Marketer.
Yuto ground his teeth as he recalled that name.
In his life before his regression, Yuto had met him before.
A nauseating merchant who controlled every black market on the continent, weighed human lives on a scale, and traded in desire.
A monster who commanded countless slaves, spent their life force as casually as taking coins from his purse, and transmuted the vast wealth built through the black markets into his own power.
Like the Crimson Ringmistress, he was one of the Eclipse Yuto had hunted in the past.
The battle against Marketer had been vile and brutal. Through a desperate struggle, the Yuto of the past had defeated Marketer. He had sawed through that thick, sinewy neck, burned the black markets the bastard had built to the ground, and freed the slaves.
But even in the present era, that lay far in the future.
Or in a past that had ceased to exist.
‘The bastard is still alive in this life.’
The black chains that had strangled Kaien to death were Marketer's Authority.
A Slave Contract branded into anyone who entered into a ‘contract’ with him.
In return for committing the depravity of poisoning his own father, Kaien could become the family head of Marigold, which ruled Merchant City. The guilt of having to poison his father. The anticipation of becoming Marigold's family head. And his fear of Marketer, who had pushed him forward while providing everything he needed.
All those emotions created a sense of indebtedness in Kaien's heart, and Marketer used that debt to brand the other party with a one-sided Slave Contract.
Marketer would have gained the benefit of expanding his black market into Merchant City once the contract was fulfilled, but Kaien's failure meant it had not been. Moreover, Kaien had divulged the terms of a contract whose secrecy was guaranteed, so Marketer had levied his life as the penalty for disclosure.
‘His Authority is vicious.’
Even if Kaien had fulfilled the contract, become Marigold's family head, and opened a black market in Merchant City, the contract would not have ended. The original sin of murdering his father would have remained as guilt. Marketer could expose Kaien's crime at any time, so that sense of indebtedness would have remained.
That was how Marketer exploited his contractors down to their very souls.
‘The contract failed. Kaien is dead.’
But Yuto knew this was not the end. Marketer was as tenacious and vicious as any merchant. Having lost the prize of entering Merchant City, the bastard would watch for another opportunity and attempt it again.
“Levian.”
Yuto called to Levian, who stood there in a daze. Her face showed the immense shock of her elder brother's death.
“Who...... could have......?”
Levian's voice trembled. Was she grieving Kaien's death? Perhaps. No matter how deserving of death his crimes had been, Kaien was still Levian's own elder brother.
Yuto briefly wondered whether he should comfort her. From his perspective, Kaien had been trash unworthy of mourning.
“Who...... dared......?!”
The emotion Levian displayed was not sorrow. She was furious about Kaien's death.
“Levian?”
Yuto raised an eyebrow slightly and stared at her, wondering what had made her angry.
“Kaien should have been punished by Father. If Father didn't want that, then Merchant City's laws should have punished him for his filthy greed. Kaien didn't even— apologize to Father......!”
Her face contorted as she stamped on the cell floor with a thud, thud. The filthy blood flowing from Kaien's corpse touched her shoes, but Levian did not care in the slightest.
Yuto found himself admiring her. Levian Marigold was not grieving her brother's death. She was merely furious that Kaien had died like that.
‘Just as I thought.’
Levian Marigold was not a weak woman. In the world Yuto had once known, she was the woman who had restored Marigold after Kaien brought it to the brink of ruin. Even in this world after the regression, her resolve remained strong.
“Let's go back up for now. We're done here.”
They had thwarted Marketer's scheme, but given the bastard's nature, he would watch for another chance to enter Merchant City. That was not a problem Yuto had to guard against alone, however.
‘I should warn Rufus Marigold about the black market.’
He had barely escaped the poison and his strength was exhausted. But with House Marigold's wealth intact, Rufus would soon recover. If House Marigold took the lead in keeping it in check, the black market would not be able to enter Merchant City easily.
Marketer's power followed the scale of the black markets. Yuto had no intention whatsoever of fattening an enemy he absolutely had to hunt.
‘If I had my way, I'd find Marketer and kill him......’
The bastard moved covertly. Before his regression, Yuto had used the Kingdom of Belkain's intelligence network to hunt for the black market and Marketer, yet had ultimately failed.
—The one who had located the base of the ever-secretive Marketer was Shiro in his previous life. Yuto recalled the letter Sariel had left two years ago.
The letter said the Eclipse followed Shiro. Yuto had been unable to determine whether its contents were true over the past two years...... but he believed they were. Sariel would never tell such a lie.
‘After such a carefully laid plan failed, Marketer will hide even deeper in the shadows. Even if I found him in the first place, I can't kill him with my current strength.’
But today, Yuto had prevented Rufus's death.
If the world he had returned to differed from the one he had lived in, then he could change the future in a more positive direction.
But there was nothing he could do about what had already vanished.
‘Belkain......’
Yuto bit his lip and turned away.
The kingdom that had already fallen.
His business in Merchant City was finished, so it was time to face the Kingdom of Belkain—something he had avoided for two years.
“W-wait for me!”
Levian, who had been glaring indignantly at Kaien's corpse, hurried after Yuto.
Perhaps in this life, he would spend more time with Levian.
*
—CRASH!
An exquisite crystal wineglass struck the wall and shattered, red wine running down like blood.
“Goddamn it!”
A man shouted in the darkness. He wore a suit made of luxurious fabric over a grotesquely fat body, a thick gold chain around his neck, and huge jeweled rings on all ten fingers.
The master of the web linking every black market on the continent, the Eclipse known as Marketer.
He snorted furiously and fidgeted with the rings on all ten fingers.
“That stupid bastard. I gave him all that support, and he couldn't even fulfill such an easy contract? And then he tried to reveal my name......!”
Rage surged through him. Merchant City was the heart of Callisto, a place where gold flowed like a river. If he could open a black market there, Marketer's financial power and influence would multiply several times over.
To that end, he had contacted Kaien and stoked the bastard's desire. As he coaxed the spineless fool, he whispered of the immense wealth, glory, and pleasure Kaien would enjoy once he became family head. After winning Kaien over, he had provided everything needed to dispose of Rufus Marigold cleanly by making his death look natural.
It had all been groundwork for the black market's successful entry. Yet that moron Kaien had failed at even this easy task. What could possibly have been difficult about it? All he had to do was feed poison to his old man and keep his fucking mouth shut until the man dropped dead. How the hell was that difficult?
“Why?”
Clink, clink.
Every time Marketer kneaded his hands, the rings struck one another with a metallic sound.
“Why did it fail?”
That was the question. The cause of the failure. No matter how much of a fucking idiot Kaien was, it made no sense for him to fail at such an easy task.
“Rufus Marigold fell ill and took to his bed. The Black Serpent Venom definitely worked. Then why...... why did it fail?”
Had Kaien gotten drunk before Rufus died and started boasting that he had poisoned him? Impossible. That could not have happened.
‘Someone intervened. Some bastard took a shit all over a meal that was already cooked.’
All Marketer could confirm was that Kaien had died while divulging the secret. He still could not determine House Marigold's current situation.
‘There's still a chance. The Black Serpent Venom Rufus Marigold swallowed is unknown to the world. Even if they uncover its nature, they won't be able to make an antidote before Rufus drops dead.’
Black Serpent Venom was not made solely from Black Hydra venom. To avoid suspicion, and to disguise the poisoning as a natural death, several poisons had been blended together. Since it had been created without even considering an antidote, identifying the ingredients would not make it possible to produce one immediately.
‘Rufus will die in the end. Kaien is dead too, so I won't be able to manipulate House Marigold exactly as I please...... but Levian Marigold is still young. A little bitch like that can't take control of the family and wield as much influence as before.’
If House Marigold wavered, Merchant City would waver with it. Then the black market could enter the city through the resulting cracks.
‘I haven't failed. The plan has only changed a little. First, I'll assess House Marigold's situation......’
Clink, clink.
Marketer continued thinking as he rubbed his rings together. The process had merely become a little more troublesome and irritating. The outcome would not change.
“Have you calmed down?”
Marketer froze at the sudden voice.
It was quiet and cold. Marketer swallowed hard and turned his head. In the lavishly decorated room, someone stood beneath a magnificent landscape painting of the sun and a tower.
A boy stood with his back to the painted landscape as if it were real.
The room was furnished extravagantly, but the boy's noble presence made every decoration within it seem paltry.
An immaculate snow-white ceremonial outfit. Brilliant golden hair that seemed to emit its own light. A boy wearing a smile kinder than a saint's and more dignified than a king's.
Shiro Listal. He strolled over as leisurely as if this were his own bedroom and dropped onto the plush sofa.
“Sh...... Lord Shiro......”
The anger vanished from Marketer's face, replaced by fear. Cold sweat poured from his forehead like rain. Marketer was the most arrogant and greedy of the Eclipse, but before this boy, he had no choice but to become a meek little lamb.
“Uh...... when did you arrive? If you had contacted me beforehand......”
“Do I need your permission to come here?”
Shiro smiled pleasantly. It was an exceedingly soft and gentle smile, yet to Marketer it felt as dreadful and terrifying as the curve traced by the Grim Reaper's scythe.
“Th-that isn't what I meant. What I was saying was...... i-if you'd told me in advance, I could have prepared a welcome......”
“A welcome.”
Shiro's gaze shifted to the shards of glass and the stains of red wine scattered across the floor.
“What I heard was not a welcoming fanfare, but only squeals like a pig being slaughtered and the crash of breaking glass......”
“......!”
Marketer's face flushed as red as a carrot, then swiftly drained pale.
“Let's hear your excuse. Marketer, why did you fail?”
Shiro rested his chin on a white-gloved hand as he asked. Marketer hesitated before opening his mouth.
“Th-that was...... because the bastard I chose as my proxy was incompetent. Kaien Marigold, that idiot......”
“You were the one who chose him as your proxy.”
Shiro shook his head and cut him off.
“The judgment that chose an incompetent man. That, too, is your incompetence. But Marketer, I am not disappointed merely because a single plan went awry.”
Shiro slowly rose from his seat. With each step he took, Marketer felt an oppressive pressure that choked off his breath.
“Everyone fails. I, too, have suffered countless failures. Plans are always disrupted by unforeseen variables.”
Shiro walked right up to Marketer.
“What matters is what comes after failure. Admitting it, coolly analyzing the cause, and devising a more perfect plan for next time. That is the caliber I expect from you. And yet, Marketer, what did you do?”
Shiro's finger lightly prodded Marketer's enormous belly.
“You were venting your anger by throwing wineglasses. Rather than identify the unforeseen variable, you were masturbating over the complacent hope that Rufus would die because the Black Serpent Venom is perfect. All while your tail had already been exposed and your existence mentioned.”
“L-Lord Shiro...... That is a misunderstanding. I......!”
“A misunderstanding?”
Shiro's eyes turned cold. There was not even contempt in his gaze, only the indifference of someone preparing to discard a worthless object.
“You have grown old, obese, and dull. Greed has blinded you and clouded your judgment, while emotion has stripped away your dignity. The wine you spilled is more vivid than the clear-headedness you have lost.”
“Ah...... aah......”
“As I said, I have also suffered many failures. I have encountered countless unforeseen variables. But Marketer, I love them. They make me imagine situations I failed to predict and sometimes compel me to reflect upon myself and pursue greater perfection. But you...... do not match my ideal.”
“P...... please......”
Marketer stammered tearfully. A man who had savored the blood and tears of countless slaves now begged as though he had become a slave himself.
“Forgive me......”
“That, too, was wrong. You should not have begged forgiveness. You should have said you would do better.”
Shiro withdrew his finger.
“The gears that will realize our ideal have no need for rusted, stupid parts that do not even realize they have broken. Much less parts that make noise.”
An uncanny gleam entered Shiro's eyes. At that moment, Marketer's body went rigid.
“H-huh......?”
Terror filled Marketer's eyes. His arms were moving of their own accord. His two swollen hands slowly rose and grasped the thick gold chain around his neck.
“L-Lord Shiro......?”
“Take responsibility yourself.”
Shiro whispered quietly.
“Use your own hands to tighten that bloated greed of yours until it ends.”
CRUNCH—!
Strength entered Marketer's hands. The thick gold chain dug into the flesh of his neck and began to constrict it. His mind screamed for survival, but his body obeyed Shiro's will completely. Marketer pulled on the chain with all his strength and strangled himself.
“Ghk...... khk, n-no......”
Marketer's face swelled purple, seeming ready to burst. His bloodshot eyes bulged from their sockets. His face contorted as he strangled himself. Even though he felt every bit of the agony as the chain crushed his windpipe and carotid arteries, Marketer could not release his hands.
“Being strangled to death by your own greed. No end could suit you better.”
Shiro murmured indifferently.
“This is as far as you go. Thank you for your service.”
CRACK—!
The veins in Marketer's forearms bulged as though about to burst. When he crossed the gold chain and pulled with strength beyond his limits, the bones in his neck screamed under the strain.
THUD—!
With a hideous rupture, Marketer's head bent backward at an unnatural angle. The gold chain had dug through his flesh and severed his cervical vertebrae completely. Dark-red bloody foam burst from his mouth, and his obese body convulsed several times before going limp.
Even after he had strangled and broken his own neck, Marketer's body did not stop the suicide.
CRUNCH—!
The chain finally severed Marketer's neck completely. His huge head shot upward like a firework, followed by a fountain of blood.
The monster who had ruled Callisto's black markets paid the price for his arrogance and complacency and met a miserable end. The cause of death was suicide forced by another.
Only the stench of blood and silence lingered in the room. Shiro took a handkerchief from his breast and elegantly wiped away a drop of blood that had splashed onto his cheek.
“Whew......”
Shiro turned from the corpse as though he had seen something filthy and looked at the landscape painting hanging in the room. A tower beneath the sun. Gazing at the tower that seemed to pierce the sky, Shiro murmured.
“One of the gears has broken.”
All of this was a variable Shiro had failed to anticipate, and it had disrupted his plan. Yet Shiro was not displeased. As he had said, he loved unforeseen variables.
Through this variable, he could discard festering, rotten, broken parts and install better ones. That would make Shiro's plan more complete.
“I should look for a new Marketer. This time, someone a little more...... clever, and ruthless enough to smile in the face of failure.”
Shiro smiled as he admired the landscape painting.
It was the only thing in this room he found remotely pleasing.
*
The office of House Marigold's family head.
Although he had not yet fully recovered from the aftereffects of Black Serpent Venom, Rufus Marigold sat not in bed but in his office chair, an infusion needle inserted into his arm. His complexion was pale, but his gaze was regaining the dignity of the great merchant who commanded Merchant City.
“......Dead, you say.”
Rufus murmured lowly. Sitting on the sofa across the desk, Yuto set down his teacup and nodded.
“It wasn't suicide. It was silencing.”
Yuto explained exactly what he had witnessed in the underground prison. Levian stood beside him and vouched for the truth of his account.
He told him of the black chain that had strangled Kaien and the existence of the ‘black-market merchants’ behind him. Of course, he did not go so far as to say that their master was Marketer, one of the Eclipse.
That information was far too great for an ordinary person to bear. The problem was that Rufus Marigold was no ordinary person.
If Rufus truly set his mind to guarding against and opposing the Eclipse, House Marigold's money and intelligence network might allow him to reach Marketer, hidden in the shadows. But then the other side would begin guarding against Marigold as well. In that case, Yuto's existence would be exposed to Marketer—no, even to Shiro, who ruled over him.
That was not what Yuto wanted yet. At present, he did not possess the strength to oppose Marketer, let alone Shiro. He could not conceal himself forever, but Yuto wanted to make every preparation he could.
“Black-market merchants......”
Rufus covered his face with both hands and sighed. Of course he grieved his son's death, but his alarm at an enemy targeting his family and Merchant City outweighed that sorrow.
“Kaien was a foolish child. But he lacked the capacity to commit such a bold act alone. I suspected someone had stoked his inferiority and placed the poison in his hands......”
His hands lowered from his face. With his emotions restrained, Rufus's eyes were as sharp as a blade.
“They were not merely after my life, but the market of Merchant City itself. They meant to swallow Marigold and open the city's back door.”
“Precisely.”
Yuto affirmed it.
“They failed, but they won't give up. Kaien's death was merely cutting off the tail. They'll try to infiltrate Merchant City again, more covertly and more meticulously.”
“I'm sure they will.”
Rufus nodded.
“Should I grieve as a father who lost his son? Should I rage as a father who nearly died by his son's poison? Hah, both are needless questions. What I must do now is prepare for the future as the head of Marigold and thank the one who saved my life.”
Rufus rose and bowed deeply to Yuto. The family head of Marigold, a man who could practically be called the king of Merchant City, had bowed to a mere boy adventurer.
“Thanks to you, we avoided the worst. Yuto, you saved my life and House Marigold itself. I promise you this: whatever you desire, I shall grant it.”
The family head of Marigold had handed him a blank check.
“Do you want immense wealth? Or honor? Or perhaps......”
“I want your patronage.”
Yuto spoke with a faint smile.
“Patronage? Do you mean money? If so, as much as you wish......”
“Not mere financial support. I need House Marigold's name.”
Yuto toyed with his teacup as he continued.
“Maria Academy. I want to enroll there.”
Rufus's eyes widened. Maria Academy. The finest institution for nurturing talent on the continent of Callisto. Only the children of prestigious nobles, royalty, or the few recognized as possessing exceptional natural talent could enroll. No matter how skilled Yuto was, he would find it difficult even to cross the threshold without special status or the patronage of someone influential.
“Maria Academy...... Yuto, please do not take offense at this question. Where are you from, and what is your status?”
“I come from a slum on the outskirts of the Kingdom of Listal.”
Yuto lied without a change in expression.
“My parents died when I was young, and illegal slavers abducted me as a child. For a time, I was raised as a slave gladiator in Balistera's Colosseum.”
“A slave gladiator...... in the Colosseum? Good heavens. It could not have been easy to escape such a place.”
“I was fortunate in a way almost indistinguishable from misfortune.”
Yuto answered with a bitter smile. Seeing his expression, Rufus slowly nodded.
“I see. The academy......”
Rufus composed himself and looked at Levian. She, too, was staring at Yuto in surprise.
“Levian is also a student at the academy. Did you know?”
“......No, I didn't.”
In truth, he had known, but before his regression, Yuto had never encountered Levian at Maria Academy. In that world, Levian had left her family after Rufus's death and withdrawn from the academy.
But he could not mention that, so Yuto buried the past and looked at Levian. Under his gaze, she blushed bashfully and nodded.
“Yes. I'm a second-year student. But Father's condition worsened...... so I took a leave of absence and came home to care for him.”
Levian added with a deliberate shrug.
“If you enroll, that will make me your senior. Junior Yuto? If you're curious about life at the academy, you can ask me anytime.”
“That's reassuring. Calling you my senior...... I hope I'll get the chance.”
Yuto chuckled. Maria Academy was thoroughly meritocratic, but it also maintained a clear hierarchy of status and seniority. Having the young lady of Marigold as his senior would provide a rather useful background.
“You will have the chance.”
Rufus smiled and nodded.
“I promise you House Marigold's full support. I shall write a letter of recommendation in my name. It should not happen, but if the recommendation alone proves insufficient, I shall also make a donation to the academy. If your admission is approved, I will provide the finest support for your tuition, living expenses, and all necessary equipment.”
“I can go with you when I return. Oh, but Yuto, how old are you now?”
Levian asked with shining eyes.
“I'm fourteen.”
“Wow......”
Levian murmured in admiration. She had guessed as much from his face, which still retained all its boyishness, but his profound, cold gaze, his demeanor, the presence with which he took command of a situation, and the strength that overwhelmed knights—everything but his appearance made it difficult to believe that Yuto was only fourteen.
“If you're fourteen...... you can't enroll at Maria Academy just yet.”
“I can enroll next year.”
Maria Academy admitted students from the age of fifteen. Since Levian Marigold was already in her second year, that made her sixteen, two years older than Yuto.
“A letter of recommendation for Maria Academy and support for your tuition. Hmm...... That feels like far too little compensation for saving our family.”
Rufus stroked his chin as he spoke. Even a letter of recommendation to the academy was something most nobles could not dream of arranging, but it was trivial to Marigold's family head.
“Do you have another request? Ask for anything.”
“Then I'll make one more request.”
Yuto spoke as if he had been waiting for the invitation.
“I need a carriage.”
“A carriage? Are you planning a journey? You do have time before you enroll in the academy, but......”
“You could call it a journey.”
Yuto's gaze sank deep.
“My destination is the ruins of the Kingdom of Belkain.”
Rufus's eyes opened wide at Yuto's answer. A heavy silence descended over the office.
Belkain.
The kingdom of steel that had once commanded the continent.
An ill-fated kingdom destroyed overnight by the Great Cataclysm of unknown origin.
The former territory of the Kingdom of Belkain was no longer fit for human habitation. As if the heavens had cursed it, poisonous fog drifted everywhere, and the vegetation had twisted into grotesque forms. The earth had turned red as though it had drunk the blood of the massacred people, ferocious wild Evomon of low intelligence roamed the land, and races hostile to humans, such as orcs and goblins, had made nests there.
But the greatest danger in that land was not the poisonous fog, wild Evomon, or other races. It was ‘humans.’ Grave robbers wandering the kingdom's ruins. Criminals who had fled there after committing crimes. They hid among the ruins, became bandits scheming to stab one another in the back, and waited for prey.
“It is...... a dangerous place. Humans cannot live there. All that inhabits those fallen lands are wild Evomon no different from Dungeon Beasts, criminals who may be human but cannot be regarded as such, and savage races such as orcs and goblins.”
“I know.”
“Then why insist on going there?”
“There's something I must find.”
Yuto offered no further explanation. Rufus looked into his eyes. They were not the eyes of someone who could be dissuaded. The boy's abyssal gaze held a heavy sense of duty and a profound sorrow that others could not understand.
“......Very well.”
Rufus finally sighed and nodded.
“I shall have a sturdy, swift carriage prepared. I will stock it generously with supplies as well. If you need them, I can also provide trained knights.”
“I won't need knights. I have my partner.”
Yuto stroked the head of Flokiro, who sat beside him. Flokiro had been eating the sweet treats served with the tea, but from the moment the ‘Kingdom of Belkain’ was mentioned, it stopped eating and pressed its lips tightly together. When Yuto's hand reached over, Flokiro forced a smile.
“I-I'll go too.”
Determination entered the hesitant voice. Levian shot to her feet and looked at Rufus.
“Levian? What are you saying? The former territory of the Kingdom of Belkain is dangerous.”
“I want to repay the benefactor who risked danger to come here and save our family.”
Levian answered without any further hesitation.
“Yuto is strong, but strength alone cannot overcome the ruins of Belkain. Toxic fog drifts through that place, and it teems with Evomon that spew deadly poison. A mage capable of detoxification and healing will be indispensable.”
“......”
“I may have failed to cure Father's poison, but I have never lost the top rank in healing studies at the academy. My grades in offensive magic are excellent as well.”
Levian's gaze moved to Yuto.
“I promise you this. I won't hold you back, and I will certainly be of help.”
Levian was right. The Kingdom of Belkain was dangerous in many ways. Yuto was confident he could survive there, but he also understood that events did not always follow a plan. Healing magic, in particular, was not his specialty.
He understood battlefield survival and could administer basic first aid. But having Levian, a specialist in healing magic, join the journey would undoubtedly help.
But Yuto shook his head.
“I refuse. This isn't a picnic. I have no reason to take responsibility for your life too.”
“Didn't I tell you? I'll take responsibility for my own life. And I'm not going with the frivolous attitude of someone on a picnic. I want to repay my debt to you.”
Levian's unwavering gaze met Yuto's. Beyond simple gratitude, a distinct will shone in her eyes.
“Father was nearly poisoned to death, and Kaien died. Beings I know nothing about are targeting House Marigold...... and I have a feeling they're not mere black-market merchants, but something far larger and more hideous.”
“......”
“Compared to them, I'm pathetically weak. If you hadn't come, I would have been unable to do anything or change anything. I received your help this time, but I don't want to spend the future relying only on you.”
Levian clenched her fist tightly.
“Precisely because the journey is dangerous, I can grow even more by the time I return. What I learn will be a precious experience I could never gain in this mansion or at the academy. I want to buy that experience. Please allow me to come.”
“You want to buy experience.”
“My healing magic will be worth the price.”
Yuto watched Levian for a moment. He saw her as he remembered her before his regression, filled with venomous determination. The same tenacity with which she had researched herbs in the back alleys to uncover the truth behind her father's death overlapped with the girl before him.
‘A healing mage......’
It was certainly not a bad offer. The ruins of Belkain were full of poison and curses. Yuto's ‘Void’ was not all-powerful, so a specialist in support would be a great help. More than anything, the unbroken resolve in Levian's eyes stirred something within him.
“Do as you please.”
Yuto finally tossed out the words.
“But don't resent me if you die. I haven't even enrolled at the academy yet, so I don't intend to treat you as my senior.”
“Hehe, don't worry, junior.”
He had just said he would not treat her as his senior, yet Levian added that with a playful smile.
“Father, you heard him, didn't you? Yuto gave me permission. Now I only need yours.”
“Hah......”
Rufus let out a hollow laugh and shook his head.
“My daughter wishes to enter a dangerous place where she could die, and I am supposed to give my permission?”
“You always said experience and intuition are important to a merchant, Father. Right now, my intuition tells me I must go with Yuto. This journey will also give me experiences I have never had before.”
“You remain as stubborn as ever.”
In the end, Rufus nodded with a sigh.
“Promise me you will return alive. You know how important a promise is to a merchant, do you not?”
“Yes, of course I know. I promise, Father. I'll return alive and without a single wound.”
Levian answered with a radiant smile.