TL: Hanguk
“Theo, you’re still unqualified.”
“What are you talking about, meow?! I’ve already met the conditions of an elite wandering merchant! Are you ignoring me, meow?!”
Theo became angry at the employee’s words, feeling that he was being dismissed. He was clearly being treated like a fool. Such treatment was unbearable, meow!
‘I’ll call my subordinates, meow!’
As Theo was contemplating which of his subordinates – like Iona, Cuengi, Elka, Hegel, or the Black Minotaurs, whom to summon and scold the employee,
“To become an elite wandering merchant, you must achieve a total cumulative sales amount of 10 million Tower Coins and satisfy 3 out of these 5 qualification criteria.”
The employee handed Theo a paper with detailed qualifications for an elite wandering merchant.
“There was such a thing, meow?!”
Theo quickly read the paper.
[Elite Wandering Merchant Qualification Criteria]
1. Must have capital of at least 5 million Tower Coins or more.
2. Must employ at least 5 staff members.
3. Must secure at least 3 exclusive products.
4. Must handle at least 100 different products.
5. Must have at least 5 clients with monthly sales exceeding 100,000 Tower Coins or more.
*If you meet 3 out of these 5 conditions above, you can come to the headquarters of the Wandering Merchant Association and become an elite wandering merchant.
“There was such a thing, meow?!”
“Yes. Normally, since few merchants aim to become elite wandering merchants, it’s not well-known.”
“I didn’t know, meow.”
“That can happen. The preferred conditions for those aspiring to become elite wandering merchants are 1, 2, and 4. Because they’re the easiest to fulfill.”
The employee kindly explained to Theo. Thanks to that, the unfortunate incident of Theo calling his subordinates didn’t occur.
“1, 2, and 4, you say, meow?”
The conditions the employee mentioned were all solvable with money. The first condition was a given, and hiring 5 employees and securing 100 different products was also possible with money.
“Hmm… In Theo’s case… First…”
While Theo was reading the paper, the employee was looking at Theo’s activity and was about to say to come back when he had fulfilled the lacking qualifications. But
“Okay. I’ve met conditions 1, 2, 3, and 5, meow!”
Theo told the employee and started to take out documents to prove his qualifications.
“What?! Already?!”
“That’s right! First of all, here’s 5 million Tower Coins, meow!”
Theo pulled out the money to meet condition 1.
Then,
“Here’s the employment contract, meow!”
He also pulled out the contract with the cat interns. A total of 8 cats were employed, easily meeting condition 2.
“These are crops with item effects, meow! And these are my regular clients, meow!”
Sejun’s crops exceeded 10, satisfying the condition for 3 exclusive products. Additionally, Theo had many regular guilds and hunters, surpassing 20 clients with monthly sales of over 100,000 Tower Coins.
So, when Theo met conditions 3 and 5,
“Wow! That’s amazing!”
The employee looked at Theo with awe, as he had never seen a wandering merchant fulfill the requirements so quickly.
“Phuhaha. Of course, meow! I’m impressive, meow! Because I am the great black…”
Theo began to boast, trying to reveal his identity.
However,
“Excuse me for a moment!”
The employee quickly ran off somewhere.
“Meow?! Where are you going without hearing my introduction, meow?”
When Theo was again frustrated at not being able to properly introduce himself,
“Here is a badge proving that you are an elite wandering merchant.”
The employee came back with a golden badge.
“From now on, you can apply for and use the Lightspeed Merchant Route. Will you apply? The application fee is 100,000 Tower Coins.”
“Here it is, meow!”
Theo readily paid the 100,000 Tower Coins. He was now rich, receiving hundreds of thousands of Tower Coins in incentives from Sejun.
“And here, you can engrave a phrase to introduce yourself. What would you like it to say?”
“Phuhaha. Listen well, meow.”
Theo told the employee the phrase he wanted to engrave on the golden badge.
“Are you really going to write it like this?”
The employee, with a puzzled look, asked, looking at the phrase engraved on the badge.
[The Great Black Dragon’s Subordinate, Deadly Yellow Cat Theo Park]
Pretending to be the subordinate of the Great Black Dragon could have dire consequences if caught by those who followed the black dragon.
“That’s right, meow!”
“Phew. Alright. Please wait a moment.”
The employee took the golden badge and went to find the wizard, asking for magic engravings. The wizard then engraved enhancements, preservation, and binding magic on it.
“Here it is.”
And thus, Theo became an elite wandering merchant.
‘I’m finally an elite wandering merchant, meow!’
Theo was moved, thinking about how he had been scammed by Skaram a few months ago.
And then,
‘This is all thanks to Park Sejun’s knee, meow!’
Praising Sejun’s knees, which were his truth, once,
“Now show me the land deeds, meow!”
Finally, he began purchasing the land deed, his original goal.
However,
“How should I handle this? The trade of land deeds has been temporarily suspended recently.”
“What are you talking about, meow?!”
“That is… lately, robbers who kill people to steal their land deeds have appeared, so trading has been stopped for the safety of customers.”
“Then there’s no other way to get the land deed, meow?”
“Um… ah! The chances are low, but there is one way – something that only you, Theo, can do.”
“What is it, meow?!”
“Originally, our Wandering Merchant Association would give the qualification to take one item from the lost and found storage if an elite wandering merchant fulfills all five qualifications within a day.”
What the employee mentioned was a tradition almost forgotten now. The employee had suddenly recalled a story heard from his own mentor 30 years ago.
‘My mentor said that a land deed came out of the lost and found storage 100 years ago.’
So at that time, many merchants were keen to meet the five conditions to enter the lost and found storage. But it quickly waned because…
The lost and found storage of the Association gathered only ambiguous items that didn’t make money, despite all efforts.
“I’ll do it, meow!”
Theo realized that it was time for his front paws to shine again.
“Just wait a moment, meow!”
Theo hurriedly went outside to buy 100 different items to fulfill the 4th requirement.
“Give me a discount, meow!”
Of course, haggling three times was a basic requirement.
An hour later.
“Here are the 100 different handled products, meow!”
Theo purchased the goods and returned to the Association headquarters, meeting all five conditions of an elite wandering merchant.
“Congratulations. Follow me.”
The employee took Theo to the stone-built lost and found storage behind the headquarters. The building seemed so sturdy that not even strong magic could bring it down.
“Who goes there?!”
A giant rhinoceros guard guarding the lost and found storage approached the employee and Theo with his spear.
“Hello, Sir Taru. My name is Sion, a headquarters employee. I brought Theo, who has earned the right to enter the lost and found storage, according to our tradition.”
“Hmm… Tradition, eh… Interesting. Very well.”
Thud.
Taru opened the giant door to the lost and found storage,
Whoosh.
The torches inside lit up.
“Enter. Since you’re the first in almost 100 years, I’ll allow you to take two items.”
“Thank you, meow! Then let’s make it three, meow!”
Theo subtly added one more to Taru’s generosity, feeling several attracting forces on his front paws as soon as the door opened.
“What?! Hahaha. You’re bold. Fine! Let’s make it three!”
Since one would only come out with garbage items from the storage without luck, Taru happily granted the request.
“Thank you, meow!”
Theo happily dashed into the lost and found storage.
***
“You’re going to build a wizard tower on the 99th floor?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. I’ll allow it.”
There was no reason to oppose it; rather, having wizards reside there would help them in requesting magical assistance for farming when needed.
“Kyoot kyoot kyoot!”
Iona squealed with delight at Sejun’s approval.
“But have you decided where to build the tower?”
“Yes! I’m thinking about the south.”
“The south?”
“Yes!”
Iona planned to wipe out the fire ants and build a wizard tower there.
“How many people?”
“About 300 people, but it might increase.”
As Sejun and Iona were having this conversation,
Kreong!
Next to them, Cuengi, who was bored from waiting, started to eat a banana from his snack pouch. It was the last saved banana.
“Kyoot? What’s that?”
As the sweet smell of the banana spread, Iona asked, looking at the banana.
“It’s a banana. Want to try?”
Sejun picked up a banana from the void warehouse, peeled it, cut it into small pieces, and gave it to Iona.
“Thank you.”
Iona thanked Sejun and took a big bite of the banana.
Then,
“Kyoot! Kyoot! Kyoot!”
With cries of joy, Iona, with her short arms and legs, hugged the banana tightly and began to eat it eagerly.
At that moment,
Kreong… Kreong…
Having finished its own banana, Cuengi sneaked into Sejun’s void storage, eyeing the bananas inside.
Creak.
Unaware that Cuengi had gone in, Sejun closed the door to the void storage.
And then,
“Now I have to work.”
He started working, looking around the farm that he hadn’t been to in the past few days.
Pyeak!
Kkwek!
As he wandered the farm, the rabbits and mushroom ants, who had been struggling under the care of the two dragons, warmly welcomed Sejun. Fortunately, the two dragons had managed the farm well, so there were no big problems.
Sejun headed to the storage room after inspecting the farm.
Pyeak!
A rabbit guarding the storage room greeted Sejun.
“How have you been?”
Pyeak!
Clang.
The rabbit pulled out money in response.
“What? Kaiser and Kellion took the crops from the storage room and paid for them?”
‘Isn’t that nice?’
It was almost like a store, taking goods and leaving money on their own. Sejun then entered the storage room, chatting with the rabbit.
“Oh! Elixirs!”
As he examined the crops, he discovered precious elixir mushrooms grown by the mushroom ants at the back of the storage.
[Elixir: King Oyster Mushroom]
[Elixir: Oyster Mushroom]
[Elixir: Shiitake Mushroom]
All were grade C, providing an effect of +1 to all stats.
“I’ll have to cook these in a dish later.”
Elixir mushroom hotpot. The name alone felt nourishing. Sejun decided to cook when a few more elixir mushrooms grew and
Creak.
Opened the void storage to store the elixir safely.
At that moment,
Kurrr.
He heard Cuengi’s snoring from inside.
“What?”
Why was Cuengi’s snoring sound coming from here? Sejun, puzzled, went toward the sound and saw Cuengi fast asleep, its belly swollen, full of bananas.
‘He must have eaten about 5,000.’
Sejun roughly estimated how many bananas Cuengi ate by looking at the bananas left in the void storage.
Kurrr…
At Sejun’s approach, Cuengi rubbed his eyes and woke up.
And then,
Kurrr…
Slyly, Cuengi clung to Sejun’s leg and pretended to sleep again.
“Cuengi, where did the bananas that were here go?”
Sejun looked at Cuengi with stern eyes.
Kreong…
[Cuengi doesn’t know…]
Cuengi answered, avoiding Sejun’s eyes.
“Then what’s this belly?”
Sejun asked, grabbing Cuengi’s swollen belly.
…
Cuengi couldn’t answer.
“I caught you! Banana thief! Bu-bu-bu-boop.”
Sejun punished the banana thief by blowing raspberries on Cuengi’s bloated belly.
Kkuhehehe. Kreong?
[Hehehe. But how did you know Cuengi ate the bananas?]
Cuengi, who had even eaten the banana peels to leave no evidence, asked curiously.
“Hehehe. I have my ways. So, don’t lie to Daddy or you’ll get in trouble! Got it?!”
Sejun sternly spoke, patting Cuengi’s swollen belly.
*****
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