Villain Hides His True Colors

Go Changsu looked around with a puzzled look.

Everywhere he saw were dismembered bodies of the monsters.

The blood from the corpses drenched the asphalt, and the sour smell of rot stung his nose.

“It’s been awhile, hasn’t it, ahjussi?”

And in the middle of the terrible scene stood a child that was thought to be dead. Blood dripped from the sword the boy was holding in his hand.

“H-how…?”

He could only stare at Noah with his mouth open. Compared to when the monsters first appeared earlier, he was even more confused now.

How the hell was this child still alive? No, more than that, did he kill all these monsters?

He slowly approached him with a stiff expression.

“…Noah.”

“Hmm? What’s the matter?”

Shaking off the blood on the sword, Noah looked at Go Changsu. For a moment, Go Changsu felt frightened by the boy’s strangely calm appearance.

His body instinctively stiffened due to what he had experienced today.

There was a strange feeling that if he got closer, his body would be cut into pieces.

However, after hesitating for a moment, he took one more step and stood facing Noah like in the past.

“Well, that’s…”

There were countless words that came to mind, but he found it difficult to put it into words.

So, with the first thought that came to mind, he asked Noah what he had wanted to ask the most.

“These days…Are you eating well? Are you hurt anywhere?”

After thinking for a long time, what he wanted to say was just a normal greeting.

The boy replied with a light smile.

“Yes, I’m doing well in my own way.”

“…Is that right? That’s a relief haha.”

He felt relieved when he saw the boy smiling.

Whatever it was, if he was doing well and was healthy, then that was enough.

Like so, his tension eased and he began to organize what he wanted to ask.

“Ah, right! When I went to your home before, it was all burned down. What happened? Did you move to another neighborhood?”

“No.”

“Then, it’s pretty cold these days, are you homeless? Where are you staying? You’re not working in a weird place, are you? If that’s the case, mister…”

He looked at Noah with a worried look and made a fuss.

His imagination ran wild.

With the destruction of the Turbak Brotherhood, did their problem follow the boy’s home?

Or maybe he was suffering in a place where people were using children as slaves.

If that was the case, he thought it wouldn’t hurt to have him come live with the other children who were currently living in his home.

Then…I’ll be able to fulfill my promise and show this child happiness.

With an apathetic expression, Noah replied.

“I’m doing well at my stepmother’s house these days.”

“Stepmother…?”

Did that scumbag get remarried? If so, such a woman wouldn’t be a proper human being either.

“What kind of person is your stepmother? Is she nice to you? She’s not starving you or anything?”

Until now, he had ignored it because it was someone else’s family, but he had resolved to not live cowardly anymore.

If he’s being abused there…this time, I’ll definitely…

His eyes turned cold.

Noah looked at Go Changsu for a moment before taking something out in front of him.

“This is my stepmother.”

“Okay, let me see.”

What the boy showed was an ID card indicating that he was a citizen of Pyongyang.

And on it…

“N-noble?”

“Yes. My stepmother is an honorary noble. Her name is Choi Bokhui…No, it’s Lady Fortune.”

He checked the ID again several times with a dumbfounded look.

The equivalent of being invincible, was it so easy to obtain? Let alone a noble, becoming a citizen of Pyongyang was surprising enough.

It was such an unrealistic story. However, it didn’t seem fake no matter how long he looked at it.

With his years of experience as a police officer, he was sure of it.

“Wh-what’s going on? H-how on earth did you…?”

“She said she needed me and asked me to live with her.”

“What…? What about your father? D-did he remarry this new stepmother?”

“No. He died a couple of months ago?”

At that moment, a thought flashed across Go Changsu’s mind.

The Turbak brotherhood that had suddenly perished a few months ago, and the absolute powerhouse that had appeared there.

If there was a noble behind the incident… 

Oh…that’s what happened.

All the pieces were coming together.

Noah’s overwhelming talent that didn’t match his age. Having recognized his outstanding talent, Lady Fortune had adopted the boy.

She must have cleaned up the Turbak Brotherhood and the boy’s father, who could someday be a stain to his status as a noble.

It was indeed something a noble was capable of doing.

They ended up dying because of this kid…In a way, Noah had taken revenge for me.

With that thought, although he couldn’t arrest them directly, he felt lighter to some extent.

He opened his mouth and laughed at the top of his lungs.

“Hahaha! I knew it! I’ve always known you weren’t ordinary since you were young! Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

Noah replied with a smile.

An untainted expression without wrinkles. It seemed the noble was treating him well.

In the past, he always had a gloomy atmosphere as if he’s going to die at any moment…

To get him to smile, how much work did his stepmother put in?

For some reason, Go Changsu was overcome with emotions when he saw how Noah had changed. Perhaps because he was older, but he seemed to be crying a lot more recently.

He secretly wiped the corner of his eye.

And at that moment, Noah spoke.

“By the way, ahjussi. What are all the monsters over there?”

“Ah, that’s…”

Go Changsu explained the situation he had just experienced with a gloomy look.

On the way back with the children, they had suddenly witnessed a clump of smoke coming up from a local well.

Because of an ominous feeling, he immediately evacuated the children, but unfortunately, the other residents around him had inhaled the smoke.

And what happened afterwards could only be said to be a nightmare.

The residents exposed to the smoke screamed and rolled on the ground, and at some point they had turned into monsters and began attacking people.

“…So we came home right away, locked the door, and hid. But somehow, these guys followed us all the way here.”

“Hmm…”

Noah’s expression darkened at Go Changsu’s explanation. He spoke loudly to reassure him.

“Well, don’t worry too much. I’ll protect you with my life.”

“Hmm…ahjussi? From what I saw earlier, I think you’re weaker than me.”

“H-huh?”

He was taken aback by the sudden remark. Then, he slowly looked around.

Once again, the bodies of the monsters came into view. It was all taken care of by Noah.

“Do you even have an ability?”

“Th-that…Normally I can handle a spirit a little bit…”

“Where is it?”

“Blackie is sulking at the moment…”

“Blackie?”

“…It’s the name of the spirit of darkness I have.”

Go Changsu blushed and said vaguely.

It was the spirit that was raised by his son who had left this world first.

For his son’s revenge, it had signed a contract with him, who had a little affinity with spirits.

***

[ Translator – Yasi ]

[ Proofreader – Karane ]

Eventually, however, when his revenge failed, it hid itself somewhere and hadn’t answered since.

Since it wasn’t my ability from the start…If I think about it, I can’t blame it.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that the only thing he had done was put on air and tell the children to leave it up to the adults, but his power was even less significant than the small child in front of him.

He was of no help a while ago when the other children were in danger.

His shoulders, which had always stood tall, fell.

Soon, Noah spoke.

“When you said Blackie, do you mean this guy?”

When he looked up, he saw the missing spirit floating in front of his eyes.

“Y-you came back! Blackie!”

Go Changsu reached out to welcome it.

However, as if avoiding his touch, the spirit flew behind Noah. It was also rubbing its body here and there as if to act playful.

“B-blackie?”

What was going on here?

Why was the spirit known for being picky so close to a person who wasn’t even its contractor?

“Not me, go to that ahjussi.”

The spirit hesitated for a while before flying to Go Changsu.

Seeing the spirit swaying its body, it didn’t seem very happy, but it didn’t resist Noah’s command.

“H-how can this be?”

“This buddy is a good listener.”

Noah smiled brightly at Go Changsu.

At such a sight, Go Changsu recalled his son who could control spirits in the past.

* * * * * * * * * *

I watched Hairy as he struggled to appease the spirit.

Anyway, so it was this kind of skill.

The A-Grade special skill .

It seemed the power of the Elves gained from this skill wasn’t just the ability to listen to the voices of plants.

The spirit of darkness obeyed me even though we hadn’t signed a contract.

I wasn’t sure what the limit to this was, so after this was over, I needed to find out more about spirits.

In the last round, spirits only avoided me whenever I encountered them.

It wasn’t that bad of a feeling.

In any case, how should I deal with this?

I checked the message that came to mind a while ago after I had killed all the monsters.

[ Condition for the Challenge – Guide the Lamb (Chain Quest) has been met. ] 

[ Challenge has been updated. ]

[Challenge – Guide the Lamb]

Condition: Protect the children until ‘Night of the Dead’ is over. 

Time: 3 days. 

Reward: 1x Random Box (Medium).

Guard the target for a fixed time. It was a typical escort mission found in many RPG games.

Usually, in the case of escort quests in games, positions were divided into attackers and defenders.

If that was the case with this Challenge, then the one who plays the role of attackers were these monsters here.

According to Hairy, they were appearing simultaneously in Guangcheng District, so for this Challenge, the task seemed to be to stop these monsters.

Hu…I didn’t really like such tasks.

Frankly, I never thought the necromancer would move this fast.

I had only interfered with one of the rituals, yet I couldn’t believe he was already making such a big move…

As a result, the situation had become very awkward.

If I drop out of here now, the incompetent Hairy and children would die in all likelihood.

However, on the contrary, giving up the necromancer and guarding this place didn’t guarantee that a good item would come out of the reward.

What should I do…?

It had been a while, but I felt as if a headache was coming. I sighed briefly.

And then, the children, who had been locked up in Hairy’s house, began to come down the stairs one by one.

Everyone was younger or the same age as me.

There were 12 when I counted the number of children. They opened their eyes wide and looked around.

Some were disgusted by the terrible tragedy, while others were curiously poking the bodies with their toes.

“Hey, you punks! Don’t look at things like this, hurry back up!”

When Hairy roared, the children rushed back up the stairs. Then, they peeped out their heads over the window and looked this way.

This was driving me crazy.

I couldn’t believe I had to be tied up here because of these guys. Should I just give up on this Challenge and go get the necromancer?

That side had a definite higher reward. That might be the better choice…

As soon as I thought as such, a voice came from behind my back.

“U-um…”

“Hmm?”

Looking back, I saw Pumpkin standing with an awkward look. He hesitated for a moment.

“By any chance…Is there anything I can do to help hero?”

“Help?”

I looked at him for a moment. Then, I suddenly thought of an idea.

Ah, why didn’t I think of that?

I immediately took a bag of candy out of my inventory. It was a very luxurious candy selected by the sweets-loving Choi Bokhui. I held the bag in my hand and shook it.

“Is there anyone here who wants candy?”

The children, who were watching the situation from afar, came out one by one. I handed out candies to them one by one.

Those who had received the candy glanced toward Hairy.

“You can eat it because Noah is giving it to you.”

When permission was granted, the children bit the candy in their mouths.

“?!”

Their whole body trembled as if they had experienced a new world.

After finishing the candy in an instant, they stared at me again.

Looking at them, I spoke.

“If you help me with something, I can give you more candy.”

They gathered like puppies standing in front of a treat. I took a few guns out of my inventory and handed it over to them.

“Hmm…You’re tall, so this suits you. Since you have small hands…”

I picked out guns that best suited each one of them.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

Hairy shouted from behind, but I ignored it.

All I had to do was guard them for 3 days anyway.

If so, I was going to take these guys to catch the necromancer.

Suddenly, Pumpkin’s father, who was standing next to him, spoke.

“Give me too! Me too! I want one too!”

He whined like a child again and made a fuss.

It was likely that he would accidentally shoot my troop if I gave him a gun. But it seemed like he would keep pestering me if I ignored him.

Maybe I should have killed him…

As soon as I thought about it, I recalled a weapon that fit him perfectly.

I pulled a weapon out of my inventory. Then, he screamed again.

“Don’t give me that! Why is mine the only one that isn’t cool?!”

“No. This is the strongest one.”

“Really?”

“Yes. This is the strongest. Much stronger than all the other children combined.”

“Then I want it!”

I handed the item to Pumpkin’s father. As such, he excitedly wore the bomb vest without hesitation.

Haha, this may end more easily than I had thought.

As expected, against bastards who push with numbers, the answer was to push with your own numbers.