Episode 16: The Heroine Stole My Regression

Episode 16: Reward (3)

The negotiation was satisfactory.

Especially for me.

When I walked out of the negotiation room, I was holding a makeshift voucher in my hand.

It was a token I could exchange for the Camellia Sword once the Japanese side sent it to the Korean Association.

They said they’d send it in a few days.

Even after the negotiation ended, their expressions weren’t too bad.

If I had pushed them too hard, it wouldn’t have turned out that way.

After all, leaving a bit of breathing room is the basic principle of negotiation.

There was no real need to antagonize an entire country either. Not that it would have mattered much if we did.

Of course, I made sure to address the critical points.

While firmly stating that the cross was absolutely non-negotiable, I provided additional information about Iano’s ruins, said to be hidden somewhere in their homeland.

It wasn’t detailed enough to pinpoint an exact location, but I mentioned that it was likely near Hokkaido. That hint alone seemed to satisfy them.

Was it okay to give them that information? Well, the reward over there is lousy anyway.

Not that I could go there either.

“Mr. Haein!”

From afar, Kim Gil-gyu called out to me urgently.

“Yes?”

“We’ve just received an urgent call from the Chinese side. It seems to be about Iano’s Tomb. They’ve offered a hefty reward…”

It seemed they had also caught the scent.

Since the final contract hadn’t been signed yet, they probably thought they could overturn the deal.

“What will you do? Since the deal hasn’t been finalized, you could always set up a new negotiation table—”

I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Oh… China, huh… Heh.”

I couldn’t hold back my laughter.

I never intended to sell it to them in the first place.

“No way. Never.”

Japan wasn’t the only country I had bad feelings toward.

***

The luxurious café in the heart of the city, run by Glory Enterprises, was always bustling with people.

Under the antique chandeliers and amidst the soft strains of classical music, the atmosphere was elegant.

But now, all eyes in the café were focused on the center.

There sat two famous cadets from Gaon, Yu Hana and Cheon Yeoul.

Yu Hana was sitting with her long, sleek legs crossed, her sky-blue hair gleaming brilliantly under the lights.

Cheon Yeoul, in contrast, had neatly trimmed short hair and a modest outfit, exuding a warm, saint-like aura.

“Unnie! Please give me your autograph!”

A young fan approached Yu Hana, holding out a small piece of paper.

With a bright smile, Yu Hana replied warmly.

“Sure, give me the paper.”

The way she gracefully signed and interacted with her fan was like a scene from a painting.

From afar, the two looked like a perfect pair, their beauty and poise drawing everyone’s attention.

However, reality was different.

Up close, the conversation between them painted a very different picture.

Yu Hana spun her teacup with her fingers and spoke.

“Did you enjoy it?”

Cheon Yeoul, smiling calmly, set down her teacup and replied.

“Yeah, very much.”

Her voice flowed softly, but there was an indescribable undertone to it.

Yu Hana raised the corner of her lips slightly as she lifted her teacup.

“Still, I’ll admit you did well this time. I respect him, but that elixir—”

Yu Hana stopped mid-sentence, sensing something unusual, and looked up.

Cheon Yeoul, still savoring her tea, wore a dreamy expression.

Her face was slightly flushed, her gaze distant and wistful.

“…What are you doing?”

Yu Hana’s sharp voice brought Cheon Yeoul back to her senses.

“Oh.”

Cheon Yeoul smiled leisurely, tilting her head slightly.

That faint smile was enough to provoke Yu Hana.

“Sorry, just… thinking about that time.”

Yu Hana’s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly.

Cheon Yeoul, seemingly unfazed, tapped her fingers lightly on the table and spoke slowly.

“I had to circulate the elixir’s effects, so I had to touch every part of his body… You know how it is.”

“He fell asleep in my arms… Do you know how cute he looked?”

Yu Hana’s smile stiffened slightly. Her fingertips visibly tensed.

Cheon Yeoul, seemingly enjoying her reaction, took a sip from her glass and added.

“No matter what I did to his body, he didn’t notice a thing…”

“Good for you.”

Yu Hana finally set her cup down, having taken not even a sip. Her voice was low and calm, but her smile remained intact.

“Because there are a lot of people here.”

Cheon Yeoul tilted her head curiously at her words.

“Why?”

“Because I was very close to actually killing you.”

The atmosphere froze at her words.

Cheon Yeoul smirked faintly, lifting the corner of her mouth.

“Trying to set the mood, huh?”

“Be careful.”

Just then, a young boy fan approached Cheon Yeoul, asking for her autograph.

Cheon Yeoul smiled warmly and signed the paper the boy handed to her.

The boy hesitated, shifting his weight nervously while clutching the signed paper. His small feet shuffled on the floor, and his lips quivered as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t muster the courage.

“Do you have something you want to say, little one?”

Cheon Yeoul asked gently, trying to ease his hesitation with a soft smile.

“Saintess, are you really dating Hero Yohan?”

“Pfft!”

Cheon Yeoul froze momentarily at the unexpected question, while Yu Hana stifled her laughter, covering her mouth.

“No, absolutely not. No way.”

“Then, when I grow up, I’ll marry you, Saintess!”

The boy puffed out his chest confidently, declaring proudly.

Cheon Yeoul smiled, amused, and lightly patted the boy’s head.

“Thanks, but that’s not possible.”

The boy’s face fell instantly, his expression crumbling into disappointment.

“I’m already taken, sorry about that.”

***

A massive medieval-style building towered over the center of the city.

Its architecture seemed out of place, but surprisingly, it blended naturally into the cityscape.

‘The Arcadia Order.’

I had arrived at the temple of that very order.

Since I was on leave anyway, I decided to take care of everything today, including disposing of the cross artifact.

“You can handle it confidentially or publicly,”

The association had told me when asking about disclosing the dungeon conquest to the media.

I had opted to keep it private—for now.

But…

“Will they really keep it under wraps?”

It wasn’t uncommon for certain individuals within the association to enjoy side gigs, selling off information.

Thanks to them, it would all come to light sooner or later anyway.

With these thoughts swirling in my head, I entered the temple. Unlike its exterior, the interior was clean and modern.

I approached a priest reviewing documents at the counter.

“Excuse me, priest.”

“Yes? How can I assist you?”

The priest greeted me with a kind smile.

“I’m here to sell an artifact.”

“An… artifact?”

Her expression briefly stiffened in surprise before she began flipping through some documents and asked,

“May I have your name, please?”

“Jung Haein.”

The moment she heard my name, there was a loud commotion in the distance.

A flustered priest came rushing out, stumbling toward me.

“Oh my, you should’ve informed us before coming!”

“Would I, if I knew someone here?”

“Haha, fair point!”

The priest gave an awkward smile and scratched the back of his head.

“I’ll guide you to the reception room. Please follow me this way.”

He bowed politely and began to lead me.

“Actually, Lady Cheon Yeoul personally asked us to treat you with the utmost respect if you ever came by.”

“So, if you could perhaps put in a good word for me with her…”

I nodded. Seeing how eager he was to get on her good side, it seemed that Cheon Yeoul had already begun solidifying her influence within the order.

The internal factions of the Arcadia Order were largely divided into two groups.

One supported Yohan, the hero, while the other supported Cheon Yeoul, the saintess.

Yohan’s supporters clung to tradition and the glory of the past, forming a group of conservatives centered around the hero.

In contrast, Yeoul Cheon’s efforts to consolidate her influence, as evident now, were undeniably effective.

The reception room of the Arcadia Order was even more luxurious.

“Please wait here for a moment. The person in charge of transactions will be with you shortly.”

After the priest left, it wasn’t long before a middle-aged man in a neat suit entered the room. He bowed politely as he approached me.

“You must be Jung Haein. It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Bishop Luke, in charge of transactions for the Arcadia Order.”

His demeanor was calm yet dignified.

Instead of replying, I took the cross out of my bag and showed it to him.

The moment he saw the cross in my hand, Bishop Luke’s expression subtly shifted.

His face reflected both awe and surprise, as if he had already grasped the artifact’s significance.

He carefully examined the cross, took a deep breath, and asked in a low voice,

“With my limited knowledge, I can sense an extraordinary divine power emanating from this artifact. By any chance, do you know its name?”

“It’s the relic of the shrine maiden Iano.”

“Ah… I thought so.”

I nodded and handed him the cross.

Bishop Luke accepted it with a tense expression and spoke.

“We’re already deeply grateful that you’re willing to sell it to us. However…”

His voice lowered slightly.

“It’s only right that we present you with terms you’ll find satisfactory, but… this artifact is such a significant item that…”

Ah, I could guess what he was about to say.

Basically, ‘This is too big for me to set a price on, so we’ll need some time to deliberate.’

I wasn’t particularly fixated on money, anyway. I had originally planned to just give it away.

“You can let me know the price later. For now, just give me a contract to sign.”

At my words, Bishop Luke seemed slightly flustered. He quickly pulled out a blank contract and a pen from his pocket.

Taking the contract he handed me, I wrote something down briefly.

“All done. Here you go.”

“As long as you abide by these terms, feel free to contact me once you’ve determined the price.”

The contract bore the seal of the god worshipped by the Arcadia Order. It was binding and non-negotiable.

As he read the contract, Bishop Luke’s eyes widened.

He carefully reviewed it for a while, then nodded.

“Understood. Such simple terms… Thank you for your generosity.”

Cheon Yeoul was confident that the order would give her the cross eventually, but nothing was certain.

By setting clear conditions, I was ensuring her position would be stronger.

The terms I had written were simple:

“The Cross of Iano must only be used for the Saintess candidate.”

After rereading the contract, Bishop Luke quietly smiled.

“No one in the order would dare reject these terms.”

He folded the contract carefully and tucked it into his pocket, adding,

“Unless, of course, they’re a heretic.”

Incidentally, Bishop Luke was well-known in the Arcadia Order as a staunch supporter of the “pro-Saintess” faction.

Bowing deeply to me, he spoke with conviction.

“The divine power within this relic will undoubtedly be entrusted to someone worthy.”

I was confident he would fulfill the role I wanted him to.

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