Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Gratitude, Rumors, and a Royal Bedroom
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"Is your name Hyeok Tae-jun? You quit your job as a police officer after making contact with a specific tale, correct?"
The woman who had introduced herself as Park Se-jin looked utterly exhausted.
Something about her felt familiar. I seemed to recall seeing her nearby when I first got tangled up in a tale and the bureau came to investigate.
"You moved here after the Seoul collapse, and you've been caught up in another tale since then, right?"
"Yes. That's correct."
"And you're the one who resolved this latest tale."
"W-Well, it's not quite that big a deal."
"No, you really did something incredible for us. On behalf of the Tale Management Bureau, thank you."
Park Se-jin bowed deeply toward me.
It felt a little overwhelming, but when I thought about it, I probably deserved the thanks. So I just accepted it graciously.
"I'm truly sorry, but the bureau didn't even notice this tale had occurred..."
From what she told me, the month I spent inside the department store hadn't registered at all in reality.
In other words, my entire month hadn't even amounted to a single second for the bureau.
They only realized something was wrong after getting reports of two thousand citizens suddenly bursting out into the open.
If they'd figured it out and come to rescue us that quickly, that would have been terrifying.
⚙ SHOP MESSAGE ⚙ Park Se-jin's pupils shift toward my hand. "You haven't gotten any treatment? But one of them looks like it has been..."
Park Se-jin's expression darkened.
It didn't seem to be because of my fingers. There must have been some other reason, but I had no idea what.
Should I even mention this?
What if they drag me off to a lab and dissect me?
Sudden rumors about shady dealings at the bureau started flooding my mind.
Hmm. Better not say anything.
"That insurance only covers one finger, you know? I didn't have enough money for the other one... so I've just been living with it."
"Ah... You're unemployed right now..."
Park Se-jin looked at me with eyes full of pity.
If they checked my hospital records, they'd find out, but why would they bother looking up a civilian's medical history?
They probably didn't have the authority to do it without cause anyway.
Park Se-jin checked her watch.
"Please wait just a moment. The rest of the discussion will be handled by HR."
"Pardon? Why HR?"
Park Se-jin left with an enigmatic smile, saying nothing more.
"Huh?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A certain rumor was circulating centered around Seoul.
"Have you heard about that candy?"
"Of course. They say eating it gets rid of all fear, right?"
This wasn't Hyeok Tae-jun's story.
It was a rumor that had been going around even before he ate the candy.
"I can't sleep at night thinking I missed picking it up!"
"He found it lying in a pool of blood, didn't he?"
"That lucky bastard's set for life."
The man sighed.
"I hear the auction's today. Wanna go watch?"
"Nah. Hearing how much it's going for would keep me up forever."
They kept chatting as they walked, but their conversation no longer matters here.
In the underground parking lot of a certain commercial building.
The rough walls and the usual headache-inducing smell of underground garages made it the perfect spot for illicit dealings.
Men and women in high-end suits, utterly out of place in the dingy atmosphere, began filling the lot.
Everyone wore masks, but they all seemed to know each other anyway.
"Ah, you made it today."
"Of course. This is probably the last day to snag that candy cheap."
As people gathered in small groups for small talk, more kept arriving.
The moment the lot was packed...
"Hello, everyone! Welcome to all who are joining us for today's auction."
The emergency stairs at the back of the parking lot swung open, and the auctioneer appeared.
"We have plenty of items, of course. But it seems you're all here for something specific."
The auctioneer traced a circle in the air with his finger, mimicking the shape of the candy, and the participants burst into laughter.
The auction began with miscellaneous items first.
Saving the highlight for last to keep everyone hooked.
Some sat bored, while others enthusiastically bid.
Those uninterested in the candy.
Time passed, and finally, it was time for the main event.
"Now, our final item. I'm sure this is what most of you came for."
An ornate antique box sat before the auctioneer.
"Allow me to introduce... the 'Valiant Lollipop'!"
The lid opened, revealing the Eyeball Candy in all its grotesque glory.
"Ooh!"
"Wooow!"
Cheers erupted in unison.
The bidding war began anew.
Who won doesn't matter.
In the corner of the auction hall, a man grinned ear to ear.
Judging by his shabby clothes compared to the others, he wasn't a bidder.
"Heh heh heh... Talk about manna from heaven."
It was that lucky guy who had picked up the candy.
He'd found it by chance.
Its eerie appearance made him have his trembling dog lick it instead—and suddenly, the shaking stopped, and the dog was fine.
It had to be a candy that grants courage.
So how did word of this candy spread among people?
It was the natural virtue and skill of any merchant: the power of rumor.
Of course, the rumors included some bias and exaggeration—that was the merchant's second virtue.
Regardless of the truth, it didn't take long for the rumors to spread far and wide, becoming "fact."
The tale of the Eyeball Candy, known only to the horror shop's merchant, the bureau, and a few others, had mutated into a new rumor, even altering its powers.
Likewise, Momentary Dream, which originally only treated scratches, had recently gained rumors of being a miracle cure-all, boosting its healing power—but no one had noticed yet.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Ah... So boring. Maybe I should just sleep."
After selling the Eyeball Candy to that guy, I suddenly had nothing to do.
The shop suggested welcoming new customers if that was the case, but was I crazy? Why take on more work?
One customer a day was plenty.
I pulled out the neatly folded blanket I'd stashed in the corner.
The moment I started my daily routine of making my bed...
🛒 MERCHANT ALERT 🛒 Good news, Merchant. "Hm? What is it?"
🛒 MERCHANT ALERT 🛒 Bedroom construction unlocked after completing the deal with that police officer. "Oh? Wow! Yay!"
🛒 MERCHANT ALERT 🛒 What's with that reaction? To be honest, I'd completely forgotten about the bedroom.
Sleeping on a blanket spread out on the floor turned out to be more comfortable than I'd expected.
Still, having one had to be better than nothing.
"It's nothing. Go ahead and build it."
🛒 MERCHANT ALERT 🛒 Hmm, not thrilled, but I'll make it anyway. The screen filling my vision vanished, and the shop began to tremble faintly.
A tearing sound came from the wall behind the stall, splitting it clean in two.
Riiip—
The sound of space warping echoed.
Red, sticky stuff kept appearing during the room's formation, but let's just ignore it.
About three minutes later...
🛒 MERCHANT ALERT 🛒 It's done. Take a look. The construction finished with a standard wooden door.
"Okay."
I turned the handle.
The new hinges opened smoothly, without a hint of friction.
"Whoa..."
I couldn't help but gasp in admiration.
A luxurious bed fit for a king in some palace dominated the center of the room.
The queen-sized bed asserted its grandeur, adorned with ornate carvings that could rival Daedalus's work.
"Shop... um..."
🛒 MERCHANT ALERT 🛒 Why the long face? You like it that much? "Isn't the design a bit... old-fashioned?"
Put kindly, it was a king's bed. But really, it meant we hadn't escaped the Middle Ages.
Incomprehensible.
Your inability to appreciate this modern design proves your sense of aesthetics is broken.
"This is modern? How old are you, anyway?"
🛒 MERCHANT ALERT 🛒 You want me to scrap it? "No, that's not it."
🛒 MERCHANT ALERT 🛒 Then shut up and be happy. I had no idea why I couldn't comment on the design of a bedroom I'd earned through hard work, but whatever—I'd use it.
I threw myself onto the bed as if entranced.
The mattress enveloped my body in cozy warmth, amplified twofold by the blankets.
A real bed really was different.
All complaints about the design evaporated.
A sudden thought struck me.
This bed was part of the shop, right?
So, was it made of that same red flesh from before?
I sat up slowly and poked a tiny hole in the edge of the blanket.
🛒 MERCHANT ALERT 🛒 What are you doing? The inside was just stuffed with ordinary feathers.
"Phew..."
I settled back comfortably against the mattress.
Hm.
Should check the mattress too.
Poke!
Red liquid oozed from the needle-prick hole.
It carried a familiar bloody scent.
"Hm."
I turned my head away and drifted off to sleep.
I didn't bother telling the shop that it was the first nightmare I'd had since coming here.
"I'll buy every Valiant Lollipop you have!"
The next day, some lunatic demanded to buy something I wasn't even selling, and I forgot all about it.