24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 153

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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24-Hour Friendly Market Specializing in Dimensional Items Episode 153

 

Episode 153. Trigger (5)

 

Not speaking doesn’t mean not giving an answer.

 

Theobald once again avoided eye contact and pretended not to know, but anyone could see that he was clearly suspicious of having his sibling as an informant.

 

His tight-lipped silence here was probably due to familial love trying to protect his sibling.

 

Of course, that earnest and beautiful familial love belonged to Theobald alone.

 

“Speak up, Theobald. Why are you just rolling your eyes around so frustratingly?”

 

Here was Theobald’s friend, a dwarf who spoke quite harshly.

 

“If we all die because of the war, you won’t be able to see your sibling again anyway, so is there really a need to hide it?”

 

And there was Lee Hae-won, who was experienced with frustrating situations and wasn’t being kind about it.

 

Neither Brozen nor I were the type to quietly understand and sympathize with tearful family love.

 

Of course, Brozen seemed to flinch at my rude words, but he probably felt the same way I did anyway.

 

I just stared at Theobald’s confused eyes as he pretended not to know and kept his mouth shut.

 

‘It doesn’t look like he’ll open his mouth right away.’

 

Anyway, Theobald was the person in charge of Gearsgard, so he must have tried to move Gearsgard based on the information Green had passed on.

 

Still, I’m not so narrow-minded that I can’t understand that much.

 

“We all know each other here, so stop being so frustrating and let’s talk openly.”

 

And I’m not patient enough to wait for each of these things in a busy situation.

 

When I added this with a tone suggesting I was being patient one more time, Theobald pondered while moving his lips.

 

I reflexively clenched my teeth.

 

I had no desire to see a bearded middle-aged man cutely moving his lips around…

 

Fortunately, Theobald opened his mouth with a wistful tone before long.

 

“This is… kind of a long story. It’s not something to discuss lightly here…”

 

I replied coldly.

 

“Then summarize it.”

 

How long was he going to hesitate like this in front of his life’s benefactor who had saved his life?

 

Perhaps flustered by my cold tone, Theobald looked at Brozen with disbelief and asked.

 

“…Did this person really save me?”

 

“Stop whining and speak up quickly, Theobald. I need to hear this too.”

 

By the way, Brozen was on my side too.

 

Realizing he couldn’t win against the combined attack of human and dwarf, Theobald soon let out a deep sigh.

 

It was about another minute later when Theobald, who had been tapping the floor with his finger, opened his mouth.

 

“Green took a smuggling ship a few years ago.”

 

“A smuggling ship? Didn’t you say Green died in an engine explosion accident?”

 

Since this was apparently the first time Brozen was hearing this story too, his reaction was quite serious.

 

Theobald shook his head with a troubled expression.

 

“It was a lie. As you know, smuggling is illegal. We controlled the information so it wouldn’t leak to the outside.”

 

Given that they were in the middle of a war, travel between cities would inevitably be difficult.

 

A brief visit under strict security might be manageable somehow, but actual relocation would be nearly impossible.

 

That’s because neither the sending city nor the receiving city could be trusted in this situation.

 

“Green was reckless. The smuggling process wasn’t thorough either. He said unilaterally that since only a sinking future remained in Gearsgard and he couldn’t find hope for himself, he would leave this place. Then he just left behind a single letter saying to live well and departed.”

 

“…”

 

“When I discovered the letter late and tried to find him somehow… that smuggling ship had already crashed after being attacked by the military.”

 

“So that’s why you thought he was dead.”

 

Theobald lowered his gaze and let out a deep sigh.

 

Brozen couldn’t easily find words to say either.

 

Only the roaring sound of the engine rang dully in our ears.

 

“…I just thought he had died like that. But suddenly I received contact.”

 

“Since when?”

 

“About a month ago.”

 

A month.

 

It was a period that could be considered long or short, but strangely concerning timing.

 

The agreement between Glimmerstona and Floraban had broken down, and the theft incident was only a few days ago.

 

Perhaps Aeteria had already been dancing on a predetermined stage since a month ago?

 

‘It’s possible that Berilsha was the one who instigated the agreement between Glimmerstona and Floraban in the first place.’

 

While I was suspecting the political relationships between the three cities, Brozen asked Theobald with a look of incomprehension.

 

“Then why did she contact you now? You siblings didn’t have such a bad relationship, so why contact you only after 5 years?”

 

“Well, Green must have had her circumstances too…”

 

“What circumstances? Are you sure it was really Green who contacted you? Aren’t you being foolishly deceived?”

 

“Foolish?! Do you think I wouldn’t recognize Green’s voice?”

 

“You’re old now and your hearing isn’t good, so it’s possible!”

 

Theobald flared up at Brozen’s harsh words that hit right on target.

 

Between the two mechanics who had jumped to their feet, a chilly atmosphere arose as if a fistfight would break out at any moment.

 

“If you’re going to fight, fight later.”

 

I calmly stepped between the two.

 

There was no time to get caught up in an emotional fight between two old men.

 

Even the time to sort out this situation was precious.

 

“Mr. Theobald, what exactly did Green tell you?”

 

When I pressed for the truth once again, Theobald reflexively clamped his mouth shut.

 

I added calmly.

 

“What did Green say?”

 

After hesitating for a moment, Theobald slowly opened his mouth only after receiving a punch from Brozen’s powerful fist.

 

“Just… she said she had settled in well. That she was living as an ordinary citizen of Berilsha…”

 

“That’s a lie. She must have said something else.”

 

When I spoke coldly, Theobald flinched.

 

“The current situation is serious. How did Gearsgard know that Floraban’s barrier had disappeared, and how did they know about the agreement between Glimmerstona and Floraban? These are matters that would be handled sensitively anywhere in war-torn Aeteria, and an ordinary citizen couldn’t know such things.”

 

“That’s right. Theobald, before you throw our 40-year friendship outside the island, tell us properly.”

 

Even if he throws away that friendship, he’ll just fall from above again anyway.

 

Remembering Aeteria’s cyclical structure that I had momentarily forgotten, I focused on Theobald again.

 

“Green told you this, right?”

 

“….”

 

Theobald rolled his eyes and soon nodded his head with difficulty.

 

‘Ah, seriously.’

 

If he was going to tell me anyway, was there any need to drag it out this long?

 

“That’s right, I leaked the information Green gave me to the Gearsgard army. No, but it wasn’t like this at first… At first it was definitely… just content about living well…”

 

Well, I could understand his confusion.

 

Since his younger brother, who he thought was dead, contacted him saying he was alive, Theobald would have shed tears of relief before he could even find it suspicious.

 

But isn’t manipulating people usually a subtle art?

 

Whatever Green’s situation was, the fact remained that he had subtly leaked information to Theobald.

 

Theobald added as if rambling.

 

“Green said he was assisting someone. He said a high-ranking person who thought well of his engineering knowledge accepted him as a citizen, saying he would be helpful for research…”

 

“A high-ranking person? Who?”

 

“I don’t know exactly. But I think he said it was a high-ranking mage.”

 

“Hah, so that’s how he knew classified information.”

 

Brozen snorted as if he understood perfectly.

 

“According to Green… his boss was an easy person to serve. Mages originally have that aspect, you know, holing up and just memorizing spells.”

 

“That’s right, they’re a very sinister bunch.”

 

Brozen, who had momentarily forgotten his sneering, chimed in as if agreeing.

 

“Anyway, he said the guy completely stays away from things like politics or war.”

 

I perked up my ears.

 

Saying he ‘doesn’t care about things like politics or war’ means he’s originally someone who should care about them.

 

The high-ranking mage that Green serves might be a mayor-level figure in Berilsha.

 

Sure enough, important information followed.

 

“But from a few months ago, he suddenly started coming out of his research lab and giving various orders. He’d tell him to look into the situations of other cities he usually showed no interest in, or to report on the status of mana stones.”

 

As expected.

 

It would have looked like an assistant complaining to his brother about his boss’s abuse of power, but in reality, there was a lot of hidden information.

 

I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling like another piece of the puzzle had fallen into place.

 

‘The mage that Green serves is Aeteria’s strongest being.’

 

He was affected by the Tower of Babel being erected, and forgetting his original interests, he was steadily preparing to destroy this dimension.

 

The direction of destruction depends on what kind of being the dimension’s strongest is.

 

If that mage was truly sinister and unfathomable, he might not step forward directly but try to manipulate others from behind.

 

Then Theobald added, searching his memory.

 

“Oh, after his boss came out, another mage he’d never seen before appeared too. It hasn’t even been a week?”

 

“Another mage?”

 

“I don’t know the details. But he said since he wasn’t a mage registered in Berilsha, he had to register anew. He said he was an extremely difficult person.”

 

A newcomer who appeared less than a week ago, not even registered.

 

‘That’s Seo Jae-hyuk.’

 

If that newcomer isn’t Seo Jae-hyuk, I’ll eat my hat.

 

Of course, based on what I’ve heard so far, I can’t clearly determine what kind of relationship that mage has with Seo Jae-hyuk.

 

Considering Seo Jae-hyuk’s usual temperament, he might have conversely subdued and controlled that mage.

 

‘But that mage in Berilsha was influenced by the Tower of Babel, so I can’t be certain that’s necessarily the case.’

 

The mage could have become exceptionally strong and conversely subdued and controlled Seo Jae-hyuk instead.

 

This is Aetheria where spirits exist in the first place, so I can’t get a sense of how powerful the top forces in this dimension are.

 

I need to find out more accurate information about this.

 

Seeing that Theobald even knows about Seo Jae-hyuk’s appearance, the contact intervals can’t be that long.

 

I scratched my chin and asked cautiously.

 

“How do you usually make contact?”

 

“Well, by telephone.”

 

…There are telephones in this world too?

 

Having telephones in a world where magic and spirits exist doesn’t quite match, but I soon recalled that Gearsgard was a city of machines.

 

Anyway, if there’s a means of communication, things become a bit easier.

 

“Then when and how do you make contact? Do they contact you first?”

 

At my hastily added question, Theobald hesitated and glanced around nervously.

 

“Well… this afternoon.”

 

I cheered inwardly.

 

What perfect timing.

 

If I can get more information from Green by combining what I’ve heard so far, I’ll be able to solve Berilsha’s hidden secrets.

 

And perhaps I might even find a clue to solve the scenario.

 

I grabbed Theobald’s forearm with determination.

 

Just as Theobald, startled by my suddenly close touch, stepped back.

 

I made a very serious but impolite proposal.

 

“Let’s eavesdrop on that phone call.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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