Episode 73. The Elderly Assassin (2)
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The giant swung his arms mechanically. With each blow, the fin troll’s body was torn to pieces.
When the work was done, he lifted the ogre’s hind legs and swung his arms. Boom! Boom! Boom! The gullet, which was so large that it looked like a knife, split the ogre’s hind legs apart.
“This is a place that breaks the stereotype of a butcher shop.”
Kuje said slyly. The only thing that resembles the butcher shop in the outside world is the various pieces of meat and the haphazard butchers.
As if on a theater stage, people sat on tiered chairs lined up in a row to watch, and on the stage, butchers were busily slaughtering animals.
Rubin and Kuze also chose a chair and sat down. They could hear the casual conversation of people nearby.
“Are the rumors true?”
“Oh, right. It’s true. I told you there was a special gift coming today.”
“But… the question is whether we can achieve it.”
“So you prepared as much as possible? You and I combined will have quite a lot.”
Then the two carefully opened the small wooden box.
“master.”
Kuze, who had been observing the conversation between the two, quietly called out to Rubin. He couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. What they were handling as if they were counting gold coins was a pile of human teeth.
“Did you know?”
“Teeth are currency here. They are a limited resource.”
At that moment, Rubin spoke calmly.
Again, again, again.
An old woman walked out from between the squatters. She was the neatest person I had ever seen in the black zone. She was a middle-aged woman, wearing a crisply pressed banquet gown, though it wasn’t white.
“So, are there any rich people here?”
The woman’s harsh words caused shouts to erupt from all around.
“I’m ready, so hurry up! Are the rumors true?”
“Show me the gifts that the gentlemen sent me first.”
“I’m sick of human meat now!”
The woman waved her hands as if shaking off a fly at the pouring shouts.
“Got it, kids. What’s the big deal about coming up from the black tower? … .”
As the woman turned around, one of the butchers strode briskly to the center of the stage. A blank-faced butcher. What he was holding were two plump black pigs.
“Oh!”
Everyone who was sitting opened their mouths at once.
“Besides… there was also a merciful order from the Black Tower subordinates to have the butchers prepare the meat for you guys in our butcher shop, in case you guys cook poorly!”
At those words, again the people shouted, “Oh!”
“Okay, then. Should we start the auction? Starting at 30.”
“30!”
“35!”
A fierce bidding war ensued to eat two pigs. Kuje, who was watching the woman conducting the auction closely, asked quietly.
“Is that old woman the Roynenser?”
“That woman? No.”
Rubin watched as the people around him became more and more excited and the bidding prices gradually increased.
“I have to go to the bar to meet Killian. I need a ticket to get into the bar. I thought I could get a ticket here, but I guess not.”
Before the return, the way to get into the bar was to buy a ticket with your teeth from the butchers. It was nine years ago now, so you had to find another way.
‘Should I go there?’
Rubin got up from his seat. Kuze, who got up after him, looked slightly uneasy, but Rubin remained calm.
“Let’s move.”
“But where did the pig come from? It doesn’t look like there’s a farm.”
That was a question Rubin had also been thinking about. If it was the Black Zone he knew of nine years later, there would be a livestock farm operating in one corner of the center. Naturally, the person who owned it was the current ruler of the Black Zone, like Yorick.
But things seemed different now. The farm was nowhere to be seen.
‘That woman just said something about a black top. What was that?’
The unfamiliar name belatedly brought up questions. After entering the black zone, I didn’t see anything that could be called a tower.
At that moment, a middle-aged man ran past Rubin and towards the stage. His eyes were red and he was waving his pockets.
“90! 90! It’s me in 90, right?”
“Hmm, let me count them first.”
“Take it!”
The woman, who was also the butcher and auctioneer, took the bag. What poured out on the table were human teeth that the man had been collecting with his subordinates.
But the expression on the face of the woman who was squinting her eyes and counting her teeth suddenly became distorted.
“What are you doing, you little rat? You’re missing one molar.”
“What? You devilish bitch. Are you sure?”
“Count them.”
In terms of currency value in the black zone, molars were higher than regular teeth. Since there were only a limited number of them per person, they were bound to be rare. It was like the difference between gold and silver coins.
As the woman said, it seemed like he was missing one molar, and the veins in the man’s neck stood out and his body trembled.
“Oh, where did you go?”
“I’ll give you 3 minutes. If you don’t get it within that time, the auction will be canceled. Do you know what happens then? All the white things in your mouth will be pulled out.”
As the butcher standing next to him picked up a pair of huge iron tongs, a look of urgency appeared on the man’s face.
“Wait! Wait!”
Then the man called his men who were waiting outside the butcher shop and pointed to one of them.
A subordinate without a left arm. The serial number that had been engraved on his arm before it was cut off was now up to his shoulder.
“Hey. You, open your mouth.”
“Huh? Brother, what is that… … .”
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“Hey kid, open your mouth!”
The subordinates who followed behind shook the one-armed man. The leader took out a small carving knife and stuck it into the one-armed man’s mouth.
“Kkaaaak!”
A terrible groan echoed through the room, but the people sitting inside the butcher shop watched as if they were familiar with it.
“Okay! Got it! You added another wisdom tooth?”
The real estate agent who had received the wisdom tooth frowned again.
“Don’t joke around.”
“Ha, really!”
“You know I can’t accept teeth that haven’t been polished. Do you want to chew with your gums?”
The man swore at her loudly, but there was nothing he could do. After all, this woman was a low-ranking official. Even if he had used a knife, it would have been the man who would have suffered the most.
“Wait, wait! But we’ve known each other for quite some time, right? We’ll get you in no time.”
“One hour. I can’t watch you any longer. You know that, right? I’m just a lowly person.”
The man called one of his subordinates.
“You, stay right here. I’ll meet the mechanic. Oh, and pull out all of this kid’s molars. Since you already pulled one out, what’s the harm in pulling out two or three more?”
The man strode briskly out of the butcher shop, skipping over the step stools. The one-armed man who had been caught cried out again, but it was no use.
Rubin shook Kuze, who was watching with his lips biting.
“Let’s go, Kuze. We have to go to the construction site too.”
The black zone’s construction site.
He was also one of the lower-level officials, like the butcher shop owner. Thanks to his role as a lubricant that kept the black zone running, he was able to live in relative comfort in this lawless area.
“Hey, help me with this!”
A man who had run in a hurry to bid on two pigs shouted at the craftsman. The craftsman pushed up his glasses and glared at the man.
“Are you crazy? Is the world you live in free of charge?”
At that moment, another guest came into the building. The craftsman’s eyes sparkled at the white robe he had finally met. Rubin and Kuze stood in line behind him to wait for their turn.
“You damn admins, get the hell out of here.”
Then the man rummaged through his pockets and reluctantly took out a gold nugget the size of his thumb, which he placed down in front of the goldsmith.
It was the moment when Kuze’s eyes widened again. Pulling out teeth for two pigs and then taking out a gold nugget to polish it. This world must be crazy.
“Yeah, I guess I should do this much.”
The goldsmith who had taken the gold nugget quickly began to work on the molar. He engraved a design indicating that the molar was a currency used in the black zone, and then returned it. The man left in a hurry.
It was Rubin’s turn. The craftsman, who had been watching the two, pushed up his glasses with a bitter smile.
“Come in.”
“I’d like to get a bar ticket. How much is it?”
At Rubin’s words, the craftsman pursed his lips and let out a playful exclamation.
“I never thought I would hear about the bar entrance ticket from a pigeon that came in today… and from a little chick at that.”
‘You came to the right place.’
Rubin nodded quietly and asked.
“How much does it cost?”
He put his hand inside his white robe and searched for something. In response to Rubin’s actions, the craftsman reached out for the weapon he had placed within reach of his right hand.
Even though they are little, this is a black zone. There are often crazy people who don’t know that the construction workers are lower-level officials.
“What are you doing, kid?”
“You have to pay the price.”
What Rubin was holding in his hand was a small pouch. It was bulging and thickly filled with something. Rubin placed it down right in front of the craftsman.
“Huh, you had money? Surely it wasn’t gold or jewels? Those things wouldn’t be of any use here.”
“don’t worry.”
The craftsman pulled out his pocket. After a while, his eyes blinked as he looked down at his pocket. The pocket was filled with all sorts of teeth. Human teeth. They were even in a carved state.
“What are you guys doing? Why do you have the teeth I had done three years ago?”
The craftsman recognized the traces of his work. He had already found it strange that the teeth he had crafted long ago did not rotate within the black zone.
Rubin just shrugs. There’s no need to reveal that the mayor’s lackey who guided Rubin to the White Tower last night had given it to him.
“You’ll need this. It’s the currency of the Black Zone. The mayor procured it a few years ago.”
Perhaps the market obtained the currency of the black zone through a deal with Yorick.
Knock knock.
Rubin tapped his fingers on the craftsman’s table. The craftsman’s attitude had changed. He was both interested and a little wary.
“It doesn’t matter who we are.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“I think this amount of money would be enough to buy a ticket to a bar.”
It wasn’t enough to buy two tickets. It was enough to affect the flow of money in the area.
“Oh, before that.”
Rubin pulled his pockets back toward him. The craftsman licked his lips.
“What is the black tower?”
“what?”
A look of bewilderment appeared in the craftsman’s eyes. What is this?
“You were trying to buy a bar ticket without even knowing the Black Tower? You guys… You’re not really going to drink, are you?”
“Oh, so you mean the bar and the black tower are related?”
“hmm.”
The craftsman realized that he had made a mistake.
‘They were kids.’
They are the ones who wear white clothes openly. They suddenly ask for their entrance tickets and show off their teeth that were lost three years ago.
I should have known sooner. They have no idea how this black zone works. You shouldn’t be fooled by these fools.
“You can’t do it naked. Here, even the smallest information is subject to trade.”
“so?”
“Three more. All molars.”
“How petty.”
“If you don’t like it, just get out.”
Rubin chuckled. Contrary to what he said, the craftsman’s face was filled with impatience.
Rubin took a few teeth out of his pocket and tossed them to him, like throwing a bone to a dog.
“Four wisdom teeth. Instead, you should explain it properly. If I don’t like it, I’ll take all of this and take it to the cleaners.”
The craftsman also knew well what role the ‘cleaner’ played in the black zone. He bit his lip with an embarrassed expression.
The janitors serve no one but their teeth. To deal with them, you have to pay more teeth than the client. I really didn’t want to imagine that.
“… You’re a young customer who knows how to bargain. But if you’re going to the Black Tower anyway, remember that a bunch of teeth won’t do. It’s just like the outside world. Teeth for a buck, if you don’t have gold, you won’t be able to avoid being a dirty Shinsel.”
“Thank you for your help.”
“Anyway, if you really want to enter the Black Tower, you should first worry about whether you can get in.”
“Is there a separate entrance fee?”
“It seems like you’ve been living a luxurious life outside, but to enter the Black Tower, you need more than just gold or teeth.”
“Hmm. Does that mean there’s a rite of passage?”
Perhaps it was a rite of passage to enter the Black Tower, which was performed after entering the bar. The craftsman did not give a clear answer.
“The deal hasn’t been made yet. You have to pay for the item to get it. Right?”
Then he tapped the clock.
“We have to hurry. There’s not much time left.”
“Okay, I’ll change the terms of the deal. It’s even written on the ticket. But instead of the teeth here, I’ll give you these clothes. What do you think?”
Kuze, who was listening from the side, looked at Rubin with eyes that showed he didn’t understand.
As the craftsman said, teeth would be unnecessary in the Black Tower anyway, so why not pay with teeth? No, more than that, is this white robe you’re wearing worth it?
However, contrary to Kuze’s expectations, the craftsman reacted immediately. He swallowed hard and his eyes twitched slightly.
“Or should I just hand these clothes over to the butcher? He’s got his eye on them. You don’t want that, do you?”
I’m not exaggerating. If I told you how many times the butcher shop manager looked at Rubin’s clothes, no one would believe me. And Rubin noticed from the moment he entered the shop that the craftsman was also interested in these clothes.
What are these clothes? I don’t know for sure, but it was clear that they were extremely luxurious items.
“Okay! Let’s make a deal. The explanation is on the ticket.”
In the end, the craftsman nodded. His expression was distorted as much as it could be, but it seemed as if there was nothing he could do about it.
“Tell me everything you know. If you can tell me the situation at the Black Tower, that would be great.”
“Okay, I got it! So for now… … .”
“Do you have enough time?”
Rubin interrupted the craftsman and asked. Judging from what the craftsman had said earlier, there seemed to be some kind of test that had to be taken to enter the Black Tower, and it seemed like the test was only available at certain times.
“Don’t worry. There’s still an hour left. So, for now, you should be careful… How about handing over that robe?”
