orange
“I will kill pilaf tonight.”
Aaron, sitting crumpled in a small chair, spoke calmly as if deciding on a dinner menu.
Shawn, who had been chewing on hard bread, froze and just blinked his eyes.
‘What on earth is this guy talking about···?’
Although he heard it clearly, he couldn’t understand it at all, so Shoune tilted his head.
“Philip?”
“Oh, right. The leader of the lone wolves.”
Shawn nodded at Aaron’s answer.
Aha, Aaron is planning to kill Philip, the most notorious villain in Karzan and the leader of the Lone Wolves, tonight.
Shoune nodded, then tilted his head to check if his understanding was correct.
“Right. You understood correctly.”
Aaron answered with a deep voice, without me even asking if he had read her mind.
“yes-?!!”
“Lower your voice. It’s a secret.”
Looking at the mischievous smile that appeared as the corners of his mouth crinkled, Shoney guessed that this was a prank similar to Aaron’s ‘Orange’.
Even the most insane man wouldn’t declare that he’s going to kill Philip on his first day in Karzan.
‘Even if you joke around, what’s the point…’
It was ridiculous, but Shawne didn’t want to lose to Aaron again. Hadn’t he been fooled five times on his way here?
If I were to be fooled any further here, it would certainly be insufficient to describe me as an idiot or a moron.
I’ve been getting involved all along, but this time it’ll be different.
“Ahem… So how are you going to kill me?”
Shawn answered, pretending to be indifferent and imitating the relaxed manner of Fenne, the second-class official he most respected.
“I’ll have to think about that later.”
Aaron drank the hot tea in his cup in one gulp and spoke calmly.
‘It was a joke after all! You thought I’d be fooled again! I’m a third-grade manager, Shoney!’
After hearing Aaron’s answer, Shawn tried hard to suppress the corners of his lips from twitching. If it were Penn, in this situation-.
“You’re saying you’re just thinking about it? You’re saying you don’t have a plan.”
“The original plan is enough to clearly set the beginning and the end. You can fit in anything in between as the situation demands. That’s flexibility.”
As Aaron whispered as if he was telling her some very advanced information, Shawn’s upper body tilted forward slightly without him realizing it.
‘I almost fell again!’
Suddenly, Shoune came to his senses and shook his head to shake off his thoughts.
“What kind of plan is that? It’s just a goal.”
“Goals and plans are all similar. Aren’t the pronunciations similar too?”
Aaron answered with a slightly frown, wondering if the tea was bitter.
‘Goal and plan…, do they sound similar?’
It wasn’t similar at all, but it seemed like it was because Aaron, a large man, spoke in a very low voice.
Shoune tilted his head as he pronounced the words ‘goal- plan-‘ out loud.
“Not at all similar···.”
“Anyway, I don’t know much about this city, so I need your help. Would you mind helping me?”
Aaron held out his large hand.
Shawn looked at the hand for a moment and thought.
‘You’re serious about joking! But I’m also a third-class manager.’
I didn’t want to lose to Aaron’s pranks anymore.
I didn’t want to get fooled again and mutter ‘oh–range’ stupidly.
I will show Aaron the dignity of a third-class manager.
Shoune nodded, having made up his mind.
“That’s right! What, what’s the big deal? I hated the sight of that guy, too. He looks like a snake and he’s so squirming… I thought I’d win if we fought.”
The hand Aaron held was really big.
“The first part of the plan is filled in. It’s a very good start.”
At the sight of Aaron muttering and laughing, Shawn forced himself to laugh along.
“Then first, let’s go see those guys called White Rabbits.”
“A cute rabbit?”
Aaron nodded, and Shawn got up first to hide his anxiety.
Looking at Aaron, who was standing up but was at the same eye level as her while sitting, Shoney made a resolution inwardly.
This time, I definitely won’t shout out “orange.”
I will make the o—range come out of Aaron’s mouth.
I made a firm resolution.
***
I was worried that Shawn would run away in fear, but surprisingly, he accepted my story calmly.
‘He’s braver than I thought.’
I nodded slightly as I watched the back of the guy walking briskly in front.
Seeing him boasting that he would win if he fought that bastard Philip, it seemed like it would be quite helpful in the fight that would come later.
If Shawne had refused, I was planning to catch another guy and use him as a guide.
The city is so big that if you give them a few silver coins, there will be plenty of people who will go to the grave with them.
As I followed Shona, the once clean streets had turned into dirty streets, and people were walking around with hammers and chisels tucked into their waists.
‘They said that the place called Cute Rabbit was a local guild, but it was stonemasons.’
Indeed, as the city grew larger, the demand for stonemasons would also increase, and no one had more strength than the stonemasons who could break large stones with hammers and chisels.
Probably, if a big stonemason comes with a hammer and chisel, most guys will run away.
Shawn stopped in front of a shabby bar.
Around the bar door, a man with unusually thick arms was crossing his arms as if showing them off, glaring at the surroundings with sharp eyes.
The man had a sickle and a hammer stuck in his waist, and the sharp tip of the sickle was more threatening.
“This is the home of the cute rabbits. It looks like a shabby bar on the outside, but inside, it’s filled with people from Karzan who are known for their hard work!”
Shona explained with her arms crossed and a strangely crooked smile on her face.
The way he looked at me seemed to be asking me what I was going to do.
Then I headed to the bar.
I had to hurry to finish everything by lunch tomorrow.
“for a moment.”
The big guy in front of the bar raised one hand and blocked my path.
I checked the man’s palm.
The calluses on both sides were the hands of another stonemason.
As a stonemason, he may be strong, but he is fundamentally different from a swordsman.
“Go somewhere else. This place is closed for business today.”
The man glanced at the sword on my waist and spoke politely.
At that moment, I heard the laughter of men inside, ‘Hahaha!’ and I pointed at him with my chin.
“Are you having a company dinner?”
“I said I wasn’t going to do business.”
I was troubled as I watched the man raising his voice and making a face.
Should I take it easy or should I take it hard?
Wouldn’t one of them be accepted as a warm greeting from a man? Or you could just say it’s a popular greeting at Catholic Castle.
“Are you deaf? I’m not doing business.”
Yeah, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to introduce the unique greeting of the Cassadic Castle.
“Ah! John, it’s my guest!”
At that moment, Shona suddenly popped her head in from the side.
“···You should have said that earlier.”
The man stepped aside, as if the two knew each other.
Although he was diminutive and had a characteristically low posture, Shoune was actually a third-class manager.
With a Shona level of skill, you could be treated well anywhere in the city.
As I pushed open the door and went inside, a terrible smell wafted out.
The room was filled with the stench of hell, a mixture of sweat, alcohol, urine, and cigarettes.
“Ugh… I’ll stay outside. I have a weak stomach!”
Shoney, who had been swallowing the nausea for a moment, ran outside.
It was an obviously rude and offensive action to the guys who were playing and laughing inside.
As the rude Shoney jumped out, his gaze turned to me.
‘Did this kid do it on purpose?’
I scratched my head as I remembered the joke I had played on him earlier.
About twenty sweaty men were staring at me.
It wasn’t a very nice sight.
The smell also made me feel dirty.
“Who’s the boss here?”
I asked straight to the point.
“I don’t know where that naughty brat came from.”
A direct response erupted.
Several red-faced men approached, their noses belching hot breath.
‘Yeah, the easy and quick way would be better.’
The moment I nod my head and am about to give the nearest man a Catholic greeting.
“Everyone stop.”
A thick voice stopped him.
When I turned my head to him, an old man who must have been quite large in his old age was coming down the stairs in the middle of the bar.
“You idiots, I told you to come at me because of the iron wrapped around your body… Tsk, come up.”
The old man who had been beating up the men waved his hands with a sharp gaze despite his wrinkled face.
“You stink, so go wash up and go.”
I tapped the shoulder of the man in front of me and followed the old man upstairs.
It was fortunate that the old man who seemed like the boss seemed more articulate than I thought.
Because I felt uncomfortable hitting an old person.
***
Shawn stared at the shabby bar, scratching the back of his ear with his finger in impatience.
Cute Rabbit, contrary to its cute name, was a place where men who did hard work gathered.
Shoney, who was a citizen, had interacted with them several times before becoming a manager, and was also acquainted with their leader, the old man.
It was clear that they would be hostile to Aaron, a foreigner.
If Aaron were to run away, he planned to show up and save him.
Since they could communicate, they were able to somehow cover it up unless it was a major problem.
Even though Aaron was large and had thick armor, it was clear that he couldn’t handle everyone inside.
While I was thinking for a long time about what kind of cool line to say to save Aaron who was running away like that-.
The door opened and Aaron walked out, completely unharmed.
It seemed as if he had sent her away nicely, knowing that she had come with him. Shona ran to Aaron, trying to console herself with a strange sense of regret.
“Next up we go to ‘The Drunken Widow.’”
Aaron spoke calmly and with an indifferent expression.
Drunken widow.
It was a bar I knew.
It was a bar managed with great care by the ‘Cool Dagger’, so it was ranked as the number one bar to avoid in Karzan, so it was impossible not to know.
‘Should I just call it orange?’
Shoune hesitated for a moment and then shook his head.
I couldn’t stand seeing Aaron smiling so mischievously anymore.
‘Okay, let’s go all the way! I’m a jokester too.’
Shoune nodded and started walking, having made up his mind firmly.
On the way, Aaron asked various questions and Shona answered them.
“There’s a guy named Fjord among the third-level administrators. He’s from the Empire, so I get the strength in my fists whenever I see him stretching. Oh, promotion? He’s a civilian, so it’s out of the question. Maybe if I just take that guy Philip’s head and go. Huh? Just kidding. Just kidding.”
As I was walking and chatting with Aaron, I arrived in front of a four-story building in the city center.
As usual, there were a lot of people walking around and women were walking around showing off their charms.
Shawn tried to hide his flushed face and confidently walked towards the drunken widow.
‘Probably, you’ll stop me at this point!’
Entering the drunken widow, Shawn thought.
“Welcome-. Huh? Aren’t you the Shownet manager?”
Shona, who felt awkward for no reason at the employee recognizing him, coughed in vain, saying, “Hmm…”
“I will use the red room.”
A deep voice from behind answered instead.
‘How does Aaron know about the red room?’
Shawn tilted his head.
Following the employee’s instructions, I went up to the top floor.
‘Probably. I’ll stop here!’
As he entered the dazzling, huge room, Shoney thought.
Aaron sat down at the head table quite naturally, and Shawn sat next to him.
‘You don’t want to admit that orange juice doesn’t work anymore!’
Looking at Aaron’s tightly shut lips, Shawn chuckled inwardly.
The winner of this prank is clearly yourself.
“Oh my, Manager Showne, your arms are thicker than they look?”
“Look at this. Your cheeks are so soft.”
‘Aaron! Shouldn’t we stop at this point?!’
Shawn’s mind continued to become confused by the strong scent of perfume wafting from both sides and the hands caressing him.
“Please have some of this-.”
“Wow! You really drink well! You are a man among men.”
“Hehehe… I’m a little….”
After a few drinks, the table started spinning.
‘You’re really going to stop here! Huh? Aaron?’
Only then did Shoney blink, realizing that he was left alone in the room.
‘Is this an orange too?!’
Shawn was deeply troubled.
Did I already get hit by an orange without realizing it? Maybe it was an orange.
“Now, this too···.”
The softness felt from both sides was hard to shake off, so Shawn had no choice but to accept whatever was given to him.
Then, a hand reached deep into his body and Shona came to his senses.
“Eww! No!”
“oh!”
Shawn jumped up in surprise. The women looked up at him with wide eyes.
If I had been just a little bit later, it would have been a banana instead of an orange.
The heavy alcohol effect disappeared in an instant, and I came to my senses a little.
Shonae looked at the women looking up at him with startled faces like rabbits, hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth.
“That’s enough. Now, tell me your stories.”
After all, these people were also citizens of the city.
It was the manager’s duty and responsibility to listen to their stories.
Although he was looked down on by his colleagues because of his origins, he was also a proper 3rd-class manager.
I had to show my dignity as a manager.
“Oh my, the manager is so cute.”
“Oh my – how impertinent.”
However, looking at her laughing, I didn’t think I would be able to hear the proper story.
They whispered to a child as if they were telling a story from the old days.
Shawn tried to listen to their stories and offer advice, but most of their concerns were so far outside his scope that he had nothing to say.
So, just like when he used to listen to his father when he came in drunk, Shoney just kept repeating, ‘Hmm…, ah…, that must have been hard…’
But they were happy to hear that, and said they had never done anything.
Feeling proud of his position as a manager, Shonae vowed to himself that he would visit the prostitutes more often in the future.
‘The salary is tight, but this is also a manager’s job!’
When he learned that the popularity of prostitutes did not last more than two years, that the prostitutes coming in these days were shameless, and that knights did not take off their armor even when they were fighting, Aaron returned.
“Goodbye, Manager!”
“Yes! I will definitely come back again!”
Shawn didn’t understand why they were laughing, but he ran to catch up with Aaron who had moved away.
It was completely dark outside, the sun had set.
Magic lanterns placed along the street were illuminating the night.
Even though he was drunk, Shawn looked at the lantern and thought for a moment, ‘How much was the budget…’
There were more people on the street than during the day, and Aaron still stood tall among them.
“Did you enjoy it?”
Shawn nodded to Aaron, who asked playfully while looking back.
It was really fun talking to them.
“That’s right! It’s the first time I’ve felt proud as a manager. I plan on visiting the prostitute often in the future!”
“Hmm… I see.”
Aaron muttered softly, ‘The kid is really pissed off.’ Perhaps because he was drunk, the voice sounded particularly distant, and Shoney tilted his head.
“But why do you speak like that? Do you want to greet me in a Catholic way?”
“Ah, since you were talking so solemnly like a manager earlier… So, is it over now?”
Instead of answering, Aaron raised the corners of his mouth, and the smile felt cold because of the detail at the corners of his mouth.
“The plan is sailing along, my friend.”
A rough hand patting my back made me vomit.
Ugh-.
Shawn vomited out everything he had eaten.
“I guess management is a bit difficult.”
Aaron chuckled mischievously.
“So… is it all over now?”
After a long time, Shona wiped her mouth and asked.
“No, what are you talking about? Now that we’re ready, it’s time to taste. Next up is the ‘Lucky Gambler.’ Okay, let me show you around- Shonebi.”
“Huh? I’m Shoune… Huh?! A lucky gambler?! Isn’t that a gambling house managed by a lone wolf?! Why are you going there?!”
“Well, if you want to catch the leader of the dogs who is nowhere to be found, wouldn’t you have to destroy the doghouse?”
Only then could Shawn read the sincerity in Aaron’s face. It was so clear that it was surprising he hadn’t noticed it until now.
‘I’m going to kill pilaf tonight.’
Shawn shivered slightly as he recalled what Aaron had said.
Shoney now realized that the bloody and absurd words were not ‘orange’.
This crazy man really wanted to kill Philip, the devil, the villain, the scoundrel of Karzan.
Shawn swallowed hard.
It was clearly a ridiculous and reckless story, but perhaps it was because of Aaron’s large size, or the numerous scars on his face, or his deep voice.
Or maybe it was the alcohol that made his face hot, but Shoney had a gut feeling.
This time too, he would be fooled by this guy and shout ‘Oh–range’.
“orange.”
“Stop talking nonsense. Now, let me guide you quickly, Shounebi.”
Shoune nodded his head vigorously at the low, giggling voice.
***
A ‘professional’ gambler… It was funny to call a gambler a ‘professional’, but Hervin was a man who had no shortage of uses for him.
He took up dice after his father, a gambling addict, eventually cut off his left arm, but the fact that he survived until he was over twenty-five proves that he was a ‘professional’ gambler.
He was even recognized by the Lone Wolf and hired by them, so it was no exaggeration to call him a ‘professional’.
Hervin, a ‘professional’ gambler, couldn’t help but laugh as he looked at the two bumbling guys sitting across from him.
The man was a huge man with a face full of scars, giving him a fierce look, but he was wearing a colorful suit of armor that made him look like a clown.
And the frail-looking guy, who was about half the size of the man, kept mumbling to himself, “It’s an orange. I said it was an orange… That’s enough…” as if he was drunk, before he fell asleep, leaning against the man’s shoulder.
Because of the stark contrast, putting the two together was truly comical.
‘You idiot. You bet a gambler a game of dice?’
The guy even bet the gambler the most basic of basics: dice.
Although dice games have been unpopular in the city of Karzan recently, he hasn’t touched them for a while, but even now, ‘professional’ gambler Hervin can roll a six eight times out of ten.
Of all people, it had to be me···.
They were really unlucky guys.
“Are you asleep?”
Hervin tried hard to suppress his laughter as he watched the man urging him on without even knowing what situation he was in.
“I almost fell asleep. Let’s get started.”
Hervin slowly turned the glass containing the dice.
Knock knock-.
I lifted my glass to a sound that naturally put my mind at ease.
“Oh, I’m sorry for starting from the beginning.”
As expected, the corners of his mouth turned up at the dice pointing to 6.
“There are many things to be sorry about.”
Snickers – The big guy glared at Hervin and turned his glass around.
Knock knock-.
‘He really looks fierce.’
Hervin had seen all sorts of people at the gambling tables, but this was the first time he had seen someone so fierce.
The scars were all over it, as if it had shoved its face into a beast’s jaws. If it had been scratched like that, its mother would surely not recognize it.
‘It would be quite a sight if that wicked face were crumpled.’
Seeing the faces of losers shouting, “Scam! Scam!” with a look of despair and dejection was one of the driving forces in Hervin’s life.
I couldn’t help but laugh when I imagined that rough-looking guy hanging on and screaming like that.
Hervin raised the corners of his mouth and focused on the man’s hand.
Druk-.
The man lifted his glass nonchalantly, and the dice pointed to 6.
‘Lucky guy.’
“You’re lucky.”
As if reading Hervin’s thoughts, the man muttered the same thing.
‘No, it’s better. This way, the stakes will increase.’
The man and Hervin casually put five silver coins on the table, and there were twenty silver coins on the table.
Knock knock-.
The man turned the cup again.
The dice showed 6.
“You’re lucky.”
‘What a lucky guy.’
This time it was Hervin’s turn.
Hervin took a deep breath and turned the cup.
Knock knock-.
Hervin’s dice also showed 6.
Hervin took out ten more silver coins and placed them on the board.
The man followed him and added ten silver coins, making a total of forty coins on the board.
‘If you suck this properly once···.’
Hervin swallowed hard and turned the cup.
Knock knock-.
I picked up the cup, and this time the die was pointing to 4.
‘···My hands are stiff because it’s been so long.’
Hervin consoled himself with his regret by looking at the silver coins placed on the board.
It’s okay.
In gambling, it was more important to wear out your opponent’s spirit by losing several times than to win from the beginning.
Because then the crazy guy will risk his house, his wife, and his children.
Knock knock-.
This time the man turned the cup.
“You’re lucky.”
The man’s dice showed 4.
‘···4?’
There was a strange sense of foreboding in the sight of the man casually placing twenty silver coins on the board.
‘You’re just going to sing a song? You’re no ordinary kid.’
Hervin swallowed hard at the sight of the man looking at him as if asking what he was doing with the silver coins piled up on the plate.
I could tell with the intuition of a ‘professional’ gambler.
This kid deliberately picked 4.
However, I couldn’t back down.
Hervin was a ‘professional’ gambler, so this was his battlefield. Just as a knight does not run away from a battlefield, Hervin, the ‘professional’ gambler, does not run away from a game of dice.
There was no reason to run away in the first place.
This was the domain of the lone wolves, and he was a ‘professional’ gambler belonging to them.
Even if Hervin lost here, there was nothing to lose.
Even if you lose, you will get it.
Hervin didn’t hide his sneer.
“It’s been a while since an interesting guy has come.”
Hervin placed twenty more silver coins on the board and waved his hand.
“Dice is always fun.”
The man muttered, raising the corners of his lips.
Knock knock-.
The dice rolled around the cup.
The man slowly lifted the cup and-.
The dice showed 6.
“Because I always win.”
Hervin gulped at the man’s sharp gaze.
***
Shawn’s head was spinning.
I remembered my father’s words telling me to be careful with beauties and alcohol.
Even if he’s a drunkard, a father is still a father.
That was when.
The world has been turned upside down.
Shawn opened his eyes in surprise-.
“It’s a scam! A scam!!! He’s a scammer!!”
In the far distance of the upside-down world, a goat-like creature roared with evil.
And then the upside-down, vicious guys followed me, swearing.
However, rather than narrowing the distance, it has become further apart.
‘Is this a dream? Those guys… they really look fierce.’
Run hard, everyone.
Shawn gave them a light wave.
“Hey, Shounebi. Where’s the ‘Goblin with the Gold Coin’?”
“Over there. To the right···.”
“Hmm, it’s a right turn.”
‘Wow, that was a fun dream. Aham···.’
Shoney roughly pointed in the direction, yawned lazily, and closed his eyes again.
