The VIP Ticket and the Mystery of the Pale Elf
Carrying a mountain of products in my arms, I stepped out of the department store. Of course, Marian had already signed up as a member. And even after that, she didn’t seem satisfied—she went around the store an extra dozen laps.
A bright flush still lingered on her cheeks.
“Senior, this place is amazing. The staff are so friendly and the products are fantastic. Did you see that sleep-magic blanket? The moment I wrapped myself in it, I almost fell asleep right there. I’ll have to come back later and buy one!”
“Your gums are going to dry out. Stop smiling.”
“……”
We arrived at a quiet spot and I took off my wig. A breeze slipped through the gaps in my hair.
“Did you check?”
“Yes.”
“The membership application had nothing unusual. The only thing worth noting is that the application form was pink.”
“……”
“Just kidding. The purchase-point conversion rate is completely off the charts. Normally you get a small percentage back when you buy, right? But here it’s fifteen percent.”
“Corporations give a little bonus for buying their own products to keep customers happy. Even the generous ones don’t go over one percent. Fifteen percent is ridiculous.”
“The catch is that you can’t turn it into cash—only Dash products can be bought with it. And the more points you earn, the higher your tier goes, and the better the rate gets.”
“Big-money VIP policy. They’ll even treat you like a VIP.”
“But assigning fifteen percent or more is practically insane.”
“And on top of that, they sell at employee prices to first-time customers.”
“Any similar faces?”
“No. Not a single victim matches.”
“Before we went to Jacob Department Store I told Marian to memorize every face of the elf women from that large-scale disappearance case. But there were no victims.”
“You got the business card?”
“Here it is. They hammered the message into my ear that I should come back and visit again.”
“Jacob Department Store Dash Dpt. BD Jenny.”
“Dpt means department.”
“Do you know what BD stands for?”
“Blue Distributor. They use color codes to rank sales performance.”
“Marian showed me the search history from her magic transmitter.”
“New hires are White Distributors. Then Green, Blue, Black, and the top tiers are Gold and Diamond.”
“Jenny is Blue, so she’s been here at least several months and has sold a lot of products.”
“Her pale face still lingers in my mind.”
“She looked like she was addicted to something—completely drained.”
“And Marian also got this.”
“She held up a ticket with a smug smile.”
“After two weeks the entire Jacob Department Store will be hosting a special event under the Dash brand. Two tickets.”
“They even invited a catering company. That means you have to come empty-stomached. No breakfast, and stay for a while.”
“Marian laughed brightly.”
“I wish I could work like this every day. It’s so rewarding!”
“The ticket read Jacob Department Store VIP Invitation.”
* * *
The moon rose.
One by one the magic streetlights in the city flickered on.
An empty office.
I turned on the magic radio and set the frequency to the channel that always played jazz at the lowest volume.
A mix of colorful instruments drifted through the air.
“Hmm… let me try again.”
I sorted my data once more.
Two years ago a large-scale disappearance case had struck.
Two hundred victims, all young elf women living in the city.
Everything else had been normal—family, job, identity. They had simply vanished one day.
And at that exact moment Jacob Department Store had launched its IPO. In the first year after listing, sales had tripled.
People cheered. The industry went into overdrive. Every strategy against the new giant was rushed through, and the office lights stayed on all night.
But Jacob’s momentum couldn’t be stopped. They always took a different path.
They established an ethical brand philosophy, offered sensory experiences in their offline stores, and created fun, emotional product stories.
Through constant innovation they set trends, and that popularity had only grown stronger.
Today Jacob Department Store stood proudly with two hundred outlets across the empire, the undisputed leader of the distribution industry.
And the founder who built this legend remained completely hidden in mystery—name, face, race, age—nothing was known.
“Hmmm…”
I tapped the desk with my fingers, organizing my thoughts.
The disappearance of the elf women and the explosive growth of Jacob Department Store.
There might be no connection at all. But the timing was too strange. And the pale-faced elf employees, the suicides in quiet places blaming Jacob… the threads were tangled in a way I couldn’t untangle yet.
But I had to unravel every last one.
I sorted them carefully in my head.
First, they must have a reason to offer fifteen percent rebates even though they’re losing money on products. Maybe they need short-term sales growth or to inflate customer numbers.
Second, some sales must be handled off the books. They create ghost companies, siphon money, and use it to swell their own bellies.
They had taken regular customers to secret rooms, not the VIP lounge. They were definitely selling illegal products and hiding revenue there.
Third, they need loyal members to buy those illegal goods and keep quiet about them.
I opened my magic laptop and began searching the records.
After reviewing the National Tax Administration reports and the employee profiles of Jacob Department Store, everything started to come into focus.
“Oh? You’re already at work, Inspector?”
Piaje’s secretary walked in.
“Why are you back again?”
“It’s the workday, isn’t it?”
“Ah, the sun rose.”
* * *
“Good shot!”
On the blue-green fairway the golf ball traced a beautiful arc.
“Eight hundred meters. You could play as a pro.”
The caddy checked the distance through the magic glasses.
“Now it’s Mr. Evan’s turn.”
I gripped the long driver with both hands and stepped up.
Right now I was Evan. Of course, the identity was fake.
Profession: financial investment expert.
Only one hundred AAA+ financial experts in the Gilorian Empire had passed both the Stock Economy Bureau and the Imperial Finance Ministry exams.
I swung the driver with all my might.
Ssswing—
But it was a swing-and-a-miss.
“Heh.”
A vampire in a dark robe chuckled. My caddie for the round. Piaje’s secretary had introduced him.
“Huh? That’s odd.”
I rubbed the back of my neck and swung again.
“Customers are allowed only two practice swings. Otherwise the group behind you gets pushed.”
The caddy spoke with perfect politeness and clear irritation.
“Yes, my body feels loose now.”
I twisted my torso side to side.
Then a man in perfect golf attire appeared with an elegant smile. The owner of the golf course.
“Now let’s play properly.”
I placed the ball on the tee, spread my feet shoulder-width, and lowered my center of gravity.
Knees slightly bent, upper body leaning forward naturally.
Wrist soft, grip firm.
With the left arm as pivot I slowly lifted the club, then added powerful rotation around my waist and swung.
Puff—!
The white ball sliced through the blue sky, leaving a sparkling trail like a comet.
“One thousand three hundred meters. One thousand three hundred meters! This is a record distance for caddies!”
“One thousand three hundred meters?”
“Then it went in?”
The vampire friends erupted in excited chatter.
A powerful beam of light shot straight up from the green.
“Hole… hole-in-one!”
The entire golf course shook with the caddy’s cry.
The first hole, a one-thousand-three-hundred-meter hole-in-one—unprecedented in Gilorian Golf history.
In an instant the sky changed color. The course’s hole-in-one celebration magic activated.
Vibrant magic circles bloomed around the green, and a seven-colored rainbow rose into the sky.
“Incredible record! The first hole-in-one on the opening round at Molton Private Golf Club!”
The owner, who had just arrived, shouted in excitement.
Golden letters began to form in the sky at his gesture.
[Congratulations – First Hole 1,300 m Hole-in-One!]
[Record Holder: Evan]
[Registered in the Molton Private Golf Club Hall of Fame]
“Your tee shot was very impressive.”
After all the congratulatory ceremonies I received, the owner approached and offered his hand.
“Congratulations. I’m the owner of this course, Timur Wood.”
I hurriedly erased the lightning mana residue on my palm and shook his hand.
“Luck is on your side. I’m Evan.”
“Molton Private Golf Club offers a prize and special privileges to those inducted into the Hall of Fame.”
“A prize?”
“Yes, ten million cram. And there are even better privileges.”
“Privileges…”
That was exactly what I had been waiting for. I had swung the golf club with lightning mana just for this reason.
“The privilege is a private dinner with the club president tonight. Is that acceptable?”
I nodded with a big grin. Of course. Vampires who suffer from sunlight allergy had joined the round just for this.
“One last question.”
“Of course.”
“Are you a professional golfer?”
“No. I work as a financial investment expert.”
“Your appearance is so unusual. Would it be rude if I asked your race? The president asked me to give him a heads-up.”
“It’s fine. I’m half-human, half-centaur. My father is human, my mother is a centaur.”
I raised one of my six hands and shook with the owner.
He also received a face-off magic that had cost a lot of money.
* * *
We arrived at the private restaurant for the private dinner.
The owner had already been waiting.
“Welcome, Mr. Evan. Please, have a seat.”
I sat down. The vampires who had been caddying for me were also invited.
“I’m Timur Wood, the owner of Molton Private Golf Club.”
“I’m Evan.”
“Please, enjoy the meal. Tonight is on the house.”
The owner poured wine into our glasses.
“Mr. Evan, your swing was truly spectacular. I have never seen a one-thousand-three-hundred-meter hole-in-one on the first round. How did you do it?”
“Just practice,” I answered lightly.
“You must have been practicing for a long time. But that’s not all. The lightning mana you used on the club…”
“Oh, that?”
“As someone who works in the financial industry, I’m curious. Do you have a magic transmitter?”
I nodded. “Yes, I do.”
“That’s interesting. Many people in the financial world have them, but not many use them in such an unconventional way. Lightning mana on a golf club is a bold choice.”
“It’s just a hobby.”
The owner laughed. “A hobby that can earn you ten million cram in a single night. That’s not a hobby, Mr. Evan.”
“It was luck.”
“Luck, huh. I’d like to learn more about that lightning mana one day. Maybe I can get a magic transmitter too.”
“It’s not something you can just buy.”
“I know. But one day I’ll find a way. By the way, do you have any plans after dinner?”
“I was thinking of heading back to the office.”
“Ah, that’s too bad. I was hoping you’d stay a little longer.”
“Is there something you wanted to talk about?”
“Yes. The Hall of Fame induction is not just for golf. There are other… interesting privileges. One of them is a private meeting with the president tomorrow. Would you be interested?”
“A private meeting?”
“Yes. It’s very informal, just between the two of us. You can bring your assistant if you like.”
I smiled. “I’d be happy to.”
“Great. Then I’ll send the details later. Oh, one more thing. You asked about the pale-faced elf employees earlier, right?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a long story. Many years ago a large group of elf women vanished from the city. Some people even blamed Jacob Department Store and committed suicide. But there was no solid proof. Just… speculation.”
“I see.”
“Anyway, enjoy the rest of the meal. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The owner raised his glass.
“To new friendships and new records.”
“To new records.”
We clinked glasses.
Outside the window the city lights twinkled.
And somewhere in the shadows, something was already watching us.