Chapter 55
Chapter 55
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Pop the Bubble and Normalize
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The way Pristine was looking at me felt somehow off.
She just stood there, staring right through me, like she wanted something.
Or maybe like she had something to say.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
['Pristine' suddenly asks what it would be like if she left somewhere one day.]
The moment I saw that.
Thump—
My heart sank down low.
'Pristine... leaving me?'
Honestly, ever since I met Pristine.
I'd never even considered the idea that she might leave my side.
...But reading that message made me rethink it, and there was no guarantee she wouldn't leave.
We weren't even bound by a contract in the first place...
Someday, if her feelings changed, she might want to return to where she came from.
"W-Why... why ask something like that all of a sudden...?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
['Pristine' wants an answer to her question.]
"...If you just up and left one day without a word."
I closed my eyes and briefly imagined the moment Pristine left me.
.....
Then I snapped my eyes open.
"No way!"
Just imagining it was so heartbreaking I felt like I might burst into tears!
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
['Pristine' asks again what it would feel like if that happened.]
I had no idea why she kept asking this.
But I decided to answer honestly with the emotions swirling in my head right now.
"Just... I'd feel so empty without you, it'd be heartbreaking. I probably wouldn't be able to eat properly, or sleep..."
Choke—
Suddenly my throat tightened mid-sentence, so I looked up and swallowed back tears.
And then.
Smirk—
Was my answer that satisfying?
Pristine flashed a sly smile before fluttering off toward the customers.
"......?"
I stood there with my mouth slightly agape, blankly staring at the spot where Pristine had vanished.
'What was that about?'
I had no clue why she was acting like that all of a sudden.
"Boss! Two cups of Harnel flower tea!"
But for now, the cafe was open for business, so work came first.
"Ah, got it! Just a sec! I'll have it ready soon!"
I turned back to the counter to make the flower tea.
"Eek! You scared me!"
This time, Lily was staring at me with the exact same look as Pristine.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
['Lily' asks if you're thinking of betraying her.]
"...Betray? What do you mean by that all of a sudden?"
The spirits seemed a bit off today.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
['Lily' wants an answer to her question.]
I had no idea what she was hoping for.
But I decided to answer honestly anyway.
"I've never once thought about betraying you?"
Droop—
Unlike Pristine, who had looked satisfied, Lily didn't seem pleased with my answer.
Her wings hung limp, and she shuffled around looking pitiful.
What had gotten into these guys all of a sudden?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After clearing out all the orders from the packed tables.
"Phew..."
I finally had a moment to catch my breath.
I wiped the beads of sweat from my forehead and surveyed the cafe full of customers.
"It's so much fun hanging out with friends!"
"Kyaa! Did you just bring me tissues? Thanks..."
The customers happily spending time with the spirits they'd brought.
"I'm the only one without... the only one without a spirit..."
"Ha, when will I ever get chosen..."
And the ones eyeing them enviously.
I still couldn't get used to it no matter how I looked at it.
What on earth had happened to make the spirits drop their hostility toward humans all at once?
"Hmm..."
Taking advantage of the lull, I tried to check the spirit community for info.
But since I'd left my catalyst at home, I couldn't log into 'Spirits' Playground.'
'Well, at least both sides seem happy...'
That might be enough.
I glanced at the White Night Guild Leader in the far corner, petting her spirit with a face full of bliss.
Smack—
I smacked my lips.
'Alright then, time to get started.'
Now that I'd handled the initial rush of orders.
It was about time to achieve the real purpose of opening the cafe.
I grabbed a broom and dustpan in both hands and slowly walked toward the customer tables.
Then I perked up my ears, pretending to clean diligently as I weaved between tables, eavesdropping on their conversations.
Sweep—
"Anonymous donor..."
"Yeah, this anonymous donor..."
"Did you hear? Someone anonymously dropped 1 billion..."
Sweep sweep—
"Who the heck could that person be?"
"Isn't it obvious? The Management Bureau. Where else would that money come from?"
"Maybe not domestic... could be from overseas..."
The gambling board I'd set up seemed to have come as quite a shock to them.
Every table was buzzing about the anonymous donor like they'd planned it.
But I couldn't hear any updates on the mid-tier guilds I was after.
Just as I was heading back to the counter empty-handed after collecting some cups.
"Awakener Im Seo-hee!"
"Is Im Seo-hee here?!"
Suddenly, men in matching blue team uniforms burst in, frantically searching the shop and calling someone's name.
I set down the cups I was collecting and approached them.
"What's going on?"
"We're looking for someone..."
They kept glancing at their watches even as they answered, then lit up when they spotted someone.
"Ah! There you are! Come on, we gotta go. The Guild Master is looking everywhere for you."
"Huh? The Guild Master?"
"Our guild got top priority for a massive gate. We need to head out now."
With that, they whisked the customer away from her table and out of the cafe.
'...Was there such a thing as priority for massive gates?'
Pondering the man's parting words, I reached for the cups again.
"Whew, poor Seo-hee has it rough."
"Yeah, I heard that guild dropped way down in the rankings this time."
"What was it, like... dropped about 12 spots or something."
Finally.
Conversations on the exact info I wanted started drifting in.
I pretended to sweep the floor again, focusing all my attention on that table.
Sweep—
"That guild was the one getting flak for not running gates for months and just leeching subsidies, right?"
"Given what they've been up to, they should've dropped ages ago. They've held out longer than expected."
Sweep sweep—
"Even the guilds around their rank are in an uproar now, right?"
"The competition to enter massive gates says it all."
From the chatter that followed.
I learned that even upper guilds were scrambling to keep pace with the lower ones surging up fast.
I felt my grip tightening on the broom.
I wanted to keep pretending to clean and listen in longer...
But sadly, I had to stop here.
"Sisters! Order whatever you want! My treat today!"
New customers kept pouring in nonstop.
"Ooh— You're always crying broke, but looks like equipment sales are picking up lately?"
"Don't even get me started. She dumped her entire backlog inventory."
As I collected empty teacups one by one to head back to the counter.
"No way... an anonymous donor? Who the heck is that person...?"
Once again, talk about me started circulating among the customers.
"That person swept up all the toxic equipment backlog from the exchange, and now every blacksmith is grinning ear to ear."
"...Like you right now?"
"Haha, yep! I've never been this happy in my life!"
I'd only meant to stir competition between low-tier and mid-tier guilds, but unintentionally, others were benefiting too.
Glance—
I looked toward the table where the conversation was coming from and saw the customer's beaming face.
Seeing her so happy made me feel happy too.
'Hmm...'
...Maybe next time, support the accessories sector.
I was warmly planning the next move when I overheard something unbelievable.
"By the way, it's worrying. Recovery potion prices have topped 10 million..."
"I saw them hit 8 million yesterday, but already 10 million?"
"Yeah... and they're still climbing."
'Recovery potions over 10 million?'
This couldn't stand.
The pricier the potions, the harder gate clears would be.
Naturally, people would desperately seek out healers to join them.
My current goal was a world where 'dealers could smash gates with pure DPS.'
But ultimately, a world 'without need for healers.'
Yet the higher potion prices climbed, the more valuable healers became...!
I dropped the cleaning tools and rushed back to the counter, pulling up the exchange app.
[Small Recovery Potion] [12,000,000] [Low-Grade Recovery Potion] [11,000,000]
The moment I saw the numbers on screen, my jaw dropped.
Potions that normally sold around 2 million.
Prices that never exceeded 5 million tops had somehow broken 10 million.
And they were still rising even now.
[Small Recovery Potion] [12,500,000] [Low-Grade Recovery Potion] [11,500,000]
"Haa..."
I clutched my throbbing head, staring blankly into space.
'Now that it's come to this... maybe I should just...'
Make recovery potions myself?
Churn them out like a factory and pop the bubble economy completely to normalize things for once?