LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 54
Jinseong signaled the workers as if to say they did well, then casually turned his body while pulling out a box containing cigars from the cargo. He approached Narumi with a bright smile.
“Oh, this is the cargo. These cigars! What do you think? Aren’t they impressive?”
The box that Jinseong presented was filled with extravagant decorations, so splendid that I thought it might cost millions just for the box itself. The tiger engraved on the outside appeared so lifelike, as if it could leap out at any moment, and its yellow fur was embossed with gold leaf, reflecting light and adding to its majesty.
Moreover, the cigars inside looked extraordinary too. They had the common appearance of cigars, but it seemed like they were crafted with such skill by a master artisan, exuding an aura that could only be felt from a luxury item, showcasing neat and restrained elegance.
“Oh my….”
Even though Narumi was not a smoker, she marveled at the luxurious appearance of the cigars. The luxurious vibe they exuded was overwhelming.
“Such precious things….”
Narumi looked at Jinseong with appreciative eyes.
The sudden chaos that had overwhelmed her, the anger felt due to Rize’s irritation, and the awkwardness towards Jinseong—all of these feelings faded away, leaving only gratitude.
And it was the same for Shinto priest Kishimoto Yoshiaki.
“Hahaha! Such precious items! Thank you!”
Yoshiaki, who had been fussing about should filing a complaint to the market family and pushing for other politicians next time, couldn’t help but grin broadly.
Seeing the mountains of cargo stacked unsightly made him a bit uncomfortable initially, but knowing the items were all high-end goods, he flipped his hand and welcomed Jinseong and Rize.
And atop that was the cigars.
When Yoshiaki received the cigars from Jinseong, his expression brightened, fully aligning himself with them.
“Really? You came to help with the festival? Great! Just stay comfortable and enjoy!”
Bothering them?
That word completely vanished from the minds of the father and daughter.
If they had brought along only ordinary items, there could have been grounds to think of it as a bother, but with items so hard to come by, labeling them as bothers was clearly unreasonable.
Instead, both saw Jinseong and Rize’s visit as their good fortune.
‘Even without a maneki-neko, fortune just rolled in!’
Thus, they were more than willing to accommodate any reasonable request from Jinseong.
“Looks like we have more cargo than expected and the festival is just around the corner, so we might need to work through the night to organize things. Can the workers move around the shrine at night?”
“Of course! Just make sure not to make too much noise to avoid bothering Inari, and try not to come too close to the main hall.”
With that, they permitted the workers to move around the shrine.
“Oh, but they must be tired too, and they’ll need somewhere to stay… using the shrine might be too much to ask… but I have prepared a tent, would you mind lending a vacant space?”
“Don’t worry! There’s a spot left vacant for the festival. Feel free to use it!”
They also allowed the workers to set up temporary lodging.
“However, considering I’m hiring them, it wouldn’t be right for me to just stay away alone. I’d like to stay with them, both to supervise their work and to keep an eye on them.”
“What? You’re a guest! How can I allow you to stay in such a place?”
“Hahaha. Every guest has their own role. It would be a bother to impose expecting guest treatment after coming in suddenly, right? Besides, I also have the duty to control and oversee these workers, so I intend to stay with them instead of accepting guest treatment for now. I beg you, please grant me this.”
“Ugh… Alright! But just for today—stay with them, and tomorrow, let me treat you properly. I can’t accept not adequately hosting such a precious guest!”
“Understood.”
Thus, Jinseong and Rize were allowed to share the tent with the workers.
Such was the power of capitalism.
* * *
The power of capitalism.
It was a phrase often used to talk about the overwhelming strength and fear of money, but others used it in different contexts.
Those who sold their bodies and souls for money.
Those who entrusted their conscience and ethics entirely to money.
The mercenaries, the hunting dogs of capitalism, who decide their actions based solely on the money they’ve been given and obey their employer’s orders as if they were divine commands.
“Are you the employer?”
“Haha. It seems everyone is busy.”
As Jinseong visited the tent, one of the workers, who had been hauling cargo, put down his load and playfully saluted Jinseong. Following behind him, Rize looked bewildered at the salute, but Jinseong adeptly returned the gesture as if it were a routine.
Then he gently stroked the magic circle engraved on the tent’s ceiling and pulled in a fine trace of mana from the air to check if it was functioning correctly. Once he confirmed that the mana was responding to the magic circle, he changed his tone.
“The soundproof magic circle and the perception defense magic circle are working properly. You can rest easy.”
“Oh! That’s convenient. It’s been exhausting playing the role of a worker I wasn’t meant to!”
“Haha, oh please. With the weight of the gear you’re carrying, how can you pretend?”
As Jinseong’s tone changed, the worker’s speech also transformed. His once playful and friendly way of speaking took on a rough and somewhat coarse edge. Additionally, the air in the tent became charged with an unsettling atmosphere, and a scent of blood began to waft.
Rize felt a chill at the sudden shift and inched closer to Jinseong.
“Hahaha, don’t tell me mercenaries are prone to overacting?”
“Indeed. Is the gear in good condition?”
“Of course! It looks like there are no defective bullets, the firearm… well, it’s actually better than what we use. Can I keep it once the mission is complete?”
“If you perform well, I might consider it.”
As he spoke, Jinseong reached out into the air.
Clunk.
Clunk.
Clunk!
Suddenly, the lids of the boxes strewn around the tent began to flip open in succession, revealing the grim contents within.
“Is that… a gun?”
The boxes contained deadly weapons. Not blunt instruments or swords which warriors would use, but firearms and bullets intended for military use.
One box held a uniquely shaped gun.
Another contained a sawed-off shotgun.
A third had bullets labeled ‘Dragon Fire.’
And yet another box was filled with bottles.
The luxurious bottle that once held wine now had a long cloth stuffed in it instead of a cork, and the liquid inside looked nothing like alcohol.
“Hmm.”
“What do you think? We put considerable effort into making those Molotov cocktails.”
“What’s in them?”
“Don’t worry. That bartender who’s always up to no good put his heart and soul into them. He made sure they burn for as long as possible and are as sticky as can be. Once someone gets a taste of this cocktail, be they human or god, they won’t be in their right mind.”
“That sounds good. What about the white phosphorus grenades?”
“Oh, those are over there. That pyromaniac bartender insisted on managing them himself…”
Jinseong looked at where the mercenary pointed. There sat a man who seemed oddly affectionate, petting a wooden box. He had burn marks all over his body and wore a look of vacant excitement contradicting his muscular build.
“Hehe. Thank you, employer.”
The man dubbed ‘the bartender’ waved at Jinseong with a rather unsettling grin.
His creepy smile exuded a thrill, apparently full of excitement, but it was clearly of a depraved kind.
“Oh no! You’ll certainly get to have your fun with fire later on, so stay tuned.”
“Hehehe.”
The bartender looked blissful just thinking about arson, and Jinseong couldn’t help but chuckle at his demeanor. He then continued his conversation with the mercenary, who was eyeing him oddly.
“So, how’s your armor holding up?”
“It’s good. It’s fireproof, and I even brought rechargeable shield skins for defense against special abilities.”
“That means you won’t burn up while setting fires or get blasted apart during combat?”
“Well, as long as it’s not right before you die, you should be fine.”
Rize stared at the ominous conversation unfolding before her, her eyes wide.
“Guns? Cocktails? Arson?”
Not understanding their talk, Rize half-heartedly listened to their conversation pass through one ear and out the other.
“After all… I’m this person’s…”
Rize gave up on understanding the grim exchange and lost interest in their macabre conversation.
Instead, she recalled his words about bringing her fortune and thought about how kindly he had offered to help her develop a hobby.
She remembered her oath to be solely obedient to Jinseong and could still feel the warmth of the ring he gifted her.
Thus, Rize resolved to stand behind Jinseong, enjoying the cheerful discussions he shared.
Whatever he chose to do, she swore to devote everything to him.
Regardless of what unfolded in this shrine or what happened to the Kishimoto family.
Whatever it may be,
“I’ll simply follow and assist him.”
She vowed to stay right behind him.
* * *
10 PM.
Everyone in the tent checked their gear.
10:30 PM.
Mercenaries disguised as workers confirmed that the equipment was correctly set up.
11 PM.
The mercenaries stabbed cigars into the shrine in a vertical position and sprayed tiger urine.
11:30 PM.
The mercenaries donned their gear.
11:34 PM.
Jinseong opened his mouth, looking at the mercenaries now in combat formation.
“I will now begin the ritual.”