Black Market (2)

I looked at Choi Bit-na running over.

With eyes mixing both gladness and bewilderment.

“Master! Master!”

Choi Bit-na started running over calling me master, even though her real master, Spear King Lee Ji-gwang, was behind her.

Just before Bit-na’s forehead was about to collide with mine as she ran up close, I pressed my index finger firmly on her forehead.

Blocking Bit-na’s charge, I pointed to the words written very classically on the pillar wall.

For the smooth use of the market by all customers, we ask for your consideration and quietness.

“Quiet.”

At my firm words, Bit-na suppressed her bold nature. Just a little bit.

“O-okay, quiet.”

“Good, well done.”

Without realizing it, I patted Bit-na’s crown.

Was it because I had been patted too much by the Sword Empress that a mechanism was created to do the same to someone else?

“Howoong.”

A strange sound flowed from Bit-na’s mouth. I hurriedly lifted my right hand that had been patting Bit-na. Of course, it was because Bit-na started making strange noises.

When I stopped patting, Bit-na grabbed my wrist.

“Hoong? Why did you stop?”

Because strange sounds started coming out of your mouth.

I silently passed it by and bowed my head towards the person who had approached right behind Bit-na.

It was Spear King Lee Ji-gwang, one of the Ten Venerables.

He was wearing casual formal wear. But the clothes couldn’t completely hide his large build and muscular body.

Just from the outside, a fierce aura was emanating.

“Hello.”

Lee Ji-gwang looked at my face with a stern expression. I had heard that he always maintained a style of neatly combing back his hair.

“Yes, nice to meet you. Student Lee Dojin.”

Lee Ji-gwang held out his large hand to me.

“Thank you for discovering my disciple’s talent. And for awakening it.”

I felt sincerity in those blunt words.

“Even if it wasn’t me, she would have awakened that talent someday.”

Lee Ji-gwang slowly nodded his head.

“That’s true. But it would have taken a very long time.”

Lee Ji-gwang pointed at Choi Bit-na with his chin.

“That’s why I tolerate that guy calling me the second master.”

I was dumbfounded.

As expected, Choi Bit-na wasn’t normal either. You’re pushing someone like the Spear King to a lower rank with just one day of training together?

“Why am I your first master? It’s the Spear King.”

Bit-na shook her head side to side.

“If it wasn’t for you, I’d still be trembling at the sight of people, right? And if I hadn’t performed to some extent in the mock dungeon exam, I wouldn’t have caught the Spear King’s eye.”

Bit-na’s eyes were filled with longing for something. Those eyes full of sincere gratitude were shining brightly with intelligence.

Seeing those eyes, I couldn’t say the same words as before.

I couldn’t keep pushing down words said out of genuine gratitude.

The Spear King laughed loudly.

“Hahaha! Leave it. I’ve given up. I’m satisfied being the second master.”

To understand and be satisfied with that.

Fortunately, the Spear King was more of a gentleman than I thought.

“Come to the Prism Guild sometime when you’re free.”

Spear King Lee Ji-gwang was the master of the Prism Guild.

Lee Ji-gwang raised the corners of his mouth.

“The appearance you showed in the mock dungeon exam was certainly enough to provoke fighting spirit as a fellow fighter.”

It wasn’t just casual talk, but a weighty tone.

“I understand.”

Choi Bit-na, who had been standing quietly beside, poked her head in again from the side.

“Come visit often during summer vacation! I’ll be at the guild the whole vacation period.”

“Alright.”

The places to go during summer vacation are increasing day by day. In the end, the first thing to resolve will be the matter with Sword Emperor So Daecheol.

This time, someone appeared behind me.

“It’s been a while. Gwangi.”

Gwangi?

I wondered who it was referring to, but it was a term for Spear King Lee Ji-gwang in front of me.

“…I told you not to call me that. Noona.”

“Puhuhuh!”

Yoo Seol-ah let out a laugh and then approached Choi Bit-na, who was looking at her with bright eyes.

“Are you Jigwang’s disciple?”

Choi Bit-na suddenly started trembling all over. She opened her eyes wide as if she had seen an unbelievable alien.

“Sword Empress! I’m a fan!”

She suddenly threw herself towards Yoo Seol-ah. Bit-na rubbed her face against Yoo Seol-ah’s chest.

Baek Hwayeon, standing next to me, twisted her mouth in shock at the sight.

That’s quite unrestrained skinship.

“Whoa!”

Unable to watch anymore, Lee Ji-gwang grabbed his disciple’s shoulder and pulled her off the Sword Empress.

“Wow, that felt so good.”

Bit-na suddenly wiped her mouth and said. What felt so good?

“So the Sword Empress was my master’s dedicated instructor?”

Bit-na, who came back to my side, furrowed her brow at me.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You didn’t ask.”

“I didn’t ask! But how can a person not go around talking about having the Sword Empress as a dedicated instructor!”

Was it normal to go around talking about that?

Well, when Bit-na became the Spear King’s disciple, she told us almost right away at a drinking party.

“The Sword Empress is the idol, light, and hope of countless female students!”

I told you to be quiet.

Bit-na shouted with a confident tone, but her disciple Baek Hwayeon had a bewildered expression.

“W-was my master that amazing?”

Certainly, having lived with the Sword Empress every day since childhood, Baek Hwayeon might have less mystique about her master.

A low murmur. But Bit-na, who had heard those words with uncanny sharpness, now thrust her face at her.

“Dojin’s friend! Your name is Baek Hwayeon, right?”

“Y-yes.”

They say an attention seeker shrinks back when they see an even bigger attention seeker. The quite lively Baek Hwayeon looked extremely normal in front of Bit-na.

“So you were the Sword Empress’s disciple.”

Bit-na, who muttered lowly, glanced at the spear she was carrying.

“Why did I choose the spear as my weapon!”

Is she openly saying she’s not satisfied with her own master, the Spear King, right now?

Being that honest to that degree is a crime.

Lee Ji-gwang, who looked like he could cry without guilt at this point, burst into laughter contrary to my thoughts.

“Kekeke! Leave it. Even if you pick up a sword, it would be of no use since your innate talent itself is for spear techniques.”

That was true.

When we gave Bit-na a sword, she didn’t show the same ghostly instinctive movements as when using a spear.

“You can never become Noona’s disciple even if you die and come back to life. It means you can’t escape from my grasp, disciple.”

Hearing the latter part, the two seemed to fit quite well as master and disciple.

“It’s been a while since we came, shall we go see the owner? What do you think?”

The Sword Empress’s words were directed at the Spear King.

The Spear King nodded.

“It has been quite a while since I’ve seen that fellow’s face, so I should see him once.”

The Sword Empress looked over the three students.

“Follow me.”

The destination seemed to be the top floor, the 30th floor.

---

The 30th floor, the top floor of the Black Market.

That’s where the owner’s office was located.

And of course, the top floor wasn’t a place just anyone could enter.

We took the unofficial elevator that started from the basement again and arrived at the 30th floor.

Even then, we could only fully enter the 30th floor after confirming our identities with two burly security guards.

A brown-haired woman with round, large-lensed glasses stood up from an expensive-looking office chair.

It was Kim Yeoryeong, an Awakened One who had awakened the unique class of Interpreter and the owner of this Black Market.

“Welcome, Sword Empress, Spear King.”

“Yes, Yeoryeong.”

“It’s been a while, Manager Kim.”

The Sword Empress greeted first, followed by the Spear King.

Lee Dojin bowed once and then looked around the 30th floor. His eyes were drawn to the numerous miscellaneous goods and artifacts, excluding weapons.

Choi Bit-na and Baek Hwayeon also stared with shining eyes at the various glowing accessories.

“The items here still can’t be sold because their appraisal isn’t finished yet.”

Kim Yeoryeong welcomed the disciples of her acquaintances warmly.

Among all the rare unapprised items,

What caught Lee Dojin’s attention was none other than a very small tree in an old flowerpot.

It was so unusual that it was hard to tell if it was a tree or just a stem.

As Lee Dojin was looking at that tree, brown hair suddenly entered his view from the side.

“It’s a tree that was found in that old flowerpot exactly as it is, in a dungeon a few days ago. That small tree doesn’t react even when appraised, and there’s no unusual reaction even when watered. It’s clearly alive, but just a tree.”

“I see.”

Kim Yeoryeong, whose age was hard to gauge from her impression, took in Lee Dojin with both eyes.

“You must be Student Lee Dojin who’s attracting the attention of all academy-related people. I’m surprised you look more ordinary than I thought.”

If Kim Yeoryeong had the ability to interpret people as well as objects, she wouldn’t have called Lee Dojin, in whose body Mistilteinn was living and breathing, ordinary, but Kim Yeoryeong’s ability had clear limits.

Kim Yeoryeong smiled with her eyes.

“Once you get your hunter license, I’ll make you a Black Market membership. Come anytime.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Kim Yeoryeong smiled with her eyes once more and then headed back to where the Sword Empress and Spear King were.

Lee Dojin, with a hopeful heart, raised his hand and stroked the small tree.

Twitch-

‘Huh?’

Thinking it might have been his imagination, he stroked it again.

Twitch!

‘It moved.’

It definitely moved. Looking closely, a faint green light seemed to be flowing from where it was planted.

Soon after, the voice of Mistilteinn in Advice Ego state was heard.