I saw Jo Hye-Jin sitting quietly in the carriage while wearing her mask and even though I couldn’t see her expression, I had an idea what she was thinking. She seemed a bit anxious after accepting my sudden offer.

“Is there really a place like that?” Jo Hye-Jin asked.

“There needs to be a demand in order for there to be supply. There has to be people who need it in order for there to be people that can supply it,” I explained.

“During the three years I’ve been in Castle Rock, I’ve never heard of such a place,” she remarked.

“It’s not a black market you can find easily in cities. It’s a bit more luxurious and the place exists only for VIPs. You can find ordinary black markets in Lindel as well,” I told her.

“But still…”

“It’s usually at the border where drug trading is most active. Even on Earth, the cities close to the border between the US and Mexico are relatively exposed. I think Castle Rock’s geographical location isn’t that bad since it’s close to the Republic,” I said.

“The Republic…”

“They’re currently in a cold war, but the items that can be sold during the current situation are selling really well. Humans are animals that are capable of committing crimes no matter the place and time. If I were to exaggerate a bit, the market will operate even during a war,” I explained.

“How do you…”

“How do I know all of this? It’s having the power to purchase things. Nothing is impossible in this world as long as you have money,” I answered, interrupting her.

Honestly, money wasn’t the only thing necessary. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that I went through hell in order to discover a path. I knew there was a market or an auction house within Castle Rock, but it wasn’t easy to discover the method that had been used for many years. It would’ve been easy if I asked Song Jung-Wook for help, but I wanted to hide the fact that Jo Hye-Jin and I were going to enter the underground auction house.

While gathering information, the person who helped me was Kasugano Yuno. Who knew that a letter would solve everything? It was all thanks to her. I told her that I would visit Celia once my work was done, but it was a promise I didn’t even know when I could fulfill.

“Count Castlerock and Lady Marilyn probably aren’t aware of this and the same goes for Mr. Hyun-Sung,” I told her.

“Even the guild master…”

I was sure that he didn’t know about this in his past life either because during this time, I was certain that Kim Hyun-Sung was working hard to increase the military force within Lindel. He might’ve heard of it after his work was done, but illegal auction houses were something people like Jo Hye-Jin weren’t aware of.

“It’s likely that Mr. Hyun-Sung missed trivial things like this since he has a pretty solid goal. Basically, he’s looking at the bigger picture,” I said.

“The bigger picture?” Jo Hye-Jin asked.

“Yes. Basically, any event that could have a direct impact on the continent, such as a war or a monster wave. I’m certain he’s more focused on the safety of Castle Rock than the underground auction house and that’s the reason why we’re going to the auction house. If there’s someone looking at the bigger picture, there needs to be someone to look at the trivial things,” I explained.

“...”

“And that’s something you and I are able to do…” I added.

“But…”

“Of course, I’ll report it to him, but I don’t see the point in reporting trivial matters to him since our guild master is already dealing with a lot of things,” I said.

“I… understand what you’re saying. Then why did you ask me to come with you…”

“As I’ve mentioned before, I like you, Miss Hye-Jin. I also agree with Mr. Hyun-Sung’s suggestion to give you a key position. We need to understand each other better in order to make things easier for us. Oh, it looks like we’re here. It’s best not to say much until we enter the underground auction house,” I suggested.

“Okay…”

“The name I’ll be using here is Kasugano Haruka and I’ll call you Yuka,” I added.

“Got it,” she said.

When we got off the carriage, I saw a pretty quiet banquet hall and I noticed that Jo Hye-Jin was feeling slightly nervous. I thought maybe the sudden escape from her ordinary life was causing her heart to pound like a teenage girl, but that didn’t seem like the case. She was worried that we were going to get caught despite wearing masks.

“The others…”

“This isn’t the only entrance, Yuka,” I said.

“What?” she asked.

“Come closer to me,” I told her.

“Oh… okay.”

‘I’m sorry, Hyun-Sung.’

When I quietly held her by her waist, I felt her body become tense. I didn’t have any other intentions, but the concept of our disguise for today was a rich Japanese couple who had a good relationship with each other. Moments later, a guide approached us and even though they seemed strong, they weren’t hostile. It would be strange to show hostility when we were guests who came here to spend a lot of money.

“Your invitation,” they said.

When I spoke up and showed them the invitation I prepared, I saw them nodding.

“You can get on the carriage, sir.”

“How are things looking today?” I asked.

“I’m certain you’ll be satisfied,” the guide answered.

“That’s good to hear…”

After getting on the carriage covered in blackout curtains, the carriage started to move.

“Are you sure it’s safe, sub guild master?” Jo Hye-Jin asked.

“It’s Haruka, Yuka,” I said, correcting her.

“Are you sure it’s safe, Haruka?” she asked again.

“Of course. My Yuka gets frightened a lot easier than I thought,” I commented and teased her at the same time.

“It’s because of you, Haruka. I can’t help but be worried about your safety,” she said.

“This place is safe, so no need to worry, Yuka. It’s a matter of trust. I guarantee that the guards here are more worried about my safety than you are since they can’t lose a valuable guest,” I told her.

“You said it was dangerous before we left…”

“It was a lie,” I said, cutting her off.

“You’re just…”

“How about you stop being scared and just enjoy it? Have you tried drinking wine while riding a carriage?” I asked.

“...”

I saw Jo Hye-Jin lightly biting her lips, but she didn’t seem relaxed. Naturally, she was feeling nervous because we were heading to an unknown place while riding a carriage covered by blackout curtains. She was probably afraid that we were falling for a criminal’s trap. They were doing this because they had to be thorough with their security, but her reaction wasn’t a bad thing. I was sure nothing was going to happen, but we had to be prepared for the worst.

After getting off the carriage, we switched to a different one. When the carriage leaned down and I felt that we were heading downhill, I realize that we were close to our destination. When I drank the remaining wine, I heard a voice outside as if they had been waiting.

“You have arrived.”

“Let’s go,” I said to Jo Hye-Jin.

“Okay, Haruka.”

“By the way, don’t look around as if you’re a country bumpkin,” I warned.

“I know,” she answered.

When the carriage door opened, the sight in front of me captured my attention. The orange light shining brightly inside the building and the luxurious items on display gave off the same atmosphere as the Benigoa Holy Empire’s capital. Jo Hye-Jin also seemed impressed by it, but I guess she must have recalled my warning earlier because she stopped turning her head to look around. Despite that, I noticed her eyes were busy as she took in everything around her.

When I quietly grabbed her hand, her body flinched again, but it felt like she was adapting better than I thought. When we made physical contact, it gave me a different excitement from when I made physical contact with Jung Ha-Yan.

“Let’s go in,” I said.

“Okay…”

We weren’t the only ones wearing masks and obviously, the people here were wearing fancy outfits and the majority of them were also wearing colorful masks. Even though I had a decent income thanks to my potion business, my business was still in the early stages. If it hadn’t been for the allowance from Hee-Ra noona and Kasugano Yuno’s support, I wouldn’t be able to associate with these people.

I heard people murmuring…

“Are you saying that person is managing this place?” Jo Hye-Jin asked.

“Of course not. Mr. Song is just one of the many merchants here. Do you really think that idiot is able to manage all of this, Yuka?” I asked.

“No…”

“I’m sure there’s going to be a lot to see here so let’s enjoy while we’re here,” I suggested.

“It’s not the same atmosphere you described, Haruka. I feel like I’m at a masquerade,” she commented.

“It’s because all places have two different sides. Anyway, I’m sure you’ll notice once we move in deeper because this place is basically the lobby. I’m sure we’ll see something interesting once we head inside the room,” I explained.

When I quietly raised my hand, I saw a guide approaching us with a tray full of cocktails.

“Have a drink, Yuka,” I offered.

“...”

“I’ll drink by myself if you don’t want one,” I said.

It was just like what Jo Hye-Jin had said earlier. This place was more like a social gathering than a black market. That was what it seemed on the outside, at the least. There were waiters who carried around drinks and desserts, offering them to the nobles and there were those who laughed and talked amongst themselves while covering their mouths with a fan, which made me think that all of these people were normal. However, they were a bit different when I used Mind’s Eye. Obviously, their nature and unique habits weren’t normal.

‘It’s both men and women…’

There were idealists, ambitious people who simply wanted to show off their power, and people who had the same nature as Ito Sota and me.

‘Not only that…’

I saw a murderer who was exactly like Jung Jin-Ho… it was obvious why they were here. I was sure their murder was allowed in this place because I knew what those countless rooms were being used for. The answer was obvious when I looked at the nature of the people who went into those rooms.

‘What should I show her first?’

Showing Jo Hye-Jin the weakest thing first was probably best for her mental health because she could become really flustered if I showed her something really extreme from the start. Of course, I was going to show her the market that Song Jung-Wook was managing.

When we were about to move, I heard an unknown voice beside me.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes?”

“Do you have some time? If it’s okay with your wife, I’d like to spend some time with her…”

“W-Wife…?” Jo Hye-Jin said.

“I guess she’s your girlfriend, but it doesn’t matter what she is…” the person said.

I couldn’t see their face because they were wearing a mask, but just by looking at them, they were obviously pretty strong.

‘They’re strong.’

What made her stand out was the qipao she was wearing. She was either a Chinese person that came from the Republic or a Taiwanese person staying in the Holy Empire. She was interesting enough that I wanted to spend time with her if I had the chance, but now wasn’t the time to chat.

“No, I’m fine,” Jo Hye-Jin declined.

“Hey, don’t be like that. I’m okay with a threesome,” the woman said.

“We’re busy,” I told her.

What bothered me were her eyes behind the mask. I didn’t have the words to describe them, but her gaze was enough to give me goosebumps.

[Checking Player Xiaolin’s Unique Habit.]

[A Strangling Romantist]

‘Shit...’

“Don’t be like that,” she said.

“No, we’re fine,” I declined once again.

It was only for a moment, but I checked my unique habit.

[Checking Player Lee Ki-Young’s Unique Habit.]

[The Temptation of a Liar]

[You seduce the other person and make them listen to you. Increases the chance of being loved by a dangerous member of the opposite sex.]

‘Increases the chance of being loved by a dangerous member of the opposite sex.’

Now that I think about it, I noticed people looking at me. The crazy woman in front of us was the only person who talked to us, but many women were staring at me as well while hiding their faces with a fan.

‘Am I… in danger…’

It felt like all the crazy women or the women the system deemed dangerous were all gathered here.

‘Shit…’

I couldn’t help but tighten my grip around Jo Hye-Jin’s hand when I felt like I was falling for a criminal’s trap.