Convict Unit: Black Parade

Deck 10, the Rooftop.

Summoned to the Commander’s office, Ghost and Jae-hee Han waited outside. The commander herself was in a meeting with another group.

Three unfamiliar faces already stood in the hallway, presumably other prisoners called for the same mission.

“Oh, my!”

A middle-aged woman in a shabby hiking outfit laughed, covering her mouth.

“I was wondering who the other two would be, and look! It’s the hot new rookie, Boy, and our very own Ghost, isn’t it?”

Spotting her, Ghost silently pinched the bridge of her nose as if a headache was coming on.

Then, she reluctantly introduced the woman to Jae-hee. “This is a B-Rank Villain. Callsign: Punch Queen.”

“Ohohoho! The callsign’s a little scary, right? Just call me Aunt Punch, dear.”

Jae-hee promptly did as he was told. “Hello, Aunt Punch!”

“Oh my, oh my! What a dear! So handsome and well-built, and so friendly, too!”

Punch Queen subtly nudged Ghost aside and took both of Jae-hee’s hands in her own.

“Just look at this pale face. And his eyes are so round, like a deer’s. How did a sweet boy like you end up in a place like this?”

“Haha, well, things just sort of… happened.”

“If you ever run into trouble, you just tell your auntie, you hear? I’ll take care of everything!”

Jae-hee smiled back, about to offer a flattering reply when a sudden chill ran down his spine.

Punch Queen’s hands, gripping his, were as hard as rock.

Wait… the “punch” in her name isn’t about drinking, is it?

No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t pull his hands free.

Punch Queen watched him squirm, giggling as if she found him absolutely adorable.

Just then, a voice slick with cheesy bravado cut in from the side. “Hey now, old lady. Lay off the kid.”

Leaning casually against the wall was a man dressed like a stereotypical cowboy straight out of a Western: cowboy hat, bandana, leather vest, jeans, riding boots, and a cigarillo dangling from his lips.

Punch Queen reluctantly stepped back.

The cowboy introduced himself. “Yo, nice to meet ya, kid. I’m just a B-Rank, callsign Cowboy. Heard you’re faster than a speeding bullet.”

Cowboy, whose callsign matched his getup perfectly, jerked a thumb at his chest.

“As you can probably guess from the name, I’m a marksman. A damn good one when it comes to rapid-fire. Let’s see you dodge my bullets sometime.”

A faint smile touched Ghost’s lips as she glanced sideways at Jae-hee. “Hmm, ‘rapid-fire,’ you say? Our little runt here is no slouch in that department, either.”

“Hey, I told you the duration is getting longer…”

And then there was the last one, the prisoner standing right next to the door to the Commander’s office.

He was a middle-aged man with a massive frame and a thick build, like a traditional Korean wrestler. His coarse beard jutted out in all directions, immediately bringing the image of a mountain bandit to mind.

And on his face—a mask.

A traditional Korean mask, specifically a Butcher’s Mask. A sharp, piercing gaze bored out through the eyeholes.

“Callsign, Robbin’ Hood.” As she studied the man, Ghost’s expression turned a little more serious.

She explained to Jae-hee in a low voice. “He’s an A-Rank Villain.”

“Wow, Robbin’ Hood? Same callsign as that armed robber who shook the whole country about ten years ago.”

“That’s him.”

“Ah.” Jae-hee’s jaw dropped.

As a petty thief himself, he’d heard his share of stories about the legendary thieves of the past.

Robbin’ Hood was one of them, a Villain who jacked the name of some old folk hero and made his name robbing Hunter Guilds blind.

Jae-hee was the type of petty thief who quietly lifted wallets from back pockets, whereas Robbin’ Hood was a classic armed robber.

He operated by sticking a weapon in someone’s face and announcing, “Hi, I’m here to rob you. Hand over your goodies, thanks.”

His crime spree, which had made headlines as he single-handedly took down one prominent Hunter Guild after another, had finally come to an end during his fifth armed robbery. He’d been caught in a trap.

“I thought for sure he was dead and gone.”

“He’s been busting his ass in here for the last ten years,” Ghost muttered.

Just then…

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The armed robber in the Butcher’s Mask—Robbin’ Hood—began walking toward them.

As his massive frame drew closer, both Punch Queen and Cowboy tensed up.

Thud…!

Robbin’ Hood walked past everyone else and came to a stop directly in front of Jae-hee.

After taking a few ragged breaths from behind the mask, Robbin’ Hood slowly muttered, “I smell a thief.”

He tilted his head, his masked face peering down at Jae-hee. “What is it you mean to steal from this world?”

Jae-hee had no idea what he was talking about.

He blinked his round eyes a few times, then simply thrust his hand forward.

“Hello, sir! My callsign is Boy, and I’m a petty thief! I’ve washed my hands of it and I’m trying to live a good life now!”

“…Hoh.” After a brief silence, a hearty laugh rumbled from behind the Butcher’s Mask. “Yes… One doesn’t have to aim to be a Grand Thief from the start.”

Robbin’ Hood slowly extended his own hand in return. “I look forward to working with you, Boy.”

“Hehe, likewise.”

Robbin’ Hood’s thick, hairy hand and Jae-hee’s, still covered in downy fuzz, shared an awkward handshake.

Once it was over, Robbin’ Hood shot a glare at Ghost before turning and stomping back to his spot.

Ghost looked utterly disgusted. “I’m telling you this just in case,” she warned Jae-hee, “but do not get friendly with that rotter.”

“Huh? Why not? He seems like a nice guy.”

“He’s not.”

Ghost narrowed her sharp blue eyes, peering from between her disheveled white hair. “You think a bastard who wears a mask on his face is sane? He’s a total psycho.”

Jae-hee tilted his head at that. Aren’t all the prisoners in this jail psychos to begin with?

“Besides, there’s something else…”

“Something else?”

“…He glares at me with killing intent every time he sees me.” Ghost scratched her head in annoyance. “We’ve never clashed on a mission, but he’s a ticking time bomb. Be careful.”

“Okay~” Jae-hee nodded.

In any case, the three prisoners summoned here were all veterans who had successfully completed multiple missions. They were well-known enough that even Ghost recognized them.

After sizing up the trio, Ghost frowned and stroked her chin. “Hmm, they’re all veterans. But…”

“But what?”

“This team… it’s built more for fighting people than monsters.”

“Huh?”

Ghost offered no further explanation, leaving Jae-hee to puzzle over her words.

Clang!

The door to the Commander’s office swung open and a stream of soldiers in white uniforms poured out.

At their head was the vice-captain, the same stern-faced middle-aged man who always came to meet Commander Seo upon her return from missions.

The vice-captain swept a cold gaze over the prisoners before leading his subordinates down the hall.

Jae-hee slowly straightened his neck, which he’d instinctively hunched. “You know, that vice-captain… he’s never said a single word to us. Commander Seo is so friendly, though.”

“Hae-eun Seo is the abnormal one. That’s the normal reaction.”

As if on cue, Commander Seo’s voice called out from within the office. “Next, come in!”

The five prisoners filed into the Commander’s office.

“Whoa!”

It was Jae-hee’s first time inside, and he let out a gasp of awe as he took in the interior.

“This place is amazing!”

It wasn’t empty flattery. The room was decorated on a level completely incomparable to anywhere else on the ship.

Elegant, high-end wooden furniture was tastefully arranged throughout the spacious room. Bright lights shone from the ceiling, illuminating the marble floor. 

Not a single detail, from the floor to the ceiling, felt cheap. One could have told him it was a luxury penthouse, not a commander’s office, and he would have believed you.

The highlight was the glass wall that took up one entire side of the room, offering a glittering, panoramic view of the endless horizon.

“This is insane…!” Jae-hee continued to marvel.

Ghost snorted. “Of course it is. The commander tore down the walls between the best suites on this cruise ship and took the whole space for herself.”

Just then, Commander Seo emerged from deeper within the room, the sound of her cane tapping against the floor. She had an impish look in her eyes, as if she’d overheard their conversation.

“Pretty, isn’t it? My room.”

She set the coffee cup she was holding down on the central desk and smiled slyly.

“But I deserve this much, don’t you think? I am the captain of this ship, the warden-in-chief of this prison, and the commander of your unit.”

The woman who monopolized every single title of authority on this ship.

That was Hae-eun Seo. In effect, she was the queen of this vessel, and this was her palace.

Turning to the prisoners with a smiling face, Commander Seo clapped her hands lightly. “By the way, you finally took on a disciple, Ghost?”

“…”

“Good. It’s about time you started training the next generation. You’re The Greatest Sword of Joseon, for crying out loud. It’s not right for you to not have a single disciple.”

While Ghost scowled fiercely, Commander Seo gave Jae-hee a playful wink. “Learn well, Boy. You won’t find another teacher this incredible.”

“Yes, ma’am, Commander!”

“My, look how eager he is. You’re going to go far, kid.”

Commander Seo greeted the other prisoners as well. “Aunt Punch, how have you been lately?”

“I’m doing great, thanks to our commander looking out for me~ Hohohoho! I’m in your care again for this one, you hear?”

“You can count on me. And Cowboy, has that injury from last time healed up?”

“Body’s all healed up, ma’am. Was just about runnin’ out of Credit from doin’ nothin’. Hope you’ll throw in a hefty bonus for this one.”

“Of course, of course. And… our Robbin’ Hood.”

Commander Seo fixed her gaze on the hulking figure in the Butcher’s Mask and asked casually, “It’s been a while since your last mission. Do you have any idea why you were called?”

Robbin’ Hood let out a ragged breath from behind his mask and spat out the words in a seething voice. “There’s only one job I ever agreed to take. The job of hunting down the bastard who put me in here.”

“Heehee, that’s right. That’s exactly why I called you.”

Having greeted everyone, Commander Seo snapped her fingers. “Alright then, Black Parade! Allow me to tell you why you’ve been summoned.”

The lights in the room dimmed, and a projector lit up one of the walls.

Jae-hee recoiled when he saw the image that appeared on the screen.

It was a photograph of a man whose face was far too familiar.

A shiny, bald head. A wide smile that carried a strange sense of unease. Unsettlingly clear eyes.

And the large lightbulb embedded in the crown of his head…

“This is Brain, a Villain with a nationwide warrant out for his arrest. I’m sure many of you are acquainted with him, aren’t you?”

Commander Seo pointed a sharp finger right at Jae-hee.

“That’s right, Boy. He’s the lightbulb-headed criminal consultant bastard who landed you in this prison. Robbin’ Hood here also got tangled up with him and ended up here.”

“…”

“Everyone in this room has been directly or indirectly screwed over by this man.”

Commander Seo raised her cane and tapped it against the wall.

“The police have picked up his trail.”

She spun the cane and balanced it on her palm, a wide grin spreading across her heavily scarred face.

“And the mission to track this rat down and put him in the ground…”

Her smile said it all—she was practically giddy with amusement.

“…has been assigned to our very own Black Parade.”