This Much, I'll Cut for You.

The fur was trimmed down by twenty percent. That should be enough to craft a high-quality muffler or shawl that balances both style and performance. Since it was for someone in the Seogwang guild, they would probably turn it into something even better than what I could make.

“……Yeah.”

Cha Eun-kyung’s gaze followed the fur as if she were hypnotized. The momentum had completely shifted. Now it was time to teach her the terror of getting something for free.

“There’s a condition, though.”

“How much?”

“Add me as a friend. Would ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that be possible?”

The friend-add function existed in Dimension Gate II, unlike the recording feature. My friend list had stayed completely empty until now because every person I’d interacted with had been an NPC. The previous game had been no different. I’d focused on solo play, and there simply weren’t any other players around. High-level players from other countries were easier to approach directly. None of them had normal mindsets anyway. This time, however, was an exception. The woman in front of me was a VIP customer who could casually drop a hundred million won on a single transaction. The hundred million I’d received wasn’t some shiny in-game currency—it was real, crisp cash, so its influence outside the game was absurdly powerful.

“……That’s all you want?”

“Yes.”

That wasn’t the only reason. Unlike Kim Sung-chul, who was still relatively new, she likely held a solid position within Seogwang thanks to her overwhelming wealth. She probably wasn’t even tied down to the guild. There was no better long-term customer to keep in contact with.

“It probably won’t be an unreasonable request. Even if what I ask for is worth about as much as the fur—or a little more—I’d appreciate it if you could be generous.”

“Got it.”

Twenty percent of the fur had found its owner. Now came the long-awaited moment to add each other as friends.

“……Don’t tease me.”

“Huh?”

At that instant, a notification appeared in the corner of my status window.

“I’m serious. Don’t tease me.”

Her warning was vague enough that I couldn’t give a clear reply. I kept my expression as neutral as possible and checked the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠alert.

Only then did I understand what her warning had meant. I had no choice but to accept with a serious expression.

A customer friend with a rather unique nickname had been added. The sale had gone smoothly, so now it was time to actually get some sleep. I had work in the morning.

“Then I’ll see you again at the same time tomorrow.”

“Yeah.”

* * *

My body felt heavy. I’d probably only slept about two hours.

-Company. You don’t have to go in, you know.

Her words must have left a bigger impact than I thought. The resignation letter kept flickering in front of my eyes like a status window. I wondered if there would ever be a day I received a hundred-million-won bonus while working at that company.

“Seo-jun. Are you feeling sick?”

“……Hello.”

In just a few days, I’d become just like Deputy Kim. Was this really okay? I’d even made up my mind not to belong to any organization.

* * *

The fur muffler for Cha Eun-kyung was finished. It was really just a long strip of leather with the edges finished, but the shape was solid. The material itself was luxurious to begin with.

I hadn’t missed a single one of the material’s original options. That was why this muffler could be used confidently in negotiations.

“Here.”

“……”

She was probably checking the options. Cha Eun-kyung stared blankly at the muffler, and the corner of her mouth slowly curled upward. That was a good sign.

“Thanks.”

An immediate pass. Now it was time to resume the lesson and earn my pay.

“Alright. Let’s try skinning again. Today we’re aiming for a perfect ten in a row.”

Cha Eun-kyung held out her hand. I thought she wanted me to check the skinning knife, but then I realized it was yesterday’s review.

“First one together.”

“Understood.”

I guided her small hand and showed her the perfect path once more. Her hidden class change was getting closer.

* * *

It was the weekend. Today was the day we would attempt to obtain the clue for Cha Eun-kyung’s hidden class. The conditions were spectators and thirty rabbits. Since it had been a while, I hunted the rabbits myself. I needed the leveling anyway, so I only brought back the healthiest ones.

Silverpen quietly asked me, looking flustered by the unexpected skinning show.

“Sir Kael. Is she a new disciple?”

“Calling her a disciple feels a bit off. Just watch for now.”

There were far more spectators than before. At this rate, as long as the conditions were met, we would definitely obtain the hidden class clue.

Shhhk. Shhk.

Cha Eun-kyung’s hands moved without hesitation. As a member of the Seogwang guild, her level was probably high, so with her overwhelming stats she could put on an even flashier performance than mine.

“Ooh! Ooooh!”

“The fur’s coming off so cleanly!”

“And it’s rabbit fur! That’s actually possible?”

“Didn’t you say it was a guy before? Seeing it in person is ridiculous!”

The atmosphere was excellent. Even I could see that Cha Eun-kyung kept receiving perfect judgments.

Shhhhhk!

‘29.’

Shhk. Shhk.

‘30.’

Cha Eun-kyung’s eyebrows twitched. Her eyes moved busily, probably reading the messages appearing in front of her. Success.

Thud.

Cha Eun-kyung put away the knife she had been using and walked over to me.

“Alright, that’s enough skinning for today! Everyone, disperse!”

While Silverpen handled the crowd, we quickly retreated to a private tanning area.

“Did the clue appear?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. That concludes our transaction.”

Thud.

For some reason, Cha Eun-kyung punched me in the chest. It looked like a light tap, but the impact was considerable. She was also in Seogwang, so the destructive power from the level difference was real.

“It’s not over yet. The deal.”

She pointed at the muffler she was wearing. The base material was good, so it suited her appearance no matter what she wore.

“I’m glad it seems to your liking.”

“Yeah.”

At that moment, Silverpen came running over, his face pale.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but you need to step outside for a moment!”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Someone from the royal family! Someone from the palace has arrived!”

I had an idea what this was about.

The skinning show had generated word of mouth, and this was the second time. But I hadn’t expected the royal family to send someone directly.

“Looks like a class-change quest. Go ahead.”

“……Yeah.”

After Cha Eun-kyung left, Silverpen and I set up a light trading spot to sell off the byproducts, excluding the golden fox fur.

“I’ll sell everything except the fur to the Russell Trading Company.”

“Ooh……!”

This alone would be sufficient. Silverpen knew the value of the other byproducts better than I did.

“How much will you pay?”

I didn’t know the market price. But because I owed him a favor, I was willing to accept any offer as long as it wasn’t just a few coppers.

“Would twenty gold be acceptable?”

“Twenty gold?”

It was far more than I had expected. I hadn’t thought any of the byproducts were more valuable than the fur. My own estimate had been around ten gold.

“It’s a rather generous price for a merchant to offer, but since the trading partner is Sir Kael, it’s no loss. The guild master will likely think the same.”

“Very well. With such a generous price, I’m grateful as well.”

“Here is twenty gold. Thanks to this transaction, the name of the Russell Trading Company will spread even further. Heh heh.”

Twenty gold. That also meant I no longer had any reason to buy in-game currency with real cash through direct deposits.

I was still only level 8. With this money, I could probably buy equipment suitable for my level without any trouble.

“It was a good trade.”

“Indeed. Please come again.”

I left the Russell Trading Company with the remaining fur. I looked around, but Cha Eun-kyung was nowhere to be seen. I wasn’t too worried. I simply assumed she was writing her own story, just like the Knight of Pure Love. Someday, once we got closer, I might get to hear it.

“Time to take care of my own quest.”

The golden fox subjugation had been a hidden quest from the start. Selling the byproducts had been extra income. There was no time limit, so I’d even been able to sell the hidden class clue and comfortably secure a hundred million won. Now it was time to claim the main reward.

“Where is the instructor?”

“Hurk! I’ll guide you right away!”

For some reason, the soldiers recognized me. They even used honorifics.

“Hah!”

Thwack!

The scene that followed was unfamiliar as well. For some reason, the training grounds were filled with a large number of newbies swinging wooden swords. It had nothing to do with me, so I was simply surprised.

“This is as far as I can guide you! Excuse me!”

“Ah, yes.”

I met the training instructor again. He looked me over once and his eyes showed a hint of disappointment.

“……Did the subjugation fail?”

“Of course not.”

This was one of those moments where a single piece of evidence was more effective than a hundred words. I wasn’t going to miss this timing. I showed him the heavy bundle of fur that had been in my bag.

“I have a use for the rest, so I can’t give you everything. How much do you need?”

“Hoh. May I take a look?”

“Of course.”

The training instructor’s expression as he received the fox fur was hard to read. All I could tell was that it was endlessly complicated.

“……It really is that damned fox.”

I decided to stay quiet and watch. The more emotional he became, the bigger the reward would probably be.

“I thought you came back empty-handed, so I assumed there were no results. I apologize for doubting my own eyes.”

“It’s fine.”

As long as he gave me a good reward, it really was fine. I’d never felt bad about him in the first place.

“Would it be all right if I only take a small piece of the fur? I think I’ll need it for a friend’s grave. I’ll pay for it, of course.”

“It’s fine. Would this much be enough?”

I cut off a palm-sized piece of fur and handed it to the training instructor. He tried to refuse, saying it was too much, but since I knew it would be used for a good purpose, there was no reason to hesitate.

“……Thank you.”

The training instructor carefully accepted the piece of fur and tucked it into his robe. The small talk was over. Now it was time to discuss the reward.

“I’ll do whatever I can within my authority. If you want to become a royal knight, you will become one. If you wish to aim higher, I’ll help you enter the empire.”

I’d heard a little about the empire from Kim Sung-chul. It was the strongest nation in the game’s world setting, a sanctuary no player had ever set foot in. I’d also heard that even the Seogwang guild was doing everything they could to enter the empire.

“What is it that you desire?”

“……”

Becoming a royal knight and entering the empire were both grand achievements that would attract media attention. However, I didn’t want to become known to the public. Besides, the place I was heading wasn’t some higher realm—it was beginner villages like Liam. Was there no more practical reward?

“It seems you’re not interested in either.”

“Honestly, no.”

“Rather, that answer suits you. And it’s an answer only you could give.”

A brief silence. The training instructor waited ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠quietly for my reply. After thinking it over, one necessary reward came to mind—thanks to Eun-nyange. No, thanks ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to Cha Eun-kyung.

“Is there perhaps a special class that would suit me?”