Episode 31. Contract

“I burned myself out completely….”

“I don’t think I could do it again if you asked me to….”

Wow.

Sitting in the makeup room within the Public Relations department, I looked into the mirror.

This is going to sound really bad, but I honestly can’t tell what’s changed.

“This should surprise everyone, right?”

“Hurry up and go out there. I can already picture the Chairman and the foreign student’s surprised faces. Hohoho.”

“Ah, yes.”

If you hype me up that much, my confidence is bound to soar. Maybe I’m actually damn handsome?

Is this some kind of magic makeup that only looks good to women?

I tidied up my clothes neatly in front of the mirror and exited the dressing room.

Sitting naturally on the sofa in the PR department’s lounge was an angel.

No, not an angel, it was Alice.

The scene where Alice first appeared in the game suddenly flashed through my mind.

[How should I describe her as she ascended the podium at the entrance ceremony?]

[Her neatly styled blonde hair seemed to illuminate the surroundings, following the elegant curves of her figure.]

[Her impossibly fair skin and delicate, well-defined features.]

[The combination of her beautiful face and the student uniform was like the epitome of innocence, yet her calm expression held a hint of allure.]

[The brief glimpse of her as she climbed the three steps to the podium was deeply etched into my memory.]

“Staring at someone like that is rude, you know.”

“Ah, ah. Sorry.”

I had been staring intently at Alice’s face without realizing it.

“Is there something you wanted to say?”

“Uh… you look pretty.”

“…Thanks. But why do you look the same as when you went in?”

Wait, you said everyone would be shocked. You ladies.

Or maybe not? Perhaps they’re just too embarrassed to show it.

“Ahem, well. That can happen.”

“If you’re done, come out quickly. The Chairman is waiting outside.”

Alice left those words behind and exited the PR department lounge first.

If that was acting, she could definitely switch careers.

Shit, that makeup took over an hour. What a waste of effort.

“…Junior, you look absolutely, incredibly, insanely amazing.”

But Surin noona, who was waiting outside, had a different reaction.

“Nah, I look the same as always. What are you talking about?”

“I really don’t know how to put it into words… You’re insane! Just… wow.”

So, this is my limit, huh?

Receiving Surin noona’s praise and sparkling eyes boosted my mood again.

“Let’s start with a shot with the student council building as the background!”

The cheerful-looking male photographer suggested we take a picture.

I made an awkward face and formed a V-sign with my left hand.

“Aww, the male student looks too tense. It’s a shame for such a face.”

“S-sorry.”

Tuk tuk.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder, so I looked over, and Alice made eye contact.

“Copy me.”

Alice crossed her arms, turned about 45 degrees, and showed me her back.

Ah. That pose.

I also turned about 45 degrees and pressed my back against Alice’s.

“Ooh~ Great pose, great! You look confident!”

Click click.

“They came out incredibly well. Let’s move to the next location!”

*

“Okay~ Smile for the camera.”

Click click.

“Next, we’ll move to the Academy Library~.”

I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve moved already.

Surin noona disappeared from the student council building, saying she had a lot of work to do after watching. From where I stand, I bet she ran off because she was too lazy.

Alice looks a bit tired too. She’s probably physically healthy, so it must be mentally draining.

“Let’s go with a shot of us sitting in chairs, holding books, and pretending to read!”

He’s really passionate. Does he get paid a lot?

Click click.

“Okay, next… Oh dear, look at the time already.”

It’s finally over! The end of a grueling 3-hour photoshoot…!

“Have lunch, and meet me back at the Victoria Academy central fountain by 1 PM.”

Oh, fuck.

The filming crew left with those words, laughing heartily as they went off to eat.

Alice and I looked at each other in the library like abandoned ducklings.

“Do you have any plans after this?”

“Not really.”

“Then, want to grab lunch together?”

“…Sure.”

Glad she’s willing to eat with me.

Alice answered curtly and started walking ahead.

*

“…”

Alice walked ahead and entered what looked like a restaurant.

I quickly followed her.

A waiter came over to take our order. I looked at Alice, she let out a long sigh, and then ordered, ‘The same as me.’

She’s a genius? I should have said that too.

The waiter disappeared, and I quietly looked around.

It reminded me of a steakhouse I splurged on back in my twenties.

That place was great back then too, but the atmosphere here is different.

Even the air feels different; it’s like they’ll charge you for breathing this high-class air.

Nom nom.

Alice, sitting across from me, seemed unfazed, probably because she comes here often, and quietly tore into the bread basket.

Hmm. Since there’s nothing else to do, maybe I should try starting a conversation?

Compliments make even whales dance. Let’s try a compliment.

“But your makeup looks really good. I was surprised earlier.”

“Why the sudden flattery?”

“Uh… I was just saying what I felt… Sorry.”

“No, you don’t need to apologize… Haa. Just eat your meal quietly.”

“Okay…”

Why is she being so prickly? Is she mad at me?

I felt awkward too, so I quietly ate my bread.

The food soon arrived, and we finished our meal.

I did manage to strike up conversations occasionally by dropping hints about topics Alice likes.

Luckily, talking about the classic movie that opened a few days ago worked.

‘It’s a good thing I studied Alice’s tastes.’

Since I didn’t know when I’d meet Alice again, I memorized news about new releases from her favorite authors or classical performances.

Somehow, we finished lunch and left the restaurant.

Lunch took quite a while, and our meeting time is almost here.

“It took longer than expected. It’s already 12:50. Let’s hurry.”

“That’s because you kept talking about pointless things. It’s manners to focus on your meal when eating, don’t you know that?”

“It was fun though. Don’t you want to see ‘Figaro and the Pirates’?”

“That might be true… Haa. I’m tired. They said the afternoon schedule would be quick, so just follow along. Let’s get this over with.”

Alice looked around and then walked straight ahead.

“Uh, hey? Isn’t that the wrong way?”

The central fountain is the opposite direction from here.

Whether Alice didn’t hear me or ignored me, she kept walking.

Can she not hear me?

*

“Alright, that’s a wrap for today’s shoot! Good work, everyone!”

“Good work!”

“Good work!”

The afternoon shoot definitely finished quickly. We only moved locations twice, so that’s pretty good.

Although, if we hadn’t had to backtrack because of Alice, it would have ended even earlier.

“If you didn’t know the way, you should have just said so.”

“…It happens. People aren’t perfect all the time.”

“Well, I guess seeing your human side felt nice. I couldn’t imagine walking towards the central fountain and ending up at the Academy’s outer wall, though.”

“….”

“Tsk.”

Alice’s flustered expression when she faced the outer wall after heading towards the central fountain was genuinely cute.

The way she glanced at me, blushed, turned in the opposite direction, and walked away quickly was also hilarious.

“…Lee Hoyeon.”

Alice called my name in a low voice.

Shit. She looks pissed.

Then she strode over and poked my chest with her index finger.

“You know, there’s a limit to how much I can overlook your rude behavior just because you’re good-looking.”

Alice gave me a warning, though not explicitly, and then quickly left as if fleeing.

“I learned this from you, you bitch….”

And you said I looked the same before and after the makeup earlier, but you’re right, I did get better looking. What of it.

*

“Ah, I don’t want to get up.”

Since I spent the entire Saturday on the photoshoot, Sunday should be a day off, but I have something to do.

I need to go shopping.

Of course, I’m not planning on going to a department store; it’s black market shopping.

An opportunity to make money has come, so I should take it.

Normally, to check an item’s information, you need to use the [Appraise] magic or an appraisal scroll.

But with my ability, the ‘Equipment Status Window,’ I can see the information just by looking.

This is clearly a sign telling me to grab all the scam items lying around the black market.

I had resolved to make that happen this weekend, but getting up is proving difficult.

Sigh. If I’m going anyway, it’s better to go early and rest later.

‘Let’s put off today’s work until tomorrow.’ That’s my motto, but I’ve already procrastinated enough.

Starting tomorrow, classes begin, and I’ll have even less time.

I forced my eyes open, put on casual clothes, and headed out to the Academy shopping district.

The emergency stairs of the Samro Department Store. It’s the access route to the underground black market.

Different guys than the muscle-heads from last time were guarding it.

I presented my coin, and they quietly stepped aside, letting me slip through.

It’s my first time since visiting the pharmacy last time, so it’s been a while.

Let’s stop by the pharmacy too. I might get lucky.

Throughout the underground area, various people had set up stalls to sell their wares.

There were vendors selling everything from monster byproducts to beakers full of blood and even live fish.

Seeing it in person was quite a sight.

Of course, sometimes you find hidden gems among these people, but most are just losers from the surface world.

The black market is a place everyone knows about but pretends not to.

It’s not like the country and the Association are idiots; with all sorts of ability users around, how could they not notice the flow of money and goods?

In the end, this is the ‘Weak Black Market,’ frequented by the relatively less powerful.

The ‘Strong Black Market’ is kept extremely secret, accessible only to VIPs.

It’s filled with illegal activities that cross the line, like human trafficking, human experimentation, rape, monster gladiatorial matches, and more.

Even if its location were discovered, they often turn a blind eye due to the substantial bribes involved.

Anyway, this is the low-tier ‘Weak Black Market.’

But that’s precisely why there might be hidden treasures here.

The riff-raff in the ‘Weak Black Market’ wouldn’t have a keen eye for treasures.

It looks like it’s right here, anyone can tell.

[Booty & Antique]

It’s a shop that practically screams ‘Antiques gathered here~!’

The fact that it’s a proper shop, not just a stall, already suggests it’s decent.

I lifted the cloth covering the entrance and stepped inside.

The musty smell of old items. The smell of money.

“You’re a new face. Welcome.”

An old man sitting in a chair behind the counter greeted me with a smile.

His shabby clothes and missing teeth didn’t make a great first impression.

“Looking for anything in particular? I can help you pick something out, roughly.”

I didn’t answer and quietly browsed the items. The old man didn’t seem to expect an answer either, closing his eyes and fanning himself quietly.

‘Trash. This is trash too. An early cigarette recipe? Trash as well.’

It was literally a feast of garbage.

This is like finding a needle in a haystack, except the haystack is made of trash.

“Hmm….”

As I checked each item one by one, the old man eventually opened his eyes and watched me.

What’s his deal? Is the crazy old geezer losing it?

I ignored his intense gaze and continued searching.

After about 30 minutes of rummaging through the antiques, I found something.

────[ Hellish Ruffian Summoning Contract ]────

▶ Grade: Supreme

▶ A summoning contract imbued with demonic magic. While the quality of the summoned beings is poor, the magic inscribed is highly advanced, making it a supreme-grade contract.

▶ Allows summoning and contracting with ruffians treated as burdens in Hell.

-────────────

What is this item? Is it good or bad, I can’t tell.

It mentioned summoning from Hell, so I grabbed it to check, and it turns out to be a summoning contract for ruffians.

“This is ridiculous.”

I was so dumbfounded that I forgot the old man was there and muttered to myself.

Luckily, the old man didn’t seem to care. He must have trained his mental fortitude dealing with crazy customers while running this antique shop.

‘Ah, this is kinda tempting.’

Ruffian. Burden. Those words are quite off-putting, but it’s a supreme-grade summoning scroll, they say.

There’s something about it that appeals to a man’s desires.

‘No, I need to find something more reliable right now.’

I forcibly tore my eyes away from the [Hellish Ruffian Summoning Contract] and continued browsing other items.

“….”

*

“Good choice. I don’t know what that scroll is, but I bought it from a man completely wrapped in robes about 10 years ago. I hope it’s useful to you.”

“Yeah, yeah. Have a good day.”

Damn it. I bought it.

[Hellish Ruffian Summoning Contract]!

I don’t know what it does, but it sounds cool!

Excited at the thought of trying out the summoning scroll, I immediately ran back to my dorm.

Click!

After making sure the dorm door was locked, I took out the summoning scroll I had clutched to my chest.

I placed the summoning scroll on the floor and slowly infused it with mana.

Shoooong-

Light poured out from the scroll, filling the room.

I closed my eyes against the light, and when I opened them, something appeared before me.

————————–

[ Hellish Ruffian Summoning Contract ]

Are you the one who summoned the Hellish Ruffians?

Choose one of the four ruffians.

1. The devilish butcher obsessed with human flesh, Lucifer

2. The Incubus golden boy, the virgin-slayer of Hell Academy

3. An F-rank mercenary for 20 years. The tenacity of a battle-worn veteran Centaur

4. A 50-year-old spinster expert web-spinner Succubus

—————————

“…What the fuck is this.”