Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Severing the Supply Line
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“Eh? What? You’re back already?”
Yoon Seo-yeon, whom he hadn’t seen in just one day, spoke to Se-jin in her usual airheaded tone.
“No. The Shop didn’t open today.”
“Hmm? I didn’t know there were days it doesn’t open.”
“Because it’s always shown up once a day so far.”
Having spent the whole day doing paperwork while waiting for the Shop to open, the sun had already vanished from the sky.
“So, how’s the research I asked for going?”
“Hmm. As for Paradoxical Time, there’s no real progress yet. I was waiting for you to bring more info, so I’ve been studying the sample first.”
“Then, have you learned anything about the sample?”
Yoon Seo-yeon shook her head.
“Nothing. The only thing I’ve figured out is that it’s a substance that’s never been discovered before.”
“You’re the chief researcher, and you can’t even do that much?”
“It might sound like an excuse, but if someone could take one look at a sample and know all the details right away, that person would probably be a Tale themselves.”
“Yeah, you’ve got a point. But isn’t that exactly why you became chief researcher?”
Yoon Seo-yeon’s expression turned slightly bitter.
“I told you. That was just good luck back then.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ How did things end up like this?
The familiar mannequin trembling at the wheel up front, the one beside me burning with zeal—it was way beyond what I’d imagined.
Of course, events like this did exist in the game.
“Merchant, you have no idea how much it means to us that you’re joining us.”
Originally, this event required building up a long rapport with the Factory Owner.
Seems my identity as the Merchant had sent his affinity through the roof.
“By the way, why me...”
The one driving this sedan right now was the truck driver who’d given me a lift earlier.
“Because you brought a noble guest straight to our factory—a huge accomplishment. So we’re giving you this chance to stand with us.”
If the Factory Owner were human, he’d be the kind of boss who rounded up employees for mountain hikes every weekend.
But this time, with no tentacles threatening him from the passenger seat, driving should be tolerable, right?
“Ugh...”
Apparently not.
I turned to the Factory Owner.
“We’re heading to the Fine Dying Restaurant now, correct?”
“Yes. We need to declare that our ties with their factory are severed. They’ll have a tough time finding a new supplier.”
Fortunately, this event didn’t involve any brawling.
Just politely terminating the contract and watching the restaurant crumble in the aftermath—that was it.
Still, it wasn’t something I was eager to do.
What did I stand to gain from this event?
Bundles upon bundles of cash, born from the Factory Owner’s profound gratitude.
If I were human and contributing to the Korean economy, I’d be thrilled enough to twerk. But what good was cash to me now?
If I got lucky, a new event might trigger at the restaurant, but that was pure chance, so forget it.
“Sigh...”
I wonder if the Shop would buy cash if I sold it there.
Maybe if I were a gambling addict.
I’d think about that later.
“Merchant, is something making you uncomfortable?”
“No, I’m fine...”
Actually, there was another reason for my discomfort: I had to keep watching them.
No matter how friendly, they were still mannequins.
I could see them flinch every time I blinked.
“We’ve arrived...”
As if sensing my worry, a voice came to end my vigilant staring.
The truck had gone to the warehouse earlier, but the sedan pulled into the parking lot out front.
The purpose of our visit was different this time.
The driver stayed in the car while I followed the Factory Owner inside.
“Customer, right this way to your seat.”
The waiter didn’t seem to recognize the Factory Owner.
Thinking about it, it’d be stranger if regular staff did.
“Wait... customer.”
Did he recognize us after all?
This waiter might be more capable than he looked.
“The one who killed the chef two hours ago and trespassed in the logistics warehouse!”
He recognized me, huh?
A staff member who uncovers the truth could certainly be called competent.
The Factory Owner shot him a puzzled look.
“Merchant, did you really do that?”
Hiding it here would only poison things.
“Yes. The restaurant’s outrageous behavior made my blood boil—I couldn’t hold myself back.”
“Ah...”
The Factory Owner seemed even more moved.
I was starting to fear the mannequin might turn into the heroine at this rate.
But separate from his skyrocketing affinity, blood was spurting wildly from the waiter’s neck.
Leaving it like this would cause a real mess.
“Factory Owner, it’s about time to get started.”
“Ah, yes.”
The Factory Owner straightened his clothes and bellowed in that gentlemanly bourgeois diction.
“Get your boss out here!”
The initially flustered waiters quickly clocked the mannequin and scrambled off to fetch the boss.
I had to admire the restaurant owner for ripping off such a major factory.
Five minutes later, a massive sphere rolled in on a cart.
Up close, it was a man easily over two meters tall in every direction—the restaurant boss.
“Boss, long time no see. You look even fatter.”
“Heh heh. Must be years now. Thanks to you, our restaurant’s grown like this.”
“Ha. I’m flattered to have helped so much.”
“...”
“...”
“Why are you here?”
“Why come to a restaurant? To eat, obviously.”
“...”
“But when I open the menu to order?”
“...”
“You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”
“...What are you getting at?”
“Well, I heard something shocking from this young man here.”
The boss waddled over, struggling to move his bulk.
“I’ve dealt with you all this time because I wanted to enjoy all your products.”
The Factory Owner’s hand trembled.
“But what is this? An arm? A leg?”
“Factory Owner! That’s a lie! How could I betray our agreement?”
“Enough! No more dealings with Fine Dying Restaurant.”
The Factory Owner pulled a rolled-up contract from his pocket and tore it to shreds in one motion.
Apart from one side being a mannequin and the other an exceptionally obese blob, it was straight out of a drama.
If a human had been here, they’d be missing a limb before the shouting match even started.
Sure, I was a Tale too, but seeing my fellow T ales settle for words made the world feel unfairly biased against humans.
Actually, it was probably because they’d been created as a single Tale from the start.
Leaving the dazed boss behind, I asked the Factory Owner.
“Is that it now?”
“Yes. Our trucks won’t come here anymore—and they can’t.”
“I see.”
It had escalated more than expected, but everything had worked out fine in the end.
“Instead, our trucks will deliver to your Shop from now on!”
The Factory Owner shoved a contract my way.
“Sign here, and we’ll start sending goods by truck next week.”
I signed lightly with the pen he offered.
“Then I’ll visit you personally on the first of every month.”
“Thank you... Wait, personally?”
“Yes! I can’t stomach passing the honor of visiting a noble guest to some underling.”
“What about the driver?”
“Sorry, but he’ll need to find other work.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “That’s how it went.”
So the trucks would start coming next month.
The Shop seemed pretty satisfied with my explanation.
Until now, it had all been short-term scavenging or handmade production like some cottage industry—not ideal from the Shop’s perspective.
“Ah, so no more eating fingers right away.”
Yeah, for future trades, it was time to start storing stuff.
“But do you have a way to store them?”
We’d gobbled them up immediately before, but if wanted, they could be preserved for later use.
“Oh.”
Having imagined grotesque bits piling up and rotting in some corner, I couldn’t help but feel relieved.
Now all that was left was rest.
“Yeah. But just one day off.”
Why?
You keep trying to do something even when there’s no work.
Humans called it being a workaholic?
I wasn’t one, and truthfully, I’d love to sleep through the rest of the time. But one task remained.
Why not postpone it?
If delaying meant risking my life, could I?
Not me, at least.
The library loan period was two weeks, and another week had already passed—less than one left.
Returning the book would expose my location, so that was out.
I could kill any librarian who came to the Shop, but new ones would just keep coming, so no.
That left only one option.
“I need to duplicate the book.”