NOVEL NEXT Chapter 25
As I opened the shabby door and stepped inside, a space resembling an office appeared.
‘It’s tidier than I expected.’
In some ways, this is a typical underground scene.
On the outside, it looks dark and dirty, but when you take a closer look, it’s often not as gloomy as it seems, and the structure is surprisingly organized, comparable to a large corporation in the deep.
“Cough… Phew… Cough…”
On the table in the center, a small girl was sleeping soundly, snoring.
“Hey.”
“Cough… Huh…? What is it…?”
Upon being addressed, the girl looked at me with drowsy eyes.
After blinking several times, she said,
“It’s not business hours…”
“Do you guys have specific business hours or something?”
“What? Were you a ‘that’ kind of customer?”
[Mouse Hole] is superficially a junk shop.
Whether it’s information or antiques, there’s something oddly similar about buying and selling.
“Yawn~ Just sit over there. Should I offer you some tea? I only have green tea, though, heh heh.”
“Then please do.”
“…I’ve never had a customer actually request it before. Usually, they all refuse.”
Well, most people who come to [Mouse Hole] are those who are desperate for information.
They’d want to buy information instead of idly sipping tea.
“Just wait patiently.”
The girl stood up from her chair and went inside.
As she turned around, I caught a glimpse of a long, smooth, apricot-colored tail growing just above her backside.
‘A mouse beastkin.’
If I were to take off the heavily draped robe, she would likely have round ears on her head.
‘I’d like to see that.’
Now that I think about it, this is my first encounter with a beastkin since my reincarnation.
Beastkins are mostly widespread on the Eastern continent, so I hadn’t had many opportunities to come across one.
‘Once I get into Polaris, I’ll probably see quite a few.’
They’re mixed in among the faculty there.
“Here’s your tea.”
The girl handed me the green tea.
It was brewed more strongly than I had anticipated.
“Thanks. I didn’t know you had a knack for making tea, Robel.”
“…Heh!”
The mouse beastkin girl, Robel, giggled and looked up at me.
“Since you know my name, I doubt you’re just an ordinary customer.”
“…”
“Did you come to visit, big brother?”
“Pleasant to hear you speak directly.”
I set the green tea down after taking a sip and got to the point.
“I have quite a lot of information to share, filled with things you’d drool over.”
“Hmm. Are you underestimating our information network? Plenty of fools have come here thinking they had something to sell and ended up getting nowhere~.”
“That’s something to judge on hearing.”
“Hehe! If you happen to have anything useful, I could pay you quite a bit. You look pretty much my type, you know. But—”
Robel pulled out a dagger from her bosom and aimed it at my neck.
A cunning yet slimy grin was drawn on her lips.
“If it’s a joke… you better be ready?”
.
.
.
“Here you are.”
“Big brother! You’ve returned~!”
About three days had passed since I sold my first piece of information.
In other words, it was time to settle the payment for what I had sold.
Tadat!
As soon as Robel saw me, her eyes sparkled, and she rushed over.
“Big brother, big brother! How on earth did you manage that?!”
“What do you mean?”
“Noo~! How did you acquire such SSS-grade information?!”
She spun around me, wagging her tail excitedly.
“It was such a huge hit… Do you have any idea how much our sales skyrocketed because of that?”
The information I revealed was nothing special.
Just a few bits about the ‘game’s setting’ I learned from repeating multiple story arcs.
For example, the location of hidden dungeons, weaknesses of specific monsters, and strategies.
Or places where a rogue noble has hidden illegal slave trade records, where a notorious serial killer with a high bounty is hiding, or the whereabouts of a factory producing illegal drugs, and so on.
“To be honest, none of those were of real use to me.”
I didn’t disclose anything I truly considered important or that I needed to keep to myself.
But apparently, that alone was enough high-quality information.
“When I first heard it, I thought it was nonsense…! But as everything fell into place, I was absolutely spooked!”
“Is that so?”
“I’ve never had such quality information come from a single person before!”
Robel gently closed her eyes, looking absolutely elated.
“So, where’s my payment?”
Well, that’s a separate matter.
Business needs to be conducted properly.
“Hehe. You’re so eager! I’ve prepared everything here!”
Robel gestured to the table with both hands.
Three hefty bags of money sat there.
Just in case, I checked, and they were filled to the brim with shiny golden coins.
“O… wow…”
“I added a little extra to show my appreciation. Hehe, so I hope you keep being good to me in the future?”
Robel opened her eyes slightly while rubbing her hands together.
I chuckled as I gathered the bags of money.
“Noted.”
“Don’t say it like that; it makes me feel a bit neglected…”
Her tail brushed against my back.
The tip of her tail drew hearts repeatedly like a paintbrush.
“I prefer capable men over just pretty boys.”
Maybe because she’s wearing Ran’s face.
It seems she’s mistaking me for someone older.
Robel looks like a ten-year-old, after all.
‘But in terms of settings, she’s actually 25.’
She is a full eight years older than me.
“If you’re accommodating me this much, I should have no trouble selling you more information.”
“Really?! Thank you~.”
“But instead, I need you to help me with one thing.”
“What is it? Just tell me.”
“I need an identity. If you use your connections, it should be quicker to gain it, right?”
“Ah, of course! If it’s for you, big brother.”
Surprisingly, I was able to receive my identification card that very same afternoon.
With the name ‘Ran Black’ stamped right on it.
“Fa… fast.”
I thought it would take at least a few days.
But this eases my concerns quite a bit.
“Hehe, how does it feel? Do I look a bit different now?”
“Not bad.”
“A bit cool, right…?”
As I tucked the identification card into my pocket, I scanned my surroundings.
A large map that I hadn’t seen before now hung on the wall.
It seemed like it had been marked with what looked like various notes scribbled all over it.
“What’s that?”
“Huh? Oh no, I almost forgot to cover it.”
Robel quickly covered the map with a curtain.
“Now that I’ve seen it, can you at least tell me what it is?”
“It’s nothing special. A client asked me to find someone.”
“Someone?”
“You know our line of work relies on trust, right? I can’t tell you more than that, even to you, big brother.”
She cheekily smiled, placing her finger over her lips.
“Looks like finding a person has brought you all the way here. You must be really desperate.”
I wonder if they lost money or are betrayers of some organization.
Either way, with the [Mouse Hole] beginning to track them down, any clumsy ones will get caught quickly.
‘Poor thing.’
They’re not going to end up well.
*
– “Come visit often, big brother~ you’re always welcome!”
Building a relationship with Robel is a necessary step.
If I build a connection with her in the game, she’ll hint at upcoming events.
[I hear a war is going to break out soon.▼]
[The movements of monsters in the dungeon have been unusual lately?▼]
[A significant magical reaction has been observed at the ruins of the old Empire. Something feels off….▼]
Even if it’s not due to those reasons, she’s a talented informant.
There’s no harm in establishing a bond.
“Phew…”
I’ve now done most of the preparations I can.
All that’s left is the entrance exam.
Hoo! Swish!
In the early morning, an open space.
I went out with my sword and began to loosen up my body.
「Sword Mastery」Lv.3
A top-tier sword skill encompassing all forms of swordsmanship.
‘While general sword skills are specialized in specific areas, ‘Sword Mastery’ significantly enhances one’s understanding of the sword itself.’
Hoo-!
The sword cut through the air.
The hollow feeling spread through my fingertips and across my body.
It felt as if the sword had become a part of me.
“Impressive…”
It was just a few swings of the sword, but I could feel how much my swordsmanship had improved.
In this state, it’d be tough to take on Ornika, but I felt I could adequately face other members of the third tier.
‘And.’
This wasn’t the only thing I had obtained this time.
[Using “Kang-gi.”]
I circulated the energy in my lower abdomen, adapting the techniques of strengthening and defense.
Woo…!
An armor of energy wrapped around my whole body.
As a test, I lightly poked the sword towards me.
Clang!
The sword produced a metallic sound and halted in its tracks.
With this, I’m now a Kang-gi user.
I’m no longer in the unfortunate state of being taken out by one hits.
‘Now all that’s left is.’
There was one thing I desperately wanted to do before the exam.
“Phew, I’m nervous.”
I exhaled and sat cross-legged on the floor.
With my eyes closed, I reflected within my body.
Suuuu!
Energy filled in my lower abdomen.
‘Now, let’s take this and—’
Deliberately stimulating it, I made it surge violently!
Krraaaahh!
“Cough… Ah…!”
A piercing pain shot through my brain.
Still, it was much easier to endure than when I opened my lower energy.
Crack! Crack!
How much time has passed?
As the pain gradually subsided, sweat and heat surged throughout my body.
[“Middle Dan-chan” is now open.]
[The limit of usable energy has increased.]
The energy that was rampaging in my lower abdomen flooded into a new space.
“Haah!”
When I opened my eyes, the world appeared much clearer.
The sensations on my skin were more refined than before.
The fresh morning air seeped deep into my lungs.
Everything has become more distinct.
‘In this state,’
I shouldn’t lose to anyone just taking the entrance exam.
I clenched my fists tightly and smiled slightly.
“Alright.”
Time to smash them.
Entrance exam.