Tudor was still smiling, but the emotion hidden behind that face was quite complicated. It seed slightly tinged with anger, yet it was different. It was certainly the most serious expression Tudor had shown in recent tis.
What is it?
Ever since before the last request of Gamaksan, both your reputation and expectations have been on the rise. Yet, you still seem so indifferent, which makes it difficult for a broker like .
Then she waved her hands dismissively with an exaggerated gesture.
Ah its tough. It seems that even raising the financial stakes isnt enough to entice you.
Ive never complained about the compensation though.
Tudor narrowed her eyes and shook her head.
I like you. Youre reliable, and I expect that you can achieve even greater things than what youve shown so far.
But?
But it doesnt seem like youre very satisfied with the work. Even if you take the money reluctantly this ti, if we cant guarantee sothing better next ti, itll just lead to mutual frustration.
Hmm
What do you think? Id prefer if you had a wish I could fulfill, or at the very least, a desire I could understand. But even if not, I think its ti you showed a bit of whats on your mind.
A wish
It reminds of what the shadow created by the [King in Yellow] had said last ti. Of course, that doesnt an Tudor is attempting that kind of temptation with now.
Its simply a suggestion to make the terms of our deal more concrete.
It was then I realized what this scene was about.
Though it was depicted differently in the ga, it seems my relationship with Tudor has progressed to level 2.
After this event, the range of services available to will expand.
As Ive said before, its always good to have more money.
And?
Yes, thats a valid point. Money is good. In the short term, what I desire is safety, a few conveniences, and the financial ans to acquire a limited amount of resources.
However, having already secured the money necessary for imdiate needs, what cos next? What lies beyond is sothing that money cant solve.
But converting a dialogue that in the ga progresses naturally with the click of a button into carefully chosen words is no easy task.
I want sothing thats harder to obtain with money than money itself.
Such as?
After thinking for a mont, I decided to be direct. Going around in circles would only lead to the mutual frustration Tudor ntioned.
Now that I have money, Im interested in a grimoire of at least A-rank difficulty or even an artifact of S-rank or higher.
I wasnt sure if Tudor was surprised but her eyes widened.
Do you need magical knowledge? But with your skills and talents, you could undergo formal training under a proper mage or attend a magical institution in another region Why involve yourself in these ssy affairs in Paju?
Im not interested in modernized magic theories. I need sothing more primal.
Tudors words began veering off in an unexpected direction, so I interrupted her.
Sothing primal?
Abyssal beings, demons, great old beings, outer gods, or rulers from different worlds. Im seeking information related to beings known by such nas.
Ah, so you need sothing in the form of a grimoire or an artifact thats associated with such beings? Yes, indeed, those arent things one can simply acquire with money alone.
Ordinary grimoires containing conventional magical theories or artifacts of less than A-rank could be purchased with money.
However, what I needed went beyond that.
S-rank artifacts or grimoires containing information about abyssal beings couldnt be obtained through ordinary ans.
Without the right connections, power, and various other factors, acquiring them was impossible, and many of them could bring significant harm to their owners just by being in their possession.
In other words, if the client was just a nouveau riche with nothing but money to show, I wouldnt want to fulfill this request even if I could.
The grimoire Im referring to is of that nature. Or, you could introduce to soone who can take to the black market or sothing deeper.
When the conversation reached this point, Tudors smile brightened up. It was clear she wasnt hiding her joy.
Good, good. If you had ntioned this earlier, I could have been more proactive in helping you.
Well, there wasnt a particularly notable situation to speak of.
This developnt was likely an event that erged due to an increase in Tudors trust and intimacy levels.
Although I couldnt be certain, ntioning this earlier would probably have been in vain. That capricious witch might have intentionally arranged a request that had nothing to do with my wishes or completely forgotten about them.
However, at this mont she seed happy, if nothing else. From the next task onward, I could anticipate rewards beyond re financial gain.
So, it seems theres nothing imdiate for you to introduce to . Still, take this file with you.
Ill give it a read.
Do that. And if anything catches your eye, let know. Besides, you wouldnt want to find yourself short on funds if you gained access to the market later, would you?
Thats also true.
With that, my conversation with Tudor concluded.
When I was about to leave Vasilisa, Tudor followed to the entrance, making small talk all the while.
It was rare for Tudor to personally see soone off, which seed to stir a subtle sense of jealousy among the regulars lounging around the cafe.
Ill contact you as soon as I find sothing that fits the bill, so make sure to answer your phone this ti. And dont get distracted by other brokers in the anti, alright?
Tudor repeated her warning not to get sidetracked several tis as if sothing was bothering her.
Was she worried because she could see the business cards of other brokers trickling in, or was it perhaps her witchs intuition hinting at so impending crisis?
No, thats just foolish speculation.
If there was truly sothing amiss, she would have ntioned it, given her straightforward nature.
Well, I have no plans to deal with anyone else for the ti being so Ill co right over when you call.
When I completely left Vasilisa and looked around, the sun had completely set and it was dark.
The dilapidated and gloomy buildings around added a chilling atmosphere.
Alright, its ti to address the real purpose of my outing today.
I slowly made my way toward the Geumchon Market. I trusted Tudor to find the request I wanted without needing further explanation. It might take so ti, but it was a move I would have to make anyway. There was no harm in preparing in advance.
My destination for the moving preparations was Geumchon Market.
The sun had already set, and it was ti for the streetlights to illuminate the surroundings.
The key places in Geumchon Market, like the street vendors and market alleys, had closed for the day and the proprietors had gone ho. Even if I had arrived earlier, my visit to this neighborhood wasnt for the shops that cater to Pajus dayti needs.
I headed towards the Geumchon Pawnshop located on one side of Geumchon Market.
As I climbed up the old and creaky stairs of Geumchon Pawnshop, a pawn shop filled with all sorts of items from various eras revealed itself.
And Jeong Ye-eun who was the pawnshops sole part-tir greeted with a strange noise.
Hic! How can I help you?
She was still wearing her dark green school gym clothes with an apron from the Geumchon Traditional Market Prosperity Association.
I thought she might have been fired last ti But seeing her holding a duster, it seems shes still managing to work here.
Are you still working here?
Oh, yes. Youre still wearing a mask, I see. Oh! Thats the mask you bought from our shop last ti, isnt it?
Jeong Ye-eun animatedly pointed at my mask as she spoke.
Well, yes. How about the old man?
Hes inside. Grandpa!
Jeong Eun-taek, an old man with a hunched posture, walked out from inside the pawn shop.
His face was lined with wrinkles, but there was a certain drive in his firm expression.
Whats it? Ah the masked one, youre back again?
Yes. Like last ti, I have so things I want to get rid of, and so things I need.
I took out four magic stones from my bag and placed them on the counter.
Jeong Eun-taeks eyes widened.
These were items extracted from the golden dancers guarding that strange historical site in Tanhyeon.
The purity was remarkable, with not a single impurity marring their clear luster and their size was considerable.
Magic stones of this level were difficult to co by even in Paju.
Whats this? Where did you pick up sothing of such high purity? Did you cross the Imjin River when I wasnt looking?
Jeong Eun-taek grumbled as he fumbled for his glasses.
It was the sa peculiar pair I had seen before with several small lenses attached to them.
Taking one of the magic stones in hand, Jeong Eun-taek switched the lenses of his glasses to examine it closely.
Oh sh*t its genuine. Did you bring this here intending to take all the cash in the shop?
Grandpa, but why cross the Imjin River? Monsters appear in Paju too, dont they? Havent you heard about the werewolf sighting in Gwangtan? Its been only about two months!
Jeong Ye-eun subtly joined the conversation.
If they were referring to the werewolf sighted in Gwangtan two months ago could it possibly be about Lee Chang-hyuk? It seems like the details have been sowhat distorted.
No, whether its a werewolf or whatever, there are no monsters in Paju that could produce magic stones of this caliber.
Ah
Its not like its a gold rush. Fixers and monster hunters have been invading and turning Paju upside down for over 20 years now. What do you think is left?
It was a valid point. Based on the setting of [Cthulhu World], there was a trendous event known as the [Great Collapse] that happened around 20 years ago, during which monsters from the Cthulhu mythos massively erged in various parts of the world.
At that ti, the place that ironically saw the most monstrous influx in Korea, specifically on the Korean Peninsula, was North Korean territory. Of course, other parts of Korea also witnessed the appearance of cultists following the abyssal entities, monsters, surreal beings, and aliens, but compared to North Korea, which had practically vanished, it was almost laughable.
The situation was so severe that Gangwon Province and the northern part of Gyeonggi were on the verge of devastation due to the monsters crossing the demilitarized zone and moving southward.
But thats sowhat of an old story now. In the ga tiline of [Cthulhu World], most issues have been resolved by now. Todays Paju is suffering from too many treasure hunters, fixers, and criminal organizations relative to the reduced number of monsters.
Well, if we follow the gas storyline, this is just a temporary lull before the main story leads to a second Great Collapse and the onset of doom.
And in none of the endings I experienced was there a route where this world was safely protected, and all the monsters were driven away.
In the anti, Jeong Ye-eun briefly wore a thoughtful expression on her face before she suddenly exclaid.
Ah!
It seed she had arrived at the conclusion her grandfather was leading her towards.
Ahjussi, does that an you actually went to North Korea?
No.
This ti, Jeong Eun-taek who was nearby raised his voice with a disapproving expression on his face.
What? So, are you saying there are this many monsters in Paju capable of producing sothing like this?
Hmm failing to answer this properly could lead to trouble.
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