Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: TowerMatch!
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‘Haa, what is this.’
A taxi speeding down the road.
I let out a sigh and watch the meter climbing rapidly.
‘How much is this even gonna come to?’
The taxi heads straight out toward the outskirts of Seoul.
As we near the edge of the city, the distinctive howls of magic beasts echo faintly from the distance.
The scarf around my neck feels stuffy, and the coat—something I’ve never worn in my life—is cumbersome.
But I had to admit, it looked pretty sharp.
Kim Yang had nodded in satisfaction, and Reneah had circled me endlessly, full of admiration.
‘Hm.’
I sneak a selfie.
Click!
“Ah, that’s me in the photo.”
The driver glances over, so I explain and send the pic via text.
A moment later.
Look at that response.
Ryu Seram’s shoulders, which had been rising, drop right back to normal.
Guess I’d better not mess around and just head over.
A short while later, I step out of the taxi, and a massive building with a clear blue facade immediately catches my eye.
This place, giving off temple-like vibes, is ‘Noblesse Ark.’
I’d wondered where the name “nobles’ ark” came from, but it clicked the moment I saw the entrance.
‘It’s an aquarium.’
Right from the entrance, fish swim in blue water visible through semi-transparent stairs.
Hosting an event here must cost a fortune, but since they’ve rented out the whole place, it shows just how serious they are about this event.
Another thing that catches my eye is the parking lot.
Luxury foreign cars are a given.
I was impressed to even see sports cars made in Cyber City.
‘...But that one’s a rental.’
The rental plate is plastered right on it. Folks from the 3rd Floor might not notice, but someone like me, who verifies assets in the 6th Floor circles, spots it immediately.
‘Bringing it down from the 6th Floor to the 3rd would cost more than renting it.’
That’s how committed they are, I suppose.
Or maybe it’s the car owner’s obsession with never riding a 3rd Floor vehicle.
As I reach the entrance, two more people are already waiting, both seemingly held up at the door.
One is a guy with purple hair who looks like he’s from Cyber City.
Even as the sun starts to set, he’s wearing sunglasses, and his face has that sleazy look.
He’s tussling with staff over the bag in his hand, refusing to let it go.
“No, it’s just a bag.”
“Sir, we saw the camera inside. Cameras are prohibited.”
“Haa...”
Looks like he tried sneaking in a hidden camera and failed, now arguing with the entrance attendant.
The other guy appears to be from the Old Martial World on the 5th Floor—
“This is really problematic.”
A woman who seems to be TowerMatch staff has come out, looking utterly distressed.
The man with narrow, perpetually sleepy-looking eyes responds with a soft smile.
“It isn’t secure enough for the young master to attend such an event himself. That’s why I’ve come as his servant and eyes in his stead.”
“Even so, the young master needs to come in person for the matching to work. What are we supposed to do if the principal doesn’t show?”
“Conversely, if the young master gets assassinated or attacked here, will you take responsibility?”
“No, haa—”
Apparently, some young master from a prominent family sent a proxy instead of coming himself.
As I pass between them, the staff member approaches me with a sigh of relief.
“May I see your invitation?”
“Here you go.”
“Yes, confirmed. Please head inside, state your name, sign the nondisclosure agreement, and receive your name tag.”
Inside, a staff member in a suit greets me with a bright smile.
I say “Kim Juseon,” and get my name tag—which has an ‘N’ next to my name, marking me as Noble grade, it seems.
‘Huh, if TowerMatch rates me as Noble, that’s pretty high up there.’
Their grading system differs from ours.
Sovereign.
Royal.
Noble.
Citizen.
Prospect.
Citizen is the average.
If I compare to our system, Noble is like B-grade.
Royal is A-grade, Sovereign is S-grade.
But one key thing: their standards are way stricter.
It’s common for our A-graders to get rated B here at TowerMatch.
Next, they hand me the security nondisclosure agreement.
It states I must never disclose anything about events or people inside.
Violation incurs penalties steep enough to ruin your life.
‘This is a big-deal event, alright.’
This kind of thing isn’t for the company—it’s to accommodate participants who can’t afford to be known.
They wouldn’t come without it.
“How high up the grades were invited to this party?”
As I sign, I ask the staff, who explains with a bright smile.
“Fifteen guests total. Three Nobles, nine Royals, three Sovereigns.”
“Even Sovereigns?”
“Yes.”
That Old Martial World guy who got blocked at the entrance is probably a Sovereign.
Following the guidance inside, a grand backdrop hits me all at once, making “wow” slip out involuntarily.
In the center of the vast hall stretches a long banquet table, laden with wine, floral decorations, and more.
Chefs stationed right against the walls, each cooking away.
Opting for a buffet style was a thoughtful touch from the organizers, encouraging natural mingling as people move around.
And the most striking feature? The massive aquarium, of course.
At the entrance, it was floor glass with water above; here, it’s reversed.
The ceiling and walls form one enormous tank enveloping the hall, like being underwater.
Probably why the menu leans heavy on seafood.
‘Whoa, this is insane.’
When I spotted a whale swimming placidly overhead, my jaw dropped.
‘How the hell is that even here?’
Seeing this makes our Meracle—where we can’t even afford furniture and just scrape by—feel even more pathetic.
‘Sorry, Kim Yang.’
If a company like this tried to poach her... I might have to let her go.
“Shall I take your coat and scarf, sir?”
“Ah, yes. Please.”
The hall’s heated nicely, so I shed the coat without hesitation.
The shirt and vest underneath feel awkward.
There seem to be assigned seats, so I sit, but I notice several empty spots.
Mine’s at the far end.
Higher grades get seats closer to the head table, it looks like.
The people already seated are chatting away, with the lone arrived Sovereign—a woman—drawing the most attention.
‘Wait, isn’t that—’
Seo Ha-jin, leader of Prism, the idol group that was huge back in the day.
Well, “back in the day” is relative; she’s still plenty popular.
Idols just naturally slow down as they age.
I know she’s late 20s now, so maybe she’s considering retirement.
Our eyes meet, and she gives a sweet eye-smile before resuming her relaxed chat with others.
‘No wonder the nondisclosure.’
With people like her here, they need the secrecy agreements.
But does an idol really need to come to a place like this for a marriage match?
I don’t know the industry well, but she must have her reasons, so I let it slide.
“Pardon the interruption, sir.”
A staff member approaches from behind.
He whispers with a bright smile.
“Could you come with me for a moment?”
“Sure.”
The reason TowerMatch called me here.
Looks like I’ll finally find out.
Following the staff leads to a corridor lined with staff rooms.
We enter one, revealing an antique sofa and a middle-aged woman seated there.
Heavy makeup, hair pinned up, sharp eyes. Everything—clothes, bag—is designer.
The staff excuses himself cautiously, leaving us alone, and she offers a handshake with a gentle smile.
“Hello, I’m Yu Ji-hye, CEO of TowerMatch.”
“Hello, I’m Kim Juseon, CEO of Meracle.”
I wasn’t surprised.
I’d half-expected it, and I knew her face.
We sit facing each other, and Yu Ji-hye expresses her gratitude right away.
“First off, sorry for the sudden invitation. And thank you for coming.”
“No problem. Just getting in here has taught me a ton about what it takes to be the industry leader.”
This is sincere.
If I hadn’t seen it, even after we grew, we’d never pull off this atmosphere.
Great lesson.
“Hehe, learn all you can. I made you a participant on purpose so you could experience TowerMatch firsthand.”
A teacup is already set before me.
One sip, and it’s warm with rich flavor. Expensive stuff.
“So, why did you call me here?”
“Hm... Do you know? Not just TowerMatch—Wedding Company and Royal Matching are eyeing Meracle’s moves too.”
“Pardon?”
News to me.
Wedding Company is the giant second only to TowerMatch.
Royal Matching caters exclusively to the ultra-elite.
She runs her finger along the teacup rim, her gaze scanning me.
“Clients rejected by other agencies mostly end up at Meracle.”
“That’s because we can’t afford to be picky.”
“Hehe, still impressive. Matching the Nangong House’s youngest scion? We gave up on that ages ago. Your client difficulty level is no joke.”
“Ah... We just got lucky.”
Luck that the Helite family’s eldest daughter connected with us.
“But I heard it fell through midway, then you reconnected them.”
“...How’d you know?”
“How could I not?”
This time, her smile wasn’t calculated—it was genuine amusement.
“Luminous Plaza in Cyber City. On Christmas Day, peak crowd time, your ad popped up huge. Meracle, the 3rd Floor powerhouse.”
“...”
“Do you know how huge that is? Even 3rd Floor giants like Shilla Heavy Industries can’t buy a single letter then, no matter the price. No offense—you pulled it off yourself, so of course you know.”
Hearing praise like this just embarrasses me again.
“I worked hard.”
“Mm, some things effort alone can’t achieve. Kim Juseon, you’ve already proven your ability.”
She crosses her legs, her gaze piercing me. Greed flickers in those dark pupils.
“Meracle’s success rate: 24.1%. High even generally, but the density is what stands out. Including so-called problem clients rejected by the big three agencies.”
She pulls a neatly filed document from her designer bag.
Sliding it across the table, Yu Ji-hye makes her pitch.
“TowerMatch wants to officially scout you, Kim Juseon.”