Chapter 0 : After being exiled, I opened a general store..?

Prologue

After being expelled, I started a general store…?

The weapons of the gods

I became a monopolist.

On an autumn day when the red maple leaves swayed.

“I’m sorry, but please leave our guild.”

A woman with a blank expression spoke.

Baek Seorin, the guild master of Samdocheon and the only S-rank sorcerer in South Korea.

“Choi Seo-jun, you no longer belong in Samdocheon.”

She notified me of my dismissal.

“Is there a reason?”

“You know why. An E-rank appraisal ability is useless.”

Among appraisal abilities, E-rank is the lowest.

It meant that I was not qualified to be an appraiser for Samdocheon, the top guild in South Korea.

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason.

Even though I was just an E-rank, appraisers were a rare profession, and I had diligently done my job.

For them to say they didn’t need me anymore…

“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Ki-tae, a C-rank appraiser.”

“He’s your replacement.”

A tanned man, Kim Ki-tae, extended his hand with a triumphant expression.

He looked extremely excited about becoming Samdocheon’s appraiser.

After all, being an appraiser for South Korea’s top guild wasn’t an opportunity that came easily.

“I heard you were Samdocheon’s appraiser. It’s an honor to meet you.”

Despite his words, Kim Ki-tae’s expression was full of ridicule.

It was the kind of sneer that mocked how an E-rank appraiser had managed to hold this position.

However, I didn’t feel bad at all.

No, in fact, Kim Ki-tae’s presence was dazzling.

Of course, it had to be.

A savior had appeared to rescue me from this appraiser’s hell.

‘Finally…!’

Even for me, the bluebird of happiness has arrived!

I grabbed Kim Ki-tae’s hand tightly.

“Why are you suddenly…”

“Welcome.”

“…Huh?”

Completely clueless, Kim Ki-tae awkwardly accepted my congratulations with a bewildered expression.

Even his dumbfounded reaction was amusing.

A fresh-faced rookie, the perfect prey for exploitation.

Where did they find such a perfect recruit?

As expected of the Black Witch.

Baek Seorin’s cruelty never failed to impress me.

“Congratulations on your new job.”

I sincerely congratulated Kim Ki-tae on his employment.

And my fresh start as well.

On an autumn day when the maple leaves swayed.

I was expelled from the guild where I had worked for ten years.

Artifacts from the past possess special powers.

Their value varies greatly depending on which era they came from and which historical figure used them.

For example, Excalibur from the legend of King Arthur or Gram from Sigurd’s tale is considered national treasures.

The more famous the historical figure, the stronger the artifact’s power.

The job of appraising and grading these artifacts belonged to appraisers.

At first glance, it seemed like an important profession, but that was only true for those with high ranks.

An E-rank appraiser like me was stuck appraising artifacts that were no better than junk.

Especially in a massive guild like Samdocheon, the workload was overwhelming.

Appraisal, appraisal, appraisal, appraisal, appraisal…

‘It was a nightmare.’

Like slapping barcodes onto products, appraisers were nothing more than human scanners assigning grades to artifacts.

On top of that, the shortage of workers was so severe that unless a replacement was found, it was nearly impossible to resign—modern-day slavery.

So why did I put up with this job?

‘Because the honey was too sweet to resist.’

A satisfied smile appeared on my lips as I looked at my shelves.

A ring of regeneration, a poison-resistance necklace, vision-enhancing goggles…

The shelves reaching the ceiling were packed with items highly favored by hunters.

It was my personal artifact collection, painstakingly gathered over my ten years at Samdocheon.

The workload was brutal, but the pay was excellent—that was Samdocheon’s secret to success.

If not for that, I would’ve quit long ago.

Anyway.

“That should do it.”

I stretched my back and looked around.

A cozy general store with an entire wall dedicated to artifact shelves.

It was my very own shop, my first venture after leaving Samdocheon.

I couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction.

‘There’s no way this won’t sell.’

Near Incheon, a hunter’s paradise, there are many hunters, and the merchandise is abundant.

Now that I’ve set up my shop, all that’s left is to enjoy the sweet rewards.

As I was organizing artifacts for a while, I suddenly looked at the object in my hand.

“Oh, right. I had this too.”

I was holding a small hand mirror.

A magical tool that reveals an Awakened’s abilities.

It was an outdated artifact no longer used in modern times.

Though looking into it wouldn’t change anything, I infused it with magic out of curiosity.

“As expected.”

The mirror turned brown, indicating an “E-rank.”

Since my appraisal rank was E-rank, this was the obvious result.

But then…

“Hmm?”

Just as I was about to put the mirror away, I blinked at the sight of it glowing in rainbow colors.

‘Rainbow?’

I had never heard of rainbow-colored ranks among the classifications for Awakened individuals.

However, as if it were just an illusion, the rainbow glow disappeared in an instant.

“Did I see that wrong?”

Looking at the mirror, which was still brown, I tilted my head and withdrew my magic.

“I must be sleepy.”

It wasn’t until after I took a nap that I realized it wasn’t a mistake.

Knock, knock, knock!

The sound of a steady knock woke me from my light sleep.

‘Did I doze off?’

Checking the clock, I saw that an hour had passed.

Knock, knock, knock!

“The door’s open, you can come in!”

“Excuse me.”

As the door opened and the visitor stepped inside, I tilted my head in confusion.

‘Is there some kind of cosplay event happening?’

The man who appeared looked like he had stepped out of a history book, dressed in a modern-era military uniform.

“Sorry, but could I have something to drink? I’ll compensate you for it.”

“Of course, water is free.”

Seeing how exhausted the man looked, I poured him a cup from the purifier and handed it over.

“Thank you.”

After drinking the water, the man glanced around the shop with a curious expression.

“What kind of place is this?”

“Oh, this is a general store—”

Just as I was about to explain, a system message appeared before my eyes.

You have encountered a figure from a failed timeline.

◆ The Connector of Transcendents (???) has been activated.

“Connector?”

“Is something wrong?”

The man looked at me curiously, but I stared at him in shock.

The awakening message seemed to have appeared because of him.

And its content was unsettling.

A figure from a failed timeline?

‘This man…?’

I took a closer look at him with newfound suspicion.

A bicorne hat perched on his head. A sword at his waist. A blue-and-white military uniform.

The more I observed, the more familiar he seemed.

As if I had seen him somewhere before.

“Excuse me, but may I ask for your name?”

“Napoléon Bonaparte.”

“……!”

The first customer of my general store.

He was the hero who led the French Revolution to victory.

The great conqueror, Napoléon.