Chapter 13: Meticulous Calculation

Vernell Marquis.

Age: 27 years.

Class of 525 from Veritas Academy.

Title granted: Chaotic.

Residence: semi-basement in the slums of Escolea (the previous tenant didn’t last a week before running away).

Assets in possession: 72 gold coins.

“When do you plan to pay me back, bastard?”

— 72 coins.

Two burly men had trashed the house, and with them, a smaller man with a fierce face.

And a single man, kneeling, watched their rampage helplessly, trembling nonstop.

The scrawny man with oversized glasses began to wring his hands.

“I… please, give me a bit more time. It’s an experiment that needs to be evaluated long-term, so the results will take a bit more—”

“How much more is ‘long-term’? Didn’t I already give you a year? You said in a year there’d be significant results.”

“I-I said they might show, but it’s hard to gather the monster corpses, and I—”

“Ah.”

The lender waved his hand and cut him off.

“I don’t need excuses. Tell me something simple—can what you have now be turned into money or not?”

“T-that… probably not yet. There are still unresolved variables…”

“Haa…”

The man glaring down at Vernell was a loan shark.

He lent money at outrageous interest rates to people who couldn’t get a single bank loan.

His usual tactic was to cut off funding just before the research could be completed.

“Damn it… I really stepped in something nasty.”

He closed his eyes tightly. Everything indicated he wouldn’t recover the money he’d loaned Vernell Marquis.

He dragged over a rickety chair, sat comfortably in front of him, and lit a cigar.

“Alright. I’ll give you an extension on the debt.”

“R-really?”

“On the condition that you abandon the research you’re doing now.”

“…What?”

The loan shark exhaled a long puff of smoke.

“From what I see, you were doing pretty well your first year at the academy, weren’t you? I checked your record—you weren’t just top of your class, but first in the entire year.”

“Ah, yes… back then I wasn’t really sure what to do, so I just studied casually and ended up first, but…”

“Casually?”

Only this guy could call ending up first “casual.”

“That’s why I’m saying do something else. Do something else casually and get results. I’ve got a few projects from other nobodies; I’ll give them to you. Finish them and hand them over. Then we’ll call the debt settled. How about that?”

“Couldn’t I do that while still working on my current research? If it’s just that—”

Thud!

A dagger flew and stabbed into the floor—right in front of his groin.

“Hiik!”

“You’re awfully confident when I’m trying to be reasonable. Lately, because of that thing called ‘morality,’ organs are going for crazy prices. How much do you think yours would fetch?”

“If you guarantee I’ll still be breathing, I think that alone could cover all the interest.”

“How about it? Sell your organs and keep doing your experiment. You don’t like that idea, right?”

“Yes… not really…”

“Then drop the research and do what I tell you.”

“That either…”

Pow!

The lender’s kick landed hard in Vernell’s side.

“Are you mocking me, bastard!? Don’t like anything, huh? Then go die! Useless mutt not even worth living!”

“Ugh… ugh… ugh…”

Vernell curled up, taking the beating without resistance.

He couldn’t even make a sound—inside, he was screaming with all his might.

‘Someone… someone save me!’

His plea, like a rose blooming from the sewers, never reached anyone.

“That’s enough.”

But today was different.

The blows from the brute and the lender stopped.

They turned toward the door they had kicked in when they entered.

Vernell also looked up.

“Sorry to interrupt such a fine moment, but it’d be best if you stopped.”

The ray of salvation Vernell had so longed for.

It was gray.

‘Ah…’

Vernell fell into despair.

It was a stranger.

And a stranger had no reason to save him.

The loan shark, still riding the high of violence, ran his hand through his hair and clicked his tongue.

“From the looks of you, I’d say you’re some rich young master from out of town. Don’t get in the way.”

“Sorry, but I’m going to get in the way.”

The man with gray hair pointed at Vernell.

“I have unfinished business with that man.”

***

When Perda entered the semi-basement, the beating was already underway.

Seeing the man being beaten like a dog that bites its master, he thought,

‘What perfect timing.’

Appearing just when someone is begging for a ray of salvation.

“That’s enough.”

That was how Perda stopped the loan shark’s beating.

Vernell faded into the background, and the loan shark looked at Perda with a crooked stance.

“You don’t look like the same type as those Escolea bookworms. You from outside?”

“That’s right. I come from another region.”

“Did that bastard ask you for money too?”

“No.”

“Then respect the order. I got here first. Let me finish with him, then you can talk.”

“How considerate. And what if I were to take care of settling that debt?”

A brief silence.

The loan shark showed a hesitant expression before answering.

“With interest included, it’s 72 gold coins. Can you pay them?”

“Of course.”

“Then pay.”

Seventy-two gold coins.

For Perda, now lord of Valdrova’s castle, it was not a particularly large sum.

He could throw it away as easily as tossing aside a bone already gnawed clean.

But he did not accept immediately.

His blue eyes slid toward Vernell, curled up and bleeding.

Seeing him, Perda proposed,

“Let’s do this. Deduct the beating and the material damage and leave it at fifty. What do you say?”

The loan shark let out an incredulous laugh.

“Are you crazy? What we broke isn’t worth even three gold coins!”

“Oh, really? Then accept forty-nine. For the man you beat up, I’m giving you about twenty coins for free.”

“Have you lost your mind? Burning twenty coins just for exchanging a few words?”

“Then no deal?”

“Deal? This isn’t negotiating, it’s extortion.”

“Then the deal is off.”

Perda raised one finger.

“In that case, have them pay exactly the same to settle accounts as well, Ruri.”

Ruri, who was behind him, stepped forward.

“Leave them in the exact same state.”

“…”

“I’ll keep my word, so don’t worry.”

“Haa… understood.”

The silver side-ponytailed maid advanced with an expressionless face.

“What is this, a kid?”

“Bringing a kid to a place like this? Is this young master an idiot or what?”

The burly men laughed maliciously.

The loan shark, unlike them, understood it instantly.

That “kid” was no ordinary kid.

At that moment, the little girl released a portion of the power she was concealing.

Ruri’s silver eyes shone with a strange glow.

Piiiii—!

A shrill ringing pierced everyone’s ears at once.

“Ugh!”

“Ugh?!”

“W-what the hell…?”

The men were left bewildered.

But what followed was even more terrifying.

“Ah… ah…”

“M-my body…”

They could not move.

No matter how hard they tried, they could only tremble slightly.

Their bodies were stiff like rocks.

Ruri looked at them for a moment and then approached the nearest burly man.

“I’ll start with you.”

She pointed with her finger.

At that instant, the space the man occupied warped like a mirage.

Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow!

A barrage of blows burst through the air, and the burly man collapsed to the ground.

“Ugh… ugh…”

His body was covered in bruises, blood pouring from his nose as he groaned on the floor.

He looked exactly the same as Vernell.

‘What the hell was that?’

The remaining burly man and the loan shark broke out in cold sweat.

In their world, none of this made any sense.

Her gaze shifted to the other burly man.

“You’re next.”

“Huh…?”

Pow pow pow!

It was the second time the loan shark witnessed that phenomenon, yet he still could not comprehend it.

The air distorted, and immediately after, a beating erupted all at once.

‘Magic!’

He understood that much, but understanding did not mean accepting everything.

‘It’s magic, sure! But does magic like that even exist?!’

The magic the girl used had no magic circles.

She merely moved her finger at random.

Could such destructive power really be unleashed with something like that?

“There’s no one left, so now it’s your turn.”

“Ugh… Aaaah!”

The loan shark tried to resist one last time.

His rigid body trembled as he tried to force it to move.

His vision warped.

Pow pow pow!

The loan shark collapsed face-first.

Crack!

“Aaah!”

Another scream erupted.

When he fell, his right index finger had bent in an impossible direction.

“Ah! My finger!”

An unforeseen variable had arisen in the calculation.

“Son of a bitch! You said you’d leave us the same! A finger wasn’t part of the deal!!”

The loan shark threw a childish tantrum, kicking and screaming.

The ferocious face he had shown earlier now looked like that of a spoiled child.

The head of the loan sharks had built his initial capital through blackmail and threats.

His true nature was being laid bare.

It was a ridiculous scene, but not to Perda.

“You’re right. This is quite problematic.”

Perda’s expression turned serious as he observed him calmly.

The loan shark felt a chill run down his spine.

“What you’re saying is that you’re the only one with a broken finger, and that feels unfair to you?”

“Y-yes, damn bastard! W-what are you going to do about my finger!?”

Perda tilted his head toward Ruri.

“It seems this gentleman feels wronged.”

“Understood.”

The way to ease an injustice was to offer appropriate compensation.

Or to do exactly the same.

Perda had no intention of compensating anything.

Crack!

“Aaah!”

Crack!

“Aaaargh!”

The fingers of the other two burly men were broken in the same way.

Ruri turned around, believing it was over.

“Ruri.”

Perda called to her.

“Yes.”

“Isn’t there still one left?”

“…Are you serious?”

Ruri frowned, and Perda nodded.

“Calculations must be meticulous.”

Ruri did not understand.

If they had to be meticulous, then there was still one missing.

“Huh…?”

Vernell Marquis.

Crack!

“Aaah!”

Vernell’s index finger was broken as well.

The loan shark and his men, who had been screaming and complaining, fell silent at the sight.

‘W-what is he doing?’

‘Why is he breaking that bookworm’s finger?’

‘Wasn’t he on his side?’

The pain was so intense they could barely think.

He had said it would be fair, and so even Vernell had received the same.

Everyone was now in exactly the same condition.

‘This guy is completely insane!’

Fear of Perda began to seep deep into them.

Perda observed their state and nodded in satisfaction.

“To my eyes, this now looks fair. If anyone feels they were punished excessively, speak up.”

Perda formed a faint smile.

“I’ll make sure everything is perfectly balanced.”

“N-no!”

“T-this is enough.”

“Oh? Is it?”

Perda extended his hand toward Ruri.

She pulled a pouch from her skirt, and Perda tossed it to the loan shark.

Exactly sixty-nine gold coins, deducting the material damage.

“Then, since the debt is settled, get lost.”

“T-thank you.”

They fled without looking back.

As he watched the place where they disappeared, Perda spoke to Ruri.

“You’re skilled with magic.”

“I only used the basics.”

“And within the basics, do you know healing magic?”

“To a certain extent.”

“Then I’d like you to heal Vernell a bit, the one lying there.”

“Ghh… n-no need.”

Vernell, groaning in pain, waved his hand.

“If I receive too much healing magic, I develop resistance later. I don’t want the day to come when I truly need it and it doesn’t work. I can endure this.”

“A rational decision, worthy of a scholar.”

Vernell grabbed his finger.

“Ghh…!”

Crack.

He set it back in place and carefully moved it again.

After confirming it had returned to normal, he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“Huu… thank you very much for saving me.”

Even if you broke my finger…

He swallowed those words and asked Perda,

“May I know your name?”

“My name is Perda Valdrova.”

“Valdrova? Isn’t that the name of the red dragon?”

“That’s right. I will be her partner.”

“Huh? D-don’t tell me…? The Dragon Queen’s fiancé is you…?”

Vernell’s face turned pale.

He fell to his knees and immediately prostrated himself.

“I-I apologize for failing to recognize the consort of the great Dragon Queen!”

“No, it’s normal you wouldn’t know. Don’t worry.”

“And he’s not her consort yet. He’s just using the Valdrova surname.”

Ruri interjected to correct him.

Vernell introduced himself.

“I am Vernell Marquis. A scholar whom the world calls Chaotic, as you surely know. Ha, ha…”

“Yes. Your reputation is well known to me.”

“And what business could you have with someone as useless as me…?”

“I don’t like beating around the bush. I’ll be direct. I’m interested in your research.”

“M-my research?”

His eyes widened.

Not even the loan shark who had lent him money had taken it seriously.

“If you come to Valdrova Castle, I promise unconditional support for your research.”

“E-eh?”

“Materials, funds, facilities. Everything you need, without conditions.”

“H-huuuh.”

Unconditional support.

An unprecedented deal for any scholar.

It filled him with joy, but also with unease.

What condition was hidden behind it?

With a trembling voice, he asked,

“W-what is the condition?”

“Your research. With it, we will manufacture weapons.”

Vernell’s expression hardened.

“Weapons…?”

“That’s right. With your research.”

Vernell shook his head.

“Then I cannot accept.”

“That’s what you say to someone who forgave your debt?”

“Even with a knife at my neck, I cannot do it. I desire a peaceful continent of Serdes. I only want the people who live on it to be happy.”

Perda had already expected resistance.

Vernell Marquis was a pacifist.

“Weapons of war only create more victims. Not even for my benefactor can I do something like that.”

Perda brought a hand to his chin.

“So you wouldn’t change your mind even with a knife at your neck.”

A chill ran down Vernell’s spine.

He had heard threats many times, but this one was different.

Death seemed to embrace him from behind.

“But think carefully.”

Perda dragged his index finger across the dusty floor.

“Who do you think you owe the ability to research peacefully in this rat hole?”

“It was my choice.”

“No. It wasn’t. The peace you enjoy is not created because someone insignificant chooses it.”

Vernell stiffened.

Clear emotion colored his tone.

“The Dragon Queen Valdrova, who will be my partner, goes to the front lines almost every three days. She faces monsters capable of wiping out a city like this. What do you think she stakes each time? A bit of territory? The inhabitants of the far east? Or my life?”

Perda pointed at his chest.

“No. She stakes her own life. While you would be willing to die for an empty faith, she turns her life into a sacred sword to reap enemies and protect peace.”

Perda always watched Valdrova fight on the front lines.

From far above, in silence.

At that moment, her figure seemed to overlap before his eyes.

His chest hurt.

His fingers unconsciously dug into his own chest.

All that remained was guilt, for being able to do nothing but watch.

“That is why, for her, I will do anything.”

A flame burned deep within Perda’s eyes.

“So, whether you like it or not, I will make you manufacture weapons.”