Chapter 96
Gold Rush
Only after finishing his impassioned speech did Stephan finally draw the breath he had been holding.
His face was drenched in sweat, and droplets fell from his tightly clenched fists.
Herman silently glared at him.
Herman Pascal had been a tyrant who whipped his children for missing even a single question on a test and demanded that they never let their guard down when dealing with numbers.
When he finally opened his mouth again, he said,
“Then do as you wish.”
“...Pardon?”
Stephan blinked stupidly.
He had armed himself and prepared for battle, only for his opponent to suddenly surrender.
“Wait, Father. I-Is that really it? You’re ending this so easily?”
“Easy or not, what more do you expect me to do?”
“Ending it like this only makes it stranger. If you’re planning to scheme behind my back—”
“As you said, I am merely an old man confined to the back room. What could such an old man possibly do? I told you to follow your own will.”
“What changed? Until now, you acted as though you would devour me alive unless I withdrew.”
Herman looked at him as though he were pathetic.
“Back then, did you not ask me?”
“I did.”
“So I told you to withdraw.”
“How is that any different from now?”
“Back then, you asked for permission as an employee. Now, you have informed me of your decision as the owner of this place.”
Herman turned away.
“If the owner refuses, what am I supposed to do about it?”
With those words, Herman left.
The heavy air once again pierced deeply into Stephan’s lungs.
He mulled over what his father had said.
Then his eyes fell upon something on his desk.
Two apples had rolled off when he struck it.
There were two things he needed to grasp.
Yet he had only one hand with which to grasp them.
“Hah...”
Everything suddenly felt absurd.
His mind reeled as though a massive explosion had gone off nearby and battered his eardrums.
“The owner...”
A foolish thought abruptly occurred to him.
No.
It was not foolish.
For Stephan, who had always been held tightly in another’s grasp, it was the wisest and most ingenious thought he had ever conceived.
He picked up both apples, one in each hand.
“I’ve always had... two hands.”
Then he placed both apples back onto the fruit tray.
Everything that had been weighing upon him disappeared.
Stephan smiled with a sense of liberation.
Herman left the headquarters and climbed into his carriage.
Inside sat a muscular man who appeared twice Herman’s size.
It was Merchant Pascal.
Herman looked at him and said,
“Let us go home.”
“Yes.”
Merchant signaled the driver, and the carriage began to move.
Noticing that Herman seemed different from usual, he asked,
“Did your conversation with my little brother go well?”
Herman nodded.
“I did not like it, but I was satisfied.”
“Oh? Then Stephan is going to become chairman now?”
“We should watch him a little longer. If I hand everything over too readily, he may grow complacent.”
“Ha! I never thought I’d live to see that brat earn Father’s approval.”
Merchant laughed heartily, while Herman clicked his tongue.
“Watching him shout back at his father reminded me of you when your delayed adolescence finally arrived. I did not enjoy it.”
“That wasn’t adolescence. I’ve always had a temper. Isn’t everyone in the Pascal family like that?”
“And are you truly fine with this?”
He was asking whether Merchant was willing to let Stephan inherit the Pascal Trading Company.
Family businesses were usually passed to the eldest son, so it would have been natural for him to feel displeased.
Merchant waved his hand dismissively and laughed.
“The mercenary company is enough for me. I don’t have the head for juggling numbers, do I? I’m the body, and Stephan is the brain. Letting him do the thinking saves me from headaches.”
“Is that so?”
“That doesn’t mean I’m entirely without ambition. Judging by my son, he seems to have inherited his mother’s sharp mind. Once he’s received enough training as a successor, I’ll have him take it all back for me.”
“Are you planning to sabotage Stephan so thoroughly that he never even gets married?”
“Bwahaha! I wish there were something to sabotage! He has no eye for women and no confidence around them. It’s pitiful! His mother has even started whispering to young ladies from good families, asking them to take an interest in her brother-in-law.”
It was impossible to tell whether Merchant wanted to steal his brother’s company or give him a wife.
“Still, that spiteful brat needs someone to clear the way for him before he can truly settle down. Father, why don’t you do something?”
Herman shrugged.
“You should discuss that with the owner. What would you gain from discussing it with me?”
“Damn. The way that bastard has been using his head lately, even intimidation won’t work. I suppose I’ll have to make my son clever enough to snatch it away.”
Herman chuckled.
In any case, the Pascal succession struggle had ended.
The carriage continued toward the estate.
***
“Have you heard the news?”
“Judging by the look of you, you must be here because of the Dandolo Trading Company.”
“Indeed. Who would have imagined that the Dandolo Trading Company would fall into another man’s hands?”
“Rico Dandolo died, and Henri Dandolo surrendered everything. It is a truly bizarre affair.”
“Wasn’t it that fellow Ferda from the Far East who received it? He must have employed some kind of trickery.”
“It is suspicious, but Henri was already famous for having little interest in his own affairs, was he not? Once the shackles of his father were gone, he simply abandoned the company.”
“Even so, did he not give up far too much? Why abandon enough money to live idly for the rest of his life?”
“There must have been some private transaction among those in high places.”
“One cannot ignore reputation either. Every executive approved the transfer. We should assume he handed it to someone suitable.”
“I would support Regent Ferda as well. The west is already soaring after the discovery of mineral veins and rare earth deposits. Add that rising star called magitech, and there is even more to gain.”
“Will they retain the Dandolo name?”
“How could they? I heard they plan to change it to the Hestia Trading Company.”
“Not Valdrova?”
“People believe that continuing to use the name of that terrifying evil dragon would bring a curse. Why would they keep it? They plan to name it after the village they are building.”
“The village is called Hestia? That sounds like a girl’s name.”
“Isn’t that precisely why it is pleasant? Heh heh.”
“But with so many people and so much money flowing into the principality, will the Empire truly remain idle?”
“They have the justification of conquering the Far East. Iorga declared support, and they announced that they would build a village capable of accommodating adventurers.”
“Adventurers? What do they intend to do in the Far East?”
“Apparently, the Adventurers’ Guild is preparing to conduct a full-scale expedition into the Demonic Lands.”
“Hah! Do they even possess the power to enter such a place?”
“It appears they have found a method of resisting the demonic energy.”
“Then does that mean they now have a way to uncover the mysteries of the East?”
“There are countless strange things in its medicines and magic. We may finally see with our own eyes what we have only heard of in legends.”
“Urgh... I can’t allow this opportunity to pass! I’m changing the route of my next caravan!”
“You intend to go to the Far East?”
“Where people gather, money gathers! How could I possibly stay away? I’ll sell food and whetstones there!”
“Oh! Then let us go together!”
“Brother, make room for me as well! I’m coming with you!”
***
They did not rely solely on documents.
They inspected everything with their own eyes before making their judgments.
“Expand the streets a little farther and restrict the number of traveling merchants.”
“Do not forget to collect proper stall fees from the street vendors. The market has not yet stabilized, so do not become unnecessarily greedy.”
“Yes!”
The winds of a gold rush were blowing through Hestia.
They drew people toward the settlement, and even the dormant winter stirred as merchants and settlers competed to claim their places.
As crowds poured in, the streets came alive.
“Gather around! Only thirty today! Exactly thirty servings of the western specialty—grilled flathead catfish! Once they’re gone, they’re gone!”
“Bracelets that bring good fortune! Wear one and enjoy perfect health and a long life! Everything you do will succeed! And that is not all! In precisely one hundred days, immense wealth will come pouring into your hands!”
The spaces that should have been empty were packed with street stalls.
There were jobs here, and where there were jobs, people gathered. Where people gathered, money began to move.
Street vendors who had been ignored in the great cities began setting up one after another and making a tidy profit. Before long, everyone wanted to become a vendor.
The refugees had previously had little reason to spend the money they earned, but the stalls at least gave them a way to improve their quality of life.
“A great many people are gathering.”
Isabella said as she watched the scene from a distance.
Her presence carried an unspoken warning: no one was to take bribes under the pretext of collecting stall fees.
Had she been an ordinary administrator, the collectors might have scoffed and ignored her.
But she was a Dragon Spawn.
Her meticulousness was enough to make others click their tongues in amazement, and her martial strength was equally formidable. None of the collectors dared line their own pockets beneath her watchful eye.
As the tax collectors moved through the area, a man in armor stopped before her.
He wore half-plate armor, and an insignia on his shoulder read Captain of the Watch.
It was William, the knight cadet who had led the refugees here.
“Administrator Isabella. Captain William, reporting on today’s patrol. Aside from three cases of theft, there were no unusual incidents.”
“Good work, Captain. With so many people pouring in, I expected trouble, but things appear peaceful.”
“Yes. I ordered the watch to direct traffic and prevent disorder, so there should not be any major problems.”
“Well done. In that case, I have no further orders for you.”
William walked beside Isabella and hesitantly spoke.
“Um... Administrator Isabella.”
“What is it?”
“Am I truly qualified to serve as captain of the watch?”
Isabella pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
“I understand that you may be dissatisfied with a position technically lower than that of a knight cadet, but the Regent said he would consider granting you a knighthood later. There is no need to worry.”
“No, that is not what I meant...”
The situation was awkward for William.
Being a knight cadet, earning distinguished achievements under Duke Yurei—
All of that belonged to the past now.
William had come to Hestia prepared to live as a refugee.
And now I am captain of the watch...
What was the captain of the watch?
He was effectively the second-most powerful person in the settlement after the administrator.
He commanded the watch and, when necessary, had the legal authority to use force within the village.
It was a position of enormous responsibility and privilege, one that could not normally be entrusted to someone without exceptional confidence.
“The Regent appointed you personally, so the only authority I possess over you is the power to dismiss you. That said, I have no complaints, as I also find your performance satisfactory. And...”
“And?”
“If you resign, I will send you straight back to Duke Yurei. Do not even dream of it.”
“Ugh... What a heartless thing to say...”
The words made his face pale, but he did not feel offended.
After all, they also meant that Isabella—the woman known as the Cold Witch—needed him.
If anything, that was almost embarrassingly flattering.
“Then I will go prepare the report. Good work.”
“Yes. You as well.”
The village was steadily stabilizing now that the watch had been organized.
But how wonderful would it be if only good things ever happened?
One person brought one worry.
A hundred people brought a hundred worries.
Isabella forcibly suppressed the urge to sigh.
“Hey, horned girl over there.”
An insolent voice grated against her ears.
“You abandoned the Magic Tower just to clean up after humans? No, I suppose you are doing this because they threw you out.”
Isabella was rational, but she was no saint who could hear a Dragon Spawn insulted without becoming angry.
“What insolent fool dares—!”
She turned her head, ready to unleash her fury.
Then her expression changed.
The woman had neither horns nor a tail, but Isabella knew that elegant face well.
She had worked beneath her for several centuries.
There was no possibility of mistaking her.
“Lady Erika?”
“Long time no see, Bella.”
Erika Iorga waved lightly in greeting.
Isabella looked her up and down before asking,
“Are you enjoying a mortal excursion?”
“An excursion? You make it sound as though I do nothing but wander around for amusement.”
“You are pretending to be human, which does not suit you. That is how it appears.”
“You’ve got some nerve... I do not spend all my time playing around. I came here as Eri, a platinum-ranked adventurer.”
Erika held up her adventurer’s badge.
It was a badge awarded only to those who had achieved the highest honors within the Adventurers’ Guild.
“Are you not ashamed to behave like that among humans when you are known as the Wisdom of the Twelve-Person Expedition? These days, they call that bullying novices.”
“You make me sound like some atrocious villain. I only ended up with this rank because I kept solving difficult problems.”
Despite claiming it had been unintentional, the hand holding the badge radiated unmistakable pride.
Feeling slightly embarrassed, Erika changed the subject.
“How have you been lately?”
“I have been well. After listening only to the senile nonsense of those old men, it is refreshing to hear something young and lively.”
“Young and lively? Are you referring to Valdrova’s maid that way?”
“Is there a problem?”
Erika stared at her in disbelief.
“She has lived for several hundred years too.”
“She is still younger than I am.”
“She even has the title ‘Nightmare of the Frost Giants.’”
“I understand why. Her pitiful beauty is certainly enough to slay them where they stand.”
Isabella murmured with a blissful expression.
“Ah... If I could just hug her tightly once, all this accumulated exhaustion would disappear.”
Erika stared at her, speechless.
Something Isabella had said bothered her enough that she could not let it pass.
“Wait. You said ‘things,’ plural. Is there someone else? Another... young and lively one?”
“There is a girl named Mori. She is a beautiful young lady who looks as though she stepped straight out of a painting.”
“And you have not touched that girl?”
“It appears the damned witch residing in the castle is keeping watch over her.”
Isabella’s face was filled with jealousy.
Even Erika, who had known her for centuries, rarely witnessed so many emotions cross her face at once.
“...Does the Regent know this side of you?”
“He appears to have a vague idea, but he does not seem to care.”
“Then I suppose it is fine...”
“In any case, let us discuss something productive.”
Isabella changed the subject away from the young and lively ones.
“Lady Erika, did you come here in your capacity as an adventurer?”
“I thought I should inspect the Adventurers’ Guild personally. What do you think of the adventurers who have come here?”
“They are dreadful.”
Isabella sighed.
“The ones who believe themselves courageous are merely immature, while adventurers of the ranks we actually need show no intention of coming anywhere near this place. Most seem to have arrived only to act like back-alley thugs.”
“They worked themselves half to death earning those ranks, so I suppose it is understandable.”
Building up achievements was difficult.
Dying took only an instant.
Once adventurers reached a sufficiently high rank, it was natural for them to become cautious.
“I will have to make a proposal to the Central Guild. Those Gold-rank bastards need to be reminded of their responsibilities.”
“Will they not resist?”
“Let them. I risked my life countless times and contributed to saving this continent. Do you think I am not even allowed to raise my voice?”
Erika bit her lip and spat out a curse.
“Those useless bastards. I do not pay them so they can plant their asses in chairs and stuff themselves with expensive meals.”
“Tower Master, please maintain your dignity.”
“What are you talking about? I am not Erika right now. I am Eri, platinum-ranked adventurer. Eri has no dignity to preserve and may speak crudely whenever and wherever she pleases. Would you like to hear some of Eri’s vulgar girl talk?”
“This is one of those moments when I am truly proud that I left the Magic Tower.”
Erika laughed playfully.
“Is the Regent here?”
“He is likely sitting in his office again today. Would you like to meet him? I can contact him through telepathy.”
“It feels somewhat rude to appear without an appointment, but I have several pieces of good news, so it should be fine. Will you let him know?”
“Understood. I will report in advance so that he can prepare.”
Just as she was about to initiate the telepathic communication—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The alarm bell installed in the middle of the village began ringing loudly on its own.
Everyone stopped moving and turned toward it.
Erika also looked up at the bell.
“What is that? Some kind of alarm?”
“...It is connected to the monster-appearance prediction device. It rings automatically when something is detected.”
“Then that means...”
“If it is not malfunctioning, a monster has appeared.”
The alarm showed no sign of stopping as it continued to ring throughout the village.