Chapter 24
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 24. Climber
The place where the battle ended was quiet.
But through that silence, groans mixed with pain were flowing out from here and there.
I put away the greatsword and looked around.
The Imperial Princess with her white hair messily disheveled and the Royal Guards fallen covered in blood.
Anyone could see it was a disastrous state on the verge of annihilation.
I took out a handful of [Sweet Healing Potions] from the inventory.
Transparent glass bottles with an orange hue sloshed.
"Drink this at least. We have to put out the urgent fire."
I handed a potion to the Imperial Princess first and threw bottles to the remaining soldiers as well.
The Captain of the Royal Guards looked at the potion with suspicious eyes, but seeing the Imperial Princess open the stopper without hesitation, he hurriedly brought it to his mouth.
The Imperial Princess swallowed.
Instantly, her purple eyes grew round.
"......!"
It wasn't just her.
The expressions of the soldiers who had drunk the potion with grim faces as if drinking poison simultaneously turned blank.
"This taste is... orange?"
"It's sweet! Not fishy at all!"
"Oh my... This is the first time in my life I've had such a delicious potion!"
Exclamations burst out here and there.
I smiled bitterly looking at that sight.
"I'm sorry, but that's Normal grade so it won't be a complete cure. It'll just stop the bleeding and soothe the pain a bit."
Small scratches healed, but broken bones or deeply gouged wounds still remained.
Still, just the pain disappearing brought color back to their faces.
"No! This much is already a miracle."
"There is no hindrance to moving! Thank you!"
The soldiers bowed their heads repeatedly.
It was then.
—Grumble.
Breaking the silence, a sound of hunger rang out.
The source of the sound was none other than the Imperial Princess.
"Ah......."
The Imperial Princess's face turned bright red like an apple.
She hurriedly clutched her stomach, but the water was already spilled.
Then, as if contagious, grumbling sounds burst out from everywhere.
Come to think of it, they must have starved for days while isolated.
As the tension released, it was natural for the suppressed hunger to rush in.
But the situation wasn't good.
Supplies were trampled by monsters and became a mess, and the soldiers looked like they had a hard time moving a single finger due to injuries.
I looked at the empty air.
The [Quest Complete] text still wasn't popping up.
Does rescue not simply mean just keeping them alive?
Since it feels awkward to just stay like this.
I put my equipment into the inventory and rolled up my sleeves.
"I will make some."
"Yes? K... Knight, you will cook?"
The Captain of the Royal Guards was startled and waved his hands.
"You cannot! How could we let our savior do such trivial work...."
"You guys can't even move your fingers properly."
Without giving him a chance to reply, I rummaged through the supply sacks scattered around.
Fortunately, in the untorn sacks, I found dried meat, hard bread, and some vegetable scraps.
It was ridiculously insufficient ingredients to cook a proper meal.
I guess I can make some soup.
I poured water into a cauldron and lit a fire.
Actually, the only cooking I knew was adjusting water for Ramen.
But that sensation I felt when making Kimchi Fried Rice at home earlier.
I decided to trust that.
I took out a dagger from the inventory.
—Chop chop chop chop chop!
My hand moved so fast it was invisible.
I sliced the dried meat and vegetables into uniform sizes.
It was my hand, but it was so precise I wondered if it was really my hand.
It became certain that the increased Dexterity stat also corrected cooking.
I threw the ingredients into the boiling water and sprinkled salt and spices.
My hand, not my head, knew when to stir and when to lower the heat.
A moment later, a savory smell began to vibrate in the barren battlefield.
It was a hodgepodge soup boiled with crude ingredients, but the smell at least stimulated the salivary glands.
"It is finished."
I served the soup to the soldiers and passed it around.
Warm soup emitting steam.
The Imperial Princess accepted the bowl with eyes that couldn't believe it.
"Did you... make this yourself?"
"I don't know if it will suit your taste."
She carefully scooped a spoonful and brought it to her mouth.
"......!"
Her eyes widened once again.
The rough ingredients harmonized in her mouth as if dancing.
The umami of the dried meat deeply permeated the broth, and the sweetness of the vegetables wrapped her tongue.
Above all, the warm heat went down her esophagus and melted her frozen body.
"It's delicious...."
The Imperial Princess muttered quietly.
Saving face or whatever, she moved her spoon busily.
The surrounding soldiers were the same.
"Kuuuh! It soothes my insides!"
"Is it because I survived from dying, it tastes like honey!"
"Knight! Your cooking skills are not ordinary!"
In an instant, the bowls were cleanly emptied.
Vitality finally returned to their faces.
The expressions stained with injury and fear disappeared, and comfort took its place.
The Captain of the Royal Guards held my hand with tears in his eyes.
"Not only saving our lives, but precious potions and even food.... I don't know how to repay this grace."
"Thank you so much, Knight!"
"You will be blessed!"
Dozens of words of gratitude poured out.
I was scratching the back of my head while scooping new soup.
I can never get used to receiving praise and gratitude.
Just as my face was burning hot and I was avoiding their gazes.
"...Would it be alright to have a moment separately?"
The Imperial Princess called me quietly.
She led me to a place slightly away from the soldiers.
Wondering what was going on, I followed her, and she suddenly stopped walking and turned her body.
Then, as if it was Imperial etiquette, she placed her right hand on her left chest and bowed her head deeply.
"In the name of Aurelius, I express my respect to you."
"Uh... Princess?"
"If not for you, my soldiers and I would have returned to dust here today. Thank you sincerely for protecting the honor of the flag."
Her voice was trembling but contained sincerity.
I was flustered and waved my hands.
"No, please raise your head. It's burdensome."
At that moment, a system message popped up in the air.
—Ding!
It's finally over.
Just as I was about to heave a sigh of relief and prepare to return.
The Imperial Princess, who raised her head, was looking at me with strange eyes.
She moved her lips as if hesitating about something.
"...May I ask you one thing?"
"Yes? What is it?"
She looked around once and asked, lowering her voice.
"Are you... by any chance...."
Her purple eyes stared at me as if piercing my eyes.
"A Climber...?"
"......?"
Instantly, my thought circuit stopped.
Climber?
Why is that word coming out here?
It wasn't a word an NPC could know.
I tried to ask back reflexively.
"What did you just..."
But before my lips could part, my body was enveloped in light.
My vision dyed white, and the Imperial Princess's surprised face blurred.
I saw her reaching out her hand towards me, but I couldn't grab it.
—Pop!
When I opened my eyes, I saw the familiar street.
But my mind was full of confusion.
"Did she just say... Climber?"
I definitely saw it on the gallery.
I thought the existences inside the Tower were illusions created by the system, that is, NPCs.
But they thanked me, ate food, and even uttered a word implying the Tower's system.
Climber.
That is a word referring to us who climb the Tower.
An NPC knows that?
Goosebumps flowed down my spine.
"No way... Are they not fake?"
The villagers on the 1st Floor, the soldiers on the 10th Floor, and even the Imperial Princess I just met.
They might not be pieces of data, but real people existing in another dimension somewhere.
If so, I have been...
"Going around saving real people?"
My head throbbed.
I had a premonition that this might be a much more complex and massive matter than I thought.
I wrapped the black cloak and headed to the meeting place.
Under the streetlight in the dark alleyway, Hong Chae-yeon had come out early and was waiting.
As soon as she spotted me, she bowed her back 90 degrees and greeted.
"Have you arrived."
"Yeah, did you bring it?"
When I asked shortly, she took out a black phone, a bankbook, and a card from the inner pocket of her suit and politely offered them with both hands.
"The items you requested."
I accepted the items.
"The phone is an item that has undergone special security processing to make tracking or wiretapping impossible."
She hurriedly added, afraid I might doubt it.
"If you find it untrustworthy, you may entrust it to another security company to check. I swear I did not plant any devices."
Actually, I had no way to recognize technical things.
But looking at the attitude she showed me, it didn't seem like she would bother stabbing me in the back.
I nodded and answered indifferently.
"I will trust you."
"Thank you."
She exhaled a sigh in relief.
I opened the bankbook.
[Balance: 1,000,000,000 won]
How many zeros is that?
One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand....
1 billion.
Money I couldn't touch even if I worked at a convenience store for years was stamped in numbers.
My heart pounded, but I tried hard to look calm and stiffened my expression.
"Tax issues?"
"It is the remaining amount after processing legally."
Her work handling is amazing.
I cheered inwardly.
This is why everyone says large guilds, large guilds.
"Good work."
"Not at all. And this is a brief report on this sale."
She continued explaining with her mouth.
"When I first put Mr. SW's equipment on the Auction House, the reaction was explosive. Even though it was Normal grade, they rushed to buy it from each other, and the bidding price soared to 100 million momentarily."
100 million?
For one Normal Iron Sword?
Are people rotting with money or is my equipment that good.
Probably the latter.
"However, as the supply kept releasing, the price bubble popped, and currently, the transaction price is formed around 10 million won each."
10 million won.
Only making them and now approaching as an amount like this, it felt unreal.
"For potions, hoarders attached initially, causing severe price fluctuations, but I stabilized the price by controlling the supply. Currently, they are trading at about 100,000 won each."
100,000 won per potion.
This is quite lucrative too.
Above all, since potions are consumables, they will sell steadily.
"And... it is presumptuous, but may I say one thing?"
Hong Chae-yeon asked cautiously.
"Speak."
"Requests for other weapons are flooding in among buyers. Especially, there are many Hunters looking for weapons like daggers, spears, or blunt weapons. By any chance, if production is possible...."
Before she finished speaking, I raised my hand to stop her.
"Hold on."
I opened the inventory.
The Oak Staves I had carved as practice to make the [Staff of the Crimson Lord] all this time came into view.
Even though they were practice works, they were items containing my sincerity one by one.
I felt it was a waste to just throw them away so I kept them, and a use for them arises like this.
I poured out the staves into one side of the alleyway.
—Rumble!
Hundreds of wooden staves piled up on the floor.
"Is this enough?"
"Th... This is?"
Hong Chae-yeon's eyes widened.
She picked up one staff with trembling hands.
[Oak Staff]
Grade: Normal
"Oh my goodness... Is this magic equipment?"
It wasn't unreasonable for her to be astonished.
Generally, the number of people in the magic equipment crafting line who make weapons like staves or orbs used by Mages was relatively small.
Materials were expensive and supply was lacking, making it hard to get good magic equipment.
So the price was often whatever the seller called.
"How many is all this.... Looks like over a hundred."
She checked the staff's options and her mouth dropped open.
"Mana efficiency increase... even casting speed correction? Why are Normal grade options this good?"
"Are they usable?"
"It's not just usable! Magic weapons are originally priced higher than general weapons. Moreover, with options like this...."
She rolled her eyes as if quickly tapping a calculator.
"We can get at least double. With this volume, even holding conservatively, 2 billion... No, if put on auction, even more is possible."
2 billion?
My jaw almost dropped momentarily, but I barely managed my expression.
"I see. Dispose of it well on your own."
It was then.
Hong Chae-yeon's gaze, which was examining the pile of staves, fixed on one spot.
She carefully took out one staff emitting a red light from the pile.
It was a variant staff I made by accidentally mixing Flame Moss Powder during practice.
[Burning Oak Staff]
Grade: Rare
*Fire Magic Attack Power +15%
She put strength in the hand holding the staff and swallowed dry saliva.
Then she glanced at my reaction and carefully opened her mouth.
"Um... Mr. SW."
"What is it?"
"By any chance... may I purchase this staff personally?"
Earnestness showed in her amber eyes.
Come to think of it, I think I heard her class is of the Fire Magic line.
"It matches the attribute I use so well.... Of course, I will pay more than the market price!"
The Guild Master says she will buy it with her own money, so there was no reason for me to stop her.
Rather, it's not bad in terms of attracting VIP customers.
"Take it."
"Th... Thank you! Thank you very much!"
She rejoiced, hugging the staff tightly to her chest.
Seeing Hong Chae-yeon happy made me feel somewhat proud.
"Then we will do the settlement again next time."
I turned my back as if my business was done.
"Take care on your way! Mr. SW!"
Leaving her farewell greeting heard from behind, I leisurely disappeared into the darkness.
As expected of the head of a large guild, her work handling was sure.
I grinned looking at the bankbook stamped with 1 billion.
"Didn't she say she's suffering with her sister because of burns?"
I should give her some performance bonus, shouldn't I?