Chapter 42: Does The Saintess Dream Of A Sacrificial Lamb? (2)
***Half a day after the Saintess left his recovery room, Yeomyeong received a summons from the mercenary group. Reflecting on the last battle while lying in bed, he saw a message on his phone, which made him frown immediately.Could it be that the Saintess really…? With a mix of worry and doubt, he got up from bed, changed into regular clothes from the hospital gown, and left the recovery room.“Oh, Newcomer. You look better than I expected.”A familiar face was waiting for him in the hospital corridor, just outside the recovery room.Tian Lin, the team leader of Team 3. The thick bandages wrapped around his face and arms, proved that he had somehow managed to survive the last battle.“Anyone would think that I was the one who was hospitalized.”Tian Lin guffawed. Just as he said, at first glance, he looked more like a patient than Yeomyeong. Hearing that, Yeomyeong forced a smile.“Senior, what brings you here?”“I’m here to pick you up obviously. The rest of the team members are waiting downstairs.”“…You came to pick me up? Is something wrong?”When Yeomyeong asked him that, Tian Lin subtly gestured behind him with his chin.Beyond the bustling corridor of nurses, mercenaries could be seen glaring at him and Tian Lin.“Let’s go down for now. And just in case, don’t make eye contact with those guys.”In spite of his words, Tian Lin laughed exaggeratedly and placed a hand on Yeomyeong's shoulder.Yeomyeong played along with his act, walking lightly as if they were having a pleasant conversation.Why are they watching me all of a sudden?As he heightened his senses on his way out of the hospital, he realized that more than a few people were keeping an eye on him— ten of them at the very least.Even after they left the hospital, the surveillance didn’t lessen. In fact, reporters and merchants were openly staring at Yeomyeong.“…What on earth is going on?”“Should I call it the tragedy of a famous person or the inevitable fate of someone who stumbled upon a treasure?”As Tian Lin tried to inform him subtly, mercenaries surrounded Yeomyeong and Tian Lin at the hospital entrance.Fortunately, they were all familiar faces—the mercenaries from Team 3 of the Sonjuk Mercenary Group.On realizing that, Tian Lin wiped his forehead in relief.“The problem is the dragon you fought last time. To be precise, I’m talking about the rib bone it left behind.”On their way back to the base camp with the rest of the mercenary team, Tian Lin gave him a brief explanation about the situation.It all started with the dragon rib that Yeomyeong had managed to cut off.When the military first discovered the rib bone on the battlefield, they immediately claimed ownership, seeing it as an unexpected stroke of luck.The reporters had the Saintess occupied, and Yeomyeong was unconscious at the time. Fortunately, upon seeing them move the rib bones, Kim Mansoo, who had followed the military, protested immediately.He said, the ones who fought the dragon were Yeomyeong and the Saintess; what qualifications does the military have?—which was a reasonable and valid claim.According to the standard practices of the mercenary industry, the remains of monsters and hunted prey solely belonged to the mercenaries.Normally, the military would have backed down, but the problem was that dragon bones were exceedingly valuable items.Hence, the military audaciously demanded half of the rib bones. They made excuses, blabbering about urgent requisitions, but their true intentions were obvious. Money.
After dragons were designated as an endangered species, parts of their bodies would always fetch astronomical prices.It was said that one claw was enough to buy a house in New York, and ten scales could change one’s place of residence, so what more was there to say?Furthermore, the rib bones obtained this time were even more special. Unlike items acquired through illegal poaching, this was obtained legally.Dragon's bones that could be traded legally, and not through illegal black market dealings. It was an item anyone would covet.Of course, the military's insistence didn't last long because the Saintess intervened as soon as she was freed from the reporters.And she even actively used her political position to pressure the military.Yelling that the ones who fought the dragon were herself and Yeomyeong, she then threatened that anyone else claiming rights to the bones would incur the wrath of billions of believers from Earth and beyond the Dimensional Portals.Once the discussion reached that point, the military had no choice but to back down. And although they followed up with some dirty retaliation, the rib bones were secured—“…Wait, what do you mean by dirty retaliation?”As Yeomyeong interrupted while listening to the explanation, Tian Lin shrugged.“The military informed the entire Manchuria base that half of the dragon's rib bones belongs to you. Those scoundrels with zero business ethics—if they can’t have it, they’ll speak ill of it.”“So, all those hanging around are us …”“Those bastards are just trying to probe how to deal with you and the rib. Some might be looking to scout you, while others might try to threaten you. Well, judging by the situation, it seems like the latter is the majority.”“…”“Hehe, can you believe all this happened while you were in the recovery room? Even I, who witnessed it with my own eyes, still find it hard to believe.”As Tian Lin laughed hollowly, they arrived in front of the base camp.Once they reached there, the number of gazes he felt on his back had significantly decreased.Although a few stares were still directed at him, no one dared to approach him.And all he had to do was open the door and enter… but Tian Lin didn’t grab the doorknob. Instead, he spoke with a serious expression.“Newcomer, the camp is currently hosting the Captain and some investors.”“The Captain?”Kwon Mongjoo, the leader of the Sonjuk Mercenary Group. Yeomyeong had heard the name before, if only in passing.“He’s quite a significant figure in the mercenary industry. He started from the bottom and worked his way to the top... in short, he is a tenacious person.”“…Is that so?”Why was he suddenly briefing him about the Captain? Yeomyeong tilted his head in confusion.Tian Lin seemed to be pondering over something. He fell silent for a moment, making the atmosphere tense.A short silence lasted for longer than expected, and just as Yeomyeong’s eyebrows were about to twitch from the discomfort, Tian Lin quietly whispered in Yeomyeong's ear.“Be it the Captain or the investors, you should refuse any demand for a share of the rib bones right away.”“…Senior?”“If they push you to hand it over, just say that you’ll withdraw from the group.”“…”“Don’t get me wrong, Newcomer. You’ve risked your life for me and the team, so I’m just giving you appropriate advice. You don’t need to associate with idiots who prioritize money over loyalty. That’s all there is to it.”Only then did Yeomyeong understand why Tian Lin said something like that.The Captain and the investors waiting inside the base camp were probably eyeing the dragon rib as well.…This is really becoming a hassle.The Saintess' request, the dragon's rib, and the original goal of needing to increase his fame.As Yeomyeong's worries deepened, Tian Lin opened the door to the base camp with a firm expression.