Chapter 9
Elise gestured to the surrounding wizards, and they stood up and left the room. As they did, the magical barrier surrounding the box seemed to disappear with a whoosh.
At that moment, even Baeksan unconsciously took a step back.
“Wow. This is crazy.”
Even someone like Baeksan, who had never experienced anything like this, could sense it.
“That’s ominous.”
A sense of foreboding began emanating from the box.
“…This is serious.”
Just looking at the box made him feel like he was in a horror movie being chased.
“Where did you… I mean, how did you acquire something like this?”
“The Sophus Guild has connections with many individuals. You can take a closer look if you’d like, but I recommend not touching it. If you do…”
“This is insane.”
Elise nodded, momentarily at a loss for words.
“Yes. It’s said that everyone who discovered the box and touched it without any protection went insane.”
“It’s terrifying.”
Baeksan muttered quietly as he opened the wooden door and entered the room.
Immediately, a red window appeared before him.
[You have entered a danger zone.]
[Adjusting difficulty.]
.
.
.
[A mere curse cannot rival the player.]
[The danger has been lifted.]
The window disappeared, and the oppressive pressure that had been weighing on them seemed to vanish as well.
Reading the explanation, it seemed like their curse was perceived as a higher level of calamity compared to the curses in this world.
“Should I be relieved or saddened?”
Baeksan approached the box nonchalantly.
The box remained silent, ominously resting there. Nothing had changed in its description.
“Hmm….”
Baeksan smirked.
“My thoughts, my intentions, seem to affect the description. Then…”
What about this?
Baeksan focused on the description of the box being “ominous.”
Another information window popped up.
[Accursed Scepter of the Forsaken King]
The scepter of the fallen king, “Tigris Colossus,” who defied the gods. Those unworthy to wield it will be afflicted with a plague. Those who possess it are cursed by the gods and driven mad. The land where the scepter resides withers and dies.
[Tigris Colossus]
The last king of Luthier. He killed hundreds of deities and was forsaken by the goddesses of the highlands.
“As expected!”
A smile crept onto Baeksan’s lips.
“But seriously, every single sentence is ominous.”
Just then, Elise asked from outside the room, “How is it? Is it as difficult as you expected?”
Baeksan belatedly nodded.
“It’s the ‘Accursed Scepter of the Forsaken King.’ It’s the scepter of ‘Tigris Colossus.'”
“…!”
Elise’s eyes widened.
“Is that true?”
“Yes. Those unworthy who touch it will be afflicted by a plague…”
〈QUEST〉
Bury the ‘Accursed Scepter of the Forsaken King’ in the capital and contaminate the land, causing the goddesses to forsake it.
-Success: 113,000 gold
-Failure: None
“…The person who possesses it will be cursed by the gods and driven mad, so don’t touch it recklessly. It’s unlikely, but don’t even think about burying it anywhere.”
“Th-then, do you happen to know what kind of magic is cast on it?!”
Elise urgently asked.
‘Perhaps?’
Baeksan this time focused on the part of the box’s description that mentioned the “7 intersecting spells.”
Luckily, an information window appeared.
“The first spell involves fangs, cartwheels, candles….”
“Wait!”
Elise screamed.
The wizards behind them began hastily scribbling something on paper.
Before Baeksan could finish reciting the spells, they all suddenly slapped their foreheads.
“So that’s what it was!”
“Yeah! The rituals from that era must have been like this!”
“This is revolutionary! We can use the analysis of Tigris Colossus’s rituals as reference material!”
“So, about the ritual disassembly!”
Elise shouted.
“It seems possible!”
The wizards shouted back eagerly.
As Baeksan stood there in confusion, the wizards surged back into the room, pushing him out.
They raised their staffs and drew something glowing in the air, their faces tense.
Finally, when the glowing spell disappeared from the air,
“Oh?”
[The Accursed Scepter]
A box containing something ominous. Six out of the seven intersecting spells guarding the box remain intact.
The description of the box had changed.
Before Baeksan could explain, the wizards erupted in cheers.
“It’s a success! Elise!”
“We’ve disabled one of the protective spells!”
“Is that really true?!”
Even Elise, who seemed calm, let out a joyous cry.
“Oh, my gods! Even I get moments like this!”
“Congratulations, Vice Guildmaster! Your foresight was truly astounding!”
“That’s right! Honestly, when you said you would buy it, I thought you had gone mad, Vice Guildmaster!”
“Thank you! It’s all thanks to everyone! How many wizards have fainted trying to figure out the identity of this box…. Ah!”
They all seemed extremely pleased.
Amidst the excitement, Baeksan stood there dumbfounded.
“Why are they like this?”
He asked Elise, who seemed to be in a dancing mood.
“Um, why is this such a big deal? It’s cursed….”
Elise’s eyes sparkled like gold coins.
“That’s exactly why it’s a big deal! There are so many nobles who collect cursed items like this!”
She answered enthusiastically.
Baeksan, being grabbed by the hand by Elise, blinked.
For a moment, a bright smile crossed his face.
“But before that, isn’t there something we need to do?”
“What is it?”
Baeksan grinned brightly, making a circle with his finger.
“Salary negotiations.”
—
“I’ve been had….”
Elise sprawled out on the couch like burnt ashes.
Maintaining a composed and sharp attitude was a virtue as the Vice Guildmaster of Sophus.
Elise had always adhered to it, but this time, it was difficult.
It was because of Minervina Le Tor’s salary negotiation.
“Wasn’t she a demure young lady? I thought I could negotiate the contract favorably if I put up a little resistance.”
Of course, Sophus was conscientious when it came to its employees’ salaries. They had no intention of dismissing Minervina altogether. They just wanted a more favorable contract with Sophus.
“But none of my tactics worked….”
Minervina transformed the moment she sat down at the negotiation table.
“Mr. Barret, please take care of me.”
Her once gentle eyes became as sharp as knives.
Even when she suggested lowering her salary,
“Sophus has valued my abilities to that extent.”
Even when she pressured by saying that she wouldn’t receive such treatment anywhere else in the industry,
“Mr. Barret, you won’t find another appraiser like me anywhere else. Besides, I’m not a magician, so there’s no fixed limit to the amount of appraisal I can do in a day.”
Even when she tried to insert additional clauses about overtime or business trips right before signing the contract,
“I’m sorry, but let’s forget about the contract. I can’t compromise on overtime.”
None of Elise’s strategies worked.
“How can a young noblewoman be so good at negotiating…?”
Elise, who had met countless high-flying nobles, found Minervina different.
As she collapsed onto the couch, she couldn’t help but think,
“She’s just a young noblewoman, but why does she negotiate so well…?”
Minervina’s negotiation skills had caught Elise off guard.
