ALL NOVEL Chapter 148
Ugh… what is this…?
Jin Yeseo, who got off the tram stop, frowned deeply.
Even a robust wizard was gasping for air due to the acrid fumes.
The city shone with a strange orange hue, thanks to the smog diffusing the streetlights.
She could barely see the street scenery. All she could make out were a few large chimneys spewing black smoke in the distance.
The headlights of the tram that had just dropped them off vanished into the dark mist in an instant.
Pwoo…!
The tram’s horn sounded like a herald announcing some ominous news, seeping into her ears. She could immediately recognize the source of the pollution covering the northern part of the capital.
A dreary orange city with no dreams or hopes. That was Jin Yeseo’s first impression of City No. 1.
…
The accompanying man was reacting much more calmly than she was.
His appearance, wearing a gas mask and a shabby overcoat, oddly matched the city’s scenery.
He opened the purification canister on his gas mask and took a deep breath, his upper body heaving.
Then, he stopped moving as if something was puzzling him.
…What’s up? Why are you acting like that all of a sudden?
…It’s a sense I’ve felt before.
What?
But… I can’t tell. The exhaust is mixed too strongly to identify. What could it be?
After a brief moment of thought, he closed the purification canister and led the way into an alley.
…Let’s move for now.
Feeling as if she had fallen onto a strange planet, Jin Yeseo hurriedly followed behind him.
Wait. Where are we going? Do you have a plan? Or have you been here before?
No. No plans and I haven’t been here.
?
Jin Yeseo tilted her head in disbelief, but he didn’t slow his steady stride.
He glanced around the fog-filled alley and spotted something, signaling with a nod.
I’ll devise a plan from now on.
The place he pointed to was in front of an old restaurant with a flickering neon sign.
A restaurant…? Why are we here… Wait…!
Without properly listening to Jin Yeseo, he went down the stairs.
Jin Yeseo hurriedly followed behind him.
The thick cigarette smoke filled the dark ceiling just as much as the smog. Dirty utensils were scattered everywhere, and only the loud laughter of men echoed.
There was only one woman present: Jin Yeseo.
All eyes instantly focused on her as she entered.
Feeling the unpleasant, sticky gazes crawling over her body, Jin Yeseo scrunched her face in disgust.
How dare the lower class…
She had to suppress the urge to burn the entire place down.
The man in her party led her to an empty table in the corner.
He then spoke to the waiter to place an order.
Why on earth did you come to this filthy, smelly place?
For nutrition.
When Jin Yeseo, sitting across from him, grumbled about it, he shot back immediately.
Nutritional supplementation? In a place like this?
Yeah. You need to take something when you have the chance.
I feel like it would be better to not eat at all…
Jin Yeseo frowned as she looked around at the other tables.
And for information collection.
Information collection?
The people in this restaurant. Judging by their outfits, they’re mostly local lower-class laborers. They’re the closest to the gritty life of an industrial city.
And?
Most conspiracies start from the bottom and in the sewers. If there are suspicious movements in this city, they’re likely to catch on first.
I don’t get what you’re saying. Even if they do know something, they wouldn’t just tell outsiders like us.
We don’t even need to ask. This place is a restaurant and bar combined. For industrial city workers, getting heavily drunk and ending the day is their joy, and when people drink, they tend to loosen their tongues. We just need to pick up valuable pieces from their chatter.
He glanced at an old man cleaning glasses at the counter.
If nothing comes out, you could slip some cash to the owner. Owners in places like this usually know too much for their meager lives.
As soon as he finished speaking, the waiter brought over something on a tray.
There was a potent drink in a glass smeared with grease, a piece of dried, dark-colored meat, and something resembling thick, grayish gruel.
Ugh…
Jin Yeseo groaned in disgust as she looked at him. It was something she had never seen before, and she was doubtful it was even food.
No matter how hungry she was, she had no desire to put something like that in her mouth.
However, the man skilfully unlocked his gas mask and lifted its bottom slightly to start shoving in the drink and food.
Even amidst this, his complete concealment of his face was impressive.
…Can’t you just take it off and eat? What, are you some kind of psychopath… Is he really that ugly?
Reflecting on his past actions, the suspicion was nearly certainty.
I… can’t eat. How can I…?
You really should. Nutritional supplementation and physical vitality are crucial for the smooth manifestation of magic, as I learned in physiology class…
As if I don’t know that.
Jin Yeseo snapped back, annoyance clear in her tone.
Is that so? I won’t force you. Then just keep your ears open.
After finishing his sentence, the man downed the drink in one gulp.
His smoothness made Jin Yeseo feel an odd sense of alienation.
He was surely raised in luxury, being the second son of the illustrious Heukryeon family.
Even though he experienced the serious incidents in the South and Jeokhwa, he couldn’t help but feel a visceral aversion to this bottom-of-the-barrel life, just like her.
Yet, here he was, integrating seamlessly into this scene.
Jin Yeseo couldn’t even begin to guess why.
Did you say you came to City No. 1 for that trinket?
That’s right. The dead man said he got it from a local when he traveled to this city. Thanks to you, I learned it’s a symbol of that cult called the Gate to Heaven.
So, you went to find that nun because…?
She was likely a key figure related to this incident. She might even belong to that cult you mentioned. We can’t know for sure now…
…She didn’t look like a fanatic in the photo you showed me.
Jin Yeseo recalled the bright smile of the woman in the photo he had shown her.
I feel the same way, but who knows? Speaking of which, do you have any more information related to that?
Hmm…
Jin Yeseo tilted her head in thought.
…We were told that after we purged that secret church, a few similar characters were detected in other areas of the capital.
And?
It’s not certain, but there may be a connection to demon tribes. There were traces that looked distinctly like beasts at the scene.
Demon tribes…
Hearing Jin Yeseo’s words, the man clenched his fist on the table.
Those beasts seem to be pulling all sorts of tricks. If it’s a secret church of the demon tribes, it could explain the fanatical demeanor of their followers. Anything else?
Hmm…
Jin Yeseo shook her head.
I only became aware of their existence recently. However, they might be larger than imagined. Reports say hints of them were found even at the southernmost part of the capital. They might have secretly built their organization through the sewers…
Sewers, sewers…
As they continued their conversation, the man suddenly stopped speaking, sensing an approaching presence.
Soon, a rumbling sound echoed as a drunken mob of men surrounded their table in an instant.
Without even needing to look back, she knew exactly who they were.
This was the group that had been sending creepy glances toward their table and whispering among themselves.
Each of their faces wore a lecherous grin, as if they were intent on picking a fight.
What kind of weirdo is this? I’ve never seen someone eat with a gas mask on, hey.
The bald guy, seemingly the leader of the group, pointed at the man in the gas mask.
He showed no reaction, still focused on chewing the tough meat.
You look a little out of your mind, huh? Did you inhale too much bad air?
And you bring a pretty girl along, huh…
Hehe…
Hah…
Jin Yeseo sighed at their mocking laughter.
Should I just smudge my face with soot too?
This was already the second time she faced such a situation today. Frustration began to bubble up as she fiddled with her fingers to calm her anger.
Right. This actually works out well.
Burning these insects alive might be a good stress-relief method. Jin Yeseo concluded.
Just then, the bald guy, who had been leering at her, turned his head and flicked his tongue.
As he subtly attempted to place his hand on Jin Yeseo’s shoulder, she activated the particle rearranger hidden in her long sleeves and began drawing a magic formula.
Just before his hand reached her shoulder, Jin Yeseo prepared to incinerate him with her fire.
Bang!
Grah… Aaaah…!
In the blink of an eye, the man who had gotten up grabbed the bald guy’s head and slammed it onto the table.
*
Crash!
The sound of the gray gruel and glass shattering resounded loudly.
Taken aback by the sudden noise, Jin Yeseo stared ahead in confusion.
H-hot… Aah…!
The group that had the gruel dripping on their faces wailed. The large frame, nearly twice as big, flailed its arms and legs, but the man’s grip didn’t budge.
He tightened his hold, rubbing the bald guy’s face on the table for a long time.
Grah…!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Then he lifted the bald guy’s head and repeatedly smashed it onto the table.
Bang! Bang!
Grah… Gah… Ugh…
The sickening crunch of noses breaking, teeth popping out, and the table cracking resonated loudly one after another.
And when the screaming had finally ceased, the man tossed the bald guy’s limp body to the ground.
Thud!
The bald guy lay there, rolling his eyes back and frothing at the mouth, motionless.
The man, brushing his hands off, whispered to the surrounding group watching in a daze.
Get lost.
Hick…
The panicked group dragged their unconscious leader out, unsure if he was knocked out or dead.
Are you okay?
Jin Yeseo gazed blankly at the scene.
Finally, as he asked if she was alright, she snapped back to her senses.
With her pride slightly bruised, she shot back at him.
Who asked you to help? I could’ve handled that myself!
That’s not possible.
The man in the gas mask replied.
We’re not wizards right now, we’re insensitive people. And an insensitive woman can never overpower a man physically. If we were wizards, it would have been different.
He then turned the question back to Jin Yeseo.
And you. You were about to use magic. Didn’t you say earlier, “Let’s try not to give away that we’re wizards”? It could draw unnecessary attention.
…Ugh. Those flies were just so annoying that… I lost control…
Left without words, Jin Yeseo averted her gaze, embarrassed.
Who’s helping whom here? You’re just a hindrance… Maybe I should have just left them be.
As he sighed, Jin Yeseo retorted angrily.
From now on, just be careful…!
Please don’t ask for any favors. And… I think it would be best for us to leave here.
The man paused and looked around as he spoke.
In this atmosphere, I’ll retract things I was about to say. It’s unfortunate to run into such annoying guys… Let’s move somewhere else…
He gestured for Jin Yeseo to follow him.
Jin Yeseo trailed behind him, unable to even dust off her soiled clothes.
The old man at the counter, presumably the owner of the restaurant, had been watching the ruckus they caused the whole time.
I’m sorry about this. Compensation will…
No, no. Spare me those boring talks.
Yes?
However, the old man waved his hand before the man could finish his sentence.
To be honest, I’ve been having a headache because of them too. They cause problems all day long. But thanks to you, they probably won’t set foot around here for a while. Consider that your compensation.
The smile on the old man’s face was inexplicably bright.
It’s been a while since I had such an entertaining spectacle. And…
?
That young guy has quite the spirit, huh? Feels just like my youth. At first, I thought you were rather odd…
Soon, the old man’s warm gaze shifted to Jin Yeseo standing behind.
Are you a newlywed?
Wha…!
That’s correct. This is my wife.
Before Jin Yeseo could immediately refute that absurd statement, the man suddenly placed one hand on her slender waist and gently pulled her closer.
Was it the overexposure from their repeated sparring sessions?
Despite the fact that one would expect discomfort from his touch, she could barely feel anything but a slight warmth.
Before long, she found herself snugly nestled in his embrace.
As if they were truly a loving couple.
Ahh…
Jin Yeseo unconsciously let out a squeaky gasp.