Chapter 135 – Then What Is This Belly

“Representative Theo, you still lack the qualifications.”

“What do you mean, meow?! I have already met the conditions for a top-tier wandering merchant, meow! Are you ignoring me, meow?!”

Theo thought that the employee was ignoring him at those words and got angry. It was clear that he was being treated like a pushover. Being treated like a pushover was intolerable, meow!

‘I will call my subordinates, meow!’

While Theo was debating whether to call Iona, Cuengi, Elka, Hegel, or the Black Minotaurs to punish that employee,

“To become a top-tier wandering merchant, in addition to achieving a total accumulated sales amount of 10 million tower coins, you must satisfy three out of these five qualification conditions.”

The employee handed Theo a paper detailing the qualification requirements for a top-tier wandering merchant.

“There was such a thing, meow?!”

Theo hurriedly read the paper.

[Top-Tier Wandering Merchant Qualification Requirements]

1. Possess capital of 5 million tower coins or more.

2. Employ 5 or more employees.

3. Secure 3 or more exclusive products.

4. Handle 100 or more types of products.

5. Have 5 or more clients with monthly sales of 100,000 tower coins or more.

*If you meet 3 out of the 5 conditions above and visit the headquarters of the Wandering Merchant Association, you can become a top-tier wandering merchant.

“Such a thing existed, meow?!”

“Yes. Usually, because the number of merchants trying to become top-tier wandering merchants is small, it is not well known.”

“I did not know, meow.”

“That can happen. The conditions preferred by those who want to become top-tier wandering merchants are numbers 1, 2, and 4. Because they can be resolved most easily.”

The employee explained kindly to Theo. Thanks to that, the disaster of Theo calling his subordinates did not happen.

“You mean numbers 1, 2, and 4, meow?”

The conditions mentioned by the employee were all ones that could be resolved with money. Condition number 1 was a given, and employing 5 employees and securing 100 types of products were also possible with money.

“Hmm… In Representative Theo’s case… first…”

While Theo was reading the paper, the employee looked at Theo’s activity log and tried to tell him to come back after meeting the lacking qualifications, but

“Here. I have met numbers 1, 2, 3, and 5, meow!”

Theo spoke to the employee and began to pull out the documents to prove his qualifications from his bundle.

“Yes?! Already?!”

“That’s right, meow! First is 5 million tower coins, meow!”

Theo pulled out the money, meeting condition number 1.

And,

“Here are the employment contracts, meow!”

He also pulled out the contracts with the cat interns. An employment contract with a total of 8 cats. He easily met condition number 2 too.

“These are crops with item effects, meow! And these are my regular clients, meow!”

Since Se-jun’s crops exceeded 10 types, the condition of having 3 or more exclusive products was met. Moreover, since Theo had many regular guilds and hunters, the number of clients with monthly sales of over 100,000 tower coins also exceeded 20.

When Theo met conditions 3 and 5 as well,

“Oh! You are amazing!”

The employee looked at Theo with admiration, as he had never seen a wandering merchant who met the conditions instantly like this.

“Puhuhut. Of course, meow! I am amazing, meow! Because I am the great black…”

Theo bragged and began to state his identity.

But,

“Just a moment!”

The employee hurriedly ran off somewhere.

“Meow?! Where are you going without listening to my introduction…?”

Just as Theo felt depressed because he could not make his self-introduction properly again,

“Here is the plaque proving you are a top-tier wandering merchant.”

The employee brought a golden plaque made of gold.

“From now on, if you apply to use the light-speed merchant tunnel, you can use it. Would you like to apply? The application fee is 100,000 tower coins.”

“Here it is, meow!”

Theo readily paid 100,000 tower coins. These days, the incentives he received from Se-jun alone amounted to hundreds of thousands of tower coins. Theo was now rich too.

“And you can engrave a phrase introducing yourself here. What should we engrave?”

“Puhuhut. Listen carefully, meow.”

Theo told the employee the phrase introducing himself to be engraved on the golden plaque.

“Are you really going to write it like this?”

The employee, with an embarrassed expression, asked while looking at the phrase engraved on the golden plaque.

[The Great Black Dragon’s Subordinate, the Deadly Yellow Cat, Theo Park]

If he were caught by factions that followed the Black Dragon while impersonating the great Black Dragon’s subordinate, not even his bones would remain.

“That’s right, meow!”

“Whew. Understood. Please wait a moment.”

The employee took the golden plaque and went back to the wizard to request magic treatment. And the wizard engraved enhancement, preservation, and binding magic on it.

“Here it is.”

In that way, Theo became a top-tier wandering merchant.

‘I am finally a top-tier wandering merchant, meow!’

Theo was deeply moved as he thought of himself when he had been scammed by Scaram a few months ago.

And,

‘This is all thanks to Park Se-jun’s lap, meow!’

After praising Se-jun’s lap, which was his absolute truth, once,

“Then show me the land deeds, meow!”

He finally began purchasing the land deeds, which was his original purpose.

But,

“What should we do about this? Trading of land deeds has been temporarily suspended recently.”

“What do you mean, meow?!”

“Well… because a robber who kills land deed owners and steals land deeds has appeared recently, we have suspended trading for a while for the safety of our customers.”

“Then does it mean there is no other way to obtain a land deed, meow?”

“Hmm… Ah! The probability is low, but there is one method that only Representative Theo can do.”

“What is that, meow?!”

“Originally, our Wandering Merchant Association grants the right to bring out one desired item from the association’s lost and found warehouse if you meet all five qualification conditions within one day of becoming a top-tier wandering merchant.”

What the employee spoke of was a tradition that almost no one knew about now. The employee also suddenly remembered what he had heard from his mentor 30 years ago.

‘Did my mentor say that a land deed had come out of the lost and found warehouse about 100 years ago?’

So he said that at the time, many merchants were enthusiastic about meeting the five conditions to enter the lost and found warehouse. And they cooled down quickly…

This was because the association’s lost and found warehouse was a place where almost all profitable items were disposed of and only ambiguous items were gathered. It was not profitable compared to the effort.

“I will do it, meow!”

Theo realized that the time had come for his front paw to shine once again.

“Wait for just a moment, meow!”

Theo hurriedly went outside and bought items indiscriminately to make 100 types of handled goods.

“Give me a discount, meow!”

Of course, bargaining three times was a default option.

1 hour later.

“I have made 100 types of handled goods here, meow!”

Theo returned to the association headquarters after purchasing the items and met all five conditions of a top-tier wandering merchant.

“Congratulations. Please follow me.”

The employee led Theo and guided him to the lost and found warehouse built of stone behind the headquarters. The building looked sturdy enough that it would not collapse even under powerful magic.

“Who is it?!”

The huge rhinoceros guard who was guarding the lost and found warehouse raised his spear upon seeing the approaching employee and Theo.

“Hello, Taru-nim. I am Sion, a headquarters employee. In accordance with the association’s tradition, I have brought Representative Theo, who has obtained the qualification to enter the lost and found warehouse.”

“Hmm… Tradition… This will be interesting. Good.”

Thud.

When Taru opened the door of the giant lost and found warehouse,

Whoosh.

the torches inside the lost and found warehouse began to catch fire.

“Go in. Since someone has visited after almost 100 years, I will specially permit you to bring out two items.”

“Thank you, meow! Then let’s make it three, meow!”

At Taru’s favor, Theo subtly added one more. It was because as soon as the door opened, he felt several forces pulling his front paw.

“What?! Hahaha. You are bold. Fine! Let’s make it three!”

Since no matter how much one brought out from the warehouse, if they were unlucky they would only bring out trash, Taru readily permitted it.

“Thank you, meow!”

Exciting at Taru’s words, Theo scurried into the lost and found warehouse.

***

“You want to build a magic tower on the 99th floor of the tower?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. I permit it.”

There was no reason to object. Rather, if wizards resided here, he could ask them to use magic when needed, so it would help with farming.

“Kyu-kyu-kyu!”

At Se-jun’s permission, Iona made a sound of joy.

“But have you decided on the location to build the tower?”

“Yes! I am thinking of the south.”

“South?”

“Yes!”

Iona thought of wiping out the fire ants and building the magic tower there.

“How many people?”

“It is 300 people, but it might increase a bit more.”

While Se-jun was having a conversation with Iona like that,

Kkueng!

Cuengi, who had grown bored waiting from the side, took a banana out of his snack pouch and began to eat it. It was the last banana he had saved.

“Kyu? What is that?”

As the sweet scent of the banana spread, Iona looked at the banana and asked.

“It’s called a banana. Do you want to try some?”

Se-jun picked up a banana from the sub-space warehouse, peeled it, cut it into small pieces, and gave it to Iona.

“Thank you.”

Iona thanked Se-jun and took a bite of the banana.

And,

“Kyu! Kyu! Kyu!”

Making cries of joy, Iona hugged the banana tightly with her short limbs and began to eat it eagerly.

At that moment,

Kkueng… Kkueng…

Cuengi, who had finished his own banana, secretly went inside Se-jun’s sub-space warehouse. He was aiming for the bananas inside the warehouse.

Clank.

Se-jun closed the door of the sub-space warehouse, not knowing that Cuengi had gone inside.

And,

“I should work now.”

He began working while looking around the farm where he had been absent for the past few days.

Peep!

Screech!

As he walked around the farm, the rabbits and mushroom ants, who had suffered under the management of the two dragons, welcomed Se-jun intensely. Fortunately, the two dragons had managed the farm well, so there were no big problems.

As he walked around the farm, Se-jun headed to the storage room.

Pyah!

The rabbit guarding the storage room welcomed Se-jun.

“Have you been well?”

Pyah!

Clink.

The rabbit answered while pulling out money.

“What? Kaiser-nim and Kellion-nim took the crops in the storage room and paid money?”

‘This is good.’

Taking items and paying money on their own, this place was almost like a supermarket. Having conversed with the rabbit in that way, Se-jun entered the storage room.

“Oh! Elixirs!”

Going all the way to the end of the storage room while inspecting the crops, a few elixir mushrooms grown by the mushroom ants were kept carefully in a separate place.

[Elixir: Pine Mushroom]

[Elixir: Oyster Mushroom]

[Elixir: Shiitake Mushroom]

The grades were all C-grade, having the effect of all stats +1.

“I should add them to dishes and eat them later.”

Elixir Mushroom Hot Pot. It was a name that sounded like it would build up one’s health just by hearing it. Se-jun decided to cook the dish once a few more elixir mushrooms were obtained, and

Clank.

opened the sub-space warehouse. This was to store the elixirs safely in the warehouse.

At that moment,

Purr.

Cuengi’s snoring sound was heard from inside.

“Huh??”

Why was Cuengi’s snoring heard here? As Se-jun went to the source of the sound, wondering, he saw Cuengi sleeping spread out. How many bananas had he eaten, for his belly was extremely bloated.

‘He must have eaten about 5,000.’

Looking at the bananas left in the warehouse, Se-jun estimated the number of bananas Cuengi had eaten.

Kkueng…

At Se-jun’s presence, Cuengi rubbed his eyes and opened them.

And,

Kkueng…

Cuengi subtly hugged Se-jun’s leg and pretended to sleep again.

“Cuengi, where did the bananas that were here go?”

As Se-jun looked at Cuengi with sharp eyes,

Kkueng…

[Cuengi doesn’t know…]

Cuengi replied while avoiding Se-jun’s eyes.

“Then what is this belly?”

Se-jun asked while grabbing Cuengi’s bloated belly.

…

Cuengi could not answer.

“Got you! Banana thief! Boobooboobob.”

Se-jun blew raspberries on Cuengi’s bloated belly, which was about to burst, punishing the banana thief.

“Kkuhehehe. Kkueng?”

[Hehehe. But how did you know Cuengi ate the bananas?]

Cuengi, who had eaten even the banana skins to leave no evidence, asked with true curiosity.

“Hehehe. I have my ways of knowing everything. So if you lie to Dad, you’ll get scolded! Got it?!”

Se-jun spoke solemnly and stroked Cuengi’s bloated belly.