002. Convince

After Kang Min-shik was placed in the punishment room, Kim Woo-jin sat in his office and began trimming the bonsai.

Talk-

I cut off one bizarrely bent branch. Bonsai let out a low growl, but it soon became quiet as he clicked his tongue slightly.

How much time had passed, a prison guard knocked on the door.

“Chief, it’s time for a personal interview.”

“already?”

When I looked out the window, the sunset was setting.

“Who are you today?”

“Prisoner number 1152. This is Siena Olm.”

“Let it in.”

After a while, a red-haired woman came in. She was used to sitting in front of Kim Woo-jin. The pointy ears were impressive.

“It’s been a while, Sienna. What about tea?”

“Coffee, please. Originally, I only drink tea, but because of the small intestine, I tasted coffee.”

The prison guard brought out two cups of coffee.

“Is there anything you want to say?”

“Don’t you need another Soji? I think it would be better to do something than to sit in a daze in a cell.”

“So I started a new job. Aren’t there a lot of things to do?”

“That is so hard. And it’s so absurd. Where is the law to mobilize prisoners for the warden’s personal work?”

Interviews are conducted one by one in the evening after each workday.

“Then you can just get out. Can someone stop me?”

The superficial purpose was to receive and solve the prisoners’ difficulties, but the real purpose was one in the end.

giving you a chance to get out.

Individual interviews are held on average once a month, depending on the number of prisoners. And each time, Kim Woo-jin asked the same question.

“Honestly, isn’t it better to go back to your hometown than to rot in a place like this and make a fuss about how hard it is?”

And the majority of the prisoners answered the same.

“To lose everything now and live as a normal person? Could you do that if you were the warden?”

“I can’t. But I am not a prisoner.”

“I will definitely break out someday.”

“I am the warden for now.”

“I am a prisoner.”

“The story has been going on for 20 years.”

“20 years? It continued even before the warden came.”

“If so, we would be talking in the punishment room, not the office.”

“Isn’t it fine if you don’t get caught?”

“That’s something you’ll know when you look at it. So, do you have any intention of getting out?”

“Right now.”

“It sounds like your heart is starting to break a little bit.”

“After living in this terrible place for 71 years, it’s a little like that.”

Kim Woo-jin knew that was a lie. 71 years is a long time. However, that is only the case of a human being who lives a short life, and the woman in front of him was a little different.

Of course, in terms of the overall scope, it is only relatively short, but the time of 71 years itself was not short.

“I look forward to the day when we can part ways with a smile.”

“If you release me right away, we can part with a smile.”

“That is impossible. I have a situation too. If you change your mind at any time, tell the prison guards.”

“I don’t know if that will happen, but okay, warden.”

Sienna went out.

“Today has no meaning.”

The day’s work ended with a personal interview. In fact, as director, he had very little to do.

The management of prisoners and facilities is entrusted to the prison guards, and there is nothing else to do other than that.

There is no need to pay attention to public opinion or show something like a normal prison.

Oh, is it the same thing?

He took one shot of the cold coffee.

“I’m off work.”

“Yes, thank you for your hard work.”

I took off my coat and returned home. A house is, after all, only the top floor of Purgatory.

After taking a shower, I changed my clothes and ordered room service.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to eat sashimi in the morning?”

“Is it? I have changed my mind.”

“…This is the chadol jjambbong and Yuringi you ordered.”

Soji appeared with delicious dishes.

“Then enjoy your meal.”

“sit down. let’s eat together. I deliberately made it for two people.”

“I just ate dinner.”

“The hero’s camouflage shouldn’t be that small.”

Souji kept his mouth shut and sat quietly in front of him.

I took a sip of the jjamppong soup. Spicy was exactly Kim Woo-jin’s taste.

“Are your cooking skills getting better?”

“Isn’t the environment nice? You get all kinds of ingredients without restrictions, so there are many opportunities to make various things. The cliché of a mad scientist next to a villain is understandable.”

“Then am I a villain?”

“Of course, I am not saying that the warden is a villain.”

Soji smiled slyly.

“Cooking is good, but I’m thinking about getting out of here now.”

“Uh, then can I break out?”

“Fuck, why do all the prisoners here declare war in front of the warden?”

“Sienna-sama, where did you spend a day or two like that?”

“Do you memorize all the procedures for individual interviews?”

“How many prisoners are there? I am also in my 8th year here.”

“I am proud.”

Prisoner number 1176, Werner Rattmann. It was the prisoner who came in right before Kang Min-shik, who came in today.

In the midst of restoring Purgatory, which had become a mess, he was immediately appointed as Soji at the word cook and left everything to him.

Looking back, it was the best thing he had done since becoming warden.

“You really don’t want to go out?”

“Wouldn’t the warden be in trouble if I left?”

Kim Woo-jin did not completely deny it. Among the prisoners, only Soji had an expertise in cooking, so if he went out, he would have to eat rice without a head.

But making ex-prisoners was also one of his main tasks. It was more important right now to send one more prisoner out, even if the meal tasted a little off.

“Anyway, I have no intention of leaving for the time being. It’s not common to have an environment where you can cook all the ingredients from all dimensions, right?”

“···do whatever you want.”

After finishing the meal, Soji took an empty bowl and left. Kim Woo-jin lay on the bed and turned on the TV.

The connected dimension is Earth. Broadcasts from various countries were being aired.

“Chief.”

Then, someone knocked on the door. was a prison guard.

“what’s the matter?”

“I got a call from above. A new prisoner is coming in two weeks.”

“It’s only been two days since the new guy came in?”

Considering the time period between Kang Min-sik and So-ji, it was too fast even if it was fast. Of course, he doesn’t come in after setting the term of being a prisoner, but isn’t he an ordinary prisoner?

It is not common to be a hero, and it is not common for that hero to be imprisoned.

This was explained by the fact that Kim Woo-jin had been appointed as the warden of Purgatory, and that there were only three new prisoners.

Well, anyway, having a lot of prisoners to reform wasn’t a bad thing. at least for him.

“What is your personal information?”

“Here it is.”

The prison guard handed out the papers. It was a document containing only very simple things, different from the detailed information handed over by the escort officer on the day of handover.

“Damn it.”

After checking the first chapter, Kim Woo-jin spat out abusive language.

– Julia Karsen.

– Elf.

After becoming a warden, Kim Woo-jin hated people of different races. Especially, the elves who live a long life to the extent that their concept of time is firmly different from humans.

It was because the red-haired elf, who had been imprisoned for 71 years and didn’t take it seriously, was the default for the elves.

For him, 20 years, which was an extremely long time, is considered to be only two years.

* * *

Kang Min-sik woke up. At the same time, I felt liberated.

Arms and legs that had been suppressed like crushed taiyaki bread stretched out in all directions.

The punishment in the punishment room is over. His prison is back to normal solitary confinement.

“Breakfast!”

Read at noblemtl. com

Just in time, Soji left the food tray at the ration entrance and disappeared.

A fragrant yet familiar smell. It was rice cake dumpling soup that I ate countless times in my hometown.

Growling-

The smell of food I hadn’t tasted in a few days made my stomach churn. Instinctively he took his hand.

Could it be because I starved for 11 days? It was delicious. More than any rice cake soup I’ve ever eaten in my life.

“Woke up. Did you sleep well?”

He put down the spoon at the sound of an incomprehensible voice.

“What kind of manners are you leaving the lights on at night?”

“What a funny guy. Did you see him turn off the lights in the prison?”

“I’ve never done anything that deserves to go to jail.”

“But now he is in prison.”

My opponent, Kim Woo-jin, smiled. Kang Min-sik’s face twisted.

“You must have heard the story, so now you know why you are in this prison?”

“…”

“Have you not heard? It can’t be. It’s probably because he’s been locked up here for a long time, so grabbing someone and talking to him is his hobby.”

“···heard.”

“Then you know what questions I might ask.”

“Do you think that makes sense?”

Kang Min-shik gritted his teeth.

“It is 15 years. To become a hero for 15 years, I tried to save the world from the crazy light dragon. It hurt enough to die, and I thought a lot about wanting to die.”

The warrior’s power was simply strong, so it wasn’t something he wanted to lose.

“There was also a chance that was like a miracle. There were also sacrifices from colleagues. Their hopes, aspirations, and wishes combined with my efforts made me a hero!”

Proof that he lived as a warrior. The blood and sweat of his comrades. world history.

It was something that could never be forgotten or lost.

“I don’t know about that.”

However, Kim Woo-jin lightly ignored those things.

“The important thing is that the people who sent you here want you to give up your powers and live a normal life. And I have to fulfill that role as their pawn.”

So I’ll ask again.

“Are you going out? You can get out in a few days if you want.”

“…If I say go out, I will lose all my strength, right? Give me a few small pennies at most.”

“It must be quite a lot to call it modest money.”

“Fuck you.”

“It’s too much for an answer.”

Kang Min-sik swallowed his breath at the pain of squeezing his lungs. He gritted his teeth in the heat.

The sound of Kim Woo-jin’s footsteps faded into the blurred vision.

* * *

“Are you okay?”

Kang Min-sik was awakened by a voice from another room.

My stomach was still burning with pain.

“Be careful in the future. The warden isn’t a bad person, but he’s not a big deal either.”

“How fainted have I been?”

“About an hour?”

One hit and one hour? This would never have happened if the mana hadn’t been controlled by the restraints.

he licked his lips

“Derkain-nim, can you agree with that nonsense?”

“What? Are you telling me to give up all my strength and get out?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t understand, so I guess I’m stuck here. Everyone in this prison is like that. If I had given up in the first place, I wouldn’t be here.”

“Is that so?”

“You know what? The last time someone got out of this prison has been 5 years ago. It was 11 years before that.”

term is long That means no one wants to give up their power. Enduring, enduring, and inevitably breaking down.

“Is everyone happy with their prison life?”

“Don’t joke like that in front of the other prisoners. I’ll grab you by the collar right away and throw you away.”

Derkain clicked his tongue with a grunt.

“Where is the person who likes to be here? It has no choice, it has no choice but to do so.”

“What about jailbreak?”

Kang Min-sik, who stuck his head out through the ration hole and confirmed that there were no prison guards, lowered his voice as if in a whisper.

“Jailbreak? There’s no one here who hasn’t attempted a jailbreak at least once. Did you get an answer?”

“···Yes. Enough.”

“Listening to your voice, I will not give up.”

“I will definitely leave. If there is a chance, please go out together.”

“If that’s the case, I won’t have any wishes.”

Derkhain chuckled and laughed.

Well, it would be a good experience to bump into it and break it.

he murmured lowly.