Chapter 96: Gold Rush
6scy4wStephan spoke passionately and only then regained the breath he had been holding back.Hmg
6R9exatHis face was drenched in sweat, and droplets were also falling from the fists he kept tightly clenched.sD0pLC
bu4Herman silently watched Stephan.6jnab
7Q3WHerman Pascal.87MtFrp
YF38wPThe man who would whip him even if he missed a single question on an exam, and who acted like a tyrant saying that one must never let their guard down around numbers.nPe6SN
ohKWwRWhen he opened his mouth again, he said this.TmPItHK
L4px“Then do it that way.”l9AyW
PPZwMN“…Huh?”UZ8
LxDSBPStephan blinked like an idiot.2Y0d6
4Ny7HWas this not like fully preparing for war only for the enemy to suddenly surrender?HGZlj
YTjhxb“Wait a moment, Father. I-is this really going to end that simply?”f17sQgn
WFL“What do you mean simply? What exactly were you expecting me to do?”V62RTZy
1NpRi“Doesn’t it feel strange for it to end like this? If you plan to scheme behind my back—.”FMpQ45X
l0Q“As you said, I’m just an old man locked away in the depths of the house. What could such an old man possibly do? I told you to do whatever you want.”bJXZm
dhuq6“Until just now you acted as though you were going to devour me if I didn’t let everything go. So why are you allowing it now?”DL9c
Fc3q“Didn’t you ask me earlier?”MxEz
beH88“That’s right.”wsB0W
eFF2fA2“And I simply told you to stop.”GWe
uLvc“What’s different now?”DGdBra
8HrX“At that time, you were asking as an employee. Just now, you informed me as the owner of this place.”beb0pAv
39p1jinHerman turned around.6V7dVN
kgUCq“If the owner does not want it, what could I possibly do?”rqE3pd
DrXvk4He said that and disappeared.SQu
QBbosThe heavy air once again pierced deeply into Stephan’s lungs.jASC
OB60“Hah.”6FuosX
IGL7aDEverything felt empty.KBiAWkN
i1oBIYCAs though a massive explosion had detonated near him and his ears were still ringing.0Sn5I
Ge1go1“The owner…?”DfwTguo
NHP7VStephan repeated those words from his father in his mind.uql
33gThen he saw something on his desk.mbQ
2nt1Two apples that had rolled to the floor when he slammed the table.4Jg
F6kvThere were two things he needed to hold.0UjHJZP
HZBBut only one hand to do it with.lt6h
0PLpVY“Haha…”QYfX0w
cNlXkbpSuddenly, an absurd thought crossed his mind.fRN
gf2F5No.Otcs
euULCvIt was not absurd.DUdC
yx3SStephan, who had always lived under pressure, had just had the smartest and brightest thought he had ever had.oglBiPa
GIGqCwBHe picked up the two apples with both hands.MfHbI
MTC0l“My hands were originally two.”7VmDy
rYEThen he placed them back onto the fruit tray.8tw2qo
9NdTGEverything that had been pressuring him disappeared.e8NAl
LYv4Sb3Stephan smiled in relief.9Zj
Mrr***gnhy1i
5Bge5WHerman left the main headquarters and climbed into his carriage.LuI0W
QKmInside, a muscular man was already seated there, someone who looked twice as large as Herman.8Sjcr
fuvXsbrMerchit Pascal.kfadOq
nbLHerman looked at him and said,6cyK5S
LxqT“Let’s go home.”Et3CC
RmGayj“Yes.”KF64oM
h04iCMerchit gave the signal, and the carriage began to move.Hjw1u6X
LADJXNoticing that Herman seemed different than usual, he asked,vR67JS
CZ3Qt3“Did things go well with my younger brother?”5JesOcg
W5sHerman nodded.bl0
vFLW“I didn’t like it, but it was satisfying.”rzyXwM
mTTGk“Ohh. So now Stephan will become the president?”x7B3Nw
1gT6Nr“I still need to observe him a little longer. If I hand it over too quickly, he’ll end up relaxing.”WbZKp
N5s3cx“Haha! I never thought I’d see that bastard earn our father’s recognition.”VXxqV06
Bj9NrlCMerchit burst into amused laughter, and Herman clicked his tongue.BUQV
ZILRvne“Watching him yell at his father like that makes me feel like I’m seeing a rebellious teenager who hit puberty far too late.”aBiN4p
cQGKKv“It’s not puberty. He always had a strong personality. Aren’t we all like that in the Pascal family?”leRhoM
4epM“Then are you really fine with this?”EBx
cg3He was referring to whether Merchit was truly willing to hand the Pascal Guild over to Stephan.Nn5
TOVPnhNormally, the family business was inherited by the eldest son, so it was an awkward situation.kIRUSpb
TAuF4HBut Merchit waved his hand and laughed carelessly.ArIGK1m
QKH8“The mercenary company is enough for me. I don’t have the head for moving numbers around, right? I’m the body, and Stephan is the brain. Better for him to think for me so my head hurts less.”M5ct
oNxJJ9“Really?”KMN
957SuGE“Though it’s not like I lack ambition either. Looking at how my son behaves, it seems he inherited his mother’s brain. If I train him properly as a successor, in the end I’ll recover everything anyway.”oiwpz
PAiJ“Are you planning to sabotage his life so badly that he can’t even get married?”79nr6mW
AClE38“Hahaha! I wish there were at least something to sabotage! He has no eye for women and no initiative either! It’s pitiful to watch! His mother is even begging young noble ladies from good families to pay attention to our brother!”q7M
uE3x9It was impossible to tell whether he truly wanted to take everything from Stephan or hand it over to him.hAx
opR“Even so, I think that bastard should at least open a path for me to live better. Father, you should do something about it.”b3Aakgg
hkMCVHerman shrugged.QBW
qEQ“Talk to the owner. What would you gain from talking to me?”SwN4GN
CCZa“Hah. Judging by the way that bastard has been using his head lately, even yelling at him would be pointless. I’ll definitely have to make my son smart enough to take it all back.”Vfky4Bs
nhaKHerman let out a small laugh.jPO24Y
pE4eHpEOne way or another, the battle over the succession of the Pascal Guild had ended.oKquek
DNfp5And so, the carriage continued moving back toward the mansion.euoXn1n
WLS***AeK4
0Xvkaxg“Did you hear that news?”6IGL
nFFTOG“Judging by the way you’re talking, it sounds like you heard about the Dandolo Guild.”XWbj0zV
hMW“That’s right. Who would’ve imagined that the Dandolo Guild would end up in someone else’s hands?”slytQX
N2tTV“Rico Dandolo died, and Henri Dandolo renounced everything. Nothing could be stranger than that.”TWac
5pG“And wasn’t it that Perda from the eastern frontier who received everything? He definitely used some kind of trick.”pe4jNn
NB89bq“There are suspicions, but Henri was already famous for not enjoying his work long before this, wasn’t he? The moment his father’s yoke broke, he simply abandoned the guild.”Tcxw
d2Yztc“Even so, didn’t he give up too much? Why would he abandon a fortune enough to live comfortably for the rest of his life?”Pjl
tkI7gG4“There was probably some sort of deal among the big players.”0yQ53
sABN“You can’t ignore prestige either. All those executives voted unanimously in favor. They must have considered him the right person to hand it over to.”wghZi1
YX0G4GF“I’d support Regent Perda too. They just discovered western mines and rare earth veins, so everything is on the rise. And now they’ve also gained that rising star called magitechnology.”6Wy
roVh“So the Dandolo name will still exist?”xWGG4
8Xq“How could it? They say they’ll change it. It’ll become the Hestia Guild.”Dor2L
9Tv7“Won’t it be Valdrova?”VCi5
HQ68Xj“If they keep using the name of that terrifying evil dragon, people believe it’ll bring a curse. So they’ll use the name of the village they’re building instead.”gcf8Wx9
ndW1P“The village is called Hestia? Sounds like a woman’s name.”ALwD
9T6GsP“And that’s exactly why it’s good. Jejeje.”tVZE
tjb“But if so many people and so much money are gathering in the Grand Duchess’s territory, is the Empire really going to sit by and do nothing?”DZcJu
148WKN“There’s the excuse of conquering the eastern frontier. Besides, Lorga declared his support and announced they’ll build a village to accept adventurers.”v8QteZ
yIdX“Adventurers? Why would they go to a place like the eastern frontier?”8kkaQF
mCwDAc5“It seems the Adventurer’s Guild plans to seriously explore the Demon Lands.”GtUNV6
TlRir“What?! Do they actually have the power to enter the Demon Lands?!”3Z9b8Uu
3oz“Apparently they found a method to resist demonic energy.”Vykn4
vl32j“Then that means there’s finally a way to extract the eastern mysteries!”4RZrLc
8li4fi“There are strange things there in both medicine and magic. It seems we’ll finally be able to see with our own eyes things that previously only existed in legends.”ehuS60
cbZtC1l“Grrrr… It can’t be! I’ll have to change my caravan’s route!”7Y5
EwJF“You’re thinking of going to the eastern frontier?”Tk8VG3
rg3“Where people gather, money gathers! How could I not go?! I’ll try selling food and whetstones there!”yr2Ml1
PRL“Ohhh, then let’s go together!”Xfuz5
9qliR“Brother, save a place for me too! I want to come with you!”JYJysF
GjAtV***v8n
i07F4V3A wind called the gold rush was blowing through Hestia.kJKR7rq
RWi1It attracted people, and even the stagnant winter began to move in search of a place to settle.xk9Hw
bjGWith so many people arriving, the streets came alive.Rc7
p7o5cS“Come on, come on! Only for today! Thirty pieces! Thirty pieces of the famous roasted western catfish!”Gs8
zglB“Bracelets that bring good fortune! If you wear this bracelet, you’ll have eternal health! Luck in everything! And not only that! In exactly one hundred days, you’ll receive an enormous fortune!”22bOl
2NPXThe spaces that should have been empty were now filled with street stalls.IgHf4o7
GoeIB5LThere was work there.h2w
hWF4TAnd where there was work, people gathered.uufjbz
vKoEOAnd where people gathered, money began to move.FuWH6
lJ6zUStreet vendors ignored in the big cities began settling there one after another and making money, so everyone started copying them.zhJ
6Ko7iVUThe refugees, even though they received money, did not have much to spend it on, but the street stalls at least allowed them to slightly improve their quality of life.JL9
XOTWJ9k“A huge number of people are gathering.”1ELuiu
ec7hIsabella observed the place from afar as she spoke.pcLa
O6xVShe was not merely reviewing it through documents; she was evaluating it with her own eyes.SHh
nDPLX“Expand the streets a little more and regulate the wandering merchants.”UuZ
pJ5“Yes.”haKw
rD3b9“Do not forget to properly collect the stall fees. And while this is still unstable, do not try to enrich yourselves unnecessarily.”ufjMHO
04qyx“Yes!”jgU
oFmIt was a warning not to accept bribes disguised as stall rent.479
5juIf it were an ordinary administrator, they would ignore her with disdain, but she was a Dragon Spawn.MX1GRk
Mj4RHer meticulousness was terrifying, and her strength was exceptional as well, so no one dared line their pockets in front of her.dPzRcvI
UnbOEThe tax collectors began moving, and a man in armor stopped before her.2aq3
3H5He wore half plate armor and had an insignia on his shoulder that read “Captain of the Guard.”NtYB
GgvR95TIt was William, the cavalry cadet who had led the refugees.giSr
WFDHPW“Administrator. William, Captain of the Guard, reporting patrol duty. Aside from three theft cases, there were no major incidents.”WitF40
EAj4“Good work, Captain. I thought there would be problems with so many people arriving, but it seems nothing happened.”1Ia40O
SSx“That’s correct. We ordered the guards to organize the flow of people to prevent problems, so nothing serious should happen.”1SEufR
387kyO“Excellent work. Then there is no need to give further orders.”RCgM
aML7j5William walked beside Isabella and asked,DSt
9fWa7“Um… Administrator Isabella…”S8F
KgafBo8“What is it?”kf8
M90QCA“Is it really okay for me to be the Captain of the Guard?”fYSR
hTq6WIsabella adjusted her glasses and answered,47ct
Inee“Of course. I imagine you may not be satisfied with a rank lower than cavalry cadet, but the Regent said he will consider granting you a knighthood later, so there is nothing to worry about.”EoOCyj
RlW“No… that’s not what I mean…”jZHET5L
sfNiSzgFor William, this was complicated.tnt
uP5Being a cavalry cadet, having achieved great merits under Duke Yurei.FGZSL
lT1PwAll of that belonged to the past now.f9bG5uS
xHDHUWilliam had arrived in Hestia prepared to live as a refugee.0cgPi
veU5nyB‘But… Captain of the Guard…?’FrB
nJnEWhat Exactly Was a Captain of the Guard?VUw35U
sjCiITlPractically the second-highest position of authority after the administrator.087yz
UScpHe commanded the guard and, if necessary, could legally exercise force within the village.wMnx
8Z4Because of that responsibility and privilege, it was far too important a position to hand over to just anyone.YHS0UL
2WB9E“It was the Regent himself who appointed you, so the only thing I could do would be dismiss you. But personally, I also think you work well, so I have no objections. And besides…”vhn6Za
pyPrH5“And besides?”Rxxgy
mTQR“If you resign, I’ll send you straight back to Duke Yurei, so don’t even dream about it.”nbzL
St0o“Ugh… those are such cruel words…”yj95i
oJC8nThat alone was enough to make him turn pale, yet he did not feel bad.3hH
IfbAEjdThe woman known as the ruthless witch was saying she needed him, so it actually felt embarrassingly pleasant.lJ3cDG
bFg0k4“Then I’ll go draft the report. Good work.”R2lKre
b8h“Yes, good work.”LWnLJMd
pBXQThe village was stabilizing thanks to the guard.pXGgI
EzSBut if only everything were good news.1KTmc56
brd3Where there is one person, there is one concern.M1Z
5g0And where there are a hundred people, there are a hundred concerns.aRB
sAzqtIsabella forcefully suppressed the urge to sigh.mTkLa
CxEoeX“Hey, little horns.”qcwxOvr
x35DaLAn arrogant voice caught her attention.hUuYeb
zPWzR“So you abandoned the Magic Tower just to end up cleaning up after humans? Well, maybe you’re doing that because they kicked you out.”A5urr
I315Although Isabella was rational, she was not a saint capable of listening to insults against Dragon Spawn without getting angry.M5jule
S4n“How insolent—?!”8J9g
miPkxBut just as she was about to explode in fury, she turned around and her expression changed.6Pm6X
3yO6FmiEven without horns or a tail, that elegant face was familiar to her.jDWwUGb
eoz6cU8She had worked under her for centuries.KU3vW
l34X6rThere was no way she could fail to recognize her.2syfyR
nGjZz“Lady Erika?”18FTj9u
7Ou“It’s been a long time, Bella.”IMH5
nkzTz0Erika Iorga.etxW
SIjCemShe greeted her cheerfully with a wave of her hand.FWbf
22qIsabella quickly scanned her entire body with her eyes and asked,IXfu
xo5“Are you enjoying some sort of game?”F9AI
y2g“A game? You speak as if I’m wandering around for fun.”meM
qBU“You’re acting like a human in a way that does not suit you.”s2oIu
iQBDK“What nonsense. I’m not spending my time playing around, you know? Even if it doesn’t look like it, I came here as platinum adventurer Eri.”WFP
gKLLErika showed her adventurer’s plate.zKw
TavfWnKA badge granted only to those who possessed top-level achievements within the Adventurer’s Guild.qKq
VRkjM“Are you not ashamed that someone known as the Wisdom of the Twelve Expeditionary Group is acting among humans? These days, that would be called newbie slaughter.”Fhc
geA“Anyone listening to you would think I’m some complete scoundrel. I only ended up like this while solving problems.”tPfQrz
gryvAlthough she claimed it had not been intentional, the pride she felt while holding that plate was obvious.MczXzY
wBdDLErika felt slightly uncomfortable and decided to change the subject.fzj
bDMWWIv“How have you been lately?”5A3u
WYv2“I’ve been well. It’s pleasant hearing fresh things instead of the complaints of those old men.”wSgpxx
fzY“Fresh things? Did you just call Valdrova’s maids that?”aB6oiIt
QHd“Is there a problem?”Lil18t
HzbFAt that response, Erika spoke as though she were stunned.E8sJ
SUI“Do you realize that girl is also several centuries old?”2Zf
Fv7au“But she’s still younger than me.”c4MqU
mwC5“And what about the title Frost Giant’s Nightmare?”Xvv4QM
AAMHTxZ“I understand it perfectly. That delicate beauty alone is enough to destroy anyone’s mind.”0Br
TJAIsabella murmured with a captivated expression.T7NOo
JfR“Ahh, if only I could hug her tightly just once, all this accumulated exhaustion would disappear.”qnYdJKm
EeJINErika stared at her in disbelief.cx5U1V
eJLvstThere was something in her words she simply could not ignore.G5lCjpn
f3goN3o“But you said things. Is there someone else? Another fresh one?”H3FBrdT
Sr4zaQ“A girl named Morida. A beautiful young woman who looks as though she stepped out of a painting.”x1xx5HF
dIG2smc“And you do not touch her either?”pWLTmN
jouvV“It seems the damned witch residing in the castle is keeping watch over her.”AbZM9K
DuT0Isabella spoke with a face full of jealousy.94XD
j9maCxEven Erika, who had spent centuries alongside her, rarely saw so many emotions gathered together.i8JGla
hDgF“…Does the Regent know you’re like this?”zaQ
Hy9VMZ“I think he vaguely suspects it, but he doesn’t seem to care.”q60f4
FSLS“Then I suppose there’s no problem…”YN0
kFDrPQ9Isabella decided to change the subject of “fresh things.”mtx8xL
gzUQl“Leaving that aside, let’s talk about something constructive.”AleE
PQv3cY“Did Lady Erika come here as an adventurer?”0YHM
7qn2“I felt I needed to personally check how the Adventurer’s Guild situation is going. What do you think about the adventurers who arrived here?”buEL
Pvys“They’re the worst.”obixYG7
37DzkIsabella sighed.GdwZQgm
kRuzLdg“The ones who think they have spirit are simply immature, and the adventurers of the rank we actually need do not even seem interested in coming near this place. Rather, it seems they came here to behave like gangsters.”TpOss
Ixl“After suffering so much to climb the ranks, it’s normal for them to act like that.”o9gkisz
xd5GIKAccumulating merits was difficult.HXLVvX
VDVrJZDying only took an instant.tQ285
knftASo once they reached a high level, it was natural for them to become cautious.fOE6
4hOPnI“I’ll have to speak with the central guild. They need to awaken a sense of urgency in those golden idiots.”vcO6XaE
kG4AQ6“Do you not think there will be opposition?”eop
LbZH2“Then let them protest if they want. Do they think I have no right to speak after risking my life countless times to help save this continent?”8dcXr9M
JHCwPErika bit her lip and let out a curse.7mFkICJ
vXg4dWh“Damned bastards. I don’t pay them to sit on their asses and stuff themselves with expensive food.”3U7m
mISkH“Lady of the Tower, mind your dignity.”Tik
le7TcwN“What are you saying? I’m not Erika, I’m Eri, platinum adventurer. I don’t need dignity. I can say vulgar things anywhere. Want to hear a vulgar girls’ talk from Eri?”RhBCRbZ
gqD“At moments like this, I truly feel proud of having abandoned the Magic Tower.”64xF6
o4ICErika let out a playful laugh.3r5bRR
IM6“Is the Regent here?”isX
8on“He’s probably still in his office today as well. Do you wish to see him? I’ll send a message.”hSu
AGlTW8“It feels strange showing up without warning, but I bring some good news, so I suppose it’ll be fine. Can you notify him?”QY4BE
TrMjk“Understood. I’ll inform him beforehand so he can prepare himself.”OJnz
dA6Just as she was about to send the message—OnqO
O1apjhDing! Ding! Ding!JZPBzF
OlTOThe alarm bell installed in the center of the village suddenly began ringing violently on its own.uBAS8R
3CR3ENhEveryone stopped and looked toward it.0pCAK
RQQxVmErika also raised her gaze.S1ort
cEY“What’s that? An alarm?”hxod
Zl3M“…It’s connected to a monster detection device. It rings automatically whenever it detects something.”33ax07
PdC“That means…”ZyjF
xCj“That if it’s not malfunctioning, then a monster has appeared.”GqPT5
z90442The alarm continued ringing without showing any sign of stopping.3Mlp
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Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationMonsters coming time for some action.