1.
Looking back.
Viscount Ja Soo-jung had clearly warned me.
-Do not try to stop this one. This is a warning.
Just before I opened the Viscount's lock.
She already knew I had the lock in my hand.
If the Viscount was more ruthless, she would have made the key impossible to use. She wouldn't have answered the questions I asked, nor would she have responded to my piercing interrogation.
Viscount Ja Soo-jung could have done that.
She didn't.
She just calmly warned me. The lock I would open would lead to a secret room, and the one that would be hurt there would be none other than me.
-This one has a bad habit of inadvertently destroying the lovely children
I opened the lock.
And received what God warned me about.
2.
-Mr. Yoo Soo-ha.
A familiar bar.
A dim atmosphere.
There were many expensive bars on the Tower's 1st floor. They were fully fledged bars, decorated like those in the outside world and filled with a lot of high end liquors imported from the outside world, which were then sold for jaw dropped prices.
It was a rip off.
However, there were customers everywhere who were willing to accept it in order to scratch that sweet itch. No matter how expensive it was, customers still lined up to buy it.
After all, their hometowns were places they could never return to. The outside world.
The illusion that you were living a normal life, and had stopped by a normal bar on the outside for a while was worth a few pieces of gold.
-Mr. Yoo Soo-ha.
-Aaang…?
The bar that Yoo Soo-ha was currently waking up in was a beer bar.
It had the nickname Hope.
Even in the vast Babylon, it was the only bar that used Korean-style hops. There was a large refrigerator placed in the store, which was filled with familiar brands of beer.
There were beer cans that had the brand characters in blue on a silver background as if to show that they were cheap. There were also beer cans with rustic gold borders and gold on its face as if to display their luxury*. And so on. (*: Probably Hite and Kloud beers.)
Funnily enough, none of the brands had any Korean on their labels. It was all in english.
-Ah, what is it…
For Yoo Soo-ha, those beer cans were proof of his hometown.
The country he'd fled for his life from, and the country whose characters he loudly complained about. In other words, he did not love the characters of his hometown.
In fact, everything from there did not know love.
The citizens hated the citizens. The people hated the people. The parents hated the children they gave birth to, and the children hated the parents that birthed them. Those people, who hated each other, gathered together to create buildings called 'schools'. They hated it there.
-Why are you waking me up, why…?
The only doctrine Yoo Soo-ha had learned in that country was how to hate people.
He was born from people who hated each other, and raised by people who hated each other. What else could he learn? Math? Language? Those were as useless as morals. Essentially, the only thing Yoo Soo-ha learned was hatred.
How many of the parents who conceived and birthed them could say out loud.
[I like humans].
How many parents could say they loved humans, without telling lies.
It wasn't just the parents. It was the same for the teachers. Over the span of 12 years separated into 6 years, 3 years, and 3 years, countless teachers had occupied Yoo Soo-ha's time. He had to inhale the breaths of those people into his lungs.
Yoo Soo-ha really wanted to ask them.
[Do you really like humans?]
They probably didn't.
However, it was easy to anticipate the answer to the reverse question.
[Do you hate humans?]
Then, his parents would be the first to raise their hands, 'Yes.' Then, the parents standing behind his classmate, would raise their hands, 'Yes.' Finally, after all the parents and students raised their hands, the teachers standing at the table would nod.
-Of course, I hate humans too.
That's why.
Kiss me ass.
-Mr. Yoo Soo-ha, you're completely drunk.
Someone tapped his shoulder.
It was a small hand.
-This isn't a classroom, Mr. Yoo Soo-ha. Can you see this one?
-A, fuuuck…. Fuck off, biitch…. What do you what… What is it? Where is this…?
-Right. Actually, this is a school. Yes. It is Mr. Yoo Soo-ha's high school classroom.
-Does this school have bee… bee…?
-There is no school in the world that serves beer for lunch.
Tuk.
Someone put two cans of beer on the table.
The drunken man flinched slightly. Then, with drunken eyes, he looked at the two cans in front of his nose and sniffed.
-Uhbubuh…?
-It's beer. It is the Korean beer that Mr. Yoo Soo-ha always says you would die without. In my opinion, if I had to pick the worst beer in the world, it would be the beer in this place, but people from island nations usually love food from their hometown, so there probably are a few people who think Korean beer is the best. Now. Go ahead.
-Wuhhh… Wha…
Yoo Soo-ha grabbed the beer can with trembling hands. It must have been cold since it just came out of the freezer, but Yoo Soo-ha didn't care. He quickly opened the can and shoved the beer down his throat.
-Pahaaa!
-Are you alright?
-Phew. Wooh, that's good. Good. Ah. It's good. Where is this place?
-There are two possibilities.
-Tell me! Our manager!
-In the first possibility, Mr. Yoo Soo-ha skipped school. Then you went all the way to Samcheong-dong with your friends on a scooter. You don't like soju, so you suggested beer instead. You entered a bar that didn't look too bad, and you drank there until you became shitfaced.
-Shitfaced! Shit-faced! Shiiitfaaaced!
Yoo Soo-ha waved his can of beer as if he'd become a savage warrior from ancient times.
The beer in the can seemed to overwhelm the liquid in his body, and Yoo Soo-ha gladly accepted the holy water bestowed by Dionysus onto his head.
Yoo Soo-ha didn't care, the bar owner didn't care, and the one talking to Yoo Soo-ha didn't care.
-In the second possibility, Mr. Yoo Soo-ha is no longer in high school, this isn't a bar in Samcheong-dong, or even in Korea at all. Mr. Yoo Soo-ha has already become an S rank Hunter who rushed to a bar without thinking and drank until you became shitfaced.
-Mm.
-Which scenario do you like more, Mr. Yoo Soo-ha?
-Now… what's the weather outside like…?
-Currently, the weather on the Korean Peninsula is, in short, the rainy season. It rained yesterday, and it rained twice today. Water has already begun to flood the neighborhood, and if you try to walk through the street, you will receive -1, -1, -1, damage over time(dot).
-Did I bring an umbrella…?
-You didn't. This one also didn't.
-Fuck. Then let's go with the second possibility! Fuck!
Yoo Soo-ha emptied one more can and turned around.
-Boss! Cough, um. Bill here!
-Please calculate the cost first so you can do it properly.
The girl snatched Yoo Soo-ha's wallet. There were a lot of bills from the Bank of Korea folded in the wallet. After counting the bills, the girl asked.
-How much did it come up to, Boss?
-Big brother ate a lot. After counting the side dishes, it is 60,000 won.
-Oh my God.
The girl turned to stare at Yoo Soo-ha.
-Did you really eat that much?
-Sorry. I think I'm gonna throw up…
-You want to spit the alcohol back out after swallowing it? Why? Do you think you'll get a discount? You ordered 11 cans of beer and 5 side dishes on you own. Then did that all fit in your belly?
-Uh, guh... gup, hup, hyup... kub! Uwek! Kweeek!
-Crazy.
The girl's expression became rotten.
-I'll clean that up, Boss.
-No, no, it's fine. That's all part of the service. Anyways, I'll take the 60,000 won.
The girl took out the Korean bills from the wallet and handed it over.
Then, the [illusion of the bar] unraveled.
-One gold coin for a 100,000 won bill?
-The price has risen slightly these days. It's not easy to bring in Korean money.
The bar owner whispered.
[getid]
-Chinese money or Japanese money can be brought in easily, but Korean money doesn't serve any purpose in the Tower of Babel apart from being a collectors item…
-Give me two more gold coins. I'll give you plenty of money. That way, when the customer spends a lot, they will pay in Korean money and receive Korean money. -Aigoo, as expected of Mr. Yoo Soo-ha's manager. You're so smart and you take good care of our store.
The bar owner bowed his head to the girl over and over.
That's right.
The bars in the Tower of Babel were [magic].
This place was Korea. It only accepted Korean money and only gave back Korean money. Thus, the customers could taste the beers common in Korean bars, local beers, Belgian beers, and Chinese bottled beers. They could also enjoy boneless chicken, seasoned chicken, and delicate pizza all cooked by the chef.
-Recently, military provocations in the Korean Strait have intensified…
Even the news that was played in the bar was news from the outside world, Korean news.
It was a strange sight.
There was very little Korean alcohol on the menu of this Korean Style Beer Bar. The brand names on all the Korean alcohol brands were in English. The side dishes were chicken and pizza, neither of which were foods from Korea.
The bill in this beer bar was paid in Korean won. But that was only in the front. Behind the scenes, the exchange value of gold to Korean money was calculate, and they ensured that they wouldn't run out of the [casino chips] called Korean money.
There were sounds of cheers while hitting beer mugs together! The people shouting were not Korean. None of them.
All of those who abandoned their countries and escaped to the Tower, for whatever reason, were stripped of their nationalities.
In this place without countries, the customers shouted patriotism for a certain country, and in this place without countries, the customers argued furiously about politics, sometimes even to the point of fighting.
-Mr. Yoo Soo-ha.
The City of the Displaced.
-Are you sober now?
-Uhh, well. Roughly… Wow. Normally aura is enough to get rid of the hangover! But I can't do that today for some reason… I feel like I'm going to go crazy from drinking.
-It's because you promised this one.
A girl's voice spoke calmly.
-You wouldn't use aura today.
-Huh, what…. Hey. Bitch. When did I make such a promise? I can't remember.
-On the way back from attacking the stage this time, you made a bet with this one about whether the Black Dragon Master would lead her assassins to attack or not. Mr. Yoo Soo-ha bet that she would attack. This one bet that she wouldn't attack.
-Ahhh, ah.
Yoo Soo-ha furrowed his eyebrows.
-I remember. Fuck. Black Dragon Master. You dog. Pussy dog bastard. Hey, Soo-jung. Did you know? If you look at [bastard(개새끼)*] closely, it's like a real pup. Wow. [개] is the dog's head and front paws. [새] is the body and hind legs. [끼] is the ass and tail. Look. Bastard((개새끼). Wow. I'm a genius. Isn't a bastard really a bastard?(*: The direct translation is closer to 'child of a dog')
-That's right. Bastard Yoo Soo-ha is really bastard Yoo Soo-ha. (TL: what she really said was more like 'child of a Yoo Soo-ha – 유수하 새끼')
-Uuum…?
-Although you've regained your senses to a certain extent, it still makes this one's heart uneasy. Mr. Yoo Soo-ha, you didn't forgot about the interview tomorrow did you?
-Tomorrow… inteeeerview…?
-Yes.
The girl.
A Hunter in the form of Ja Soo-jung, answered briefly.
-It's an interview tot hire a new manager.
Grab!
Yoo Soo-ha grabbed Ja Soo-jung's small shoulders.
-I don't need a new manager!
-It hurts.
-Hey, Soo-jung! Are you upset with me? Tell me if you're upset. No matter what you say, Oppa will listen to it. Is your salary too low? Should I pour in cash until salt water flows from my mouth? Is someone bothering you? Which bastard, which fucking bastard… Huh? I'll cut off those bastards' limbs and throw them into a hunting ground on the second floor… Huh? Soo-jung! I'm a generous man. Tell me!
-This one.
-Mhm! Well, what is it? I'll listen to anything!
-It's hard to do things because this one doesn't have strength.
-…
-I'm short so it's hard to hold the steering wheel. I have butt, back and neck pain every time I let Mr. Yoo Soo-ha sit at the back as I drive.
-Uhhh....
-We need to bring in a new manager. A star grade hunter like Mr. Yoo Soo-ha needs more manpower.
-Can't I just carry the burden?
-Does Mr. Yoo Soo-ha intend to drive himself?
-Yes.
-Would that be okay?
-You don't have to give me that form. I'm sorry. I can't… This oppa can accept anything else except that form…
-If you don't hire a new manager, this one will die of overwork. Pick one. Or I'll retire.
-Ah! Ah! Well! Why are you suddenly considering retirement Deputy Ja Soo-jung!
-When did the title Deputy get added?
-Just now. It's my guild, I'm the boss and I'm the king. You are Deputy Ja Soo-jung from now on.
-Hah…
Ja Soo-jung sighed.
-In that case, I'll go to the manager interview tomorrow as scheduled.
-You have to do that too? Huh?
-Naturally. I have to select a manager for Yoo Soo-ha.
When he returned, a colorful banner was already hanging from the guild building.
[Recruiting a manager for the World Ranking Number 1, S rank Hunter, The Tyrant of the Tower of Babel, Hunter Yoo Soo-ha.]