Chapter 12 — Friendly Market Branch (1)

I’d opened the store, sure—but there was no way I could just stroll through the FRONT door with the Babel Management Bureau standing guard like watchdogs.

So…

“I can’t believe I was able to make a back door.”

Shocking but true: I created a brand-new BACK ENTRANCE.

[⁕ Offline branches may be modified at the administrator’s discretion, including the building structure and interior layout :)]

Honestly, I liked the default layout enough that I didn’t feel the need to change much.

I removed my robe and looked around the inside of the building.

Large windows on each side of the front wall, able to swing open.
A counter was placed right in front of them.

It was designed so I could sit inside and deal with customers outside—very convenient.

Multiple tables were arranged deeper inside.
Probably display stands.

“Much more professional than I expected.”

Up until now, my only “business experience” was wiping down used items and haggling on Carrot Market.

And now I suddenly had a proper shop.

[⁕ At offline branches, auto-sale features are available just like in dimensional markets.
You may also hire a manager to handle building and stock management :)]

There was… a lot.

I scratched my neck while staring at the empty display tables.

‘This is kinda embarrassing.’

The idea of actually doing something properly “manager-like” for the first time made me feel weird.

A few weeks ago, I was pinching pennies to survive—I never imagined myself running a real storefront.

Then Saemi chimed in with her usual enthusiasm.

[⁕ You may give your offline branch a name for easier management 🙂
It is currently labelled ‘25th Floor Mid-Station Branch.’]

That name was way too long.

“…This time there’s no two-character limit, right?”

[⁕ Correct. Would you like to set a name?]

“How about… ‘BaMan Branch’?”

Hunters would call it whatever they wanted anyway.

[⁕ Friendly Market ‘25th Floor Mid-Station Branch’ has been renamed ‘BaMan Branch’ :)]

Nothing changed in appearance—but one thing DID change:

[Awakened: Lee Haewon — Open Market Administrator (EX)
> New Notifications

Title Advancement Quest (3) completed.
Friendly Market’s offline branch (Dimension–Earth Ⅰ, Korea), ‘BaMan Branch’, has been established.
Skill ‘Dimensional Gate’ level increased.
Two sales slots unlocked.]

“Ugh, seriously.”

A flood of notifications blinded me.
I squinted and sat down on the nearest chair.

Then another window popped up.

[Title Advancement Quest (4)]

Visit every cleared floor within your zone, complete a transaction, and promote the Friendly Market ‘BaMan Branch.’
(Only floors with your zone’s clear record count.)

Reward: Additional sales slots, Dimensional Gate skill proficiency increase

I sighed deeply the moment I read it.

‘This system is vicious.’

I was too tired to even be mad.

Babel seemed to specialise in giving quests that devour ridiculous amounts of time.

“Whatever. Let’s check the skill.”

[Dimensional Gate Lv 2]

Allows you to open a gate to other dimensions. Grants access to more features within the Babel System. Only non-living items may be traded.

Lv 2: You may now sell items on behalf of other creators and collect commissions. Usable outside the Tower.

“…FINALLY!”

The original description restricted me to selling only inanimate objects—but now there was an added feature:

This was the moment I’d been waiting for since the building appeared.

Level 2 meant:
I could act as a supplier—selling items FOR creators.

Weapon smiths, armour smiths, accessory makers, potion brewers—they all struggled with one thing:

They had to physically SELL their products to survive.

The only place available was the 25th-floor mid-station.
Vendor spots required applying through the Babel Management Bureau, and competition was brutal.

Sure, the Hunter Market (the official online system) existed—but…

‘You can’t search by creator there.’

Only by item.
Which screwed over small creators.

Unless you were affiliated with a guild or had an S-rank title, you’d barely make money.

And there were only a few S-rank creators in Korea.

So outside?
It was a bloody battlefield full of struggling artisans.

But what if I offered them a comfortable INDOOR shop with no need to fight for a stall?

And what if I added a workshop space in the back—for FREE, no rent?

No creator could resist that.

I already had someone in mind.
But I asked Saemi for confirmation anyway.

“Saemi, what’s the best-selling crafted item right now?”

[⁕ The top-selling crafted items on Earth are potions.
#1: B-rank Health Potion
#2: B-rank Mana Potion
#3: C-rank Health Potion :)]

“As expected, potions.”

“I should track down that alchemist first.”

The woman whose stall vanished because my building appeared—who was crying on the roof that day.

If she had three tables set up in such a prime-location stall, that meant demand for her potions was huge.

I planned to recruit a creator anyway.
Might as well offer the opportunity to someone I owed an apology to.

I should apologise too.

‘She was protesting in front of the Bureau, right?’

I grabbed my robe and slipped out the back door.

“Oh, right. Saemi.”

[⁕ Yes, how may I assist you?]

“Make me a room on the second floor—a bed and a desk. With a private bathroom.”

Since I had a building now, I might as well live in it.

Online Post — “The potion-seller lady from BaMan is missing.”

Haven’t seen the young alchemist lady in BaMan recently. Her potions were top-tier.
Tried others and they taste like colored water lol
Anyone know where she’s selling now?

She’s protesting alone in front of Bthe abel Management Bureau.
⌞ Fr??
⌞ Yeah, she has a sign that says “Alchemists are human too.”
Heard she sells on the black market now. Price is 3× though lol.
Got evicted bc of that new building—Babel being oppressive as usual;
⌞ Nah, I heard she didn’t have money for the stall fee and packed up.
What? A week ago, her stall got erased because that random building popped up out of nowhere.⌞ Why not just set up in front of it?
⌞ Those stalls look random, but they’re all managed by the Bureau; you can’t do that, lol.
I’m an A-rank hunter, and her potions were the best I’ve ever used. Seriously.
Doesn’t she sell online? Hunter Market search is impossible.
⌞ Babel needs to fix HM’s search; it’s trash.
⌞ Potions are illegal to sell online unless they’re through HM.

“…Her potions were more popular than I thought.”

I muttered as I stepped into the alley near the Management Bureau.

Then I saw it.

“Whoa.”

The woman who got slapped because of me—and was now taking that grudge out on the Bureau—was visually intense.

Her hair was tied up aggressively, as if she wanted to start a fight.
Her dark, fierce makeup made it impossible for anyone to ignore her.
Her tightly pressed lips radiated the determination of someone who would never retreat until she got justice.

What caught my attention next was the TRUCK beside her.

[Babel Management Bureau—Apologise and Resolve This!]

I’d expected a protest sign.
NOT a fully equipped LED truck like in election season.

‘Wow. This is… intense.’

“I feel like touching her would get me killed…”

But her potions were that good.
And she clearly hadn’t been able to get a new stall.

I couldn’t back out now—I had to recruit her.

I took a deep breath and approached.

She stood with her arms crossed, glaring at the Bureau building like she wanted to burn it down with her eyes.

‘If I touch her, the robe’s invisibility breaks…’

So I poked her arm gently.

“Excuse me.”

“Hm?”

She turned her head sharply.

‘Holy crap, terrifying.’

Nobody needs makeup THAT dark, ma’am.

She looked me up and down—my face hidden behind my robe—and her glare became even sharper.

I swallowed nervously.

‘Stay calm, Haewon. Don’t chicken out.’

“Are you the alchemist who used to sell potions on the 25th floor?”

“Yes. Why? You from the Bureau?”

Her tone was razor-sharp.
She was definitely ready to smash something.

I chose my words carefully.

“I heard you lost your selling spot, so… I have a good proposal.”

“Oh, so you finally sent someone. I’ve been protesting nonstop, and no one came out. Good timing—I was going to ram the building with my truck tomorrow. Here’s my hunter license.”

What.
Did she just casually threaten terrorism?

She pulled out her hunter ID and shoved it at me.

She thought I was a Bureau employee.

I accepted it reflexively.

[Hunter License / Babel Management Bureau /
B-Rank Hunter — Kang Yeon-hee]

‘B-rank?!’

A B-rank alchemist making potions THAT good?
Definitely worth recruiting.

Her murderous aura had me nervous a moment ago, but now I was fully determined to hire her.

I returned the ID and said:

“I think you misunderstood. I’m not from the Bureau.”

“Then who are you?”

“I’m… the owner of that sky-blue building.”

“You’re WHAT?”

Her expression instantly ignited, like she wanted to burn me alive.

“You’re the one who did this? You took my spot?!”

“Well, technically, I wouldn’t say I ‘took’ it. From Babel’s perspective, the stall wasn’t authorised so—”

“Don’t bullsh*t me. I applied for that stall properly! Then your dumb building just shot out of the ground!”

“It didn’t shoot out. It’s… square-shaped, actually.”

“You—!”

Kang Yeon-hee glared daggers at me.

‘Holy crap, B-rank aura is no joke…!’

Please spare this frail E-rank.

Her aura was scarier than the truck display.

I gulped again.

“Please calm down and hear me out. I came to offer you something.”

“Why would I listen?! I sold potions there for THREE YEARS! Do you know how hard it was to secure that stall?!”

“Well, I—”

“Vendor applications are first-come-first-served, but you get extra points from sales records! After being unable to sell for days, my ranking is ruined—!”

“Hel—LO—!!”

I finally snapped and raised my voice.

She froze mid-rant.

Okay. Straight to the point.

I bowed deeply.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were using that spot. My skill caused this situation. I truly apologise.”

She blinked, startled, and stepped back.

Apologise quickly and sincerely—that’s the rule.

“So, my proposal is this: I’d like you to move your potion shop into that building.”

Her angry face went blank.

“Huh?”

She didn’t understand a word I said.

“Run your potion shop on the first floor. I’ll even build a workshop in the back. I’ll only take a 10% commission.”

“…what did you just say?”

“Oh—and it’s okay if you don’t want to sell in person. The store supports automatic sales. If you DO want to sell directly, I can set up a separate rest area.”

Her mouth slowly fell open.

Which made sense.
Who would believe this immediately?

“You’re joking. That building is actually yours? That’s impossible.”

‘Ah… THAT’S what’s unbelievable to her.’

“I’m serious. It’s my skill.”

Well, technically, I’m the only system-approved seller in Babel.

“Even so, why ME? How do you know my potions?”

“I’ve known about your potions for a while. When the building appeared, I intended to recruit you first.”

“Recruit… me? Are you sure you’re not a scammer?”

I mean… she wasn’t wrong, but still.

When the building spawned, I didn’t know she existed.
But after seeing her stall get crushed and hearing the reviews, she became my top candidate.

But I shamelessly said:

“Yes. Your potion quality is excellent. Hunters speak very highly of it.”

“…Really?”

Her hard, defensive expression wavered slightly.

I jumped on the opening.

“I can give you a standard Babel contract. Or, if you prefer, we can go check the building right now. You have every right to inspect the shop before agreeing.”

Kang Yeon-hee stayed silent, staring at me.

Of course, she didn’t trust me right away.
I destroyed her stall and then showed up asking her to move into my mystery building.

I met her gaze with the most earnest, trustworthy eyes I could muster.

“You could keep standing here protesting while the Bureau ignores you…Or you could at least check out the opportunity I’m offering. Between the two, following me is more beneficial.”

Finally, Kang Yeon-hee let out a quiet sigh.

Her expression softened slightly.

Without the fierce makeup and scowl, her natural features looked much gentler.

This was probably her real personality—the one who cried on the rooftop that day.

After a long pause, she raised her head again.

“I’m not saying I trust you. But… I’ll at least go check.”

“Good.”

“…I’m Kang Yeon-hee.”

She extended her hand.

I took it.

I should introduce myself, too—but with the 36th floor rumour and the Bureau investigating the building, giving my real name felt dangerous.

So I replied, as casually as possible: