Chapter 7
“We already did the interview last time, so let's skip that-.”
I dug out Renea's interview record from the corner where I'd shoved it.
Her age—1,901—still stood out in an overwhelmingly obvious way.
“Our Meracle has a total of three membership tiers: Basic, Standard, and Premium.”
Renea listened while looking over the catalog Kim Yang handed her.
“Starting with the difference in the number of matches, then manager consultations, chat dates, studio shoots and styling, breakup counseling, and more. Services are added sequentially, and the quality improves.”
“Breakup counseling?”
She must have thought that came out of nowhere.
Surprisingly, breakup counseling can be the most effective kind of dating coaching.
“It's rare for people to connect after just one meeting. Breakup counseling is about hearing why that customer didn't like the other person and then improving their shortcomings.”
“Ooooh.”
Of course, it didn't seem like Renea would benefit much from it.
Nine times out of ten, if she got rejected, it'd be because of her age.
“It's much more systematic than I expected, isn't it?”
“Of course. I'm a professional. So, should we sign you up for premium right away?”
“Ahem, jumping straight to the most expensive one is a bit-.”
Makes me want to throw her out.
“You got 200 million, and you're still saying what-.”
“Ah, I have something to say about that! No, my take-home pay got cut in half, so I only got 100 million won!”
“What? No, how?”
“They said I was from Floor 4, I didn't have a hunter license, and I'd only been on Floor 3 for a short time, so they slapped on all kinds of taxes and took half of it! They say Floor 3 is full of thieves, but I never thought I'd get done in like this-!”
The elf queen clenched her fist and fumed.
She must have been really upset, because the corners of her eyes were moist.
“That's why you need to save money.”
“Premium is only 5 million won anyway.”
“5 million won?!”
“Tophon or Wedding Company have memberships that go all the way up to 10 million won, and Royal Matching can even ask for 20 million won. This much is laughable.”
“Ah, no. It's not like we're doing anything so extravagant just to introduce people-.”
“Hey now, it's not just any person. We're finding the partner you'll spend your whole life with.”
Even so, Renea's expression didn't brighten much.
Hah, can't be helped.
“Does it seem like a loss?”
“A-a little……? No, there's not even any guarantee it'll work-.”
Her fingers twitched.
I quietly told Renea the grim truth.
“If we're offering premium membership, do you really think we'd introduce just anyone? We'd connect you with someone rich.”
“Perk!”
The elf ears twitched.
“If you get married through us? Five million won? Please, that's nothing. Some of our members rake in over 100 million won a year without breaking a sweat.”
“R-really?”
“The last one was Hunter Lee Kangho. His income varies, but during peak season he's made as much as 100 million won in a single month.”
“……!?”
She seemed surprised that Lee Kangho, who was much weaker than her, could earn that much.
But when you're working as a hunter, being skilled doesn't necessarily mean making a lot of money.
There are hunters who make little despite being highly skilled, and the same goes the other way around.
Hunter Lee Kangho was, strictly speaking, the latter.
A hunter who knows how to earn far more money than his skill level would suggest.
“A marriage 1,901 years in the making. Shouldn't you hold on to a red-hot man?”
“Y-yes! Please, premium!”
“Understood! Kim Yang, bring me the premium contract!”
“Here.”
Fast work.
Kim Yang is good at reading the room.
Watching Renea sign furiously made me understand why scammers target the elderly.
“Oh, right! There was something I thought of.”
Halfway through signing the contract, Renea lowered her voice.
“Honestly, isn't my age a bit of a problem?”
“Not a bit, a lot.”
“Ahem! Anyway. I've found a way to solve that.”
“A way to solve it?”
A wicked smile completely unsuited to an elf.
“You lie about your age.”
“If that gets found out, you'll be sued.”
Ridiculous.
Age is such an important factor in the marriage market.
Especially with men, there are quite a few who absolutely refuse to deal with older women.
But Renea seemed to know that already, because she kept pounding the desk with a “bang bang!” as she went on.
“I know! I know too! But think about it. You can see this isn't actually that dangerous.”
“…….”
“First, my looks. Honestly, if I said I was in my twenties, humans would believe me. Boss, you did too.”
Well, what can I say.
I had to admit it.
The elves' signature beauty never fades with time.
Thanks to that, I was completely fooled at our first meeting when she said she was in her twenties.
“We just trick him into marrying us first. After that, we can just live happily ever after.”
“Well, you said you had a plan.”
“Being an elf is the plan. Think about it—this body will outlive my husband no matter what, won't it? And I'll keep this face the whole time?”
“…….”
“Then to my husband, is there really any difference between me being young and me being old?!”
What kind of person is this?
“Are elves all psychopaths like that?”
“Please, just say I'm desperate!”
I didn't bother answering, just gave an awkward cough, then continued.
“It's not like I'm saying anything flat-out false, is it? As long as I don't say it outright, there won't be anything to expose.”
“…….”
That shut me up.
Because I'd actually been fooled too.
“Boss, you really didn't know?”
“Yeah, I didn't.”
“Elves are amazing, huh.”
Renea puffed herself up proudly.
But Kim Yang didn't let it pass as a simple compliment.
“Boss, you can see through lies too.”
“What, is that some kind of ability?”
“No! I mean, I guess I just have good instincts? I'm really good at finding things!”
Just as Kim Yang said.
One of my few strengths is that my nose for lies is pretty sharp.
“At least you did expose her as a granny.”
Since I succeeded in nabbing a 1,901-year-old granny with no conscience, can't I say my nose is still working?
“Ahem, fine, fine. I'll admit you have good instincts. But not everyone does. If you lie about your age, there's no way you won't get caught-.”
“Boss, you're trash.”
Renea flinched at Kim Yang's words as she headed outside, saying she'd go take out the recycling.
Once the door closed, she let out a sigh of relief.
“Phew, I thought she was talking to me.”
“It's good that you're self-aware enough to know you're trash.”
“Ahem.”
After that, the conversation kept running on parallel tracks.
“No, the company can't condone lies like that. We'd become accomplices too!”
“If a 20-year-old elf and a 1,901-year-old elf look identical on the outside, isn't that basically a 20-year-old elf?!”
“Sir, do you want to get hit? Are you dead set on wrecking someone's company or what-!”
Clunk.
“Boss, a customer is here.”
Kim Yang, who'd gone out to take out the trash, came back with the customer in tow.
Renea and I quickly stopped talking and smiled.
I did it because he was a customer, and Renea because he was a handsome one.
“We'll find your miracle. Welcome to Meracle.”
“Hello. I stopped by briefly yesterday, but they said the boss wasn't here, so I came back today.”
He was the man Kim Yang had mentioned at yesterday's jokbal dinner—the “Top-Floor Guide.”
“Let's head to the consultation room first.”
“Oh, isn't there already another customer ahead of me?”
At the man's gesture, Renea bowed her head shyly.
“D-don't talk to me like that. I just came out of the forest and I'm a fresh-faced twenty-year-old, so I'm not very good at making eye contact with men.”
“What? Ah, sorry!”
“Oh, that's your gimmick?”
Now that's experience for you.
Just look at her switching her persona on the spot like a chameleon.
I thought she was a lizardman, not an elf.
“Ignore that and come in.”
“My, saying it so harshly hurts my heart. I'm still twenty. I may be easily hurt by harsh words, but I also have a strong spirit.”
This crazy woman is putting together a portfolio.
I sent the customer into the consultation room first and flipped him the bird behind my back, and Renea immediately answered with both middle fingers.
Click.
“Ahem. Let's start with the basic questions first.”
“Oh, is it okay even though I haven't paid or registered for membership yet?”
I gave the clueless man a capitalist smile.
“Don't worry. After the consultation, if you try one free matching session and feel it's okay, you can sign up.”
“Really, that much?”
“Of course. We even sneak in little services like this for handsome customers like you.”
I'm not joking; it's true.
Hunter Lee Kangho and Yumia got this service too.
You need plenty of handsome men and beautiful women for a matchmaking company to draw in customers.
A 1,901-year-old granny would never even imagine such a service.
With the questionnaire and pen in hand, I started the interview.
“What's your name?”
“I'm Lee Cheolsu.”
“And your age?”
“I'm 27.”
“Oh, you're young. Twenty-seven is a bit early for a man to come here, but in this market, that's definitely an advantage.”
Measured as [Appearance:A].
“I heard separately that you work as a guide. Could you tell me exactly what that means?”
“You know the people who come down from Floors 4 and 5 to 3rd-Floor Seoul? I guide them around Seoul.”
“Hmm, and how much do you make?”
“I get about 3 million won a month.”
Respectable.
For a 27-year-old, 3 million won a month is enough.
“Oh, but I do have a bit of incentive-based pay too. For example, when customers buy products from partner companies, I get extra money.”
“Nice. Do you have any savings, by any chance?”
“Actually, I have about 3.1 billion won in my account.”
“Uh, 3.1 billion won-.”
What?
“3.1 billion won? What, did you start guide work when you were three?”
That's an insane level of wealth, isn't it?
At my flustered reaction, Lee Cheolsu confessed sheepishly.
“Honestly…… my parents are really well off. They own a few buildings in Gangnam.”
“At this level, I'm not joking—you could pick anyone you wanted and meet them.”
Why is someone who doesn't even need a matchmaking agency here?
At my reaction, Lee Cheolsu lowered his voice a little and leaned forward.
“To be honest, I do have a type. I came here because I thought Meracle might be able to find me someone who fits.”
“A type? Ah, go ahead and say it. I don't have any prejudices.”
Another capitalist smile.
We absolutely had to hold on to this blue-chip customer.
Reassured by my reaction, Lee Cheolsu loosened up and explained.
“Well, I'd like to meet people from the 5th Floor.”
“The 5th Floor? The ‘Old Murim’? Ah, I can understand that. The Old Murim folk are especially conservative with the opposite sex, so once you start dating, it goes straight to marriage-.”
“I'm into beastfolk.”
“Yes, beastfolk. Well, that's not especially weird or anything.”
A taste for beastfolk is common in this world.
Women: cats, rabbits, foxes.
Men: tigers, bulls, wolves.
I was about to say that even our Kim Yang is a sheep beastfolk, but-.
For a moment, something felt off.
Lee Cheolsu's expression didn't change, but there was a faint sense of incongruity in the conversation just now.
And that's exactly what I mean when I say my nose for lies is pretty sharp.
In cases like this, I need to probe.
“Ahem, Mr. Lee Cheolsu.”
“Yes?”
“Be honest with me. Does it really just have to be beastfolk?”
His eyes rolled around as if he'd lost his words. He looked like he might run away any second.
I casually took out my phone and showed him the Pokatmon from ‘Pokat Monster’.
A cheat sheet based on beastfolk.
“Would something like this be right?”
He understood at a glance.
The moment he understood, Lee Cheolsu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and smiled brightly.
“Ah, yes! That's right! Exactly this kind of feel! Y-yes, as expected of Meracle!”
“Haha, that kind of taste isn't unusual.”
“Ah, really?! Right! Exactly!”
It's a weird taste, you bastard.
“If possible, on all fours-!”
Anyway, the suspiciously wealthy ones…….