Matan's Shooter

“What about now……?”

“Ah, right. I didn’t even say thank you. Thank you so much, Leeha-kun. After all, you are the only one I can trust right now.”

[Lost Legends quest completed.]

[You leveled up.]

[You leveled up.]

“Can you…… can you come back after a few days?”

“Yes, I will.”

[The Agony of the Last of the Three Musketeers]

Description: ‘Why did they……. I guess I have no choice but to meet them in person. But, I don’t even know where the Demon King’s Army is. I am so tired.’ 

Browless wants some time to sort out his thoughts about his colleagues that betrayed him. 

Please come back after at least 3 days to hear his thoughts.

Description: After at least 3 days, talk to Browless.

Reward: ??

– Would you like to accept?

‘Hmm. After 3 days of Middle Earth time, I can come back to talk to Browless…’

It wasn’t because of this quest that Leeha took the time to think.

‘Is this the end? I completed the quest to infiltrate the Royal Archives, which raised my level by 2 from the quest experience. Is this all the reward?’

The reward said ‘??’, what could it be? This isn’t everything, right? I even acted as a bloody spy!

“I understand, director-nim.”

Of course, he couldn’t force it.

“Thank you.”

“Then…… rest well. I will be back in a few days.”

Leeha pressed the accept button and left the director’s room. Even after completing the quest, he felt uncomfortable.

‘Three days…… I can’t waste time while waiting.’

It was not like he was going to wait impatiently. Of course, Leeha should do something else.

The Royal Records were good, and the Three Musketeers are great, but there was something more important to Leeha.

‘Actually, this is the most important thing. At least from my perspective right now.’

[Sacred Grill Capital Branch Opening]

Description: Deliver a lunchbox and a letter to Madame Ju in Aelstock, withing a month(10 days remaining).

I don’t have much time. Now I have to complete it. And the method Leeha thought was quite simple.

‘I have to meet Madame Ju. We should meet and talk.’

Leeha opened the map. He didn’t know if they would be able to talk tonight, but he already figured out where Madame Ju lives.

‘In the map…… there’s a residential area behind the market. It should be somewhere around there. Do NPCs sleep at night?’

‘Let’s meet her.’

Leeha went to the residential area. It felt awkward and amazing to see the house where NPCs stayed at night, but he didn’t have time to enjoy such things.

Leeha searched for Madam Ju by knocking on the doors of every house he saw.

Knock, knock, knock.

And like that, he had knocked at a lot of houses.

Finally, the door opened.

“Who are you looking…… this late at night?”

A woman wearing only a dark red slip.

The moonlight shone on the clothes, revealing a woman boasting a bewitching figure.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Of course, it’s nice to meet you as well, this late at night.”

“Ah, that…… it’s not-”

“Who are you?”

“Ah, I… How should I say this?”

Suddenly, blood rushed to Leeha’s head and he forgot what to say Wasn’t he here to deliver the lunchbox?

“Madam Lou sent me.”

“……My sister?”

“Ah, haha. Yes. This meat…… I made a new dry food and asked me to give this to her sister.”

Leeha rummaged through his bag.

What nonsense was this! However, since it has already come out of his mouth, he could not stop.

Fortunately, there were pieces of cooked rabbit meat left in the bag.

‘If I hadn’t learned to cook from Kiyomi, I wouldn’t have been able to make any excuses.’

He picked up the cured meat and smiled. Madame Ju looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“What’s wrong with unni? Was that it?”

“Yes, that was it. Haha. The Holy Grill business is busy these days, so she asked me.”

But will it? Madame Ju looked down for a long time. Normally, she would have invited him in or even accepted the meat, but Madame Ju remained still.

Leeha felt it at Candle Castle, but NPCs do not act recklessly.

From a human point of view, she was tenacious and had a laid back attitude.

‘And in such cases, there was always a keyword. What is it?’

But Leeha knew the keyword that could move Madame Ju.

“And there was something I wanted to tell you. The lunchbox is on the way.”

“Lunchbox……?”

Leeha did not miss Madame Ju’s twinkling eyes.

After all, the keyword was lunchbox.

However, she should not know that Leeha was the one delivering the lunchbox. He tried to dig up information—.

“Yes. It’s a bit difficult to have a conversation in a place like this……

“Right, come in.”

Madam Ju finally invited him in.

Leeha entered Madame Ju’s house without hesitation.

‘Huuu…… How many users have visited the NPC’s house? Is this the common people in the Middle Ages?…… No, she is middle class.’

“Sit down. Do you want some coffee? Tea? Alcohol?”

“I would like some tea.”

He did not feel any presence of other NPCs in the house. It was a house where she lived alone.

‘Cough! What am I even thinking about, you bastard!’

Leeha’s eyes met Madam Ju’s.

Leeha forced his head to turn and smiled.

“So…… What did sister say? Did she say that it would go well this time?”

This time? This time as well?

“Ah, yes…… I heard her say it was a reliable person?”

“Phew…… I received such a letter last time, but there has been no news for the past three months It has happened so many times already.”

Many times? As expected…….

Leeha nodded, savoring the tea.

‘I wasn’t the first. I don’t know how many others before me, but they all kept the lunchbox.’

They were eaten or sold.

No, Kijeong said he had never heard of such an item. Most likely, everyone else ate it.

“By the way…… Is it really that hard to open a store at the capital?”

“What?”

“Even in the marketplace…… There are also weapon store, tailor shop, and tavern…… I was wondering what would be different if you opened another restaurant there.”

“Oh my? I guess my sister did not tell you anything?”

What is she talking about? Why do they need to lobby Is there anything different? Leeha tilted his head, but Madame Ju only smiled.

No, there was something weird from the very beginning.

It was not a dangerous business, so why do they need a bribe to open a restaurant?

Leeha’s brain began to work.

There was something in there. Isn’t giving hints one of the quirks of Middle Earth?

‘What? Why would it be necessary?’

First, Leeha needed to check a few things. First, the value on the lunchbox.

“The lunchbox…… is it really important? I, I heard it’s precious…… haha, but I don’t know why.”

“It can’t be described with words. The boss monster of Candle Castle…… What if we sold it here? Maybe a gourmet would like to try it.”

“If you want to try it…… you need to have a lot of money.”

“Hmm, a lot of money. Can you express it gracefully? Powerful people…… Since it is a boss monster of an instance dungeon, its meat would be hard to get. Leeha himself already knew it.

It meant that supply would be limited, but the demand would be high.”

And most of the demands would come from ‘powerful people’.

‘There are many powerful people who want it, but there is only one lunchbox brought to the capital. Then, wouldn’t it be right to give it to the most powerful among those powerful people?’

Even if they wanted to give it to many people, they would not be able to, because there was only one.

Madame Ju looked at Leeha with a teasing expression. Seeing that teasing face, a thought flashed through Leeha’s mind.

“No, then.. no way?”

“Shh.”

“Ugh!”

Madam Ju’s finger pressed down on Leeha’s lips.

But his thoughts did not stop.

Who was the strongest person among the powerful people? Who was the most powerful person in the capital?

The king? Is this lunchbox going to be given to the king?

If the king was a gourmand…… Of course, he would be the one that Madame Lou is targeting. There was no one higher than the king in this country.

“Is that true?”

“Well. I just do what my sister tells me to do.”

Could it be the target was really the king?

Once the target for the lunchbox had been decided, the next thing to ask would be the purpose. 

What are they going to do? Just open a restaurant?

“You’re funny…… I see why my sister is interested in you.”

“Yes?”

“Nothing. What else would you like to know? What if it’s like this? In the capital city. The most powerful people in the continent go to the Fibiel Kingdom. It would be the largest gathering on the continent.”

“Ah…… yes. This.”

“What if we could bring those people in one place?”

“In one place……? Well? Just thinking about it is terrifying.”

The people lining up in front of the warp gate would be enormous. The marketplace would be full of people.

Bringing those people together? Making a restaurant..’.

‘The taste of the meat from the Holy Grill is quite unique… I’m sure people will gather. What if there are a lot of people?’

A lot of people?

Leeha’s eyes looked bewildered.

“Information…… Information……. No, then this lunchbox isn’t meant to be used to open a restaurant, is it? Thinking about it…… information guild? Are you going to create an information guild-”

“This lunchbox?”

“Oh? Ah, no. That lunchbox.”

He almost got caught. Leeha sighed, picked up the teacup, and organized his thoughts.

‘Right…… The capital…… with a floating population would explode. What if they bring those powerful people together?’

Of course, it will be noisy. The stories that they would share while eating and drinking after not seeing each other for a long time. What’s inside those stories?

It’s information.

‘That woman.. is crazy. Wasn’t she an NPC in the beginner village?’

Oheungheung, Madam Ju’s smile reminded Leeha of Madame Lou.

Didn’t he just go to find a place where he could grill good rabbit meat? Did they have such a grand plan to create an intelligence guild in the capital? If one thought about it, the quest fits quite well. Creating a guild was not something that could be done arbitrarily. And if it was a guild dealing with information, of course, there was no way to give permission to just anyone.