Chapter 37

“Why are you like this?”

“I’m a little nervous.”

Mina clung to my arm with an anxious look in her eyes.

The warm sensation of her naturally wrapping around my arm made me put on the calmest expression I could muster.

“Don’t worry too much. I’m here, aren’t I?”

“That’s right… With the boss here, everything will be fine.”

Her response felt a bit half-hearted.

With Mina still clinging to my arm, I glanced around.

We were standing at the entrance to Viper’s Domain.

At this rate, my face might get punched before we even step inside.

What’s so great about a guy’s face that everyone, young and old, keeps staring?

“That guy…”

“The one who took down Salmusa alone…”

“Hey, quiet down. What if he hears you?”

I’m not sure if I should be proud or annoyed that my reputation has spread.

“You heard them, right? They tremble just hearing my name. So, no need to be scared.”

“Still, I’ll stay like this just in case.”

It’s a bit awkward to walk like this.

But since I didn’t feel the need to shake her off, I stepped into Viper’s Domain with Mina still clinging to my arm.

The area, known as a lawless swamp, had a particularly dark and damp atmosphere.

It felt like the kind of place where getting robbed or pickpocketed was just part of the experience.

I carefully wrapped a repulsion field around Mina and myself.

Unless someone suddenly starts firing a machine gun, my repulsion barrier shouldn’t break.

…But whenever I think like this, it always ends up breaking.

I headed toward the bar I had scouted earlier, located deep within Viper’s Domain.

True to its name, the bar called “Viper’s Tunnel” was one of the largest in the area.

Not only was it big, but it also had a long history.

It had been around since the early days of the swamp.

I heard the first owner had been running bars even before the war and used that experience to make this place thrive.

“Smells like alcohol…”

Mina buried her nose in my arm and started breathing through it.

Guess she really hates the smell of alcohol.

I forced a smile and stood in front of the bar’s entrance.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t just walk in.

There were bouncers on either side of the entrance.

“Guest, what brings you here?”

“A martini.”

“…Please don’t cause any trouble inside.”

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of doing so.”

The question is whether the others will leave me alone.

Given the situation before I entered, it didn’t seem like anyone would bother me… It looked like Salmusa’s underlings had all scattered to save their own skins.

“Then, have a good time.”

“Thanks, take care.”

I opened the bar door and stepped inside.

The bar, filled with a strangely savory smell, was packed even though it was still midday.

And the gazes of all those packed people were fixed on me and Mina.

“That guy…”

“What’s he doing here?”

“Shouldn’t we contact the boss?”

Do these people not know how to whisper?

Of course, they’re trying to whisper into each other’s ears, but it’s still loud enough for everyone to hear.

I let the chatter flow through one ear as I looked at the bartender wiping glasses behind the counter, like something out of a movie.

The middle-aged man, wearing something like a Hawaiian shirt, looked at me with an amused smile and slapped the table before asking,

“Didn’t expect the recent bar celebrity to show up in person. This is going to be fun!”

“I didn’t expect to come here either. I thought I was done with Viper.”

“Haha! If fate went as planned, it wouldn’t be fate! So, you ordered a martini? What’s the ratio?”

“Montgomery. Shaken, not stirred.”

“Ah, good ol’ Montgomery. Wait a bit. I’ll make you the most perfect Montgomery in the world.”

I took my eyes off him as he started making the drink and looked at Mina, who was sitting quietly beside me.

She had gone from clinging to my arm to linking arms, but she still seemed uncomfortable with the bar’s atmosphere, fidgeting as she looked up at me.

“Boss, the alcohol smell here is too strong…”

“Just bear with it a little longer. We’ll leave once we’re done.”

“…Okay.”

I wasn’t sure how many of Cobra’s members would be here, but I hoped at least one or two would show up.

“Here, your martini!”

“…Makgeolli?”

It definitely looked like makgeolli.

Makgeolli in a cocktail glass… The late 20th century really is something else, huh?

“Ah! This is plenty tasty too!”

“I’ve never seen cloudy alcohol before.”

Mina stared at the glass of makgeolli with curiosity.

Guess it’s her first time seeing it.

“Didn’t expect to see this.”

“It’s the easiest alcohol to get around here!”

“It’s a traditional drink, but… Hmm. Doesn’t it feel a bit out of place here?”

“The guys here drink just to get drunk. They don’t care about the taste. And you’re the same, aren’t you?”

“True.”

I took a sip of the makgeolli.

The familiar taste flowed over my tongue and down my throat, and a warm sensation began to spread in my chest.

Wow, that’s strong.

“How is it? Tasty, right?”

“Yeah. Anyway, let’s get to the point.”

“Ah, the point? Tell me. What info are you looking for?”

“Quaker.”

“…Quaker? Are you here to find family or something?”

He suddenly lowered his voice and leaned in closer.

I guess that’s how notorious Quaker is. The bartender, who was also the owner, glanced around and then whispered to me,

“No, even if I look like him, we’re not related by blood.”

“Well, if he had a lover, I’d know about it. So, what’s he planning to do?”

“Sometimes, to survive, you have to stick your head into a tiger’s mouth.”

Since I’m not Quaker, the original events might change in detail, but they’ll likely follow a similar path. I need to find out where Quaker is and what he’s doing.

Especially before the episode where he takes down Crocodile Bird and seizes the swamp. I need to either stop him or escape beforehand.

Ideally, the original story would twist so that Quaker gets caught quickly or loses interest in the swamp, but that’s too optimistic.

It’s better to eliminate him by any means necessary to avoid future trouble.

The risk is high, but if I can gather a few Users with abilities to suppress Quaker’s powers and some strong fighters, it might be possible.

All I have right now is a bit of money and an office, so it’s just wishful thinking for now.

But I’ll figure something out.

“That info will cost you. Do you have the money?”

In response to his question, I pulled out a wad of cash from my pocket and placed it on the table.

He checked the cash and nodded with a satisfied expression.

“Generous. I like it. So, what do you want to know? Fresh info or cold leftovers?”

“Both would be good.”

“Ah, even our fresh info has cooled down a bit. It’ll be a bit old, but do you have the time?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Hmm, let’s start with the cold stuff. First, news from a year ago—”

As his story began, I poked Mina’s thigh with my finger. She caught the signal and started looking around.

My plan was to buy info while pretending to be a customer, and Mina would act curious while looking for someone with a Cobra tattoo.

Once we found him, all we needed was to make eye contact, and then it would be Mina’s time to shine.

“—He crushed an entire research institute. They say the heroes couldn’t even make a sound and just retreated.”

“Wow, that guy’s on a whole different level.”

“He’s not called a disaster-level User for nothing. If he’s determined to destroy something, there’s no stopping him.”

“I wish I could use my abilities like that.”

Might as well go full overpowered protagonist while I’m here.

If I were a Quaker-level User, I’d have already cleared out the danger zones, reclaimed the territory, and become the big boss by now.

…But that’s probably not the way to go.

“Well, abilities grow stronger with use, so keep practicing.”

“That’s true. Now, about that lukewarm info—”

That’s when I felt a poke in the center of my palm and glanced at Mina.

She looked up at me with a blank expression.

“Boss, can you order me something to drink too?”

Looks like she succeeded.

I realized she had stolen someone’s vision.

“Ah! What do you like? Do you know much about alcohol?”

“Do you have anything other than alcohol?”

“She’s still a kid.”

“Bringing a kid to a place like this, what a terrible adult. Let’s see, I think there’s a bottle of soda left—”

He bent down and rummaged under the bar counter, then placed a lukewarm bottle of soda on the table.

He pressed his thumb against the cap and opened it, pouring the soda into a new glass.

Ah, that refreshing smell.

Maybe I’ll have some too.

“This is pretty rare. Enjoy it.”

“I will.”

I watched Mina’s eyes sparkle as she drank the soda, then turned my attention back to the bartender.

“Let’s continue the story.”

“Right! This is news from three months ago—”