Chapter 68: Chapter 68

The Section Chief began opening the guitar case.

I watched with growing curiosity, wondering what could possibly be inside.

Why a guitar case? Could there really be a guitar in there? No way. This wasn’t an action movie, so it couldn’t be hiding a rocket launcher, right?

My curiosity peaked for a brief moment as the Section Chief unzipped the case and finally opened it.

The object inside revealed itself.

It was a long, ornate staff.

The weapon used by that necromancer.

…Not exactly something I wanted to keep.

Despite its value, the sight of it made me frown instinctively.

“Uh… excuse me?”

“Quickly, take it!”

“…Right.”

With the Section Chief urging me, I had no choice but to store the staff in my bracelet.

Thanks to my now well-practiced acting of “manipulating” my status window, the Section Chief didn’t suspect a thing as he closed the case.

For now, I decided to hear him out before deciding what to do with it.

I swallowed a sigh and focused on the Section Chief.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes.”

Following him, I grabbed the bag from the trunk and entered the reserved private room of a café.

It wasn’t quite a room café—it felt more like a study room, simple and practical.

“Order whatever you’d like. I come here often; the place is great.”

“Ah, okay.”

Since I wasn’t a frequent café-goer, most of the menu was unfamiliar. But since I was encouraged to order freely, there was no need to hold back.

I picked whatever caught my eye from the photos—madeleines, financiers, and pound cake. After adding our coffee orders, the Section Chief began speaking.

“The dungeon you cleared this time—though the spoils haven’t been fully sorted yet—the staff you just received has been confirmed as the most valuable item.”

“Hmm, I see.”

“It’s undeniable that you were the star of the dungeon, Sister! Thanks to your efforts, it was safely recovered. What a relief, ha ha ha!”

The Section Chief let out an exaggerated laugh.

What was this? Nervous excitement, maybe?

I tilted my head and asked him a question.

“How much is the staff worth?”

“Ahem…”

It seemed like he had been waiting for me to ask.

Clearing his throat dramatically, the Section Chief raised a fist to his lips before answering.

“The Hunter we had appraise it estimates its minimum value at 30 billion won.”

“…Excuse me?”

“And if priced well, it could go up to 50 billion won.”

“…”

As I fell silent, the Section Chief smiled with satisfaction.

Wait, seriously? That staff is worth that much?

Then, just how much…

“It’s a good thing the item found the right owner. The delay earlier was because of this.”

“…Ah.”

So that’s what had caused the holdup.

But really, if the staff used by the necromancer is worth that much…

…Then what’s the value of my nun’s habit?

The thought made me frown unconsciously.

Magical equipment was incredibly expensive in the otherworld too, but the price disparity between Earth and the otherworld was extreme.

Take potions, for instance. They weren’t exactly cheap in the otherworld, but on Earth, their cost was almost absurdly prohibitive.

And now, a weapon belonging to the "failed heroine" was at least 30 billion won?

What about my nun’s habit, which had been custom-made by a hero?

Sure, it was designed primarily to cover my body, but its functionality as combat attire wasn’t lacking. Its price had to be in an entirely different league.

…Maybe I should just sell it?

For a brief moment, I felt an overwhelming temptation.

And then, suddenly—

Vrrrrrrr! Vrrrrrrr!

A vibration broke through my thoughts.

I moved to stand, but the Section Chief was faster.

“I’ll get it.”

He grabbed the vibrating pager and darted out of the room at a speed that could rival a Hunter’s.

‘…’

Left alone, I regained some composure.

Come to think of it, I wasn’t in dire need of money right now.

Who knows what might happen in the future—it didn’t make sense to sell it yet.

Once sold, there was no getting it back.

And besides, it’s an excellent tool for maintaining my cover.

It seemed I had been momentarily overwhelmed by the large number.

In reality, if I were to fully step into the field, money wouldn’t be an issue.

I shouldn’t let myself get swayed by greed.

Honestly, while I disliked the staff due to its associations, it was undoubtedly useful.

It was better to keep it for now and decide what to do with it later.

Sigh…

I let out a soft sigh.

If only that necromancer hadn’t shown up, my life would’ve been so much simpler.

“Did you wait long?”

The Section Chief returned, carefully balancing a tray as he set drinks and desserts on the table.

After sitting back down, he smiled and said,

“Feel free to enjoy while we talk.”

“Okay.”

Nodding, I took a sip of coffee.

“So, uh… do you dislike the staff?”

“…No, not really.”

“Well, that’s a relief…”

For a moment, I debated whether to ask for cash instead.

But considering the trouble he’d gone through to deliver it discreetly in a guitar case, I decided to hold onto it for now.

The Section Chief’s anxious glances only reinforced my decision.

As he wiped sweat from his brow with a handkerchief, he said,

“Though the rest isn’t as valuable as the staff, these are the promised items.”

He began taking out items one by one.

“First, these are referral cards. Please distribute them to your academy students.”

“…There are quite a lot of them.”

“Ha ha! I made sure to prepare plenty.”@@novelbin@@

Although I only had 15 students in my class, I was given 30 referral cards.

While I inspected the cards, the Section Chief continued explaining.

“These are from a C-rank crafting Hunter affiliated with the Bureau. They only accept requests from those they’ve been referred to. It’s a thoughtful but practical gift.”

“Ah, I see…”

It tied into the network of professors within the Academy’s database. The Section Chief had clearly put a lot of thought into it.

…Of course, my own “network” section was entirely blank.

I’d have to fill it in with connections like Ji-ah or Da-young later.

As I mulled it over, I popped a piece of financier into my mouth.

One way or another, the Section Chief’s careful preparation left a positive impression.

When I smiled at him, his previously tense expression softened, and he began pulling out yet another item.

This time, it was a small box wrapped in elegant fabric.

“This wasn’t from me—it’s a special request.”

“A request?”

“Yes, from the Knight Guild Master. Do you remember him from the raid?”

“Ah, the elderly swordsman in the frontlines?”

“Ha ha! That’s him. He has a hobby of making handmade confections and insisted on sending this to you.”

Taking the box, I admired its intricate wrapping. Even the knots looked like part of a painting.

“He had back problems but mentioned that your skill in the boss room helped him stand tall again.”

“Uh, I see…”

“He was so overjoyed I couldn’t refuse. He wanted me to express his gratitude.”

“Ah… Please thank him for me. I’ll enjoy it.”

“Certainly.”

The Section Chief nodded earnestly before reaching into his bag one last time.

“And finally, this!”

“…Oh!”

Good heavens!

“I tried to get all the variations, but I’m sorry. The supply was just too limited. For now, here’s this.”

“No, no, it’s perfect!”

With trembling hands, I accepted the item.

It was one of the most coveted Momobin merchandise items—a mug!

Carefully, I opened the box to reveal a pristine white mug adorned with Momobin’s cute design.

“How did you even get this?!”

“Ha ha, I pulled some strings.”

The Section Chief’s shoulders puffed with pride, and he almost seemed to shine.

“That’s all for now, but I’ll make sure to get the rest!”

“Wow… You’re amazing, Section Chief!”

Clapping my hands, I couldn’t hide my excitement.

I’d been trying to get this myself but gave up after countless failed attempts. He was truly incredible.

“By the way… Have you watched Momobin’s streams?”

“Ha ha, of course! Her voice is adorable.”

“Right?!”

Someone who understood Momobin’s charm!

My respect for the Section Chief skyrocketed. Truly, the best!

With stars in my eyes, I continued listening to him, savoring both the desserts and the coffee.

As our conversation drew to a close, the Section Chief brought up another topic.

“Si-Hyun, don’t you think it’s time to move up to C-rank?”

“C-rank, huh?”

Chewing on a dessert piece, I thought it over. After a sip of coffee, I replied.

“Yes, it would make things more convenient.”

“Then I’ll handle the paperwork and notify you once it’s official.”

“Thank you. I’ll leave it in your hands.”

“No, no, the pleasure is ours.”

We shook hands, his palm slick with nervous sweat.

***

After Leaving the Café

Section Chief Jang Han-Soo stood in the parking lot, watching Si-Hyun's figure disappear into the distance, her steps light and relaxed.

He had offered to drive her home, but she politely declined, saying the weather was nice and she wanted to take a walk. Judging by her carefree demeanor, it wasn’t a polite excuse—she genuinely seemed to be enjoying her stroll.

The innocent and pure expression she had shown throughout the day brought a smile to the Section Chief’s face.

To think she preferred a virtual streamer’s merchandise over a staff worth hundreds of billions of won.

With that staff alone, she could probably fund mass production of such merchandise.

Was it a unique sentiment shared by fans of virtual streamers? Or perhaps the importance of limited editions?

Maybe it was something like that.

Understanding that sentiment would be part of his work moving forward. The Section Chief couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought.

In his line of work, he often dealt with people who were quick to anger or who were insincere and manipulative. Compared to them, Si-Hyun was refreshingly clean-hearted.

When approached earnestly, she responded in kind.

Even after years at the Bureau, it was rare for him to encounter someone like her.

Reaching his car, the Section Chief climbed into the driver’s seat and dialed his team leader.

The call connected immediately, as though the other party had been waiting.

“How did it go?!”

“Thankfully, everything went smoothly.”

“Oh-ho! So, did she like the staff?”

“…She didn’t seem particularly interested in it. What she liked the most was the virtual streamer merchandise.”

“…”

There was a brief silence.

“Well, of course, a great person like her would be different! What was the name again? Moo-bin?”

“It’s Momobin, sir.”

“Right, Momobin! Should we consider reaching out to her? Perhaps we could commission some merchandise or even recruit her as a promotional ambassador for the Bureau!”

The scale of the plan began escalating rapidly.

After a moment of thought, the Section Chief replied,

“…I’m not sure if Si-Hyun would be interested in that. I’ll try to gauge her reaction gradually and proceed cautiously.”

In addition to arranging more Momobin merchandise, the Section Chief had also started researching virtual streamers.

From his findings, he learned that some fans preferred smaller, more niche streamers, even over popular ones.

As for Momobin, she seemed to occupy an ambiguous middle ground—neither too small nor too large in scale.

Because of this, the Section Chief decided a careful approach was necessary.

“Good, good! I’m trusting you with this. Just keep me updated, and handle it well!”

The team leader’s directive to spare no resources was met with a dutiful response from the Section Chief, who then reported the key points of his conversation with Si-Hyun at the café.

And so, almost imperceptibly, the value of virtual streamer Momobin began to climb.

***

Si-Hyun strolled aimlessly, enjoying the warm sunlight.

While she wasn’t the type to step outside just because the weather was nice, she wasn’t one to dismiss the opportunity to appreciate it either.

Since she was already out, she decided to take her time and soak in the scenery around her.

Unfamiliar shops, the diverse faces of passersby—

Si-Hyun leisurely observed it all with a relaxed mind.

“So that’s a fashion style for women, huh? Interesting.”

Her steps were light, almost buoyant, as she wandered without a destination, eventually finding herself in a narrow alley.

Admiring the beautifully painted murals on the walls, she mused to herself.

“The desserts earlier were delicious. Maybe I should’ve gotten some to go.”

She had memorized their names and resolved to try them again at other cafés in the future.

Exploring new menu items might be a fun pursuit, she thought, letting her mind drift wherever it pleased.

“Come to think of it, wasn’t there something inside that fabric wrap?”

Homemade confections crafted by an S-rank Awakened elder. She couldn’t help but wonder what sort of treats lay inside.

The thought made her smile softly to herself.

After walking for quite a while, Si-Hyun finally considered checking her phone to locate the nearest station.

But just as she was about to do so, a delicious aroma teased her nose.

The nutty, fresh scent of something freshly baked.

Her curiosity piqued, Si-Hyun let her feet carry her toward the source of the scent without much thought.

She soon stopped in front of a large house.

The enticing aroma originated from here.

And then she saw him.

An elderly man was sitting alone in the house’s garden, enjoying tea and confections.

The Master of the Knight Guild.

Through the wide gap in the front gate, their eyes met.