“We did it! We really did it!”

Meiling shouted as she rushed toward Lumina.

“Yeah! We did it!”

The two girls grabbed hands and spun in circles, laughing with joy.

It was understandable—only a short while ago, they had been forced to flee from this very place, utterly outmatched.

“Aren’t you going to join them?”

Seo Yui, standing beside me with half-lidded eyes, asked quietly. Her face had returned to its usual calm now that the battle was over.

“I’m happy too, but not that happy,” I replied.

“Hmm.”

“What is it?”

“By any chance…” She hesitated, then continued. “Did you repeat a year?”

“…”

I stared at her, stunned.

“So I was right, wasn’t I?”

“No. I’m really a first-year.”

“Really? It’s just… you’re way too comfortable in dungeons. You know so much about monsters and items.”

Well, of course. I had played Latesai countless times with all sorts of character builds.

“If it’s something you’re embarrassed about, don’t worry—I’ll keep it a secret.”

Seo Yui still seemed suspicious.

Her consideration wasn’t bad, but being asked if I had failed a year was not something I wanted to hear.

“I know so much because I had someone who taught me. I really did enroll as a first-year this year.”

I met her reddish eyes firmly as I spoke.

Seo Yui nodded. “Alright, then I was mistaken.”

“Yein! What are you doing? Hurry and take a proof photo!”

Meiling shouted over at me.

“Let’s go, senior.”

“Yeah.”

The four of us posed for a picture, with the deep-floor portal and the Stonecloud boss materials as our backdrop.

By the time we left the dungeon, it was late at night. But everyone agreed we should still have dinner together, so we headed to a restaurant for sundae soup.

Once our meals were served, Seo Yui muttered drowsily, “It feels like forever since I’ve eaten at a restaurant. Ever since I was sold to Valhall, I only went back and forth between the academy and the arena.”

The rest of us froze, spoons halfway to our mouths.

“Oh, sorry. That’s not exactly pleasant dinner talk.”

“No, Seo Yui,” Lumina said softly. “I want to know. I want to hear how you lived until now.”

It was a gentle, Lumina-like answer.

“…Alright.” Seo Yui nodded.

“I still remember the first meal I had in Valhall. Rice and kimchi without seasoning—that was it. And there wasn’t even enough. The owner said if I wanted proper food, I had to fight and win. If I won, I’d get more side dishes or a bigger serving of rice.”

“So they made fighting into motivation,” I said.

Seo Yui nodded. “Not just food. Living quarters, soap, toilet paper, toothbrushes, even free time. Everything was given only to winners. So kids raised their weapons against each other for the sake of something slightly better. I did the same.”

“Then what made you change?” Meiling asked.

“In that kind of place, it’d be natural to see everyone as enemies. But you didn’t.”

Even though Meiling had addressed her casually with “you,” Seo Yui didn’t seem to mind at all.

“At first, I did see everyone else as enemies. But one day, while fighting as usual, I knocked a kid down… and then I heard it.”

“Heard what?” Lumina tilted her head.

“A stomach growling,” Seo Yui said, staring into the steam rising from her soup. “That kid glared at me like he wanted to kill me, lying on the floor… but his stomach growled so loudly. In that moment, I couldn’t see him as an enemy anymore. After all, my own stomach had been growling all fight long too.”

“Hmm…”

Meiling pursed her lips. It was an expression somewhere between not understanding and faintly understanding.

That’s incredible, I thought as I looked at Seo Yui.

Sympathy. Empathy. The ability to see others as humans just like yourself.

These were natural feelings, but in a hell where it was kill or be killed, holding onto that humanity was anything but natural.

I wouldn’t have been able to do it.

“After that, I fought even harder. But I also tried to attack in ways that wouldn’t kill. I climbed up all the way to Champion like that, and used my position to slowly change how the kids treated one another. But that day, Bao said he’d already noticed what I was doing. If things had gone on a little longer, Lei Xin probably would have executed me. He wouldn’t have tolerated anyone dirtying his fish farm.”

Seo Yui’s eyes turned to me.

“I’m glad I met you. Thank you.”

“I’ve heard enough thanks already. And Valhall wasn’t destroyed by me alone. Now, let’s eat before it gets cold.”

“…Yeah.”

The soup had cooled just enough to eat comfortably while we talked.

We emptied our bowls quickly, then returned to the academy.

The next morning.

After homeroom, I showed our teacher the photo we had taken in Bag Toter Mine.

“Oh my goodness! You really cleared it!”

He gaped in astonishment, then broke into a wide smile.

“I’ll report this to the principal right away. Send me the photo.”

By lunchtime, I received a message from him.

[The principal was surprised you finished so quickly and praised all of you. She said to rest until the next assignment.]

The next assignment, huh. Probably level grinding.

Though we had cleared the third floor of Bag Toter Mine, our levels were still too low for HAUT.

Aside from Seo Yui, the rest of us were only in the mid-twenties.

To clear HAUT smoothly, we’d need to be at least mid-thirties.

I should start planning how we’ll handle leveling.

As I was thinking that, my smartwatch buzzed again.

This time, it was a message from Eleanor.

[I’m reopening Platinum Wings tomorrow afternoon. Want to come by and see the new shop before then?]

Perfect. I was planning to buy new Skill Gems for Meiling and Lumina at the Hunter Market anyway. We can visit her shop too.

“What’s so interesting that you’re staring at it instead of eating?”

I turned to find Meiling glaring at me from the next seat.

Across the table, Lumina and Seo Yui were watching with curious looks.

“How about we all go to the Hunter Market tomorrow?” I suggested.

Both Lumina and Meiling widened their eyes.

“The Hunter Market? Why?” Meiling asked.

“You remember Eleanor, right?”

“Oh, the Crystal president’s youngest daughter?”

“Yeah. She invited me to see her new store before it opens. Since I was already planning to get Skill Gems for you and Lumina, I thought we might as well all go.”

“…She didn’t just invite you, did she?” Meiling narrowed her eyes.

“I’ll ask.”

I sent Eleanor a quick message, asking if I could bring others along.

Her reply came soon after.

[Of course. The more people to celebrate with, the better.]

I showed everyone her answer.

“Then… I’ll go too,” Lumina said, raising her hand. “I’ve always wanted to see what the Hunter Market is like.”

“I’ll come as well,” Seo Yui added with a nod.

“What about you, Meiling? If you don’t want to, we can just buy the Skill Gems for you.”

“Who said I’m not going? Of course I’m coming,” Meiling said sharply.

Saturday morning, we headed to the Hunter Market.

Entering the address Eleanor had sent, we found a spot just off the main boulevard.

“Looks like this is it.” I scanned the area.

“Yein, over there!” Lumina pointed.

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

The sign read Ailes De Platine, decorated with a pair of wings.

First floor, and it looks spacious even from outside. She must have invested a lot.

We pushed open the glass doors and stepped inside.

“Oh, welcome!”

A man with a neatly trimmed beard in a sharp suit greeted us from the center of the shop.

This was Lee Donghyuk, the manager of Platinum Wings.

“Good morning,” I said.

“Hello!” Lumina followed.

“Lady Eleanor is away preparing something, but she’ll be here shortly,” Donghyuk explained.

“I see.” I nodded, then glanced around.

Nice.

Of course, a new shop was bound to be clean, but what impressed me was the way the equipment was organized.

Normal- and Magic-grade items were sorted neatly for easy browsing.

Weapons were divided into melee, ranged, and support.

Armor was split by body part, then further categorized into cloth, light, and heavy.

“Very easy to look through,” I remarked.

“Thank you. It took quite some effort to arrange,” Donghyuk replied proudly.

“You did all this yourself?”

“Yes. The shop layout and item displays were all my idea.”

He straightened his chest, clearly proud.

“But… I don’t see any Rare items,” Meiling said, wandering the shop.

“We’ve reserved a special area for those—right here,” Donghyuk said, gesturing to the empty center.

“Oh, so that’s why it looked so bare.”

He nodded. “Rare items are the crown jewels of an equipment store. They deserve the most attention. Once Lady Eleanor arrives, they’ll be placed here. This entire section will showcase your creations, Mr. Yein. On that note, there is a favor I’d like to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Would you be willing to decide in advance the number and types of Rare items you’ll provide us? That way, we can regulate supply more steadily and sell them at higher prices.”

It was a reasonable and perfectly normal request for a store manager to make.

After all, expecting someone to just dump piles of Rare items without coordination was unrealistic.

The only reason it had worked so far was because the relationship between me and Platinum Wings—or rather, Eleanor—was less of a business partnership and more a matter of victor and defeated.

“I’ll discuss that with Eleanor directly,” I said.

“I’d greatly appreciate your positive consideration,” Donghyuk replied with a polite bow.

Lee Donghyuk bowed slightly as he finished speaking.

From that gesture alone, I could sense how sincerely he cared about the store.

“And one more thing. This is just a proposal of mine.”

“What is it?”

“Custom orders. Customers who have seen your work keep asking if you accept commissions.”

Come to think of it, even back when the store was inside the Crystal Hunter Mall, Eleanor mentioned people constantly asking about commissions.

“Custom-made items could fetch at least two to three times the price. With your skill, Mr. Nam, you can produce a large number of Rare items in a short period of time. So, if you ever have leeway, I believe it’s worth considering.”

“I’m afraid custom orders aren’t possible,” I refused immediately.

“May I ask why?” Donghyuk pressed, clearly unwilling to back down so easily.

“I don’t have the luxury of taking orders. I’ll be participating in HAUT this fall.”

“HAUT?” Donghyuk’s eyes widened.

“As far as I know, you’re in the same first-year class as Lady Eleanor.”

“Yes. But ours is a special case. Everyone here is slated to participate in HAUT.”

Donghyuk’s gaze swept over the rest of my squad. Then he nodded.

“I see. If that’s the case, I won’t insist further. We can revisit the matter another time.”

“That would be appreciated,” I said with a smile.

The real reason I declined was simple: my Craftsman ability level was still too low.

If I received an order right now for a Rare item above Level 40, I wouldn’t even be able to make it.

Better not to expose my limits.

“What’s with him? He talks more like a businessman than a student.”

“Haha… Well, he is the richest one among us. Not exactly the kind of money a normal student could touch.”

“What? The richest is me—ugh. No, fine, it is Nam Yein. Damn it. Lumina, you really know how to stab where it hurts, don’t you?”

“S-sorry! I didn’t mean it like that…”

I caught bits of Meiling and Lumina whispering as the shop door opened again.

“Oh! You’re here!”

“Tch. Nam Yein…”

The cheerful voice belonged to Eleanor. The clicking tongue belonged to Iris.

I nearly clicked my own tongue when I saw her face.

Both girls carried plastic bags filled with what looked like food and drinks.

Behind them came Iris’s attendants, Rachel and Sally.

Rachel waved brightly in greeting, while Sally only cast us a brief glance.

“The shop looks great,” I said to Eleanor.

“Right? Uncle Donghyuk put in a lot of effort.”

“Eleanor. Are you sure it’s alright to invite him on such an important day?” Iris shot me a glare, making sure I could hear her.

“What are you talking about, sis? Of course I had to invite him. Nam Yein is our store’s…” Eleanor hesitated for a moment. “…our supporter. He and I are working together on the items we’ll sell here.”

“Well… if that’s what you say, Eleanor…” Iris muttered, turning her head away.

“Oh, you’re here too.” Her gaze shifted to Seo Yui, Lumina, and Meiling.

“Yeah. How are they? Haven’t caused trouble, have they?”

“Hmm. Nothing much to report.”

Iris walked over to Seo Yui and struck up conversation with her.

“Nam Yein, can you help me out?” Eleanor set her bags down.

When I peeked inside, I blinked in surprise.

Tteok, pig’s head meat, and other ritual foods. Among the drinks was even makgeolli.

When I gave her a look, Eleanor grinned.

“It’s the opening day. Gotta make sure only good things happen. This is how Uncle Donghyuk does it.”

“There are things beyond human control, after all.”

Donghyuk appeared, taking the bags from her hands.

Ten minutes later, we had set up a table in the corner of the store for a traditional ritual.

“Alright, let’s eat!” Eleanor handed out disposable plates filled with food, paper cups of drinks, and chopsticks.

Never thought I’d see something like this in Latesai…

I felt oddly dazed by the unexpected event.

Sniff, sniff.

“Ah! Meiling! That’s makgeolli!” Lumina exclaimed.

“…A sip won’t hurt.”

“No! Rules are rules!”

“You’re so uptight. Just one sip—”

“I’m afraid not, Miss Meiling,” Donghyuk interjected, taking the cup from her and handing her soda instead.

“Even if I’m weaker than you, as an adult, I cannot shirk responsibility.”

“….”

Meiling glared at him, then sulked and shoved food into her mouth.

“Nam Yein.”

I turned. Eleanor had approached while Iris was still busy chatting with Seo Yui.

Lowering her voice, she asked, “Before I came, did Uncle Donghyuk talk to you about Rare items?”

“You mean supply?”

Eleanor nodded, looking tense.

“He’s recognizing you as a business partner now. Of course it makes sense to handle things together.”

When I said that, Eleanor’s face brightened.

“The profit split stays 70-30, though.”

“Yeah. Now that the shop’s open, that’s fine. Thank you for investing this time. Thanks to you, I not only had the funds but also the push I needed to go independent.”

She looked toward the display stands, where my Rare items were mounted on mannequins and racks.

“For a while, your creations will be our flagship products… but someday, mine will take that spot. Until then, I’ll be counting on you.”

“That’s not a request, that’s a challenge. Not that I think you’ll succeed.”

“We’ll see.”

“Eleanor! Stay away from him! He’s a snake with a thousand fangs hidden inside! Nothing good can come of being near him!”

Iris stormed over, paper cup in hand.

“Shut up, sis.”

“E-Eleanor!!”

Her icy tone left Iris pale-faced and crestfallen.

“Keep it up and I’ll ban you from the store.”

Crushed, Iris trudged back to her attendants.

“Anyway.”

Once she was gone, I pulled something from my inventory.

“Here. A gift for your shop opening.”

“That’s…!” Eleanor’s eyes widened.

I had handed her a Level 30 Rare ring—the finest item I could currently craft.

“It’s a gift. Use it however you want—keep it, or sell it for shop funds.”

“Are you serious? This could fetch tens of millions.” Eleanor stared at it, awestruck.

“If it feels too much, I’ll take half the price.”

At that, Eleanor quickly pocketed the ring, her face stiff. No doubt she was recalling how she lost a hundred million off her last investment with a careless word.

Suddenly, a chill draft swept into the shop.

“Excuse me, is the store open yet?”

A faint, almost fragile-sounding woman’s voice rang out.

Everyone turned toward the door.

A woman with light violet hair stood there.

!!

I nearly dropped my plate.

This is the worst.

Cold sweat broke out all over me.

That face. That hair. The bandages peeking from her sleeve.

There was no mistake.

The Arms Collector.

To me right now, she was nothing less than the Grim Reaper incarnate.

(End of Chapter)

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