24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 158

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

24-Hour Friendly Market Specializing in Dimensional Items Episode 158

Episode 158. Turning Point (4)

Emerald Tower of Berilsha City Hall, meeting room on the top floor.

Lee Ja-gyeom looked around with an uncomfortable feeling.

The meeting room decorated with emerald-colored pillars and thick purple curtains certainly had a luxurious atmosphere.

The people of Berilsha had also treated the raid team with utmost care and guided them here.

However, Lee Ja-gyeom felt uncomfortable as if wearing clothes that didn’t fit his body.

It wasn’t actually because he was wearing clothes that didn’t fit his body.

Lee Ja-gyeom was currently wearing the Sinrok Guild uniform of loose pants and a robe, so he felt no discomfort whatsoever.

He was already extremely nervous about being selected for the same raid team as three S-rank Hunters, but then they suddenly dropped into Glimerstona, and the suddenly appearing ‘Lee Hae’ started giving various orders as if he were part of the raid team.

For his delicate and fragile self, only difficult situations kept continuing…

‘What the hell is this now!’

Lee Ja-gyeom resisted the urge to tear at his hair and only rolled his eyes sideways.

This discomfort was all because of Seo Jae-hyuk.

The number one ranked Hunter in South Korea, the head of Aegis, sitting at the end of the long table in the meeting room as if he were one of Berilsha’s people.

Lee Ja-gyeom had been dispatched to other guilds several times as a healer belonging to Sinrok, and had visited Aegis a few times as well.

Each time, he had seen Seo Jae-hyuk from a distance.

Seo Jae-hyuk always passed by with a dry, uninterested expression as if he had no interest in worldly affairs, but he was still someone who exuded a sense of mission as a Hunter of South Korea.

Not exactly a likeable character, but no reason to hate him either.

Well, all South Koreans feel that kind of debt of gratitude toward Seo Jae-hyuk who firmly maintains his first place position.

But the Seo Jae-hyuk that Lee Ja-gyeom felt indebted to wasn’t someone with this kind of atmosphere.

‘But why is his atmosphere so different?’

He was originally far from having a gentle impression, but he wasn’t someone who was this sharp either.

Right now, Seo Jae-hyuk was looking at Lee Hwa-yeon, Chae Geun-dam, and himself as if they were enemies.

‘Was what Lee Hae said true?’

Lee Ja-gyeom recalled the advice from that extremely suspicious character named Lee Hae.

Those words about how there was a high probability that Seo Jae-hyuk had become strange somewhere, and asking him to help bring him back to his senses.

Then the mage who appeared to have the highest position among Berilsha’s administrators bowed politely.

“So Berilsha intends to treat you all as honored guests. We will make arrangements so that you have no inconveniences during your stay in Berilsha, so please feel free to tell us anytime if you need anything.”

“…Honored guests, you say.”

“That’s right. We will regard all three of you – Chae Geun-dam, Lee Hwa-yeon, and Lee Ja-gyeom – as precious guests of Berilsha and treat you with utmost care.”

While Chae Geun-dam lowered his gaze with a somehow complicated expression.

Even in the midst of this, Seo Jae-hyuk just watched the three of them without saying anything.

Why was he sending those hostile eyes toward his own allies, for crying out loud!

Lee Hwa-yeon and Chae Geun-dam aside, Lee Ja-gyeom, an A-rank Hunter, felt like he might stop breathing at any moment.

But fortunately, Lee Hwa-yeon broke that suffocating atmosphere.

She opened her mouth with a theatrical tone.

“But there must be reasons why we’re being welcomed, right? You wouldn’t treat us well for no reason during a war.”

“…Hmm, as expected of Seo Jae-hyuk’s colleague, you get straight to the point.”

“Colleague?”

When she should be nodding and trying to understand the situation, Lee Hwa-yeon snorted.

The mage coughed briefly as if flustered.

Lee Hwa-yeon shrugged as if it wasn’t important and asked back.

“Well, that’s not what’s important. I’d appreciate it if you could speak honestly.”

Right, what’s important for now is to clearly understand why Berilsha sought out the raid team and see the ending of the scenario in the direction the raid team wants.

For that, Berilsha’s position is important.

The mage who had been hesitating briefly soon leaned forward toward the table.

A seriously sunken expression, tightly closed lips as if this was absolutely no joke.

The mage blinked slowly and then brought up the main point.

“We request cooperation from the three of you.”

“Cooperation?”

“We would like you to help us win the war.”

“Ha.”

Since this was a dimension at war from the beginning, he had expected all cities to fight for victory.

And Lee Hae had said that Berilsha was probably planning to attack and destroy all cities.

‘Seo Jae-hyuk agreed to that proposal?’

No way, that Seo Jae-hyuk?

A Hunter who works tirelessly for South Korea’s endless development even with that dry face where you can’t tell what he’s thinking?

He chose to support Berilsha as a way to end the scenario?

Just as all the positive evaluations he had given Seo Jae-hyuk were crumbling, the mage added an explanation.

“Berilsha is a strong city. Until now, we had stepped back from the war on the orders of our Supreme Mage, but now the situation has changed.”

“…”

“We intend to do our utmost to achieve victory. According to Seo Jae-hyuk, you all possess remarkable abilities. If you lend us your strength, Berilsha will surely achieve victory.”

Chae Geun-dam, who had been listening quietly, also had his brow furrowed.

Berilsha’s proposal would certainly be the fastest way to end the scenario.

But still… trying to resolve the scenario this easily.

‘We could think about it more.’

He lowered his head trying to hide his complicated feelings, but Lee Ja-gyeom felt somehow devastated.

Then, Lee Hwa-yeon, who had been listening quietly, opened her mouth with a full smile.

“Seo Jae-hyuk.”

She was probably trying to hear Seo Jae-hyuk’s position and somehow find a breakthrough.

“Is sitting there with your mouth shut all you’ve got? Is this the conclusion you came to?”

…Or not?

She’s speaking with a smile, but isn’t she just picking a fight asking what kind of bullshit this is?

If Seo Jae-hyuk is someone whose exterior and interior are completely unknowable, Lee Hwa-yeon is someone whose exterior and interior are clearly different.

She has a grinning face but is constantly working her brain to understand Seo Jae-hyuk’s true intentions…

“Huh? Is this your conclusion, Seo Jae-hyuk?”

…Even her speech became informal.

Lee Ja-gyeom chose to just squeeze his eyes shut.

Seo Jae-hyuk blinked slowly and then slowly gave an order.

“Everyone step out for a moment.”

At Seo Jae-hyuk’s muttered words, the mages sitting beside him all stood up in unison.

The mages moved in perfect coordination as if carrying out a high official’s orders and immediately left the meeting room without even asking why.

The action of clearing the meeting room in less than 30 seconds.

It was actually the other raid team members who were flustered by the attitude that seemed to blindly trust Seo Jae-hyuk.

Meanwhile, Seo Jae-hyuk appeared calm as if nothing had happened.

Finally, Seo Jae-hyuk separated his back from the backrest and opened his mouth in a dry tone.

“Lee Hwa-yeon.”

“Speaking informally?”

“You spoke informally first, so I will too.”

Why is he accepting the fight, that guy…?

Before the flustered Lee Ja-gyeom and Chae Geun-dam could intervene, Seo Jae-hyuk continued.

“It’s simple. We end this scenario and return. The most efficient method is to choose the easiest method.”

“Huh? So you chose Berilsha, is that it?”

“Berilsha has grasped the full strength of all cities. On the other hand, the other cities haven’t grasped Berilsha’s strength. That’s proof that Berilsha is most cleverly controlling the battlefield.”

“Wait a moment, Seo Jae-hyuk. Even so, ignoring all the other cities and only cooperating with Berilsha’s plan seems like too extreme a method.”

Chae Geun-dam hurriedly opened his mouth, but it didn’t seem to reach Seo Jae-hyuk.

The look in Seo Jae-hyuk’s eyes, sitting at the end of the long table, had sunk into a very calm stillness.

Only then did Lee Ja-gyeom realize that Lee Hae’s judgment was wrong.

‘Seo Jae-hyuk is in his right mind.’

He wasn’t bewitched by anything, nor had he lost his mind.

Right now, Seo Jae-hyuk was directly saying that he had made an insane choice while perfectly sane.

While giving the reason of it being an ‘easy path’ that couldn’t convince any of the three people present.

Then Seo Jae-hyuk stared intently at Lee Hwa-yeon.

“Lee Hwa-yeon, you must also have reasons to return quickly.”

‘Reasons to return quickly?’

I didn’t know what that meant, but starting from those words, cracks began to appear on Lee Hwa-yeon’s face, which had maintained a smile throughout.

Unable to contain her surging emotions, Lee Hwa-yeon gritted her teeth and asked.

“So now that’s your reason for helping Berylsha?”

Seo Jae-hyuk didn’t answer and simply leaned back.

At that moment, Lee Ja-gyeom discovered an expression on the always-smiling Lee Hwa-yeon that he had never seen even once before.

The magical power fueled by Lee Hwa-yeon’s anger rippled in cold silver.

And with eyes that had grown cold and sunk into chilliness, Lee Hwa-yeon muttered.

“What bullshit.”

*   *   *

I mean, anyone would think someone would open a door to enter, but how could I know they’d appear by opening a bookshelf!

I held my breath and stood there at the unexpected presence.

If Quentin, a key figure of Berylsha, appeared here, my plan would turn to bubbles just like that.

He’s strong enough to lift and crash an entire island, so even if I’m hidden by spirit power, there’s no way he wouldn’t recognize me!

Just as I quickly grabbed Kienum’s watch hanging around my neck.

“Where did I put it…”

The unknown figure uttered quite human-like words and hurriedly stepped inside.

Making my tension seem pointless, the uninvited guest began frantically rummaging through documents piled in one corner.

‘Not a mage…?’

Seeing that they couldn’t detect me, it doesn’t seem to be that Quentin person, and somehow they don’t seem to be a mage either.

This makes my pounding heart feel unfair.

The person who startled me was a middle-aged woman who seemed to be in her mid-50s.

She wore a shirt without the characteristic robe of mages, comfortable-looking cotton pants, and roughly tied-up hair.

I didn’t sense much from the woman who looked like an ordinary citizen, but the information was sufficient.

That she was someone with the status to freely enter and exit this hidden space that appeared to be Quentin Berylsha’s research lab.

And above all, that she looked too much like someone I knew!

‘This person is Green?!’

She was identical to Theowald, the factory manager of Gearsgard who worried about his sibling with a generous face!

‘She really is alive, Mr. Theowald.’

Brozen’s suspicion that she was just some attention-seeker pretending to be Green was wrong.

Green picked up various items one by one from among the documents piled high enough to pierce the ceiling.

Seeing her search knowing where things were, she seemed to frequent this place like eating meals.

As I held my breath and observed her, I soon came up with a hypothesis.

The hypothesis that Green didn’t like Quentin’s plan and couldn’t stop it because she lacked power.

In other words, the possibility that we could win Green over to our side.

“There should be one more report… where was it. If I’m late again, he’ll throw a fit.”

Looking at Green’s back as she grumbled while searching through documents, I racked my brain.

Actually, this was close to gambling.

I had only heard about what kind of person Green was through Theowald’s stories.

I didn’t know what Green had experienced during her stay at Berylsha or what thoughts she had developed.

However, Green had wanted to save Theowald by leaking top-secret information.

That meant she still had some conscience left.

Since I also had Kienum’s watch with its cooldown ready, it was worth taking this gamble.

Having made my decision, I immediately pulled back my robe and signaled to Silvester.

And I calmly opened my mouth.

“Ms. Green.”

“Eek?!”

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