Chapter 69: Reward (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 69: Reward (4)
My inspection of the remains was complete.
Fortunately, it was just as I had expected.
‘The Remains of the Evil God.’
This would likely become a place I’d frequent with a certain woman.
Leaving the underground space where the remains lay, we took an elevator up toward the top floor.
The Association’s VIP meeting room.
It was a space opened only for important international transactions or negotiations with key figures.
The room I had entered before regarding Iano’s artifact had been a conference room; even then, I hadn’t been allowed in here.
Now, a room of such great significance was opening before me.
Click.
As the door opened, a luxurious fragrance wafted out first.
The view of the Association’s finest meeting room came into sight.
I glanced around the room impassively before turning my gaze.
Someone was already seated.
A woman in a neat gray suit, her hair tied back. She had a dignified air that seemed beyond her years and sharp, piercing eyes.
It was the Vice President of the Association.
She looked at us and slowly smiled.
“Thank you for coming all this way. I am Park Seo-hee, the Vice President of the Korean Hero Association.”
Her calm voice had a soothing effect.
This vocal quality was likely one of her abilities.
The Old Man quietly took a seat. I naturally sat down beside him.
The Old Man, who had seen it all, would lead the overall negotiations, while I would likely only chime in on crucial points.
Sion had not accompanied us.
Although she was involved, she seemed reluctant to participate in the meeting herself.
‘Hae-in, I’m counting on you.’
Sion had given me full authority.
After those brief words, she had headed to the cafe on the first floor.
In the end, the negotiations were left to me and the Old Man.
Park Seo-hee took a quiet breath before speaking.
“First, before we begin, I would like to once again offer my apologies regarding this matter.”
She rose from her seat and bowed respectfully.
“The variable that arose during the Hamgyeongdo Mine Colony extermination mission was something the Association could not have predicted.”
Lifting her head, she continued, her eyes meeting ours.
“Therefore, the claims from some quarters that this was a political scheme to endanger the Vanquisher are also untrue—”
I let out a small laugh.
A political scheme?
As if they had the luxury to plot something like that.
“We are aware,” the Old Man said, cutting her off.
At his impassive voice, Park Seo-hee’s eyes wavered slightly.
“I see no need to baselessly speculate or blame the Association for failing to predict a situation that defied common sense.”
The Old Man clasped his hands and slowly tapped the table.
His low voice echoed in the room.
“Therefore, what’s important is the Association’s response.”
Park Seo-hee nodded calmly.
“I have no argument with that point. And I have no intention of making excuses.”
She first spread out the documents she had prepared.
“To begin, this concerns the commission fees related to the participation of Arcadia’s Paladin, Maengju’s 2nd Team Maengho, and the Cheongpung Sect.”
She organized the papers and continued in a steady voice.
“Normally, the hiring of additional mercenaries is a cost borne by the team that accepted the request. However, the Association acknowledges that their participation was essential in this battle. Therefore, we have determined it is right to pay the full participation fees for these forces.”
A clean way of handling it.
After all, it was common for teams that accepted a request to hire mercenaries for tasks that were too difficult to handle alone.
But here, the Association was acknowledging their involvement as an essential factor and covering the costs.
The Old Man watched without any particular reaction. I remained silent, waiting for her next words.
“…And second.”
Park Seo-hee chose her words for a moment before speaking.
“From this point on, we will discuss the compensation for the Association’s mistake, and the reward related to your achievements.”
The pen in Park Seo-hee’s hand trembled slightly.
“However, before we discuss the compensation… I would like to talk about the reward.”
She stammered slightly as she pointed to a specific page in the documents.
“This part… was honestly a little difficult to understand.”
Intrigued, I shifted my gaze.
The document Park Seo-hee presented contained the participation rosters submitted by the Cheongpung Sect, Arcadia, and Maengju.
“Upon confirmation, the Paladin, the Cheongpung Sect, Maengju… all participating forces have included Jung Hae-in as a recipient of their reward.”
She turned to me, pressing her temples as if staving off a headache.
“Me?” I asked.
I slowly scanned the document.
My name was written a total of four times.
On the list of reward recipients for each faction.
“Yes… We confirmed with each of them directly by phone…”
She slowly nodded.
“They all said it was correct. They argued that based on the record of their bids for you at Gaon’s Bidding Match, it was reasonable to include you as a reward recipient.”
The Old Man chuckled, and I let out a dry laugh as well.
What did that mean?
It meant that all four organizations were targeting me for recruitment and were trying to curry my favor by ensuring I received the maximum reward.
“I believe… you are more aware than anyone of what this signifies, Jung Hae-in.”
According to the System, bidding on a student at Gaon’s Bidding Match granted the bidder official negotiation rights for that student from that moment on.
It seemed all the factions had rated my abilities quite highly.
I could understand why.
I had been the one to plunge a spear into the Apostle’s Heart that no one else could pierce.
They just didn’t know about the unique nature of the Fragment.
Park Seo-hee turned another page and continued.
“Therefore, we have decided to respect the positions of each organization and have judged it necessary to calculate Jung Hae-in’s reward separately by combining them.”
The Vice President continued cautiously.
“After deliberation within the Association, and considering Jung Hae-in’s contributions, the reward will be…”
She held out a transparent cube containing a red key.
“We have decided to open Bulgaram’s Workshop to Hero Jung Hae-in.”
I tried.
The moment I saw the key, I fought to hold back the smile that threatened to escape.
But inside, I had only one thought.
‘What a sales pitch.’
The Old Man’s eyes glinted, as if he too found the situation amusing.
He was probably thinking, ‘Really?’ But his underlying meaning was the opposite of mine.
The Old Man likely thought the Association was offering a considerable reward.
I touched the cube with my fingertips and smirked.
“Oh… that’s not bad.”
Park Seo-hee added in an unwavering voice, “Considering the circumstances of this incident, we judged it a fair reward. Of course, compensation and a separate monetary prize will be provided as well.”
Her expression remained calm.
However, I could sense a subtle confidence, perhaps because she believed the situation was unfolding in their favor.
Bulgaram’s Workshop.
The final forge created by the last great blacksmith of South Korea, who had died in the final battle against the Evil God.
Bulgaram.
Inside, equipment of unknown power lay sealed and dormant.
Of course, I had a rough idea of the contents.
However, the workshop had been sealed with his last will and testament.
Only the Association could open it, using a key Bulgaram had left to its first founder.
Even then, it was opened extremely rarely; it hadn't been opened once since the Former Hero challenged it twenty years ago.
It was a ‘Holy Land’ created by a blacksmith who had challenged the realm of the gods.
But here was the important part.
The workshop wasn’t just a simple forge. It was a place of trial, imbued with his very soul.
In other words, the Association wasn’t just handing over equipment. Only those chosen by Bulgaram’s will, which lingered in the workshop, could obtain his weapons.
If you weren’t acknowledged, you would leave empty-handed.
To date, there had only been one case of someone being acknowledged by Bulgaram.
So, could I be acknowledged?
‘Without a doubt.’
In the original story, no matter what method was used, one could only enter Bulgaram’s Workshop a single time.
But that happened much later in the story.
Bulgaram had only one criterion for acknowledging the protagonist.
‘The presence of a Fragment.’
So, even though this was the early stages of the story, I could pass the trial now.
I was certain, but I feigned ignorance and maintained an indifferent expression.
Then I casually tossed out a question.
As if to say, ‘So what happens if I get nothing?’ As calmly as possible.
“But what should I do? I’m not very confident.”
Park Seo-hee’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Pardon?”
I fiddled with the arm of my glasses, pausing for a moment.
Her reaction was understandable.
Bulgaram’s Workshop wasn’t just a simple reward.
It was an achievement that would mark an era.
The moment it was opened, a notification would be sent throughout the world’s System.
[Where flames swallow blood and molten iron hammers the heart. Bulgaram’s Workshop will finally test a new master.]
The instant that message appeared to every hero in the world, the Association would immediately announce the chosen individual.
And everyone would watch, and cheer.
In essence, it was no different from the Hero Association declaring the birth of a new star to other nations.
Thus, the Association had nothing to lose.
The birth of a sacred hero who delivered the final blow to an Apostle. Their goal was to use this as a marketing tool.
In fact, they were probably desperate to press this key into my hands right now.
The ultimate weapon.
The ultimate trial.
And the one person who would obtain it.
It was a story that would make the hearts of countless heroes pound.
It didn’t even matter if the challenger failed.
The act of challenging it was, in itself, an immense honor.
The problem was…
That sort of heroic spirit had nothing to do with me.
I was far, far removed from the pride and desire for honor that defined a hero.
They must have expected me to get excited at the mere mention of Bulgaram’s name. A grave miscalculation.
I tilted my head slightly and asked, “Vice President, I’d like to ask something. When was the last time the workshop was opened?”
“Twenty years ago, for the Former Hero. It was a very honorable…”
“Was he successful?”
“…No, he was not.”
“And before that?”
“The same.”
I smiled indifferently and spoke lightly.
“Then what, exactly, can the Association guarantee with this key?”
Park Seo-hee’s expression twisted slightly.
She didn’t answer.
No, she couldn’t.
Everything that happened inside Bulgaram’s Workshop was beyond the Association’s control.
All they could do was open the entrance.
There was nothing they could guarantee me.
Even the Old Man seemed a little flustered, not having expected this reaction from me.
After all, this was the ultimate opportunity every hero dreamed of.
He subtly nudged my side under the table.
A signal that meant, ‘Isn’t this good enough?’
I smiled faintly and slid the cube in front of me a little closer.
Then I tossed it into the air and caught it.
“I’ll accept this. I don’t know if I’ll succeed, but I’ll give it a try.”
However, I had no intention of letting them off the hook for the price of my life with just this.
The Association had no choice but to meet my demands.
They had far more reasons to keep me on their side than I had to stay.
My expression hardened as I spoke.
“But as a reward for defeating an Apostle…”
I paused for a moment, then added firmly.
“It’s not quite enough.”