Busy Weekend (4)

“…I’ll take care of it later.”

If I managed to grow this World Tree seed, the deactivated effects of the Honorary High Elf title would probably come back online as well. Not a bad deal for me either way.

That said…

“You’re going to live here?”

I really needed to get going soon. The unplanned encounter had thrown my schedule off, but I’d already secured the Illusion Butterfly’s Stardust I’d originally come for. Time to head out.

“W-would your home perchance—”

“That’s a no. I’m already freeloading somewhere myself.”

Technically I was living in the dorms, not freeloading, but same difference. The rule about not bringing outsiders in was identical either way.

Aileen looked around at her surroundings—the soft pink pastel sky and the wide, quiet meadow stretching out under it.

“…Then I suppose I shall have to remain here for the time being.”

It wouldn’t really matter. This was a hidden dungeon that required a laundry list of conditions just to enter, so no outsiders would be dropping by. And from what I’d seen, there weren’t any major threats inside either.

“I may even have to bring Mother here someday…”

Leaving Aileen muttering bitterly behind me, I said my goodbyes.

“That’s your problem to figure out. I’m off, okay?”

“W-wait just a moment!”

“What now? Something else?”

Aileen stopped me and opened her subspace once more, pulling out a small ring and holding it out.

“…Using this will allow you to come straight to my side.”

I took the ring and stared at her hard.

“Why do you keep pulling stuff out one by one? You said you had nothing. Are you messing with me?”

“T-this is truly the last of it! Besides, this was never quite suitable as a reward to begin with…!”

“Haa…”

…From now on, your name is Pinky.

An ungrateful little pointy-ears doesn’t deserve a fancy name like Aileen.

After shaking Pinky down for everything she was worth, I chewed a Sleep Herb, tucked a Moonflower between my lips, and drifted off. When I came to, I was back in the Moonlight Garden.

I left the dungeon and looked up. Dawn was already breaking. Leaving the sky slowly bleeding into blue behind me, I found a place to stay and passed out the second I hit the bed.

When I finally clawed my way back to consciousness and checked the clock, it was 6 p.m.

…My sleep schedule was completely shot.

At least the Black Market, my next destination, ran twenty-four hours. That was something.

The Black Market was where I could get the last ingredient for the Anchor—an Awakening Agent. It was an underworld bazaar mentioned more than once in the original novel. Run by the global organization known as the Black Shadow Society, it dealt in goods that couldn’t be traded through official channels: stolen property of uncertain origin, gear stripped from dead party members, illegal drugs, and more.

Even the Korean government had to tread carefully around the Black Shadow Society and had quietly allowed a branch of the Black Market to operate in Incheon. That was the one I was heading for.

As for the Black Shadow Society itself—an organization powerful enough to make the South Korean government watch its step…

…I didn’t actually know much.

In the early parts of the original it was written like some big, ominous deal, but once the Church started moving in earnest its presence evaporated completely. Later on it wasn’t even mentioned. There was nothing useful to learn from the text.

Maybe Yeon Hajin or Baek Woohyun knew a little more? I’d have to fish for info later.

I sorted my thoughts while finishing my preparations and checked my outfit in the mirror by the lodging’s front door.

The Black Market didn’t offer student discounts, and drawing attention wouldn’t do me any favors, so today I was in casual clothes instead of the uniform. Loose semi-wide training pants, a square-neck tank under an oversized zip-up hoodie, mask, and a ball cap pulled low.

By the time I left the lodging and reached Incheon, it was already past ten.

“Haa…”

I stepped into the Black Market building—which, for an underground market, looked suspiciously like a large, open shopping mall.

After that I wandered around browsing goods displayed with department-store levels of polish. My wallet wasn’t exactly flush, so window-shopping was the limit, but it was still fun to look.

Following the original’s descriptions, I headed for the section that sold Awakening Agents. I’d been walking a while when something suddenly caught my eye.

A black orb that looked unnervingly sinister just sitting there. It gave off the same vibe as those cursed objects from urban legends that supposedly kill their owner within seven days. Looking at it made me think of the World Tree seed Pinky had pulled out earlier.

Of course, the curse on this thing seemed far nastier than the one on the seed…

But if I was going to become a national-power-level healer someday, wouldn’t I be able to cleanse it eventually?

I didn’t even know what the orb did, and even if I cleansed it I had no idea what I’d use it for—but did that really matter?

Even if I didn’t need it myself, cleansing it and selling it was pure money printing, right?

After running the numbers with perfect rationality, I picked up the orb and headed for the register.

“…Are you sure you want to purchase this?”

“Yes. Ring me up.”

I finished the slightly awkward transaction with the clerk and tossed the orb into my inventory.

After that I put the Awakening Agent on the back burner and started ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠combing the Black Market for every cursed item I could find.

From earrings with relatively mild-looking curses…

…all the way to items I couldn’t even begin to guess at.

Nothing quite as ominous as the first orb, unfortunately, but I still managed to snag several cursed pieces at bargain prices. My inventory was looking nicely stocked.

I even considered making regular Black Market runs just to vacuum up cursed gear—until I remembered how dangerously thin my bank balance had gotten and swallowed the regret.

Sooner or later I’d have to pull off a proper money-printing scheme with original-novel intel…

Only after looping the entire Black Market a few more times did I finally head back to buy the Awakening Agent.

Between the original’s descriptions and the fact that I’d already walked past the place several times while hunting cursed items, I found the drug corner in no time. I examined the Awakening Agents lined up on the shelves one by one, searching for the version mentioned as an Anchor ingredient.

Found it.

I bought a generous stack of that version—extras included—and headed for the register.

Except…

“Hi.”

“…?”

The clerk waiting at the counter was a little strange.

A mature beauty with striking gray hair and ash-colored eyes. When I’d walked past earlier while hunting cursed items, a completely different person had been working this counter.

The original novel never mentioned running into a woman with such a memorable ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠appearance here either.

…And more importantly, since when did market clerks greet customers in casual speech?

At least, the Black Market I’d experienced so far had never had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that kind of loose atmosphere.

“Mind if I ask why you’re scooping up cursed items like that?”

“……”

I stared straight into the woman’s eyes. When our gazes met, she gave me a languid little smile.

“…I have a personal use for them.”

“Hmm…? What kind of use?”

“Do I really have to tell you that?”

I pushed back a little sharply, wariness thick in my voice. The woman laughed like she found it cute.

“…Just ring these up, please. How much?”

She glanced at the Awakening Agents I’d set down and answered,

“Dunno.”

“Excuse me?”

“Instead of money, why don’t you just tell me what you’re going to do with those cursed items? I’ll give them to you free.”

Why are you doing this to me…

There wasn’t any real reason I couldn’t admit I was a healer planning to cleanse cursed items once I grew stronger. It wasn’t like I’d committed a crime.

But…

I just didn’t feel like getting tangled up any deeper with this woman. She was suspicious in the most blatant way possible. Why would I hand my information and plans over to a complete stranger?

“…I’ll just pay with money.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Then, uh, eighty thousand? No—just give me seventy thousand each.”

“What?”

“What? Changed your mind already? Wanna pay with something else instead?”

“No, no. Money’s fine.”

In the original, this particular Awakening Agent traded for nearly a hundred thousand won. Seventy thousand each was a serious bargain.

I snuck a look at her face. She didn’t seem to be giving me the discount because she genuinely didn’t know the value. The eighty thousand she’d first mentioned was probably the fair base price. Add Black Market fees, distribution costs, and the usual premium on top of that, and you landed right around the original’s hundred-thousand-won range.

But given how sincere her earlier “I dunno” had sounded, maybe she’d just eyeballed the value on the spot? Someone hanging around here wouldn’t be an outsider, so it wasn’t impossible…

I was starting to feel pretty glad I hadn’t told her anything.

“Wanna exchange numbers with big sis?”

“No thank you. I’ll be going now.”

I finished the payment and got out of there in a hurry. I could almost feel a gaze clinging to my back.

…Maybe I just shouldn’t come back here next time?

Inside the Black Market after Yu Haneul had left, the woman who had been speaking with her rose from her chair and addressed the shadows.

“That kid just now—has she visited our market before?”

“Upon verification, this was her first visit.”

The answer returned immediately from the darkness.

“…Is that so?”

When she finished speaking, the shadow added,

“Shall we attach a tail?”

“Nah, it’s fine. No need to go that far…”

The only reason she’d taken an interest in the girl was the thick scent of money rolling off her. But she still had no solid information, and the world was overflowing with other profitable opportunities.

So for now…

“If she comes back to our market later, just let me know then.”

“Understood, Master.”

Leaving the possibility open was more than enough.

Cheon Soha, master of the Black ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Market and head of the Black Shadow Society, thought as much as she walked away. Shadows trailed after her like an escort.

With all the necessary materials gathered and a short rest taken, it was suddenly Sunday, 3 p.m. I boarded the subway back to the Academy and looked back over the rather long two-night, three-day trip.

Remembering everything I’d gone through over the weekend made tears well up for real.

…If I wanted to survive the crises still coming, I’d have to live even busier than this later on.

“Haa…”

I just want to throw it all away.

I dozed off in fits and starts until the Academy stop arrived before I knew it.

“Haaawn……”

I stood with a yawn and got off the subway. I was blankly heading toward the stairs up to street level when…

A strangely familiar back of a head appeared ahead of me.

…Isn’t that Yeon Hajin?

I quickened my pace and called out as I approached.

“Hey, Yeon Hajin!”

The guy walking ahead turned around. Yep—Yeon Hajin.

I pulled my mask down with my left hand and fluttered my fingers in a little wave, smiling.

“Hi.”

“Yu Haneul?”

He recognized me right away. I closed the distance and got to the point.

“Hey, running into each other like this must be fate. Buy me a meal.”

“…What?”

— Cheon Soha Illustration —