SSS-Class Suicide Hunter

6.

The cats’ response to my question about whether they knew the way was simple. The cats, being merchants, trembled but without a moment’s hesitation, they prostrated themselves neatly.

“We surrender, meow!”

They truly knew their place.

“However, if we completely fall into ruin, it won’t just be one or two beings that end up on the streets! We’re not just struggling for our own survival, but for all the followers residing in every world and the citizens of this world, so please have mercy on us…!”

“Please have mercy on us!”

Twenty-four cats begged for forgiveness in unison.

The sight of the cats of various colors bowing their heads together had something about it that tugged at the heartstrings.

But my heart was too tainted to live by heartstrings alone.

“Is what you’re saying true, serpent?”

[The ‘Eye Living in the Labyrinth’ summarizes their true intentions in a single line and exposes them.]

As the serpent hissed, characters appeared before my eyes.

+

Psychological State: ‘Followers and citizens be damned, we’re about to die here, what do we care!’

+

I knew it would be something like this.

I clicked my tongue in disapproval.

“You guys really are consistently despicable….”

“Meow! Why is a damned snake submitting to a mere human?! Because of this thing, we can’t scam or bargain! This is an outrageous abuse of power… it shouldn’t be allowed!”

The cats were outraged. It seemed that being a constellation that primarily deals in scams, they were naturally at odds with Hishmith Kritz. Having been called a wretched snake, Hishmith Kritz, perhaps angered, raised its head and screeched.

The cats were startled and jumped around in panic.

“Meow!?”

“So, so scary!”

“Terrifying…!”

“Ah, look at that horrifying green! It’s a color and shape that should not be allowed in this universe! Its mere existence is an insult to all creation, a truly disgraceful and offensive creature…!!”

“Screeech!”

“Meooowww?! Spare us! Spare us!”

“The green alien creature is trying to eat us! Help! Help-!”

This is a total mess.

Well, to be precise, it’s a cat mess….

Since a cat mess is too long, let’s shorten it to a ‘nyangnyang mess’. Isn’t that cute?

『My friend seems to have fallen into another strange thought. Proceed with the negotiation.』

The Count intervened just in time. Naturally, the Count was also watching the current scene live via hologram.

『What you want is unconditional surrender, but I don’t intend to extort more than is right from you folks. Anyway, that place is a kind of heaven, and you are the managers of heaven, aren’t you? It would be right to preserve your position.』

“Meow. Then, perhaps…? Are you seeking appropriate financial compensation or periodic tributes…?”

『No, what I want is only one thing, your utter humiliation.』

The Count demonstrated without regret the kind of character that made her the top tycoon of the tower.

Let’s shorten this to ‘character flaw’.

“Cu, customer…?”

『I have no intention of ruining the economic structure of the Gold Heaven World. Nor do I plan to ruin other worlds. Why should the managers of heaven favor our tower alone? What I mean is, once again, I would just like to see you eat some humble pie.』

“Yikes…!”

The cats trembled at the Count’s character flaw.

Since they were the very ones who cultivated that personality, I felt no sympathy for them.

Karma. Justice. Nyangnyang Punch. Aren’t all these words within my top three favorites?

『Come when I call you. Come and perform tricks right in front of me if I ask, and tear open a snack bag if commanded. Of course, you can never lie to me and must always speak the truth. And that’s not all. If I ask you to meow, then meow you shall, and if I grow tired of your meowing and tell you to bark instead, then bark willingly you must.』

The cats shuddered.

“What kind of outrageous demand is this…!”

“For a cat born with a spine to stoop to making dog noises, it’s the ultimate disgrace!”

“That’s right! Dogs are inferior beings that can’t even stretch their backs! There are the principles of righteousness and the five moral tenets we must adhere to; we cannot stoop to using the language of dogs!”

So, these beings are constellations that delight in scamming and derive satisfaction from deceiving others, and they also happen to be speciesist cats that look down on dogs. At this point, I worry whether calling them cats might be an insult to the cats of our world.

The Count quietly listened to the cats’ protests and then ended all controversy with just two sentences.

『Don’t like it? If so, just leave it to the Death King to expose all your secrets.』

“From now on, we are your eternal dogs.”

Twenty-four cats prostrated themselves towards the hologram.

“In fact, we have long admired the way of the dogs and have always wanted to bark instead of meowing.”

“Bark bark! This feels much more affectionate and fitting to the mouth!”

“Having been mercifully granted the way of the bark and the teachings of the woof by our customer, we feel as if we have finally escaped the barbaric customs and entrusted our bodies to the great path. Meowr!”

Indeed….

I’m not exactly sure what the “indeed” is for, but there seems to be no better word to describe the current situation….

[The ‘The Cat that Bit a Gold Coin’ surrenders.]

Afterwards, various minor squabbles continued between the Count and the merchants. I didn’t pay much attention to them.

It was the process of clarifying the minutiae in the surrender document without leaving room for misunderstanding, but well, I’m sure the Count would handle it just fine.

What was important to me was what happened next. After more than three hours of discussion, a perfect surrender document was finally created, and the Count looked at me with a beaming smile.

『You’ve done well. Death King.』

“It was nothing.”

Unlike the Count, who was all smiles, the cats were completely exhausted and lay sprawled on the floor.

“There was a demon among us…”

“We might need to reconsider the level of service we provide to our customers…”

I wonder how thoroughly they were fleeced.

I’m relieved anew that the Count is on our side. If the Count were an enemy, so would the Crusader, and not just the tower’s economic structure but also its security forces would turn their blades against us.

Game over. The specific assassination plans and the capital to carry them out are just a bonus. Truly vicious, so vicious.

『Thanks to you, I’ve fulfilled a wish I never thought possible in my lifetime. There’s a saying about what good friends are for, but I clearly enjoy the luxury because of my friend.』

“I enjoyed it too.”

『But even enjoyable times must come to an end.』

The Count folded her fan and smiled.

『Now, come back. Death King.』

A message rang in my head.

[The one chosen as your judge grants you a pass!]

[You have received the recognition of the judge!]

[You can declare stage clear at any time.]

There was no reason to hesitate.

I quietly declared stage clear in my mind, and accordingly, a yellow light enveloped me.

[The ‘The Cat that Bit a Gold Coin’ has surrendered to you.]

[Hidden Stage Cleared!]

[You will be transferred to the 70th floor.]

And then I opened my eyes.

“Welcome back.”

Upon opening my eyes, what greeted me was still the Count, lounging on the sofa. Slowly waving her fan, she spoke to me.

“I really wanted to say this to your face, Kim Gong-ja. Congratulations on clearing the stage.”

We had broken through the 72nd floor.

7.

Just because the stage was completed, the Count didn’t immediately leave.

Perhaps because she knew that once she left here, her memories would be erased? It’s the law of the tower that all memories related to the [Wand of the Beginning], or in other words, the pillar, must be distorted. Perhaps for that reason, the Count was leisurely taking her time.

“After all, due to the matters of the merchant union, I’m in work mode 24/7. There’s no such thing as rest for me.”

The Count said.

“Honestly, being here is almost like taking a free vacation, isn’t it? Even the flow of time is different from Babylon; it’s truly the best vacation spot.”

“What’s the point of resting here if our memories will just be erased anyway?”

“Then we must play even harder before they get erased.”

The Count seemed sincere. Well, I was in no rush either. This was a chance to chat and get closer to the Count, which was fine by me.

“……Really?”

And through our conversation, we came across quite the surprising fact.

“Did you know Patricia had an assassination plan in place!?”

“Of course.”

The Count said as if it was the most natural thing.

“Patricia and I have no secrets from each other. We don’t blabber unnecessary things, but we never blur the line between what’s necessary and what’s not. Both of us have the intelligence and the promise to do so. The most important thing is the will to keep that promise. I trust Patricia’s will.”

It was hard to find even a hint of doubt in the Count’s expression.

Frankly, I was bewildered.

“Uh… I’m not sure if I should be saying this, but Patricia probably also has a plan to assassinate Nisha, well, obviously it’s just a plan, but still?”

“Of course. To take control of the entire tower on behalf of the five guild masters, Patricia would need to take down the merchant union first. And to do that, she’d have to start with me.”

“Incredible.”

As I stammered, the Count chuckled as if she found it amusing. My reaction must have been entertaining to him.

“It’s a story from years ago. I was the one who told Patricia first. If she ever decides to become a dictator, she should start by taking my head before killing anyone else.”

“…….”

“How can you carry out a purge without that resolve? There has to be a price to pay. It was a kind of restriction. Honestly, if it weren’t for the shackles I put in place, Patricia would have exploded long ago. Patricia is a thinker and might seem indecisive at first glance, but once she decides something, she goes straight ahead no matter what.”

I was momentarily lost for words.

My silence wasn’t for any other reason.

Something neither the Crusader nor the Count knew. Not even a thing of the past but a secret buried in the cycles of time.

Only I remembered it.

‘…The Count was the first to die.’

The tragedy that unfolded on the 12th floor.

‘When the Crusader first reached the 12th floor, she accepted the choice offered by the [Devil King of Fall Rain]. She conspired with the Devil King. And then we, the five guild masters, were hunted down by the Devil King one by one…’

When the Devil King swung his sword, a red beam burnt everything in its path. The first thing destroyed was the imperial throne room of the Aegim Empire, and the person in that throne room was the Count.

The Crusader, Patricia, killed the Count first.

As promised.

“Hm? You look troubled. Is something bothering you?”

“…No. It’s nothing.”

It’s okay.

It’s merely an event that hasn’t happened in this timeline.

The [Devil King of Fall Rain] has become a ghost. I call the Crusader, Patricia. I can also call the Count, Nisha. And both of them call me Kim Gong-ja.

Everything has changed.

‘But…’

But now, looking back, many things that I once thought happened by chance are understood in a direction I never considered before. I’ve come to understand them.

What is it, you might ask?

‘It’s a strange feeling.’

I realize anew that what we call coincidence is just a temporary name I’ve given to the inevitables I’m unaware of.

The things I do, the things I want to do, might also be about changing numerous coincidences, one by one, bite by bite, sip by sip, into inevitables.

Surely it must be so. I felt that this process of turning each and every other into myself is not in the least bit different.

“Sorry to interrupt your pleasant conversation.”

A voice interjected beside us.

“This isn’t a holiday resort.”

The pillar with silver blades hidden in its eyes.

The [Wand of Ages], holding a long staff, watched over us.

“Death King. It’s time to ascend to the 73rd floor.”

Yes.

Another heaven was waiting for me.

*****