Chapter 18

Kim grabbed a drink and sat down at an empty table. There was no bartender. Instead, there were machines filled with various drinks like a fast food restaurant.

It was a fill-your-own cup. I fill it with whatever I want and set it on the table, and Bryce lets out a small gasp.

“Raised rum? You drink all the strong stuff. There’s only one other guy in my platoon who drinks it, and I thought about taking it away.”

Kim held the glass up to her nose. It doesn’t smell too bad, but is it that strong?

He didn’t drink it, but put it down; he wasn’t averse to alcohol, but he wasn’t a drinker either.

“Cut to the chase.”

“Are you averse to small talk?”

“Not really… I’m just a little tired.”

“Oh, I told you it was just arriving today.”

Bryce scratched his head; it still didn’t make sense to him.

Becoming a bounty hunter on day one without belonging anywhere. There are weird people in the world.

“I suppose I should start by apologizing and clearing up any misunderstandings. We’re sorry we didn’t explain the operation in advance, but we had no intention of letting those bounty hunters die.”

“I know that.”

White Fang held his breath, but when Kim was in danger, he sprang into action.

Bryce also seemed to have told the Outlaws not to attack the Bounty Hunter.

But flip it around and that’s just it.

“I didn’t mean to let you die, but I can’t help it if you do…. Is that how you feel?”

Damage could be done in combat, and it was possible that the Outlaws could pull a fast one. Whitefang did the bare minimum.

“I’m sorry.”

Bryce responded with an apology. An affirmation. Kim shrugged lightly.

“You can feel sorry for them, but there’s no excuse, you’re not a charity either.”

The bounty hunters involved in this case had no power or standing. They have no recourse for being taken advantage of.

Injustice is not uncommon in modern times. Polaris is many times worse.

In a way, they were conscientious. In that they compensated the victims.

‘There’s only so many times in the world you can have a group of people like Celbrosix Labs.’

It’s not about good or evil. It’s about how much you can keep for yourself while making things better for others.

Kim did more than take the bait. The other two didn’t. It’s a simple thing to say, but there was a big difference between them.

“Did I mention I’m Yi Hyun Kim?”

“Just strings. That’s what everybody calls it.”

“Okay, Hyun, I’ll get straight to the point.”

Bryce’s eyes became more serious.

“I’d like to invite you to be a guest of Whitefang.”

“Guest?”

“Yes, sir. We have a… big agenda, one that could make or break not only the Lotus Company, but the entirety of Kilikia, and I’d like your help in resolving it.”

“Is it okay to make it your own?”

“It’s already gone up, you’ll have to wait for an answer, but I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

When? Kim’s eyes widen slightly.

“The men who participated in this exploration spoke highly of your skills. Your crisis handling and situational awareness were excellent. Your spells are particularly useful, despite some untrained areas, and your ability to create weapons?”

“Roughly.”

I crafted the Glitch Knife as a demonstration. It took me less than 3 seconds to make a 1-star equipment.

“Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of variation.”

“…… is enough for what you’ve shown me so far.”

Bryce felt a sudden thirst, and in his mind, Kim’s rating went up a notch. It was more than useful, it was mind-boggling.

Assassination. Hand-to-hand combat. Ambush. Espionage. Sabotage…. The versatility of the tool was impressive.

A spell would have reasonable limitations, but in the hands of a skilled warrior, it would be a disaster.

“I don’t know where this guy came from.”

“It’s from Cadillac, Tulavia, Ulantz… If you’re curious, do your research.”

“Tulavia? I thought it was closed.”

“We had nothing to eat.”

Bryce shook his head. If he’d ever been a vagabond, he could understand the stiffness. If anything, the bustling streets made him feel more uncomfortable.

“Do I need to write a contract?”

“A formal contract can wait, but it’s a sensitive subject, and I can’t recommend walking away after hearing it. What do you say?”

“Remuneration?”

“I’m not the employer, so it’s hard to say for sure, but it’s probably around 200 per operation. It’s a good paycheck.”

“10, 20 per head of outlaw. Is that how it works?”

“That’s one of the criteria. There are many ways to contribute. If you do it like you did today… I’d be willing to pay $300 more.”

500 for one bath.

Kim chuckled.

“Explain what happened.”

“It’s nice to be cool.”

Bryce drained his glass and said.

“How much do you know about outlaws?”

“Isn’t he a criminal who has been driven off the face of the earth?”

“That’s right. They’ve been stripped of their citizenship. Flee through MetroCity before you’re taken into custody, or get out of the city altogether and find an underground entrance and go into hiding.”

The territory of the former Commonwealth of Kilikia, not the current City-State of Kilikia. The underground was opened during the Commonwealth, so it extends far beyond the city.

“Only the administration knows the exact number. No, I don’t think they know all of them. There are probably some bums who have gone underground from the outside.”

“What do you mean, a lot?”

“Yeah, and yet the Outlaws stay underground and don’t come out. Only a madman would think of hitting Metro City. Why do you think?”

“I don’t know. I’m afraid of the police, I’m afraid of the group not being organized… I don’t know.”

“The underlying reason is a lack of power.”

Bryce pulled his pistol from its holster and set it on the table. He hadn’t packed a firearm for the operation because he was disguised as a bounty hunter.

“You’re poorly equipped. We fight monsters with crowbars and raid freight cars to replenish our supplies. To be honest, it’s not intimidating, in fact, it’s almost a positive.”

Outlaws take care of the beasts of the underground. Their exploits have fueled a booming industry of security companies and bounty hunters.

Congress doesn’t want to see the outlaws disappear either. The companies that operate underground pay a huge amount of taxes every year.

“It’s an underground business, there was a tacit understanding between us, and then it blew up.”

Kim picked up the phone.

“The outlaw is starting to count.”

“……Wow, you’re really quick on the uptake.”

“They were armed not with crowbars, but with fancy crossbows. The tents seemed to be of good quality, and the base itself was too close to MetroCity.”

“Correct.”

Bryce took a heavy breath.

“There are weapons underground, and an unusually large number of them are loot. We have determined that there is a faction supplying the Outlaws with weapons. This is not something to be downplayed.”

That’s all the information we have from the Lotus Company. They were preparing for war with the Outlaws.

But there was something wrong.

Those who do business with Outlaw are not Kilikia companies.

A third party, unknown to the Lotus Company, is contacting the Outlaws from the outside.

A legion.

* * *

S-eup, puuu. Tsup, huuu.

There was a sound that welcomed Kim home after an eventful day. It was the sound of Roscoe’s breathing as he slept on the floor.

‘…… reminds me of the army.’

It was a decibel I suspected was intentional. I’d heard it all the way to Kilikia, but hadn’t paid much attention to it then.

“When Roscoe was sleeping, I was the one on the fire.

No matter how noisy it was, as long as we were out of the car, it was fine. Asterique, on the other hand, would spread her blanket on the ground and fall asleep outside.

Asterike still hadn’t gotten used to it. Even now, she squatted in the corner of the room, her face covered by the quilt.

“Asterike, wake up.”

Kim grabbed her shoulder and shook her gently. Asterique’s eyes fluttered open with a “thunk” as she realized she hadn’t slept well.

“Uh, huh? Oh, you’re Hyun, when did you get here?”

“Now. You?”

“Early in the evening. Just registering players and scheduling. Debut? In two days.”

Asterique was unkempt in more ways than one. Just look at the spittle that trickled down her lips.

Instead of using the quilt to clean it, Kim quickly wiped it with her sleeve. New clothes are cleaner than a futon that hasn’t been washed in a while.

“I feel like I’m taking care of a puppy.

The tension that had been building the whole time was lifted. Time underground and time above ground. The sense of urgency was different, but both felt very real.

I don’t know when it was that I was able to fully embrace my life as it is now, maybe today.

“But why are we doing this here?”

“He’s loud, I was going to hit him, but I held back, he’s talking to people, he’s having a harder time than I am.”

Asterique looked at Roscoe and grumbled, apparently they’d both had a good first day.

She blurted out.

“People here… seem to be okay.”

“What?”

“They take one look at my horns and walk right on by, and even the receptionist is like, ‘Oh, it’s Pekatum.’ I guess they’re not interested in anyone else.”

“Because there are all these weird people.”

His head bobbed up and down a little.

“Yeah. It was weird at first, but then I realized there were a lot of people, so maybe I’ll feel more comfortable. If I knew this would happen, I should have come here from the beginning. ……No, then I wouldn’t have met Hyun, which is also not good.”

“We would have met anyway.”

Kim’s purpose for coming to Kilikia had nothing to do with Asterike, meaning she would have been here even without her.

What if Ast was an agent from Kilikia? He could have been found here.

I would have thought it was a good thing. Two birds with one stone.

Asterike’s eyes narrowed at the casual answer, and soon the corners of her mouth twitched.

“……hehe.”

“You’re laughing in a bad way. Why?”

“No. How was your day? Did you get a job?”

Did you get the job.

It was a poignant question. The three of us were living in the same room. They were so poor.

No, it was poor.

Until a few hours ago.

“Go downstairs and grab two more rooms.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Let’s get comfortable.”

The money worries are already gone.

The down payment is coming in a few days. I don’t have to spend my limited savings on anything.

It was a satisfying day.