CH 116

Then the only problem left is deciding what a reasonable menu price is….

“Eh, but isn’t this too expensive?”

“No, this is still considered cheap.”

“That’s right. Considering the buff, it should be about this price.”

“But I can’t raise it ten times the previous price. I’ll lower it a little bit.”

“Hmm, then like this…….”

I sat down with the healer and the pharmacist and worked out a price list for the drinks. It took quite a while as we took into account a number of factors.

“What are you doing there?”

Ash, who returned from the warehouse, asked me. In his arms were hardboards, stationery supplies, and various craft materials tall as he was.

I was concerned about what he’s trying to make with such a large amount. Well, I suppose it’ll be okay because it’s only architectural miniatures.

“Oh, I have something to do. Ash, sleep first.”

“….Okay.”

Ash went into his room, and after a long conversation with the healer and the pharmacist, I made a reasonable new price list.

But then I had a sudden suspicion.

“Wait a minute. I’m not going to be punished for collusion or something like that, am I?”

“That’s not going to happen. Don’t worry.”

The healer declared confidently.

“There are only two ways a Production Hunter can be punished for collusion: if they use their superior position to force abnormally high prices, or if they charge more than twenty percent above the standard price. There’s no legal problem, and this is still cheap.”

The pharmacist handed out the data.

There was such a thing as a standard price list. The law was quite well established.

As soon as I set the new menu prices, a system notification popped up.

[Congratulations! You have completed ‘Sub Quest: Decorate the Menu Board’.

Please collect the rewards.]

[The entry for ‘Throne of Darkness’ has been added to the Ether-Wiki].

For some reason, just looking at the name of the updated item gave off an ominous feeling.

I read it with an uneasy feeling, but it seemed to have nothing to do with me right away as it was a description of a place.

Was I too suspicious of the system?

[The system always puts your safety first.]

I don’t believe it more if you say that, but … I just turned off the Ether-Wiki.

“Then, I’m sorry to bother you at such a late hour.”

“Next time, I’ll visit you as a guest.”

Satisfied with the arrangement, the two left.

It was a decision I was happy with, but I wondered if anyone would complain if I suddenly raised the price of coffee?

Surprisingly, none complained.

***

The next morning.

It was time to change the television channel over breakfast. I turned on the channel of the drama that Mieum wanted to watch, but suddenly a breaking news came out.

“Kyaaaaolg! What is this all of sudden? Where is the next episode of Hunter’s Temptation!”

Even if you complain, there’s nothing we can do with breaking news. Soon, a news video appeared with large caption.

0 Deaths from Gyeongju Rift … Safely Closed Confirmed

The news screen showed a street with completely collapsed buildings. However, everyone have bright faces. It must be thanks to the good news that there were zero deaths.

A reporter came closer to interview a Hunter, who participated in disposing of the rift.

Since he just returned, the Hunter was still lightly wounded, but he exclaimed in an excited tone as if his wounds were nothing.

— Muwon! Muwon showed up!

— …….!

The scene erupts in excitement.

After a while, the screen turned into a news studio, and the announcer said with a flushed look.

— Right now, we have a video sent by a viewer that the No. 1 Ranker, Muwon, has appeared at the scene of the rift in Gyeongju. We obtained it exclusively from Hunter TV. It’s an exclusive report, viewers. We’ll show you the footage right away.

The picture quality was low, with the screen jiggled as if it was covered with sand. It seemed to be filmed inside a rift. Although it was blurry, it was enough to know what the situation was.

As the rift broke out, there was a lot of debris from the building that was sucked in. Beyond that, you can see a group of monsters aiming for the Hunters. The dispatched party fought well, but the sheer number of monsters meant that the formation would soon be broken.

Then, a black shadow appeared.

The face is not visible.

It was blurry, but I recognised him immediately. That long body, that distinctive gait.

Ki Yoohyun.

— Who is that? It can’t be…..!

Stepping forward, he stretched out his hand. Soon, a dense net of light seemed to surround the area, and an explosion roared with a flash.

The claws that were about to tear into the Hunter of the vanguard shattered.

One by one, the monsters that had been pouring out fell, literally fading into the light. It took only a few minutes for all monsters to completely die.

It’s an overwhelming power.

Why does the video, where you can’t see his face and only the blurred figure, feels both wondrous and lonely?

Is it just an afterimage caused by Ki Yoohyun’s past video I saw last time?

— Whoooaaaaaaa!

Along with the cheers of the videographer, the screen shook greatly.

— We’re alive!

— Thank you!

He turned his head towards the camera, as if he’d just spotted it.

Just before the shadow cast by the rubble of the building is lifted and the light shines on his face, the hem of his long coat flutters in the wind.

The next moment, he disappeared and the video ended. The news again led to an on-the-spot interviews.

— Without Muwon, it wouldn’t have ended without any harm. Keuheuk….! ‘d like to take this opportunity to thank him!

He told me that I won’t be able to contact him for a few days, so he must have known in advance that a rift would burst in Gyeongju. Did he change the future by blocking the rift alone?

In his own way, he’s working hard as a Munchkin Regressor.

I’ll have to do my part too.

Thinking so, I tried to turn off the television, but on-site interviews continued.

— Ah! And thank you for Cafe Rieul!

Huh? Suddenly?

— The first Healer that we deployed was caught in an abnormal condition and we almost died. They actively helped in such a crisis situation. If it wasn’t for their coffee, we wouldn’t have lasted until the Healer recovered.

Ah. When I heard that, I remembered what happened.

Yesterday, group of people who seemed to be in a hurry appeared through the ConnectAnywhere☆MysteriousDoor.

It wasn’t a normal situation even at first glance, so I stopped the business for a while and made them coffee until they were ready to go.

— I see, Hunter-nim, you’ve done a great job. If you have any last words, I’d like to hear them.

— I’m worried about the low price of the coffee. I’m hoping that such a good place will raise their prices!

Pardon?

Eh, that far?

As I live, I see consumers worrying about the low price.

Perhaps because it was said in a live breaking news, the price increase was warmly welcomed rather than resisted.

Well, regardless of the price increase.

‘You were determined to benefit the world with coffee‘.

It feels a bit grandiose, but … does the coffee I make help the world in this way? If so, I’m glad.

I’m glad no one died in the rift.

Truly.

***

One more thing happened.

A few days after the price-changed menu was settled without difficulty, the healer and the pharmacist visited as guests as they promised.

Judging from the fact that both of them ordered cafe latte without hesitation, it seems that they wanted to drink it that day…….

“Keheum, ahem. Owner-nim.”

“Ah, yes.”

It was after the two drank all the cafe latte, filling the satisfaction bar to the end. The healer who had been watching me from earlier, as if he had something to say, opened his mouth.

“Look at this.”

The healer held out his phone. The phone screen showed a white rabbit chewing on cabbage leaves. It’s pretty cute.

“That’s my rabbit. She eats well, healthy, and really cute.”

Aha. Back then this person actually wanted to brag about his pet too….

“Waeooong (Post my picture too)!”

“Kkyuu, kkyu!”

The animals on my house, who recently dreaming of becoming social media stars, interfered at my feet. I calmed the animals down and immediately followed the healer’s Instagram. The number of Instagram followings with such cute animal photos has increased.

And while seeing off the healer and the pharmacist, I suddenly remembered.

“Ah!”

“What’s wrong?”

Beside me, Ash tilted his head.

“Oh, it was him!”

“What?”

I remembered where I met that healer. He’s the healer who had accused Choi Cedric of power abuse before the regression!

Due to that incident, The Garden of Blessings had boycotted the C&L Corporation, leading to their subsequent merger.

I hadn’t remembered it because it had nothing to do with me, but now I know for sure.

‘Choi Cedric, is he okay?’

Of course, it is not for me to intervene if Choi Cedric actually abused his power or acted inappropriately. It would be best if he apologised and made amends, but it’s his own responsibility anyway.

‘Personally, I wish Choi Cedric would apologize.….’

I remembered him looking depressed and troubled when I met him in the Dungeon where Cthugha lived.

Hmm. I wonder what happened to him. Is he doing well?

***

Choi Cedric recalled what had happened so far.

The allegations of various illegal acts at C&L Corporation had been revealed to be the doings of the CEO’s secretary, Aeon. Lee Sein issued an apology for failing to properly manage and supervise the secretary’s behavior. She also added that she would actively cooperate with the arrest of her secretary.

However, the secretary disappeared as if he had never existed in the first place.

In the end, the case was closed with the C&L Corporation paying considerable compensation.

The headquarters must have calculated that C&L, the largest of The Big Three, could not be pressured blindly. The decision was made in consideration of the gap in the dungeon raids, the conflict between each guild, and other variables.

Anyway, C&L is back to normal.

The elevator stopped at the top floor, and Choi Cedric strode inward.

“What’s all this?”

“Ah, Cedric.”

Lee Sein spotted him and smiled brightly.

“We’re renovating the representative office. It’s been a mess for a while after what Aeon did, and I thought we should freshen things up a bit.”

“…I see.”

The person in front of him is definitely the Lee Sein he knows.

C&L is back to normal. He, too, should be back to his usual self…..

But why does he feel so out of place?

“Then, isn’t it like being possessed?”

All of sudden, Kwon Rieul’s flashed through his mind.

What nonsense is that? There’s no way such a ridiculous thing would happen.

……It can’t happen, it won’t happen.