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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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Chapter 47: Dark Soul
Suddenly, a sly old gangster flashed through my mind. If he's talking about a Dark Soul Branch Head, it must be Bravo Khan.
'Interesting.'
Of course, I expected the Dark Soul guys to come back, but this kind of visit was unexpected. Bravo Khan loved to scheme, so there was a high probability he had other intentions.
"It's better to go with us."
I pretended not to know and tested Garlic.
"Do you know what's going to happen to you if you follow them?"
"It seems you don't understand the situation, Ruin. It's not safe even if you refuse. Two of our people are dead, so this can't end like this. If you refuse, the captains will be deployed in large numbers next time. Then it'll be irreversible. Even if you run away, it won't work. It won't end with just Ruin dying."
"......"
Garlic, who thought I was scared, smiled and said,
"I'll tell you how to survive. The Branch Head cherishes talent. Hand over all the Sojungi, and come under the Branch Head. Then you'll be protected."
It sounded like Bravo Khan was planning to gobble up Sojungi all by himself.
"What do you think, Ruin?"
I looked at the two guys alternately and asked,
"Do you guys eat?"
"Yes?"
"Let's eat first and then think. This place makes good stir-fried chicken. Haven't you tried it? It tastes better than anything you can imagine."
I saw Donkey's expression harden a bit and quickly continued,
"But it's a bit difficult to eat here. A few tables were broken because of your friends last time. It's not even raining, so let's just have a street stall over there. Gangsters are the best on the streets, originally."
"You don't seem to understand, but food is not the problem right now. The Branch Head wants to see you right away, so you can eat after you go..."
"Be quiet."
At this moment, Brandon's eyes changed instantly, and he quickly covered Garlic's mouth and whispered something in his ear. Then Garlic's expression changed drastically, and he stopped talking.
I walked out and said,
"Two stir-fried chickens and a barrel of makgeolli, please. Oh, the strong makgeolli. I'm going to drink it outside, so I'm craving strong alcohol. Show these country bumpkins some skills."
"I'll show you a spicy taste."
Donkey, who dreamed of becoming the world's best chef, bravely said and went into the kitchen.
Zion and I sat down at the stall first, and Garlic and Brandon also sat down with hesitant expressions.
Soon, a spicy smell filled the air, and Donkey came out with stir-fried chicken and a barrel of alcohol.
"Then enjoy your meal. I'll be inside, so call me if you need anything."
I nodded and picked up a piece of stir-fried chicken, and a pungent aroma rushed in.
"Wow, it's spicy."
Zion agreed.
"It's especially spicy today."
I said to the country bumpkins,
"Try it. It's spicy and delicious."
The two guys hesitantly picked up a piece of stir-fried chicken and immediately stuck out their tongues with surprised expressions.
"See, it's delicious, right? This isn't just any stir-fried chicken."
"......It is delicious."
They continued to eat the stir-fried chicken. They seemed to have developed an appetite, and the speed at which they ate the stir-fried chicken gradually increased.
It was spicy but addictive. My tongue was getting numb from eating, so I kept drinking makgeolli.
The fiery sensation as it went down the throat was exceptional. Donkey must have made it extra strong on purpose, as it paired perfectly with the spicy stir-fried chicken.
For a while, no words were exchanged, only the clinking of glasses. I waited until the gangsters' faces started turning red before speaking again.
"So, why is Bravo Khan looking for me?"
Garlic, sweating profusely from the spice, answered with a puzzled look.
"How do you know the Branch Head's name? Did I tell you? I don't remember."
"I've heard of him."
"Well, that's possible. Anyway, that's not important..."
Garlic hiccuped once and continued.
"You need to go see him soon. You don't have time to dawdle with me here. Haa, by the way, this is so spicy. Can I have a glass of water?"
I filled an empty glass with makgeolli and handed it to Garlic.
"Drink."
"Ahem, I'm done with makgeolli. I want water."
"There's no water. Drink the makgeolli."
Garlic stuck out his tongue and panted, then gulped down the makgeolli in one go and burped loudly. I glared at him again and said,
"That's the only way to survive?"
"....Yes."
I decided it was time to get to the point.
"How is that a way to survive, you idiot? He's going to take the Sojungi and then kill me. It's so obvious that the damn old man wants to have it all for himself. I can escape here, but how am I supposed to escape if your old man is fully prepared? Huh?"
As I was speaking, Garlic, drunk, turned even redder and shouted with his eyes half-rolled back.
"This bastard... Did he just call the damn old man a damn old man?"
"You stupid fool!"
I immediately threw an empty glass at Garlic's forehead.
Garlic, perhaps trained in some strange way, didn't dodge and headbutted the glass. His forehead split open, and blood gushed out.
His eyes returning to normal, Garlic wore a deeply wronged expression.
"Damn it. That bastard said it would work. How dare he trick me? He's dead, for real."
"Get a grip, Garlic. You're suffering because of your idiotic master. It's not me you should be worried about right now. Worry about your own survival first. If I slit your throat here, who's going to save you? Do you think your master will suddenly appear?"
At that moment, I heard a slapping sound from the side. I looked over and saw Zion slapping Brandon's cheek.
"You penniless bastard. Why did you come back here without any money? If you came, you should buy Sojungi. You won't buy it? Why not? Take off your clothes, you bastard. If you die and come back as a ghost, everything you have is mine."
It was a heartwarming sight. Business should be done ruthlessly.
"......"
I briefly organized the chaotic situation and then drank more makgeolli. The stir-fried chicken was all gone, but the makgeolli barrels kept increasing.
The sun had set, and darkness was gradually settling over the street. For hours, we continued to pass the glasses around. For some reason, I didn't want to see the gangsters' glasses empty.
Perhaps because we were being too loud at the stall, there was no one walking around on the street.
While Garlic and Brandon were retching with nauseous faces, I happened to glance at the end of the alley. Zion followed my gaze.
An unfamiliar figure was slowly approaching us.
It was a man with a sword sheath at his waist. He was slightly smaller than Carrot but had sharp eyes.
The man approached, locking eyes with me, then chuckled after seeing Garlic and Brandon's faces.
"Now I see these idiots were doing something stupid here."
As the man stopped in front of us, Garlic and Brandon flinched and avoided his gaze.
I pointed at the man and asked,
"Who's interrupting our drinking session?"
"Just as arrogant as I've heard. Are you Ruin?"
I turned to look at Zion, and he shook his head.
"I didn't tell him this time."
I turned back to the man.
"Why are so many people calling my name today? Why? Are you trying to join us? Unfortunately, we're out of stir-fried chicken. But we still have makgeolli. Want a drink?"
The man smirked and replied,
"Maybe next time. I'm here to deliver a message from someone higher up."
"You too?"
Not understanding what I meant, the man got straight to the point.
"The branch head wants to see you. Get up now."
I instantly realized that the gangsters were divided into factions. It seemed the Branch Head and the branch head weren't on good terms. Feeling a surge of displeasure, I said,
"Sorry, but I have a prior engagement."
"A prior engagement?"
I pointed at Garlic and Brandon and answered,
"These guys here are working so hard to arrange a meeting between their boss and me. I can't just ignore that, can I? Right, Garlic?"
Garlic and Brandon awkwardly avoided my gaze...
Finally understanding the situation, the man drew his sword from his waist.
"I see how it is. You don't need to worry about what these guys say, so get up. You need to come with me."
I kept my eyes on the man's blade and replied,
"Put the sword away."
"If you don't understand, I'll have to drag you by force."
I pushed off the ground and stood up, and the man smiled.
In a relaxed posture, I wrapped 'Wind' around my hand, swung my elbow wide, and slapped the unsuspecting man's cheek.
Smack— The man stumbled with a loud sound.
"You bastard. I said I have a prior engagement, who are you to tell me what to do?"
As soon as the man turned his head, I kicked his wrist with my foot and slapped his cheek again.
Smack—
"Ugh!"
The man dropped his sword and fell to the ground. I bent at the waist and continued to slap his cheeks.
"If a gangster draws his sword, he has to take responsibility."
Smack— Smack— Smack—
The man's cheeks swelled up enormously, and at some point, he lost consciousness. I turned my head sharply and looked at Garlic and Brandon.
"Lead the way."
Garlic and Brandon, who had been watching the scene, jumped up and replied,
"Yes, yes!"
"Our employee is guarding the inn well."
Zion nodded, and I gave the sprawled man a final kick.
"Get up."
"......"
"You'll get lockjaw if you sleep out in the cold. You haven't gotten it yet, have you? Want me to give it to you?"
The sleeping man grabbed both his cheeks and jumped up.
Geez...
Worrying about a sleeping gangster, my personality has improved a lot.
Garlic took the lead and strode out energetically...
The four of us moved in a line like ducklings.
* * *
In fact, there was nothing to lose. It was a welcome event that they came to me first, just when I was about to make a move.
Lost in thought as I walked, I soon reached the end of the western street, where a large open space appeared.
At first, I thought we were going to the Red Sunset Tavern, but it was completely different.
We entered the open space and walked for a while longer until we saw a large wall,
and beyond that, a few buildings occupied a fairly large area.
The headquarters of the Dark Soul branch.
"I didn't expect to come here."
Garlic bypassed the main gate and walked along the wall towards the back.
"But why are we going this way?"
"There's a side door. The Branch Head wants to see you privately."
"Of course. I knew it."
I thought for a moment, then turned around and said,
"By the way, what's your name?"
The man with red cheeks replied,
"....Derek."
"Okay, Derek. Let's part ways here. You go your own way. Tell the branch head that I'll meet him after my prior engagement is over."
All three of them looked surprised for different reasons, but perhaps because they were scared of me, they didn't ask any further questions.
"Alright."
Derek left in a different direction, and I followed Garlic's guidance again, walking along the wall for a while.
Garlic stopped at a secluded spot and knocked on the wall. Suddenly, with a creaking sound, the wall slid open, revealing a side door just big enough for one person to pass through.
The side door led to another enclosed space, which looked like a hidden room inside a building.
It was structured so that opening the side door, like opening a room door, led to the outside.
A one-eyed man greeted us.
"You're late, Garlic."
"I apologize. There was something I had to take care of."
The one-eyed man narrowed his eyes for a moment.
"Have you been drinking?"
"I'll explain later. But first..."
"Right. There was a guest."
The one-eyed man immediately led me out of the room. We walked through the corridors, turning this way and that, and then stopped at one place and knocked on the door...
"Who is it?"
"It's One-Eye."
"Come in."
The door opened, and Bravo Khan was sitting across the table in the center, with a bright smile on his face.
* * *
This old gangster seems to have grown fond of me after seeing me a few times. Hiding my welcoming feelings, I pulled out a chair and sat down.
"You're a bold one."
"What's the reason you wanted to see me?"
I got straight to the point, but Bravo Khan just laughed and changed the subject.
"You're a fearless one. I heard your surname is Samael. Is that right?"
"You want to ask one question at a time, huh?"
I nodded and asked what I had been most curious about recently.
"Why do you call him One-Eye?"
Bravo Khan replied nonchalantly,
"It's a nickname."
"A good one."
Bravo Khan chuckled, as if amused, and continued,
"Samael... Interesting. Why did you do something so reckless?"
"What?"
"The two guys you killed were my subordinates. This is the first time I've seen someone in Khaoto mess with my subordinates and remain so brazen like you."
I instantly sensed from Bravo Khan's tone that there was intense infighting within the Khaoto branch.
'My subordinates', he said.
It was clear that the relationship between the branch head and the Branch Head wasn't that great.
"Is that a problem? I can't just stand still when third-rate bastards come at me with the intent to kill. Those kinds of guys need to die to learn their lesson."
Bravo Khan's expression didn't change.
"Haha, you're fearless, aren't you? But you're right. They were idiots, and they would have died someday even if it wasn't by your hand. But the real problem is..."
"......"
"That I'm behind them. No matter how idiotic they are, they're still under me. If I don't make an issue out of you, what will the others think of me?"
"Is that why you wanted to see me? Is that all?"
I thought he was trying to swallow Sojungi, so this was a bit unexpected. Did this old man have this side to him?
"You don't seem to understand the situation. If I wanted to, you wouldn't leave this place alive. I acknowledge your skill in killing those two guys with a single strike. But don't think that makes you anything special."
"So what do you want?"
Bravo Khan relaxed his expression and continued,
"There's one way to survive. Admit your mistake and come under me. Then everything will be resolved. You're a talent too valuable to kill."
"It's a bit difficult to give you an answer right now."
"Think carefully. As you can see, you can't survive here alone. Even One-Eye is not below you. He could have killed those two guys you killed with a single strike as well."
"I said it's difficult."
At that moment, the door burst open, and One-Eye and a few others entered, surrounding me in a threatening manner. Bravo Khan completely changed his tone and said to me,
"You're a fool who doesn't understand the situation until the very end. You have no choice. Do you think this will end with just your life? Especially with your surname being Samael. Even if you're stupid, you must understand what this means, right?"
I kept shaking my head.
"No. That's not why it's difficult."
Suddenly, a faint noise grew louder and louder, and then there was a loud boom from outside.
"I have one more appointment. Let's talk after I come back."
As I kicked the door open and left, I heard Bravo Khan clicking his tongue and muttering,
"Tsk, it's become difficult to save that guy even if I wanted to."
Outside the building, all sorts of third-rate gangsters had drawn their weapons and were creating a menacing atmosphere.
In the center of the courtyard,
a bulldog-like man was sitting alone on a large rock.
And next to him, a man with red cheeks was pointing at me.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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