Chapter 15: Chapter 14: Dungeon Seeking, Part Six (1/2)
Chapter 15: Chapter 14: Dungeon Seeking, Part Six
”Hello?”
I couldn't just keep ignoring her greetings and replied, ”Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you.” I had to hide that I knew who she was.
”We've only become devas for a day now. When did you become a deva?”
”It hasn't been long for me, either.”
I was obviously the first deva, but I couldn't just tell her that, nor did I need to. It would only make her wary of me. I had to constantly watch what I said.
”Ah, I see. Anyway, this place seems quite unwelcoming. No one really answers our questions, and if they do, it's all one-word answers. Oh yeah, is this your first time to Store 72?”
”No, it's my second visit.”
”So, you've been here before us. Then, you probably already know.”
Not a single person was unwelcoming to me. The problem was that they were too overbearing.
I never had anyone like the Manager cling to me like that.
”Well…”
”Oh, we haven't introduced ourselves yet. I'm Song Hyein, 27 years old. The guys behind me are just some helpers of mine.”
”I'm Lee Jiwon, 30 years old.”
”It's almost like our encounter was fated, and we probably have more to learn as devas. By chance, how do you feel about exchanging information with each other, should either of us need to?”
”Um…I'm sorry. That will be difficult.”
I turned down her offer without a second thought. I mean, I understood why she asked. Neither of us had been devas for long, and they had no idea where to go from now.
She may have been South Korea's Unrivaled tanker, but that was before. Right now, she was a new deva.
Even the Sunbin Guild had a hard time back then. We all did. The normal reaction was to combine forces, but I was busy.
Twenty-four hours a day wasn't enough for me to do everything in my head. More importantly, I had to take advantage of anything helpful. I didn't even think about sharing it with anyone else.
”Ah…” She seemed taken aback at my curt response.
”Oh? Deva Lee Jiwon, you're back?” Marie approached us with broom in hand while we were talking.
She was always in the background, like when I had tea with Anton. I knew from the beginning that she was not a normal maid.
I moved past Song Hyein and greeted Marie. ”Hello, Miss Marie.”
”You've already taken Store 72's foundation…I should be scared. I wonder what you'll take this time.”
”No…that's…”
”Fufu. It's a joke. With the points deva Lee Jiwon gave us, we can give you 10, no, 100 of our most prized stock.”
”Ahaha!” I could only awkwardly laugh. ”I'm actually here to speak to Manager Anton.”
I'm sure I could have asked Marie about dungeons, but I felt that she would never tell me even if I asked a hundred different ways. That's what my gut told me.
”The manager's taking his break right now. Hmm…” Marie shook her head in thought. ”That's fine. deva Lee Jiwon has that right. Follow me, please.”
”Wait a second!” Song Hyein interrupted as soon as Marie finished her sentence. ”What is going on here? Don't you think your treatment of him and us is too different? You've ignored all of my questions and all your employees have been unreceptive this whole time, but don't you think you're treating this Lee Jiwon guy too well? I don't mean treat him any less, but treat us fairly!”
”Fufufu.” Marie slightly smiled and gave a small laugh at Song Hyein's demand. ”Did you want special treatment?”
Instead of Song Hyein, a 40-something man behind her relied with a scowl.”I don't mean special treatment, but treat us fairly.”
”Fairly, you say…I don't know. You want fair treatment in an Earth in the Otadonol stage. Let me give you a piece of advice. This is advice that even deva Lee Jiwon knows.”
Marie glanced at me before looking back Song Hyein.
”If you want to be treated fairly, become stronger. Fairness and even ground isn't a right for the weak, but given by the strong.”