Chapter 422: Rich (1)
1S8ddOEveryone in the room was surprised.X1h
h0jdCeVIncluding me, Kang Geom-Ma.B68L0Zx
9LXS2gThis had been because Knox had asked me to organize this meeting.KCU0XS
8VJI didn’t know the details, I only assumed it was a serious matter because of the somber look on his face.vuIXed4
sKe2iAnd then.UNRNJQx
MrHzN“Money…?”2nH9W
5AQmXp“…I have no face to ask for it.”fTq
ZWJwWho would have thought that someone from the Auditore family would come asking to borrow money? Am I dreaming?LSDHPSR
81yfML‘Knox came to ask to borrow money…’Yr5OMaH
KaDqetGZap.DCZng
UH9EA piercing look struck me across the cheek.Ju6y
r2GEbIt was Ryozo’s glaring eyes, who had caught my internal old-man joke.7UG1T
jINSzWbSsshh.4vgggm
ZUnZtV***G6dp5Cw
7xwAbel spoke in my place, moving her lips just barely.gdRlntz
hJO“Ahem, Mr. Knox.”tjt
zXJMecBetween Abel and Knox there was a certain awkwardness.9l8
nenosPuThere wasn’t any particular reason. Simply from a lack of interaction.xdgAA
UTlDvAbel always moved in the light, and Knox in the shadows.J74p0qR
hy5uqHD“But, being an Auditore, aren’t you one of the wealthiest hero families?”AQX86OG
hml“True.”BOHgV
Qf62nY“Don’t tell me you got involved in gambling?”dfBcd
3QBv“Absolutely not!”JYP2
ebZZIt had been a long time since I saw Knox so unsettled.UNWta6
0QbxezREmbarrassed, he coughed and sat down again.GsB6UM
dxqp88N“…Forgive me for raising my voice when I’m the one asking a favor. But I swear it’s not for something so vile.”TM9
QMA“Then how is it possible that the Auditore fortune has dried up? What exactly do you need the money for?”mopHjLd
eiDYbQ“There’s something I must buy.”jOR
YVlvnbKnox swept his gaze across us.i5Umyv
8lkoUh5After hesitating a few seconds, he continued.n6gHPg
eBw“Do you know what state Chloe is currently in?”sc045rK
ZEV4I5I“Ah, that’s right! Is the little one’s health improving?”bbPp
OubrFPRachel asked anxiously.TIll
Usp5amKnox hesitated before answering.ZFg
rMFHjgK“Since the Kali Yuga incident, her condition has improved greatly. In addition, doctors from Joaquin’s graduate school come regularly to check on her. But…”00SB
WAGvzHis voice lowered into a grave tone.aBdSmnJ
wnn1“It seems it’s still only a way of buying time.”DAvSytc
apJ“Buying time, you say?”TqMAn
CJv“Half a year at most. Within that time, it must be resolved.”jPgjtb
bcwzKIn other words, she had a terminal diagnosis.CZG1
eXdnjgaI ran a hand down my face.PXCRH
62CConflicting feelings overwhelmed me.euyuoC
Gl2RNot just because a former companion was on the verge of death.IVp
jeaTThinking back, I had always looked at Chloe and Knox, the siblings, with a certain compassion.XP691gr
OJPsHo‘…Siblings.’gZANuMo
iuclMaybe that’s why, despite our terrible first encounter, Knox and I ended up getting along somewhat decently.NNbZZOh
UYuWith my usual personality, I would have crushed him already.5Nv
7rUWhatever the case, Knox was now asking for money to save his sister.u9LRi
Y1CyYNfKang Geom-Ma was not rich. As the Heavenly Sword, I received only a stipend to maintain a certain dignity.hxk
RVDqBut, even if I didn’t have much money, I had many rich friends.hXCQBh5
auy‘If I can help, I must.’WD8
2MqI opened my mouth.dRnhbvv
p4n5GTI“What you need to buy, is it some kind of medicine to save Chloe?”t6QaS3X
IXZa“For now I can only say it’s something similar.”uITP
mlj“In that case, it must be obtained at any price. Where is it sold?”HTvc
TkaUG“It isn’t for sale.”LehgrZh
YCHuYqKnox let out a tired sigh.cU3N
WhT“It has to be bid on…”JXNsgB
I3W“An auction?”AVDTKr
KPD48yAn auction house.NBH6
I9bckRThe memories resurfaced in my mind.5uVlRl0
1GJteeHYes, on that occasion too, I had run into members of the Auditore family at the Pertinax auction.8gL9A
o9rwChloe unleashed chaos with her sword, and her brother Knox knocked her unconscious. A total disaster.hZPZoj
Hn9fl1It seemed this time I would have to accompany Knox to a similar place.K6PClK
iPV“Before I lend you money…”53Ty
ZOFfVTbRyozo, who had been sitting with her back turned, spun her chair.X9g
ZbyUQyWhen she intervened, the air turned cold.A2RXc2e
kduIYes, whatever it was, it had to pass through the “Ryozo filter.” Without her approval, nothing moved forward.zF0sZjf
7czfqLCKnox also sat up straighter, his nerves reflected in his face.2QM
GNtzZ‘If something doesn’t sit right with Ryozo’s intuition…’JMZC
t83Then, it was better not to do anything.PT1cvQ
FfHEveryone trusted her insight, almost prophetic.WqNqu5
6OVXqHfAnd since she had received “Yggdrasil” from Mesther, that intuition had grown even sharper.npfZ1Zz
cMoIw2With the memory of Mother Earth accumulated in the World Tree, history itself served as a springboard to glimpse the future.K6B
J9EShe was, rightfully, the seer Saki Ryozo.cMLaAQA
8Ev“Start by explaining why the Auditore fortune has dried up.”2UKaWm0
Y2EnhM“R-right, I forgot that.”lzbH
KpTe8Knox steadied himself with a sip of cold water.qGhP
FuX“As they say, the Auditore are among the richest even within the hero families.”uQ9L
dkL“As I understand it, when a corrupt faction is purged, the Auditore receive a percentage of the confiscated assets. Isn’t that so?”FBp
pXPXVT“…That’s right.”NhX
2ODZAoXThe one who clarified it was Abel.La4FrA
vwqtThvAs queen of aristocratic society, she knew well the inner workings.vEHkTDl
qB6Y3O“Correct. Among us, we call it bloodstained money. A reward for giving up honor, one could say.”TPOn
A8dzrLa“Hmm.”7nZhGTg
55DuRyozo rubbed the bridge of her nose.kyA
s4eWith a few clues, she was making quick deductions by elimination.LCVnObP
ZBsWwKnox, despite asking for money, was a central member of the Auditore.Ccc
4IFuWSvRevealing internal family secrets was a grave crime. In any situation, not even the patriarch was exempt from the rules of the Shadows.82zUml
qDvP2Sx‘What will become of Knox, then?’zqbK
KEIqThe rules tied his hands. He couldn’t give detailed explanations.uyT
TkV5That meant that, even if they were reliable, in situations of need the Auditore found themselves in a bind.GiDEc5T
kUY8oPo“The Auditore invest enormous sums in each one of their members, don’t they?”XVxdLln
4U2VpRyozo pointed this out, as if reading between the lines.kiXiN
GcdJ4VOAfter that.g2S
JBIe“…”gIu
ysvAPH“Good. From now on, silence will mean affirmation. I’ll keep asking, so just stay like that.”uiva
95H6L4ZRyozo freed him from the discomfort by replacing Knox’s explanations, using her brain to pick apart his weak points.ciVG
6JgjY“The Auditore have accumulated wealth that way, but lately they’ve had less work. Right?”xtt
gWft“……”MBtcw
NEyRyozo and Knox, as if they had agreed beforehand, both looked at Kang Geom-Ma.OIO
OWLZ3w“Me?”Qv9g
eK0gCw“Yes. Because of your existence, Geom-Ma, the corrupt nobles have decreased tremendously in recent years.”6783AuE
MwR“So I was taking away the Auditore’s work.”M1R8l
VPk48“Say it as it is.”dHz8
KwpKnox corrected.2h7X3Hs
7ose“The Auditore aren’t a bunch of money-crazed lunatics. Even if we starved, if the nobility became cleaner, we’d willingly accept starvation.”eXqm5uE
zpm77Ov“Well, fine. But even so, even if they’ve had less work lately, the Auditore should still have reserves of accumulated money. Whatever that object is, with your family’s fortune you could bid multiple times without issue.”SLW
Dohw“That is…”zZ26
BMgBKnox faltered, and Ryozo picked up the words again.9IWVZX8
98v“Everyone knows that the Auditore’s main business shifted to restaurants, right?”DP1aev
RgB“Yes! The franchise is everywhere in the U.S.!”e6I
MMqRachel nodded enthusiastically.WP2UfqD
DtZZvzF“And that Korean restaurant we went to recently with Geom-Ma-ssi too—!”4a8vz
PfKzAh.ucD4Hq
zKQeoSo that place was theirs? No wonder the food was good.YtWh
nPeAWw‘More importantly…’h5vFvSC
Q2YQI felt my heart sink.F99NCMK
ByygqZORyozo and Abel demanded more explanations with their eyes. It was like icy blades brushing my skin.7sBwyh
HzYV“……”AcnP
V5XHdHY“……”lurXAL
YeKsV“B-but that’s not the important thing right now, is it?”uoT0Im
RFY4Thank you, Knox, savior.yhF6fz
OC0“The current director is right. The Auditore have invested all available cash into the restaurant business.”qphC
UZa“Don’t tell me… they don’t have money because they failed?”L4o
1IUAHAbel let slip, almost unintentionally, a somewhat rude question.iQTN5
dvdfI gently shook my head and added.XnR
HBd“It doesn’t matter if the business is doing well or badly. The fact is, they don’t have liquidity right now. They can’t withdraw what was invested.”6wr
PVqFQu“Even if it’s their own money?”xWFV0A
YkrW0MMy God, this girl is so naïve about the world — though that’s often what makes her adorable.2lI4zU
GJtoXp“Even if it’s personal wealth, once invested it becomes public funds. Taking it out would be embezzlement.”1TC9S5
Ziq“…Ah, I see.”fxlKEsV
BbV……C4cMpp
rbmMa……mQo
t9UWAnd why did everything suddenly go so quiet?seDUSw
4SYI looked around.dDbl32
EH6FH9Everyone was staring at me with astonished eyes.q3E2I4
NG7YXDid I say something wrong?lmT
OnlT“Geom-Ma, you…”DS0gTx
zYe1lRyozo stepped forward as the spokesperson.1bSY2
qBLz“I’ve always been curious, but you really are surprising. In unexpected things, you’re incredibly sharp. If you had truly studied, I think you would have easily surpassed Speedweapon.”14J
O20“No, this is…”68qUj2
OXFK74dThe truth was simply that in my past life my specialty was the restaurant business.xxc7
3h4jXWfI had corrected a couple of times corrupt businessmen who wanted to embezzle funds — but of course I couldn’t say that here.enq7
Az38g“Thanks to you, Geom-Ma, the answer is already clear.”nJqE
PZQqSRyozo stood and adjusted her clothes.w3n
2WnqU“The Auditore have no money because, aside from not having liquidity, several groups have been hindering their work as assassins.”WDNaRD
SoC72“……”O3YEzOv
xA4BSeveral groups.Gf6pfTe
mz16mShe used the pronoun in plural. And Ryozo would never make a mistake with something like that.7WIrESN
VQmsc“The reason he couldn’t say it directly to you, Geom-Ma, and instead called Abel and Rachel, is because…”3VLC
X4fAn electric jolt ran through my temples.9Zj7a
lU97D5Up until now, it seemed only Ryozo and I had picked up the hint.CvcLk
GeC63“The one who put that object up for auction… was the Empire itself.”kuE
Rvr0Knox remained silent.J7fzeZ1
AaTjlX“And the intent behind auctioning it at this moment is…”pash
MTKI frowned.CFut
156hI1“A direct provocation towards me.”Gal
LlYvDNo wonder everything had been so quiet lately.r92
Eh363zjThe Empire took this moment to deliver the first strike.oIWh
fbj***CliSb
IIlI called the imperial secretary Ryu Garyeon.eZRzy
HZn— Yes, Heavenly Sword.jq2AI
L7XmpSpeakerphone.bWYwi
nLZRyozo insisted.knMTEi
Oatn— It’s Garyeon, your eternal admirer~zSoySM
ciBRf80“…Right now the entire core of Joaquin is listening.”A6tBZ
nDe2XXk— Crash!hw3oWH1
eoMfDamn it.IQTOpJm
pzxWhy do you have to announce my inner collapse out loud?4A5RHZu
umq5— I am Ryu Garyeon, secretary of the Victoria Empire. I await your orders, Heavenly Sword.H5xBAXe
C8n9OIIt was all already lost.Ihol
8YAWhatever will be, will be.qTh8
2bFS“It’s not an order, just some questions.”1Uf9I
p374I18— I’m listening.OvXTvr
F6HB“Has the Empire put any object up for auction recently?”CN9KQQN
sqklL— Yes.423
tVo“Details?”HO0toh
Ku2— Forgive me. By imperial law, I can’t give details about anything that isn’t strictly a material asset.BOpl
GYdKSo it’s confidential.yoRRcs
OKcaykQWith the Blessing of Mental Transmission I could’ve forced it out, but there were too many attentive ears.RYqR8
Kh0d8Q“At least an approximate starting price?”uIkhWsh
VManU— Also, I’m sorry.hnsDTQB
oYWf0“I see you have many things to apologize for.”SnndbPs
2qD— I regret apologizing so much.LFxq
sWYu4I’ll have to press a little harder.fGl
YnQQIriYes, simply to annoy her.AS8GB
Rnt282“Do you remember the contract I made with the Empire some time ago? That they’d give me unlimited material support.”auMJr8e
gojQrAj— …Yes…HxDW
VF189qa“You know what I mean, right?”tFTj6Wr
eHls— If I didn’t mishear… are you saying you intend to bid on an Imperial object, but using the Empire’s own money? I must be going deaf, Heavenly Sword.Tp4
zRyxq“You heard right.”Z7X0SI
fYi— Ah…DaFuGO
3kUThe temperature of her voice changed.Z9NRFF
XPUxn— I am honored, but may I say something, Heavenly Sword?n2imuA
p11dkVr“If it’s an encouraging answer, go ahead.”p4vuV2
18VXZ— Upon hearing your proposal of creative economics, I couldn’t help but smack my forehead in admiration.ZRwPUt
b1Q3e“So you support me then?”tyWN
uR4w7m— Even if they poured dirt in my eyes, impossible.75OaZ
ldWem“……”QXCue04
MDnbPK— …c9eRNfc
4OFZ“Hmm.”HyiCQb
8FXMz— Correction. Even if they poured dirt in my ears… What am I saying? Anyway, forgive me. I’ll present a separate apology for this disrespect. That’s all.tycBe
tTqiMnClick. She hung up first.IjQ
CDd3“Hmm, looks like theft won’t be an option.”jOmOYE
gBDawWhen I lifted my eyes from the phone, everyone was staring at me.H8h8
hw7A5Though now their eyes were different.hw7z
mOtAs if they were looking at someone who had lost their mind.idDL7x3
kWv“Geom-Ma, you… you said you were from the Seo-ri branch of the Kang family, right?”wlDu
JxYHow unnecessarily solemn.nS8Qq
yxcCFT“Yes.”8GrA7
Y4R“And your father also belongs to the same family…?”HKyS
Od0ljf“Yes, of course.”ogrb6NR
hI7ix3“……”jj2Zb
mzd2Kc“But if the Emperor is provoking me head-on, how could I pay with my own money? That would be losing in advance.”Enfn
IrJeC“But an auction is a legitimate transaction.”df7
AWqg“Transactions also have nuances.”lS74rpD
FdWmDiZIn the silence, everyone exchanged glances.Xl6fQ
q4yhIt was obvious the image of “father and son” we had was plummeting in real time.6vEQqdb
fojm“Don’t look at me weird. Listen carefully.”zUD
oeYdt4As heir of the Kang family, I laid out my plan.TKIxRzg
HUY0a1“If theft isn’t an option, what’s left?”tNw3P
CEH“Uh… well—”iLCcTq
6MWHow quick they understood.ZNw
jIQawSoI smiled with satisfaction.yLG
0Tg7i7“I have a plan.”r941o
vROUnQkWith sashimi in hand.Nbw5QP
i6Co***ioZSoJ
2UhbNhA gloomy street.YIcCv0
krINext to a roof with peeling gold and an old signboard, a man was handing out flyers.aggG
1OhByz“Step right up! We sell wonders unique in the world!”4CvFz
8QBQcHis name was Pertinax X.hTf
3Ls6aqiYounger brother of the ninth, he had inherited the auction house after the death of his elder brother.v1mA
EceUorrBut passersby only threw mockery and spit at him.zL8HC8
CFU“Pfft. ‘Unique wonders’? Pertinax now only hoards junk.”5wnd6
mNU“Exactly. Even smugglers have their standards. Pertinax was something back in the ninth’s time, but this tenth…”hcsB
4Px“Yeah, the tenth is, ugh, no comment.”3WN
8C1w0AF“……”QgR
Ym0Pertinax X dropped the flyers in his hand.0MDG
94f1v9The papers scattered dirty on the ground.R52
MJy0qgHe felt empty.C4v3y
EpRUDB“Damn it.”DNv
JMxWzWhat the hell was he doing playing smuggler!ZMNO5
8e2He had never cared about money.wsOzi
YKSHe only wanted to enjoy life doing what he pleased.VXMX
YbTek77But his brother had even trafficked “enslaved demons,” breaking the family taboo.doO15j9
E3XSpAnd in the end he died for it, leaving the auction house in ruins.M2fiucZ
LPrwy‘I wish I had disappeared with him, in history’s oblivion.’8mfE6
ukgBut weakly, the tradition survived.4p9c
FmvrESomeone had to inherit the business.a6aWn
8mHvaIt was the “rule” every child of a noble family had to uphold.f9O2S
0FGk4LN“A business in ruins…”GpW
UVJYnJ3Pertinax X lifted his gaze into the distance.1rEJ
kmlkPeople were lining up to enter a building.ilamK
Tvk5Jewels and luxurious clothes gleamed.qg25io
t7Ks“That new auction house sure is thriving.”ZCw
UF4It was said its patron was the Empire itself.J99
zmyFAnd of course, with that much capital, they could even create a lake in the middle of a desert.Svly
ngmVFBack to his own place.vk9kt8
v3rA crumbling façade.YyBKqgj
hNQUgptJust seeing it was depressing.bkZTl
MNHqgTLHe was doomed to spend the rest of his life as a doorman of that broken-down auction house.TyytAX
gNEAt least, if only he had money in his hands.u53
KAcHY“Not a single deal today either…”lJEP4VT
WOEGWhen Pertinax X turned to leave—pyT
43CM2“Ohh~ Are you still open~?”cAy
DnxA melodious voice stopped his steps.YuhR3
VdKbaVTurning, he saw a tall, beautiful woman.D9SFfvY
pHUYG“You still work here?”a6DIi
PcvO“A-ah! Yes, yes, of course!”nntC5b
n5S7Nqs“I see~”m0iq
28pyThe woman wore a rabbit mask.YxLGmrP
jtoIf she knew the customs of the Pertinax Auction House, she had to be a regular customer.u9P8e
1WiEgHe had to keep her.7EfkBKW
sr2fxRBut before he could say anything, the woman spoke first.MsKfN
AbKH“Mister.”jlVJlJ
D8BAEv“Yes, customer.”qZa
Dlb8yu“Do you want to get rich?”l2bDz5
Uv7tzsa“Rich?”UZeMsZZ
FAqfNXd“Yes.”w1PcUe
2ndNW0iChoi Seol-Ah curved her lips until the corners trembled in her eyes.ySbRT1
D58q5“Rich.”MuVachc
lTkspsEWith the cynical smile of someone who, in her youth, had been a supervillain feared for her vileness.ISxcr2u
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