26
Thanks to the runaway's existence, the fact that the focus of all incidents had concentrated on him and destroyed the core was no longer an important part.
[ Heo Sang-min: Thanks to you, Hunter-nim, we were able to steer public opinion in a favorable direction. ]
[ Me: I simply work as much as you compensate me. ]
[ Heo Sang-min: (Hong Yeon-ha winking emoji) Just send me a photo of the receipt and I'll transfer the funds right away. ]
[ Me: Yes. Please contact me again if you have any good news later. ]
Baek Woo-jin, who was about to put away his smartphone, briefly gazed at the emoji Heo Sang-min had sent moments ago before slipping it into his pocket.
'Is that a trend in Busan?'
Perhaps because he had boarded an early morning train heading to Seoul, his eyelids grew gradually heavier, and Baek Woo-jin leaned comfortably against the backrest and closed his eyes.
"Excuse me."
"Hm."
Baek Woo-jin, who came to his senses at the soft voice of a woman tickling his ears, opened his eyes and sat up.
"We've arrived at the final station."
"Ah, I'm sorry."
He had only closed his eyes thinking it would be just for a moment, but he never imagined he wouldn't wake up even after arriving in Seoul.
Baek Woo-jin bowed his head to the female station attendant who was looking at him with an amused smile, quickly gathered his bag, and got off the train.
Screech──!!
After getting off, he briefly watched the train that had been stationary begin to move for maintenance, then quickly left the station and took a taxi home.
"I'm back."
"You're back?"
"Yeah. Nothing happened while I was gone?"
"This kid, really. It hasn't even been three days. Have you eaten?"
"Roughly. Lunch is fine. I'm heading out right away."
Returning to his room, Baek Woo-jin casually shoved his bag under the bed and changed into casual clothes.
"Oops."
Taking the rune stone from the coat hanging on the chair and slipping it into his coat's inner pocket, Baek Woo-jin checked once more that he hadn't forgotten anything before leaving the room.
"You're coming home late?"
"I'll be back before the sun sets."
"Then buy some meat for stew on your way back."
"How much?"
"Generously~"
"Confirmed."
Leaving the house, Baek Woo-jin headed straight for the Artisan Guild in Yongsan.
'There's no way they wouldn't be here.'
As he was carefully examining the district guide that detailed which workshops were on each floor, a neatly dressed employee in a formal suit approached.
"Do you need any help?"
"No. I was just looking around."
"If you happen to need assistance, please feel free to find any nearby employee."
The employee stepped back, and Baek Woo-jin scanned the district guide once more before finding Geum Na-hee's workshop.
"Oh my, you're here?"
Geum Na-hee, who had been wearing round glasses she hadn't had during his previous visit and was writing something, took off her glasses and greeted him brightly as soon as she confirmed the customer who entered was Baek Woo-jin.
"Come, come, sit down."
"I'll be leaving shortly."
"You're really cold."
Coming out from behind the counter and dragging over the same chair from before, Geum Na-hee showed a hint of disappointment before putting the chair back.
"Ahem! Well, first of all, thank you so much."
Baek Woo-jin, who was about to ask about an appraiser, missed his timing at Geum Na-hee's sudden bowing of her head before he could even open his mouth, and blinked blankly.
"I got a call this morning."
The subject was omitted, but Baek Woo-jin, who couldn't possibly not know who the call was from or what it was about, stopped his blankly blinking eyelids and nodded.
"Congratulations."
"It's thanks to you, Woo-jin-ssi."
"I merely built a bridge for you."
"And I'm saying that bridge isn't just any ordinary bridge."
"I'm well aware."
He was just being politely humble for the sake of etiquette.
"Pfft! Ahem, so you came to receive the service, right?"
"If you offer, I'll accept it."
"What? Was that not it?"
"Yes. But my willingness to accept is genuine, so please prepare some if you have extra."
"I can't give you strength enhancement potions for a while because I have to meet the supply quota."
Geum Na-hee went back behind the counter and took out the pouch from the lower drawer that she had given and then taken back last time.
"Instead, I prepared some agility enhancement potions this time."
"Thank you."
"It's fine. Considering the money that'll be coming into my bank account, this is far from enough."
Pulling back the pouch she had extended as if to give it, Geum Na-hee hugged it to herself before extending it again with an unpretentious smile.
"I'll repay this kindness for a long time to come, so look forward to it."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Do that. Ah! And why didn't you contact me?"
"Contact?"
"Yes. I gave you my business card. You need to text or something so I can save your number too. Since it's come up, put your number in right now."
As if she had been prepared for this, Geum Na-hee naturally held out her smartphone. Baek Woo-jin, while pocketing the pouch, entered his number into her phone as a bonus.
"Please contact me in advance when you run out of potions. Today I had some set aside to give you, so I didn't send you away empty-handed. If you suddenly show up next time, you might have to leave empty-handed, you know?"
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Good. So, shall we hear what you came for now?"
Baek Woo-jin took out the rune stone he had brought from his pouch and showed it to Geum Na-hee.
"This is... a rune stone?"
"I came looking for an appraiser, but no matter how much I looked, I couldn't find any. I know for sure there are appraisers here."
"……."
Geum Na-hee, who had been looking at the rune stone with curiosity, suddenly made a subtle expression and rested her chin on the counter.
"At our first meeting, you acted like someone who knew the structure of this market inside out."
"That's because I researched beforehand."
"Well, you are a public official."
Perhaps because of the trust they had built, Geum Na-hee easily accepted this and continued speaking.
"Rune stones are precious, right?"
"They are."
"If the world were full of only common sense, there would be no problems, but the world is vast and there are many people. And as many as there are people, there are just as many people with crooked intentions."
"Ah."
"Looks like you understand."
The existence of a rune stone to a hunter was like a lottery ticket with an almost guaranteed win. If a normal person might not know, but if a hunter harbored ill intentions, it would become troublesome in many ways.
"Should I call an employee?"
"That's the only way to meet an appraiser in the first place. Or you could join a large guild that has connections with appraisers. But Woo-jin-ssi, you're an Association public official, right?"
"That's correct."
"Then wouldn't it be better to commission an appraiser connected to the Association? That would be cheaper too."
"It's something that shouldn't be known."
"Uh…."
Geum Na-hee's eyeballs rolled to the side.
"I-I didn't see or hear anything!"
"It's alright. It's not as secretive as what you're thinking, Na-hee-ssi."
"I don't know, I don't know! Just hurry and go get your appraisal!"
"Yes. Then I'll contact you before coming next time."
Baek Woo-jin watched Geum Na-hee, who was covering her ears and going "Ahhh!", for a moment before letting out a small chuckle and stepping outside.
"Excuse me."
"Yes, sir. How may I help you?"
Baek Woo-jin held out his smartphone to the woman who responded with a friendly smile.
[ I came to commission a rune stone appraisal. ]
"I'm looking for a workshop by this name. Could you perhaps look into it for me?"
"I apologize. I haven't memorized all the workshop names. If you don't mind, may I guide you to someone who can help?"
"Please do."
"Understood. Then this way, please."
The place he arrived at following the female employee was a staff-only corridor.
Click.
As soon as the door closed, the sound of a lock engaging could be heard.
"Are you a Hunter?"
"That's correct."
"May I see your ID card?"
"Just a moment, here."
When he took out his ID card from his wallet and handed it over, the female employee received it respectfully with both hands and turned around.
"This way, please."
Following the female employee a bit further, two elevators appeared.
"Identity verification, please."
The female employee presented Baek Woo-jin's ID card to a scanner installed where buttons would normally be on an elevator.
-Verified.
A voice flowed from the speaker on the ceiling, and the closed elevator doors opened.
"If you have any additional magical artifacts in your possession, I would appreciate it if you could entrust them to me."
"I don't."
"Understood. Then I'll proceed with the final procedure."
The female employee stepped forward.
Pull.
"……?"
"Real skin, confirmed. Thank you for your cooperation."
The female employee respectfully returned the ID card with both hands as if nothing had happened.
"You may board."
"Yes."
Leaving behind the female employee who said she would wait below, he boarded the elevator, and the doors closed on their own and it began to descend.
'Certainly, underground is more secure for safety than above ground.'
The smoothly descending elevator stopped, and when the doors opened, two men with sturdy builds wearing what were obviously security guard uniforms came out to meet him.
"Please follow me."
After following the security guard through one more door, Baek Woo-jin was finally able to face the appraiser he had been searching for.
"First time using this, right?"
"That's correct."
"Then let me give you a brief explanation first."
A woman in a boldly revealing outfit that didn't match the season, perhaps because the heating was so good despite it being winter, continued speaking with a well-crafted business smile.
"First, the prices are divided into three tiers. 100 million, 70 million, and 20 million. For 100 million, all information from now until you leave the Artisan Guild will be erased. For 70 million, your information will be erased, but information about the rune you're having appraised today can be provided to other customers by our Artisan Guild in exchange for transactions. For the lowest amount, we won't directly disclose your information, but we also won't erase the record of your visit to our Artisan Guild."
Not only the price range, but the fact that the Artisan Guild, which prioritized trust, so boldly stated they would use their customers' information as their own trade goods made him view the Artisan Guild in a different light.
"Which price would you like to choose?"
The woman's mouth formed soft curves. But her eyes were those of a snake weighing whether it could swallow him or not.