The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 17

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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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Yeo Joo Saves the World – Episode 17

Jung Je Hwa had no interest in customers whatsoever.
No polite nod of acknowledgment, no sidelong glance of confirmation.
Yet he wasn’t absorbed in his work either.
His face, as gloomy as the dim shop lighting, laid bare the listless tedium of repetitive labor.
If memory served, he was supposed to be among the tallest characters in “The Chronicles of Sejong”—or so I’d thought.
But hunched over like this, all I could discern was the impressive breadth of his back.
“Mind if I take a look?”
With those words, I summoned Jung Je Hwa’s status window.

Jung Je Hwa S
1. Alchemy ( S )
2. Genius ( S )
3. Delicate Touch ( S )
4. Intuition ( A )
Abnormal Status – Depression, Burnout, Darkness Addiction 35%
Equipped Items – Vitality Enhancement Necklace ( S ), Magnifying Lens ( S )….

‘Wow, look at those skills.’
Those comments claiming “Jung Je Hwa is truly the strongest character” hadn’t come out of nowhere.
My jaw dropped involuntarily at this dazzling display of text—a perfect S-rank status window in every sense.
The necklace he was wearing wasn’t visible, so he must have been wearing it beneath his clothes.
And those black-framed glasses he had on—they were almost certainly the magnifying lens.

[ Magnifying Lens ( S )
Spectacles capable of viewing synthesis down to the molecular and elemental level
Creator : Master ]

The name “Master” was the mark Jung Je Hwa used when crafting items.
If the item information window displayed those three characters, the price would be set at least three times higher than comparable items of the same grade.
The name itself served as a kind of quality guarantee.
Then, Jung Je Hwa’s gaze, which had been fixed downward until now, suddenly snapped toward me.
Because of my “Intuition” skill, he’d sensed my scrutinizing stare.
“Ahem.”
I casually picked up one of the items displayed before me, trying not to appear awkward.
It was a small rabbit figurine, no bigger than two fingers.

[ Rabbit Eating a Carrot ( ? )
If you pet me once a day, I’ll bring you good fortune. ]

First, there was no “Master” mark on it.
And the grade was also a question mark.
But I’d bet my wrist it wasn’t a flop either.
Jung Je Hwa was an artisan who would sooner break his own hands than create shoddy work.
To the outside world, the guild master of Maestro had stopped crafting items five years ago—this workshop was his refuge.
No one knew who he was, and no buyers came asking questions about the items he made here.
In short, he’d gone into hiding in a cave.
That’s why he didn’t stamp these creations with the Master mark.
“Huh?”
I made an odd sound without meaning to, earning another glance from Jung Je Hwa.
But still.
“T-the price is quite good, boss.”
The rabbit figurine I’d picked up was only 100,000 won.
Made by Jung Je Hwa, and only 100,000 won?
It was admittedly expensive for a small figurine, but the creator was Jung Je Hwa.
Yet 100,000 won.
I absolutely had to buy this. No—I wanted to buy the entire shop!
“Oh my, this is adorable. I should get this one and this one and that one too.”
But I suppressed my desire by picking up a few more small items like the rabbit figurine.
I hadn’t come all this way just to snag Jung Je Hwa’s items at a discount.
I headed to the register carrying six rabbit series figurines, each with different effects.
Only then did Jung Je Hwa set down what he was working on and stand up.
‘Is he a person or a door?’
With a height that seemed to exceed at least 190 centimeters and shoulders to match, the small workshop suddenly felt impossibly cramped.
“That comes to 600,000 won.”
A deep, cavernous voice emerged—one that somehow matched a bear-like impression.
This was it. My instincts spoke.
Time to activate the Coddling Project.
“The figurines are so adorable and charming, boss.”
I handed over the check card linked to the account containing my lottery winnings and launched into a barrage of compliments.
“I was just looking for gifts to share with acquaintances. How is it possible for all these rabbits to be so beautiful? Each one has a different pose, and you’ve even captured the fluffiness of their fur so perfectly. You really have impressive craftsmanship, boss.”
“…Thank you.”
His response to my lengthy praise was brief, but he didn’t seem displeased.
A good sign.
Just then, with perfect timing, my phone received a disaster alert.

Emergency Disaster Alert
[Gate Prediction Management Bureau]
E-rank Gate opening in 5 minutes at Songpa-gu Munjeong 2-dong Community Center, Seoul.
Guild dispatch assignment in progress.

“They’re only notifying us 5 minutes before? It seems like this kind of thing has been happening more frequently lately, doesn’t it?”
This time, I got a more definitive reaction.
Jung Je Hwa’s brow furrowed slightly as he checked the disaster alert on his own phone.
That made sense—Jung Je Hwa was the one who had built the prediction system currently being used by the Gate Prediction Management Bureau.
But his momentary reaction was fleeting; Jung Je Hwa soon returned to his gloomy expression and silently began pressing the card payment button.
Hmm, so this isn’t enough, is that it.
But if I bombarded him with more praise now, I might ruin everything.
‘Time to take a gamble.’
I made up my mind and opened my mouth.
“Um, boss.”
“Here’s your card. What should I do with the receipt?”
“Throw it away. After seeing these figurines today, I realized your craftsmanship is truly exceptional. I’d like to commission you to create an item for me.”
“I don’t accept commissions.”
Yeah, I figured as much.
But I wasn’t about to back down.
“Oh, is that so? What should I do then? Actually, I’ve visited other workshops too, but they all refused me.”
I pulled out something I’d prepared in my subspace and spoke with apparent difficulty.
“They all just said they’d never seen a decision stone like this before.”
It was a frost crystal I’d mined from Obongsan not long ago.
As expected, Jung Je Hwa’s eyes changed the moment he saw the transparent crystal I placed on the counter.
“This is…”
“I happened to obtain it recently from a glacier Dungeon. It seems like it would be good for an ice-attribute Hunter, but I don’t have the money to get it appraised by an expensive appraiser…. So I was just thinking of having it made into a necklace or something.”
Of course, that was a complete lie.
I had no interest in other workshops and had never visited any.
And I already knew the effects of this mana crystal.

[ Frozen Aggregate (B)
: Wearer’s Stamina +30 ]

Unlike typical ice-attribute Mana Stones that simply provide cooling effects, this one came with an enhancement ability that boosted stamina—something most craftspeople wouldn’t even recognize, let alone know how to process.
So my lie wasn’t entirely false either.
Hah, I’m quite the liar, aren’t I?
Jung Je Hwa rolled the crystal around in his palm, examining it from every angle.
He was probably mobilizing every skill and magnifying glass he had right now.
‘That’s enough looking.’
I pretended to reach for the crystal from Jung Je Hwa’s hand, speaking as if reluctant to part with it.
“I suppose there’s no helping it. I’ll just have to keep this one….”
“I’ll take the commission.”
“Pardon? But you just said you weren’t accepting commissions.”
“…I happen to have some time available after all.”
Time—plenty of it, for the past five years straight.
“Ah, so you meant your schedule was completely booked.”
I bit down hard to suppress the laugh threatening to escape, then nodded.
“If the boss says he’ll do it, I can trust him completely!”
I continued playing the role of someone oblivious to the crystal’s true value.
“When should I come pick it up?”
“It will take about two weeks.”
Hmm?
He’s planning to work on it quite seriously, it seems.
“And the processing fee….”
“What’s the going rate for underground mall labor these days? Would a million won be enough?”
Jung Je Hwa fell silent for a moment.
But I remained confident.
Why not?
I’m commissioning the Maestro Guild Master, after all.
Or rather, just the Underground 4th Floor Workshop manager.
Honestly, even a million won was an inflated price.
“…Five hundred thousand won will suffice.”
As expected, Jung Je Hwa quoted the standard processing fee honestly.
“Then I’ll pay two hundred thousand now, and the remaining three hundred thousand when I pick up the necklace. Oh, and please design the necklace to suit a man—something clean and refined, yet elegant. You know what I mean?”
I thought I heard Jung Je Hwa let out a small sigh just then.
In any case, I paid the additional two hundred thousand won and received the commission receipt.
Then, with my other hand, I pressed a bag of candy I’d bought from Candy Land earlier firmly into Jung Je Hwa’s palm and smiled.
“Please make the necklace well, boss.”
A thought bubble appeared above Jung Je Hwa’s head—someone who loved sweets so much he’d named his refuge of a workshop “Sugar.”

《 ♥ 1 》

The workshop’s name was Sugar, and the affinity was squeezed tight—very tight.
But affinity was a secondary concern.
If needed, I could raise it later.
What mattered was making a judgment through this necklace creation.
Whether Jung Je Hwa was someone who could consistently walk alongside me going forward, or not.

* * *

Leaving the workshop, I headed toward the five-story building connected beside the Maestro Building.
“Welcome. Are you here to sell Mana Stones?”
The employee greeted me warmly at this place—the Mana Stone Exchange, which specialized in buying and selling Mana Stones much like a gold exchange.
I checked today’s market rate displayed prominently on the wall and nodded as I spoke.
“Yes, I’ve come to sell Frost Mana Stones.”
“I see. Then allow me to guide you inside.”
The room we entered contained a four-person table with chairs and a large cart for holding Mana Stones.
“May I see the Mana Stones, customer?”
“Yes, the C-rank stones are about this much.”
Clatter.
“D-rank is this much.”
Crash.
“E-rank is this amount.”
Rumble.
“…That’s quite a quantity, customer.”
“Yes, they’ve accumulated since I wanted to dispose of them all at once.”
The last thing I needed was rumors spreading that this much came from a single Obongsan Dungeon.
“Roughly how much would the sale be?”
At my question, the employee’s eyes left the Mana Stones and began calculating rapidly.
Within minutes, the estimated amount was printed on paper.
“Based on today’s market rate, the estimated sale price is a total of 157,504,350 won.”
“That’s with the bulk sale option applied, correct?”
The sales methods at the Mana Stone Exchange divided into two main categories.
One was selling Mana Stones all at once according to market rates, and the other was using the exchange as a sort of agent to put the Mana Stones up for auction.
“Yes, that’s correct, though typically customers sell B-rank and lower Mana Stones through bulk sales.”
“I’d like to put them up for auction instead.”
“Ah, auction….”
The employee’s words trailed off.
I could practically see the thought bubble above their head: ‘Why would you?’
“As you know, the auction method carries risks. If things go wrong, the final bid could be lower than bulk sales, and the exchange’s commission for agent sales is also higher.”
“Yes, I understand. Still, please sell it through auction. Please.”

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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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