—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Thank you again today.”
“Just stop packing these things for me. I still have some left from last time.”
“Hahaha, alright. Then next time, I’ll prepare different kinds of tea leaves and cookies.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Anyway, I’ll always treat you to free coffee and snacks, so don’t hesitate to come by anytime!”
In the end, Limon couldn’t escape the live cafe until closing time. The constant stream of customer requests forced him back on stage several times.
Perhaps feeling guilty for exploiting him for free, Manager Jung handed Limon and Eugene bags overflowing with coffee beans, tea leaves, and cookies. It wasn’t anything new.
Every time Limon visited the cafe, he ended up on stage, performing extended live sets for free, and returning home laden with gifts.
“Partner, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Why don’t you take money from the manager?”
Eugene asked with a curious expression.
It was understandable for her, but there was no reason for Limon to play for free every time.
Limon replied indifferently,
“If I take money, it’ll become like you’re singing for money too.”
“…For such a trivial reason?”
“It’s not a trivial matter when it involves your soul.”
Perhaps surprised by his words, Eugene’s eyes widened for a moment before she grinned and slung an arm around Limon’s shoulders.
“Thanks, Partner.”
“There’s nothing to be thankful for. I just played as I pleased.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Humming contentedly, Eugene clung to Limon for a while before finally waving goodbye enthusiastically.
“Then bye-bye! Come visit again!”
“Alright.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After Eugene left, Na-kyung, popping her head out above Limon’s, asked hesitantly,
[What was that?]
“What was what?”
[That cryptic exchange just now.]
“What cryptic exchange? It was just a story about volunteering because my friend didn’t want to sing for money.”
Limon chuckled.
Na-kyung wore a dubious expression at his answer.
[Honestly, I don’t understand. You gladly accept gifts like cookies and coffee beans, but why not money?]
Eugene had one condition when she was hired at Manager Jung’s live cafe.
She wouldn’t accept performance fees.
Na-kyung couldn’t understand why Eugene meticulously collected her hourly wage while flatly refusing payment for her singing.
Limon’s answer was simple.
“Is a birthday present your siblings diligently saved their allowance for the same as a number in your salary account, even if the amount is the same?”
[That’s a different situation!]
“No, it’s the same.”
Limon shook his head. Looking at the space where Eugene had been, he continued in a low voice,
“People see gold as stone not because they lack greed, but because they fear gold.”
Eugene was brazen enough to ask for money without hesitation from someone she had only met once.
Moreover, even without Limon’s accompaniment, her singing was good enough to earn her at least a meager living through street performances.
Limon didn’t know why Eugene hadn’t sold her songs, even when she was on the verge of collapsing from hunger. And he didn’t intend to find out.
He knew from long experience that there was no benefit in prying into such matters.
[Do you think you’re some kind of philosophical guru? Suddenly spouting cryptic nonsense.]
“Why are you comparing me to her? I’m much older than her.”
[Because compared to you, who’s just wasting away with age, the philosophical guru is a far superior person, both in reputation and character.]
“Want to get beaten up by this old man who’s wasting away with age?”
[That petty attitude is why I say you’re wasting away…! Squawk!]
Ignoring Na-kyung, who hopped around after being flicked on the forehead, Limon continued calmly,
“Anyway, she won’t be selling her songs for money in the future.”
[How can you be so sure?]
“She’s rich.”
[…What?]
“More accurately, she’s overflowing with the potential to become rich.”
[What kind of monster escaping a dungeon nonsense is that?]
Na-kyung was utterly bewildered.
From being chased by creditors and collapsing from hunger on the streets to working part-time at a live cafe, everything about Eugene screamed poverty. She couldn’t understand Limon’s claim that she was rich.
“It sounds absurd, but what can you do? It’s the truth.”
[So how do you know?]
“I can just tell by looking.”
[…I want to tell you to stop talking nonsense, but when you say it like that, it sounds real, so I can’t say anything.]
“Of course, because it’s real.”
[Ugh, annoying.]
Limon scoffed.
Strolling along, he muttered,
“She seems content being a wandering minstrel for now… but I wonder how long that nail in her pocket will stay put.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Hmm.”
As if demonstrating that the head of a prestigious family possessed basic intelligence and refinement, Wang Ki-neung stroked his mustache and immersed himself in reading.
After a while, he closed the book and asked abruptly,
“So, have you changed your mind? I think you’ve had some time to think things over.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
The beady-eyed young man bound to the torture rack grinned at his words.
“I was going to keep my mouth shut, but I can’t stand the boredom. So why don’t you at least turn on the radio?”
“Oh, are you bored?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I had high expectations for the Seven Dragons Association’s interrogation techniques, but they’re quite disappointing.”
“You can still talk like that in your condition? You have stronger nerves than you look.”
“I do hear that I’m more resilient than I appear.”
Wang Ki-neung was honestly impressed. The young man’s current state was truly horrific.
The skin on his left foot was completely peeled off, his right foot was melting in real-time from some dark substance, and countless acupuncture needles pierced his body.
An ordinary person would have long since gone insane, begging for death.
“I’m ashamed. Even with me, the head of the family, personally putting in the effort, there are no results.”
“Don’t blame yourself too much. It’s not your fault that I’m too good.”
“I’m grateful for your words, at least.”
It was a truly harmonious scene.
The torturer and the tortured conversing amicably. And it was crystal clear who was leading this atmosphere between the young man and Wang Ki-neung.
It was easy for the torturer to laugh, but it took a special kind of person to laugh while being tortured.
It was a situation that would have been infuriating for Wang Ki-neung, who had gone so far as to hit Limon on the back of the head to capture this young man in order to extract information about the Fiend.
“But I don’t need such superficial courtesies.”
That was why Wang Ki-neung smiled.
He was the head of the Shanghai Royal Family. Someone so easily unnerved by a tough opponent could never lead a prestigious clan in the Seven Dragons Association.
More importantly, Wang Ki-neung had a reason to calmly observe the young man’s tenacity.
“It’s not like I can only get information from your mouth.”
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
Ignoring the young man’s scoff, Wang Ki-neung simply opened the book again and read a passage.
“Name, Ryu Kang-chul.”
“Childhood nickname, Gae-dDong.”
“29 years old, born on July 9th, from Bukgan Province, one of the Seventy-Seven United States of China.”
“Raised by a single mother, abused by stepfather for three years after mother’s remarriage, then ran away. Considering the mother and stepfather went missing around the same time, suspected of murder and escape.”
“Since a similar individual was sighted in a nearby dungeon around the same time, presumed to have become an unregistered player after running away.”
“The number of missing players in the dungeon where Ryu Kang-chul was active increased by 300%, suggesting possible robbery and murder targeting players.”
“Registered as a mercenary in the Free Cities Federation after becoming an adult, military training received, evidence of involvement in civilian massacres, terrorism, assassinations, and other illegal commissions.”
“Disappeared five years ago and presumed dead, suggesting possible involvement in a special organization or corporation operating in secrecy.”
Reading from the book he held as if reciting someone’s life story, Wang Ki-neung looked up again.
Looking directly at the young man, who had finally stopped talking, he grinned.
“What do you think? Mr. Ryu Kang-chul.”
“…You’ve done your research. Wasn’t it hard to find information about me?”
“Records may be erased, but people remain.”
“That’s even more impressive that you dug up all that information.”
“It wasn’t that difficult. There’s nothing in this world that money can’t buy.”
Despite his nonchalant reply, digging up Ryu Kang-chul’s past hadn’t been easy. If he hadn’t remembered Limon’s advice and focused on his military background, it might have taken the Seven Dragons Association’s information network years, if at all.
Ryu Kang-chul’s records had been thoroughly erased.
That’s why Wang Ki-neung asked again,
“So, with that in mind, are you ready to confess?”
“Why bother asking? If there’s nothing money can’t buy, you can just find out yourself.”
“Well, yes, but it’s a big loss to spend a lot of money investigating something I can get for free.”
“Don’t be too greedy for freebies. You’ll go bald, you know?”
“I’m not interested in this country’s proverbs. Shouldn’t we save where we can?”
It was all a matter of time. So just confess.
Ryu Kang-chul grinned at Wang Ki-neung, who spoke with a meaningful smile.
“If you’re so confident you can find out, then don’t beg and find out yourself.”
“Hmm, is that your answer?”
Seeming to have expected this to some extent, Wang Ki-neung showed no signs of disappointment. He simply nodded slowly and rose from his seat.
Crash!
It happened in an instant.
Wang Ki-neung’s lightly delivered kick landed on Ryu Kang-chul’s temple, sending him and the iron torture rack he was bound to crashing to the floor.
“Tsk, tsk. I was trying to handle this cheaply. This is why you shouldn’t show mercy to ungrateful bastards.”
Clicking his tongue, Wang Ki-neung strode forward. Stepping on Ryu Kang-chul’s head, he continued,
“Listen, Mr. Ryu Kang-chul. Do I look easy just because I’m using honorifics?”
“Don’t worry… I wouldn’t think… you were easy even without… the honorifics… Urk!”
Ryu Kang-chul coughed up blood.
The psionic energy emanating from Wang Ki-neung’s foot sent excruciating pain through his internal organs via the acupuncture needles embedded in his body.
“Well, I understand. You’ve endured 108 of the Seven Dragons Association’s renowned torture techniques, so it’s natural to be confident.”
The Seven Dragons Association’s torture techniques. Each one was the ultimate in torture, designed to inflict extreme pain.
Enduring three digits’ worth was proof of superhuman resilience, a testament to his ability to scoff at any torment.
“But don’t get cocky. Our Seven Dragons Association’s torture techniques don’t end here.”
That’s why Wang Ki-neung sneered. He had only shown him a taste, yet Ryu Kang-chul foolishly believed he had overcome everything with just this much.
“Oh, and you’d better give up on any hope of being rescued. Even your precious comrades won’t be able to save you.”
And one more thing. The basis of Ryu Kang-chul’s resilience.
Recalling the clue he had finally found after mobilizing the entire information network of not just the Shanghai Royal Family, but the entire Seven Dragons Association, Wang Ki-neung smiled coldly.
“The Specter of the Liberation Brigade.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
