Mr. Magical Girl

Chapter: 117. Slum (3)

After shoving all the skewers I had bought into my belly, I leisurely led my students through the heart of the market.

The residents stared at us, probably amazed to see a hero confidently walking the streets, but soon took their eyes off us and resumed their activities.

In the past, it wouldn’t have mattered if a hero showed up or someone was stabbed and bleeding; no one would bat an eye. But now, there was a special reason.

“Is that selling ice? Why is ice 250,000 won?”

“Chill, Sihyeon… Seniors? That’s not some monster corpse, right? It’s a replica, right?”

If strangers start waving weapons and causing such a ruckus, wouldn’t anyone take notice?

“Can you tell me?”

Seeing my students acting so adorably, I turned back and smiled.

Everyone has their days, after all. Including yours truly.

Living here, good or bad, they’ll find out sooner or later.

“Please tell us!”

“…I think you can skip it.”

Did they catch the mischief in my voice?

The reactions of my students were split.

…Well, think of it as slang. It exists. Sihyeon, don’t buy it just out of curiosity.

Still, good at talking.

“And you asked about monsters?”

“I don’t care if you don’t tell us, but… uh, you’ll tell us, right?”

“Yes, it’s a monster corpse. There’s a belief that if you eat things imbued with Otherworld’s Power, you get stronger.”

It’s the same everywhere, whether here or elsewhere.

– That’s barbaric thinking. You wouldn’t just get stronger; you’d probably get sick.

And Han Abin, who specialized in medicine, pointed that out.

Mostly true. As long as your body isn’t rotting away, you’re doing fine.

But you see, Abin…

“Most likely, your body will taste pretty bad, but you definitely do gain power; of course, it’s way more stable and effective to train your skills instead.”

You can’t get stronger simply by eating; the key is how you handle what power you have.

Did my answer sound strange?

….How do you know that?

Han Abin shot back with that.

“Just a hunch.”

I turned back, putting on a deliberately meaningful smile, letting my students’ imagination run wild.

Maybe they got focused on that, as one out of the two who were babbling fell silent in thought while the remaining one kept making noise.

We turned down an alley and arrived at the exchange office.

The exchange office was an important building, easily recognizable at a glance.

With walls that gleamed in contrast to the greasy surrounding buildings, with a sleek black paint job that was immaculately done on metal doors.

Next to the solid door, the words “Exchange Office” were engraved on a metal sign glowing dimly.

The door wouldn’t budge even when I pushed lightly, but when I pulled it gently, it creaked loudly, ringing through the air as if to announce my arrival.

….The exterior looks clean, but I guess they didn’t think to oil the door.

Startled by the sudden harsh sound, both of my students furrowed their brows, clearly displeased.

My perspective was a bit different.

“It’s intentional.”

“That way, they can hear who’s coming. It’s classic.”

Even the way the door must be pulled to open and that cacophony was all a part of the plan.

Once the door opened, a blinding light burst forth. It was so intense that those used to the darkness of the market couldn’t help but momentarily lose their sight.

It was truly the continuation of classical methods.

I had learned techniques like this in the past; while I knew about it knowledge-wise, experiencing it in such a formal way right now was a first for me.

Back then, it wasn’t to this extent.

Then, within the exchange office, a man sat behind security bars, his face obscured by the overwhelming backlight.

….150/300.

His blunt muttering was nothing but a simple sentence.

The two students squinted against the dazzling light, grumbling about how bright it was, while I was the opposite, eyes wide as I stepped forward.

“Are you trying to rip us off from the get-go? Do we look like tourists or something?”

….130/270.

The man didn’t react at all to my words and simply spat out another number.

“Sir, stop joking and let’s just exchange honestly. We already know what to expect, right?”

I’m not sure why the guys behind me like to push everything onto others. I’ve never seen a single transaction go through smoothly.

“120/235.”

As if that was his final offer, the man’s voice bore a newfound strength.

It differed slightly from the exchange rates I’d heard at the shop, yet, since I was told the rate was roughly 115 coins for bills at 240, this was actually to our advantage.

“Exchange it all.”

I pulled out a bundle of bills from my bag strapped to my waist and tossed it onto the narrow counter.

….”Exchanges with external currency are not allowed.”

“I know, so just do it anyway.”

After all, this money isn’t even mine; it’s expenses for a mission, so I don’t care.

It’s always better to have plenty of money when you don’t know when someone might come looking.

“Prioritize large denominations. I know there are equal parts, but…”

“Go with equal parts throughout.”

As I communicated my requests calmly, he quietly began to prepare the bills.

He did it at a pace that would make anyone watching want to pull their hair out.

One by one. One by one.

“Hurry up, you know? If you try to jerk me around, I can just come back and flip everything over.”

Despite my curse, the man merely increased his speed a little, maintaining his firm demeanor.

Thus, a few minutes passed.

The time felt long as we stood there, and finally, he laid out some metal bars.

“The black ones are 100,000. And….”

The man said, “The whites are 1,000? So, give me more.”

As if they didn’t even have proper measurements, the lengths were all uneven, and I could easily see the mishmash of bad metal rods tossed into a plastic bag.

“Is that all? Let’s wrap it up.”

“Wait.”

Just as I was about to head out from the exchange office, the man grabbed my arm.

“What’s up? Got something more to say?”

Trying to prevent any trouble from arising, I maintained a strong tone and glared at him.

I dislike getting into annoying situations.

Then, the man unexpectedly spoke.

“That bag is worth a thousand won.”

His words were so absurd that I opened my mouth wide and stared at him.

“A thousand won.”

Yet, the man only held his ground, spreading his hands out, offering nothing more.

– Just take it.

I pulled out a white rod from the bag and threw it at the man.

“Good luck with your business.”

“Thanks.”

Stunned by my unexpected words, I left the exchange office, grumbling to myself.

Knock, knock, knock.

As my students followed me out of the room, the door creaked like a creepy metallic spirit when it first opened.

Clink.

The sound contrasted with the silence that ensued as the door finally shut.

“You were pretty irritable back there, weren’t you, senpai?”

“Even that kind of master was okay!”

Thinking there weren’t many people around, Baek Sihyeon swung her hammer wildly.

“When dealing with those kinds of folks, you need to be a bit tougher to get them to talk faster; they can easily underestimate you.

It might just be a stereotype, but from experience, this is the simplest.

“So you mean we should act like thugs, huh? Learning another lesson today!”

Is that a compliment or an insult?

Sigh… “Let’s look for a place to stay.”

Letting out a sigh, I finally said what my student had been waiting for.

Are we finally taking a break…?

“I’m fine staying out longer.”

What a lively fool there is.

“Sihyeon, you just took a nap after all… let’s hurry and find a place to stay.”

“Right.”

While Sihyeon says that, deep down, fatigue must be settling in unnoticed.

The issue is, where to find a good place to stay…

If it’s a dodgy inn, I’ll wake up to find my money has vanished overnight.

Physically, Sihyeon is out of the question, so there is less to worry about.

Asking merchants about places to stay could lead us to the same group of thieves, so I intended to gather info first, but sourcing that might take a little longer…

So, what should I do…

As I struggled with these thoughts, I was interrupted.

“Hey, big sisters.”

I heard a voice from behind.

It was a slightly hoarse voice of a young boy, as if his throat was a little rough.

I knew someone was coming, but for him to approach so boldly…

“From what I heard, you’re looking for lodging, right?”

Despite his tattered clothes, his face was clean, suggesting some attention to hygiene.

“That’s right.”

I examined the boy’s appearance and nodded a bit to acknowledge his input.

“Well, I know a good place to stay… ”

His right index finger was missing the first knuckle.

His complexion was decent enough.

He had a wound on his forehead hidden beneath his hair.

His gaze was unfocused and occasionally darted around.

Food was tightly fastened at his waist.

His ears were slightly pointed.

“Alright, show me the way.”

I said, eager to continue the conversation.

“Then follow me…”

The moment the boy was about to stand beside me…

“Don’t touch me.”

I immediately grabbed the boy’s hand.

His hand had already snuck into the inside of the plastic bag.

So, he was a pickpocket.

He didn’t seem to be looking to grab the whole bag, but rather targeted to snag a couple of rods.

After all, not many remember exactly how much they have, so the chance of getting caught is low, and at this speed, he could snag them in a blink of an eye; quite a clever choice.

It’s much safer to take small amounts than to go for a big haul.

What an intriguing little rascal I have here.

The boy’s expression changed when his hand was caught, and he tried to flee, but I was not about to let him go.

“Are you a pickpocket?!”

“Huh? A pickpocket?”

Realizing the commotion that had suddenly erupted, both my students showed different reactions.

A startled Han Abin and Baek Sihyeon speaking nonsense.

“Yep, a pickpocket. Can’t you see this finger is missing? You must have gotten caught and had it cut off.”

I yanked the boy’s arm forward, shaking it in front of my students.

“What’s going on? You’re with them, aren’t you?”

He had previously looked friendly but now wore an amused smirk—the face of a thief.

“Though not exactly your kind, I know about you.”

When it comes to thieving, I have my own expertise, after all.

“So, what now? Are you going to break my arm or something?”

The boy seemed to have encountered this game before; he had an air of resignation about him.

Well, seeing him pickpocketing certainly suggests he’s not operating alone, likely this is not his first rodeo.

“Are you part of a group?”

“If I were, do you think I’d be out here like this?”

“What about family?”

The boy’s face twitched slightly.

Then…

“Or maybe a gang? How many of you are there? Is it made up of these types?”

At long last, the boy’s expression hardened.

…I really have lousy luck. Can’t you just end it with me, sis?

I know I’m probably imagining things by his reaction—maybe a group of orphaned kids.

How perfectly fitting.

“I know what kind of stuff you’re thinking, but I’m not interested in the organs of kids who haven’t even grown up yet.”

I swung the boy’s hand and flung him against the wall.

Colliding with the wall, he let out a yelp of pain as he slid down to the ground.

I pulled a stick out of my pocket and threw it onto him.

“20,000.”

Two black rods lay on top of the fallen boy.

“Lead us to your place. I’ll use your house as a place to rest. Consider this an advance payment.”

The boy’s face showed a flicker of confusion accompanied by a strong emotion that nearly overpowered the pain.

“What… is that?”

“If you don’t have enough money, I won’t hold back. So, mind guiding us to your home, or do you have a problem with that?”

It’s generally safer to stay in a local civilian’s house than in a dodgy inn.

A sweet deal here.

…What are you up to?

“You don’t need to know that. You have exactly two options.”

I grabbed the boy’s joints with both hands and continued.

“Accept this and quietly offer to let me use your home as lodging.”

I applied pressure.

A tiny but audible crack echoed as his joints bent slightly.

It was a small sound, but to the one on the other side, it would’ve sounded thunderous.

“You could get your arms broken as compensation for picking pockets. Simple, huh?”

…This kid seems trashy despite appearances.

“Thus, what’s it going to be?”

I loosened my grip, making it easier for the boy to choose.

The boy shook free from my grasp and began walking ahead. Yet, to deny him the hope of escaping our grasp, I quickly closed the distance and shadowed him.

As I drew close, I whispered softly in his ear.

“If you think other thieves or a backup will come drag you away, give it a pass.”

I breathed warm air into his ear.

“If you do, I can’t guarantee what might happen.”

I placed a hand on his shoulder and tightened my grip.

“Be good, you understand?”

I could feel him trembling, and at that moment, I released my hold and stepped back.

Then, I delivered my final words.

“Oh, and one more thing: stop calling me ma’am. I’m a guy.”

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