Episode 157: The lucky calligrapher
I brought the rice cracker to the calligrapher’s mouth.
“Bokdeungi, please try this too.”
“huh.”
A calligrapher taking a small bite of rice cracker and mumbling.
If you like it, you can slowly eat the rest.
I bought it at a market near the counter, and I thought it would suit my taste because it was mild and not too sweet.
“Bokdeungi, how about this?”
“good.”
In addition, they are lining up various specialty snacks and offering them one by one.
The reason, of course, is to prepare for the upcoming random box opening ceremony.
It is necessary to raise the calligrapher’s condition as much as possible in advance.
Of course, the calligrapher’s mood or condition may not have anything to do with luck.
However, the reason for offering tribute like this is, if I may make a metaphor, like throwing a coin into a fountain.
“Are the rice crackers delicious, Bokdeungi?”
“delicious.”
“Then I should give you some more. Here it is.”
“You eat it too.”
The calligrapher ate the rice crackers thoroughly, then picked one up and put it in my mouth.
“… … .”
And An Jeong-mi was standing a little distance away, watching us like this.
The expression on his face is beyond happy, and he now looks like he has no regrets about dying.
At the moment when An Jeong-mi was about to ascend while standing like that,
“Brother Kim.”
Go Hyun-woo showed up at the appointed time.
Since I complete all of the mentoring schedules and even spar with Han So-mi in between, my day is the longest among the three of us.
He approaches us, waving his hand gently, but stops when he sees us putting rice crackers in each other’s mouths.
Then he turned around with a pleased smile on his lips.
“Now that I think about it, something urgent came to mind.”
“I know you don’t exist. Come back.”
“But I feel like I’m interrupting the good time you two are having.”
An Jeong-mi also nodded silently in agreement.
But no matter what the two people think, it is decided that they will open the random box today.
“Okay, please sit down.”
“Wouldn’t it be okay if we did it next time?”
“Why put it off? We should just get it done now that the three of us are here.”
“Well, if that’s what Hyung Kim means.”
Go Hyun-woo sat across from me and looked through the specialty snacks, then picked up a few that were relatively less sparse.
The mindset of not even daring to touch rice crackers.
Anyway, since all three of us were gathered, I got to the main point.
“It’s finally time for the box-wrapping party.”
And I took out the random boxes one by one from the inventory.
[Corresponding Country Random Box (E)] *3
I got a total of 4 E-rank random boxes, but I gave one to Shin Byeong-cheol and got a teacup.
So there are three left.
[Corresponding Table Random Box (D)] *3
A total of 7 D-rank items were dropped, but 4 of them were changed to Seals, so 3 remained.
“… … .”
Meanwhile, as soon as I took the random box out of my inventory, An Jeong-mi quickly retreated behind me and turned transparent.
In the previous Feather Snake Temple box fight, the calligrapher suddenly turned his arrows on her, and she had no choice but to get a Grade F wooden cup from the box instead.
I withdrew early for fear that the same thing would happen again this time.
It was truly a way of life befitting the head of the Future Strategy Office, and a hiding technique befitting a veteran musketeer.
‘regret.’
Regrettably, I first gave the D-rank random box to the calligrapher.
“Bokdeungi, please take care of me today as well.”
Through a few experiments, I have discovered that calligrapher’s luck works in a way that is almost rechargeable.
It brings you great luck once or twice, and after that, your luck gradually becomes similar to that of an ordinary person.
Therefore, it is best to open the higher grade D rank first.
“… … .”
The calligrapher who received the random box opened the cover as nonchalantly as he always did, but then took his hand away and tilted his head.
“why?”
“I’ll open it later.”
And the calligrapher gently shakes his head.
If I open it now, will the results be less than expected?
I thought there was something difficult to express, so I decided to leave it at that.
‘It’s not like Daebak will explode just because you force it.’
Besides, in this situation, the calligrapher is a super-strong warrior.
It’s much better to let them open it when they feel like it than not to open it at all.
I looked at Go Hyun-woo and picked up the E-rank random box.
“Go Hyun-woo, it’s a showdown.”
“… … !”
Go Hyun-woo noticed my intention and picked up the random box as well.
A competition to see who can pick the higher rank.
“I never thought my first match with Hyung Kim would turn out like this… … But good. I won’t avoid it.”
“It opens when you count to three. Three, two—”
“-one.”
We opened the random box at the same time.
– Click,
– Click,
[Ten Years of Hasuo (E)]
[Ten Years of Hasuo (E)]
“It’s a draw.”
“It’s a draw.”
We looked at each other, smiled, and packed the Hasuo into our respective inventories.
When I asked the calligrapher with a quick glance, he still shook his head slightly.
It means that it is not yet time.
So I picked up one each of Ko Hyun-woo and D-rank random boxes again.
“I’ll open it first.”
“Yes, please.”
Koh Hyun-woo closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths, and slowly lifted the box lid.
– Flash!
Inside are two small wooden cases.
The first pouch was filled with finely ground powder, the second with grains the size of peas.
[Golden Medicine (D)]
[Internal Medicine (D)]
Geumchangyak is a powdered medicine that treats external wounds, that is, wounds on the skin.
Internal medicine is literally a pill that treats internal injuries.
“I found exactly what I needed.”
“I know.”
I have the evasion skills of a veteran, so I don’t get hit easily, but Go Hyun-woo is different.
Even in the Black Snake Temple, I had suffered many internal injuries after meeting the hidden boss, the White Snake, and although I had suffered relatively little damage in the Feather Snake Temple, I had come back with scratches here and there.
You never know what kind of enemies you might encounter as you move through the underground levels, but you can’t afford to stock up on expensive potions.
In the meantime, internal and external medicines have been released, so most wounds can be treated with those.
Next is my turn.
I, too, made up my mind to be pious and immediately opened the D-rank random box.
– Flash—!
[Rank Up (D)]
“I also helped prevent it.”
Ranking up permanently increases the user’s abilities, making it more valuable than other items of the same level.
Now all that’s left is one D and one E.
I asked the calligrapher again.
“How about now?”
“Want to open it?”
Calligrapher slowly pulls the D-rank random box towards her, finally ready.
And unlike us, he opened the random box wide open without any nervousness.
– Kwaaaaaaa—!
And as expected, a rainbow of colorful light exploded out, engulfing the room.
‘This is confirmed to be a B rank.’
Judging by the effects, it has to be high-grade.
But it’s still too early to rejoice.
We’ll have to wait and see what kind of B-rank item it is.
As I waited for a moment, protecting my eyes, the light that had filled my vision slowly began to fade.
And what was revealed was a pure white talisman.
[Purification Department (B)]
▷Purifies magic.
“This is awesome.”
“What is this thing used for?”
“I got the Seal of Honor, right? It’s a pair with that one.”
“……indeed.”
The Sealed Demon Ship is so imbued with a strong magical energy that even ordinary warriors and minions with mediocre skills cannot touch it.
The Purification Department plays a role in purifying or neutralizing a significant portion of that magic.
Originally, you had to obtain the purification book separately or purify the magic in some other way, but the calligrapher randomly pulled it out of a box as if he was aiming for it.
“As expected, you are a lucky person.”
“huh.”
I offered one more rice cake as tribute.
Now, there is only one E-rank left.
“While you’re at it, do you want to open this too?”
“… … .”
The calligrapher looked down at the random box for a moment, then turned around and looked behind her.
Even though it’s an empty space with nothing in it, I keep staring at it.
Then, his gaze slowly moves to the side and stares at that place again.
This was repeated a couple of times, and eventually An Jeong-mi emerged from hiding.
He could have continued to remain transparent and pretended not to know, but he realized that doing so would only cause him trouble later.
An Jeong-mi received an E-rank random box like a traitor who accepted poison.
I sent words of encouragement with a bitter smile.
“You don’t have to be too nervous. Since it’s an E-rank, you can easily pull out an F-rank.”
“Yes, Mr. Kim Ho. … … Then I will open it.”
– Click,
[Corresponding Table Teacup (F)]
An Jeong-mi’s complexion became like a teacup.
“sorry.”
“I told you it’s okay.”
It’s not just the butler.
It was Shin Byeong-cheol who had an unexpected collector comrade.
* * *
The thieves’ club is in bad shape.
Dang Gyu-yeong couldn’t help but sigh as he looked at the mountain of documents.
“When will this all be finished?”
She has been very busy for the past month.
As a third year student, I took classes, competed in strategy games, and fought against other people.
As a mentor, I follow the first-year students into the dungeon, watch over them, and take care of them.
As the president of the thieves’ club, he runs the club.
As a result, documents that needed to be processed in relation to the black market were put on the back burner.
Originally, it should have been done in advance, but for the reasons mentioned above, it is being done now, just before the event.
The second-grade twins smiled sinisterly and said something each.
“Do you want to finish quickly and go play with that first-year student?”
“Sister, your face has gotten worse lately. You always have a serious expression on your face.”
Dang Gyu-yeong showed no reaction to those words.
Instead, shadowy arms rose from below and placed joints on the twins.
– Knock knock knock,
“That’s true, but it’s cheap.”
Cha Da-bin, who was helping with the paperwork, glanced up and looked at them with an expression that didn’t seem particularly pitiful.
Then he looked down at the documents again and said.
“But if you just work hard for one more week, you’ll feel a little more relaxed. This week is the end of mentoring.”
“That’s true.”
But the hardships don’t end when mentoring ends.
That’s what it means to be a club president.
Dang Gyu-yeong still couldn’t understand why he had readily accepted the manager’s offer last year and sat in this position.
But after realizing it, it was already too late.
And when Cha Da-bin takes over the position of manager next year and regrets it, it will already be too late.
At that moment, a strange noise was felt outside the room.
Since it was most likely a guest who came to ask for a favor, a second-year member went out to greet them.
“Welcome. What brings you here—”
He was about to make his usual sales pitch when he saw the other person’s face and stopped.
The other club members who had been wandering around feeling suspicious also froze in place when they confirmed the identity of the guest who had visited the club room.
She was a neatly dressed, intelligent and beautiful school girl.
The gold pin on her tie told her that she was a third-year student.
In one hand he held a folding fan half-open, slightly covering his mouth, which gave him an air of both intellectualism and mystery.
He was a famous person that any student attending Yongsal Academy could not help but know.
‘Zhuge Liang.’
He is called the Ji-nang (智囊) of the fencing club and is a key figure among the key figures who sits in the positions of commander-in-chief and vice-captain.
Her coming here means one thing.
This means that the fencing club is starting to move in earnest.
Zhuge Liang folded his fan.
And then he opened his mouth with a faint smile on his face.
“Would you please pass it on to me?”
“… … .”
When Dang Gyu-yeong nodded to the people around him, the members stopped what they were doing and left the place in a hurry.
As Cha Da-bin looked at the two with unknowing eyes and left, the Thieves’ Club became as quiet as a mouse.
Soon, Dang Gyu-yeong also slowly got up from his seat and matched Jegal So-so’s eye level.
