19
The next day, lunch.
Baek Woo-jin began his journey back to Seoul much faster than originally planned.
"It seems the situation got a bit tangled, but I'm truly glad it worked out in a good direction for both of us."
"That it did."
"Haha!"
Thanks to the Hong family who had stormed in without warning the day before, Heo Sang-min, the deputy who hadn't shown even a hair, offered his hand with an awkward smile for a handshake.
"Please contact me anytime if any troublesome matters arise."
"It would be best if such things didn't happen, but if they do, I won't decline."
"I can assure you that if Hunter Baek Woo-jin releases the information he's hidden, even matters entangled with large guilds can be resolved smoothly."
"Instead, my life would become more exhausting."
"Isn't that how life is for everyone?"
Since Heo Sang-min was wearing ordinary casual clothes instead of a suit, Baek Woo-jin was able to comfortably exchange small talk with him while waiting for the train.
"I should get going."
"Actually, I booked a ticket for the next time slot."
"Just go to work like you're supposed to."
"Dear me."
At Baek Woo-jin's sharp response, having already seen right through him, Heo Sang-min openly showed a fatigued expression, and Baek Woo-jin chuckled at such playful behavior.
Though the time they'd become acquainted was barely two days, it was enough time to roughly understand what kind of disposition the man named Heo Sang-min had.
"Thank goodness refunds are possible up to an hour before departure."
"Did you really book it?"
"Can you even make a fake booking?"
"You're crazier than I thought."
"That's a derogatory remark directed at all office workers going to work."
"Fortunately, there's no one who heard it besides you, Deputy."
"Oh my, the train is coming."
Even though he wasn't the one boarding the train, Heo Sang-min quickly rose from his seat and walked briskly toward the boarding area.
"Go on in."
"I should go in. The problem is that it's the workplace, not home."
Toward Heo Sang-min, who was making lame jokes until the very end, Baek Woo-jin lightly bowed his head and turned around.
"Ah, Hunter-nim?"
At Heo Sang-min's call, Baek Woo-jin, who had already half-stepped inside, pulled his head back slightly to look at him.
"Your bank account should have gotten quite a bit thicker, and this isn't anything else but support money for you to acquire a usable weapon, so please don't misunderstand."
"I'll put it to good use."
"Yes. Then please board safely."
As if he had conveyed everything he needed to say, Heo Sang-min turned around and exited cleanly. Baek Woo-jin, who watched his departing figure for a moment, also moved his stopped steps to find his reserved seat.
**
'Damn it.'
Thanks to the advancement of science, Baek Woo-jin, who had arrived in Seoul without even a moment to catch a brief nap, unknowingly spat out a curse inwardly as soon as he got off the train, faced with a massive wave of humans welcoming him.
'...Killing monsters would be easier.'
If he wanted to, it was possible to push through the blocking crowd and advance, but there was a certain line even for that. If he did such a thing on a day like today when there were this many people, it was obvious someone would get seriously hurt, so Baek Woo-jin had no choice but to wait for the crowd to naturally thin out.
After the gathered people had exited in one wave, Baek Woo-jin immediately boarded the subway heading toward Yongsan.
The destination was naturally the Artisan Union in Yongsan.
Since he planned to be busy moving again from tomorrow, today, when he had no schedule, was the right time to express his gratitude.
"Welco... huh?!"
"It's been a while."
The future Alchemy City Lord, who had been sitting at the counter scribbling something, widened her eyes and showed an unmistakable sign of delight.
"Ah, welcome."
"Excuse me."
Realizing belatedly that she hadn't hidden her emotions well enough, the Alchemy City Lord fanned her slightly reddened cheeks and closed the notebook she had left on the counter.
"What did you come needing this time?"
"I didn't come to buy potions."
"What."
She might have thought she had composed her expression, but the Alchemy City Lord, whose face was still full of anticipation, quickly became downcast at Baek Woo-jin's statement that he hadn't come to buy potions.
"I didn't come to buy, but I've brought a very enticing story."
"If it's about money, I'll listen..."
"It is about money."
"Really?"
"Really."
The Alchemy City Lord, who had been slumped with her face buried in the counter, suddenly lifted her head and quickly ran inside before coming back out.
"Here, here, have a seat."
"I'm fine. I won't be staying long."
"Sit down anyway. It's not like there's anyone else who would sit here besides you, customer-nim."
"It appears so."
"My. Hoho~"
When Baek Woo-jin pointed with a glance at the dusty chairs, the Alchemy City Lord gave an awkward smile and pushed the chairs back into the corner.
"So what story did you come to tell?"
"Before getting to the main point, I'll first give my thanks."
"Suddenly?"
Baek Woo-jin lightly bowed to her and continued speaking as he straightened up.
"Thanks to the service you gave me, I saved my life."
"The strength potion? You used it? How was it? No, more than that, you saved your life?"
"I'll tell you, but first, some distance please."
"Huh? Ah, oh my... Ahaha..."
Realizing that a particularly prominent part of her body had touched Baek Woo-jin, she rolled her reddish-brown eyes and moved back to the counter as if fleeing.
After moving to the opposite side again and continuously fanning her face, Baek Woo-jin told her about what happened in Busan, trimming what needed to be trimmed and embellishing it to be believable.
"That's what happened."
"Customer-nim? That's not 'that's what happened,' you almost really died. Why are you talking about it like it's someone else's business?"
"It ended well, didn't it?"
"Well, that's true but... haah."
The Alchemy City Lord made an expression as if she couldn't understand why she was more anxious than if it were her own business, and went inside the counter. And not long after, she returned with both hands full of test tubes containing liquid of a familiar hue.
"Take them. I can't sell them anyway since I didn't get approval."
"I won't decline."
"Ugh... t-take them."
Thinking he would politely refuse at least once, the Alchemy City Lord instinctively pulled the potions back at Baek Woo-jin's action of quickly reaching out to gather them, but then pushed them forward again.
"So... what's the money story about?"
"Ah, the money story."
"Wait. It really is about money, right?"
Baek Woo-jin, who had even been kindly gifted a pouch, pulled the strings of the now heavy pouch filled with potions and held his tongue.
"Excuse me?"
Her face clearly showed she was wondering if she had been deceived.
'The reaction is satisfying.'
The reaction was so good that he felt like playing around a bit more, but recalling that she was a benefactor who had saved his life, Baek Woo-jin offered a proposal she would welcome.
"If you're okay with it, Alchemist-nim, I'd like to build a bridge between you and the government."
"...G-gov, what?"
"Of course, not the entire government. For now, the discussions will only go through the Busan branch."
"Wait! So... are you saying you'll build a bridge so my potions can be supplied to the government?"
"Yes."
"...You're not playing with me, right?"
At her gaze full of suspicion, Baek Woo-jin held out his newly issued ID card to her.
[Baek Woo-jin – Dungeon Management Team 1]
"Uh..."
The Alchemy City Lord, who received the ID card, alternated her gaze between Baek Woo-jin's photo proudly displayed on the card and the Baek Woo-jin sitting in front of her, blinking repeatedly.
"...Really?"
Instead of answering, Baek Woo-jin took back the ID card from her hand and nodded once.
"It's burdensome──"
"Not at all! Not at all!! It's absolutely great! No?! Please! Please build a bridge for me!!"
As she suddenly grabbed his hand that was about to put the ID card away and thrust her face forward, Baek Woo-jin unintentionally lost a place to put his eyes and had to avoid her gaze.
"First, let go of my hand."
"You'll build the bridge, right? It's not a scam, right? If it's a scam, I really won't let you get away with it!!"
"I'm not rotten enough to scam my benefactor. So please calm down first."
"It's real? I can trust you?"
"Yes."
Only after Baek Woo-jin gave a definite answer with a nod of his head did the Alchemy City Lord release Baek Woo-jin's hand that she had been tightly gripping with both hands.
"Fast, as early as today, or at the latest within two days, the Busan branch will contact... do you have a contact number?"
"Ah, ah! Wait a moment!!"
She rummaged under the counter and took out a rather quaint, small rectangular case.
"I said it before, right? That I'd prepare a business card for the next time you come."
Baek Woo-jin received the business card she handed over.
[Alchemist - Geum Na-hee]
"Geum Na-hee Alchemist-nim."
"Just call me Na-hee. I'm not some great alchemist, and it feels a bit much when you keep calling me Alchemist-nim."
"Understood."
I don't know how she would view today's choice in the future, but since she herself had permitted him to call her comfortably, he decided to lighten the title according to her request for now.
"Should I tell them to contact the number written here?"
"Yes, yes. Please do."
Baek Woo-jin took out his smartphone, saved her number, and put both the phone and the business card amicably into his pocket.
"They'll contact you within two days asking you to send samples."
"It's real, right? I'm trusting you, Woo-jin-ssi, okay?"
"I'm leaving."
"If it works out, I'll treat you to a big meal!!"
"I'll remember that."
After exchanging farewells in a warm atmosphere and leaving the workshop, he had only walked a short distance when—
"Customer!! Ah, no, Woo-jin-ssi?!"
"......?"
Baek Woo-jin, who had been walking while contemplating what to buy on his way, stopped and turned his head at Geum Na-hee's urgent shout from behind.
"Hah! Hah! Is it because my legs are long... why do you walk so fast......"
"What is it?"
"No, well, it's... ugh......"
Geum Na-hee, who had raised her upper body that had been leaning forward as she tried to calm her rough breathing, moved her lips a couple of times before squeezing her eyes shut and opening her mouth.
"I'm really sorry, but!! Could you give back the things inside there......"
Following Geum Na-hee's finger, there were the potions she had given him and the pouch she had also gifted him to put them in.
"Ah."
"That! I, it's absolutely not because I lack money to buy ingredients again! It's because I don't have enough time to ma-make them......"
"I understand."
"It's true!"
"Yes."
"......"
Baek Woo-jin, seeing her eyes that looked like they might cry at any moment, quickly untied the pouch and placed it in her hands.
"I'll come as a customer next time."
"...I'll give you a lot of service."
Clutching the pouch tightly to her chest, Geum Na-hee ran off toward her workshop as if fleeing.