The Fighting Dog of a Ruined Organization

How did things end up like this?

Why is this bastard called the Madman of Drug from Carpe Diem causing trouble in the PC bang?

Before that, let’s think for a moment about what kind of day it was.

You know those days, don’t you?

It’s always peaceful, but today feels especially peaceful, and you unconsciously mumble,

“Ah~ Today is really peaceful~”

And think,

“I wish every day could be like today~”

That kind of day, and today was clearly one of those days.

There weren’t many people in the PC bang. Even Eris was just sighing and pulling her hair, probably because her game wasn’t going well.

Thanks to that, she didn’t even order ramen, so how convenient is that? I can just sit at the counter and do nothing.

Of course, if there’s one thing I don’t like,

“Today, we’re at the laboratory of Carpe Diem, one of the top 3 organizations! The laboratory of Carpe Diem, where many students want to work! Let’s find out what kind of life the researchers are living, shall we~?”

It’s that the TV is broadcasting a show glorifying gangsters again today.

Of course, it’s not wrong.

Carpe Diem has actually been at the center of scientific and technological advancement in this world, and researchers receive many welfare benefits and high wages.

Among the top 3 organizations, Carpe Diem is the only one that pays money just for research without necessarily using violence.

But Carpe Diem is an organization with clear front and back sides, like a coin. If anything, they’re more honest than other organizations.

Carpe Diem has no conditions for joining the organization, so even some idiotic bastards are members of Carpe Diem. Therefore, if some dirty incident happens, it’s mostly Carpe Diem’s doing.

But do they get properly punished? Not really.

Once you’re in Carpe Diem, they spout nonsense about being one family and punish you according to internal regulations.

The public authorities can’t exert any power over this. If they touch Carpe Diem, who will be responsible for scientific and technological advancement? They’re a grateful organization that even catches monsters as a bonus.

Most citizens think the same way, so Carpe Diem’s crimes are still rampant. They have the mindset that it doesn’t matter as long as it doesn’t involve them.

What will they do when they do get involved? Idiots.

So I just changed the TV channel. No matter where I turn, there will probably be content glorifying how well some organization did this or that, but if you keep changing, there’s bound to be a channel that doesn’t.

Yeah, like an animation channel.

“Meow meow! That crying puppy! Stop for a moment meow!”

The most popular animation “The Legendary Swordsman, Mohanya” was airing. Of course, it’s an animation I like too.

It’s an animation where a one-eyed pink-haired woman wearing an eye patch slashes everything while meowing like a cat, and as the title of swordsman suggests, it’s entertaining because she defeats evil.

I’d like to call it the last conscience of this world.

Since I don’t seem to have much to do today, I might as well watch Mohanya leisurely.

─That’s what I thought, yes, it was really a peaceful day.

Until Chunsik burst in shouting.

“I tracked your IP and came all the way here, so don’t think about hiding! EriSeleno, you bastard, if you don’t come out quickly, I’ll flip this PC bang upside down!”

Ah, could it be that Eris pulling her hair was the problem?

They say that before an incident occurs, there are always signs. Let’s just say I’m the idiot who didn’t notice the strange sign of Eris pulling her hair and not ordering ramen.

Now is not the time to regret the past, but to respond to the present.

“I, I’m EriSeleno!”

Eris jumped up from her seat and approached Chunsik. Chunsik looked at Eris and shouted in disbelief.

“What the hell are you talking about! A little kid like you played Lineage? Shit, is the real EriSeleno not coming out?”

Oh, this is quite a good chance. Although Chunsik threatened with a gun, we might be able to get through this by using the fact that Eris looks young.

Why, you ask?

If I saw correctly, Chunsik was definitely a direct member of Carpe Diem.

Madman of Drug.

If the head of an organization goes as far as to call someone a madman, it means they’re quite a high-ranking member, and such guys usually have pride and don’t get angry at children.

So it should be fine, right?

“Eek! That person is Chunsik, the Madman of Drug!”
“Is it really him, Mr. Explanation? So scary…”
“Let’s run. We might die if we get caught up in this.”

But come to think of it, why did they specifically call him a madman?

…Rejected. We absolutely can’t use this. This bastard is 100% crazy.

“No, I really am EriSeleno. I’m 20 years old! And as I’ve been saying, I didn’t kill you because I wanted to. Let’s talk. Okay?”

Still, is it because she’s a boss even if it’s of a ruined organization? Despite seeing the gun, Eris boldly confronts him and asks to talk.

“Talk? What the hell kind of talk, you bastard! What about Chunsik’s items!”

But Chunsik is no pushover either. Living up to his name as a madman, he points the gun first. And as the gun approaches, Eris seems to get scared and starts trembling all over.

Why now?

“Hii, hiik! It’s a gun!”

Ah, she hadn’t seen the gun?

For a moment, I was an idiot for expecting something from her being an organization’s boss. Thanks to that, I’ve been an idiot twice today.

More importantly, once a gun is drawn, there’s nothing we can do. Usually, ability user organizations don’t use guns much because it damages their pride, but Carpe Diem is an exception.

It’s the gun they develop themselves, and they do outrageous things openly, so there’s nothing to damage their pride. Rather, if the gun is strong, it becomes a way to show off their scientific prowess.

We’re screwed.

That’s the only thought that comes to mind.

Starting from having to watch Eris, who I’ve grown somewhat fond of as a regular customer, die.

If Chunsik starts frequenting the PC bang, customers won’t come anymore because they don’t want to get involved.

Then Carpe Diem members related to Chunsik will start occupying the PC bang, and they’ll demand protection money in exchange for protection, right?

If we pay the protection money, they’ll back off and let us run the business normally, but in the end, we’ll still have to pay protection money periodically.

You might wonder what this is all about, but it’s a method often used by outrageous organizations like Carpe Diem. There are quite a few business owners who have to forcibly pay protection money just to make a living.

At least I didn’t think Carpe Diem would come here because this is the territory of the Phoenix Guild, one of the Esper Hunter’s guilds.

Tracking an IP to come to another organization’s territory for a real-life fight? He really is a madman.

Moreover, even if it’s the Phoenix Guild’s territory, they probably won’t care if one PC bang pays protection money to Carpe Diem. The Phoenix Guild is only interested in catching monsters.

All I can say is we’re screwed. This is no longer a situation where I can joke around.

“What about the items Chunsik worked hard to collect, huh?!”

How am I going to explain this to mom…

“No, what hard-collected items? What items! You were just a low-level noob! You died because you got caught up in monster killing, so why do you keep threatening… me? Could you please put that gun down…?”

Wait, a noob?

I think I can guess what kind of situation this is. Yeah, it’s something a madman could definitely do.

And I think I know how to help Eris resolve this situation as smoothly as possible─

『The thought of helping Eris occurred to you. A new possibility for title collection has arisen.』

What the hell is this nonsense all of a sudden?

『Will you become the Fighting Dog of Fantasia (Ruined) to help Eris?』

What the hell is a Fighting Dog of Fantasia, you bastard?

Getting a title is good. But isn’t Fantasia the name of a ruined organization? It’s nonsense to tell me to become the fighting dog of a ruined organization.

Of course, the method I’ve come up with is a gamble that could be disastrous if it fails, but even so, I have no intention of becoming a dog that fights for gangsters.

I’m just a PC bang part-timer.

So I boldly refused and decided to push through with the plan I had come up with.

“Title window.”

Like in a game, a hologram window appeared showing the titles I possess.

There are quite a variety of types, but among them, the maximum number of titles that can be worn at once is 3.

So, among the titles I have, I chose these 3:

One Who Cooks Ramen Deliciously
Unrelated to Any Organization
PC Bang Part-timer (Expert)

For reference, all the titles collected by a Title Collector have additional effects.

– 

Title: One Who Cooks Ramen Deliciously

Rarity: S

Description: You’ve become a master by cooking too much ramen.

Effect: The ramen you cook will be praised even if a vicious gourmet comes to eat it.

– 

Title: Unrelated to Any Organization

Rarity: F

Description: You are not related to any organization.

Effect: The higher the position of an organization member in an ability user organization, the less likely they are to commit crimes against you.

– 

Title: PC Bang Part-timer (Expert)

Rarity: SS

Description: You’ve become an expert by working as a PC bang part-timer for too long.

Effect: Luck is activated when resolving crises that occur during PC bang part-time work.

– 

However, titles don’t have an effect just by equipping them. They only take effect when they’re revealed.

Probably above my head now is the title “PC Bang Part-timer (Expert) Who Cooks Ramen Deliciously and Is Unrelated to Any Organization”.

It’s unnecessarily long like a light novel title, so it should attract attention well, which is perfect.

In poker terms, it’s like making a bet with four of a kind. It’s a gamble with a very low chance of failure.

“Could you wait a moment, customer?”

I took a deep breath and spoke in a soft voice. Chunsik frowned and turned his head towards me, then lifted his head, probably because I’m taller.

“Who are you?”

“As you can see, I’m a PC bang part-timer.”

I pointed to the title above my head as if to emphasize it. Chunsik blinked his eyes, seemingly surprised by the title.

Yeah, if you’re not surprised by seeing such a weird title, you’re a serious bastard. If you’re really crazy, you can’t help but be more interested in this kind of title.

“Wow, wow… What do you have to do to get a title that says you cook ramen deliciously?”

As expected, he took the bait.
Now that he’s asked this, it can’t help but succeed.

“My ramen cooking is no ordinary feat. More importantly, I heard you fighting, sir, but this friend is playing Lineage using her parents’ name for registration. Her actual age is only 10 years old.”

“What? Really? She said she was 20 earlier!”

Eris, if you want to live, play along.

“I’m sorry, it was a lie, I’m actually 10 years old…”

Eris sniffled and put her hands together demurely in front of her chest, showing a fragile appearance.

Then it’s time for the finishing blow, right?

“It seems this young friend killed your character without knowing better. If it’s not too much trouble, could you objectively tell us how much actual damage was caused by your character’s death? Our PC bang will compensate you.”

You said it was a low-level character, so it’s difficult to talk about actual damages. And since Chunsik’s eyes, true to his madman nature, kept going to my title, I can predict what he’ll ask for as compensation.

“Well, it’s not much… Then, could you cook me a bowl of ramen? It’s a bit much to get excited over a kid’s mistake. If you let me eat a free bowl of ramen, I’ll let it slide this time.”

What nonsense.

This bastard who would probably put a hole in Eris’s head if the ramen tastes bad is suddenly talking as if he’s reasonable.

It was disgusting, but there was no need to worry.

Because the ramen I cook is really delicious.

“Wow! It’s really delicious! I’ll come back for ramen later too!”

And so, without getting a new title like Fighting Dog of Fantasia (Ruined) or whatever, the Chunsik incident ended peacefully.

And, until then, I didn’t know.

That I would regret not becoming the Fighting Dog of Fantasia for the rest of my life.