Episode 187 Festival Day 4 (2)
-Click-
“Come in. You can take any slippers you like from the rack here and put them on.”
“Oh, yes. Excuse me.”
-Thump thump-
-Duribunduribun-
‘… You live very cleanly.’
Her house, which I entered following Kim Sun-ah’s guidance, was much neater than I expected, even though I only saw the first floor.
The living room and kitchen look extremely clean, without a speck of dust.
A pleasant, subtle floral scent wafting throughout the house.
A sofa that looks expensive at first glance and a large wall-mounted TV that would be great for watching soccer.
The interior is simple overall, yet exudes a modern feel.
‘You sound like a successful city girl. Of course, you are like that in real life too… .’
Anyway, while I was looking around the house with a curious look on my face,
“I’ll store the stuff on the second floor, so I’ll bring it over right away. In the meantime, Mr. Kim Baram… .”
Kim Sun-ah, who had guided me toward the living room, suddenly raised her finger and pointed to the refrigerator in her kitchen, and then confidently asked me for a favor.
“In the meantime, Mr. Kim Baram, I’d like some coffee. There’s some Dutch coffee concentrate in the fridge, so take that out, and then get some water and ice from the water purifier… … .”
“Huh…? Now, wait a minute. Isn’t that what landlords usually do? And you suggested that I come over to your house for a cup of coffee… .”
“Mr. Kim Baram is also a landlord. He’s the landlord of the house ‘next door.’ And in the first place, I asked him to have coffee with me, I didn’t say I was going to make coffee.”
“Such ridiculous excuses….”
And of course, I tried to refute Kim Sun-ah’s calm request in my own way.
“…Okay. Then, Mr. Kim Baram, don’t do anything and just sit here on the sofa and relax. I’ll bring you things from the second floor, make you some coffee, and I’ll do everything else.”
Then, I was a little concerned about the gloomy expression that Kim Sun-ah showed, which I couldn’t tell if it was acting or real… .
‘Well, it’s not that hard to organize coffee…’
In the end, I decided to accept the immutable fate of having to drink coffee.
“Oh, I understand. I’ll just go get the coffee.”
For reference, right after that.
I’m scared to say that I’m going to make coffee.
-Smile-
“Really? Then I beg you earnestly.”
The woman with the pitiful expression from earlier must have moved somewhere.
Kim Sun-ah said those words with a bright smile on her lips, then quickly disappeared towards the second floor.
Meanwhile, I was staring blankly in the direction where Kim Sun-ah disappeared… .
-Sigh-
‘It was acting after all… .’
Instead of feeling angry at being deceived.
I felt a strange sense of relief, thinking that it was fortunate that I wasn’t really upset.
-Thump thump-
He walked obediently toward the kitchen and started preparing coffee for me and Kim Sun-ah.
-Ring ring ring-
***
A little while later.
-widely-
After I made my share of coffee with Kim Sun-ah.
I carefully placed two coffee cups on the table in the living room… .
“thank you for your effort.”
At that very moment, Kim Sun-ah appeared in the living room holding a flat box in both hands.
‘I guess there are things inside that the Master gave me… .’
After thinking about it carefully while drinking coffee.
Although, I couldn’t exactly predict what the items would be.
Perhaps Baek A-rin is preparing for the impending disaster, based on the additional information I sent her via text yesterday.
It seemed like he was trying to get some things he thought I needed and give them to me through Kim Sun-ah.
-Glance-
‘By the way, you changed your clothes. That’s why it took longer than expected.’
As a side note, unlike the tight-fitting workout outfit from earlier.
Kim Sun-ah was currently wearing a slightly boxy short-sleeved shirt and comfortable-looking pants.
‘Well, unlike me who just walks around outside, Kim Sun-ah really works out. It would be a bit awkward for her to sit on the sofa in her sweaty clothes.’
Anyway, right after that.
I’m scared to sit on the sofa.
-dump-
Kim Sun-ah also placed a box on the table, sat down next to me on the sofa, and soon her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she asked me a question.
“Can we watch it together? The guild leader asked me to explain to Kim Baram if there’s anything he doesn’t know.”
“Oh, yes. Okay. Can I open it right now?”
“Yes, of course. I’m curious to know what’s inside, so please open it quickly.”
So, as soon as I got Kim Sun-ah’s permission, I immediately reached out with both hands toward the box and grabbed the lid.
‘I wonder what could be there… .’
-Swoosh-
And soon after I opened the lid, I was able to find a total of five items there.
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‘hmm…?’
However, of the five items in the box, I could only identify one at a glance.
That’s understandable, since three of them were stored inside another box within a box, so I had no idea what they were.
‘What is that?’
The ceramic liquor bottle on the far left, about a span in size, had no hints written on its surface, so it was also difficult to guess what it was.
‘Then let’s start with what we can know first… .’
-Glance-
So, I decided to start by looking at the items that I could immediately see what they would be used for.
First of all, the object on the far right was a transparent glass bottle containing a red liquid, which was most likely a health potion.
-Snap-
‘What level of potion is this? I heard you can tell the level by color, but I can’t tell even if I look at it… .’
That’s when I picked up the stamina potion and was moving it around to examine it.
“… Judging by the color, it’s a top-grade potion.”
“Yes…? Really?”
Kim Sun-ah, who was watching right next to me, glanced at the potion and immediately started talking about its grade.
‘Crazy, if it’s a top-tier stamina potion, it’s effective, but it would cost around 500 million won… .’
At that moment, as I stared at the potion, I suddenly remembered the story about fortune telling that Sajuhee had told me two days ago.
[In that case, I would definitely recommend developing a closer relationship with that noble person. That will definitely be of great help to you, Junior Baram, in terms of your financial luck and your future actions.]
-Gulp-
‘Is this the fortune that Sajuhee talked about…?’
But I had no intention of getting the potion or the rest of the items for free.
Of course, Baek A-rin did it without expecting anything in return, but I planned to somehow repay the favor she showed me later.
‘… To do that, I have to grow up quickly.’
Anyway, the reason Baek A-rin gave me this stamina potion was clearly because she was worried about any injuries that might occur in the future.
For reference, the effect of the highest-grade stamina potion was so powerful that it could instantly heal all the injuries sustained in the match against Ju Jin-yong yesterday.
‘In the original work, it was mentioned that it would restore approximately 30 stamina points… .’
-Thud-
After that, I put the highest-grade potion back where it was and immediately turned my gaze towards the box that looked similar to a ring box right next to the potion.
‘Is it really inside? Well, I guess we’ll just have to open it.’
-Snap-
So I picked up the box and lifted the lid without hesitation… .
-Click-
Contrary to my expectations that there would be a ring inside, there was a small square chip about 1cm in size.
-Sick of it-
‘What is this…?’
But despite seeing it with my own two eyes.
I couldn’t figure out what this thing was used for.
At that time.
“This is a location tracker.”
“Huh? A location tracker?”
Seon-A-E-Mong, who was sitting next to me… no, Kim Seon-A, calmly explained the functions of this chip.
“Yes, it’s a magic item that’s widely used in large guilds. Simply put, if you implant this location tracker into your body, you can use the item that this chip is based on to determine where that person is currently located.”
“Oh, I see.”
I’ve heard of it… no, I’ve read it.
Because it was an item that the main character, Han Su-yeon, also frequently used when she was a member of the 8th guild.
‘So that’s it… .’
As a side note, this chip is a magic item and can be used even inside dungeons.
That’s why there was a setting that the dungeon disaster rate decreased significantly after this chip was developed.
Anyway, Baek A-rin’s intention in giving me this was probably because I mentioned in the text I sent her yesterday that there was a possibility of me being kidnapped by Heuk-ik.
‘It would be better to plant them now. I’m sure there’s a way to use them…’
Just as I was brainstorming ways to use the device, I had the idea of implanting a location tracker in my body in advance, because I never know when something might happen.
“… I recommend using this location tracker right now.”
Kim Sun-ah, who had been watching me blankly, suddenly brought up that topic… .
“yes…?”
‘What? Does Kim Sun-ah know that something will happen soon? But she kept it top secret because there was a risk of the information leaking out…’
He quickly explained the reason and at the same time, he immediately resolved my doubts.
“I don’t know the details, but right now, all eight guilds, including our Baekhwa Guild, are on high alert. I expect something will likely happen within a few days.”
“Oh, is that so?”
‘You just simply guessed… .’
“There are also stamina potions and location trackers. I think the reason the guild leader gave these items to Kim Baram was to prepare for that event.”
“… That makes perfect sense.”
Is it because Kim Sun-ah is also a member of the Baekhwa Guild, which has excellent information capabilities?
Kim Sun-ah showed that she was able to come up with an answer that was almost correct based on the information she had collected.
‘Well, later on, he becomes Baek A-rin’s left arm…’
By the way, Baek A-rin’s right arm is, of course… .
“Even yesterday, I saw the Vice Guild Leader for the first time in four years since I joined the Baekhwa Guild. The Vice Guild Leader is usually away on other missions, but seeing him come this time, I have a feeling that something is definitely going to happen.”
… It was the secret painting of the vice-guild leader of the Baekhwa Guild that Kim Sun-ah just mentioned.
Anyway, in conclusion.
Even if it weren’t for Kim Sun-ah’s advice, I was going to implant this location tracker in my body.
I immediately asked Kim Sun-ah, who knew how to use it much better than I did, how to use it.
“… Haha, since you say so, I’ll use it right now. But how do I use it?”
“Just give it to me. I’ll do it for you.”
Then, Kim Sun-ah said that she would do it herself.
She stretched out her slender fingers and picked up the chips that had been placed neatly inside the box… .
-Snap-
At the same time, he grabbed my right wrist.
-Swoosh-
I gently rolled up the sleeves of the sweatshirt I was wearing.
“…huh?”
-Question question-
Immediately after that, Kim Sun-ah noticed the silver full moon on my right wrist and asked me a question while rubbing my wrist with her fingers.
“Mr. Kim Baram, is this a tattoo?”
“Uh… Well, technically speaking, it is a tattoo, but it’s not something I got myself into or anything. It just appeared naturally thanks to my skills.”
“Oh, really? You look great, unlike Mr. Kim Baram.”
“… Yes? What does that mean?”
“Hehehe, I’m just joking. Anyway, I’ll put it in now. Is that okay?”
“Oh, yes. Please put it in.”
-Swoosh-
That concludes my remarks.
-Kuk-
Kim Sun-ah placed the chip on her fingertip, right above my silver full moon tattoo created by the <Moonlight Charge> skill.
-Woong~-
Then, as she let the blue magic emanate from her fingertips, the chip began to be sucked into my body, and soon after, it completely disappeared.
“…Is it all done?”
And a little later.
When I ask that question… .
-Creator, creator-
Kim Sun-ah silently played with my wrist for a while, then answered me and asked me a question in return.
“It’s all done. Is there any foreign body sensation? Sometimes, there are defective products or the body rejects them.”
“Oh, yes. I don’t feel any foreign body sensation.”
“Then it will probably work fine. Oh, and by the way, it won’t last forever, so don’t worry too much. This chip will naturally decompose in a week.”
Actually, I already knew that part from the original work.
What I meant was that the effect lasted for a week.
‘… A week should be enough.’
Anyway, with Kim Sun-ah’s help, I implanted a location tracker in my body… .
“Thank you for your help, Kim Sun-ah.”
“… … To this extent? It wasn’t that big of a deal.”
First of all, I would like to thank Kim Sun-ah for her help.
-Glance-
‘Okay, so next is….’
With anticipation of what Baek A-rin has prepared for me next.
I reached out to the cubic wooden box placed in the very center.
-Snap-
***
-Dalgrak-
-sniffling-
‘It’s an elixir… .’
Inside the luxurious wooden box in the middle was an elixir.
The elixir was a round jelly-like substance that was sold at convenience stores.
The reason I could immediately tell that it was an elixir was because of the refreshing scent characteristic of elixirs that wafted out as soon as I opened the box.
‘I wonder if it will work… .’
In fact, all of my abilities except for charm and luck are now in their 40s.
Unless it was a fairly high-grade elixir, it was difficult to expect any significant increase in ability value from elixirs.
Besides, should we call it a so-called red pill?
From my experience so far, Kim Baram is not the type to take elixirs well… in other words, he is not the type to benefit from elixirs.
‘Rather than increasing abilities, it seems more effective to take elixirs that give additional effects, like the elixir of immortality that strengthens bones and muscles, which I used to take.’
Of course, since I didn’t know what level the elixir that Baek A-rin had given me was or what effect it had, it was still a bit ambiguous to make a definitive decision.
By the way, Kim Sun-ah, who had been explaining everything from the side, also answered that she didn’t know what kind of elixir it was this time.
So, unlike the location tracker a little while ago.
Since I didn’t know what kind of elixir it was, I held off on taking it for the time being.
‘Even if I eat it, I should ask the teacher later by text what kind of elixir it is, and then eat it.’
Anyway, let’s put the elixir aside for a moment.
I also opened the last box, a flat rectangular box.
Inside the box was a small syringe, according to Kim Sun-ah.
It was said to be a type of combat stimulant that improved combat abilities in various ways for a certain period of time, such as relieving fatigue and making you forget pain.
‘I’ll keep this in my stash like a top-tier potion and use it when the time comes.’
And now I am left with a ceramic liquor bottle, about a hand’s length in size, on the far left.
-sniffling-
I was waiting for Kim Sun-ah, who was enjoying a short tea time while savoring the coffee I had made, to open her mouth.
The reason was simple.
As I said before, there was nothing written on the outside of the bottle, so it was difficult to infer what it was.
‘All I know is that what was in that bottle was real alcohol… .’
As soon as I opened the lid, I could tell right away that it was alcohol because of the strong scent of alcohol that tickled my nose.
In addition, there was a fragrant scent of grass, but unfortunately, it was difficult to guess exactly what it was based on this alone.
‘Is this some kind of elixir similar to the nectar I ate last time…?’
Anyway, what was certain was that Kim Sun-ah already knew what it was.
As I was looking at the bottle of liquor, I had no idea what it was, so I asked Kim Sun-ah if she knew anything about it. Suddenly, Kim Sun-ah let out a meaningful laugh… .
[Hehehe, I’ll just drink all that coffee and then let you know.]
Within, after I said those words.
It was because he had been keeping me waiting until now, whether he really intended to tell me after drinking all the coffee.
‘What the hell is that and why is it taking so long? I’m so frustrated I think I’m going to die.’
At that time, I was looking at Kim Sun-ah with resentful eyes, who didn’t even know my longing heart and was just savoring my coffee.
Kim Sun-ah suddenly approached me with a topic completely different from what I had expected.
“Mr. Kim Baram, you make coffee well. I’m not just saying this in vain. It’s exactly my style.”
But maybe it was because it wasn’t what I wanted.
I answered her straight away and curtly, with a flustered expression on my face.
“…I just mixed water, ice, and coffee concentrate.”
“Huh, really? I was going to tell you about that bottle of liquor right away as a thank you for making such a delicious meal, but since you were so insincere, I guess I’ll have to put that thought on hold for a bit… … .”
“I think it’s because of the skill I have. It’s a skill called <Delicate Hand Movements>, and every action you make with your hands is compensated for. I think it’s because I put in about ten spoonfuls of my sincerity in it… .”
Then, I was so scared that I started to blurt out a rapid-fire answer about why coffee was so delicious.
-Sigh-
“Okay, I’ll tell you.”
-widely-
Fortunately, I guess they liked my sincere answer.
Kim Sun-ah put down the coffee cup she was drinking on the table with a faint smile on her lips, and finally opened her mouth about the identity of the bottle of alcohol.
“What’s inside is a medicinal liquor made from a mixture of various herbs, and it’s a kind of antidote that creates a slight tolerance to a specific poison. However, in reality, its symbolic meaning is greater than its effectiveness. This is because the poison that creates the tolerance is the guild master’s… … .”
But at that moment.
“ah.”
Even though Kim Sun-ah’s explanation isn’t over yet.
I was confident in the identity of that drink just from that description.
Because, in the original, when Go Joo-yeon and Han Soo-yeon entered the Baekhwa Guild.
Because that explanation has been mentioned dozens of times.
“…Is this by any chance Baekhwaju (white flower wine)?”
Immediately after that, I was afraid to tell Kim Sun-ah the answer I had guessed.
-Nod-
Kim Sun-ah nodded calmly once, meaning that it was the correct answer… .
“That’s right, this liquor is Baekhwaju.”
Soon, he began talking in a serious voice about the symbolism of Baekhwaju.
“And this Baekhwaju symbolizes that the guild leader trusts Kim Baram, and acknowledges Kim Baram as a member of the Baekhwa Guild.”
