Chapter 37
The story continues off the page
Floaties for Everyone
Swim lesson at the water park, and she's demonstrating on you
After finishing his meal and returning, Namgung Yeon rubbed his belly in satisfaction.
Cheaper than he expected.
A spread of dishes so huge it looked like the table legs would snap.
Having been introduced to the tremendous new marvel called a buffet, he had grown a little fonder of Cyber City.
“No banquet hall could let you eat this much.”
“Heh, it's amazing they can still make a profit selling it that cheap.”
“I heard the 6th floor had lost all trace of humanity... this is a bit surprising.”
“Ah! Maybe there are so many people who replaced their bodies with prosthetics that don't need to eat, so that's why!”
“Ooh! Very convincing!”
The martial artists all began holding their own little critique session about the meal they had just eaten.
Meals had been cut down to the bare minimum because the money they had recently brought back was starting to run low.
Since they could eat to their heart's content without worrying about portions for the first time in a while, everyone was full of praise.
Seeing their reactions, Namgung Yeon also felt a secret sense of pride.
‘They like it this much; how delightful.’
If Namgung Pacheon, the head of the Namgung Family, were to step down, then he, the young master, would take his place as head.
When that time came, he would have to look after people like this, and he felt as though he had caught a small glimpse of the satisfaction of being a family head.
Suppressing his swelling pride with effort, Namgung Yeon stepped into the tent.
- J: That's a relief.
A brief reply came in on the phone.
Namgung Yeon looked down at it and marveled.
“What a truly wondrous object.”
How had it managed to point out a restaurant so close to where he was so easily?
Wanting to know more about this mysterious thing, Namgung Yeon asked it about something random once more.
- X: Do you think it will rain today?
- J: According to today's forecast, the chance of rain is 7%.
“Huh, what an incredible thing.”
As Namgung Yeon spent his time asking this and that in admiration.
“Young master, shall we head out soon?”
He sprang to his feet at the voice calling from outside.
It was time to raid Hellite's factory site.
‘Has time already gotten this late?’
The conversation with J had been more fun than expected, and he had lost track of time enjoying it.
Whenever he asked about something he didn't know, answers came right back, and admiration kept bursting out nonstop.
‘Wait...’
Just as Namgung Yeon was about to go outside, he suddenly remembered why Namgung Hwaryeong had given him this.
‘It lets me learn what I don't know.’
If that's the case.
- X: I want to know how to deal with bullets that chase after you.
He asked about the enemy weapon that had given him trouble yesterday. It was a bizarre bullet that kept chasing after him no matter how much he dodged.
The reply took longer than expected.
It almost looked as if it were thinking it over.
But in the end, an answer did come.
- J: It's a smart bullet. A cutting-edge weapon with a tiny computer built inside for the purpose of pursuing a target to the end.
- J: However, under Cyber City's laws, smart bullets cannot be manufactured for lethal use.
- J: They are nonlethal rounds meant for subduing targets, with low durability and low penetration power.
“Nonlethal...”
A weapon meant not to kill.
Hearing that only made Namgung Yeon's pride take another hit.
“Hah.”
Unable to look any longer, Namgung Yeon left the phone inside the tent and came back out.
* * *
Meracle was peaceful today as well.
As Christmas drew near, our matchmaking company was becoming busier and busier too.
The desire to spend Christmas with a lover was an instinct humans had even before the Tower appeared.
Taking advantage of the season, we were even running a Christmas special with a 10% discount.
Two days ago, while sending Miss Kim on a business trip to Cyber City, I called in customers through flyers and online ads.
“Ah, yes. Customer. So you're saying an age gap of around four years would be acceptable?”
“That's just about right. They say if the age gap is four years, you don't even need to check compatibility.”
The female customer let out a ho-ho laugh.
She had just turned thirty-three and entered the marriage market. She wore a few luxury brands, but they were obviously fake at a glance.
“Then I do have someone who fits perfectly. Their annual salary is also at the level you're hoping for.”
“Oh my, really?”
“Yes, yes. Would you like to take a look?”
When I showed her someone from the file binder, the customer immediately furrowed her brows and started getting irritable.
“Oh? What is this?! He's four years older!”
“Huh? Yes, that's right. The four-year gap you said didn't even need compatibility checked.”
“How am I supposed to date someone four years older? If he's 37, he's an old guy.”
These days, they even call a 33-year-old woman an ajumma.
I swallowed it down and kept the consultation going with effort.
“So you're saying you want someone four years younger, around 29?”
“Yes! Of course!”
“Hmm, customer. Then you'll need to lower your standards quite a bit.”
“Huh? How much?”
“First of all, with the salary and educational background you mentioned, it's difficult-.”
When I tapped away on the calculator and showed her the lowered standards, the customer immediately started shouting.
“What the hell?! You want me to date some 29-year-old who doesn't even make 50 million a year? And he's not even a regular employee? Are you kidding me right now? Are you making fun of me?”
“Customer, that's just how the marriage market is. Otherwise, if you widen the range a bit and go for the other races on the 4th or 5th floor-.”
“You want me to meet those beastmen? You crazy bastard! Just watch how I write my review!”
With heavy footsteps, the customer stormed out. Cases like this were so common now that I didn't even feel anything anymore.
‘Thank goodness. Dodged a landmine.’
Actually, it was a relief that a woman who looked more like unsellable stock had been cleared out.
Just as the female guest was trying to open the door, the door opened first.
Namgung Hwaryeong stood there motionless, staring straight down at her.
“Don't block my way. Step aside.”
“W-what?! You bitch! Do you even know who I am?”
“Ha... this is why the 3rd floor is fun. On the 5th floor, no one would dare talk to me with this kind of tone.”
In an instant—.
The sword in its scabbard was drawn.
However, not many people saw it.
At a speed the eye couldn't follow.
Namgung Hwaryeong's sword slashed the woman in a straight line.
“Kyaaaah!?”
The woman's knockoff clothes and bag were cut exactly in half. Suddenly turned into a flasher, she hurriedly tried to hold together the split clothes.
Ah, shit, my eyes.
I just got hit with an eye assault out of nowhere.
“You! You! I'm reporting this! I'm going to sue the whole place and get your business shut down!”
“Do you think there was anyone who saw the sword being drawn?”
A faint smile formed.
When Namgung Hwaryeong's gaze fell on the other waiting customers, they all shook their heads at once.
“N-no. We didn't see anything.”
“Seriously, we didn't see anything.”
“Wow... that's amazing.”
They all knew what happened, but in the end the fact remained that they hadn't seen it. Namgung Hwaryeong smiled and patted her shoulder.
“Go and wear something decent. If you're ugly on the inside, at least take care of the outside. Even your underwear top and bottom don't match.”
“Y-you-! You—!”
She wanted to grab me by the collar right then and there, but with both hands holding up her clothes so they wouldn't slide down, she hurriedly left.
I shouted after her retreating back.
“Customer! This has nothing to do with our company! This person is neither our client nor our guest! Got it? If you write anything related to this, it'll be filtered out! But if you give us a five-star review, I'll make sure we take even better care of you next time!”
Reviews are important.
When I went back inside, Namgung Hwaryeong was looking at me with a baffled expression.
“...If it's money, I can pay.”
“For our martial-duel marriage clients, we only take payment and proceed when a challenger shows up.”
“Who decided that?”
“That's what the company's internal rules say.”
I'm the boss, so I'm the law.
“B-boss bastard. N-next customer.”
Miss Kim was still sulking because I'd sent her on a business trip two days ago. Other companies might love overseas or Tower business trips, but she was still pouting.
She'd only been gone for a single day, too.
“Next customer, please step into the consultation room.”
First, I had to make money.
* * *
When the consultations with the roughly gathered customers were over, it was 4:30.
As quitting time drew near, Namgung Hwaryeong was still waiting, arms crossed.
“...You still haven't left.”
“Now that it seems you are finally done, I shall speak first. Your scheme appears to be working surprisingly well.”
“It's only been two days.”
“And yet even after just two days, I hear my younger brother hasn't put down his phone for a moment.”
“You must have had a lot bottled up inside. You can say everything you have on your mind to an AI, after all.”
When I answered lightly, Namgung Hwaryeong nodded.
“And word of that slacking off reached the family head's ears.”
“...Pardon?”
Already after only two days?
“It seems the family head had planted an informant. One wrong move and a major incident could break out.”
If you averaged out each floor's individual combat strength and asked which was strongest, the answer was obvious.
It was the old Murim on the 5th floor.
Bring in one top expert from each of floors 3 through 6 and have them fight head-on, and the old Murim would win.
Even within that old Murim, the men who had reached the peak were none other than the heads of the martial families.
The Azure Dragon I saw last time.
That is, a concept a little different from a divine beast.
If anything—.
“Aaaagh! I lost again! Why is this so hard?!”
“I-idiot.”
“I shall try again! Pong! Pong! Potapong!”
“J-joints. Be careful.”
The family heads are like that elf over there.
They're not gods, but they are beings who can go toe-to-toe with them.
If Namgung Pacheon could make a move...
‘That would throw my plan off course.’
It wasn't just about collecting the couple's success fee.
From my perspective, as I was drawing up an even bigger blueprint, it was a rather unsettling matter.
* * *
- J: You've had a hard time since childhood.
- X: You understand me!
- X: Honestly, there were so many things I had to bottle up just because I was the young master.
Cyber City, beneath Albridge.
Lying in the tent and tapping away at his phone, Namgung Yeon hummed a tune.
‘How could something like this exist?’
Talking with an AI was more enjoyable than he had expected. No matter what he said, it answered earnestly and understood him.
Being able to pour out the feelings he'd been keeping inside was also a very big part of it.
It felt like he'd gained one very close friend. What's more, no matter what he said to that friend, only he would know.
So naturally, he couldn't help but let his guard down.
- X: For example.
- X: The young master is a man too, isn't he?
- X: I'm a young man in the prime of my life too, but because I'm the young master, I have to pretend I'm not interested in women.
- X: When I had to burn the erotic picture books I had secretly bought because I was coming here, I really thought my heart would break.
- X: I had treasured those things.
“The reply is slow?”
Sometimes there were moments when no answer came, but if that happened, waiting solved it.
- J: That must have been difficult.
- J: I'd like to ask for reference.
- J: What is your preference in women?
“Preference? Heh... this really does talk like a person.”
His taste in women, huh.
Actually, he didn't really have a type.
No, it would be more correct to say he had never seriously thought about it.
But if he had to choose.
- X: To be truly honest.
- X: My former fiancée was truly lovely in appearance.
- X: Even if it was an arranged marriage, the fact that I could marry such a beautiful woman,
- X: How my heart raced.
At our first meeting.
He forced his face into a stiff mask, trying his best to hide his grin.
That made the atmosphere a little stiff, but that was only proper for a man.
It was the way Namgung Yeon, with his patriarchal way of thinking, could express himself in his own manner.
- J: Why won't your former fiancée do?
Why wouldn't she be okay?
Wasn't that obvious?
- X: She insulted the family's honor.
- X: Even if it was an arranged marriage, she was still a woman I would give half my life to,
- X: I couldn't give my other half to a woman who couldn't even value the family's honor and traditions.
Once again.
After quite some time with no reply.
- J: Do you feel relieved?
This time, Namgung Yeon's reply was delayed.
He stared silently at the screen—
and decided to be a little honest.
Anyway.
It's a story no one else knows.
- X: It was a shame.