Master of Disguise (2)
The days slipped by after my first meeting with Naiven. Since he was mostly active at night, our meetings naturally settled into the late hours.
“Heading back already today?”
“Yes. Thank you again.”
“Aren’t you a bit too diligent? You could stay up a little later.”
Of course, I had a prior engagement at the Soul’s Training Ground, so I always tried to return to the dormitory before ten. Even so, my intimacy with Naiven was steadily climbing.
—Hmm. You’re getting more skilled with each passing day.
—Still, the difference from your original appearance is still quite noticeable. It feels exactly like you’re wearing a disguise?
Naturally, reaching Naiven’s level in such a short time was impossible. Besides, I wasn’t seriously trying to master the art of disguise in the first place. What I wanted was to use him as a bridge to meet that person.
“Ah, junior.”
“Yes, senior.”
“Are you free tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?”
I didn’t have any plans. Why was he asking? Don’t tell me…
“There’s someone I’d like to introduce you to. If you want to do proper disguises, you’ll need the right outfit to match, right?”
Jackpot. The opportunity had finally arrived.
“Of course. What time should I come?”
“It’s the weekend, so how about one o’clock? My friend’s a bit of a night owl, so that’s the only time they’ll be awake.”
“Got it. See you tomorrow then.”
“Alright. Sleep well.”
Finally! It was happening!
—Are you that happy?
—Haa~am. Can I rest today?
—Do as you wish.
—Then I’ll take the day off~.
—Rest well.
Lately I’d noticed that the relationship between Cheonhwa Yuseol and Hoya had changed quite a bit from what I remembered. The two used to fight constantly, but now the number of arguments had decreased noticeably. After Hoya’s fake illness incident, her treatment had taken a slight hit, but her recent behavior suggested she was back in everyone’s good graces.
I wonder if something happened between them while I was receiving the Fiery Golden Eyes.
Back then, there had been a period when both Cheonma and Hoya were absent from my side.
“Whatever it is, it’s fine as long as they’re getting along.”
Yeah. It was definitely better to see them like this than constantly bickering.
—Then shall we begin today as well?
“Yessir!”
“…And that’s why the expression and hand gestures I did this time looked way more natural! Your learning speed is seriously insane! Honestly, you might even be better than me at this point.”
Naiven was explaining something with flushed cheeks, clearly excited. The man listening to him lowered the hand that had been propping up his chin and gave a natural smile.
“Hmm. I’ve never seen anyone better than you, so I can’t really picture it.”
As he spoke, the man subtly furrowed his brow. It was already time for him to be asleep, yet this guy wouldn’t let him go. Dark circles hung heavily beneath his eyes, silently screaming about his current exhaustion—like someone who had fallen into an endless swamp of conversation with no escape.
“These days he’s even trying to improve on his own, you know? It’s so admirable and heartwarming! This is exactly why you have to take in newbies! Every single day is just so much fun!”
“Yeah, yeah. Glad you’re having fun.”
I’m not having any fun at all, though.
Good grief. Did he really have to listen to stories he had zero interest in for days on end? Losing sleep and suffering this kind of mental torture… The man pressed on his throbbing temples and decided it was time to end the conversation.
“Even if you say that, I still can’t imagine it. I won’t get it until I see it with my own eyes.”
“That’s why I invited him over tomorrow!”
“Huh?”
What did he just say? What? Invited who tomorrow? Surely not the freshman who had been the main topic of this entire conversation…?
“Yep!”
“‘Yep’ my ass!”
Who said you could just invite someone?!
The man felt a surge of irritation but swallowed it down. Alright, let’s think this through again. This might actually be an opportunity. If he could thoroughly scold the culprit who had been robbing him of sleep and make him lose all interest, he could finally cut Naiven’s obsession off at the root!
“My time might finally return.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Anyway, what time did you tell that junior to come?”
“One o’clock. You need your sleep too, right?”
If you know that, why are you keeping me up until now?
“Haha… Then I’ll head to bed early for tomorrow.”
“Ah! By the way, tomorrow with the junior, maybe you could…”
“I got it. I’ll do it, so let’s talk tomorrow.”
If he listened to any more of this, he really would lose his mind. The man quickly cut Naiven off and flopped onto his bed.
Finally, finally he could sleep…
Thud.
“Ugh!”
Just as he thought he could finally rest, a sudden pain exploded in his abdomen. Air rushed out of his lungs and cold sweat poured down his back. Wondering what the hell had just happened, he looked down to see a cardboard box lying on top of him.
The moment the man saw the box, veins bulged on his forehead as he roared.
“What the fuuuuuck!!! Who the hell delivers like this?!”
It was the item he had ordered three days ago. A minor accident had occurred when the delivery service used magic to calculate the coordinates.
“I’m seriously pissed off now!”
The anger he had been holding back finally burst free after that brutal gut shot. The man grabbed a crystal orb from the corner instead of his watch and spoke.
Tap.
When he lightly tapped it with his finger, the orb glowed with a dark light. The man narrowed his eyes and spoke in a much calmer, lower voice.
“Hey. Are you kidding me?”
—Hm? You suddenly contact me. Is there a problem?
“Problem? Of course there’s a problem. Who delivers packages like this?”
Item. Delivery. The man on the other side of the crystal orb seemed to realize the situation and let out a chuckle.
—Khh khh. I see the package arrived safely.
“It arrived so safely I almost turned into a donut.”
—So. How is the condition of the goods?
“I don’t know. I contacted you before I even checked because I was so pissed.”
—…….
“What? What do you want me to do about it?”
In this conversation, the man clearly held the upper hand, which was why he could speak so boldly. He knew it, and so did the other party.
“But why are you giving it to me now? You said it would take at least another month.”
—The plan has been moved forward. I sent the materials as well, so make the item as quickly as possible.
“What? I’m busy, you bastard.”
How many orders were already piled up?
—Think about our contract. You promised to prioritize our orders above all else.
“You’re using it on this?”
—Yes. It is that important.
While trading with them, the man had once received help. In return, he had promised that even if orders were backed up, he would fulfill theirs first. But that single priority came with a hidden meaning. It was the reason their contact continued, and why they could place orders even if it took time. Using that one chance would mark the end of their dealings with him.
In other words, this current order was the final request between them.
Rustle.
Knowing it was the last commission, the man examined the materials they had sent with a serious gaze. Every single one was an incredibly rare and precious item that would leave anyone’s mouth hanging open. Looking at the blueprint, he could only sigh. One wrong move and the whole thing would be ruined. The level of delicacy and perfection required was so extreme that even with total concentration, it might barely be possible.
“Ha. For a final order, you really went all out with something difficult.”
—How long will it take?
“Basically nine days. It could be longer.”
—Then I’ll come pick it up in ten days.
The man clicked his tongue and nodded.
“I need to sleep now, so I’m hanging up.”
—Understood.
Click.
So the client who used to place orders quite frequently was disappearing. The man was happy that he would finally have some time to rest. Then he looked back at the blueprint he had seen earlier and narrowed his eyes slightly.
“But they really want me to make this?”
He usually didn’t interfere with orders, but even from a craftsman’s perspective, this was a bit much.
“What era are we living in that they’re asking for something like this? Why ask for a haori of all things? They should’ve just asked for a coat. And look, they even want text engraved on the back? It looks like they’re asking Naiven to make a cosplay outfit.”
He had been wondering what kind of important person would use such precious materials to have clothes made, but after seeing the design, he simply shook his head.
“…Sigh. And a guest is coming tomorrow too. Looks like I’ll be busy.”
Tap.
“Hm? What’s this?”
His head tilted at the letter that had fallen out of the box. Did they write something extra?
“Let’s see… ‘Since this is clothing for the Lord, you must produce a perfect finished product. If not, prepare yourself…’”
Crack.
“Do they think I’d half-ass it? That actually pisses me off.”
“The commission?”
When the old man wearing a robe with a single eye drawn on it spoke, the masked man shrugged.
“It went smoothly. You can pick it up in ten days.”
“I see. So the time has finally come.”
“How is his condition?”
“He has just entered a stable state.”
At the old man’s—Loven’s—words, the masked man’s gaze turned toward a certain coffin floating high above.
Tap.
“How dare you try to look upon his noble face with such impure eyes?”
“Ah, I did it without thinking.”
But the action ended as an attempt when the old man in the robe made a stabbing motion with his finger right in front of the masked man’s eyes.
“But is it really okay to move the plan forward this quickly?”
“There is no problem. His condition is improving rapidly. If we obtain the item we ordered this time…”
Rumble rumble rumble.
“Ugh!”
“Hngh!”
It was like a natural disaster. The small woman’s voice instantly filled the entire space, delivering punishment to the disloyal ones who had disturbed her mood. They did not resist. They simply accepted the tyrannical power descending from above. Submitting was the best and only thing they could do.
Even as the robed elder and the masked man vomited blood from the pain twisting their insides, they still showed proper respect toward the absolute god above them.
“Ten thousand years to the Heavenly Demon. Ten thousand demons bow in reverence.”
“Ten thousand years to the Heavenly Demon. Ten thousand demons bow in reverence.”