༺ This Is The Back Alleys ༻

He was a man with a rough appearance, marked by a knife scar on his face. Upon seeing him, even Abbey, who observed him objectively, would have thought him to be an individual who carried out illegal activities.

Carrying a razor sharp long sword on his shoulder, he was unfazed by Abbey’s military officer uniform?

“…An officer?”

Criminals usually couldn’t even meet the eyes of an officer; given the power and authority military officers had, they were no match for them.

However, the fierce-looking man in front of her showed no signs of fear, even in the presence of an officer. Instead, he smirked challengingly.

“Oh my, oh my, my good Officer. That guy is one of our people. Sorry, but would you mind handing him over?”

Abbey replied stiffly.

“He has already passed away.”

“Keke. I know. We need his body more than his life. He was our comrade, so we thought we’d take care of his funeral, you see.”

Soon after, a snicker could be heard.

They showed no sorrow in front of their comrade’s corpse. Instead, they greedily watched as if it were a treasure chest for the taking.

“What a headache, biting the dust while trying to escape…Hurry up. We want it before it’s unusable. So, why don’t you start stepping aside?”

Since the body was already dead, Abbey had no reason to care, but she also saw no need to comply with these suspicious characters’ demands.

“I refuse.”

“Kek. Why so?”

“I am under no obligation to answer you.”

“Oh my, oh my. Ah, I see. So says our good Officer.”

The tone was mocking, showing no respect for someone befitting of her rank.

The man threateningly extended the long sword he had slung over his shoulder.

“How brave, how brave. Even for an officer. But still, you’re just one person, after all…Moreover, Captains are so common they’re like stones on the roadside.”

One of the man’s subordinates cautiously pointed out an apparent error in his words.

“Uh, Hyung-nim. Captains are quite high-ranking, though. The next rank is a Major.”

“Don’t interrupt me, you fucker!”

The man, who had shouted angrily, then pointed his sword at Abbey. There was no way he didn’t know what it meant to aim his sword at her, but it seemed he was unconcerned, even if she was an officer of the Military State.

“And so what if she’s a Captain? Can a sword not pierce them? Or do guns not work?”

The subordinate cautiously commented again.

“Guns don’t work. The first thing that an officer at the level of a captain learns is usually Qi Deflection.”

“Goddamnit, you’re so fucking dense! Hey, you! You go first!”

He pointed his sword at the subordinate, who had been reprimanded twice, while expressing his anger; threatened by the sword, the subordinate cowered in fear.

“E-Excuse me?”

“Bullets may not work, but a blade will! Go stab her! And hurry up and open that fucker’s belly! Before it’s too late and we can’t use it!”

The man shouted, brandishing his sword violently. The other subordinates nearby began to approach Abbey, as if being chased.

Though it was unknown whether two heads were really better than one, fear and terror certainly lessened when facing it with others. The thugs’ steps grew bolder and more confident as they had each other’s reliable support.

Sensing the hostility, Abbey warned them in a low voice.

“Warning. You are showing threatening behavior towards a soldier of the Military State. Cease immediately. This is an order. If you disobey….”

However, Abbey’s clear and innocent voice didn’t seem to intimidate them at all. The thugs sneered and grew more aggressive instead.

“What are you going to do about it? Beat us all by yourself?”

“Let’s see if a knife can pierce the skin of a stuck-up little officer.”

Abbey found herself in a dire situation. To think that they would actually attack a military officer.

The Military State was a place that even took murder cases against ordinary civilians seriously. If it became known that an officer was attacked and killed by criminals, there would be no delay nor mercy in dispatching the Military Police.

A corps with the right to unleash the power of the State upon its citizens would carry out somewhat discriminatory attacks against them. Even if they were outlaws, they could not possibly withstand that.

But to think that they would threaten an officer without considering all those consequences….Unless they were planning to call forth the Military Police….

No way. Perhaps?

Abbey muttered to herself.

“…Is that your real purpose?”

No one answered Abbey’s mutters to herself. The thugs, each holding a shiv, walked towards her.

“Keke. I wonder if an officer’s blood is the same color as ours….”

There were seven of them. All were armed with blades. Moreover, the leader, the thin man, even showed signs of rudimentary Qi Arts.

“Warning. Predicament….”

Using a golem would be logical to overcome this situation, but it would expose her identity as a signaller. If that happened, only suicide would remain in her future.

Should she engage in close combat? But that would be like throwing eggs against a rock. Abbey was not a combatant specially trained in Qi Arts.

To kill and die. Or to just be killed.

To use the golem to defeat them and then commit suicide. Or to fall at their hands.

The moment of choice was rapidly approaching. In the dimly lit street, the blades gleamed coldly.

Sharp blades, ready to tear through Abbey’s flesh and spill her red lifeblood….

It was right when Abbey clenched her fist after making her decision.

“You crazy bastards!!”

Stomp, stomp, stomp.

Dozens of people poured into the street. Without a single word, they enveloped the thugs who were about to assault Abbey. The surprised thugs were swept away by the crowd right away.

Screams and chaos ensued, followed by the sound of thrashing.

Even those armed with shivs were no match in the face of the sheer number of violent attacks. Moreover, every single one of them were armed with long weapons, so they were even more helpless than they already would have been.

“Have they lost their minds?! Going against the Magician and even an officer? They’re stirring up every hornet’s nest in existence! If you want to be stung by a hornet, go dance naked in front of the nest! Not poke it around everywhere!”

A portly middle-aged man at the forefront was beating up the thugs while shouting. The scar-faced man, taken aback by the sudden assault, raised his long sword and charged towards this middle-aged man.

“You bastards are Market, aren’t you! How dare mere smugglers, without knowing their place…!”

The scar-faced man charged, infusing his sword with Qi. A sword charged with Qi could rip through flesh and bone. If it struck the portly middle-aged man’s body, he could not possibly remain unharmed.

However, the middle-aged man dodged with agility that belied his size. The tip of the sword, glowing blue, narrowly missed his nose.

“Heugh! This piece of shit is even using a sword now?!”

What the middle-aged man, making a huge fuss, pulled out was a large crowbar with a split end; he skillfully trapped the man’s sword in the split of the crowbar. The flow was so natural that it seemed as if they were performing a choreographed routine..

Clank. As the sword was caught between the crowbar, the scar-faced man’s expression turned into one of embarrassment.

Then, as the middle-aged man twisted his hand, the long sword caught in the crowbar was flung away. Utilizing the principles of leverage, the sword flew out of the man’s grip and the middle-aged man’s crowbar struck down upon him.

“It’s you bastards who don’t know your place! This is our territory, you fucker!”

Crack.

The sound of bones breaking was heard from the scar-faced man’s skull. Now, his face bore not only a knife scar but also the imprint of a crowbar.

His reaction to this was unknown. The reason was simply because he had fainted.

His eyes rolled back and his lean body collapsed onto the ground.

“Motherrrrrrfucker. Scared the shit out of me….”

The middle-aged man, gasping for breath, hurriedly approached Abbey. Before she could even be on guard, he bowed deeply, begging with his hands rubbing together in a submissive manner.

“Oh no, oh no, Captain. This isn’t the intention of our entire area. Those bastards are just strange. They call themselves the Shadow of the Military State, I believe. They have been causing us so much trouble as well because they have been all over the place….”

From Abbey’s perspective, the group that had suddenly appeared and subdued the thugs was, as expected, just as suspicious.

However, unlike the threatening shivs of the thugs, the objects held by the newly arrived group were familiar items like crowbars and sticks, blending seamlessly into the affairs of everyday life.

Was she perhaps influenced by their more moderate tools? Abbey slightly relaxed her guard and asked.

“…Question. What exactly are your identities?”

“Ah, my goodness. I should have introduced myself first!”

The middle-aged man, dripping with sweat and making a fuss, introduced himself.

“Yesss, yes. I am Klin, in charge of managing the public warehouse for all the market vendors.”

A warehouse was necessary for storing goods in a market.

But this place was a haven for petty criminals. Never knowing when a thief might strike, relying on just a warehouse and a lock was not enough.

The market vendors had united to safely store and transport their goods, gradually growing into a significant force as delivery men and workers got involved.

“So, to put it simply, it’s like an association of merchants… No, it’s not even that. We’re just people who look after the vendor’s goods. Just warehouse keepers is all.”

Though Klin spoke humbly, Abbey sensed something familiar about his name.

Klin. Store Manager. Market.

He had definitely mentioned these words when he caught the child pickpocket.

“…Store Manager Klin? Are you, by any chance, the head of the organization called Market?”

At that, Klin nearly choked and foamed in the mouth, shaking his head vehemently.

“No, no! The head? Of course not! I am just a figurehead! We are united just to protect the goods in the warehouse, a kind of horizontal relationship! Flat like calm water!”

Considering everything, from the movement he had shown earlier to the Qi-infused crowbar, it was clear he was no ordinary person. But Kiln thoroughly downplayed himself, bowing his head.

Instead, in an inaudible voice, he only muttered to himself resentfully about someone not present

“That Magician bastard! What nonsense has he been spouting to an officer…!”

There were many questionable aspects, but Abbey chose not to probe any further. Learning Qi Arts or having extraordinary physical abilities were not a crime, after all.

“Consent. I have questions about this situation. Please cooperate with me.”

“Of course! It’s the duty of a model citizen, isn’t that right!”

Klin stood upright, eagerly awaiting Abbey’s question. After briefly organizing her thoughts, Abbey asked her most pressing question.

“What is the Shadow of the Military State?”

Klin answered as if he had been just waiting to answer that question.

“It is a criminal organization that suddenly appeared recently and started causing havoc in the State.”

“A criminal organization? Is it perhaps the Resistance?”

“Ah, ah. No. The Resistance at least pretends to cooperate with the civilians. But these people…are just outlaws.”

“How can there be outlaws walking around so boldly while the law of the Military State exists?”

Klin chimed in, heartily agreeing with Abbey’s question.

“I know, right? We’ve been at our wits’ end. These bastards, seemingly fearless of the law, have been running amok everywhere lately. Robbery, looting, arson, and even murder. Since they move in small groups and commit all sorts of crimes, they have been nothing but trouble for us.”

“Have the authorities taken any significant action?”

“Well, the State has been a bit busy lately, haven’t they? And about three months ago, they already conducted a large-scale questioning. I think they haven’t acted yet because the effects of that are still lingering.”

Abbey suddenly recalled the incident from three months ago.

Around then, there was a jailbreak from Tantalus. As soon as Abbey observed this, she immediately reported it to her country, which reacted swiftly. A nationwide state of emergency was declared, along with a major crackdown to recapture the escapees.

However, the escapees from Tantalus vanished without a trace. Instead, numerous petty criminals were unluckily caught in the dragnet.

“…That is a plausible story.”

Perhaps, the current situation was an unintended consequence of enforcing the crackdown despite no deterioration in public order.

“But well, if things get worse, I’m sure the higher-ups will step in to sort it out! Hahaha! Us commoners just have to trust our dear country!”

After laughing for a while, Klin soon lowered his voice and spoke earnestly.

“S-So, about this. Please convey to the higher-ups that we, the people here, are innocent. It would be so upsetting to be lumped together with those idiots and punished because of a false charge.”

Klin’s subservient demeanor seemed almost like he was making a request. Abbey felt an instinctive aversion but saw no issue with the content.

Abbey nodded her head.

“Affirmative. On this matter, if an opportunity arises, I shall report it to my superiors.”

“Oh, thank you! Thank you, thank you, my dear Captain!”

Klin bowed politely, his face filled with a relieved smile. However, his smile stiffened at Abbey’s next work.

“This is the second question.”

“Huh? Second…?”

Seemingly taken aback, Klin’s eyes flickered nervously. Despite his reluctance, Abbey pressed on without a care.

“Who exactly is the Magician?”

The criminals that self-proclaimed to be the Shadow of the Military State were deliberately disrupting public order. Their actions lacked any rationality.

In other words, it suggested a larger scheme behind the scenes.

Abbey realized this with her intuition as a signaller.

If that was the case, then who was the Magician who had hunted them?

“Magician? Aha, that…What to say.”

Klin, who had been glancing around nervously, finally responded with sweat pouring down profusely.

“Haha. Well, it’s just, you know. The term ‘magician’ is just used to call any talents commonly seen in the back alleys. People who trick others with sleight of hand, shuffle cards in strange ways during card games, perform puppet shows, or astonish people with hand techniques. Those kinds of people.”

“Are such people still around?”

“Oh, no, no. Hardly any. Though they’re called Magicians, they’re really more like con artists or gamblers. With the country in such good order, how could such people possibly roam about? Almost all of them have disappeared. Almost all.”

Klin waved his hand dismissively, then asked with slightly squinted eyes; his racoon-like eyes momentarily shone with cunning.

“But why are you looking for a magician….”

Abbey answered truthfully.

“The person who just collapsed in front of me mentioned a being known as the Magician.”

“…That’s all?”

At his returning question, Abbey turned sharply and asked.

“Sir. I warn you. If you know more, testify immediately. If you do not cooperate, you too will be under suspicion.”

Klin startled as Abbey asked back.

“Oh, no, no, not at all. After all, what could I have possibly even done to be under suspicion?

“How did you come to be here?”

Klin, returning to his submissive demeanor, looked around nervously and whispered.

“Actually, I was summoned by the Magician too. He told us to take care of those bastards who appeared in our area.”

Abbey nodded and pointed out sharply.

“So, the Magician refers to an individual. I have confirmed.”

“…Haha.”

Klin, smiling awkwardly, seemed reluctant to speak further. Abbey nodded and glanced around.

While they were talking, the merchants of Market had been tidying up the area. They were restraining the fallen ones, picking up dropped items, and erasing the traces of the brawl. The street had been cleaned up in no time.

“Please leave the cleanup to us. We’ll handle it.”

“Hand them over to the police. They must face the punishment of military law.”

“Would that be necessary?”

“I shall report it to the local police of the area in question. Your personal retribution is not permitted. Beware.”

“…Is there any question about it?1“Would that be necessary?” and this line is the same in Korean. However, it can mean different things. The first thing is more like, “Is there any room to not do that?” while the second one is “How could there possibly be any room to do that?” It’s kind of the difference between saying Of course! and Is there perhaps another option? Korean confusing!”

Abbey walked away, leaving them behind.

Shadow, Magician, and the Military State.

She was a soldier loyal to the State, and at the same time, a signaller destined to die soon.

In the remaining brief respite, Abbey’s final act of loyalty to the Military State would be to eliminate this ‘Shadow’ and unravel the identity of the Magician.

Additionally, creating a safer Military State would be a gift for Anna and Hughes as well.

From tomorrow onwards, things would get busier. Abbey walked steadily through the streets.

As she disappeared into the darkness, Klin, who had been bowing his head this whole time, straightened up and clicked his tongue.

“…I’ve done my part, Magician. Tsk, I can’t with him. That fucking guy just suddenly shows up and orders me around for such trivial things.”

A few hours earlier, Klin had encountered ‘him’, who had suddenly appeared in the heart of Market.

If only Market’s headquarters weren’t secretly located in the middle of a massive warehouse, and if only it wasn’t just Klin’s close associates that should know how to access it…Then, Klin might have welcomed him.

In other words, Klin was not at all pleased to see him.

While reading the list of smuggled goods hidden in Market, the Magician welcomed Klin as if he were the owner of the organization.

At that moment, Klin realized he was being blackmailed, thus would be played around by the Magician.

His intuition was remarkably accurate.

-There’s some trash in this area. I’ve placed them in some garbage bags so go clean them up, will you?

Klin immediately led his forces to start the cleanup.

Attack the Magician? Klin was not a man to take such a gamble. The true power of the Magician was unknown to anyone and in the first place, there was no way he would beat the Magician in gambling.

And…

“Let the lunatics fight among themselves. I don’t need to get involved.”

The Shadow of the Military State was an enigmatic group with a somewhat self-destructive tendency.

They were bound to clash with the Magician. Blood would flow in the back alleys every time they collided.

While it was uncertain who would win, Klin knew the outcome of conflicts that had occurred in the back alleys.

The Bankrupt Fighter or Zantetsuken, Firelowe.

Those who had clashed with the Magician had all met their deaths.

Although not directly killed by the Magician, it was always he who survived.

What would happen this time?

“Agh, whatever. Forget it. Who cares? Let them handle it. I just need to do my job.”

As Klin grumbled, one of his employees, pointing at a foaming dead body, asked.

“Store Manager! What should we do with the body that’s supposed to shit gold?”

According to the Magician, there was a rare spice in the stomach of the corpse known as sprinkled gold dust. Selling it would surely be profitable.

However, Klin immediately dismissed the idea, waving his hands.

“Just bury it. Don’t touch such things, lest they bring bad luck.”

“It’s such a waste, though.”

“Shut up. How do you know if that’s even true? Even if it is, how are you going to sell something that came out of a stomach? Just think of it as stepping in shit and walk away.”

“Alright.”

The employee, clicking his tongue, tucked the body into a wrapping cloth and muttered.

“Tsk. What a lucky guy. Looks like he won’t be short of money in the afterlife.”

“Bury that punk and put on his tombstone that he died as the man with the most expensive cause of death. His name might go down in history.”

After spitting on the ground, Klin pulled out a cigarette made from mana herbs. The red flame stood out in the dimly lit street.

Hooo. A deep sigh, followed by the smoke from the mana herb, billowed upward. The pale smoke rising under the faint streetlight looked like a degraded version of sun and clouds.

The mana herb, which was the cause that made the timid Klin dare to get involved in smuggling, comforted his weary heart and gave meaning to his life, even today.

As Klin indulged in his small happiness, another employee approached him.

“Smoking again? It’s bad for your health.”

“I’m balancing things out, you little shit. My body is way too healthy compared to my mind, you see.”

Taking another deep drag of the mana herb, Klin, with a dazed look, gazed at the now tidy street and murmured.

“I need to lay low for a while. There’s going to be chaos.”

Shadow, Magician, and a military officer. The situation was snowballing into a grander scale.

Despite Klin’s experience in overcoming several challenges, it was hard to predict how this situation would end.

The night deepend as much as Klin’s sigh.

Footnotes:

1“Would that be necessary?” and this line is the same in Korean. However, it can mean different things. The first thing is more like, “Is there any room to not do that?” while the second one is “How could there possibly be any room to do that?” It’s kind of the difference between saying Of course! and Is there perhaps another option? Korean confusing!