Watching the scene unfold before him, Ian lowered his head and thought for a moment.
In the game, Veronica was supposed to obtain this sword quite easily.
Why had a mysterious person in black suddenly appeared to snatch the weapon?
‘This plot is a bit off!’
‘Should I step forward and help Veronica?’
Ian asked himself.
If he stepped forward, there was a chance Veronica would recognize him.
It would be quite bad if she found out he was frequenting the Black Market.
However, if he didn’t help and Veronica failed to obtain the weapon, the Game Plot would deviate significantly.
No one could guarantee whether the subsequent events would remain the same as those in his memory.
In the later stages of the story, Veronica survived countless life-or-death situations specifically because of that sword.
Therefore, it was more beneficial for him if she acquired it.
While Ian was locked in an internal struggle, the situation on the field shifted again.
“Owner, I saw this sword first,” Veronica said to the man, her voice tinged with anger.
She was truly frustrated by the mysterious person in black who had suddenly appeared.
When she first entered the Black Market, she noticed a figure in black tailing her closely.
At first, she thought they were simply heading in the same direction, but things became increasingly suspicious.
No matter where she went, the person followed.
How could such a coincidence exist?
And now, this person had jumped out to compete with her for the treasure.
Veronica was finally certain that the individual had been stalking her specifically to steal the items she took an interest in.
The Weapon Shop Owner let out a devious chuckle.
“It is true you saw it first, but haven’t you failed to pay for it yet?”
“Since you haven’t paid, the sword still belongs to me, and I can still sell it to someone else.”
As a shop owner operating in the Black Market, it would be a lie to say he wasn’t greedy.
After all, there was no such thing as an honest merchant.
Furthermore, the sword Veronica wanted was covered in rust.
From its appearance, one couldn’t tell it was a fine blade at all.
He had originally thought the sword would gather dust on the shelf for a lifetime.
Who would have thought that two people would take an interest in it at the same time?
He would be failing his professional ethics if he didn’t squeeze them for every cent.
“You…”
Veronica was rendered speechless by the owner’s greed.
She had never encountered someone so untrustworthy.
“Since the owner put it that way, this sword belongs to me.”
The mysterious person in black stepped forward and placed a bag of gold coins on the shop’s counter.
At the sight of the gold, the Weapon Shop Owner’s face broke into a massive grin.
“Dear guest, do not say I refused to sell to you. If you can produce this many gold coins, I will sell it to you instead.”
“After all, who would turn away money?”
The owner weighed the bag in his hand and spoke to Veronica with a smile.
‘Damn it, am I really going to lose this sword?’
Looking at the glow of the ring on her hand, Veronica felt a surge of indignation.
This sword was bound to be of great use to her.
She truly couldn’t bring herself to surrender it to someone else.
However, she hadn’t brought much money with her and couldn’t compete with the mysterious person who had appeared out of nowhere.
Just as Veronica was about to give up, another figure in black appeared before her eyes.
Watching this figure, Veronica was slightly stunned.
Wasn’t this the same person she had suspected was Ian earlier?
What was he doing here?
The newcomer was, of course, Ian, who had just finished his internal debate.
He had thought about it for a long time and finally decided to step in and secure the sword for Veronica.
This weapon was simply too important; if she didn’t get it, the future variables would be far too great.
He didn’t want to face a plot full of uncertainties.
He reached out and grabbed the hand of the mysterious person in black as she reached for the sword.
The moment he touched her, Ian realized her skin was incredibly supple and soft.
It felt like a woman’s hand — and not just any woman, but a high-born lady who had never done a day of manual labor in her life.
But at this moment, Ian didn’t care if the opponent was male or female.
Any action that hindered his path home had to be neutralized.
“My friend, don’t be in such a hurry. I have some thoughts regarding this sword as well.”
Seeing yet another person emerge, the Weapon Shop Owner’s smile widened.
He thought to himself that there was always a bigger fish.
It seemed he was destined to make a fortune today.
Being grabbed like that, the mysterious person in black shook off Ian’s hand and spoke with a frown.
“What do you mean by this?”
“Is my meaning not clear enough? Naturally, I want to buy this sword too!”
As Ian spoke, he pulled a bag from beneath his black robe that was significantly bulkier than the one provided by the mysterious person.
As the Young Master of the Duke’s Mansion, Ian’s personal funds were naturally abundant.
Taking this sword was more than easy for him.
“Owner, this should be more than what she offered, right?”
Seeing Ian produce the bag, the owner’s mouth hung open in a grin.
What kind of incredible luck was he having today?
A sword he had planned to sell for a low price was now being fought over by these two at an astronomical rate.
“Dear guest, this precious sword is yours.”
He hurried to push the sword toward Ian, fearing that Ian might change his mind.
In his eyes, he had just scored a massive win.
“Owner, do you have no sense of credit? I was clearly here first.”
The mysterious person in black cursed the owner’s shamelessness in her heart.
Hearing this, the owner became a bit displeased.
“Didn’t you also snatch it from the guest before you?”
“Besides, didn’t you just say that treasures go to the highest bidder?”
“If you can offer a higher price than this guest, I will naturally sell it to you.”
The person in black fell silent, unable to find a retort.
She was trapped by her own logic.
“I didn’t bring that much money out with me. Can I come back and buy it after I go get more?”
“Are you joking? Of course not.”
The owner rejected her suggestion immediately.
What if she never came back?
In his eyes, the sword wasn’t worth much to begin with.
The price Ian offered had already exceeded his expectations, and he wasn’t about to gamble for more.
He knew when to quit while he was ahead.
“Dear guest, the sword is yours.”
Seeing that the person in black couldn’t offer a higher price, the owner quickly handed the sword to Ian.
Ian held the sword given to him.
It was covered in thick rust and didn’t look like a powerful treasure at all.
However, only Ian knew that this was merely its surface appearance.
The true identity of this weapon was the Sword of Courage — the personal sidearm of a god.
It housed the power of a deity.
In the game, Veronica used the divine power within this blade to turn the tide in her favor during many dangerous situations.
Furthermore, this sword could only be used by Veronica, who had been chosen by the God of Courage.
In anyone else’s hands, it was nothing more than scrap metal.
Therefore, the sword was useless to Ian.
Although the mysterious person didn’t get the sword, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Ian take it.
After all, her goal was to prevent Veronica from obtaining the weapon.
Although the process was a bit twisted and the result differed from her expectations, she had strangely achieved her objective.
Still, she wondered who this sudden person in black was.
What was his purpose in snatching the sword?
Veronica had been watching the two fight over the weapon.
Seeing Ian win it in the end, she felt a slight sense of satisfaction.
Even though she didn’t get the sword herself, it was a pleasure to see the person who tried to rob her get frustrated.
Just as both Veronica and the mysterious person were about to leave, Ian performed an action that neither of them expected.
Ian turned to Veronica and said, “This sword is for you.”
“Huh?”
Veronica was stunned by the sudden statement.
“You’re giving this sword to me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Veronica didn’t believe Ian would be so kind as to give her a treasure he had just fought for.
Though she had a brief moment where she thought the person in black was there to help her, she quickly dismissed it.
No one would be that foolish, and she couldn’t be certain of his identity.
Why would a stranger help her?
“Haha, there is no ‘why.’ I just can’t stand people who use their bit of wealth to bully others.”
As he spoke, Ian glanced at the mysterious person in black nearby.
Ian naturally had no good feelings toward that person.
If it wasn’t for her, would he have needed to risk exposure to help Veronica?
“But, this…”
Before Veronica could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by Ian’s movements.
“No need for words. I simply enjoy performing chivalrous deeds. Just take it.”
Ian forcefully thrust the sword into Veronica’s hands and quickly departed, fearing she might try to give it back.
Watching the second figure in black retreat, Veronica felt more and more like he was Ian, yet looking at the sword in her hand, she felt it couldn’t be him.
‘Would Ian be this kind?’
—
After such a chaotic event, Ian returned to the Duke’s Mansion and immediately collapsed onto his bed.
He counted the medicinal ingredients he had purchased and thought to himself.
‘Only one ingredient left. As long as I find an excuse to sneak out of the city tomorrow, everything will be fine.’
Sneaking out of the city wasn’t difficult for Ian; in fact, it was quite simple.
Using his Dark Magic, he could easily bypass the guards and slip out.
He just had to be careful not to be discovered.
But then again, who would notice him?
After all, who would pay attention to a Cannon Fodder Villain like him?
Exhausted after a long day, Ian drifted into a dream with a pleasant mood.
However, the next morning, as Ian walked down the streets of Far East City, he froze.
Looking at the three people chatteringly following him — Aetherinra, Elise, and Veronica — Ian was dumbfounded.
What was going on with these three?
Why were they constantly tailing him?
Faced with this scene, he looked helplessly toward the sky and roared in his heart.
‘How am I supposed to sneak out of the city like this?!’