[Translator - Night]

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Chapter 535: The Escapee (3)

○ What are you talking about now? A precious customer.

Earth was fundamentally negative about freeing prisoners.

So it had already taken a defensive stance.

○ It's not just about the money. Don't you care about the evil karma they spread? And above all…

What harm will those heinous criminals cause in space once they're released?

That would not only become the criminals' evil karma, but would also tangibly inflict damage across the universe.

But Yeongwoo's stance was a little different.

“Hey, haven't you forgotten? Our business is charity.”

○ …Strictly speaking, it's donation laundering. It's a money-laundering business.

“Exactly, laundering! Our job is taking money from villains and forcing it into donations, right?”

○ …Right?

“And soon that will be washing the villains' evil karma clean too.”

○ …Is that so?

Earth tilted its head in Yeongwoo's consciousness.

“It's not 'is that so' — that's exactly it. From the start this is meant to help the cosmic balance of good deeds, which is why King Teroph approved it.”

That was true.

Money in the hands of villains generally produces more evil karma.

So the idea of Doatel receiving that money as 'donations' and actually spending it on good deeds was the point of the collaboration with Renaissance.

In other words, converting future evil karma into good deeds through donations was the work Doatel and Renaissance were doing.

“So if we free prisoners in exchange for donations, there won't be that much additional evil karma. Of course, you have to pick the recipients carefully.”

There were some prisoners in this prison whose evil karma couldn't be offset by a few coins.

That was why getting a roster of inmates was important.

「Lower Wing Prison Inmate Roster」

On the slate that had fallen from the warden's pants, the information on the prisoners currently imprisoned was carefully written, and Yeongwoo had already picked two from it.

[Mantero]

| Affiliation: Soura

| Crime: Special stowaway

[Kejen]

| Affiliation: Yef

| Crime: Theft

The rest were heinous criminals whose evil karma couldn't be offset by taking donations.

'Hmm… then including Koatu, that makes three in total.'

Originally he had come to rescue one person, but he was suddenly going to pull out three — that looked like a big business gain.

'They even marked them neatly.'

Each prisoner's name on the slate had a unique mark beside it.

Furthermore, when he touched a name on the slate, the corresponding inmate's cell would faintly glow.

'Some kind of control device. I think this could open doors.'

After confirming that much, Yeongwoo grabbed the spoils before meeting the prisoners.

It was the warden's large hammer.

“Excuse me.”

Yeongwoo bowed slightly to the dead, then put his hand on the large hammer lying on the floor.

Clang.

Then the reason the warden had been so strong became apparent.

「Gatekeeper」 - Legendary Great Hammer

【Warden's Duty】

【Sturdy Prison】

【Warden's Duty】

| # While in the prison, all combat abilities increase by 15%.

【Sturdy Prison】

| # Holds the status of a myth while inside the prison.

“Are you crazy? No wonder prisoners can't escape.”

After all, a prison is a place that locks up even the owners of myths.

So it made sense that the warden would be equipped to fight a myth.

'They seem to confiscate equipment before imprisonment… but judging from that troll earlier, they don't take parts of the body.'

So if someone possessed a myth arm or leg, practically myth equipment could be brought into the prison.

'If your whole body is replaced with gear, you could be a powerful inmate.'

It wouldn't be surprising for the head of Renaissance, Jeong Yeongwoo, to be dragged into prison someday.

So Yeongwoo mentally noted that bodily equipment was valid inside the prison.

“Alright, let's go meet our customers.”

The first person to receive Yeongwoo's jailbreak favor was Mantero, who had been imprisoned for special stowaway.

[Mantero]

| Affiliation: Soura

| Crime: Special stowaway

“Mantero? Where are you?”

When Yeongwoo touched Mantero's name on the slate, a distant iron door glowed faintly.

And soon.

-I'm here!

A somewhat excited voice reached him from beyond the door.

-You mean you're going to save me too?

That polite voice was hard to believe coming from someone locked up among these heinous criminals.

So Yeongwoo stood with a serious face in front of the cell.

“If you answer a few questions honestly, I'll get you out.”

-Questions…? Go ahead, ask.

Yeongwoo glanced again at Mantero's information and asked.

“Excuse me, your crime is listed as 'special stowaway'… exactly what did you do?”

Stowaway means leaving a country without legal procedure.

But what would stowaway mean in space?

It wasn't smuggling, and Yeongwoo couldn't understand why someone would be imprisoned for stowaway.

Mantero on the other side of the iron door hesitated for a moment, then spoke carefully.

-Well… strictly speaking, I helped someone stow away.

“You helped someone stow away… who?”

-The prince.

“Oh.”

Yeongwoo couldn't help but touch his forehead. Chapters first released on NoveI-Fire.ɴet

Now it made sense why this guy had ended up in such a harsh prison.

“You helped the prince stow away? Then isn't that basically kidnapping?”

-…No. The stowaway was at the prince's request, but…

Mantero explained that the royal family never wanted that.

In other words, from the royal family's perspective, Mantero was guilty of aiding the prince's flight.

“Where is the prince now?”

-The prince successfully left the royal territory.

“What? Then why were you caught?”

-Well… I had to buy the prince some time to get away.

“Aha.”

Yeongwoo muttered again.

So this fool first sent the prince off, then stayed behind to fight and got caught.

You could call that loyalty, but the price was harsh.

Yeongwoo felt a pang of sorrow.

'So this guy's completely broke.'

Anyway, having heard the story, it was time to get to the point.

“Okay, the prince's already gone and the royal family isn't on your side. Who are you supposed to get bail money from?”

-…Eh? Bail money?

“What? Freeing a prisoner is another crime, isn't it? It's a big risk for me, so I need to get paid in money.”

-Oh… you're right. But all I have is…

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Mantero truly had nothing.

When he was captured by the royal pursuit, all his gear had been taken away; when he was imprisoned, they confiscated everything, so he had no weapons or items left.

“So this bastard really has nothing but his body.”

Yeongwoo felt deflated.

So would he have to do this good deed for free?

He thought for a moment, then asked the iron door again.

“Do you know where the prince is now?”

Mantero was silent for a moment, then opened his mouth with difficulty.

-I know, but I can't say.

“Are you crazy?”

No ordinary torture would make this loyal man break his mouth.

But leaving such a stubborn fool in this filth made it hard for Yeongwoo to walk away.

“Then should I just leave you here? From your voice earlier, you seemed eager to get out.”

-I want to get out.

“Then you, either sell the prince or find the money somewhere. Really pisses me off, this.”

Yeongwoo frowned.

But he realized he had no way to extract money from this guy right now.

'Am I actually here to fake charity, and end up doing real charity?'

Earth slipped in a comment.

○ Anyway, this is truly a 'good deed', so it will come back as good in the future. King Teroph gives such favors to create lots of good returns.

'Teroph? Don't you dare mention that conman's name in front of me.'

Yeongwoo said that, but he kept staring fixedly at the name 'Mantero' engraved on the slate.

Because when he stood in front of Mantero's cell, the inmate's name flashed.

'No way.'

When Yeongwoo placed his finger on the flashing inmate name, the iron door that blocked the cell ground open, and a faint light turned on.

Creak!

“Oh!”

Using the warden's slate to open the cell even turned on the lights.

-Thank you.

The prisoner Mantero was a three-meter-tall cyclops.

Like the troll he'd seen earlier, he was sitting in an iron chair, shackles on both arms.

“Get up. We'll worry about payment later.”

-Really?

Mantero stood up from the chair with a bright smile.

Yeongwoo watched in case the Serpent of Greed reacted, but disappointingly it did not lift its head.

“Now come with me. There are still two more customers.”

The remaining ones were Kejen, imprisoned for theft, and the arms dealer Koatu.

Tap.

Like before, Yeongwoo put his hand on the slate and Kejen's cell glowed faintly.

[Kejen]

| Affiliation: Yef

| Crime: Theft

'What did this bastard steal this time?'

Half expectant, half worried.

Fortunately Kejen's cell wasn't too far from Mantero's, and he was already prepared to greet Yeongwoo.

-Who, who is it? Is it me? Me?

Unlike the solid presence of Mantero, Kejen was all frivolity.

“Who are you, you bastard. I haven't promised to free you yet.”

Kejen rattled his chains loudly from beyond the iron door.

Clank.

-I heard everything! You said you'd get me out if I pay money, right?

“Surprisingly, you're someone who speaks sense.”

-If it's money! I'll get as much as you want!

“…'Get as much as you want'? I don't like 'get as much as you want'. If you can't pay today, stay put.”

When Yeongwoo pretended to turn away, Kejen began rattling his handcuffs desperately.

Clang, clang!

-Wait! Why don't you ask me anything?

“Ask what?”

-Why I was brought in here in the first place!

“Right, why were you caught?”

Kejen then spoke in a noticeably clearer voice than before.

-I stole the Kardal royal seal.

“The royal seal?”

-And I alone know where I hid it.

He meant to launder the seal as stolen goods and use the proceeds to pay for his jailbreak.

“How much is that seal worth?”

-…Huh? Well, you'd only know if you sold it. But it's definitely worth a lot.

Yeongwoo mentally instructed Earth.

'Earth, tell Kubu to find out about the Kardal royal family.'

○ What? Why suddenly that?

'Instead of selling the seal as stolen goods for pocket change, wouldn't making a deal with the original owner earn more?'

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]