“Uh, Yuhyun. So the Chief of Police’s victory condition is—”

“He has to kill every police officer.”

My younger brother said it calmly. At the same time, the thieves’ expressions shifted slightly. If all the police are eliminated, the thieves’ victory condition is also met. Could they achieve a joint victory? If so, it would be more advantageous for the thieves to cooperate with the Chief of Police.

We were already on the verge of splitting apart, and ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) now one more losing condition had been added.

“Right, um. Peace?”

Peace, who had been staring at me the whole time, blinked.

└ One plea to Peace, please look this way just once ㅠㅠ baby ㅠㅠ show me your paw onceㅓ ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└ Director Han, please get Peace to say something!!! Anythingㅠㅠ

└ Let me smell Peace’s paw’s scent just once……

└ Peace, pleeease just once paw!!!!! Pleeaseㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Our Peace’s paw was undeniably cute, but so many people were vying for it.

“But does Peace… understand what’s happening? Did Peace attack the police too? Give orders too? Our Peace is smart, but……”

Even so, Peace couldn’t read or fully comprehend words. Peace tilted his head again. Our Peace looked handsome in human form too. But his original form was cuter! And now he seemed to be in a quasi-ethereal state—according to the chat.

└ Peace taily-tail!!!!ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└ How does Peace understand this situation…?

└ Peace is the smartest here

└ Let Peace go to college

“He seemed to understand that we lure the police in to capture them.”

“Genius!”

“I’ve hunted monsters with him many times. He grasps simple tactics like blocking a path.”

“As expected, our Peace! He could really go to college, Peace! Daddy, you recognized that, right? Huh? You know that appearances change here, right? Peace, you know Daddy, right?”

“Mm-hm.”

Peace spoke again. It was not good for my heart.

└ Peace!!! Please squeak at Gocheok Dome!!!

└ No warmth. Must be a ghost chat.(I died of cuteness when Peace squeaked)

└ Director Han! Peace just squeaked “kwaung”!

“Mm-hm, he said!”

└ Peace finally learned Koreanㅠㅠ call him Daddy! Daddy!!!

└ Can Peace read the chat too? Oh our Peace… only one outfit? Just the Cutie in the wardrobe…

└ Peace speaks? On stream it just sounds like squeakingㅠㅠ I want a talking Peaceㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└ Peace, help me I’m trapped in a red cat’s body pleaseㅠㅠㅠ

“Peace, let’s hear you again. Huh? Just once, say Daddy!”

If not now, when could I hear it? Peace!

“Hyung, calm down.”

Yuhyun said to me in a calm voice as I shouted at Peace. Hyunah also looked at me in mild disbelief. The other hunters’ eyes seemed to say they’d seen everything at this point.

– Above my head, darling.

“I get it! If Comet spoke, I’d be just as excited as Director Han!”

…Hm, so it was Soyeong-level excitement for me. I needed to calm down. But Peace! I inhaled deeply. Calm down.

“S-So. The Chief of Police must not have any witnesses other than thieves when he kills the police. Right?”

“Exactly.”

“But showing up like this……”

Wait, this situation right now is—

“Hyung!”

Moon Hyunah shouted. But the police could not attack the Chief of Police first. The other officers and asset owners were likewise unable. Yuhyun spoke to me gently.

“I heard you’re the only one who knows the slave’s location, Hyung. Right?”

“Well……”

“If you lose the slave, a joint victory becomes impossible.”

That’s right. If the slave fell into the Chief of Police’s hands here, we would have no way to retrieve him. Then the police would choose the condition to eliminate some asset owners to prevent their victory, then chase the thieves.

We would be completely divided and have fewer witnesses. In other words, the Chief of Police would gain a tremendous advantage.

“Come with me, Hyung.”

Yuhyun smiled softly. Hey, smiling like that now……

└ Wow, did you see Yuhyun smile? He only smiles in front of his brother

└ Guildmaster Haeyeon… massacring police all along, but seeing Director Han and his image changes completely

└ HJH would even give up his liver for his brother

Um, everyone. Yuhyun is a kind little brother to me, but still.

“I’m sorry, Yuhyun, but this time I’m aiming for a joint victory.”

“Mm, understood.”

He answered, but only in the sense of “I got it.” If I were to sincerely “ask” him now, Yuhyun would gladly yield. But I had no intention of winning jointly that way, and he knew it well.

In other words—

A faint breeze stirred around Yuhyun. Willow leaves, no doubt. Fortunately he wasn’t gripping me so tightly I couldn’t move, so I quickly triggered a flash bomb.

Bang!

As the sound rang out, I used stealth and forcefully shoved Yuhyun away. For some reason he was easily pushed. He landed and immediately dashed down next to Moon Hyunah, then deactivated stealth. The blinding light vanished and Yuhyun lightly tapped the arm that had shoved him.

“Hyung did it.”

His gray eyes curved into a thin smile.

“You attacked.”

“What?”

“Inflicted damage.”

Moon Hyunah shouted, stepping back in surprise. I blinked; Yuhyun stood before me. I hastily cast Teacher’s Skill on Moon Hyunah.

“Yuhyun, ugh!”

Before I knew it, he’d seized my neck like a swift snatch. My body swung wildly. I braced on tiptoe to avoid choking. Moon Hyunah leveled her staff and Peace frowned slightly. I heard Riette’s frustrated growl.

“Cooperate, Hyung.”

“No. Even if I die like this, others can find the slave easily.”

They knew he was nearby, so they could search thoroughly.

“You said you must kill all the police. If just one officer steps forward, your victory condition becomes impossible. You could neutralize them and receive protection from the asset owners.”

Even if ordered to come out alone, if he couldn’t move he’d be useless. Moon Hyunah stamped her foot threateningly and provoked him.

“Hey, Guildmaster Haeyeon. Why don’t you let the police handle it themselves? They’d follow you without orders.”

– Me too! We’ve never had a proper fight. Who cares about the game!

└ Who said you change in front of your brother? So savage

└ You talk to negotiate, but when catching police you didn’t say a word lol

└ That’s an angel right there

Yuhyun’s gaze slid sideways to Moon Hyunah. He held her gaze expressionlessly, then met mine again.

“I don’t want to kill you yet.”

“How about we try talking it out?”

Through Teacher’s Skill linking to Moon Hyunah’s view, she saw Kang Soyeong carefully climbing onto Riette’s head.

“Yuhyun, tell me what you want.”

I lightly tapped my brother’s arm holding my neck. Evelyn handed Kang Soyeong a sword. It looked like a sword, but was probably a bow.

“What do you want?”

“I wouldn’t ask you to help me, but we can negotiate, right?”

Yuhyun blinked. Kang Soyeong gripped the bow, readying stance. Riette could not attack the Chief of Police first—but Kang Soyeong, as a thief, could. And Soyeong could use Riette’s stats together.

To keep Yuhyun’s attention and sense engaged, I kept eye contact and gripped his arm tighter.

“The prize for victory is usually gold coins, so you can demand gold. Or anything else. What do you want from me?”

“I—”

Yuhyun’s lips parted, and the bowstring drew and released an arrow. The arrow flew with fierce force. Yuhyun realized it a split second too late, threw me aside, then spun. The sword in his hand slashed the air.

Clang!

It struck the arrow. My body rolled on the ground as wind whipped past. Though the sword blocked it, the arrow’s momentum remained. Crack-crack—the asphalt split and buckled from the impact. The ground beneath Yuhyun’s foot caved in. But at last—

Screech—!

With a deafening metallic sound, the arrow—thin as a sword—snapped in two. The broken arrow fragments dropped, and Yuhyun looked at Kang Soyeong perched atop Riette’s head. Soyeong hid behind the turtle’s head, crying out,

“Family shouldn’t fight each other!”

Yuhyun turned away without reply. Before he charged me again, I quickly spoke.

“Peace!”

Peace, who had worn a dissatisfied expression, stepped directly in front of me. Yuhyun raised an eyebrow.

“Stand aside.”

At his word, Peace wrapped his arms around me, then laid his head on my shoulder. Yes, Peace. May I pet your head?

“I’ll explain briefly. A monster’s master token doesn’t make the monster obey unconditionally. It only makes them acknowledge the master as leader. If you mistreat the monster or give unfair orders, they may rebel.”

I had to prevent misunderstandings that Peace was disobedient.

“Usually Peace is very gentle! But now he’s protecting his family—me.”

“…Hyung.”

“This is how the monsters of Dodam are gentle and loving. Think of a puppy trying to stop its family from fighting! Our Peace is so kind—”

“Hyung.”

Right, that explanation-advertisement was a bit long. But if wrong information spread, the breeding facility could suffer. I patted Peace’s head awkwardly and said to Yuhyun,

“As soon as Noah arrives, you’ll be at a disadvantage too. So, Yuhyun, extort gold coins from the police.”

“What?”

“Give up the Chief of Police’s victory condition and stop killing police, but receive payment in exchange.”

“That’s fine. I agree.”

Moon Hyunah took a gold coin and tossed it to Yuhyun. He caught it, bewildered.

“All right, everyone, pay one gold coin!”

– I want to fight, though.

Riette grumbled but produced a gold coin. A few other officers also reluctantly threw coins to Yuhyun, but

“If we defeat the Chief of Police, that’s enough.”

One hunter refused. He frowned and stepped forward.

“Well anyway—”

Yuhyun’s foot flicked a broken arrow shaft on the ground. He kicked the arrow fragment into the air and struck it again with force. Whap! The hunter hurriedly jerked his head back, but a red line scored across his face. Lowering the leg he’d raised, Yuhyun said quietly,

“If you intend to give up victory, I can kill you all right here.”

The police who’d been about to complain fell silent. Moon Hyunah shook her head.

“Even if you’re confident in your ability, the no-first-strike rule is a disadvantage. I won’t stop you if you want to gamble—but fewer opponents means more prize money for you.”

“…If only there were no penalty.”

“I don’t have a single gold coin.”

“I’ll lend you one gold coin~ You can return it double later. I’ll take items too~”

I interjected quickly. Under Moon Hyunah’s lead, the officers grumbled but each handed over a gold coin.

└ The police all survived lololol

└ Yujin do whatever you want except stocks!!!! Everything but stocks!!!!!

└ I hate group projects, but with Moon Hyunah as leader? Totally doable, I’ll do the PPT

Having received the gold coins, Yuhyun turned to me.

“I won’t go far. I’ll stay nearby.”

“I’ll do my best so you won’t need to help. Peace, thank you.”

“Ah.”

Gasp.

“You said Daddy just now, right? You said Daddy, didn’t you? Huh?”

“…Oh dear, Hyung.”

He did say Daddy! As Yuhyun turned, Peace followed him. Together they soared upward like one continuous motion.

└ Peace and Yuhyun… truly soul twins

└ Director Han, please release a Peace Chief-of-Police ver. doll from Dodam tooㅠㅜㅜㅜㅠㅜㅜ Take my card!!!

I too had to see Peace in a police uniform…… With Yuhyun and Peace gone, Moon Hyunah exhaled deeply.

“The Chief of Police has withdrawn. Now, if we cooperate properly, we can win jointly! Hyung, where’s the slave?”

“Right up ahead.”

I strode toward the ruined street. Moon Hyunah followed behind, glancing back to monitor the thieves.

“Securing the slave brings its own issues, both with thieves and with the slave’s own victory conditions.”

The slave’s victory condition. I wondered what it might be.

“Just watch out for the thieves!”

One officer called out.

“What can a slave with lower points than an F-Rank do?”

“How did they end up last?”

“Maybe they couldn’t pass the ravine?”

The hunters whispered about the slave. I was curious too. It seemed they hadn’t faced any monsters—did they traverse a dangerous path? Even that risked hidden monsters, but…

“For now, they’re very obedient.”

“We don’t know who they are?”

“They couldn’t speak.”

“When Noah returns, maybe we’ll know the outlaw’s identity.”

“Since Yuhyun and Peace are the Chief of Police, it must be either Seong Hyunjae’s team or Yerim’s team.”

Which of the two could it be?

“I thought the Chief of Police would be Director Song since he’s supposed to be handsome and kind.”

└ Director Song is not handsome, he’s a pretty princess!!!(feat. Yerim)

…Yerim, what are you doing? I owe Director Song another apology. There’ll be replays, right? I need to check and apologize.

└ □□□□! □□□□□□□□!!

└ Yujin, by now you must have a sense of who □□ is…?

└ Yujin, □□□ is a graduate student

A graduate student? There was no such role. Suddenly the filtered chat flooded back.

“Hello!”

We entered the shop where the twins had been left. The twins sat quietly at a table. They hadn’t gone anywhere—thank goodness. Both smiled broadly and waved.

“Those kids? Cute… no, cancel.”

Moon Hyunah frowned slightly.

“In reality they’re the opposite, aren’t they? It feels a bit unpleasant.”

“Well, they didn’t choose this form. Anyway. Let’s go.”

We led the twins outside, drawing the hunters’ gazes.

“Don’t let thieves approach! I’m a thief too, but still.”

All we had to do was move to a designated spot and hold out for an hour. Fortunately the Chief of Police had stepped back, improving the mood. Of course we couldn’t let our guard down until the end.

As Riette prepared to place the twins on her back, one of them spoke.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep