Chapter 7. Constellation Skill (2)
“Th-The King of Vengeance came here?!”
The moment No. 49 heard what I said, his eyes widened and he shouted.
“Why are you yelling like that?”
“The King of Vengeance is a huge figure even among Constellations! Why in the world did he come here?”
“Looks like he enjoyed our broadcast.”
“Th-The broadcast? It ended pretty well, sure, but it wasn’t anything that amazing...”
No. 49 clearly couldn’t understand it.
“Nameless One, did you have some kind of connection with the King of Vengeance when you were human? Don’t tell me you were his Contractor or something?”
“Of course not.”
If I had been contracted to an S-rank Constellation, would I have lived such a miserable life?
“Then, Nameless One, what exactly did the King of Vengeance say before leaving? Nothing bad happened, right?”
“He decided to invest in me.”
“I-Invest?!”
“We didn’t discuss the details, but he said he’d have my back.”
No. 49 stared at me with his mouth hanging open.
“Nameless One, how in the world did you sweet-talk the King of Vengeance? What kind of scam did you pull?”
“Look at this bastard.”
I smacked No. 49 on the head.
“Ow!”
“Do you think I’m you? Why would I scam a Constellation?”
“B-But isn’t it strange?! What do you even have that would make the King of Vengeance invest in you?!”
“Maybe he saw my potential. You know that man’s True Name, don’t you?”
“...I do. He’s someone who doesn’t hide his True Name.”
“Do you think someone like him would invest just anywhere?”
In the novel, the Count of Monte Cristo escapes from prison and obtains an enormous treasure.
But he doesn’t stop there.
He manages that fortune, builds even greater wealth, and eventually becomes a tycoon handling money on the scale of a national budget.
In other words, when it came to managing wealth, he was an unmatched, absurdly talented genius.
“Who do you think has a better eye for potential? You, or the King of Vengeance?”
“...Then did the King of Vengeance really recognize your future potential?”
“Treat me properly from now on. Got it?”
No. 49 stared at me with a dumbfounded expression.
“Enough about me. What do you think about Kang Yujin?”
“That Contractor?”
“I’ve been watching him through the Observation Device too. Do you think it’s okay to just leave him alone?”
“I’m not quite sure what you mean...”
“Looks like he’s heading down the mountain right now.”
The Observation Device showed Kang Yujin walking down a mountain path.
“Is it really okay to just let him go like that? He was locked up for years.”
“And?”
“Go help him out a little.”
“What?”
“If he goes into a village looking like that, people are going to think he’s some kind of monster. Someone might even attack him. Go look after him.”
“No, Nameless One!”
No. 49 looked angry.
“What exactly do you think Apostles are? Am I your errand boy?”
“You don’t want to?”
“I don’t!”
“Then quit.”
“What?”
“I guess I’ll ask the King of Vengeance to introduce me to another Apostle.”
I pretended to yawn as I spoke.
“Was it No. 17? The King of Vengeance sent that Apostle to bring me this chair. He seemed pretty competent.”
“...!”
“Maybe I should start asking that Apostle for things from now on. I’ll be working together with the King of Vengeance anyway.”
“N-No, Nameless One, why are you doing this?”
Sweat began pouring down No. 49’s face.
“When did I ever say I wouldn’t do it?”
“You just said you didn’t want to.”
“I don’t want to, but I’ll still do it! An Apostle can’t only do the jobs he likes! Sometimes you have to do things you hate too!”
“You sure know how to talk.”
“But from now on, all your business goes through me, okay? Promise?”
“Stop talking and get down to the human world already.”
I waved my hand, telling him to hurry up and leave.
Kang Yujin was walking alone down the mountain path.
He didn’t know exactly where he was, but if he kept walking down the mountain, he should eventually reach a village where people lived.
Just as he was thinking that, a voice suddenly came from nearby.
“Ahem. How are you feeling, Kang Yujin?”
“...?”
The clown who had disappeared earlier had suddenly returned.
“Being able to walk freely through the world again. What greater happiness could there be?”
“Why are you back?”
“Oh my, I came because I was worried about you, Kang Yujin.”
“You left because I said I wasn’t borrowing any Coins.”
Earlier, the clown had introduced him to all kinds of products, saying he would need various things to survive from now on.
Then he had suggested taking out a Coin loan to purchase them.
“My mom told me a long time ago never to take out loans. Especially Coins. Aren’t those some kind of cryptocurrency? I’ve heard of them before.”
“I told you they’re not! Coins are the common currency used throughout the entire world! All Contractors use Coins, and every transaction with us Apostles is also done in Coins!”
“Either way, I’m not taking out a loan.”
“But you don’t have a single penny right now! You’re completely broke. What are you going to do from now on?”
“Something will work out. God will look after me.”
“Then ask that God of yours to send you some money!”
“Who makes such a materialistic request of God? Are you crazy?”
“Grrr...”
The clown looked like he was desperately holding back his anger.
“Fine. I won’t bring up Coins anymore.”
“Good.”
“But you look absolutely terrible right now, so let’s wash up at the stream over there first.”
“You want me to wash?”
“Do you even know what you look like right now?”
Kang Yujin lowered his head and checked himself.
“Your face is filthy, your black hair is so wild that you look like a ghost, and I can’t even tell whether those clothes are hospital clothes or prison clothes anymore. They’re completely torn apart from fighting and covered in blood. You’re barefoot too... Anyone who sees you would think you’re a zombie.”
“What kind of zombie looks this healthy?”
“Whatever! You smell too, so just go wash yourself!”
“Hmm... Fine.”
Kang Yujin walked in the direction the clown pointed.
There was a valley stream with clear water flowing through it.
“Don’t peek.”
“Why would I want to peek?!”
“And don’t steal my clothes. When I was young, I read a fairy tale where a woodcutter stole a fairy’s clothes while she was bathing and made her his wife.”
“I have absolutely no reason to do something like that, so hurry up and wash!”
Leaving the angry clown alone, Kang Yujin began washing himself.
“What should I do with my hair...?”
Looking at his reflection in the water, his hair really was far too long.
“Maybe I should tie it.”
He tore off a small strip from the bottom of his pants and used it as a hair tie.
“Much cleaner.”
After roughly shaking off the water, Kang Yujin put his clothes back on and stepped out.
The clown, who had been sitting with his back turned, finally looked over.
“Let me see...”
“What’s wrong?”
The clown’s eyes widened.
“Isn’t it cheating to look that normal just because you washed your face and fixed your hair?”
“What?”
“Tsk. If you shave that beard and put on some decent clothes, you’d probably become pretty popular with female Constellations.”
“I’m not sure I understand. Are you saying you find me attractive?”
“That’s not what I’m saying!”
“Then what are you saying?”
“Forget it. The Constellation is like this, and now the Contractor is like this too... Birds of a feather really do flock together.”
The clown kept grumbling.
Kang Yujin decided to ignore him.
“I’m leaving.”
“Wait a moment.”
“What now?”
“Let me give you one piece of advice.”
The clown looked at him.
“There’s a village at the bottom of this mountain.”
“That’s good.”
“But it isn’t a village where people live. It’s a cursed village.”
“Cursed?”
What was that supposed to mean?
“It’s an all-time event zone where beginner Contractors come to hunt.”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“Bad monsters appear there, so strong people go there to hunt them.”
“You should’ve said that from the beginning.”
Kang Yujin rolled his neck, making it crack.
“Looks like I’ll have to join in.”
“Are you serious?”
“God saved me. So I should do what is right.”
“What kind of logic is that...?”
“Everything according to God’s will!”
Shouting those words, Kang Yujin started running.
The moment he realized there was something he needed to do, his steps naturally grew faster.
“Hmm?”
Soon, the village the clown had mentioned came into view.
It looked like an ordinary mountain village, but there was something eerie about the atmosphere.
“Hey, clown...”
Kang Yujin tried to speak to him, but the clown was nowhere to be seen.
Had he failed to keep up?
Or had he simply left?
Either way, Kang Yujin didn’t really care.
“Hey, you. What are you?”
At that moment, more than ten people approached him.
They had the same rough atmosphere as the guards from the facility.
“Are you here to participate too?”
“Participate?”
“In hunting those boneheads.”
A bald man stepped forward with a frown.
“But what’s with your outfit? You don’t even have any equipment... Are you really a Contractor?”
“Contractor?”
“I’m asking if you’ve made a contract with a Constellation.”
“Ah, you mean that.”
