Sinuiju Free Market (15)

‘What was that?’

Just as Hyeonseong was about to guess at the strange change that had happened to the manager, Hyeonyeong let go of their heads. Thanks to that, Hyeonseong was able to check the manager’s condition.

‘So he really is dead.’

The manager slumped over the back of the chair looked, to anyone, like a corpse. Even Hyeonyeong, who went closer and checked his pulse, shook her head, so it was certain that he was truly dead.

“Th-that just now…”

Haesu asked in a frightened voice.

“Something was about to flash before our eyes were covered, right? It was probably some kind of killing beam.”

Whether it had a lethal effect in itself, or whether it was simply the condition needed to trigger something implanted in the manager, one thing was certain: the light that burst from the computer was what caused the manager’s death.

[Do not worry. It is not dangerous to you people.]

As if answering Hyeonseong’s question, a new message appeared on the monitor.

“That’s a very natural way to lie… Even if it wasn’t lethal, it was definitely the kind of attack that could have inflicted a debuff.”

In a calm voice, Hyeonyeong refuted the contents of the message.

[My, to have figured that out in such a short time? I thought perhaps so, and it seems you really are S-rank as well. If you are presumed to be related by blood to Ye Hyeonseong, and the one who uses a sword… then you must be Ye Hyeonyeong.]

At that message, Hyeonyeong gave a light shrug. It meant no comment.

[Well… in truth, it does not matter who you are. What matters is that you people were not eliminated and managed to storm your way all the way here.]

“That sure is one hell of a long introduction. So what exactly is it you want to say?”

Hyeonseong asked the message with an openly bored attitude.

[Hah, now that is quite a fresh reaction. Don’t tell me you are acting like that because you trust your younger sibling?]

“So?”

[You really have no pride at all, do you.]

“Yeah, I don’t raise things like that, so hurry up and get to the point. We’re incredibly busy people too.”

The owner of the message had likely thrown those words out to make her feel bad, but Hyeonseong was not the sort to feel offended by something like that at this point.

She had heard words like that far too many times already for it to bother her now, and it was not exactly wrong either.

‘More than that, I’m curious who that bastard is, and where he’s sending these messages from…’

Hyeonseong summoned Nemesis again. In her head, she ordered it to investigate the location from which the messages were being sent and the identity of the person sending them.

[Since you put it that way, there is not much more for me to say either. Very well. Let us move on to the matter at hand.]

While Hyeonseong silently conversed with Nemesis, a new message arrived. Along with the next message, the transfer device installed in the center let out a humming mechanical sound.

[To put it simply, we have decided to revoke our decision to eliminate you people.]

“Wow, that’s incredibly generous of you.”

Hyeonseong sneered at the message in a voice like someone reading from a textbook. They had tried to kill them as they pleased, and now they were saying they would graciously spare them, so there was no way her words would come out polite.

[Do not say it like that. I will not quite call it compensation, but in any case, we will give you one privilege along with it.]

“A privilege?”

At the newly arrived message, Hyeonseong narrowed her eyes.

[I guarantee it will be quite useful. So would you process the reception on your side? This is a system in which the transfer cannot be completed unless both sides process sending and receiving.]

Thinking that they really did all sorts of things, Hyeonseong turned her head toward Hyeonyeong.

“What should we do?”

To be honest, Hyeonseong did not trust the person on the other side of the computer messages in the slightest. How was she supposed to know whether they might send a bomb while calling it some special privilege?

“Wouldn’t it be fine to receive it?”

But Hyeonyeong’s answer was calm.

“It could be dangerous.”

“You’ve got your ability, unnie.”

“Ah, right.”

Only then did Hyeonseong understand why Hyeonyeong was being so calm. Come to think of it, with Infinite Corridor, even if a bomb came flying at them, they would be safe.

“Then let’s go ahead and receive it.”

Hyeonseong’s gaze returned to the monitor. One icon had been blinking as if telling her to check for new information. She pressed it and launched the program.

As expected, the program was linked to the transfer device. It listed the type of item that had arrived through the transfer device.

‘A single letter.’

There was no information about what kind of letter it was specifically, nor about its dimensions or weight. From here on, they would really have to receive it to know.

Soon Hyeonseong pressed the receive button. Then the transfer device once again emitted a humming sound, and the monitor displayed a notice that reception had been completed.

Hyeonseong’s group approached the transfer device. The device was still closed. It seemed the door had to be opened manually.

“I’ll open the door.”

Hyeonyeong placed a hand on the door handle. Then, at the same time Hyeonseong opened Infinite Corridor, she opened the door. The item that had been inside the transfer device was sucked straight into Infinite Corridor.

‘At least there doesn’t seem to be any biochemical attack.’

After confirming that no particular debuff had occurred, Hyeonseong checked the item they had just acquired through Infinite Corridor’s item list.

‘A letter with Heukwol Auction House written on the outside…’

Hyeonseong stared at the item information. Since she had put it straight into Infinite Corridor without touching it, that was all the information she could confirm for the moment.

‘Meaning I’ll have to take it out and open it to know what’s inside.’

Thinking that not a single thing was being resolved easily, Hyeonseong opened the door to the transfer room and stepped outside.

“Uh, are you going out?”

Haesu asked as he followed after her.

“I think it’d be better to open it outside.”

After confirming that Hyeonyeong had come outside as well, Hyeonseong took the envelope out of Infinite Corridor. Holding her breath and even closing her eyes, she tore it open.

After opening the envelope and counting to three, she opened her eyes. Fortunately, it seemed they had not pulled any strange tricks inside the envelope either.

‘So at least there’s no instant trap.’

Carefully, Hyeonseong pulled out the contents of the envelope.

“An invitation… and there’s something else too.”

Before getting angry that they were making a show of things by just handing over the entry ticket, Hyeonseong was able to confirm that there was another sheet of paper layered together with it.

“A one-use spatial transfer scroll, and… a priority purchase right?”

The moment she checked the remaining items, the corner of Hyeonseong’s eye twitched.

‘A scroll that lets you return from the auction house to the free market, and a right that lets you buy the item you want before the auction begins?’

The former was probably an item given to every customer visiting the auction house. So the “privilege” mentioned in the message was the latter.

‘It’s not like having it would be bad…’

Hyeonseong’s expression became slightly dubious. Since there was an item she absolutely had to obtain, the priority purchase right was certainly useful.

But the fact that the priority purchase right had landed in her hands as if someone had been aiming for it made her feel uneasy as well.

‘You never know. They might let me buy the item with this and then stab me in the back the same way as before.’

Having already been hit once, she naturally started viewing everything in the most twisted way possible.

“Can I take a look?”

Hyeonyeong asked Hyeonseong. Hyeonseong handed the items and the envelope she had taken out over to Hyeonyeong.

“Hmm, this invitation says up to three people can enter together with this one. The scroll is made to move up to five people at once. The priority purchase right can only be used on one item…”

Hyeonyeong skimmed through the contents quickly.

“Doesn’t it feel a little fishy?”

When Hyeonseong asked that, Hyeonyeong thought for a moment and then nodded. Then she went back into the room and approached the computer.

“It says not to say such harsh things after they even gave us a privilege.”

Hyeonyeong said while looking at the monitor. Hyeonseong’s first thought was, so what, but she did not bother saying it out loud.

“…Since you’re already in there, ask them to send over the usage instructions for the priority purchase right.”

Instead, Hyeonseong asked the question they needed answered right now. Since it was such a suspicious item, they at least needed to know the rules for using it clearly.

“It arrived. Want me to read it out one by one?”

At Hyeonyeong’s question, Hyeonseong nodded.

“It says anything that’s an item up for auction is eligible. If we want to buy an item with it, we have to pay the price set as the instant purchase price plus an extra fee.”

“How much is the fee?”

“A 50% surcharge on the instant purchase price.”

“Aren’t these bastards outright thieves?”

Hearing Hyeonyeong’s answer, Hyeonseong could not hold back the curse.

‘Then again, what kind of conscience was I expecting from those black-hearted bastards who use “heuk” in their name.’

“It says we should understand, since they have to make a living too…”

“There’s no need to tell me things like that. If two people holding priority purchase rights want the same item, then what happens?”

“In that case… it says the two of them are to work it out between themselves.”

The moment she heard the answer relayed by Hyeonyeong, Hyeonseong resolved never to let the item’s name slip out of her mouth.

‘If the Constellation bastards find out, they’ll definitely make things a hundred times more complicated.’

Hyeonseong’s gaze shifted to the Constellation messages that were still refreshing every so often even now.

Sure enough, exactly the one she expected was sending exactly the reaction she expected. The moment she let the item’s name slip even by mistake, it was as obvious as fire that the bastard would spread the rumor far and wide through his own mouth.

“Should I count it lucky that it’s not first come, first served, or unfortunate?”

“That depends on whether we’re the fast side or the slow side.”

“Well, that’s true… There’s no other explanation?”

“No, that’s it. It says those are the complete rules for using the priority purchase right.”

“Then as for what else there is to ask…”

After thinking for a moment, Hyeonseong asked one final question.

“This invitation only lists the number of people allowed, so does that mean as long as the number matches, it doesn’t matter who we bring?”

“That? It says it isn’t written there, but the usable people are all designated.”

“Designated means…”

“It says only the people who directly carried out the entry-ticket mission can use it. If you try to insert someone else, it won’t transport them even if you try.”

Hearing Hyeonyeong’s answer, Hyeonseong clicked her tongue. If they had been able to switch people out, she would have called in some more trustworthy helper to take Haesu’s place, but if those were the rules, it could not be helped.

“Oh, and it says that if we use the invitation, then all the people listed on it have to move together…”

“Huh?”

Haesu jolted in shock.

“T-Then…”

“Well… regrettably, it looks like you’ll have to come with us.”

Hyeonyeong answered Haesu in an apologetic voice. A perfectly drawn expression of despair appeared on Haesu’s face.

“…Are all of these really the original conditions?”

Hyeonseong felt suspicious. Every single one of the conditions they had been told seemed to fit the current situation of Hyeonseong’s group perfectly.

“This person says those were the original conditions from the start. Apparently they had no choice, since all sorts of trash… people kept trying to spy or steal.”

It was not an impossible reason. If it was that sort of auction house, all kinds of people were bound to be watching it.

“They’re asking if there’s anything else you want to ask.”

Then Hyeonyeong asked Hyeonseong.

“There isn’t.”

“Then they say they’ll see us later. …If we can come.”

“…What?”

At the ominous final message relayed to her, Hyeonseong frowned.

“If that’s the kind of farewell they’re giving us…”

“Then they probably blocked the way out from here.”

In response to Hyeonseong’s reaction, Hyeonyeong replied in a calm voice. Hyeonseong, who had been briefly flustered, quickly calmed down as soon as she saw Hyeonyeong’s attitude.

‘Well… we’ll manage to break through somehow.’

In any case, there was nothing more they could do in this transfer room. Hyeonseong decided it was time to head outside.

‘But should we really just leave this place as it is?’

Standing outside the transfer room and looking back inside, Hyeonseong thought. After hearing what amounted to a declaration of war, it felt somewhat unsatisfying to simply run away quietly without doing anything.

‘…Should I at least measure the level of their karma for once?’

As Hyeonyeong came out, Hyeonseong quietly opened Infinite Corridor in the middle of the empty transfer room. Then, from the crack in space, a tiny ember dropped to the floor with a light tap.