Wandering Merchant Association Headquarters.
“How is the investigation into the disappearances in the merchant passage progressing? Have any suspects been identified?”
Mason, the Chairman of the association, asked Vega, the director of the Secret Inspection Bureau.
“Well… we haven’t found any clues yet.”
“What?! It’s been a month since the first disappearance in the merchant passage, and now there are over a thousand missing people. And you’re telling me you haven’t found a single clue?!”
Mason reprimanded Vega. This was no small matter. If the news spread, it would severely impact the activities of wandering merchants who had trusted and used the merchant passage.
Until now, the Wandering Merchant Association had guaranteed the safety of the merchants, allowing them to operate freely. But if it became known that the merchant passage was unsafe, the merchants would cease their movements.
And if the wandering merchants stopped, the supply of goods to various floors of the tower would be disrupted. This could lead to significant turmoil due to shortages on several floors.
Moreover, wandering merchants weren’t the only users of the passage. If the passage was deemed unsafe, the trust of external parties in the Wandering Merchant Association would also plummet.
Therefore, the disappearance cases had been a top priority for the association from the start. But to have not even a clue about the suspect?
“I’m sorry!”
Given the immense support received, Vega, the director of the Secret Inspection Bureau, had no excuse.
Then,
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Bang.
Someone entered without waiting for permission after knocking on the door of the Chairman’s office.
“Who is it? I don’t recognize this face.”
“It’s me, Jason. I apologize for not showing my real face to Chairman Mason and Director Vega. But I have something urgent to report and had to come immediately.”
James, a legendary agent of the Secret Inspection Bureau known for never revealing his true identity, showed his identification badge and bowed in apology.
“Ah, it’s you, James. But what is this urgent matter you need to report?”
Mason, momentarily tense, asked in relief.
“I think I’ve found a lead on the merchant passage disappearance case.”
“Really?!”
“Yes. And just now, Lord Uren has gone missing in the merchant passage.”
“What?! Uren?! Is that true?!”
“Yes, it’s true. I was with Lord Uren until just a moment ago.”
James had been disguised as a guard mercenary for a large trading caravan, traveling to find leads on the disappearance case.
Then,
“Lord Uren, there’s a fork in the road ahead!”
While moving with Uren’s caravan, an unforeseen fork in the road appeared, and
“We will go ahead; you investigate this path.”
Concerned for the safety of other wandering merchants, Lord Uren instructed the guards to investigate the alternate path while continuing their journey.
Contrary to expectations, the guards following the alternate path safely reached the exit of the merchant passage, only to find that Uren’s caravan had completely vanished.
“This is serious…”
“Lord Uren, too…”
Upon hearing James’s report, both Mason and Vega looked gravely serious. The disappearance of Lord Uren, one of the three great merchants, was a huge issue. Once the news of Uren’s disappearance spread through the wandering merchants under him, it would rapidly circulate throughout the tower.
“Director Vega, for now, close the merchant passage under the pretext of maintenance for a few days!”
“Yes!”
To prevent the situation from worsening, Mason decided to close the merchant passage.
***
“Puhuhut. Vice Chairman Theo won’t be fooled that easily, meow! Meow, meow, meow.”
Confident he hadn’t been fooled and was on the correct path, Theo continued his journey, humming cheerfully.
However,
Sssss. Sssss.
Not long after entering the path, hundreds of white snakes surrounded Theo.
“What, meow? There are strange numbers on their heads, meow!”
On the heads of these snakes were numbers like ‘0.01’, ‘0.02’.
But,
“Don’t block Vice Chairman Theo’s way home, meow!”
Theo ignored the numbers and focused solely on punishing the snakes blocking his path.
Snap.
“Meow-meow Storm Fist!”
Cling. .
Until the white coins, both large and small, began dropping from the bodies of the snakes.
“Meow?! What’s this, meow?! Were they Apostles of Destruction, meow?!”
Theo was delighted to see the coins dropping from the snakes.
Then,
Sssss. Sssss.
Hundreds more snakes appeared and approached Theo.
“Puhuhut. Become my spoils to present to Chairman Park, meow! My slave Gaeron, come out, meow!”
Theo summoned Gaeron while fighting off the snakes.
“Gaeron, shrink and climb onto my head to pick up coins, meow!!”
-Yes!
Jump.
Following Theo’s command, Gaeron shrank and climbed onto Theo’s head
Slurp. Slurp.
and used its tongue to pick up the white coins, putting them into Theo’s bag.
“Meow-meow! Gaeron, don’t miss any and pick them all up, meow!”
-Yes!
As Theo energetically fought off the snakes and joyfully collected white coins,
“Block them!”
“Protect Lord Uren!”
Sounds of battle echoed from up ahead.
Then,
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Theo’s front paws turned golden. The golden flame buff from Flamie signaled that there was fortune ahead.
“Puhuhut. As expected, I’m lucky, meow! There’s gold ahead, meow! Let’s go, Gaeron!”
-Yes!
Theo hurriedly ran towards the source of the sound.
***
“Eh?! What?! Where did everything go?!”
Sejun, who had entered the kitchen to prepare breakfast, was startled to see that the rice noodles he had laid out to dry were all gone.
Then,
Kuuehehe… Krueng…?
[He he… Was I not supposed to eat those…?]
Cuengi, who had excitedly followed Sejun into the kitchen, was taken aback by Sejun’s reaction.
And,
Kooeng… Kooueng…
[Daddy, sorry… Cuengi ate them all…]
Cuengi quickly shrank back in guilt.
“You ate all of them, Cuengi?!”
Krueng…
[Yes…]
Cuengi answered, glancing at Sejun.
“……”
Sejun was speechless at Cuengi’s response. He hadn’t imagined Cuengi could eat 1000 servings of rice noodles.
Krueng…
[Sorry…]
Seeing Sejun silent, Cuengi, thinking his dad was angry, began to tear up in fear.
“No, it’s not your fault… I should have told you beforehand. It’s okay. We can make more rice noodles.”
Sejun calmed Cuengi by stroking its head.
“But from today, you have to help Daddy.”
Krueng! Krueng!
[Understood! Cuengi will help diligently!]
Energized by Sejun’s words, Cuengi spoke energetically, lifting its adorable front paws.
An hour later,
[The tower’s administrator asks if this is how it should be made.]
A glossy black cylinder appeared before Sejun. One end had closely spaced small holes, and the other was completely open. Attached to the side of the cylinder was a lid with a handle that fit the cylinder’s size, allowing the contents to be pressed.
It was a noodle-making device made of Black Dragon scales, requested by Sejun for Aileen to make, able to withstand Cuengi’s strength.
[Black Noodle Maker Machine]
→ Made using the scales of the great Black Dragons, this noodle maker machine is used to create noodles from dough.
→ It is unbreakable, even under immense force.
→ Automatically uses a cleaning spell every 24 hours.
→ The size can be adjusted as desired.
→ Use restriction: Strength 1000 and above.
→ Creator: Aileen Pritani
→ Grade: Unmeasurable
“Good.”
Sejun was pleased with the noodle maker. The material was special, but the structure of the machine itself was very simple, exactly as Sejun had wanted.
“Aileen, thank you. I’ll treat you to delicious noodles later.”
[The tower’s administrator says they are looking forward to it.]
Sejun thanked Aileen and headed to the kitchen to start making rice noodle dough. Since animals with fur couldn’t knead dough, this task was entirely up to Sejun.
“Phew! Done!”
After several hours of kneading, Sejun finally finished making the rice noodle dough.
Krueng!
[Daddy, Cuengi has brought something good for Daddy and big brother!]
Cuengi, who had gone to the western forest late in the afternoon, returned. Since Sejun needed time to make the noodle machine and knead the dough, he had sent Cuengi to dig up kudzu roots to give to the Black Rabbit, who was soon to be married.
Krueng!
[Here they are!]
Cuengi handed Sejun nine blue kudzu roots and two white kudzu roots.
“Good job, Cuengi. Here, eat this.”
Sejun gave Cuengi a bottle of honey and started eating the kudzu roots. The two white kudzu roots meant as a gift for the Black Rabbit were carefully stored in the void storage.
[You have consumed a Blue Kudzu Root of Potential.]
[All stat potentials have increased by 5.]
…
After eating all nine kudzu roots, Sejun watched as
Lick. Lick.
Cuengi was still busy enjoying the honey.
“He’s eating well.”
Sejun watched Cuengi enjoy eating honey until he had licked the bottom of the glass jar clean, and then he took out the black noodle maker machine.
And then,
“Now, Cuengi, grow big and press the dough I give you into this.”
Sejun handed the noodle maker machine to Cuengi, who
Krueng!
[Understood!]
grew to about 10 meters tall. The black noodle maker machine, adjustable in size, also expanded to fit Cuengi’s new size.
“Here.”
Sejun handed Cuengi a pot filled with prepared dough, which Cuengi then shook to empty into the noodle maker machine.
Once the 1000 kg of dough prepared by Sejun was in the black noodle maker machine,
Krueng!
Cuengi began to press down on the lid of the noodle maker machine with great force.
Suueck.
Despite the immense pressure, the noodle maker machine, made of Black Dragon scales, easily withstood Cuengi’s strength and began to produce rice noodles.
Thanks to this, Sejun, without any hand tremors, was able to make 10,000 servings of rice noodles.
Krueng!
[Daddy, Cuengi is hungry!]
Of course, 1000 servings of those were destined for Cuengi’s belly.
***
“Who’s there?!”
As Theo approached the site of the battle, a caravan guard pointed a spear at him and shouted.
“Puhuhut. If you ask who I am, it’s only proper to respond…”
Theo, excited for the rare opportunity to introduce himself, was about to do so when
“How dare you, insolent fools! This person, the great, great, great Theo, is my master, me, Gaeron, the Bug Hunter!”
Gaeron, on Theo’s head, scolded the caravan guard for disrespecting Theo.
However,
“What?! Pfft! A Bug Hunter? If you’re a Bug Hunter, am I a Snake Hunter?!”
The comment only earned the guard’s ridicule. To the guard, it was natural for a frog to eat bugs.
-What?!
Angered by the guard’s dismissive attitude, Gaeron was about to attack, but
“Gaeron, go back, meow! You made me get disrespected, meow!”
-Yes!
An irritated Theo sent Gaeron away.
Then,
“Now, listen up, meow! I am the great Black…”
As Theo was about to reintroduce himself,
“Did you just say you are Theo?”
A bulky pink pig approached Theo.
“That’s right, meow! Who are you, meow?”
“Oh! I am Uren, one of the merchants! Are you really the great Black Dragon’s subordinate, Theo Park, meow?”
“That’s right, meow! I am indeed the great Black Dragon’s subordinate, the Deadly Dragon Clawed, Yellow Cat, Theo Park, meow!”
Theo properly introduced himself, puffing up his chest as much as possible.
“Oh! Thank the gods! Please save me, Theo!”
Uren was relieved to see Theo. Uren, too, had heard rumors about Theo through Mason. If Theo was there, in the worst-case scenario, the great Black Dragon might come to the rescue.
“Puhuhut. But do you have enough money, meow?”
Theo asked Uren with a sly, extortionist-like grin.
*****
TL: Theo be like
*****
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