CH 23

While the question came from Seo Moon-no-eul herself, who sensed the tense atmosphere, I was not obliged to follow her pace. I satisfied her curiosity with a light-hearted tone.

“Because I’m an alchemist.”

“Because you’re an alchemist?”

“It’s a skill. It lets me know more about alchemical information that ordinary people can’t grasp.”

“Ah.”

Seo Moon-no-eul finally seemed to understand.

Well, it was understandable she might have forgotten. How many people could you find who knew about Seo Go-woon’s profession, even if you were to ask every hunter passing by on the street? More likely, there would be more people asking, ‘Isn’t he a nutcase?’

Just then…

“Guild Leader-nim, did you call for me?”

With the knock on the door and the words, “Excuse me,” the door to the guild master’s office opened, and two sturdy men appeared.

One of them had a bald head, which seemed to indicate he was there for a test, and the other one…

“Oh, No-hyun-ah. Could you cool this down?”

“This?”

The one with a full head of hair seemed to have been summoned to cool down the hair growth potion. Upon receiving her direction, the one called No-hyun touched the pot stand.

In an instant, frost formed on the pot stand and the heat disappeared. If Seo Moon-no-eul was an Awakened with fire attribute, No-hyun seemed to be one with an ice attribute.

He quickly handed the cooled down pot stand to No-eul.

“I’m done.”

“Han Jae, you come here.”

As Seo Moon-No-eul gestured, the one called Han Jae sat next to her. The evening sunlight from the window reflected off the man’s bald head, dazzling to the eyes.

“You have alopecia, right?”

“Even if you’re the Guild Leader, I can’t forgive personal attacks.”

Seo Moon-No-eul chuckled and reached for the cooled pot. I quickly blocked her hand.

“If you touch it bare-handed, you’ll turn into a furry beast.”

“Is it that potent?”

“Yes. As soon as you apply it, hair will grow.”

Perhaps not wanting to turn into a beast, Seo Moon-Noeul withdrew her hand from the hair growth potion.

Just then, Kang Do-Hoon pulled out a pair of plastic gloves from his pocket.

“Noona, here.”

That guy calls Seo Tae-Ju ‘Hyung,’ and he calls the Guild Leader ‘Noona’. But why does he call me Seo Go-woon? Is he discriminating against me?

“Thanks.”

While Seo Moon-No-eul was generously applying the purple potion to the gloves, Han Jae, who had been rolling his eyes, began to look upset.

“You mean to apply this hair growth potion… to me?”

“Yep, do you dislike it?”

“…Any side effects?”

Seo Moon-No-eul looked at me.

“There are none.”

If there were side effects, it would surely pop up in a message window. The fact that nothing was specified means there are no side effects. Anyway…

‘Why does that guy look at me like that? Did he also… no, did Seo Go-woon do something to him?’

The gaze of the one called Han Jae looking at me was extremely uncomfortable. His eyes, tainted with disgust as if he was looking at a con artist, made me feel a little uncomfortable.

In response, I lightly tapped the table and said, “If you don’t like it, quit. Guild Leader-nim, isn’t there anyone else? I don’t want to offer mine to someone who I doesnt trust.”

“Is that so? Well, it’s not good to force someone who says they can’t trust the maker. I guess I’ll change to another person. Well, since I’ll only need to test this once, I do need to be careful about the subject. Han Jae-ah, you can go. Do-Hoon-ah, go and call Moon Jun.”

And Seo Moon-No-eul’s decision was swift. Contrary to my expectations of her taking the side of this guy called Han Jae, she chose to send him away.

“Yes!”

“Ah, no, please! Let me, me!” As soon as Kang Do-hoon stood up upon Seo Moon-no-eul’s instructions, the guy named Han Jae erupted.

‘Useless to show off when you’re not worth a damn.’

As Kang Do-hoon looked at Seo Moon-no-eul wondering what to do, Seo Moon-no-eul seemed to leave the decision to me, staring back at me.

I nodded.

‘Just because you don’t believe me, it doesn’t change the effect, so it’s better to get it over quickly.’

“Okay, then, lower your head a bit.”

“Please apply it thoroughly, leaving no areas untouched.”

With a snort, Seo Moon-no-eul started to smear Han Jae’s head, which was helpless against the hair-growth formula smeared on her vinyl gloves. Then a little while later.

“Oh.”

“Wow, amazing.”

“What! Why! What’s happening?”

Wherever the hair-growth formula touched, hair began to grow like grass.

Though her hand was rough, thanks to her meticulous application even to the scalp, Han Jae’s head had turned from bald to lush with hair.

“It works well.” Seo Moon-no-eul, with a change of look, nodded as she took off her vinyl gloves. 

Though the woman sometimes looked playful or light, Seo Moon-no-eul was the leader of a massive group called the Sunset Guild. It was clear that she recognized the value of the item I had brought.

Meanwhile, Han Jae, who only asked about the situation amidst everyone’s admiration, urgently exclaimed, “Can I stand up?”

“Sure.”

The hair-growth formula was absorbed instantly upon contact, so there were no worries about it dripping. As Han Jae raised his head and reached for his hair, his face quickly started to turn red.

‘He’s not crying, is he?’

“Wow, I never thought I’d touch my hair again in my lifetime….”

A man sobbing. Suddenly my stomach, which had been fine, started to churn. Ugh.

Seo Taeju or Kang Do-hoon was fine, but his sobbing is upsetting my stomach.

“Does—does this last forever once applied? Or does it end once applied?”

Whether the guild master was curious about Han Jae’s question, she looked at me.

“Just once.”

“Wow! Thank you!! I’ll remember your kindness for a lifetime!”

Just as Han Jae, who had abruptly stood up, tried to grab my hand, Seo Taeju pushed Han Je’s hand away.

“Don’t touch my hyung.”

Wondering why he was suddenly defensive, I looked at Seo Taeju, and he gestured above his head.

‘Ah, Salt.’

I had forgotten about Salt’s existence because it was sleeping quietly.

Salt might purify him. But it wouldn’t purify anyone unless the person’s S rank or higher.

Is that guy S rank or higher?

“I’m, I’m sorry.”

Whether Han Jae was intimidated by Seo Taeju’s rebuke, he shrank back.

As the atmosphere suddenly chilled, Seo Moon-no-eul clapped to change the atmosphere. “Both of you can leave now. Do-hoon, you can take a break too.”

“Why, I want to stay here.”

“We have something to discuss among ourselves. So, please go.”

“No, let Kang Do-hoon stay.”

“Really?”

I nodded, and so did the guild master. This woman seems to be going along with my words for now.

“Then only you two should leave.”

“Yes, call us if you need anything.”

“Thank you so much.”

Han Jae, now with a full head of hair, bowed to me several times before leaving the guild master’s room with No-hyun.

As soon as the two left, as if she had been waiting for them to leave, Seo Moon-no-eul asked me as soon as the door closed, “Why did you reveal this? You could have kept it a secret if you wanted to.”

“Well, to make money?”

Isn’t it obvious? When you see a gold nugget, you should naturally dig.

If there’s an owner of the mine, it’s only natural to ask for permission.