Chapter 633 – Meeting
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I started a counterattack.
As he went back the way he fled, he swung the ink baton he was holding in his hand at his pursuers.
The resistance was weak.
The guys, who were exhausted from the long chase and their stamina was depleted, failed to put up even a single resistance and collapsed in vain.
And my money bag also got bigger quickly.
I saw a few guys running away, but I didn’t chase them.
I expected to see record-breaking profits today, so I sent it with a generous heart.
‘I guess I should give Nehru a big slap in the face.’
I clean up the gangsters who are messing up the slums, and my pockets get fatter. I kill two birds with one stone.
Of course, I didn’t think that this would change the slums much.
What are the chances that these thugs will be rehabilitated because of this? It is extremely rare.
Still, if you beat me up like this, I’m sure you’ll be quiet for a while. But… I think that if you don’t give up your dog’s habits, after a while, he will start crawling out and wandering around again.
It was not for nothing that people said that people cannot be rewritten.
Humans can change and become better.
However, such people were very few.
Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s unfortunate.
I rather like it.
If you come next time and beat these guys up enough, they’ll spit out money like a flower pot.
As I leisurely beat the exhausted guys with a baton, I reached the street where I was first surrounded.
After the two guys who were standing there waiting, there were no more guys targeting me.
The heads were not visible.
‘Have these guys jumped out already?’
It reminds me of the guys who ran away before.
They may have heard that the situation was unusual and avoided it.
Or, we might gather more people.
“…”
The sky was colored orange.
Even though it was getting late… I thought it was time to end it.
First, I don’t know where they are hiding, and it doesn’t look like they are going to come out right now.
I had no intention of working overtime.
And today is not the only day.
I turned around to go home.
At that time, a man came up to me.
He was an impressive young man with long sideburns and dark eyebrows. Even if you are young, in this world you can’t tell your age by your face.
At first, I thought he was in the same group as the guys who were chasing me, but looking at his mood and attitude, it didn’t seem like we were on the same side.
Even though they were the same guys, they were dressed neatly.
Even if you’re in the same company as gangsters, you can’t do anything to me alone.
“Do you have anything to do?”
“My name is Shepard.”
The man suddenly introduced himself.
“… I see.”
I answered hesitantly.
It feels like ‘So what should I do?’
“Your name is…”
“Why do I have to tell you?”
“Can I call you Palchigong?”
“…”
He is a weak guy.
Being called by your prison number is not a very good feeling.
“… Call me Bark.”
“Thank you, Bark.”
Shepard was polite, but he somehow felt betrayed.
“I was keeping an eye on you.”
“…?”
Was he a stalker?
Without realizing it, I took a step back from him.
“A man’s interest is in his personality…”
“This is no time to joke.”
“I’m not kidding either.”
The idea of being stalked by a man gives me goosebumps.
After awakening, I became a person who strangely rejected men, so my reluctance doubled.
‘I don’t think it was to this extent before awakening…’
Should this also be considered a side effect of awakening?
When I was young, there were men I could call friends. Everyone died after going through the dimensional rift and the cataclysm of the gate.
“… Why are you doing this?”
“This? What did I do?”
“It means touching on the organizations of the slums.”
Why did you touch me…
〈 It’s frustrating. He said he was watching, so what are you asking? Is this your first time seeing someone being ripped off? 〉
Cosmos can’t stand it and intervenes.
‘What a punishment… Leave aside the good words of justice.’
“… Should I answer that?”
I didn’t want to tell the reason to a complete stranger, especially a man.
“Bark, please answer seriously. It’s important.”
Shepard looked somewhat desperate.
When he politely asked me that question, I, weak-hearted as I was, finally decided to let him know my deep meaning.
“Don’t you know that I watched you? It’s because I sympathize with the people in the slums. They are already having a hard time living, so wouldn’t it be so hard if these gangsters were walking around?”
〈 Indeed… This is absurd. They say that when you open your mouth, the phrase comes out automatically.〉
No matter what my intention, if the result goes in a good direction, that’s it.
“Was it something like that…”
Shepard’s face brightens at my answer.
I don’t know why.
“It was just as I expected.”
‘… Expected?’
Shepard nodded his head as if he understood something.
For some reason, I feel like I am playing the drum and janggu by myself.
I still had no idea what Shepard was trying to say.
“But Mr. Bark, you can’t save the slums by doing things like this.”
Shepard said as he glanced at the humans who had fallen after being hit by my baton.
“… Salvation?”
What salvation.
I don’t know what Shepard is mistaken about, but I had no intention of saving the slums in the first place.
What can I do when I have to dress up as an inmate?
“Even if Bark cleans out all the organizations in the slums, another force will take over.”
I say the obvious.
I know that too.
In the end, as time passes, other forces emerge.
But isn’t that why it’s good?
That means that even if you break the piggy bank, it will regenerate over time.
There is no city without crime.
No, is there one?
Pantheran…
That’s just a unique case.
To create such a city by constantly filtering out people with criminal tendencies.
‘It’s probably because I don’t think of them as the same human being in the first place.’
It is ironic that the result was a utopian city that was more plausible than expected.
Of course, such a city cannot even dream of exchange with other cities. This is because it is obvious that it will become contaminated in an instant.
If you open up the city, it’s like pouring muddy water into clear water.
“… So what do you want to say?”
I really wanted to hear Shepherd’s conclusion.
In response to my question, he opened his mouth with a serious look on his face.
“Mr. Bark. I have been waiting for someone like you. A strong and good human being.”
“…?”
It’s an unexpected compliment.
I’m kind.
Shepherd had eyes to see.
The favorability rating for him increased by about 0.01.
〈Unho! That guy is suspicious! I think it’s better to avoid it. Are you good? I guess I’m out of my mind?!〉
‘Cosmos. What can I do when I have no more eyes than a shabby guy like that?’
“If Bark takes down the bosses of your organization and takes that position, the salvation of the slums may not be a dream.”
Shepard said with unwavering eyes.
“… Me? So, you want me to take control of the criminal organizations in this slum…?”
This guy was clearly mistaken about something.
I own a Great Devil Castle that is several times larger than this city. So what am I going to do as a street leader in the back alleys of these slums?
This is like asking the chairman of a large company to become the president of a corner store.
“You are the right person to save the slums! Of course, the process will not be easy! But we will do our best to help you, Bark! Even for the sake of the slum residents! Please lead us!”
After speaking passionately, Shepard suddenly got down on one knee.
“… Us?”
One, two… The hidden humans quietly walked out, surrounded me, and knelt down on one knee.
The number was not large.
Six men and women, including Shepherd.
I could feel their gaze.
I thought he was a spy planted by the gang leader, but it seems he was Shepard’s colleague.
They were waiting for my answer and looking at me with expectant eyes.
‘Huh… This… Was it the prize that would make me king?’
〈 Pfft! 〉
‘… Are you smiling?’
Cosmos… If he were in front of me, I would have happily slapped his butt, but it’s a shame.
Whether I’m going to be the king or the boss, I’m going to leave anyway.
What do you do as the boss of a slum?
I was embarrassed because it was my first time experiencing something like this, but the answer was decided.
I was about to decline Shepard’s offer, but stopped.
‘Wait… Isn’t this an automatic hunting angle?’
If you are the boss of a criminal organization, the profits will be good.
Having a subordinate also means being able to handle various things.
“Then… There is one condition.”
“What is that?”
“I will reign but not dominate.”
I said something plausible that I had picked up somewhere on Earth. To put it simply, I’m going to leave all the troublesome work to these guys and just suck at the honey.
Considering the cost of living in Karaz, if you were the boss of a region… You would have a good income, and wouldn’t these guys be able to raise funds for me to live comfortably until I escape?
“I will rule, but not dominate… Master Bark, those words really touch my heart. I am now convinced that our eyes were not wrong!”
Shepard and his colleagues were looking at me with burdened eyes, as if they were moved by my words.
