Chapter 31
Loners (2)
“Hmm hmm”
Lim So-hee’s footsteps were particularly light. Despite walking the long distance from Seoul to Pyeongtaek. Pyeongtaek was a city of love and hate for her. Becoming an orphan at the young age of 19, it was the city where she first experienced hardship after leaving Seoul. And when she stopped by again during her mercenary work, it was the city that helped her understand what ordinary happiness meant through a chance encounter with good people.
‘I wonder how the kids are doing?’
Lim So-hee arrived at the orphanage run by Park Sung-ae and called out loudly.
“Mama! I’m here!”
Though Park Sung-ae was only about 12 years older than her, making ‘mama’ an unusual title, Lim So-hee liked calling her that.
“Wow! It’s Sister So-hee!”
“Mama! Sister So-hee is here!”
The children’s eyes widened and smiles appeared when they saw Lim So-hee. Park Sung-ae came out to the yard after hearing the commotion.
“So-hee, you’re here!?”
Lim So-hee smiled back at Park Sung-ae who greeted her with a bright smile.
“Yes. It’s been a while, right?”
“Yes. You must be tired from coming so far, come in quickly. I should prepare water for you to wash up. Or would you like to have snacks first?”
Park Sung-ae was caring for Lim So-hee like a mother welcoming her daughter. Having observed Park Sung-ae’s personality carefully since they first met, Lim So-hee knew this wasn’t pretense but her genuine heart.
“Thank you so much for last time.”
After taking a quick shower, Lim So-hee and Park Sung-ae had light refreshments while talking.
“It was nothing.”
“No. I received a debt of gratitude I can never repay in my lifetime. Where could I get that much money in times like these? And it must have been money you earned through hard work.”
Lim So-hee had recently paid off Park Sung-ae’s debt with money received from the Badass Guild. Though most of her earnings went toward new equipment and weapons, she would use some to help people she had formed connections with.
“I earn good money. That amount was nothing, so let me know if you need anything else in the future.”
“No, what you’ve already done is more than enough…”
Park Sung-ae smiled awkwardly with a truly apologetic expression.
“How are the kids these days? They’re doing well, right?”
“Yes. They’ve become much more stable since following what you taught.”
“When the body changes due to magic power, you shouldn’t deny it and try to avoid it. To maintain rationality, you need to gradually handle magic and learn to control this power.”
It was advice about children experiencing mutations like herself.
“Right. They’re all working so hard, most of the children can already control their abilities to some extent.”
“That’s good.”
While they were having this conversation,
“Sister So-hee! Some scary men came again yesterday!”
“Yeah! They got angry at Mama! It was really scary!”
Park Sung-ae jumped up in surprise at the children’s words.
“Kids! You shouldn’t say such things…”
“What does this mean?”
“Well…”
“Is it true?”
When Lim So-hee asked with narrowed eyes, Park Sung-ae nodded silently.
“I thought all the debt was paid off, is there still some remaining?”
“No, that’s not it…”
“Then why?”
As Lim So-hee kept pressing, Park Sung-ae finally confessed everything.
“These bastards!”
Bang!
Lim So-hee slammed her fist on the table in anger after hearing the story.
“Bastards! Bastards!”
“Sister So-hee said a bad word”
“She said bastards!”
“We shouldn’t say bad words!”
The children around innocently repeated Lim So-hee’s curse words. Finally realizing her mistake, Lim So-hee sighed and apologized.
“Mama, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
“No, don’t worry about it.”
“Those bast… No, those guys. What do they do? Just tell me where they are. I’ll go take care of them right now.”
“That’s too dangerous. Those people lately seem rather ominous…”
The recent rumors about them were concerning. No matter how strong Lim So-hee was, she didn’t want to put her in danger again because of herself.
“Mama, it’s really fine. I’m nationally known. Maybe just mentioning my name would make them back off quietly, so tell me where those guys are.”
“Still, no…”
Park Sung-ae said with a firm expression that she absolutely couldn’t tell her. Lim So-hee let out a deep sigh. Honestly, if she looked around herself, she could probably find those guys quickly. But she didn’t want to do something Park Sung-ae was so against. Forcing help when someone refuses it is likely to become a nuisance rather than a favor.
“Then let’s do this.”
“Let’s move the orphanage.”
“You mean relocate?”
“Yes. You know the Badass Guild, right? They have a city they manage. I have connections there so I’ll ask them to arrange a place. We have enough money too.”
Park Sung-ae showed a slightly frightened expression at the mention of Badass.
“Isn’t that where scary people are…?”
“That’s just rumors, it’s actually the safest neighborhood in the country so don’t worry.”
“But…”
“I live there these days too. If Mama comes up with the kids, I’ll help you live much more comfortably than here.”
If Park Sung-ae and the children came to Badass Town, she would feel at ease too. This wasn’t a sudden whim, but something she had been thinking about since deciding to live in Badass Town. Lim So-hee thought this incident made it the perfect opportunity to move.
“Alright…”
Park Sung-ae nodded as if she had no choice.
“I keep receiving help from you…”
“What do you mean help? If you hadn’t helped me then, I would already be dead. If you feel uncomfortable, just think of it as payment for my life.”
“No… Thank you so much…”
Tears welled up in Park Sung-ae’s eyes. Feeling awkward, Lim So-hee scratched her head and stood up.
“Then let’s pack today and leave tomorrow. Given the kids’ pace, it should take two days of walking, so prepare well in advance.”
A new wind began to blow through the old orphanage building.
***
Ippotranslation
***
My name is Jang Jae-seon. I was originally a loan shark. Being a loan shark didn’t mean I made a lot of money… I was just a thug collecting pocket change under a fat boss. The boss liked me because I was good at collecting money, but I wasn’t happy at all. Because I had ambition. The ambition of a man who would one day rise to the highest position. The opportunity came not long after. The Dungeon and Ability User incident happened. Without hesitation, I quit the loan shark business and jumped into the guild business. And I became the guild master of a guild called Cheongwoo.
Cheongwoo, meaning clear rain, was a common small to medium-sized guild. We run dungeons and sell magic stones. An ordinary guild that makes decent money while being reasonably cautious. Nevertheless, I could make much more money than before. The boss of the loan shark business where I worked. Much more money than that pig-like guy.
Still, I wasn’t satisfied. This isn’t enough. Such petty money can’t satisfy my ambition. Another opportunity came to me again. The government collapsed. A lawless zone. A world of villains. When the whole world was in chaos, I smiled. Because I thought this chaos was a golden opportunity. I immediately jumped into illegal business using my past experience.
Starting with loan sharking and human trafficking, I worked to take over the Pyeongtaek area. The result was as expected. I indeed had talent for this kind of work. Feeling like a predator.
The organization grew day by day and soon made connections with the ‘Korean Peace Union’, a warlord faction that controlled the Chungcheong and Gyeonggi provinces.
It’s not even funny that such trash would go around with such a grand name as ‘Korean Peace Union’…
The four warlord factions currently dividing and occupying the country were all rotten to the core. Thanks to that, a stage was created where guys like me could spread their wings more easily. The brakes were applied to my life, which had been speeding down this well-paved highway, a month ago. Mysterious suspicious guys who appeared wearing black hoods. They knocked down our organization’s men in an instant and proposed a deal to me.
-If you do as told, we’ll give you power that no one can stop.
My head spun furiously. And I realized this was another opportunity that had come to me. A huge opportunity for me to take another leap in life.
-I will follow.
Since that day, I’ve been supplying people according to their orders. Men, women, children, adults, elderly. Whenever they demanded, I caught and sent people indiscriminately. Sometimes these guys would ask for organization members, saying they would give the promised reward. At first, everyone was scared, but now that every organization member who went there gained tremendous power, they’re all desperate to go. The organization grows stronger day by day. Business is flourishing.
Recently, I’m almost delirious with joy because of the large-scale rupture incident where the warlord bastards are dying off completely. Now there’s no one in this area who doesn’t fear me, Jang Jae-seon.
Even those arrogant warlords have become beings who subtly bow down. This is what I wanted. I thought I had reached my true ambition. Until three minutes ago, that is.
Crack!
I felt a boot stomping on the back of my head.
“Why didn’t you bring the children?”
“That, well…”
“You seem to be misunderstanding something. I keep you alive and give you power because you have value.”
“I’ll overlook one mistake, but there won’t be a second time.”
“I understand.”
It’s humiliating. To taste such humiliation because of just an orphanage director and some brats. I should have forcibly dragged them then… I got complacent thinking I could get a long-term supply of children.
“Raise your head.”
I slowly raised my head at his words. Pitch-black darkness. Even though he was right in front of me, I couldn’t make out his face at all. The only thing visible was the faint red gleam in his eyes.
“What unsightly eyes you have.”
Then he lifted my eye patch. My right eye that lost sight years ago when it was pierced by a tree. The red eyes staring at that eye suddenly curved like a half moon.
“If this job goes well, I’ll fix it for you.”
“Is that really true!?”
“I never tell lies.”
My right eye. My mistake from being deceived by a worthless woman. The pain I’ve endured because of this eye is indescribable. No, more precisely, it’s anger. The fact that I have to suffer for life because of a worthless woman. I’ve always been angry and pained by that. But now, this person before me says he’ll give me a chance to make up for that mistake.
“I swear my loyalty.”
I slammed my head on the floor with all my might. And slightly smiled. After all deals are done… When the use value drops, I’ll deal with this guy too.
***
Ippotranslation
***
The next morning.
The orphanage run by Park Seong-ae was busy from early morning.
“Is everyone ready?”
“Just a moment!”
With nearly thirty children running around chattering, Lim So-hee was completely overwhelmed. But Park Seong-ae, as if used to it, checked each child’s belongings and patted their heads.
“I suddenly have a question.”
“Yes?”
“Mama, since when have you been running the orphanage?”
Park Seong-ae smiled at Lim So-hee’s question.
“Actually, I didn’t run the orphanage.”
“What?”
“Originally, the orphanage director was an elderly grandfather. I was just an employee.”
“Ah… Then how did you become the director now?”
“On the day of the final battle in Seoul. The director was in Seoul. The orphanage’s operating funds had run out, and we needed to get sponsorship.”
Only then did Lim So-hee understand why Park Seong-ae, at such a young age, had become the orphanage director.
“You stayed here because you couldn’t abandon the children?”
“That’s right. I was also an orphan, so I had nowhere else to go. Then debts accumulated… But I don’t regret it.”
Park Seong-ae held Lim So-hee’s hand and smiled warmly.
“Meeting you like this and protecting the children. This is the happiest time of my life.”
“Haha…”
Lim So-hee scratched her head in embarrassment.
“Children, are you all ready?”
“Yes! Mama!”
“Let’s hurry and leave!”
“This is my first time moving in my life!”
“Good. The journey will be tough since it’s far, but let’s endure it a bit.”
“Yes.”
“When we arrive, we’ll live in a really spacious and clean new house.”
Lim So-hee smiled awkwardly watching the children running around excited at the mention of a new house.
‘We haven’t even decided where to go yet…’
Well, in such a vast city, surely there must be a place for these few small children to rest. At least she had enough money to keep them off the streets. Just as everyone was about to leave the orphanage with their own thoughts.
“Director! Where do you think you’re going!?”
A group of men blocked their path.
They were members of the Cheongwoo Guild and a man with an eye patch, Jang Jae-seon.
“Children, step back for a moment.”
As the children hurriedly retreated, Park Seong-ae glared at Jang Jae-seon with raised eyes.
“We were just about to go on a picnic with the children.”
“That’s quite a lot of luggage for a picnic?”
“I’ll accept the proposal you made then, so please give me time. Such picnics are necessary to continue gathering children in the future.”
Park Seong-ae tried her best to navigate the situation naturally by using her wit. However, it wasn’t enough to fool the weathered Jang Jae-seon.
“Ugh…”
Jang Jae-seon strongly gripped Park Seong-ae’s neck.
“Director. Do I look like someone naive enough to fall for such wordplay?”
“Ju-just a little time…”
“No, there’s no more time now. I’ll have to take all the children today.”
The grip on her neck gets stronger and stronger. Just as Park Seong-ae was about to faint from being unable to breathe.
“Won’t you remove that filthy hand!?”
Lim So-hee, who had been absent due to a bathroom break, shouted upon seeing the situation.
“Who’s this now?”
As Jang Jae-seon’s head turned at the voice.
Crack!
Lim So-hee’s dropkick, delivered at incredible speed after a jump, struck his face.
“Kheok!”
“Guild Leader! Are you alright!?”
“What’s with this crazy woman!?”
Jang Jae-seon raised his eyes while bleeding from both nostrils from the tremendous impact.
“I’ll kill…!”
Jang Jae-seon stopped mid-sentence.
“Y-you…!”
It was from an incident three years ago.
Though she had changed completely from back then, making her hard to recognize, Jang Jae-seon immediately noticed.
“Ha, who do we have here?”
Lim So-hee also recognized Jang Jae-seon and smiled.
“It’s been a really fucking long time, you perverted bastard.”
