Chapter 572: Bin City (1)
"Aaaah!! Damn it!"
Name: Lysandro.
Age: 27.
Profession: Smuggler in Bin City.
At this moment, he was sprinting desperately, cursing and screaming.
The reason? A horde of monsters was chasing him from behind.
“Heeeiiiigh!”
“F-Food...! It’s food!”
“H-Hi there...! N-Nice to meet you...”
For the record, "monster" here was not a metaphor.
The creature chasing him was a Human-faced Horse, a horrifying beast that could be described by no other term.
“Damn it!”
Turning his head briefly as he ran, Lysandro spotted the creatures drawing closer at an unbelievable speed, despite their clumsy attempts to imitate human speech.
Apparently, catching up to Lysandro's group alone wasn’t enough to satisfy their hunger.
He’d thought he could survive if he ran faster than his companions, but that had been a serious misjudgment.
“Seriously, damn it...!”
Overwhelmed by revulsion and terror as the creatures closed in, Lysandro finally reached into his coat and pulled out a vial.
It was a physical enhancement potion he’d purchased in Bin City, known to massively boost physical abilities—especially running speed and stamina.
It was awful tasting, exorbitantly priced, and known to cause severe muscle pain and exhaustion as side effects, so he avoided using it whenever possible. But now, Lysandro decided, was an exceptional case. He was just about to drink the potion when, suddenly, a voice came from an impossibly close distance behind him.
A disturbing sound, almost like a mixture of a human voice and the whinnying of a horse.
“Excuse me...! Would you please... stop?”
In that brief moment, while Lysandro was preparing to drink, the Human-faced Horse had already closed the gap to his back.
A speed beyond that of any human—or even a regular horse.
Startled by the abrupt situation, Lysandro not only dropped the vial he was holding but tripped over his own feet and went flying forward due to momentum.
A ridiculous, comical sight. But then, something even more surreal caught his eye.
Out here in the middle of nowhere, outside of Bin City, where there was nothing that could be called a “real city,” a sleek and glimmering car sped toward him.
That bold, rugged curve, the impenetrable armor, and a thunderous roar like a hundred horses combined—all of it was beautiful. Yet, the most beautiful part of all was the Gatling gun protruding from its hood.
With ten long, black barrels arranged in a cylinder, the Gatling gun suddenly spun to life and began to spit fire.
Dududududududududududu━!!
An intense heat and deafening sound erupted in all directions.
As the booming noise echoed, Lysandro, who had been airborne, tumbled onto the ground, while the Human-faced Horse that had been targeting him was instantly shredded by hundreds of bullets, its body reduced to a grotesque mess.
But that wasn’t the end.
The magnificent and fierce vehicle swerved in an acrobatic drift, narrowly skirting around Lysandro before unleashing a hail of bullets upon the dozens of Human-faced Horses trailing behind him. Then, opening the mortar on the vehicle’s rear, it launched a bomb.
Boom!!
At the sound of the projectile firing, red flames erupted, causing the horses to shriek in that unsettling tone as they fell, or tried to flee with their bodies engulfed in flames.
Everything happened so fast; it was a situation so unreal that it felt like a dream.
Yet, through the pain surging through his body, Lysandro realized that this moment was very real. Quickly, he gathered his scattered belongings.
Click.
As soon as he secured his bundle, he heard a door open. Lysandro looked up instinctively, prepared to offer his gratitude with a smile.
“Thank you for saving—”
However, any urge to express thanks vanished the moment he saw the face behind the open door.
“...Not going to hop in?”
“Damn, Ewan?”
“Good to see you too.”
Despite nearly dying, Lysandro’s face took on a murderous look, while Ewan, sitting in the back of the vehicle, reluctantly offered a greeting.
...
Vroooom!
The rugged terrain, dotted sparsely with dark green grass and bushes, lay stretched across the red field.
A massive armored vehicle tore through, kicking up a cloud of dust as it drove alone.
The scene was so incongruous that it appeared almost comical—such a sophisticated vehicle in a desolate area full of abandoned villages. Yet, compared to the interior of the vehicle, the outside view wasn’t all that strange.
After all, inside this car were a relentless debtor who had no intention of repaying his debt, the creditor who’d just saved his life, and Oliver.
“...”
“...”
“...”
All three were silent for different reasons in that moment.
Lysandro was struck silent by the absurdity of the situation.
Ewan regretted helping in the first place.
And Oliver simply had no thoughts at all.
Thankfully, the silence didn’t last too long.
“Are you alright?”
Oliver, seated in the driver’s seat, spoke to Lysandro through the rearview mirror. He would’ve preferred to turn around and ask directly, but glancing backward while driving was dangerous, so he greeted him this way instead.
Despite the bizarre and uncomfortable situation, Lysandro respectfully answered Oliver’s question.
“Ah... I apologize. I didn’t even thank you for saving me. I owe you my life.”
“Glad to hear you’re alright. You can call me Dave.”
As Oliver introduced himself, Lysandro also offered his name.
“I’m Lysandro. I’m a peddler in Bin City. And again, I’m truly grateful for saving my life.”
Though his mind was still a bit disoriented, Lysandro introduced himself with calm sincerity and took a moment to steady his emotions.
Then, as curiosity took hold, he tried to get a look at Oliver’s face through the rearview mirror. At that moment, Ewan spoke up.
“Why haven’t you thanked me yet? I kindly opened the door and saved you too, didn’t I?”
With a voice surprisingly sulky for a middle-aged man, Lysandro’s face twisted, and he whipped his head around to glare.
In fact, his contorted expression was almost more monstrous than the Human-faced Horse from earlier.
“...You helped me?”
“Of course. Didn’t you see me open the door?”
Ewan, who had skipped town after borrowing four hundred million with bogus collateral, spoke with brazen shamelessness.
“Wasn’t it because Dave here forced you to help me?”
“Why would I ever have such a nasty thought?!”
“Because if you handed me over, your debt would be erased!”
“Damn it! Sharp as ever! Bingo!!”
Ewan yelled in confession as their voices rose.
He might have been honest enough to admit it in the end, but that was little consolation to Lysandro, who only felt intense frustration, rage, and stress. Covering his face with both hands, he groaned.
“Ugh... I seriously want to punch him.”
“Would you like this?”
Oliver, still driving, reached over to offer Lysandro a bottle of water and a calorie bar (chocolate-flavored).
Though his position was awkward since he had to keep his eyes on the road, Lysandro quickly accepted both the water and calorie bar.
“What’s this?”
“I figured you’d be thirsty and hungry. Please, have some.”
First saving his life, and now offering water and food. The unexpected kindness touched Lysandro, who expressed his thanks once more.
“...Thank you. Frankly, it’s amazing you’re even associating with someone like Ewan.”
“I’m only helping since the circumstances allow it, so don’t worry. And as for Ewan, he’s actually helping me out on this trip, so I should be the one showing my gratitude.”
“That’s right. Ahem!”
“God, I really want to hit you.”
With a smug look, Ewan crossed his arms, snorting, while Lysandro muttered and took a sip of water, calming down further with the sweet taste of the bar.
Not missing his chance, Oliver then asked a question.
“What exactly were those creatures chasing you earlier? The ones with human faces?”
“Oh... they’re called Human-faced Horses. One of the many monsters that appear in the Cursed Lands.”
“Cursed Lands?”
“Ah, so you’re not from around here. It’s a place around here, between Bin City and Ibernia. No one really knows why it’s cursed, but it’s full of monsters, and staying too long makes you sick.”
As Lysandro explained this, Oliver's curiosity deepened.
“What were you doing in such a dangerous place?”
“Money.” Lysandro replied, patting the bundle clutched tightly in his arms.
It looked like some type of storage pouch, with small eyes blinking open and shut, confirming its nature.
“Right now, food’s in short supply in Bin City.”
“Food?”
“Yes, the city’s a mess, and it’s impossible to grow enough to meet demand.”
Lysandro gave a detailed explanation, seemingly as his way of showing maximum courtesy to his savior.
“The land around Bin City is barren, and there aren’t many farms. The city’s filled with pirates, black magicians, and refugees, just to name a few.”
“So is Bin City always struggling for food?”
“No, not always. Usually, pirates and smuggling ships bring in enough to get by, even if supplies are tight.”
“Then why the shortage now?”
Lysandro scratched his chin, seemingly reluctant to answer.
“Well... it seems a sea monster or something like that has appeared and has been sinking ships. So, aside from a few exceptions, most vessels are currently in port.”
“Then, were you just passing through to gather supplies?”
“Something like that. Although, technically, it was mostly sugar and liquor that I went for.”
“Sorry?”
“When food gets scarce, so do luxuries like that, and prices can shoot up several times over... As I said, I went there to make some money.”
Just as Ewan had claimed, Lysandro was unabashedly profit-driven and didn’t bother hiding it.
Ewan interjected again.
“Pathetic. Dealing in liquor and sugar of all things. I remember when you were an ambitious young man.”
“If you hadn’t taken off with my four hundred million start-up money, I wouldn’t be doing this!!”
“Hey, that’s not fair! I only borrowed that because you wanted to take my ‘artifacts’ as collateral, didn’t you? You gave me a loan I couldn’t possibly repay just to get your hands on that!”
“Damn it! How about mentioning that the collateral was a piece of junk?!”
Indeed, Lysandro had lent his hard-earned seed money to Ewan, believing in the value of his dark magic artifacts. But Ewan had exploited this, using his failed item as collateral before disappearing.
“Argh, thinking about it again makes me want to kill you...!”
With genuine murderous intent in his eyes, Lysandro gritted his teeth. But Ewan was quick to counter.
“Try it. I’ll cry like a baby!”
It was in this tense, chaotic moment that Oliver directed another question to Lysandro.
He needed to understand the situation here to decide his next steps.
“Is there anything else happening in Bin City besides the food shortage?”
It was a curious question coming from someone who was not only a stranger to Bin City but an obvious outsider to the region altogether.
Yet, owing Oliver his life, Lysandro told him everything.
“Monsters are appearing more frequently in the Cursed Lands, and there’s also a cult that’s been causing a stir around here. Actually, that’s partly why food is scarce.”
“By ‘cult,’ do you mean the White Swan Sect?”
“Oh? You know about them? They’re somewhat well-known in these parts, but you wouldn’t have heard of them elsewhere.”
“I happened to run into them once... What exactly is suspicious about them?”
“I don’t know much myself. Not knowing is dangerous, but knowing too much is even riskier... I just know there’s been a shift in their leadership, and it’s giving off a dangerous vibe.”
The White Swan Sect’s leadership...
While Oliver knew little about them, he had an instinctive sense that they were connected to the royal contenders.
And like Lysandro said, there was a menacing feeling about them.
The reappearance of a sea monster presumed gone, the emergence of the White Swan Sect in Gallos, and the escalating activity of black magicians—all signs that the world had grown more chaotic since Oliver’s return from the New World.
“...Would you mind if I asked you a question as well?”
Lysandro cautiously spoke up, having been patiently answering Oliver’s questions up to this point, waiting for this moment.
“Of course.”
“If you’re here in Bin City, and getting help from someone like Ewan, then I’m guessing you’ve got some important business. May I ask why you’re visiting? It might be a matter of survival for me to know.”
Lysandro’s request was sincere, and Oliver understood his position.
Rumor had it that Bin City was the only habitable place in the vicinity.
Getting exiled from there would likely mean certain death, so even though he owed his life to Oliver, Lysandro had limits to how much he could assist without understanding the stakes.
Oliver considered this and replied honestly.
“I’m here to meet Captain Hook.”
“...I don’t even know how to react to that—it’s shocking.”
“Do you know him?”
“Of course. He’s a well-known black magician and pirate in Bin City. Why on earth are you meeting him?”
Oliver pondered for a moment. Would it be better to tell the truth, or to keep it under wraps for now?
Explaining that he wanted to meet Captain Hook to rescue a friend kidnapped by the Black Hand’s agent, Pan... The best choice seemed to be keeping it to himself for now.
“If I explained, it might take a while... Do you know how I could meet him?”
Lysandro shook his head.
“No... He’s not someone who’d see just anyone. Captain Hook’s a big deal in Bin City.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, he holds considerable influence among both the black magicians and the pirates. He’s a rather self-centered person, so it’s hard to meet him unless you’re a notable figure in the city. Not to mention he’s likely out at sea right now.”
“So, there’s absolutely no way to reach him?”
Lysandro scratched his chin, seeming troubled.
“Hmm... Well, it’s not impossible. Jack, the mayor of Bin City, could likely get you in touch since he runs the place.”
“I see.”
“Yes... The problem is, I’m also not someone he’d meet with. The most I can offer is to help you sneak into Bin City through a backdoor.”
Lysandro surprisingly hadn’t forgotten Oliver’s aid and was willing to assist however he could.
It was an unexpected response from a smuggler in the city of black magicians, yet Oliver understood his intentions perfectly.
In a place like this, it was dangerous not to keep things give-and-take. Not that Oliver minded Lysandro’s attitude—it seemed quite fitting.
Considering the situation, Oliver pondered a solution that would benefit everyone involved.
“Lysandro, Ewan owes you four hundred million, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Ewan, if I’m not mistaken, there’s a bounty on your head in Bin City. Do you happen to know how much it’s worth?”
“Around two billion. If captured alive, it’s four billion.”
“Seems like they’re really mad at me. I wonder what I did.”
With a bounty this high, even Oliver was impressed.
“Impressive... So, if we report you, we might just get Jack’s attention, right?”
Both Lysandro and Ewan turned to stare at Oliver in surprise.