Chapter 177
“Uhahaha, hand butcher! Thanks for the concern, but there’s no need to worry. I was planning to take a break from activities for a while anyway. I’ve earned as much money as I need, and Ferdinand, who has worked hard, must also need a rest, and I need one too.”
Then he tried to stroke the engine saw slung on his back, only to realize that he had checked his weapon at the bar when his hand swiped through empty air, putting on an awkward expression.
That Chainsaw Man Yangban is really something else. I’d believe it if he suddenly held a wedding with his engine saw one day.
There are people who married a Dakimakura and people who married a goat, so an engine saw is nothing…
“Shouldn’t you still be careful though? You said it was an… ill-reputed corporation.”
If it’s a trash corporation that buries people in a junkyard like it’s an everyday meal, sending a hitman to kill a single ronin who interfered with its business would be just as easy.
It’s funny that I’m worrying about Chainsaw Man, a veteran ronin, when I have my own hands full.
But no matter how strong Chainsaw Man was, fighting well and defending well against a Surprise Attack or ambush were different stories.
Take me for example: didn’t I barely make it back alive from a cyborg ninja’s attack only to find my house completely destroyed, causing me to lose my mind?
More than anything else, the mental pressure coming from the thought that “I am being chased.” was immense.
Even after going directly to Sey’s House, I knew in my head that I was safe now, but my subconscious must not have felt the same, as I frequently woke up in the middle of the night from nightmares for several days.
“Hah! This body will protect Big brother, so little brother need not worry!”
Paulo suddenly interjected, thumping his chest as he spoke.
No, everything else is fine, but why is he naturally calling me little brother?
It’s not like we’re under the peach tree here, yet he’s making us sworn brothers as he pleases.
“Uhahahaha, Paulo! I will trust only you! As expected of my younger brother, you are incredibly reassuring!”
“Hyung-nim! Just trust me! trash corporation? I am not afraid of those weak and petty bastards at all!!!”
Seeing them laughing, hyping each other up, and drinking among themselves, I naturally sighed out of frustration. Truly, like-minded people had found each other.
Meanwhile, Paulo was only pretending to drink by himself and wasn’t swallowing. See, I told him Rusty Nail wouldn’t suit his taste if it was his first time having a cocktail. He should have listened.
I don’t know if a real accident might happen at this rate.
How can they be so carefree? I feel like taking out those humans' brains and examining them. They’d probably be completely flat without a single wrinkle…
The man who seemed to be the most normal person in this group, Felix, smiled awkwardly and spoke to me.
“Sometimes they look truly hopeless, don’t they?”
“Keuk. No, well. Rather than that…”
Does this guy use Mind Reading or something?
As I rambled, feeling as if my inner thoughts had been read, Felix spoke as if he understood.
“He’s a brother I respect, but when I see him like that, I really can’t tell what he’s thinking. There are times when I wonder, “Could it be that he has no thoughts at all?””
I agreed. When I couldn’t say anything and was just nodding my head, Felix swallowed a sip of his Dusk Iced Tea and opened his mouth.
“Still, it will probably be fine. Brother Miguel might normally look simple, but it’s not like he’s a person who is truly just simple.”
“Is that so?”
When I asked in a suspicious voice, Felix scratched his head and said.
“Of course. Probably… it’s just my guess, but it won’t be easy for Dysis Waste to make a move. That company’s main territory of activity is the wasteland, and even if you stretch it, it’s Sprawlfield, but from what I know, Hyung-nim plans to stay here in East Monica for a while.”
It’s not like he messed with them without something to rely on, and he fought after having his safety guaranteed by a trustworthy client who has a solid patron of their own… so if he quietly hides around for a while, they probably won’t even be able to find where he is. The damage the trash corporation suffered this time is huge, so they’ll be busier making up for their losses rather than chasing a mere mercenary.”
Oh, hearing him say it like that made it sound very plausible.
Then again, it’s not like Chainsaw Man has been doing this ronin work for just a day or two, so he must have calculated that much of an Entry Angle before going in.
I find myself seeing him in a new light.
On the outside, he seems like the muscle-brained type who charges in recklessly without such complex calculations, but if that were truly the case, there’s no way he could have survived this long Living by the Sword in this perilous Dusk City.
The career of Chainsaw Man, a universally acknowledged A-rank ronin, spoke for itself.
This man was not a barbarian warrior driven solely by simple justice, boldness, and the money in front of him, but in reality, he was a cautious edgerunner who meticulously drew up plans and acted on them.
“Originally, it was a mission to briefly borrow the super-special - what was it? …Hmm, trash engine! Right. A mission to briefly borrow the trash engine those bastards were developing while it was in transit. I succeeded in borrowing it without much difficulty.”
“Hyung-nim, isn’t that cargo hijacking?”
“Hijacking! I only borrowed it. Whether to return it or not is up to the client! Anyway, after I almost arrived and checked it, it turned out that what I had borrowed wasn’t an engine but a bomb. It looked exactly like trash, so I couldn’t recognize it. Those bastards had set a trap to hide the real engine.”
“So what happened?”
“What do you mean what happened? I couldn’t stand their setting a trap so cowardly. I got Artist, so I dragged the bomb as it was and smashed it right into their factory. It blew up loudly! I introduced the bastards chasing me to Ferdinand, and when I returned, the client said that although objective achievement had failed, they liked this outcome too and paid me my fee.”
“As expected of you, Hyung-nim!!!!”
…That’s what I thought, but seeing him laughing heartily and boasting about his absurd heroic tale, maybe he really is just a barbarian warrior born in the wrong era?
Or is this even an intelligent smokescreen operation! Frightening, Chainsaw Man! Just how far does his big picture extend!
“By the way, you seem to know a lot about those corporate inner workings?”
I spoke to Felix, using Chainsaw Man and Paulo’s loud ceremony as background noise. Felix flinched at my words and blushed.
“Ah, I’m sorry if it sounded like a presumptuous analysis. Since you are the hand butcher, you must naturally know much better than I do…”
“Ah, no. It’s just a nickname; I’m not a ronin, so I don’t know much about that industry. Hahaha.”
Anyway, because of this Dreadful Nickname, I always live with misunderstandings.
When I explained with a waving hand, Felix clapped his hands as if he understood.
“Ah, you are retired now. I heard there are many such people at Dragon’s Lair.”
“No, it’s not that… Haa. Never mind.”
It was a troublesome misunderstanding, but it seemed too difficult and complicated to bother explaining, so I just gave up.
Right. A mere apprentice bartender cut off the wrist of an infamous ronin and fought head-on with a Terrorist Gang leader, but isn’t an industry person, and is just an ordinary apprentice bartender who had this and that going on… Even I wouldn’t believe it.
It would probably be more comfortable for my peace of mind if everyone just thought of me as a retired former ronin now.
“It’s embarrassing, but since Brother Miguel goes around so dangerously, I end up looking for related information out of worry about whether he’ll be okay. That’s also how I found out the stance information about Dysis Waste.”
“I see.”
“Brother Miguel is a truly good person. A person like him shouldn’t die. Whether it’s from Dysis Waste, or anything else…”
Felix’s voice murmured as if he had made some sort of resolve.
I agreed without much thought.
“Right. A person like him shouldn’t die.”
* * *
“Now, let’s toast again! For this toast, our hand butcher Aaron, Brother Miguel’s Comrade-in-Arms by Blood, will do the honors! Everyone, clap!”
“No, I haven’t even been drinking. What kind of toast?”
“There happens to be a glass of alcohol right here! You can drink it heartily! Angela, it looks like you haven’t drunk much, so it’s fine to pour some out for Aaron, right?”
“Of course, Mr. Miguel. Hohoho.”
“Why is that mister giving a toast? It puts me in a bad mood.”
“Uh… to Chainsaw Man’s health?”
“…It’s been a long time since I’ve heard such an old-fashioned toast speech.”
“What health. Who cares about the health of an ignorant person who would survive and come back on his own even if you dropped him outside the city in the outside. Don’t you have anything else?”
“Then, Chainsaw Lovers' Club, may you be eternal?”
“That’s good, little brother. May it be eternal!!!”
““May it be eternal!””
“Speaking of which, how about joining our group while we’re at it, since we even shouted the slogan, hand butcher!”
“I’m in favor!!!”
“I don’t want to.”
“A dandy like Mr. Aaron is always welcome, as for me?”
“I don’t know. Do we really have to?”
“I’m in favor too. I think it would be good.”
“The majority is in favor! Now we just need to ask for our own will! What do you think, hand butcher? If you join, I’ll even get you an engine saw as a gift!”
“Uh… in my opinion…”
“In your opinion?”
“…Eh, what the hell, why not? I’ll join. I’ll join!”
“Good! Everyone, a toast to our newcomer!”
““Cheers!””
* * *
I hadn’t even drunk any alcohol, but perhaps intoxicated by the atmosphere, I ended up joining the “Chainsaw Lovers' Club” haphazardly.
It felt like I had been scammed, but still, I didn’t feel too bad about it.
It seems I became interested after realizing that only the name was weird, and in reality, it was just an ordinary social gathering of people centered around Chainsaw Man.
Maybe I also wanted to make new friends through these diverse people, aside from the bartenders I work with, Tony and Sey.
Or maybe my interest was piqued by hearing that Chainsaw Man would buy me an engine saw as a gift.
Which one it was didn’t really matter.
Because exactly one week after I joined, the group disappeared.
May 13th, 2107 AD.
I heard the news of death that Chainsaw Man and Felix had died.
I would never be able to receive the engine saw he promised to buy me.