Chapter 65: Rank 11 (5)
Although Harang was not a thug, he had experience being close to former thugs.
Therefore, he knew their characteristics better than anyone.
First, their appearance is rough.
To maintain what they call ‘Gao’ in thug terminology, they bulk up their bodies, get fearsome Tattoos, and he had heard that some even deliberately create scars on their faces.
Through this, they exude a threatening atmosphere to good-natured ordinary people.
However, this alone was not perfect.
There was a chance that someone who liked Tattoos was naturally large and coincidentally had a scar on their face.
However.
“Is this the place? Where that damn brat…… no, our old family member is newly indebted to?”
“Hey! Kain! We know you’re here! Why don’t you come out quickly?”
“What’s this? This dark fellow. Won’t you get lost?”
Added to such an impression, individuals who committed loud disturbances without regard for their surroundings like this were 99 percent thugs.
Moreover, since this place was a space for children, not their territory, it wouldn't be unreasonable to raise the probability to 100 percent.
At their appearance, the children who were playing in the dirt in the yard trembled.
It couldn't be helped.
Since individuals with delinquent appearances, enough to make even an adult man's legs tremble, were shouting an orphanage child's name, memories of being abused by the former director surfaced.
Even the few orphanage teachers were so intimidated by the thugs' Presence that they didn't know what to do, and it felt like the thugs were becoming even more arrogant.
However, this was only a momentary commotion.
The moment Hagio, who had been silent, stepped forward with his large frame, the thugs couldn't help but become like honey-eating mutes.
“Good day, everyone.”
“Uh……”
“Um…… W-well, are you well?”
One thug barely managed to open his mouth.
However, that was all.
Unlike when he was glaring daggers at Harang who was blocking his path, in front of Hagio, he couldn't even raise his voice loudly.
It couldn't be helped.
There wouldn't be many people who could remain composed before a Monster-like man who was a head taller than his own 1 meter 90 centimeters and, moreover, was all muscle.
No, rather, being a thug sensitive to strength, he looked even more intimidated.
Even managing to speak like this was thanks to mustering all his courage.
‘Sh-shit…… This wasn’t part of the deal.’
‘Wasn’t this just an ordinary orphanage? Why is a guy who looks like a veteran Mercenary who’s been through thick and thin here?’
The two thugs quickly exchanged glances.
Of course, that didn't produce any clever solution, so the two waited for the giant's reaction, unable to do either this or that.
A few beads of sweat formed on their foreheads.
Fortunately, that Monster-like man also didn't seem to want to fight.
“Yes, I am also doing well. Thank you for your concern.”
“Ha, haha…… That’s a relief.”
“Yes. However, I believe I must apologize.”
“Apologize…… you say? For what?”
“You clearly have a reason for coming all this way, but as an important event is currently underway within the orphanage…… entry by outsiders is restricted.”
“Aah, i-is that so?”
“I see. Then we shouldn't be here.”
“Yes. I apologize, but if you tell me where your residence is, I will come to escort you soon. Or if you come in three days……”
“N-no, no need to come! It’s not that urgent!”
“Yeah! Right! There’s no need for that! B-but, as you said, we’ll come back in 3 days. We, uh, have something to talk about with the kid who’s newly indebted here…… Kain.”
“The brat owes us quite a bit, you see. But…… since you say it’s urgent right now, I-I’ll come back later. Hey, let’s head back for now.”
“Let’s do that.”
Kkiiiiik……
With those last words, the two thugs hurriedly left the orphanage.
Once again, the sound of unoiled hinges echoed, and thus the brief commotion ended.
The teachers standing in the yard let out sighs of relief and began to soothe the crying children, while the four delinquent boys, including the one called Kain, looked towards Hagio with undeniably anxious expressions.
No, there was one more person looking at him.
It was Harang.
He, who had been like a forgotten sack of barley all along, looked at his friend with a curious expression, and Hagio, who let out a deep sigh, slowly explained the situation.
“These brats who did you wrong…… until a month ago, they weren’t affiliated with the orphanage.”
“Then?”
“They were just street orphans. That’s what I thought until now. But after talking to them just now…… the ones managing them? Looking after them? Anyway…… there were thugs.”
“Aah…… so that’s how it is.”
Harang, hearing Hagio’s words, immediately nodded.
He understood right away.
He lacked experience in other areas, but when it came to matters related to thugs, his mind worked incredibly fast, so he could understand the current situation without hearing more.
‘Those thug bastards are planning to suck those kids dry. Trying to squeeze money out of them somehow…… Was the reason they threatened me because they didn't have enough money to pay tribute to those guys?’
While he was thinking this, Hagio’s additional explanation followed.
It was as expected.
Harang, confirming that the situation was exactly as he had thought, threw a question.
“So, what are you going to do?”
There was no particular worry in his voice.
It was natural.
No matter how much he was ten ranks below him, he too was a top-tier Godok.
Unless the thugs of Ruibil were much stronger than those in Marzen, it would be easier than eating cold porridge for Hagio, who had reached the Graduate stage, to resolve the situation.
Sure enough, no anxiety could be felt in Hagio’s expression either.
After sending all the children in the yard into the building, he spoke with a cold expression.
“I have to kill them.”
“……Whom?”
“Those two. And all the thugs who seem to be related to them.”
“Hmm…… That’s a good method too. Wait a moment.”
Harang showed Hagio his palm.
He had forgotten.
The fact that this guy too was a Godok less tainted by society.
It wasn't strange to be mistaken since he had shown a more mature side than himself, but anyway, he felt he shouldn't leave him as he was.
And at the same time, he felt a clear surprise at himself for thinking this.
Harang, his expression briefly hardening, asked himself.
‘Why on earth?’
Why was he so concerned about the deaths of these people who had nothing to do with him?
For the purpose of ‘the children’s safety’, wasn't Hagio’s method, the ‘Godok’s method’, the most effective means?
Nevertheless, why did he want to somehow think of another way?
‘Why? Of course, even when I was in the village, I didn't enjoy killing people, but that doesn't mean I hesitated to act when necessary.’
“……”
“……Harang?”
Harang’s deliberation grew long, and watching him, Hagio made a puzzled expression.
It was understandable to find it strange since he had told him to wait and then remained silent for a long time.
Harang realized that now was not a good time to ponder.
‘In that case…… for now, I’ll follow where my heart leads.’
Harang nodded.
Right now, he didn't want to kill those thugs.
To put it more accurately, he didn't want to take the thugs' lives ‘for something like this’.
Of course, he also didn't want the kids to be in danger, so he needed to present Hagio with another effective method.
Fortunately, there was a way.
Having organized his thoughts, he spoke to Hagio.
“Killing them all could cause other problems.”
“Problems? What kind?”
“If they’re thugs related to those two, there must be at least dozens of them. If they all disappear overnight, other guys will probably scramble to fill the vacuum, right? Then the city’s security will become a mess, and it won’t be good for the children to play outside either.”
“We can keep the children from going outside until it stabilizes.”
“Like how the village didn't let us out?”
“……”
“The children will find it suffocating, don't you think?”
“What are you trying to say, Harang.”
Hagio opened his mouth with a sharp gaze.
It seemed to be because he had mentioned the village.
Of course, Harang was not one to be intimidated by that much.
Showing a faint smile, he said.
“As I said earlier, I have thug friends. Former thugs, to be exact.”
“So?”
“It means I’m much better at handling thugs than you are. Hey, Hagio.”
Fwooooosh.
Harang, after a brief pause, looked at Hagio and manifested his Presence.
The village, an energy filled with the sincerity of Rank 1, something one could occasionally see only in the ‘promotion tests’ for survival.
Hagio, feeling it head-on, gulped dryly, and the black-haired Reaper muttered softly.
“I’ll stake my name on it. I’ll take care of it so that no harm comes to the children…… How about you trust me?”
“……Alright.”
There was no way not to believe.
A moment later, Harang, borrowing Hagio’s mask, quietly left the orphanage to tail the two thugs.
* * *
Ssssh.
Tak.
“The doors here are well-oiled. Looks like they’re doing well for themselves.”
“……!”
An intruder had broken into the room of Bilte, the Boss of the Bilte Gang, which boasted the largest influence in Ruibil’s back alleys.
Black hair, black clothes, black mask.
Bilte, feeling intimidated by the entirely black presence, forced himself to maintain composure and opened his mouth.
“How did you get in here……”
“Stop right there. I’ll be the one asking questions and making demands.”
“……”
However, before he could finish speaking, the intruder, who had vanished like a phantom, appeared behind Bilte.
Pressing something sharp to his neck, he commanded in a colder voice than before.
The Boss, who was sweating profusely and contemplating his actions, squeezed his eyes shut and added one more word.
“Damn it, kill me if you want! But know this. Jeten is behind me! The Nadan Kingdom’s largest Swordsmanship Guild will uncover your identity piece by piece, and they’ll cut off the fingers and toes of those you love and feed them to the dogs!”
Of course, he couldn't bring himself to add the trailing words, ‘If you stop here, I’ll pretend nothing happened!’
That would be a great loss of Gao considering the Boss' dignity, so it couldn't be helped.
Bilte prayed inwardly.
Hopefully, this unidentified intruder would be intimidated by Jeten's reputation.
And thus, quietly sheathe his sword and leave his room.
Of course, Harang had no such intention.
After a moment of thought, he opened his mouth.
“Among the people I know, there are two who are a bit…… no, very ignorant.”
“What? What’s that supposed to……”
“Just listen quietly for now. Anyway, those two are so dumb they can't even do double-digit addition properly. So I asked those friends, I’m sorry and this might be rude, but how do you live each day without trouble with such ignorance and lack of common sense and knowledge. Shouldn't you be filling your head with something even now…… So what do you think those friends said?”
“……”
“They said this. That they can just dump all their thoughts and worries onto their subordinates.”
“……”
“Why do you think I said this?”
“I, I don’t quite……”
“It means that worries and concerns about the Jeten Guild are not my business, but yours.”
Kwaaang!
Finishing his words, Harang slammed Bilte’s face hard onto the table.
Kuaaak, his nose bone broken, he was about to clutch his nose with a pained expression, but the blade dug into his neck again.
The Boss gasped for breath with a terrified face.
He didn't care.
In a calm and quiet voice, Harang opened his mouth again.
“Let’s sort out the situation. I only want to talk to you. I don’t particularly want to get involved with the Jeten Guild. Although not as much as the friends I mentioned earlier, I too am lacking in common sense, experience, and knowledge. So I’d appreciate it if you could figure out a solution regarding the Jeten Guild yourself.”
“Heok, heok……!”
“I’ll explain one more time. I don’t want to get involved with the Jeten Guild, and I don’t want to bother thinking about how to do that. You, the wise Boss of the Bilte Gang, please figure out that solution yourself. Have you understood up to this point?”
“Hook, heuk…… W-what if I say no?”
“Ah, I forgot to mention something earlier.”
Kwaang!
Kwaang!
Kwaaaang!
Harang slammed Bilte’s face down three consecutive times.
His already battered nasal bone had been completely shattered, and several of his front teeth were broken as well—the boss’ face was on the verge of collapsing entirely.
It was a serious injury that would require a long period of recuperation even if expensive potions were used.
Of course, it wasn't fatal.
Confirming that, Harang opened his mouth again.
“Those friends were not smart, but they were very strong. That’s why their subordinates listened to them well.”
“Keolkeok, heuu, krrreuk……”
“Should I also show off my strength a bit more for you to listen?”
At the low voice that spread through the room, Bilte’s heart shrank to the size of a bean.