------------------
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
------------------
Chapter 28: The Most Serious Story in the World.
Though I lived as part of a hero’s party and had seen all sorts of astonishing things, it’s a bit surprising—
I’ve never actually been kidnapped before.
Sure, there were times when lords or kings begged and pleaded for me to visit their castles, half-jokingly.
Even when humanity’s traitors suddenly destroyed castles, or when thousands of demons launched surprise attacks,
no one ever managed to capture me.
So I never imagined it.
That I would actually get kidnapped—in a world without even demons.
“Our baby, what did you eat to grow up so pretty?”
“Should we check just how much you've grown?”
I seriously had no idea what was going on anymore.
[The goddess scratches her cheek with a blank expression.]
[(ㅁ_ㅁ)]
[She tilts her head at the black mages who showed up of their own accord.]
Even the goddess seemed to have given up trying to understand.
* * *
Chun Juyeon, the top student in the combat department, realized something was off right around the start of the first lecture.
The beam of light that normally appeared around this time hadn't shown up on campus.
Finding that odd, she quickly contacted her informant to find out his whereabouts.
If it had been someone else’s business, she might have let it go—but she'd seen that beam of light walk in on its own every day for the past month.
But now it wasn’t coming?
The strange absence set off silent alarm bells in her mind.
So, she reopened the church’s intelligence network and began searching.
By the end of the lecture, she had her answer.
Apparently, Shin Yuseong had gotten on the wrong shuttle bus…
and ended up at the hideout of a criminal black magic organization.
“...Ah.”
Chun Juyeon sighed briefly, touching her lips before gazing out the window.
Far, far beyond where she usually looked.
She could still see the brilliant beam of light erupting into the sky.
“They kidnapped that?”
What kind of crazy bitches were they?
Now that she understood the situation, Chun Juyeon quickly replied to the church's comms.
“Clear up the misunderstanding and get out of there right now.”
* * *
“Don’t touch him carelessly. He’s going to be a very valuable commodity.”
“Tch, so stingy.”
“Hey! Look at that face! You think we’ll get another catch like this in our hideout again?”
“...Well, that’s true.”
As the black mages smacked their lips with reluctant admiration, Shin Yuseong frowned.
Should he… draw his sword now?
Draw it?
Don’t?
Draw?
Don’t?
He kept debating, but his experience as a hero held his hand back.
‘If I’m gonna draw it, I might as well wait until I can wreck everything.’
‘If I wait, maybe I can wipe out the whole group?’
‘Alright. Deal.’
The ones in front of him seemed like small fry, so he’d wait for someone stronger to show up.
Of course, there was the possibility that these clowns were actually the big bosses—plot twist style—but oh well.
“The Face Collector is going to go crazy over a face like this.”
“Starting price’s gotta be at least ten gold notes.”
“And he’s a top student too, so if we sell him elsewhere, we might get even more.”
“Hmm, wonder if the Lord of Demonic Magic will show up today.”
Apparently, this world had its own black magic bigshots.
Might as well take them out while he's at it.
That was the plan.
Even if it took a while, someone was bound to show up today.
BOOM—!
He was thrown into a prison.
With magic-suppressing cuffs on both wrists.
[The goddess, looking at the pitiful hero, says she feels weirdly upset.]
“Well, I could break out at any time, so it’s not that big a deal, right?”
[She agrees, nodding.]
“The only good black mage is a dead one—should I just wipe them all out while I’m here?”
[The goddess nods again, saying she’s not opposed.]
Yuseong nodded in agreement with the goddess, a faint smile on his face, and the black mages watching from a distance grew confused.
“Why is that kid so calm?”
“You think he’s frozen up in fear?”
“Maybe that’s just his resting face.”
“No way—that’s not just a smile. That’s full-blown crazy.”
Still, it wasn’t all that strange.
Many captives screamed or lost their minds when they were thrown into this abandoned factory-prison.
So they figured he was just another broken one.
Dropping their questions, the black mages stared at Shin Yuseong’s face again.
Damn, he really was good-looking.
Who was gonna buy this guy?
Not a single one of them suspected something might go wrong.
They were too far gone down this road to start worrying now—
Because they were known as the infamous “Black Mages.”
So, like always, they chatted and laughed, just waiting for their buyer to arrive.
* * *
“No one’s touched the merchandise yet, right?”
The buyer arrived around lunchtime.
A figure that didn’t match the rundown factory at all—
Tuxedo, monocle, handkerchief in the pocket, and a menacingly sharp face.
From head to toe, they exuded an “I’m a villain” vibe.
It was the Face Collector.
The black mages straightened up nervously in her presence.
“Oh, of course not.”
“You know how it is these days—we’re extra careful with our goods.”
------------------
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
------------------
“Besides, he’s been so well-behaved we haven’t needed to lay a finger on him.”
“Hmm. Too well-behaved can be boring. I like them better when they scream once in a while.”
“......”
The infamous dark mage known as the Face Collector radiated such vile energy that even the hideout manager, who had been sucking up to her with flattery and rubbing her hands together, paused for a moment.
How can someone be this cruel?
It was already a well-known fact in the criminal underworld that she was a pervert who got excited peeling the faces off handsome men.
‘Ah, he was way too handsome to just kill off like that.’
Even the hideout manager—who’d be sentenced to death the moment she was caught by the government—felt a flicker of pity for the kid.
She scratched the back of her head, clearly displeased, but she didn’t forget her role.
To sell at the highest possible price and make a good margin.
That was her job as head of the smuggling and slave division in the criminal syndicate ‘Black Chronicle.’
“Shall I show you the merchandise?”
“Mhm, let’s see it.”
An impromptu auction was scheduled shortly, but there was no harm in giving a sneak peek to a regular client like the Face Collector.
In fact, letting her stew in excitement while she waited would only build anticipation.
This meeting was the pre-show for that moment.
“……Oho!”
Sure enough, the Face Collector let out a gasp the moment she saw the gorgeous man locked up in the underground prison.
Despite being imprisoned, he still looked bored—his stunningly handsome face, perfect muscle definition, and flawless proportions…
Judging by the collector’s ecstatic expression, it was unlikely the auction price would fall below expectations.
“Hey, I’ll pay more than the market rate—just sell him to me right here, right now.”
“…Excuse me?”
The hideout manager had that thought—until the Face Collector suddenly jumped the gun.
She blinked in confusion, trying to make sense of what she just heard.
‘Market rate’?
This was basically saying, skip the auction and sell him cheap right now.
‘What the hell is this lunatic saying?’
No matter how infamous the dark mage was, the manager was still a high-ranking official in the organization.
Her patience snapped just a bit.
And this abandoned factory was also her hideout.
So if things got serious, it wasn’t like she’d be completely at a disadvantage.
She might take some damage, but it was doable.
Besides, unlike those cheerful, laughing light-side mages, in the criminal underworld, the moment you're disrespected—it's over.
The hideout manager quickly put on a stern face and replied:
“Let’s pretend I didn’t hear that just now.”
“…Hah, are you getting mad at me?”
“I heard Lord Marné is coming today, and there were rumors that Lord Vermouth might drop by too. Are you ready to face their wrath as well?”
“Ahem… So even they’re showing up, huh?”
It wasn’t just syndicate executives—some of the most vicious external dark mages were apparently coming too.
The Face Collector backed off immediately, just licking her lips while gazing at the man locked in the cell.
One of the finest, if not the finest, handsome men she had ever laid eyes on in her life.
On top of that, rumor had it he was incredibly gifted in magic too—no wonder he was in high demand.
‘…Ugh, he’s going to cost a fortune no matter how you look at it.’
She might not even be able to buy him at all.
No matter how powerful she was, she couldn’t beat everyone in the underworld.
Suppressing her regret, she shook her head and left the room, hoping to soothe her burning desire while she waited for the auction to begin.
* * *
After a few more creepy guests visited the prison, some time passed.
Around dinner time, when he started to feel that itch in his mouth—like he needed to eat something—
he came to a sudden realization: Getting kidnapped isn’t as easy as it sounds.
And just when he started thinking maybe it was time to escape, noise from upstairs started getting louder.
Listening carefully, he picked up bits about a secret auction, VIP guests, and big-name figures.
It seemed his long ordeal was about to come to an end.
[The goddess holds a bucket of fresh popcorn, eagerly waiting for the upcoming drama to unfold.]
Hmm… maybe just a little longer.
* * *
Having just returned from an expedition to Africa, Professor Shin Arin—an S-rank hunter from the Department of Combat Studies—
had barely landed at Incheon Airport when she was hit with shocking news.
“…Yuseong didn’t show up to school today?!”
In her world, nothing could be more serious.
------------------
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
------------------
