Chapter 58: Black Fangs VS The Empire (6)
The Empire’s unexpected shadowboxing.
For quite some time, I was left utterly dumbfounded, admiring the actual photo of the moderator… desperately trying to keep my wits together.
I still couldn’t believe it; no matter how many times I rubbed my eyes, the scene before me didn’t change.
The real name listed was the bizarre moniker “Furry Furry.”
Attached was a photo of a middle-aged man, someone you might casually bump into on the street. Below it was a caption stating that this fellow was the head of the Black Fangs.
This was the wanted poster the Empire was distributing nationwide.
Seeing the audacity of the person responsible for this bizarre act made me wonder if it could possibly be true.
‘No way.’
There was absolutely no chance that the head of Black Fangs was some bumbling idiot like me.
I hadn’t been able to play Blood and Bone 2 right after its release because of my job, but…
That guy would have definitely gone through it multiple times, reaching the end and then some.
‘Then how do you explain his actions up to now?’
Prominent main characters like Siel, Lien, and Miss Rubia.
It made no sense for someone so knowledgeable about the original work not to even attempt to contact those important figures.
Logically speaking, it was impossible.
So that guy couldn’t possibly be the head of the Black Fangs.
In the end, there was just one conclusion.
Either the head of the Black Fangs was up to some tricky business, or the Empire had really made a huge blunder on their own.
How the heck did an attempt to attack the head of the Black Fangs lead to revealing the identity of a game moderator from another world?
No matter how much I speculated, I just couldn’t grasp it.
‘There’s one thing I need to do.’
Whatever misunderstandings the Empire had and whatever clever trickery the Black Fangs pulled,
those were simply not my concerns.
What mattered more was preparing for the backlash that was surely on the way.
Once that wanted poster was circulated nationwide, the Empire would start seriously cracking down on the Black Fangs.
I had to act now.
I sprang up from my seat.
Siel, who had come close to pet me, wore a puzzled expression.
“Siel, could you gather everyone for me?”
I couldn’t keep lying in this situation. It was about time to explain everything properly.
…It was time to unveil the truth.
*
People started trickling in front of the relief center, one by one.
As they did, the ominous murmurs grew louder and louder.
This, in a way, was to be expected. Important news was at hand, and they were all called to gather without exception.
Such a thing had never happened before.
“Has something happened?”
“Now that you mention it, I think I saw a few knights nearby recently…”
“What are you on about? Didn’t the captain make them submit ages ago?”
However, those noisy murmurs quieted down with the appearance of just one person.
Again, it was only natural.
Standing before them was none other than the infamous leader of the Black Fangs.
He was a giant among men, someone who resided in a different world altogether.
All eyes focused on the white-haired man donning a wolf mask.
“I gathered you all here because there’s something important I need to share.”
His tone was unusually serious, unlike his usual self.
People swallowed nervously, awaiting his next words.
And… before long, their expressions turned to confusion. This was only natural.
“I am not the leader of the Black Fangs.”
The words that escaped his mouth were utterly baffling.
Why would he tell such a bizarre lie?
No one in this group could deny the miracles this man had achieved.
He had subdued the Empire’s knights, turning them into his subordinates, and effortlessly healed incurable diseases.
He was undeniably the head of the Black Fangs.
“I only impersonated them due to certain circumstances.”
Even as he continued his explanation, it did nothing to shed light on the situation.
If this man had deceived them for personal gain, claiming to be the leader of the Black Fangs would have made perfect sense.
But all they had done was engage in relief efforts.
Who in the world would impersonate someone just to help others?
People were left bewildered by his ongoing, peculiar lies when…
“The Empire is about to search for the Black Fangs nationwide. If you’re not careful, you could get caught up in this.”
That statement.
The moment they heard it, everyone seemed to understand what was happening.
Naturally.
They came from the slums.
Anyone who couldn’t think clearly wouldn’t have lasted this long in the first place.
So everyone here could grasp the true meaning behind the man’s words.
“You have nothing to do with the Black Fangs. Therefore… please, hide yourselves so you don’t get caught up in this.”
This was just like everything this man had always done.
When he first opened the relief center, even when everyone watched him with suspicion and caution, he had always been kind to others.
Despite possessing the power to force everyone into submission, he never used it to oppress others.
He only wielded his strength to protect, help, and give.
This was simply a repetition of everything that had come before.
As always, the man was prepared to shoulder all burdens for the sake of everyone else.
That was why he was telling such an obvious lie.
Claiming he wasn’t the leader of the Black Fangs just to keep them away from danger.
“We’ll help you hide properly and settle into a new place.”
Even while making such sacrifices, the man never requested anything in return.
He merely asked to be allowed to help them until the end.
After the leader’s speech, a cold silence settled among the people.
‘This… is the right thing to accept.’
Among the crowd, one man gritted his teeth.
He realized they had been too enthralled by an overly idealistic narrative and concluded this was, ultimately, the realistic choice.
‘There’s no other way to survive.’
Taking advantage of the chance when the slave traders’ guards were relaxed, somehow he had lived through the slums day after day.
Life here had taught him that to survive, he had to act selfishly.
He understood.
He understood that turning a blind eye to the person who had helped them so much when he was in danger was a vile act.
But the man had managed to survive this long by being selfish. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made it.
Probably, most of the people here felt the same way.
That’s why they all remained silent.
So, they just needed to go along with what the man was saying.
The man thought this… when suddenly, he remembered.
His life before the leader came and changed everything.
Back then, he had beaten a young girl senseless.
The reason was quite simple. The girl had attempted to steal his money.
He had a family to support.
That money was vital for his family’s survival.
So, the man was enraged. He unleashed all his wrath on the ungrateful little brat who dared threaten his family.
He thought it was only natural.
If you don’t retaliate when wronged, survival in this place is impossible.
And it wasn’t long before the man encountered that girl again at the relief center.
She apologized and explained her circumstances.
That girl wasn’t some brutal murderer intent on harming his family.
She was just a little girl who had to do anything for her sick mother.
Both the man and the girl apologized, but he still couldn’t understand.
Whose fault was it, really?
Everyone was merely struggling to survive. They were trying desperately to protect their loved ones.
Yet, simply because they weren’t born noble, because they came from the slums,
they lost the right to live like human beings.
They lost the right to be good.
They had to steal from others just to scrape by.
Was this world truly just?
“Just forget everything that happened.”
The man recalls the events from yesterday.
He remembers the days spent helping at the relief center, aiding people.
He recalls the smiles on their faces. He remembers the smile on his own face as he witnessed them.
He thinks back to those ordinary yet beautifully ordinary days.
“You can erase the Black Fangs from your memory.”
The man’s feet begin to move.
Before he fully comprehends it, he has stepped forward.
“I refuse.”
As those words leave his mouth,
he feels everyone’s eyes converging on him.
But he presses on, undeterred.
Walking, he states,
“A life that feels lifeless, I’ll refuse even if it’s offered.”
He no longer wants to live like this.
He doesn’t want to pass this life on to his future child.
So,
“Please, allow me to be with you.”
The man kneels before the leader.
And… he wasn’t the only one acting this way.
Without a doubt, they were the most selfish individuals. People who had no choice but to be excessively selfish.
But that was exactly why they collectively voiced,
“Please, Captain!”
They no longer wished to live selfishly.
They wanted a world where everyone could live ‘ordinary lives.’
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