Monster Company Tycoon - Chapter 24

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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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Monster Company Tycoon
Chapter 24
Once I finished reading all the letters aloud, the old man’s face was wet with tears.
His eyes had swollen so much that he could no longer shoot me those sharp, piercing glances.
“My one and only precious son. He left the village with grand dreams of becoming a merchant. I thought knowing whether he was alive or dead would be enough, but after ten years, a letter arrived. But the characters were ones I couldn’t read, so I asked for help here and there, but no one….”
I found that strange.
Why would this son send a letter written in characters he couldn’t read?
Since every language appeared as Korean characters to my eyes, I had no way of knowing how the script in the letter differed from what the villagers used.
Well, perhaps he had someone else write it for him.
In any case, this automatic translation function is quite useful, isn’t it?
“You said you needed a Seongseok Compass?”
The old man, whose affection toward me had risen considerably, asked in a rather gentle voice. A bit of his gruff tone remained, but that seemed to be his natural disposition.
“Yes!”
I carefully pocketed the thousand-language Silver Coin he’d handed me as payment for the errand.
A thousand language for reading a letter? That’s a steal.
“It’s true we don’t have any in stock. But usually, new items would’ve been delivered around this time, but they haven’t arrived yet.”
“Hmm… is there perhaps a Purification Stone or a Low-Grade Recovery Potion?”
I asked as a backup plan, but the old man shook his head.
“I have some Purification Stones, but there’s no stock of potions either.”
Ah… so my plan to fill the Reward Room is just crumbling to dust….
I felt the strength drain from me and my shoulders sagged.
With merchandise piled up even outside the General Store, why did I have to be the one missing exactly what I needed?
‘How long will it take to gather new items? More importantly, Luadis approved the planning proposal by preparing these three items….’
It’s my fault for not making a backup plan.
Then, an idea suddenly flashed through my mind.
Wait. If the items are newly made, why not go find the person who manufactures the Seongseok Compass?
“Do you happen to know where the shipment comes from? Is there another village?”
“No. He lives in this village. Well, the alchemist also happens to live next door, so we can ask them both.”
That’s it! I should just go find the source directly! Without middleman fees, I might even get them cheaper if I’m lucky, right?
***
“The core materials for making a Seongseok Compass are unavailable right now.”
“I can’t make potions at the moment because I haven’t been able to gather the medicinal herbs.”
But at the Workshop, introduced to me by the General Store owner, I heard even sadder news.
Insufficient materials.
Now that I thought about it, all the materials the two craftspeople were looking for were ones listed on the memos at the Plaza bulletin board.
The reason was that recently, a very strong monster had been spotted in the place where they gathered materials, and they were too frightened to go there.
“A strong monster… have you actually seen it?”
“I saw its silhouette faintly from a distance. I was so scared I just ran away.”
It’s hard to get close if there’s a monster around. Yeah, you’re right.
Suddenly, a wave of frustration washed over me.
There’s someone who was once called a hero in this village — Ragnar, right?
He was so ruthless in cutting down our helpless employees, so why is he letting this strong monster roam near the village!?
“If the gathering problem isn’t resolved… manufacturing would be impossible.”
“I’m afraid so.”
I stroked my chin thoughtfully.
Should I ask Ragnar to subjugate it? Would that be too shameless?
Besides, Luadis told me to keep my distance from Ragnar….
Ah! What if I asked Luadis instead?
Then a thought suddenly occurred to me.
Even for small tasks, the people of this village charge a fee. If I ask them to subjugate the monster, wouldn’t I have to pay too?
If it’s a strong monster, I’d have to pay quite a bit.
“Have you perhaps asked one of the adventurers in the village to subjugate that monster? For example, Ragnar…?”
“We asked.”
What? He was already asked to take the quest but hasn’t completed it?
“But as soon as Ragnar appears, the monster hides, they say. The other adventurers… tried to fight it but were severely wounded due to the difference in ability.”
Just how strong is this monster, anyway….
“Ragnar says the monster doesn’t seem to intend to attack the village, so he decided to watch the situation for now. Because of that, the gathering has been delayed.”
“They say it doesn’t show aggression if we don’t provoke it on our end… but still, we’re too frightened.”
“I understand your feelings completely.”
What exactly is this monster that’s blocking the gathering?
When I thought of the forest, I remembered the monster who had given me a business card. Could it be that one?
Either way, it’s not an aggressive monster, right?
I pondered deeply.
In many games, quests like this appeared frequently.
For instance, quests where you’d gather materials while avoiding dangerous monsters.
You’d tiptoe around a formidable enemy that could kill you with a single touch, wait for the moment it turned its back, then dart past quickly—quests designed to teach survival tactics without combat.
So should I give it a try?
No! I’m not a character in a game but an ordinary person.
Therefore… I wouldn’t decide rashly on my own. I’d consult with the wise Luadis.
***
“That’s quite a problem. Even without the Dungeon providing them, a compass and potion are essential items for adventurers. I imagine there are quite a few other things that can’t be crafted due to missing materials beyond those two.”
I told Luadis, who was waiting at the Restaurant, everything about the situation without leaving anything out.
“Now that you mention it, if this monster hides the moment Ragnar appears… does that mean it has enough intelligence to avoid strong opponents?”
Fortunately, Luadis took this seriously.
“Oh? Is this your first time hearing about it, Luadis?”
“I’ve spent so long as an instructor that my skills have grown quite rusty. That’s why I deliberately don’t take those kinds of requests. I’m too busy with the Training Facility anyway. After refusing a few times, it seems they’ve stopped looking for me altogether.”
To think his rusty skills were at that level…
I recalled the image of Luadis destroying our Dungeon.
Just how powerful must he have been in his prime?
“Would you… like to go take a look sometime?”
The place where materials could be gathered was the Eastern Forest.
Luadis stared at me silently for a long while, apparently deliberating whether it was safe to take me along.
“Come to think of it, you seem to get along quite well with monsters.”
“Please don’t misunderstand. I’m only close with the staff at my Dungeon.”
I’m afraid of monsters too, you know.
“Originally, it’s rare for High-Rank Monsters to escape beyond the Demon Realm. As you know, this place is protected by a Barrier, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Only weak monsters can actually make it past the Barrier to enter.”
I pictured small fish slipping through the holes of a net.
So that explained why only Low-Rank Monsters had submitted applications to our Dungeon.
“The stronger the monster, the greater the Barrier’s resistance damages it. Even if it forced its way through, it would be considerably weakened. Yet even in such a state, a monster capable of striking down every adventurer…”
“Now that you mention it, that is strange.”
Luadis chuckled at that and spoke casually.
“Why don’t you ask that monster directly?”
Huh? You mean I should just start communicating with a strange monster out of the blue?
“I’m not a monster interpreter, nor am I on good terms with all monsters!”
I gripped the Rectangular Plaque tucked inside my clothes tightly.
Brownie had said so—if I had this, monsters would recognize me as the Dungeon’s administrator.
So they wouldn’t attack me rashly, but…
Wait… could that mean… recruiting is possible too?
Surely a strong monster is exactly the kind of talent our Dungeon needs!
If only weak monsters can break through the Barrier to enter, then a strong monster already inside and not weakened by the Barrier would be like a gift-wrapped pumpkin rolling right into our lap!
Besides, our staff had been pestering me lately about when I’d find a Floor Master for the first level.
Each level of a Dungeon must have a Floor Master—a boss, that is.
In company terms, they were asking me to hire a team leader.
The field staff would definitely work more smoothly with someone to manage them and serve as a core, I thought. After all, I’m not a combatant.
Right, of course! A Dungeon without a boss makes no sense!
Only now did I understand why Brownie had burst out laughing when I’d asked the Demon King if it was a Dungeon boss.
It was like asking the CEO if they were a team leader.
I furrowed my brow as I thought, then lifted my head with resolve.
“But…! I think I could give it a try.”
“The monster won’t team up with you and attack our Village, will it?”
“Why would you say something so frightening?”
“I was only joking.”
Luadis burst into laughter and pointed toward the eastern direction of the Village.
“In that case, let’s cancel today’s Dungeon training. While we’re at it, let’s go check on this stray High-Rank Monster.”
Our staff would probably be delighted to learn about today’s cancellation.
Aside from my resolve to train diligently, I’d been groaning every night these past few days after taking hits from Luadis.

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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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