Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Hoarding
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“P-Please spare me.”
“We didn’t recognize a person of your stature… Please, show us mercy…”
With a small crowd gathering, there seemed no need to blow things out of proportion.
It wasn't that I was worried for myself, but the Golden Lion Guild could get caught in the crossfire.
“Before you go picking fights with innocent people, you should properly educate that… whatever he is of yours, a beggar or a client.”
“Pardon?”
“If he’s a beggar, he should beg properly. Does it make sense for him to be clinging to people?”
“Oh, my heavens, we were unaware and have committed a great offense…”
“We will discipline him thoroughly to ensure it never happens again.”
One of them bowed his head repeatedly while the other walked over to the fallen Ju Yeon-seong.
“Hey. Customer? Did you doze off during our training?”
*Thwack—*
He kicked Ju Yeon-seong.
“If you dirty a nobleman’s clothes with those filthy hands, do you expect us to pay for it?”
Soon, the other goon joined in, beating Ju Yeon-seong, but no one intervened.
A classic case of bullying the weak and sucking up to the strong.
I didn’t like them either, but considering who their victim was…
I thought about asking what had happened to him, but I just turned and walked away.
I could guess, more or less.
He was probably kicked out of his guild because of the last incident.
Tae-soo never mentioned any complaints or protests from the Silver Wolf Guild.
Did they run the numbers and decide to handle it internally?
Or maybe Tae-soo was being considerate of me and chose not to say anything.
I’d have to ask him when I saw him.
A five-minute walk brought me to the Golden Lion Guild’s hideout.
“Oh? Hyeon-ung?”
“You’re here?”
“Hello.”
“What took you so long? Come on, have a drink.”
As soon as I stepped inside, everyone greeted me warmly.
Most of the faces were familiar.
Not every guild member was there, but I’d gotten to know many of them during the three days we spent together after conquering the 42nd floor.
“Come sit over here, young brother.”
I was about to find a spot in a corner, but Tae-soo came over and personally guided me to a seat.
His face was already flushed, so it seemed they’d been drinking for a while.
It was a nice sight, seeing the guild master, the executives, and the regular members all mingling and having a good time.
Ah, and I liked it too, of course.
“Kkyu!”
“Why did you bring that demon?”
“Ah, I had some items in my room, so I couldn’t leave him behind. He’s already eaten his fill for today, so you don’t have to worry about him stealing your money.”
I defended him a little, since he’d done his part in the Lord’s Vault earlier.
Goldie would bite anyone in sight, but feeding him 300 gold kept him calm for a day.
“Oh, is that so?”
“Your equipment might still be at risk, though.”
Most of them were dressed casually, so it probably wasn't a major concern.
“What? Everyone, put your gear in your inventories.”
Tae-soo, however, seemed to think differently.
“I’ll keep a tight hold on him.”
“Good. Now that our young brother is here, let’s have another toast for the occasion.”
As he spoke, he rose from his seat and got everyone’s attention.
“You’ve all worked so hard. We’re still on the 43rd floor, but we finally broke through the 42nd, which held us back for over a month. First, I’m incredibly grateful to our young brother here, who was a great help in our advance. Even if we slow down again like this time, let’s not lose hope and do our best to press forward!”
Cheers and applause erupted from the guild members.
I’d heard he used to be the CEO of a mid-sized company, and he was certainly a good speaker.
“Let’s do our usual cheer. *Woo-dol-jip*!”
*Woo-dol-jip*?
““““We! Are going back! Home!””””
Watching the guild members chant after Tae-soo’s lead, I felt something stir in my own chest.
I’d never really thought about wanting to go back, and I wasn't even a member of the Golden Lion Guild…
I guess leaders are born, not made.
And one more thing.
They were all truly sincere about returning.
Thanks to that, I think I found an answer to a question I’d been mulling over while traveling with them.
“Young brother, would you like to say a word?”
“Ah, I’m okay.”
I was an outsider, after all.
****
I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling.
Where… am I?
It was clean, but a bit smaller than my usual room at Kabisa.
Ah, I had intended to drink moderately and leave, but that proved impossible.
It wasn't just that Tae-soo and the others held me back, but the food was just too good.
The spread yesterday included beef bulgogi, spicy stir-fried pork, braised short ribs, japchae, and even pajeon.
Some dishes tasted slightly off, but that was a minor issue.
These were the foods of my homeland, something you couldn’t buy in Elsia no matter how much money you had.
Drunk on good food and good company, I think I drank until dawn…
*Creeak—*
The door opened, and Seol-hwa entered, holding a square tray.
“You’re awake?”
Seeing her brought the memories flooding back.
When I was about to leave, Tae-soo had insisted I stay, saying they had plenty of rooms and it was late.
“Haha, yes. I slept like a log.”
“That’s because you drank so late yesterday. My brother-in-law can really hold his liquor, so it’s tough to keep up with him.”
“You should have told me earlier.”
“I thought you knew?”
So cold.
Truthfully, though I was exaggerating, my high stats meant I had almost no hangover.
If anything, I felt refreshed after a good night’s sleep for the first time in a while.
I had taken care of most of my errands yesterday, anyway.
“It’s not that I was completely unaware, but it’s been so long since I had food from home that I guess I overdid it…”
“So the food was to your liking?”
“Of course. Those are dishes you can’t get here even with all the money in the world… Oh? Is that bean sprout soup and rice?”
I barely had a hangover, but bean sprout soup with white rice the day after drinking?
There was no way I could resist that.
“You have bean sprouts and rice here, too.”
“The bean sprouts and rice were acquired through a Trait.”
A Trait, you say! Oh!
Someone in the Golden Lion Guild must have a cooking-related Trait.
“I also dried a fish called Kalisafi and added it. It has a similar feel to dried pollack, so everyone likes it. Please, try it.”
So it wasn’t just bean sprout soup, but the supreme ruler of hangover soups, dried pollack hangover soup.
I immediately mixed the rice in and took a spoonful. It was spicy, clean, and refreshing, tasting exactly like the real thing.
“This is delicious. I’m so jealous of the Golden Lion guild members.”
“I can’t make it in large quantities. The Trait lets me bring ingredients from the outside, but there are a lot of restrictions. I’m trying my best to replicate the taste with the ingredients I have.”
Come to think of it, there was no rice served at the drinking party last night.
I thought it was just because it was a party, but it turned out rice was hard to come by.
“To think you’d give me something so precious… Wait, you have a cooking Trait, Seol-hwa?”
How fascinating.
I thought that as the head of the finance team, she would have a Trait related to that field. What a surprise.
Now that I think about it, she went grocery shopping herself yesterday.
“Yes. I’m not a chef, but cooking was my hobby.”
“I’m touched that you’d treat me to something even the guild members rarely get to eat.”
“It’s nothing compared to all the help you’ve given us. I could make it for you every day…”
Huh?
Was this… a green light?
“Um…”
“If you join our guild, of course.”
She smiled gently, but it was no green light.
It seemed to be bait for recruitment.
Leaving me with the words to let her know anytime if I was interested, Seol-hwa left.
It wasn't that I hadn't considered it.
During our time together in the labyrinth and at the party yesterday, I felt my heart swell.
I was still debating it up until yesterday, but I’ve already made my decision.
I’ll maintain a good relationship with the Golden Lion Guild, but I won’t be joining them.
The Golden Lion Guild walks a different path than I do.
Or perhaps, the path is the same, but our destinations are different.
For the Golden Lion Guild, including Tae-soo, returning home is their top priority. But for me, it’s not.
Just as I finished my meal and was thinking of finding Tae-soo, the door opened again, and in he walked.
“I heard you were up, but I see you were in the middle of a meal.”
“Brother, are you a tiger by any chance?”
“Hm?”
“You know the saying, ‘speak of the devil and he shall appear.’ I was just thinking I should see you after I finished eating.”
“Is that so? By the way, my sister-in-law said she couldn’t make it today, but it seems she made it just for you, young brother.”
He looked at my dried pollack soup and rice with envious eyes.
If even he coveted it, it must be truly rare.
“Um… It’s not untouched, but would you like a bite?”
“It’s fine. I already had some stew for my hangover. I’ll come back later since you’re eating.”
“No, I’ll come to your office after I’m done. I’ll be up in a minute.”
“No, no, take your time.”
It had been so long since I’d had rice and soup that I scraped the bowl clean, not leaving a single grain or a drop of broth behind.
When I went to the office on the top floor, not only Tae-soo but Seol-hwa was there as well.
It was my first time in the guild master’s office, and it wasn’t as lavish or spacious as I’d imagined.
“How was the meal?”
I should have offered him a spoonful, even though he said he was fine.
“It was the best. I’m jealous you get to eat it often, brother.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“My sister-in-law is a great cook. Now, let’s get down to business.”
At Tae-soo’s words, Seol-hwa handed me a piece of paper.
“This is a list of the items you entrusted to the… Guild Master that we wish to purchase.”
[Rapar’s Bow — 11 Gold
Gale Axe — 13 Gold
…
Fire Sword — 7 Gold]
It was the list of items I had left with him.
He had told me to let him know if there was anything they wanted to buy, and they had written it down meticulously.
So that’s why Seol-hwa was here, too.
“For the prices, we based them on the community’s transaction history for items that have one. For the others, we’ve put down what we think is a fair price, but of course, you’re welcome to negotiate.”
“And if there’s anything you need, feel free to exclude it.”
I scanned the list. To be honest, all the items I’d given him were things I didn’t need anyway.
As for the market price, I wouldn’t know even if I looked, and I didn’t want to haggle over a few pennies.
They say you should encourage a negotiation but stop a fight, but feelings could get hurt.
And would Tae-soo, of all people, try to rip me off?
I trusted him.
“Are there any items on this list that you’ll be using, brother?”
“Huh? The Eltius Ring and the Ring of Earth, these two?”
“Then let’s cross those off the list.”
“Hey, that’s harsh, asking just to cross them off.”
He looked genuinely disappointed.
“What? I was planning to just give those to you. As thanks for holding onto my items.”
“No, young brother… for something so trivial.”
His mood shifted in an instant.
“As for the rest, I’m fine with the listed prices, but…”
“But? Is there a problem?”
“I have a few more items. Would you mind taking a look at these as well?”
I took out all the items I thought I’d never use, and both Tae-soo’s and Seol-hwa’s eyes grew as round as saucers.
“My word, how did you get all these items…”
“They just dropped?”
“Are you using some kind of bug all by yourself?”
A bug, really… Ah!
“Would it be alright if I received part of the payment for the items in Blessed Armor Enhancement Scrolls?”
Hearing the word ‘bug’ reminded me of the Boots of Enhancement I got from the Lord’s Vault yesterday.
Blessed scrolls could drop from normal monsters, but it was rare.
However, they were an almost guaranteed drop from floor bosses, and the Guild Alliance controlled the lower-level floor bosses.
“A-Are you sure that’s okay?”
“Of course.”
“Young brother, to accommodate us like this…”
“Um, Hyeon-ung, when you say ‘part of it,’ could you tell me exactly how much you mean? We have quite a large number of scrolls in our possession.”
“Oh, really?”
That was music to my ears.
Then again, the Golden Lion Guild was one of the two pillars of the Alliance.
“If the Golden Lion Guild has enough, I’m fine with receiving the entire payment in scrolls. Oh, and if my items aren’t enough to cover it, I’d like to buy some more with my own money.”
“Y-Young brother?”
“You want to buy all of our Blessed Armor Enhancement Scrolls?”
“Yes.”
The Boots of Enhancement had no limit on how many times they could be enhanced.
And using a Blessed Armor Enhancement Scroll meant there were no penalties.
“Ah, by the way, how much do the scrolls cost?”
“Between 95 silver and 1 gold.”
A regular enhancement scroll from the general store costs 30 silver, so it’s about three times the price.
For an item that drops from a floor boss, it didn't seem that expensive, but it's probably because people rarely used them except when attempting to go past +6.
“Um, young brother, you do know that even with a blessed scroll, there’s a chance of it resetting or being destroyed if it fails from +7 onwards, right?”
He looked incredibly worried.
“Of course. I’m aware, so you don’t need to worry.”
Ah, I should do that, too.
****
After finishing my business with Tae-soo, I stopped by the VIP shop at the Magic Tower, but they didn’t have many items.
There was no equipment, and no Orbs of Trait either.
Only a few consumables had been restocked.
Since this was reality, it seemed things didn’t replenish every week like in a game.
So I bought just a few consumables and headed back to Kabisa, but… huh?
A huge crowd of people had gathered near Kabisa.
I wondered if there was some kind of event today, but then I spotted a familiar face.
Luke saw me too and ran over in a flash.
“Luke, is there some kind of event at Kabisa today?”
“No, Hyeon-ung, where have you been? All these people have been looking for you.”
Looking for me?
Ah, it must be because of the post I put on the community board earlier.
[Buying Blessed Armor Enhancement Scrolls.
Author: Oh Hyeon-ung.
Buying an unlimited number of Blessed Armor Enhancement Scrolls for 1 gold and 1 silver each.
Trade Location: Come to the 1st floor of Kabisa and say my name, and I will come out.
P.S: I am heading into the labyrinth tomorrow, so trades will only be accepted until tomorrow morning.]