Chapter 13

Greg Bisk.

He was an orc that came pretty close to being a mutant.

Now, what exactly is an orc?

They’re dirty, barbaric, and as dumb as they come—a different race entirely.

And yet, their strength is outrageously powerful, and their boiling point is absurdly low.

There’s even a statistic showing that about 30% of crimes committed by different races are done by orcs.

But Greg was different from your average orc right from birth.

He hated foul smells, preferred books over clubs, and favored quiet cafes over noisy banquet halls—a man of refined tastes.

So it was only natural that the moment he came of age, he left orc society without a second thought.

“Uh, you really want to join our company?”

“Yes.”

“But… isn’t being an orc kind of…”

However, the fact that he was born an orc became an outrageous obstacle for him.

Perhaps because he happened to be the son of an orc berserker.

Greg towered over 2 meters tall and weighed in the triple digits.

Thanks to his relatively attractive mother, his face wasn’t too hideous.

But the greenish skin tone unique to orcs and his protruding tusks were still very much there.

No matter how capable he was or how calm his demeanor, people with an aversion to orcs refused to hire him.

“Living in the city isn’t exactly easy either. It’s been days of going nowhere…”

“Hey, hey, you green pig over there! Hand over everything you’ve got!”

“Oh? So this is what a robbery’s like. What happens if I don’t give you everything I have?”

“Then I’ll turn your guts into mush with this knife and feed them to the stray dogs… Gwaaah!”

“Hmm, this dull knife probably can’t even pierce my skin. Perfect timing. Lead me to where your gang is.”

And so, to avoid starving to death in Night Haven, Greg had no choice but to enter the underworld.

And perhaps due to the overwhelming stats inherited from his orc berserker bloodline and his naturally calm nature,

he quickly rose to become the dark horse of the underworld.

“Boss! What’s next? Are we taking down another organization?”

“…I’m tired of this. I’m stepping back. From now on, you guys handle things yourselves.”

“What?! Boss, Boss!”

But life in the underworld didn’t suit Greg’s temperament at all.

A place where the strong beat up the weak and live however they please.

It wasn’t much different from the orc tribe he grew up in.

The life Greg wanted was one free from fighting and scheming, living quietly while enjoying his hobbies.

So when he felt he’d saved enough money, he left without hesitation.

He spent most of his savings to open a shop in the gray zone between the underworld and the outside world.

The shop’s name was Greg’s General Store.

Of course, customers were few, and it didn’t make nearly as much money as when he was a thug for an organization.

But the time he spent here was incredibly satisfying for him.

This place rarely got involved in incidents, so it was peaceful and quiet…

And whenever someone from the outside visited, it provided just enough new stimulation.

“…”

“Don’t hesitate, eat as much as you like. There’s plenty.”

“…!”

Greg quietly watched the pure white cloth devouring barbecue with great enthusiasm, his back turned.

Ghost.

This little guy had recently become a popular figure causing quite the stir in the underworld.

In the chaotic underworld where trouble never ceased, its mere presence helped suppress troublemakers.

Not to mention pulling pesky vampires out into the open.

Rumors even said it casually broke through a Double Number Pixie’s encirclement and escaped.

Its unique appearance and extraordinary deeds naturally spread through word of mouth.

Recently, rumors circulated that it drove an innocent passerby to the brink of death.

Or that it dealt in dangerous drugs and illegal enhancement substances.

The Black Lily Society placed a bounty of 700,000 credits on it, with capture as a condition.

The Ghost had become a hot potato, practically a ticking bomb in the underworld.

‘From what I can see, that doesn’t seem like something it would do.’

Of course, Greg had crossed paths with the Ghost before and didn’t believe the bad rumors spreading through the underworld.

Attacking innocent people or dealing drugs.

If it were capable of such things, stories would have surfaced long ago.

The timing of the rumor about the Double Number Pixie failing to catch the Ghost and the spread of its misdeeds…

The two events were suspiciously close together, which bothered him.

It felt as though someone was deliberately orchestrating this situation.

With his experience, Greg instinctively sensed the core of this situation.

‘The Black Lily Society… especially that snake-hearted coward who’s darker than the rabbit he replaced. They must be trying to suppress the Ghost’s influence.’

Of course, they had sufficient motive.

The Black Lily Society was still a fledgling organization, having only entered the western labyrinth less than five years ago.

After Wang Wei, known as the Rabbit King, died and his daughter hastily took over as leader…

Competitors were constantly eyeing the unstable position of the Black Lily Society.

And then the Ghost suddenly appeared, shaking the status quo they had built.

From their perspective, it was only natural they’d panic and do whatever they could.

‘I don’t like this method.’

Though the approach was somewhat reasonable, it was deeply unpleasant to Greg.

To solidify their position, they fabricated the actions of an unrelated person to turn them into an enemy.

It was something he’d experienced countless times during his time in the underworld.

Thus, lost in memories of the past, Greg furrowed his brow momentarily…

When he belatedly noticed the Ghost approaching nearby.

“…”

“Hm? What is it?”

“…!”

The Ghost rummaged around in its cloak.

Suddenly, a thin, delicate arm familiar to Greg popped out from the pure white cloth.

It moved as if asking for something, so Greg extended his thick hand like a pot lid.

Thud.

A thin piece of paper fell onto Greg’s palm.

“This is… a bread discount coupon?”

“…”

“A gift? I don’t expect anything in return… but thank you.”

“…!”

A bread discount coupon.

Greg couldn’t help but chuckle at the Ghost’s utterly trivial gesture.

The fragile coupon, so small it might disappear with a gust of wind, was perfectly crisp, not a single crease in sight.

It still held warmth, as if it had been carefully kept close.

For a moment, Greg examined the bread discount coupon closely, then looked seriously at the Ghost.

“Ghost. The bounty on you is 700,000 credits, huh? Quite the headache.”

“…!”

“Relax. I don’t plan on capturing and turning you in.”

Surprised by the mention of the bounty, the Ghost leapt in place.

Greg hurriedly reassured her, clarifying his intentions.

“Judging by your appearance, you haven’t been eating properly, right?”

“…”

“If you help me here, I’ll let you hide out until things settle down. Bounty hunters rarely come this way, so it’ll definitely help.”

“…?”

“And why am I doing this? Hmm, I just don’t like those Black Lily guys.”

At Greg’s question, the Ghost nodded vigorously in agreement.

Or tilted her head quizzically, as if wondering what he meant.

Eventually, she seemed to ponder his offer carefully.

‘More transparent than expected.’

Despite not being able to see her face or body, Greg marveled inwardly at how easily the Ghost’s emotions shone through.

In the underworld, where concealing daggers in your heart was necessary for survival, someone so transparent was truly rare.

“…!”

Perhaps she had finished sorting her thoughts.

The Ghost began hopping around, signaling her acceptance of Greg’s proposal.

Given the swarm of bounty hunters throughout the labyrinth, this arrangement seemed ideal.

With mutual understanding established, the deal was set.

Suddenly promoted to employer, Greg immediately assigned the first task to the visibly excited Ghost.

“Then… it’d be best if you took off that cloth. Wearing it is like advertising you’re a ghost.”

“…!!”

The Ghost stood frozen like a statue for several seconds, as if struck by Greg’s words.

Realizing he had a point, she hesitated briefly before slowly unwrapping the cloth.

And finally, when the Ghost removed the pure white cloth and revealed herself…

Greg raised his eyebrows in complete surprise.

‘…Is the Ghost… a young girl?’

Long, silky white hair cascaded down to her waist.

Soft skin, delicate arms, and legs.

Her exposed shoulder was so slender it bordered on emaciated.

She wore an ugly goblin mask, but overall…

There was no way she could be considered unattractive.

Looking every bit like a young girl, Greg stroked his chin thoughtfully before speaking.

“This… could be quite profitable.”

“…!”

“No, not like that. You see, my shop often loses customers just because an orc runs it. But now I won’t have to worry about that for a while.”

Greg, lacking eloquence, hastily explained himself to the Ghost, who had covered herself with both hands.

He was startled by the near-miss of appearing like a human trafficker trying to sell a child.

Fortunately, the Ghost didn’t misunderstand too much, simply nodding as if to say she understood.

“The clothes you’re wearing now… are they pajamas? You should wear something else while working.”

“…”

“Oh, you don’t have other clothes? Wait a moment.”

Greg rose from the sofa and approached the Ghost with heavy steps.

After gauging her height with a quick glance, he disappeared into the back of the store.

After some time passed…

When Greg reappeared, he carried a bundle of clothes in his arms.

“An eccentric old scientist once visited. He wanted to dress his soon-to-be-created loli android in these… but apparently, they didn’t satisfy him, so he came to sell the parts instead. These are leftovers from that time.”

“…?”

“I don’t collect clothes like this as a hobby, so don’t get the wrong idea.”

The Ghost tilted her head, accepting the clothes from the slightly awkward Greg.

Since this was a general store where anything could be sold, she likely didn’t think much of it.

Her reaction suggested she was processing such thoughts in her mind.

But when the Ghost unfolded the clothes to inspect them…

She froze like a statue, unable to move.

What she received was unmistakably…

A casual maid outfit, the kind you’d see in a maid café.

What? You want me to wear this now?

Without a word, confusion filled the Ghost’s eyes as she stared at Greg.

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