“Oh? What’s this? Have you already gone?”
Yoon Seo-yeon, whom Se-jin hadn’t seen in a day, spoke to her with her usual nonchalant tone.
“No. The Shop wasn’t open today.”
“Hmm? I wasn’t aware The Shop had days when it remained closed.”
“After all, it had always appeared once a day until now.”
Having spent the entire day waiting for The Shop to open and busying themselves with paperwork, Se-jin noticed the sun had already vanished from the sky.
“So, how is the research I requested progressing?”
“Well, as for the paradoxical time, there hasn’t been any particular progress. I was also waiting for you to retrieve information, so I focused on researching the samples first.”
“So, have you managed to uncover anything about the samples?”
Yoon Seo-yeon shook her head.
“Nothing at all. If I’ve learned one thing, it’s merely that this substance has never been discovered before.”
“As the lead researcher, you can’t even manage something so basic?”
“While it might sound like an excuse, if someone could immediately deduce detailed information from mere samples, that person would truly be a living legend.”
“Yes, you have a point. But isn’t that precisely why you became the lead researcher in the first place?”
A faint, bitter expression crossed Yoon Seo-yeon’s face.
“I’ve told you before. It was merely a stroke of luck back then.”
****
How had things spiraled to this point?
Both the familiar mannequin trembling at the wheel before them and the other, brimming with fervent enthusiasm beside them, were operating far beyond the Merchant’s expectations.
While such events weren’t entirely unheard of in the game.
“Merchant, you cannot fathom the immense assistance your presence provides us.”
This was originally an event that only triggered after a prolonged period of interaction with the Factory Owner.
It appeared the Factory Owner’s favorability had skyrocketed, likely due to the Merchant’s identity as a merchant.
“By the way, why am I…”
The one currently driving this sedan was the same Truck Driver who had given them a ride earlier.
“Why, you performed the great service of bringing a distinguished individual to my factory, so we are offering you the opportunity to join our cause.”
If the Factory Owner were human, they would undoubtedly be the kind of boss who drags their employees to hiking trails every single weekend.
Still, with no menacing tentacles looming beside them this time, perhaps driving would prove manageable?
“Ugh…”
Apparently not.
The Merchant turned their head toward the Factory Owner.
“We are indeed headed to the Fine Dining Restaurant, correct?”
“Indeed. We must proceed there and declare the termination of their relationship with our factory. I imagine the restaurant will find the search for new suppliers quite arduous.”
Fortunately, this particular event did not involve any direct physical confrontation.
It was merely a matter of courteously terminating a contract and then observing the subsequent collapse of the restaurant.
Despite this, the Merchant harbored no particular desire to participate.
‘What could I possibly gain from this event?’
Thousands of bundles of cash, born from the Factory Owner’s profound gratitude.
If they were a human contributing to the economy of South Korea, they might excitedly twerk at the prospect, but what earthly use did the Merchant have for cash in their current state?
With exceptional luck, a new event might even emerge at the restaurant, though that was purely dependent on chance and thus largely irrelevant.
“Hah…”
‘Would The Shop even buy cash if I tried to sell it?’
Perhaps a gambling addict might be interested.
‘That’s a thought to revisit later.’
“Merchant, is anything troubling you?”
“No, I’m quite alright…”
In truth, there was an additional source of discomfort: the constant need for them to keep watch over these beings.
No matter how amicable, they remained mannequins.
Every time the Merchant blinked, they could perceive the mannequins flinching.
“We have arrived…”
As if sensing their apprehension, a voice broke through, signaling an end to the Merchant’s vigilant gaze.
While the truck had proceeded into the warehouse earlier, this sedan now pulled into the parking lot directly in front of the restaurant.
This was due to a different purpose for their visit this time.
The driver remained waiting in the car, while the Merchant followed the Factory Owner inside the restaurant.
“Guests, I’ll show you to your table.”
The Waiter did not appear to recognize the Factory Owner.
Upon reflection, it would be more unusual for a regular employee to recognize the Factory Owner.
“Wait a moment… Guests.”
‘Could they possibly have recognized them?’
‘This Waiter might prove to be a more capable employee than I initially imagined.’
“The one who murdered the chef two hours ago and trespassed into the storage warehouse!”
‘So, they recognized me?’
While an employee capable of discerning the truth could certainly be deemed competent.
The Factory Owner cast a perplexed gaze.
“Merchant, did you truly commit such an act?”
At this juncture, concealing the truth would only prove detrimental.
“Yes. My fury at the restaurant’s abuses surged to my very core, rendering me utterly incapable of controlling my actions.”
“Ah…”
It seemed the Factory Owner was even more profoundly moved.
‘At this rate, I’m beginning to fear the mannequin might just become the heroine.’
However, entirely separate from the Factory Owner’s rising favorability, blood was spurting wildly from the Waiter’s neck.
If left unchecked, this situation promised to escalate into a rather significant predicament.
“Factory Owner, I believe it’s time you commenced.”
“Ah, indeed.”
The Factory Owner adjusted their attire and, with a selection of words distinctively bourgeois and gentlemanly, bellowed.
“Bring the owner out here!”
The Waiters, initially startled, quickly grasped the mannequin’s true nature and scurried off in a frantic search for the owner.
‘The owner of this restaurant, who had managed to swindle such an important factory, must truly be a formidable individual.’
Five minutes later, a colossal sphere arrived, wheeled in on a cart.
Upon closer inspection, it was a man who would undoubtedly exceed two meters both in height and width—the very owner of the restaurant.
“Owner, it appears you’ve gained even more weight since our last encounter.”
“Ho ho. How many years has it been? Through your invaluable assistance, our restaurant has flourished to this extent.”
“Hah. To think I’ve been of such profound assistance; I’m quite beside myself.”
“…”
“…”
“Why have you come?”
“Why else would one come to a restaurant? Naturally, I’ve come to dine.”
“…”
“But if I were to unfurl the menu, intending to place an order, what then?”
“…”
“Tell me, aren’t you concealing something, my friend?”
“…What exactly are you trying to imply?”
“Well, I’ve just been apprised of a most astonishing fact by this young person here.”
The Owner, seemingly burdened by his own mass, waddled ponderously toward the Factory Owner.
“You see, my friend, the reason I have conducted business with you all this time was born from a singular desire: for everyone to savor my products.”
The Factory Owner’s hand began to tremble violently.
“But you. What, pray tell, is this? An arm? A leg?”
“Factory Owner! That is a falsehood! How could I possibly betray my solemn promise to you?”
“Enough! I shall no longer conduct business with the Fine Dining Restaurant.”
The Factory Owner withdrew a tightly rolled contract from their pocket and, with a decisive motion, tore it asunder.
Save for the fact that one party was a mannequin and the other an extraordinarily corpulent individual, the scene unfolded as if lifted directly from a dramatic play.
Had a human been present, they would surely have suffered some form of dismemberment before any verbal altercation could even begin.
While the Merchant themselves was an urban legend, witnessing these beings resolve their conflict with mere words left them feeling a pang of sorrow, as if this were a world where only humans faced such stark discrimination.
More accurately, it was likely because they had all been created as a singular urban legend from their very inception.
Leaving the utterly bewildered Owner behind, the Merchant turned to the Factory Owner and inquired.
“Is it concluded now?”
“Indeed. Our trucks shall no longer visit this establishment, nor will they even be capable of doing so.”
“I see.”
Though the situation had escalated beyond initial expectations, it was fortunate that everything had ultimately resolved favorably.
“Instead, our trucks shall henceforth make their way to your Shop!”
The Factory Owner thrust a contract toward the Merchant.
“If you affix your signature here, we shall begin sending goods via truck starting next week.”
The Merchant casually flourished the pen the Factory Owner had offered.
“Then, from this point forward, I shall personally visit you on the first day of every month.”
“Yes, thank you… Wait a moment. Personally?”
“Yes! For no matter how I consider it, I find myself too envious to bestow the honor of visiting such a distinguished individual upon any other employee.”
“What then of the driver?”
“Regrettably, they will have to seek other employment.”
****
“And that’s how it all transpired.”
‘So, the trucks will begin arriving next month.’
The Shop, having listened to the Merchant’s explanation, appeared quite satisfied.
Until now, The Shop had always relied on short-term acquisitions or the Merchant’s own makeshift craftsmanship, a situation that likely proved far from ideal for its operations.
“Ah, so from now on, you shouldn’t immediately consume things like fingers.”
‘Indeed, for the sake of future transactions, it would be prudent to begin storing them.’
“But is there a method for storage?”
While they had previously consumed everything immediately, they now possessed the ability to store items, retrieving them as needed.
“Oh.”
Imagining a corner filled with grotesque items accumulating and decaying, the Merchant couldn’t help but feel a profound sense of relief.
‘Now, only rest remains.’
“Yes. But I intend to rest for only a single day.”
‘Why is that?’
‘Even without specific tasks, you consistently seek to occupy yourself.’
‘Do humans refer to that as a workaholic?’
‘I am no workaholic; if given the choice, I would gladly sleep for the remainder of this period, yet one crucial task still awaits.’
‘Can’t it simply be postponed?’
‘If not addressed immediately, could it truly be postponed even if my very existence were at stake?’
‘For me, at least, that is an impossibility.’
When borrowing books from the library, the return period is two weeks; with an additional week already elapsed, less than seven days now remained.
To return the book, however, would only make their whereabouts unknown, rendering that option unfeasible.
While it might be possible to eliminate the librarian should they come searching for The Shop, a new librarian would invariably arrive to apprehend them, thus ruling out that option as well.
Therefore, only one course of action remained.
“I must duplicate the book.”
