The Civil Servant Who Conceals Her Power Is Too Good at Possession Chapter 10

“Wow. We have a generous bidder in the house! Congratulations! This water gun is now yours! Please take it right away!”

 

The auctioneer handed the water gun I had won for 1,000 gold to a staff member.

 

The staff member accepted it and walked over to me.

 

“I’d like to offer you a more detailed explanation of this auction item. Would you happen to have some time?”

 

The masked staff member asked me with a level of kindness that seemed to pierce right through the mask. 

 

Of course I do.

 

I had come here precisely to hear ‘that explanation.’

 

As I nodded, the staff member guided me to a private room in the back.

 

By spending 1,000 gold—that is, 100 million won—in a single purchase, I had now ascended to the status of a VIP at the ‘Sorghum Field.’ 

 

And here, VIPs are granted the privilege of previewing items that are more expensive—and of better quality.

 

“I thought that for someone as decisive as you, you might need things even better than this water gun. For instance, something like this handbag made of Lamia leather?” 

 

Various items were on display inside the private room. The staff member showed me one of the handbags.

 

When the bag was opened, a strange voice drifted out.

 

Come here, little one. I’m your friend.

 

…A mental manipulation item.

 

Phew. They really do make a point of selling exactly the sort of things that should never exist.

 

Regulatory control over mental manipulation items is tight all over the world, so most of them were illegal even if they weren’t particularly dangerous items like this one. 

 

Which meant this, for example.

 

“How about this?”

 

As I pointed to a bean-sized wireless earbud at the very edge of the display stand, the staff member spoke in a sinister voice.

 

“You certainly have a discerning eye. We could tell from the moment you purchased our most dangerous item—the slime water gun!”

 

…Please don’t tell.

 

I avoided the heavy gaze pressing against me from behind the mask and reached for the earbud.

 

Bean Earbud (??)

 

-Allows you to hear the target’s inner thoughts for 30 seconds.

 

-An item that verbalizes and translates the strongest desire among those inner thoughts.

 

-Warning: Single-use only! 

 

“It seems there’s someone whose inner thoughts you’re curious about.”

 

I gave an ambiguous answer to the staff member’s remark.

 

“Yes….”

 

Like a criminal, or a criminal, or maybe…… a criminal?

 

“How much is this?”

 

The price that came out of his mouth was staggering.

 

‘It’s way too expensive for a single-use item…….’

 

However, it was an item that an investigator couldn’t help but covet.

 

I was still considering it when—

 

Slap. Squish. Squish.

 

Something strange clung to my right leg.

 

Startled, I looked down to see a pale green slime attached to me.

 

“Kyuu?”

 

“Argh! Why is this thing here again! Alex! He escaped the cage again!”

 

The staff member called out to someone else in alarm.

 

I peeled the slime off my leg and held it up to examine it. The moment it looked at my face—

 

“Blegh….”

 

It vomited a little. Pale green sap splattered onto my clothes.

 

The fabric began to melt slightly.

 

It had a cute face but a level of attack power that didn’t match.

 

‘Now that I think about it, the VIP shop also sold pet monsters.’

 

“I am so sorry, guest! To think it ruined your precious clothes! Are you alright?”

 

“Um….”

 

I watched the staff member named Alex, who had snatched the slime from my hands before I knew it, standing a distance away and scolding it, saying, ‘This is why you keep getting returned after adoption.’

 

In his hand, the slime looked rather miserable.

 

Sorry. But I also understand why you were returned.

 

“We feel terribly sorry. We can offer this earbud to you at a special discounted price.”

 

Oh?

 

I was surprised by the unexpected stroke of luck, but I kept a beaming smile on my face without letting it show.

 

I am wealthy… I am wealthy…

 

I’m a person who just spent 100 million won, aren’t I?

 

“…Please be more careful next time.”

 

I acted like a picky customer while pretending to brush off my T-shirt, which I’d received through Ro-X Delivery.

 

“Of course. Our deepest apologies. If there are any other items you’re interested in—”

 

“I heard you can commission custom equipment here as well?”

 

At those words, the staff member’s eyes widened.

 

He even looked slightly flustered.

 

“I see. So you didn’t come here casually, after all? You can speak freely with me. Perhaps you’re from the Geumho-dong side—”

 

Geumho-dong? What is he talking about?

 

After a moment’s thought, I smiled faintly and raised a finger to my lips.

 

“Shh. If you know too much, you might get hurt.”

 

“…!”

 

The staff member’s eyes widened.

 

I wasn’t sure what misunderstanding had just taken root, but in a place where anonymity was guaranteed, I didn’t need to worry too much about the aftermath.

 

Whatever the case, the staff member seemed to have recognized me as a big spender and obediently explained about the custom equipment.

 

“As you know, custom equipment can only be used by the individual it is engraved for. They’re crafted through the artisan’s special touch and naturally maximize the user’s abilities. However….”

 

“They’re expensive?”

 

“Yes. They start at 30,000 gold.”

 

Thirty thousand gold.

 

Three billion won.

 

It was an amount that made my throat go dry, but I—

 

I am rich!

 

Repeating it like a spell, I said,

 

“Could I meet the artisan first?”

 

The staff member seemed to hesitate for a moment, then eventually handed me a key.

 

“Take this to the room at the very end of the corridor. You should be able to meet the artisan there.”

 

* * *

 

It was while I was walking down the hallway.

 

I kept hearing a strange sound behind the sound of my footsteps.

 

Step. Squelch. Step. Squelch.

 

…I turned around and apprehended the culprit.

 

“Kyuu…!”

 

This little guy.

 

I spotted the slime that had previously been dragged away stuck to the back of my shoe and picked it up.

 

It shimmered and made a pitiful face at me.

 

“Kyuuuu….”

 

Behind me, I heard staff members talking.

 

“Where did that slime go now?”

 

“That returned one? I heard they were going to turn him into slime juice and sell him off; I guess he disappeared?”

 

Slime juice.

 

I looked down at the creature clinging to my palm, as though it understood its own fate.

 

I have enough problems of my own right now…….

 

I stuck the fellow back onto the heel of my shoe and said.

 

“You have to stay quiet, alright?”

 

“Kyukyu!”

 

It nodded with what looked like confidence… though I didn’t feel particularly reassured.

 

For now, I needed to focus on meeting this artisan.

 

The reason I’d spent 100 million on that water gun lay behind this very door.

 

I inserted the golden key into the matching keyhole of the jet-black door.

 

And when I turned it, the door opened.

 

“Kyuu….”

 

The one who had promised to stay quiet made a small noise.

 

I could understand why.

 

Inside was a large room filled with weapons of all shapes and sizes, along with peculiar lighting devices and strange objects like sofas that moved on their own.

 

But the most peculiar thing in that room…

 

A boy who was moving incredibly fast between those objects.

 

“I don’t have the right part…! This is the correct component, but… the equation doesn’t work! This won’t do! It’s not perfect like this! The Chairman won’t like it! The Chairman likes me when I’m perfect…!”

 

A boy wearing glasses so thick his eyes looked like dots behind them, his hair disheveled, scribbling constantly, touching this and that, never stopping.

 

I called his name.

 

“Kang Ilyeon.”

 

The moment he heard that name,

 

His movements stopped.

 

The boy turned toward me like a creaking robot.

 

I furrowed my brow at the light shining above the boy’s head.

 

He stepped closer and slowly removed his glasses.

 

“You….”

 

The bare face revealed beneath was not unfamiliar to me.

 

‘The Sun and the Moon.’

 

Kang Wolyeon and Kang Ilyeon.

 

Like the Sun and the Moon, they weren’t on good terms, but…… these brothers, bound by blood, were each other’s weakness.

 

“Hello. You don’t resemble Wolyeon at all.”

 

I smiled brightly at Wolyeon’s weakness.