Chapter 24
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: It Wasn't Because I Wanted To (7)
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Right after Kim Geon-ho finished speaking, a frigid silence settled over the audience chamber.
It wasn't just chilly—it felt like a bone-chilling cold that could cut through flesh, enough to make one imagine it.
"What?"
"Yes."
"What did you say?"
They say when people get too flustered, their minds go blank, or they can't believe the situation and keep asking for repeats.
Radwell was experiencing that firsthand right now. To be honest, there had been a bit of intent to intimidate him as well.
-Name: Kim Geon-ho. Wastrel son of the Mountain Lords, classmate and desk mate of Lady Marren.
-Oh, really? Are the two close?
-Last time... the man Lady Marren was smiling and talking to was Kim Geon-ho.
-I see.
'A wastrel disowned by his family dares to get friendly with my daughter? In his dreams.'
Before the deal, as casual small talk to gauge things and apply pressure—whether he even had the right to get close to his daughter, and so on.
Through this conversation, Radwell planned to thoroughly analyze Kim Geon-ho. Plus, he was young, so he probably lacked experience in such negotiations.
That's why Radwell naturally intended to seize complete control of the conversation.
But.
"Yes."
"No, not 'yes' or whatever—say it again properly."
"It's true."
"You little punk!"
Bam!
Watching Kim Geon-ho's nonchalant responses, Radwell felt an urgent need to vent the boiling emotions inside him, control be damned.
He slammed his arm down, smashing the armrest to pieces, worsening the atmosphere even further—yet Kim Geon-ho still wore that smiling face.
'What the hell is so funny? What does he mean he's gone as far as he can with my daughter?'
He wanted to interrogate him. If he could, he'd tie the guy's arms and legs and torture every last detail out of him.
Bubble bubble.
His neatly combed-back hair fluttered from the rage, deep wrinkles forming on his forehead.
The servants quietly slunk to the corners, trying to avoid the fury, and just as the tension reached its peak...
"I was joking. We're really just desk mates. We haven't even exchanged contacts yet—how could we have gone that far?"
Kim Geon-ho finally spoke up.
Utterly relaxed, casually popping tea snacks and black tea into his mouth from the table.
The moment Radwell saw that, he instantly calmed down, realizing he'd been played by someone young enough to be his son.
'Since when did the Mountain Lords have a guy like this?'
He'd thought they were all just brutes who only knew how to bully with strength, but here was someone with real worldly cunning.
This was completely different from the reports he'd received.
'Not disowned by the family...'
It seemed far more plausible that he'd ostracized the family himself and thrived brilliantly on his own.
"Whew, now that the room's aired out a bit, shall we get to the real talk?"
Freely manipulating the mood until it was perfectly kneaded for his control, then boldly taking charge.
"Looks like the Mountain Lords are raising snakes and raccoons alongside tigers these days."
"Picked up off the street without a proper pedigree, just imitating a tiger."
Even with his family history known and the blatant insult thrown at him, he took it with a good-natured laugh. Impressive skill.
Radwell chuckled despite himself at the seasoned demeanor—one that could pass for a second-life veteran.
"Fine, let's hear it. You look like you want something, so spit it out first."
The real negotiation had begun.
'Here it comes.'
It was a perfect flow.
He'd poked at Radwell's most cherished family bonds to rile him up, then climbed to a position of dominating the deal unilaterally.
Now the battle was how to minimize losses and maximize gains from here.
"I need the Burning Hand and Parade's Honing Tool."
If cards would be revealed one by one anyway, better to lay them all out at peak momentum.
"Too much for just catching one monster."
"I'll give you first dibs on buying the monster corpse."
"That might cover the Burning Hand."
"I can pay the additional amount right now."
Originally, he'd planned to buy gear usable without Ferocious Tiger's power.
But meeting the family head changed things, and luckily, he had funds to solve most issues.
These factors aligned, letting him aim higher than initially planned.
"I need more than what you're thinking."
"I can match whatever amount you have in mind."
Thud.
As he spoke, he pulled a black card from his pocket.
The Mountain Lords' black card—something no black market operator could be unaware of—appeared on the table.
"Hah."
Radwell didn't ask the unnecessary question of how he had it; that was for rookies who blurt out reactions.
"That's enough. Does the Mountain Lords know about this?"
"They won't even know you dealt with me."
"...So you came with the answer sheet from the start, just watching how I'd solve it?"
"No such intention."
"Haha! Sure, you'd say that."
Radwell laughed heartily, tapping the remaining armrest until it shattered too.
The first smash was rage; this one was pure joy, strength control slipping from laughter.
"Man... You've got me wanting to ask a ton of questions. Left too many mysteries in that short time."
"I'm grateful you see it that way."
"Alright, deal. Work out the details with the staff outside."
"Yes, sir."
"You can go. Sorry for making you wait."
"No, it's fine."
No need to push further now. Just humbly agree and take the goods.
Guided by the servants, I left the audience chamber. Or tried to.
'Ending it flatly here would be boring—add a spicy finish.'
Just before leaving, I tossed a hint about something inevitable in the distant future.
"If investigating the Hungry Mouth corpse brings up any needs... it should belong to Marren."
"...?"
A teaser dropped right as the deal wrapped and we rose to leave.
Radwell looked puzzled, not fully grasping it.
"When that time comes and you seek me out..."
I'll receive you in my audience chamber.
I bowed deeply and departed the chamber.
Deal: A resounding success.
The audience chamber after Persis and Kim Geon-ho left.
Radwell remained, seated in a chair minus both armrests.
"What do you think?"
He smoothed his tousled hair and asked the empty air.
"Hides a lot, but reveals just as much—impossible to pin down."
A reply came from where no one should be: the plain wallpaper began protruding, morphing into human form.
"From how he knew the Burning Hand and Parade's Honing Tool were here..."
Despite being publicly disowned, possessing a black card.
Clearly labeled a wastrel, yet exuding a totally different aura in person.
And finally, that parting vagueness—like grabbing at clouds, but conveying something crucially important.
All this made properly assessing Kim Geon-ho a challenge.
Playful as a true wastrel one moment, a different person in negotiation, then seemingly spouting nonsense at the end.
Even Persis, emerging from the wall after years managing the family, struggled to judge him.
"One thing's sure: eventually, whether he breaks from the Mountain Lords or devours them, he will."
"Pardon?"
As Persis pondered deeply, Radwell concluded cleanly.
"What else could 'I'll receive you in my audience chamber' mean?"
Mountain Lords don't do business. Don't negotiate. Don't grovel for petty gains.
They stand aloof on the mountain, overlooking all—and their audience chamber was permitted to only one.
"The Mountain Lords' audience chamber... only that bastard Gae Jang-seok can use it."
Radwell spat the vulgar slur for the Mountain Lords' head with a tsk.
"Thought he'd royally botched raising his kids, snickering at banquets—but now he can't even do that."
Or could he?
"The stray he picked up inherits him stronger than his own flesh and blood. Hilarious."
With that, Radwell grinned broadly, eyes on where Kim Geon-ho had sat.
"Not bad as a son-in-law."
"I agree on that point."
-It wasn't because I wanted to.
Standing before him, claiming he'd gone all the way with his daughter, then saying it wasn't his choice—that ballsiness fit the bill for manhood. It clicked perfectly with Radwell.