The Regressor Only Protects Me [EN]: Chapter 158

158. The Duke (3)

After my arrest, I was greeted by a luxury sedan, its windows tinted for privacy [silhouettes].

Of course, this wasn’t your average gas-guzzling vehicle.

It only resembled a luxury sedan on the outside; the car was actually pulled by two enormous deer.

The surroundings were dark and silent.

Since Mangyeong essentially had a curfew, the arrest could be carried out discreetly.

‘Just as I suspected, those bastards planned this ambush all along.’

The man leading me opened the car door.

“Please, get in. I’ll escort you.”

I slowly approached and entered the car.

But the others weren’t allowed in.

“You’ll have to take another car.”

Jin Jaehee, who was right behind me, was stopped.

She frowned, questioning.

“Why?”

“The charges are different, Miss. There’s another carriage prepared in the back. Please use that one.”

A subtle battle of wills played out.

Jin Jaehee met my gaze, seeking my opinion.

‘If they intended to eliminate me, they would have attacked in that room.’

As long as I remained alive, they would have no choice but to leave my companions alone.

Besides, they were Jin Jaehee, Choi Hyunji, and Choi Myungjoon.

They could survive even if they were thrown into the depths of hell.

Once you join a faction, you must abide by its rules, and this was paramount.

I nodded in agreement.

Only then did Jin Jaehee reluctantly step back.

The man gave her an unpleasant smile.

“Good. You’re being cooperative.”

Then, he closed the car door.

Thud-.

Perhaps due to it being a luxury sedan, the seat cushions and soundproofing were exceptional.

The man walked around to the trunk and casually sat next to me.

“Mangyeong sincerely welcomes the hero’s return. You can call me Executive Officer. We’re heading to your temporary accommodations… Begin.”

The Executive Officer gave the order to the driver, who released the reins, urging the beasts forward.

Unable to see outside, I stared at the window and inquired.

“What the hell is this about? Ambushing me in the middle of the night. If the King finds out about this disrespect, he won’t stand for it.”

At my words, the Executive Officer chuckled.

“That’s quite an arrogant attitude. I’ll give you that. But the fact remains that you violated the current laws of Mangyeong, and we’re simply handling it through the proper channels.”

“What kind of handling is this?”

“Handling? That’s absurd. We have no intention of disrespecting Mangyeong’s spiritual leader in the slightest. Didn’t I mention it earlier? We’re here to serve you.”

“This is a strange way of serving someone.”

“It was unavoidable for security reasons. I don’t know if you’re aware, but recently, the spy war between factions has intensified. Lords from other factions have infiltrated skilled spies into Mangyeong to assassinate the King on multiple occasions. We even received intelligence recently. Besides, a hero who isn’t a king… Frankly, there are quite a few lords from other factions who are eager to meet you.”

“Lords of other factions?”

“The lord of the 〈Gangnam〉 region, which is allied with Mangyeong but possesses an overwhelming military advantage, made meeting you a condition of the alliance. To seek advice or something. The achievements you’ve accomplished are quite impressive, so the lords of the upper provinces are aware of them. Like Zhuge Liang [a famous strategist from the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history]? Puhuhu… It’s like children playing. Well… Of course. Because you weren’t present, we had difficulty forming an alliance.”

The Executive Officer trailed off at the end.

He spoke as if my absence made it difficult to forge an alliance.

‘…Unbelievable.’

I grabbed the back of my neck and tilted my head, slowly loosening my neck muscles.

The car was moving at a leisurely pace.

The Executive Officer continued.

“Anyway, we’re in a position to serve you. The villa is spacious and comfortable. You’ll have to stay there until the political issues are resolved.”

“What if I refuse?”

“Ah… Hero-nim… Please. I hate to say this, but…”

At that moment, I felt a gaze and turned to the side.

He was staring directly at me.

With emotionless eyes.

“This isn’t a request. It’s an order based on judicial authority.”

Thud… Thud…

A suffocating silence filled the car for a moment.

I let out a hollow laugh and averted my gaze again.

“What about my companions?”

“Don’t worry. We’re not executing them.”

The implication was that something akin to execution awaited them.

Infuriating and… inadequate.

‘How dare you screw me over?’

A little time passed.

Perhaps 30 minutes had gone by?

The Executive Officer tapped his knee rhythmically with his finger and said.

“It seems we’re almost there. This is where you’ll be staying. I doubt you’ll find anything lacking. It’s a mansion that boasts more comfortable facilities than the palace in Mangyeong.”

Clunk-!

The Executive Officer opened the car door and waited for me.

When I remained seated, he lowered his head and looked at me.

“Get out.”

“……”

I remained silent for a moment, then followed him out.

The wind swirled, momentarily obscuring my vision with my bangs.

This was a sprawling mansion nestled in a forest.

As he had said, it was filled with magnificent amenities.

The Executive Officer stood beside me.

“If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call us. We’ll bring you anything you desire. Oh, and it’s best not to contemplate escaping. This area is guarded by veteran soldiers who originally guarded the palace. Now, let’s go inside.”

The Executive Officer gestured towards the mansion, attempting to lead me.

But I stood there blankly and addressed him.

“I don’t care what you’re planning. Don’t lay a hand on my companions. Especially if my plan goes awry even in the slightest… Everyone connected to you…”

“……”

“…I’ll erase them from existence. This isn’t a request either.”

At my words, the Executive Officer smiled.

“Don’t worry, Hero-nim.”

* * *

Clang- Clang- Clang-.

An unpleasant metallic friction sound accompanied each step forward.

It wasn’t easy to walk, as her neck, hands, and ankles were shackled.

Because she wore a black hood over her face, Jin Jaehee could only pant heavily.

She attempted to summon the Holy Sword.

But there was no response.

‘The artifact isn’t functioning. Is it the power of the red gemstone?’

She wore a collar made of iron chains around her neck, densely studded with red gemstones.

The red gemstone was the only means for ordinary people to counter artifact users. It possessed the power to suppress the artifact abilities of players.

Jin Jaehee strained her hands, attempting to break the handcuffs, but even with her strong physique, she couldn’t break the iron handcuffs studded with red gemstones by force.

At that moment, she heard a song.

A mournful song, like a dirge.

It was a woman’s voice.

“You’ve gone crazy. No woman can survive here for even a day without losing her mind.”

Jin Jaehee blinked her eyes from within the black hood and looked forward.

She could faintly see the back of the guard leading her.

“Don’t worry. You’ll soon become like that woman. If you possess outstanding looks like you, the ‘gladiators’ of this correctional facility can hardly control their sexual desires.”

Jin Jaehee turned to the side.

In the dim light, the prisoners were looking at her with lewd eyes.

“This place is Gwacheon [a city in South Korea], where the former government complex was located. Now it’s the border area between Mangyeong and Gangnam, and a joint security area. Let me tell you another interesting fact.”

Whack-!

The warden yanked the chain binding Jin Jaehee violently.

She was dragged forward two steps, powerless.

“During the war between Mangyeong and Donghan, a spectacle arose. That’s gladiatorial combat. They watch gladiators fight each other. Gladiators are captured criminals or prisoners who lost in war. The benevolent King of Mangyeong, Ha Yoonha, abolished the actual death penalty and instead found a way to deal with criminals by putting them in the arena. We’ll give you guys a chance. Like the other criminals.”

After speaking, the warden removed the black hood covering Jin Jaehee’s head.

Thud-. Hwaak!

Bright light flooded her eyes.

For a moment, she had to squint and look around, blinded.

And soon, her eyes widened.

All around were iron bars, and inside were those who appeared to be prisoners and gladiators, as the warden had described.

Most of the survivors were men, and the women were lying powerlessly on the floor.

The bastards were banging on the iron bars, roaring like beasts, demanding food.

“This place is the Nest, the Colosseum. It’s where criminals come to pay for their crimes. I told you earlier? We’re giving you guys a chance. Win 7 times in a duel. If you win only 7 times, we’ll release you, regardless of how serious your crime is. But… let me tell you one thing, even those mighty orc prisoners could only win 5 times at most.”

The warden pushed Jin Jaehee towards the iron bars.

At that moment, the cunning prisoners inside the iron bars drooled.

“Wow-! F*ck!!!! So pretty. Crazy!”

“Hyung-nim [a respectful term for an older brother or male friend]. It’s really amazing!”

“Ah-. Sh*t. Wow! It’s really amazing. A windfall.”

The bastards, consumed by lust, shook the iron bars incessantly.

The warden whispered to Jin Jaehee.

“This 3rd Ward is only for heinous criminals who have committed arson, murder, rape, etc. No matter how much you scream to be saved, we will never move you. We won’t help you even if you despair. That’s the price you have to pay for your crimes.”

“……”

Whirr-. Clank!

Another warden opened the iron bar door, and Jin Jaehee carefully walked into it.

Then, the warden released the iron bars tied to her hands and feet.

Her hands and feet were free, but the collar remained.

So, she couldn’t use the artifact.

Jin Jaehee walked into the iron bars on her own.

The warden said.

“Then. Good luck.”

Squeak- Clunk! Clatter!

The guard closed the iron bar door again, and they turned back.

For a while, only the footsteps of the warden returning echoed here.

A suffocating silence followed.

Jin Jaehee hadn’t moved at all since entering.

Soon, they approached.

The starving bastards began to surround Jin Jaehee.

At that time, the boss of this place.

A creature with a huge body approached her.

A Pigmy.

With the face of a pig, but a massive body like a sumo wrestler.

A race that speaks a language, so it can be called a monster, but lives only in desire, so it can be called an intellectual being.

The bastard was the emperor of the 3rd Ward.

“Good……”

Thump……! Thump……! Thump……!

The entire prison shook every time the bastard moved.

The Pigmy finally stood in front of her.

The height difference alone was twofold.

Jin Jaehee looked up at the bastard and said.

“……”

It was Jin Jaehee who moved first.

* * *

The next day.

The senior warden and the junior warden dressed and grabbed the keys to change shifts.

The junior warden carefully asked the senior warden.

“But senior. Isn’t one woman in the 3rd Ward really too much? It’s a place where even men get raped.”

“It’s a political reason.”

“Yes?! Could it be… assassination or something.”

“There’s no need for a ‘why’ in political reasons. It’s a special order from the Land Minister. We civil servants only carry out orders from above, don’t ask why. Your life will fly away.”

Clatter-!

The senior warden opened the lock leading to the 3rd Ward.

The two wardens walked slowly.

“Wow-. But it’s really pitiful. She’s probably half crazy by now, drooling.”

“What’s so pitiful about it? In Mangyeong, committing a political crime is punished as the most serious crime. It’s the result of daring to challenge the King. Probably… for the same reason as last time.”

“Heeya-. To commit a crime knowing full well that it’s going to the Nest. They really can’t be anything but stupid bastards.”

“Would crazy bastards care about that and commit a crime? That’s why they’re in the 3rd Ward.”

The senior warden walked down the 3rd Ward hallway.

But the atmosphere was strange.

Something was definitely different from yesterday.

The prisoners, who used to roar with hunger for desire, were as quiet as mice.

At that time, a male prisoner shouted from the nearest iron bars.

“H, hey! Save me! Save me!!! Change the ward. Ward……!”

“What……?”

He was a male prisoner known for his strength even in the 3rd Ward, but now he was covered in blood and screaming to be saved.

The senior warden’s face contorted.

And he hurriedly started walking at a fast pace.

He looked around inside the iron bars.

Overnight.

Dozens of prisoners were screaming and collapsing on the floor.

“What’s going on here. What’s all this……! Huh!”

And at that moment, an incredible sight that made the senior warden’s mouth drop open came into view.

“……”

The prisoners were piled up like pyramids.

The prisoners, whose joints were twisted and stained with blood, whether they were corpses or unconscious, were stacked one by one to create a pyramid.

And at the top of it, the Pigmy, who was the emperor of this place, was lying down.

On the Pigmy’s voluptuous chest.

“……”

Jin Jaehee, with a murderous look like a demon, was sitting.

(To be continued in the next episode)