Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: The Prideful King's Reward
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What am I supposed to do with this Paradoxical Time?
"Yeah, about that."
The Paradoxical Time created last time to confirm there were no side effects.
It's an expensive item that consumed all my assets, for all its worth.
"Will this even sell now?"
From what I overheard while tailing them secretly, the Paradoxical Time was the cause of the excessive tale generation.
Of course, this item could cut down on recovery costs, but in this situation, I couldn't imagine the Tale Management Bureau shelling out top dollar for it.
I could sell it to civilians after this month passes, but...
Even then, I'd have to practically give it away at a bargain price to move it.
Maybe I should just use it when acquiring new goods.
In the current climate, whatever horror good it is, it'd probably sell like hotcakes.
Of course, the Bureau has an obligation to buy Paradoxical Time, but a win-win deal would be ideal anyway.
"Might as well go grab some new goods while I'm at it."
Do I need the Paradoxical Time for new goods?
"Not strictly necessary. But having it makes things 150 times easier?"
Hmm.
150 times. Not an enormous multiplier, but still valuable enough to use.
So, what am I going after?
"The horror shop's first-ever tool-type item."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Ding—
A vast plain that could never pass for a modern landscape swayed in the wind, and a bell toll that seemed to devour the world itself rang out alongside the breeze, slicing across the earth.
And below it stood a castle, solitary and towering, born from arrogance that sought to pierce the heavens.
"Seeing it in person... it's on another level."
The Merchant walked toward the castle.
The closer he got, the more the castle's dizzying height overwhelmed his senses.
A gate befitting the castle's scale opened naturally as he approached.
Beyond the gate lay an audience chamber.
As if to flaunt its authority, a throne loomed impossibly high—and seated there, wearing a crown, was a wretched man whose squalor clashed with the castle's beauty.
"Hel—"
Ding—
The bell tolled, and the world froze.
The dance of the grasses in the wind halted. The Merchant's breath stopped. Even the electrons within oxygen atoms ceased their motion.
In that stillness, only one being demonstrated the mere possibility of movement.
"Who are you, to dare seek an audience with Us?"
He was the castle's master—the final king.
Strangely, only the Merchant's mind remained unfrozen, able to hear the king's voice.
Ding—
The bell rang once more, and the suppressive force that had halted the world vanished.
The Merchant ignored the cold sweat trickling down his neck and spoke.
"Greetings, Your Highness. I am a merchant from distant lands. I believe I can resolve one of Your Highness's troubles, and so I have come."
He didn't know formal royal etiquette, but it hardly mattered—this king had no deep ties to traditional royalty anyway.
Simply offering the utmost courtesy he could muster was enough.
Ding—
The world froze again, and the king's mouth opened.
"Incomprehensible. How could a lowly wretch like you presume to solve Our troubles?"
It was only natural for the king to say so.
He had lived without subjects for far too long, forgetting the very concept of trust.
"Arrogant fool. Even presuming to guess at Our troubles is hubris beyond measure."
This too was natural.
The king knew full well the calamity his own arrogance had wrought—and thus understood arrogance itself with perfect clarity.
Ding—
"Your Highness, please trust me. Just for a moment. I'll return one of the two lost palaces you grieve!"
Ding!—
The bell let out a nerve-grating screech, like nails on a chalkboard.
"Insolent cur. We would strike you down this instant for trying to deceive Us."
The king pondered briefly from his throne before continuing.
"But these have been dreadfully lonely days. Perhaps We shall humor your claim. Know this—if your words prove false, you will pay dearly."
The king lifted the corner of his mouth in a sinister smirk, intrigued.
Ding—
"My deepest thanks, Your Highness. I shall repay that trust."
The Merchant exited the castle and walked to the open plain beside it, where only the grasses swayed.
"Right here. If my guess is correct, this should do it."
He slammed the Paradoxical Time into the ground. The clock shattered, the earth trembled, and unidentified stone piles erupted, beginning to reconstruct the palace.
The Paradoxical Time rewound exactly one week—but with no rubble in sight, the castle had clearly vanished ages ago.
Restoration would normally be impossible.
But in this place, the concept of time held no sway.
This world operated solely on binaries of existence and nonexistence—a realm cursed as such.
The Merchant pondered the king's sin.
Arrogance aspiring to touch the divine had erased the world's time, its buildings, its people from existence. By imputing all that sin upon the king, it left only him and his palace in eternal atonement.
"This tale's concept was the Tower of Babel. A bit more tragic, though."
What if he hadn't had the Paradoxical Time?
Simply rebuild it from scratch.
With no notion of time, the king would wait indefinitely.
"Of course, it'd be insanely tough."
The Merchant reentered the castle.
Ding—
The king, who hadn't expected success, couldn't hide his astonishment.
"Incredible. Truly incredible! Your confidence stemmed not from baseless arrogance!"
The king gazed at the long-lost palace with wistful sorrow.
"We shall grant you a grand reward. Now... what would suit?"
'Please, something good!'
"No, no! What use is Our choice? In admiration of your skill, We grant you leave to select directly from the royal vault."
Ding—
The Merchant feigned deep emotion while thinking,
'What's with this guy?'
In the game, the king always shoved some random item at you—never once offered a choice.
But look at that smug, satisfied grin.
Something was seriously off.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ No bugs crawled in the shop.
Yet an indescribable presence prowled its interior.
Its true nature...
...
It had said things would wrap up around 12:30.
The Shop itself.
For the Shop, which equated its body with its entirety, "prowling" was less apt than simply blinking its eyes.
About 30 minutes left—then it could form a door.
Originally a window floated for communication with the Merchant, but now thoughts manifested there unconsciously.
If the Shop had a human-like vocal system, it would surely be a muttering horror, chattering to itself.
Bored.
As an intelligent entity, the Shop couldn't help finding solitude tedious.
Unfortunately, lacking movable limbs, all it could do was think—and nothing else.
Tsk.
Life might've been more fun before the contract with the Tale Management Bureau.
Sure, it now enjoyed ample weekly meals, but the longing for those adorable daily visitors was unshakable.
Missing the customers.
More precisely, their "bodies"—but such distinctions were trivial.
No goods remained within the Shop.
This was hardly a joyful state for a "shop."
It needed to restock quickly, but the Merchant's laziness was piercing the heavens.
Forcing the Shop to shirk its role.
The Shop didn't know the Merchant was busy negotiating new goods—and didn't particularly care.
As the Shop spawned new windows of thought, time slipped by.
Now...
Over 30 minutes already.
The Shop connected a door to the prearranged spot with the Merchant.
And another 10 minutes passed.
Was the Merchant's sloth evolving?
Couldn't even keep his own schedule.
Then the door opened.
Are you such a dimwit you can't even keep time?
But no reply came from the Merchant.
The Shop's carelessness had admitted a visitor who wasn't its owner.
"Looks like we found the right place."
"This is that..."
One was a frequent trader—Park Se-jin, probably.
The other was a newcomer, looking exceptionally dim-witted.
"But."
Tsk.
If only the Merchant had hurried, none of this would've happened.
"Where's the Merchant?"
"This is weird... The shop opening up was odd enough, and now no Merchant?"
"Is this really okay...?"
"Of all times, when Do-hyun's away!"
"Of all times, when I'm here!"
"What?"
"Nothing."
"It's risky, but let's poke around the shop before the Merchant gets back. We need his whereabouts—and a ton of other intel."
All the same, the Shop wasn't displeased—an event to stave off boredom had arrived.
Now then.
How to evict these fearless intruders before the Merchant returned?
The Shop couldn't devour their bodies without a trade.
But everything else...
That was fair game.
A silent laugh, brimming with pure malice, filled the Shop.