her head slightly expressing doubt.
"The Customer seems to have a lot of interest in me."
"Umm... Yes."
"Why, is that?"
"Because Bella is a kind person to me."
"Kind service is the role of a guide."
"Not that, just because Bella was next to me, it was reassuring, and I felt relieved too, so I wanted to repay Bella too."
"In what you want, does my intention act importantly?"
"Yes."
I nodded my head and asserted.
To that, Bella sitting on the opposite chair stood up from the seat slowly.
"If it is so, I will request it."
"Hot."
"Should I proceed immediately."
"Uh-uh... Yes."
Despite being an experience I've had a few times, I get tense when the situation comes right now.
I looked at Bella narrowing the distance gradually.
Originally the distance between us wasn't far either, so distance gets closer hook hook with every step.
'Ah.'
As expected, Bella is pretty.
Fine skin without a single blemish, bright yellow pupils sparkling receiving light even in the dark environment.
Beautiful enough that our Director's face flashes by.
I always thought Anomalies looked bizarre and terrible only, but I feel like my world is breaking once again.
Slide.
Soon, Bella's face approached right up close.
Along with the scent wafting hook, soon Bella's body temperature began to be conveyed to me slowly—and surely.
Ding!
「Skill activates.」
「Little Lamb's Embrace (F)」
"...Ah."
Simultaneously with momentary dizziness felt, a sensation as if not me is felt.
Uh... feel like I definitely feel something more than before.
Putting my hands on the approaching Bella's shoulders, I led her to get closer gradually.
"...."
Bella, not refusing such touch of mine, conveyed body temperature with her whole body willingly.
'Warm.'
Enough that I can't think of her as a member driving people to hell outside at all.
Kind and warm energy dyes my heart.
"Fascinating sensation, is felt."
"...."
"Something is interfering with me. But... it is not an unpleasant feeling."
We two were hugging each other's backs before we knew it.
Thump. Thump.
Ideally feeling the beat of unknown origin, an alien presence infiltrating seul-geum seul-geum was felt.
'Yeah, certain.'
My current skill.
Meaning 'Little Lamb's Embrace' is continuing to grow.
Director, Doctor, and up to current Bella.
Immature sensation becoming familiar gradually, seemed to gain confidence in accepting and interpreting unfamiliar sensations.
"It is warm."
Whether sharing the same sensation as me, Bella saying so with even breathing.
Something is felt continuously so—
"...Ah."
Snap.
Accidentally, ended up looking into things I shouldn't know.
Numerous hells encompassing the Underground Merchant Guild.
Screams, pain, despair of victims.
Huge hooks moving endlessly along the ceiling rails, transporting lumps of meat of unknown identity.
That place was a hell named Slaughterhouse.
Also, there was a district weaving the existence of victims itself into shadows and making them into clothes.
It was the dark truth of the clothing store I stopped by through Bella.
Besides that—
Forced Exchange Office, General Store containing concentrated emotions, Record Plates made by weaving people's screams, more, more, and more...
"...nim."
And looked at a huge something binding and ruling such hells together.
Just because it's Underground Merchant Guild, it wasn't like there were more branches in other places or something.
Further underground of underground, deep place.
Just by looking at it, my head became a mess, entering into darkness where the end isn't even visible—
"...stomer."
Ah, I know this feeling. Similar feeling to things digging into ears and nose and inside mouth and even to eyes when I smeared blood on the stone in the Daycare. Feeling like dragging mind far away, to that distant place continuously—
"Customer!"
"...Ah."
"Are you okay."
Regaining senses, only then blurred vision returns and Bella's face approached very closely is seen.
"Ah, I'm okay."
"You do not look okay."
Heart is appealing its existence thump thump with emotion opposite to earlier.
I looked straight into Bella's eyes in front of me.
"You found out something."
"...."
"I felt energy infiltrating me, and the Customer's energy. Perhaps, do you know such saying."
"What, saying...?"
"That if someone stares into the darkness, that darkness also stares at the target."
I tried to move away from Bella momentarily, but Bella's touch fixing my body was still positioned firmly.
"How far did you see?"
"...Wh, What are you saying."
"You know everything."
Bella already realized.
That I touched her deep place, a secret she didn't want to let anyone know.
"Actually, there are few in this world who know 'accurately' about me."
"....."
"Nor do I want my existence to be known."
"Why?"
"Because up to there is the rule I created, and decided so."
Therefore I must find out.
Since I stepped into the territory she didn't permit unintentionally, since Bella no longer looks at me with the same gaze as before.
What I can do is as always—only head-on breakthrough.
"Inside the rules I made, everyone must stay as 'Customers' who must enjoy rights equally and flawlessly."
Rules made by herself, Owner of the Anomaly.
Bella whom I looked into through the skill wasn't something like an employee belonging somewhere and processing work.
More precisely, this Underground Merchant Guild, itself...
She was a person in the same position as the Director, and the Doctor.
"How do you think I will act in the future."
"Bella, what relationship with people wearing black suits..."
"Do you want to know."
I nodded my head slowly to that.
"If you become an employee of our Merchant Guild formally, I will inform you."
And whispered so, as if a beast threatening low.
Back straightens stiffly, goosebumps rise shiver.
Beyond the degree of cognition, instinct expresses wariness at Bella's sense of distance first.
"Em, Employee...?"
"Yes. Well... even if you have no thought of becoming one, there is a part where I have to reconsider the treatment of the Customer."
"...Eh?"
"Because I cannot just send the Customer who knows the secret of my Merchant Guild and me like this, can I."
Bella smiled.
Face dwelt with her cheerful emotion, seen for the first time.
"Still if the Customer stays by my side, I think more smooth and pleasant service provision will be possible in future work processing."
"...."
"Because to that extent, the Customer has talent as an employee and guide."
"No, can't."
"Why is that?"
"I, have a place to return to—"
"Are you talking about the Daycare, or the Hospital?"
"Director is waiting..."
"Is that more important than the current crisis you are experiencing."
Current crisis.
She is weighing betting my existence right now.
Whether to bind me who found out her secret to this place, or eliminate.
"...I."
Thinking for a moment like that, I answered.
"Choose."
"I won't be attacked by Bella."
"Did you decide to become an employee."
"No, won't be here either."
"....?"
Bella, tilting her head for a moment, opened her lips.
"You have a more optimistic side than I thought."
"Because if I were really going to be in danger, Director wouldn't have sent me here."
"Do you trust that person to that extent."
"Yes."
"Even though knowing she is a very dangerous person."
"Director is caring for me."
But I, know.
The Director's crying sobbing having lost everything.
And the warm hand that came to save me in Sungjin Hospital.
Director needs me.
I also, need Director's existence.
Therefore I was trusting that person.
"...."
Like that Bella, looking into my gaze for a long time—
"Whether a type trusting others well, or clever."
Withdrawing momentum, liberated me from her embrace.
End of the story.
"...Haa!"
Enjoying the freedom returned barely, came to realize that a crisis has passed.
'Misunderstood.'
That everyone would be 'victims' like Director and Doctor.
And whether Bella was also harmed by people wearing black suits, and is in the current position—
I ended up thinking only fragmentarily like that.
But what I found out through the skill just now—
'Bella was Bella from the beginning.'
She was really a person existing by herself for the Underground Merchant Guild, and for the rules she established.
"Originally I impose penalties on customers crossing the line, but this time I will just pass. Since you arranged entertainment for me after a long time."
"Ah, th, thank..."
"No need to thank. Calculating the entertainment just now in addition to 'Precious Guest' rank possessed originally, it was a sufficiently fair transaction."
Ah, so.
I just, escaped crisis barely matching the upper limit, right...?
Thank goodness...
Calming down the beat knocking on chest thump thump, Bella's voice was heard again.
"Black suits, so those you express curiosity about, are just transaction targets to me."
"Transaction, targets...?"
"They provide me 'humans' and guests from other dimensions, and I provide 'service' to them."
Various items in each shop.
虽然 composed of terrible things, if paying the proper price—
Items granting truly magic-like performance are in a state of being displayed.
If utilized well, even ordinary humans would be able to handle 'transcendental' power.
"...Then. Just why doing bad things to people like Director, and Doctor...?"
I know because I read memories.
What terrible things those related to the Administration Bureau in their memories did to people I met.
Even if Bella is a person faithful to her purpose, there was no reason for Director and Doctor to suffer such terrible things.
"Supply and demand."
"Yes...?"
"They are a kind of factory. Such factory possessing resources that can be utilized by those the Customer is interested in."
What does that mean...?
"If dispatching existences possessing life to the corresponding factory, they naturally become 'resources' themselves and are reproduced fitting the demand."
"...Resources."
"Yes. To existences like us, existences like customers and guests are very important resources. Because if they are not there, we also cannot exist."
Anomaly.
Phenomenon born from people's fear, terrible nightmare materialized.
This was information I know because it is education received from the Administration Bureau.
So, right now.
Administration Bureau also, means they need fear shown by such victims?
"...That shouldn't be."
"What do you mean."
"Then, it shouldn't be...! Administration Bureau, to people, just why...?"
...Ah.
I looked at Bella's gaze.
Yellow pupils where no emotion is felt.
She feels no emotion in dealing with people's lives.
Just, showing interest only in intense emotions they possess.
Pain, despair.
Very important resources proving her existence.
"Come to think of it, the Customer seems a little different from us as expected."
"...."
"Too warm, and many useless elements. But I think such points are not bad."
Knock knock.
Instant.
Knocking sound knocking on the room door was heard.
"...Ah."
"So just for this time I will perform the role of Customer's guardian."
Knock knock.
Knocking sound rings out continuously.
「▶ You must not face the existence lurking outside the door.」
Knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock.
"Right now you are crossing the line."
Knock.
At Bella's words, the knocking sound ringing insanely stops.
"Any more than this, if interfering with me."
Bella spoke toward the existence outside the door.
"I will make you pay the full price."