Chapter 19. The Leisure of a Cup of Coffee (1)
Chapter 19. The Leisure of a Cup of Coffee (1)
1
The city buzzed with noise.
"Who actually cleared the 10th floor?"
"I keep checking the news, but nothing's coming out. It's all just rumors......."
"Don't you think the Black Dragon's deliberately hiding it? If they reveal it dramatically later......."
"Ah, I'm telling you, it's definitely the Sword Saint!"
The city on the Tower's 1st floor. Babylon was in an uproar.
People rejoiced that the impregnable 10th floor had finally been cleared. And they gathered at outdoor cafés, chattering about who the still-unrevealed secret clearer might be.
How would those people react?
"Hmm."
If they learned that I, sitting right next to them, was the very person who had broken through the 10th floor.
"It's sweet."
I said, sipping a caramel macchiato through a straw. An outdoor café. This café, located across from the Merchant Alliance headquarters, was the only StＸbucks in Babylon.
Even though the Tower was a place where no one could leave once they entered, I felt a renewed respect for the enterprising spirit that had stubbornly built a chain store here. There were even franchises whose mascots were a red-nosed clown and a portly grandfather.
Ah, human desire!
"What do you think, Sword Emperor? Isn't victory truly sweet? Honestly, right now I feel like even plain espresso would taste sweet to me. Hm?"
-.......
"Huh? Is my earpiece broken? That's weird. I can't hear any answer."
I took the earpiece out of my ear and tapped it. Tap, tap. Of course, no sound came from the earpiece.
A simple bit of sleight of hand.
If I just talked to myself with nothing there, I'd look like a lunatic, so I wore an earpiece and pretended to be on a call with someone. It worked quite well. None of the people in the café gave me strange looks.
"Sword Emperor? Sir Sword Emperor? Hey, Mr. Psychopath. Hey, Mr. Madman?"
-...Yeah.
"Oh my, now I can hear you. I was worried you'd gone deaf. Tsk, tsk, making the noble Master Gong-ja worry about you. A person shouldn't do that."
-.......
"Ah, right. You're not a person, you're a ghost. My bad memory slipped again. Oh! Sword Emperor, can we drop the formalities now? You call me Master Gong-ja, so it's a bit weird if I keep using polite speech with you. Right?"
-You... fuck.......
The guardian spirit floating across the table trembled, his shoulders shaking.
-Never in my life have I suffered such humiliation....... The Emperor... I, who was praised as the Emperor of the Sword, how could I suffer such a catastrophe in death.......
"Oh, come on. It's a joke, a joke. Would I ever speak casually to a hunter who's far more senior than me, even if I'm called Master Gong-ja? Of course, I could. I could, but for the sake of my own character's dignity, I'll keep calling you Sword Emperor. How's that? Satisfied?"
-Just kill me!
The guardian spirit wailed.
-Get a new skill and overwrite the [Sword Constellation] slot! That'll do it, you bastard! Just kill me instead!
"No, now this gentleman is saying something dangerous. Aren't we partners, for all intents and purposes? Partners, lifelong friends, besties! What kind of person kills their best friend? We're going to be together foreeever from now on."
-Uheheheng. Enough....... I won't say anything. Grandpa Marcus, I want to go back to grandpa.......
Ah, so sweet.
I looked up at the sky while drinking my coffee.
[22:32:50]
The clock in the sky told me that an hour and a half had already passed.
Around the time I thought, it should be about time for them to arrive—
-Meow.
"Hm?"
A brown-furred cat came crawling over, wriggling along. It was too well-groomed to be a stray. The peculiar thing about it was that instead of a bell, two gold coins hung from its neck.
"......."
Gulp.
I briefly deliberated over how to handle this.
'The gold coin cat.'
-Hm?
'The gold coin cat. It's incredibly famous... Ah, people nowadays wouldn't know about it.'
This cat was no ordinary pet.
It was a mascot that, after about five years, would become established as a proper noun.
'...I never expected such a big shot to come find me in person.'
I had no choice but to pretend not to know, then.
I calmly looked down at the cat. Managing my expression.
"Are you lost?"
-Meow.
The brown cat rubbed its head against my leg. I was inwardly astonished. If I hadn't known its true identity, it would have looked exactly like a real cat being friendly to a person.
"Shall we hang out together for a bit, until your owner comes looking for you?"
-Meoow.
"Upsy-daisy."
I picked up the cat and set it on my lap. The brown cat curled up on my lap as if it had been aiming for this spot from the very beginning, perfectly at ease. It even yawned while meowing.
'I heard she was crazy about cats. Her acting skills are incredible.'
I clicked my tongue inwardly as I stroked the cat's head.
-Meoow.
I was enjoying the cat's purring for a while when a group of hunters approached the café. One of them spoke to me first.
"Excuse me. Are you Kim Gong-ja?"
"Mm."
Even at a glance, their equipment was magnificent. They weren't nobodies. If not guild masters, then at least executives. Such figures had gathered at the outdoor café.
I took out my ID with one hand and showed it.
"I was curious how long it would take. Exactly one hour and thirty minutes."
"......!"
The hunters' eyes wavered when they saw my ID. A stir spread among them. The hunters hurriedly pulled out their smartphones and began contacting someone.
"Yes, we found him!"
"At the café directly across from the bank......."
"No. All the other guilds have gathered too... Yes, yes! Understood, sir."
"Don't worry. We absolutely will not let another guild steal him!"
It was the calm before the storm.
I watched the scene unfolding right in front of me with satisfaction.
'I feel like a total VIP.'
-Well. Most guilds will have their eyes blazing to recruit you. You cleared the 10th floor alone, which no one else could. So you really are a VIP.
'Mm. Well, if someone who cleared up to the 99th floor is addressing me with honorifics and calling me Master Gong-ja, it would be a bit strange if I weren't a VIP.'
-Fuck! Fuck! Fuuuck!
The hunters finished their calls one by one.
And every one of them stared at me with tense faces.
As I waited to see which guild would step forward first, a large blond hunter took a step forward.
"I am the head of the Vigilante Corps guild's recruitment team. Hunter Kim Gong-ja, as you know, the Vigilante Corps is the most honorable guild in Babylon. If you would join our guild......!"
"Please wait a moment."
I raised my hand. The Vigilante Corps recruitment team head faltered.
"I'm truly sorry for cutting you off. But let's clarify two things before we talk."
"......."
"First, don't leak anything to the press yet."
I slowly looked around at the hunters. I could guarantee that not a single one of them was ranked lower than me. In the old days, before my regression, these were hunters I wouldn't have dared to even look up at.
But I wasn't the least bit intimidated.
Accomplishment!
Because I had the achievement of being the first in human history to clear the Tower's 10th floor.
This was like a golden monument that no one could tarnish, regardless of rank.
The more capable a hunter was, the more they valued accomplishments. If these people were truly capable, they couldn't treat me carelessly.
"If any guild leaks my name to the press, I will absolutely never sign with that guild. I won't even associate with them. Please keep that in mind."
"Th-then... until when, exactly?"
Another hunter raised his hand and asked.
"Right now, reporters from the Hwanmun Newspaper are digging through every guild....... Hunter Kim Gong-ja, even if we try to hide it, I honestly can't say with confidence how long we can keep this under wraps."
"Well, I'm not asking you to hide it for long."
I pointed at the sky.
The hunters looked up as well.
[22:25:31]
"Just until today. Please maintain the embargo until that clock points to 00:00:00."
"Ah! Yes, if it's only until then, we'll manage somehow... Understood."
The hunters sighed in relief.
I smiled.
'I can't afford to get trampled by reporters for nothing. Not when I need to rush over as soon as the 11th floor opens.'
I opened my mouth again.
"That's the first condition. Now, for the second—"
"......."
The hunters watched me with stiff expressions. Their faces were tense, wondering how difficult a condition I would present this time.
I grinned and gestured around us.
"—this is a public place, so let's be considerate of the other customers."
"Excuse me?"
"Don't you notice the customers staring over here? Everyone's flustered because you all suddenly swarmed in."
I was right.
The other customers sitting in the outdoor café were stealing glances at us. Whisper, whisper. Most of the customers were exchanging hushed words and looking over with suspicious eyes. There was even a customer who seemed to be secretly turning on their smartphone to film.
"You're being a nuisance."
"......."
"I can guess you were all frantic trying to find me, but let's take it slow. It's not like I'm going to run off somewhere."
"W-we apologize."
Belatedly, the hunters came to their senses and scattered around the area.
"We're sorry. We can't explain the situation, but if you could please vacate your seats...."
"Proprietor, I'd like to reserve this café for one hour. How much would it cost?"
"Everyone, thank you for your understanding! If you visit the Heavenly Martial Sect later, we'll express our gratitude separately......."
The executives of the great guilds were indeed different.
From bowing their heads to the customers to renting the shop from the proprietor—five minutes. In less than five minutes, the café was cleanly emptied.
"Well, then."
We moved from the outdoor area into the café and resumed the conversation.
"Let's begin the negotiations. Tell me your terms."
Amusingly, the hunters were each holding a cup of coffee. After my comment about being a nuisance, they had all ordered coffee. How cute.
"...The Vigilante Corps offers a signing bonus of 10,000 gold."
That became the starting point.
"10,000 gold? Oh, dear. Flaunting your poverty at a gathering like this. Hunter Kim Gong-ja! Please join the Adventure Guild. We promise a signing bonus of 20,000 gold, plus an executive position."
"Come to the Heavenly Martial Sect, Hunter. Our guild is the most upright professional guild in Babylon for training combat-specialist hunters. We will immediately take you on as an instructor and give you a signing bonus of 25,000 gold."
"A position like instructor is just a hassle. Think carefully. Hunter Kim Gong-ja! If you join our Pantheon, we will guarantee you an honorary position. To be frank, we hope you will take on the role of promoting the Pantheon both internally and externally. A signing bonus of 30,000 gold, plus separate compensation per engagement......!"
"The Administrative Bureau! Come to the Administrative Bureau as a public ambassador!"
A racket.
The recruitment team heads courted me desperately. I understood their position. Until now, all the top guilds must have been oppressed, knowingly or not, by the name of the Sword Saint.
The rank-1 hunter who stood alone without joining any guild!
Because such a being existed, people began to think. Is there really any need to join a guild? In the end, isn't solo play the answer for hunters......?
'The Sword Saint is just special, that's all.'
But it certainly dealt a blow to the guilds' image.
'And in this situation, a new hero capable of generating as much buzz as the Sword Saint has appeared?'
I smiled.
'They'll recruit me by any means necessary.'
At the very least, they would absolutely prevent the catastrophe of losing me to another guild!
That was probably the order given to the recruitment team heads. It was obvious.
"W-well, the Vigilante Corps... can offer 36,000 gold as a signing bonus......."
"Goodness, let's have the poor guilds step back a bit. Hm?"
"Are you trying to compete in units of a thousand gold? Can't you read the room?"
"Our Alchemy Ministry......!"
That was when it happened.
"Merchant Alliance."
A heavy voice rang out from somewhere.
"500,000 gold."
"......."
The hunters all turned their heads at once. The place their gazes landed was none other than my lap. To be precise, the cat curled up on my lap.
The cat meowed, then leaped up. When it kicked off my lap, its hind paws were still the soft paws of a beast. But when it landed on the café floor, they were not. The cat's hind paws had become human shoes, stepping lightly onto the floor.
"500,000 gold as the signing bonus alone. If you wish, I'll hand it over right here and now."
The person turned around. Jingle. The two gold coins hanging from her necklace clinked together with a clear sound.
"And I will give you the position of vice guild master of the Merchant Alliance."
Hunter rank 3.
Guild master of the Merchant Alliance. The Count.
"500,000 gold and vice guild master. What do you say?"
The woman with the [Transformation] skill said with a soft smile. She must have been over forty, yet her appearance was that of someone in her twenties. She probably procured the finest elixirs of eternal youth and drank them every day.
It befitted the hunter who overwhelmingly possessed the greatest wealth in the Tower.
"Mm."
A big shot I never could have even met in the old days.
I forced myself to maintain composure and smiled.
"Now the negotiation is finally starting to feel like a negotiation."
The first stage of the price negotiation had ended.