STM 106

I looked away for a moment and then mumbled an answer as if it wasn’t important.

“Why worry about the future already? There are mountains of problems to solve right now.”

“It’s a mountain. I have to send you to Kun alone, without any of my people.”

I was about to take a bite of the boneless chicken when I stopped.

“Just me?”

“I got a message from Kun. They said they don’t need a dowry, and none of your servants can come along. Just you, all by yourself.”

It’s a strategy to isolate me. I chewed the delicious chicken, fueling my determination.

“I won’t lose in this battle of wills.”

“That’s the spirit of an Incheon native.”

She nodded with satisfaction.

“Tairok might try to lord his status over you, but do you think I’d really send you to that dangerous place alone?”

“But you said I have to go alone?”

“Yes, you’ll have to go alone today. But there will be a guard staying near Kun’s main castle to assist you. It’s called Acorn Forest, right behind the castle.”

Acorn Forest. I heard from Solongo, who was compiling the dowry list, that it was the item the Kun family desired the most.

“I also placed an artifact there that allows me to communicate with you. Have you ever seen a crystal ball?”

I nodded immediately. In one corner of her study was a crystal ball the size of a bowling ball. I’d briefly seen her use it to converse with someone upstairs.

It was similar to a video call, but after one communication, you had to wait more than half a day to use it again. That’s why Doctor Kim had several of those crystal balls.

“If you have something to say to me, find the largest rock in the Acorn Forest. There’s a hut in front of it.”

“But how did you come to own the land right behind his castle?”

“I bought it. To be exact, I traded it for something Tairok wanted.”

Recalling that time must have put her in a good mood, because a rare smile appeared on Doctor Kim’s lips.

“A few years ago, I learned that Tairok was secretly searching for an item. It was an ancient artifact, a tomb lantern about this big.”

She spread her hands wide, indicating a size of about 30 cm.

“Oh, you had that?”

“No. But since Tairok wanted it, I was going to look for it first.”

Her boldness was gradually becoming scary.

“It was a relic passed down like a legend in one region. It was said to illuminate a hero’s tomb, but the problem was it was extremely hard to find. There were rumors of a massive gem embedded in it, so people had searched for hundreds of years without even finding the tomb entrance.”

“How did you find it, Doctor?”

“With money.”

“……Ah, yes.”

“Once I got my hands on it, I leaked some information, and Tairok contacted me immediately. He said he’d pay whatever I asked, but I’d just hand over the tomb lantern. So I demanded a price Tairok would never agree to.”

She chuckled again. That smile was a sure sign that she had tormented Tairok.

“Acorn Forest?”

“Yes. It’s a forest bordering their main castle, so no sane person would hand it over to someone else. But the next day, he contacted me saying yes.”

So that’s how she got that forest. Why on earth did he need that lantern? Anyway, it was clear that Tairok had grown to dislike Doctor Kim because of that. But the feud didn’t end there.

“Once I got my hands on the Acorn Forest, the first thing I planned on doing was checking out the Kun family’s curse. But that damn bastard!”

Suddenly, Doctor Kim’s voice grew louder.

“He blocked not just all the paths to the Acorn Forest, but the entire perimeter! It’s my land, but I can’t even enter it! That cursed fool!”

She was furious, but this time I couldn’t completely side with her. They just seemed like two of a kind. However, I managed to find a flaw in Tairok and pointed it out.

“Instead of doing that, couldn’t Tairok just offer to buy the land back…?”

“He did. He kept requesting it for a year.”

“Ah, and you…?”

“Of course I refused! Why would I agree to that? Then later, he started interfering with our merchant group’s business at every turn. That rude bastard.”

“So what happened?”

“So I tormented him even more. Hahaha~ Because I’m richer!”

I looked at Doctor Kim, who laughed heartily, and thought, “How fortunate we are on the same side.”

“Then this vicious bastard changed his tactics and began waging a public opinion war, trying to undermine the authority of the Adeye merchant group’s reputation. So I had no choice but to sell it to someone the world would never find.”

“Is there such a person?”

“Yes, Mr. Ekaf.”

“Who is it?”

“My alias.”

…Flip it around and it’s “fake.” It was such a one-dimensional pseudonym that I barely held back a laugh. But she was in the middle of boasting about her achievement.

“So Tairok couldn’t get his hands on the Acorn Forest, and he lost any pretext to harass me.”

A triumphant smile spread across Doctor Kim’s face. Meanwhile, I finally understood why Tairok had tried to kill me the first time he saw me.

“You’ve managed to survive until now without getting stabbed.”

“Would I hire the best mercenary in Tubain for nothing?”

I figured as much. I clicked my tongue inwardly but paused

“Then, if they find out that you’re still the owner of the Acorn Forest…”

“Your life as a fellow Adeye will be in danger.”

“……I guess so.”

“So, when you go to the Acorn Forest, be careful not to get noticed.”

“…….”

“Oh, the paths into the Acorn Forest are all blocked, so you’ll have to go through the main castle. Find your way around it yourself.”

“Didn’t you say that Kun’s main castle was cursed?”

“You said you can see through black magic, right? Just dodge that petty curse and go.”

I wanted to curse Doctor Kim with that “petty curse.” I don’t even want guards, I just wanted to stay away from the Acorn Forest altogether.

Before I could voice my true feelings, Doctor Kim excitedly explained the location of the guards in Acorn Forest.

“Find the largest rock. Next to it is an abandoned mountain ranger’s hut.”

At this point, I started to wonder about the guard who was staying in the Acorn Forest.

“You said no one could enter? Who is this guard?”

“Black Bear.”

Ah, that person. When I returned from Borhumi and was recovering, Solongo had briefly told me about her. She was the one who eliminated the monsters after I collapsed and safely brought me home.

You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but she just looks like an ordinary middle-aged woman.

“What’s her real identity? No name? She must be skilled? She was the one who took out the monsters back then, right?”

“If you’re curious, find out yourself. I can’t give you information about Black Bear first. That’s the contract condition.”

Saying that made her sound impressive. And attaching someone like that to me made me feel the weight of her concern.

“I’ll do well so I won’t need to use the guard.”

Doctor Kim looked at me quietly and then, without saying a word, pushed the pickled radish closer to me.

“Eat a lot.”

“Yes,” I answered confidently, putting the pickled radish in my mouth. The more I chewed, the more I was amazed.

“This really tastes like chicken radish.”

Especially since it’s been cut into cubes.

“I did boneless today because we were short on time, but next time I’ll fry chicken legs.”

“Yes, and if we just had chicken seasoning, it’d be perfect… Damn this cursed land.”

When I was frustrated by my thoughtless and unrealistic hopes, Doctor Kim expressed deep sympathy.

“No wonder monsters burst out of the ground. If there were chili peppers, why would such nasty things emerge?”

Doctor Kim, a renowned scholar in her original world, became a master of absurd logic ten years after settling in Tubain.

“No, seriously, does it make sense that there are no chili peppers? Are you sure you’ve looked everywhere?”

“Yes, I’ve scoured most places.”

She probably used money to search anywhere… Wait?

“What about the area around Kun Castle? What about the Acorn Forest?”

“I can’t enter there…!”

Crash!

Doctor Kim shoved her chair back, stood up, and commanded me.

“Leave now! Get to Kun, hurry!”

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Rick was a bit nervous about coming to Adeye. Now that they were bound by marriage, there was no need to be hostile anymore, but that didn’t mean all the ill feelings had disappeared in an instant.

It seemed the same for Tairok, who had even refused a cup of tea and was standing in front of the mansion. But why keep the guests standing there for so long? What on earth were those siblings talking about for so long?

“I didn’t know the Adeye siblings were this close.”

That’s right. Lantuya was holding Lu’s hand tightly and whispering something to him like a parent giving instructions to a child, and Lu continued to nod obediently.

“But anyone watching would think that the matriarch is the older sister.”

Again, there was no response from Tairok. That didn’t mean he wasn’t interested, though.

He too was watching the two people’s from afar. His gaze was filled with a murderous intent and directed at Lantuya.

Of course, Rick understood. There was plenty of grudge built up against Lantuya. He had no choice but to join hands strategically, but he probably still hated her. Perhaps Tairok was thinking of the Acorn Forest right now…

“Why is her gaze on her brother so impure?”

Suddenly, a low complaint escaped Tairok’s lips. It was a reason Rick hadn’t considered at all, leaving him bewildered.