24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 72

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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 72

Episode 72. A Necessary Deal (2)

‘Why is this man acting like this?’

I just tried to take off my robe, and he’s visibly flustered.

The way he’s flailing his hands is so different from his usual image that I almost lost trust in him for a moment.

I asked calmly.

“…Why are you doing that?”

“…It’s nothing.”

At Park Ji-woon’s embarrassed movement as he readjusted his posture, Alessandro behind him barely held back his laughter.

An awkward atmosphere flowed between Park Ji-woon and me for a moment.

I was annoyed at being interrupted just when I had steeled myself to reveal my identity.

Park Ji-woon seemed embarrassed about losing his usual composure and floundering so ungracefully.

Well, thinking positively, this unexpected event did relieve some tension from my stiff shoulders.

I took another deep breath.

I unbuttoned my robe again and slowly took it off.

When the robe that had been hiding my body shape disappeared, Park Ji-woon’s brow twitched slightly.

He probably doesn’t know exactly what I’m trying to do.

Or maybe he’s guessing?

I even brought out an SS-grade contract that I spent all my money from the market to buy.

Even if he notices, I can’t predict what kind of reaction he’ll have.

My heart was beating very fast.

I placed my hand on the mask I had never taken off in front of anyone.

As I carefully lifted the black veil that seemed like it wouldn’t let a single ray of light pass through, cool air touched my exposed jawline.

A shallow sigh escaped naturally.

Until I placed the mask on the table with very slow movements, Park Ji-woon just watched me quietly without blinking an eye.

The act of removing the mask itself was brief compared to the tension.

I calmly met the sharp gaze that poured down without anything blocking it.

A red aura rippled within Park Ji-woon’s black pupils.

He clearly seemed to be trying something targeting me, but this is the information center.

A completely safe zone where no one except me can use their abilities.

As expected, something seemed blocked, and fine wrinkles formed on Park Ji-woon’s brow.

Instead of pointing it out, I quietly smiled and opened my mouth.

“This is the first time I’m properly greeting you, isn’t it?”

Among Koreans, Park Ji-woon was the first to see my bare face after my title awakening, excluding Kang Yeon-hee.

Kang Yeon-hee was an exception since I had placed restrictions on her as a middle manager, but this was truly the first time revealing it to someone with no ties.

I could feel cold gazes touching every corner of my face.

After observing me for a while, Park Ji-woon’s lips moved.

“It’s no longer a mask?”

“Yes, it’s my face.”

“Revealing your face seems to indicate you have something to request.”

“You saw correctly.”

I shrugged and laughed lightly.

Even if I abandon the foolish attitude I showed before, I can’t abandon habits that are ingrained in my body.

Softening the atmosphere is a bonus.

Park Ji-woon started to move his lips as if to ask about my request, then stopped.

For me, my ‘face’ was the most important means of protecting myself and a safety device that allowed me to maintain superiority against numerous S-grade hunters.

Park Ji-woon couldn’t not know that.

So he seemed to want to continue the conversation more carefully.

‘Not bad.’

Actually, I had hesitated until Park Ji-woon entered the information center.

But if he’s someone who approaches this cautiously, revealing my identity wouldn’t be the worst choice.

I opened my mouth while maintaining my smile.

“Shall we greet each other first?”

“Greet?”

“Nice to meet you, Director Park Ji-woon. I’m Lee Hae-won. I’m the administrator running Friendly Market.”

When I readily revealed my name, Park Ji-woon frowned slightly, seeming a bit flustered.

In South Korea, a name is very important information.

I could clearly feel him busily racking his brain to figure out my intentions.

“Am I the only one who knows Lee Hae-won’s identity right now?”

“Yes.”

At my firm answer, Park Ji-woon’s expression hardened as well.

Strictly speaking, Kang Yeon-hee, Alessandro, and Manti know too, but there’s no need to mention that here.

Park Ji-woon kept moving his lips for a while before finally closing his mouth tightly.

He seemed to want to ask more but was waiting for me to speak first rather than asking directly.

But when I didn’t give any reaction, only after a long time did Park Ji-woon carefully call my name.

“Lee Hae-won.”

“Yes, Director Park Ji-woon.”

“…How far may I ask?”

As expected, I chose my partner well.

I pushed my satisfied feelings deep into my heart and calmly brought up the introduction.

“How about listening to my story first and then asking questions? I have several things I’d like to request from Director Park Ji-woon.”

“Please speak.”

The time for exploring about me is now over.

It was time to open the curtain on the negotiation table.

Park Ji-woon, who had cleanly erased his flustered appearance, calmly nodded.

“First, please keep quiet about my identity to Babel.”

“That’s natural.”

“Then that’s fortunate. Now I’ll tell you my practical requests.”

Only after receiving confirmation once more did I bring up my purpose.

“Please manipulate the Tower of Babel entry records. So it looks like I went out and came back even when I didn’t go out, and like I entered even when I didn’t enter. Is that possible?”

This was a request targeting the entry facility currently being installed at the Tower of Babel entrance.

At my statement essentially asking him to help break the law openly, Park Ji-woon slowly closed and opened his eyes.

“It’s possible.”

Of course, the answer that came back was positive.

“Second, please protect me from other guilds’ intelligence networks. Other guilds and probably Babel are investigating in all directions to figure out my identity.”

“…There’s a reason you asked for entry record manipulation.”

I grinned.

“It’s possible to some extent. However-.”

“There’s no ‘however.’ I want Director Park Ji-woon to hide my identity by whatever means necessary.”

When I completely blocked any possibility, Park Ji-woon’s pupils wavered briefly.

“Lee Hae-won, do you have no intention of revealing your identity to the outside at all?”

“I’d appreciate it if you could save questions for the end. I’m not finished speaking yet.”

Just because I revealed my face doesn’t mean I’ve laid out all my cards.

According to the contract, I’m party A and Park Ji-woon is party B.

I’m the one taking the initiative in this conversation.

At my firm attitude, Park Ji-woon silently closed his mouth and nodded.

“There’s one more thing I’d like to request.”

Park Ji-woon stared at me without moving.

I opened my inventory and took out the Mask of All Things from within.

Park Ji-woon’s expression remained dry and emotionless as he looked at the plain mask that appeared in mid-air.

However, the moment I put it on and raised my head to look at Park Ji-woon.

“Floor 51 contribution ranking 1st place….”

Park Ji-woon looked dazed as if he’d been hit in the head.

“That’s right, you know me as ‘Lee Hae.'”

Unlike before, my brother’s low voice flowed out naturally.

“Then, how… no.”

Park Ji-woon stopped speaking, then asked in a tone clearly flustered.

“…Is this a fictional character?”

“No. He’s a real person.”

I tried to answer calmly, but without realizing it, my words trailed off slightly.

While I’m certain my brother isn’t dead, in South Korea he’s registered as a deceased person.

I calmly suppressed my emotions and added.

“When I request protection of information about me, that includes ‘Lee Hae’ as well. I don’t want to reveal that the administrator of Friendly Market is the mysterious conquest contribution 1st place ‘Lee Hae,’ and that it’s me, Lee Hae-won.”

Park Ji-woon’s expression visibly crumpled.

It’s honestly an unreasonably difficult request.

I know that too.

But there’s absolutely no reason for me to say ‘Feel free to investigate Lee Hae!’ here.

Besides, the information I’ll provide to Park Ji-woon is worth making such a demand.

Park Ji-woon, who had been thinking deeply about something, asked seriously.

“May I ask what relationship you have with the owner of that face? He’s not registered in Babel’s system, and we couldn’t find him among South Korean citizens either.”

“…Maybe it’s because he’s a dead person?”

Park Ji-woon made an ‘oops’ expression.

Since he was clearly alive and contributing to conquests, he naturally would have thought he was a living person.

I quietly added.

“He’s my brother. Lee Hae-on.”

“…My condolences.”

He seemed devoid of emotion, but he also made a sorry face as if expressing sympathy.

I felt like I glimpsed the human side that Park Ji-woon possessed.

“I have one more request here.”

“Please go ahead.”

“I believe my brother is alive. So please hand over my brother Lee Hae-on’s records. I want all of my brother’s records stored in Babel.”

“You mean the records from before his death?”

“Yes, my brother went missing in a Gate a year ago. No, I heard he went missing and was processed as deceased, but I can’t know if he actually died.”

Depending on how you hear it, it might just sound like I’m being unreasonable.

It wouldn’t matter if it looked like the desperate struggle of a family member who couldn’t accept death and wanted to confirm even the corpse.

But Park Ji-woon didn’t dismiss my words at all.

Instead, he answered with an even more serious expression.

“In addition to Babel’s records, we should be able to find them if we seek cooperation from private guilds.”

‘He’s not even questioning it.’

He’s really a clean person without unnecessary fuss.

While I was satisfied with Park Ji-woon’s reaction, Park Ji-woon, who had been quietly tapping the table, spoke.

“I understand Ms. Lee Hae-won’s requirements well. These are quite demanding conditions from my perspective, so what kind of deal do you want?”

Only then did my head become perfectly cool.

Apart from revealing my identity, I had only made demands of Park Ji-woon until now.

Now, it’s time to provide benefits.

I only had two things prepared, but I was confident they would be exactly to Park Ji-woon’s liking.

“First of all, I’m the administrator of the market. Mr. Chae Geun-dam probably didn’t mention it, but since there are records of sales to other countries, you must know my capabilities.”

“I’m well aware. It was an amazing ability to collect Sub Quest items all at once.”

“But it’s not limited to just Quests. I can find the most efficient items you want, and based on that, I can help with smooth conquest of scenarios or South Korea’s development.”

“Wait, wait. I don’t quite understand.”

“Do you know about the blending herb that Ms. Han Ro-mi found?”

“I know about it. I heard it maximizes the blending ratio of medicinal herbs.”

“I’m someone who can give that to Director Park Ji-woon right here, right now, without any hassle.”

I was fortunate to have an appropriate example.

Park Ji-woon, who had a dubious expression, carefully began.

“May I ask what kind of title you have-“

“My title is special.”

I cut him off immediately.

Park Ji-woon seemed to quickly realize I had no intention of telling him.

This condition would probably only make him exclaim ‘Amazing, incredible!’ after experiencing it directly later.

But this isn’t the only thing I’ll propose.

“And, secondly.”

The condition I was about to present was the most important one.

When I was actually about to say it, I got a little nervous, so I took a calm deep breath.

“I can enter floors that haven’t been opened yet, not as a scenario participant but with NPC status.”

“…What did you say?”

As if he couldn’t understand what he just heard, Park Ji-woon furrowed his brow and asked again.

Unlike the first condition, this was a question asked because he ‘couldn’t believe it.’

I added in a serious tone.

“So I’ll do advance reconnaissance of what each new floor is like whenever they’re opened.”

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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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