Black Market (1)
Two weeks had passed since Im Jui's group joined us. The patients' conditions had improved dramatically. Now, under Im Jui's protection, they were even going for walks and coming to thank me personally. After accepting their gratitude, I sent them off with some vegetables.
Jeong Su-hwan hadn't shown up for the past two weeks due to some issue, but he was here now.
"Jeong Su-hwan."
"Yes..."
"You know this person, right?"
Jeong Su-hwan looked flustered upon seeing Im Jui in her gas mask, but he quickly pieced it together and dropped to his knees before me.
"I'm sorry! I absolutely didn't reveal the location or anything!"
Im Jui hurriedly scribbled something on her notepad.
This person didn't tell me anything about Paradise.
"Get up. I was just curious if the man Im Jui met was you, so I asked."
"Thank you... I'll be more careful from now on."
He wore an expression of fear that our trade might end because he'd caused me trouble. I reassured Jeong Su-hwan well.
As it turned out, he'd run into monsters while scouting, struggled in the fight, and Im Jui, passing by, had helped him out. In gratitude, he'd given her a few cans and some water. They'd chatted a bit and apparently mentioned 'Paradise.' Since Im Jui's operating range was quite far from here, he hadn't expected her to find this place. He explained it all earnestly.
As usual, I received luxury goods like books and toilet paper from Jeong Su-hwan, filled his empty plastic bottles with water, and packed his bag full.
Winter was coming soon. When I asked Im Jui how she'd survived last winter, she wrote that she'd built a big bonfire in front of her house, heated stones, and brought them inside. She'd layered carpets and mattresses scraped from everywhere on the floor to block the cold from below, wrapped herself in multiple puffer jackets and blankets. Luckily, she'd found a sack with hundreds of hot packs and made it through. It was a story that brought tears to my eyes.
When I asked Han Seol, Han Byeol, and Jeong Su-hwan, they said most people used wood-burning stoves in winter. These were stoves that burned wood with a chimney pipe for smoke, and the camping ones from outdoor stores were high-performance and durable, trading at exorbitant prices. But handy people made their own from scrap metal and sold them. Since the stoves got hot, you could boil water on them with a kettle or do simple cooking with a frying pan.
"Can you get me a wood-burning stove?"
"I'm sorry. They're hard to find, and even if I did, they're bulky..."
"That's fine. Instead, next time, bring clothes. We need kids' clothes too. No more comic books—just clothes."
"Yes, I'll try to get the best condition ones I can."
"And... if you find any fairy tales or children's educational books, grab a few."
I couldn't give them proper elementary education, but I wanted the kids to learn basic knowledge.
After sending Jeong Su-hwan off, I discussed with the Han sisters. Small camping tents came with compact, disassemblable wood stoves, but even disassembled, they were too small for Im Jui's two-story house to withstand winter's killing cold. We concluded it was impossible.
Currently, in Im Jui's mansion, three kids, Lee Kyung-min, three women, and Im Jui were using three rooms. Excluding the standoffish Im Jui, they didn't feel the need for separate rooms. Im Jui stayed alone in the room closest to the front door, and over the past two weeks, she'd stripped beds from other ruins and vacant houses to refurbish the rooms.
I'd had the construction drones replicate my king-size luxury bed, but it took a full week. I placed that one in Lee Kyung-min's room so the three kids could share it. The construction drones were specialized for building; they fixed walls quickly, but complex furniture took forever. I was impressed they could even replicate mattresses and fabric, but the time was ridiculous. After the bed experiment, I stopped replicating furniture and focused on restoring the neighboring house.
Now, the urgent need was wood-burning stoves. Im Jui was an awakener, so she'd be fine on a cold floor, but the others wouldn't.
While pondering solutions, Han Byeol slapped the table.
"Ah! Master!"
"Yes?"
"Come to think of it, the Ragged Wanderer is your slave too, and we have drones, so we can get one!"
"Don't use 'slave' for minors... But do you have a method?"
Han Seol seemed to realize something too.
"We should go to the black market."
"Now that you mention it, I haven't been able to go out, so it slipped my mind. We can send Im Jui there. I'll send a drone along."
"Master! Great idea. Should this former intel officer explain?"
"No, I'll hear it from Han Seol. Han Byeol, for calling a minor a slave, go outside and do 500 squats."
Han Byeol grumbled but headed to the yard, counting out squats aloud.
From what the Han sisters had told me before, there were about eight major black markets in Seoul, and the best-managed, largest one was the Seonghun Merchant Association.
"Han Seol, tell me more details."
This black market was run by Ham Seong-hoon, an awakener and ex-soldier who'd staged a coup against the Republic of Korea government and declared independence. He'd been a brigade commander as a brigadier general, originally a soldier who awakened, with great charisma and many loyal subordinates. Unable to stomach the higher-ups' corruption, he'd led his men out to form the association. It was a massive market with thousands of daily visitors.
From the description, it sounded less like a black market and more like a well-run regular one. The biggest downside of black markets was lack of security—you never knew what might happen inside—but this place was tightly managed by Ham Seong-hoon's awakeners. Nearly 100 patrolled hourly for security, plus a thousand armed association regulars stationed there. No entry fee, but to avoid being scammed, you paid to hire a 'guarantor' to accompany you.
Shop owners paid rent as taxes. It had everything: bars selling food and booze, even prostitution. Surprisingly, there was a refurbished theater in a ruined performing arts center where plays were staged for the cultured rich. Everything sold at market price, so unless you knew the rates cold or had merchant friends, common sense was to hire a guarantor.
Originally, when I showed interest in the black market, the Han sisters offered to go, but I refused. The Seonghun Merchant Association wouldn't chase them out, but they were wanted fugitives from the Reconstruction Government. Running into someone who recognized them could spell big trouble. But Im Jui could go without issue.
"Huff...! Master! 500 done!"
"Reflected?"
"Huh? Reflected?"
"500 more..."
"I'm kidding! I reflected. So, we're sending the Ragged Wanderer to the Seonghun Merchant Association?"
"Yes. It's a bit cold, but we don't need the stove ourselves... Still, I'll send a drone along. Curious what it'll be like."
"Do-hyun, talk to Jui tomorrow then."
"Sure."
Han Seol had started calling her 'Jui' after a while, but Han Byeol still said 'Ragged Wanderer.' She seemed to hold a grudge over Im Jui nearly destroying a drone at the bookstore—no intent to attack, but wary she might lose control again. It showed her cool-headed ex-intel officer side.
"Let's wrap up for today."
"Do-hyun, I have something to discuss."
"Yes?"
Han Seol brought up what to call me. Im Jui's group called me 'Master' as Han Byeol instructed, so I'd warned them against it and said to use 'Do-hyun' casually. But today, when they came to the barrier, they'd asked the Han sisters if there was another title since they couldn't casually address their benefactor and this place's lord.
"When was this?"
"While you were showering earlier, Master!"
"Hm... Are you two uncomfortable?"
"No, not uncomfortable."
"Not uncomfortable. Calling you Master is comfy."
"I prefer we keep formal too..."
Then Han Seol said seriously,
"Even if it's comfy for you, in front of outsiders, speak down to us. Command us like subordinates. We don't mind, but others might see you as soft."
Han Byeol nodded in agreement.
"Got it. Then should I speak down to Jui's group too?"
"Actually... they begged us to use casual speech with them."
"Huh? Why?"
Han Byeol fiddled with my arm.
"Master, those people don't want equal status with you. They rely on you for food, clothes, shelter—how could they be equals? Simply put, they want to be subjects in the empire you rule. They want your protection."
"..."
The world's common sense had really changed.
"Then inside the house, formal is okay?"
"Yes, do whatever's comfy, Do-hyun. Casual anytime."
"Master, problem not solved yet!"
"Yes?"
"It's about what to call you."
"Any ideas?"
Han Seol took a breath.
"I talked with Byeol and Jui's group, and a good one came up."
"What?"
"Simply 'Excellency.'"
Excellency? A title I'd never heard in my life popped out. Han Seol's eyes were dead serious—no joke.