Chapter 81
“I’m going to Mushua in the third zone with Merope,” Gilder said.
Seong-Hwi combed through his memories. “Mushua, huh? Wasn’t that in the west?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s quite far.”
Since Peven, where they were staying at the moment, was in the east, it was the opposite direction. The Mirror World was gigantic; it would take a long time even if Merope were to use her warp gates.
“It will likely take longer because of a certain tactless rabbit,” Merope added as she glanced at Thumper.
The frustrated Thumper’s ears perked up, and he shouted, “What do you mean?! You said you’d drop me off at my hometown once I mentioned it was in the southwest!”
“That was just a formality,” Merope replied.
“Y-you’re even worse than a rotten carrot!”
“What did you say to me?!”
“Moth fairy! Fly fairy! Mothfly fairy!”
As Thumper and Merope bickered, Seong-Hwi asked Gilder, “Why there? I believe fairies don’t have a place they can call a capital.”
“That’s right. The dragons would never allow the fairies to have a place they could call home, but Mushua is a free city. On top of that, the angels have much power there.” Gilder looked around, covered his mouth, and whispered, “And according to Merope, the Vindicta Resistance is based in Mushua.”
“I see.”
The Vindicta Resistance was founded by fairies longing to be freed from the dragons. A subordinate race could not be acknowledged as a distinct race. They couldn’t participate in the race conference, and only a portion of the World Law applied to them.
On top of that, fairies required permission from the dragons to create a clan. Hence, Vindicta was an unofficial clan, like a black clan. Although the clan possessed great power, it was only because it could be entered by anyone regardless of race as long as they held a hatred toward dragons.
“Sounds like you’ll have a hard time,” Seong-Hwi remarked.
Gilder shrugged and answered, “Not as much as you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Look at your waist.”
Gilder pointed at the chain skewering Tutobure and Illechebra’s heads around Seong-Hwi’s waist. A black cloth covered the two heads.
He continued, “You might have hidden it now, but many already saw Tutobure’s head.”
The fact that Seong-Hwi was carrying two heads around his waist was surprising enough, but even more surprising was that they belonged to Tutobure and an unknown dragon.
“Even if he was severely injured, he was still a High Ranker. Fame will follow you as the one who defeated him, and so will its consequences.”
Seong-Hwi nodded. “I’m counting on it. I suppose it’ll be easier to obtain Karma if the goblins come to take revenge.”
“Hahah! You’re crazy. Why are you even lugging around those heads in the first place?”
“What’s the big deal? Some bastards make trophies out of these things.”
“Do you know what the humans in Peven are calling you? Head collector, executioner, stuff like that—nothing normal. How does it feel to be the epitome of the phrase no good deed goes unpunished?”
Merope, who had been bickering with Thumper, turned to Seong-Hwi and said, “I think it’s great, Second Knight! I especially find it amazing that you’re carrying the head of a young dragon like a trophy!”
“Tsk, tsk. Sheesh, there’s not one normal person here,” Muka, who had been interrogating Mitasra, clicked his tongue as he stared at Merope. He turned to Seong-Hwi and said, “In any case, take me with you. I’ve been to the Capital once. The architecture was quite impressive.”
“Were you serious about coming with me, Muka?” Seong-Hwi asked.
“Of course! I asked if you’d like to work on a job with me. Don’t tell me you’re not interested?”
“No, I’m interested. I have no reason to refuse a dwarf artisan’s help.”
Seong-Hwi thought about the janateel he had obtained after killing Tutobure. Only a dwarf artisan could handle the steel.
“Do you have Coins?” Seong-Hwi asked.
“Hah! I can make more Coins than I need just by hammering some iron.”
“I’ll pay for any initial materials you need. I happened to come across a nice wallet, after all.”
“K-kerek!” Mitasra flinched as he rubbed the areas Muka had hit with a hammer.
“Alright, Merope. Please,” Seong-Hwi said.
“Yes, Second Knight,” Merope replied.
[Activating Skill: Warp Gate.]
A warp gate resembling a rainbow bridge appeared. It was time to say goodbye.
“Chwik. Take this, Seong-Hwi. You will be treated like a friend if you visit the Blade tribe,” Qwee said as he handed Seong-Hwi a necklace made with his father’s tusk.
Seong-Hwi accepted it and thought, The relationship between humans and orcs hasn’t soured yet. The Blade tribe, huh?
As Seong-Hwi was in thought, Gilder waved and said, “Let’s meet again, Seong-Hwi.”
“Yeah. Contact the ID Vivienne through the Network if you need my help.”
“Vivienne?”
“It’s the ID of the owner of the information center I frequent.”
Gilder nodded.
“Thank you so much, Friend Seong-Hwi! We’re friends for life. Come to Carrot if you need my help!” Thumper shouted.
“I will,” Seong-Hwi replied.
He grabbed Mitasra, crouching in the corner, and entered the warp gate with Muka.
***
“Hm, hm, hm~!” Jurie, the blonde woman with blue eyes, hummed as she cleaned a teacup in Vivienne Information Center.
Hearing the tragic truth about her little sister Vivienne and her father Remy had taken a toll on her. However, through her indomitable personality and considerable effort, it did not take long for her to regain her optimistic and cheerful self. The recent series of excellent news also played a part.
Jurie satisfyingly stared at the clean teacup with a smile and shouted, “Ah, how clean! Just like my hotels!”
She had listened to Seong-Hwi’s advice and invested astronomical amounts of Coins into real estate throughout the Capital. The result was outstanding. She bought all available real estate dirt cheap due to fears of war against the goblins, but the recent news blew the humans’ worries away.
“A clash between Nivalis and Humilitas!”
Humilitas did not have the leeway to wage war against the Union while they were already fighting against Nivalis. News about Abyete having no choice but to make a classified agreement with Lee Kang-San spread throughout the Capital. As a result, the prices of the buildings skyrocketed, and Jurie, who had already been rich from selling information, became several times richer in Coins.
“Hm, hm, hm~!” Jurie hummed as she placed a teacup in front of her and one across from her.
I wonder if Dad will come today? she thought.
After their reconciliation, Remy returned to the fourth zone for reclamation but occasionally visited the information center for tea. The father and daughter only drank tea in silence, but after a few visits, Jurie realized she was always waiting for Remy to return.
Just then, the door opened with the chime of the bell attached to the door.
Jurie greeted cheerfully, “Welcome to Vivienne Information—”
She stopped midway after noticing the weird combination of three visitors. One was a human wearing an odd wooden mask, and the other two were not human. One was a stubborn-looking dwarf with a beard that reached his belly button, and the other was a goblin darting his eyes around.
Seong-Hwi removed the Myriad Cheoyong Mask and greeted, “It’s been a while, Jurie.”
“Y-you!” Jurie shouted in shock.
***
Gerard D’Armont, a white-haired old man in a tailcoat, poured coffee into Seong-Hwi and Jurie’s cups. He stared at Seong-Hwi warily.
“Did you know I’d come? You already had a cup ready for me,” Seong-Hwi asked.
“Not exactly, but... Forget that! Who the hell are you? Do you seriously have a prophecy specialization D Weapon? What’s your relationship with the Cecil Hotel?”
Unlike the impatient Jurie, Seong-Hwi calmly sipped his coffee.
Looks like Chaya managed to enter the Cecil Hotel, Seong-Hwi thought.
The final mission Seong-Hwi had given Chaya was to be employed at the Cecil Hotel. Since Jurie was asking about his relationship with the Cecil Hotel, it meant she had Chaya followed.
I’m sorry, Jurie, but I have no reason to correct a misunderstanding when it’s to my advantage.
“Who knows? I’m just a guy who reads tarot cards,” Seong-Hwi replied.
“Enough playing games!”
“Was my card reading not helpful?”
“Well... I wouldn’t say that.”
“That’s all that matters. I’m just a tarot card reader. An exceptional one, might I add,” Seong-Hwi remarked shamelessly.
Jurie bit her lip and glared at Seong-Hwi.
I’m sure he’s hiding something, she thought.
Her gut, polished through her years as a reporter for Le Monde, told her the man was hiding a massive secret. However, she couldn’t press him since he was her benefactor.
Leaving aside the fact that he allowed her to become several times richer through real estate, he had also been the trigger that helped her save her father. If it hadn’t been for him, another tragedy would have befallen House Martin on top of the one in the Dark Forest.
Jurie felt shivers just thinking about it. Hence, she couldn’t try to force it out of him. She could only wait until he was willing to tell her the truth.
She glared at Seong-Hwi for a while and said, “Huuu... If you don’t want to tell me, then forget it. That aside, what’s your name? You can at least tell me that, can’t you?”
“Cheon Seong-Hwi.”
“Okay, Cheon Seong-Hwi. Hm? Cheon... Seong-Hwi?” Jurie quickly tapped through her smartphone D Weapon. “Don’t tell me... the Cheon Seong-Hwi who killed Tutobure?”
“Is it already uploaded to the Network? Information sure spreads fast.”
“It’s seriously you? Hah! Holy crap...” Jurie trailed off as he scanned Seong-Hwi.
He was undoubtedly a newbie with only a Shaco Knife when they first met.
But now... His aura is on another level!
Jurie glanced diagonally at Gerard, standing at a distance. He was not taking his eyes off Seong-Hwi, which meant he was wary of him.
The fact that old man Gerard keeps his eyes on him means... he can’t guarantee my safety!
Jurie stared at Seong-Hwi in shock. She had been in the Mirror World for five years. Although she was not specialized in combat, Seong-Hwi, who had been a newbie three months ago, had already caught up to her.
This man is Cheon Seong-Hwi, the human supernova who killed the High Ranker Tutobure and freed the prisoners of Trophy!
However, this only amplified her curiosity.
How can he have a rare prophecy specialization D Weapon and high combat prowess? What the hell is he?
Just then, Seong-Hwi said to Jurie, “I’m here to ask for a small favor.”
“A small favor?”
“Yes. As you can see, I have a freeloader on my hands.”
“Who are you calling a freeloader?! Gulp, gulp.” Muka, who had drunk the tenth bottle of alcohol in the corner of the store, said, “That’s a rude way to treat a dwarf artisan. Heh! Well, I suppose I must let it slide since I’d be the one losing out.”
Jurie stared at Muka. Artisan was a title for those who could create items. Humans who could make even F-rank items were a top priority in clan recruitment since they could be raised through unbridled support, provided they possessed talent.
And since he’s a dwarf, who are considered artisans from birth, he should at least be a C-rank artisan, Jurie said inwardly.
“Drink in moderation, Muka. That thing you’re drinking like it’s water is a nostalgia. It’s an alcohol from Earth,” Seong-Hwi remarked.
“Hmph! I’d rather die. I haven’t had alcohol in years. This isn’t alcohol, it’s an Elixir!” Muka shouted as he began to chug the eleventh bottle.
“I’m sorry. How much are they?” Seong-Hwi asked Jurie.
“Forget it. I stopped drinking. Since you killed Tutobure, we’ll call it even,” Jurie replied. She then whispered to herself, “And you took revenge for my dad.”
Seong-Hwi caught her whisper and smiled, thinking, Did she reconcile with Remy Martin? That’s great.
The Jurie he knew, who had been consumed by guilt, was only in his memories now. He had felt dejected when he realized he was the only one who remembered the bond between them, but it was ironic now that it was the complete opposite.
“So, what’s this small favor you want to ask?” Jurie asked.
“Oh, I want to buy a smithy where Muka can work. Could you find me a place?”
Jurie blinked dazedly in silence. The favor was much more normal than she had expected. It was exactly the kind of information one would ask in an information center.
Huuu... I got too used to overblown requests after dealing with him, Jurie thought.
“I have plenty of Coins, so please look for a decent place. As for the blast furnace, it’d be great if it were an item. It doesn’t matter even if it’s F-rank.”
Jurie sipped her coffee and nodded. “Alright. There’s just the right one on the market. Real estate costs have skyrocketed, but a few smithies have gone bankrupt because the cost of items they were panic buying plummeted.”
“How much?” Seong-Hwi asked.
“Forget it. I’ll just buy it for you. You’d be shocked if I told you how much I profited thanks to your proposal.”
Seong-Hwi nodded. From Jurie’s response, she seemed to have trusted his proposal. He had sent the letter, fully thinking it couldn’t be helped even if she didn’t trust him.
Now, even more lambs will be saved... Seong-Hwi trailed off in his thoughts.
“In exchange... Can I do that thing you mentioned in your letter?” Jurie asked.
“What thing?”
“Becoming your regular tarot card reading subscriber! You told me you’d make it cheap since I was your first customer!”
Seong-Hwi recalled what he had playfully written in the letter he sent her.
Hello, twenty-five-year-old, type B blood, Miss Jurie from France. Did my card reading help? If it did, I suggest you become a regular subscriber. Since you were my first customer, I’ll make it cheap.
Jurie stared at Seong-Hwi with sparkling eyes as if she were staring at a goose that could lay golden eggs.
“You won’t refuse, right? You said I was your benefactor, didn’t you? If I’m your benefactor, you should treat me as such!”
Seong-Hwi smiled at Jurie’s attitude, which gave off the feeling that he would be sorry if he refused.
He answered, “Okay, but let me ask another favor, then. Could I leave that goblin with you for a little bit?”
“That dumb-looking goblin?” said Jurie as she stared at the slender goblin crouching under the table.
“Yeah. The goblins’ reputation couldn’t be worse in the Capital right now. He might be beaten to death if I take him around with me.”
“I mean, I don’t mind, but... What’s he for?”
Seong-Hwi smiled and answered, “For the moment, my wallet, but in time... You could say he’s the key to landing a decisive blow to Humilitas.”
***
Seong-Hwi and Muka left the Vivienne Information Center. Muka did not stagger at all despite emptying twenty bottles of alcohol. As they were walking, Seong-Hwi suddenly stopped and stared at the darkness in the left alley.
“Why don’t you stop following us?” Seong-Hwi said.
“Hm? What are you doing?” Muka, walking ahead of Seong-Hwi, turned around.
However, Seong-Hwi’s eyes were fixed on the left alley.
“Things will get rowdy if you keep following us. I don’t mind, but I wonder if you feel the same way.”
The left alley was still silent. Seong-Hwi smiled and continued walking with Muka. Moments later, the white-haired old man in a tailcoat walked out of the alley and stared in the direction where Seong-Hwi disappeared. A red light momentarily glinted in his eyes.
Gerard bared his canine teeth and mumbled, “Cheeky brat.”