novelraw Chapter 19 : Raiding the Elixir Field (1)
Chapter 19 : Raiding the Elixir Field (1)
Where should I even begin to make excuses? For knocking down an intermediate student? For selling out Namgung Bihwa’s name? For using magic?
Most of all, I wanted to believe that she hadn’t heard that line just now.
In the midst of some confusion, as I was choosing my words, Namgung Bihwa’s two lips parted.
“What kind of strange monologue was that?”
Damn it, is it that part after all? I desperately suppressed the urge to hide in a stealth formation and cleared my throat.
“I didn’t know you had a hobby of eavesdropping.”
“I didn’t know I would hear something like that either.”
‘Damn it.’
It was a response worthy of a master. Although I had suffered a subtle mental blow, I exercised my survival instinct and quickly changed the subject.
“…So why did you come here?”
“Because I suddenly heard my name. I never thought there would be a junior who sells the name of the Namgung family without my knowledge.”
It was a gentle but pointed remark.
‘This won’t be easy.’
Sometimes, some people have a dignity that exudes a presence in itself, not with internal energy.
The atmosphere that Namgung Bihwa had was that kind of flow, and right now, that aura was not at all favorable to me.
I said, making a harmless expression as much as possible.
“It seems you have a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding?”
Her gaze, looking this way, curved coldly.
“Lying in front of me, you have some nerve.”
The corner of Namgung Bihwa’s mouth rose slightly. When a beautiful woman smiled like that, it was rather bloodthirsty. But what was even more chilling was the presence she was subtly exuding.
‘This is no joke.’
It was an energy as orderly as an instructor’s. No, on the contrary, it had a sharper edge than the other instructors.
‘In my current state, I’m no match for her.’
The opponent was at least a peak-level master. And since she had already witnessed me knocking down an intermediate student, a surprise attack was unlikely to work. On the other hand, the mana in my circle was almost depleted. If I got into a scuffle unnecessarily, it would be me who got beaten up.
‘It would be better to just apologize truthfully and move on.’
Just as I was thinking that and politely bowing my head.
“Did you think I was going to say… I’m sorry?”
“……?”
At the words that came out reflexively, Namgung Bihwa blinked for a moment. She probably never thought such a reaction would come out.
I was the same. Right now, I felt like squeezing my eyes shut.
‘To think the effect of [Arrogant Young Master] would still be active.’
In addition, since [Intermittent Debuff Enhancement] had overlapped, such an arrogant remark was bound to come out.
Even with [Will of the Extreme], I couldn’t control my mouth.
‘It can’t be helped.’
I quickly racked my brain while lifting my head. I had to do something before the surprise on Namgung Bihwa’s face turned to anger.
The water is already spilled. Since it had come to this, I decided to go on the offensive. Of course, with my own logic added.
“In the first place, this incident was caused by you, senior, mentioning the Martial Study Sword in a loud voice in the secret manual library.”
“What?”
“If you hadn’t said it then, I wouldn’t have been attacked like this. The point of my words is that you, senior, also have a share of the responsibility.”
There was a high possibility that Namgung Bihwa was in this vicinity because she was concerned about that matter. Of course, such consideration was not important. What I needed now was to smooth over this situation.
I suddenly held out the Martial Study Sword towards the statue-like Namgung Bihwa. With a voice that was slightly resentful and sad.
“If you wanted it so much, take it.”
“Huh?”
“You said you needed it, didn’t you? That intermediate student earlier said that Namgung Bihwa-nim had ordered him when he was aiming for me. No wonder you were staring at my Martial Study Sword. Yes, here it is. Don’t try to take a junior student’s sword like me, just take it.”
Namgung Bihwa was dumbfounded. Wasn’t that obviously an excuse for that gangster lying on the floor to extort the Martial Study Sword?
“Don’t put me in the same class as that gangster.”
“But you were scrutinizing my sword. With those sharp eyes.”
“I wasn’t scrutinizing it. And my eyes aren’t sharp either.”
Namgung Bihwa glared at me and then took a step closer as if to argue.
“The reason that person was aiming for you is because the Martial Study Sword is an important item for the promotion exam. It has nothing to do with me.”
“Then why were you waiting?”
“I just came to blame you for using my name as an excuse.”
The moment she said that, I felt [Arrogant Young Master] being deactivated. As the arrogant impulse that came out like a spinal reflex disappeared, the next development was fast.
“Is that so. I apologize for using your name without permission. It won’t happen again next time.”
“Huh? Yes?”
Namgung Bihwa looked at me with a suspicious gaze, as if she never thought I would admit it so obediently.
She was probably suspecting that I would change my words again like before. However, when I didn’t show any other reaction, she soon let down her guard and spoke obediently.
“As long as you know. I was also careless.”
Even though our first impression was bad, she was not a bad person at heart.
She was the type of good person who tried to save an oppressed old man and cared for a junior who was about to be beaten by an intermediate student.
‘Come to think of it, from her perspective, I’m a complete bad guy.’
Assaulting an old man, beating up a senior under the pretext of self-defense, and even impersonation. My record was spectacular.
‘Still, it would be difficult to say anything more in this situation.’
As she had said before, this incident was nothing more than an accident caused by the greed of an intermediate student. It was now time to wrap this up.
“It’s almost dinner time, so I’ll be going.”
Just as I was about to retreat like that, I heard Namgung Bihwa’s voice.
“What’s your name?”
“…Why do you ask?”
“I’m just curious. I should know the name of the impersonator.”
When I lifted my head, Namgung Bihwa was looking this way with the evening glow in the background. Come to think of it, I had never told her my name directly.
Feeling a sense of unfamiliarity in this situation, I slowly opened my mouth.
“It’s Zhuge Cheonwu.”
* * *
And so, when the weekend came, I received an outing pass, one of the privileges of the top student, and came out of the academy.
An outing after almost half a month. It was a short time, if you could call it that, but so much had changed in the meantime. But before I could even fully enjoy that feeling, I faced a big crisis.
“Young Master! Congratulations on being the top student!!”
When I went out at the appointed time, the servant and escorts were all making a fuss.
It was embarrassing and shameful, but the real problem was that the sturdy-looking old man standing in the middle of the group was no ordinary being.
I obediently approached him and paid my respects.
“It’s been a while, Protector Jangyeo.”
He was one of the representative protectors in charge of the military power of the Zhuge family.
‘It’s a good thing I recalled the memories in advance.’
It was helpful that I had squeezed out various past information so as not to make the same mistake as with the Martial Study Sword before.
“…Are you really that gangster I used to know?”
Jangyeo’s scar near his eye twitched, and he began to glare at me.
I endured his gaze that was scanning me without answering.
A protector was usually a powerful person equivalent to an elder. Moreover, since Jangyeo was considered an eccentric even within the family, I needed to be careful.
“That slick guy has become a completely different person. Well, you’re still weak as ever, though.”
With that, Jangyeo poked my body. The impact spread here and there from the touch of his large hands, which was uncharacteristic of the Zhuge family.
‘It’s imbued with internal energy.’
It wasn’t just that his hands were big, but he was spreading a faint energy into my body to check the condition of various parts of my body.
“Why is this so weak? Your overall skeleton and balance seem to have improved compared to when you were young, but your condition…”
And yet, he was still performing a bold body touch.
‘Tsk.’
If I left it like this, it seemed like it would even affect my circle and dantian, so I raised my energy and blocked the infiltration of the energy that Jangyeo had sent out.
“Huh? You blocked this?”
Then, Jangyeo looked at me with surprised eyes for a moment.
“Your greeting is too rough.”
When I looked straight into his two eyes and said that, Jangyeo’s expression seemed to harden, and then it turned into a burst of laughter.
“Hahaha! You’ve changed a lot. No, have you revealed yourself? I thought the story of you being the top student was a lie, but it seems to be true.”
“Is that why you came?”
I had sent a letter from within the academy as soon as I became the top student to deliver the news. But it seemed the family side didn’t believe it.
“Of course, there’s that too. Your past record is quite spectacular, isn’t it?”
It was something I knew nothing about, so it was unfair, but it couldn’t be helped.
“And this too. You asked for as much as possible, right?”
He held out a promissory note. It was for 3,000 nyang. To give me a junior martial artist’s annual salary just for becoming the top student once. It was worthy of the Five Great Families. I obediently accepted the promissory note.
Jangyeo, who saw that, patted my shoulder and continued.
“Since you said you became the top student, it seems the family also has some expectations. Prove it well. Since you’ve revealed your true colors.”
Jangyeo said with a meaningful face. He seemed to be misunderstanding something, but I just nodded silently.
It seemed he was considering a new succession structure right now. My current identity was the third son of the direct line of the Zhuge family. The third-in-line successor.
From Jangyeo’s perspective, it would seem that I had seriously entered the succession race. Of course, I had no interest in that right now.
‘I’m busy just trying to survive.’
“Then, since I’m also busy, I’ll be on my way.”
I paid my respects to Jangyeo, who disappeared after just giving me the promissory note, and then ordered my personal servant.
“Take me to that pawnshop from before.”
“Yes?”
“The one where I borrowed money half a month ago.”
“Yes, yes! I understand.”
At the sight of the servant who was quickly leading the way, I also moved my feet. It was now time for those ceremonial daggers.
Soon, after arriving at the pawnshop, I was faced with some absurd news.
“It’s 4,000 nyang.”
“What?”
What was in front of me right now was the manager of the pawnshop with a goatee. I narrowed my brow at the price that had doubled, and he made a vile expression and said.
“Well, the price has jumped up quite a bit in the meantime.”
The way he pushed up his glasses with his middle finger bothered my already uncomfortable mood. Even though there was no such curse here.
“I came to pay it back within the period, didn’t I?”
The period that a pawnshop waits for varies. In this case, since the amount was large, there would have been a one-month repayment period, but he had suddenly changed his words.
“Ah, it seems the servant misunderstood the contract. We only hold it for up to a month, but we do not guarantee the price when we return it.”
“Isn’t there a limit to that?”
“We are just following our contract.”
I looked at the personal servant who had guided me here. Then, as if he thought he had to explain, the servant stuttered.
“Th-that’s different from what you said! Before, you said you wouldn’t exceed 20% of the pawned price. Since it was the first transaction…!”
Then, the pawnshop manager cut in.
“Yes, for the first dagger we contracted for. What I took in were two daggers.”
“Th-then?!”
The flustered servant stuttered.
Meanwhile, I finally grasped the truth of the incident and sighed. The servant had brought two daggers. It seemed this pawnshop had made separate contracts for each of those daggers.
The price per dagger at that time was 1,000 nyang. The first one contracted for had a 20% interest, making it 1,200 nyang. The second one contracted for had its price arbitrarily inflated to 2,800 nyang. So the price of 4,000 nyang, which was double the original principal, came out.
‘So this is how you’re going to play?’
I let out a dry laugh. If I had my way, I would have blown that arrogant guy’s head off, but there were more than one or two masters around the pawnshop right now.
‘Are they similar to or below the instructors?’
At least peak-level strong people. At my current level, I couldn’t do anything about it. However, I had no intention of just letting it go either.
“These guys are violating business ethics.”
As I approached, the guy’s eyes curved. As if he were used to such incidents. Perhaps because he was wearing glasses, his already narrow eyes looked even smaller.
“This will be troublesome. Please don’t forget that we also have a minimum level of escort.”
I know. That’s why you can act so calmly. However, there was something the guy had overlooked.
First, the fact that I had not forgotten the identity of the escorting martial artists here, and second, the fact that I was a mage, not a martial artist that ordinary guys preyed on.
“You’re making me angry.”
“Heok!”
In an instant, a blue energy flashed from the side of my hand. The manager’s eyes widened like a sparrow’s at the cool light, like moonlight, and he moved his body back.
“What is this!”
At the same time, the martial artists who were next to him stepped forward. However, they could not draw their swords.
“Wh-what…!”
Because the sword qi, no, the light qi that had extended from my fingertips was already touching the manager’s neck.
“A super-peak master!”
In an instant, the martial artist’s astonished voice echoed. To be able to manifest and maintain sword qi as a weapon, not just coating the blade, was impossible unless one was a super-peak level master.
As if they had sensed that fact, the other martial artists also couldn’t rashly rush in and just swallowed dryly at each other.
Because if he was really a super-peak master, they couldn’t guarantee victory even if all the martial artists here attacked.
Everyone was silent in tension. They had instinctively shrunk their bodies in front of an overwhelmingly strong person.
But the person in question just continued to speak calmly.
“2,400 nyang, we’ll apply it uniformly as per the first contract.”
* * *
‘Is it working?’
Right now, I was maintaining the magic, tense on the inside.
“A super-peak master!”
Seeing the flustered voice from the side, it seemed the strategy had worked well.
Of course, what was extending from my hand right now was not some materialized sword qi.
What I was doing now was just manifesting light magic by coating it on a shield. Like a glow stick.
However, the guys around me were just astonished, unable to notice this.
“2,400 nyang. We’ll apply it uniformly as per the first contract.”
At my words, the pawnshop manager, while afraid, showed a look of contemplation. It was as if his merchant’s sense was telling him not to back down.
“I think I’ve conceded a lot.”
However, my following words erased even that last bit of hesitation. In the end, the manager squeezed his eyes shut and nodded his head.
“I understand.”
And so, I paid the 2,400 nyang promissory note and received the ceremonial daggers.
‘If I had my way, I would have wanted to cut it down to 2,000 nyang.’
I decided not to take any unnecessary risks.
The obsession of merchants for money is frightening. To the point of weighing the pros and cons even with a knife at their throat.
If I had tried to haggle down the price to make a profit at that moment, there was a high possibility that the agreement would have been broken.
Then the intimidating atmosphere I had painstakingly created would have also been dissipated. Maybe my skills would have been doubted.
“Hand over the contract too.”
I even took the contract, thinking that there might be words about it later. Since there would be a separate transaction ledger, it was better to get rid of this.
“…Here it is.”
After confirming that the contract the guy held out was real, I immediately burned the contract with fire magic. At that, the pawnshop manager raised his voice.
“Samadhi True Fire!”
As the flames were reflected in his glasses and then disappeared, only his wide-open eyes remained.
I had only done it for a show of force, in case there would be repercussions from this incident, but the reaction was bigger than I thought.
“Don’t tell anyone about what happened today.”
“Yes, yes!”
The martial world was a place like this. A world where you could change contracts as you pleased if you had power, and the treatment also changed noticeably.
I came outside, leaving behind the pawnshop manager who was bowing as best as he could.
‘With this, all the preparations are complete.’
Now, all that was left was to raid the elixir field of the Geummun Merchant Guild.
(End of Chapter)