It was a perfect location, situated between a residential area and a bustling commercial district.

The alley – without traffic lights – was just wide enough for two cars to pass each other.

Along that road, shops and houses faced each other.

It was past midnight, so the street was deserted, and most of the shops lining both sides were closed. Amidst the closed shops, a few scattered lights flickered.

Among those shops was a building so quiet and unassuming that it was hard to notice. The building had a simple exterior that gave a sense of peace. The entrance was located at the corner beside the first floor.

Christoph, without hesitation, headed straight for the entrance and descended the stairs, leaving Jeong Taeui shaking his head and clicking his tongue as he followed.

He hurried to keep up with Christoph’s determined steps but couldn’t fathom what this person was thinking, daring to charge into enemy territory alone.

If he wasn’t mistaken, this was surely Richard’s bar.

If so, then most of the people inside were Richard’s men or, at the very least, not allies of him and Chris.

“……..Are you okay?”

Jeong Taeui asked as Christoph turned to look at him. He asked with his eyes – “What?” – Seeing that calm look, Jeong Taeui could only shrug.

Christoph Tarten.

The stories about him were like those of the protagonist in the ‘European Killing Fields,’ a lunatic more dangerous than anyone could imagine. Despite hearing so much, seeing his imposing presence with his own eyes was a first.

His extraordinary overwhelming ability could tear apart a few people in the blink of an eye without hesitation. Even more terrifying was that despite getting his opponent’s blood on him and stomping them into pieces coldly, he didn’t have a single scratch.

Though he had witnessed another monster and lived with it to the point of becoming accustomed to such horrors, his heart still felt cold.

However, even in that situation, charging into enemy territory alone – Jeong Taeui knew Christoph could protect himself, but he himself wasn’t a strong enough ally to support Christoph – this weighed heavily on him.

He thought of causing chaos by calling the police if something happened inside, but Jeong Taeui knew the police wouldn’t be of help in this situation.

Jeong Taeui racked his brain for a long time, but in this unclear situation, no matter how he tried to simulate different scenarios in his head, he couldn’t come up with a good plan. He had to resign himself to ‘whatever happens, happens’ and sighed bitterly.

Who knows. Everything will be fine anyway.

Just as he thought that, Christoph – who was four steps ahead of him – opened the wooden door without hesitation.

All eyes turned towards them.

Following closely behind Christoph, Jeong Taeui clearly felt the scrutinizing gazes upon them.

Those eyes primarily focused on Christoph and, after scanning him, shifted to Jeong Taeui, who was accompanying him.

“……. Wow……. The bar looks nice.”

Jeong Taeui could only say that.

The surprised gazes at Christoph’s appearance covered in blood, also regarded Jeong Taeui – who was with him – as of the same type, staring at them with similarly intense eyes. Those gazes were indeed very harsh.

He could hear murmurs – “That’s Christoph, Christoph Tarten” – constantly echoing.

The whispers, mixed with surprise, obvious hostility, anxiety, and fear, filled the room. Jeong Taeui looked around the bar.

The place didn’t look any different from ordinary bars.

Inside, there was a slightly elevated bar counter surrounded by tables and chairs. The space was quite spacious.

“Everything is fine, except I don’t like the people here much. Customers or staff alike…”

Jeong Taeui muttered with a frown.

As expected, among those sitting inside were quite a few familiar faces. They were people he had seen with Richard’s faction.

Even though he recognized only a few, it was likely that the rest were similar. The way they looked at Christoph showed they weren’t allies.

Jeong Taeui silently prayed that everything would end smoothly today and took a deep breath.

“Christoph!” – A voice called out from the bar area, calling Christoph’s name.

A man in a not-too-formal, not-too-casual suit emerged from behind the bar. From his appearance and demeanor, it seemed he worked there and held a significant position.

Christoph, who was walking in, turned his head towards the caller. Recognizing the man, his eyes widened, and he stopped.

“Eric!”

It seemed they knew each other.

The man named Eric spread his arms wide, smiling joyfully as he approached.

“Oh my, how long has it been? So… it’s the first time since we met in Serbia, right? Great to see you again. But… Why are you covered in blood like that? Are you injured anywhere?”

The man approached Christoph, intending to pat him on the shoulder instead of shaking hands, but seeing Christoph’s furious glare, he laughed awkwardly and muttered – “Ah right, I forgot.” – He then noticed Christoph’s blood-soaked state and looked very surprised.

But seeing his unconcerned face, Jeong Taeui realized that the question – “…are you injured anywhere?” – was merely a formality.

This meant that this man probably knew exactly who Christoph was.

“Why are you here?”

Christoph asked, frowning. The man raised his eyebrows and laughed heartily.

“I’m a wanderer; it’s not strange for me to be here.”

“When did you come here?”

“Here? Oh, I came to Germany eight months ago and arrived in Dresden two months ago. So I’ve been here for two months.”

The man shrugged.

Christoph seemed about to say something but then fell silent, his face clearly showing displeasure.

“Are you working for Richard?”

Christoph’s voice turned cold. The man’s eyes widened in surprise, then he frowned.

“What are you talking about? I was just hired by Richard. Someone under him suddenly left, and there was no one to look after the place, so they asked me to take over temporarily until they found a replacement. You know I owe Richard a favor. How could I refuse?”

“So, you’re involved with Richard because of that debt, right?”

“Oh my, Christoph. You have to listen to the whole story. I’m Richard’s friend, but I’m also your friend. Isn’t that right? If I weren’t your friend, why would I risk my life to save you in Serbia? Even though my knee still hurts every time it rains, I’ve never blamed or regretted that.”

“……”

Christoph looked silently at the man. His face was gloomy, as if things weren’t going as expected.

“…… So, Eric, are you using that to hinder me?”

When Christoph coldly asked, the man’s eyes widened in apparent surprise. He raised both hands in a gesture of surrender and spoke exaggeratedly.

“Oh my, how could I hinder you? If it’s your business, I’m more than willing to help, never causing any trouble! We’re friends, right?”

Despite the man’s friendly persuasion, Christoph’s expression grew colder. His face became more severe.

Jeong Taeui looked at the man with enthusiasm, then turned to Christoph. Christoph’s face clearly showed his discomfort.

It seemed this man knew both Richard and Christoph and had once risked his life to save Christoph, resulting in a severe knee injury. He also had a debt to Richard.

Christoph coldly looked at the man welcoming him, then clicked his tongue and raised his head. Then he spoke coldly.

“Call Richard. I need to talk to him.”

“Richard? …May I ask what it’s about?”

Eric – the enthusiastic man – tilted his head in apparent surprise at hearing Richard’s name and asked cautiously. Christoph frowned.

“That’s none of your business, Eric. I’m here to settle a personal matter with him, and I know he’s here. If he doesn’t show up, I’ll tear this place apart. If you don’t want to see this bar destroyed, bring Richard to me.”

“What did you say?! This bastard dares to barge into someone else’s place and—”

The man standing a few steps away, who Jeong Taeui had seen several times with Richard’s faction, shouted in anger upon hearing Christoph’s words.

Ever since Christoph entered the bar, the man had been glaring at them with hostility, and now, hearing Christoph’s words, he could no longer hold back his anger.

Christoph glanced towards him. The man brushed off his friend’s restraining hand and stepped forward.

“This isn’t your place, you lunatic! It was bad enough seeing you at home, and now you’re here acting all high and mighty?! What did you say? If Richard doesn’t show up, you’ll tear this place apart?! Fine, try it, but you’ll have to get past me first if you dare!”

The man clenched his fist and shook it threateningly in front of Christoph. Christoph looked at him calmly and clenched his own fist.

Jeong Taeui thought – ‘He’s going to be the first to go down’ – and quietly looked away.

“Why is this happening! My friend is here, and you act so rudely, where’s my face?! Move aside!”

The one who shouted and patted the man on the back was Eric – standing before Christoph, grinning and speaking non-stop.

As the man tried to argue, Eric shouted – “Don’t argue with the manager, move aside. Oh my man, my man!” – and quickly pushed him away. Then Eric turned back to Christoph, smiling.

“Sorry about that, hope you understand. Most of the people working here are under Richard, you know. Please overlook this for my sake. Oh right, come on over. We have a special drink that just arrived today! I guess I’m lucky today because you came. Come, sit down. – Oh, you’re friends with Christoph, right? You come to sit too.”

At some point, Eric had guided Christoph to an empty seat inside the bar.

Jeong Taeui followed a few steps behind, feeling impressed.

The clever man had led Christoph without touching him and then skillfully brought him to the bar counter. It seemed he knew well Christoph’s habit of avoiding physical contact.

While admiring this cleverness, Jeong Taeui followed and saw Christoph already sitting on the chair Eric had pulled out.

Though looking dissatisfied, Christoph didn’t seem too angry, appearing to agree midway.

“So, what’s the special drink you mentioned—?” – Taeui

“No need. Bring Richard here now. I need to see him immediately.”

Christoph coldly said, turning the glass Eric handed him upside down and pouring the drink onto the floor. Eric shook his head regretfully and muttered – “Oh, such a precious drink…” – He didn’t answer Christoph but turned to Jeong Taeui with a friendly smile and said

“What would you like to drink, my friend? Don’t worry, it’s on me.”

“Then I’ll have that precious drink you mentioned. I’ll drink on Christoph’s behalf. Seems like I’m lucky today.”

As Jeong Taeui mumbled, Eric suddenly stopped and then burst out laughing. He patted Jeong Taeui’s shoulder hard.

“You’re an interesting guy, really interesting! Alright, I’ll get it for you. This special drink is―”

“Eric!”

Christoph interrupted Eric coldly. His deep, cold voice carried the implication that if Eric interrupted and diverted the conversation one more time, he would overturn everything.

Eric seemed to understand this, his face briefly showing concern before he sighed exaggeratedly. Strangely, while such an action would look ridiculous on someone else, it made others feel sympathy for him.

Jeong Taeui thought he understood the capabilities of this man when he quietly touched the glass of wine beside him. Eric sat down in front of Christoph with a heavy expression.

“Christoph. Can’t you let this go just this once? Richard is indeed in the bar, but he is currently meeting a very important guest. I can’t call him out right now.”

“That’s not my concern. I need to handle my business and leave immediately.”

“Listen, Chris. Please understand my position. You know I owe Richard a lot. He entrusted me with this bar. If anything goes wrong while I’m in charge, how could I face him? I’m begging you to reconsider this one time. It’s not that I don’t want to bring him here. As soon as that important guest leaves, I’ll inform him right away. Okay? Please wait a bit longer, just a little.”

“As I said, that’s not my concern—”

“Oh, oh, oh… Suddenly, my knee… I haven’t been able to do any proper work anywhere because of this knee… In such a difficult situation, I’m truly grateful to Richard for trusting me with this bar. I’m very grateful to him… Oh, but of course, I’m very happy that I sacrificed my knee to save you!”

“……”

It seemed like a blue flame was burning in Christoph’s eyes. His clenched fist on the table trembled slightly.

After a few seconds, Christoph finally sighed bitterly and relaxed his fist. He asked with clear annoyance.

“When will that important guest leave?”

“Huh? Oh, well… Since he just arrived, it might take a while… I’ll seize the moment when he’s not paying attention to meet Richard and inform him. I’m sure Richard will come running once he knows you’re here.”

Hearing that, it sounded like their relationship was quite good, but Jeong Taeui thought about how they could start fighting the moment they saw each other. He silently sipped his wine.

Christoph looked at Eric with loathing—this wasn’t the first time he had been dragged into such a situation—Chris sighed quietly.

“One hour. I won’t wait any longer; you handle it yourself.”

“One hour? So soon?! …Oh no, it’s okay, there will surely be an opportunity within that time.”

Eric suddenly shouted in a panicked voice but, upon seeing Christoph’s face, which was almost losing patience, immediately changed his tone and smiled brightly.

Jeong Taeui thought he might have understood why Richard hired this man as the manager. He held his wine glass and looked around the bar once more. However, no matter how carefully he looked, he didn’t see anyone resembling Richard.

… Oh, if they’re meeting an important guest, they must be in a private room. Probably in the hallway inside…

Jeong Taeui glanced at a small hallway next to the restroom sign, mostly hidden by a large potted plant, and pondered.

But…

“What’s the matter?”

Christoph, who was drinking the water he had just requested, asked when he saw Jeong Taeui looking around. Jeong Taeui shrugged and replied, “Nothing.”

“The layout of this place is quite strange. If you go down that hallway, there must be private rooms. Besides, the atmosphere in this bar feels a bit…”

Jeong Taeui stopped mid-sentence.

The atmosphere in the bar felt somewhat… dangerous.

The staff here, too; the structure of the bar had many escape routes, and cameras might be hidden in the ceiling and corners.

Moreover, the bar’s area was much smaller than initially expected when entering the building. The bar wasn’t small, but compared to the building’s size, it was much smaller. This meant there were quite a few unseen rooms.

If it were just to ensure safety for illegal liquor trading, it wouldn’t make sense.

When Jeong Taeui mumbled that – Eric – who was mixing cocktails at the opposite table, raised an eyebrow upon hearing those words. He glanced at Jeong Taeui and then lowered his head without saying anything.

Next to him, Christoph casually said—”Ah, right.”

“Because this is a ‘dangerous’ bar.”

“’Dangerous’ bar…?” 

(*Idk if it is correct or not, but ‘위험한 가게’ is kind of refers to a location with many risk factors and dangers, often associated with illegal or hazardous activities.)

“Although Richard owns and manages this place, broadly speaking, it belongs to Tarten. This is where Tarten’s clients frequently visit. Therefore, it’s natural to have many private rooms.”

Hearing Christoph speak casually, Jeong Taeui remembered Tarten’s business.

The information industry. A private intelligence agency.

“Ah… That’s indeed the case.”

Jeong Taeui nodded. Thus, even if the bar’s structure was a bit odd, it was understandable.

Christoph continued explaining to Jeong Taeui – who was nodding continuously.

“Initially, this place was a club specializing in large-scale drug and opium trading. It was later bought and renovated, hence the unusual structure.”

“Ah… And you’re telling me all this?” – Jeong Taeui stopped nodding and looked at Christoph with suspicion.

Given the story’s content, this wasn’t something to easily share with an outsider.

Christoph nodded and responded – “Hmm”

“If there’s an incident causing trouble for this bar, it will be Richard who faces difficulties. If you want to spread this story, go ahead.”

“Ah…”

Even if he spread it, those who listened would only be Ilay Kyle or his uncle and brother. But they seemed to know everything already. Having a special bar like this wasn’t surprising.

Now, something else bothered Jeong Taeui more.

“I always thought only the western part of Tarten was dangerous, but this place is no less so…”

Jeong Taeui mumbled while finishing his wine.

He waved his hand to decline when Eric tilted the bottle to pour him more, instead requesting a beer. Although the wine had a good taste and feel, beer suited his palate better. Eric seemed willing to offer free beer, which pleased Jeong Taeui greatly.

However, the gloomy atmosphere made the beer taste less enjoyable…

“The atmosphere here is really scary.”

Jeong Taeui shrugged and muttered. Christoph nodded slightly but didn’t seem to care.

After all, he didn’t care about anything. Before Eric handed him a wet towel to wipe his face and hands, Christoph’s whole body was covered in blood.

But Jeong Taeui did care.

From the beginning, it had been this way, but now the countless hostile glances staring at them made him even more uncomfortable.

Though he had grown accustomed to such looks in the western part of Tarten, it seemed more intense at Richard’s bar. The atmosphere felt like it could explode at any moment.

“Even though this is Richard’s bar, isn’t the atmosphere here too bad?”

When Jeong Taeui mumbled, Christoph took a sip of water and replied nonchalantly.

“By now, there should be news.”

“What news?”

“The six guys we left at the stable.”

“……”

Oh, right.

Jeong Taeui nodded as he finally understood. He glanced at Christoph, who paid no attention to the hostile gazes around them. Except for his face and hands, which were cleaned with a wet towel, the rest of Christoph’s body was still covered in blood. Fortunately, the dim lighting made the bar quite dark, making it seem like he was wearing black clothes. But in a bright place, it would be a horrifying sight.

Yes. They had every right to be angry.

It wasn’t pleasant to see an enemy suddenly appear, threaten to overturn the bar, and call out the bar owner. And then realize all the blood on him belonged to their comrades…

… These people were indeed aggressive. They might want to grab a mop and beat him out of frustration.

“Hmm, really troublesome…”

Jeong Taeui sighed and mumbled. Christoph was sitting right next to him and asked – “What?”

“Since earlier, I’ve wanted to go to the restroom, but I’m afraid of getting into trouble on the way.”

Jeong Taeui looked up and scanned the bar with a distressed expression. The path to the restroom in the corner looked very dim. It seemed like a tough road ahead.

“There’s a high chance I’ll be dragged away and beaten on the way to or back from the restroom.”

“….Do you want me to go with you?”

Christoph looked at Jeong Taeui, who was mumbling heavily, and asked with a puzzled expression but then spoke loudly and arrogantly. However, Jeong Taeui shook his head and waved his hand.

“It’s better for one to stay here so if the other doesn’t return, they can call the police. If both get beaten, what then?”

“In that case, don’t you think separating would mean danger hitting each one individually?”

Hearing Christoph’s words, Jeong Taeui realized that, nodded, and said – “Ah, I see” – He looked up at the dim ceiling light for a while before deciding.

“That means no matter what, it’s dangerous.”

Christoph didn’t respond. He didn’t think it was dangerous, but according to the story’s flow, any conclusion was the same.

Jeong Taeui replied – “Then” – and stood up.

“I’ll go to the restroom. Hope I’ll return safely.”

Feeling regretful for saying such solemn words just to go to the restroom, Jeong Taeui turned and walked away.

This wasn’t a joke.

As soon as he got up from his seat, Jeong Taeui had that feeling.

As soon as he left the bar counter and headed towards the restroom, he felt sharp glances aimed at him.

Sensing the gazes like arrows from front and back, Jeong Taeui followed the restroom sign.

The restroom sign glimmered under the dim light – truly a lit sign! – leading the way into the hallway. Along this hallway, it turned once more after about 10 meters, and at the end, there was another restroom sign.

The restroom wasn’t too deep inside, but the bar’s structure was indeed peculiar.

Reaching the end of the hallway, Jeong Taeui glanced around.

There were several paths leading to the restroom.

One path led from the bar hall that Jeong Taeui had just walked through. Another path led from a wide, empty hallway that didn’t seem connected to anything. And inside, there was another path.

“The structure is really strange; it’s easy to get lost.”

Jeong Taeui mumbled— “Could this be reported for building code violations?”—and tilted his head in wonder.

As he was heading towards the restroom, Jeong Taeui suddenly stopped and tried going in the opposite direction. He was curious about what was in that hallway.

From the moment Jeong Taeui took a few steps into the path connecting to the hall, the interior of the other side’s hallway completely changed.

A thick, soft carpet stretched to the end of the hallway. The light was gentle and bright enough, shining down on the heavy oak doors on both sides of the hallway.

“Oh my, it seems like poor guests have to sit in the hall with uncomfortable seats and drink cheap liquor, while wealthy guests are taken to these luxurious rooms and drink expensive wine like water.”

While looking around the hallway, Jeong Taeui mumbled in the tone he had learned from a clever little girl he met while playing with Christoph’s students.

There might be people inside one of those rooms, but from the outside, it was impossible to tell. The hallway looked really out of the ordinary.

Jeong Taeui shrugged and turned away.

Anyway, that place had nothing to do with him. He had no reason to enter those rooms, and even if he did, he couldn’t afford the drinks there.

Returning to the hallway and heading towards the restroom, Jeong Taeui suddenly stopped.

“…Huh.” – A short sound escaped his mouth unconsciously.

The hallway stretched far ahead.

In the distance, a man opened a door and stepped into a room. It was the room at the far end of the hallway.

When Jeong Taeui turned back to the hallway to go to the restroom, the man had already entered the room. When Jeong Taeui turned his head, he only saw the man’s shoulder and back before he disappeared behind the door.

The sound of the door closing softly echoed.

“…Huh…?”

Jeong Taeui tilted his head in confusion.

That man looked familiar. Even though he didn’t see the face clearly, the silhouette of the shoulders, back, and the way he walked seemed very familiar.

Among the people Jeong Taeui knew, there was someone like that…

“… Ah…Impossible…”

Jeong Taeui pondered for a while and then laughed, shaking his head. That man couldn’t be here. At this hour, he should be resting in the VIP room in the eastern part of Tarten.

Jeong Taeui shook his head and entered the restroom.

The restroom was spacious and empty.

In a place of this scale, even considering the time, it was quite rare for the restroom to be completely empty. Jeong Taeui nodded as he realized the reason.

With this scale, there might be one or two other restrooms. Moreover, each room could have its own restroom, so it was understandable for no one to be here.

Jeong Taeui nodded as he approached the toilet.

“After all, humans cannot predict the future…”

He sighed and mumbled as he began to relieve himself. In fact, since being in the library with Christoph, he had wanted to go to the restroom. He had held it for quite a long time.

“This morning, I thought I would have a peaceful evening, but who knew I would have to leave Tarten and end up in a bar.”

Thinking that, Jeong Taeui continued to mumble “Will I be able to return to Berlin with that book tomorrow and live peacefully? Who knows? Always have to live with hope!.”

Meanwhile, he finished his business and was adjusting his clothes.

Suddenly, behind him, there was a loud noise, and the restroom door opened.

Two men stepped in. One of them closed the door and stood blocking it.

Jeong Taeui, just pulling up his zipper, mumbled.

“If two men come into a restroom together and close the door, it’s almost certain they’re gay or—”

Before he could finish his sentence.

The man approached Jeong Taeui and swung his fist at his head. No—To be precise, although the man’s fist was raised, Jeong Taeui quickly moved his head to the side, narrowly avoiding the punch.

**************************