Chapter 35

An officetel building located in Banghwa-dong.

“How is it? Amazing, right?”

The real estate agent, with a business smile, explains the building.

“I was surprised too when this building suddenly came up for a quick sale. There are ten officetels per floor. The first and second floors are commercial spaces, so there are a total of eighty units.”

We enter the empty officetel together.

“It’s a duplex with six pyeong downstairs and four pyeong upstairs. The air is good near Gaehwasan, and Banghwa Station isn’t too far. It’s a bit far to walk to Hangang Park, but not too far.”

We go up to the rooftop.

“This is also a masterpiece. The previous owner made the rooftop into a garden and didn’t allow the tenants to come up. It’s like a small forest in the city, right?”

As the real estate agent said, the rooftop could indeed be called a forest. The ground was thickly covered with soil, and many small trees were planted.

“There’s also a vegetable garden over there. Sir, what do you think?”

“It’s nice.”

At my answer, the real estate agent’s smile widens.

“Right? It’s really nice, isn’t it? Haha. I really put in a lot of legwork to find this property.”

I can’t help but smile at the agent’s words.

This building wasn’t found by the agent’s legwork but was connected through the Dark Merchant. The real estate agent just happened to learn about this building and introduced it to me.

– You will like it.

Park Dong-hyuk is buying a building that came up for auction and selling it to me.

– A nearby school is also up for sale.

I heard that the number of students has been decreasing recently, and more schools on the outskirts of Seoul are closing down. The place Park Dong-hyuk introduced is one of those schools, and it is very close to the officetel I am looking at now.

The reason Park Dong-hyuk is recommending the school is because of the establishment of a private school foundation.

– The Tower Master of Kraksha wants to spend money for the children, so I am recommending it. Children in childcare facilities are often bullied at school. It would be better to establish a private school foundation and create a school just for the children in childcare facilities.

I am ignorant about such things, but I know that the process of creating a private school foundation is not easy. However, Park Dong-hyuk said that if I decide, he will proceed immediately as if it were no big deal.

“How are the tenants’ contracts?”

“There are no lease contracts. They are all monthly rentals. If you want, you can evict them all next month. As for the commercial spaces, I believe the re-contract is in three months. If you notify them in advance, you can evict them.”

“Let’s proceed right away.”

“Haha, as expected, you are straightforward, boss.”

After parting ways with the real estate agent, I head to the school that Park Dong-hyuk introduced.

“Why did such a good school close down?”

All the buildings are new, and the playground is covered with artificial turf. The school consists of buildings where students study, a gymnasium, and a dormitory.

I walk along the track on the playground.

If I decide to run a private school foundation, this school will be for children in childcare facilities only.

“Things are getting bigger.”

Although things are getting bigger than originally planned, I don’t feel bad about it.

To buy the officetel and the school, I will need much more money than I have. But I am not worried. There is a dark merchant who lends money interest-free.

After looking around the buildings one by one, I leave the school.

“Alright. Let’s do it. I’ll give being the chairman of a foundation a try.”

*

A woman enters the cafe, looking around, and our eyes meet. She is the woman I saw in the photo sent by Park Dong-hyuk.

“Here.”

The woman approaches and greets me with a smile.

“Hello. I am Park Eun-jung.”

“I am No-woon.”

Park Eun-jung sits down.

“What would you like to drink?”

“I’ll have an iced Americano.”

After ordering the drink, I return to my seat.

“You worked at Seoul City Hall, right?”

“Yes. I was kicked out, but it’s true that I worked there.”

Park Eun-jung smiles bitterly.

It was Park Dong-hyuk who recommended Park Eun-jung.

– She got in trouble for speaking the truth. She blew the whistle on the budget that was supposed to go to childcare facilities being siphoned off, but because the media owner was close to the mayor, not a single article was published.

After the whistleblowing was discovered, she couldn’t endure the ostracism from her boss and colleagues and eventually left Seoul City Hall.

“Have you heard the story?”

“Yes.”

“We are planning to purchase an officetel building and a school soon.”

“What? A school?”

“Someone recommended it. They said that children from childcare facilities are often bullied and ignored at school.”

“That’s right. There are quite a few parents who cause a fuss at school when their children are in the same class as children from childcare facilities. Even though the children from the facilities haven’t done anything wrong, they are viewed with prejudice.”

Park Eun-jung speaks with a hardened expression.

“Rather, it’s the other children who treat them badly.”

“So, we are planning to create a school just for the children.”

“It must cost a lot of money to run a school along with the childcare facilities.”

“Don’t worry about the money. We have more than it seems. If the children need anything, don’t hesitate to buy it. The budget for that is unlimited.”

“Unlimited?”

Park Eun-jung’s eyes widen in surprise.

“Leave the money worries to me and do everything you’ve always wanted to do. More importantly, are there people who will work with us?”

“Of course. There are quite a few public officials who were kicked out for similar reasons. We are also planning to form a civic group with some like-minded people. I also know some directors of childcare facilities. There are many corrupt facilities, but those people are really upright. That’s why they struggle more.”

“I will leave everything related to the childcare facilities to you. I only have one request.”

He looks at Park Eun-jung.

“Whatever you do, always think of the children first. That’s all.”

*

There is a theory in criminal psychology called the broken windows theory.

The theory is that if a broken window is left unattended, crime will increase around it.

Let’s interpret the broken windows theory in reverse.

Couldn’t a small good deed gradually brighten the surroundings?

Contrary to my intentions, things are getting bigger, but if these actions that I started become a light for someone, that too would be meaningful.

Scratch- Scratch-

I am crafting an artifact in the completed underground laboratory.

I am remaking the Mana Drain Artifact from scratch. Following the advice of the Twelve Elders, I place the runes and reconnect the mana paths.

“Hoo-.”

I finished engraving the runes up to the sixth circle. The runes that were blocked when I made the previous artifact are now flowing smoothly.

It might be due to the level-up.

Now, only 64 runes remain to be engraved in the last circle.

In fact, the runes engraved up to the sixth circle are just preparatory work for the runes to be engraved in the last circle.

I bring the carving knife to the disc.

Unlike before, I don’t feel uneasy or as if something is warning me.

“Greed.”

I engrave the rune of greed.

“Exploitation.”

I engrave the runes one by one into the seventh circle. Sweat drops onto the disc. I am so engrossed in the work that I don’t even think about wiping the sweat.

These are runes of the seventh circle.

Even a slight lapse in concentration could lead to a major accident.

After engraving ten runes, I put down the carving knife. My head throbs from the long concentration.

I stretch and stand up from my seat.

On a shelf a little away from the work table, there are a few stones emitting a faint blue light.

They are top-grade mana stones brought from the world of Doomsday.

After learning how to bring mana stones into reality, I asked my master for a few top-grade mana stones.

When the Mana Drain Artifact is completed, it will be equipped with top-grade mana stones instead of mana paint.

“How much would it fetch if I sold it?”

The highest grade of mana stones that can be mined from the 29th-floor mana stone mine occupied by the United States is ‘low-grade’. Even then, low-grade mana stones are very scarce, and most of them are the lowest grade.

In the Tower of Magic of Kraksha, the lowest grade mana stones are not even considered mana stones. They are only used by apprentice wizards for practice.

I once asked my master how much a top-grade mana stone would cost.

At that time, my master answered like this:

– Top-grade mana stones are strategic materials, so no one would sell them. Our Tower of Magic is the same. If you insist on selling it, wouldn’t you have to get at least ten million gold?

One gold in Doomsday is ten thousand won in cash.

If it’s ten million gold, that’s one trillion won.

Even in reality, it might be traded at that price, but it’s clear that it would be traded at an enormous price.

I considered selling a mana stone to cover the money needed for the foundation, but I concluded that it would be better not to.

Even in the magical kingdom of Kraksha, they classify it as a strategic material and do not sell it to other countries.

After finishing another fulfilling day, I return home.

*

“Songi, is it delicious?”

“Yes, it’s really delicious.”

I told Miryeong that I wanted to eat seafood after a long time, so she went to the Noryangjin Fish Market herself, bought various kinds of seafood, and made seafood soup.

“Wow, the broth is really refreshing.”

“I’m glad it suits your taste.”

“The food Miryeong makes is always the best.”

In the early days after moving in, I ate separately from the Baek Songi family.

Maybe because of the employer-employee relationship, they found me a bit difficult. As time passed, eating alone became lonely, so I suggested we eat together.

“Sir, Songi really likes the swing. Thank you so much.”

Baek Seonghun slightly bows his head.

It seemed like Baek Songi had nowhere to play after coming back from school, so I hung a swing on the biggest tree in the garden. Whenever she gets a chance, she rides the swing. When Songi rides the swing, Seolgi and the little ones hover around, asking to be pushed too.

“I heard a very famous awakener moved in nearby.”

“Really?”

“What was the name again? Kwon Taemin? Kwon Taehyun?”

“Kwon Daeyoung?”

“Ah, yes, Kwon Daeyoung.”

Kwon Daeyoung, the master of the Haedong Guild, nicknamed Iron Wall, is one of the top ten awakeners in Korea.

Along with the Chiu Guild, the Haedong Guild is the guild that newly awakened awakeners most want to join.

The reason is that Guild Master Kwon Daeyoung does not assert his authority and distributes the spoils of conquest equally.

When I dreamed of awakening, I also wanted to join the Haedong Guild if I ever awakened.

“He’s a grateful person.”

“Sorry?”

Baek Seonghun asks, puzzled.

“Haha, it’s nothing.”

From noble mtl dot com

Aren’t all the representative guilds of Korea my precious clients?

After finishing the meal, I sit in the living room with Baek Seong-hoon’s family, eating fruit for dessert and watching TV.

“There are so many bad people in the world.”

Cha Mi-ryeong frowns as she watches a government official being interviewed in front of the prosecutor’s office.

The country is in an uproar over the corruption related to childcare facilities.

The next person to appear is a member of the National Assembly. The shameless face of the congressman, who claims his innocence, is on the list that Park Dong-hyuk sent.

Soon, Korea will become even noisier.

Once the artifact that can completely cure mana addiction is completed.

I am already looking forward to how many of those dung flies will swarm to the delicious food.

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