Things Money Can’t Buy (2)
Seated quietly inside the carriage, a masked Cho Hyejin came into view.
I couldn’t see her expression, but it was only natural that I could still guess what she was thinking.
She looked a little anxious over my sudden proposal.
“Does such a place really exist?”
“There’s supply only if there’s demand. If people need something, someone will always come along to sell it.”
“I’ve never even heard of such a place in the three years I spent in Castle Rock.”
“It’s not the sort of black market you find in every city. It’s run as something a little more upscale, for VIPs only. If you want a run-of-the-mill black market, you can find plenty of those in Lindel as well.”
“Even so….”
“Drug trade usually flourishes near borders. On Earth, too, cities close to the U.S.–Mexico border are relatively exposed. I’d say Castle Rock’s geography isn’t bad either. It’s close to the Republic.”
“The Republic and us….”
“We’re in a Cold War, yes, but even in the middle of that, anything that can be sold is being sold like mad. Human beings are animals who can commit crimes anywhere, anytime, under any circumstances. To put it a little dramatically, even if a war breaks out, the market will still run.”
“How do you…?”
“How do I know this? Because I have buying power. There isn’t anything money can’t do in this world.”
Of course, money alone wasn’t enough.
To find the route, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say I had to work my ass off.
I’d been certain there was some market or auction house somewhere in Castle Rock, but finding a route that had formed over the years while I wasn’t looking wasn’t easy.
If I’d borrowed Song Jungwook’s help, it would’ve been simple, but I wanted to keep the fact that Jaehyejin and I were entering the underground auction house from him.
While I was digging around everywhere for information, the one who helped me on this front was Kasugano Yuno.
Who would have thought a single letter would solve everything?
Thanks to that, I promised to stop by Celia after this was over, but it was the kind of promise with no clear date attached to it.
“I doubt even the Count of Castle Rock or Lady Marlin know about it. And neither would Hyunsung.”
“Even the Guild Master….”
The version of him in the first turn likely hadn’t known either.
Thinking about the timing, Kim Hyunsung would have been busy trying to raise his combat power in Lindel around this point.
Maybe he’d come across it after everything was over, but something like an illegal auction house was still a little far removed from people like Cho Hyejin.
“He seems to have a rather firm goal in mind, so I suspect he misses these small details. Put kindly, he’s probably looking at the forest, not the trees.”
“The forest?”
“Yes. Things like war or a monster wave—events that can directly affect the continent. He’s likely more concerned with Castle Rock’s safety itself than with its underground auction house. The reason you’re working so hard to search through that forest right now probably isn’t unrelated to that, is it? If someone is looking at the forest, someone else has to look at the trees.”
“……”
“That’s a role people like me or you, Hyejin, can handle.”
“But….”
“Of course I’ll report it, but I don’t think there’s any need to show our Guild Master every rotten tree I come across. He’s got enough on his plate as it is.”
“I think I understand what you mean. Then the reason you asked me to come with you was…?”
“I told you before—I like you, Hyejin. I can understand why Hyunsung wants to bring you into the guild’s leadership, too. Isn’t it easier if we understand each other well? Ah. I think we’re here. Let’s get off. You’d do well to keep your mouth shut until we enter the underground auction house.”
“Yes….”
“Ah! My name here is Kasugano Haruka. I’ll call you Yuka.”
“Ah. Yes.”
Once we got out of the carriage, a rather quiet banquet hall came into view. For some reason, Cho Hyejin looked a little tense. I briefly wondered if she was fluttering like a teenage girl over this sudden detour, but that wasn’t it.
She was probably thinking about whether she’d be recognized, despite the mask.
“The others….”
“This isn’t the only entrance, Yuka.”
“Huh?”
“Come a little closer.”
“Ah… yes.”
Sorry, Hyunsung.
As I slipped an arm around her waist, I could feel how taut her body had become.
Of course, I didn’t mean anything by it. Today’s concept was an affectionate, rich Japanese couple, that was all.
Not long after, a guide approached us. At a glance, he looked strong, but he didn’t seem hostile. We were customers who would throw money around, after all, so it would have been strange if he had shown any hostility.
“Your invitation.”
As I casually opened my mouth and produced the prepared invitation, he nodded.
“Please board the carriage, sir.”
“How’s the selection today?”
“I think you’ll be satisfied.”
“Good.”
Once again, we climbed into a carriage hidden behind a black curtain, and it slowly set off.
“This is safe, right, Vice Guild Master?”
“Haruka. It’s Yuka.”
“This is safe, right, Haruka?”
“Of course. You’re smaller than I expected, though. Our Yuka.”
“It’s because Haruka-sama is here. I can’t help worrying about safety.”
“You can relax, Yuka, because it is safe. This is a matter of trust, you know. I can guarantee the guards here are more worried about my safety than I am. They can’t afford to lose a valuable customer.”
“You said before departure that it was dangerous….”
“I lied.”
“You really are….”
“Don’t tremble so much. Since we’ve come this far, why not enjoy it? Ever had wine inside a carriage?”
“……”
Cho Hyejin bit her lip in silence, but she didn’t seem to be relaxing at all.
Being wrapped in black curtains and taken to an unknown place would make anyone tense. She was probably wondering if we were being led into a tiger’s mouth.
It was all for security, but frankly, the sight of her like that wasn’t bad at all.
Even if it was unlikely, we had to prepare for any possible situation.
After getting out of the carriage, we transferred to another one.
When the carriage tilted slightly and I felt it descend, it meant we were almost at our destination.
I took the last sip of wine in my glass, and as if they’d been waiting for it, a voice came from outside.
“We’ve arrived.”
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, Haruka-sama.”
“Just in case, don’t look around like some country bumpkin fresh off the train.”
“I know.”
When I opened the carriage door, the sight before me seized my attention.
Orange lights brightly illuminated the space, and the sight of luxury goods strewn everywhere gave me the feeling I’d stepped into the Holy Empire’s capital, and into Benignore’s own court at that.
Cho Hyejin seemed to be finding it strange too, but perhaps she’d remembered my warning, because she wasn’t craning her neck unnecessarily. Even so, I could see her eyes darting around.
When I subtly took her hand, she jerked again, but she seemed to be adapting rather well. It had a different kind of fun from skinship with Jung Hayan.
“Let’s go in.”
“Yes.”
We weren’t the only ones wearing masks.
People dressed in clothes that looked expensive at a glance. Most of them wore masks of various colors.
Although this side was making a decent profit from the potion business, it was still only the beginning stage of the enterprise.
If it hadn’t been for the pocket money from Heera noona and the living, breathing bank account that was Kasugano Yuno, I doubted I could have stood up to them at all.
I could hear murmuring from all around.
“Is he the one managing this place?”
“As if. Song is just one of the many merchants here. Do you really think that idiot could manage a place like this all by himself, Yuka?”
“No.”
“There’ll probably be quite a lot worth seeing. Since we’re here for a tour, we might as well enjoy it properly.”
“This doesn’t sound like the atmosphere Haruka described. It feels more like a masquerade ball.”
“Any place has its hidden side. Anyway, if you go a little farther in, you’ll see. Strictly speaking, this is the lobby. If you go farther into the rooms, there’ll be more to look at.”
As I lifted a hand, I saw a guide carrying a glass of cocktail approaching us.
“Have a drink, Yuka.”
“……”
“If you don’t want to, I’ll just drink it myself.”
To put it plainly, this place was more like a social hall than a black market.
At least on the surface.
Waiters carrying simple drinks and desserts, handing them to ladies and nobles.
Those fanning their faces as they laughed through their conversations didn’t look like people with some part of their minds broken at all.
Of course, it looked different when viewed through the Mind’s Eye. Their tendencies and hidden quirks were obviously anything but normal at a glance.
Men and women alike….
I even spotted women with abnormal sexual tastes or ambitious types who simply wanted to show off their power, along with people who had the same sort of inclination as Ito Souta or me.
There are even….
Even killers identical to Jung Jinho.
And the reason they’d come here was obvious as hell.
Apparently murder was allowed here too. I could tell what this enormous space—so large I couldn’t even begin to count it—was being used for.
It was obvious once you looked at the people entering the rooms.
What should I show her first?
It would be better for her mental health to start with the weak stuff and work our way up. If I showed her something too intense right away, she might get too overwhelmed.
Of course, taking a look at the market managed by Song Jungwook was only natural.
Just as I was about to move, an unfamiliar voice came from the side.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes?”
“Would you have a moment? If your lady friend doesn’t mind, I’d like to spend a little time with you….”
“L-lady friend…?”
“Ah. So she’s your girlfriend, then. Well, that doesn’t matter either way….”
I couldn’t see her face because of the mask, but just from a quick glance, I could tell she was strong.
She was wearing a qipao, somewhat unusually.
Maybe she was Chinese from the Republic, or perhaps a Taiwanese staying in the Holy Empire. If I had time, I would have been willing to deal with her a little, because she looked excellent, but now was not the time for idle chatter.
“No, that’s fine.”
“Oh, come on… don’t be like that. I’m perfectly happy with three people, you know.”
“I’m busy.”
What caught my attention most was the eyes visible behind the mask. I couldn’t quite describe them, but they gave me a full-body chill for a moment.
├─ Tier 1:[Base ability] ✓
├─ Tier 2:[Enhanced ability] ✓
└─ Tier 3:[New ability — UNLOCKED] ★
Damn it.
“Don’t be like that.”
“No, that’s fine.”
That was when I remembered my own hidden quirk for a brief instant.
├─ Tier 1:[Base ability] ✓
├─ Tier 2:[Enhanced ability] ✓
└─ Tier 3:[New ability — UNLOCKED] ★
It increases the probability of being loved by dangerous members of the opposite sex.
Come to think of it, it felt like I’d been drawing a lot of attention from all over the place since earlier.
The only one who had spoken to me was the crazy woman in front of me, but there were quite a few women staring fixedly in this direction behind their fans.
Am I… in danger right now…?
It felt like every maniac and every woman the system deemed dangerous had gathered in one place.
What the hell….
With the sensation that I was sticking my head straight into a tiger’s mouth, I had no choice but to grip Cho Hyejin’s hand even tighter.