# 9. Hero Party: Kidnapping the Second Companion (5)
Inside an alley in the Garbage Dump.
A gang hideout located deep within.
Hare stood in a place permeated with a medicinal smell that induced headaches.
"...You said you had something to tell me."
"Phew— Hare. Long time no see. Why don't you take a seat first?"
The boss of the Garbage Dump.
Kyle, who ran a loan business with exorbitant interest rates.
Kyle, with his sturdy build adorned entirely in gold, rolled up paper and smoked it.
The strange herbs inside created a stuffy atmosphere.
Hare squeezed her eyes shut and said,
"I'd appreciate it if you'd speak quickly. I have business to attend to."
"Kuhaha—! Matches? Can you really make money selling those tiny things? Or is the 'business' you're referring to something else?"
Kyle made a gesture of reaching into his chest, mocking Hare's thievery.
Since it was true, Hare kept her mouth firmly shut.
Seeing this, Kyle asked Hare,
"Hare. I heard your grandmother is sick. Is that true?"
"...Yes, it's true."
"You have no savings, and medicine costs whatever they charge. What a pitiful situation, Hare. And on top of that, you injured Ness, our 'capable' organization member."
Ness wasn't capable.
However, if Kyle labeled him as capable on the ledger, he became a capable person.
It was a way of inflating the price.
"With capable Ness injured like that, he can't even work. My, that's a lot of idle money piling up."
"...What do you want?"
"Yes, that's the spirit, Hare. That's what negotiation is all about."
The person below asks questions, and the person above answers.
That was Kyle's understanding of negotiation.
Having firmly grasped control, Kyle exhaled cigarette smoke and said,
"Phew— 2 million Peri for Ness's medical expenses. And including the interest on the money borrowed so far, pay 8 million. That's the minimum consideration I can offer."
"I borrowed 1 million...! What do you mean the interest is 6 million...!!"
"Your grandmother knew about the high interest when she borrowed it. I never deceived anyone."
"That's a lie...!! You forced my grandmother's thumbprint...!!"
"That's part of the process, dear. In the Garbage Dump, the one who gets deceived is at fault. Don't make a scene, Hare."
When Hare showed signs of making a scene, the burly men around blocked the door with their bodies.
Including Ness.
Hare had nowhere left to retreat.
"Hare. The deadline is today. If you can't repay it, I'll give you a choice."
"A choice...?"
"That's right! A choice. If you sign this 'contract,' I'll treat your grandmother and erase the debt as if it never existed."
Swoosh—
Kyle held out a piece of paper.
Hare quietly read the contract.
"..."
"Well, it's not a bad offer for you either."
"...You want me to work at a brothel?"
"Exactly. You have talent, Hare. Even if I erase all the debt, if you work there, I can recoup my losses in a month. It's not a bad deal for us either."
Kyle looked at Hare with a greedy gaze.
Hare raised her head and met that vile stare head-on.
An expression as if greed dominated his mind.
Feeling as if a giant snake was slithering over her body, a great shock engulfed Hare.
"If the world was going to be this hard... I shouldn't have been born..."
"That wasn't your choice, Hare. Choose. Will you work with us and save your grandmother? Or will you sell matches on the street for the rest of your life?"
No matter how happy an expression she wore, the pain in her heart didn't change.
Feeling as if she'd fallen into a dark abyss, Hare finally made her choice.
Still, she absolutely couldn't work with them.
*'I'm sorry, Grandmother...'*
Riiip—
"No matter how hard things get for me... I can never be with you people. You bastards."
"Phew— I tried to talk it out, but I guess that won't work. Everyone, show this woman some reality."
Rumble—
A total of five thugs swarmed in.
Among them, Hare spotted Ness.
"...Ness."
Surely, Ness had 'that' on him.
Hare quickly approached him.
Unable to move well, he fell backward in surprise, and Hare thrust her hand into his chest.
"Ness!! The woman has a dagger! Everyone be careful!"
"Ugh, aaaaah...!!"
Stab—
Along with Ness's scream, Hare's dagger moved.
In an instant, blood began to flow in Kyle's hideout, and Ness lay on the floor unconscious.
It all happened in a flash.
"M-move. Move away from the door if you don't want to die...!!"
"D-damn it...!!"
"You go first. You're the junior!"
No matter how frail, someone holding a sword is different.
Hare used this to her advantage, keeping the helpless thugs in check while gradually moving toward the exit.
The thugs moved aside, and just as the exit came into view—
"Wait. Wait. You think you can stab Ness and just walk out fine? This is crazy. How much do you take us for fools?"
Kyle, who had been sitting in the leather chair, stood up.
Kyle approached Hare with a relaxed demeanor.
"If you stabbed one of our family, you have to pay the price. Don't you think?"
"D-don't come closer...! If you come, I'll stab you...!!"
"Seeing how you stabbed Ness, you seem skilled... but did you deliberately miss? You've never killed anyone, have you?"
Though blood was flowing from Ness's body, it was a wound that would heal quickly with treatment.
Hare had no intention of killing and hadn't struck a vital point.
Kyle saw through this at a glance.
"With all my experience from the knight order... resorting to such tricks... Hey, Hare."
"I-I told you not to come closer...!! I'll, I'll stab you...!"
"Go ahead and stab me. Try stabbing my heart properly."
Tap.
Kyle grabbed Hare's hand and placed the dagger against his heart.
Kyle's life and death were in Hare's hands.
He smiled and whispered to Hare,
"Try killing me, Hare."
"..."
"Idiot. Playing with a blade when you don't even have the resolve to kill someone."
Slap—!
Kyle struck Hare's cheek hard.
The pain made Hare's consciousness fade momentarily.
And the crucial dagger fell to the floor.
Hare was still too kind to kill someone.
"This isn't something for merchandise like you to play with, Hare."
"...N-no."
"Hey, bring the contract. I'll have to stamp it by force."
Kyle placed Hare's hand on the contract.
He intended to draw blood from her thumb with the dagger and forcibly stamp it.
Hare tried her best to regain consciousness and struggle, but she couldn't overcome the strength of Kyle, who had once served in the knight order.
"N-no...! D-don't...!!"
"Stay still. I'll resolve this in an instant."
It was a desperate situation.
Hare felt as if she were being judged before falling into hell.
*'Please... please...'*
Hare was hanging from a cliff, not wanting to fall.
Her strength waned, and the desire to give up gradually dominated her mind.
Then, one person came to mind.
*'Even if I fall in the end, at least to that person...'*
I want to apologize to that man...
Won't he help me like he did before...
I'm sorry for being shameless...
With guilt, Hare began to cry out her last hope.
"S-save me...! Someone... help me... Mister...!"
"It's useless to call out. This Garbage Dump is my territory—"
CRASH—!
At that moment, the door shattered.
Through the dust, a human form appeared.
The other thugs couldn't recognize him, but Hare remembered because she recalled his voice every night.
"Found you. The Match Girl."
The kidnapper appeared at the perfect timing.
"Mister... could you please help me...?"
Collapsed on the floor, Hare greeted him with a bitter smile.
...What a state she's in.
Collapsed on the floor, pinned down by a thug.
From the looks of it, they were trying to force her thumbprint.
*'That was close. I almost arrived too late.'*
About two hours remaining.
I need to quickly clean this up and kidnap the Thief.
Tsk.
Looking at Hare's reddened cheek, I asked the thug who appeared to be the boss,
"...From what I can see, you're not just a common gangster. Who trained you?"
"The state trained me. That aside, are you the one who turned Ness into ground meat?"
"If that bandaged lump on the floor is Ness, then yes, I did it."
Kyle glanced at me briefly.
It was an assessing look.
*'Trained movements.'*
That guy probably came from a state-run knight order.
Either the Sylvester or Black Crow Knights.
Since the 'Core' training methods of knights belonging to those places are identical, I could easily identify the thug's background.
"You turned Ness into pulp... Hmm... Shall we talk for a moment? I'm Kyle. And you?"
"Never mind my name. Before that, I'd like you to release that girl. Actually, just release her. Right now."
"...I'll do that."
The thug Kyle backed down obediently.
He must have judged me to be stronger than himself.
Which was true.
I am stronger than that guy.
I hid Hare behind me and asked him,
"What were you trying to do to this girl?"
"Nothing much, really. I was just trying to legitimately get my money back."
"Is that true, Hare?"
I asked her gently, though she was terrified.
She glanced at Kyle for a moment, then told the truth.
"The borrowed money is real. But he forced us to borrow it. And just now, he tried to sell me to a brothel..."
"That damn bitch. She's really making this a big deal."
So that's what happened.
I stroked Hare's head and said,
"Go home. I'll take care of things here and come."
"What? I don't know where..."
"I know where your home is. Your grandmother is in critical condition, so go ahead."
"...Yes! Yes! Th-thank you...! Th-thank you so much...!!"
Two forms of gratitude mixed together.
Hare wore a puzzled expression, but upon hearing about her grandmother, she quickly ran home.
And now, with only men remaining, I faced Kyle.
"...If I let you live, will there be trouble? Or not?"
"I won't approach Hare. Truly! I'll forget about the money she borrowed and the interest too!"
"Hmm..."
Strong against the strong.
Endlessly strong against the weak.
Kyle, the master of the Garbage Dump.
*'It's been a while since I've cleaned up some trash.'*
A guy who knows about Hare's existence.
It would be best to have as few loose ends as possible.
I drew the sword I'd kept at my waist.
It was an ordinary iron sword.
"I've thought about it, but it seems you're better off dead."
"Y-you bastard! I said I'd forget it!!"
Grudges aren't easily forgotten.
I'll eliminate Kyle for certain.
I raised my sword toward him, and Kyle likewise gripped his longsword.
"Y-you son of a bitch...!! Even if I die, I'll at least wound you—!!"
Blue 'Sword Ki' enveloped Kyle's sword.
A high-difficulty technique of wrapping the blade with mana flowing from the Core.
A sword enhanced with Sword Ki is sharp and keen enough to cut through a 500-year-old tree.
Looking at his Core, I could see traces of the Sylvester Knights' techniques mixed in.
If so, that's all the more reason to kill him.
"Did you throw away the knight order's honor?"
"Shut up...! You vermin who knows nothing about me...!!"
I know.
He must have hit his limit in talent and been expelled from the knight order.
The knight order's doors are open to everyone, but the exit doors are equally open.
That guy was probably a knight who fell through those doors.
As I analyzed this person called Kyle, a problem appeared before my eyes.
[Problem! That man Kyle is charging at you! He's holding a sword, so it's scary! Kyaa! What is Lee Jun-woo's choice?!]
[1. Counter the sword and aim for an opening.]
[2. Send him off without pain.]
"No need to think about it."
"What?"
I clicked the answer to the problem.
Kyle unleashed his Sword Ki and approached me.
The moment the sword was about to touch my arm,
my muscles expanded, and mana from my Core strengthened my body.
One second.
The instantly strengthened body unleashed explosive power.
For this moment, I would be the same as an existence called a 'Sword Saint.'
Clang—
Just like that.
Kyle's head fell to the floor.
Fallen on the ground, his eyes hadn't even registered that he'd been cut.
Option 2.
This is what sending someone off without pain meant.
"B-boss is dead—!"
"W-we're going to die too—!"
Underlings who didn't charge even after their boss was defeated.
I spoke with a threatening tone to those screaming in fear.
"You lot."
"Y-yes...! P-please spare our lives...!!"
"Clean up the corpse yourselves. I'm leaving."
"What...?"
"Didn't you hear? Handle it yourselves. Do that and I'll spare you."
Just eliminate the dangerous element.
Those remaining guys have more fear than resentment.
Nothing more was needed.
*'More importantly, I need to hurry so I'm not late.'*
I wiped the blood from my face and headed to Hare's house to kidnap her.
There wasn't much time left.
Hare fell to the ground, and though her knees were injured, she ran with all her might.
*'Grandmother is in critical condition...'*
She might not make it through today.
I can't let Grandmother pass away alone and lonely.
Hare hurried toward her home.
As he said, Helen was on the verge of death.
"G-Grandmother...!!"
"Granddaughter, is that you...?"
"Yes, yes... I'm here, Grandmother..."
Grandmother's labored breathing scattered into the air.
Hare gripped her hand tightly, as if she wouldn't let go.
Seeing this, Grandmother Helen smiled.
"Now... let this old woman go, Hare..."
"I'm sorry, Grandmother... If only I had gotten medicine..."
"Medicine that extends one's lifespan doesn't exist, dear... Elixirs are expensive, aren't they?"
Death cannot be avoided.
Knowing this better than anyone, Helen stroked Hare's cheek.
"Hare."
"...Yes, Grandmother."
"A little while ago, a man came to see me."
"...That man?"
So that's why he knew where the house was.
The man had met Grandmother first.
Hare listened attentively to Helen's words.
"Yes. That man. Do you want to know what he said to me...? He told me not to worry and to leave this world. He said he would take responsibility for you..."
"...That man said that?"
"It was quite bold for a stranger to say such things to a dying woman... But that man doesn't seem like someone who speaks carelessly... Hare. If, after I die, you can't find meaning in life..."
Why don't you follow that man?
At least he won't let you starve.
Helen smiled one last time.
As if in response, Hare smiled too.
The end with smiles, not tears.
And so, Hare's grandmother passed away.
"Thank you for everything, Grandmother. I'm grateful..."
Helen's powerless hand, which she'd been holding, fell toward the floor.
Only then did Hare shed tears, seeing her off on her final journey.
Behind Hare, who was mourning one last time, footsteps could be heard.
*'...He's here.'*
Hare wiped her tears and faced Lee Jun-woo.
The smell of blood emanated from him, but Hare didn't care.
She didn't care at all.
"Mister."
"...Yes."
"I've lost my reason to live. I don't have Grandmother anymore, and I have no idea what to do with my life now... So..."
I'll give you the rest of my life.
Hare extended her small hand.
It was trembling.
She was afraid of being rejected.
"..."
As if in answer, Lee Jun-woo took her hand.
It was a warm hand.
"Until you find your reason to live, I'll hold onto it for you."
If you find the meaning of life again,
I'll return it to you then.
And so Hare took Lee Jun-woo's hand and followed him home.