094 – Suddenly, Mafia Game Atmosphere #1
“Hanamjin, what’s with that look on your face?”
Seugal glared at me right after we met, her thin eyes flashing with irritation.
It was as if I had absentmindedly petted a pumpkin beetle because its plump bottom was so irresistibly cute, only to get stung by its sharp spine.
“Aren’t you the one who hates parties and banquets like this?”
“No, I’ve never said I hate them. Actually, the more people there are, the better.”
There was a time when I wanted anyone at all to chat casually with me. And I still haven’t changed from that time.
It’s a truly delightful thing to have someone beside you!
“So, what’s with that disheveled appearance of yours?”
At Seugal’s question, I closed my mouth for a moment.
I knew exactly what she was trying to say.
You think my appearance is strange, right?
Normally, I’d cut my own hair while looking in the mirror. Not only does it allow me to style myself as I please, but it also saves money from not having to visit the salon.
That’s how wise men live.
“But when I tried to enter the banquet hall, they kept blocking me.”
This time around, the staff of the banquet kept refusing my entry because my attire and appearance seemed suspicious, leaving me no choice but to buy a formal suit with my hard-earned money at a nearby department store.
Buying clothes I can’t even eat—what’s worse, a suit that would make me look like a lunatic if worn in the fallen world—was no small expense. It cost as much as several hundred packets of ramen in an instant.
Moreover, the staff had messed with my hair, and the style they gave me didn’t sit well with me, leaving me with plenty of dissatisfaction.
While I was quietly reading a book, I spotted Seugal. She was wearing a black dress like a movie actress attending an awards ceremony, and with her elegant posture, she looked stunning.
Her sandals, made of woven threads, made her resemble a goddess attending Tethys’ wedding.
“You seem to like the idea of milk containers. But….”
Ghick ghick—
I sniffed Seugal.
She smelled sour.
“Huh? Have you not showered or something?”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Seriously, it’s stressful.”
“No, you don’t normally have a smell because of ‘The Innocent Lady.’ Who were you talking to before you started talking to me?”
“Me? An Yu-ri… No, why should I even tell you?”
Whoosh!
Seugal turned her head and walked away.
Ever since she met me in the party, Seugal had been visibly angry. I couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason even when I inspected her emotions.
Perhaps she didn’t want to attend this event.
The sight of politicians and celebrities gathering to take photos and laugh with insincere smiles reminded her too much of the parties she herself used to host before she was kidnapped.
“Hanamjin! What are you doing over there!”
Then, someone darted toward me with a dash-dash sound.
The figure in an inexplicable pale blue cheongsam made me think for a moment that the high-end Chinese restaurant nearby had called for a delivery boy, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Bangdaengi.
“Bangdaengi, did you get a job at a Chinese restaurant? What’s with that outfit?”
“Grr… No! This is a dress my mom lent me because I don’t own a single dress at home… Anyway! Don’t just stand there, come here!”
Whoosh!
Bangdaengi grabbed my arm and pulled me.
She finally sighed in relief as we reached a less crowded corridor, then extended her index finger as if she were a cousin sister reprimanding her younger brother.
“If you keep standing there so defenselessly, the women will take advantage of you! This banquet hall is full of wicked girls, so you must always be cautious!”
「Name: Baek Yeo-ul
Possession: 《Bad Luck Lv.3》 – As unlucky as the call of a winter crow.
Condition: 《Alert》 – Keeping a watchful eye on surrounding women!」
What Bangdaengi meant by “wicked girls” probably referred to users of the “Witch’s Herb.” The “Witch’s Herb,” a root like ginseng that only female Awakened Ones can consume, has an incredible effect.
Once consumed, female Awakened Ones go completely crazy!
That’s exactly why it’s called “Witch’s Herb.”
While it momentarily grants immense strength, the side effects are severe.
Addiction, delirium, and a perpetually sour body odor come as additional perks.
The “Witch’s Herb” became popular when Awakened Ones started engaging in deathmatches to steal each other’s concept stones, after the establishment of an extremely suspicious cult group known as the “Witch’s Sect” at the end of the century?
Though we’re not in that era anymore, it’s still better to stay alert.
Indeed, I did notice some suspicious people through my periphery, although I avoided showing it openly.
# # #
The moment Baek Yeo-ul saw Hanamjin, her hair seemed to stand on end.
It was because of his dashing appearance.
‘This isn’t acceptable!’
Baek Yeo-ul didn’t want Hanamjin to look so handsome.
Neither did she want him to become someone even more extraordinary who would attract the attention of other women.
‘Because if Hanamjin becomes more good-looking or even richer, people might think I like you specifically because of that!’
Baek Yeo-ul’s feelings for Hanamjin weren’t due to his good looks or his current popularity as a successful man.
She believed that she alone knew the greatness of Hanamjin.
Even when others mocked Hanamjin for being funny, Baek Yeo-ul was aware of over ten qualities that made him remarkable.
Now, for some women to take interest in him only because he styled his hair, cleaned his face, and wore fancy clothes—this was unacceptable.
Such women couldn’t possibly understand true love.
Hanamjin needed to find someone who would delve deeper into his inner world and truly love him.
Someone like… her.
“Excuse me!”
“Over here!”
Then, a few women approached Hanamjin and Baek Yeo-ul. They quickly sized up Baek Yeo-ul, who was standing by Hanamjin, with a glance up and down, and arrogantly smiled.
“Where’s the restroom…?”
“I need to contact someone, but my phone’s battery is dead. Could I borrow yours…?”
They were wicked women indeed.
“If you need to go to the restroom so badly, just squat wherever you want! And you can use my phone!”
Baek Yeo-ul protectively growled, feeling the need to guard Hanamjin. Still, the women paid her no heed.
“Who’s this?”
“Some kind of cosplay character?”
The anxious Baek Yeo-ul.
At that moment, the lights on the banquet stage suddenly turned on, and someone appeared. A tall man with pale skin and a chilling gaze stood there.
“Let me express my gratitude to the esteemed guests who have taken their seats. And I’ll skip the next twenty or so lines of a prolonged speech. If you don’t want to endure a tiresome monologue, please take your seats.”
Baek Yeo-ul took her seat at the round table.
The chaotic atmosphere quickly settled down. Baek Yeo-ul could sense the charisma from the man named Nam Bada standing on the stage, which filled her with a sense of tension.
She also realized anew that everyone seated here was an Awakened One like herself and that this banquet wasn’t merely an event to laugh and chatter.
This gathering was to eliminate her cousin Nam Woo-joo, who had become the “Star” demon.
“…”
Baek Yeo-ul couldn’t quite believe that her cousin Nam Woo-joo was somewhere inside the Great Labyrinth’s pitch-black darkness, his eyes gleaming with the light of the stars, intent on harming people.
She decided to take a breather in the restroom. When she arrived, she saw a woman hurriedly finishing up her makeup and putting something into her bag while acting annoyed.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m Baek Yeo-ul… But…”
“Not that. Why are you still loitering here when the event’s about to start? And why did you dye your hair such a bright color? What’s with that outfit? Is this cosplay?”
“…It’s not cosplay…”
“Honestly, I don’t understand how such an unqualified person even ended up on the eradication team.”
The woman left the restroom after delivering her speech, leaving Baek Yeo-ul to sigh. The unexpected criticism made her eyes well up with tears.
“Seriously! What a nasty person!”
But it was impossible to let people see her crying.
After washing her face with cool water at the sink, she returned to the banquet hall.
At that moment, a man clapped his hands to draw everyone’s attention.
“Why don’t we take a group photo before anything else?”
It was the opposition leader, Yoo Dogwan. The congressmen and ministers standing beside him, regardless of their political parties, nodded in agreement, showing they concurred.
“A picture is important.”
“After all, what remains in the end is just a photograph.”
Seeing them, Baek Yeo-ul felt both sad and angry that her cousin was being politically exploited by greedy adults.
She wasn’t even in the mood to take a picture.
Then, Hanamjin stood up and spoke.
“Since we didn’t gather here for a joyous occasion, why don’t we skip taking a portrait photo?”
“What? Yo… A portrait photo? Young man, that’s quite a harsh remark! All we mean is to commemorate such a rare gathering! And frankly, those who funded this expedition are us, after all!”
“Congressman, are you boasting about giving a bit of money to people who are about to risk their lives? And isn’t that money taxpayers’ funds after all?”
“What? You…!”
Yoo Dogwan’s face turned red.
“I don’t like photos either.”
At that moment, an elegant woman with her hair neatly tied back stood up. Baek Yeo-ul recognized her face—she was the woman she’d met in the restroom earlier.
“All those not involved in the eradication team, please leave immediately.”
She was An Yu-ri, who was rumored to be the leader of the eradication team. Known for speaking her mind, she was very popular among many people.
Arguing with her wouldn’t help Yoo Dogwan; doing so could significantly increase the risk of losing young women’s votes in the next presidential election.
After a cough from Yoo Dogwan, Nam Bada, who was holding the microphone, then spoke.
“Let’s skip the photographs, gentlemen. And from now on, all who aren’t part of the eradication team must leave the venue.”
With Nam Bada’s words, the organizer of the event, Yoo Dogwan and the ministers had no choice but to reluctantly leave after a few mumbles. Some awakeneds burst into smirks at the sight. Despite disguising it, they felt discontent seeing the politicians focus on their own interests right before a dangerous operation.
Thus, only the awakeneds remained in the hall.
The number was roughly twenty.
Among them were well-known awakeneds like Moon Hyun-a of “Door,” An Yu-ri the “Tracker,” and Jeon Su-ho of “Guardian.” Others were unfamiliar faces, but it was clear they were all highly capable individuals.
The same went for students who hadn’t yet graduated. It goes without saying for someone like Hanamjin, who had already achieved remarkable accomplishments that overshadowed many active members. There were also Seugal who defeated the concept “Demon,” and Prince Juhyun with his distinct concept, among others—all notable members.
“…Am I really qualified to be here as well? Am I unworthy, as An Yu-ri suggested?”
Baek Yeo-ul felt extremely out of place compared to the others, all dressed in elegant suits and party gowns. In contrast, her cheongsam stood out awkwardly. She felt like the ugly duckling but knew she couldn’t leave the extermination team.
This might be her last chance to meet her cousin.
Then, someone spoke.
A burly man in his mid-thirties with a scruffy beard, Colonel Jeon Su-ho.
“I’m the oldest and have the most combat experience, so I’ll speak up. Good that we’re forming an extermination team, but doesn’t it feel like a disorganized ragtag group?”
Colonel Jeon Su-ho.
His words resonated with nods from everyone. After all, he had performed countless remarkable feats, almost as much as Brigadier General Nam Woo-joo.
Colonel Jeon Su-ho continued.
“Nam Bada, I understand that you decided to assemble this team mainly from volunteers. But it might be wise to sort the wheat from the chaff. There are even minors among us.”
It was a suggestion to dismiss some of the twenty awakeneds present. Everyone nodded in agreement, and Baek Yeo-ul was convinced she’d be among those dismissed.
Then, Hanamjin, who had been silent until now, spoke up.
“You’re right.”
“What? Ah, what’s this, calling me uncle? Hey, listen, I’m only twenty-eight, you know! And why should I be the leader, not you anyway? Nam Bada isn’t going to do the work himself, so you’re the actual leader, right!”
Colonel Jeon Su-ho frowned as if baffled. He couldn’t understand why he wasn’t the leader in the first place.
However, the young man’s words were not yet finished.
“We should first expel any infiltrators within our own ranks. If we continue like this, we’re all going to d*e.”
“Infiltrators?”
“So, you’re calling out infiltrators?”
The people began to murmur. Baek Yeo-ul was also startled by Hanamjin’s statement.
Who was the traitor?
However, Hanamjin winked at Baek Yeo-ul with a grin.
“Bangdaengi, you’re lucky! Just as you said, there really is a wicked woman here at the banquet. One who smells sour.”
“Uhn…!?”
“The answer is you! An Yu-ri!”
“Me?”
The snow-white silver-haired An Yu-ri crossed her arms.
Her companions, sitting near her, immediately flared up shouting, “What is he saying?” or “Why start a quarrel now?” Colonel Jeon Su-ho even stood up and yelled.
“You! What nonsense are you saying! Yu-ri is my subordinate! I’ve known her for years. Accusing someone like her of being a traitor? Are you slandering An Yu-ri?”
“I say this because I’m confident. An Yu-ri, aren’t you a ‘Witch’s Herb’ user? Could you possibly be a member of the ‘Witches’ Sect’? The ones who k*ll awakeneds to steal their concept stones or enslave them.”
“Huh? What nonsense is this? Are you drunk? Witches? Hanamjin, I’ve heard you’re doing well, but you’ve become too arrogant. Just because you haven’t graduated from a prestigious school, you dare lecture me?”
An Yu-ri’s face and neck turned red with apparent anger.
But Hanamjin’s bizarre tale wasn’t over yet.
“If the smell is this strong, there’s no way she only tried it out of curiosity once or twice. Tie this woman to a pillar and wait half a day. You’ll see the inevitable withdrawal symptoms of the ‘Witch’s Herb,’ for sure.”
“What? You’re that confident? How do you plan to take responsibility for this?”
“I bet both of my testicles that An Yu-ri is a traitor. If you’re that certain, why don’t you come at me directly?”
