CHAPTER 30: CH-30- THE CRAZY, SHAMELESS GOLDEN FISH

Well... this could be my lucky day," Cisco thought, eyes narrowing as he sized up Baelgor.

At first glance, the man looked unhinged, loud, arrogant, reacting like a crazy man, but then Cisco’s gaze landed on his hand. Specifically, the ring. Not just any ring, either. A glimmering, top-tier A-grade spatial ring.

Cisco’s heart skipped a beat.

That kind of item wasn’t something ordinary hunters could afford. No, only the sons of guild masters, the pampered heirs of the great corporations who bent knee to guilds, or the spoiled brats of the truly powerful ever wore such treasures. Which could only mean one thing this so-called lunatic in front of him was a walking treasure chest disguised as a man.

"To think the heavens would toss me a gift like this... right after I got fired," Cisco sighed inwardly, his smile never faltering.

The memory still stung. He had been too greedy. Far, far too greedy.

Earlier that very morning, Cisco had nearly pulled off the con of the year. He had convinced one of those corporate young masters that an old, battered E-grade sword was a rare relic worth a billion credits. He spun his words like golden threads, painting the weapon as if it had once been wielded by a legendary hunter whose name was "conveniently lost to history." The rich fool swallowed every word, his eyes sparkling with imagined glory.

It had been perfect. Too perfect.

Until another hunter, sharper-eyed and sharper-tongued, stepped in. He exposed the blade for what it really was: junk. Rusted steel worth less than a meal at a noodle stand.

The young master’s smile curdled into rage. Cisco was branded a fraud, dragged out, and sacked from his position as an "official appraiser" under one of the smaller guild-backed shops. The shame burned more than the lost deal.

"Wrong timing. That’s all it was," Cisco muttered to himself. "If that busybody hunter hadn’t shown up, I’d be rich by now."

But Cisco was not the kind of man to crumble under failure. He was a cockroach in human skin, scuttling through cracks, surviving no matter how many times the boot came down. His philosophy was simple: opportunities never die, they simply move.

And now, staring at Baelgor with that absurdly valuable ring glinting on his finger, Cisco felt the sting of his earlier failure melt away.

This wasn’t just opportunity.

This was divine compensation.

A golden fish had flopped right into his net, inside this crowded little restaurant.

Or so Cisco liked to think.

Baelgor’s crimson eyes narrowed as he studied Cisco. For the first time since he had entered the restaurant, the so-called dungeon lord paused to reconsider his actions. The crushing aura he had been about to unleash flickered, then retracted like a tide pulling back.

"Hmm... this human is wise. With discerning eyes, no less. To think he foresaw the action I was about to take and moved to prevent me from staining this place with blood... interesting."

Baelgor tilted his head, his gaze shifting to Cisco with something he had not shown a single human since leaving his dungeon acknowledgment.

Unbeknownst to him, however, the "wise human" was far from altruistic. Cisco’s lips curled into his ever-gentle smile, but behind his calm eyes, wheels were spinning at frightening speed. Already he was dissecting Baelgor’s mannerisms, his strange arrogance, and most importantly, the priceless spatial ring on his finger. He was weaving schemes, calculating angles, picturing just how much fortune he could siphon from this... eccentric noble fool.

But Baelgor was a creature that had never known deception, never lived in a world where lies could slither sharper than blades. To him, Cisco was exactly what he appeared to be a calm and elegant gentleman with insight beyond the ordinary rabble.

"Count yourself lucky, puny human," Baelgor finally declared, his deep voice resonating across the hushed restaurant. "I have considered the actions of your fellow mate and will let this matter slide. But hear me well, such insolence shall not repeat itself."

The declaration was heavy, delivered as though he were a sovereign king granting mercy to trembling subjects.

The entire room froze, not daring to breathe. Some customers shifted uncomfortably, their eyes darting between Cisco and Baelgor, wondering how long until blood splattered the walls.

Even Cisco himself blinked in astonishment. "...Hah? This guy. Is he serious?"

Inwardly, he was fuming.

"You’ve got to be kidding me. You eat forty bowls of noodles, refuse to pay, and then talk like the restaurant owner should be bowing in gratitude? Shameless! Absolutely shameless! That’s my problem with these types; the pampered sons of rich guild families. They strut around, thinking the world is theirs just because their fathers command hunters. Not an ounce of responsibility in their bones."

He pressed down his irritation, keeping his polished smile fixed in place. If Baelgor truly was one of those guild heirs, then offending him directly would be suicide. But oh, how Cisco’s blood boiled at the gall of this man.

The restaurant was dead silent, waiting for the next word.

The restaurant had been holding its breath, but the fragile silence finally shattered.

The owner slammed his hand on the counter, veins bulging on his neck. His voice cracked like thunder as he roared,

"You....! You’re crazy! Absolutely shameless and crazy!"

The man pointed a trembling finger at Baelgor, his face red with fury. "Do you keep your brain in your pocket?! Or like today, did you swallow it whole along with the forty bowls of noodles you just devoured? Common sense....can you not even afford that?! To spew such words....shameless! Shameless!"

Gasps spread through the restaurant like wildfire.

Even Cisco twitched at the outburst, his refined mask faltering for the briefest moment. His inner voice snarled, "Idiot! You actually dare bark at a person with probably a backing of S-grade hunter like this? I was sure you had the protection of a hunter, but with this kind of temper, it can’t be more than a C-grade at best. Do you have a death wish?!"

Baelgor’s lips curled into a cold smile, and the air shifted.

"Ohhh, ungrateful being..." The dungeon lord’s voice dropped into a guttural growl that seemed to vibrate against the very bones of the listeners. The temperature in the room plummeted, breaths turned shallow, and several customers fell to their knees under the pressure.

"Today, you shall cease to feel the joy of existence. I will erase you so thoroughly that not even a shadow will remain. Every atom of your pathetic form will vanish. Even your so-called heroes would not dare speak so insolently to my servant."

The words were a death sentence, and the crushing aura surged outward like a wave. Plates cracked, glasses splintered, and the owner stumbled back, face blanching as his knees threatened to give out.

Cisco’s mind raced. "Damn it, this is spiraling out of control! If I let him strike here, everyone will die and my golden fish along with them. Time to step in before this fool brings the heavens down on himself!"

With a sharp clap of his hands, Cisco stepped forward, his voice cutting through the suffocating pressure.

"Okay....enough."

All eyes swung to him. He faced the trembling owner with a calm smile, as if the very air weren’t collapsing around them.

"I have already paid," Cisco said smoothly. "Let it go."

The owner stiffened, jaw clenching. For a moment it looked like he might argue, but then he scoffed bitterly, turned on his heel, and stomped away, muttering curses under his breath.

The tension slowly lifted, the pressure easing as Baelgor retracted his aura. He looked at Cisco, his expression unreadable.

"Human," Baelgor intoned, his voice dripping with authority, "I have forgiven you for the favor you did earlier. But let this be known the next time you dare interrupt me, it will be the last sunrise you ever witness."

Cisco froze, then forced a smile to cover the irritation bubbling in his chest. "...I just saved you from making a mess, and you still threaten me? When will this lunatic climb down from his high horse?"

His eyes flicked to the spatial ring again, gleaming faintly on Baelgor’s finger. The irritation vanished, replaced with cold calculation. "...No matter. As long as I can bleed riches from him, I’ll endure it. Even if he owns nothing else, that ring alone will suffice. If I must kiss his boots to get close, then so be it."

He smoothed his expression into humility and bowed slightly, playing the part of the loyal servant.

"My lord, I only wished to save the foolish owner, who could not recognize your presence. I pray you are not offended."

Baelgor’s expression softened into satisfaction, his crimson eyes gleaming. He let out a booming laugh, his voice echoing like rolling thunder.

"Good! Very good! You alone have wisdom and discerning eyes among these mortals. You alone see me as I truly am. I shall bless you with my favor!"

The customers whispered nervously, exchanging confused glances. To them, Baelgor sounded utterly mad, yet the aura he radiated made it impossible to dismiss him as a mere lunatic.

Cisco bowed again, but inwardly his lip curled. "Bless me, he says. Why does he talk like he just finished reading Shakespeare in the dungeon? I’ll never understand these rich types and their ridiculous airs."

But Baelgor was already nodding proudly, thoughts turning elsewhere.

"This one... yes. This boy is blessed with discerning eyes and a silver tongue. Not bad at all. I shall make him my envoy in this new world."

Cisco’s eyes twitched, but his smile stayed flawless.

"...Envoy, is it? Hah. Unknown to you, dungeon lord, I’m already planning to drain so much wealth from you that even your tenth generation will still be living off the profits. Let’s see who ends up using who."

The hunter’s tavern had borne witness to a strange pact born of arrogance and greed.

And neither side had the faintest clue just how dangerous their "partnership" would become.