* * *
A room enclosed on all sides by drab gray curtains.
Three others had gathered with me in the Marquis’s study.
“Evan.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Thanks to you, we were able to conclude our negotiations with the Imperial Family and the Magic Tower on quite favorable terms.”
“…You flatter me.”
Heh.
That was what I said, but without the information I had given him, we could never have expected such an overwhelming victory.
▶ Imperial tax rate on monster corpses: 36%
▶ Magic Tower fee for safety verification: 29%
▶ Tax and fee rates calculated based on ‘net profit’
▶ Establishment of the Verdin Branch of the Magic Tower
▶ Installation of a Warp Gate (Verdin to bear the cost of the Mana Stones)
Looking at it like this, one might wonder how any of it counted as an overwhelming victory.
After all, the tax and fee rates added up to a staggering 65%.
However—
‘The net profit recorded in the books can be reduced as much as we please.’
We only needed to maximize our necessary expenses.
We could include whatever expenditures were required to strengthen the territory anyway.
Moreover, although the Verdin Marquisate had steadfastly defended the border by subjugating monsters on the frontier, it had never received the Imperial support it was rightfully owed.
All because we supposedly ranked too low on the list of funding priorities.
‘Who do they think they are trying to fleece?’
Thus, through this negotiation, we had arranged to deduct all the support funds we had never received from the taxes we would owe the Imperial Family in the future.
The Magic Tower also had an obligation to dispatch Battle Mages to the border, but until now, it had failed to do so under the excuse that it lacked personnel.
‘Once a branch of the Magic Tower is established in Verdin, that problem will solve itself.’
As I basked in my own satisfaction, the Marquis’s eyes gleamed.
“What should we do for the next stage?”
Every gaze in the room settled on me.
Haver and Sebas were also looking at me, their faces brimming with expectation.
Of course, I had already thought everything through, but I still pretended to consider it for a moment.
“Hmm~ Should we not begin by finding the right people?”
“Hmm… What do you mean by that?”
“No matter what the work is, it is always ‘people’ who carry it out. So, if we intend to do ‘business,’ I believe we need ‘people who are good at business.’”
Had he found my answer that satisfying?
“Hahaha! Indeed, you are right.”
The Marquis let out a pleased laugh.
Beside him, Haver and Sebas voiced their admiration without pause.
“Truly, Young Master Evan never fails to astonish me.”
“Hahahaha! I told you our young master was a genius!”
“Ugh… Haver, you are too loud.”
I even laid out a concrete plan for how we should proceed.
“First, I believe we need to identify every business currently operating within the territory.”
“Ahem… But there are no merchant companies of any notable size in Verdin. Does that not pose a problem?”
“Bringing in an outside merchant company would mean another exhausting negotiation, and we might even have to approach them as the party in need.”
Rather than that, it would be better to foster a merchant company of our own.
After all, what we intended to pursue was an entirely new industry, and I had no shortage of business experience myself—
‘With an opportunity like this, raking in money will be child’s play.’
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was a religion that fundamentally worshiped strength, so naturally, ‘absolute power’ was of paramount importance.
But how could the Hundred Thousand Demonic Practitioners possibly be led by strength alone?
“Father, with your permission, I would like to personally build a merchant company unique to Verdin.”
“Oh….”
The Marquis stroked his chin with an intrigued expression.
The corners of his mouth, hidden beneath his thick mustache, had already curled slightly upward.
“Very well. Discuss whatever you need with the butler and move forward with it.”
“Yes! Thank you, Father.”
From that very day, I immediately set to work.
* * *
A mountain of documents lay piled across the desk.
Buried beneath them, I went through the pages one by one.
RUSTLE― RUSTLE―
‘Ah, damn it…….’
It had taken only three days to identify every business in the territory.
The population was not large to begin with, and more importantly, Sebas had proven far more capable than I had expected.
The problem was—
“Good grief, how can there be no one useful among them?”
I was not even asking for someone destined to become a merchant magnate.
If there had been even one business that showed a little promise, I had intended to throw our full support behind it.
‘Was it the Gilbert Workshop? The shop I visited with Ainsera last time was at least somewhat promising….’
So I had gone there myself to recruit its owner, but even thinking about that incident made my head hurt.
It also left me slightly offended.
― You want… me to take charge of the new business Verdin is launching?
― That is right. This is an important undertaking that may change not only our territory, but the future course of the entire Empire.
It was more than merely a chance to earn a great deal of money.
It might be an opportunity to build one of the greatest merchant companies in the entire Empire.
Yet his answer had been a ‘refusal.’
― I am grateful, but I believe you have greatly overestimated my abilities. I am no more than the owner of a small workshop.
― No. Judging by your performance thus far, you are more than capable. And you would not be handling everything alone. My father’s advisors and I would assist you….
― My apologies, Young Master. I do not believe I can do it.
― Ah…….
He said he was satisfied with the small workshop he already ran.
When I heard that, I was left feeling slightly dazed.
‘How dare the owner of a mere general store refuse a business proposal from his lord?’
At first, I had considered simply crushing him beneath the weight of my authority.
But there was something about the workshop owner’s demeanor that bothered me.
He was a fine-featured young man with narrow eyes.
He was plainly smiling, yet there was a strange sense of incongruity about him.
‘He is definitely hiding something.’
I did not know what it was.
But I was certain it was nothing ordinary.
‘I will have to investigate his background later.’
In any case… My immediate problem was finding the commercial talent I needed.
The stack of documents Sebas had compiled was already down to its final few pages.
The farther I went, the more uneasy I became.
‘Ah… What am I going to do?’
Then, on the very next page, I found information about a small weapons shop.
Its name was the Glen Weapon Shop.
‘Oh, they have their own forge and manufacture the various weapons and armor they sell?’
That was certainly a remarkable distinction.
Because Verdin had no mines, forges were few enough to count on one hand.
Moreover, the shop’s performance over the past seven years showed an unmistakable upward trend.
The moment I saw it, I thought, ‘This is it!’
‘Heh heh heh! Their products must be good, of course, but that alone would never be enough to sustain such steady growth.’
Whether it was the owner or one of the employees, someone there clearly knew how to manage a shop and conduct business properly.
There was only one concerning detail.
Starting last year, their sales had plummeted.
Why had that happened?
The answer appeared on the next page.
RUSTLE―
‘The underworld…….’
It said they had been embroiled in an ongoing conflict with an organization called the ‘Black Snake,’ which currently ruled Verdin’s slums.
‘Conflict’ was a generous way of putting it.
In plain terms, the gang had been making trouble for them.
‘Heh, the timing could not be better.’
They said the one who extended a hand in a time of hardship was a true friend, did they not?
I immediately headed out of the castle.
* * *
STEP. STEP.
The western district of the Verdin territory, where the slums were located.
Two figures wrapped in shabby robes appeared.
One was a black-haired boy who was unmistakably still a child.
The other was a massive man who stood a full head taller than most grown men.
“Third Young Master, please turn back, even now!”
“Enough, Haver.”
“After what happened last time, you still intend to meet another lowly commoner?!”
“Enough already! I am irritated as it is, so stop talking about that Gilvert—or Gilbert—or whatever his name was.”
The huge man who kept pestering the boy with ‘advice’ that was little more than complaining was Haver Randolph, Knight Commander of the Verdin Marquisate.
And the unfortunate companion being subjected to it was his young lord, Evan Verdin—me.
‘Should I bring a completely different knight next time?’
Haver was excellent in every other respect, but he was far too noisy.
The endless chatter coming from his mouth hardly suited his enormous frame.
“If another commoner dares show such insolence before you, to hell with the new business—this Haver will smash his skull in!”
“Oh, really? So, Sir Haver, are you declaring that you intend to smash the plan I came up with?”
“What?! No, I only meant those who dare fail to show the Third Young Master proper respect….”
Haver jolted in alarm at my words.
He hurried to explain himself, but then—
“You… you damned sons of bitches!”
A furious roar erupted from somewhere ahead.
It had come from the direction of our destination.
“Haver!”
“Yes, Young Master! I believe those are the underworld thugs the butler mentioned!”
WHOOSH―
I was the first to surge forward using a Lightness Skill.
Haver’s eyes widened in shock at my speed.
“Y-Young Master Evan?!”
“Hurry up, Haver!”
A rare and valuable talent I had finally managed to find might be getting hurt.
I had no time to worry about what Haver thought.
* * *
Though he had been startled by the unexpected situation, Haver soon reinforced his body with Aura and followed.
Whatever else could be said about him, he was the Knight Commander of Verdin.
THUDTHUDTHUD―
When we arrived, a group of damned thugs had surrounded the weapons shop.
They came in all shapes and sizes, but the black snake tattoos inked across their backs and upper arms stood out.
“Huh? What are those two?”
The men who had been beating a musclebound old man turned to look at us.
Off to one side, a shaggy-haired young man was being restrained, his face swollen from repeated blows.
“H-Help us!”
“Shut up, you bastard!”
WHAM―
One thug drove his fist into the young man’s stomach.
“Urgh…!”
The young man groaned as though the wind had been knocked out of him.
The old man’s eyes bulged at the sight.
“Flüde! You rotten bastards…!”
The old man looked sturdy enough to handle three or four ordinary young men by himself, but with his son—or perhaps his grandson—being held hostage, he seemed unable to fight properly.
“Who does this musclebound old geezer think he is?!”
THUD―
“Gagh!”
“F-Father!”
The old man had charged forward in a fit of rage, only to be kicked and sent sprawling.
The young man being held hostage went deathly pale.
“What the f*ck are you gawking at?”
“Get lost unless you want your skulls cracked. Huh?”
Meanwhile, several others glared at Haver and me.
I understood that they were trying to threaten us, but to my eyes, they were almost cute.
“Haver.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“You said earlier that you would smash the skulls of anyone who showed me disrespect, did you not?”
“Yes! Of course!”
Haver answered in a booming voice.
Grinning, I gave him the order.
“You have my permission. Go beat every last one of them to a pulp.”
“Hahahaha! I obey my young lord’s command!”
BOOM―
Haver kicked off the ground and launched himself forward.
The enormous knight charged like an enraged boar.
As his robe flapped back, the pitch-black armor beneath it gleamed beneath the sunlight.
“W-What the hell?!”
WHAM―!!!
Haver’s fist, nearly as large as the thug’s face, struck first.
The man’s head snapped around.
“Damn it! That hulking brute is no ordinary man!”
“Surround him and rush him all at once!”
Three or four thugs, sensing danger, charged Haver simultaneously.
Each had raised a sword, an axe, a club, or some other weapon.
But Haver showed no intention of drawing the greatsword strapped to his back.
“HRAAAAAH! You insolent gangsters… How dare you!”
BOOM―!
He stomped the ground while channeling Aura into the motion.
In Murim, it was a technique known as the Ground Stomp.
BANG!!!
“T-That is… Aura?!”
“Aaagh!”
Every man who had charged him was blasted backward.
Haver then hurled himself at them one by one and planted an enormous fist squarely in each of their faces.
All to keep his promise that he would smash their skulls—and to carry out my order.
‘Tsk, tsk… Needlessly earnest, as always.’
Then again, perhaps that was Haver’s charm.
A ‘true’ knight down to the marrow, so to speak.
“D-Damn it! In that case… we will at least take the old man’s son with us!”
The thugs immediately tucked their tails and chose to flee.
But there was something one must always remember, and remember well.
“Hey, you lot. Where do you think you are going?”
They may have been free to enter, but leaving was another matter.