24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 21

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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 21

Episode 21. I’m Just an Ordinary Merchant, But in Babel?! (6)

“So I… have been waiting for this moment to come. For the day when people like you, with the power to raise the kingdom, would appear and cast light upon us.”

Horn-rimmed Glasses nodded with a serious expression at the words of the old man with a beard grown down to his knees, who called himself Merlin.

Both the pale-faced woman who looked ready to collapse at any moment and the young man wearing an eye patch like he hadn’t outgrown his middle school syndrome focused on their conversation with the same expression.

Only I was watching this situation with a listless expression, chin propped on my hand.

Is this what they call the virtue of a Hunter facing a strategy?

Being perfectly immersed in the scenario, accepting the situation without panic.

‘Isn’t it normal to be surprised by this?’

I mean, I had no idea there was a secret passage under the tavern floor.

And then a person appeared from there.

‘Was I the only one surprised?’

The path of a Hunter seems long and treacherous.

Do you have to become detached from things like this to become a true Hunter?

Just as I was blinking while swallowing words I couldn’t bring myself to say out loud, Horn-rimmed Glasses asked in a voice full of responsibility.

“So, what do you need us to do?”

“Right now the kingdom is facing a crisis of survival. There’s only one way to solve all of this.”

Here it comes… whatever he asks for, it’ll be to deal with the Dark Mage.

“Please seal the Dark Mage with the artifact hidden in the royal palace.”

“Mm.”

At my interjection that came out as if I knew this would happen, Merlin glanced over at me.

I turned my head as naturally as possible while being urgent, avoiding his gaze.

I’m in front of a real NPC, so as a fake NPC, I need to be a bit more careful.

Though he looked like a beggar, Merlin had introduced himself as the First Mage of the royal palace.

He had a sad story about having all his magical power drained in a previous battle and having to watch the kingdom fall…

‘Either way, it means he’s an NPC.’

Having previously fallen into the Dark Mage faction, I had no idea how I might appear to the people of Falcon, so I had to be careful with every action.

Having Chae Geun-dam alone figure out my identity was enough.

Well, anyway, I had done everything I intended to do on the 49th Floor.

I had even completed a delivery I hadn’t intended to make, so now it was time to clock out.

Traversing battlefields is the job of professionals.

‘I just need to leave and pray that the 49th Floor gets cleared.’

Are there any stocks worth buying if the 49th Floor gets cleared?

“The artifact is stored in a vault connected to a secret passage in the Audience Chamber. Since the barrier hasn’t been broken, it seems they haven’t infiltrated that far.”

“By Audience Chamber, you mean the royal palace?”

“That’s right. The royal palace is currently occupied by Dark Mages. It won’t be easy to enter safely, but that artifact is absolutely necessary to end this war…”

Contrary to my thoughts, a very serious conversation continued.

Feeling a bit embarrassed that I had been thinking about stocks, I decided to leave this place as soon as possible.

I cleared my throat and stood up awkwardly.

“Horn-rimmed Glasses, I’ll be going now.”

“I’m not Horn-rimmed Glasses, I’m Lee Min-jung.”

“Ah yes, Min-jung. Well, I don’t think there’s anything more I can do.”

Deliberately ignoring Merlin’s piercing stare, I stubbornly looked only at Horn-rimmed Glasses as I said goodbye.

After giving a clean wave to Eye Patch who was staring at me intently and to the patient, I summoned my acting skills.

When I grabbed Horn-rimmed Glasses’ hands with my trembling hands, her eyes wavered.

I muttered in a serious voice.

“I entrust the kingdom to you.”

“Understood.”

The innocent Hunter, fooled by the fake NPC’s earnest request, nodded and clasped my hands in return.

Now all that remained was my exit.

I walked slowly with a face full of worry.

Behind me, Merlin continued his detailed explanation about the main scenario.

“We’ll retrieve the artifact from the vault and set up a magic circle. Not only will the process of entering the royal palace itself be difficult, but even if you manage to get the artifact out, you’ll be pursued.”

“Our guild leader, Brother Geun-dam, can break through that.”

“No, Geun-dam has been continuously blocking monster waves, so it’ll be tough for him. It would be better for our defense team to block it. Riji should handle the infiltration…”

Horn-rimmed Glasses, no, Min-jung seemed to have planned quite a few strategies like this.

While the sub-quests are diverse and tricky, if they plan strategies and enter like this, they could really clear the main scenario easily.

“And there’s one troublesome point…”

Despite having made difficult requests all along, Merlin drew out his words as if this would be the most difficult yet.

Still, I didn’t need to worry about it.

The smart-looking Min-jung would somehow find an answer and create a breakthrough.

Because strategists find positive solutions in desperate situations.

However, the next moment, I had no choice but to stop walking.

“The ‘Lord of Darkness’ that the Dark Mages currently call their leader. We must discover his true name.”

…Huh?

“What’s needed to seal the Lord of Darkness is the artifact, a caster, a magic circle, and his name. However, his name is known nowhere. There might be records of Dark Magic research left in the Magic Tower on the outskirts of the capital, but even that’s uncertain.”

“Then we should check the Magic Tower before infiltrating the royal palace. From the next wave, Geun-dam won’t be able to block alone, so we’ll assign two mages to help him block as much as possible, and Hyun-jun and I will go to the Magic Tower and return within an hour. Riji can explain to the other guild members.”

“I’ll explain it well.”

“Are we going now?”

I just blinked as I listened blankly to the strategy Min-jung was seriously developing.

I don’t want to get more involved here.

Besides, I’ve changed a lot of the scenario direction that the Tower of Babel would have pursued.

‘That Dark Mage’s name was ‘Pernichies.”

I can’t pretend I didn’t hear what I heard, can I?

It was a clue that Alessandro, the last Knight Order captain of Falcon who was on the verge of collapse from being worn down by the world’s hardships, had openly given me.

Though the 49th Floor would reset periodically again after the scenario was cleared.

The terror of the past that Alessandro experienced doesn’t disappear.

My memory was too clear to forget that.

‘If I tell them this one thing, they could clear the quest much more easily.’

And I could climb to the 50th Floor as soon as possible to find traces of my brother.

After an enormous amount of deliberation in just a moment, I carefully turned around.

“Um…”

I definitely spoke quietly, but all four people looked at me simultaneously.

I flinched involuntarily at their various gazes.

I opened my mouth awkwardly.

“I know it.”

* * *

“Pernichies. I’ll remember it well.”

A passing merchant knowing the Dark Mage’s true name was like confessing to being a suspicious person.

“Were you an acquaintance of the Knight Order captain? I failed to recognize you.”

But thanks to quickly mentioning the name ‘Alessandro Hale’ after recognizing that fact, suspicion died down before it could even raise its head.

Merlin grasped my hand as if it were some kind of lifeline and shook it lightly.

I failed to make a quick escape.

“Really, I don’t know how you came to be connected with him…”

“Two years?”

“I mean the connection.”

Oops, I was supposed to be pretending I’m from Falkon.

Realizing I had unconsciously given a modern response, I glanced around nervously.

However, the Wolpae guild members who had returned from completing their sub-quest seemed completely absorbed in planning their royal palace infiltration operation.

“Do you know where the Knight Commander is? I’ve been worried since I haven’t seen him since the war broke out…”

“Yes, well.”

I kept my mouth shut and just nodded vaguely.

There was nothing I could say.

Alessandro had certainly said he remained until the very last moment when the dimension was destroyed, but this was a world composed of post-dimensional destruction scenarios.

It seemed Alessandro had escaped from this dimension before its destruction and didn’t appear in this scenario at all.

I couldn’t tell someone with tears welling up in their eyes that he ‘fell into a dimensional rift, wandered alone, and got free potions from me.’

“I’ll remember this, Lee Hae. Thanks to you, Falkon will be able to rise again.”

When they’re thanking me like this, I don’t want to be a killjoy either.

“Lee Hae, do you happen to have any antidote potions?”

Just then, two burly men who had been having a heated discussion in the corner approached and asked.

In this situation, I might pretend not to know the truth about Alessandro, but I’m not one to ignore customers who come to me on their own.

“Would A-grade work for you?”

“Yes, please.”

“How many?”

“As many as possible.”

A-grade antidotes, as many as possible…

I logged into Friendly Market while glancing at the two burly guys.

They had the determined expressions of people about to voluntarily walk into a death trap.

From the fact that they were looking for high-quality A-grade antidotes, I could tell these were the infiltration team heading into the royal palace.

That place was thick with the fog of dark magic.

…The same fog that had no effect on me, designated as a wildcard by Babel.

I was about to click and take out the A-grade antidotes I had listed in my sales slot when I hesitated.

‘Ah, once something catches my eye, it keeps bothering me, really.’

I had already given as much as I could.

But it seemed the weak conscience in my heart had grown a little.

“Even if we get hurt, let’s not die.”

That’s what one burly guy said to the other.

It was the perfect environment to burden me.

Things I could have just ignored when I was unaware became a huge weight on my mind once I knew the situation, flaunting their presence.

I’m not the type to step forward, but seeing myself keep hesitating like this.

“Hah…”

A sigh escaped me without realizing it.

“Don’t you have any? A-grade antidotes?”

“Then do you perhaps have any potions with other auxiliary effects?”

At the earnest questions from the two burly men, I squeezed my eyes shut.

Well, leaving work on time was already out of the question anyway.

Since I’d already helped this much, wouldn’t it be okay to help until the end?

Rather than going home and tossing and turning unable to sleep peacefully, wouldn’t it be better to go all out?

The moment I thought that, my mouth opened on its own.

“Um… I know I’m going to sound really suspicious saying this.”

Even after throwing out that opening, I hesitated to continue.

The 49th Floor, where I had planned to sell sub-quest items, complete my side quest, and leave.

Right now, I was providing far more influence than I had anticipated.

‘But I’ve become too soft-hearted.’

Because I could provide people who might die with a comfortable path to survival.

Because even if it was troublesome and costly for me, I could ensure these people wouldn’t die.

“Actually, I have a friend among the dark mages.”

To be precise, I was an outsider who was even treated as a VIP by the dark mage faction.

At my words, the two burly men and the sharp-eared Wolpae guild members looked at me strangely.

I swallowed once and opened my mouth.

“The royal palace—should I go there myself?”

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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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