Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: The Scent of Money (5)
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"I won't wear a mask in front of my lord anymore."
Portia ripped off her mustache.
Federback nodded.
"Take the advance payment."
"It's quite heavy. I'm worried it might be too much for me to handle... no, that I might get pickpocketed."
"If you want, I can assign a few escorts."
"No need. A merchant who can't bring back money from others' hands, let alone protect what's already in his own, doesn't deserve the title."
Portia grinned and slung the sack over her shoulder.
Her body swayed backward once before righting itself.
"...Sorry. Could you please assign an escort after all?"
"Hundred."
As Federback spoke, Hundred emerged from the small door across the room.
"It's an honor to escort such a beautiful young lady. Protection and guarding are my specialties. Leave it to me, Miss Portia..."
The moment Hundred chuckled and tried to kiss the back of Portia's hand...
...Crack! Crunch!
Portia instantly grabbed Hundred's wrist and twisted it.
Then she slammed him straight into the floor.
Bam—crash!
"Argh!"
Hundred let out an unseemly shriek as he rolled across the ground.
Portia cried out in surprise.
"Eek!? S-Sorry! You approached so suddenly that I reacted on instinct...!"
"If you can't handle that much, you won't make it as a merchant in the North."
Federback nodded as if it were nothing.
Hundred stifled a groan and rose to his feet.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he politely extended his hand toward the sack containing one million gold.
"Then allow me to escort you, Miss Moneybag."
It was remarkably natural.
Watching Portia's retreating figure, Rorschach muttered.
"Another hole has opened up."
"What hole?"
"A hole for money to flow out."
Federback nodded.
Then, in his characteristic emotionless tone, he replied.
"Hundreds, thousands of times what flows out will return."
"You always seem so certain, Lord Federback."
"I was certain when I picked you up from the gutters. Forgot already?"
"..."
At Federback's words, Rorschach sighed while flipping through the ledger.
"Just when some money comes in, it flows right back out. Queenbits is one thing, and now this cross-dressing woman too."
"She's a woman who'll become the empire's greatest merchant. We need to build a good relationship early."
"Then I should try to get in her good graces too. With the merger of Furosange and Levarb territories, we've got countless money pits opening up. Ah, so please approve these payments first."
Finishing her words, Rorschach placed a thick stack of documents in front of Federback.
Federback narrowed his eyes.
"Is that all?"
"Of course not."
At Rorschach's gesture, servants behind her loaded carts full of document-filled crates and brought them over.
Federback let out a small groan for the first time.
"Why are there so many payments?"
"These are the status reports, expense claims, and personnel increase requests from the administrators dispatched to Levarb and Furosange territories."
"Handle that yourselves."
"I've handled the minor ones at my discretion, but these remaining are too important for even me, the head administrator, to approve. Normally, Lady Cardina would handle them, but since she's away, you need to review them, Lord Federback."
There was a hint of amusement in Rorschach's expression.
Soon, Federback began poring over the documents.
"We'll need to hire more personnel."
"You wouldn't hire extras when I was overworked, but now that documents pile up for you, suddenly you want to staff up."
"I didn't realize it was this bad. Promote the existing administrators and hire a bunch of new ones. I suspect many of the refugees who migrated from Furosange and Levarb have experience."
"We can absorb them right away. I'll post the hiring notice immediately."
"I already prepared it last night. I ordered the soldiers to post it in every square."
"...I'm about to fall a little in love right now."
"Think of it as camaraderie."
At that moment, Federback paused while flipping through the documents.
"Recruiting blacksmiths isn't going as smoothly as expected."
"We've gathered all the renowned masters from the North, but there's a limit."
"Weren't we supposed to bring in their workshop staff and apprentices too?"
"Most Northern artisan workshops are small elite operations, and they train apprentices one-on-one, so numbers are low."
"No choice then. Pull strings anywhere else you can reach beyond the North."
"They won't budge for ordinary pay. Prejudices about the North run deep."
"We'll have to crush them with money."
The notion that the North is no place for people isn't limited to merchants.
But the capital has master craftsmen hungry for gold.
Give them money, and they'll forge anything.
"We need artisans skilled in mithril, orichalcum, and silver."
"You mean those things the Northern craftsmen are working on day and night."
Federback nodded.
"Lemegeton Killer. It's a top-class military secret—keep it from everyone."
"A brutal name. Referencing the 72 demons from the legends."
Rorschach shivered.
Federback nodded.
The Lemegeton Killer was a weapon made by alloying mithril and orichalcum, then coating it with pure silver through special processes including priestly blessings.
In other words, it was the anti-archdemon strategic weapon from before his regression, also called Myth Killer.
'With that, we can close the gap of two whole hierarchies.'
A armament that allows a 1st Circle knight to slay a 3rd Circle demon.
Its nickname, Myth Killer, came from the belief that even ordinary knights could kill mythical beings with it.
Rorschach asked.
"You truly believe the Demon King will revive, don't you, Lord Federback?"
"Yes."
"I'd laugh if anyone else said it. Like that old tale of the scholar who wasted away from fear of the sky falling."
"Laugh if you want. I'll quietly walk my path."
"Who under heaven could mock you, Lord Federback? So strong, brilliant, wealthy, and handsome."
"That's unusual phrasing. Do you need something?"
"Just my honest thoughts. Ahem—"
Rorschach cleared her throat and changed the subject.
"But if the Demon King doesn't revive, what do we do with these overwhelmingly powerful strategic weapons?"
"There's no law saying Lemegeton Killers can only be used on black magic remnants."
"...You're serious?"
"I'm always serious."
Federback leaned back in his chair and continued.
"The emperor's death will soon be announced. The empire will be engulfed in a vortex of blood."
"The North won't escape the civil war's turmoil either."
"Escape?"
At Federback's retort, Rorschach's usually calm eyes twitched upward slightly.
Soon, Federback spoke.
"Why fear and flee? Meursault will charge through the storm of blood. Great crises are great opportunities."
"Are you... waiting for the civil war, Lord Federback?"
"'Waiting' isn't the right word."
Federback gave a faint smile at Rorschach's question.
"Anticipating it, perhaps."
"..."
Rorschach stood blankly for a while.
Then, a soft curve formed at the corner of her mouth.
"I worry I'll end up dying like a dog for serving a madman... but it's fun, so I'll stick with you to the end."
"Wasn't that something you should only think, not say aloud?"
"Nope? I just said it."
"..."
Federback furrowed his brow, but Rorschach was simply delighted.
She wondered where this man she followed would end up, whether that end would be prosperous or desolate.
And what she would look like standing by that end, and how he would gaze at her for staying till the finish.
All of it was so intriguing that she wanted to live long, long into the future.
If possible, as close to him as she could... right by his side.
The conversation with Rorschach was short, but reviewing the documents took long.
After four straight days of all-nighters, Federback finally exited the castle gates.
His destination was the flood-devouring nightmare... now a forest brimming with grains, fruits, mushrooms, and conifers for timber.
Federback delved deep into the place the people of Meursault territory called the "Forest of Life."
Unlike the windy chill outside, warm breezes swirled within.
A lake surrounded by verdant moss shimmered emerald.
From the window of a log cabin atop a tall tree by the lake's far shore, someone waved.
"Federback! Over here!"
Queenbits.
Rarely, she had summoned him first today.
As Federback approached the tree, Queenbits descended the moss-covered wooden stairs.
Ding—dong—dang—
Each step on the plush moss elicited a xylophone-like sound as cold water seeped out.
Federback asked.
"Why did you call me?"
"Shh."
Queenbits pressed a long finger to her lips.
"Your voice is too cold and dry—the forest hates it. These guys like it warm and humid."
"..."
As Federback fell silent, Queenbits got to the point herself.
"While continuing Master's research, I got an unexpected result."
"Is Garmeida's Equation complete?"
"If it were, I wouldn't be this nonchalant. We're still far from finishing Master's work. But I got an unintended byproduct. Here—"
Queenbits held something out to Federback.
It was a ring carved from ivory, pure white and glossy.
A milky aura swirled faintly within, marking it as no ordinary artifact at a glance.
Queenbits said.
"It's a magic tool that lets you use druid powers."
"Druid?"
Federback tilted his head.
Druids were mythical beings too.
Subspecies of mages who could shapeshift into other creatures—from tiny flies to massive dragons, with vast power gaps based on skill.
Queenbits grinned.
"Want a demo?"
She slipped the ring onto her finger.
The ring shrank to fit perfectly, then emitted a dazzling light.
...Flash!
A burst of bright light illuminated the forest.
In Queenbits' place sat a single green butterfly.
...Flash!
Soon, the green butterfly transformed into a massive green bear amid another burst of light.
"This has nothing to do with Garmeida's Equation, does it?"
The green bear glowed again and reverted to Queenbits' form.
"You can transform seven times a day. No time limit, but you can't use mana or breathe while transformed. So the duration depends on your breath-holding ability."
"I can hold my breath for about an hour without mana."
"...Are you human? Anyway, use it well, employer!"
Queenbits slipped the white ring onto Federback's finger.
Even on his snow-white finger, the ring gleamed noticeably white.
Queenbits began explaining.
"No matter how genius you are, controlling the ring perfectly at first won't be easy. You need ultra-precise mana control, channeling it through every vein. For now, carry it to get familiar with the—"
But.
...Flash!
Federback activated the ring's power immediately.
"Eh!?"
Queenbits' eyes widened.
Where Federback had stood lay his armor, sword, and shield.
And atop them sat a small white-furred cat.
"I store my clothes in a separate subspace spell. You can't handle subspaces, so no choice."
"Sadly, not that small. With more mana, maybe mouse-sized."
"...Never thought that far. Wait, is war all that's in your head? Why do all your cute mouse ideas turn sinister?"
Queenbits rambled on, but Federback had already lost interest.
"Hey! I gave you a great gift and this is how you—"
The moment Queenbits shrieked...
...Flash!
The transformation ended.
Federback reverted to his original form atop the scattered clothes and gear.
At that instant, Queenbits had to cover her eyes.
"...I didn't see anything!"
Her ears flushed bright red.