Chapter 139 – Chapter 34. An Alley Boss.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Have a seat.”
Basil smiled warmly and sat down in a chair, pointing across. Beside him, the Orc Man and Fairy Woman took a half step back. However, the two focused all their nerves on Ji-hyeok and were not vigilant at all.
Kang Ji-hyeok, an A-class warrior who is now called the best genius on the continent, was no different than a walking human weapon. Even the story of subjugating the demon king, who only appeared in history, with the S-class hero, Ganesha, had already spread all over Parsia.
As if proving the rumors to be true, Ji-hyeok’s face was calm as if he were taking a walk in front of two powerful men in Parsia. Without hesitation, he came in front of Basil and sat down in his chair.
The hero was bare-handed without a weapon, but the orc man and the fairy woman had chills running down their spines.
Of course, Basil, who didn’t get the position of head of the alley by joking, had a relaxed laugh even in the bloody atmosphere.
“I really wanted to meet you once, and your wish has come true.”
“It’s burdensome that you put gold on your face like this from the beginning.”
“It is a burden. Do you know how great your prestige is in the city? … Isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s right. I heard His Excellency’s reputation sorely.”
When Basil asked that question, Orcnam replied with a polite nod.
“If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have moved. … Well, it’s not something to brag about, but looking at it like this, I’m a pretty heavy-ass person.”
Jihyuk knew that too. In fact, he had no idea that Basil would come this far. … Besides, isn’t he currently fighting for power with the cock collector? It was a time when every movement was sensitive.
“It is an honor.”
“Glory is my glory. Haha.”
At first, the atmosphere became a little more friendly.
Basil looked at Jihyeok with small eyes and lightly rubbed his palms.
“By the way, why did you ask to see me?”
Jihyeok took a moment to look at his godfather’s face.
“It is because of the disappearance of the hero.”
“Oh, I heard that too. Gee, that’s a pity.”
He said so without batting an eye.
“Does this have anything to do with this place?”
“No matter how hard I go, I won’t touch the warriors of the empire. … Because I know that it will soon be ruined.”
“… Is it so?”
Jihyeok let out a long snort and rested his chin on the table with his arms resting on his chin. A smile crept across his lips.
“We… , Let’s be honest with each other.”
Ji-hyeok, who already had a track record of being the head of the alley in the 11th episode, had a clear understanding of the situation on this side. He knew better than anyone that there were dozens of squirrels wriggling inside this basil bastard.
“Could I have come here without knowing anything?”
At that word, the smile slowly erased from Basil’s face. The friendly air became cold like a snowstorm from the North Continent.
“What do you mean…”
“You said it. Even a ragged guy wouldn’t touch the warriors of the empire. I know it’s doom…”
“It was.”
“Couldn’t even the cock collector know that? … Don’t you think so?”
“That bitch is a bit crazy, so that might be the case.”
Jihyeok looked into Basil’s small eyes for a moment. He faced him without avoiding him either.
“Of course, I’m not saying that Budel didn’t touch the hero. Perhaps the culprit is a cock collector.”
“Then do you need to talk more about this with me? Maybe it’s a bit embarrassing for me…”
“Isn’t there a fundamental reason why this happened?”
Ji-hyeok said this, but I wondered if this money bug would take off his pretense. Still, I put a wedge in just in case.
“As I said earlier, am I supposed to come here knowing nothing and tell you this?”
ㅡ!
Basil looked at Jihyeok for a long time. The hero waited patiently until the opponent opened his mouth.
“… I did nothing wrong.”
“Just look at the results. … However, the imperial family would not like it very much if they found out that the warrior was hired with money.”
Then Basil’s voice rose slightly.
“It’s employment. That’s an embarrassing word.”
“Then what is it if not employment?”
“A courtesy for sincerity. I served them wholeheartedly, and I just received a favor for them.”
“Is that favor going to the opponent’s alley manager and stabbing him?”
ㅡㅡ!!
As the two escorts tried to sneak, Basil lost his temper.
“Are you not going?! How dare the elders speak!”
“… I’m sorry, master.”
Basil looked at the warrior again.
“So… , What do you want to say?”
“Although it is said that the Black Fairy did it, you are not innocent at all. … At least it must be true that he encouraged it.”
“… I will not deny that.”
Jihyeok fell off the table again and leaned against the back of the chair. The warrior’s voice softened again.
“I like you.”
Basil’s eyes began to wonder what kind of trick this was.
“It is rational and rational. You know the difference between what you can do and what you can’t do. … Well, I made a little mistake, but isn’t that often the case in life?”
“… What to say… ?”
“The cock collector will be in my hands anyway.”
ㅡ!
Hearing that, Basil’s demeanor became a little more polite. Jihyuk laughed heartily.
“Without having to complicate things, I’ll finish this job with that, that’s it.”
“Then…”
“Whether you take control of the back alleys of Palahino or give it to someone else, that’s up to you. I won’t get involved.”
“… Is there anything you wish for?”
The warrior crossed his leg.
“Let’s borrow your information network in Palahino.”
“Of course. I will help you in everything I can. … Oh, and, albeit weak, this…”
Basil beckoned, and the orc man pulled out a heavy leather pouch from behind and politely set it down in front of the table. However, Jihyeok shook his hand saying he didn’t need it and declined.
“I don’t want this. When it comes to money, I have a lot too.”
“But isn’t the more the better the money? Don’t hesitate and go. It is my sincerity.”
“It really is. If I get paid, I think the meaning of my coming here will fade. … I am here to avenge my fellow warriors and the Imperial Family. Do you know what I mean?”
“… All right.”
Moneybug Godfather beckoned him to clear his pockets. Orcnam took the pouch on the table again.
“Then I will serve you comfortably in a nice place while you are here.”
“The Black Fairy must have released many spies here. It’s good that you don’t do anything that gets your tail stepped on. Now that we know each other’s purpose, let’s part quietly at this point.”
“… That is a wise decision.”
After the word that he would deal with the Black Fairy came out, Godfather Basil became extremely low-key. … Well, what could be better than getting rid of your annoying enemies for free.
“Note that… , This is a warning to all the street captains on the continent. Of course, neither do you.”
“I will definitely keep it in my heart. … Regarding the information network, I will send someone tomorrow.”
“I knew.”
Jihyeok stood up from his seat. Basil also got up and quickly approached the hero and held out his hand. The two held hands and waved lightly up and down to say goodbye.
“From now on, I will always wish for Your Excellency’s light in my heart.”
“I wish you peace in your bed.”
A frown flashed in Basil’s eyes. Jihyeok’s words were slang among those in high positions in the back alley. There, the godfather was convinced that the hero was also completely up to date on back alley physiology.
The one who shouldn’t be touched.
Jihyeok was classified as such a person in the head of the godfather.
He received the Holy Sword again from the gatekeeper outside. Fortunately, he was fine as if he hadn’t pulled out the cursed holy sword. If it wasn’t for that, I would have hit an invoice.
Jihyeok quietly returned to his original dorm room. He paced the room holding a spear, eagerly waiting for him to arrive, and Gunda greeted him with delight.
“Jihyeok-!”
Jihyeok entered the room and sat down on the bed. Likewise, Gunda sat on the bed across from him, put a window by his head and waited for the other person to talk.
“What about that woman?”
“She left right away. … Anyway, I’m so glad you came safely.”
Of course, Gunda believed that Jihyeok would return safely, but there was still a little uneasy feeling in a corner of her heart. It was an unavoidable human instinct to worry if you couldn’t see it.
“… How did it go?”
“It went well. If you go to Palahino, you might be able to borrow his information network.”
“Thank god. I’m a bit in the dark about this… I’m sorry, Mr. Jihyeok. I can’t help.”
Apparently, Gunda, who was born into an aristocratic family, was far from the physiology of this back alley. He knew how to catch monsters and demons, but he was very poor at such things.
“You can’t do anything well from the start. As long as you are decent enough.”
“If there is something I can do later, I will do my best in anything.”
“If you do that, I will be grateful.”
And Jihyeok told me to know that someone will come tomorrow. Gunda nodded vigorously as if to remember.
“Anyway, then the day after tomorrow, you two will meet and cross the gorge?”
“Yes, I’m thinking of going at the top.”
“… Top?”
“We have to disguise ourselves as mercenaries and join them. If you find out that you’re a hero, I’ll save myself from that side.”
It’s a mercenary squad.
“Then I have to dig a new mercenary card, and I have to look for a guild… , There must be a lot of work to do tomorrow.”
“There is no need to sell new mercenaries. Because I have one You should be able to find the top in a day.”
“… You already prepared that?”
Jihyeok took out the mercenary plaque from the luggage bag he had parked on the bedpost. It was the same silver plaque he had obtained after leaving the academy before becoming a hero. I never thought that the things I kept without thinking that I would have something to use them someday would come in handy.
Gunda was amazed at Jihyeok’s thorough preparation. The opponent seemed to see two or three moves ahead, not one move ahead.
“It’s really great, Mr. Jihyeok.”
“… It’s just what I wrote before. We didn’t prepare anything special this time.”
At that, Gunda’s eyes widened. It was the first time that he was a mercenary.
“You were a mercenary?”
“Wee… , There was a time like that.”
Jihyeok looked out the window with nostalgic eyes for a moment.
Then I remembered those days.
… The years go by so fast.
Ji-hyeok completely forgot how many years had passed since he first came here.
The years he struggled to return to Earth were overwhelmingly longer than the years he had already lived on Earth.
So, what is the meaning of your decision to go back now?
Could this be the place of my life now?
Even that question, which keeps making dodol-i-pyo without an answer, has now become outdated.
A life with only a sense of purpose to return.
In the midst of that, Jihyeok let out a long sigh.
