Chapter 7

"Even if you call me 'you' all day, kid. A nun is not, isn't it?"

"Ah, I, I'm sorry."

Tae-sik neatly organized the tools he had taken out.

Bang-woo abruptly stood up and picked up the messy equipment. Each one was covered in dried dust and scabs, and he rubbed them against his chest.

"What are you doing?"

"I'll help you clean up."

He held them out respectfully with both hands.

Tae-sik chuckled. His gaze was on the katana that Bang-woo had brought.

"Don't carry a sword around."

"That's because of the special form..."

"Idiot. The focus of the 2-Chain Slash is the slashing, not the sword. As long as there's a slashing action, the special form activates."

"Ah, ah..."

"Whatever. Forget it. Don't touch it. I'll clean up. Take your brother and get out."

"Ah! Thank you, sir! Thank you! I'll leave quietly! Ah, I'll leave the sword behind. I won't use it anymore."

Bang-woo, thinking this was his chance, slung Jang-chun over his shoulder and hurried out of the shop.

"This should be handled smoothly. If he has any sense, he won't come back."

He deliberately showed a lot.

The Iron Fist faction doesn't worry.

Team Leader Kim was a bit of a concern, but with so many eyes, he believed the situation would be well understood.

Well, if it gets too annoying, he could just blow everything away, so Tae-sik stopped worrying.

Daeho's Eldest Daughter (2)

After his morning shower, Tae-sik put on sweatpants instead of a suit. He dried his hair roughly and sat at the table.

"Phew, even if I say it..."

"There's still stuff to organize."

"How do you manage to organize that stuff every day?"

"You'll choke on your food."

For breakfast, there was a pork cutlet.

"Oh, this is Heinz ketchup."

"Joo-eun's mom gave me one. It's foreign and apparently very tasty."

"So you made pork cutlets for breakfast?"

"You had dinner out yesterday."

As long as it tastes good, it doesn't matter if it's breakfast or lunch. Pork cutlets are one of Mi-ju's favorite dishes.

Tae-sik skipped the rice and ate a whole piece of pork cutlet.

"Son, has anything happened since that day?"

"Huh? What?"

"I mean those hooligans."

"Oh~. I told you it ended well that day."

"That day, sure. But it's been a few days, hasn't it?"

Tae-sik waved his hand.

"No~. If they had any sense, they wouldn't cause any trouble."

"Nothing else?"

"Anything else?"

Mi-ju tapped the table like a cat flicking its tail.

"Those guys are really unteachable, aren't they? They should come and apologize after causing a ruckus. They didn't even pay for my laundry."

"Mom, really-."

"Am I wrong?"

"Well, not really. Thinking about it, you're right."

"If you see them again, educate them to not do that."

"Got it. I'll do that."

Tae-sik, who had devoured four pork cutlets in the blink of an eye, stood up.

"Then I'll go to work."

Before leaving the front door, Tae-sik glanced at the soldier figurine on the shelf.

"Mom, don't touch the soldier figurine."

"Which one? I didn't touch anything."

"The soldier figurine."

"I didn't touch it."

"It's out of place. Leave it as it is. It won't work properly otherwise. Come and see."

Mi-ju wiped her wet hands on her apron and came to Tae-sik's side.

"See the magic circle here? It has to face the exact point."

"Ah-. I must have touched it while cleaning."

"You don't understand these things. Be careful."

"Got it, kid. Go to work."

"Sure. I'll be back~."

Tae-sik closed the front door and warped directly to the shop.

He then settled into the sofa.

After a refreshing shower and a full meal, it was time to relax.

The front door, which the hooligans had broken, was still broken, and the trash can was full of garbage.

He had bought disposable paper cups to avoid doing dishes, but that just meant he had to empty the trash can, which was a hassle.

He postponed the annoying tasks. If he could, he would keep postponing them until he couldn't anymore.

When he finally started a task after postponing it, his efficiency was at least twice as high as usual.

So, Tae-sik rationalized that doing things in advance when he was free was inefficient.

This rationalization was quite satisfying.

After all, postponing didn't immediately cause any major inconvenience.

However, there were things he couldn't postpone. Or rather, he had reached a point where he couldn't postpone any longer.

"I'm out of money."

There was no money in the piggy bank.

Exactly 20,000 won was left.

If he bought lunch and an ice cream today, he wouldn't have money for lunch tomorrow.

One might wonder how a pawnshop could run out of cash, but since he had no intention of doing business, it didn't matter.

Still, he needed money for food.

"Going out is a hassle, too."

He only needed enough for lunch, so he didn't need a lot of money.

"Let's see~. No need for anything grand."

Tae-sik opened the subspace and checked the items inside.

"Will this one do?"

He took out a mana stone the size of a thumb.

Mana stones were used for various purposes besides jewelry, with the most significant being the storage of dark matter. In simple terms, they were like batteries.

Tae-sik headed to the main Jongno Street, where the pawnshops were located.

Since he only needed to earn some meal money, it was too much trouble to go to the appraisal office.

Tae-sik stood in front of Magma Pawnshop, the first and largest shop on Jongno Street.

The mascot was a treasure chest overflowing with money.

Tae-sik entered the pawnshop, which was so well-equipped that it could be called a comprehensive department store.

All the employees were capable individuals.

It was natural for ordinary people to be fatally affected by excessive exposure to dark matter, but it was impressive that the shop employed capable individuals.

Tae-sik, half a spectator and half a customer, pushed through the bustling crowd to the purchase counter.

"Welcome, sir."

"I want to sell this."

Tae-sik placed the mana stone on the counter.

The employee, wearing a monocle, examined the mana stone carefully.

"Do you have an appraisal certificate?"

"No."

"Is that so? If we are to sell this, we need an appraisal certificate. We can issue one, but there is a fee."

"Sure. Consider everything and just tell me the price that fits my pocket."

"Understood. The appraisal fee, storage fee, sales fee, and risk premium... "

The sound of the calculator was brisk. It was brisk because the price was being cut.

"It would be 2.3 million won."

"2.3 million?"

"Yes, sir."

He had planned to take whatever price was offered, but this was too low.

"This should fetch 12 million at its true value, and at the very least, 7 million. 2.3 million?"

"Ahahaha. I'm sorry, sir, but the risk premium is set quite high."

The risk premium or risk rate. Given the nature of pawnshops, it was not uncommon for stolen or illegally obtained items to be brought in.

The higher the value, the more complex the story behind it.

Thus, the risk premium was born.

"Why? Because I came in slippers? Isn't it a rule that pawnshops judge by the item, not the person?"

"The price is determined by the item, but the risk premium is based on the buyer. If you're not satisfied with this price, you can get a formal appraisal from the appraisal office."

The employee's lips curled up slightly.

Tae-sik, in his worn-out sweatpants and three-stripe slippers, looked like a jobless edition.

"I didn't get it because it was a hassle."

"Of course, sir. If you're very dissatisfied with the price, I can offer 2.45 million won."

"Hah-."

A snicker escaped. A mere 150,000 won increase.

It was a hassle to leave, and it was annoying to take the money, but it was frustrating.

While Tae-sik was conflicted between hassle and frustration,

"Sir! Ah-. Sir!"

A familiar voice burst out.

It was Jang-woo.

Jang-woo approached like a dog meeting its owner and bowed deeply.

"Sir, it's a great pleasure to see you again. Why are you at the pawnshop?"

Tae-sik looked at Jang-woo with a frown.

"Why am I your sir?"

"Anyone higher than me is a sir. Isn't that the custom in this industry? Hey, Baek sir. Why are you holding our sir like this?"

Jang-woo snatched the mana stone and examined it.

"If you play your cards right, you can get 15 million. How much did you ask for this?"

"Mr. Jang, why are you doing this? It's a business deal."

"Sir, how much did he ask for?"

"2.3 million."

"Hey! Have you ever seen such an unscrupulous businessman? If you deduct all the fees, 13 million would be a fair price. What are you doing? Give him the money quickly."

"Ah, sir-."

"If you can't do it, call Mr. Jang, and I'll talk to him. No, forget it. Sir, just sell it to me. I'll buy it for 15 million. I needed a good mana stone anyway."

Jang-woo rubbed his hands together and laughed.

It was a laugh that seemed to have been simmered for three days and four nights. It was a laugh that couldn't be faked.

"Do you have the cash?"

"Of course~. We're a cash business, aren't we? So, are you selling it to me?"

"Sure, let's do it."

"Thank you. Then, would you mind coming with me for a moment? I don't carry cash around."

"Are we going to the bank? Is it far?"

"You know it's not."

"What?"

"Isn't it nearby?"

"Alright, let's go."

"Sure."

Jang-woo walked out confidently.

Tae-sik stared at the back of Jang-woo's head. The shave was really well done.

Definitely a good quality knife.

"Are you coming in?"

It was a shabby building in a narrow alley.

The atmosphere was similar to the food street where Tae-sik's shop was located, and it wasn't far away.

"An underground bank?"

"Yes, hasn't Jongno been a place for money dealings since the gold and silver shops became popular?"

I knew such a place existed, but this was the first time I actually saw it.

That didn't mean he was distracted by the surroundings.

Jang-woo brought three bundles of crisp 50,000 won bills. Tae-sik stuffed the money into his pocket roughly.

His pocket bulged as if he had a wallet in it. That was part of the charm.

"I'll use the item wisely. Thank you for selling it to me, sir."

Jang-woo bowed deeply again.

Considering what had happened, it wasn't easy to show such sincerity, but if that was a skill, it was a skill.

"Flattery."

"Flattery? You saved my life. This is the least I can do."

"Really? But what about the front door? It's still broken."

"Huh?"

"You broke the door. Ah, and my mom said to ask for laundry money. Kimchi broth got on the clothes."

"Ah... Ah. Ahaha. That's right. We should have taken care of the aftermath."

Jang-woo tried to take more money from the safe.

"Don't try to pay with money. Call a repairman to fix it."

"Sure, I understand. When is a good time for you, sir?"

"Anytime is fine."

"I'll call a repairman right away and visit you."

"Alright-."

On the way to the office, Tae-sik saw the new food street.

Unlike the old food street where his shop was located, this one had many fancy stores.