Chapter 74: If You Desire It
fg9Two hours later, Perda received the guest he had been expecting.y8SBhSS
OCVLCM“It is an honor for Bernard Wayne, rector of Escolea, to meet the consort of the great Incarnation of Strength.”GFxu
Tp9pG“I welcome the treasure of humanity and director of knowledge.”y9wiFJ
JgjW6H“I sincerely thank you for allowing me to enter Castle Valdrova.”Llt9
uQyqBernard Wayne, rector of Escolea, removed his hat while bowing his head.zr1
BU72The skin-colored plain between the two strands of hair still shone brilliantly.Ud9Dae
6zq8“It must have been a difficult journey, Director. I saw from the window that you came accompanied by an army.”AfQc
KUzCyuH“Two mages, two knights, and twenty soldiers. Haha! Only now do I finally feel like a true noble.”4RQFE
4HtAfter the failure of the operation to use the rector of Escolea as a scapegoat, Escolea had been turned upside down.yj8Sxw
jABeGuNo matter how much people belittled the position by saying the rector only existed to take the blame for everything, he was still the face of Escolea in the end.D15w
QSNAZqThe assassination attempt had been enough to shake the very foundations of the academy.9yL64
8UrAnd thanks to that, the rector had managed to gain power within Escolea’s council.yxEo
mh49Z“Hehe, living in such a magnificent castle, I imagine you receive many distinguished guests.”F8ChEH
nourt“Rather than distinguished guests, it is usually thugs who come to threaten me.”pid6Vp
gL9dSh“Huh? That cannot be. After all, you are the Incarnation of Strength capable of shaking the continent…”xWmO
mGKtFR“Last week they came to threaten me again.”lvBM
p05RwFl“Ah… I see.”kRMUn
1JO7PNot knowing what to answer, he decided to change the subject.wzb
icQB2“This is the blueprint for the demon appearance prediction device that I promised to give you.”VgM
9zfjsqkPerda looked at the scroll Bernard handed him.rvFUGH
K96fwLIt was a scroll whose form was maintained through magic, so it could not burn, get wet, or deteriorate like a normal book.HpsQ
XhgmSHfEven though what he was handing over was only a copy, the fact that he had used such valuable material showed that Bernard was not hiding ulterior motives.eiU
Jcc“Thank you.”1r5
cZi“It is nothing. But… will you be able to read this blueprint?”KPIt
QifRROf course not.2GtId
H8gsPerda was completely unfamiliar with that type of design.gNfQEg
SOTQ“The castle’s chief researcher will examine it.”GYqyYT
bNo4“Chief researcher? Who is it?”tyFsCn
L6W4Jo“Vernell Marquis.”8AqFE0O
tmByAAf“Vernell Marquis…? That walking disaster? He is here?”TCom
3yzBernard was startled and repeated the name several times.Y6T
afE7m“I heard he was famous, but it seems he truly is.”mku6Ov
CGV3PPy“He is. There is no one in Escolea who does not know that man. He was someone everyone had high expectations for, and then he ended up disappointing everyone.”6bnS
KAaAnd the one who had clearly been disappointed was Bernard.IjjmlH
QAtAfter letting out a deep sigh, he asked Perda.EL9X
23ieC“What is he doing now? Did he abandon that madness and come here?”IL4f8W
J9w4zp“That madness succeeded.”k3BA
pkd“As expected, that was… huh?”brB5I
5YJDiBnBernard’s eyes opened wide.EwJqOp5
fFByOH“Are you saying he actually succeeded?”DWOED
rr1FPerda had already expected his reaction.RziZvu
bEgThat was why, before Bernard’s arrival, he had brought one of the samples created by Vernell to show him.q6dqujx
Mgso8A“It is a magic stone. An object refined from monster corpses.”YSG0gxb
1oG4“My God… that madman truly ended up revolutionizing the world…?”tXd5
3cbqg0HThat was what academics called a revolutionary discovery.61dUI
hg88ABernard’s face passed through countless emotions.K1dbt
oMtIsAstonishment, admiration, envy, and regret.g18
jRTStbgThe person he had turned his back on had ended up being right, and he seemed unable to accept it.NeLlkR
Rt8f1“And what is the efficiency?”vRRaYQW
ilIHe seemed to fully trust that Vernell would already have calculated everything, so he did not even ask whether he had done it.PYCxvH
a9Dj“For now, 10%.”8uINPg
BtQ5Th“Do you know what the initial percentage was?”2j72y
eXid0P“I heard it was 7.1%.”8rdgnp
WCcd5Sg“I see.”XAW
GGxvuvaAlthough he showed astonishment, at the same time he also seemed uncomfortable.TrBq
96gkr9iPerda was not an academic, so he could not understand what was going through his mind.A9UWAB
QeQ5vThat was why he made a proposal.Y00y
Vut“Would you like to meet Vernell Marquis?”p8a
sD9But Bernard came out of his thoughts and shook his head.BuGXO
O8LQd6Z“No. There is no need to speak with him directly… although…”CH9
NbEk7Bernard clapped his hands and spoke.0PlbR
FqY“Do you remember what I mentioned during the Grand Council? I asked you to participate in an exhibition.”kP5d
Aju“I remember. You said it would be in Hallim.”MfTD
64v5“In fifteen days, all the academics and nobles will gather there. It will last three days. There will be opening, main, and closing presentations.”4NZPkMR
kTzAnd then he made his proposal.8maef
kZl3agw“I will use my influence to place Vernell on the main stage. Would he be willing to attend?”xtoIIa
NiK0Xm9***j1r1N9
NxvjMzz“Rector Bernard made such a proposal? He said he would place me on the main stage?”Y96gazO
lr4tGKVernell asked with his eyes completely wide open.5FX
GcaPerda had already seen Vernell make a scene several times, but never this shocked.97YL
CbbArk0He was so stunned that his hands had stopped moving entirely.Jj0x7
r59OW2“It seems to have been quite an extraordinary proposal.”tVi
LddhCk“The main stage is the most important part of the three days of the Escolea exhibition. Even famous academics can barely hope to occupy that place.”aG7Dte
YEUznUO“Then that is something good for you.”6sm
GV8rN“It is… something good.”wry
AEPVBut unlike his words, Vernell showed a complicated expression.5KcKI
ljQhEventually, he set down the pen and leaned against the table.rVz
lc2“I do not know. I do not want to go.”rq6RE3x
pU9X6Perda felt that Vernell was being controlled by his emotions.JXQBOc
bK2M2L5“You are going to reject a glorious place all academics dream of?”IRVK
HHbz“Glory? It is obvious that Rector Bernard is setting a trap for me. Why would I go?”FwuxMh
KKo2n“A trap?”JqApas
7p4“That man deeply hated me. After the humiliations he put me through, I cannot accept his kindness.”3j09
P3rvUC“What did he do?”nDBM
V7Q6cRe“He criticized my research project.”GerN1
QzBVernell clenched his fist tightly.SYfbnZ
TUi“When second-year students enter the academy, they participate in something called the Academic Conference. Even if some ideas are fantastical, it is a place to talk about the future. And precisely because it is a space meant to bring out fresh ideas, being criticized there carries enormous meaning. It is like pulling down my pants and showing my crotch to the entire audience.”DaPFhNp
SeG“Only because of that?”RBW
QnAabiSomeone might say that, but Perda did not see it that way.DGJSf37
iFzxWQIt only proved that the future Vernell had envisioned had been completely sincere.D7xD
8aMAnd having that sincerity denied was something painful.qYw4
J1GM3Perda only knew that Vernell had gone from being the academy’s top student to ending up in last place.1sJ4
gEt3And that, after barely graduating, he had ended up involved in magical engineering.97e
4ENMM09He had never imagined the conflict between him and Bernard ran that deep.3Ll
tgtj“If he humiliated you, should you not participate all the more?”EMxF
psVOAt Perda’s question, Vernell turned toward him.MGxJep
2cT2z“And how do you arrive at that conclusion?”LK058IQ
AjDY“If you were not wrong, then you only need to act with confidence, right?”pLr
rrIoI“Of course I would like to strike back at him. Yes… but what if all of this is a trap to destroy me?”iFs5imA
F7xp33“Then are you going to keep avoiding him your entire life?”U9kOU
Ap8ZPpAt Perda’s counterquestion, Vernell could not answer.3O5auKl
ak0He was trying to avoid the problem, but deep down he knew running away was not the correct thing to do.6qq
XH5uH“I do not know what will happen when that moment comes, but you are no longer an academy student. You are my chief researcher. If Bernard does something stupid to you…”JhkeC
Jf1“……”Uiwb8NU
N155o“Then he will not have to deal with you, but with me.”ntF
gpHhuThose words pulled Vernell out of his thoughts, and he looked back at Perda.SH2
3GYIYqpRight.ZXF
7jnHscHe was no longer alone now.KxOO
ZwSO5He realized once again that he had solid support behind him.bXG
TZV“Understood. I will do as you say and face him. By the way, what is that in your hands? It looks like a blueprint…”nOuQ
mjHwX“It is the rector Bernard’s child.”VY5be
aqr2x0“Child?”mRaVS
fah“He said it is the blueprint for a demon appearance prediction device. Can you examine it?”8qme
8XTdS“Ah, I see. A demon prediction device… Then I will take a look.”bX5HJB
MNdvWhile Vernell examined the blueprint, the door opened and someone entered.AOhYeo
TOaRJIt was Stephan.dsEmi
weejITSPerda had just been thinking about telling him something, but Stephan’s face did not look good at all.1TZY5L3
YlBBJHe looked like someone about to announce bad news.HYVk
TLM4jjI“I-I… um…”Sex
12gNStephan stammered.VVdXA3j
W38PeWk***3YPe
PRL70TA few days earlier, Stephan was traveling by carriage.0rPeY2
HDCbon5He wore luxurious robes that he would normally never use.xso
vig3AKCThey were so expensive that simply wearing them felt frightening.1aoZ
RutBut unlike that elegant appearance, the worry never disappeared from his face.KpA
v9xZT“Haah…”LYydK
y5LOSz“Are you feeling alright, sir? Your expression does not look good. At this rate, you are going to faint.”znDaX
f3TxY“I am a little… haah.”qaJ
odlFY8“Would you like me to loosen the knot?”eTouL
96T6OYcThe servant sitting across from him loosened the cord around his neck.snVxrV
ThtBbDHStephan looked at him and spoke.6jE
B5S“Tighten it more. Do not let it loosen.”4co7k
YapcVgHe could not appear disheveled.JDsS
1EUnHe would rather die strangled by the knot than allow that.s7QX
SroNqThe reason he was so tense was the enormous mansion in front of him.lvfqvNW
LshFdAThe residence of Herman Pascal, founder of the Pascal Trading Company, great merchant, and Stephan’s father.N1blu
Rr5It was both his hometown and a battlefield.fJsN3
dDIwCJStephan stepped down from the carriage and entered through the mansion’s entrance.xRnKV
fd8P“Welcome, young master Stephan.”W7Nr
nk0tSUpon seeing that familiar face, Stephan smiled and embraced him.8zR9n
eF9Iv“It has been a long time, old Sebastian! How have you been?”tRJh
4n8k“My body is no longer what it used to be. I believe the time has come for me to retire.”vVAf
Iri7GX“What are you saying? You swore to dedicate your life to this place. You should keep working until your bones break.”1OdpNF5
5syGDrcHe tried joking to hide the trembling in his body.0Qkl
X4BeThe butler noticed and played along to help calm him down.tsxhh
P4Q0After walking through a long hallway and passing by employees and servants, they arrived before a luxurious door.Jcbla
toxL6“Second son, young master Stephan, enter.”mr2Eo
fGz3mThe door opened.Xe2
AbVAIn front of him was an enormous table stretching through the center like a red carpet.PrE
MCDPscAnd at the end of that table, seated like a king, was an old man.qnLIO
U9XF8UHerman Pascal.F0W9o
HsY1vzThe head of the Pascal Company.H6P0kV
ViP92mA man who began by selling fruit and ended up extending his hands into every kind of business.Uo91VKO
RgKkShUAn economic dictator who had once nearly taken complete control of the Empire’s trade.4gq6R
TbUKP5Although despite such a reputation, he now only looked like an aged old man.HBfHyfz
T3i1f“You are late, brother.”t0TV0
yce1OIThe man seated on the right threw out that criticism.lPx
mzLADHe had a robust body more fitting for a mercenary than a merchant.Omy
njLIt was the eldest son, Merchit Pascal.f7ttQ
w2b“I apologize. I have been very busy finishing some matters…”ERsmPvK
V1tfz“And what can be done about it? The company is more important than family, is it not? I love seeing how diligent you are as a subordinate, dear brother.”N7r4T
QotCETxThe woman smiling while wearing heavy makeup was his younger sister, Tilda Pascal.ZtE9D
hA68g4MAt first glance, it seemed as though she were supporting him.eKhwEt
NI0F0But that smile was actually saying, “That is the highest someone like you can achieve.”XsLjLqf
puT6SThat was why he hated this place.Ibz
P2gSyIHe had returned to his family home, but he felt like a stranger.XAxA
vNTl“Sit down already.”pddg
J8XtStephan ended up taking a distant seat, pushed aside by his nephews who were already seated.e6hD
8A9jThe entire family was gathered.cWxqZ
WyGqiX“Very well, let us begin eating.”qoVFgBk
ru2JMHThe butler’s bell rang, and the maids entered.OIt
dPRbAs befitted the wealthiest family on the continent, every dish carried the intense aroma of spices that were extremely difficult to obtain.v2H7yNh
sQbREven getting the chance to taste something like this was rare.d7utb
srb5ABut Stephan could not taste the food.JP00GFP
DmU“Lately…”QASwh2
UIOL5sxHerman opened the conversation, and instantly, the hands around the table stopped moving.zEb
wemO“How have things been going for all of you?”kxv2
KXOAs if they had been waiting for that question, Merchit and Tilda set down their utensils and wiped their mouths.izwqS
mVu58EdThe eldest son, seated closest, spoke first.e6QJNo
67l“Lately I have been expanding toward the south. Do you know Colosenia? One of the greatest entertainment cities, famous for its gladiator spectacles. I signed a mercenary supply contract with one of the gladiator schools there.”tR9OeZ9
gM8EsV“Do you plan to dedicate yourself only to the meat business?”uBjO
a14uN“Of course not. That land is so hot they say even the moon looks like the sun. The spices there have incredible intensity, comparable to the Empire’s finest products.”pCWYiV
j2T0rl7“Yes, those luxuries are more valuable than gold.”tnFAr
qIy3dUHerman nodded calmly.AXAmZ
xe4pqR8As though he had barely met the minimum requirement, Merchit let out a sigh of relief.1JydNzS
MDt3Then it was Tilda Pascal’s turn to speak about her recent affairs.JYIvIZ
Jbb“I am observing the west together with my husband. They say it is a land of mysterious magic, but even they must need something, no? The moment we open trade routes, the Pascal Trading Company will become a storm.”aIVzX
C91e“That sounds rather fantastical.”zEL5
SkltuOHerman glared sharply at Tilda.Hm8XL6P
tusyDoBut she answered as if she had already expected that reaction.ZEcr
sVrPk“I thought the same at first. But if we obtain the contract for the magic crystal mine, the story changes, does it not? It is a material that drives mages insane.”PfzeI1
kV4A“Hmm…”iQ6D348
9ZJdDHerman looked away.0UGO9V
4kNzYzBTilda was also obtaining contracts with great skill, so there was not much to criticize.yUjj
JK5iw5bNow only one remained.vbe
kiuDLP“Stephan.”IprkfiM
XvEnJVd“Y-yes?”Shod
e6p“Why are you so quiet?”8oMmX7
9AiQa“Sorry. I thought my situation would not interest you very much…”zOB5yjp
Ifu49“Do not make me repeat myself.”C105Pl
yz9It was a gathering he had wanted to escape from, but he could not.ukOruk
mfFAuSo Stephan also spoke about his recent affairs.EZf
tITlw4o“I… am currently trying to establish myself in the east.”UXyhP1V
cBAts“In the east?”XMW
ha3gu“Oh, are you opening businesses in the east? If I remember correctly, you said you were aiming for the north.”8fpm
IYuXZ82Tilda acted as though it were the first time she had heard that.DcmW
0sOSYShe was preparing to pour oil onto the fire.nOFQ
ja7Ix“The north can already maintain itself steadily as it is. So this time I thought about making a more aggressive investment and expanding toward the east.”DDBf
F7WBe“Mmm, brother. According to what I learned, an aggressive investment and throwing money into the dirt are two different things, you know?”Dd4G0
gkOTilda was basically asking why he was doing something stupid.WFS
fOfSI“I do not think it is a good idea either, brother.”WvucHft
gzMwgMerchit supported her words.U5Ad4RN
zfhwI“Is it not enough to sell liquor, smoked meat, and leather to those northern barbarians? If you followed father’s formula, you would avoid losses. Why are you doing something like this?”fSLT
9XVPThe answer was obvious.bBrUl0D
6qtTm9qBecause he needed to survive within this family.dN7REF
tn3W“I simply want to bet on a business with potential.”KQDEH
HkW“Potential? Look at the situation in the east! Even now the Demon Lands continue expanding and the territory shrinks little by little. What do you plan to do there? Bring back contaminated soil and create biological weapons?”oGNZQt
fvs8rAe“Biological weapons sound like a good idea. They smell less than throwing excrement and would probably work better. If you want, I would even like to invest in that, brother.”OMBJR
Ock22uThey say the sister-in-law who tries to stop the fight is more hateful than the mother-in-law who throws punches.9AITWpI
s5nAnd Tilda’s words were more irritating than Merchit’s.ypj
d5nK“That is enough.”BjlN91
imDEHerman, who had remained silent, calmed the atmosphere.p2jb
SHbHe scratched his head with his thin hand and spoke again.EnvpcN
vFR“Stephan.”jPBnBbQ
wF6mAJd“Yes, father.”fzNHsz
RGZC2“I know very well that you are not doing something foolish. After all, among all of them, you are the one who resembles me most in intelligence.”WBPNw
MzkcThis was not going to end well.sNyig
8wZjsStephan sensed it.XBi3
zb4Oc“But when you want to convince someone, what must you do?”ftG6gL
dfvL41A“You must show proof…”UevBRq
zfv9z“And do you have that proof in your hands?”Z6x
WuEGc“I am not using company money. I first invested my personal fortune and…”gf2Ay
lMiI“Then you do not have it.”cCT1M
wLh“It is not that I do not have it. It is just that I do not want to reveal it yet…”wPA0dZ
c6VUC“You mean that thing called a magic stone, correct?”h6tzUH
hf5Dy“!!”Pf91GZ
cyPXLrjStephan’s eyes widened instantly.mNVFB4W
GRF6KwLHerman reprimanded him with a displeased look.6VQdkB5
gYQiOFa“Why are you so surprised? This company is still under my control, useless boy. Your brother and sister had already figured it out.”C3Nk
GAwNLWEven if he kept it secret, sooner or later they would discover it.D1v5
DvfqnHVThat his father Herman knew was one thing, but that the other two also knew was an enormous blow.qaP
24znThat meant someone on Stephan’s side was leaking internal information.Jvc
qGbBut even more shocking was that despite knowing, everything had continued progressing smoothly.Hu6MN7e
yA7PXYAs though they were watching Stephan dig his own grave.iffD
Ip1WLBBefore he could recover from the shock, Herman questioned him again.2KYD
3AED“Speak. What basis do you have for involving yourself in this?”aDxP
KXGPIo“I simply saw the future.”qJP
KsCA3m“So it was intuition. Then that means you trust Regent Perda.”nGTww
MfL“Yes.”G2K
sJvvGStephan answered instantly.HaCJ
Xtkb“How certain are you?”GqmQ5X
AzoY133“If he wished it…”mA4FiW
nDmgybStephan’s tongue moved on its own.Mf9DNw
N32VQ“I would be capable of handing him the entire company.”vn3rmF
AYm53Silence fell over the table.0vYMc6t
aW0Stephan also realized what he had just said and hurriedly shut his mouth.uOtLxK
HZvY6THis mind had gone blank, and he ended up blurting out his true feelings.xhf7JFn
Zg2‘I messed up.’8Noq
KSJThe water had already been spilled.kuxO
tePxIjBut he did not regret it.isx
UOI4YMYBecause he truly thought that.cxZE
PObt“So it was not a woman who bewitched you, but a man, and you wagered your entire fortune on him.”uiygqtR
IwaThe sigh mixed into Herman’s words pierced Stephan’s chest.CHDaaK
Dr5“You only have two hands, and you can only hold one thing in each. But now you have two things you must hold onto. Excessive greed brings misfortune, so the time will come when you must choose.”dtlNi8i
qXkOh7KStephan was quick to understand.Pkj
gus5QwHe immediately grasped what Herman meant.owd
3yyVwWould he abandon the Far East and choose the company?lIvwd
JojOr abandon the company and choose the Far East?NCNd
gOB“Think carefully.”puLT
ddgeThat was the final ultimatum from Herman Pascal, the man who built everything with his own hands.w5kx
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Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationThis whole family is shit but expect stephan boy.
Ernatio Degaldo (Ernatio D)
MortalOh no, he will be so sad when he chooses to abandon his disgusting family 🤣