Chapter 80: The Current Begins to Flow
9rRsBecause he dealt in human pleasures, Ahmad Hashim was one of the richest men on the entire continent.YK0T
R0uXqFdAnd yet, it was difficult to imagine him as the lord of an entertainment city based solely on first impressions.lWkuq
ds9G6CGHis tanned body was firm and muscular, without a trace of unnecessary fat, and his eyes seemed to radiate brilliance.iXTe
bnDEjihHe was completely different from the nobles of Hallim, who usually had dull and empty gazes.fZiV
XuVdAhmad personally handed Perda the tea a maid had prepared and spoke.JaO
71VIjro“It is Assam tea. I heard rumors that you enjoy tea, so I prepared this instead of alcohol.”qlRA
iqxA7e“I will drink it gratefully.”MEkI
RjwNx“It is an honor to receive you privately like this. I did not attend the Grand Council, but I heard you made very impressive declarations. I sincerely wish for the development of the Far East.”D46K
kM0p30kAnyone could say words.uVoov
gEq“I am already grateful just for hearing them.”5Z1uKE
mNo“Just words? Do you think this Ahmad Hashim would do something that angers Set?”HRAvY
AGplSet was the god of the southern deserts.p0IrWW
NAQQAhmad stroked his long beard as he spoke.tiBrt
Y5wpsw“Even so, I would like to offer you a more direct gift, Regent. Ah…”EWLL
hcd9ugJAhmad snapped his fingers.Y9jG
4Rbs42P“I just thought of a good idea.”5f3hayW
EaXleUCAhmad whispered something into the ear of the maid fanning him at his side.3TBJjEH
YPdLWJThe woman understood and left the room.eAUxqU
VocTh1Ahmad smiled while looking at Perda.CmLzeh
3D6rV0L“You know that those who come to our city greatly enjoy gambling, right?”CRJe
eqXrlC8“Of course. I myself gambled here once.”RDN
Awd“For those who regret leaving after wagering only the money they brought, we prepare certain options.”zgiYvvV
ov1gvWA“A pawnshop?”u50wSFu
JWSo6aPAhmad nodded.cuU1O
jVolQJHAlthough Ahmad was called the lord of Hallim, out of the city’s twelve casinos only two operated directly under his command.nGnVi8
9uXTbHowever, every pawnshop functioned under his subordinates.7Jz
05PrnBAnd with that alone, they generated three times more profit than all ten casinos combined.8aUh62q
NoQENb“We take objects as collateral and give a six-month deadline. After those six months, we are free to dispose of those belongings however we wish.”SvjTr
J5h9oz“So you mean you will give me one of those objects.”Hz9nbD7
uKO6c“Exactly. You may expect something worthy.”fzn
fLtnyYgIt was obvious that the auction after the exhibition would also mainly consist of items originating from Ahmad’s pawnshops.A68C
RGEPfZPAnd by mentioning it directly, he made it clear he planned to give him something from there.Jjx
oYow‘This goes far beyond a simple pawnshop.’cPL8e
UVNMost of Hallim’s customers were wealthy nobles and merchants.8NG
IEZYNNot only ordinary jewelry, but also family heirlooms and valuable magical items ended up there depending on the circumstances.5aDe
AQt51hW‘Of course, most of those heirlooms end up reclaimed by their families, even if they have to drown themselves in debt.’wmDt3
OWYqzXUsing a family heirloom as collateral was practically equivalent to turning to loan sharks.EQGE
IHxvSo the treasures that truly remained were usually jewels or magical objects with moderate effects.be5Rd
C6dEven so, Perda felt curious about what Ahmad planned to show him.6dUJx
QDGI4SVAhmad had spoken with enough confidence that it was worth anticipating.pkS
eLViGShortly afterward, four maids dressed like dancers entered while carefully carrying a palanquin.A9fAcND
1R9ugLThe delicacy with which they transported it made it obvious that it was an object no one should touch lightly.Jaaok
aC3Naturally, Perda also began feeling anticipation.ddB
b0Enp1WOn top of the palanquin rested a long box.uKP9
hQwVOq4Just the right size to store a dagger.XV91
4ASuGrLAhmad personally opened the box and displayed its contents on the table.j3xfsL
JtSEwh“This is…”7TWZr0r
GJ6f2KPerda’s eyes widened.pTn
W8eMnHe had pursued power his entire life as a mage, so he recognized it immediately.2CnO2dH
O2Wm“You know what it is?”0wSt
WnPQ9W8“A branch of the World Tree struck by Reverse Lightning… is it not?”Ncn
FVMNtsqAhmad was surprised upon hearing Perda’s answer.ns9gATb
g9m“Exactly. You recognized it immediately. Not just anyone could do that…”TGjr4r
7ZtVBranches of the World Tree contain pure mana until the moment they break, but when struck by lightning their properties change and amplify electrical power.SWUJ
T3PU5ohIt was one of the indispensable materials for crafting staffs among lightning-specialized mages.QTRa3
jM6SHowever, ordinary World Tree branches struck by normal lightning existed by the thousands, so they were not especially rare.Z9MtW
zQo6l9But Reverse Lightning was different.zJ3Rh
pL4N‘The lightning only the First Witch, Lucy Philiaz, could use.’VBLmfgD
aLZRXLucy Philiaz, the witch who defied providence and possessed the only power capable of confronting the gods.NLynpA
dMT6gxHer representative symbol was precisely Reverse Lightning.ZaUHs
Ukz2VdUnlike ordinary blue lightning, this one was red and seemed to pierce the sky itself.8GhmSlm
4n2Only seven branches of the World Tree struck by that lightning existed.S4A
h1NAOne was in Erdes’s possession.AU2J
PfnHSR3Another belonged to the Blue Eyes Magic Tower.hpUMM
DmLWpJYAnd the other five were distributed among prestigious mage families.bwsa
ldGVHowever, two of those families vanished along with the fall of their houses.aoILY
bZ8EDth‘So one of the missing branches ended up here?’gJt06
dSAkLCgThere were many possibilities.J5EG4so
bkPBPerhaps some gambling-addicted mage heir stole the family heirloom and pawned it, later pretending it had been lost.iKuHj2
Pj5jSIOr perhaps a thief truly stole it and ended up spending all the money gambling here.Ydf
mLqWhatever the process, nothing mattered compared to the impact of that branch.wCN
RgRk‘1.2 million golden.’3q2x
PHnbKEven many kings would struggle to offer such an amount.zIrK4h9
DUzBvIt was such an absurd price that Perda remembered it perfectly.s1DRW
aoeVFor lightning mages, it was one of the most valuable materials in existence.p92H
g7RQ“There is something I am curious about.”3m4cZ88
G5QF3“Yes, yes. Ask whatever you wish.”NDw
GlbrBh“How much was this branch pawned for?”QwxwEI
EFS9Ahmad smiled broadly, as though he had expected that question.o2g
Dnhe8w“For 10 thousand golden.”7bFkH
8j411No less than one hundred twenty times less.nmDPF
IVRPerda once again understood just how much gambling could destroy people.C1xK
4zUHHad they handed over something worth 1.2 million for such pitiful scraps?NsJV8w
nNP5tbCBut that was not what mattered.BXbt
cPBdho‘Ahmad knows perfectly well how valuable this is.’LWIx
DmPEven if it did not reach 1.2 million, he surely believed he could sell it for more than 500 thousand golden.720d3sb
9LTlNwhIt was not an object one could casually gift while simply saying “it is a present.”3h1nl1
cZaYhvWhat that meant was simple.y9B
cldbc5Perda was worth more than that enormous sum.Iad
eT7NAhmad had already finished his own calculations.bjR3
73gv5“Are you certain you can give me something this valuable?”Gufteu
SSld“Objects always find their true owner. Is it not fitting to gift lightning to one who commands lightning?”NO5C
GOXvVRKThe spells Perda used during the wolf monster incident were Lightning Spear and Lightning Bolt.Ls66sU
tHqLUMBecause of that, Ahmad seemed to have assumed that Perda was a lightning mage.9UvK
Aod87‘Even so, if I make a staff with this, it will undoubtedly be useful.’4V40t
zEQdXjIt was a material that could only bring benefits; it would never become a burden.MMd7R
oVTei1Perda accepted Ahmad’s gift.nffm
MmXCvb8“I will receive it gratefully. After accepting such a valuable gift, I do not know if I can simply remain idle.”TSf
1Kj“You need not worry so much. Should comrades who share the same circumstances not help one another?”oPYa
or7“The same circumstances?”Q5Ut
pT9iqII“That is correct. We are both in the position of having to build everything from nothing.”kYMuIB
9fv3GxAhmad rose from his seat and walked toward the window.g26Sw
ZMqiPerda followed him.LmEcP6M
RMbWhen he looked outside, what appeared was a wasteland beneath a scorching sun.515A
EParURG“Hallim was once one of many cities doomed to disappear upon barren lands. When mages expanded their ambitions, our city also became one of their targets.”IHM
h5cdTThe interference of mages in internal affairs was something common in the south.GVctr3h
1RWwmWater was always scarce there.UGi
6JGcZBecause of that, anyone capable of manipulating the water element received privileged treatment.FtPvDRc
G1S4GAnd if they also mastered ice, they could set whatever price they wished.XgRX
zSzn“That is why my grandfather fought to revive Hallim. He made every kind of sacrifice for this land manipulated by mages and abandoned by the gods.”pABil
WB9PSBAhmad’s eyes became moist.zq4lhr
5T9B6It looked as though he himself had lived through that bitterness, his expression filled with accumulated resentment.sVUE49
LBCDHS“Everyone said this city was doomed. But look at the result! Everyone called this place an impious land abandoned by the gods, yet we grew to the point where no one can ignore us! All of this was built by human hands!”rhs9Ci
UsRqaA prosperous city completely detached from the nature of a wasteland.2H7VB
paYQLThere were many small cities adapted to the southern desert, but none reached Hallim’s level of luxury and civilization.TQa
3JzcGA“And my father, Abdul Hashim, always said that we must never hesitate to help our brothers who endure the same circumstances. The Far East is our brother! A sister nation walking the same path and deserving to share the same prosperity!”2OcR
PfQzQ8Ahmad radiated a passion capable of setting the entire world ablaze.8wD0A
SacBctrAnyone would have been moved by the intensity of his words.pZCl
dMaOhQwBut Perda did not simply believe him.lZ5Kh
9YyTo protect a land where no one was sane, one had to remain sane all 365 days of the year.qAQWV
s6W1Y6EThat was not a choice, but a necessity.eWwp
3diAWgbIt made no sense for someone to offer such an enormous favor solely out of gratitude.roxC
LQVihk‘It seems Vernell truly made a strong impression on him.’oth
IjBcHe had surely understood the value of magitechnology.mFl
a7hThe opportunity to obtain an object capable of killing monsters with a single shot.7oo0IyP
yRSnxAhmad did not want to let such an opportunity slip away.yW9YKMs
yUfrk4xAfter organizing his thoughts, Perda spoke.38d9M
6ApvJPj“We are currently building villages under the domain of Castle Valdrova for the conquest of the Far East.”IiAKv
g2sFKvh“I heard about that as well. I imagine you are severely lacking in materials and manpower. What was the estimated completion date?”vuzVJd
xKc“They say that the foundational work and water system alone will take a year. And including the walls, even optimistically, it would take at least five years.”JJxBA
T0ip“Five years?!”4OukM
QSyAhmad stroked his beard while thinking.Bw5Eobb
4BYNBThen he raised two fingers and said.nWyo
q7F12n“Two years.”loGo
I6nyz“What?”meZ9SBP
8yj“We will provide materials and workers to reduce the project to two years.”UCqGJ
7DGIt was such a radical proposal that it was difficult to believe it was real.jmk
SgIcqHe was saying he could cut three entire years from the project.Qn3f
Zgzl9PThe only things lacking were materials and manpower.GNQ7
YBiSiNAnd if Ahmad covered precisely those shortages, construction would advance at brutal speed.hzlyU
cE4YHZE“Naturally, for an urban project of this scale, a direct road to Castle Valdrova must also be opened. We will support that part as well.”C221Dqd
zSmXrOy“But does a road not already exist?”2yJ
PyCXx“That one passes through the Empire. It is not a direct route. Taking that path is far too troublesome. And above all…”9uZI6a
9wVTYPSuddenly, Ahmad pretended to look around like a conspirator and spoke in a lowered voice.3wT
IVyJ“One cannot trust those people from the imperial capital.”V8vgPI5
zKZ8Perda silently nodded in agreement.VH0OX
FfA7SfDespite his exaggerated gestures, the depth of his thinking exceeded expectations.KndOQs7
hjlq‘But even so… can he truly make such an extreme offer?’RmzN
T7tzfReducing three years of construction and additionally building roads went far beyond the usual “we will cooperate with development” exchanged between nobles.krD
EmXmWA‘Just as they say all roads lead to the Empire, all roads in the south lead to Hallim.’oQD5
J3RHallim was the most active commercial center in the south precisely because it was an entertainment city.2ZMU
h7v8It would not be an exaggeration to say that the finest products of the south ended up there to be sold to nobles arriving from all directions.ItyjZt
CY3ZJoIn other words, Perda was securing a direct commercial connection with the south.QPHWfQ
XHQE‘Vernell was even more useful than I imagined.’I0FMAP
5eQH6If he had not created this opportunity, they would never have been able to reach such a position.5ZX
wOoDB4TThe progress brought forth by the winds of innovation made Perda smile on his own.t92oI
311qyeBut even at the end, Perda did not lower his guard.AeEU
b4L5pQAhmad’s true intentions began to reveal themselves then.d8U
QuRitS“Everything before this was merely my contribution. And now, allow me to make you a proposal.”u9P1
bqpdRAhmad extended his hand.A3hr9bP
y4tq“What would you think about forming a commercial alliance with Hallim?”6BBNf0x
uOs***D8QNCBL
YeEO4ExAfter finishing his conversation with Ahmad, Perda returned to Stephan.fOVHw
DTLxh“Hahaha!”4ydgZ
jK5sl8lMeanwhile, Stephan was holding Vernell’s hand and laughing like a madman.Brkj4fo
oFA“What’s going on?”TLxnzhJ
PVBdI9“Hahahah! We hit the jackpot! The jackpot!”Vz9BCa
yFro0p“Huh? Huh?”XgstW
CsS0dO“Look at this!”9WatYOE
MajThe pile of papers Stephan pulled out and placed on the table were all investment proposals.0Ektj
8S84From 100 golden to 10 thousand golden.dZh
izumMA7The highest one even reached 100 thousand golden.2ui
0dwaG“Not only merchants, but nobles from all across the continent are interested in our products!”VZ4o0lr
oIb“Is that a good thing?”CmIp7v
HlNDGM5“The mere fact that they sent these documents means we have the advantage! The fact that they’re making such aggressive offers without even testing the waters first carries enormous meaning!”MrJ
eQ3FvV“So you’re saying we have control.”45W8T
UVhSD“Exactly!”qgLHZ9C
AENjVPerda, who had been completely left out, silently observed the scene before speaking.LuJ
HgOs“Then what do you plan to do?”Fojvc
Eebdnie“Ah, Regent, you’re back. How could we possibly let this opportunity slip away?! Accepting immediately is something only an idiot would do! In this situation there are much better strategies. Would you like to hear them?”mTGJg
4lODExcited, Stephan handed Perda a business model plan.30wsD
RN6Y“The big shots want us right now! Since magitechnological weapons are attracting interest from many places, I plan to discuss things with the new administrator and prepare investment strategies and real estate auctions.”grz
3wMTwxEverything coming out of his mouth was money, money, and more money.2CwdIp
LvJGPrecisely the money that Administrator Isabella feared so much and that could now be obtained through these methods.BfH0
7w2“With this amount of money… we could even establish a new trading company. One that has the Far East as its main headquarters…”Lod
TjWu“A new trading company?”fvlYB
aNyulWPerda interrupted his words.wfJ
ipr“Yes. It would not be part of the Pascal Trading Company, but a completely independent company established in the east. You would hold 31% of the shares, Vernell 20%, I would take another 20%, and the remaining 29% would go to outside investors.”e9TTZ
F78P“If it’s our company, why do we need outsiders?”UkfAu
ZAzzdbz“To open trade routes with large companies, they usually demand a certain percentage of shares. In exchange, we also buy shares from them, so it’s more of an exchange than anything else. It doesn’t present a major problem.”jToBC
KStLWThey were professional merchants, and the people they dealt with were as well.hFofggR
Q81BT0It was a complicated conversation.ddrfc4k
bbTThat was why Perda did not try to delve too deeply into the matter.urcCWr
QZ6pZr6“What do you think?”K7M
1JsxC“I have no objections if it will help the development of the village, but I do not understand why you are so excited.”PNVZ
YeVu9Perda reviewed the documents Stephan had handed him once more.VBJ
41CfUHowever, several of the strategies Stephan proposed felt strange.aeMp
0RgEven though Perda was not an expert in economics, he could still sense it.iXS
vR5“Among the proposals you presented, there are too many that seem to start completely from scratch.”XN6TX
jS1It was like having a well beside you and still insisting on digging another one.BsQwqc
0QYeAs if they were trying to build everything again from an empty plot of land.aq0KM
6QLgYRUPerda’s intuition was correct.pZmGbi
D3WD“Yes. There are things we will have to start from scratch.”O0R0mKz
UyIIngs“Why?”jYQS
r2ByJm“Because we can control a trading company without depending on the Pascal Trading Company.”wirJHxH
PFE“Then…”EUOeDuZ
O03EdPerda’s gaze sharpened.oyE
qzusrMzStephan unconsciously tensed under those eyes.pItUS
lQFA“What I’m asking is why you don’t want to depend on Pascal.”V4g
YcV8V1M“The company… still isn’t mine. It belongs to my father. And besides…”u0Zqh1B
ScBlThe words did not come easily.arIEbq
PA4oMfBut Perda’s gaze practically forced him to confess them.jF6R
E0FAZF“To be honest… it’s not even necessary for that company to become mine.”PjLDc9q
WkB57GI“I see.”8o7SSxl
Gj8GClack!ofCZ5in
No1NPerda threw the documents he had been reading onto the table.hnKg9
TygpRTo Stephan, the sound felt like a slap striking his face.Ce1Hga
J2n2GGPerda’s blue eyes seemed to grow even colder.lyoI
gAveq“Then you are not useful.”Xs48bW7
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Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationAhmad this person is kind of sus.