Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Good Siblings (2)
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Jefrin Central Bank.
The golden fortress that converts all outside currencies into lin.
It's said that just the exchange rate profits and fees here account for a tenth of the empire's taxes. Protected by one of the Seven Great Magics, this place boasts ironclad security.
The seven Tier 1 great magics personally cast by the founding emperor interact with each other—if one is broken, the other six activate simultaneously to repair it instantly. Unless all seven are destroyed at once, it can never fall.
Into this greatest of banks, boasting such impenetrable security, stepped a single girl.
"Eve von Loengrin."
"Princess. We deeply welcome your visit to the Central Bank from the bottom of our hearts. What business brings you here?"
Eve von Loengrin.
The only imperial with a rank at Jefrin.
Her authority rivals that of a grand professor, and considering her future as a member of the imperial family destined to make her name resound across the world beyond this mere academy, no one at Jefrin—which is, after all, just a place of learning—dares oppose her.
That's why a dedicated veteran consultant greets Eve.
The one guaranteed ticket to success at Jefrin. Incompetent staff aren't tolerated.
But today, the atmosphere was different. Eve's expression was subtly stiff, somehow darkened.
"I've come to... close it."
"Pardon?"
"The fixed deposit. I'm here to close it."
Eve with a fixed deposit?
Why?
Is Jefrin's budget in danger?
The consultant tilted his head but, with impeccable professionalism, didn't pry.
"Yes, yes... Very well. I'll check Princess's fixed deposit account."
After confirming the account, even the consultant had to tilt his head.
"Yes. Your account has been confirmed, Miss Eve. But..."
"Yes?"
"It's maturing next month. Are you sure?"
At those words, Eve's face filled with despair.
I stared fixedly at the gloves on both hands the whole time.
Gloves of Order and Balance. In other words, the beginner set.
"Still, calling it the beginner set doesn't sit right."
Originally, this glove set had a far more humiliating name.
Official name: [Do Your Best Even More Set].
Users shortened it to 'Total Loser Do Your Best Set'.
It was a cute, nice name, but when newbies who barely cleared Act 2 posted proof screenshots, comments like 'Total Loser in Gallery' or 'Total Loser Chase' piled up. Newbies who learned the origin got offended and complained, so they changed it.
The namer probably got a pay cut, but I prefer the Total Loser Do Your Best Set.
Anyway, this Total Loser Do Your Best Set—no, beginner set.
It really packs sweet options.
I got them in reverse order, but normally, you get the Gloves of Order first after clearing 1-1.
Self-option: +10% EXP.
Next, Gloves of Balance from the Act 2 Mossmen—obviously boosts deficient stats by +3.
And three set options.
First: Resistance to all ailments.
That's a lifesaver in a drought.
Assemble the set in Act 2's Sleeping Mountains, and you get all status resistance as a set bonus. Essential for Sleeping Mountains.
Plus a hidden option and a random [8T] skill acquisition.
But it's not pure random. There's a tendency.
Users vaguely know the patterns, but I know them for sure.
It tends toward your highest stat.
High strength and sword proficiency? You get [Heresy Slash], [Charge], [Nameless Strike], etc.
High magic power focused on healing? [Restoration], [Soul Change], [Life Force Conversion], and such.
Lucky, and you might get an upgrade to an existing skill.
So, what about Wolfram von Loengrin's traits?
First, skills from my scans: [Cooking], [Potion Crafting], [Accessory Crafting].
Base is dexterity, so I can guess what I'll get.
[Cooking: Full Course], [Magic Craft], [Potion Effect Up], [Intermediate Herbology], something like that.
Whatever comes, it's a huge win. No gaps in my tech tree planning!
The skill I got was this.
【Magical Patissier】
[8T]
When crafting snacks, a minor-to-small magic is imbued.
The effect strengthens with special ingredients.
Imbuement chance depends on user's dexterity.
[Magic that dyes everyone's snacks in dreamlight!]
"No gaps, sure."
Most-used skill: cooking.
Highest stat: dexterity.
Most-made: snacks.
"Of course this could happen. It did happen."
A sigh escaped naturally.
Useful skill. Snacks as recovery items: 'consumable', 'fast effect', 'recovery'.
Magical Patissier adds magic effects or buffs. Very useful.
Yes, but.
I read the last tooltip line.
"Am I supposed to be the Dreamlight Patissier now?"
The dough seemed to sparkle with starlight, annoyingly.
My head throbbed.
The day my snacks filled with dreamlight.
An unexpected customer visited the convenience store.
"Wolfram. Long time no see!"
"Rudika? Sudden. What's the business?"
Small frame. Grayish hair. Blue eyes.
The assassin who loves spicy flavors.
Tier 1 assassin Rudika Hassan Shadow, agility 22.
She got straight to it.
"Out of crimson grass. Got any?"
"Tricky. Low stock."
"Oh..."
Rudika looked openly disappointed, then perked up with a bright smile.
"Then we go pick some together!"
"Just us two is risky."
"...Ugh."
Last time safe with Nefti. Not now. Go home quietly.
"Really no? Shame."
"Same here."
Last time just crimson grass, but Sleeping Mountains has more charms.
No.
Wait.
"Actually, we can go."
"Really?!"
"But it's your commission. I'll take a fee."
"Deal!"
"One million lin."
"Haha. That little? Rudika's rich. Cleared two missions."
Don't ask what or how.
So, off to Sleeping Mountains with Rudika. She pulled the cart, ignored me, and dove into the sleepy and mossman packs.
"Kieeeek!"
"Kyaaaaak!"
Overflowing sleepies and mossmen. Rudika cleanly killed one per backstab or throat-slit. Impressive. Doesn't care about me at all.
Result: one mossman targeted me first.
Whoa, scary. Really scary.
I gripped my gloves tight and triggered the hidden set option.
The true set option of the Total Loser Do Your Best Set. Hidden skill.
Lie down and activate: play dead effect releases monster aggro.
Mossman judged me dead and left.
I lay staring at the sky.
Blue is pretty.
We gathered crimson grass like that, and Rudika followed my instructions faithfully, securing plenty of other herbs too.
"Crimson flame grass, peony grass leading, clear spirit grass, true nature grass. A field of them."
Collection boosting resistances, led by flame resistance.
Tricky normally, but with [Cooking], [Potion Crafting], [Magical Patissier] stacked, I can cook somehow.
"...Think positive."
Even saying it, EXP bonus, dexterity 10, 8-tier skill, herbs galore. Compared to starting from scratch, overwhelming growth.
Live positively smiling. Felt better.
"Anyway, got something to brag about now."
Donuts or snacks risk recipe theft, but magical snacks... damn.
Anyway, magic-effect snacks are my identity. Good reason for visits.
Once Eve brings the promised sign, my store stands tall among Jefrin's best.
And today, Eve won the sacred tree elf wood at auction, coming to visit.
My reign begins now.
"She's late though. When's the sign done?"
As I grumbled about Eve, something thudded from afar.
Behind, a tree too huge to call one, approaching.
"Eve?"
"Yesss. Wolfram. Eve von Loengrin has arrived. Prepared item here too!"
Thud. Elf wood dropped.
"Fine sacred tree wood."
"Yeah. Know how much this cost?!"
Should I?
"Rin't ask the price."
"What're you saying?"
"Just a heartfelt gift from kin. Now you owe me nothing."
"...Someday my spear'll pierce that gut."
Eve scowled. Who said solve with money, idiot?
"Let's start. Design's ready."
"......Sign work."
"Yes. You can go."
"No. I'll help."
"What?"
"My purchase. Gotta see completion. Sign-making: scraping, painting, installing—all with your strength?"
"Right. Was gonna ask Nefti."
"Don't rely too much on knight division junior's noble conviction. Paying her well?"
"......Am."
"Don't cheap out. Don't exploit goodwill."
What nonsense.
But if Nefti demands millions, better rely on Eve's goodwill purely.
"...Fine, help then. Drawing design now."
Saying so, I picked pencil and wrote.
Pre-regression.
Mimicking my dream store.
But not plagiarism.
Obvious convenience store, but with Wolfram's heart in each letter.
Much thought on name.
See.
Wolfram's Convenience Store = Wolfram's Convenience.
Abbrev W.C.?
W.C. in sector 8, 80m in.
Insane.
So, Wolfram's Rest Stop. Abbrev W.R.
To me, convenience stores were comfy havens.
Open at dawn, quick meals, tons of drinks.
Some sell chicken, some bento, some bake bread fresh.
Big toy corners sometimes. Lost in work, time blind—seasonal goods, Pepero Day specials, Valentine/White Day items show seasons and world.
That heart: make visitors comfy, rested.
Yi Young-jin's last wish for his dreamed store.
I smiled lightly at the system message.
"Don't smirk suddenly. Creepy."
Eve sniped, but shrugged at my writing.
"Good handwriting for you, Wolfram."
Even genius Eve says so.
"Wolfram. Question?"
"Ask."
"What exactly is this 'convenience store' you want?"
"Said it: store for all students' convenience."
"Fine. Trust that. Now, my service."
"What?"
She magicked the sign up.
"Thought you mad picking elf wood. Then realized: elf wood sign = super efficient."
Yes.
Elf wood absorbs ambient mana, usable as energy.
Not mana stone output, but self-repair fine.
"Now I'll color it. Preferred shades?"
"Color? No ink."
"Light magic user. Fixing prisms is nothing. Pick from seven colors."
Ah, got it.
Detach and fix red-orange-yellow-green-blue-indigo-violet.
Insane? How?
"Here... this color, there purple. Hm. Yeah."
With Eve's help, the finished sign—grocery? No, Wolfram's Convenience Store—hung atop.
Eve dusted hands, looked at me.
"Made it glow itself, self-repair magic, protection too. Rin't break easy, no extra power needed."
"...I see."
Artifact-level item. Glowing sign, unbreakable, self-cleaning.
"Wolfram."
"What."
"Last year's villainy. Don't think this forgives it. Hard to believe no more evil."
"Never asked belief."
"...But if no more evil, really work hard at this convenience store."
"......?"
Eve clenched fist, sighed deeply.
"No. I'm going."
"...Okay."
Eve turned. I called, remembering something.
"Eve."
"Yes?"
"Thanks."
"......Hmph."
Prickly as ever.
Eve left without looking back. I gazed at the glowing sign.
Long time passed unaware; dusk fell when I snapped out.
Zap. Zap.
Bugs neared sign, burst; auto-clean activated.
Eyes hurt from shine. Entered store to sleep.
Light reached inside.
With small smile, voiced doubt.
"But how do you turn that off?"
Seriously.
How?