The Chairman's Treasures
"......Looks like you haven't been going hungry anywhere."
An elderly man clicked his tongue at the sight of Jiyoon charging toward him, arms flung wide open.
His pristine white suit, neatly combed-back graying hair, and piercing gaze all seemed to broadcast his no-nonsense personality.
"......Grandpa?"
"If you're gonna hug me, then hug me. What's with the hesitation?"
He peered down at her with clear disapproval, then scooped Jiyoon up and plopped her onto his lap.
"Heehee!"
"Well, look at that—you've put on some weight. Growing like a weed, aren't you?"
"Am I heavy, Grandpa?"
"This old man's plenty strong. No problem."
"Grandpa's the strongest!"
What unfolded before my eyes was utterly unimaginable.
Who would've thought the iron-blooded tycoon known as Chairman Han Jin-wol had a side like this?
In the game, he'd always worn a cold expression or carried that heavy aura of his. But right now? He was just a grandpa who didn't know how to show affection smoothly.
"It's been a while, Grandfather."
"......Ho?"
Holding Jiyoon tight so she wouldn't slip off, Han Jin-wol turned his gaze my way.
"......So, Eugene. You've changed quite a bit, haven't you?"
Since this was our first face-to-face after I took over this body, he must've been puzzled by how much my personality had shifted.
"I've enrolled in the academy now. Can't stay immature forever."
"Hmph. Better late than never. I hoped you'd follow your mother's footsteps into business...... but word is you're taking after your father instead?"
He gave me a quick once-over as he said it.
"That's right. Inheriting the family business is a rule—a tradition."
"Ha! Your father, as I know him, isn't the type to force anything on his kids."
"I chose this path myself."
It was the best option for surviving in this world as Eugene Han Calione. And honestly, it wasn't a bad deal.
"If you believe it's right, then that's that. And......"
This time, his eyes shifted to the person beside me.
"It's been a while, child of the Inomiya family."
"It's been too long, Chairman. You look well—I'm relieved."
"Well? I'm one foot in the grave. Still, it doesn't feel half bad. Now, everyone, take a seat."
And so, the three of us settled into Han Jin-wol's study.
Jiyoon, meanwhile, showed zero intention of moving—like his lap was her assigned throne.
"Grandpa, should Jiyoon sit somewhere else?"
"Hmph! Too lazy to even budge. Just stay put."
"Yeees~"
Well, she seemed happy enough, so whatever.
As we sat, I placed the items I'd stored in my cube before getting out of the car onto the table.
"Hm? A spatial artifact?"
He tilted his head as two neatly wrapped boxes appeared on the previously empty table.
"Yes. Since it's been so long, we prepared these. Please accept them."
"......What makes meeting this old bag such a big deal? You could've come empty-handed."
Even as he grumbled, Han Jin-wol kept stealing glances at the boxes.
And why not? The original Eugene Han Calione would've never bothered with gifts. This was basically the first time his grandson had brought any, so it must've hit hard—especially with no other blood relatives around.
"We couldn't show up empty-handed. Not knowing your tastes, I consulted with Haru and picked them out together."
Haru's eyes went wide as she stared at me.
I kept chatting with Han Jin-wol while subtly bringing a hand to my mouth.
I'd roughly known his preferences anyway and just told Haru to handle it—but saying it this way felt less awkward.
"Well, I'll be. To think the little squirt you used to be shows up with gifts...... Alright, let's see what we've got."
The boxes were about the size of bowling balls but light enough for a kid to lift easily.
His curiosity piqued, he immediately untied the string and opened one.
"......This? Ha!"
A smile crept across his face, like he'd spotted something amusing.
Inside was a tightly rolled scroll.
"A painting?"
"Yes. Go ahead and unroll it."
He pulled it out and unfurled it with a flourish.
It was an ink wash painting oozing with exotic, folkish vibes: a medieval fantasy city straight out of another world, flying creatures in the sky, and a landscape that defied Earth's skies.
A mind-bending blend of East and West, radiating mystery.
"I heard you collect works from up-and-coming artists lately, so I prepared this. Hope it suits you."
I said it while fighting back a smile.
Han Jin-wol stared into the frame, utterly entranced, his eyes twitching faintly.
Yeah, no way you'd hate it.
In the future, you'll treasure this guy's paintings like gold.
A piece by Kim Hwang-seo, one of CS's top artists down the line.
Title: New Heaven and Earth.
Still a rookie now, so it went for peanuts—or basically free.
"Well, I'll be. You know art now?"
"That's why I got Haru's help."
"Then the other box......?"
Haru answered this time.
"It holds another piece by the same artist."
"Heh...... Back in Jongno, I once found a painting in a similar style and hunted high and low for more. Scoured the Korean market but came up empty—gave up eventually. And you two tracked them down."
Just like he said, finding his works in Korea at this point was impossible.
'He was doing manual labor in Japan at the time.'
Chasing jobs amid economic woes and Japan's reconstruction boom. Scraping by just to buy supplies...... No new pieces possible.
Even a mega-corp chairman like Grandfather couldn't track every detail.
'Thanks to Haru’s Japan connections, it was easy.'
Only possible because Haru dealt in international trade.
Bought his existing stock cheap, let him focus on painting—and invested on the side.
A golden goose in the making. Perfect bottom-fishing.
"These treasures, I'll cherish. Truly grateful."
Were gifts that powerful?
His initially stiff expression had softened a touch.
Yeah—after all the game treasures I'd snagged, this was the least I could do.
These were undiscovered rookie works anyway; no hassle acquiring them.
I knew Kim Hwang-seo's whereabouts from various quests.
He'd probably use the cash to bounce back and paint anew.
"Gifts? Grandpa! Jiyoon has a gift too—Jiyoon has one!"
"Hm? You too, Jiyoon?"
Noticing how thrilled he was with ours, Jiyoon popped her head up and kicked her legs excitedly.
Grandpa gazed down at her in her arms, surprised.
She unzipped her bunny bag and pulled out a prettily laminated sheet of paper, handing it over.
"Ta-da!"
"......What's this?"
"Jiyoon's five-minute massage coupon!"
"Huh?"
"Free five minutes when your shoulders hurt~?"
Even so───
"Kuhahat! Kuhahahahaha! Yes, yes! Perfect! Kuhahat hahahaha!!"
Can't beat that......
My gifts hadn't cracked his iron mask, but Jiyoon's coupon demolished it.
* * *
After brief greetings, we followed Grandfather to the dining room inside.
The table groaned under Korean side dishes and mains, timed perfectly for our arrival.
"Yummy~!"
Jiyoon, looking starved, beelined for the chair piled highest with meat.
Even the seat height was adjusted—clearly her designated spot.
I ended up between Haru and Jiyoon, across from Grandfather.
The moment he picked up his chopsticks, dinner began.
Maybe because we rarely met, he started probing for updates amid the meal.
"So, topping your class at the academy?"
"My skills are lacking, but yes."
"Heard some shocking news about you lately. Shattering academy records and stopping a terror attack? How could I not be impressed?"
He sipped tea from the table to wet his throat, then eyed me again.
"At first, you just said you'd visit and went silent—nearly stepped in myself out of annoyance. But after hearing your stories...... couldn't bring myself to."
I'd definitely leveraged Hanwol Group plenty so far.
I got where he was coming from.
If my rare family pulled the same, I'd be...... hurt too.
"......I'm sorry."
"No need. I skipped your celebration party myself with my schedule. Call it even."
Anyone could see he was cutting me slack, though his face stayed gruff.
"Hey, kid. You saving that sauce on your mouth for later hunger?"
"Hm? Heeheehee!"
......Maybe he just sucks at expressing it.
A sudden question popped into my head from his words.
"Grandfather, if I may ask...... is something going on?"
"Hm? Oh, you mean why I skipped the party. Nothing major—don't worry."
"A break-in or something?"
"......How'd you know?"
Bingo.
Just a hunch on the drive over, but it checked out.
"The servants' behavior on arrival, plus the mansion's tight security...... felt like they were watching each other."
His eyes widened in surprise.
"......You noticed that?"
"Yes."
Like I'd miss it.
Okay, I was just fishing.
Playing detective in the game meant rich-folk theft requests were routine.
One involved Han Jin-wol, top tycoon.
Timing seemed right, so I asked—and nailed it.
"......Haven't caught the thief, I take it."
"Yeah. Tracked magic on the treasures means we'd know if they left the grounds. Even if dispelled, traces remain...... but even the experts can't find a thing."
He glanced at me, Haru, and Jiyoon, chuckling.
"Experts say it's still somewhere inside, so not really 'theft.' Figured we'd just failed the search and let it go. Wasn't valuable anyway."
With Hanwol's wealth, yeah—most stuff was pocket change.
Vibe suggested the deep vault was untouched, so probably not the crown jewels.
But.
"Mind if I ask what was stolen?"
"Hm? Some relic from the Western pioneering era, I think?"
"Eh?"
......They touched that? The one I was gonna snag?
These bastards are dead.