Healing After Sweeping Spirits with an Almighty Skill - Chapter 22

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 22
22. How much have you looked into?
Management Bureau conference room, Tower of Boru.
The moment I took my seat, Bureau Director Jang Dae-in moved quickly to set things up.
Click, click.
The hand placing hot chocolate and premium pastries before me was nothing short of courteous.
[Looks delicious!]
[Oh….]
What’s more, Jang Dae-in had even brought small cups of hot chocolate for the spirits.
“Ahem, ahem.”
The Bureau Director cleared his throat awkwardly before opening his mouth.
“First and foremost, I’d like to convey to you that our upper management was delighted upon hearing Jung Ryong’s ideas. We’ve been struggling to gain dominance within Tower World, and your insight has truly been a tremendous help.”
In truth, even if that’s what he said, the upper management likely considered similar ideas to mine several times before. It’s just that my existence hadn’t emerged until now.
“The nation and its people have always helped one another, haven’t they?”
“Aha, absolutely right.”
“Then I’d like to hear the proposal you’ve prepared.”
The Bureau Director handed me a folder as if he’d been waiting for this moment. As I read through it, he explained each point in turn.
“As you mentioned, we’ve decided to proceed with an exclusive transaction contract with the government. However, since the procedures under the Fair Trade Act and the Tower Special Act are complex, we plan to first establish a Government-Designated Special Corporation that holds sales rights.”
A Government-Designated Special Corporation was a general term for profit-making public institutions like the Bank of Korea or Korean Institute of Science and Technology that fulfilled public purposes.
“You don’t mean for me to become a subordinate agency of the government, do you?”
“Of course not. The special corporation in question is….”
“The Spirit Special District.”
“…The Spirit Special District would essentially become your Solo Guild. A Solo Guild protected by the nation, at that.”
A Solo Guild.
That sounded far more appealing than talk of special corporations and such.
“The Spirit Special District will receive tax-free benefits for the next ten years, and we plan to provide you with five government-owned Boru shops rent-free for ten years. Additionally, we will recognize your land ownership rights for the territory where the Spirit Special District is located.”
Though it may be surprising, land ownership rights exist even in Tower World. However, only great lords have successfully claimed such rights thus far.
“We will always purchase all Tower World Wasteland materials produced in the Spirit Special District at 110% market rate.”
After that came supplementary remarks about national protection and post-mortem burial in the national cemetery.
I let those words go in one ear and out the other while confirming the conditions the government had set forth.
‘Not bad. Actually, very good.’
When I’d first thought about making a contract with the government, I’d been prepared to accept a certain degree of loss.
But now that they’d offered to purchase everything at 110% market rate, the one concern that had been weighing on me disappeared entirely.
‘With this, the government becomes my excellent shield.’
The value of the specialty products coming from the Spirit Special District was enormous.
Simply put, materials that would normally require risking one’s life and organizing expeditions costing hundreds of millions to billions could now be obtained sitting comfortably. And the quality was far superior on top of that.
‘Difficult to sell, even.’
If I were to sell these directly, my position could become somewhat awkward.
Should inter-guild disputes arise, or worse, battles between the massive corporations behind them, there’s only so much a single individual like myself could do.
‘But if the government gets involved in the middle, all those problems are solved.’
I hand everything over to the government. From that moment on, it’s all their responsibility.
All the noise from sales, the complaints that would emerge about how much was supplied to which guild and how much was sold where, all the friction over price formation.
‘In other words, the government plays all the villains.’
Meanwhile, I create no enemies and remain safe like a neutral nation.
Moreover, those who don’t know about the ‘110% clause’ will think of me not as a merchant obsessed with money, but as a patriot willing to accept losses.
So this was a very satisfactory contract. I was ready to say yes right then and there.
‘But that would be amateurish.’
Jang Dae-in doesn’t know that I need the government just as much as they need me.
So now it’s time to squeeze out every advantage I can.
“I like it.”
“Does this mean you agree to these terms?”
“There are just a few places I’d like to modify.”
“Ah, how many places?”
Jang Dae-in looked taken aback.
I continued without minding his reaction.
“First, let’s make it Tax Exemption instead of Tax-Free.”
“…Ah, well.”
“And the 110% market rate should be based on international market standards.”
“That….”
“And let’s define land ownership rights based on the Spirit Special District’s boundary.”
“…….”
“For the herbs produced in the Spirit Special District, I think we should establish a new grade called ‘Premium Herb Grade’ and sell them for at least four times the current value. And….”
“Wait, wait a moment.”
Jang Dae-in cut me off and licked his lips once.
“I should have mentioned this earlier, but truth be told, even these proposals are ones I barely managed to wrangle from the higher-ups through constant pestering.”
“Really? Just a moment ago you said the higher-ups were extremely fond of me.”
“Of course that’s also true. But as you know, government ministries have allocated budgets, and we have to operate within those constraints….”
Jang Dae-in laughed sheepishly—a smile asking for my understanding, if nothing else.
Of course, I had no intention of granting it.
“I see. So that’s how government ministries in this country operate.”
“This country’s government ministries…? Ah, were you perhaps educated abroad?”
“No, that’s not it.”
I unlocked my phone and showed him the screen I’d prepared beforehand.
“It’s just that America and China don’t seem to think that way.”
The screen displayed conversations I’d had with headhunters from both the United States and China.
Since the broadcast, countless countries had sent recruitment offers my way—foreign headhunters who normally attached themselves only to S-Class Hunters, specifically headhunters from America and China, had made contact with me.
“I heard America offers ten million dollars as a condition of naturalization.”
“…Pardon?”
“China apparently doesn’t even require naturalization—they’re offering one hundred million yuan just to move the Spirit Special District to their Tower World.”
One followed by ten zeros, then another set—Jang Dae-in stared blankly at the phone screen for a moment, his mouth hanging open.
Frankly, I’d had a similar reaction when I first saw the figures.
I’d heard plenty of talk about how many countries were desperate to participate in the Tower Climbing Race, but this was the first time I’d truly felt that intensity in my bones.
“May I examine this more carefully for a moment?”
Jang Dae-in took the phone from me with a face that had hardened into grim determination. For a government official like him, the loss of talented personnel would be utterly intolerable.
“Phew….”
After a brief moment, Jang Dae-in returned the phone and pressed his forehead with his hand. As he sat there wrestling with his thoughts, his eyes grew heavier, and he gripped his pen with renewed resolve.
“The conditions you mentioned just now—would you repeat them for me?”
His eyes burned with a will to accept them no matter what the cost.
* * *
Jang Dae-in left to do battle with the higher-ups, his face set with determination. With results likely taking several more days to arrive, I had my own work to attend to.
– …and thanks to this ondol-like structure, the metal and heat source are separated, allowing a solid ingot free of carbon to form.
Back at the Refinery in Boru, I was watching a video with four gnomes and Agamander by my side.
– The wrought iron used to build the Eiffel Tower was also made using this ‘Reflective Furnace’ method, so it’s quite an effective refining technique!
The video we were watching was all about refining.
After watching it to the end, we all gazed at the refining furnace feeling considerably more enlightened.
“So that’s what they call the ‘Reflective Furnace.'”
[Ooh. Ooooh.]
“Yeah. I find it fascinating too. Human engineering, I mean.”
[Ooh?]
“That’s not what I said. Try to understand roughly what I mean. I can’t understand you either, after all.”
[Ooooh…….]
“Well then, shall we try doing some actual refining?”
[Ooooh!]
[Hisss!]
Toho-gi and the three gnomes, along with Agamander, leapt up excitedly. These spirits were always thrilled at the prospect of new work.
‘Today’s refining material is glass.’
On my way back from Boru earlier, I’d stopped by Blacksmith Street and purchased a mixture of silica sand, limestone, and other materials.
┼ Construction Available List
└ Lighthouse LV. 2
└ Material: Demon Crystal Stone (100g/100g)
└ Material: Fresnel Lens (0/1)
└ Condition: Fire Spirit (1/1)
We were planning to craft the Fresnel Lens that would go into the lighthouse ourselves.
Wouldn’t it be better to buy one rather than make it?
Perhaps. After thousands of years of accumulated craftsmanship and industrial technology, honestly, greenhorns who’d just built their refinery couldn’t compete with that level of expertise.
Still, I wanted to believe in the potential of the Spirit Special District. Besides, since the refinery was already built, shouldn’t we put it to use? It was also a good opportunity to give the spirits some refining practice.
Whoooosh—.
Heat was already pouring out from inside the Reflective Furnace, rising from the charcoal burning in the furnace connected behind it.
‘But it’s still not quite enough.’
The thermometer attached to the Reflective Furnace read nine hundred degrees Celsius. We were still about three hundred degrees short of glass’s melting point.
Hiss!
Agamander’s tail shot up stiff as a ramrod, as if to say: leave this to me.
“If it gets too hot, you come right out, understand?”
Hiss!
Agamander laughed softly at the unnecessary worry, and as if proving he was a fire spirit himself, crawled fearlessly into the Reflective Furnace without hesitation.
Moments later, the thermometer climbed to 1,300 degrees.
“Perfect. Now!”
The Nomes in their safety helmets poured the raw materials into the crucible inside the furnace. Then they pressed themselves against the furnace’s surface and drew up their Spirit Power.
Hoo!
Hoo-hoo!
Hoo, hoo!
The Nomes communicated with one another in wordless sounds as they worked their hands over the furnace, adjusting and fine-tuning.
I suspected they were using their Spirit Power from outside to ensure the raw materials inside received heat evenly across all sides.
And so, thirty minutes passed.
The furnace opened its mouth once more.
Hoo!
Toho-gi tilted the crucible with a long iron rod.
Glug, glug—the raw material, melted into a glowing crimson, spilled out into the mold waiting below. The Nomes had prepared the mold in advance, shaped precisely like a Fresnel Lens.
Hiss!
Agamander emerged from the furnace, his task complete. Steam rose from his body, flushed hot and crimson.
Gulp!
I watched the Glass as it poured into the mold and began to cool.
And a moment later.
Ding!
A window materialized before my eyes with the notification sound.

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