Chapter 98

'How could this...?'

Woojin could not help being taken aback by the man's utterly unexpected condition.

"I-I'm sorry..."

At Woojin's apology, the man waved his hands in denial.

"Ahh... ooh...! Uh-buh...!!"

He kept making unintelligible sounds before finally bowing, picking up the box he had dropped, and hurrying away.

"Is it all right to just let him go?" Peron asked cautiously.

"He hasn't done anything wrong..."

"Still, an NPC with his tongue cut out... I've seen all sorts of NPCs, from bandits to vagrants, but... this is a first even for me. That was a shock."

"Let's head into the village first."

"Are you sure? If you enter land declared private property, an alert will go off immediately."

"That's why I'm going in. You stay hidden."

Woojin strode forward.

[You have entered private property.]

[Permission has not been granted.]

A red warning light flashed as he entered the village.

WEEEE-OOO!

A siren sounded at the same time, and soldiers emerged from the quarters just inside the entrance.

"Halt!!"

One soldier leveled his spear at Woojin and shouted.

"This is private property! You cannot enter. Leave at once!"

Just then, a peculiar smell reached Woojin's nose—something different from the mine's acrid fumes.

'... Alcohol?'

He sniffed again. The soldier who had just shouted really did reek of alcohol.

'These bastards... They're completely out of control.'

Guards drinking in broad daylight...

It was probably because so few people visited the village. Everyone knew this was Genesis Corps territory, and it had even been declared private property.

'I suppose this is what happens when a game gives you so much freedom.'

Absurd as it was, the situation worked in Woojin's favor.

"I'm sorry. Does someone named Lea live here, by any chance? Someone asked me to come."

"... Lea?"

The soldier tilted his head, then looked at his companion.

"I don't know either. One of the mine workers, maybe?"

"Why are you looking for her, anyway?"

"I have a message for her. Her son asked me to deliver it."

Woojin took out one gold coin.

"... Oh."

At the sight of the coin, the guard involuntarily held his breath.

"It'll only take a moment."

"Now, now, you shouldn't do that."

As Woojin slipped the coin into his pocket, the guard cleared his throat and glanced around.

"I understand your situation, but this place has been declared private property. I can't let you in. If I made a mistake and got caught... Ugh, it would be dreadful."

"Then simply bringing her here would be fine."

Woojin took out another gold coin and pushed it into the guard's pocket.

"Well, well... Honestly..."

Feigning reluctance, the guard nodded.

"Wait here. Lea, you said? I'll go see if there's anyone by that name."

"Thank you. I'd appreciate it."

'Someone who drinks on guard duty... '

As expected, the bribe had worked.

"Hey there! Care for a drink while you wait?"

An older soldier in the guardroom beckoned to Woojin.

'It's a full-blown drinking party... '

The scene in the guardroom told Woojin just how far the village's security had deteriorated.

"I'd be grateful, but... is this all right? Drinking like this, I mean."

He accepted the cup the guard offered him.

"Don't worry. This village has been abandoned. The overseers farther inside will already be out of their minds."

"... Really?"

"Come on, come have a drink."

Apparently bored of drinking alone now that his companion had left, the guard tugged on Woojin's arm.

"There are overseers in the village, too?"

"To be precise, the owner isn't here, but his underlings are. What were they called again... the Genesis Corps? Their people bought this village."

So far, it matched what Peron had told him.

"Then you're saying the Genesis Corps is here right now."

"That's right."

"Then why call it an abandoned village? They went to the trouble of buying it."

"Heh heh. You don't know anything about mana stone mines, do you?"

"What? Ah, no. Not much."

"Well, I suppose that's understandable for Outlanders. You have the shrine's blessing, after all. You do know mana stones contain poison, don't you?"

Woojin nodded.

"That poison is strongest when the stones have just been dug out of the mine. That smoke isn't just smoke. It's venting the toxic fumes from inside."

HISSS...

As if answering him, steam billowed from the mine's chimney.

"Imagine breathing those fumes every day. You'd just be waiting to die."

The guard gave a self-mocking laugh in response to Woojin and downed his drink.

"What about the overseers, then? Surely they'd be unhappy living in a village like this..."

"Unhappy? They probably think it's paradise."

"Why is that?"

"Do you know what you get if you collect and refine the steam from a mana stone mine?"

He took out a small pill and placed it on the desk.

"Don't tell me..."

"That's right. A hallucinogen. Normally, it's made from powdered mana stones for use on monsters, but this version uses only the steam to make it milder. So humans can take it."

"..."

Peron had once told Woojin that it was possible to do drugs in [Evil Tale]. He had thought little of it at the time, but seeing it actually happening was simply absurd.

And openly, right in the village, no less.

"... Wouldn't you be better off leaving the village?"

"Leaving? Heh heh... If I could, I'd have left long ago."

"Hey, is this the person you're looking for?"

Just then, the guard who had gone into the village called to Woojin, a woman at his side.

The woman looked at Woojin. A cloth mask covered her face, her clothes were caked with soot, and her complexion was pale.

Her eyes were unfocused.

Though a little uneasy, Woojin asked her,

"Are you... Raoul's mother?"

Her eyes flickered.

Still looking lifeless, she raised her head at his words. She had reacted.

"Ahh..."

Her dry lips moved.

Woojin's expression froze. Her voice was strangely slurred, just like the laborer's earlier.

"W-wait..."

Woojin looked questioningly at the guard who had brought her.

"Oh, she can't speak. Her tongue was cut out."

"What do you mean... ?"

"No need to be surprised. All the laborers here are in the same boat."

The guard spoke as though it were nothing, but Woojin felt as if he had been struck in the head with a hammer.

"I told you earlier, didn't I? If we could leave the village, we'd have left long ago."

Seeing his expression, the older guard clicked his tongue.

"The people here are no better than slaves. They're buried in debt and have to mine mana stones here until they die."

"What are you talking about? What debt?"

"Nothing complicated. When the mine was discovered and they hired the villagers as laborers, they gave them the byproducts for free."

"... Byproducts?"

"This."

The guard pointed at the pill on the table.

"But one day, the overseers started selling the pills. You couldn't get them for free anymore."

CRUNCH.

The guard tossed the pill into his mouth and drained the rest of his drink.

"They levied enormous taxes on anyone who didn't take the drugs. So half couldn't leave because of the drugs, and the other half couldn't escape because of debt."

"But... why cut out their tongues?"

"To keep the village's secrets."

"... What?"

"The drugs made here reach the nobility, too. Would you believe this one drug earns as much as a decent-sized small kingdom?"

GRIND!

The guard sounded almost proud, but every word made Woojin's anger rise.

"Nothing good will come of staying long. Finish your business and get going."

"Ahh... ooh... ooh..."

Was it because she had heard her son's name?

Lea kept trying to say something, reaching desperately toward Woojin.

"Tsk, tsk. Poor woman. Her son left five years ago, saying he was going to become an adventurer, and she was left all alone."

"Ahh... h-huh..."

Tears welled in her eyes. She sank to the floor, tugging at Woojin's trousers and repeating words he could not understand.

"She just did as she was told, not knowing any better, and ended up like this. She didn't touch the drugs at first... but I suppose you can't help it if you have to live in this hell. Heh heh..."

Perhaps the drug was taking effect; the guard kept breaking into a grin.

"Well, it's the same for me and everyone else here... Heh, heehee..."

TAP.

Ignoring the guard, Woojin supported the woman sprawled on the floor.

"Your son... helped me once. I heard which village you lived in, and I came to deliver a message from Raoul."

He knelt on one knee to meet her eyes.

"Ooh..."

Slowly and clearly, so she could understand even through her clouded mind, he spoke.

"Raoul was very worried about you."

Tears filled Woojin's eyes.

"He said... to be careful not to catch a cold..."

Why was this one simple message so hard to say?

He knew she was an NPC. He knew this was not another world. Yet Woojin could barely get the words out.

His cloak fluttered as he unfastened it and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Peron."

"Yes, Master."

"Look after her for a moment."

Woojin strode into the village.

BANG!

He slammed the door open, revealing a roomful of players high on drugs.

They were Genesis Corps members.

"What...? Who're you...? Where are the guards...?"

A man staggered toward Woojin, his face smeared with liquid that might have been saliva or alcohol.

"You little shit... Didn't you see the sign out—"

SLICE.

His head dropped straight to the floor.

"Heh... heehee..."

"That bastard's dead, huh?"

"Is he really dead?"

"Heehee."

Despite their companion's death, the others began snickering as if they found it entertaining.

CRASH!

Woojin's sword drove into the floor.

"From this moment on, only one of you gets to come to his senses and live."

SPLASH!

He hurled the water pitcher on the table into their faces.

"Y-you bastard...!!"

WHOOSH!

An arrow flew in and pierced the head of the man charging Woojin.

"Didn't you hear Master?"

Ruen addressed them with a tear-choked voice and blazing eyes.

"I'll give you until the count of three."

"You crazy...!!"

"One."

WHOOSH!

"Ghk!!"

The Genesis Corps member who had been rising from his seat thrashed in agony, an arrow lodged in his throat.

"Two."

WHOOSH!

The next arrow struck the heart of the Genesis Corps member standing beside him.

"A-aaaargh!!!"

Another member snatched up the sword propped on the floor and rushed out.

"Three."

WHOOSH!

An arrow buried itself in his thigh.

"Aargh!!"

He staggered and pitched forward.

WHOOOSH!

The next arrow struck the back of his head.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

CRASH!

Ruen kept firing at the man lying on the floor without pause.

"Ghk, g-ghh..."

Bristling with arrows like a hedgehog, the Genesis Corps member shuddered in agony.

"Enough."

In moments, only one person remained.

"H-heek...!!"

Apparently coming to his senses at last, he watched them warily and cautiously reached toward his waist.

THWACK!

Woojin's fist struck his cheek.

"Urgh!!"

"Don't even think about killing yourself."

SHING!

His sword swept through an arc, severing all four of the man's limbs in an instant.

"A-aaaargh!!!"

"I hear there's someone else overseeing this place. Who's your boss?"

"Y-you...!!!"

SHUNK!

"Ghaaah!!!"

Woojin's blade sank between his ribs.

"P-please, spare..."

[You are currently in combat.]

[You cannot log out.]

Desperate to escape, the Genesis Corps member stared at the red warning window before him, his face crumpling.

GRRIND...!

Woojin twisted the sword sideways, making the man tremble in pain.

"Aaaaaargh!!! I-it's Lord Colson!!!"

"... What?"

For a moment, Woojin could not believe his ears.

"Colson?"

"Y-yes!! Lord Colson oversees the entire mana stone mining operation!!"

Was this good luck or bad luck...?

Of all the countless Genesis Corps members, it had to be that bastard.

Woojin let out a hollow laugh.

"So it was that son of a bitch?"

The words came out in a growl.