49 – Warm Faces (2)
I walked aimlessly, observing the people living in Neo-Solitron.
Being a big city, there were various types of people.
If I were to categorize broadly.
“They work one day to eat one day.”
“Is this even money? It’s just a measly amount.”
“I should have learned technology, not philosophy.”
“Should we all start a chicken restaurant?”
The lower class, wearing tattered rags, begging for mercy.
“Dad, I want to eat honey butter black sugar king candy!”
“Just hold on a little longer, our princess!”
“Do I have to brush my teeth before bed? Or else Mom will scold me.”
The middle class, dressed in clean clothes.
“Oh, this is a big problem. A big problem. The dissatisfaction of the mine workers is growing day by day. I wonder if there might be a rebellion…”
“Well, the workers are just a bunch of complainers. Every day, we select the worker with the highest productivity as the ‘Worker of the Day’ and give them a few coins. They’ll be too busy competing with each other.”
“That’s a great idea!”
The upper class, wearing shiny badges and luxurious silk clothes.
But these guys’ conversation is a bit strange.
A mine? Does Neosolitron even have a mine?
I made a mental note to remember that.
Anyway, Neosolitron is a place where people from various social classes gather.
It’s completely different from the stages I’ve experienced so far.
There is one commonality between Martolan, Goldon, and Sangroksu Village.
That is, my enemies as a runaway ninja were not from within, but from outside.
In Martolan, where I made my debut as an adventurer, I fought against dinosaur monsters all the way to Danpung Leaf Village. In Goldon, I fought against the invading Yakuzas to protect the village. And in Sangroksu Village, I fought against honeybee monsters in a distant place.
Although I did defeat Aileen, a samurai, and the Iron Crab Knights in Martolan, I exclude them because they are not worth calling enemies, just third-rate losers.
There’s no way I could have called a dead b*tch who pissed herself so beautifully.
Having fought against external forces like this, there were very few people around me who would suspect my true identity, so I rarely had to use a disguise.
This time is different. The forces threatening Neosolitron are not from the outside, but from within.
The malicious and ruthless samurai organization, the Gyeongseong Society, had taken control of the city.
To fight alongside these youngsters who lived in the same city as me without arousing suspicion, I needed a perfect disguise.
Like a bat-ninja.
Bat-ninja.
A corrupt ninja village called the “League of Ninjas,” where the second-generation chaebol, who lost their parents to the yakuza, entered, received all the skills, and escaped to be born.
This guy, who, like me, is a fugitive ninja, acts as a second-generation chaebol in the morning and a bat-ninja at night, fighting to evade suspicion from the yakuza.
The leader of the corrupt ninjas, “Ras Al Khol.”
The psychopathic yakuza, “Joker.”
The muscular samurai, “Venom.”
Even the sewer monster, “Killer Crocodile,” who came from the bat-ninjas, was truly remarkable.
Anyway, I had to follow his example and create a perfect disguise to make an alibi.
I had to emphasize my profession as an adventurer and appeal to the citizens of Neo-Solitron, saying, “I’m not dangerous.”
Thunk!
“Nin?”
“Oh, sorry~!”
When I was lost in thought, a woman with her arms crossed bumped into my shoulder and passed by.
It was her who bounced off, but…
“Hey, it’s because your shoulders are so broad.”
“Do you want to die, bro?”
Couples who exchange skinship while swaying.
“It’s okay, you can go.”
“I’m really sorry. Please take care!”
I sent them off, knowing there was no special malice involved.
Couples. Couples can also be good disguises.
Of course, I’ve been in a couple before too.
– Oppa~! Are you free tomorrow?
She was a one-year younger girl.
To easily fulfill her cosplay dreams as a ninja and an ordinary person, I accepted her confession.
It wasn’t my taste. I prefer more mature women.
– Ah, so you confessed because you lost in a punishment game? Who said there was a girl who would confess to a loser like you? Listen to me before you get beaten to death, you idiot!
The ignorant temptress, my younger sister, naturally didn’t listen to me.
– Oppa…? Why do you only reply with “nin-nin” in your messages…?
Both of us were reserved, so we didn’t talk much. We were both busy, so we couldn’t meet often. But it was clear that we cherished each other.
– Oppa… ㅠㅠ I’m sorry ㅠㅠ It was because of a punishment game with my friends that I confessed ㅎㅎ We agreed to act like a couple for a week ㅋㅋ So, we didn’t really date~!
She left with just one message, feeling embarrassed.
I quickly accepted it. If there’s a meeting, there can also be a parting.
“Shall we go see that today?”
“That?”
“‘King Cobra vs. The Temptress’! The special fabric disguises make it even more realistic!”
“I can’t stand such low-level theater,” he said.
“Why? It seems like it would be really fun!”
“If it’s a good play, it should have a message.”
“Isn’t it enough if we enjoyed it?”
I can still hear the couple arguing.
From Noble mtl dot com
Wait, theater? Did they say theater? Isn’t theater similar to musicals?
I remember going to Phuskin Village to watch a musical and only seeing some boring content.
Maybe this is my last chance to see a musical.
“Just a moment!”
I immediately followed the couple. I have to see it when I have the chance, just like today.
“Yes? Why?”
“Where can we watch the performance?”
“Well… you go that way and then that way…”
Hey, who’s going to understand if you say it like that?
“If you’re going, let’s go together.”
“Ah…”
I filled the gap with a pat on the shoulder.
“Let’s go. To where the play is.”
***
*Samguri Wanderer Theater Troupe*
– Showtimes –
Theater 1: King Cobra vs. The Temptress
Theater 2: Kingdom of Frost
Theater 3: The 100th Room’s Gift
Theater 4: Commanding Baton in Telas
Theater 5: The Disaster of Datiman
Theater 6: The Guardian Deity of Goldon
Theater 7: The Red Whale Mausoleum – The True Nature of Lucid Dreams and the Correlation of the Brain in a Glass Tube through Electronics
Theater 8: The Red Whale Mausoleum – Self-Developmental Education for a Secure Future Plan and Comfortable Retirement
Theater 9: The Red Whale Mausoleum – The Positive Influence that Frontal Lobe Resection Surgery can Have
“The Guardian Deity of Goldon?”
As soon as I arrived at the theater, I almost screamed.
Am I the only idiot who would be called like this?
– Synopsis: Delbanas, the leader of a band of thieves targeting the devastated city of Goldon due to civil war. Brave soldiers and adventurers tried to fight back, but the situation made it hard to guarantee victory. In the desperate moment before the siege, an unidentified monster appears…!
“What the.”
Even after reading the introduction, this is definitely about me.
It’s nice that my reputation is spreading. But why am I not called the Runaway Ninja?
I grabbed a couple who were still lingering and asked them.
“How do people know about Goldon’s affairs? They haven’t even passed by there on a carriage.”
“That place is famous these days.”
“Yes?”
“The adventurer who fought alongside us brought a detailed record to the guild. It wasn’t anything secretive, so the guild sold copies to the wealthy Hosagas, who then had them rewritten by poets, and that’s how the story spread… Well, something like that.”
Apart from our group, there is only Celine who fought there with us.
Was she meticulously documenting everything?
No, but if she was going to document it, couldn’t she have done it as a deserter rather than as a protector of Golton? Is it a joke?
“Thank you for the explanation. But why is she called the protector of Golton? Wasn’t she called a deserter?”
“Well, that’s true, but the pronunciation is vulgar. I don’t even know what it means. Doesn’t it sound cooler with ‘protector’?”
“Absolutely not.”
The protector is not the strongest. Only a deserter can hold that title.
It’s not about being cool, it’s about the meaning behind the word.
“Besides, that person has another nickname. ‘The Judge of Martolan,’ wasn’t it?”
“This is ridiculous, seriously.”
Even if I write ‘deserter’ in big letters on a huge piece of paper, why doesn’t it stick?
Even in Golton, Orphe would have shouted that she’s a deserter.
Is this the reality of this barbaric world?
“Well, I understand. Both of you enjoy the play. I’ll go now. Suddenly got busy.”
“Oh, yes…”
All desire to watch the play and all the excitement vanished.
It feels like my soul has been violated.
“Buy a souvenir. Souvenir~! It’s a souvenir made by the theater troupe themselves~!”
A woman dressed in a ridiculous clown-like outfit was pulling a cart around like a yogurt lady.
Souvenirs? Would it be a suitable gift for Orpheus?
As I looked around for a moment, I saw a ninja escape figure.
A small toy in the shape of a dark-skinned man, racially discriminatory.
“Give me one ‘Ninja Escape’ please.”
“What?”
“Ninja Escape.”
“What?!”
“…Give me one of those.”
“Oh! The product name is displayed differently! It’s called ‘Guardian of Goldon’!”
Orpheus, are you watching? I’m going through such a painful process for you.
“Shhh…”
I walked for hours, holding the figure, to calm my anger.
No, I walked to find a colleague who could provide an alibi for me.
Really.
“Robin?”
The one who called me was Orpheus, who was suddenly behind me.
Perhaps it was my instinct for finding directions that brought me to the place where we parted ways.
Looking at the sky, it had already darkened. Time flies so quickly.
“Is it over?”
I approached, hiding the figurine. This is a surprise gift, after all.
“Yeah. The housing prices were really high. But I managed to find a cheap one by meeting all the conditions.”
Orpheus’s left hand was filled with documents. As expected, it was the right answer that she handled it alone.
“How did you do it?”
“I showed the landlord a guarantee letter we received from the Guild, using our names. He was really pleased, as if we were acquaintances with the Guild’s leader.”
“That’s fortunate.”
“But why are you hiding your hand?”
Quick-witted kids like this are annoying. Before saying anything else, I immediately extended my hand.
Orpheus took the figurine with her right hand and turned it around, scattering the ashes.
“I bought it to give it to you. I got it at a high price in the black market. It’s said to be made by blowing in the breath of a master craftsman…”
“Did you go to the Three-Way Wanderer Theater Troupe?”
She’s cunning?!
“Did you become a queen bee yokai?”
“Look here. It’s written in small letters next to the product name.”
Damn, is this for real?
“It seems like I’ve been scammed… This…”
“You don’t need to say that.”
Orpheus put my figurine in her embrace, tilting her head.
“I like it. Thank you.”
“Thank you, it’s embarrassing.”
Well, it should be fine, right?
“Do we have to go home now?”
“The landlord wants to see our faces once. We should go to the landlord’s house with Diana and Tribor. Just be careful with our attitude, because the landlord is a noble.”
It shouldn’t be a problem.
“Let’s go.”
A noble who favors me. This is precious.