Chapter 29
“….”
“Even now, I’m not thrilled to be face-to-face with you.”
“….”
Elisha’s mouth shut tightly. It was humiliating.
But thinking about how she’d buried the man before her—who’d helped her multiple times—in noble society, she had no retort.
‘It’s unfair.’
How could anyone counter words like that?
“Fine.”
I left the café without looking back.
Only the reward money stamped with the Harmadun Ducal Family’s seal remained on the table.
Elisha, her fingertips trembling, picked up the bag and left.
I walked with a noticeably lighter heart. Checking the cases, I found 60 neatly packed gold coins in each.
‘60 million won.’
It might seem like a lot for a cadet, but considering the parties involved and the confidentiality, it was quite a small sum.
‘Still, it eases my immediate financial worries.’
Returning home, I immediately shared the good news with Lilac.
Since I’d entrusted much of the café’s startup to her, it felt right.
I expected her to beam with joy.
“That’s great.”
Her reaction was lukewarm, far from what I’d anticipated. Feeling uneasy, I asked.
“Aren’t you happy?”
“…I’m happy. It’ll definitely help with the startup. But it’s money you earned while getting hurt, Master.”
What a kind girl. Her words made my face flush with warmth. I sighed lightly and responded.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s money I earned so we can live well.”
“Still….”
Seeing her so dejected somehow sank my mood too.
“Oh! Right!”
Lilac’s face lit up as she ran to grab a folder from the table.
“Imperium Bank selected us as candidates for their outstanding entrepreneur support policy!”
It was news to me. But seeing her excited explanation…
“It’s for small business owners like us, without a proper storefront. They provide subsidies to help us settle in the capital and start our business! They cover 50% of startup costs, and we only need to repay 20% within a year as a conditional loan!”
I couldn’t help but feel thrilled.
“We should look into the details. Can I leave it to you?”
“Yes! Of course! Leave it to Lilac!”
Her sparkling eyes were a sight to behold.
When I first met her, I thought she was a timid low-ranking maid afraid of Martin, but she’s unconditionally devoted to him, excelling in everything from housework to barista work, business, and startups.
How does she keep growing on me?
That’s why I can trust her with this.
“I’ll be out for a bit. Might be late.”
“Yes, Master! Lilac will keep watch until you return!”
Today was the day to pick up the items from the slime dungeon conquest. I was supposed to go before the field trip, but… the items were more complex and intricate than expected, so restoration took longer.
As soon as I stepped outside, my stomach growled. Come to think of it, I hadn’t eaten lunch. Lilac looked so busy, I couldn’t bring myself to ask her to prepare food.
“Wait, Master!”
Lilac hurriedly opened the door and rushed out. She held a paper pack with my favorite cake and warm coffee.
She smiled.
“You haven’t eaten, have you?”
“…Thanks.”
Thanks to Lilac coming out to see me off, I left with warm coffee in my arms.
I headed straight to the slums, to the restorer Gilbert often used in the original work.
[Nerjin Alchemy Workshop]
With the jingle of the entrance bell.
“Welcome!”
A girl with swaying purple hair greeted me.
If my memory was correct, she was definitely the owner’s granddaughter.
“I entrusted some relic restoration last time. Is the owner here?”
“Grandpa said he’s visiting the magic tower. He’ll probably be back in about 20 minutes.”
“I see. If it’s not too much trouble, may I wait inside?”
“Yes, of course!”
As I sat in the guest chair, the owner’s granddaughter soon brought a tray with something on it.
“Would you like some if it’s alright? It’s coffee from the southern countries and dessert, sold by a maid pushing a cart. It’s from a trendy hotspot these days.”
She placed a paper pack on the table—identical to the one I was holding.
“Huh?!”
The granddaughter looked at her paper pack, then mine, then my face.
“Wow! You’re a regular at the same place!”
A regular… I’m the owner, but should I correct her?
“Yes, that’s right.”
“It’s so delicious, isn’t it?! I go with my friends after academy to grab a cup! But the line’s so long sometimes I miss out! Hmph! It used to be a hidden gem!”
The old man’s granddaughter chattered like she’d met a friend her age. Well, it was pleasant to listen to.
Just then.
With the jingle of the entrance bell, a white-haired old man entered.
Nerjin, the owner of Nerjin Alchemy Workshop, looked at me with a faintly surprised expression.
“Oh, I didn’t know you’d come. Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“It’s fine. More importantly, is the restoration complete?”
Nerjin’s attitude toward me was much softer than before, likely because we’d built familiarity through multiple visits for progress updates.
“Of course. Follow me. You can look forward to it. They’re incredible items.”
Entering Alchemist Nerjin’s private workshop, two items on the table exuded a powerful presence, as if waiting for me.
One was a cross necklace emitting a soft white glow, and the other was a high-quality scroll.
Know-It-All (Lv 2) slaps its knee, saying this is it.
Wild Instinct (Lv 1) drools profusely.
My perk skills gave a standing ovation at first sight.
“As I explained before, of the two relics you entrusted, the knight’s boots were in such poor condition that I could only extract the embedded magic as an enchant scroll.”
Nerjin handed me the enchant scroll first.
“It was an extremely difficult and complex high-level magic, so I had to visit the magic tower multiple times for materials. It’s called Flash, but it’s often referred to as Blink.”
I forgot my thoughts, absorbed in Nerjin’s words.
I expected something great since it came from a time chaos dungeon, but Blink?
“It’s a magic that teleports a certain distance. It can be used consecutively, but you must be careful. Overlapping with an object at the destination could cause physical loss.”
“Even so, it’s remarkable.”
“Of course it is. It’s magic from the Cosmos Empire, after all.”
I feigned surprise. I’d expected as much.
“I barely managed to break through dozens of layers of security magic and extract it as an enchant scroll. That was the limit.”
“It must’ve been grueling work. Is it that important a magic?”
Nerjin hesitated briefly.
“Are you aware that the Cosmos Empire was a theocratic state?”
“…No. First I’m hearing of it.”
This time, I was genuinely shocked. The Cosmos Empire, a theocratic state?
“The Cosmos Empire had a state religion, Cosmosism, which observed, established, and maintained the order of the universe. The Pope held power nearly equal to the Emperor.”
I’d suspected the items were from the Cosmos Empire when I entrusted them, but to stumble upon lore not even in the original work? The world is full of surprises.
“Is this magic related to the Pope?”
“More precisely, it’s a magic only the Pope, the Saint, and the Cosmos Church’s secret armed group, the Holy Assassins, who directly carried out the Pope’s orders, could learn.”
“Holy Assassins….”
Another term I’d never heard.
As the supposed author of the original work, it was humbling to encounter so many unknown settings.
Every time this happened, my novel The Fallen Crown Prince of the Cosmos Empire, which brought me my first taste of glory, felt distant. The sweet glory it brought felt increasingly false, reminding me painfully that it was ultimately Recola’s work, not mine. And my resentful, hateful lack of talent…
“….”
That’s why I couldn’t shake my suspicion of the old man Nerjin before me.
How did he know? Decades had passed since the Cosmos Empire’s fall. How did he obtain information about an empire that vanished without a trace? It should be impossible. The Cosmos Empire’s information disappeared unnaturally fast, leaving only faint traces of its former glory.
“To put it simply, think of them as akin to the Imperial Shadow Knights.”
“I see.”
In other words, he’d known all along. Somehow, in his youth, he was deeply connected to the Cosmos Empire…
My tongue itched. I wanted to ask if he knew more about the Cosmos Empire.
“Now, the next item.”
But just as Nerjin didn’t ask about the origin of my Cosmos Empire items, I couldn’t recklessly ask either.
I noticed him carefully handling the necklace. He was excessively cautious.
In the meantime, I examined the Blink enchant scroll.
Know-It-All (Lv 2) has memorized the lost magic of the Cosmos Empire, Blink.
Confirmed purchase of the Cosmos Empire’s Finest Holy Diamond Bullet.
Additional high correction applied to Cosmos Empire technology. If desired, you can use ‘Blink’ magic immediately.
‘…Huh?’
My eyes trembled with shock.
“The Rosary of Grace.”
I hurriedly folded the enchant scroll and accepted the Rosary of Grace from Nerjin, trying my best not to show my surprise.
But Nerjin paused for a long while afterward.
“….”
“….”
The time to calm my nerves was appreciated, but what was this thing that required such preparation? It had to be extraordinary. It protected a knight from slimes for an unimaginable amount of time.
‘…Wait, is this diamond?’
In this world, the value of gems differed from Earth. Infused with magical significance, the value of a pure diamond was astronomically different.
“A diamond rosary imbued with the grace of the divine from the cosmic order. In short, the Rosary of Grace.”
“….”
“It’s one of the holy relics of the Cosmos Church I mentioned earlier.”
“A holy relic?”
“Not just any relic, but one of the three greatest holy relics.”
“….”
“….”
A long silence settled over the workshop. The ticking of the clock and the simmering of a potion over an alcohol lamp were the only sounds.
“…What do you expect me to do with this?”
“I’m merely a restorer, nothing more.”
I closed my eyes gently. This was troublesome. I didn’t expect things to escalate this far.
Suddenly, I thought of the Finest Holy Diamond Bullet tucked safely in my pocket.
‘System, how much would the Rosary of Grace be in points?’