Red Rose Revelations
On the Abian Continent, there are five great rivers renowned across the land: the Raun River, the Poya River, the Jayang River, the Honshe River, and the Geumyang River. The sources of these five rivers originate in the heart of the continent, stretching out toward the east, west, south, and north before flowing into the sea.
These rivers hold immense importance because the earliest civilizations on the Abian Continent began near their banks. Water is an indispensable resource for all life, and even today, the most developed urban centers remain clustered around these waterways. Commerce naturally flourished in their wake.
'Geumyang River—it's been a while.'
The place I'd arrived at, Geumwon, was a city nestled along the Geumyang River—one of the continent's eleven great cities, a metropolis that had undergone relentless waves of development. Skyscrapers towered everywhere within the urban sprawl, and just gazing up at them filled my chest with a surging sense of grandeur.
'It's incredible when you think about it. Their level of civilization is barely at Earth's 15th century... and yet they're building these massive skyscrapers using just marble, stone, and timber.'
Well, it wasn't just stone and wood, of course. Shamanic arts—the power of those abilities—were infused into the structures, enabling such towering feats.
I took in the bustling crowds and soaring buildings as I made my way to the outskirts of the city center.
'This must be it.'
A five-story building stood before me. Its signboard read Red Rose Merchant Guild in bold red letters on a white background. This was the headquarters of Estelle's Red Rose Merchant Guild.
"Welcome! Thank you for visiting the Red Rose Merchant Guild."
As I entered the main store, two women by the door bowed in greeting. I returned the courtesy while surveying the interior. Compared to the temporary stall I'd seen at the Sama Festival, this place was far more polished and elegant.
'It's several times larger, too.'
The spacious hall displayed a dazzling array of goods, drawing a steady crowd of browsers.
"Is there something specific you're looking for, sir?"
A cute short-haired woman with freckles smiled warmly as she approached. It was a level of friendliness rare in other guilds—perhaps why the Red Rose Merchant Guild was destined to rise among the continent's top three.
"I'd like to see Guild Leader Estelle."
I pulled out my VIP card and showed it to her. Her eyes widened like saucers.
"S-sorry! Please wait just a moment!"
I had no idea what she was apologizing for, but she bowed vigorously and hurried off with purpose. I turned to browse the displayed wares while she was gone.
And moments later...
"You've arrived."
A familiar voice came from behind me. Turning around, I saw Estelle and Amy standing there, looking exactly as I remembered them.
"Long time no see."
I flashed them a grin and greeted them. Their eyes rounded in surprise.
"Who... are you?"
Oh, right. I was still in disguise.
* * *
"Come in."
Now settled in Estelle's office, a steaming cup of herbal tea sat before me. It was a premium brew, simmered for hours with rare medicinal herbs—sweeter and more flavorful than ordinary teas. Apparently, it was a special blend reserved for VIPs.
"Aleck, you're... incredibly versatile. A disguise this perfect..."
"Right? Aleck, how do you do it? Teach me!"
They were both fascinated by my transformation technique.
"Amy, that's rude to Aleck. You can't just ask someone to share their secret arts so casually."
Estelle, ever the principled one. Her sense of propriety was rock-solid; she never tried to take what wasn't freely offered.
"Sorry, it just looked so cool..."
"Haha, no worries. I might have taught Amy if I could, but it's conditional—tied to specific requirements that make it tricky to pass on."
It wasn't empty flattery. The Thousand Transformations Disguise was something only a Thief Spider could master. It demanded ether control on par with the Shinseon Butterfly clan—constant adjustments even in motion.
'Still out of Amy's reach for now.'
Without reaching Ultimate Body and attuning to external ether, it would be impossible. My ether reserves were small, but my control rivaled my past life's, letting me pull it off with minimal ether.
"Got it. As expected of a top-tier mantis."
'It's a compliment... but it kinda sounds like a jab, too...'
Still, Amy didn't seem that eager to learn it. She smacked her lips briefly in mild regret before accepting it.
With the mood settled, Estelle got to the point.
"You needed Guarazan, right?"
I nodded, and she smiled warmly, delivering exactly what I wanted.
"Fortunately, we've secured the exact amount you require."
Estelle never disappointed—efficient as always. No wonder I trusted her implicitly.
Of course, it wasn't free. She'd bought it using profits from the white ant repellent formula I'd patented last time.
'Who knew it was raking in that much cash.'
The guild pass linked to those royalties held far more than I'd expected. It might serve as my personal slush fund going forward.
"More importantly... are you hurt anywhere?"
Estelle furrowed her delicate brow with genuine concern. Amy, slouched sleepily beside her, also fixed her gaze on me.
Being fussed over by two beauties felt like an honor.
She must have heard about the bomb terror attempt at the Sama Battleground.
"No, I'm fine—no injuries."
"That's a relief."
Estelle's expression softened with relief, her sincerity warming my heart.
"Could you tell us exactly what happened?"
The Red Rose Merchant Guild was still small, its intelligence network underdeveloped. In her heyday among the top three guilds, Estelle would have compiled lists of everyone entering the Sama Battleground that day—down to what color underwear I wore... okay, maybe not that far. But her info-gathering was leagues ahead back then. I felt the gap acutely now.
'Time to make proper use of her this time around. She'll be a big help.'
"Well, here's what went down..."
I explained the events at the Sama Battleground in detail. They deserved to know about the Ghost Ant ambush.
"Ghost Ants... they were behind it..."
Estelle's face hardened. I didn't know the full story, but I vaguely recalled her clan had been wiped out with Ghost Ant involvement.
That's how I'd recognized their cipher code at a glance—Estelle had decoded it for me multiple times in my past life.
"Aleck, listen closely."
After a moment's contemplation, she steeled herself and spoke. Ghost Ants answered to Legion Ants, who in turn served the lords of the four great ant clans. This incident was the work of the Amar King Centipede clan pulling the strings.
Info I already knew, of course. But I feigned appropriate shock and nodded along.
'Estelle knew even back then.'
I didn't know the exact trigger for her clan's fall, but the Amar King Centipedes were the masterminds. In my past life, when Craig—their lord—lost his head to my blade, Estelle had wept rivers of cathartic tears.
Her climb to the top three guilds had been fueled by the quest for revenge against him.
"Be careful, Aleck. They're vicious and dangerous. If they mark you as a target..."
Her heartfelt worry touched me deeply once more.
"If they're that scary, I'd better get stronger than them ASAP."
I joked lightly to ease her concerns. But it seemed to impress her profoundly.
"You're the first to speak so casually with the Amar clan in the picture."
Awe flickered in her eyes. She smiled faintly and continued.
"Oh! I also prepared tools for harvesting earth bee primal venom. But... may I ask what you plan to use it for?"
Her gaze brimmed with curiosity, as if eager to glean another gem of knowledge from me.
"Well..."
I explained that one component in earth bee primal venom, Mastophoran-L, acted as a powerful antibiotic.
"Then it could suppress the side effects of Guarazan while maximizing its benefits!"
Estelle was sharp as ever. Tell her one thing, and she'd grasp two or three more. She instantly saw I intended to use the venom to safely consume the Guarazan.
Once this utility spread, the venom's price would plummet due to increased supply.
'But right now, no one knows, so no one's harvesting it—making it rare and exorbitantly expensive.'
No demand, and vanishingly low supply, so it fetched whatever the seller demanded.
Estelle's mind was already whirring with business opportunities from my revelation.
'This was knowledge she'd uncover years from now anyway. Might as well be a good thing.'
Her guild's explosive growth had started with monopolizing venom-related ventures. Sharing this early might propel Red Rose even further than in my past life.
'As a VIP guild member, that's a huge win for me.'
Guild expansion would benefit me directly and indirectly.
Then Estelle upped the ante with a stunning proposal.
"Aleck! Could I use this knowledge to start a business?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"Thank you! If it pans out, it'll be revolutionary—maybe even shift medical paradigms. I'll give you a fair cut, no worries. I'll prepare the contract later."
"...A cut?"
I blinked in confusion. She planned to share the profits with me?
Estelle looked puzzled by my reaction.
"Of course. You provided the core idea—no, the direct knowledge behind the technology. You deserve proper compensation."
"Haha... calling it core tech knowledge."
"Why? Was it already discovered?"
"No, no. Right now... no one knows it. It'll be fine."
"Aleck, seriously... always watch out for this stuff anywhere you go. I'm doing this because it's you—others would just steal it outright."
"I see. Thank you."
Good was good. My success would boost hers, and she'd learned early thanks to me—maybe I owed her gratitude.
In my past life, I never bothered with such details, leaving me naive on business matters. But with Estelle handling everything, a warm smile crept onto my face unbidden.
'She'd scold me big-time if I refused, so better just accept gracefully.'
Previously, I'd given her more than I'd received. I'd planned to shower her with favors this life, but it seemed I'd end up on the receiving end again.
'Still, this time I can give her the big gift I couldn't before.'
I glanced at Amy, who was drowsily munching snacks. This life, Estelle wouldn't lose her sister. And I'd deliver even sweeter revenge on Craig to soothe her deepest grudge.
"Since it came up, let me give you the advance payment first."
She fetched a wooden box from the safe behind her desk. A faint sour tang wafted out.
This was...!
"It's a B-grade Omehwon. It purifies the blood and lightens the body—quite the elixir."
'Oh...!'
My eyes lit up. It had been just the right time since my last dose.
"Thank you."
I accepted it without a token refusal. Estelle's eyes curved into crescents as she burst into laughter.
"My, you're serious about elixirs."
She muttered about stocking more high-quality ones. Too much receiving, but no rejections here.
As I grinned broadly, she chuckled again and handed over a black orb from her palm.
"This is..."
Recognizing it instantly, my eyes sparkled like stars.