Chapter 143

 

As the moderator’s figure disappeared from the center, I thought it was over and was about to stand up when suddenly the screen in front of us flashed and something flew toward us. A translucent hologram shaped like an envelope sparkled.

“What’s this?” 

When I reached out, the envelope opened and text appeared. 

「Hello, Eui-jin. It’s been a while. The weed-killing potion you made for me came in handy. – V – 」 

Following the thin thread connected to the letter, my eyes met with a man waving his hand. 

‘That hunter…’ 

Since I only received request information through Nox, this was my first time seeing a client’s face like this. And he said he liked my potion! Feeling pleased, I waved back, and from that moment, messages started flying in from all directions.

「How did you come to possess two constellations?」 

「I’m curious about the constellations. Would you meet with us separately? I’ll pay one big one per hour.」 

「Where is Tae Jae-heon?」 

「Show us proof that you have constellations!」 

「Can you give me your personal number? I’d like to contact you separately.」

The messages piled up until they filled the screen in front of us. When one was dismissed, three more would appear in its place. When it got to the point where I couldn’t see ahead, I called out to Seong San-ha in confusion.

“Hey, hey, how do I…?” 

Seong San-ha was glaring at the screen with furrowed brows. When I nudged his arm, he flinched in surprise and turned to me. 

“Oh, Eui-jin. To reply those, you…” 

“Forget replying, how do I turn this off?” 

“Turn it off?” 

He seemed surprised by my question, making me tilt my head in confusion. Normally, he would have stepped in to handle this first. What’s wrong with him? 

Feeling suspicious, I lowered my voice and asked.

“What’s wrong? Can’t I turn it off? Don’t tell me I have to reply to all of those?” 

“You don’t need to respond. But I thought… you would want this.” 

“Me? Want what…?” 

Following Seong San-ha’s subtle suggestion, I finally understood what he was saying. With a snort, I glanced at the dense messages in front of me.

“Why bother with people who aren’t even customers? They’re only interested because of the constellations, not because they need potions. This kind of thing is just annoying.” 

After staring at me for a moment, Seong San-ha nodded with a slight smile. 

“Right. That’s true. Sorry for misunderstanding.” 

“Can we go now?” 

Since we had planned to go to the workshop after the Tower Holding Nations conference ended, I was already fidgeting in my seat. When Seong San-ha placed his hand on the magic stone in the center of the table, the blue light went out and the holograms surrounding us disappeared.

As I stood up, Han Seo-hyun, who had been watching us, also rose and handed me her business card. 

“I don’t think I properly introduced myself earlier. I’m Han Seo-hyun, Seoul Branch Director of the Investigation Bureau at the Esper-Guide Center.” 

“I’m Potion Master Kang Eui-jin.” 

As I accepted her card and shook her hand, Han Seo-hyun stared at my face again. 

“By any chance, do you have a brother…?” 

“We’ll be going now. We’ll see you at the second meeting.” 

Seong San-ha interrupted, placing his hand on my shoulder. Unable to detain us further, Han Seo-hyun reluctantly bowed her head.

We left the conference hall while once again being showered with camera flashes. After getting into the waiting white limousine, I urged the driver to depart quickly. 

“We’re going straight to Wolgye Naru, right?” 

“I heard there are so many people gathering that it’s becoming difficult to control.”

“Really? How about customers at our workshop?” 

“We’ll check when we get there.” 

I remembered the impressive street I had seen when I briefly visited the workshop a few days ago. Thinking about it being filled with people made my heart race just imagining it.

The car drove for about an hour before entering the vicinity of Wolgye Naru. I had been dozing off and was only alerted to our arrival when the car came to a sudden stop.

Seong San-ha caught my body as it lurched forward and clicked his tongue while looking outside. Rubbing my eyes, still not fully awake, I asked.

“I fell asleep. Are we at the workshop?” 

“We’re nearby. The traffic is already really bad.” 

At his words, I looked outside to see people gathering so densely there was no room to step, all heading somewhere. The road was completely jammed with cars, unable to move an inch.

“What’s this? Are all these people coming to Wolgye Naru?” 

“More precisely, they’re coming to see the new street on the east side of Wolgye Naru. Looking at this, we’ll need to give the street its own name.” 

While it was incredibly pleasing that so many people had gathered, with the car stuck like this, I wasn’t sure if we could arrive before sunset. Lee Cho grumbled from the front.

“I told you we should build a public parking lot…” 

“Can’t we just walk from here?” 

“Of course not. With this many people, it would be difficult to protect you.”

“…Don’t you have another ring or something?” 

When I hinted at this casually, Seong San-ha nodded with a smile. 

“Yes. Someone lost it.” 

“…Damn it. That was Tae Jae-heon.”

The car inched forward like a turtle. The traffic was so congested that street vendors were moving between the waiting cars selling snacks. 

“Cotton candy, chicken skewers, hot dogs!” 

“Cool~ lemonade for sale! Also have 1L iced coffee and grain powder drinks!”

As the car slowly advanced and familiar streets came into view, I couldn’t bear it any longer. 

‘My workshop is right there but I can’t get to it! This is unbearably frustrating.’ 

I fidgeted in my seat. After I pressed myself against the window, staring outside, Seong San-ha finally asked in an amused voice.

“Do you want to go that badly? Can’t you wait even a little?” 

“Of course. I feel like I’m going crazy since we can’t get there.” 

“I’ll help you get there. Come here.”

While I was leaning my forehead against the window and grumbling irritably, I hurriedly turned around at the words I heard. Seong San-ha was taking something out of thin air. 

I opened my eyes wide when I saw what was held in his white gloves. It was an item I had seen before. 

The Mirror of Time, was it?

Seong San-ha handed me a bracelet. 

“It might be useless to S-ranks because of the constellation map, but it should be fine for short distances.” 

“You want me to wear this?” 

“Yes. This time, choose the future.”

Anyway, he was saying he’d get out of the car and take me to the workshop. I quickly put on the bracelet, and a system window appeared. When asked to choose between past and future, I selected future. The pattern engraved on the bracelet glowed briefly and then disappeared.

“How is it? Did it work?” 

The gazes of four people—Seong San-ha, Lee Cho, Cheong, and the driver—were directed at me. 

A strange silence passed. 

“Did you really choose the future?” 

“Yes. Why? Am I too old? Don’t tell me I’ve grown a beard?”

As I felt my chin, Cheong looked at me with strange eyes and shook his head. 

“There’s no big change. You seem a bit bigger, but not really…” 

“Your youthful appearance has faded a bit, but it’s not that different… There’s no point in wearing the item. I think it would be better to just choose the past.”

At Lee Cho’s words, Seong San-ha sighed deeply and ran his hand over his face. 

“Haa… It should definitely be more than ten years.”

When I looked at my reflection in the window, there wasn’t much difference, just as Lee Cho and Cheong had said. I tilted my head in confusion and removed the bracelet. I put it on again and this time chose the past. 

Suddenly, Seong San-ha and the car interior became enormous. Ah, I had become smaller.

Only my body had shrunk while my clothes remained the same size, so I asked while waving my oversized sleeves.

“What should I do about the clothes?”

Fortunately, there were clothes in the trunk that Lee Cho had bought as a gift for his nephew, so I avoided the unfortunate situation of walking around naked with just a robe.

After changing clothes, I looked up at Seong San-ha who was waiting outside the car. Like before, his hair and eye color had changed. But seeing that no one recognized him, he seemed to have additional abilities.

“I’m all ready!”

Seong San-ha turned at my call, looked at me, and squeezed his eyes shut. With a sigh, he opened his eyes and held out his hand. As I stared at the glove fluttering before my eyes, his voice dropped from above my head.

“Hold my hand.” 

“What? No way! Why should I?” 

“You’re so small I might lose you—, never mind.”

After looking around at the densely packed people, Seong San-ha suddenly picked me up and held me. I struggled at the abruptly elevated view.

“Fuck, put me down!!”

At the curse that came out without my realizing, people around us were surprised and started whispering. Seong San-ha smiled and whispered:

“You should be quiet. You’re startling people.” 

“You, just wait until we get back.”

Seong San-ha chuckled and started walking.

Actually, with so many people around, I didn’t think it would make much difference, but every time Seong San-ha took a step, the people in front parted like an ebbing tide. 

Clinging to him like a cicada with my head facing backward, I could clearly feel the murmuring and whispering gazes. Embarrassed to meet hundreds of eyes, I fixed my gaze on the bracelet on my shortened arm.

A bracelet that makes you younger? Where did he get something like this? 

At that moment, a thought crossed my mind, and my eyes lit up.

“‘Wait, if it’s a bracelet that makes you younger, then we could see our Sa-na too, right?'”

At this brilliant idea, I lifted my head abruptly, and Seong San-ha asked curiously.

“What’s wrong? Uncomfortable?” 

“No, no. I’m comfortable.”

From that moment on, I swung my feet while thinking only about how to get Seong San-ha to wear the bracelet when we got back.

He definitely won’t agree to wear it willingly. I’ll have to find his weakness… No, maybe I’ll put it on him while he’s sleeping? But for that, I’d need to keep the bracelet myself…

“Seong San-ha. Lend me the bracelet.” 

“What for?” 

“You don’t need to know. I have reasons.” 

“No way. Return it as soon as we get back.” 

“You stingy bastard!!”