Making It a Good Place to Sell (F)
“The meeting place is here….”
On the way over, I wasn’t completely free of stares, but not too many people kept looking my way. Now that hunters had become part of everyday life, this level of attention felt pretty normal. Honestly, I thought I’d get more glances, but the way people just shrugged like it was just another item made me wonder if I was the odd one out. No, didn’t they notice the strange thing I was carrying around? I would have been dying of curiosity myself. “This is the cafe…”
A message had come through, but I checked my phone anyway—nothing there. Since I’d arrived, I asked if the other person had arrived first. Or maybe they were waiting inside. Almost there, they’d said in the note, so they were probably waiting at the cafe. I sent a quick message telling them to come in whenever they wanted, then stepped through the door. “One iced Americano, please.” “Sure, one iced Americano. Just a moment.”
I placed my order first, then sat down and waited for the other person, wondering what they were doing right now. There wasn’t anything specific to do, but maybe I should test out some new gear for a bit…
Just as I started to drift off, the cafe door jingled. I turned my head and saw a woman who looked very stylish walk in. Long wavy brown hair, a black leather jacket, white T-shirt, and black athletic pants—she was attractive, no doubt about it. But there was something off about her. It wasn’t just her looks that made people stare; it felt different somehow, like I’d seen her somewhere before.
Clink. Clink. The sword wrapped around my wrist moved restlessly, like it was telling me this person wasn’t ordinary. My instincts were already giving me the same signal.
“Haaak, haagh… Guild Leader-nim!”
Everyone was frozen, unable to speak, when the door opened again and another person entered. She had short black hair and cute blue eyes. The moment she stepped inside, the heavy air in the room relaxed, and the sword finally stopped moving.
“Hey, it’s not that late. Why are you running?” “You said you’d be waiting first, right? Waiting is a pain.” “Still, I have to bring it. This is the weapon I’m buying.” “That’s why you’re slow, isn’t it? Train a little more.” “… Yes, ah…”
From what I could overhear, they were buyers. But she’d mentioned guaranteeing the guild name… I hadn’t expected the guild leader herself to come. I thought she was just a regular member, not the head of the whole thing. Was my spear really that impressive?
Anyway, the reason my face felt familiar was probably because I’d seen it in the news. The guild leader of Cheonhwa, one of the top three guilds in South Korea. That explained the pressure I’d felt earlier—hunters who climbed a certain level just had a different aura. Someday I’d reach that point too… It felt a little impolite though.
“Is that you over there?” “Huh?” “We’ve been watching you the whole time.”
The two of them walked over to me. I placed the spear on the table and met their eyes. Their gaze pierced right through me like they could see straight into my soul. There was no reason to look away anyway. Besides, I was the one selling, so it was their move.
“Hmm, first time seeing you.” “I’m seeing you for the first time too.” “You’re bold. Nice. Hunters need that kind of energy. Coming to our guild?” “I haven’t really thought about it yet.” “Aww, you’re so tough.”
She smiled as she sat across from me, and I shrugged. It wasn’t like I was serious anyway. Asking a total stranger about joining a guild on the first date? I still didn’t even know what the guild did. The person standing beside her looked a little uneasy, but I wasn’t going to stop the deal over something like that. It wasn’t crossing any lines—it was just them liking me.
“By the way, wearing sunglasses while talking isn’t very good manners, is it?” “I have a complex about my eyes. And it’s not that important, is it?”
I unwrapped the blanket covering the spear and showed them its full length, folded wings, and multiple blade sections. Even I thought it was eye-catching. “Looks like you’re in a hurry. We have contingencies though.” “I’m not exactly in a hurry. I was just going to sell it and grab lunch.” “Ah.” “I’m actually hungry right now.”
I shrugged again as they stared at me in disbelief. After all, I wasn’t lying about being hungry. I didn’t need to hide it. Honestly, I could have kept it. …Well, if I didn’t sell it I’d have to buy ramen on the way home, but there were plenty of other people who would still buy it from me.
“Got it. Mind if I appraise it?” “Appraise?” “Yeah, appraisal. Aren’t you learning that too? To know the grade.” “…Yeah, of course. Feel free to.”
The appraisal skill didn’t seem particularly rare to me. I thought appraisal was as hard to get as creation skills, but here she was using it like it was nothing. Still, at least I could confirm what she’d been pretending to be. “Okay.”
I held the spear and shook it nervously. I glanced at the woman sitting beside her. “…Huh? What is it?” “Is that all right?” “Um… I’m not sure myself.”
I was wondering if she knew anything about a trembling spear, but she just shook her head. What was she thinking? Right now, the only thing I could do was appraise. Was she realizing that the sword was actually a bug? “Hey, what’s your name?” “Huh? Suddenly?” “Yeah, I’m curious.” “My name is… I…”
I was about to give her a name when I suddenly realized something. The item description showed in the appraisal had the creator’s name on it. Naturally, the spear’s description listed my name…
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at me. She was clearly thinking something. There was only one creator in Korea right now, so a new one had appeared. Could I reveal it? That I could make items… For now, at least. …It probably wasn’t a good idea. There might be benefits, but I had no intention of belonging anywhere. If I revealed it, the guild joke about joining would become real.
“I…?” “I… it’s I. Yes, I.” “I? Hmm… then can you tell me where you got this?” “That’s a trade secret.”
She looked at me intently, but I shook my head. Honestly, I didn’t think she believed me. The way she was staring made it clear she knew I was lying. I had dragged it out too long. Still, she didn’t press further. She seemed considerate. Maybe she thought there was a good reason I was hiding it. …Actually, it was less about the real reason and more that it was annoying to keep making gear if I joined the guild. “Fine. I’ve seen the item, so I’ll buy it right away. Want to give me your account number?” “Ah, yes. Here.” “Wait, it’s actually an epic?” “Yeah, it’s real. You must be lucky.” “Woo-hoo!”
Her joyful reaction made me laugh as I showed her the account number I’d already written down. She glanced at the number and transferred the money on the spot. Hunters really were different. They spent money so casually. Would I end up like that once I started earning too? Since I’d received the money, I handed over the spear. The blanket… I couldn’t just walk out carrying it wrapped, could I?
She bounced happily with the wrapped spear, and I couldn’t help smiling. Her joy was actually kind of heartwarming. “So you’re heading out right away?” “I sold it, didn’t I? Gotta go.” “Well, fine. But that guild story earlier wasn’t a lie, so contact me anytime. Here’s my card.”
I took the card since refusing felt rude. I slipped it into my pocket with the Cheonhwa guild name, her name, and phone number, stood up, and left the cafe. Ah, I really should go eat now… “Ah.” “Huh? Did I forget something?” “……”
I turned around and went back inside. At the question from the guild leader, I turned my head, picked up the iced Americano that had just arrived, and left the cafe once more. I’d even said hello on the way out, but damn… I never thought the coffee would take so long. I walked to eat without looking back, feeling embarrassed. I had to eat as far away as possible—running into them again would be too mortifying. Sigh… Where was I even thinking? *
“Ehehehe.” “You like that?” “Of course! It’s my first epic gear!” “Well, Sujeong’s only been using normal stuff until now.”
I shook my head as I watched Sujeong shake the spear wrapped in the blanket. No matter how happy she was, she couldn’t be waving it around in a cafe. What if someone bumped into it? More importantly… I remembered the woman who had been sitting in front of me earlier. I… She’d said a fake name. I found it unbelievable. If she was going to lie, she should have lied properly from the start.
“It’s annoying to others, so stop.” “Ugh, okay. But why did the guild leader bring up the guild earlier?” “Um… that’s a secret. Someone who can hear it will be quite impressive.” “Ugh, what is it? Just tell me!” “Of course I can’t. But you’ll probably find out soon.”
Sujeong’s curious expression made me smirk as I pulled out my phone. That would give me one place to contact. I couldn’t let her disappear, so at least I had to keep her in Korea. “Oh, and Sujeong.” “What is it, Guild Leader?” “From now on, tell me every time a seller posts.” “Sellers?” “Yeah, actually, there’s a seller today, right?” “Ah, yes.”
Was my guess correct? It might not be, but my instincts had never been wrong so far. …The second creator in Korea. Now that I knew, I wanted to bring her to the guild. It would be tough though. Thinking back on the earlier encounter, she hadn’t been easy to deal with. Still, since she’d shown a good face, there was a chance with other guilds. Ah, I hope our guild gets a creator soon too.