Chapter 50

< 50. Question (1) - From here on, it's paid - >

Oliver and Kent, covered in mucus, and Wang Jumei descended into the trash can below.

It was impossible to tell how long it had been left there, but it was disgustingly sticky and smelly, to the point where their clothes needed to be discarded.

However, it wasn't a major issue at the moment.

The smell of the underground sewer was far worse than that of Oliver, Kent, and Wang Jumei.

Oliver's nose was starting to hurt so much that his head was beginning to throb, so he released his Sensitive Nose.

The smell was still terrible, but it was much better than before.

At least his head didn't feel like it was going to explode.

"Oh, my goodness... I didn't expect to see such a secret sewer again."

Kent spoke as if it were familiar. Oliver asked,

"Are there more places like this?"

"Well... Randa may have fallen hard in the past, but it's a city with a deep history. It was also an outpost of the ancient empire and continued to serve as an important city and hub. As a result, the underground has been developed over a long period. From ancient sewers to medieval and modern sewers, they are layered in multiple layers."

"Oh..."

"That's why it's said that there's a city beneath the city in Randa. It's usually used by gang organizations, bounty hunters, and big shots in the underworld."

"Hmm... Do the beggars not use it? Although it's smelly, it seems warm and usable."

"Good point. But even so, beggars rarely use it. Most sewers are interconnected, and if you're not careful, you might encounter a dangerous group. Dying as a beggar isn't a big deal on the surface, but in the underground, even small things can be fatal."

"Oh... Then, does the Mole Gang use this place?"

"... Either they've gone mad, or they have something reliable."

"Something reliable?"

"Maybe... They've gained confidence because their numbers have increased, or they have some backing."

"I see."

Oliver and Kent continued their conversation.

Then, Wang Jumei, who had been following behind, interjected.

"Wait... Oliver, you!"

"Yes?"

"How did you know there was a secret passage here?"

"Um, can I tell you later? It's a bit difficult to explain right now..."

"No, answer now. You're acting suspicious."

"Um, well..."

Oliver, looking flustered. Then, Kent said,

"Let's talk about that later."

"Kent?"

"The important thing now is to find the Harmonica, not how you found it."

"But, even so..."

Wang Jumei tried to argue with Kent, but when their eyes met, he closed his mouth and bowed his head.

His boiling anger was visible, as if it was about to burst.

"Oliver, do you know where the Harmonica is now?"

Oliver nodded.

Although he had released his Sensitive Nose due to the smell, it wasn't a big problem at this point.

Oliver focused his eyes.

The black mage's vision was enhanced, and he could see various emotions glowing in the darkness.

A dozen adults and twenty children... deep in the sewer.

"There, inside."

"Phew... That's a relief."

"But, there are other people besides the children."

Other people. They must be the ones who kidnapped the children.

Kent, as if he had expected it, adjusted his quarterstaff and said,

"It doesn't matter. Lead the way. As quietly as possible."

Oliver nodded and started walking carefully.

Although it was dark all around, it wasn't a problem for Oliver with the black mage's vision.

Kent followed as if he were familiar with it, but surprisingly, Wang Jumei had trouble keeping up.

Was he not used to the darkness?

"Ah, don't worry about me."

Wang Jumei whispered low.

His face showed irritation and shame, but strangely, his emotions revealed a cunning, snake-like quality.

As if he had some ulterior motive.

However, Kent, seemingly unaware, continued to order Oliver to move forward, and Oliver followed the sewer inside.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

As they got closer, faint footsteps could be heard.

Kent stopped Oliver by grabbing his shoulder and put a finger to his lips.

The footsteps became clearer, and voices could be heard.

"Damn, how long do we have to keep watching these brats?"

"Why the hell? You can make money by watching these brats. What's so hard about it?"

"The brats cry and it gives me a headache..."

"That's why you beat them earlier? Beat them moderately... You got scolded by Mr. Henry last time, didn't you? For damaging the merchandise?"

"I didn't hit them much. Kids are supposed to be raised by beating them, anyway. Besides, I just don't like being in this smelly place."

"Thump. Thump. Not that bad?"

"That's because you're used to it."

"Ah, stop complaining. Anyway, this is profitable... But, where are they planning to sell these brats? We don't need any more child laborers. Even I don't want to see kids' hands being cut off anymore."

"Maybe they're planning to sell them to a factory or farm? Or the girls to a brothel?"

"Ugh! That's a problem. They don't have good faces, so they won't go to a good place."

With that, the men started laughing.

They seemed very familiar with this, and as a result, they were complacent.

Oliver looked at Kent.

His emotions were a mix of disgust and anger, but he remained calm and composed.

He quietly put a finger to his lips, then pulled a knife from his coat and held the quarterstaff in one hand.

He lowered his body like a cat and approached silently.

Like a beast, he moved quietly,

When he got close enough, Kent thrust the quarterstaff deep into one man's neck and then stabbed the other, who was startled.

"Gasp..."

Human life was surprisingly resilient.

The man who was stabbed tried to resist with wide eyes.

But Kent, without hesitation, twisted the knife to finish him off and then stabbed another beggar in the back of the neck.

His movements were smooth and effortless.

More surprisingly, no screams escaped despite killing two people simultaneously.

Using black magic wouldn't have been difficult, but to do it with bare hands was quite a fresh sight.

"Can you help me dispose of the bodies?"

At Kent's request, Wang Jumei approached and hid the bodies where they couldn't be seen.

The group moved forward again.

As they went deeper, the magic stone lamps illuminated the surroundings,

and the number of people increased, making it difficult to move. Kent ordered them to hide at an appropriate point and then glanced ahead.

There, armed beggars with blackjack and clubs were standing, and the children, trembling with fear, were huddled in one corner.

"Damn..."

Kent muttered low.

"Why? Kent."

"There's the Harmonica."

Wang Jumei, looking ahead with Kent, asked,

"... There are quite a few of them. What do you plan to do?"

"Hmm..."

"Since we are so few, shouldn't we go out and call for more people?"

"Hmm... No, we don't know what will happen if we go out and come back. We've already killed two on the way here. We need to resolve this now."

"But-"

"I'll go forward and draw their attention. You and Oliver can slip to the side and escape with the Harmonica. Get the other children to run away too."

"The other children?"

"Yes, even if not all of them can escape, a significant number might. Can you do it?"

"... Yes, I can."

"Then, I'll leave it to you."

With that, Kent, like before, held a knife and crouched, then walked forward.

He threw the knife at the complacent beggars, and surprisingly, it pierced one beggar's neck accurately.

"..."

"What?"

"... Huh?"

The startled beggars.

Kent, without losing momentum, entered the group of beggars and started swinging his quarterstaff.

It wasn't just a simple wooden stick; he had a formalized technique that even Oliver, an outsider, could see was highly skilled and precise.

The ends of the quarterstaff served as both a weapon and a shield, striking and pushing back approaching enemies.

"Damn! Where did you come from all of a sudden...!"

"Surround him! Surround!"

"Damn, you try it! This guy is really tough-!"

The enemy beggars resisted with their clubs, but compared to Kent's quarterstaff, they lacked both length and skill, failing to capitalize on their numerical advantage.

Whenever they tried to surround him, Kent would swing the quarterstaff widely to break the encirclement and start knocking down the beggars one by one.

Despite being alone, he overwhelmed the numerous enemies, and then,

Bang!

A gunshot echoed, and everyone's attention turned to the direction of the shot.

A beggar wearing a fedora appeared.

"That's enough."

The appearance of the gun caused the beggars around Kent to flee.

They were afraid of being hit.

"Hmm... Ah! I remember. You're the one who hit me a while ago."

Kent's provocation hit a nerve, and the fedora-wearing beggar became furious.

He swung the gun like a knife and shouted,

"Ha...! You're still pretending to be tough. Let's see if you can still do that when you have holes in your body! Huh?"

"Why? Going to shoot? From the way you're holding it, it looks like you don't even know how to shoot properly...? Are you okay? You'll just embarrass yourself more. Trying to use a gun against a limping old man?"

As Kent slowly closed the distance, the fedora-wearing beggar pointed behind Kent and said,

"Ah, don't worry about that. I have my reasons."

A meaningful statement.

Kent, sensing something was off, turned around.

That's when he met Oliver's eyes.

More accurately, Oliver, who was being held by Wang Jumei.

"What the...?"

The fedora-wearing beggar sneered,

"Things didn't go exactly as planned, but it doesn't matter... I thought you only had idiots under you, but it turns out you had a friend who could communicate. A friend who could see the future."

Kent looked at Wang Jumei, who had betrayed him, and asked,

"... Why are you doing this?"

"Kent... I'm grateful that you took me in, but that doesn't mean I have to spend my whole life taking care of beggars! I don't want to live as a beggar under you for the rest of my life... I will do whatever it takes to get out of this life! So, drop your weapon."

Wang Jumei shouted at Kent, threateningly.

His angry voice echoed loudly in the sewer, but Kent, after looking at him silently, closed his eyes firmly.

Then, surprisingly, he dropped the quarterstaff he was holding, which emitted a weak but beautiful light.

'... Why?'

Bang! Clatter...

The lonely sound of the quarterstaff hitting the ground was followed by bursts of laughter.

"Hahaha... Idiot, you really dropped your weapon for a useless beggar!"

"Exactly... If the idiot dies, it's all over. Did you know? Your gang is probably finished by now! That was the original plan."

"Yeah! Our friends are already there!"

Oliver watched the scene silently.

He watched the person who had dropped his weapon for him and the kidnappers who mocked him.

Honestly, Oliver felt similar to the kidnappers.

Dropping his weapon was not a rational act, even to Oliver.

Why expose yourself to danger for someone unrelated to you...? Or, was it more like him?

He had helped Oliver without any ulterior motives and let him stay with his gang.

A consistent but incomprehensible self-sacrificing attitude. Altruism... Oliver desperately wanted to understand the reason at this moment.

"Damn... I'd like to torture you for a few days, but I'm busy. So, die now."

The fedora-wearing beggar approached a few steps and aimed his gun, then pulled the trigger.

Bang!

"..."

Everyone made a stunned sound.

They saw an unknown black curtain suddenly appear and protect Kent.

Then, someone said,

"Excuse me, but I have a question for him."

Everyone turned to the direction of the voice.

There, they saw Wang Jumei, who had been impaled by a black spike and died, and Oliver standing calmly in front of him.

Everyone looked at the scene in silence, trembling with fear.