I Entered an Academy in a Ruined Game

Chapter 78 : Delivery Service (3)

Choi Mina is one of the popular named characters within the academy.

Among Edge of Gate players, she's remembered as a character who demonstrates tremendous impact from the mid-to-late game.

While she doesn't particularly stand out in the early stages.

As the years accumulate, her innate adaptability combined with a magician's diverse magical patterns allows her to grow into an all-purpose character.

'Especially after leveling up to Archmage in the late game, she becomes a one-person army.'

Due to her taciturn and quiet personality, she doesn't give off an impression of being easy to befriend.

But there was no doubt she was a character worth buttering up and nurturing early.

'Above all, she's rich.'

In terms of pure wealth, Hwang Ji-su would have far more, but Ji-su wasn't the type to spend much money.

"Have you guys ever talked with Mina?"

"No."

I shook my head at Kwon Seung-yeon's question.

"I tried talking to her once, but she ignored me."

Nam Tae-hoon shrugged.

"Why did you try talking to her?"

"Well, you know..."

Kwon Seung-yeon playfully asked Nam Tae-hoon as he scratched his cheek.

"Is she your type?"

A surprisingly penetrating question.

"Ahem."

"Huh? What's this reaction?"

'She is Nam Tae-hoon's type.'

Small build with delicate features, and unlike Kim A-yun who has a similar physique but is timid, Mina has a cool impression.

She was a popular character in a different way from the straightforward Kwon Seung-yeon and Hwang Ji-su, or the prim and proper Lee Yu-jin.

"What's going on? Is it true?"

Kwon Seung-yeon poked Nam Tae-hoon.

"Well, not exactly like that."

'Hmm.'

Nam Tae-hoon showing interest in Choi Mina was common.

Just like Seo Jun-seong being interested in Lee Yu-jin.

'Of course, it rarely worked out...'

Let's skip that part.

"Anyway, I'll meet with her directly and have a conversation."

"Oh really?"

"She's an important customer, right? Since she wants to discuss specific conditions in person, someone has to go."

"I suppose you're right."

"Hmm."

And so, Nam Tae-hoon ate a voice-altering candy from Lim Eun-seo, wore a cloak and mask to hide his build and face, and headed to the meeting place.

"When did he prepare all that?"

"Seems like he bought it with his own money."

"He must really be interested in Choi Mina."

Kwon Seung-yeon and I exchanged words while watching him from afar, connected through communication equipment hidden in his cloak.

"Perhaps."

"But magicians really do require a lot of money, don't they?"

Kwon Seung-yeon sighed.

"I could never have been a magician even if I died and was reborn."

"They do require a lot of investment to be efficient."

I said.

In the Edge of Gate world, magicians weren't a particularly strong class.

'There are many limitations.'

Unlike games where magicians appear strong, this world doesn't allow them to freely shoot tremendous high-powered spells without incantations.

'Only the highest-tier magicians can do anything close to that.'

Moreover, it's difficult to increase proficiency, and their efficiency and power can't match awakened ones specialized in specific attributes.

Therefore, Edge of Gate magicians honed their combat methods by utilizing various spells.

To overcome the limitation of needing to operate magic through magic circles and incantations, they used various magical reagents and potions, sometimes imbuing equipment with magic.

Alternatively, methods like engraving magic circles on gloves, rings, necklaces, jackets, pants, and other clothing, or creating them as tattoos on the body were also commonly used.

'Choi Mina does both.'

She had both a deep curiosity for exploring magic itself.

And natural talent for its application and practical use in combat, placing her in the category of a "battle magician."

"Alright, time to turn off the local broadcast."

Nam Tae-hoon approached Choi Mina, who was standing quietly at the meeting place.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"?"

Choi Mina seemed a bit taken aback by Nam Tae-hoon's suspicious appearance with his identity thoroughly concealed.

"Are you the one?"

"Yes. If you're looking for the Delivery Service, that would be me."

What's with that speech pattern.

"Ahem, we usually handle most orders without face-to-face meetings, but this case is so special..."

Nam Tae-hoon cleared his throat and went straight to the point.

"You've ordered quite a lot of items. Magic reagents, magical paint, demonic beast carcass byproducts, various elixirs. Are you trying to buy all of this at once?"

"Yes."

Choi Mina answered in a slightly dull voice.

Magic reagents are the absolute basics that function as catalysts for magic.

Magical paint is needed to draw magic circles.

And the other items were all necessary for engraving magic onto equipment, drawing magic circles, or for practicing magic itself.

"Do you need all this quantity at once?"

"The materials available as teaching aids are too limited in quantity. And getting permission is annoying."

'That's true.'

I thought while quietly listening to their conversation through earphones.

If she could have an environment where she could research freely, staying at her master's workshop would have been better for Choi Mina.

Of course, for practical purposes and learning the Execution Force's duties, there's no better option than here.

She was probably troubled by this dilemma when she heard rumors about such a service, and thought this was perfect.

"I understand that."

"Is there another issue?"

"There is. How do you plan to store all this?"

"Is that important?"

"Of course it is. If someone gets curious about where such items came from, what will you say?"

Choi Mina closed her mouth for a moment.

"My guidance instructor said I could use the workshop freely. Can't I keep them there?"

"What if your instructor gets curious?"

"That person doesn't really care about such things."

"I see."

Well, Choi Mina's guidance instructor was also a magician and quite an eccentric person.

"Alright. Then let's assume that's taken care of..."

Choi Mina tilted her head while watching Nam Tae-hoon nod.

"So many issues."

"Ahem. Rather than issues, as you know, these items are quite expensive..."

"Is it difficult?"

"Ahem. Not difficult, but."

Choi Mina tilted her head in the opposite direction.

"Could it be that you don't have money to buy these?"

Nam Tae-hoon cut in with a solemn voice:

"Customer, I think you're underestimating our service's capabilities."

"Really? If you need a deposit, I don't mind paying up to 10 percent in advance."

"Oh."

It was such a favorable proposal that even Kwon Seung-yeon, who was listening, reacted.

But Nam Tae-hoon, the man, apparently didn't want to lose face.

"That's fine. Let's do it so that we receive payment after delivering the goods."

"That crazy bastard."

Kwon Seung-yeon cursed.

"That's interesting. Don't people usually pay first and then receive? Did you do this with others too?"

"...This is our opening event period."

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

Nam Tae-hoon, returning after completing the transaction with Choi Mina, immediately had to face Kwon Seung-yeon's flying kick.

"You crazy bastard. Do you know how much those items cost? How can you say you'll deliver without getting money first?"

"Ack!"

His guard was useless against her power.

"But this is an opening service! We have to do at least this much! Don't we need good word of mouth?"

"So, do you have money to buy those things? Are you going to get wiped out trying to spread word of mouth?"

"...Doesn't Su-hyeon have some money?"

Su-hyeon, who had been quietly checking his account balance, answered.

"It's barely not enough."

"...!"

Just as Kwon Seung-yeon's iron fist was about to send Nam Tae-hoon's jaw flying.

"But it's also true that we can't afford to lose a customer like Choi Mina, who placed such a generous order for her first transaction."

Su-hyeon calmed them both down.

"That's also true, but. There's no way."

"No. I'll figure this out."

"As expected, CEO Jeong, I knew I could count on you!"

However.

"Next time, I advise against making on-the-spot decisions beyond your discretion without consultation."

"...Okay."

Nam Tae-hoon clamped his mouth shut.

[All at once? That won't be easy.]

Park Min-cheol, who received Su-hyeon's contact, also showed reluctance.

[Especially magic reagents contain mana stones, so they're expensive.]

"I can provide the money."

[Really? You've saved up that much already?]

"There are always ways."

[You're amazing. It seems like just yesterday you were struggling to pay tuition fees...]

Of course, Su-hyeon would also be in trouble if he didn't receive the academic scholarship this time.

"There's a condition."

[Condition?]

"The premise is that you'll need to contribute about 10 percent."

[Oh come on.]

Park Min-cheol laughed, calling him a highway robber, but continued to express concern.

[But you know. The hardest part about these things is figuring out where and from whom to get them.]

"I know."

However, the routes for this business were as clear as the palm of his hand to Su-hyeon.

"Hyung. I know a good supplier."

[Huh? Really?]

"There's an old man named Jang who runs a pawnshop on the outskirts of Seoul. If you pay him a bit extra, he'll hand over items without asking about identity."

[...Isn't he from the underworld? Wouldn't that be dangerous?]

"Don't worry."

Su-hyeon laughed.

"I'll go with you."

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

I escaped from the academy's barrier through the same dog hole we used when hunting the cockatrice.

'The Ma-in organization would drool if they saw this.'

It was generally difficult to enter and exit the mountain ranges surrounding the academy on foot.

But I advanced safely through the undergrowth, following the well-maintained private road.

'An environment hostile to humans, with roads being the only trace of civilization.'

"Grrrr."

Demonic beasts, conditioned not to approach the road, drooled as they watched me.

'They must have suffered a lot from humans.'

These local demonic beasts had become almost as good at anger management as Australian wildlife, having been collectively slaughtered by instructors when they had mistakenly approached the road.

'Makes it easier for me.'

But I couldn't afford to be too relaxed.

Checking the time on an analog watch instead of the left-behind device, I increased my pace.

"Hyung."

"Oh, you're here!"

I met up with Park Min-cheol, who was parked several kilometers away from the checkpoint guarding the private road to the academy.

"You got a car."

"Hey, this isn't my car."

Park Min-cheol, who greeted me with a fist bump, looked me up and down.

"Your body seems to have improved even more?"

"Does it show?"

"Incredibly. How can a high school kid have muscles like that..."

Park Min-cheol stuck out his tongue and cautiously asked.

"But is this really okay?"

"It's fine as long as I return an hour before roll call starts today."

"Won't you get expelled if caught?"

"Well..."

While there might be people who would admire my audacity for deceiving everyone and try to recruit me for intelligence work, no one would be rash enough to cut someone who already receives as much attention as I do.

"Anyway, let's hurry."

"But is it okay to go at this early hour?"

"That old man doesn't sleep much."

We took the early morning train from the station, traveled for another hour and a half, then took a taxi to reach the pawnshop operated by old man Jang.

"Is this the place?"

"Yes. A pawnshop only known to those in the know."

"It looks like a place that lends money to gamblers in exchange for items."

"Well, they do that business too."

"Ah, I'm nervous. This gentleman seems like a real big shot."

In response to Park Min-cheol's exaggeration, I answered.

"If that old man just clears his throat, someone like you would fly all the way to Jeju Island."

"Damn."

"Don't roll your eyes unnecessarily. Don't even think about trying to haggle. Just sit quietly next to me."

Creeeeak.

In the predawn hours when not even a dog's bark could be heard.

The pawnshop's old door opened with an unpleasant sound.

"What are these brats doing here?"

The old man Jang, sitting at the counter, spat out curses right away.

'Still as cantankerous as ever.'

Under his caterpillar-like overgrown eyebrows, his wrinkled face resembled that of a rural farmer.

With his worn shirt sleeves carelessly rolled up and smoking a pipe, he also looked like a sailor who had navigated the seas for decades.

"What, did you come to sell your mother's ring? Looking at you, you're not even of age yet. The world's really going to hell."

As old man Jang clicked his tongue, I sat down without responding, bringing over a chair.

"Well, well!"

Old man Jang whistled.

"Hey, you disrespectful brat, how dare you ignore an elder's words and just grab a chair?"

"I thought the conversation might be long."

"Well, well. What conversation?"

Thunk.

I pulled out a suitcase full of cash and showed it to him.

"Isn't the conversation obvious?"

"Well now, not here to borrow but to buy?"

Old man Jang chuckled, and I took out a paper I had kept in my pocket.

"For obtaining items like these discreetly, there's no one better than you, sir."

"Hmm."

Old man Jang grabbed the paper like he was snatching it and pulled out the glasses hanging around his neck to read it.

"So, planning to give these to some sucker magicians?"

"Just one person."

"Hmm?"

Old man Jang twitched his caterpillar-like eyebrows.

"That person must be either a great visionary or a great fantasist."

"We'll likely be able to make transactions of this scale regularly in the future."

"Sigh, dealing with greenhorns like you is a bit much for these numbers."

Old man Jang scrutinized me and Park Min-cheol with a skeptical expression.

"By the looks of it, the guy next to you is still weak. Is this your idea?"

"Yes, it is."

"Kekeke."

He didn't ask how I knew his name.

Nor did he question why two greenhorns would come at dawn to initiate a deal of this scale.

'Because he probably knows everything.'

Information.

It's easy to buy goods from this man, but difficult to buy information.

But he's also a protagonist who possesses much of what would be considered high-rank information in this world.

'Meaningless to me though.'

"But kid. What's your identity?"

"Just a student."

"No. Not that."

Old man Jang smirked.

"I've heard your name too, you know? They say a cheeky little brat called Jeong Su-hyeon is pressing the noses of the Hwang family and Lee and Seo kids."

"You seem quite interested in worldly affairs."

"The ability to extract something from rumors heard here and there is the talent of those who survive long in this field."

Looking directly into old man Jang's flashing eyes that seemed to disassemble and examine everything.

['Clear as a Mirror' ability defends against mental interference!]

['Clear as a Mirror' proficiency has increased!]

"That information, are you perhaps offering to sell it?"

I curled up the corner of my mouth as if mocking him.