57. Kidnapping
"Oh my, it's already 2 PM. Shall we have a meal before getting to business?"
The other three nodded simultaneously at the manager's words.
They were already feeling hungry as food smells had been wafting in from somewhere.
"Let's move over there."
Following the manager, they soon came to a dining area.
The rich aroma of doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) filled the air.
"This cafe uniquely also serves as a restaurant."
The manager smiled and took a table, with the others following suit.
"Owner!"
At the manager's call, the owner who was preparing food in the kitchen came out with a water bottle and cups.
She was a fairly young woman in her early 30s, looking too young to be an owner.
"Did the interview go well?"
Though the final interview was still left, the manager smiled and pretended not to know.
"Yes! Thanks to you, we were able to wrap up in a quiet atmosphere without other customers disturbing us. Thank you."
"No, I should thank you for using this place while paying such a large sum. It's in such a remote location that there were no customers at all. Meaning no income. Thanks to you, I can breathe a little easier."
"I'm glad it helped. But I also feel sorry. I know it's your day off but we made you work like this..."
"I'm the one who's sorry. We're supposed to be a cafe but I couldn't even serve coffee..."
"Haha, no worries. Isn't coffee meant to be had after meals anyway?"
The owner laughed covering her mouth at the manager's quip.
"Huhu, then I'll prepare a cool iced Americano for each of you after the meal. Please wait a bit. I'll bring out the food right away."
As if she had prepared in advance, the owner quickly brought out the food.
Numerous side dishes were placed on the table.
It was a Korean set meal with delicious doenjang jjigae as the main dish.
"Please eat a lot."
"Yes, thank you owner."
The manager who was speaking with a smile stole a glance at the female owner's behind as she went to the kitchen, then quickly turned his head.
"Ahem, you must all be hungry? Please dig in."
As if they had been waiting for those words, the players picked up their spoons.
Black Dragon wolfed down the food as if filming a mukbang video.
"You must have been very hungry. Hoho."
"Munch munch, munch munch."
He focused solely on eating without even pretending to respond to the manager's words.
"That's right, eat heartily. That way you can do your best in the final interview too."
At those words, the players paused and looked at the manager.
It must be unpleasant to discuss murder at the dinner table.
"Ah, I'm sorry. Was that not something to say during a meal?"
"It seems that way."
When the impersonator made an annoyed expression, the manager bowed his head again.
"I apologize if it displeased you. But please don't think too badly of murder. Isn't this all for the unity of players?"
"Still, killing an innocent ordinary person is a bit..."
At Ryumin's words, the manager scratched the bridge of his nose.
"Hmm, so the fact that it's an innocent ordinary person bothers you?"
"That's right..."
"Don't worry about that. The target I've selected is a criminal."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes. So there's no need to feel guilty. Well, apart from that, as players leading the world, you'll need to have hearts of steel anyway. Like Black Scythe here."
The manager smiled with his eyes as he praised Black Scythe.
He's already showing signs of trying to curry favor.
'Well, if Black Scythe joins the cafe, he'll immediately take an executive position.'
Ryumin was actually interested in an executive position too.
Participating in this interview wasn't just to obtain the Rune of Doppelganger.
It was part of a plan to form connections with the player union cafe.
'To gather players, it's only natural to climb to a high position first.'
Aiming for an executive position in Pla.Se.Ba isn't difficult.
He just needs to reveal he's Black Scythe and pass the interview, like the impersonator in front of him.
'But that's not the method I want. I don't intend to join by killing an ordinary person.'
Anyway, rising to an executive position in Pla.Se.Ba is for later.
Obtaining the Rune of Doppelganger is more important right now.
As the meal was wrapping up.
"Did you enjoy the meal?"
The female owner approached with a smile.
On the tray she was holding were four iced Americanos.
"Please have some coffee for dessert."
"Thank you, owner."
"No, I should be thanking you."
The female owner smiled back at the manager's smile.
It was a warm atmosphere, but only briefly.
After the owner went into the kitchen, savage words came from the manager's mouth.
"Then shall we proceed with the final interview after finishing our coffee?"
"Who are we going to kill?"
The manager grinned at Black Dragon's question.
"Originally, I was going to target someone you wanted to kill if there was such a person among you, but..."
The manager sucked on his straw.
"Since you said there wasn't, we'll have to kidnap a target we've selected."
"Kidnap?"
"Yes. We'll kidnap the target and move them to a place good for disposing of the body. Then the four of us will amicably dismember the target together. If you do that, you pass the interview."
It sounded simple in words.
They had stabbed people multiple times in Round 4 after all.
But it felt different in reality.
-To think we have to kill an ordinary person in reality. It's a bit uncomfortable... But since we're killing together rather than alone, I guess the guilty conscience will be less.
Reading his thoughts, even the impersonator who had committed numerous fraud crimes was hesitating to get his hands bloody.
It's natural for him to be worried since he's only interested in money, not murder.
'Well, later he'll become infamous as a doppelganger and run wild without caring about murder or anything.'
While the impersonator was worried about murder, there was someone who wasn't.
The middle school student who had an aptitude for murder was like that.
-This interview is damn easy. Just have to kill one ordinary criminal, right? Though the stacks probably won't increase at all.
It seems like nothing to Black Dragon who had already committed murder in reality.
"Have you all finished your coffee?"
"Yes."
"Then shall we get up?"
As the manager stood up, the players followed suit.
Seeing this, the female owner came out to greet them with a bright smile.
"Oh my, are you leaving already?"
"Yes, we ate well and are full. Thank you owner."
"You could stay longer."
"No, we have some urgent business to take care of."
The manager who was speaking suddenly frowned and rubbed his stomach.
"Oh no, I think I ate too much... Where's the bathroom here?"
"Ah, it's around that corner over there."
"Owner. May I ask you for a favor?"
"A favor?"
"Could you pull out my car for me? As you can see, it's urgent..."
"Of course I should do that much for you."
The female owner readily agreed to the manager's valet request and received the keys.
She immediately walked to the van parked in front of the cafe and opened the door.
Click-
The moment she put her body in to get in the driver's seat.
"Mmph!"
Someone choked her neck with their forearm from behind.
The female owner who was flailing without even being able to check who it was soon went limp.
"Kukuk, easy."
The person choking her was none other than the manager.
He had quickly returned after pretending to go to the bathroom and choked her.
The manager immediately put the limp female owner in the back seat and shouted outside.
"What are you doing? Get in quickly!"
The interviewees who had been blankly watching the kidnapping process hurriedly got in the van.
Vroom-
The car started, but the interviewees still had bewildered faces.
"Wh-what are you doing? Why the owner..."
"I told you, didn't I? That we had a selected target."
"It was the cafe owner?"
"Yes."
"..."
The interviewees looked at the female owner lying next to them with dumbfounded faces.
She was sleeping soundly, probably unconscious.
"You said you were targeting a criminal."
"She is a criminal. A typical femme fatale who recently got out of prison and is living with a laundered identity."
"Femme fatale...? The owner?"
"How else could she have money to open such a big store in her 30s? It's all money she got from emptying men's pockets."
"Ah...!"
"She looked so nice but to think there was such a twist..."
They belatedly reacted as if they had almost been victims too, saying they were deceived, but only Ryumin knew the truth.
The manager's inner thoughts came through loud and clear.
-Hehe, it's so easy to deceive people. They'd believe it even if I said her whole family up to distant relatives were criminals.
Ryumin's eyes narrowed.
'Framing an innocent ordinary person as a femme fatale.'
He's framing an ordinary person with crimes to make it easier to instigate murder.
There's no scum like this scum.
'His intention is probably to make it hard to back out later by making them participate in murder.'
What if they later find out the person they killed was an ordinary person?
Some will feel guilty.
Then it becomes easier to blackmail them.
Conversely, they could also persuade them to create a new order together.
That was Pla.Se.Ba's method of ensnaring players so they can't leave once they join.
Ryumin glanced at the impersonator and Black Dragon's thoughts.
-To think the female owner was a femme fatale. She deserves to die.
-It's easier to kill now that they say she's a criminal. Well, even if she wasn't, I'd have to kill her anyway to join.
Their thoughts were slightly different, but they both had the intention to kill the female owner.
They thought sacrificing one person was unavoidable to join the cafe.
Screech-
The car that had been driving on the national highway and turned onto a mountain road finally stopped.
"We're here. This is the warehouse where we'll conduct the final interview."
The manager who parked the car at a shabby warehouse in the mountains slung the female owner over his shoulder.
Though he looked like an uncle, he was a level 13 player so he could move the owner without much effort.
Thud-
Even though he carelessly dumped her on the floor, the female owner didn't wake up.
She seemed properly unconscious.
"Let's put her down here and start the work. But before that..."
A lecherous smile formed on the manager's lips.
"Is anyone interested in having some fun together? It's a shame to just kill her like this."
"Hmm..."
Black Dragon who was young showed no interest in the female owner, but the impersonator was different.
"Black Scythe? Seeing you hesitate, it seems you're thinking about it?"
"Well... it's true it would be a waste if we're going to kill her anyway."
"Then shall we enjoy it together? No, I should show the virtue of yielding in this case. I'll specially give the opportunity to Black Scythe. You have fun first, hehe."
"Ahem, if that's the case..."
The impersonator fumbled with his pants as he stepped forward.
Reading his thoughts, he had already decided to kill the female owner.
He thought rape was fine.
"Black Dragon and Cockle, please wait in the back until Black Scythe is finished."
"Fine. Just finish quickly."
Unlike Black Dragon who stepped back as if annoyed, Ryumin stepped forward.
"Wait a moment."
"What's the matter? Cockle?"
"Can I go first?"
"Huh? You want to do it too?"
The manager was surprised but soon smiled lecherously.
"Kukuk, this is interesting. I thought you wouldn't because you're so shy, but you're unexpectedly interested? Well, at 19 you're at a passionate age... Ah! Is this your first experience?"
"What? Y-yes..."
"Hehe, good. Black Scythe?"
The manager asked for understanding from the impersonator who was about to take off his underwear.
"I'm sorry, but could you yield to Cockle? It's his first experience."
"Ah, if it's his first time, I should yield."
The impersonator pulled up his pants without showing any regret.
Meanwhile, Ryumin walked towards the impersonator with an expressionless face.
As the two passed by each other as if changing places, the impersonator said in passing:
"Do well. I specially yielded to you."
Ryumin smiled and replied.
"Thank you. I'll make good use of the Rune of Doppelganger."
"Huh? Rune? What do you..."
That's when it happened.
Crack-!
Ryumin who grabbed the impersonator's face with both hands applied a bit of force.
Crunch-!
His head turned as if wringing a chicken's neck, and the impersonator collapsed lifelessly to the floor.
It was instant death.
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