00833 The Town At Night. ————————————————– ———————-=
During the long sunset, the first floor of the castle is quite quiet in the afternoon. It seemed to have been quite crowded around noon, but now it was almost deserted except for the occasional maid wandering around. After all, it is time to organize work at this time, so it is strange to come here unless there is a fight for urgent matters.
“I think it’s about time…” .”
After looking around the central rest area, I turned my eyes to the right. The large, square crystal that captures the landscape of the garden is colored in red twilight. As I was just looking at it, I heard a clatter, something hitting the table.
“What should I do tonight?” “Who else are you trying to lure?”
A cheerful song follows. When did it arrive? Ko Yeon-joo is humming to herself, holding her small tray at her side. There was a steaming white teacup on her table. I smiled and stretched out my hand.
“Thank you. “I just happened to be bored.”
“So, what kind of bitch is this again?”
“User Cha Hee-young. “Slurp.”
“Heeyoung? “He is.”
Go Yeon-ju, who was about to say something, suddenly closed her mouth. The way she looks at her with her eyes wide open is as if she is looking at an animal. Thinking she knew why he was like that, she smiled softly and opened her mouth.
“I know. “You like Ahn Hyun.”
“is it so. “I’m sure you’re not trying to steal it, right?”
Instead of answering, I took out the item I had in my pocket and showed it to him. Then, Lee Chae flashed across Go Yeon-ju’s eyes, and the playfulness disappeared in an instant. There was still some lingering doubt, but I think I understood the purpose of today’s meeting.
“In the end, you have decided.”
“Because I don’t have time.”
“There is no time?”
“Ah, I don’t want to keep it like a spirit stone for a long time. “You have to keep the growth time in mind as well.”
For a moment, I thought it was okay and changed my words. In fact, it wasn’t completely wrong, but it didn’t directly reveal her true feelings.
The number of prospective users we received last time was 16. However, to be blunt, there is not a single user who has paid particular attention to it. More accurately, it would be correct to say that it was accepted as a shield or a dragon that protects the house. At the latest, we plan to march to Terra in the 5th year, so it would be absurd to raise them now.
However, Cha Hee-young’s case is different. Although she was put into her academy in the name of re-establishing her basics, she will soon be moving up to her second year in terms of seniority. In other words, since the present can be seen as the perfect time, she cannot be viewed on the same level as prospective users.
… Well, if a user of Jegal Haesol’s level appears among the reserve personnel, the story will be different, but the possibility of that happening is low.
“what a waste. “For the first time in a while, I tried to scrape off something.”
While I was organizing my thoughts, I suddenly heard a grumbling sound. Although the voice was small, it was clear that he was telling me to listen.
“If it’s a rip off, you can scratch it as much as you want. “I’ll be glad if it ends that way.”
“Hmm. “Your tone is meaningful, isn’t it?”
“Can’t we just do it in moderation? “Every time I see them gathering together and talking to each other, I get so anxious that I can’t sleep.”
“pooh.”
Go Yeon-ju burst out laughing and shrugged her shoulders.
“You feel anxious because you have committed a sin. Or are you afraid that we will harm the children?”
“… “Both.”
“Well, at least I can count on the latter. Actually, if I think about it, I don’t have anything to say to Hanbyul or Yujeong. “From their perspective, we would be in the position of hitting a player.”
“ha ha ha.”
“… “Yes, that is the case.”
“… … .”
I stopped tipping my teacup and focused on Go Yeon-ju’s words. As the conversation continued, the laughter faded and a serious tone appeared.
“But.”
Before I knew it, Go Yeon-ju was no longer looking at me. Turning his body at an angle, he continued speaking while surrounded by the burning red sunset.
“Please answer this one thing sincerely.”
“… “If it’s something you can do.”
“at that time… . “Why didn’t you contact me?”
“that.”
“Please don’t say you didn’t know. We also confirmed that she had a communication crystal, and the number of attempts by Hayeon exceeds three digits.”
“… … .”
I stayed silent for a moment. This was because I was not in the mood to talk easily. Actually, I was a little surprised that this question was asked. Of course, there is no problem with the question itself, but the story changes when the word ‘sincerity’ is added.
“I thought that would make me more desperate.”
Many excuses ran through my mind, but in the end, I said exactly what I first thought. I don’t know how it will be received, but this was the sincerity that Go Yeon-ju wanted. Also, he gave off a subtle nuance the whole way back, so there was no need to lie or lie.
There was a quiet silence for a while. Since I also looked away, I don’t know what kind of expression Go Yeonju is making right now. I fiddled with my cold teacup and was lost in thought about what to say.
However, it was Go Yeon-ju who spoke first.
“So, to make us desperate, we deliberately didn’t receive any calls. “Is this what you mean?”
“If you take it at face value, then yes.”
“And what if we do something wrong?”
“maybe.”
After taking a deep breath,
“I think he was frustrated.”
Once again, I expressed my sincerity.
At that moment, I finally felt eyes looking at me.
I drank the slightly cooled tea in one gulp, then set it down again and continued. It’s normal to feel pounding, but strangely, I feel at peace. Is it the influence of the car? I feel calm, so I speak fluently. I need to be a little careful about this.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, but I believed it anyway… . No, no. I had high hopes. And in the end, I was able to have no regrets.”
“… “Tell me in more detail.”
“I guess it wasn’t a bad choice for me to found the Mercantile Clan. I’m not leading you wrong. There’s still a chance. … That’s roughly what it means.”
“… … .”
In any case, it cannot be denied that the creation of the Mercantile Clan was a turning point. Should I have gone through the Spring and Autumn Warring States period by simply following the future I knew, or was it a good thing to change the future? I regretted and worried about this issue for a long time.
This time, Go Yeon-ju was silent. As she slowly turned her eyes, I saw deep eyes staring at me.
“This is my truth and answer.”
When I asked him how he felt, Go Yeon-ju’s head slightly tilted.
“well… .”
And after a while, a soft voice came out.
“Actually, I don’t know yet. What is Soohyun thinking inside? . “But.”
He quietly blurted out his words and suddenly predicted a reversal.
“You really didn’t know, or you believed us, or you would have been very sad… . At least I feel much better than saying this. “At least I felt it was sincere.”
Go Yeonju said that and smiled softly.
At that time, we both looked to one side at the same time.
Cracking, crackling… ! The sound of someone running in a hurry echoed through the hall. Go Yeon-ju let out a short sigh and picked up the empty teacup. And then I immediately turned to the other side where the sound was coming from.
“Please be nice to the two kids for the time being. Even if you look fine on the outside, you may still be having a hard time on the inside. “Unlike the body, the mind doesn’t get better so easily, right?”
huh? Did you know that too? Or is that what the kids said?
“go… .”
The moment Go Yeon-ju stood up reflexively, he took a long stride. He quickly walked away, gently waving one of his hands as if to tell me not to worry. As I stared endlessly at her back, which had instantly become a dot, I opened her mouth without realizing it. It was that moment.
– Don’t call me.
Suddenly, Hwajeong’s voice stopped my actions.
– What should I do by calling him? Say sorry?
‘It’s not that… .’
– Even if I smiled on the outside, I would have gritted my teeth on the inside. The more clumsy you act, the more it hurts his pride.
‘… … .’
Hwajeong’s voice was quiet, but it stabbed into my chest like a sharp dagger.
Crack, clap, clap!
“Forgive me for being late!”
At the same time, the sound of footsteps echoing through the hall stopped and a gasping sound was heard.
I swallowed the words that had reached the top of my throat and managed to sit down in the chair.
I don’t know why, but a bitter feeling lingered in my mouth like a deep lingering taste.
*
Cha Hee-young made several excuses for being late, saying that her training ended late. No, that’s not an excuse. Because she told the academy instructors to behave as they should and to harass them as much as possible.
So, after barely calming down Cha Hee-young, who was apologizing excessively, I was finally able to get to the point.
“Before the story… . “Didn’t instructor Park Hyeon-woo tell you something?”
When he held out his hand, Cha Hee-young awkwardly took out a pile of records from his arms. It wasn’t anything special, it was Cha Hee-young’s academy report card. After smiling at Cha Hee-young, who was looking at her with anxious eyes, I slowly read her record.
“like.”
After examining it carefully, a small exclamation burst out. In the past, when Cha Hee-young was a prospective user, her academy grades were not that good. After experiencing a terrible incident, she seemed lost for a while, and it affected her score.
But now, two years later, the results are 180 degrees different from then. In particular, it was particularly noticeable that he received perfect scores in all areas related to magic.
Of course, this is not terribly, extremely surprising. To put it bluntly, Cha Hee-young is not currently a prospective user, so it would be difficult not to do this much. But I feel good about the fact that I at least tried to keep the conditions I set.
“Are your grades pretty good?”
When I praised her, Cha Hee-young’s complexion brightened noticeably. Her eyes twinkle and she blinks as if she is seeing her puppy begging for her treat. She lived up to his expectations and reached into her arms and took out her items. A fan with a soft blue glow. The time has finally come to inherit the last awakened secret class, ‘Dancer of the White Night’.
“User Cha Hee-young?”
“yes yes!”
“Do you remember what I said last time?”
“… “I remember it.”
The moment she spoke, Cha Hee-young’s voice suddenly lowered.
no.
It wasn’t just the voice that changed.
“Are you confident?”
At that moment, the gaze that had been fixed on the table slowly moved up. Although it looked dazed at first glance, I suddenly got goosebumps when I encountered eyes with a strange light flowing through them. I picked up the raised fan as if it were crumbling.
“It’s going to be incredibly difficult going forward.”
“I know.”
“It’s not a problem that ends with just knowing.”
“I am prepared. No, I was prepared.”
“Really?”
“… … .”
“Awakening Secret Class. It’s not a light name. Since it has a heavy name value, it is only natural that a certain level of performance is required. I’m not just scaring you because the training is difficult. In the future, you will walk down a path of indescribable thorns. In the meantime, you may have to face death. Is this all it is? I assure you. There will definitely be a lot of talk within the clan. Is it okay to give this precious thing to ‘such a user’? “I’d rather just give Jegal a solution.”
“… … .”
There are no words. Even if you subtly scratch its nerves, it just stares at it and doesn’t show any reaction anymore. In fact, from the moment I took out the fan, I was just staring at it blindly. I think it would be pointless to talk any further than this.
“If you have the confidence to overcome those things… . You may take it.”
As I finished speaking, I pushed the fan to the center of the table. And Cha Hee-young grabbed the fan without any hesitation. When the object is placed in his hands, the rabbit opens its eyes and lets out a light sigh.
“iced coffee… ?”
It was a little surprising. But, it’s good. If I had shown even the slightest hesitation, I might have been disappointed. Because I was betting on that ‘blindness’ as the way for Cha Hee-young to become stronger in a short period of time.
In the past, ‘Witch’ Cha Hee-young was definitely amazing. Didn’t she at least once fulfill the summons of Gehenna that even Ansol had no confidence in succeeding twice? If you think about it carefully, the driving force that made it possible was probably blind ‘anger’.
If you think about it that way, the answer is simple. Just replace ‘anger’ in the first round with ‘Anhyun’ in the second round. Although I felt a little sorry for Ahn Hyun, I subtly brought up my relationship with Ahn Hyeon when we met.
Even if Cha Hee-young were to awaken as a witch, it would be a risk worth taking. High risk, high return. If we can turn the point of the witch’s sword aimed at us at the current devil with one kick, we will have a powerful weapon.
After finishing my thoughts, I stood up straight away.
“Then I will wake up first.”
“Eh, yes?”
When I turned around without any regrets, Cha Hee-young was flustered like an idiot.
“why? “The fan is now the property of the user, Cha Hee-young.”
“B-but… .”
“You took it with confidence, right?”
“Well, that is! Oh, sorry, sorry, I mean. I just… .”
“Personally, I thought it was good. “It’s much better to see someone confident than to look like this.”
“… Hi!”
Oh, and the hiccups are really cute too.
“Be a little more confident. I may have said it a little harshly earlier, but deep down, I have high hopes for user Cha Hee-young. “This is sincere.”
The word sincerity is used a lot these days. But this was something I was curious about even after the first episode. ‘Genius’ and ‘Witch’. Which of the two is better?
Cha Hee-young lowered her head and blushed hesitantly. I stared at the garden, thinking that this was the end of the bullying. He opened his mouth slyly.
“I think Ahn Hyeon’s training is probably almost over by now… .”
This time it seemed like he definitely understood what I said. He suddenly raised his head and immediately stood up.
Even though it was half a succession, he probably wants to be the first to succeed in front of Ahn Hyeon. It is not difficult to be considerate so that the two of you can spend special time together. User information can be checked at any time. In addition, ‘blindness’ can be further strengthened.
Soon, Cha Hee-young bent and straightened her back exactly eight times and then quickly ran out into the garden.
One thing I’m curious about is that on the way out, I was shaking my head like crazy and saying, ‘No! You can’t pass over!’ or ‘Hyeon-i oppa! ‘I’m sorry for shaking you up!’ It is said that he left an unknown meaning.
I smiled to myself and slowly began to climb the stairs. It looks like I’ll have to walk around the streets all morning this morning, so it would be a good idea to get some sleep while I have time.
“… Phew.”
As I climbed the stairs, I felt somewhat relieved. At the same time, his heart started pounding. Is it because I can feel the end slowly approaching?
With this, the Dancer of the Midnight Sun, who had been holding on until the end, was finally let go. If the rumor spreads that she has succeeded the Dancer of the Midnight Sun, the intermediate stage of strengthening Mercenary will be completed.
“… ah.”
No, no. There is still one thing left to do. Only when work is completed safely this morning can the second stage of the return plan be completed.
Okay, the last time on the streets tonight… .
*
When I opened my eyes, there was complete darkness in the room. The cityscape seen beyond the terrace still has pale lights shining in various places. It was early for the streets to open at night, but I woke up at just the right time. If you prepare leisurely and leave, the time will be right.
The first thing I checked after getting out of bed was my funds. Before I knew it, there were two Chaos Mimics and a small pouch on the desk. Eventually, as I opened them one by one to check them, I almost took my breath away.
The father, Chaos Mimic, was filled with platinum flowers that glowed reddish, and the mother, Chaos Mimic, was filled with jewels that sparkled in various colors. In addition, gold coins to be used as entrance fees were placed separately in a small pouch. This is the part where Cho Seung-woo’s sense is revealed.
But I don’t understand. I know that the city has sufficient finances due to income generated from the city and this expedition. However, given Cho Seung-woo’s nature of focusing on saving, there is no way he could put in this much… .
“huh?”
The moment I tilted my head and took care of the Mimics, a small record underneath suddenly caught my eye. It was a note.
『Probably by the time the Clan Lord reads this note… .
I am probably already traveling through dreamland.』
… What a needlessly grandiose introduction.
“haha.
I made a joke.
This is none other than information received late this afternoon.
Originally, I was going to tell you right away, but I couldn’t tell you because it seemed like you were sleeping soundly for the first time in a long time.
Actually, this is also something I secretly requested from the Shadow Queen.
I thought that if I went in with my poor skills, they would realize it right away.』
Once again, I thought it was a useless consideration, but I calmly read the following.
『Anyway, I received a call from the New Koran Association.
To get straight to the point, there is a possibility that today’s auction will get quite heated.
The fact that I had secret contact spread through some means.
So, the ‘Merchantry Clan’ is participating in this auction, at this level.
I don’t think it was the New Koran Coalition’s doing, but it was probably the elixir seller’s trick.
I think the purpose is probably to encourage competition and get the highest possible price.』
Hey, you did something pretty cute. I think they probably figured out their intentions and tried to use them appropriately.
Unfortunately, there is nothing to say about the current situation. In the grand scheme of things, it could be said that the principles were violated, but the ones who crossed the line first were the New Koran Coalition and us. He probably recognized that and got angry.
『If you think about it, grab it and hit it right away… .
Oh, sorry.
Anyway, we are in a hurry right now, and the auction is right around the corner.
And regarding this matter, Seo Ji-hwan, the leader of the merchant union, said that he would cooperate as much as possible if necessary.』
Well, cooperate. If it’s Seo Ji-hwan, maybe… .
『Actually, that’s what he said, but it seemed like he wanted to use this opportunity to make the game bigger.』
Yes, you might want to.
『From what I heard, it seems like the list of items for this auction was updated just before… .
Since there is a higher possibility that big players will participate than usual, quite a few items that have been saved may be released.
Just in case, we have prepared ample funds to account for all the speculation.
I will leave the choice to the clan lord.
I don’t think I can beat anyone at this level, but still, I can’t help feeling embarrassed when I think of that guy.
Anyway, I look forward to a wise decision from the Clan Lord.』
If the situation is like this, it would not be surprising if items that are difficult to dispose of are put up for blind auction. Hehehe. Then it’s good for me.
『PS. Oops, the baby Chaos Mimic is a little weird. It was quiet at first, but as it got closer to the clan lord’s room, it started to get upset and started crying profusely. So I replaced it with the parent Chaos Mimic. Can you tell me why it’s like this?』
I smiled and put the note in my arms.
It was just a little funny. The streets at night can be seen as a representative place of shadow, as the working physiology is clearly visible. I understand the desire to get a high price somehow, but in fact, I felt it was a shame.
After carefully packing small pockets, I finished preparing by putting on the gray robe I had prepared in advance.
Eventually, I went down the stairs, humming, and was about to cross the entrance and leave the main gate.
“… … .”
Suddenly, I stopped walking.
“wait for a sec… .”
Suddenly, a feeling of emptiness overtakes my entire body. I feel like I forgot something important.
After a while, I took out the note I had put in my pocket and unfolded it.
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