Chapter 54
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 54
Lize and I followed the old man’s lead, arriving at a reception room deep within the building.
Unlike the overly ostentatious hall, this room was refined and classic—a style I found much more to my liking. Having made it this far, my plan was as good as successful. All that remained was a private meeting with the true director, the symbol of the western branch.
But unlike me, who could finally afford to relax, Lize was trembling. She clung tightly to my side as if terrified of her own shadow. I handed her some tea and snacks to settle her nerves.
“Relax. You’re safe now.”
“S-sorry. I just can’t seem to calm down.”
As I sat on the sofa waiting with the fidgety Lize, the sound of murmuring voices drifted in from the hallway. The first voice I heard belonged to an irritable woman.
“What is it, Alfredo? Do I really have to go?”
“Yes, Young Lady. There is someone who specifically requested to see you.”
“I told you to handle it yourself. What a drag. If this turns out to be a waste of time, you’d better be ready for the consequences.”
Click.
The reception room door swung open, and the old man from before entered, leading someone inside.
She was a tall, beautiful woman with a distinctly delinquent air about her. Her crimson eyes and long, flowing hair were striking. Dressed in casual, comfortable clothes, she was the director in charge of the entire western region of the underground city.
‘Rebecca Schofield.’
Privately, she was also the granddaughter of Big Brother, the head of the Panopticon. Her existence was currently classified; almost no one within the Panopticon even knew she existed. In her stead, her butler, Alfredo, handled all the external affairs of the western branch.
Upon entering the room, Rebecca let out a massive yawn as if everything in the world bored her, then practically collapsed onto the sofa. She pointed a slender finger at us.
“Are these the ones? The ones who wanted to see me?”
“Yes. They claim to have brought something the Young Lady needs.”
“How the hell would they know what I need?”
“……”
Rebecca then pointed at my mask, her expression souring.
“And I don’t do business with guys who hide their faces. If you’re not taking that mask off, get lost right now.”
She shot a sharp glare at me, her face scrunched in annoyance. Knowing her personal reasons for disliking masks, I complied and removed it. With their intelligence network, they’d discover my identity soon enough anyway; there was no point in trying to hide it. Besides, I had already proven my capabilities just by getting this far. At this stage, my identity was secondary.
“Hoo.”
As I pulled the mask away, my vision cleared, and it became much easier to breathe. The moment my face was revealed, Rebecca’s dull, lifeless eyes sparked with sudden vitality.
“…Wait, you’re actually handsome?”
“……”
This woman… was she a sucker for a pretty face? I didn’t have any intel on that.
“A sickly pretty boy is at least worth listening to. But are you ill or something?”
“I’m not particularly sick.”
It was merely the penalty from my Infamy and the Nine Yin Severed Meridians that made me look so haggard and pale. I wasn’t actually suffering from a disease. Beside me, Lize’s eyes also sparkled with curiosity as she saw my unmasked face for the first time.
Clack.
I set the mask down and took a sip of the tea on the table. Perhaps it was a conditioned reflex from Roen’s body—which had always enjoyed black tea—but the warm drink put my mind at ease.
“What kind of nerve brought you all the way here? Let’s hear it,” Rebecca said, leaning against the armrest of the sofa to study me.
I cut straight to the chase.
“I’m here to make a deal. I will give you what you need, and you will give me what I need.”
“And what exactly are you going to give me? I have plenty of money.”
“I know.”
Rebecca was the Director of the Panopticon’s Western Branch. The region she ruled produced more wealth than the territories of most high-ranking nobles. As a queen of the underworld, she lived in unimaginable luxury. But even she had needs.
“What I’ve brought is ‘information.’ Information you desperately need right now. And…”
Thud.
I placed a hand on the shoulder of the shrinking Lize.
“Talent. Exceptionally useful talent, at that.”
“Talent? This little kid?” Rebecca raised an eyebrow, looking at Lize with blatant disbelief.
“Yes. She is a gem who will become great if you take her under your wing. She possesses an outstanding eye and a natural ability for appraisal.”
At the mention of ‘appraisal,’ a strange light flickered in Rebecca’s eyes. However, she feigned disinterest and gestured toward the window.
“We’ve got appraisers coming out of our ears in this organization. Pick any appraiser off the market floor out there, and they’re likely under the Panopticon’s protection.”
“One can never have too much talent. And Lize is incomparable to that rabble. She is an uncut gem that has yet to see the light. In a word: a genius.”
“Ehh.”
With every word of praise I offered, Lize seemed to shrink further into her seat.
“Oh? A genius, you say? What kind of ability does she have?”
“Hand her anything right now, and Lize can analyze it with perfect accuracy on the spot. It doesn’t matter what grade the artifact is.”
“Wh-what are you talking about! How can I do that without a magic tool…?” Lize yelped in surprise.
I leaned in and whispered quietly in her ear.
“Lize, don’t hide it. Prove your skill. A chance like this won’t come again.”
The opportunity for a mere back-alley stall girl to showcase her talent to a high-ranking figure like Rebecca was incredibly rare.
‘Until now, Lize has pretended to need magic tools for appraisal to hide her true talent from others.’
But her real talent required no such crutches. She had only used tools to conceal her ability and protect herself from those who would exploit her. My words piqued Rebecca’s curiosity.
“She can appraise without a magic tool? Alfredo, give her whatever you have on you.”
At Rebecca’s command, the old man pulled a pocket watch from his coat and handed it to Lize.
“Please, try this.”
Though worn and aged, the pocket watch emanated a luxurious golden light. Lize took it, closed her eyes, and began to steady her breathing.
“Hoo… Just, just a moment. I need to concentrate.”
“Don’t be nervous. It’s easy if you believe in yourself.”
“Yes, sir.”
With firm resolve, Lize focused her mind. When she finally opened her eyes, her silver irises began to glow with a brilliant light. After staring intently at the pocket watch, Lize finally spoke.
“…This is a type of key. By manipulating the second, minute, and hour hands to a specific angle, a key with special magic is created. It’s not for a simple lock… it seems to be an item that grants access to a specific area or room.”
“!”
“Alfredo?”
When Rebecca asked for confirmation, the old man nodded, his face a mask of astonishment.
“…That is correct. She truly is a gifted individual. To appraise without a magic tool… she must possess a ‘Blessing’ related to appraisal.”
“Is that rare?”
“Extremely. As far as I know, there is no appraiser who could analyze my pocket watch in such a short time—especially not without an appraisal tool. Even our organization’s best specialist would take several days.”
“So her ability is just appraising things quickly? Doesn’t sound much different from just waiting a few more days.”
“No. This is not simply a matter of time. This speaks to the appraiser’s fundamental capability.”
“Capability…?”
“Yes. The abilities and structures of artifacts vary wildly according to the creator’s intent. It is difficult to analyze them completely even with the best tools. Very few artifacts in the world have had their functions and performance fully mapped out.”
Alfredo pointed to the golden pocket watch in Lize’s hand. “For instance, if this pocket watch was, in fact—”
Just then, Lize cut him off.
“It’s a twin artifact, isn’t it?”
“!”
Alfredo was startled once again. Lize didn’t stop there.
“You can combine the two to create a different key. The creator of this artifact is… someone named Tionelaph.”
“…Is that for real?”
At Rebecca’s question, Alfredo wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief.
“Yes, Young Lady. That is a twin artifact created by my ancestor, a family heirloom passed down for generations. Her assessment is perfectly accurate. It is truly astonishing.”
“No wonder the old man treasures it so much. I had no idea it was something like that.”
Alfredo leaned in and whispered something quietly into Rebecca’s ear. As he spoke, he kept glancing at Lize, clearly expounding on her extraordinary talent. He had likely never seen an appraiser who could discern an artifact’s original function, hidden features, and even its creator just by touching it for a moment.
But that was to be expected.
‘Lize is a top-tier supporting character who possesses the game’s only epic trait: [Eye of Replication].’
Her skill went far beyond simple appraisal. Appraisal was merely a secondary effect. Lize possessed the cheat-like ability to analyze and replicate any artifact, provided she had the materials and time. This trait was the essence of her power and the secret to her eventual success as a legendary magic tool merchant.
There was a reason I had sought out Lize the moment I arrived in the underworld.
After listening to Alfredo’s explanation, Rebecca nodded readily.
“She certainly seems useful. Alright, I’ll take the kid in and raise her as a member of the organization. I’ll even set her up with her own shop and dispatch guards to protect her.”
Rebecca’s gaze shifted back to me.
“But why are you handing over such a talent to me? What’s the catch?”
Instead of answering, I nodded to Lize. She began to explain her current situation in detail.
“Well, you see…”
After listening to Lize’s story, Rebecca smacked her lips awkwardly.
“Tsk, what a tragic story. But it’s a common enough tale in the underground city. Fine, the Red Bastards won’t touch you from now on. I’ll take responsibility for your protection.”
“Thank you!”
“Don’t thank me. Thank your handsome friend over there.”
“Thank you, Sir Roen.”
Lize beamed, her smile a pleasant sight.
“Right. Work hard to repay the favor from now on.”
“Yes!”
I had to get a return on my investment, after all.
With this, Lize’s safety was secured, and the foundation for her growth was laid. Under the Panopticon’s protection, she would be able to spread her wings without restraint. With massive financial support and access to the countless artifacts handled in the underworld, her growth would be explosive.
Just as I thought things were wrapping up, Rebecca casually brought something up.
“By the way. Since this kid is their target, there’s a bit of a risk for us to recruit her. You know that, right?”
“……”
“So, I’ll have to get something in return for that risk. You said you had information I need? We’ll call that the payment.”
I knew it the moment she brought it up so slyly. Rebecca was trying to snag free information without batting an eye, but that wouldn’t work on me.
“Don’t push it. I’ll be collecting a separate fee for the information.”
Trying to squeeze blood from a stone. What else is she trying to get out of me?
When I flatly refused, Rebecca clicked her tongue as if she’d just been testing the waters.
“Tch, not letting it slide, are you?”
“……”
“Fine, I’ll hear the information first and then pay you what it’s worth. Don’t worry, I won’t just listen and bail. I guarantee it on the name of the underworld.”
Rebecca usually acted like she had a screw loose, but if she invoked the name of the underworld, she could be trusted. Besides, it wasn’t in her character to swindle others.
“Alright. Come closer.”
I whispered the information into her ear.
Big Brother, the ruler of the underworld. The fierce internal power struggle within the Panopticon that would erupt following the worsening of his illness. I gave her the exact leverage she would need when that time came.
“!”
The moment I finished, Rebecca shot up from her seat like a startled cat.
“Really? But how does an outsider like you know that?”
“I have my ways. So, how much are you willing to pay for it?”
After a moment of intense thought, Rebecca nodded.
“For information of this level, I’ll grant you anything within my power. What do you want? Money? Honor? Women? Or… me?”
“I don’t need it.”
“……”
Rebecca looked slightly hurt by my blunt reply.
“Take this.”
I handed her a list of items I had prepared in advance. It was a document listing the alchemy materials and artifacts I needed immediately. It included materials and experimental tools to neutralize and process Bell’s Extreme Flame magic orb, as well as combat artifacts I required for the near future.
I added a few more conditions as I handed it over.
“Supply me with these alchemy materials and tools at the lowest possible price, and have Lize appraise any artifacts you acquire before delivering them directly to me. And…”
I pointed a finger upward.
“I need a new path opened between the surface and the underworld. Those are my demands.”