Chapter: 123. The Rat and the Rat. (2)
“Let me think for a moment… You once said you’d negotiate with the Association to provide food assistance…”
“I think I did that.”
“Ordinary people don’t consider chocolate concentrate as food.”
Is that so?
“It’s high in calories, has excellent preservation properties, and is a universally consumable product.”
Hmm. That’s all true, right?
“Don’t you usually think of preservation foods like jerky or hardtack?”
“Then you should have designated it that way. I’ve done everything I had to.”
It’s not like I specified chocolate, so what?
“Did you see that? Human children. Their master is this kind of guy, always deceiving the weak like us to take his share. He’s a bad guy.”
Grrr
Old Man Ri, who had been serious just a moment ago, suddenly changed the atmosphere and began cracking jokes.
What a bothersome old man.
That bravado was probably just a tactic to change the mood.
This old man is always like that.
He enjoys conversations, enjoys the atmosphere, and wants to interact with others.
At first glance, he seems like just an old man looking for someone to talk to, which might be fine.
Sure, I can play along as his conversational partner to gather information.
But that’s a trap.
Old Man Ri really does like talking, but that’s also a method to complicate obtaining the information the other party desires.
Concealed behind layers of humor and storytelling is the information the other party seeks.
If you talk to Old Man Ri without knowing that, you’ll just waste your time, like trying to catch smoke without substance.
So, how do I pull back the curtain and get the information I want?
“Let’s stop the probing, shall we? I already have a rough idea of the situation.”
A direct breakthrough that pierces through the opponent’s defenses.
That’s how you communicate with Old Man Ri.
As I inhaled to add strength to my words, the remaining smoke tickled my nose with a slight sweetness.
“The fact that the balance between groups has collapsed is something I’ve already heard; it seems those guys, Kim Taejoon and his pals, are running amok.”
“That’s always the case.”
Yeah, it’s common for someone to fight to sit on the throne of garbage.
“The balance in the market collapsing must also be a usual occurrence, huh?”
Old Man Ri looked at me with a smile at my words.
I wasn’t poking at any gaps in his speech. This flow seems to be part of Old Man Ri’s simple amusement. There’s little point in talking to someone who doesn’t even know that.
That smile isn’t a facade to cover confusion or an effort to mask the truth; it’s a hint to keep the conversation going.
“Those guys probably weren’t from Nanjido originally, so they might not know the rules of this place.”
“That’s a rather interesting hypothesis. And so?”
Old Man Ri leaned back and sank into the sofa, seeming intrigued.
“Those guys are not from Nanjido; they’re just simple intruders.”
Should I try to push a little further?
Continuous attacks only reinforce the old man’s defenses, so I need a fishing technique to draw out my goal.
“What’s next? Keep going.”
In a completely relaxed position, Old Man Ri turned into a listener, nodding and encouraging me.
“But before that, old man, I have a question.”
I cut the flow. Time to increase my assault.
“Speak up; we’re not strangers here.”
“Do you really know where the spokesperson Kim Taejoon is located?”
“Are you doubting me? Thwack.”
He took the bait.
Alright, let’s go for the catch.
“That’s right, isn’t it? If there were those kinds of troublemakers in your character, they would have stormed in long ago. Yet, somehow, those guys are still alive?”
Old Man Ri sealed his lips.
Though he was pretending to be calm, my senses were catching numerous signs.
Twitching facial muscles, breaths taken to suppress boiling anger.
“My guess is this: Your collecting ability has diminished because you’re getting old. Or…”
“You’re out of your depth.”
With a loud bang, the table before me split in two.
It was thanks to the furious rat monster that swung its pipe on the table.
So far, so expected.
Now let’s reel in the fishing line.
Old Man Ri was rampaging right in front of me, but I quietly opened my mouth.
“Those intruders are stronger than expected, and we can’t handle them from inside Nanjido. That’s my opinion. What do you think, old man?”
“You little brat. You did that on purpose.”
Isn’t it only natural?
Ignoring Old Man Ri’s sharp gaze, I continued speaking.
“So what I’m proposing is this. If you tell us their location, we…”
Pwahhh “What? Go on.”
As I was speaking, Old Man Ri took a puff, gripping his pipe and inhaling.
“Can’t you hold off on that stuff for a second?”
“It’s just a cigarette.”
Old Man Ri said that with a cheeky tone, but I felt suspicious. Inhaling the smoke revealed the peculiar scent of tobacco.
…It’s frustrating.
Cigarettes are bad, but they can’t compare to drugs.
Gotta finish this quickly.
“As I was saying, if you tell us the location of those guys, we can take care of them. What do you think?”
It wouldn’t be a bad proposal for the residents of Nanjido. Eliminating a troublesome hassle without loss.
“Isn’t taking care of those guys supposed to be your job? That’s your responsibility, so it can’t be a trade condition.”
“Isn’t that just wordplay, old man? Has your family fallen apart?”
I pressed in with confidence, leaning forward.
Now it’s my turn.
“To put it bluntly, I don’t care if I demolish Nanjido and then take care of it. You know I have the power to do that, right?”
I slightly relaxed my emotions, casting an imposing aura toward Old Man Ri.
It’s something you should never do in negotiations, but didn’t he start it first?
“You said it again and again, didn’t you? We’re on the same side. So I’m trying to consider your situation as much as possible.”
Creek Creak
Maybe it’s the poorly made wood floor, or perhaps it’s because it’s reacting to my power, but it let out a small scream.
I wrapped things up, cautious that it might crumble.
“And honestly, it would be better for me to deal with it, right? Even if he’s an escaped ex-spokesperson from the Association, it might become problematic if you handle it poorly.”
Creak
As the resonance of the wooden floor waned, Old Man Ri opened his mouth.
“Score: 65. That wasn’t bad.”
“Crrreeeeek. I never would have expected the little brat who couldn’t even negotiate back then to grow to this extent. Long life is indeed interesting.”
Starting a loud laugh, Old Man Ri looked at me with a wide grin.
Where did that sharp atmosphere from just moments ago go? Only laughter remained.
What’s the meaning of this?
I stared blankly at Old Man Ri, utterly baffled.
“What? Did you really think I was serious about that? I intended to pass on that information ever since I called you here.”
…That bastard of an old man.
I’m angry, but I need to make a point.
Thud
Kicking the table that was in my way, I spoke in an annoyed tone.
“Then why a score of 65? Explain it to me. I think I did pretty well!”
I honestly think the pressure I applied with the gathered information was commendable. Even if the details were heard, shouldn’t I receive at least a 90?
“Your basics were lacking; that’s why.”
Old Man Ri now completely transformed into an old man, continually tutting.
“Oh, then could you tell me what those so-called basics were?”
^It’s starting to itch with annoyance.
“If you don’t know, let me enlighten you: the reason we can’t touch those guys is also because they’re stronger than you think, and the Association is involved… but what else could there be?”
“There’s more than just that. The intruders currently on Nanjido are not limited to just those guys.”
Now that’s utterly suspicious.
If there was just one, it could be ignored, but if there are two, it’d be impossible for the Association not to notice…
“My brother and… Wasn’t that name Black Marauder?”
…Huh? What did you say?
Old Man Ri’s brother? Black Marauder?
Why on earth are they here?
“Is Black Marauder actually here?!”
Baek Sihyeon, who had been silently standing behind, suddenly piped up.
Oh, that was unexpected.
Come to think of it, they were here too.
I’d completely forgotten while concentrating on the negotiation.
“Yes, Black Marauder is here. You know, the one who resembles your master. Creak. Just like that.”
He’s doing this on purpose, isn’t he?
“Geez…”
A sigh escaped me.
I thought I had become somewhat skilled in negotiations and verbal sparring, but it seems I just played right into Old Man Ri’s hands.
I couldn’t show myself in front of my students like this. Hopefully, it’ll be a lesson for them.
“Is it really Black Marauder? What about his weapon? Where is it? What’s his goal?”
“You little child. Haven’t you seen what your master does? When talking, mix in a little more truth and falsehood…”
“I don’t know!”
…This hero. Can you spare me from my students here?
Old Man Ri was spewing honorifics; it seems Baek Sihyeon’s overwhelming power is more impressive than I thought.
“I’ll ask, so stay quiet.”
“Yes! Master!”
Baek Sihyeon straightened up again, for some reason adopting a proper posture.
It seems he believes I’ll handle everything.
Anyway, my earlier ruckus seemed to be nothing for Baek Sihyeon.
“Are you really saying Black Marauder is on Nanjido, old man?”
“Absolutely. A face very much like you, weapon skills similar to yours; if this keeps up, I might as well just say it’s me.”
“Enough already.”
“Well, that’s the gist of it. If he happened to spawn a new clone monster, I wouldn’t know, but otherwise, it’s definitely Black Marauder.”
Well, Old Man Ri wouldn’t give false information…
So it’s probably true.
That’s making my head hurt.
Dealing with Taejoon Kim’s crew was already a headache, and now there’s Black Marauder.
“What’s his goal?”
“From what I can see, as they’re ignoring us, it seems their objective is to secure Kim Taejoon.”
“Then wouldn’t it be strategic to form a coalition against him?”
“They’re just waiting and don’t take the initiative, but if approached, they’ll attack indiscriminately.”
“Even with your brother there?”
“Yep. As a result, I haven’t even been able to have a conversation with my long-lost brother.”
At that moment, I checked behind me. I wanted to see if my two students would react to the mention of Old Man Ri’s brother.
I heightened my senses briefly, but my two students only showed interest toward Black Marauder, ignoring the mention of Old Man Ri’s brother.
“Where was Black Marauder spotted?”
Shall I steer their focus away from there then?
“He’s often spotted on the upper floors and the topmost floor. They seem to be lingering in the upper area as they haven’t grasped the spatial distortions of the topmost area.”
“So, Black Marauder has shown himself, but is still unable to capture Kim Taejoon, huh?”
Old Man Ri seemed to understand my intentions, as he refrained from revealing any more information about his brother.
Naturally.
Old Man Ri’s brother would essentially serve as a nuclear bomb capable of completely overturning the current situation.
The rat monster. Queph.
One of the 13 seats of the Council.
A 0-Rank monster.
A peak assassin has now appeared.
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