Chapter 96

“Ugh… you idiot. I wasn’t kidnapped, I came here to get kidnapped, you moron.”

The guy’s face turned pale.

Unless he’s an idiot, he can’t help but notice that something’s off about the current situation.

Given my calm demeanor and the fact that something must have happened at the gambling den.

From the moment I confirmed the presence of drugs with my own eyes, there was no way out for him.

“Bro, bro! Right now… some weird guys and soldiers directly from the Baronia Royal Palace are raiding the gambling den! We need to run now!”

“What… what did you say? The Baronia Royal Palace?!”

His already pale face froze like a convict sentenced to death upon hearing that soldiers from the royal palace had arrived.

If it were a conflict with another organization or group, maybe, but with the royal palace directly involved, everything he had built up until now was about to collapse. Staying calm would be absurd.

“What are you talking about? Soldiers from the royal palace are here?”

“It’s chaos right now! You need to get out of here immediately!”

“Damn it! First, everyone grab the money and…”

BAM—

The door burst open, and soldiers flooded into the room.

“Everyone, freeze. Any movement will be considered an act of hostility against the Neutral Country.”

“……”

Everyone except me froze at the sight of the soldiers and our party members suddenly entering the room.

“…Damn it!”

“We have confirmed that drugs are being distributed here. Please comply with our control. This is not a request but a warning.”

The boss guy glanced around furtively, then his eyes widened as he spotted someone.

“You… you’re… Wi Ho-yeon?”

“…And you are…”

Seems like he and the Sword Monarch are acquainted.

“You… you were supposed to be in the Eastern Alliance… What are you doing here?”

“You… why are you here… Wait, if you’re here, then the Eternity Clan…?”

If this guy, stationed on the outskirts of Baronia, knows about it, then Wi Ho-yeon joining our clan must have spread quite widely.

“…Damn it!”

“Lim Jun-hyung… what are you doing here? You… you didn’t get involved in drug trafficking, did you?”

“…Ha.”

“You… you weren’t this kind of person… What happened…?”

This was the first time I’d seen Wi Ho-yeon make such a face while being around her.

“…Damn it, I’m not this kind of person? What kind of person am I supposed to be? When you’re trying to survive, there’s nothing you won’t do! You, who’s never been at the bottom, have no right to judge…!”

Wi Ho-yeon looked shocked by his words. Judging by her reaction…

‘…Was she acquainted with this Lim Jun-hyung guy or something?’

Given how she was talking about “this kind of person,” it didn’t seem like a passing acquaintance.

“Lim Jun-hyung, you… even if it’s gambling and drugs… do you know how much gambling and drugs ruin a person’s life?! You saw what happened in the Eastern Alliance, and yet you’re doing this?!”

This was the first time I’d seen Wi Ho-yeon react so passionately while being around her. She seemed absolutely furious.

Lim Jun-hyung, realizing that everything was over for him, let out a bitter laugh and spoke.

“Ha… haha… So what? Do you think I’m doing something wrong?”

“Of course…!”

“I… I just sold what those pathetic lives wanted. Am I wrong? Am I not righteous…? Bullshit! That’s just what naive brats who’ve never gone hungry say!”

“…What are you talking about?”

“Do you know why people come to gambling dens? Just to gamble? Just to do drugs? Huh? No… they come because, no matter their status, they’re not recognized by those around them, and they want some comfort in their worthless lives.”

“What… what kind of insane talk is this…”

“The things they want but can’t have. Pleasure, recognition, women, luck—I just sell them what they can’t get in their daily lives, for a price. Am I wrong? Then what are you going to do for them? Huh? Can you give them what they want?”

“……”

“If you’re going to call me twisted, call me evil… then you… you give them what they want! Don’t you dare judge me when you’re doing nothing! That look, that look pisses me off!”

“Lim Jun-hyung… why have you fallen so far?”

Wi Ho-yeon’s face, which had been filled with anger, now looked at him with pity.

“Pfft… I’ve fallen? No… you’re the one with your head in the clouds. Think about it. Even if their lives end in ruin, at least they feel happiness before that. Isn’t that different from being miserable from start to finish?”

“How did it come to this? What… what happened?”

“…That doesn’t matter. What matters now is…”

Swish—

“That I have no reason to let this guy live.”

As he pulled out a dagger and pressed it to my neck, the soldiers shouted.

“I told you not to move…!”

Squelch—

******

Lim Jun-hyung couldn’t comprehend the current situation.

Soldiers from Baronia directly raiding the gambling den? At first, he was stunned, but he quickly accepted it. It was his fault for not acting swiftly.

He never expected to meet Wi Ho-yeon again here instead of the Eastern Alliance, but he thought it was possible.

What he couldn’t understand was what happened after he slit the captive man’s throat with the dagger.

‘What… what is this?’

Blood poured from the decapitated man’s body, and the blood and corpse began to gather and transform into something else.

“This… what is this? That… clay?”

As Lim Jun-hyung stood frozen, Wi Ho-yeon sighed and spoke.

“…That’s not a real person.”





“It’s all over now.”

“Sigh…”

‘Was I played from the beginning to the end?’

Somehow, the guy who was caught seemed oddly calm, and it turns out he wasn’t even human from the start.

“…. Pff… Puhahahahaha!”

I couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the absurdity of the current situation.

The soldiers approached and began restraining Lim Jun-hyung and his subordinates.

“If you resist unnecessarily, it will only make things worse for you in the trial. You are scheduled to be transported to the royal palace on charges of drug distribution.”

“…. Ha… Haha…”

Lim Jun-hyung simply bowed his head and accepted the soldiers restraining him. After all, he knew that at this point, resistance would be meaningless.

******

“Thank you very much to everyone in the Eternity Clan. As per your tip, we have arrested individuals involved in drug distribution at the underground casino.”

“No, it’s just fortunate that we could be of help to the Neutral Country.”

“The royal palace will likely invite the members of Eternity directly. When that happens, please follow the procedures and come to the palace. Anyway, thank you very much.”

“Yes, you’ve worked hard.”

I couldn’t help but smile. After all, things turned out better than I expected.

‘It’s a relief I don’t have to deal with this hassle again.’

My goal was to at least catch the mid-level managers of the casino by using clones to drain money from the gambling den, but I never imagined I’d catch the big fish.

‘And… what a coincidence.’

While I, Wi Ho-yeon, and Seo Yoo-ju were infiltrating the casino for investigation, Lee Jae-hyo and Ho-won happened to contact someone from the royal palace who was also investigating in this city.

Thanks to that, I sent clones to the casino every day to buy time, and after contacting the royal palace, we received reinforcements, leading to the current situation.

As I was deep in thought, a soldier who seemed to be the representative approached me.

“Is there anything you need? There’s still some time before we transport the criminals…”

“Ah, if that’s the case… I’m sorry, but could I have a moment to talk with someone named Lim Jun-hyung?”

The reason I made this request was simply because I needed to have a conversation with the big shot. There were a few things I wanted to ask.

“Yes, of course. However… you must not harm the criminal. Punishment will be decided by the royal palace…”

“Yes, I understand.”

Following the guidance, I was able to have a one-on-one conversation with the guy who was restrained in a warehouse-like place.

“You… definitely… I slit your throat…”

I thought he might not recognize me because my appearance and hair color were different, but he seemed to realize I was the same person as the clone that frequented the casino.

“I regret this incident. Well… you knew this would happen if you got involved in this kind of thing, right?”

“Ha… Are you going to tell me I’m wrong too? This is why people who haven’t lived at the bottom…”

“Hmm… I don’t know what kind of misunderstanding you have, but I have no intention of blaming you. Good deeds, bad deeds, such distinctions mean nothing to me.”

“……”

“The reason I came to see you is… I have a few questions I want to ask. Of course, the questions are just to confirm my suspicions.”

“What…?”

“Should I call you the master of the Red Ant Clan? Anyway, you wouldn’t have done this alone in Silan, right? There must be someone behind you… who is it?”

“……”

‘As expected, he wouldn’t answer so easily.’

“Well… this isn’t Earth, so are you exercising your right to remain silent? No one in their right mind would pull this kind of stunt within the Neutral Country, so the backer must be from the Eastern Alliance, right?”

At my words, the guy’s expression twitched for a moment.

“It’s going to be troublesome if you keep your mouth shut… I’ll have to force you to talk, won’t I?”

“…What?”

The investigation into this guy’s background was already completed by the royal palace.

“It’s simple. Torture, or… this would be the most effective, you have a younger sister, right?”

“You bastard…!”

At my words, the guy started to react. After all, when your family is mentioned, you can’t help but react.

I would have reacted the same way if I were in his shoes.

Everyone is the same. Even me.

Everyone has someone precious in their life. Even if they’re a heinous criminal or a murderer.

I chuckled and opened my mouth.

“If you don’t answer my question, what do you think will happen to your sister? Huh?”

“You son of a bitch…! How dare you…!”

It’s dirty, but it’s the most effective method. It’s the method I used the most when doing dirty work on Earth.

“No, no. Why are you acting like this? That’s not the attitude you should be showing right now. Answer my question. Who’s the backer?”

“…Damn it!”

From his perspective, he probably already knows he’s going to be executed, and he’s worried about his sister being retaliated against.

“…This is the last time. Last chance, who’s the backer? I promise, if you talk, we’ll protect your sister.”

As I hardened my expression and questioned him, the guy remained silent for a while before answering.

“….. It’s Yanagiya Riki from the Eastern Alliance.”