Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Chapter 84

Yoo Se-hee looked at the Black Lion with an expression of disbelief.

“So you’re saying Goran is dead?”

“That seems to be the case based on the circumstances.”

“And you want me to believe that?”

“….”

“Is it really true?”

Yoo Se-hee’s pupils shook.

Even the Black Lion reporting seemed to have a difficult time believing.

Goran had disappeared, and Zeon, who had fought him, had returned home.

The implication was clear.

Zeon had won.

“So does that mean Zeon is ruling Shinchon?”

“I don’t think so.”

“What do you mean?”

“He met Ethan. Right after that, Ethan was seen going around Goran’s businesses to take over.”

“So he won the war but isn’t ruling?”

“It seems that way.”

“Hah! That man is a headache.”

Yoo Se-hee sighed.

She would have preferred dealing with someone like Goran.

He was full of desires and didn’t hide any of them.

So everything was clear.

As long as it didn’t interfere with Goran’s goals, there would be no problem.

But Zeon was different.

Everything about him was unclear.

From the past to the present, nothing was known.

He was like a person that fell from the sky.

After taking charge of the Goblin Market, she met many people, but it was her first time seeing someone like Zeon.

Yoo Se-hee, who had been contemplating for a moment, stood up from her seat.

“Are you going out?”

“I need to meet my grandfather.”

“I’ll escort you.”

Under the escort of the Black Lion, Yoo Se-hee left the Goblin Market.

She headed towards a place where shops were clustered.

Among them, Yoo Se-hee walked towards one.

“What brings you here?”

An old man who had been preparing for business for a while noticed Yoo Se-hee and looked puzzled.

Yoo Se-hee put on a naive expression.

“Is it strange for a granddaughter to come to see her grandfather?”

“It is strange. Suspicious.”

“Grandpa!”

At the old man’s response, Yoo Se-hee burst out in an annoyed voice.

“Your ears will fall off. How can your temperament remain the same even as you age? Sit down.”

The old man urging Yoo Se-hee to sit down was none other than Old Man Klexi.

Yoo Se-hee, sitting down, spoke.

“Leaving your granddaughter with such a difficult position and enjoying yourself.”

“Do I seem to be enjoying myself?”

“Yes!”

“I can’t deny that. Well, it’s true that I’m living more happily than ever before.”

“Tsk!”

Yoo Se-hee pursed her lips.

Old Man Klexi and Yoo Se-hee were grandfather and granddaughter.

The Goblin Market she managed was originally created by Old Man Klexi.

Of course, the expansion to its current scale was solely Yoo Se-hee’s effort, but it was Old Man Klexi who started it.

For some reason, Old Man Klexi left Yoo Se-hee in charge of the Goblin Market and started living as a street vendor.

“Alright! What’s bothering my granddaughter so much?”

“Can you see that?”

“Don’t I always tell you? Never reveal your inner thoughts.”

“But I’m doing that.”

“Then why can I read it in your eyes?”

“It’s because…”

“Is it because of that kid, Zeon?”

“….”

At Old Man Klexi’s piercing words, Yoo Se-hee tightly shut her lips.

She always boasted that she had grown a lot, but in front of Old Man Klexi, she was read like an open book.

“There’s no need to be so discouraged. I haven’t fully completely figured out Zeon either yet.”

“I’d like to know more about him. Tell me everything you know.”

“In fact, I know almost nothing. It’s been eight years since I saw that kid here.”

“What was he like when you first met him?”

“He was naive back then. He probably thought he had a strong will, but that made it easier to manipulate him.”

“You manipulated him?”

“Haha! Of course.”

“You’re really mean.”

Even at her granddaughter’s sarcasm, Old Man Klexi didn’t blink an eye.

“It’s clear he was easy to read back then. But now, he’s become elusive.”

“Are you saying that even grandpa doesn’t know what’s going on in his head?”

“I hate to admit it, but yes. I don’t know what experiences he’s had in the past eight years, but he knows how to hide his true intentions thoroughly. Be careful. If you make a wrong move, even you could fall prey to him.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. The Zeon I met eight years ago and the Zeon now are completely different people. So I’m back to square one, trying to understand him again from the beginning.”

“Hmm!”

“Goran was clearly targeted by him. Even with the Eyes of Argos mobilized, we couldn’t find Goran’s whereabouts.”

The Eyes of Argos were one of the organizations created by Old Man Klexi alongside the Goblin Market. It was an intelligence organization created to protect the Goblin Market, and its eyes were spread throughout the slums.

Old Man Klexi hadn’t yet passed on the Eyes of Argos to Yoo Se-hee.

Because he thought Yoo Se-hee’s abilities were lacking to operate the Eyes of Argos.

He planned to pass on the Eyes of Argos to her at a later time when she was more capable.

Yoo Se-hee sighed.

“Haa! What on earth is his identity?”

“Who knows! I want to know too.”

* * *

Zeon looked down at the sofa with a pitiful expression.

Brielle was sprawled out on the sofa.

Her pointed ears were exposed as her hat had fallen to the ground.

Brielle stared at Zeon with unfocused eyes.

Zeon sighed.

“Ugh! A High Elf relying on drugs.”

Just an hour ago, Brielle’s condition had deteriorated rapidly.

In the end, she had no choice but to take a stimulant.

The result was her current state.

It wasn’t a pleasant feeling to see a little elf in such a state due to drugs.

Regardless of race, it was pitiful for a child to rely on drugs to survive.

Perhaps Dyoden, if he were alive and saw this scene, would have laughed and said it served her right. But Zeon was different from Dyoden.

His values and perspective on the world were entirely different.

Suddenly, he missed Dyoden.

Like a flame oxidizing into thin air, he truly left no traces in this world.

It could truly be said to be Dyoden’s last moment.

As Zeon reminisced about Dyoden, Brielle, who was under the influence of drugs, gradually regained consciousness.

“Haah! Fuck!”

Brielle, who got up from the sofa, started off by swearing.

She picked up her fallen hat from the floor.

With her hat pressed firmly on her head, Brielle looked at Zeon.

“It’s made of cheap ingredients, so the side effects are severe. Even if it’s unpleasant to look at, you better get used to it.”

“Then, if the ingredients are good, will the condition improve a bit?”

“It might, don’t you think?”

“Let’s go!”

“Where to?”

“Just follow me.”

Zeon put on his robe and went outside.

Brielle, who had been watching his back for a moment, hurriedly followed him.

The two of them left the building and walked down the street.

Where Zeon took Brielle was straight to the Goblin Market.

“Wow!”

Brielle exclaimed in admiration at the sight of the Goblin Market, which she had never seen before.

To her, who had only been in the damp underground, the Goblin Market was a whole new world.

The people bustling through the streets, the goods laid out on the stalls, and the lively atmosphere unique to the market stole her breath away.

“There was such a place in this world?”

Brielle’s face lit up with wonder.

Zeon said to her.

“If you see good ingredients, go buy them.”

“Can I buy as much as I want?”

“Of course!”

“Thank you!”

Excited, Brielle ran off to the shops.

It was then that Zeon quietly followed behind her.

“That’s a pretty kid. Who is she?”

A familiar voice came from behind.

Without turning his head, Zeon recognized the owner of the voice.

“What brings the owner of the Goblin Market here?”

“As you can see, I’m patrolling.”

The calm response came from none other than Yoo Se-hee.

She appeared with the Black Lion.

Yoo Se-hee asked again.

“So who’s that kid?”

“She was kidnapped and held in the Crocodile’s den.”

“Hmm!”

“I’m taking her with me since she said she has nowhere else to go.”

“You’re more compassionate than you seem.”

“I admit it.”

“Let’s talk.”

“Aren’t we talking right now?”

“I mean somewhere less crowded.”

“As you can see, I need to keep an eye on that kid.”

“This person will watch over her instead.”

Yoo Se-hee pointed to the Black Lion.

In the Goblin Market, there was no one who didn’t know the Black Lion. There was no merchant who would dare to deceive a child under the watchful eyes of the Black Lion.

Zeon nodded his head.

“Let’s do that.”

“Follow me!”

After Zeon told Brielle to shop to her heart’s content, he followed Yoo Se-hee to her office.

“What would you like to have a drink?”

“Just a glass of water is enough.”

In response to Zeon’s answer, Yoo Se-hee poured water into a cup and handed it to him.

“Here.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re a fascinating man.”

“Am I?”

“I’ll ask you directly. What happened to Goran?”

“What do you think happened?”

“Did you kill him?”

“Yes!”

“How?”

“Just like that.”

Yoo Se-hee frowned at Zeon’s brief answer.

She stared at him intently, trying to read through him.

Any ordinary person wouldn’t have dared to look into her eyes, but she couldn’t seem to get through Zeon.

“Is it a secret?”

“Everyone has secrets they want to hide, don’t they?”

“Alright! I admit it. Then I’ll make a suggestion.”

“What is it?”

“Come into the Goblin Market.”

“I’ll refuse.”

“Hey!”

Yoo Se-hee burst out in frustration at Zeon’s immediate refusal. But Zeon continued without changing his expression.

“If I was going to enter the Goblin Market, there was no need to go through the trouble of dealing with Goran. If I had entered the Goblin Market, Goran wouldn’t have been able to easily touch me.”

“Keuk!”

Yoo Se-hee’s expression crumpled.

She knew that what Zeon said was true.

If he had wanted to rely on the Goblin Market, there was no need to go through the hassle.

Yoo Se-hee coveted Zeon.

Surely, she would be more secure if she could only bring Zeon to the Goblin Market. However, she couldn’t force him since he had clearly expressed his refusal.

Any more coercion than necessary would surely only provoke resistance from the other party.

“Okay! Fine. I’ll respect your decision. But…”

“But?”

“I’ll upgrade your Goblin Market access level. In return, when we have a request, think about them positively.”

“What’s good about upgrading the access level?”

“You’ll be able to use the Goblin Market’s secret auction.”

“Secret auction?”

“Yeah! Sometimes items that are hard to dispose of in Neo Seoul come up there.”

“Is that so?”

“What will you do?”

“Okay. Let’s do that.”

The two shook hands.