"I'll be blunt. Join our group."
Although Cheon Inho must have been quite annoyed, he hid his expression, extended his hand, and invited us to join his group.
"For someone of Dokja-ssi or Gang-hoon-ssi's caliber, we can give you a high position. I would like you to lead the group together with us."
At Cheon Inho's words, I looked at Kim Dokja.
"Is this popular? Dokja-ssi."
"...If it's popular, it's probably because of you."
"Eh? Me?"
"...Ahem."
Seeing Cheon Inho try to change the subject with a cough, I deliberately made an "Oops" sound and looked at him.
"Right. ...Hmm, what if we refuse?"
At my words, Cheon Inho froze for about 5 seconds, then opened his characteristic slit eyes and gave a slightly twisted smile.
"Refuse? Haha. I hadn't thought about that case."
"Because I don't see a reason to join. Isn't that right? Dokja-ssi."
"Indeed. We don't really see any merit in joining that group."
Cheon Inho seemed dumbfounded by our attitude, but soon smoothed out his expression and opened his mouth again to make his case.
"Aren't you heroes who saved people from monsters? Such heroes need a fitting position. We will provide that position for you."
He took a deep breath and continued.
"As people with power, you have an obligation to be responsible for everyone's survival."
"What do you want?"
"I refuse."
"I refuse too."
Crack.
It sounded like something in Cheon Inho snapped.
"...Understood. If you change your mind, please come find us anytime."
"That won't happen."
"Haha, we'll see about that."
Saying that, Cheon Inho withdrew with his group.
Looking quite frustrated and seemingly wanting to vent his anger somewhere, he eventually left without being able to harm us.
"He's finally gone."
"Indeed."
"Did he think we'd join if he gave us nonsensical reasons?"
I sighed and plopped down on the bench.
"Even if we protect them, don't you think I'd do a better job protecting them alone than joining over there? Dokja-ssi."
"I can't deny that."
Rustle.
Feeling hungry just then, I put my hand into the plastic bag, took out a ready-to-eat snack, and tore open the packaging.
"It's okay to eat, right? Since I searched too."
"Of course. Aren't the others hungry?"
Kim Dokja opened a plastic bag wide and offered it to the group.
"Everyone, please have one."
"Ah, really? Is it okay?"
Kim Dokja was about to nod at their words, but he couldn't.
"Hey!"
A crowd of huffing and puffing people swarmed in front of us.
"Is it true you're monopolizing the food?!"
"Everyone should share, yet you want to eat and live by yourselves!"
"You said you gathered it together! How can you keep it all to yourselves!"
"Give the food to Inho-ssi! And get it distributed fairly!"
It seems Cheon Inho set the stage in that short time.
Well, Kim Dokja would have immediately realized who led this situation too. Cheon Inho is a character who existed in the novel, and Kim Dokja must have read about him.
'Make your choice.'
And my eyes accurately caught the shape of Cheon Inho's mouth whispering. Funny guy, that one. Whispering to whom? Does he want to die?
[A few Constellations' eyes sparkle.]
In an atmosphere overheating to the point where even the Constellations began to take interest, Cheon Inho popped out from among the people.
"Everyone, please calm down. There seems to be a misunderstanding. Dokja-ssi and Gang-hoon-ssi aren't that kind of people, are they?"
Barely suppressing his rising tension, he began inciting the crowd.
"The two of them agreed to work with us. So the food also..."
"I can't listen to this."
However, there is something he doesn't know.
I know that there is no path to becoming a hero here.
"Kuh?!"
Cheon Inho's mouth was grabbed in an instant.
People would have been slow to even grasp what had happened.
At this point, even if there are people who can follow my movements with their eyes, they would be few.
"I have one thing to say. That food is the result of Dokja-ssi and me searching together. Ah, right. Believe it or not, do whatever you want. My skills back up my actions."
I lifted Cheon Inho just like that.
Unlike Yoo Joonghyuk who grabbed Kim Dokja by the neck, I deliberately applied force to his arm as painfully as possible so he couldn't speak.
"The rest is up to you, Dokja-ssi."
"...I'll do that."
Kim Dokja sighed and slowly approached my side.
"I will distribute this food to you all."
"Mmph...!"
Cheon Inho, caught in my hand, struggled to free my arm.
Well, try if you can.
If you're stronger than this grip, naturally, you'll break free.
"However, it's not free."
Thud.
Hearing Kim Dokja's words, I let go of the hand holding Cheon Inho.
It seemed whatever he said further would be meaningless.
[A few Constellations smile at your teamwork.]
Teamwork, huh. I just did whatever I felt like. I simply knew what action Kim Dokja would take, and I just got angry within a line that wouldn't hinder him.
Well, since I matched him, maybe it is teamwork.
"Don't tell me, you're going to sell the food?"
At Kim Dokja's remark, Cheon Inho, flustered, approached Kim Dokja.
"That's correct. I am not a volunteer... and I do not trust you people either."
Overwhelming martial power.
Wise judgment.
Combined, the flow of this space turned towards us.
The crowd, who had maintained a thoughtless attitude just moments ago, came to their senses and started asking Kim Dokja how much. Kim Dokja shook his head and spat out just one phrase.
"I only accept Coins. 50 Coins each."
That one phrase was enough to plunge everyone in the station into deep thought.
After some time passed, the other people left, leaving only our original group—the ones who had been together since the subway—and Jung Heewon.
"Dokja-ssi. Was that really the right choice? Still, 50 Coins is too..."
"I plan to charge you guys 10 Coins each from next time, so keep that in mind. We'll split the distribution 50-50 between Gang-hoon-ssi and me. Is that okay? Gang-hoon-ssi."
"I was wondering if I had to pay too, good thing I don't."
"No way. We found the food together."
I doubt I would have paid even if he asked.
Of course, it's a joke since Kim Dokja isn't the type of person to be stingy enough to ask me to pay for that.
"That's only natural. I'll pay starting now. I'm uncomfortable with free things too."
The woman who was leaning weakly against the pillar on the bench. Heewon said that as she got up. Looks like she finally woke up.
"I'm Jung Heewon. Thank you for helping me earlier."
"Not at all."
"It was the natural thing to do."
After saying that, Jung Heewon turned her head toward Lee Hyunsung and Yoo Sangah.
"Yoo Sangah-ssi, Lee Hyunsung-ssi. Everyone snap out of it. It's not the time to be making faces like that. This food. These two risked their lives to get it all. You're not planning to freeload like those people over there, are you?"
At Jung Heewon's words, Yoo Sangah and Lee Hyunsung finally seemed to feel something was wrong and made apologetic expressions.
"My thinking was short. I hate free things too."
"I will also pay starting now."
Jung Heewon. Fitting for someone who is Uriel's Incarnation and will wield skills of the Absolute Good system, she shows righteous behavior from the start.
"If you insist... understood. Everyone knows how to trade Coins, right?"
Kim Dokja traded food for Coins one by one, then thrust his index finger at me.
"I don't know how to do it though?"
"Ah, it's a system where if you touch index fingers and mentally say the amount of Coins to transfer, it goes through. You just have to give me your index finger."
I see. I think I saw that in the webtoon...
Scratching my head, I brought my index finger to Kim Dokja's and waited a bit.
['Kim Dokja' has paid you 25 Coins.]
"Fascinating."
"From my perspective, you are more fascinating than this."
Kim Dokja organized the food as he said that.
"The people here are excessively tamed by the 'Mainstream Group'."
"Yeah. They probably don't even know they're being treated like livestock."
Jung Heewon nodded at Dokja's and my words.
"Bastards... Right now, Geumho Station is entirely in their hands. People have no choice but to accept and eat the food given to them. And then they get mobilized for scouting parties like being dragged to a slaughterhouse. Just like I was this morning."
"Pretty strong language. I like it."
"Haha, I hear that often. That people like it because it's refreshing."
When Jung Heewon finished speaking, Lee Hyunsung tapped the food.
"I think so too, and I believe Dokja-ssi's 'Declaration of Trade' has deep meaning... but still, how about selling it for 10 Coins like you did to us? It seems no one wants to buy at this rate."
"Well, let's wait a little longer regarding that."
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