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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: An Unwanted Invitation
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“What is all this?”
“Hmm, a swarm of flies?”
Helios glanced at me and nodded.
“Can we just walk past them?”
“Should be fine.”
The guards are just watching, anyway. It won't matter if we talk here or go inside.
But as soon as I thought that, someone blocked our path.
“Well, well, are these the famous faces I've been hearing about?”
It was a man with a wide grin.
His ears were full of flat studs and rings, and he had piercing-like jewelry on his nose, eyebrow, and lip.
With his head half-shaved, if I’d seen him in Korea, I would have thought he was in a rock or punk band.
He had even customized his prison uniform.
His complexion was dark and deadened.
“Good to see you, good to see you. Brothers? Under the same prison roof, I think we're all brothers and family. Got a minute to talk?”
Contrary to his friendly tone, the slightest move would bring his Kia flying.
“You, brother. *Keuh*. You're the one, right? The guard who came tumbling down to become a prisoner! A faaall!”
“…”
When I didn't answer, the man abruptly shoved his face toward mine.
*Smack!*
And his head snapped to the side.
‘Oh.’
I swung with the intent to send him flying, but he withstood it.
“Even in a prison uniform, this instructor's name is on the guard roster.”
“…”
“If you don't understand, feel free to attack.”
I said, slightly loosening my fist while letting a bit of Kia leak out.
The man's face, sharp for a moment, quickly relaxed.
“Ah, ahhh. I get it. I get it. My apologies. I'm sorry. My head's a bit messed up, so I forgot for a second. You were a great guard, sir.”
“…”
“*Tsk*, the rumors weren't exaggerated. That bastard Grogi didn't get knocked out for nothing. *Eheet*.”
Even though I still hadn't responded, the man obediently backed away and moved to the side.
“Actually, my business is with this one. May I have a word?”
When I silently stepped aside, the man turned to Helios, the one he claimed to have business with.
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
‘Tsk, tsk.’
First Grogi, and now this guy. Why do I only attract perverts and scumbags?
I judged him to be mid-rank, but I was wrong. That's an upper-rank prisoner pretending to be a mid-rank nobody.
‘Upper-rank, maybe Grade 2? For his grade, his skills aren't half-bad.’
Besides, guys with that dead, dark complexion were the type you had to watch out for in this prison.
Because they were addicted to something.
“Hey, hey. You're the super rookie I've been hearing about, right? Big bro here is seriously impressed. Just hearing about you gives me a thrill! You made it to the 30th floor without dying once? What about your arms? Your legs? Ever had them blown off? Ever had your heart stop?”
The man spoke excitedly to Helios, whose expression was stiff.
‘That bastard's Kia is an unpleasant color, too.’
I narrowed my eyes.
The man soon pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket.
“My name is Chika. I'm with the ‘Top Committee’.”
Ah, that explains it. I had a feeling. The name I expected.
“We're a historic family that's built up quality experience climbing the Tower. We're very interested in your experience and abilities, brother. How about joining our crew? We don't hold back on supporting our new blood.”
“…”
The man pulled a pen from his pocket this time, grinning widely.
“Just write your name here.”
Sweat trickled down Helios's temple. I whistled inwardly.
‘Wow, he's holding up well.’
The ‘Top Committee’ was the oldest group of thugs in Niflheim, and the most vicious crew.
They first gathered for survival, but they also ended up creating all sorts of harmful things.
Rumors were rampant that they conducted biological experiments on their own members in the Tower. It made sense, since the Tower was a place where sinners didn't die but were punished.
It meant that villains who exploited this system were bound to emerge.
‘Ah, whether he accepts or refuses, my dear student's prison life is about to get complicated.’
The older the organization, the greater the corruption. The hazing is severe, too. It's no different in prison.
In reality, their offer wasn't really an offer; it was more like being marked. They could just force him to sign it.
That paper was made of Kia, and it was a contract.
‘I can still clearly remember Deril cursing it out, calling it a slave contract.’
The moment you write your name, a restriction is placed on you, making it impossible to ever leave the crew without their permission.
But Helios was desperately resisting the Kia that was pulling his hand.
“Hmm…? Handsome new kid. We're not bad people. We'll treat you so well. Come on, come on, just write your name here.”
Though he was smiling, I saw the man, Chika's, eyebrow twitch minutely.
Just as he finally reached for Helios's hand.
*Ting!*
“No touching. Let's be peaceful.”
A thin line of blood trickled from Chika's hand.
“You can do that, can't you?”
A golden disc that had struck Chika's hand was floating leisurely beside me.
“The moment you touch him, this instructor plans to report you to the higher-ups for coercive action that ignores a grade difference of two or more levels.”
“Hahaha, Guard? You're just like the rumors say.”
Chika held up both hands.
“This is just a wholesome invitation. Whole. Some.”
“I'm sorry, but I refuse.”
Helios said politely, his face drenched in sweat. How kind of him, to the bastard who was trying to force him.
“Oh? Kid brother, hear me out. What we can do for you is…”
“I'm sorry. Thank you for the kind offer, but I have no intention of joining any group yet.”
As Helios finished speaking, a blue spear materialized in his hand.
“Don't think about forcing me any further.”
“…”
The smiling Chika's face twisted bizarrely. Yet it still looked like he was smiling.
“Haha, right. Kid brother. Seems there was a misunderstanding. We're not bad people~ Let's talk again next time.”
Chika backed away. As a final gesture, he glanced at me and sent a flicker of Kia my way.
Without hesitation, I smacked him in the back of the head with my Kia.
“Let's go.”
We left, but no one followed. In other words, no one else got out.
Helios, who had been silent the whole way back, asked the moment we entered the corridor.
“Why did you let him make the offer?”
“Hm?”
I turned my head.
“Isn't it obvious? I'm a prisoner sharing a room with you right now. I have no intention of controlling your relationships.”
Of course, if he had tried to sign, I would have sneezed. A powerful sneeze that would have blown the paper away.
After a few more sneezes, there would have been no chance to sign that slave contract, right?
For some reason, Helios fumed by himself for a moment before striding over.
“Then, if I said I don't want offers like that man's, and that I want him to never approach me again, would you grant that?”
“Hmm… Without even a fight?”
“Without a fight.”
I thought about it. Chika was an upper-rank prisoner hiding his strength.
Even in the Tower's trials, I had cleared out beings that would have been difficult for Helios and Ged's group to handle at their current level.
“If that's what you want, I'll do it.”
So, this was a similar situation.
“Then…”
Helios moistened his lips. It was hard to read the emotions tangled on his face, but I could sense his tension.
“Be greedy and train me.”
A large hand snatched mine. I knew he was approaching but didn't avoid it.
“Don't think about handing me over to anyone. As my master, you should train me exclusively.”
Hearing this, I realized something new. I hadn't liked Chika trying to force Helios.
“Your answer.”
I was already planning to.
“I will,” I said, patting the back of Helios's hand. Helios quickly pulled his hand away, saying it tickled.
He was the one who grabbed my hand, but I had no idea what he wanted from me.
I'll just chalk it up to puberty.
“…”
“Still, I can give you some information. Those guys are bad news, you know?”
“…Is there anyone here who isn't bad news?”
“That's true.”
The truth is, all that matters is that Helios reaches the top.
It wouldn't have really mattered if he'd accepted Chika's offer and joined their crew.
They might treat their rookies viciously, but as long as you survived, you could gain power there.
Of course, if he climbed while belonging to them, even if he reached the summit, Helios's body would be thoroughly steeped in something unsavory.
Would his mind even be intact?
‘Hmm, so.’
I mulled it over and realized.
‘Does he wish to remain untainted by anything?’
