Damned System

Chapter 9. Gift (1)

“Ouch, haah! It hurts, it hurts!”

Thwack, thwack, came the somewhat comedic sound of someone hitting my arm, barely ticklish.

However, I couldn’t just let it happen silently.

With every blow to my arm, I tightened my grip on him.

Only then did the fool realize that the more he resisted, the more pain he was in, and he finally slackened his grip.

Unfortunately for him, I didn’t stop.

“Why don’t you try answering?”

I squeezed his neck even harder, for emphasis.

“Wahhhh!”

He screamed, and as if in harmony, a familiar voice joined in.

“K! Find K!”

It was Rashar.

‘They’ve finally come.’

I’d told them again and again that I was fine, not hurt, not even a single strand of hair out of place.

Chuckling, I twisted the chubby arm of the struggling criminal in the air and adjusted my stance.

“You, young master!”

A man who had followed the criminal turned pale and stamped his feet in panic.

The man, Galon, who had previously left after twisting the guy’s arm, returned.

“You scoundrel!”

He immediately drew his sword as if he was ready to attack as soon as he assessed the situation.

Thus, I swiftly pointed a dagger at the neck of the criminal.

“Want to try me?”

My provocation made Galon’s sword tip tremble.

“Take one step closer, and I’ll kill him.”

To prove it wasn’t just words, I planted the dagger into the criminal’s shoulder.

“Aaaah!”

With a knight close by, you could never predict the variables that might arise.

It was crucial to make a clear statement of intent from the outset.

What I was saying was that I could very well kill him.

“Don’t think I’m bluffing. We can investigate the scene with just a corpse, you know.”

I twisted the corner of my mouth upwards and added, causing Galon to grind his teeth and retreat.

Meanwhile, I spoke to the criminal who was screaming in pain while applying a proper ground technique.

“It’s interrogation time. Tell me your name, age, affiliation, profession, and the reason you tried to kidnap me, all of it.”

“Aaargh, aaaaaargh!”

While waiting for the criminal to open his mouth, I shifted my gaze aside.

I intended to check the usually quiet order homepage, which was now in turmoil.

Thinking something new might pop up, I refreshed the page, causing the screen to briefly flicker.

Soon enough, a new screen came up, and the first thing that caught my eye was the title of a post.

「Title: I’m Currently Being Kidnapped – Author: K」

It was a post I’d put up while being tied up by the person who called himself Ladriol.

Initially, the posts were flooded with comments from Palao’s priests in a chaotic state.

‘Is it because I’m the only player within the order still?’

Everyone seemed overly focused on me.

If I was to visit the Palao temple with Rashar, literally everyone would gather around just to take a peek.

‘There were times when they’d smile shyly if our eyes met.’

If it were female priests, I might not mind, but since even the male priests did it…

Recollecting a few awkward situations I’d experienced in the temple made goosebumps rise on my arms.

Trying to shake off those memories, I turned to the comments section again.

Skipping past a couple of hundred comments from other priests, I noticed at one point there were suddenly no more comments.

It was because Jordan had efficiently put everything in order.

He was a priest I’d gotten acquainted with while following Rashar to the temple a couple of times.

– Thanks to K, I nearly had to manage the order while struggling with points, but I am grateful for convincing Rashar.

Apparently, he’d had a hard time since the order’s dues had been lowered to the minimum due to Rashar’s insistence.

Because of this, he had a favorable disposition towards me and often initiated conversations.

The discussions I had with Jordan mostly revolved around the management of future players entering the order.

Rational, plans-oriented, devoid of any unnecessary formalities while delivering the necessary points only.

Jordan and I shared many similarities, allowing us to forge a bond quite swiftly.

The fact that the comment section of the current post was being used like a chat room was totally thanks to him.

– Jordan Rodiel: K, your safety is more important than anything else. Please follow their instructions first. Rashar will depart with rescue forces.

– Jordan Rodiel: If you happen to gather any information on those who ordered the kidnapping, please let us know immediately. That would allow us to act quickly too.

– Jordan Rodiel: However, if conveying the situation proves difficult, don’t push yourself. Always keep in mind that your safety is of utmost importance.

Beneath his calm comments was…

– Rashar Bennett: Those bastards are absolutely unforgivable!

I almost let out a snicker when I saw Rashar’s comment.

‘Looking at it now, she’s quite different from Jordan.’

She tried to remain composed when we first met, making an effort to be calm.

But having observed her for nearly a month, it became apparent that Rashar often made decisions based on her emotions.

Wasn’t her bringing me to Habon in the first place due to her hope of wanting to believe in something?

Of course, I didn’t mean to say that Rashar was impulsively swayed by her emotions.

It’s just that when making decisions, she’s more influenced by emotions than I am.

When I make decisions, I judge if they are logically correct or incorrect first, but for Rashar, emotional agreement or disagreement is crucial.

To reassure her and inform Jordan of the plan, I explained why I was being kidnapped.

Thanks to that, there was no unnecessary rush from the order side.

Instead, they made sure to move quietly, receiving real-time location updates from me.

The aim was to catch every person involved without missing anyone.

‘If another order is behind this, then I’ll hit the jackpot.’

Unlike Palao, if a decent order is behind this, it would be intriguing to see how they negotiate over this incident.

Of course, even if this had no connection with other orders, it wouldn’t be a problem.

Based on the conversations I overheard while pretending to be unconscious, the reward for turning me in was not 1 thousand Herr, but 10 thousand Herr.

‘It seems like the middleman embezzled quite a sum.’

The swindled amount is a whopping 9 thousand Herr, which is approximately 9 billion won.

The mercenaries who handed me over to the guild after receiving their pay have already been caught by Palao’s holy knights.

The 1 thousand Herr that they had already made its way back to me.

Thus, if I could catch the guy who just collected my bounty and retrieve that 9 thousand Herr, then?

I could pocket a sum totaling 10 billion won.

To gain a reward like that from my mission to uncover the mastermind behind this, now that’s quite a bonus.

‘That is more than enough.’

Yeah, sufficient. My purpose in conducting this hostage scenario wasn’t to eradicate the crimes of the mercenary guild.

I have no plan to resolve a problem that even the powerful in this world cannot solve.

There’s no reason for me to take such responsibility.

‘I’m not a superhero or anything.’

One cannot weed out every crime in the world with just an individual’s power.

But if that crime is directed at me?

‘Though I cannot uproot it, I can definitely break a few significant branches.’

I reckoned that through this guy screaming and writhing here, I could snap off a significant branch.

However, contrary to my expectations, this guy was tight-lipped.

‘I didn’t expect him to speak immediately.’

Despite his loud screams, he held out quite well.

‘Might he be feeling less pain because of his fat?’

His whole body was pretty plump, which might have cushioned his joints from bending too much.

To verify this hypothesis, the method was simple.

I’d just need to twist his arm a little harder.

“Let’s see if you can still keep your mouth shut after it breaks.”

The effect was immediate.

“Aaaargh! Ack! I will talk!”

Indeed, it was painful to the extent that assured a scream, but not unbearable.

When I applied more force, his response was almost instantaneous.

The pressure I exerted on him was effective in having the criminal finally open his mouth.

“— did it! Promised a priest’s position!”

But then, a strange issue arose.

“What?”

“—! —- made an offer!”

Even though the criminal moved his mouth and voiced words, I couldn’t hear it.

This was entirely beyond the normal cause-effect spectrum, making me frown unconsciously.

I cast a sideways glance at Galon who was observing us from a not-so-far distance before releasing my hold.

This relieved the arm lock.

However, that did not mean I released the criminal.

My dagger was back at his throat.

Consequently, the criminal clutched his previously twisted arm close and swallowed hard.

“Say it again.”

Upon my prompt, the criminal, despite looking terrified, pulled a sly half-smile and spoke again.

“—— made an offer.”

Again, I could not hear it. He was clearly speaking, yet there was no sound.

I scowled at the peculiar circumstance.

At that moment, familiar people rushed in.

They were the holy knights from Palao’s temple, detaining the associates while advancing.

“K.”

As of now, the holy knights deployed at the Habon temple numbered 11.

Objectively, it was a very small number.

At that moment, more than 50 knights from the Bennett family resided in Rashar’s mansion alone.

However, within Palao’s order, it was not something to scoff at.

From what I heard, a significant weakening of their forces occurred years ago during a war, coupled with many knights deserting when Palao vanished.

‘Thus, the official knights under the order numbered around 200.’

The main fortress where the high priest resided had the highest security, with the remainder scattered among needful temples.

Most were near corrupted areas where battles frequently erupted.

This was to protect the mutual charity believers residing there.

For this reason, it took time to select and actually relocate the individuals dispatched to Habon.

It was still an ongoing process.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, I am perfectly fine.”

Being one of the first faces I encountered upon arriving in Habon, I accepted my known holy knight, alio’s helping hand to stand up.

Meanwhile, other holy knights had apprehended not only the criminal but Galon and the man suspected to be a servant as well.

By the time things wrapped up here…

“K!”

Rashar arrived.

“Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”

She flitted around me in circles, making a fuss that nearly left me dizzy.

Hence, I tried to act in my usual manner to reassure her.

“As you can see, I’m unharmed.”

“Thank goodness, truly.”

She sighed deeply in relief, taking only a moment to collect herself.

Soon after, she pressed her temples in frustration as if she had a headache, speaking further.

“Really… I cannot fathom your way of thinking. What on earth goes on in your mind that makes you decide to get kidnapped voluntarily?”

What goes on in my mind, indeed.

“I thought there was no risk to me, which made it possible.”

The moment they mentioned a ransom, my life was almost guaranteed.

I had volunteered to be the bait to catch the mastermind.

“Don’t be too harsh, thanks to it, we’ve really caught them right?”

I smugly gestured with my chin.

Only then did Rashar direct her gaze towards where I pointed.

Her reaction was quite interesting.

Her shoulders shivered slightly as she mumbled with a confused expression.

“…… Vallego Protoram?”

The meaning of her reaction was obvious.

‘They know each other.’

Although he wouldn’t make direct eye contact with Rashar, the name of the criminal appeared to be Vallego Something-Or-The-Other.

“Is he someone you know?”

When questioned for confirmation, Rashar responded in a low voice.

“He is the eldest son of the late Count Protoram.”

Her voice grew colder, and even her expression showed a winterly chill.

‘A noble, and not just any noble – someone from a Count’s family…’

As I showed interest in Vallego, Rashar explained about the Protoram family.

A family that amassed unimaginable wealth during the war.

Claiming that comparison with other nobles would be virtually impossible?

If I had to name a comparison, perhaps it would be similar to a chaebol in Korea, an untouchable giant?

“Interesting.”

With her explanation in mind, I approached Vallego, who was being held by the holy knights after a brief moment of contemplation.

When I came near, Vallego flinched.

Clearly, he wasn’t looking directly at me, but every nerve in his body seemed focused on my direction.

He seemed to understand that his current situation wasn’t favorable.

If that was the case, he shouldn’t find what I’m about to say too difficult to comprehend.

I slung an arm around his shoulders and grinned.

“My dear young master.”

Vallego’s pupils began to tremble.

Ignoring that, I asked in a very gracious tone.

“Is there something you’re particularly attached to in life?”

I truly hoped so because the additional gains from this affair would grow if that were the case.

Damned System