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Translator: penny
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: Satisfaction
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"Oppa, no one's around."
Safely slipping out of the alchemy shop, we made our way back to the harbor and headed straight for the Black Anchor Trading Company to offload our stolen goods with Barcus.
Thanks to Isera, hidden away as she leaped across rooftops sending us signals, we weren't pursued.
"It's pretty lively, huh."
The rundown building at the harbor we'd arrived at was buzzing—you could feel it even from a distance.
"Did you hear? Oh Chang-seop's crew got hit."
"Yeah, I heard. Soldiers were lying in wait at the weapon shop. Talk about bad luck. And Gillie's running late today."
"Guess he got done in by that damn beast last night. They found him as a chunk of meat up on the hill during the day."
Players draped in tattered robes clustered outside, chattering away, while raised voices echoed from inside. Han So-hee glanced around and spoke up.
"Unlike earlier, it's packed now."
"Dawn's about to break. We need to settle up with Barcus before morning."
"...Makes sense. But I don't get why they're all waiting outside. No luggage means they've already finished their deals."
The reason was simple.
"If they didn't hit their daily quota, they've gotta go farm some more."
I led the group toward the entrance of the Black Anchor Trading Company. As I pushed open the door, the noisy voices sharpened into focus.
The vast space, reminiscent of a labor office, was filled with lingering smoke—thinner now than a few hours ago. Fourteen people had claimed spots on sofas and against walls, all eyes fixed on Barcus.
"Come on, just defer 400 gold for me! It's not a huge amount! I'm not skipping out—I'll pay it all tomorrow in one go!"
A guy pleading for a one-time extension.
"Why's this 110 gold? I checked the price tag at the weapon shop myself—you're ripping me off!"
Another haggling for every last coin.
A motley crew was raising their voices before Barcus, needling his temper.
But the loan shark Hiran had told me about knew his place. Stubborn as hell. No amount of yapping would sway him.
"I already cut you a 20% deal on the stolen goods. You think fencing this stuff is easy? Get lost!"
If he said it was 10 gold, it was 10 gold. Better to head out and farm more than waste energy arguing.
"Hm? You newbies? Never seen your faces before."
As I watched the haggling from the entrance, someone sidled up and spoke. A woman loaded with piercings was eyeing us. And beside her, that familiar red hair.
I gave a quick nod, and Maeve, catching my eye, flushed slightly and looked away. Crossing her legs tightly was a bonus.
"No stolen goods on you? If you've got little to trade, just the party leader goes in—the rest wait outside. Place is stuffy enough with the smoke; don't need it cluttered too."
She waved us off dismissively, and the Saintess glanced at me.
"What do we do? Should we wait outside?"
I could've said yes, but I shook my head.
I was a grizzled vet of ten years, but our party was basically noobs in game terms—zero experience. And that was deadly.
Lack of experience breeds clumsiness, mistakes, and eventually, a noose around your neck.
My party members still had plenty to see and learn. As long as I could swing it, I'd drag them along, hassle or not, and show them the ropes.
"Stay put. Everyone, take in everything happening here."
"Huh? You clueless or what? Busy hours, you give up your spot—basic manners..."
"Maeve, catch."
Ignoring the piercing girl, I tossed Maeve a dagger—one of the spoils from raiding the soldier's place last night.
"Wha—huh?"
Maeve, playing stranger like a pro, snatched it reflexively and blinked wide-eyed.
"What's this?"
Gazing at her luscious swaying locks, I grinned.
"That intel you gave me last night? Gold. A gift. Sell it, use it, whatever."
"But the info fee was already..."
Paid in snacks. Now more? She looked baffled. But I had reasons. First off, top candidate for my girl.
"Think of it as a performance bonus."
"..."
[Maeve Queen's favorability toward you has slightly increased.]
"What, you two know each other?"
Satisfied as the piercing girl's attention shifted from us to Maeve, I used the opening to lead the girls inside.
The haggling had hit a lull, so our footsteps rang out loud, naturally drawing eyes.
"Coming through."
"Hey, don't you see we're still negotiating?"
"I do. But it doesn't look like it'll wrap up soon. Mine'll be quick."
Maeve darted up behind me, grabbed my shoulder, and shook her head.
"Hold up—that old man's pissed and won't listen. It's smoke break, cig time. Trade now, you'll get screwed."
In short: folks had scraped Barcus's nerves raw, he was in a foul mood, and dealing now meant big losses.
—That geezer gets grumpy? He'll slash prices to half or less. Never trade then.
Matched the advice from my first-run survivor.
Give some, get some.
Sharing intel so nicely. Gotta spoil her rotten later.
Too many eyes to smack her ass, so I flashed Maeve a grin instead.
"Thanks. But I'll just take the thought."
"You trading?"
"Yeah."
"Reconsider. Unless it's top-shelf stuff, he's locked in like this for two hours. Words won't fix it."
"I know. Got that top-shelf stuff."
Maeve's eyes went wide. The onlookers who'd overheard? Some curious, some scoffing.
Barcus's men behind him eyed us like, What makes you so cocky?
Pfft.
Barcus chuckled and tossed a jab my way.
"What, you bring some good weed? Or the new soda?"
Sharp as ever. He'd heard we'd hit the alchemy shop. I smiled slyly.
"You'll see. Won't be disappointed."
"Hmph, kid. To satisfy me, you'd need a fountain of youth."
"That's a stretch, honestly..."
I pulled the prepped item from my pouch and slammed it on the table before Barcus's eyes.
"But you'll be plenty satisfied."
Barcus peered down at it. Eyes converged.
"Huh?"
"A coin...?"
Yeah.
Dead center on the table, atop the sprawled map: a tiny coin. A humble little silver piece, utterly unremarkable.
Folks craned in, then burst out laughing.
"Pffft! All that fuss over a single coin?"
"Thought you had something big."
"Jeez, even a pile would've been something. Strutting with just one? Lame."
Mockery rained on my coin.
"On purpose? Well, if you meant to cool Barcus off, it worked. Even got me chuckling in disbelief."
Some figured it was a gag to amuse Barcus.
But my crew, knowing the source, brimmed with confidence. Surprisingly, Maeve didn't laugh—instead, her eyes widened.
Not grasping its value. She was fixed on Barcus, whose hands trembled faintly over the coin.
"Barcus...?"
Finally, eyes turned to him. The old man had lifted his drooping lids, face stunned.
"Th-this is...?"
"What is it, boss?"
His uneasy tone drew his men closer.
"Huh?"
"B-boss, this is..."
Their eyes bulged too. Bam! Barcus slammed the table, shooting to his feet and bellowing at me.
"Where'd you get this?!"
"You already know where."
"!!"
"Just got lucky."
Like verifying real from fake, Barcus wiped the coin with cloth, inspected it through a loupe—fussed over it endlessly.
"What's with that thing?"
"Beats me."
The mood shifted; murmurs rippled. But none knew what it was.
No surprise.
Its story wouldn't break for a long while.
But its worth? They grasped that quick enough.
"400,000."
A line to stun every player popped from Barcus's mouth.
"No—500,000 gold."
"!!"
Mouths gaped at me, Barcus, and the tiny coin between. My crew included.
"F-five hundred thousand?"
"Insane? That coin's worth that much?"
"No way."
Those mocking me moments ago were slack-jawed. Bickering over 10 gold, and one coin hits 500k?
"That's record sales. Even Lee Soo's party's max was less."
"Duh? Gadl's peak was 90k—with 14 members combined!"
Murmurs crested like waves as Barcus set down the loupe and eyed me.
"...You're something else, lad."
"Pleased?"
"No need to answer. Never seen an outsider as capable. Makes it all the sadder you're one."
Glowing praise. Genuine, everyone felt it.
"Thank you."
"How you want the gold?"
"Hold it for now."
"Wise. I'll log it secure."
[Barcus Crow's favorability toward you has greatly increased.]
Barcus's gaze softened, and the crowd's sneers flipped too.
"That old coot saying stuff like that?"
"Damn, jealous."
"Should've been me..."
Envy, jealousy hung thick in the air.
Whatever. I approached Barcus.
His men, who'd blocked me before, stayed put. I'd earned their trust.
"More business?"
"Yeah. A quick word—just us?"
"Of course." Barcus shooed the crowd out without hesitation. A subordinate fetched a chair and set it before me.
"Sit. Folks who deliver deserve the treatment."
We sat across the table, facing off.
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