Raided The God’S Warehouse [EN]: Chapter 279

283

“Um… Player Jung Se-woon?”

On the way back after the council meeting, Loren, who had maintained a confused expression, composed herself as if she had made a decision and opened her mouth.

Se-woon, who had been focusing on the location tracking magic, also snapped out of it and looked up.

Even with location tracking magic, it was hastily inscribed, making tracking impossible unless within a certain distance.

“Are you interested in the Red Fish Merchant Guild? If you’re considering transferring your contract…”

“No, I’m not.”

“Hoo… Then, may I ask why you chose Red Fish? You don’t have to answer if it’s difficult for you…”

Indeed, even if he had chosen another place, Red Fish was one of the three major merchant guilds like Blue Turtle, so Loren couldn’t help but wonder about Se-woon’s reasons.

Although she said he didn’t have to answer, she was clearly anxious, turning her head away to avoid his gaze.

‘Should I tell her?’

He hesitated for a moment.

However, he felt he could trust Loren, based on what he had seen so far.

From what he could tell, Red Fish and Blue Turtle didn’t seem to have a good relationship, and perhaps he could get some help.

Thinking that, Se-woon nodded and began to explain.

“Actually, the reason I opened a shop in Jeheton was to find a certain force. Of course, I didn’t know it would be Red Fish.”

“……”

He didn’t explain in too much detail.

Bringing up the Outer or Meteorite here would only cause her more confusion.

He only picked out the elements necessary for the current explanation and told her. And as the story progressed, her expression hardened even more.

“…That’s what happened.”

After Se-woon’s explanation, silence followed for a moment.

Grasping her fist tightly to hide her slightly trembling hand, she took a deep breath and looked up.

“I’ve heard rumors about Red Fish too. Hearing this now, it seems those rumors are true.”

“Rumors?”

“The rumor that Red Fish is conducting bio-experiments… There were quite a few suspicious things in their account books.”

“Can you find out about other guilds’ account books as well?”

“Of course, not perfectly. So, I couldn’t be sure.”

The Saintess’s reaction and suspicious rumors… The possibility that Red Fish was involved with the Meteorite increased even more.

‘More than that, bio-experiments.’

Outer and bio-experiments.

It was an absurd story, but a sense of unease crept into Se-woon’s mind.

He hoped that the bio-experiments weren’t related to the Outer…

At that moment, Loren gave a positive answer.

“We’ll help too.”

“…Are you sure?”

“We’re partners now, aren’t we? Of course, I’m not saying we’ll help for free.”

“That’s enough. In the best-case scenario, I’m even thinking of handing over the entire shop when I leave this place.”

“For us, the shop’s brand is important, but Jung Se-woon is more important. But… if you say that, we’re grateful.”

Blue Turtle Merchant Guild’s help would be worth receiving.

While Se-woon was making plans to scout Red Fish, a carriage arrived in front of the shop.

* * *

“Hyung [term for older brother or male friend], this place is no joke! It reeks!”

“So, what were the rumors?”

“It was the only merchant guild that was also famous in the black market. They mainly deal with living monsters, and they even take human slaves?”

“Slave trading is prohibited in Jeheton, isn’t it?”

“That’s why it’s the black market! Looking at the transaction list, you’d think it was some kind of evil black magic organization!”

Red Fish is a merchant guild that specializes in trading various food products.

As such, it’s normal to handle various animals that can be made into processed meat products, but monsters and slaves are abnormal no matter how you think about it.

It seems that the rumor Loren mentioned about ‘bio-experiments’ is true.

“…Ahem. Jung-pil, black magicians aren’t bad people. They just have a deep curiosity about living things…”

– The Constellation, ‘The One Who Tramples Death,’ shakes his head, saying that ignorant humans tend to brand areas they don’t understand as evil.

“No, ‘evil’ black magicians! You old man!”

Ignoring Baek-hyun’s muttering from the side, Park Jung-pil continued to speak.

Park Jung-pil had definitely brought a lot of information, all of which was suspicious.

“It sounds suspicious, so why hasn’t an investigation been conducted yet?”

“It’s Red Fish, isn’t it? They occupy a seat in the Jeheton Council, so who would dare to touch them carelessly?”

Jeheton, a city that pursues equality.

It’s not a system where one person manages it like a lord, but a democratic system where twelve councilors elected from each field lead politics through a majority vote.

However, this was not perfect either.

As Loren said, at some point, the city stopped moving forward, and even if power is divided, such a strong force will eventually emerge.

“So, where is it located?”

“The external merchant building is in the center of Jeheton, but I don’t think it’s there.”

“Why?”

“I also stopped by the black market once, didn’t I? I hid my identity, but I managed to find Red Fish!”

– The Constellation, ‘The Donkey-Headed Snatcher,’ marvels at the contractor’s luck, saying he never thought the person he accidentally bumped into while falling would be Red Fish.

“Ahem! It wasn’t a coincidence, I recognized them and pretended to fall…”

– The Constellation, ‘The Donkey-Headed Snatcher,’ retorts that you looked too surprised as soon as you realized it was Red Fish.

“Ahem, anyway! Then I quietly followed them.”

“And?”

“To sum it up, I couldn’t follow them to the end. Oh, the surveillance was so thorough. They noticed right away even if I got a little close?”

Even though he looks like that, Park Jung-pil’s tailing skills are quite excellent. Park Jung-pil was the second most skilled in footwork after Yoo Seo-ah in the Diablo Guild.

Having inherited the authority of Valefor, called the Thief’s Craft, he wouldn’t be caught unless he made a mistake.

But the fact that he couldn’t follow them to the end means that the surveillance was quite thorough as he said.

“Honestly, it was a bit strange. It was definitely not a distance where they could notice, but they were pricking up their ears and looking around, it felt like they were tracking an animal, not a human?”

– The Constellation, ‘The Donkey-Headed Snatcher,’ laughs, recalling the contractor’s appearance of desperately hiding and bumping his head against the wall, saying it was definitely abnormal.

A sensing ability that even the Constellation finds suspicious…

Could that be the result of bio-modification?

Unfortunately, that was all Park Jung-pil could find out.

After that, the distance became too great to track, and at some point, the traces disappeared like a lie.

However…

“What’s clear is that it wasn’t towards the city. They twisted the path as if trying to prepare for tracking, but it was heading completely out of the center?”

“Then which way was it?”

“I think it was towards the coast, but I’m not sure.”

“Okay. Then focus on finding the location for now. I’ll look into it too.”

Se-woon immediately contacted Loren.

She nodded right away and started moving, saying she would investigate in her own way.

Also, just in case, he used the guild chat to inform all the guild members about Red Fish.

And after a while.

“Se-woon. I’ve confirmed that Red Fish has a secret big deal scheduled for tonight.”

“Hyung! It’s today! I don’t know what it is, but they’re moving something huge?”

Thanks to the Diablo Guild’s information network, which had grown to encompass Jeheton, they were able to quickly catch Red Fish’s tail.

* * *

“Is this the black market?”

“Isn’t it amazing? It’s a bit expensive, but they have everything except what’s not there?”

The entrance to the black market was at a pier that was quite far from the harbor and no longer in use.

When they went through the huge rock on the left, they found a dark black market, which seemed quite crowded.

People they couldn’t see during the day.

It was full of people wearing robes and covered in tattoos, giving off a dangerous feeling.

“Huh? Isn’t this Hyung’s shop’s stuff?”

“Lower your voice.”

“Ah, right. Sorry!”

Even the enchanted weapons that Se-woon was selling were on display, just as Park Jung-pil had discovered.

It seemed that they were charging extra for items that were particularly popular but had a small quantity.

In addition, there were living monsters being slaughtered on the spot, and dangerous items such as bombs and poisons, which were very difficult to trade formally under Jeheton law, were also abundant.

Se-woon before the regression also knew about the existence of the black market, but it was his first time visiting it directly.

Players rarely ever entered the black market.

“How did you find this place?”

“Hehe, who do you think I am? I went to a few gambling dens, and some loan sharks came looking for me, one of whom was active in the black market.”

“Gambling? Did I allow gambling?”

“…Haha! I really didn’t want to gamble, but isn’t that where the best information comes out? So, I had no choice but to stop by!”

Se-woon shook his head at Park Jung-pil’s words.

It’s ambiguous to say anything more because he brought proper information as he said.

“Hyung! That’s the auction house!”

“It’s quite big.”

“It’s quiet because there’s no auction today, but it’s usually no joke.”

“There’s no auction, so how did you find out about Red Fish’s deal?”

“Hehe, I’m Hyung’s right-hand man! Park Jung-pil! The items they’re moving today seem to be quite big? So, they need a lot of people.”

“Still, the secrecy must have been quite strict?”

“That guy owes me some money, so I told him I’d write off some of his debt, and he spilled the beans. Ah, Hyung. So, I’m saying, I need some activity funds…”

“Hurry up and guide me to the transaction location.”

“Yes!”

The edge of the black market.

Unlike the crowded black market, the number of people gradually decreased, and the lights dimmed.

There were a few people standing guard in the middle, but they couldn’t catch Se-woon and Park Jung-pil.

When they broke through the barrier, a huge warehouse and an empty space in front of it appeared.

The two hid appropriately in the meantime and waited for the transaction.

Did they time it well?

In less than ten minutes, the warehouse door creaked open, and something was dragged out.

“Wow, Hyung, that’s…”

“A Sea Serpent. It wouldn’t have been easy to capture it alive.”

Sea Serpent.

It was a large and powerful monster that existed in the sea.

Its entire body was tightly bound with ropes, making it impossible to move, and it was breathing heavily.

Harpoons were embedded all over its body, and it seemed that they had deliberately not removed them for fear of worsening the bleeding.

“Heeheeing-”

How heavy could it be?

More than ten foals were pulling a makeshift cart with the Sea Serpent tied to it, and many people were pushing and pulling the cart behind them.

It was amazing that they had brought such a monster all the way here.

And not long after, people from the Red Fish Merchant Guild appeared as if they had been waiting.

“That’s…”

They were covering their bodies with robes, but their large size could not be hidden.

The right-angled shoulders proved that the bulk was muscle, not just fat.

The number was only five.

The five of them removed all the foals, wrapped the ropes around their shoulders, and grabbed them.

Drrrrr!

The cart carrying the Sea Serpent began to move like a lie.

Only five people were moving the cart that a dozen foals and dozens of people could barely pull.

Was that really possible with just the strength of a strong person?

“Hyung, aren’t you going to follow them?”

Park Jung-pil, who was swallowing his saliva and feeling nervous, turned to the side.

At that time, Se-woon slightly lowered his head.

‘Could it be that they are really conducting bio-experiments with the Outer [referring to extraterrestrial beings or entities]?’

He was looking at the Saintess, who was emitting a faint light towards the five people leading the cart.