novelraw Chapter 236
Chapter 236
Chapter 236
I gave a low warning.
“Tell your Boss to come out. I have something important to discuss regarding business here.”
At my words, the members of the Salvatore Family exchanged looks and muttered among themselves.
-What are those bastards?
-No idea. Are they crazy?
-They’re definitely out of their minds. Causing trouble in a shop owned by the Salvatore Family?
Some were concerned for the two of us, others mocked us. After all, unless someone had more than one life, they wouldn’t dare pull something this insane.
But it didn’t take long for those laughs to disappear. The two of us frowned as soon as we realized the Salvatore members were laughing at us.
I spoke in an irritated voice.
“Take care of them.”
Half a step behind me, the masked man answered.
“As you command.”
The moment he finished speaking.
Disaster unfolded.
KWA-AAAAAAANG-!
The Salvatore members didn’t even have time to react. By the time they came to their senses, half of their security personnel were already rolling across the floor.
-Wh-What!?
-What just happened!?
-Those bastards did something!
Belatedly, the Salvatore members pulled out Pistols and other weapons from their coats, or activated their Modules as they rushed forward—but there was no way that would work.
The masked man strode ahead and crushed the enemies charging at him in an instant. He twisted arms, snapped legs, folded waists.
Like a bad adult playing with children, the Salvatore Family members collapsed helplessly before him.
It took roughly ten seconds for the fight to end.
More than thirty Salvatore Family combat agents lay sprawled across the floor. Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate was hard to say, but in any case, not a single one had lost their life.
Of course, if the masked man had wished it, he could have easily cut off their breaths. He hadn’t done so purely out of mercy.
After instantly clearing the scene, the masked man called out to his Boss.
“Boss.”
“Uh…….”
“Boss.”
“Y-Yes? You mean me…… Ah, no. That’s not it. Well done. Yes. As expected of my subordinate. Ahem.”
After clearing his throat, I stepped forward again and opened my mouth.
“I’ll say it once more. Call your Boss…… Huh? That’s not right? Ah, not that, um…… Yes, I understand. Ah, got it. I’ll do it properly……!”
Then, in a solemn voice, I declared,
“This shop belongs to me from now on. And all of you will come under the Kim Cheolsu Family. Any bastard who resists will be killed!”
Those watching thought to themselves.
-He’s insane……!
-A madman has appeared……!
-He’s muttering to himself. He’s definitely lost his mind…… If we get on his nerves, that bastard will kill us all……!
I had merely been terrible at acting like a ‘mafia boss,’ but to those who knew nothing, it must have looked as though I was suffering from schizophrenia.
And so began the legend of the Mad King of the Underworld of New Valhalla City.
“So that’s what happened…….”
Sector E, the Guardian’s hideout.
By chance, Evangeline had met the Guardian and received his help, and she decided to stay at his residence for a few days. It wasn’t a particularly good house by any stretch of the imagination, but given the location, there was no helping it.
Still, the bedding and furniture were fairly well organized. Perhaps it was because, as a monk, he never neglected to discipline himself.
From what I heard, the Guardian had stolen something precious from the head of some bad men, and as a result, he had no choice but to live as a fugitive like this.
After hearing the entire story of how he had ended up living this way, Evangeline muttered with pity in her voice,
“You must have suffered a lot all this time.”
“Mm…… well…… it was nothing much.”
At her encouragement, the Guardian answered awkwardly.
Perhaps it was because loneliness had quietly piled up over the long years he had wandered without anyone to rely on—before he knew it, he had poured out all his circumstances to Evangeline in painstaking detail.
But after talking at length, the thought suddenly rose in his mind: ‘Why am I telling all this to such a young Bodhisattva?’ At the same time, another thought followed: ‘What would you even understand to respond like that?’
She was barely as tall as his thigh, short and compact. She had a small, round, pretty face, cat-like eyes, doll-like blonde hair, and jewel-like red eyes.
Judging by her clothes, even if he didn’t know the details, she must have grown up receiving endless affection in a wealthy household.
He felt tremendous guilt at dragging such a child into his dangerous and filthy affairs.
He shouldn’t have told her.
He shouldn’t have brought her here.
But he couldn’t just leave a naïve child who didn’t understand the ways of the world alone on streets like these, so it had been an unavoidable choice.
‘I’ll have to lie low for a few days…….’
There was an overwhelming amount of work to do in order to erase the trash corroding the world, but at this point, with an extra mouth to feed, if he drew unnecessary attention, this young Bodhisattva might get caught up in it.
From what I heard, she had fought with her parents and run away from home recklessly. It seemed best to soothe her for a few days and quietly send her back.
‘Still, she’s quite a peculiar little Bodhisattva.’
While talking with her earlier, I had felt it—Evangeline’s way of speaking and behavior were exactly like that of a child her age, yet at the same time there was something oddly mature about her.
Her manner of speech was unusual, and it wasn’t simply that she was precocious or pretending to be an adult. Every time she uttered a word, there was something about it that made me flinch.
“That is because this body is a great Witch!”
See? Even now.
I hadn’t said a word, yet she spoke as if she had heard my thoughts.
As she placed both hands on her hips and puffed out her chest proudly, she looked exactly like a self-adoring child overflowing with confidence—but regardless, it was true that Evangeline had read my thoughts.
“A Witch…….”
When I muttered absentmindedly, Evangeline’s brow crumpled cutely. She seemed dissatisfied with my reaction.
“What is that expression! Are you saying you do not believe this body’s words!”
“That is not so.”
If Evangeline truly was a Witch, then several of her mysterious aspects made sense. The strange ‘aura’ I had felt when we first met, and even the fact that she could read my thoughts.
Still, I simply accepted it as it was. The things I had experienced so far had been too harsh and grueling for me to react passionately to a mere ‘The child I happened to meet was a Witch!’ story.
And above all.
I simply thought that the word ‘Witch’ did not suit Evangeline.
I knew.
There was a woman far more fitting of the title ‘Witch’ than this cute and lovely little Bodhisattva.
“…….”
The moment that thought crossed my mind, one side of my chest suddenly felt heavy, as if a stone had been placed upon it. Before I knew it, my expression hardened, and the hands preparing Evangeline’s bedding came to a halt.
“What is the matter?”
“……It is nothing. Now, it is late, so you should go to bed.”
“I am not particularly sleepy…….”
“One must go to bed early to grow tall. And it is said that he who does not work shall not eat. Tomorrow, little Bodhisattva, you will have to help me with some work.”
“Eek…….”
“If you dislike that, there is also the option of returning home at once.”
“F-Fine. I shall do it, so do not cast me out. If I return now, would it not render my escape meaningless?”
With that, Evangeline burrowed into the worn blanket I had prepared for her. After confirming that she had lain down, I lay beside her as well, keeping an appropriate distance.
“It is not a fine place, but rest comfortably.”
“Yes. You too, have good dreams.”
Since there was only one blanket, it felt a little chillier than usual, but there was no great difficulty in falling asleep.
Drowsiness gently enveloped my soul and carefully carried me into another world.
And that place was…….
-Kill! Killlll! Kill!!
-Hahahahahaha!!
It was hell.
Flames rose everywhere, blood flowed like rivers, and human entrails hung about like decorations. Amidst that horrifying scene, I struggled to find living people, but it was useless.
Wherever I went, there were only corpses and evil spirits.
Then, before long, my body began to float and drift somewhere. When I lifted my head, I saw, far in the distance, another world bathed in brilliant light, lotus flowers blooming in full glory.
The Pure Land.
The path had opened toward that place all monks longed to reach.
I stretched out my hand toward it. It felt as though I could reach it if I moved just a little further.
But suddenly, something heavy seized my ankle. When I lowered my head and looked down, enormous lumps of iron had bound my legs like shackles.
And they were not ordinary iron.
-Where do you think you are going……!
-Leaving us behind……!
They were humans made of iron.
Those iron humans bore the appearances of my fellow monks and desperately tried to prevent me from advancing to the other world.
-Release this! I beg you! I…….
-Hahahahaha! Who do you think is releasing whom? Do you believe we are the ones holding onto you?
-You are already the same as us.
Startled by the iron human’s words, I looked down at my body—at some point, it too had begun turning into iron like theirs. As if welded together, we were fused tightly, unable to separate.
Heavy.
Too heavy to fly.
My body slowly began to sink toward the ground. The moment I reached it, the earth split open, pulling me deeper…… downward…… further down…….
Soil began to pour into my lungs, and when I could no longer breathe and tears of agony streamed down my face—
[H-Hey, come to your senses!]
[Wake up!]
“I said wake up!”
At the suddenly clear voice, I jolted upright. When I looked around, the previous scene had vanished without a trace, and I had returned to the hideout where I normally stayed.
And beside me, Evangeline was looking up at me with worried eyes.
Ah, it had been a nightmare.
I had had that nightmare again.
While I felt relieved that what I had just seen was only a dream, an unpleasant residue lingered in my mouth. It still felt as though dust filled my chest.
“……Forgive me. It seems I had a bad dream.”
“Guardian.”
“Do not worry about me. Return to sleep. I shall step out for a brief walk…….”
“My dear. Perhaps…….”
Evangeline grasped my rough Mechanical Prosthetic Arm with her small hand. Then, with eyes that did not seem to belong to a child—eyes that seemed to see straight through me—she asked,
“Perhaps, did you encounter the Dragonkin?”