The Negotiation - Part 1
Cheon Jong-un stared at me with a look of utter dejection, his eyes fixed on the remnants of the oath's medium, which had been cleanly erased by the Hell Flame.
"The Necronomicon is a demonic relic. Even that old man Han Sang-gil couldn't fully control it; he only brought it out when absolutely necessary. It’s too much for you to handle."
"I intend to study it from here on out. Thanks to you... I can finally breathe a little easier. I owe you a great debt."
I nodded, then asked casually.
"But is the reason you cooperated with Pi Jinhyuk, knowing he was a Doomsday Cultist, really just because of the Necronomicon?"
"It’s not just that. There are quite a few big shots among those associated with him. And as I said before, I have many debts."
"Tsk, you’ve become a slave to money."
"I hear stories about you from time to time, too. You’ve been working like a dog."
"Don't I have to earn money?"
We exchanged glares like two misers sizing each other up. Then, he asked slyly.
"But... I heard you raided the Doomsday Cultist's treasury. Did you manage to get anything good?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Can't you... share some of it?"
"Sell me that book. I’ll pay you very handsomely."
"Hey now, look at this guy. Do you think this is something that can be valued in mere money..."
Bundles of 50,000-won notes began to pour out, piling up into a mountain.
Cheon Jong-un gulped, his throat bobbing. He looked back and forth between the money and the Necronomicon before continuing.
"Ahem, isn't this relic one of only three treasures in the world for a Dark Mage? How could it possibly be measured in money?"
Yet, the stacks of cash showed no sign of stopping, continuing to pour out.
In truth, this money was what I had scavenged from the mountains of cash I’d found when I raided the Doomsday Cultist's treasury.
Because I had packed such an enormous amount of money—enough to take up nearly half of my subspace—the mana consumption was astronomical. As that massive pile of cash continued to spill out, Cheon Jong-un’s pupils shook violently.
'This old man isn't exactly obsessed with money, but he’s certainly not someone who can afford to be indifferent to worldly wealth.'
He was called a hero among Dark Mages, but that was back when he was the Tower Master of the Black Tower. Given the current state of the Black Tower, the financial power I could provide would be enough to resolve all of their difficulties.
"How much debt do you have?"
"...Two trillion... a little over that."
He was in deep debt. I realized the only reason they hadn't gone bankrupt yet was because they held the formidable power of dark magic.
The fact that they possessed power strong enough to ignore legal threats was likely the decisive reason they were still holding on.
'They’re practically extraterritorial, but if the government truly steps in, there’s nothing they can do.'
Dark Mages are strong, but if a regular army were mobilized and a subjugation order issued, even the Black Tower would have no choice but to fold.
Otherwise, a war would break out, and the Black Tower would vanish from history.
Three thousand Dark Mages couldn't hold out against tens of thousands of Awakened.
"The amount piled up here alone must be in the hundreds of billions. But I’ll give you ten times this amount. No matter how great a relic is, it rarely exceeds a hundred billion in value. Choose wisely."
In truth, there are many relics that go beyond that, but they aren't valued in money. They are traded for things like magic crystals.
Regardless, there was no way he could withstand an offer of several trillion won.
But this old man was tough.
"A... a little more, if you would. Ahem..."
It wasn't my money anyway, and it was just taking up space in my subspace, so I poured it out with the intention of clearing some room. Seeing the small hill of money, Cheon Jong-un promptly handed over the Necronomicon.
"If you were going to give it up so easily, why go through all that trouble?"
"How was I supposed to know I’d earn this much money?"
I clicked my tongue and tossed the Necronomicon into my subspace. Cheon Jong-un looked at my actions with confusion.
"Aren't you going to read it?"
"I have no intention of pushing myself right now. If it tries to consume me too aggressively, I have to resist, and my mana isn't fully recovered, is it?"
"You look fine to me."
"I just don't want to suffer even the slightest loss."
"Hoo... It’s strange that the day would come when I’d receive your help."
The bond between Dark Mages is quite deep.
To be precise, it wasn't that deep before, but as we spent more time being treated like suspects, the bond had deepened. In a way, the world had bound us together tightly, but I didn't hate it.
"But... is there any more?"
I was dumbfounded by his question as he swept up the money.
"Why don't you pay off your debts, bring back the people who were sold off, and go clear some Gates?"
"Tsk, don't I need permission for that to happen?"
"You can use White Magic, can't you?"
Dark Mages can use White Magic.
They just don't use it because the efficiency is poor—the power is only about 40% compared to the mana consumed.
The same goes for White Magic; while they can infringe upon each other's domains, the efficiency is so low that it’s practically better not to, so they maximize their own aptitudes.
There is only one decisive reason the government doesn't grant permission.
If monsters are caught using dark magic, the processing costs during the recycling stage double.
Losses increase because the monsters become tainted with poison or are exposed to excessive dark mana, rendering them unusable.
That is why they avoid using Dark Mages for Gate subjugation if possible.
'That was also the reason we wandered from battlefield to battlefield.'
While a lot of manpower was invested in rebuilding the country on one side, Dark Mages were actively utilized in the parts that actually needed to defend the country, helping to build the nation according to their respective roles.
However, the sorrow of the Dark Mages, who were treated like hunting dogs and then discarded once the job was done, was beyond words.
"You live in the light, so you know... it’s not like we aren't always looking for a way to respond. The world treats us poorly, but do you think we’d just sit still because we like it?"
If the Dark Mage Association, the Black Tower, and Han Sang-gil joined forces to assert their voice, perhaps they could change the world's perception of us.
But I feared what would come after.
I thought that once they held everything in their hands, the actions of the Dark Mages wouldn't necessarily be normal.
'Is it just a vicious cycle in the end?'
It was a long day.
It was nearly noon by the time I returned home.
It had been a long day, but the time taken hadn't been that long.
"What on earth have you been doing?!"
It was the shout of Ahn Somi, who had just finished an auction and was resting at home when she ran into me.
As I stared at her, wearing a look that asked what was wrong, she pointed to one side and showed me the news.
"It’s chaos right now! The Most Terrifying! That Most Terrifying guy caused a scene at the Tower!!"
"A scene, huh? Are they looking for a fight?"
Hearing my mutterings, Ahn Somi grabbed my arm and shook it.
"No! This is why our image as Dark Mages is hitting rock bottom! Why did you do that! I heard from Yujin that you said you were going to clear a Gate! Whyyyyy!"
I scratched my head lightly, and just as I was about to explain the situation, I closed my mouth.
Because knowing too much is a loss.
"I don't really need to make excuses, but if I have to say, I went to seek advice."
"How on earth do you seek advice by knocking out a mage and getting glares from so many people!"
It seemed someone had filmed it and uploaded it.
The fact that high-ranking mages had mobilized to confront me was an issue in itself, but the problem was that even the Tower Master, who rarely showed his face to the public, had appeared and handed me something from thin air.
On top of that, the small snippets of conversation that had been caught on video were fueling speculative controversy about what kind of dialogue had actually taken place.
"I’m seriously going crazy... Do you know that reporters are swarming around Kim Sung-chan’s house right now?"
"I don't. I came straight here."
"...And the severity of the situation?"
"Of course I don't know. Do I need to?"
"You need to! In the end, Yujin is going to be harmed by this too!"
Only then did I understand why she was so worked up. So I said.
"If there are people who truly intend to cause trouble, I will deal with them."
"That’s not... what I meant..."
Ahn Somi dropped her head and sighed. But just then, Go Yujin appeared and said to me.
"You aren't hurt anywhere, are you?"
"You, are you worried about this guy right now?"
"Of course I should be worried, he didn't just go out for something simple, did he?"
"Seriously... you two have really gotten close, haven't you?"
Go Yujin blushed. It seemed the women had been talking about something.
"Reporters are going to sniff this out and swarm, and in the end, they’ll want some kind of statement. What are you going to do?"
Ahn Somi asked me for an alternative, but I said nonchalantly.
"They say silence is golden."
"Heyyyyy!!"
Ahn Somi was furious in the end, but the situation was settled when Go Yujin stepped in to restrain her.
Afterward, we moved to the dining room and sat facing each other with food in front of us, and Go Yujin asked.
"What else happened? I mean, that’s why you went all the way there."
So, unlike with Ahn Somi, I took the Necronomicon out of my subspace and showed it to them.
The two of them were startled.
"I met Cheon Jong-un. And..."
The two women were so tense they couldn't even eat as I continued my story, and when I finished, Ahn Somi looked at me like I was a madman.
"That book... must have been incredibly expensive, right?"
"One thing led to another. But I have no intention of using it right away. The price I’m paying now is already at a level I can't handle, and I don't have the luxury of giving up any more."
"But you’ll have to use it someday, won't you?"
I nodded at Go Yujin’s worried question, and answered as I pushed the Necronomicon back into my subspace.
"I just hope that day never comes."
I hoped the moment would never arrive where I had to borrow the power of this cursed book.
Afterward, just as Ahn Somi had predicted, reporters started showing up at Go Yujin’s house.
It seemed they had figured out that I was working with Go Yujin, and soon after, Ahn Somi’s phone started ringing, and she even got calls from her own home.
With interest focused on the incident, a call finally came to my phone as well.
'...I didn't think this person would call?'
It was a call from a former superior, someone I had exchanged constant messages with to carry out operations while wandering the battlefields. I asked the two women for their understanding, and as soon as I picked up the phone, a roar pierced my ears.
- Hahahaha!! You damn brat, I didn't think I’d see a survival report like this! -
I answered with an awkward expression at the voice filled with intense joy from the other side of the line.
"It’s been a while. Captain Ahn Sang-ik."
It was a call from Iron Arm Ahn Sang-ik, a war hero known as the Iron-Blooded Commander.