LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 71
Chapter 71: The Inmates Aren’t So Different
Awakened beings were not much different from ordinary criminals.
Assault, theft, rape, fraud…
They were the same types of criminals I had often seen during my work.
The only difference was that they were called Awakened. From what I had sneakily assessed while the new assistant duty officer was making rounds, this ward had no notorious individuals. Of course, not every criminal is notoriously infamous.
From my experiences, if someone had a notorious reputation, it often meant they had committed murder. The Face-avoidance Technician and Black Cross were no exceptions to this. Furthermore, the inmates in this ward were E-rank and D-rank Awakened beings. They were almost unknown in their world, so there wouldn’t be much notoriety to gain.
I glanced at the screen, memorizing the faces and names of the inmates. To manage things properly, I thought it best to get acquainted quickly.
‘When shall I start catching them?’
The sooner, the better. However, I felt the need to discuss a few things with the duty officer. I wasn’t working alone in this ward; we were in it together. Since we would be working together for at least a few months, a little exchange of opinions seemed appropriate. Plus, there were some things I was curious about.
◈ ◈ ◈
Once the dinner distribution was over, we had some leisure time.
Both I and Director Yoon were sitting in the Duty Room, waiting for quitting time.
“What do you think?” Director Yoon asked first.
“I like that there are fewer inmates.”
Coming from a place with many, it was indeed much more comfortable here. I couldn’t help but think of it as a workplace for correctional officers—if only issues didn’t arise.
Of course, there were a few inconveniences that came with it. During visitations, the arrangements needed to be handled directly by the assistant duty officer rather than the staff or inmates. They had to be cuffed and escorted one-on-one to the Visitation Room.
It was impossible to fill all the positions with Awakened beings, so it fell to the Security Department staff. If there were more inmates, this wouldn’t even have been feasible.
However, since the number of inmates was quite low, there were only a few visitation cases per day, making this method workable. Plus, every time the inmates had to leave their cells, they had to be cuffed individually, which was a hassle.
“That’s what everyone says is a perk of our ward.”
After my response, Director Yoon smiled.
“It’s definitely something to say.”
I smiled back.
Then, I casually brought up something I wanted to ask.
“By the way, Director Yoon, I’m a bit curious about something.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Is there usually this kind of relaxed atmosphere with the inmates? The vibe here is so different from where I worked before that it raises some concerns. The inmates are just lying around without a care in front of me. I let it slide on the first day, but…”
“Well…”
Director Yoon pondered for a moment before speaking.
“It was like this when I started here three years ago.”
If his words were true, then nothing much had changed since then.
With a look of confusion, I asked again, “Is that so? Doesn’t anyone complain from above? If there were inspections, they’d be noticeable.”
“Not really.”
“I see….”
I found it hard to understand. If inmates were allowed to lounge around, then cooperation would lessen, so it seemed odd that everyone would want to work in such a relaxed way. But could so many who preferred comfort really gather together by coincidence? It felt too coincidental.
Noticing my puzzled expression, Director Yoon spoke with a serious face.
“I heard this from my seniors.”
“Yes?”
“The atmosphere in our ward changed due to an incident five years ago.”
“What incident was that?”
“One of the correctional officers was killed after being assaulted by an inmate.”
“Oh.”
That incident had occurred before I became a correctional officer. I remembered it clearly as I had been preparing for exams in Noryangjin around that time. It was a significant news story, so it stuck with me.
“You’ve heard of it.”
“Yes.”
“That officer was known for strictly enforcing inmate order and was quite passionate about his work. Apparently, that approach angered some inmates. Eventually, that inmate…”
Director Yoon shook his head and trailed off.
“Can one incident really change the atmosphere that much?”
I still couldn’t fully grasp it.
“One could certainly think that. However, it wasn’t just that one incident. There were over ten incidents of assaults against correctional officers after that.”
“Assault incidents?”
“Yes. The inmates who committed these assaults stated that if they were treated coercively, they wouldn’t keep quiet any longer. It felt as though that incident had triggered a certain atmoshphere.”
“….”
“After that, correctional officers changed their approach. They figured it would be better to be lenient rather than create more issues. And in fact, by loosening up with the inmates, they didn’t experience any further assaults. Without frequent run-ins with inmates, the correctional officers found it easier to work. So it seems like this kind of atmosphere has become established over time.”
“Such a backstory exists.”
I nodded, slowly starting to understand the situation. It seemed that since the inmates had become so averse to strict order enforcement, they had to soften their approach. And since life had become easier in doing so, it seemed that correctional officers continued in this relaxed manner.
I understood the underlying reasons. However, even so, I had no intention of accepting such a lax lifestyle among the inmates.
“Thank you for the insights, Director Yoon.”
I continued, “But I can’t just sit by and watch things like that. Back when I worked before, I maintained strict inmate order. So, I believe it’s time to tighten things up a bit.”
“Hmm.”
Director Yoon seemed hesitant to respond immediately, scratching his head. After a moment, he finally spoke.
“Do as you please. I don’t have much say in the matter. But it won’t be as easy as with regular inmates.”
Enforcing inmate order was fundamental correctional officer work, so even though I was just an assistant, he couldn’t say much.
However, it felt a little uncomfortable. I wondered if I’d taken on a troublesome newbie who could potentially cause problems.
“Understood, Director Yoon.”
I flashed a meaningful smile.
◈ ◈ ◈
Lee Hae-chang was lying down as usual, reading a novel. He was imprisoned for being a D-rank Awakened being who committed sexual assault. After awakening his powers, he couldn’t control his twisted sexual desires and assaulted the woman he had secretly loved on multiple occasions.
“Hey.”
Suddenly, a voice came from the direction of the bars.
Lee Hae-chang tilted his head back to see who it was. It was the new assistant duty officer who had arrived yesterday.
“It’s sleeping time now. Get up.”
I said, but Lee Hae-chang ignored me. Sometimes, correctional officers would pass by saying such things, but they wouldn’t take any actual action if the inmates remained unmoved. It felt more like they were just pretending to be doing their jobs. So Lee Hae-chang had no reason to care.
“Get up, I said.”
However, the new assistant duty officer repeated himself. It seemed he was a rookie who didn’t understand how things worked in this ward yet.
With an air of annoyance, Lee Hae-chang frowned.
“Seriously.”
Muttering out of frustration, he turned his attention back to the book. Ignoring such correctional officers was the way to go.
What was he going to do, after all? After entering the detention center, he had learned that correctional officers didn’t hold all the power. This guy would have no choice but to leave empty-handed. Until now, that thought had been correct.
However…
BANG!
I slammed my hand against the cell door. The noise was so loud that it startled the inmate in the next cell.
Lee Hae-chang was naturally taken aback.
But soon, he scowled angrily.
“Damn… what was that?!”
Expressing his irritation, he threw the book aside and sat up. At around 170 centimeters tall but over 100 kilograms in weight, his large frame made the narrow cell feel cramped.
“You finally woke up.”
I smirked derisively. Seeing my smile, Lee Hae-chang could feel himself boiling with anger. It was irritating enough to hear someone speak casually, but he felt the urge to smack that cocky face of his right off.
Lee Hae-chang glared at me intensely.
“Hey, what do you want with me?!”
“I just told you to get up.”
“You spoke to me informally!”
“You’re speaking informally too. And calling a correctional officer ‘you’?”
“You made me mad! If you don’t want to hear me raise my voice, then act properly from the start!”
“I’m confused by what you’re saying. Shouldn’t it have been you acting appropriately in the first place?”
I looked at him with disbelief. There was no chaos like this kind of chaos.
“Apologize right now! You need to apologize for speaking informally to me!”
Lee Hae-chang raised his voice. He knew how to handle someone like me; he had to assert dominance from the first meeting. That way, I wouldn’t appear weak and would think twice before trying to boss him around.
“Hah….”
I let out a laugh that was both bemused and mocking.
That further provoked Lee Hae-chang. His face flushed red in anger as he shouted.
“Are you not going to apologize? Should I take this to the very end today? Huh?”
“…Are you messing with me? Did you come to hang out at the detention center, you bastard?”
I unleashed the overpowering presence of the Iron-Blooded Guard I’d hadn’t let loose in a while.
“Huh? what the…?!”
Lee Hae-chang suddenly trembled as if struck by lightning. He instinctively flinched back.
“Answer me. Are you gonna answer or not?”
I spoke in a chilling tone.
“Y-yes?! W-what do you mean by answer? Hehe.”
Lee Hae-chang began to speak formally. His previously scowling face had morphed into a beaming smile, as if he were catering to a customer.
“Were you here to hang out at the detention center?”
“Oh, no, not at all. Definitely not. Absolutely not, hehehe.”
“Then stop smiling, you creep.”
“Yes, sir!”
Lee Hae-chang desperately wiped the smile off his face. In an instant, his expression turned serious, as if he were repenting. He looked as if he wouldn’t even bow like that to someone who saved his life.
“Alright then. Let’s take your word for it.”
Finally, I turned my back to Lee Hae-chang in the cell.
“Yes! I will prove myself! Thank you! Thank you for believing in me!”
Even after I had already left, Lee Hae-chang kept bowing deep as if he were a faithful servant.