Book 6: Chapter 16
Book 6: Chapter 16
Kim Hajun stared straight ahead with a blank expression. In front of him, there was someone he recognized from his great prophetic dream: a large bloke with a red beard and braided red hair albeit younger and less scarred than the dream version. Currently, that man was on his knees, begging with his hands clasped together towards a one-foot-tall woman with wings standing on an earthen countertop. “Please, can’t you lower the price by just a little?”
Stella crossed her arms over her chest. “Can’t you read the sign?” She gestured towards the sign to her right with her head. On it, there were only a few lines: Selling one jar of white-striped ant honey for three hundred geums. No discounts. No haggling.
“Without connections to people already inside the tower, it’s almost impossible to obtain geums. Asking for three hundred geums for one jar is extortion!”
Stella snorted. “The administrator herself said the market price for a jar of white-striped ant honey is three hundred geums. Do you want to know what extortion is? How would you feel if I went over to this sign over here”—Stella flew over to the on her right and took out a brush—“and changed this three to a five?”
The red-haired man’s face paled. Even without turning around, he could feel dozens of cold stares piercing his back. If the price increased because of him…. “But how is anyone in my position supposed to obtain three hundred geums?”
Stella rolled her eyes and pointed towards her left. There was another sign displayed on a separate counter where Lindyss was sitting with a bored expression. On the sign, in sloppy handwriting, it read, “Buying souls, one for three hundred geums.”
The red-haired man stared at the text on Lindyss’ sign. Then, he turned his head back towards the fairy queen. “You want me to sell my soul to her?”
Stella deliberately scanned the man from head to toe. “Do you have anything else worth three hundred geums?”
The red-haired man gritted his teeth and grabbed the hatchet hanging on his waist. It was twice the size of a normal hatchet. Instead of a metal head, the blade was made from some type of shell, and the handle of the axe was made out of something’s bone rather than wood. “My weapon,” the red-haired man said and clenched his teeth. “Is it enough?”
“Are you trying to haggle with me right now?” Stella asked and pointed her brush at the third line of the sign. “If it’s worth three hundred geums, sell it to someone for that much and bring me back the geums.”
The red-haired man’s expression darkened, glowering at the fairy. His fists clenched, and veins bulged on his face and neck, but Stella was unfazed; after all, behind her, the person in charge of security, Vur, was sleeping with his head on the counter. The red-haired man took in a deep breath and exhaled before walking over to Gaegukja Yeol, who was floating off to the side with a massive bag slung over her shoulder. Clinking sounds could be heard whenever the items inside shifted around.
“Administrator Gaegukja Yeol,” the red-haired man said. “If—”
“I’m not going to give you three hundred geums, and I’m not going to buy your axe,” Gaegukja Yeol said in a curt voice. “If you want to officially gain entrance to the tower, give me a jar of ant honey.”
The red-haired man shut his mouth in a grimace. He fidgeted in front of Gaegukja Yeol while repeatedly glancing at Lindyss. The flaming administrator raised an eyebrow. “If you’re wondering which one is worse between going to the basement and selling your soul, all I can say is if you go to the basement, your soul won’t be the only thing you sell to survive.”
The red-haired man nodded and marched over to Lindyss’ countertop. “Hello, I’d like to inquire about selling my soul.”
Lindyss furrowed her brow. “Hang on a second,” she said and leaned over. She pulled a sign and piece of charcoal out of her pocket, placing them on the table. When she was done, she righted herself and used the charcoal to write a few sentences on the sign. After all, with so many people willing to sell their souls, wouldn’t it hurt her voice if she had to repeat herself so many times? Lindyss propped up the sign and gestured at it. “The process is right here; it’s basic stuff, really.”
The red-haired man’s brow furrowed as he squinted at Lindyss’ handwriting. “You put a soul-locking spell on me, and when I die, my soul returns to you?”
“Don’t forget the last part,” Lindyss said.
“If I try to remove the soul-locking spell, my heart will … explode?”
“Basic stuff, right?” Lindyss asked. “So, you selling or not?”
The red-haired man’s expression darkened. “Be honored that I, Kax Ammer, am willing to sell you my soul.”
Lindyss rolled her eyes. “Big talk for someone who couldn’t fill a tiny jar up with ant honey. If you really want to sell me your soul, get on your knees and don’t resist.”
“Wait,” Kax said. “Show me the money first. If I’m selling my soul, at the very least, I have to make sure I’m not being scammed.”
“You’ll fit right in with the other skeletons once you die,” Lindyss said and rummaged through her pocket. She pulled out an empty slip of paper and scribbled on it with the charcoal before sliding it towards Kax.
The red-haired man received the slip, and his eye twitched. “You can’t write three hundred geums on a piece of paper and claim it’s legal tender.”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” Lindyss said and pointed at Stella. “You see that fairy over there? We’re actually in cahoots. She’ll accept my non-legal form of tender because of its artistic value. Go over and ask her if you don’t believe me.”
Kax stared at Lindyss. He looked at Stella. His gaze went back onto Lindyss, and a sigh escaped from his mouth as he dropped to his knees. “The two of you are awful.”
“Thanks, but flattery will get you nowhere,” Lindyss said as black strands of mana drifted around her fingertips. She stood up and placed her finger on Kax’s forehead. “This might sting a little.”