Chapter 140
Chapter 140: December 31, January 1 (3)
[British Black Market]
Louise was dressed in black mourning clothes, meeting with the British Black Market's administrator, 'Ria Bright'.
"Louise Ferrand. You've come all the way to London—you must have had quite the journey."
She elegantly extended a cup of black tea toward Louise.
"Thank you for making the time, Ms. Ria Bright."
"Call me Bright."
Bright was dressed in a clean suit.
She boasted a youthfulness that was hard to believe for someone fifty years old.
All the windows were covered with curtains, and candlesticks full of candles filled the room.
"Drink up. You must be exhausted from coming all this way."
Louise did not drink the black tea.
Bright's nickname—one that reached beyond Europe all the way to America—was 'Lady Venom'.
She was called the Witch of Poison.
Bright smiled and offered again.
"Are you afraid I've slipped poison into the tea? Don't worry. I only poison people who have a great deal to offer me."
"……The assets and information my uncle possessed are not stored only at the manor. There is much left scattered elsewhere."
Bright laughed as though she found that laughable.
"Louise. Whatever courage-boosting medicine you were taking while hiding in Marseille seems to have done its job."
"……!"
"Killian's information was limited to France, and do you think we couldn't track down the assets?"
Louise was at a loss for words.
The place she had been hiding.
And even what she had been doing—Bright had known it all.
Louise looked down at the black tea again. But in the end, she still did not drink it.
Clever girl.
Bright thought the world's assessment of Louise—that she was far inferior to Killian—had been wrong.
She smiled lightly and asked again.
"So then. What reason did you come looking for me?"
Louise set down her teacup.
"I have come to ask for your help."
"Help?"
"Yes."
"To take revenge for your uncle?"
"Yes."
At that, Bright smiled as though the idea were absurd.
"Others may not know, but we all do. Killian died in an explosion, and the culprit was the French government. No matter how powerful the European Black Market Alliance may be, how could we possibly fight France."
"That's not it."
Louise said firmly.
Bright's expression stiffened slightly.
"Then?"
"On the surface it may appear that way, but in reality, it was Korea."
"Ko……rea?"
Bright furrowed her brow slightly.
Korea's leading climber, Chief Han, and Minister of Justice Pyeon Jae-yeong had indeed been at Killian's manor.
But that didn't mean they had any reason to kill Killian.
"That's hard to believe."
"I saw it with my own eyes. Pyeon Jae-yeong gave the order, and Ghost moved directly!"
"Ghost!"
Bright's voice rose slightly.
"You saw him directly?"
"Yes. Clearly, with both my own eyes."
Bright sank into thought, then opened her mouth.
"The Nameless Hero may have been at Killian's manor, but Ghost was not there."
"He was in Paris."
"……The Golden Tower."
It was a far-fetched story she was hearing for the first time, but the possibility itself was more than sufficient.
"Then, Louise—did you also see the Nameless Hero directly?"
At that, Louise shook her head and smiled lightly.
"No. But that face that everyone now knows—what value does it hold?"
"……."
"What good is knowing only the face. When no one yet knows his true identity."
"That's the same for you, Louise. You said you only saw his face."
"No."
Louise said firmly.
"I also know Ghost's identity."
"……!"
"There is only one person in this world who knows his identity, and that person is me."
Bright groaned. Her complexion changed entirely as she asked again.
"……If it's true, then the scale of this is far larger than I expected."
No less than 'Ghost's identity', of all things.
Recently, every nation had been in an uproar trying to recruit both the Nameless Hero and Ghost.
The Nameless Hero was remarkable, but the Golden Tower was directly tied to survival.
The value Ghost held was boundless.
‘If only I could get my hands on him…….’
Noticing Bright's eyes beginning to gleam, Louise stated her demands.
"Convene the European Black Market Alliance meeting. It would be too much for Lady Bright to handle alone."
"My, what do you take me for."
Bright shot her a sidelong glance, but Louise paid it no mind.
"Please help me. It was only because no one knew his identity that nothing could be done—but that is no longer the case. With the power of the European Black Market Alliance, we can certainly capture Ghost."
Louise added one more line she had been saving.
"And the Nameless Hero will come along with him."
"……!"
As shocking names continued to pour out, Bright's heart began to pound.
"Who is Ghost?"
"I cannot tell you that right now. But I can tell you where he is."
Louise pressed her lips firmly shut.
Bright offered a rotten smile.
"Then what am I supposed to trust?"
"Would my life be sufficient?"
Louise stared fixedly into her eyes, then—
Clink.
She picked up the teacup sitting before her and gulped down the black tea in one go.
"……!"
There was not a moment's hesitation. Bright, who had been staring at her, muttered to herself.
"……Perhaps I should have put poison in it after all."
"Didn't you already?"
Louise lifted her fierce eyes and fixed them on her.
Bright held Louise's gaze in return.
She felt no deception.
"I'll need solid proof. Louise."
"Don't worry."
Having made up her mind, Bright asked.
"Where is Ghost?"
Louise slowly—Wiped the corner of her mouth and answered.
"Korea."
***
[National Museum of Korea, Hall of Reflection]
The museum, past its operating hours, was empty.
Tap. Tap.
The sound of footsteps heading toward the Hall of Reflection echoed through.
It was Park Jae-yeol.
I stood at the spot where both Pensive Bodhisattva statues came into view at once.
Stroking my chin, I was taking them in.
Park Jae-yeol greeted me first.
"Hero seems to be quite fond of museums. Last time it was the Louvre."
"Huhuhuh. Is that so."
"You've returned to Korea, Hero."
He bowed his head.
I bowed my head lightly in return.
"This place suits me better than the Louvre."
"I'm so glad. Truly!"
Park Jae-yeol's voice sounded genuinely pleased.
"I imagine the British Museum in England or the Metropolitan in America would be even better?"
"……I doubt that."
The eager expression that had lit up Park Jae-yeol's face cooled rapidly.
‘What a sight.’
[Kim Tae-yang says 'Park Jae-yeol just got served!' +1,000 Happiness]
I gazed at the two Pensive Bodhisattva statues and began to speak.
"A magnificent work no matter how many times I see it."
"They are Maitreya Bodhisattvas lost in contemplation for the sake of all living beings."
I asked him.
"In Your Excellency's view—what do you think those Bodhisattvas are contemplating?"
Park Jae-yeol opened his mouth with a tense expression.
"……They appear to be contemplating whether the Nameless Hero might climb Korea's Murim Tower."
"Haha, is that so."
Sensing his chance, Park Jae-yeol brought up the matter.
"Have you given it thought? The gift I proposed last time—the one you said you wished to receive, Hero."
Rather than answering, I raised a single finger and asked him in return.
"I hear the Japanese Prime Minister is currently circling above the Republic of Korea's airspace?"
"How do you know that? It hasn't even been reported yet."
"Korea may be quiet about it, but Japan's own broadcasts are in an uproar. That the Japanese Prime Minister went to America, then came here to Korea."
Park Jae-yeol groaned.
I continued.
"Then naturally one has to wonder. Why did Japan come to Korea at this particular moment? And having gone to America first, no less."
I crossed my arms.
"If I were the Japanese Prime Minister, I would have pressured those Musashi Brothers right away to hurry and clear the floors from the 39th onward. But news of clearing the 39th floor has gone quiet, while the Prime Minister himself made a trip to America. In other words, it means the 39th floor has been blocked again."
Park Jae-yeol said nothing.
"A frustrated Japan—what they urgently need right now is two things. One, an antidote. Two, intel on clearing the floors above the 39th floor. America has currently succeeded in clearing up to the 46th floor, after all."
I extended my index and middle fingers in sequence.
"Of course, America may have developed an antidote, but that's not entirely reassuring. What if the Musashi Brothers—Japan's only hope—were to suffer serious injury?"
"Clearing beyond the fortieth floor would become difficult."
"Yes. They need a reliable card. Precisely the antidote that Korea holds."
Park Jae-yeol let out a long breath—Hwuuu.
"So the Japanese Prime Minister went to America first, obtained the intel on up to the 46th floor, then came to Korea to purchase the antidote with it……. What do you think? It seems like a reasonable conjecture."
"All of it…… is true."
Park Jae-yeol nodded.
"Then, next question. The reason Your Excellency has left the Japanese Prime Minister—who must be frantic right now—waiting, and come all the way here to see me. What would that be? Could it be…… that you bragged about having an abundance of antidotes and found yourself in a difficult position? When in truth they've all run out."
Park Jae-yeol bit his lip.
"……That is also true."
"That is the gift I wish to receive."
I turned my body toward him with a spin and said,
"All intel on clearing up to the 46th floor—hand it over to me entirely."
Park Jae-yeol answered hurriedly.
"I, I want to do that as well! But as Hero has said…… The Japanese Prime Minister will demand the antidote."
I slowly reached out and pointed toward the Pensive Bodhisattvas.
"Please go around behind them."
Park Jae-yeol hesitantly moved around to the back of the Pensive Bodhisattvas.
A wooden box with 'two horizontal lines' carved briefly into one of its corners.
He opened it and was startled.
"An antidote!"
"……."
The antidote I had prepared was ten vials. Not lacking, but not exactly plentiful either.
Park Jae-yeol had the expression of someone who had just been struck.
He was stunned by the fact that I had known everything and prepared accordingly.
"Thank you, Hero. I shall consider it a gift from Maitreya."
He had dared to put 'Maitreya' into words when referring to me. My face began to flush with awkwardness.
"I am not Maitreya. I also wish to be the only one in Korea who knows the intel on up to the 46th floor."
At my request, Park Jae-yeol nodded with a firm expression.
"Of course. I will ensure that neither I, nor Gukmubon, nor anyone else views it first."
My plan is to receive the intel, verify it myself, then release it onto the Black Market.
That way, a large amount of Happiness Points will come flowing in.
He pointed at the two horizontal lines and asked.
"What is this marking?"
"It's an equals sign. A symbol denoting the equality of numbers."
"It means you've given precious antidotes, so please offer a corresponding reward in return."
Park Jae-yeol pondered with a grave expression before speaking again.
"In that case……."
This time, Park Jae-yeol looked toward the Pensive Bodhisattvas and asked,
"In Hero's view, what do you think those Bodhisattvas are contemplating?"
I smiled and answered.
"They appear to be agonizing over whether Your Excellency will hand over your grandson to me."
"……!"
He fell silent, then answered heavily.
"Is that…… Truly necessary?"
An old tiger revealing his weakness.
I smiled gently and spoke to him.
"It seems there may be some misunderstanding. I said it with truly good intentions."
"What?"
Park Jae-yeol looked at me with puzzled eyes.
"Did you think I meant to kill your grandson?"
"Hero!"
"What a shame. I thought I had given you sufficient trust, yet you still don't believe in me. It seems I conveyed my meaning too indirectly."
"What……Do you mean?"
I clasped my hands behind my back.
"In truth, I can simply meet the Japanese Prime Minister directly. Rather than going through Your Excellency."
"……!"
Park Jae-yeol's eyes went wide. His pupils trembled faintly.
I could take the antidotes and deal with the Japanese Prime Minister directly.
There was no need to go through Park Jae-yeol at all.
"I prefer Korea over Paris, and I prefer the Pensive Bodhisattvas over the Mona Lisa—but Ghost……. That friend seems to think a bit differently."
"Ghost?!"
"He's someone who has completely lost his affection for Korea. That's precisely why I'm trying to give him the clearing intel for up to the 46th floor as well. It's a fine pretext, after all. The intel was given by the President of the Republic of Korea—so let's go back to Korea."
"Ahh—."
"But there's something."
I put on an expression full of concern.
Park Jae-yeol focused on me all the more.
"Ghost—that friend of mine is rather introverted, you see."
"Is that so? How unexpected."
"Yes. He's the sort who never leaves the house. He only meets one person, and that person is me."
"Haha."
"Ghost worries a great deal. He frets endlessly that if he were to climb the Murim Tower in Korea again, his identity might end up being exposed."
"My."
Park Jae-yeol's eyes had flashed open at the mention of Ghost, then fell again with a sigh.
"And so—"
I looked at him directly.
"I would like Your Excellency to hide Ghost for me."
"H, how would that work?"
"Please lend me your precious grandson, Park Je-hwang."
"Pardon?"
I took Park Jae-yeol's hand.
"I will make the 37th floor—Korea's long-cherished aspiration—into a Golden Tower floor."
"……?!"
"Under the name of Park Je-hwang."