Chapter 36
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Floaties for Everyone
Swim lesson at the water park, and she's demonstrating on you
The air in the room grew heavy.
Not just a metaphor—it was literally heavy.
There was a weight unique to martial artists, and it swallowed up the very space itself.
Namgung Hwaryeong stood there with her arms crossed, staring at me as if to say, Go on, explain yourself.
“Ahem, I’d like to confirm something first.”
“How did you know? If that’s the question, I’m afraid I’m disappointed. Did Meracle care about the reason?”
“…….”
“But—”
She let out a short breath.
A faint vein bulged on her forehead.
Proof that she was angry.
“I heard word of Meracle is spreading through the Taiji Yin-Yang Sect. Baek Yeonhwa of the Yin-Yang Twin Meridians succeeded in marriage. Someone defeated her in martial-duel matchmaking. And that someone was—”
The corner of her mouth twitched upward.
But she wasn’t smiling.
If anything, she looked like she was barely holding back her anger.
“The boss of Meracle, you said.”
“…….”
“W-wow.”
“You really know how to promote us.”
Yes, that must have been promotion.
It was probably her own brand of support for Meracle, promoting us on the 5th Floor to bring in more customers—but—
‘Ah, I’m screwed.’
If even Namgung Hwaryeong had come here, that meant Cheongpung Muwu Paeng Sorin might show up later too.
The two of them had a weird rivalry going on.
“I had no idea you were such an impressive expert.”
“This isn’t an incident that can be viewed so simply. I didn’t intend for it to happen either.”
“Oh? Is that so? I thought—”
A sort of pressure scattered outward like a storm. Kim Yang and Renea hurriedly gathered the flying papers.
“I thought the boss was deliberately pretending not to know and letting it slide because I’m the oldest spinster on the martial-duel matchmaking list—!”
“T-the papers! B-boss!”
“Waaah! The office is spinning like I’m inside a washing machine!”
“That bitch Baek Yeonhwa is twenty-three, right? Ahhh! I see? This Namgung Hwaryeong is already over thirty—! I’m a totally ancient spinster—!”
“Wait! Seriously! Calm down!”
This felt like a situation that could turn disastrous if handled wrong.
While I was scrambling to figure out how to calm her down, Renea stepped forward.
“Comrade!”
“Hoo—! Hooou—! What is this little wretch, daring to—!”
“I’m on the martial-duel matchmaking list too! I’m 1,901 years old, so let’s get along as fellow old-timers!”
Maybe Renea really did feel a sense of kinship, or maybe this was a solution born from the wisdom of long years.
But it was clear that it worked.
The pressure subsided.
Namgung Hwaryeong gradually calmed down.
Smiling brightly as she looked at the handshake Renea held out, Namgung Hwaryeong replied with a strange sense of superiority.
“I’m still thirty, sis.”
“…….”
“No, grandma.”
“What, a 1,901-year-old trying to cozy up to me? No matter what, I come out on top.”
Yes, this was the marriage market.
For women who had missed their marriageable age, the marriage market was that cold and cruel.
“S-she’s drawing her sword!”
“Stop her! We really have to stop that!”
* * *
There had been quite a commotion, but after a while we finally managed to calm her down.
“Tch... I’m trying really hard too.”
“I-it’s okay. Ch-chocolate. Want some?”
Kim Yang patted Renea on the back, trying to comfort her as she grumbled nearby.
Leaving the two of them be, I looked back at Namgung Hwaryeong.
I knew she got a little wild when excited, but I hadn’t expected to see that side of her again.
“Ahem! A-anyway, I want to get married before that bitch Paeng Sorin. Absolutely! Absolutely!”
Just look at her, emphasizing it twice.
“I know that. But did you really come here for that? I thought you were here to ask for help, of course.”
“I’m not so lacking in common sense as to ask a mere matchmaker to stop a war between a clan and a company.”
That was true.
I only introduced them; I don’t take responsibility for what they do afterward.
In fact, the contract explicitly states that we bear no responsibility for any legal disputes arising from matchmaking.
“But I am curious.”
Namgung Hwaryeong turned her attention to the black analog phone I had held out earlier.
She held it in her hand and looked it over from every angle.
“So this is a phone, is it? How is this supposed to stop a dispute?”
“It’s not an ordinary phone. It’s a phone with limited functions.”
“Hmm? Are you aware of how serious the current situation is?”
“Namgung Yeon is staying on the 6th Floor, isn't he? There are no casualties yet, but I heard at least two factories have been shut down by the attacks.”
“...You often know things you really shouldn’t know.”
“I have a few close friends.”
Fights between companies, organizations, or individuals on each floor were common.
But they didn’t take them lightly.
Since they could escalate into inter-floor war, the Tower Administration kept them under constant watch.
The Hunter Association is closely tied to the Administration.
My connection with the Hunter Association’s vice president, Yu Ye-na, had been a great help.
“To be precise, the two of them have to resolve it themselves. I’m only there to connect them. Still, I think the odds are high.”
Because I was a marriage matchmaker.
I only create the “meeting” where the two sides can find common ground.
“To connect the bridge. Interesting. May I hear more?”
At Namgung Hwaryeong’s question, I immediately gestured to Kim Yang.
“Kim Yang, let’s go on a business trip.”
* * *
Beneath the large bridge called Albridge.
The Namgung family martial artists, having taken over the punks’ tents, were currently eating and sleeping here.
For people who had always been raised with privilege in the family, having to stay by a river that smelled of chemicals was an issue that couldn’t be brushed off as simple pride.
But if not here, they had no idea where else to stay.
They had no notable results to bring back to the old Murim.
The fight with Hellite had turned into one-sided surprise attacks from this side, and while there had been some results, it was too meager to say they had accomplished what they wanted.
Given the size of the company, it was a level with little real meaning.
“Haa, at this rate I won’t even have the face to meet the clan head.”
Namgung Yeon stood with his hands behind his back in front of the river.
The other martial artists standing beside him all had grim expressions.
“The problem is that those bastards are learning our swordsmanship.”
“If I'd known this would happen, we should have staked everything on the first surprise attack—”
“What’s more, they fight in bizarre ways we don’t even know, which was unsettling.”
“Did you see it yesterday? I cut off an arm, and the severed arm flew over and hit me.”
“What kind of grotesque...”
If they went head-on, they could definitely win.
Even with augmented bodies, they had the upper hand in a full-scale battle.
But the other side kept countering with unexpected methods.
Not to mention conducting electricity through the water from the sprinklers.
Drone suicide attacks, and smart bullets that could curve even if you were behind cover.
They had even been tricked into thinking they were the ones attacking by a technology called simulation background.
“Was the difference really this great?”
The difference between knowing and not knowing.
Those who had knowledge could toy with the ignorant very easily.
There were no civilian casualties, but there were many wounded, and morale was dropping. They were supposed to raid Hellite’s factory again today, but it already felt like defeat was inevitable.
Just like the river flowing before his eyes, if things went on like this, the course of events would eventually be set.
“This situation is no good.”
At the familiar voice, Namgung Yeon quickly turned his head. The other martial artists did the same.
Everyone’s expressions lit up uncontrollably.
“Big sister!”
“We greet the Impassive Sword Beauty!”
“We greet the Impassive Sword Beauty!”
The hearts of those welcoming Namgung Hwaryeong with fist-and-palm salutes pounded uncontrollably.
If it was Namgung Hwaryeong, it was possible.
Overwhelming might.
If she joined the fight, that woman so strong she couldn’t even get married might be able to take revenge on those damned Cyber City fixers and Buster as well.
But.
“I know what you're hoping for, but what meaning would there be if I helped?”
With her arms crossed, she clicked her tongue.
“Pathetic men. Everyone here is tarnishing the name of Namgung.”
At Hwaryeong’s words, everyone lowered their heads.
It was humiliating and embarrassing, but since it wasn’t wrong, it only made them feel even more ashamed.
“As they say, a wise person doesn't feed you fish—they teach you how to fish.”
When Namgung Hwaryeong stepped to the side, there stood Kim Yang, a beastkin wearing a black mask.
“That person is—”
“An employee of Meracle. They felt responsible and brought a solution.”
“A solution?”
Kim Yang stepped forward and held out a black analog phone.
Even the buttons were manual, not touch.
It was heavy, but the large screen was unusual.
“This is—”
“…….”
Kim Yang said nothing.
Kim Yang only looked on calmly.
Left alone, it looked as though it would stay like this forever, so Namgung Hwaryeong, watching from the side, began a simple explanation.
“It's a phone with AI built in.”
“What? AI? Isn't that just what the people on the 6th Floor go around saying is all-powerful and whatnot?”
Namgung Yeon felt the urge to throw it away. Hwaryeong ignored his reaction and continued explaining.
“You need 6th Floor citizenship to use AI. But this one is special. What was it? An embedded server? It isn't connected to anything like that. It's a standalone AI, I heard.”
“Big sister, do you even know what you're saying? I honestly...”
“I have picked up a few things while wandering around. To put it simply, if you ask it something you don't know, it answers.”
If you ask it something you don't know, it answers?
“Is there really such a magical thing?”
“There is, so try it.”
At Namgung Hwaryeong’s gesture, Kim Yang came over and explained how to use it.
Kim Yang didn't say a word, only pressing the buttons to show how words appeared.
“…….”
A look as if to say, Do you get it?
Namgung Yeon nodded awkwardly.
“S-so I just press this?”
A nod.
“Oh, right. Sometimes the answer is slow. And it doesn’t know everything, so keep that in mind.”
“If it knew everything, that would have been creepy.”
After bowing to say there was nothing more to explain, Kim Yang left with Namgung Hwaryeong.
“Hmm.”
He stared down at the black phone.
Namgung Yeon couldn’t shake his uneasy feeling.
The other martial artists were also watching with displeasure.
Suddenly feeling hungry, Namgung Yeon let out a disappointed sigh.
“Damn, I should have borrowed some cash from my sister.”
Since he hadn’t expected the fight to drag on this long, he didn’t have much money left.
Because he hadn’t exchanged it properly, he was living like a homeless man on the street.
Swallow.
Swallowing hard, Namgung Yeon tried his luck.
Slowly, he pressed the keys with firm force.
- X: I'm hungry. I need a place where I can eat.
“Ha... what am I even doing?”
A short sigh.
Just as Namgung Yeon was about to put the phone back in his pocket, thinking he had done something pointless—
A reply came with a vibration.
- J: There's a buffet nearby that serves meals to workers for a small fee.
“A buffet?”
- X: What is a buffet?
- J: It's a restaurant where you can eat unlimited food by paying a set amount.
“Unlimited?”
There was such a dreamlike place?
Looking at the screen with suspicious eyes, Namgung Yeon asked again.
- X: Explain exactly.
* * *
“…….”
A high-rise building in Cyber City.
Jessica’s room, where the city's magnificent view spread out at a glance through the floor-to-ceiling glass.
Seated on the bed, she was looking down at the black phone with both hands.
It was a piece Kim Yang had given her, saying she could use it to talk with Namgung Yeon.
In fact, Namgung Yeon had contacted her.
He thought it was a built-in AI.
For his sake, since he was hungry, she had told him about a cheap restaurant near Albridge.
Was he eating well?
She didn’t know, but—
‘Is this really okay?’
Jessica kept wondering.
Was it really okay to deceive him like this?
No matter how much you replace your body with prosthetics, the heart doesn’t disappear. Some people want to erase their human side, but Jessica was the opposite.
So Jessica felt a pang of guilt.
While she worried about whether he had finished his meal safely and kept holding the phone endlessly—
Bzzt!
A reply came.
- X: Thank you!
- X: Thanks to you, I was able to finish a very hearty meal!
- X: It's all thanks to you!
“…….”
A strange sense of pride and guilt rose in her heart.
Feeling both at once, Jessica immediately replied.
- J: I'm glad.