Chapter 24: To Judge People

If one were asked the name of the most recognized merchant in the Arken Empire, most would mention the name Herman Pascal.

Herman Pascal.

Taking his own surname, he founded a trading company called Pascal, and he is a man who has been expanding it with the ambition of extending his influence not only within the empire, but throughout the entire continent of Serdes.

He has three children, two sons and one daughter, and all of them grew up being called geniuses.

But among them, the one who showed the most outstanding talent was the second son, Stephan Pascal.

At that moment he was thinking the following.

‘If this continues like this, I will die without being able to do anything.’

The reason was that the true struggle for succession had begun.

He was a man with a commercial instinct comparable to that of Herman Pascal.

If he saw that something could generate money, he invested without hesitation, and even if the investment failed, he never regretted it, because he had an aggressive personality.

He wanted to prove his position solely with his abilities as a merchant.

That was why Stephan focused only on learning business sense under the guidance of his father Herman Pascal.

But when that same father initiated the board of the succession struggle, Stephan realized that Herman had not taught him something important.

‘Charisma to dominate people!’

Stephan lacked that decisive charisma that a merchant needs.

The eldest son, Merchit Pascal, and the youngest daughter, Tilda Pascal.

Compared with the influence and charisma those two exercised, Stephan was nothing more than a simple extra among the crowd.

Lacking presence, he inevitably kept falling further behind in the struggle for succession.

It was then that Merchit made him a proposal.

“Maybe I will become the true successor, but you are better at running the trading company, so you should take charge of the company. I will only handle the company’s mercenaries that I manage. That way at least we can prevent our sister from causing any trouble. What do you think?”

Merchit Pascal had achieved resounding success by entering the mercenary business under the pretext of protecting the trading company.

Not only was he intelligent, but he had also hired an instructor who had once been a knight to train his personal combat.

Although Stephan lacked charisma, he was not an idiot.

‘Take the company’s mercenaries and leave me alone with the commercial business? What nonsense.’

No matter how much money moves people, nothing can compete with force.

Even now he continued strengthening his military power. What would happen if he truly became the successor?

‘The dog that catches the rabbit always ends up being boiled.’

He could not join forces with Merchit Pascal.

‘Then should I ally myself with my sister?’

Stephan let out a dry laugh at his own thought.

He would rather hang himself than do that.

‘That woman only thinks about seducing men, devouring other trading companies, and then swallowing them.’

His younger sister, Tilda Pascal, was engaged to another large trading company within the empire.

She had inherited the extraordinary beauty of her mother, famous for her appearance, and had used it as a weapon to build numerous connections.

She acted as if she were a pure and foolish woman, but inside she always carried a knife and was ready to stab someone.

She had traits of a sociopath.

If there was something they both shared in their way of thinking, it was that under the sky two suns cannot exist.

‘If I want to survive, I must defeat them both.’

But how?

Stephan had no connections.

Even the directors belonging to Pascal only mentioned the names of Merchit and Tilda.

As if Stephan did not even exist.

“Ugh…”

Letting out a groan, Stephan collapsed onto the desk.

He had to work, but he could not concentrate.

They say that even when the sky collapses a way out always appears, so why was he not given that opportunity?

While he was lamenting in that way,

“Excuse me, department chief. Are you there?”

The secretary opened the door and entered.

Stephan quickly stood up and smiled as if nothing had happened.

“What is it?”

“An urgent report has just arrived. They say that throughout the entire empire they are requesting the same product and that we need to secure the supply.”

“Supply? Are we in some season where something in particular is needed?”

“That is precisely why it is an urgent report.”

“I suppose you are right. What is it that they need?”

“Well… it seems that wandering knights are requesting monster corpses.”

“What? Monster corpses?”

It was such a strange request that even among urgent reports it was exceptional.

There is a rumor that even having them nearby brings bad luck, so it is rare for monster corpses to remain intact.

“Do we not have enough in the warehouse?”

Of course Stephan was a man who did not follow the common sense of ordinary people.

If something seemed capable of generating money, he preferred to store it first.

He had judged that monster corpses could become a kind of spoils.

“Yes. We confirmed that there are around 150 bodies.”

“Then sell them. What else is needed?”

“Well… the quantity currently requested is several times greater.”

“What? And why do they want so many?”

Normally, if one captured about ten monsters it was already worthy of praise.

Even if one did not receive a decoration, it at least served to leave a good impression.

“I thought it might arouse your curiosity, so I investigated a little. I found this.”

The secretary showed him a copy of a poster.

“It seems that in the region of the far east they are selecting an official, and they say they are looking for brave knights capable of fighting monsters. If someone offers thirty monster corpses, they will grant the territory and the position that belonged to Tesalos Wolcher, who was recently executed that is why the wandering knights are placing orders.”

“It is something tempting.”

They are wanderers who live without direction, so if there is a possibility of receiving a territory and a title, it is normal that they would throw themselves into it.

The place is in the far east, near the demon lands, but what does that matter?

“Hmm…”

Stephan scratched his chin.

His eyes remained fixed on the poster.

‘This clearly does not mean what it literally says…’

Stephan began to make his mind work to interpret the hidden meaning of the announcement.

‘Asking those types to bring monsters… could it be to gather at the same time people capable of hunting them?’

Perhaps they set thirty monsters as the minimum condition to carry out a selection, and then there is something more afterward.

‘It can be interpreted that way, but let’s try to see it from another angle.’

Stephan analyzed it using his merchant’s instinct.

They say that if you bring more than thirty monsters, they will give you a territory.

‘It is clearly an unbalanced deal.’

Although it was a difficult task, it was not a feat that deserved receiving an entire territory.

An excessive reward usually means one of two things.

Either the one who posted the notice is an irredeemable idiot.

‘Or it is bait to attract people.’

Wandering knights from everywhere will come to obtain a title.

And what will they bring with them?

Their subordinates and monster corpses.

‘That means the Principality of Valdrova needs monster corpses.’

Here Stephan became completely stuck.

Asking for monsters in a place where monsters abound everywhere?

It was like importing sand in the middle of the desert or fish on the coast.

‘Will they try to manipulate the account books? Some kind of black market method? Price manipulation taking advantage of chaos?’

Among those countless possibilities, if it was something that could be requested in large quantities and also announced publicly, there was only one answer.

‘Research.’

They were conducting research that required a large quantity of corpses, and they were attracting people using an official position as bait.

‘Perhaps…’

It could turn into money.

The excitement was such that the dull gaze he had from the succession struggle began to shine.

“Are they already trading monster corpses?”

“Yes. The wandering knights are arriving in masses and are even fighting among themselves.”

“I understand. Tell the other trading houses to buy all the monster corpses they can. We will secure them first. Understood?”

“Uh… can we really do that?”

“Do what I tell you.”

“Understood.”

“Then.”

Stephan stood up abruptly and took his coat.

“Uh… where are you going, department chief?”

“I will travel for a few days. You said there was a wandering knight downstairs, right?”

“Yes, but… chief?”

As if every second were precious, he ran out.

***

“Mwahahaha! Consider it an honor to accompany this hero, Robellus.”

The wandering knight called Robellus spoke with an arrogant smile.

His manner of speaking was full of narcissism.

Stephan smiled awkwardly.

“Ah, the honor is mine. Haha…”

“While you are with this Robellus, you will feel the security of being surrounded by the empire’s walls in every direction. Because this body of mine…”

As soon as that speech began, Stephan sighed inwardly.

‘I truly have no eye for judging people.’

Among the ten wandering knights who had passed through the trading house, the one he had considered the best turned out to be this guy.

During the two days of travel toward the principality he had not stopped boasting about his feats.

When he finished one story, he repeated it.

And when he repeated it, strangely some parts changed.

That meant he did not even remember his own stories properly.

‘That is why I hate wandering knights.’

Wandering knights.

Of the stories that minstrels must memorize, eight out of ten are feats of wandering knights.

Their adventures and achievements make the heart beat and offer a kind of catharsis that breaks the monotony of daily life.

Of course, that is only a fantasy believed by children who listen to those stories.

Stephan knew their true face very well.

‘They call themselves wandering knights, but they are nothing more than bandits or thugs.’

They were groups armed with military training, but without any authority above them or clear affiliation.

A group of force that could turn into bandits at any moment.

‘In fact, several appeared every week asking for sponsorship.’

There were many who asked for money and an identity without even demonstrating their ability.

Sponsorship could serve to build connections, but he did not want to stain his network with that kind of garbage.

‘Besides, what would be the point?’

They boast that they would do anything to obtain a title, but when things become difficult they run away in their underwear.

If they wander around the world, it is for a reason.

Hiiiing!

“Eh? What is happening?”

The carriage horses began to lose control.

They had smelled a dragon.

The horses of the principality were accustomed to that smell and did not get scared, but for horses from outside it was like jumping into fire.

Stephan gave advice to the coachman who did not know what to do.

“Put the incense mask we prepared on them and they will move again. It is in that bag, put it on their snout.”

“Ah, that? Understood.”

The coachman placed the mask with the incense sack on the horse’s snout.

Only then did it stop resisting and remain looking forward.

The carriage, which had stopped, began to move again.

Stephan raised his head and looked toward the sky.

The solitary mountain known as the last bastion of the far east.

On top of it stood Valdrova Castle.

A castle built upon the place where a dragon incapable of abandoning its violent nature resides.

‘The red dragon Valdrova.’

He swallowed.

A ruthless tyrant capable even of tearing apart the prince of the empire.

A demon dragon who intends to dominate the world by absorbing all demonic energy.

‘What kind of idiot agreed to become engaged to that dragon?’

At the same time he thought.

What kind of person will that idiot be to me?

***

When Stephan entered Valdrova Castle, he observed the interior of the walls.

Since the announcement had been public for the wandering knights, many had already gathered.

“Hey, do not cut in line!”

“Hey, you! If you touch our monsters I will kill you!”

“Bastard, you are looking at me the wrong way!”

Men full of energy were around their carriages measuring their strength.

Judging by their appearance, the armor was of completely different sizes and shapes, and it was also poorly maintained.

‘Their subordinates look more like bandits than soldiers…’

In contrast, the wandering knights were extremely flashy.

Some wore new equipment made by famous craftsmen to stand out.

One had even hired a minstrel to read his profile.

Another had left battle marks on his equipment to boast that he was a veteran knight.

‘That one bought corpses in our trading house.’

Stephan remembered that he had bought thirty.

And in his carriage he only carried thirty.

All of them walked through the corridor with the elegant and refined appearance of true knights.

‘They are all pure appearance…’

They did not bathe, but they had put on excessive perfume.

The mixture of smells was so unpleasant that it felt like he was going to vomit.

Finally they arrived at the banquet hall.

They had removed all the tables and left the center empty, so nearly fifty knights could remain separated without problem.

“By the way.”

Robellus spoke.

“Have you ever seen the person who will become the owner of this castle?”

Asking about another person instead of speaking about himself was a sign that he was nervous.

Stephan shook his head.

“I have not seen him, but they say he belongs to the Rosnova family.”

“Ah! The Rosnova family! The sword that protects the empire. But why was he chosen as the dragon prince’s fiancé?”

“They say he has a weak body. Besides, his eyes are blue and do not have the characteristic color of the Rosnova family, so the rumor of infidelity was almost certain. It seems the family sought an excuse to expel him and he accepted. Now he is the fiancé and the regent of the principality.”

“Oh… I see?”

Robellus scratched his chin.

In his eyes there was an ambition that clearly exceeded his ability.

“Hmm… if a useless man expelled from his family can act as king by being a fiancé… then perhaps I could also occupy that place.”

The words of a bandit came out freely from the mouth of a supposed knight.

They did not even seem to realize that they were saying that within that man’s own territory.

‘And to think this man belongs to a family of knights that was once called the sword of the Arken Empire…’

He knew that the knights of the empire were in decline, but seeing something worse than the very bottom made him sigh.

But Stephan was a merchant.

He knew that the sword is always closer than the law and that the appropriate words must be said in any situation.

“Haha… well, it could be.”

Even when coming here, Stephan did not expect much from Perda.

It was rumored that he had executed Tesalos Wolcher and subdued the lords of the far east, but rumors are usually exaggerated.

‘A man expelled from his family cannot do much…’

Without expecting too much from Perda, he remained waiting for his arrival.

And when the owner of this castle finally appeared, he realized something again.

That he truly had no eye for judging people.