Chapter 16: Reward (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 16: Reward (3)
The negotiation was satisfactory.
Especially for me.
When I left the negotiation room, a makeshift voucher was clutched in my hand. It was a token I could exchange for the Dongbaek Sword once the Japanese side sent it to the Korean Association.
They said they would send it within a few days.
After the negotiation ended, their expressions weren't too bad either. If I had pushed them too hard, it wouldn't have ended this way.
Leaving them some breathing room is a fundamental part of negotiation, after all.
There was no need to make an enemy of an entire country. Not that it would matter much if I did.
Of course, I made sure to nail down the key points.
While I made it clear the Cross was non-negotiable, I did offer information on an additional ruin of Iano’s, hidden somewhere on the mainland.
I didn't know the finer details of the setting, so I couldn't specify its exact location.
I vaguely told them it was near Hokkaido, and that hint alone seemed to be enough to satisfy them.
I wondered if it was okay to give it away, but the rewards there are crap.
And it's not like I can go there myself.
“Mr. Hae-in…!”
From a distance, Kim Gil-gyu urgently called out to me.
“Yes?”
“We’ve just received an urgent message from China. It seems to be about Iano's Tomb. They've offered a massive reward….”
It looked like they had caught the scent as well.
Since we hadn't officially signed the final contract, they must think they can still overturn the deal.
“What would you like to do? Since the deal hasn't been finalized, we can set up a new negotiation table—”
I couldn't help but let out a laugh.
“Ah… China… heh.”
I couldn't suppress the smile that escaped my lips.
I never had any intention of selling to them in the first place.
“I’m not selling. Absolutely not.”
After all, Japan wasn't the only country I had bad blood with.
*
The high-end hotel cafe in the city center, run by the Glory corporation, is always bustling with people.
Beneath an antique chandelier, elegant classical music filled the space. But right now, all eyes in the cafe were focused on its center.
There sat two of Gaon’s most famous cadets, Yu Hana and Cheon Yeo-wool.
Yu Hana sat with her long, sleek legs crossed, her sky-blue hair shimmering brilliantly under the lights. In contrast, Cheon Yeo-wool, with her neatly styled bob and modest attire, exuded a warm, saintly aura.
“Hana…! Please sign this for me…!”
A young fan who had flocked to Yu Hana’s side held out a small piece of paper.
She answered with a radiant smile.
“Of course, may I have the paper?”
The way she gracefully signed her name while attending to her fan was a picture-perfect scene.
From a distance, the two looked like a dream pairing, more than capable of drawing in those around them with their beauty and grace.
The reality, however, was different.
The conversation one could hear up close painted a completely different picture.
Yu Hana twirled the teacup on the table with her fingertips and spoke.
“Was it good?”
Cheon Yeo-wool smiled serenely as she set down her own cup.
“Yes, very.”
Cheon Yeo-wool’s voice flowed smoothly, but it was laced with an unreadable energy.
Yu Hana lifted her teacup, the corners of her mouth twitching upward.
“Still, I’ll say you did well this time. I respect him, but that Elixir….”
Yu Hana trailed off, looking up as she sensed something was off.
Cheon Yeo-wool, having taken a sip of her tea, wore an expression as if still lost in the afterglow.
A slightly flushed face and a hazy, distant look in her eyes.
“…What are you doing?”
At Yu Hana’s sharp tone, Cheon Yeo-wool seemed to snap back to her senses and lifted her head.
“Ah.”
Cheon Yeo-wool smiled leisurely and tilted her head slightly.
That subtle smile was enough to provoke Yu Hana.
“Sorry. I still get lost in the moment whenever I think about it.”
Yu Hana’s eyebrow twitched minutely.
As if not caring in the slightest, Cheon Yeo-wool tapped her fingers on the table and continued slowly.
“I had to circulate the Elixir’s energy, so I had to touch him all over…. You know how it is.”
“He was sleeping soundly in my arms… Do you have any idea how cute he was?”
Yu Hana’s smile stiffened slightly. One could see the strength gathering in her fingertips.
As if enjoying her reaction, Cheon Yeo-wool lifted her cup, took a sip, and added.
“Completely oblivious to whatever I might do to his body….”
“It’s a good thing.”
In the end, Yu Hana set her cup down slowly without taking a single sip.
Her voice was low and quiet, but she maintained her smile.
“That there are so many people here.”
Cheon Yeo-wool tilted her head, looking at her.
“Why?”
“Because I came this close to actually killing you.”
The air instantly froze at her words.
Cheon Yeo-wool raised one corner of her mouth in a small smile.
“So dramatic.”
“I’m warning you.”
Just then, a little boy approached Cheon Yeo-wool and asked for her autograph.
Cheon Yeo-wool gave him a benevolent smile and signed the paper the child held out.
The boy clasped his hands together and shifted his weight, looking like he wanted to say something. His small feet tapped restlessly on the floor, and his lips parted and closed with hesitation.
“Is there something you want to say, little one?”
Cheon Yeo-wool asked with a gentle smile, as if to ease the child’s hesitation.
“Saintess, are you really dating Hero Yohan?”
“Pfft!”
At the child’s unexpected question, Cheon Yeo-wool’s expression momentarily hardened.
Yu Hana, on the other hand, covered her mouth, stifling a burst of laughter.
“No, absolutely not. No, never.”
“Then, when I grow up, I’m going to marry you, Saintess!”
As if he had been waiting for this moment, the boy puffed out his chest and declared confidently.
Cheon Yeo-wool smiled, amused, and lightly patted the boy’s head.
“Thank you, but I can’t do that.”
The boy’s face fell in an instant, his expression crestfallen.
“Because this body is already taken. Sorry, okay?”
*
A massive, medieval-style building towered in the middle of the city.
Though its appearance seemed out of place, it blended surprisingly naturally into the city’s landscape.
The Arcadia Cult.
I had just arrived in front of the cult’s temple.
Since I was on vacation anyway.
As they say, strike while the iron is hot. I planned to get rid of the Cross artifact today as well.
‘You can choose to keep it confidential or make it public.’
The Association had asked me whether I wanted the success of this dungeon conquest to be released to the media.
I had told them to keep it private for now.
I did, but…
“Will they really keep it quiet?”
There are quite a few people within the Association who enjoy a little side hustle selling information.
Thanks to them, it'll all come out soon enough anyway.
Organizing my thoughts, I entered the temple. Unlike its exterior, the interior was clean and modern.
I approached a priest who was reviewing documents at the counter.
“Father.”
“Yes~ How may I help you?”
The priest greeted me with a kind smile.
“I’m here to sell an artifact.”
“An arti…fact?”
Her expression hardened slightly in surprise, then she began shuffling through her papers.
“May I have your name, please?”
“It’s Jung Hae-in.”
The moment she heard my name, a clattering sound echoed from a distance.
Then, another priest came rushing out and hurriedly approached me.
“Oh my, you should have told us you were coming!”
“…I suppose I needed a contact, right?”
“Haha, I suppose so?”
The priest gave an awkward laugh and scratched his head.
“I will guide you to the reception room. Please follow me.”
The priest bowed respectfully and began to lead the way.
“Actually, Lady Cheon Yeo-wool specifically requested that we treat Mr. Jung Hae-in with the utmost respect if you were to visit.”
“So, if you could perhaps put in a good word for me with her….”
I nodded.
Seeing how hard he was trying to get on her good side, it seemed Cheon Yeo-wool was already solidifying her power base within the cult.
The Arcadia Cult’s internal power is largely divided into two factions.
One faction supports the Hero, Yohan, while the other supports the Saintess, Cheon Yeo-wool.
Yohan’s supporters are a bunch of old-timers who cling to tradition and past glory, centering everything around the Hero.
In that respect, Cheon Yeo-wool was doing an excellent job of consolidating her influence, just as this priest’s behavior demonstrated.
The cult’s reception room was even more luxurious.
“Could you please wait here for a moment? The person in charge of the transaction will be here shortly.”
Not long after the priest left, a middle-aged man in a neat suit entered.
He calmly bowed his head toward me.
“You must be Mr. Jung Hae-in. It is an honor to meet you. I am Bishop Luke of the Arcadia Cult, and I will be handling this transaction.”
His demeanor was quiet yet dignified.
Instead of replying, I took the Cross out of my bag and showed it to him.
“I’m here to sell this.”
As the Cross in my hand was revealed, Bishop Luke’s eyes changed subtly.
His expression, a mixture of surprise and reverence, suggested he had already guessed the value of the object before him.
He took a breath, gazing cautiously at the Cross, then asked in a low voice.
“From what my humble eyes can tell, I can feel an extraordinary divine power from it. If you happen to know its name….”
“It is an artifact of the shrine maiden, Iano.”
“Ah… I knew it.”
I nodded and handed him the Cross.
With a tense expression, Bishop Luke took the Cross in his hands.
“We are grateful enough that you are willing to sell it to us. However…”
His voice dropped slightly.
“It is our duty to offer terms that will satisfy you, Mr. Hae-in, but… this is such a significant item….”
Ah, I had a pretty good idea of what he was trying to say.
He was basically saying, ‘This is too big for me to price on my own. I need to consult with others, so please give me some time.’
To be honest, I wasn't concerned about the money. I had originally planned to just give it to them.
“You can let me know the price later. Could you just give me a contract form?”
At my words, Bishop Luke seemed a bit flustered and quickly pulled a blank contract and a pen from his coat.
Taking the contract he offered, I quickly jotted something down.
“There. Here you go.”
“As long as you abide by this one condition, you can contact me whenever the price is decided.”
This was a contract engraved with the guarantee of the god Arcadia worships. It had to be honored.
His eyes widened as he read the contract I'd written.
He reviewed the contents for a long moment before finally nodding.
“Very well. For such a simple condition… thank you for your generosity.”
Cheon Yeo-wool was confident the cult would give her the Cross, but one could never be sure.
It seemed more advantageous for her if I set a clear condition.
The clause I wrote in the contract was simple.
‘The Cross of Iano must be used for a ‘Saintess’ candidate.’
Bishop Luke reviewed the contract once more and smiled quietly.
“There will be no one within the cult who would refuse this condition.”
He carefully folded the contract, placed it in his pocket, and added.
“Unless they are a heretic, that is.”
And as it happened, Bishop Luke was famous within the Arcadia Cult for being a staunch member of the ‘pro-Saintess’ faction.
He bowed his head to me and said, “The divine power dwelling in this artifact will surely be delivered into the hands of one who is worthy.”
He would play the part I wanted him to perfectly.