Chapter 03
Inside the pot after the refinement was complete.
-*Swish.*
The green liquid was emitting a brilliant, translucent light.
‘It has a finer luster than the one I made earlier, doesn’t it?’
I transferred it into a small bottle, completing the potion.
-*Tap.*
Two potions laid side by side on the floor.
Made with the same ingredients and method, but.
The potion made with Cheon Hui’s advice, with the turbid energy removed, exuded a slightly more refined aura.
“How is it? The appearance of the elixir made under this Sovereign’s tutelage.”
“It definitely does look different somehow.”
-*Ring-ring! Ring-ring!*
Suddenly, a loud noise filled the room.
Cheon Hui jumped up, his fur standing on end, on high alert.
“Hah! Is this a sonic attack?!”
Seeing Cheon Hui looking around warily made me chuckle.
“*Pfft.* It’s an alarm.”
“Alarm?”
“Yes. It’s already time for me to go to work.”
I quickly went into the bathroom and started getting ready for work.
I finished preparing in a hurry.
I carefully packed the two bottles of potion I had made.
“Are you taking those with you to work?”
“I’m going to stop by the Association before work to sell them.”
Just as I was about to put on my coat—
-*Hop.*
-*Thump.*
Cheon Hui jumped into my arms.
“What are you doing?”
“This Sovereign will accompany you as well.”
“You’re going to follow me to my workplace?”
“Are you telling this Sovereign to stay here and stare at the walls of this squalid place until you return?”
I immediately put Cheon Hui down on the floor and said.
“No. If people see a talking cat, they’ll freak out.”
“You wretch! Do you dare treat this Sovereign as a truly lowly beast?”
He threatened me with his fur standing on end.
‘No matter how I look at it, it’s a cat.’
I couldn’t bring myself to say that out loud.
He would surely get very angry if he knew.
“It’s not that people will just find it curious and let it go. That’s the problem.”
Talking beasts aren’t met with curiosity.
They’re met with fear.
Just a month ago, there was an incident of pet rampage that made headlines nationwide.
“There was a recent incident, so it’s dangerous. If you get caught, you’ll become a target for subjugation immediately.”
“Subjugation? Who dares to stand against this Sovereign?”
Cheon Hui is certainly a powerful being, but.
‘That could change if he becomes a target for Hunters.’
“It’s not your original body, is it? Can you really take on hundreds of thousands of Hunters?”
“Do you think this Sovereign would lose to a hundred thousand weaklings like yourself?”
“Production-types like me are easily subdued with one hand. Even if you, Cheon Hui-nim, remain unharmed, I won’t survive.”
“…”
Cheon Hui stared at me with narrowed eyes.
“Honestly, I didn’t really care if I died before. But thanks to you, I have hope now, so I can’t die.”
“Hope?”
“Yes. Hope of finding the parents who abandoned me.”
“What does that have to do with this Sovereign?”
“Because thanks to you, I now have the chance to earn money and let my talent bloom, right? Then I can either use the money or my fame to find them.”
At my words, Cheon Hui slightly folded his perked-up ears and spoke.
-*Flick.*
“So you’re helping this Sovereign with impure motives.”
“Of course, I also intend to do my best to find a way to remove your curse and help you return.”
“So why do you seek your parents who abandoned you? Is it merely out of longing?”
A dry laugh escaped me at Cheon Hui’s question.
Longing?
For parents who abandoned their child?
Did I really have any longing left for them?
“Hah… No. Not longing. It’s revenge. The revenge of regret for abandoning a child who would turn out this well.”
“Truly a petty revenge.”
Cheon Hui evaluated my revenge as petty.
But his eyes looking at me said otherwise.
Instead of looking at me with pity—
‘Is he… cheering me on?’
“You’re right. It’s a petty revenge.”
After a moment of silently looking at me, Cheon Hui jumped back into my arms.
-*Hop.*
“Just stay home.”
[Would this not suffice?]
Suddenly, Cheon Hui’s voice echoed in my head.
“What is this?”
[It is voice transmission. This way, it is not the ‘talking beast’ you worried about, is it?]
Being able to speak in my mind.
I’d never heard of a skill like this.
“You can do this too?”
[Of course. What did you think this Sovereign was?]
A small, fluffy, cute cat like a cotton ball?
‘That’s not it. Why do I keep thinking like this…’
I thought he was amazing, but.
I never imagined he’d have an ability like this.
[Hurry and lead the way.]
I had no more justification to persuade him.
I’d have to take him with me for today, at least.
‘I’ll have to explain it well to the owner.’
After finishing my preparations, I braved the biting wind and headed to the Association.
In front of a massive building with lights on in various places.
The Gyeonggi Branch of the Association, arrived at after a long walk.
‘I never dreamed I’d come back here…’
I had opened the Association’s doors again after four years.
-*Slide.*
Unlike the door to my semi-basement, this one opened without a sound.
Inside the building, with its clean and luxurious atmosphere.
Several people were moving about.
‘Was it over there?’
Arriving at the sales counter by retracing my memory.
Perhaps because closing time was near, there were no people waiting.
“Next, please.”
-*Ding-dong.*
It was my turn, and I approached the counter.
“Hello. How can I help you?”
“I’m here to sell some potions.”
“Just so you know, there is an additional appraisal fee for potion sales. Is that alright?”
“Yes.”
“Please place them up here.”
At the staff member’s words, I immediately placed the two potions I’d brought on the counter.
And the appraisal began.
The first potion, put on the appraisal machine.
Then, the second potion, made with the purified Magic Stones.
Seeming to have completed all appraisals,
the staff member handed me a document and said.
“Both potions have been appraised as Tier 5 Recovery Potions. Please sign this sales document.”
“Okay.”
-*Scratch.*
After I signed the document, the staff member handed me the money and said.
“The sale price is 80,000 won per potion, minus a 10,000 won appraisal fee each, for a total of 140,000 won.”
“Oh, okay.”
The money I received.
The ingredients only cost half as much, yet I got the same price.
What a beautiful result.
‘Normally I’d be left with a few thousand won, but now I’m making over 30,000 won in profit.’
That’s three to four times the profit compared to before.
‘Should I just switch to being a full-time alchemist?’
[What are you doing, standing there dazed? Are you not heading to your workplace?]
I was able to snap out of my reverie thanks to Cheon Hui’s words.
“Let’s go.”
And so I left the Association and headed towards the convenience store.
Walking along the street that had grown even colder as the sun set, I arrived near the convenience store.
“We’re here.”
[Is this your workplace?]
“Yes. You absolutely cannot speak, got it?!”
‘As the saying goes, a man’s word is his bond.’ This Sovereign will keep his promise.”
“I’ll trust you.”
-*Jingle.*
As the bell on the door rang,
a middle-aged man with a friendly face at the counter glanced at me.
“Oh, Min-woo, you’re here?”
“Hello.”
“Yeah. There’s no specific handover for today.”
“Okay. Um, boss.”
“Why?”
-*Zip.*
Instead of answering, I pulled Cheon Hui out from inside my coat.
“A cat?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. Could I just keep him here for today?”
“Well, since it’s the night shift, it shouldn’t be a big problem. But you have to manage him well.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“By the way, Min-woo. Did you have a cat before?”
“No. I found him this morning.”
“Found him?”
“Yes. In a pile of trash.”
“Oh dear. I guess he was abandoned in this cold weather.”
The owner’s hand reached out toward Cheon Hui.
“*Yowl!*”
Cheon Hui bristled, warning him.
[Do you dare try to pet this Sovereign?]
Startled by Cheon Hui’s intense reaction, the owner quickly pulled his hand back.
“Oh my, that startled me!”
“I’m sorry. He’s still very wary.”
“He’s got a temper, unlike his cute looks.”
[What?! He called this Sovereign cute!]
“Haha. He’s a bit like that, isn’t he?”
[You wretch! Do you agree with his words too?!]
Well, isn’t it true?
His fluffy fur like a cotton ball.
His adorable front paws hiding squishy, springy pink jellies.
His two perky ears.
His twitching nose and the mouth with its flicking tongue.
‘I doubt anyone would say he’s not cute.’
“Hold on. I’m going to check the cash.”
“Okay.”
The owner headed straight to the back room.
And I began my pre-shift cash count, an essential task.
A time for utmost reverence and concentration.
Because even a 10-won discrepancy would have to come out of my own pocket.
[Speak! Do you truly think of this Sovereign in that way as well?]
‘… One hundred and forty-five thousand won. One hundred and fifty thousand won.’
[Do you dare ignore this Sovereign’s words?!]
“No, not at all. You are very dignified.”
[Is that so? As expected, this Sovereign is quite dignified.]
‘As expected, the social skills I learned in customer service are useful anywhere.’
While I was keeping Cheon Hui happy and finishing the cash count,
the owner, who had gone to the back, came out carrying a box and said.
“Put the cat in here.”
“A box?”
“You can’t keep holding him while you work. I’ve put plenty of blankets inside, so he won’t be cold.”
[Do you dare tell this Sovereign to get into a box?]
Cheon Hui sent a vehement telepathic message.
But I pretended not to hear and thanked the owner.
“Thank you.”
“Yeah. Is the cash all good?”
“Yes.”
“Alright, I’m off.”
“Take care.”
“Good luck.”
-*Jingle.*
As I tried to put Cheon Hui, who was in my arms, into the box,
he reacted strongly again.
[You wretch! Are you truly planning to put this Sovereign in a box?! Have you ever seen such an ungrateful fool!]
“Then what do you suggest? I can’t work if I keep holding you.”
[How could this Sovereign ever get into a box of all things!]
“Try going in once. If you really don’t like it, you can come out.”
And so I put Cheon Hui into the box.
[To think I would live to see the day I lay my body in such a box.]
-*Rustle. Rustle.*
After pacing in place for a moment, Cheon Hui nodded slightly.
And then he curled up and lay down.
-*Flop.*
‘He doesn’t seem to dislike it that much.’
-*Jingle.*
A customer entered the convenience store.
“Welcome.”
I greeted the customer as usual, and my part-time job began.
“*Whew…* I can finally rest a bit now.”
After dealing with customers and organizing products in between.
Only after finishing all of this could I finally sit comfortably at the counter.
[AM 03:24]
“It’s already past three.”
About an hour later than usual.
‘I usually finish everything and rest by two…’
Now it was time that could be called a break.
For a while, it was a time when almost no customers came.
“Oh! Cheon Hui-nim!”
During the busy work, I had completely forgotten about Cheon Hui in the box.
He hadn’t called out to me, either.
‘And he never came out, it seems.’
Inside the box placed in one corner under the counter.
Cheon Hui was curled up, sleeping.
-*Hiss. Hiss.*
His barely visible small mouth was moving constantly.
“What kind of dream is he having, moving his mouth like that?”
How could he be this cute?
If only it weren’t for that dignified posture and that weighty tone.
‘No. Actually, does that make him even cuter?’
As I was enjoying some healing time watching Cheon Hui sleep soundly—
-*Jingle.*
Someone entered the convenience store.
“Hey. Part-timer.”
‘Ugh… Here he comes again.’
-*Thump. Thump.*
Barely reaching 160 cm in height.
A body that looked like the number on the scale might not match the figure.
A face covered in acne.
No, just seeing his body made me annoyed.
“You’re late, part-timer? No greeting?”
“Welcome.”
“This D-rank Hunter, Choi Jin-ho, will let it slide, just this once.”
-*Whack. Thump.*
As his arm swung carelessly, brushing past the display shelf—
products fell to the floor.
‘Ah! That bastard, again!’
“Customer, I’m sorry, but please be careful.”
“Why should I? This is my hobby.”
‘Why do you have to do that kind of hobby here of all places? Why!’
For months, he’d come two or three times a week, repeating the same nonsense.
I’d warned him.
I’d gotten angry.
I’d tried coaxing him nicely, too.
‘How can someone be so consistently a nuisance?’
I thought I had decent social skills.
‘With that bastard, just ignoring him is the answer.’
As I tried to sit back at the counter, ignoring him—
-*KABOOOM!*
Suddenly, a tremendous crashing sound came from outside.
“What was that?!”
Startled, my head turned toward the sound.
And I saw something.
-*CRASH! THUD!*
-*SMASH!*
“AAHH!”
“AHHH!”
‘Why is a car flying?!’
