Accidents happen without warning.
Destruction comes without notice.
The dark things that cling to life always approach you silently from the shadows, just like now.
"Hey, kid. Where’s your boss?"
A shadow of strange shape loomed over Vlad, who was selling candles.
It was enormous, but its left arm was strangely bent.
It was the figure of a person with an unfamiliar hook attached to their arm instead of a hand.
Vlad swallowed hard in surprise as he recognized who the person speaking was.
"...I’m just a candle seller, so I don’t know that much."
Vlad assessed the situation, and gave the answer he deemed appropriate with his characteristic boldness.
Thud!
At the same moment he spoke, one of the henchmen next to One-Armed Jack forcefully slammed Vlad’s desk.
"Where is your boss, you little bastard!"
"..."
The colorful rose candles scattered in the air as the man shouted.
The sudden menacing atmosphere drew the attention of everyone who had been around Rose’s smiles.
There was a sudden tension in the air. And an unsettling silence settled in.
The red-haired girl had covered her mouth with both hands and quickly rushed up to the fourth floor upon witnessing that scene.
"Oh dear..."
However, even in this frozen situation where everyone had stiffened, there was one person who moved naturally. Even amidst the imposing presence of men much taller than him.
"All the candles are wasted. These are expensive, you know."
"This crazy bastard..."
The face of One-Armed Jack’s henchman turned red as he watched Vlad calmly pick up the fallen candles despite having heard his warning.
However, Vlad didn’t stop there.
Tap, tap.
Vlad lightly nudged the man’s foot, who was barely containing his anger, and said, "Hey, hyung, mind moving your foot?"
"This son of a b****!"
As Vlad provocatively taunted him, the man unable to take it anymore and attempted to kick the boy beneath his feet.
"..."
Fight is a miniature version of war.
The intended battlefield, a planned situation, and bold decisions were the things that promised victory.
And Vlad knew this well.
Though it appeared to be a threatening situation to anyone, Vlad seemed to have been waiting for it. He drew out his club at lightning speed and mercilessly struck the man’s ankle without hesitation.
Vlad was doing everything intentionally from the beginning.
Whack!
"Ack!"
The man screamed in pain.
The man lost his balance because of the unexpected attack, and the momentum in the blue eyes grew fierce and seized the opportunity.
Vlad swiftly rose with animal-like agility without wasting a moment.
Bam!
He raised the club he was holding and struck the man’s chin, and the man’s pure white teeth popped out at random.
It was a calculated move he had planned in his mind.
"Ugh!"
Simultaneously, Vlad used a nimble roundhouse kick to strike the man’s chest and create distance safely.
Two birds with one stone—Vlad displayed his remarkable agility.
"This is my home turf!"
Vlad shouted as he clearly gained the upper hand, and he accurately hurled the club he had been holding.
Whack!
It hit the man’s forehead as he was already stumbling backward.
The club was firmly embedded in his forehead as he fell helplessly to the ground.
It was a bold move.
"Grrr!"
Thud!
In the blink of an eye, the burly man collapsed powerlessly like a rotting tree under Vlad’s rapid barrage.
"...What?"
One-Armed Jack’s henchmen stood with their mouths wide open, immobilized, and did not make any quick moves even though their comrade had fallen.
Because it was a blow that caught everyone off guard.
The violence that the boy showed took everyone by surprise.
"Huff... huff..."
"Ugh..."
And so, the only one standing among the two was the blond boy with a fierce look in his eyes and controlling his breathing.
Winner up high, loser on the bottom.
It was the unchanging law of the back alley.
"..."
"..."
The henchmen of One-Armed Jack, who had been stunned by the sudden turn of events, finally snapped out of it.
If measured by time alone, the whole incident had unfolded in the time it took to draw a single breath.
"This bastard!"
"Who does he think he is!"
Only now did the big guys, who had finally grasped the situation, start to charge at Vlad angrily.
"Stop."
They halted in their tracks like well-trained dogs with a deep voice.
"...I really like this guy."
His subordinate had fallen without landing a single punch, but One-Armed Jack clapped his hands with joy.
Though it was just a small sound when his palm met the cold hook.
"Please understand that I can’t clap with only one hand."
"...I don’t discriminate against people with disabilities."
"Hahaha! You crazy bastard!"
One-Armed Jack burst into laughter as he watched the young gang member who boldly held his ground in front of him.
"I will see you another time."
"..."
Vlad realized that this was the last line he was allowed to cross.
Crossing it would mean disrespecting One-Armed Jack’s authority, and he knew all too well what the consequences of that would be.
"Money bug! What’s going on here?"
Fortunately, a burly man came down the stairs at that moment.
A man with shining armor walked down the stairs like a knight accompanied by his subordinates.
The knight of the whores, Jorge.
His footsteps exuded a commanding presence that was overpowering someone, unlike his usual demeanor.
"If you’d given me a heads-up, I would’ve prepared some meat for you!"
Boss against boss.
Both organizations collided in a tense standoff.
The knight guarding Rose’s smiles welcomed the unexpected guest with a sinister laugh.
"Well, you see... We’re not that close."
One-Armed Jack replied while scratching his head with the hook.
Although they laughed outwardly, both bosses held their respective weapons on the inside as they exchanged words.
The guests who visited Rose’s smile watched the situation with bated breath, seemingly more interested in the current spectacle than the bare-skinned women beside them.
"Since we have guests, why don’t we head upstairs for now?"
"Do you have meat?"
"Marcella never disappoints her guests."
"Well, in that case."
Even as they headed towards the fourth floor, the heart of the Jorge organization, One-Armed Jack’s actions were audacious beyond measure.
This was the distribution of power of the ones who controlled the back alleys of the city of Shoara.
"I quite like that kid. What do you think?"
At One-Armed Jack’s gesture, Jorge looked at Vlad, who was catching his breath.
One of Jack’s henchmen still lay sprawled on the ground near the boy’s feet.
"He’s a rising star in our organization."
"Who did I take in instead of him last year? I don’t even remember it, so I guess he passed away early."
Jorge winked at Vlad while climbing the stairs with One-Armed Jack.
It means that the boy had successfully accomplished his duty as the gatekeeper of Rose’s Smiles.
"..... I almost bit the dust there."
Vlad relaxed only after seeing Jorge’s signal, and lightly tapped the fallen henchman on the ground.
"Hyung-ssi. The candles for the second floor are 20 silver, and the candles for the third floor are 30 silver. You’ll have to pay for the ones you broke."
"Ugh..."
"Don’t pretend to be asleep. Pay up before I throw another club at you."
Vlad let out a sigh after hearing the groans from the fallen One-Armed Jack’s henchmen.
※※※※
"Oh my, Vlad, look at these injuries."
"You should really take care of these wounds beforehand."
"That’s right. If they get infected, it’ll be a big problem. Luckily, I have some medicine for wounds."
It was a short battle, but Vlad was checking for any possible injuries.
"... Why are they suddenly acting like this?"
The women began to gather around Vlad.
"Oh dear. Look at what she’s saying. We were so worried about you, you know."
"How much have we fed and taken care of you all this time? It hurts to hear you say that, Vlad."
"..."
The prostitutes gathered around Vlad pretended to be upset.
For these women who sold their bodies for a living, having a strong man by their side made business much easier.
Moreover, the boy was not only strong but also young and promising.
Seueug-
"Kyaa-! Look at his muscles!"
"Since when did you get this big? You’re quite the man now!"
"Could you all please leave?"
Especially if it’s a handsome man with blonde hair and blue eyes that everyone seems to prefer.
Vlad, who had just proven his worth through the recent fight, appeared as an irresistible prey to the prostitutes.
Vlad chased them away with harsh words, but his rebellious demeanor only added to his charm in the eyes of the prostitutes.
Despite his rough words, Vlad was known for being kind to women.
"Move! I said move!"
"You bitch! How dare you treat your seniors like that?"
"Seniors? You are just a bunch of thieves trying to steal someone else’s catch!"
A young girl approached amidst the commotion, and pushed her way through the prostitutes.
"Are you crazy! Are you crazy!"
Unlike the seductive gazes of the prostitutes, Zemina immediately started smacking Vlad on the back of his head.
"What’s wrong with you again!"
"What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you for shoving your way into someone twice your size?"
"I did it because I thought I could handle it!"
"You thought you could handle it! What about the difference in size! Are you insane? Are you blind?"
Vlad just furrowed his brow as she scolded him and smacked him on the head, and didn’t respond aggressively. Because he was well aware that all of her actions stemmed from concern for him.
"Go do the dishes. Why are you here?"
"..... You’re such an idiot."
However, growing up in a rough environment meant rough words inevitably come out.
"Jorge is calling you. You idiot."
"Don’t curse."
"Jorge is calling you. You idiot."
"..."
Vlad decided to get up as he realized that Zemina was upset because of his inappropriate response. For now, Jorge’s call was more important than dealing with Zemina’s scolding.
A staircase that passes through Rose’s smile.
As Vlad climbed the stairs, he noticed one-armed Jack and his subordinates descending.
"Hey, rising star!"
"..... Yes?"
Although he wasn’t his boss, Vlad showed him respect.
"I like you. If you ever lose your job, come work for me."
One-armed Jack playfully tapped Vlad’s head with his hook and spoke.
"They offer good benefits here too. They give me food, money, and even a place to sleep."
"Hehehe! We do that too."
Vlad bowed his head in response and One-armed Jack passed by while smiling.
"Oh, by the way!"
One-armed Jack turned around as if suddenly remembering something, and flicked something from his pocket.
Ping!
It was shiny.
"What’s this?"
"My subordinate broke some candles. That’s for your damage."
Vlad stared blankly at the gold coins in his hand.
"This is too much."
"If you ever decide to join me, I can give you as much as you want. I’m a money bug."
As soon as their brief conversation ended, One-armed Jack waved his hand without looking back.
"I enjoyed the meal! Jorge!"
Jack’s subordinates laughed heartily at those words and followed him out of Rose’s smiles.
They came in like a storm and went out like a tide wave.
They left a profound impact on Rose’s smiles and disappeared.
"..."
Vlad placed the gold coins carefully in his pocket after confirming that One-armed Jack had left the store, and quickly climbed the stairs.
He went to the 4th floor where Jorge was waiting for him.
Alongside him were Burleigh and other subordinates lined up.
While the fourth floor had always been filled with hearty laughter and the aroma of greasy food, an oppressive silence hung in the air at this moment.
"Jorge. I’m here."
"Ah. Have a seat."
Marcella was in front of Jorge. Whether it was due to Jack’s recent departure without eating much or for another reason, there was a plethora of grilled meat in front of him.
"What did Jack say?"
"..."
Instead of answering Vlad’s question, Jorge handed him a dagger that he had been using to cut meat.
"What’s this? Are you giving me a dagger now?"
"Yep. Take it. I just used it, and it’s still good."
Vlad didn’t have a dagger yet. As the youngest member of the Jorge Family, Vlad hadn’t earned the privilege of holding a dagger.
"Wow..."
It might not have been as impressive as the swords hanging in the blacksmith shop, but the dagger Jorge gave Vlad was longer than any dagger he had held before.
"I wanted to give it to you anyway, but I’m giving it to you a bit earlier because of the circumstances."
"Thank you!"
The dagger Jorge handed over wasn’t just for practical use. It was a dagger given to Vlad by the boss himself. The dagger he received was not just for practical use; it was a symbol of trust and approval from the boss.
"Keep it with you at all times from now on. You can ask Burleigh for the dagger’s sheath."
"Got it."
Vlad accepted the dagger from Jorge with a sparkling eye and a joyful expression.
"Vlad."
"Yes?"
"Always keep it on you."
"....yes."
Jorge looked at Vlad with a heavier gaze than usual.
".... alright."
The organization members’ wore subtle stiff expressions.
"I will always keep it with me."
The boss handed a dagger even to the youngest member of the organization.
Vlad could sense from the heavy atmosphere that the conversation between Jorge and One-armed Jack was a catastrophe.