I sought the help of the trusted information agency, the Rogue Guild, to find the ‘unlucky person.’
In the field of information gathering, the Rogue Guild demonstrated more utility than the Information Guild.
Unlike the Information Guild, it was impossible to protect the client or maintain secrecy. If someone paid ten gold coins for information protection, it was the Rogue Guild’s job to sell that client’s information for a hundred gold coins.
Even information about the person who purchased the information was often uncovered through investigation and theft, truly embodying the ‘Rogue’s Way.’
“…Is this where the ‘unlucky person’ lives?”
Indeed, it was an impressive sight.
In a sense, it was remarkable because, compared to the filthy alleys of the slums, it was unusually clean.
Slum alleys were usually dirty with garbage and filth.
Since there was no one to clean them, it couldn’t be helped.
But this alley was different.
There was no smell of headache-inducing medicine, foul dirt, disgusting blood, or vile filth.
Even the footsteps on the street avoided that alley.
He grabbed a child begging on the street and asked, “Kid, why do people avoid that place?”
Instead of answering, the child raised his hand and looked at him blankly.
He took out five copper coins from his pocket and placed them in the child’s hand.
Giving gold coins would only attract other beggars.
Five copper coins were just enough to hide in one’s pocket.
“Thank you, Master Monk.”
Judging by my attire, the child probably thought I was a monk.
Occasionally, monks came to volunteer in the slums, so it was plausible.
“There’s an ‘unlucky bastard’ living in that alley.”
“An unlucky bastard?”
“Yes. That’s what adults call. They say if you step into that alley, you’ll become unlucky…”
It couldn’t be just a simple superstition.
In such slums, where overflowing people’s heads are overflowing with all sorts of evil, there were likely to be many terrifying superstitions hiding in there.
People overflowing with evil made the ‘unlucky being’ so terrifying that even witch hunts were impossible.
The people who overflowed with evil made others flee in terror, making the ‘unlucky being’ flee.
“Be careful too, Master Monk. Another monk who tried to enter with blessings got into an accident.”
“An accident?”
“Yes. I’m not sure what kind of accident it was.”
“Hmm, I see. Thanks for the warning.”
I took out another coin from my pocket and grabbed the child who was approaching from behind.
A pickpocket.
“Huh?!”
“You keep that coin. Pickpocket carefully. You two work together, right?”
“Yes? I-I don’t know who he is! He’s a stranger to me!”
“Hey!”
The child who attempted to pickpocket shouted in surprise at the rejection by the begging child.
He saw the potential of a top-tier Rogue in the swift rejection of his accomplice.
If he was well-trained in the Rogue Guild, he might even become top-tier or even first-tier.
“Really? Is he really a stranger?”
“This kid’s a liar! In fact, he told me to go first! He’s just my accomplice!”
“I really don’t know him! I don’t know anything!”
“Hmm…”
I took out a necklace from my pocket and showed it to the two.
It was the emblem of the Rogue Guild with a bat drawn on it.
The faces of the two turned pale at the sight of it.
They thought he was a kind monk, but he turned out to be a Rogue.
The child who was caught trying to pickpocket stammered, trying to change his story.
“T-The truth is, he’s a stranger. I just did it by myself. He’s innocent…”
“…Actually, I told him to do it! I pretended to beg to distract people’s attention so he could steal! He’s just my accomplice!”
This time, the testimonies of the two completely flipped.
‘Was their childish argument just an act?’
A child acting like a naïve child.
That’s why I didn’t like the slums.
Every child born here could only become a criminal.
They could only choose crime. Swindlers, thieves, pickpockets, pimps, gangsters… Thieves.
Because these children couldn’t choose the ‘Rogue’s way,’ they became even more wicked.
When faced with a Rogue, they chose a friend instead of themselves.
It left a bad taste in my mouth.
“Hey kids, can you run fast?”
“Yes?”
I took out two gold coins from my pocket and handed one to each of the two.
I felt eyes on me from around.
The gold coins shone too brightly in the shadow of the slums.
‘Kids strong enough to risk their lives for their friend would be okay.’
Live or die.
In the end, isn’t life about that?
“Hold onto that and run straight to the Adventurer Guild right now. Say ‘Sentimental’ sent you.”
Will they make it?
It’s hard to say.
The slums are vast.
They might get robbed and die miserably on the way.
But if, by chance, they survive…
“In my opinion, you two are more suited to be adventurers than Rogues.”
Then they might be able to live in a better way.
After a moment of silence, in the face of unexpected kindness, the two fell silent.
They glanced at the coins in their hands, their desires flickering, but then suddenly trembled in fear.
It’s hard for someone facing a miracle not to be afraid.
After a brief moment of silence,
The two children started running at the same time.
“…I hope both of them make it.”
Other slum dwellers hiding in the shadows watched the children and chased after them.
Perhaps I could lend a little help.
“You shouldn’t show your back to a thief…”
I took out a throwing dagger from my pocket and lightly threw it.
The beggar, who was chasing the child with bloodshot eyes, was instantly killed.
His momentum couldn’t overcome his body, and he collapsed on the ground.
“It’s been a while since I killed someone…”
I wasted a lot of time.
Now, it’s time to finally meet the ‘unlucky person.’
To borrow the children’s expression… it’s the ‘unlucky bastard.’
I stepped into a particularly clean alley even in the slums.
Suddenly, a crow flew up in surprise and splattered bird droppings overhead.
I threw a coin to block it.
“…Indeed, is this bad luck?”
Off to a good start.
After walking a bit, the ground became slippery, and my balance shifted as if my head would crack open, but I managed to absorb the impact with a somersault.
Indeed, truly unfortunate events were happening all around.
From somewhere, flower pots were flying, and a few coins were lost through holes in my pockets.
All of these happened in the brief moment of walking down the alley.
It felt like compressing various ‘unlucky’ incidents from an old comedy animation into one scene.
“This is amusing…”
Experiencing that ‘misfortune’ was… like playing a rhythm game.
Blocking falling bird droppings with coins, catching flying flower pots, balancing acrobatically with a falling body, and catching falling coins.
The tempo increased as I ventured further into the alley, allowing me to move my body freely after a long time.
Finally, after a while, I saw a makeshift roof made of roughly piled-up debris.
It was a mess with bird droppings and various debris scattered all over it.
Below that, there was a figure lying.
It was a woman with greyish hair and pale skin.
She looked a bit younger, making the term ‘girl’ seem more appropriate.
By reaching this point, I unknowingly avoided the ‘bad luck.’
Bird droppings, flower pots, and coins didn’t fall anymore.
“Nice to meet you.”
“You’re silent. Can I sit next to you?”
The woman didn’t say anything.
I wasn’t even sure if she was listening properly.
Perhaps she was pretending not to hear.
In fact, I wasn’t sure if she was alive.
Even the sound of her heartbeat was leisurely.
There was no flush on her face.
Her eyes were white and vacant.
They didn’t even blink when I shouted loudly.
Could someone survive in this alley alone without eating or drinking? She must have spent quite some time here.
So, like this woman, some… ‘existence’ just sat here without eating or drinking anything.
“…Then she is just a totem.”
As I raised my hand above her head, the divine power of the God of Dream moved on its own and protected my hand.
My fingertips felt slightly warm.
Something sharp was ‘blocking’ from touching the woman.
I could sense it intuitively.
This was the ‘misfortune’ that was trying to overthrow my body.
“Fascinating… It’s different from magic or divine power.”
I wondered if I could bring this to Wizard to use as material.
With that thought in mind, I raised my hand again.
An unknown sharp force pushed my hand away again, but this time, I forcibly pushed it, even if my hand got hurt.
After all, with my super regeneration ability, any injuries would be healed immediately.
I raised my hand above her head and let the divine power flow.
I had some understanding of the power of ‘divine power’ from praying at the monastery.
“Bless this hand.”
My body was in a state of reconstruction, mixed with divine power, mana, elixirs, and such.
And within the divine power, there was a mixture of the divine power of the ‘Goddess’ from the ‘Tears of the Goddess’ and the divine power of the ‘God of Lust’ received as a saint.
In the monastery, I used the divine power of the God of lust as a medium for praying to the Goddess, but the opposite was also possible.
As a Saint of the God of Lust, it seemed more appropriate in that direction.
“I didn’t bring an umbrella today…”
Isn’t it considered ‘unfortunate’ when it rains on a day when I didn’t bring an umbrella?
Thinking that, rain suddenly poured from the sky.
The makeshift roof made of debris couldn’t properly block the raindrops.
The divine power of the God of Lust seeped into each raindrop.
Drinking a drop of ‘energy drink’ called ‘holy water’ and tapping the woman’s head with a hand filled with divine power, her senses… became sharper due to the divine power of the God of Lust.
Only then did her head turn towards me, as if realizing my presence.
“Can’t you hear me?” I asked.
“Who… are you?”
“Blind, can’t walk, and isolated in misfortune. This ‘misfortune’ is really relentless. Especially the way they’ve made you unable to die.”
“Blame… fate…?”
“Exactly. Can you feel my touch?”
“Who’s there…?”
“What should I do about this…?”
Just as I was bound to luck, this person was isolated in misfortune.
I sought the help of the trusted information agency, the Rogue Guild, to find the ‘unlucky person.’
In the field of information gathering, the Rogue Guild demonstrated more utility than the Information Guild.
Unlike the Information Guild, it was impossible to protect the client or maintain secrecy. If someone paid ten gold coins for information protection, it was the Rogue Guild’s job to sell that client’s information for a hundred gold coins.
Even information about the person who purchased the information was often uncovered through investigation and theft, truly embodying the ‘Rogue’s Way.’
“…Is this where the ‘unlucky person’ lives?”
Indeed, it was an impressive sight.
In a sense, it was remarkable because, compared to the filthy alleys of the slums, it was unusually clean.
Slum alleys were usually dirty with garbage and filth.
Since there was no one to clean them, it couldn’t be helped.
But this alley was different.
There was no smell of headache-inducing medicine, foul dirt, disgusting blood, or vile filth.
Even the footsteps on the street avoided that alley.
He grabbed a child begging on the street and asked, “Kid, why do people avoid that place?”
Instead of answering, the child raised his hand and looked at him blankly.
He took out five copper coins from his pocket and placed them in the child’s hand.
Giving gold coins would only attract other beggars.
Five copper coins were just enough to hide in one’s pocket.
“Thank you, Master Monk.”
Judging by my attire, the child probably thought I was a monk.
Occasionally, monks came to volunteer in the slums, so it was plausible.
“There’s an ‘unlucky bastard’ living in that alley.”
“An unlucky bastard?”
“Yes. That’s what adults call. They say if you step into that alley, you’ll become unlucky…”
It couldn’t be just a simple superstition.
In such slums, where overflowing people’s heads are overflowing with all sorts of evil, there were likely to be many terrifying superstitions hiding in there.
People overflowing with evil made the ‘unlucky being’ so terrifying that even witch hunts were impossible.
The people who overflowed with evil made others flee in terror, making the ‘unlucky being’ flee.
“Be careful too, Master Monk. Another monk who tried to enter with blessings got into an accident.”
“An accident?”
“Yes. I’m not sure what kind of accident it was.”
“Hmm, I see. Thanks for the warning.”
I took out another coin from my pocket and grabbed the child who was approaching from behind.
A pickpocket.
“Huh?!”
“You keep that coin. Pickpocket carefully. You two work together, right?”
“Yes? I-I don’t know who he is! He’s a stranger to me!”
“Hey!”
The child who attempted to pickpocket shouted in surprise at the rejection by the begging child.
He saw the potential of a top-tier Rogue in the swift rejection of his accomplice.
If he was well-trained in the Rogue Guild, he might even become top-tier or even first-tier.
“Really? Is he really a stranger?”
“This kid’s a liar! In fact, he told me to go first! He’s just my accomplice!”
“I really don’t know him! I don’t know anything!”
“Hmm…”
I took out a necklace from my pocket and showed it to the two.
It was the emblem of the Rogue Guild with a bat drawn on it.
The faces of the two turned pale at the sight of it.
They thought he was a kind monk, but he turned out to be a Rogue.
The child who was caught trying to pickpocket stammered, trying to change his story.
“T-The truth is, he’s a stranger. I just did it by myself. He’s innocent…”
“…Actually, I told him to do it! I pretended to beg to distract people’s attention so he could steal! He’s just my accomplice!”
This time, the testimonies of the two completely flipped.
‘Was their childish argument just an act?’
A child acting like a naïve child.
That’s why I didn’t like the slums.
Every child born here could only become a criminal.
They could only choose crime. Swindlers, thieves, pickpockets, pimps, gangsters… Thieves.
Because these children couldn’t choose the ‘Rogue’s way,’ they became even more wicked.
When faced with a Rogue, they chose a friend instead of themselves.
It left a bad taste in my mouth.
“Hey kids, can you run fast?”
“Yes?”
I took out two gold coins from my pocket and handed one to each of the two.
I felt eyes on me from around.
The gold coins shone too brightly in the shadow of the slums.
‘Kids strong enough to risk their lives for their friend would be okay.’
Live or die.
In the end, isn’t life about that?
“Hold onto that and run straight to the Adventurer Guild right now. Say ‘Sentimental’ sent you.”
Will they make it?
It’s hard to say.
The slums are vast.
They might get robbed and die miserably on the way.
But if, by chance, they survive…
“In my opinion, you two are more suited to be adventurers than Rogues.”
Then they might be able to live in a better way.
After a moment of silence, in the face of unexpected kindness, the two fell silent.
They glanced at the coins in their hands, their desires flickering, but then suddenly trembled in fear.
It’s hard for someone facing a miracle not to be afraid.
After a brief moment of silence,
The two children started running at the same time.
“…I hope both of them make it.”
Other slum dwellers hiding in the shadows watched the children and chased after them.
Perhaps I could lend a little help.
“You shouldn’t show your back to a thief…”
I took out a throwing dagger from my pocket and lightly threw it.
The beggar, who was chasing the child with bloodshot eyes, was instantly killed.
His momentum couldn’t overcome his body, and he collapsed on the ground.
“It’s been a while since I killed someone…”
I wasted a lot of time.
Now, it’s time to finally meet the ‘unlucky person.’
To borrow the children’s expression… it’s the ‘unlucky bastard.’
I stepped into a particularly clean alley even in the slums.
Suddenly, a crow flew up in surprise and splattered bird droppings overhead.
I threw a coin to block it.
“…Indeed, is this bad luck?”
Off to a good start.
After walking a bit, the ground became slippery, and my balance shifted as if my head would crack open, but I managed to absorb the impact with a somersault.
Indeed, truly unfortunate events were happening all around.
From somewhere, flower pots were flying, and a few coins were lost through holes in my pockets.
All of these happened in the brief moment of walking down the alley.
It felt like compressing various ‘unlucky’ incidents from an old comedy animation into one scene.
“This is amusing…”
Experiencing that ‘misfortune’ was… like playing a rhythm game.
Blocking falling bird droppings with coins, catching flying flower pots, balancing acrobatically with a falling body, and catching falling coins.
The tempo increased as I ventured further into the alley, allowing me to move my body freely after a long time.
Finally, after a while, I saw a makeshift roof made of roughly piled-up debris.
It was a mess with bird droppings and various debris scattered all over it.
Below that, there was a figure lying.
It was a woman with greyish hair and pale skin.
She looked a bit younger, making the term ‘girl’ seem more appropriate.
By reaching this point, I unknowingly avoided the ‘bad luck.’
Bird droppings, flower pots, and coins didn’t fall anymore.
“Nice to meet you.”
“You’re silent. Can I sit next to you?”
The woman didn’t say anything.
I wasn’t even sure if she was listening properly.
Perhaps she was pretending not to hear.
In fact, I wasn’t sure if she was alive.
Even the sound of her heartbeat was leisurely.
There was no flush on her face.
Her eyes were white and vacant.
They didn’t even blink when I shouted loudly.
Could someone survive in this alley alone without eating or drinking? She must have spent quite some time here.
So, like this woman, some… ‘existence’ just sat here without eating or drinking anything.
“…Then she is just a totem.”
As I raised my hand above her head, the divine power of the God of Dream moved on its own and protected my hand.
My fingertips felt slightly warm.
Something sharp was ‘blocking’ from touching the woman.
I could sense it intuitively.
This was the ‘misfortune’ that was trying to overthrow my body.
“Fascinating… It’s different from magic or divine power.”
I wondered if I could bring this to Wizard to use as material.
With that thought in mind, I raised my hand again.
An unknown sharp force pushed my hand away again, but this time, I forcibly pushed it, even if my hand got hurt.
After all, with my super regeneration ability, any injuries would be healed immediately.
I raised my hand above her head and let the divine power flow.
I had some understanding of the power of ‘divine power’ from praying at the monastery.
“Bless this hand.”
My body was in a state of reconstruction, mixed with divine power, mana, elixirs, and such.
And within the divine power, there was a mixture of the divine power of the ‘Goddess’ from the ‘Tears of the Goddess’ and the divine power of the ‘God of Lust’ received as a saint.
In the monastery, I used the divine power of the God of lust as a medium for praying to the Goddess, but the opposite was also possible.
As a Saint of the God of Lust, it seemed more appropriate in that direction.
“I didn’t bring an umbrella today…”
Isn’t it considered ‘unfortunate’ when it rains on a day when I didn’t bring an umbrella?
Thinking that, rain suddenly poured from the sky.
The makeshift roof made of debris couldn’t properly block the raindrops.
The divine power of the God of Lust seeped into each raindrop.
Drinking a drop of ‘energy drink’ called ‘holy water’ and tapping the woman’s head with a hand filled with divine power, her senses… became sharper due to the divine power of the God of Lust.
Only then did her head turn towards me, as if realizing my presence.
“Can’t you hear me?” I asked.
“Who… are you?”
“Blind, can’t walk, and isolated in misfortune. This ‘misfortune’ is really relentless. Especially the way they’ve made you unable to die.”
“Blame… fate…?”
“Exactly. Can you feel my touch?”
“Who’s there…?”
“What should I do about this…?”
Just as I was bound to luck, this person was isolated in misfortune.
