Chapter 42
Calahil was more shocked than he had ever been.
The man sitting before him...
Was the Player who had recently shaken the entire Tower.
He remembered hearing reports.
Hmm. He already cleared the 19th Floor?
Calahil had been surprised.
He’s moving faster than expected.
Then he had asked,
Do we know his current location, Gordon?
Gordon had answered,
Security has been increased even throughout the slums, but no one has found him.
It seems he already understands the situation here.
At first...
Calahil had only considered Suhyeok an exceptionally talented Player.
Even if the rumors were true...
Rumors were always exaggerated.
But now...
He clenched his teeth.
What exactly is this man?
The words Suhyeok had just spoken...
Could not be explained by ordinary talent.
Mana Reflux Disease.
A rare condition where mana flowed backward unpredictably through the body.
Only Calahil and a tiny number of people knew the truth.
His younger sister, Rose...
Suffered from that incurable disease.
Calahil stared at Suhyeok.
“...How do you know?”
His voice became low.
“How do you know about that?”
Suhyeok answered calmly.
“I already told you.”
His eyes remained indifferent.
“Information has a price.”
Then he added,
“Did the ducal family never teach you that?”
Calahil froze again.
“......”
Then he slowly smiled.
“You continue surprising me.”
His voice became quieter.
“Only Gordon knows that secret.”
He leaned back.
“And yet...”
“A complete stranger says it to my face.”
The man known as Calahil...
Leader of the Information Guild controlling the Empire’s underworld...
Had another identity.
His true name was Calahil Crafton.
He was the heir to the Crafton Ducal House of the Aen Empire.
Even at formal Imperial events...
He had never publicly shown himself.
Yet Suhyeok knew.
For the first time in his life...
Calahil felt what it meant to be on the losing side of an information gap.
Suhyeok looked at him.
“So?”
His voice remained calm.
“I’d like an answer now.”
Then he continued,
“If you want to save your sister...”
“Accept my proposal.”
Calahil said nothing.
Suhyeok added,
“It won’t be a bad arrangement for you.”
“I’m not asking for one-sided submission.”
His eyes narrowed.
“I want a mutually beneficial relationship.”
Calahil smiled faintly.
“Interesting.”
Then he raised one finger.
“Before I accept...”
“I would like proof.”
He looked serious.
“I need to know whether what you’re saying is actually possible.”
Suhyeok answered immediately.
“Don’t worry.”
Then...
He pulled a potion from his clothes.
“If I have the materials...”
“I can make as many Elixirs as necessary.”
He placed the bottle on the table.
Brilliant purple light swirled inside it.
Calahil’s eyes widened.
“E-Elixir...”
The existence of an Elixir itself was not surprising.
Only a tiny amount appeared each year...
But with Calahil’s resources, obtaining one was possible.
The real problem...
Was quality.
A memory surfaced.
Cough! Cough!!
“R-Rose!”
Calahil rushed toward his sister.
“Quickly! Bring the Elixir!”
Mana Reflux attacked her periodically.
Even after drinking an Elixir...
The symptoms did not easily calm down.
Instead...
The pain often became even worse.
It was too much for such a young girl to endure.
Rose forced herself to smile through the pain.
“O-Oppa...”
Her voice shook.
“It’s been a while since I saw you.”
She coughed.
“H-Haha...”
Then she raised a trembling hand.
She held Calahil’s fingers.
“Just a little...”
Her voice became weak.
“Stay with me just a little longer.”
Calahil had always believed she could someday be cured.
He had continued giving her Elixirs because of that hope.
But...
Only pain remained.
When hope failed...
Cruel reality was all that was left.
Calahil had squeezed her hand.
...Okay.
I will.
Now...
An Elixir sat before him.
And not an ordinary one.
It was top grade.
Completely different from anything he had ever used on Rose.
One bottle alone was likely worth tens of thousands of Coins.
Calahil stared.
“You truly...”
His voice trembled slightly.
“You’re willing to give this to me?”
Suhyeok nodded.
“If you want...”
“I’ll keep supplying them.”
Calahil froze.
“As many as you need.”
Suhyeok continued,
“Of course...”
“You’ll pay with information.”
Then he placed a contract on the table.
Calahil did not hesitate.
“There is no need to discuss the wording.”
His expression became firm.
“I will agree to whatever terms you want.”
Then he added,
“From now on...”
“Luna Guild...”
He paused.
“No.”
“The Crafton Ducal House will support you fully.”
After finishing the contract...
Calahil handed Suhyeok underground auction tickets and several different masks.
“These were all obtained under the Crafton family name.”
He smiled.
“So no one should question your identity.”
Then he asked,
“Do you need anything else?”
Suhyeok answered,
“Several large wagons.”
Then he added,
“Large enough to carry barbarians.”
Calahil thought.
“That scale will require preparation.”
He nodded.
“Understood.”
“I’ll have everything ready by the date you requested.”
Suhyeok opened the sponsorship-message window he had hidden earlier.
Messages had piled up enough to cover his entire vision.
[‘One Who Smiles at the Crossroads’ has sponsored 4,000 Coins.]
[‘Master of the Spear That Weaves Fate’ has sponsored 3,500 Coins.]
More appeared.
Then...
[‘God of the Serpent-Wrapped Staff’ has sponsored 5,000 Coins.]
[Message: I have never seen purity like that in my life. Young man, have you ever considered medicine?]
Just like what happened with Dolkin...
Constellations connected to medicine reacted strongly.
The others were impressed too.
[You stayed quiet this whole time, and now you’re trying to recruit him? lol.]
[If the proportions are off even slightly, impurities accumulate inside the body. That purity is insane.]
[How much would one bottle sell for? At least 50,000 Coins, right?]
[Tch. Can I just have one sip?]
[Someone of our status should at least be allowed one sip.]
[Hey, can’t you see the line? Get in the back.]
[Yes.]
Elixirs sounded extremely grand...
But the ingredients were all commercially available.
The difficulty lay in manufacturing.
A deviation of even one gram could not be tolerated.
There was a reason people called it the Tears of God.
Leon stared at Suhyeok in disbelief.
[The more I hear, the more ridiculous this gets, nya.]
He pointed at the Elixir.
[How do you know how to make something like this, nya?]
Then he tilted his head.
[Does being a prophet show you recipes too, nya?]
Ironically...
The person who had developed the simplified Elixir recipe in Suhyeok’s previous life...
