The Negotiation
“Over here, Mr. Seojun.”
As soon as I stepped into the café, I spotted Kim Hayun waving from a corner seat. I walked over and sat across from her. Meanwhile, Vanessa and Joan took seats at a table farther away and ordered coffee. I wanted to keep the two of them hidden if possible.
The reason was obvious: to conceal my abilities. If I introduced them, the fact that they were summoned beings would eventually come out, and that would reveal my power as well. From An Wi, I had learned that carelessly exposing one’s abilities was the same as walking around with a death wish. For someone with a unique skill like mine, extra caution was essential.
Just look at what happens when a lottery winner goes around bragging about hitting the jackpot—plenty of examples online. In reality, quite a few high-ranking hunters kept their abilities secret for the same reason. Everyone had at least one or two trump cards they hid to save their own lives.
Both Joan and Vanessa had agreed with my reasoning, which was why they sat at a distance. Though now that I thought about it, maybe they shouldn’t have come at all… Anyway.
“What brings you here today?”
“Ah, well…”
Kim Hayun glanced around the café, then spoke in a low voice meant only for my ears.
“There’s someone who wishes to meet you, Mr. Seojun.”
As she spoke, she took out a notebook and wrote with a pen.
England, Cunningham, Iduz, Purification.
The words weren’t formed into proper sentences, but the meaning was clear.
The demonic sword Iduz.
It was the beloved blade of Godfrey of Bouillon, the protector of the Holy Sepulchre who led the First Crusade. A trophy obtained by severing the right arm of Kilij Arslan I, the second sultan of the Sultanate of Rum. It was known as a cursed demonic sword bearing the Sultan’s Curse.
The family that currently held Iduz was the British Cunningham Marquisate.
Iduz is said to have been corrupted inside a Gate.
In other words, the Cunningham Marquisate wanted me to purify their corrupted Iduz.
Conditions?
20 billion won.
Twenty billion won. That was an enormous sum for a single purification job. After all, I had sold An Wi’s ring-hilted sword for five billion. Though that price had been low because the weapon’s durability was nearly exhausted. In fact, after clearing the Noryang Gate, the Constellation of Dawn Guild had simply put An Wi’s sword on display as a decorative piece. Its durability was so poor that it would probably snap after just one or two uses.
“I think it would be best to discuss the details in person.”
“Understood.”
With that, Kim Hayun said she would contact me again and left the café. I moved over to where Vanessa and Joan were sitting and told them everything I had discussed with her. Since we were the only customers in the café, there was no worry of anyone overhearing.
And after hearing the whole story, their reactions were…
“We should refuse.”
“I don’t think you should take it.”
They were both against it. I could guess why, but I asked anyway.
“Why?”
“Judging from what you said, benefactor, twenty billion seems like an incredibly large sum of money.”
“Yes, it is a lot.”
With that kind of money, I could probably become a building owner.
“But as you know, benefactor, opportunities to earn money will come up again and again in the future.”
Vanessa was right. Twenty billion was certainly a huge amount, but there would be plenty more chances for me to make money. Even if I just purified random items and sold them, I could easily rake in tens of billions. And if I used the Connector of Transcendent Beings, the chances of obtaining and selling artifacts better than An Wi’s sword were practically endless. Unless I was in desperate need of cash right now, twenty billion didn’t hold much meaning for me.
“Since you hold the hilt of the sword, I believe you should be the one making the proposal, not them.”
“I agree with Vanessa.”
I nodded at their words. After all, the ones in a hurry weren’t me—it was the Cunningham Marquisate. They were stuck carrying the dangerous Gate known as the Sultan’s Magic Mirror, which could explode at any moment.
But if not money, then what should I demand as a condition?
“The Cunningham family should possess Essence.”
At Vanessa’s words, my eyes widened.
“Essence?”
“Yes. The Cunningham family is one of the royal family’s closest knightly houses.”
Essence is monopolized by the royal family and their inner circle. They don’t reveal it publicly, of course. Hiding the good stuff is their specialty.
Vanessa calmly yet sharply dissed the British royal family and their associates. Then she offered a new condition.
“How about sixty billion and Essence?”
“…Pardon?”
“To save their family, shouldn’t they be willing to pay at least that much?”
Vanessa smiled sweetly and spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand the value of sixty billion—she had grasped the worth of money quite well over the past few days.
“The Cunningham family is said to be extremely wealthy. So you don’t need to worry about whether they can afford it.”
Even so, tripling the price seemed a bit much. Especially when it included Essence on top.
“If it’s too difficult for you, benefactor, shall I handle the negotiation instead?”
“It’s fine. I can’t put that burden on you, Vanessa. I’ll do the negotiating myself.”
I politely declined her offer. Somehow I had the feeling that if Vanessa handled it, she wouldn’t stop at sixty billion—she’d squeeze out a trillion. As someone from the East End, Vanessa clearly didn’t have a good relationship with the British royal family.
Money was always welcome, but I didn’t want to cause any unnecessary trouble. Still, after listening to Vanessa’s opinion, my own thoughts shifted a little.
I should ask for around forty billion.
Since they were a very rich family, that amount shouldn’t be a problem, right? And Essence too, of course.
Without realizing it, my way of thinking was slowly being influenced by Vanessa.
*
Time passed, and the day to meet the Cunningham Marquis finally arrived.
“Benefactor, just in case it’s dangerous, please take my scissors with you.”
At the front door, Vanessa handed me her golden scissors.
“Are you really okay giving this to me?”
“If it’s you, benefactor, you can keep it forever.”
It was only natural that Vanessa’s combat power would drop without her dedicated artifact. Yet she handed over her scissors without hesitation, as if it didn’t matter. I was a little touched.
“Thank you, Vanessa.”
She simply smiled without a word.
That aside…
“I don’t know how to use these scissors, though?”
“Just cut anything you want.”
Vanessa smiled brightly and made a snipping motion with her fingers. What exactly was I supposed to cut? I was almost afraid to ask.
“Mr. Seojun, take my flag as well.”
Seeing Vanessa hand over her scissors, Joan refused to be outdone and offered me her flag.
◈ A flag created by the Saint, Joan of Arc.
The grade went up.
The flag that used to have the word “crude” attached to it had risen from Rare to Narrative grade. Since Joan herself was a legend, the flag she carried was gradually becoming more “legendary” over time. If a little more time passed, it might even reach the level of the holy relic I had seen during the Hundred Years’ War—the Banner of the Saints.
That aside…
◈ The golden scissors of seamstress Vanessa Walker, recorded as Jack the Ripper.
◈ Possesses terrifying cutting power that can slice through anything.
◈ Attack Power: 2800 ~ ???
What an incredible pair of scissors.
Compared to the Twin Dragon Sword, the attack power was lower, but they had the advantage of being light and allowing for fast attacks. When I tested them by cutting a shoe cabinet, it sliced apart like tofu.
I’ll have to be careful.
One wrong move and I might cut my own hand. I carefully slipped the scissors into my pocket, then placed Joan’s flag inside my spatial backpack. As a side note, neither artifact took up an equipment slot. They were treated as bound items tied to Joan and Vanessa respectively.
“Call us if you need anything.”
“Yes, I’ll call if it gets dangerous.”
I dismissed the two of them, waited for the resummon cooldown to pass, then headed to the café in Cheongdam-dong where I was supposed to meet the Cunningham Marquis.
Whether they had rented out the entire place, the third-floor café was completely empty. The Marquis was sitting on the terrace with several attendants.
“Welcome. So you must be the Purifier.”
The Marquis stood up and greeted me warmly. Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but flinch when I saw his face.
I am Alexander Cunningham.
The British Sword Master I had first encountered. The knight I had crossed blades with in the back alleys of the East End. The Marquis’s appearance was identical to that knight. Even his aura was the same.
“I am Gerald Cunningham.”
I had a feeling when I heard the name Cunningham…
He was a descendant. Now I understood why Vanessa had shown such hostility. Even though he had only been carrying out the royal family’s orders, it was an undeniable fact that the Cunningham family had been one of the main forces behind branding Vanessa as Jack the Ripper.
On the other hand, the Marquis looked at Choi Seojun with a glint in his eye.
The Purifier is so young?
Most people with the ability to purify mana contamination were elderly priests or monks. In contrast, Choi Seojun was far too young. At most, he looked to be in his late twenties. However, the Marquis was not foolish enough to judge someone solely by appearance. The fact that he had purified the demonic sword was enough reason not to underestimate him.
Still, he couldn’t entrust his family’s treasured sword to just anyone. The Marquis decided to test Choi Seojun.
“I heard you are the one who purified the demonic sword from the strange Gate.”
“That’s correct.”
“Then can you purify this sword as well?”
The Marquis drew the sword he carried at his waist. It was a dull blade shrouded in murky light. The demonic sword Iduz.
The reason Iduz was called a demonic sword was because its user would be controlled by the sword’s demonic energy. An unskilled person who wielded it would swing the blade until their mana ran dry and they died.
The Marquis handed the demonic sword to Choi Seojun. If he truly possessed the ability to purify Iduz, he wouldn’t be swayed by its energy.
However…
“It’s possible.”
Choi Seojun accepted Iduz and spoke without any sign of discomfort.
The Saint's Flag repels the Sultan's Curse.
The Saint’s Flag he had received from Joan was pushing back Iduz’s curse. Unaware of this, the Marquis could only be astonished at the sight of Choi Seojun remaining perfectly calm. Not even the slightest hint of resistance against the demonic sword showed on his face.
His relaxed attitude and tone were remarkably composed.
This should be trustworthy enough.
Without realizing it, Choi Seojun had passed the Marquis’s test.
However, the Marquis did not know one crucial thing.
The one being tested wasn’t him.
“Forty billion.”
“?”
“And if you add Essence on top, I will purify it for you.”
“E-Essence?”
At the sudden proposal, the Marquis’s mouth fell open in shock.