Chapter 6
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: A Calculated Gamble
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Chapter 5.
“I must go to Fallenberg at once.”
“You mean right now?”
“Yes.”
[You must be possessed.]
The reply from Duke Fallenberg was short and concise. But for that very reason, it was all the more potent.
So potent that Pernyan couldn't stand by without doing something immediately.
“The entrance ceremony you've been waiting for is in two days. Didn't you say you would attend and personally observe the new students?”
“Listen carefully, Hyde. There is a time for everything.”
A time to buy and a time to sell, a time to earn and a time to spend. It was all about timing.
A short reply. From it, Pernyan could guess.
“If I miss this window, my father might excommunicate me.”
“Surely it wouldn't go that far...”
The attendant, shaking his head, stopped mid-sentence.
“...On second thought, it was an excessive overstep of your authority. It was tantamount to directly opposing His Grace's will.”
It could have been dismissed as the foolish overreach of a son. Fallenberg held enough authority to ignore what others said.
But it was clear that in the process, the Fallenberg name and its credibility would be tarnished.
For a merchant, a breach of trust was the most fatal blow of all.
“Honestly, I too couldn't imagine you making such a decision so suddenly unless you were possessed by something.”
I was possessed. The only difference is that it wasn't a demon or a devil, but a prophecy book.
“But didn't you make that choice for a reason? If you explain that part to the Duke, wouldn't he understand?”
“…”
He couldn't talk about that part.
What would he say if I told him I'd obtained a prophecy book?
‘At first, he'd show curiosity and tell me to bring him the book.’
Duke Fallenberg was an open-minded man, ready to accept anything if it could make money.
However, it would require solid proof and verification.
‘If I said it was in my head, he'd say that a so-called merchant had fallen into vain delusions and was trying to ruin the family.’
Of course, he would still try to verify it, believing in that one-in-a-million chance.
But the prophecies currently in Pernyan's head were mostly about Aint Armian and events within the academy, which was far from enough to convince Duke Fallenberg.
‘The only thing mentioned outside the academy was...’
Pernyan bit his lip.
A detail mentioned almost in passing. Fortunately, this future was related to money.
‘I have no choice but to take a gamble.’
That's how investments are.
You invest after thorough research and verification, but there's no such thing as a 100% guarantee in this world.
It's dressed up with the fine word 'investment,' but if you peel back its essence, it's just a type of gamble with slightly better odds.
“I've thought of a good method.”
“May I ask what it is?”
“The pufferfish tactic.”
“The pufferfish tactic...”
Pufferfish is a general term for fish of the order Tetraodontiformes; they possess a deadly poison and puff up their bodies with air or water when threatened.
“Are you planning to assassinate the Duke with poison? That's insane...”
“How on earth did you arrive at that conclusion?”
“If not that, then...”
The attendant hesitated for a moment.
“Are you planning to bluff the Duke?”
“It's not a bluff.”
“Then?”
“It's just not. Go prepare a ship.”
Pernyan deliberately avoided the attendant's gaze.
* * *
“The young master has arrived.”
“Bring him in at once.”
“Yes, sir.”
The butler left.
*Scritch, scritch.* The hand of the man signing documents paused. He turned his head to look out the window and saw his son alighting from a carriage.
“He looks fine. I thought he might have lost his mind on some drug.”
In that case, it was an even bigger problem. It meant he'd tried to ruin the family with a clear head.
“He's possessed, possessed by a devil. The demon slain by the first emperor must have returned.”
Otherwise, there was no way a perfectly sane boy would pull such a stunt.
*Knock, knock—*
“Your Grace. I've brought Young Master Pernyan.”
Lost in thought for a moment, the Duke watched as the butler opened the door.
His son, whom he hadn't seen in nearly a month, entered slowly. He didn't seem particularly nervous. Rather than a demon, he looked like someone with an ace up his sleeve.
The butler closed the door and stood at attention.
“I came because I have something to tell you, Father.”
“Explain yourself.”
he muttered lowly, his head still buried in his documents.
“All the nobles of the Empire know it. If the Margrave falls, the Empire's northern frontier will collapse. Support continues to flow in, and the Bercefes are rebuilding.”
The feeling of pouring water into a cracked pot was a thing of the past. The Bercefe family was slowly showing results, and what they needed now was time. Only time.
“I subtly interfered with the Empire's aid to deny them that time and forced the Bercefes to borrow money from us.”
The interest was a means to delay Bercefe's reconstruction and eventually make it impossible for them to repay the principal. Once the time was ripe, I planned to demand their secret sword arts as payment for the debt.
But my own son overturned it all.
“It was the first and last chance.”
Considering Bercefe's underlying strength, it was clear that such an opportunity would never come again, unless the world itself ended.
“Why did you do it?”
“I decided to make an even better investment.”
“What could be better than the secret sword arts of a count family that has defended the Empire's north for the last thousand years?”
“...I cannot say.”
“...Pernyan.”
The Duke's hand stopped. His brow twitched at the childishly stubborn tone.
“I'm not asking nicely. Right now, you are not the heir, but a sinner, a scoundrel trying to squander the family's fortune.”
“It will return with an even greater profit.”
“Can you be sure?”
“I am sure.”
But seeing his unwavering gaze, he slightly altered his thoughts.
He knew his son better than anyone. He wasn't one to act recklessly, and if he did, there was always a sound reason.
The Duke himself was like that, and he had raised his son to be the same.
He realized. The boy was hiding something.
“Then I'll ask again. What is the source of this confidence? What did you invest in, and what is the basis of the faith that made you invest?”
“...I still cannot answer.”
“This is absurd. I never raised you to be so obstinate.”
What could it be? The Duke amplified his aura, pressuring the boy to reveal his inner thoughts. He could see his son swallow a groan.
“Have you really fallen for Ruina Bercefe?”
He casually tossed out the bait.
“No. I am not so foolish as to throw away money, blinded by love.”
“Then why can't you give me a reason after pulling such a stunt?”
“The Arus Mountains.”
“The Arus Mountains?”
“West of the Arus Mountains, within the territory of Viscount Doneretz, there is an undiscovered mana stone mine. It's quite large, and in the long run, it should be enough to cover the losses from the Bercefe deal.”
“A mana stone mine?”
Mana stones were ores that contained mana, considered among the most valuable of all minerals. Naturally, they meant money. A lot of money.
If what he said was true, it was a windfall. But it was hard to believe.
“You discovered something that even Viscount Doneretz himself hasn't found?”
“You know I have one. A private information network I operate.”
“I doubt it's superior to the family's. It's little more than child's play, isn't it?”
“Children often play by digging in the dirt. Sometimes they get lucky and find a buried coin.”
His son shrugged. The nonchalant attitude was quite befitting a merchant.
“Currently, Viscount Doneretz's financial situation is poor, as a ship from the Doneretz Merchant Guild, which he personally runs, sank in a typhoon. If we exploit that weakness, there's plenty of room to get involved.”
“Are you telling me to take this and drop the subject?”
“It's not that...”
“A mana stone mine.”
His tone was sharp, but he was quite satisfied. A deal. When approached with the methods of a merchant, it was proper to respond in kind.
“If you're right, this can cover some of the damage you've caused. For now, I'll verify your claim.”
“Thank you.”
“This will take time, so return to the academy for now and focus on your studies. I'll summon you again when I have the results.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Ah, it's late, so stay the night. Let's have dinner together in a little while.”
“Yes, Father.”
His son bowed his head and left. The Duke asked his butler.
“What is your assessment?”
“To attempt a deal with you, Your Grace... He has become a fine merchant.”
“Have you ever heard rumors of a mana stone mine in the Arus Mountains?”
“I have not.”
“So Pernyan knew something that even the Black Turtle could not uncover?”
This was the decisive reason the Duke had accepted Pernyan's bold proposal.
The Duchy of Fallenberg possessed a vast information network spanning the entire Empire, and even the continent, yet they had never heard of a mana stone mine in the Arus Mountains.
“Indeed... It is an unexpected development.”
“But he's not the type to tell a lie that would be quickly exposed just to get out of a tight spot.”
“Yes. The young master is certainly not that kind of person.”
“And look into the Golden Pillar, thoroughly.”
The Golden Pillar was the private intelligence organization Pernyan Fallenberg had started building in his youth.
He thought he knew everything about it, but it seemed he was wrong.
“I am pleased with Pernyan, yet a little disappointed in you.”
“My apologies. I will reorganize our network.”
“Do so. But first, send men to Viscount Doneretz's domain and check the Arus Mountains. They must not be discovered by the Viscount's people.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
The butler bowed his head deeply.
“Also, investigate Ruina Bercefe. In detail, find out how she managed to seduce that block of wood, Pernyan.”
“Are you suggesting the young master is in love with Ruina Bercefe?”
“He is a boy who won't invest without a sound reason, and if there is a sound reason, he wouldn't fail to state it.”
Yet, the fact that he invested but cannot state the reason means his eyes have been turned by something else.
He offered a deal instead of a confession because he was ashamed, and perhaps because there was some other secret he couldn't speak of.
Revealing a mana stone vein out of mere embarrassment was not like my son.
“The love of one's youth is reason enough. Looking back, it seems trivial, but at the time, it feels like the whole world.”
“Indeed.”
“On your way out, send Hyde in. I have some questions for him.”
Hyde was the attendant and confidant who served Pernyan at his side.
The butler left. The Duke twirled his pen.
“Pernyan has always been crazy about ores, knowing they were a source of great wealth.”
He had chided the butler, but he didn't truly believe the Black Turtle was at fault.
The continent was vast, and there were many buried veins. Finding them was not easy, so even the Black Turtle could not possibly know of them all.
However, it was his belief that an organization only earned its keep when you kept it on its toes at every opportunity.
“If he has built an organization that exceeds expectations when it comes to veins and ores...”
The Duke's lips twisted into a smile at his son's greater-than-expected growth.
“As you wish, I won't ask about the secret you're hiding. At least, not for now.”
Because that's the deal. If the price is right, there's nothing I can't overlook.
Underlying it all was a fundamental belief that Pernyan would not bring harm to the family.
“What could it be? The thing that made a boy who loves money more than I do choose something other than money.”
Love must be a big part of it, but that can't be all.
“This, too, I must uncover.”
I said I wouldn't ask, not that I wouldn't find out myself.
* * *
“...Did I get through that okay, for now?”
Pernyan let out a sigh of relief as he left the Duke's office.
“The mine is real. Father will eventually accept my deal.”
Duke Fallenberg was an efficient man. He would never refuse a pile of money rolling at his feet.
“I suppose I've put out the most urgent fire...”
It felt like ten years had been shaved off my life.
“Father will definitely investigate the Golden Pillar, too.”
He probably thinks he already knows everything about it, but this incident will make him wonder if there's a side he's unaware of.
“Even if I get caught eventually, I need to act like there's something more to it to delay the inevitable.”
I'll have to send everyone away, except for a minimal presence in the academy.
Make it look like they're busy with various tasks across the continent.
And in the meantime, I'll try my best to recall the contents of the prophecy book and throw out other bait.
‘I'll think about family matters later. For now, Aint is the priority. A major incident is going to happen once the semester begins.’
Pernyan clutched his head and tried to recall the prophecy book.
[“The winner! Aint Armian!”
The referee checked the condition of the fallen student and raised the flag to signal the end of the match.
At his declaration, the crowd erupted in cheers.
“Aint won!”
“Aint defeated Anto Dnern!”]
The part where Aint Armian truly begins to stand out.
“I have to see this for myself.”
Hearing rumors after the fact or just following along is a world apart from seeing it with my own two eyes.