Frankfurt, Germany.
In an upscale riverside restaurant, a man and a woman were having a meal. The man was a middle-aged Asian, and the woman had strong Western features.
The dinner course, which had lasted over three hours, was lavish, but neither of them seemed to be enjoying the food. Every time a new dish was served, they would eat a few bites and then put down their knives and forks. This happened so often that the floor manager came over to ask if there was a problem.
The woman, Cash, dismissed the concern by saying that it wasn't the food but that they were both just feeling unwell. After that, their gazes crossed again.
Cash spoke as if seeking agreement.
"It's... not great, is it?"
The middle-aged man responded in a tone that didn't match his appearance.
"No matter how I think about it, the food you used to make when we were in the basement was a hundred times better."
After deciding to bring Ha-eun-seong to Germany, Min-jun had asked Jenkins to polymorph the pig into a suitable human form.
Since the identity of the body owner was still unknown, registering as an alien wasn't possible, and creating a new household registration was very troublesome. So, Jenkins chose one of the company employees and transformed Ha-eun-seong into that appearance.
After arriving in Frankfurt, Min-jun told Cash to drop him off in front of the central station and disappeared, saying that they should figure out dinner on their own.
Ha-eun-seong, who had never been abroad before, was subtly eager to try German food, but Cash was adamant. She took him to an Italian restaurant she knew, saying that even if German food was good, it was still German food.
But the food didn't seem to meet expectations.
"The frying pan ruined our taste."
It was as if they had lost half the pleasure of eating. Without the artifact, even the finest dishes tasted like sand in the mouth and bland like paper.
Eventually, they both continued their meal disinterestedly, and even the third dessert was abandoned after just one bite.
"This is ridiculous. It's supposed to be a chocolate cake. How can it taste bad even though it can't be made with a frying pan and hasn't been coached?"
Ha-eun-seong gloomily agreed.
"I used to enjoy anything sweet when I was alive... Why is it like this now?"
"According to Uncle Jang-pal, we're already addicted. We've become bodies that can't live without the frying pan."
Amidst the deep longing for magical tools, the man and woman finished their meal. While waiting for the bill, Cash tentatively asked,
"So how's the body owner? The soul, I mean."
"It seems to be slightly improving..."
It seemed that the body had recovered enough to survive briefly without dying. After breaking the ice, Cash asked the question she was really curious about.
"By the way, why is Min-jun so cold to you? He's not normally like that. The absorption of the body owner's powers wasn't intentional, was it?"
Cash hadn't heard anything related to dalants. Min-jun had deliberately kept quiet about it due to the risks involved with the Committee.
Ha-eun-seong, who had been warned not to speak carelessly, dodged the question.
"Maybe he's just very angry."
"That's what's odd. He only gets that angry for one reason: when someone touches 'his stuff.' Whether it's an area, a person, or an object, he's extremely sensitive about what's his. But that dragon is practically a stranger to Min-jun, isn't it?"
The ghost, who had no way to explain its own mistake without mentioning dalants, changed the subject.
"So why are we in Germany?"
Ha-eun-seong didn't know the purpose of the trip. Although he had agreed to repay 180,000 dalants with his body (or soul), he hadn't been told what exactly he was supposed to do.
"Did you really hear nothing?"
Cash explained, and the ghost could only gape at the scale of the task.
"So, to summarize... we need to find and intercept the heretical priest on Earth before the heresy judges from another world arrive? And that priest is running away with the body of the recently deceased Pope... and the Pope is an alien?!"
"To be precise, it's called a Grand Archbishop, not a Pope... but more or less, that's correct."
The fact that the real target was not Yohaim but the severed head of the Grand Archbishop was also not disclosed to Cash.
"Good heavens."
The story sounded unreal. Ha-eun-seong was scared thinking about how Min-jun intended to use him for such a task.
And about the future.
He wasn't sure how much 180,000 dalants would amount to in Earth currency, but he wondered how long it would take to repay such an amount.
"Maybe around a billion or so?"
As he guessed, Ha-eun-seong asked,
"Um... is the work always this dangerous just by hearing about it?"
Cash shook her head.
"No, this level is only the fourth time I've encountered something like this."
Ha-eun-seong sighed in relief. They had been working together for just over five years, so if it was four times in that period, it meant it happened maybe once a year.
But Cash's next words turned Ha-eun-seong's face pale.
"All four of those cases happened within the last three months, though. Come to think of it, was 2020 cursed or something?"
Contrary to the stereotype that train stations are located in the city center, Frankfurt Central Station was an exception.
This station, the gateway to the commercial capital of Germany, was located quite far from both the business district and major tourist attractions and was known for being one of the city's worst crime areas.
Behind the central station, orcs gathered in small groups, smoking strange-smelling cigarettes, staring blankly into the void, or throwing words with half of them being curses while frolicking.
"Hey, is that guy walking alone?"
"Should we go and check? His clothes look quite expensive."
Min-jun walked through a place where even burly trolls feared to tread. A few days earlier, a troll had been lynched by orcs in this area, simply because the watch on his wrist looked expensive.
Though his severed wrist would regenerate, the lost watch would never be recovered. Such incidents were too frequent for the police to intervene.
"Oh, he looks fine. What do you think? Should we go?"
"Hey, don't touch him. Can't you see? It's an artifact."
"Eh, come on. He's a magician, isn't he?"
Unaware that Min-jun could hear, the orcs muttered curses. The agent ignored them and kept walking. Similar incidents occurred repeatedly.
There were orc communities in Seoul as well, but they were located in areas where the middle class rarely had to go. In contrast, this place was a transportation hub but was completely overrun by orcs.
This contrast was rooted in German history. During the second wave of mass immigration, Germany accepted the highest number of orcs in Europe. This was due to international pressure.
In the years shortly after the war, the German government, struggling with the compensation payments it had to make, agreed to accommodate a large number of orc refugees demanded by the smiling nations. This was in exchange for partial debt relief and financial support.
As a result, orcs were no longer a minority in Germany. It had been over ten years since they surpassed half of the German population. To add, it was the first time in the world.
However, the expected outcomes of the pro-immigration and multicultural ideologies did not materialize. Despite being the majority, orcs still did not reach the center of wealth and power. This phenomenon had naturally become a good excuse for those who claimed racial inferiority of the orcs.
"Hey, is he going into the back alley?"
"Even magicians need to take care of their business, I guess."
"Should we follow him? Magicians usually undress when they do that, don't they?"
"Crazy bastard. I'm out. They say getting involved with magicians can bring three years of bad luck."
"Really? Then I won't do it either."
"Che, you cowards."
Min-jun entered the complex alley, leaving behind orcs who likely didn't realize they had survived due to superstitions created by the experiences of the enlightened ones.
In the alley, a multiracial scene appeared that was beyond comparison to the outside.
It was Germany's largest red-light district.
The street, covered in trash and filth, was teeming with giant rats that seemed capable of eating cats. But no one paid any attention to them. Hawkers persistently pestered passersby, and drunkards were busy hurling vulgarities at each other.
Min-jun pushed through the narrow alley and continued walking.
Passing by some explicit graffiti, more and more shops began to appear. Neon signs, which were often half-lit and malfunctioning, were displayed as if competing with each other, and it was rare to read the words. Min-jun felt the eyes of people and rats on his back. Clearly an outsider, he was met with voices.
"Hey, human brother! It's all the same further in. Come have fun here! Ever heard that once you get involved with orcs, you can't escape? How about today?"
"Hey! Hey! There, Chinese friend. How about the fairy show? I guarantee it will be a memorable experience you won't get anywhere else. Today's special guest is a slime!"
"这儿有很漂亮的人类女儿, 您来看看~
Up to now, in contrast to the bustling scenes of the businesses seen before, the store's door was firmly locked and the sign was not lit.
However, Min-jun had no intention of turning back. He sneered.
"Have you been pretending to be unaware while you were monitoring me the moment I entered the alley?"
He spoke as if he suspected someone inside was listening.
Clang!
Squeak!
At a gesture from Min-jun, the door opened effortlessly. As he set foot on the stairs leading down to the basement, the sound of a dog barking came from inside.
"Woof! Woof!"
"Alfred! No! Stop!"
Perhaps detecting the intruder's smell and sound, the beast's footsteps were heard approaching from below. But Min-jun continued his descent at the same pace.
Finally, a calf-sized shepherd dog appeared. The beast and the agent's eyes met. The dog bared its teeth, ready to bite.
But.
"Grrr!"
The dog shifted its stance. It exhibited the usual reaction animals have when faced with Min-jun. The shepherd was so startled that it urinated and then fled back the way it came.
"Eeeeek! Eeeeek!"
Min-jun had done nothing. The dog was merely reacting a beat late to the intense aura emanating from the ceremonial dagger hidden in Min-jun's sleeve.
Avoiding stepping in the filth, Min-jun reached the bottom of the stairs, where he saw a man. The dog, which had initially rushed out with bravado, was now cowering and whimpering behind its owner.
Min-jun waved his hand in greeting.
"Hey. Meayotol. Long time no see?"
The man was a short figure, difficult to distinguish if he was a human or a dwarf. His face appeared to be melting away, and his eyes were twisted in an awkward direction.
The man addressed as Meayotol responded in a curt voice.
"······It's been over 20 years since I got my permanent residency and changed my name. I'm Liam now."
"Actually, it's conditional residency. I received it on the condition that if I cause trouble on Earth, I'll be stripped of my asylum rights and expelled back to my original world."
"I don't know what you've heard, but I didn't do that."
"Calm down. I'm not here to arrest you. I'm not here to report your past actions to the German government either."
"Then why are you here?"
"I need information."
Liam's expression changed immediately upon hearing Min-jun's explanation.
"Joachim Steinmeier? Why would a prisoner stationed in Korea be interested in that guy?"
Liam's eyes, previously treating Min-jun as an unwelcome guest, now glistened with intense curiosity. He had sensed the scent of money.
"If you're willing to go through the trouble of a 10-hour flight, does that mean prisoners stationed closer might also be on the move?"
"I don't know about that."
"But why him? The heretic inquisitors will arrive on Earth in a few days, and Joachim won't be able to escape... Ah, I see. You're trying to intercept him before then. But why? If you're moving, it means the committee is involved."
Min-jun neither confirmed nor denied.
"Keeping your mouth shut means the mission level is at least classified…"
"I didn't say that."
Liam rolled his eyes and said,
"Finding people is that crippled elf's specialty, isn't it?"
"Watch your language. And he has reasons for not coming."
"Oh! I see. There are still many old enemies alive. If you wander around here recklessly, you'll be eaten alive."
The resentment of former East German intelligence agents toward a retired CIA operative who had vanished to Asia decades ago was certainly a troublesome issue.
But even setting that aside, Lakefield's health issues meant he couldn't come this far.
"Alright, let's search."
As Liam disappeared behind the counter, the trembling dog followed him with a look of panic.
Left alone, Min-jun took a bottle of liquor from the display, poured it into a glass, and drank it. He was passing the time in this manner.
Bang!
The sound of the door, which Min-jun had clearly closed and set up a barrier on, opening again could be heard. Then came the shout.
"Hey! Liam! I know you're in there, so come out quickly!"
The sound of someone rushing down the stairs.
"Did you manage to make some money in the meantime? Where did you get such a powerful barrier? Ugh, it's a hassle. Hey, Liam! Are you trying to make me angry? Get your heavy ass down here... Huh!"
The man who was grumbling while coming down froze when he saw Min-jun sitting alone in the basement, sipping from his glass.
Min-jun read the glowing string of characters above his head.
Asif-10,388,770
The face of the blonde youth, who had confidently stomped down the stairs, turned pale.
"How did you get here!"
Min-jun nonchalantly muttered.
"What, am I not supposed to be here? Is the owner of this place some kind of exclusive information agent for European prisoners?"
"That's not it, but…"
Min-jun understood the source of the frustration on the other's face. The fool couldn't imagine that someone like Min-jun, living in Korea, had identified the presence of the alien operating this place.
In fact, other prisoners were also unaware that it was Min-jun who had placed Liam, or Meayotol, here.
"The reason for coming is obvious to both of us."
Min-jun casually retrieved another empty glass and placed it on the bar.
"Shall we exchange some information?"
The prisoner hesitantly said.
"...Is this for real? You're not just messing with me, are you? You're not planning to listen to my information and then cast a kidney stone curse just to narrowly avoid a property damage charge and run off, are you?"
"..."
Had I ever done such a vile thing to this guy?
I tried to recall but couldn't remember clearly.
"You're usually fine, but when it comes to competition for missions, you lose your mind! You feel like you're losing something that's yours."
"Don't worry and come over here and sit down. I don't do that kind of thing to prisoners."
"But you did?!"
"...Did I? Anyway, trust me this time."
The young man approached with a skeptical expression.
< 79. The Hell of Distrust (7) > End