55 – Stormy Night (2)
I asked a few more questions and visited a clothing store called “The Indifferent Gentleman.”
They claimed to be a common street fashion specialist, so I went in, but I didn’t like any of the clothes.
“What about that one?”
“Outdated.”
“That? I think it would suit well.”
“Trashy.”
“…I think it would suit well.”
Every single clothing item Orphe chose was flashy and unimpressive. It seemed like Symian’s sense of aesthetics was seriously lacking.
This is why bookworms who only read books are a problem. Bookworms tend to pursue ideals and fantasies rather than reality, so they choose things that seem strange to ordinary people.
“You have to choose clothes that wouldn’t look odd on anyone. Clothes that would suit both a street beggar and a noble.”
“The conditions are too difficult.”
“Just do it.”
The clothes she brought afterwards were also unimpressive. Ugh, it seems like I have to take matters into my own hands. I thought as a girl, she would have better taste than me. As with everything else in the world, it’s a case-by-case basis.
I patted Orphe’s slumped shoulders a few times. Even a stone monkey falls from a tree. Since I’ve been doing well so far, I let it pass with a smile.
“I’ll choose my own clothes. Treebo, choose the clothes for Diana. And don’t forget the clothes for yourself.”
After nodding her head a few times, Orphe moved away. Shouldn’t she have at least patted me on the head? Her complexion still doesn’t look good.
“Don’t buy anything too flashy, just get something plain! Since Treebo is big, just choose the biggest clothes for him!”
But I still have something to say. Ninca-Cola.
About 10 minutes passed.
It’s about time to start gathering information, so I chose some plain clothes and found Orphe. I have to use my time effectively.
“You’ve chosen. Shall we go now? We don’t have much time.”
“R-Robin. Let’s just take these.”
I grabbed Orphe’s wrist, who was piling up the clothes and checking the price tags, and headed towards the counter. The clothes she had piled up were damn expensive. All the money I earned from the commission is going at once.
“Now it’s time to gather information. We need to stay focused.”
“Where should we go first?”
“Hmm.”
There are two places I considered yesterday. Byung Geom Gyeong’s mansion and the slum area. We need to investigate Byung Geom Gyeong’s mansion at some point, and we have to go to the slum area to ensure the safety of the people.
“Let’s go to the slum area first.”
“With the clothes we just bought? It might draw attention.”
“We’ll handle it if anyone interferes.”
“But that will also attract attention.”
“I’ll just knock a few heads and go.”
“Robin…”
After careful consideration, it’s still better to start with this place. Saving one person takes priority over killing a hundred samurai.
“Do you know the location?”
I waited for the response from Orpheus, our information specialist. Of course, I only know that there is a slum area.
“Of course. Just trust me.”
Orpheus looked at me with a slight smile. It seems like he heard something from Seton. Seton is more helpful when he’s further away than when he’s right next to us.
I wonder if I can extract only Seton’s Neo-Solitron knowledge and input it into Treebo?
***
Narrow alleys filled with all sorts of filth and old, leaning houses. Closed windows and crooked trees. Children running around without shirts and adults watching us with tired eyes.
The slum area we arrived at was the worst. It seemed to be about twice the size of Sangroksoo Village.
“Don’t the order maintenance troops come here?”
No matter where you went in the city, there were soldiers dressed in brown armor, not a single sniffle in sight. Would they come running if I insulted the Order Maintenance Corps? Somehow, I think they would.
“They’re deliberately turning a blind eye because this is a site scheduled for demolition. Look at that wall guard.”
– The Order Maintenance Corps takes no responsibility for any unfortunate incidents that may occur here. Speaking to individuals in black robes passing by on the street may result in death, regardless of the reason. –
It’s unbelievable that there’s no Order Maintenance Corps in the place that needs order the most. They’re neglecting their duty to an extreme degree.
The Beacon of Law and Order? Those little bastards couldn’t even compare to fireflies when it comes to spouting fancy words.
“According to rumors, this used to be the center of Solitron. About 300 years ago? They say it became a slum after people were attacked by monsters.”
– 300 years ago, it was known in the kingdom as ‘The Butcher of Solitron’.
Damn those Delamion bastards. Even in death, they cause trouble, toothless bastards.
I think I should start rescuing people from here.
“Excuse me, may I ask you something?”
“I have no time.”
Even when Orphe spoke politely, the old man passed by without a care. He didn’t even look at his face and quickly walked away, as if he had experienced this kind of thing often.
Is he playing the game of ‘excluding newcomers’?
“Hey, you two.”
A deep voice grabbed our ankles. When I turned my head, I saw a middle-aged man with no right leg, leaning on a cane.
“If you have any questions, I’ll tell you. But I need compensation.”
It’s easier when someone openly demands compensation like this. I nodded my head in agreement, and Orphe pointed to the shopping bag he was holding – just a bundle.
“Do you have any clothes for a young girl? Something suitable for an 8-year-old. If you have it, just give me one set. Then I’ll tell you.”
“What?!”
I imagined a middle-aged man wearing children’s clothes, doing ballet and wandering around the slums.
Our grandfather also used to wear his younger sister’s clothes frequently in his final years, but that couldn’t be helped because of his dementia.
How can someone who seems mentally sound walk around dressed like that? It’s a clear criminal act.
I clenched my fist in anger at the grotesque and terrifying figure of this perverted lustful person from another world.
“Why are you looking at me like that? I have a daughter too. I just wanted to try being a father for once.”
What’s wrong? You got excited for no reason. You should have said that earlier. That’s why you have to listen to people until the end. After exchanging glances with Orpheus, I began to ask my question.
“Why are there so few people here?”
“All the young men and women who live here went to work in the mines. Except for those of us who are disabled.”
Mines. I remember hearing about the grievances of mine workers from the upper class. It must not be a normal place, run by people who call the workers “dogs”.
“Do murders or disappearances happen frequently?”
“No. When they finish work and come back, they’re all exhausted, so such things rarely happen.”
“That’s strange. In a poor neighborhood where people are tired from hard labor, it’s rare for incidents to occur.”
I roughly understood, but Orpheus didn’t seem to.
By the way, using the term “poor neighborhood” directly in front of the residents, isn’t that a lack of consideration?
“I’m telling you, all the idiots who would do something foolish are already dead.”
“They’re dead?”
“Yeah, when the Neo-Solitron or whatever was being created, the Order Maintenance Army came here. Those idiots who were installing it without knowing the purpose all died.”
They all died. Surely not only the yakuza and troublemakers, but also some tough people. The Order Maintenance Army, they’re definitely the ones who should be wiped out.
“There’s something written about people in black robes appearing here, do you know who they are?”
“No, those people don’t come often. Twice a week? They stay for a short while and then leave.”
“Have they ever killed anyone who lives here?”
“There was no such thing. Was it because of the wall attached there? That’s just a warning sign. It’s probably meant to say ‘do not disturb.'”
“Really?”
“Do you know how tall those people are? They’re at least a head taller than me. They look dangerous, so we shouldn’t mess with them either.”
It’s fortunate that there are no victims. There’s only one suspicious thing, so we need to investigate that too. I’ll have to go and ‘interview’ them later.
“Which way is the mine?”
“Well…”
After asking about the location, Diana handed over the clothes that she should have worn.
“There are so many frills, it’s ridiculous. Our daughter will love it. Thank you.”
I bought more than ten sets, so it’s okay if there’s one set missing. I won’t be transforming into a gold dragon ninja every day anyway.
After getting all the information I needed and leaving the slums, Orpheus approached and spoke.
“Are you going to the Byungumgyeong Mansion?”
“I’m considering it.”
I also want to visit the mine. While dealing with Byungumgyeong and maintaining order is important, it’s also important to eliminate the corrupt business owners who exploit innocent people.
“It’s hard to do both. The mansion in Neo-Solitron Central and the mine at the edge of the city are quite far apart.”
“Hmm.”
I stopped walking after hearing Orpheus read my mind. It’s time to make a decision.
“Let’s go to the mine.”
I’ve decided. It’s more professional to focus on the ongoing events than the ones that have already ended.
There are plenty of opportunities to kill Byungumgyeong if I consider the massacre in the slums a problem. But the people working in the mine are suffering right now, at this very moment.
In order to put an end to the chain of violence, I have to personally obliterate them with even greater violence. That’s the path of the Sweet Ninja.
After walking for several hours, they arrived at the mine.
The sign attached to a tree read:
– Aioji Mine –
Thankfully, it wasn’t the Aoji coal mine. Looking around, there was no sign of any officials.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
Orphe was understandably taken aback. Even for someone from 21st century Earth like me, it was awe-inspiring.
The land next to the mountain was deeply excavated, revealing its inner workings.
Magical-mechanical arms made of wood and rock were spreading the land apart, like the hands of a dentist forcing open a child’s mouth. Were they acting as pillars to keep the soil from collapsing?
“Is this the average technological level of Irugal Kingdom?”
“No, this is… the Red Whale Matap’s technology. You see the emblem over there.”
“Really?”
Is this the level of a major corporation in this world? I can’t help but wonder if they’re torturing monsters somewhere.
People who appeared to be miners were gathered around triangular mechanical devices near the place where I stood. Are they using those to enter the mine?
Dynamite from this world?
“Let’s start heading back. We’ve seen enough of this place.”
I was curious about how that machine worked, but approaching any further might raise suspicions, so I decided to step back.
I should come back tomorrow after disguising myself properly. Maybe just a dot next to my nose would be enough?
“You’re planning to go there tomorrow?”
“Nin nin.”
“Shall we call it a day then, buy some curtains, and go back?”
I guess I have to buy curtains. Whatever, it doesn’t matter.
***
When I arrived in front of the house, it was night. The Ayogee mine was farther than I thought.
It takes about 3-4 hours round trip. My heart feels suffocated at the thought of commuting from here starting tomorrow. Even if I come and go for just a week, I’ll probably transform into a real laborer.
Ziiiiing-
The streetlight that had been erected suddenly made a strange noise and flickered. It’s strange that a streetlight appeared in just one day. This place isn’t even the center of Neosoliton. I can’t help but think that they’re receiving special privileges.
The visit of the Order Maintenance Army to Amelia’s house came to mind. Do they have some kind of relationship?
Is Amelia’s boyfriend a member of the Order Maintenance Army? Is Amelia a secret agent of the Order Maintenance Army? It’s suddenly suspicious.
I think I should ask Adalie about it.
[We’ve arrived. I have news to deliver.]
The first one to greet us when we entered the house was Tribot. Diana must have gone into sleep mode the moment the sun set, as I didn’t even see her snout.
“What is it?”
[I figured out how to use the necklace we received last time.]
The scrap robot extended the drop item left by Laminar before she died. The gem embedded in the necklace was shining even brighter than before.
[It’s a magical tool that can be used for communication. It was broken because it hadn’t been used for a long time. I fixed it, so now it can be used.]
“A portable phone from another world?”
From Noble mtl dot com
It’s even better than I thought. Well, considering the fight we had in Danpung Leaf Village, I deserve this kind of reward.
[It’s similar. Wear it around your neck.]
I put the necklace around my neck and waited for a response.
“Can you hear me?”
The voice of Tribor echoed in my head. How is this possible? The necklace is supposed to be one-way communication, right?
“Speak in your mind.”
It conveyed exactly what I had just thought.
“It’s a Gogmagok item. Only the owner of the necklace and the Gogmagok connected to it can communicate.”
“So it’s not a scam.”
There was a dumb phone that only had Tribor as a conversation partner?! The cell phone was useless, even worse than a pager.
“Useful things don’t change. Keep it.”
“Of course.”
The strategic value is sufficient. I can contact Tribor immediately when I find something strange in the AIOG mines.