“Would you like to make a deal?”
At my question, Han Se-yeon silently stared at me.
She must have been quite shocked that someone had uncovered the ambition she had kept hidden so well until now.
But at times like this, it’s crucial to remain composed. That’s the only way to take control of this negotiation.
“What do you know about my brother’s weaknesses?”
“Would you like to make a deal?”
“Is it something that can bring him down?”
“This alone won’t be enough to bring him down. Vice Chairman Han Se-jin has an overwhelming influence within Hanseong Group. However, if you intend to take control of Hanseong Group, this could be a powerful weapon.”
“…I’ll listen and then decide.”
“Decide now. I assure you, you won’t be disappointed.”
“Hah.”
Han Se-yeon let out a sigh.
“Fine. But forget about the shares. If you need money, I’ll provide money. If you need power, I’ll lend you power. I absolutely need the shares to take over Hanseong Group in the future.”
Eventually, she gave up on hiding her true nature and revealed her honest intentions.
The people of Hanseong family are all twisted in some way. They don’t care about family when it comes to satisfying their greed.
“Then I’ll give up on the shares and propose something else.”
To be honest, the shares and money weren’t that important to me.
I had only brought them up to steer the negotiation toward a better deal.
What I truly wanted was the power and influence that Han Se-yeon, the youngest daughter of the Hanseong family, possessed.
“An advance payment of 500 million won and a VIP underground auction membership. Additionally, I want you to manufacture potions I request and help me obtain certain items that are difficult to acquire on my own. Of course, I’ll pay for the items.”
Han Se-yeon let out a scoff.
“You’re treating a member of the Hanseong family like an errand boy?”
“Let’s call it a mutually beneficial partnership instead.”
Han Se-yeon shrugged.
“Whatever. But I’ll only play errand girl for a month.”
The deal was struck more easily than I expected.
The one-month limit bothered me a bit, but I could always extend it later by offering additional information.
“Sounds good.”
“Oh, and just so you know, the underground auction membership isn’t something that can be transferred. But I can bring you as a guest. Is that fine?”
She had claimed earlier that they didn’t have such a membership.
“That’s fine.”
“Great. Let’s go with that. Now, tell me what you know about my brother’s weakness.”
…5 PM.
After wrapping up all her work, Han Se-yeon sat alone in her office, reflecting on today’s conversation.
‘Who the hell is he?’
Kim Jin-woo.
He had seen right through the ambition she had never revealed to anyone.
Not only that, but he also knew about the weaknesses of Han Se-jin, the second-in-command of Hanseong Group.
Come to think of it, everything about him was strange.
A C-rank mage who had never been in the spotlight suddenly cleared the hidden floor of the Tower of Proof in a single day and single-handedly subdued a rampaging demon.
On top of that, he had the audacity to negotiate aggressively with a Hanseong family member.
Was he not afraid of making an enemy of Hanseong Group?
“Hm. Strange…”
“What’s strange?”
While she was mumbling to herself, the door opened, and a man in an expensive suit walked in.
“Brother.”
The man was her older brother, Han Se-jin.
After hearing about his weaknesses from Kim Jin-woo, his smiling face looked more repulsive than usual.
“You said you’d be attending the family dinner today. Father will be pleased. He may act indifferent, but he cares about you a lot.”
Han Se-jin glanced around the office before grinning.
“Oh, by the way, how’s work?”
“It’s tough handling the workload and dealing with people. I feel like I’m reaching my mental limit.”
Han Se-yeon put on a weary expression.
She was pretending to have no interest in running the company, hoping to lower Han Se-jin’s guard.
Seeing her reaction, Han Se-jin smiled in satisfaction.
“I don’t know what Father was thinking, giving you company shares at such a young age. Just hold on to them and eventually hand them over to me. Running a company is too much for you right now. But since you’re smart, when I become chairman, I’ll make you vice chairman.”
Han Se-yeon forced a smile at his shameless words.
‘What a joke.’
“Your total comes to 5,000 won.”
I walked out of the convenience store, holding a black plastic bag full of snacks.
Looking up at the sky, it was already pitch dark, with only the streetlights illuminating the surroundings.
A lot had happened over the weekend. I had cleared the tower, subdued a demon, and formed a partnership with Han Se-yeon.
Thinking back to my past life, I could have never imagined such events.
“Hah.”
In the distance, the grand structure of the Mage Academy came into view.
I removed the fake beard from my face and let my hair fall naturally. I took off my glasses and put them into my bag.
I also changed into casual clothes I usually wore in the dormitory.
Since I had left the sale of the Crimson Dragon’s Soul to Han Se-yeon, there was no need to worry about drawing attention.
Finally, I felt like I was back to my real self—Kim Sun-woo.
“Oh? Sun-woo senior!”
As I was lost in thought, a familiar voice called out from nearby.
Turning around, I saw Choi Seo-yoon in casual clothes, smiling as she approached me.
“Hello! Where have you been?”
“Just had some business in Seoul.”
“Seoul? What kind of business?”
“None of your concern.”
“Pfft.”
Choi Seo-yoon pouted.
“What about you? Why are you coming back so late?”
“Well… Ah, never mind! Since you won’t tell me, I won’t tell you either.”
She playfully grinned.
I wasn’t too curious, so I simply nodded.
Judging by her appearance, she probably visited her family.
Choi Seo-yoon was the only daughter of the Choi family, one of the top five mage families in the country.
As expected of a prestigious family, their influence was strong, and she often had to consider their expectations.
There were other students from prestigious mage families at the academy, including Yoo Ara, who had quite a few episodes tied to her family.
“But senior, what’s in that bag?”
“This? Just some snacks.”
“Snacks? Like chips?”
“Yeah.”
Curious, Choi Seo-yoon reached into the bag.
“Hey, hey.”
I quickly pulled the bag behind me, but it was too late.
She had already pulled out a small can from inside.
Staring at it, she squinted at me.
“…Senior? What’s this?”
“Uh, it’s soda. Like cider or cola.”
“Soda? What are you talking about? This is beer.”
Crap. Busted.
Now what?
I was planning to relax with a cold beer for the first time in a while over the weekend.
“It’s not what you think, so just give it.”
When I reached out my hand, Choi Seo-yoon took a step back.
“Sunbae, did you really buy this to drink?”
“I told you, it’s not like that.”
“You know that bringing alcohol onto campus is at least a warning, right? It’s against school regulations!”
“I know. And thanks to you, I might actually get caught. So hurry up and give it.”
“……Wow. I didn’t think you were this kind of person, sunbae.”
What does she mean, ‘this kind of person’?
What’s wrong with an adult drinking beer?
Sure, I might not be of legal age physically, but it’s only two years away.
As we were arguing, I heard the voices of nearby students.
If this goes on, they might notice my precious beer can.
I had no choice but to enhance my body with magic, swiftly closing the distance and snatching the beer can from her hand.
“Kyah!”
Choi Seo-yoon let out a short scream, startled by my sudden movement.
At the same time, the students’ gazes turned this way.
I quickly stuffed the beer can into the bag and hid it.
Fortunately, it seemed like they hadn’t seen it.
“Phew.”
I let out a sigh of relief.
Glancing at Choi Seo-yoon, she was looking at me with a puzzled expression.
“……What was that? Did I imagine it?”
[Character ‘Choi Seo-yoon’ has developed a slight suspicion about you.]
[You have earned 500 points as a reward.]
Pshhh!
The refreshing sound of the beer can opening echoed.
I grabbed the can and took a long sip.
“Krr.”
This is the taste.
Ending the week with beer is the best.
Happiness truly comes from the little things.
Grinning, I leaned back onto the couch, pulling out the newly purchased smartphone and a business card from my pocket.
“Where’s the number? Ah, here it is.”
I entered the number from the business card into my phone.
[Han Se-yeon]
Saved.
I bought this smartphone to separate my identity as Kim Sun-woo from my persona as Kim Jin-woo.
Now that Kim Jinwoo was known to the world, it was necessary to draw a clear line between the two identities.
[Hello, Miss Han Se-yeon. This is Kim Jin-woo, whom you made a deal with this morning. Please use this number for future contact.]
Sent.
It wasn’t exactly polite to message this late, but I sent it anyway.
Our relationship wasn’t the type to worry about formalities.
Ding!
Huh? She replied already.
Han Se-yeon is quicker to respond than I expected.
[I’ve saved your number. Also, I used my personal methods to confirm what you told me about my brother. It’s beyond terrible—utterly shocking. I never imagined he would go so far as to kill someone. And there are even traces of contact with what appears to be a demon……]
Despite discovering her brother’s dark secret, her reaction seemed surprisingly calm.
Maybe it was because she was texting and not speaking in person.
[I’ll transfer the promised advance payment by tomorrow. I’ll also notify you when the requested potions are ready.]
[Understood. Thank you.]
I put down the phone and took another sip of beer.
[Character ‘Han Se-yeon’ has begun to trust you.]
[You have earned 1,000 points as a reward.]
“……Looks like I’ve earned her trust for now.”
[The demon ‘Jang Han,’ disguised as a famous opera conductor, has been revealed. Demons have infiltrated various aspects of human society like this. With fear and anxiety rising among citizens, it’s crucial to take action as soon as possible. This is YHK News.]
Bang!
A high-rise office overlooking the dazzling nightscape of Seoul.
A man slammed his fist onto the desk in anger.
“Jang Han is dead.”
He muttered in a trembling voice, his eyes pitch black in the moonlight.
“We knew he might lose control. It’s his own fault for not being able to manage himself.”
Another man, observing from a distance, swirled a glass of whiskey and spoke calmly.
“We could’ve stopped it! If we had intervened earlier, we could’ve prevented his rampage!”
“It was an order from ‘Him.’ Helping a demon rampaging in human society would only put us at risk.”
“Did He say anything else?”
“He doesn’t seem particularly interested. It’s not like this is the first time it’s happened.”
“Damn it! How much longer do we have to keep hiding like this?!”
The man clenched his fists, black energy seeping out and weighing down the air.
“Baek Kang, calm down. It’s not time yet.”
The man with the whiskey took a sip and set the glass down.
“I need to kill him. Otherwise, I won’t be able to quell this rage.”
“Who?”
“The one who killed Jang Han.”
The man with the whiskey raised an eyebrow.
“That Kim Jin-woo guy?”
“Yeah.”
“Finding him won’t be easy. I did some digging myself, but there’s almost nothing on him.”
“I have a lead. He made a deal with Han Se-yeon of the Han family today. If we tail her, we’ll find him sooner or later.”
At Baek Kang’s words, the other man smirked in amusement.
“But isn’t her brother, Han Se-jin, your client? If he finds out, he won’t let this slide.”
“Han Se-jin? Pfft! That guy doesn’t care about family at all. He’d probably be happy if his sister died, thinking it would bring him more shares.”
Hearing that, the man chuckled darkly.
“……Heh. True, Han Se-jin would be that kind of scumbag. Alright, do as you please. One dead human mage won’t be a big deal……”
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