I Became the Cute One in the Problem-Solving Team

The round-glassed, freckled, sexy sleeveless sister, Tara, led me into what appeared to be a third-rate general store that looked utterly unimpressive.

The shelves displayed nothing but cheap items that seemed hastily assembled from junkyard scraps.

Indeed, it looked like a shabby shop even for the Northern Slum, hidden away in a corner.

“Well, there probably won’t be much here that you’d like… but if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I’ll explain everything in detail.”

Tara said this while plopping herself down at the checkout counter and resting her chin on her hand.

She was surprisingly kind, contrasting with the pathetic quality of the items in her care.

I nodded gently at her, then wandered about, eventually finding two items.

One was a broken key, and the other was a small safe the size of my palm.

As I brought those over to Tara, her eyes sparkled behind her glasses for a moment.

Then, she casually scanned my entire body from bottom to top with her gaze.

It felt as if I were under the watchful eye of a lioness, which gave me quite an uneasy feeling.

“This is… a proper guest who knows what they’re looking for, huh?”

“…”

“Okay. I’ll show you right away.”

Tara’s reaction to the key and safe—nothing but junk—was not just a coincidence.

Presenting these to her meant I was signaling that I was referred here by an acquaintance and wanted to see the right merchandise.

Tara, with her very cool and tough demeanor, lightly got up from her seat.

She walked to one side of the shop and vigorously pulled down a dusty lever mounted on the wall.

With a thud.

The ground shook as it opened, exposing a secret staircase leading down.

Wow, this is genuinely impressive.

I marveled inwardly, forcing myself to keep a calm expression while suppressing my excitement.

Right now, I was not Yuria in a fox mask, but an unknown guest X in a goblin mask.

Acting too freely did not align with my character’s interception. Resisting was key.

“Now, please come this way.”

“…!”

Regardless of how much I tried to contain my excitement,

She dusted her hands and went down the stairs first, gesturing for me to follow.

Step by step. Following Tara into the basement felt like entering a different world.

The interior, neither excessive nor scant, was filled with all sorts of mechanical devices and weapons.

There was an extraordinary-looking telescope, a cybernetic axe, and an octo-legged cleaning robot.

Not to mention instruments with gun barrels, a chair that seemed made for giants, and a TV fluttering like a film…

Items of all kinds, made with mechanical devices, freely rolled around without restraint.

And the discreet LED lights streaming down from the ceiling, along with a faint rise of smoke from the ground, truly made this place feel like a romantic secret base.

‘Wow… is this heaven? If I only had enough money, I’d buy everything on sight.’

This space was so alluring that it made my mouth water.

Honestly, I wanted to lay down a blanket here and play with each item.

I stealthily approached a firearm that was obscured by a magazine on the nearest shelf.

Then, I noticed some hasty writing next to the gun.

[This firearm operates electrically. Do NOT use it underwater! Comes with a charger and battery.]

This was definitely not a common item that just anyone could wield.

As I stared at the pretty handwriting that seemed to belong to Tara herself, I checked the price of the electric gun.

“…!”

No way, this price is ridiculous. This is like a few months’ worth of my office job wages?

But the price I saw was absurd, defying common sense.

I could only inhale sharply as if I had just poured cold water over my head.

The fiery greed swelling in my chest vanished in an instant.

I realized I couldn’t afford most of the items here even if I poured out all my savings.

Indeed, the quickest and most effective remedy was financial therapy.

With my reason gradually returning, I stole a glance at Tara, who quietly sat in a corner.

‘Still… most of the things here are worth a decent amount. Opportunities to buy products from a mechanical artisan don’t come by often.’

I quietly recalled the information about her that had vaguely breezed through in the original story.

Tara was a pureblooded human, a rarity even in Night Haven.

And though the shop was called a general store, it was more like a mechanical specialty shop.

While Greg operated an antique shop buying sentimental items, this felt like a place where anything mechanical could be bought or sold.

In reality, she was a renowned mechanical expert from Germany, known for creating all sorts of mechanical devices.

However, she ended up in Northern Slum due to being wrongfully accused of a crime due to betrayal by someone she considered family.

Eventually, she quietly settled in this area, using her skills to fix and sell discarded machines.

Then came the twist: she finds a little kid to raise, only to end up in a reverse confession situation, dating him in the end. Ah, wish you a beautiful love story. I’m rooting for you.

Anyway, there were various backstories, but I didn’t need to worry about those.

Let others handle the love stories. The two crucial facts to focus on were simple.

First, Tara was a pretty skilled mechanic making a decent living out of a shop in a sparsely populated area.

And second, there was a terminal here that I could afford with my allowance!

‘Wait… Oh, this! This is it!’

After meticulously searching every nook and cranny of the shelves, I finally spotted what I was looking for.

It was a flat terminal that operated by touching the screen, a form quite familiar to me.

Why had I been searching for this plain-looking item, you ask?

Well, a glance at the price next to it easily revealed the answer.

Looking as pristine as a new product with not a single scratch on the screen and a well-crafted design.

But compared to similar models, it was almost a third of the price.

No matter how you put it, a second-hand product wouldn’t be slashed down to this extent.

It was suspicious enough to suggest that there must be something seriously wrong.

Turns out, the item indeed had issues. Reading the side explanation revealed that, while its appearance and durability were fine, it was a defective item with inexplicable bugs cropping up occasionally.

However, I needed it now. This was the affordable exit that would solve my identity problem.

Thus, with a confident feeling, I presented the terminal to Tara.

“Oh, that… Is one enough? It’s just the terminal, so you’ll have to buy a communication contract separately, maybe with an illegal chip from the black market.”

“…!”

“If that’s okay with you… well, since it’s a terminal, I’ll pack it in a box for you.”

Rustle, rustle.

Tara neatly placed the terminal and its accessories into a clean-looking box.

I handed her the cash Raven had given me and received the box containing the terminal.

It was a smooth transaction with no haggling involved.

I tightly hugged the box as if I might drop it any second, then turned on my heel, now devoid of any further business.

Hehe, I can’t wait to get home and open this. So excited.

Even now, a giddy smile started to creep onto my face.

Just as I was about to ascend through the stairs, a strange beeping noise caught my ear.

What is that sound?

I turned my gaze in that direction to find Tara slightly furrowing her brows.

“…?”

“No, it’s nothing. I think someone might have come by outside. You can take your time going up.”

“…!”

“No, I was planning to go out right now anyway.”

I shook my head gently, then went up the stairs immediately.

Tara ran a small shop serving a trustworthy handful of customers.

I couldn’t help but feel sorry if my presence generated strange rumors. I had already made a purchase. I needed to leave quickly.

As I hastily exited the basement, Tara quickly followed me and raised the lever.

The ground moved again, hiding the staircase leading down…

But I was too busy listening to the commotion coming from outside.

The reason I wasn’t paying attention to the secret staircase, which I would normally check once more, was simple.

I heard a familiar voice outside.

“Hey, why are you blocking the entrance? Is there something in there that shouldn’t be seen?”

“Ah, no, there’s nothing like that…! I-I’m busy right now…!”

“Busy people don’t take guests? What sort of unfair treatment is this? I’m a customer too, you know. This is just really hurtful.”

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

A low man’s voice that has become so common and familiar lately.

No way, why is he here?

After confirming that the stairs were well concealed, I opened the locked door from within.

Beyond the door stood a man with black hair, leaning in a slouch.

“…?”

“Oh. Uh… Hello?”

As if I could just pretend not to see him.

I squeezed my eyes shut at the sight of Raven, who evidently had been trailing me all along.

Just how had he followed me here without a trace?

In front of someone who easily saw through my disguise as Guest X with a goblin mask, I could only let out a sigh.