Chapter 59. Rich or Not, Just One Bullet (1)
After finishing my errands at the Association, I came outside and wandered aimlessly down the street.
Originally, I planned to crash at Oxymoron’s or the Librarian’s place, but I got kicked out because both were busy.
Oxymoron said she was too busy treating the kids injured from the last war.
The Librarian said that if I stepped into her lab, it would be no less than a disaster.
I also checked in with Hyunseok, but he just gave me a stiff expression and told me to go home when he heard my situation.
Having learned from experience that trying to argue when Hyunseok is in a bad mood never results in anything good, I quietly left the Association and found myself wandering like this.
…What do I do if I really don’t want to go home?
Honestly admitting that I was scared of my disciples and didn’t want to go home might have been a mistake.
If I go home like this, I might encounter some terrifying monster wearing a red dress with frills.
A totally embarrassing outfit different from my usual magical girl costume.
Just the thought of it stirs up emotions, but what will it be like to see it in person?
If I handed that over as something to wear, I might instantaneously fall to corruption and start swinging a hammer.
I will have to face it eventually, but right now, I need time to mentally prepare myself.
Maybe because I was distracted while walking, I bumped into someone and fell over.
Normally, if someone bumped into me, they would roll on the ground as if they’d kicked a stone, but right now, my body was weakened from having absorbed too many things, making this happen.
I might recover in 2 to 3 days, but right now, without drawing upon my mana, I’m just an ordinary person.
If I were to feed it to the tentacles, it would only weaken myself or the Librarian; an average hero or civilian would probably already be incapacitated by now.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
The woman I bumped into reached out her hand, worried that a little kid might have gotten hurt.
“I’m fine.”
Not wanting to be rude to someone reaching out to a kid, I mimicked the child’s tone and grabbed her hand.
“Hmm. Did you lose your parents? Do you want me to take you to them?”
As she said that, she showcased the gun slung over her shoulder.
The only people who can walk around exposing guns are heroes, so she must be trying to let me know that she is one.
It’s likely, in helping a child, she thinks it will help her public image.
Or maybe she truly feels a sense of justice. After all, heroes are generally free to do whatever they want.
Either way, there’s no need to respond to her thoughts.
“I’m fine.”
I brushed the dirt off my clothes and walked past her.
She looked at me with a bewildered expression as I walked away.
If she were a child, she should be falling for heroes extending their hands, so why wasn’t she acting that way?
Oh well, doesn’t matter. I thought of a good place to crash thanks to seeing her gun.
Ding ding ding!
“Yes. Weapon specialist….”
Why does this person answer the phone without checking who’s calling? They do it every time.
“It’s me.”
“Teacher! What brings you to call? You’ve been calling a lot lately.”
At least I’m no longer shocked just by the voice. I suppose it’s about time I got used to it.
“Where are you?”
“Why do you want to know…?”
Her voice trembled, as if she thought she had done something wrong.
“I just want to see you and Yumil’s faces.”
Specifically, I needed a good spot to crash for a day.
“Let me tell you, but I doubt you’ll be able to come,” she said.
What does that mean?
“Even if you know the location, you can’t get in?”
“What do you mean?”
“Where are you right now?”
“On the main road in front of the Association.”
“Then please wait at a café nearby. I’ll be there soon.”
There was a lot of questions swirling around, but I decided to follow her instructions for now.
“How long will it take?”
“About 30 minutes, I think.”
“Got it.”
I hung up unilaterally and looked around.
There were an unnecessarily large number of coffee shops in sight.
Their branding was flashy, and they seemed to expect you to enjoy the view while sipping coffee, as the walls were covered in glass.
Since she didn’t specify which café, I assumed the main road would work just fine.
With that thought in mind, I stepped into one of the coffee shops.
“Why is this so expensive?”
A cup of coffee for 6,000 won.
Without thinking, I bought a waffle recommended by the cashier for 4,800 won.
Isn’t that already more than 10,000 won?
I’m not exactly inexperienced in drinking coffee at cafés. I’ve been dragged here countless times by people due to various reasons.
Still, this is outrageous. Coffee costing more than food?
When others order it, it tends to taste sweet, but today it’s just bitter.
So this is the pain of spending 10,000 won.
At least the bitterness of the coffee is somewhat compensated by the waffle.
The cashier surely picked it for a reason.
Perhaps the sweetener or cream they generously provided was also for that.
Savoring the luxury of 10,000 won, I absentmindedly gazed at the bustling street in front of the Association.
The lively road that was just empty when it was first established had become a bustling district.
Heroes, who earn plenty, are throwing cash about, and that’s how expensive shops continue to gather.
Since it was initially built with a ban on traffic, it became a vibrant commercial area that attracted people.
The Association disliked tall buildings around it, so it also became home to cute little establishments, contributing to its popularity.
That said, the building of the Association sticks out.
While a line of white buildings only five stories high looms, at the end sits the open grounds and a towering black structure.
A moment’s delight to the eyes — ruined by the dark tower shadowing the view.
Of course, some people might like its charm.
Around the time I stuffed a piece of waffle in my mouth and crushed the ice in my coffee…
Bing bing bing.
The sound of bells rang out, and I quickly grabbed my phone.
“Are you there?”
Who would even be calling me?
Especially right at the 30-minute mark.
I thought so when I opened my mouth, but…
“Is this Black Marauder?”
It wasn’t the voice I was expecting to hear, but another man spoke instead.
A man’s gruff voice.
…How did he find out?
“Who the hell are you?”
“I’m Huang. Nice to meet you.”
“I didn’t ask for your name. How did you get this phone number?”
Lowering my voice so no one could hear, I poured my anger into the phone.
Blackmail? Eavesdropping? How did they find out?
Screeech!
At that moment, a black sedan came to a halt in front of the café’s glass window.
The windows were tinted black, hiding the inside from sight, giving it a sinister appearance.
Moreover, the front and back of the car had license plates with the word ‘manager’ inscribed in white on a blue background.
A vehicle from the Association.
…Have they already figured it out?
I prepared a crowbar just in case I needed to make a quick escape.
It’s fine. I can still escape.
If I destroy my phone and hide, I could just muddle my way through…
Whiiiiiir.
Slowly, the car window rolled down, revealing a person inside.
With a rugged look and muscles barely contained by a suit, and holding a phone to his ear, the man looked at me and waved slowly.
“I’ve come to escort Miss Solim’s guest.”
The sound from the phone was clear.
By watching his lips, I could tell for sure that the bulky guy in front of me was speaking.
“Who’s Solim?”
“Oh, it seems you haven’t introduced yourselves yet. I’m talking about the Danger Rifle.”
Silence.
What a good vehicle it is; I barely felt any sensation while riding inside.
The vehicle smoothly cruised down the road without making any noise.
Though I reluctantly mounted the Danger Rifle, I had too many questions to ask. I wondered why he appeared in a vehicle from the Association. What is he doing here?
A casual glance revealed a silver necklace hanging around his neck.
Disguised like a choker, but everyone in the know would recognize it. This is a device that suppresses power emissions from monsters.
The small possibility of a similar accessory could be deemed irrelevant by the heavy spike connecting the necklace to his neck.
One could theoretically remove it by applying force, but it was a thing designed to induce significant bleeding.
Should I start the conversation about this thing?
“Why is a monster like you doing all this for a mere hero’s leftovers?”
“Well, I happened to have ties with Miss Solim’s family. It used to annoy me a bit, but after a long time, it’s grown on me.”
Family?
Something ominous passed through my mind.
“What do you mean by family? Are you saying that the Danger Rifle is connected to the Association…?”
“Did you not know? Miss Solim’s family has quite a bit of influence within the Association…”
“What’s their last name?”
“Chung Solim.”
The Cheng family, the Association, and they’re among the influential families…
…Crap. That’s an old conglomerate.
Right when the Association was founded, they handed over their companies and all their assets and claimed their space; they’re probably still sitting on a high seat in the Association.
Wait a minute, Chung?
…Could it be that Danger Rifle’s uncle is Park Hyunseok?
“You know him well.”
Crap. Did I just break the arms and legs of my friend’s niece?
It’s fine; she was all healed up.
No problem at all.
Right. Danger Rifle wouldn’t have said there is an issue.
“Why the heck is his daughter doing heroics? She could be sitting pretty with a spot at the Association.”
Though the Association is strict on meritocracy, some degree of faction and political influence manages to play a part.
Perhaps she wouldn’t find herself on the top tier, but she could have easily gotten a mid-level position.
“She has admired heroes since she was a child.”
She longed to be a hero, and since childhood, she often practiced shooting with me.
And now, she actually became a hero.
Hahaha.
That loud laughter suited his build as it echoed within the vehicle.
No kidding. I should’ve figured she used expensive bullets; it must be because she was loaded.
Could it be that the reason Yumil didn’t need another vehicle during the broadcast kidnapping was that the Danger Rifle was able to solve it with money?
…What a headache.
How did things end up like this?
As a sudden migraine hit, I slumped into my seat, trying to sort out my thoughts.
All along, I thought Danger Rifle was just some ordinary hero, but she turned out to be in the upper echelons of the Association.
Her and Yumil seemed to match up nicely, always buzzing around together.
I could bet Yumil, who holds my memories, also knows that she is related to the Association. Yet, she still hangs out with her, which speaks volumes about the level of trust that has been built.
For a moment, I felt dizzy just thinking about the connection with the Association, but upon sorting it out, another thought emerged.
Maybe this is for the best.
Since it’s come to this, it would make sense to utilize it thoroughly.
The connection with the Association; one that I have no ties to whatsoever.
It would be the perfect pawn to create a rift within the Association.
But to use this pawn, I first need to clear things up around me.
“Hey, driver musclehead.”
“Yes?”
“There’s an A-Rank monster sitting in your backseat. And that girl belongs to the Association. What are you going to do?”
The atmosphere grew cold.
The chitchat that had briefly filled the vehicle all fell silent.
What remained was a quiet stillness with only the gentle noises of the vehicle.
After a brief moment, the car came to a stop at a red traffic light.
“I won’t do anything.”
“Why not? Isn’t the Association supposed to alert the Association during such cases? A vicious monster that could cause havoc in the town.”
“Will you harm Miss Solim?”
“It wouldn’t matter to me if she fell away as long as I keep my secret. I don’t intend to take revenge on her, so it’s fine.”
This was something I was doing on my own.
If she wants to back out, she can simply back out.
I have no intention of dragging her in forcibly or holding her against her will.
“Well, that’s fine. I’m not devoted to the Association; I’m dedicated to Miss Solim.”
That was surprisingly unexpected.
“Dedicated? So you know I broke her limbs?”
If not now, when would I get the chance to poke him?
I aimed my dagger at his heart, intending to draw out his true nature if he held such a high regard for her.
“Haha! Was that just a provocation?”
He laughed heartily, as though he found my words amusing, and hit the steering wheel hard.
The horn blared loudly, enough to make it feel like the surrounding people might be startled.
“Maybe?”
What an unexpected reaction.
I wondered what he would say.
“I bear no ill-will against Black Marauder. As a warrior, one should be prepared to lose limbs in battle.”
A warrior grows by breaking and being broken.
Up until now, I had been too protective of her.
Oh, it was his stance.
How strange it got.
“By the way, did you know?”
As soon as the traffic light turned green, he slammed down on the accelerator and turned to face me.
His eyes sparkled, radiating a ferocious fighting spirit as if he were still alive as a monster.
“On the day Miss Solim came with broken arms and legs, she was smiling. She had finally met a hero who understood her ideology.”
…So she was crazy too.
I have been feeling like I keep running into unusual people lately.
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