Transferred to an SSS-rank Production Class

“Benefactor, say ‘ah’!”

“Tora, or rather Cheong-jae. I’ve had enough.”

“Just watching you eat fills me up, Benefactor!”

The man, Sa Mok-yeong, placed some side dishes on top of Cheong-jae’s rice bowl.

“You’re so thin because you neglect your meals.”

However, Cheong-jae could only gaze at him in awe, unable to easily pick up her chopsticks. Sa Mok-yeong let out a short sigh and once again brought some food to Cheong-jae’s mouth.

“Go on.”

“Y-yes…!”

Cheong-jae’s face turned as red as a ripe persimmon as she slowly opened her mouth. The first bite was difficult, but the second and third came easily. As Cheong-jae munched on the food Sa Mok-yeong offered, it was as if pink star-shaped flowers were blooming all around her.

When Cheong-jae had said she was his snail, Sa Mok-yeong hadn’t expected things to turn out like this.

Sa Mok-yeong’s frosty attitude had melted away after Cheong-jae revealed a few stories he had told her as proof. He even invited us to join the meal.

“I feel like we’re intruding…” “If you have time to talk, just finish your meal.”

“Hmph, you’re so mean.”

Lee Kang-to pouted and stirred his soup with his chopsticks.

“What kind of table manners are those!”

The straight-laced goblin, predictably, didn’t let this slide and smacked the back of Lee Kang-to’s hand. An argument instantly flared up, splitting the atmosphere on either side of the table with me in the center.

‘Either way, neither of them makes for a particularly pleasant dining companion.’

Though Lee Kang-to’s cooking was excellent, it was hard to savor the flavors in this atmosphere. Clicking my tongue, I mixed my remaining rice with the soup and quickly gulped it down. As soon as I set down my chopsticks with a clack, Lee Kang-to and the goblin fell silent as if on cue.

“What’s wrong with you two?”

Belatedly, I recalled what had happened this morning. Was it because of that? No, even then, it wasn’t much of anything. They were an odd pair, either overly timid or bold—I couldn’t tell which.

In any case, with one side quieting down, the atmosphere became more orderly. Since we were here anyway, I thought I might as well gather some information and posed a question to Sa Mok-yeong.

“You said you picked up Cheong-jae seven years ago, right?”

“To be precise, it’s been six years and ten months.”

“Ah, you remember it quite vividly.”

“I naturally remember because I took her in on the anniversary of my sister’s death.”

The air around us suddenly became solemn.

‘I thought she had just moved out on her own, but it’s actually a death anniversary.’

Cheong-jae seemed to be the only one unaffected, suggesting she already knew this fact. She could have given me a heads up about something so important! But what could be done about it now? Instead of making excuses about not knowing, I immediately bowed my head.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up…”

“Please don’t worry about it too much. In these times of plague, who hasn’t lost a family member?”

“I heard she was an excellent physician who knew compassion.”

“Yes, she was. But even she couldn’t escape this nameless plague.”

A bitter smile played on Sa Mok-yeong’s lips.

“I don’t know what to say.”

“It was difficult for a while, but things improved after I took in Tora.”

He said that after bringing in the snail, the house became a mess almost every day, leaving no time for depression. When I cautiously asked if he had heard rumors about his house being haunted, he laughed out loud for the first time.

“Haha, of course I heard.”

“Then why?”

“S-surely you’re not into black magic too… mmph!”

I covered Lee Kang-to’s mouth to stop his unnecessary comments. Sa Mok-yeong, who had been quietly observing us, gave an unexpected answer.

“It was because of Mok-yeong’s last request. She told me never to go west of Sohan.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s a strange request, isn’t it? I know. But if you had seen her face, Player, you wouldn’t have been able to refuse either. That’s why I didn’t move.”

All the NPCs of Sohan had moved west to escape the yokai coming over the eastern wall. The fact that the king had holed up in the western palace likely played a part as well.

‘They seemed to have a good relationship, so why did she prevent him from going to the safer west?’

Sa Mok-yeong gave up his original job and started working as an herb gatherer to keep his sister’s dying wish. He added jokingly that business was good because he was seen as a symbol of luck for surviving in the east.

“So you weren’t originally an herb gatherer.”

“Hunter Yun Gaho, can’t you tell just by looking? You seem like you’ve eaten your fair share of sword rice.”

In response to Lee Kang-to’s words, Sa Mok-yeong answered with an embarrassed smile.

“Though my skills are lacking, I did serve for a time. You have a good eye.”

“This much is basic!”

No wonder his physique seemed extraordinary. Sa Mok-yeong was being modest, but given that he had served not just in a government office but in the palace, his skills must have been considerable.

However, seeing that he didn’t want to discuss the matter further, I changed the subject instead.

“Did you really not know the cause of Cheong-jae messing up the house?”

“Of course not. I had my suspicions.”

“Ah, you knew, Benefactor?”

“Mr. Kim, then why didn’t you get rid of the snail?”

I was left speechless by Sa Mok-yeong’s next answer.

“I welcomed the mess. It felt just like when Mok-yeong was here.”

He said his sister was just as clumsy with housework as Cheong-jae. That’s why Sa Mok-yeong usually took care of the household, but on the rare occasions when he came home late, the house would be in shambles.

“I sometimes indulged in the vain hope that perhaps my sister had returned as Tora.”

“I’m not your sister, Benefactor!”

“But Cheong-jae, you’re already as good as family to me.”

After hearing that she could stay as long as she liked if she had nowhere else to go, Cheong-jae subtly grasped the tip of my hand as if asking for help.

‘Even this spirit seems to have a high wall to overcome.’

I had no intention of interfering in someone else’s love affair. I coldly removed my hand, causing Cheong-jae’s face to darken further. Unaware of his feelings, Sa Mok-yeong worriedly asked about the sudden change in expression.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, that’s not it!”

“…?”

It was a night of crossed wires.

◆◇◆◇◆

Before parting, Cheong-jae told us what had happened with her and Baek-a. At first, the two of them went to the government office near Cheonsan. Then the officers immediately took them somewhere in Sohan.

‘Excuse me. Baek-a was dragged over there.’

I asked several times if she was sure, but her finger pointing westward remained unwavering.

“Are you certain it’s here?”

The majestic palace gate with its ujingak roof, the pavilions and ponds carefully arranged according to feng shui principles, and the mountain range behind them. Yeongwol Palace, commonly known as the Western Palace, stood out brilliantly in the nighttime Sohan. From atop the bell tower, the lanterns throughout the palace looked like stars.

It was a breathtakingly beautiful sight, but I couldn’t enjoy it with a peaceful mind. This was because it was Baek-a’s final destination.

“It’s a hidden quest, but isn’t this too much?”

No matter how I thought about it, there was only one conclusion.

“To think Baek-a was a princess of this country.”

At first, I thought she might be the daughter of a high-ranking official. But if that were the case, she wouldn’t have been able to command the officers like this. There would have been no need to take her to the palace either.

The content of the notice about searching for a daughter could have been a lie, but the rumors Lee Kang-to had gathered during the day nagged at me.

The king had six princesses. Each princess was exceptionally talented, but the king continuously brought in concubines because he had no son. And this stopped exactly 20 years ago, coinciding with Baek-a’s birth.

“I’m also concerned about the rumors that court physicians were at their wits’ end because of the sickly youngest princess.”

Would a king so obsessed with having a son truly cherish his daughters? I could bet my bow that he didn’t. The public reason must be a smokescreen; there had to be some other motive.

“Come to think of it, I wonder if Sa Mok-yeong was called to the palace.”

Given that she was a renowned physician, it seemed likely she would have been summoned. I thought about asking Sa Mok-yeong, but it didn’t feel right to casually bring up his deceased sister. Let’s put this method aside for now.

“Whatever the case, it seems like we need to get inside to get a clearer picture.”

With Lee Kang-to’s camouflage blanket, infiltration itself wouldn’t be a problem. The issue was that this matter involved the royal family. Not only were there few people who knew useful information, but even approaching them wouldn’t be easy. The best option would be to make contact with someone from the royal family.

“That’s not something we can do as we please. They’re a class that’s particularly hostile to Players.”

No matter how much I pondered, I couldn’t come up with an answer.

After mulling it over for a while longer, I lay down on the bell tower roof with my eyes tightly shut. The people of this floor, lacking tall buildings, rarely looked up. It should be fine to stay like this for a bit.

“They say this is the Bell of Calling for this place.”

As I caressed the cold tiles, I imagined the bell beneath.

A bronze bell adorned with reliefs of a dragon coiled above the clouds and dancing groups of people. It was said to be the bell that the leader of humans would strike to summon the Sangje.

As I recalled the mythology of this floor, a preposterous thought suddenly occurred to me. If I rang this and that Sangje deity came out, all problems would be solved.

“It can’t hurt to try, can it?”

To think I’d even consider such a thing—I must be quite desperate. Chuckling, I looked up at the sky to see an unfamiliar expanse filled with countless stars like grains of sand and three moons.

It felt as if the stars might fall onto my face at any moment, and I unconsciously reached out my arm.

“Hm?”

I hadn’t paid much attention to it lately, but the pattern on the back of my hand had changed noticeably. The blue petals, seemingly on the verge of full bloom, were swollen. As if aware that I was looking at it, the petals swayed gently.

As if entranced, I tapped the pattern with my other hand.

[Chimera ‘Haerang’ Egg (B)

: The magnum opus completed by a black mage in his twilight years. It grows by consuming its owner’s magical power. (Hatching progress: 70.3%)

: It has absorbed ancient natural powers.

– Astrona of the Ocean, Exiled Omnipotent Being Yana, Mountain Lord Sarome

※ The final growth form changes depending on the nurturing environment.

※ Hatching progress increases 50% faster by absorbing high-quality power.

※ Non-tradeable item]

I couldn’t help but doubt my eyes. I had expected Sarome, but Yana?

“I suppose it’s fortunate that it’s not a picky eater.”

It was becoming increasingly difficult to predict what kind of creature would be born. I wasn’t afraid, as Kallos had guaranteed it wouldn’t harm me. But it would be a lie to say I had no concerns.

“Surely it won’t inherit their personalities too, right?”

A certainty-like anxiety washed over me. Even setting Yana aside, the other two were no ordinary stubborn mules. Charitably speaking, they were upright, but frankly, they had personalities that would only lead to losses in life.

“…I must be better than those two.”

Muttering without confidence, I channeled magical power into the pattern. In response, the petals contracted and expanded repeatedly like a beating heart. The hatching progress in the system window also slowly increased.

It was getting late, and magical power was draining out, making me increasingly drowsy. Just as I was about to doze off, my Hunter Watch rang. And as if competing, another message arrived right after.

“Yun Su-ho, and Park Shin-ju?”