The Power of Money (3)
Celestial Academy, like Terastial Academy, sprawled across a vast estate that housed its own little city within. It was just as dazzling and bustling as Terastial's academy city, brimming with tantalizing treats everywhere you looked.
Under normal circumstances, Seong Hyun-jin would have wandered off with the rest of the delegation, carefree and stuffing his face. But not today.
This was the café inside Celestial Academy's academy city, renowned as the spot with the absolute best coffee. It should have been packed to the brim at this hour, yet for some reason, the only souls present were Seong Hyun-jin, Ciela—who had come to escort him at Amanda's orders—and the café staff.
An awkward tension hung in the air. The staff, who ought to be run off their feet right now, savored the unexpected lull as they eyed the two visitors. Who the hell are these people, renting out the busiest café in the city at peak hours? Their gazes said it all, leaving Seong Hyun-jin and Ciela whispering uncomfortably.
"...Junior, what did you do this time?"
"Nothing..."
"Nothing? Then why..."
Ciela glanced sideways. And there, seated before them, was a man.
The man who had rented out an entire café—one that raked in massive revenue just from this time slot alone. A man who could effortlessly cover the lost sales, customer complaints, and plummeting satisfaction scores with his deep pockets.
Gold Star Giovanni.
He sat quietly sipping his coffee, with Seong Hyun-jin and Ciela right across from him. Wondering why such a titan had come to meet Seong Hyun-jin, Ciela turned back to him with no choice but to ask.
"We've known each other for a while..."
"No, we haven't."
"...Yeah, figured. So then why..."
"I've been dying to meet you, Seong Hyun-jin."
Giovanni answered Ciela's hushed questioning. When he'd summoned Seong Hyun-jin here, his tone had been polite yet somewhat stern, but now it was casual, like a friendly neighborhood big brother. As Ciela whipped her head around in surprise, Giovanni chuckled lightly, waving her off as if to say relax, and continued.
"This is our first time meeting one-on-one, right, Lady Teraport? How's your father doing?"
"Ah, y-yes...! H-He's doing well, healthy as ever."
Though not quite on Giovanni's level, the Teraport family wielded immense influence as heads of a massive foundation. True to their status as the pampered heirs, Giovanni clearly recognized Ciela too. She eased up a bit at his pointed courtesy in asking after her father, then ventured the question burning in her mind.
"...You said you wanted to see Junior Hyun-jin. May I ask why?"
"Of course there's a reason. I don't move without one."
Giovanni smirked at Seong Hyun-jin, who still looked utterly baffled. Turning to him, he said,
"Since it's our first meeting, let's start with introductions."
He set down his coffee cup and introduced himself.
"I'm Giovanni. Folks call me one of the Palstar Heroes and all that jazz... but honestly, I'm no hero. Just a merchant through and through. Started my trading company before I even hit seventeen, and I'm still running it today."
It was a refreshingly straightforward intro for a Palstar Hero—terse and unpretentious. Ciela nearly choked on a silent laugh at the humility.
The guy who pulls the strings of the world economy, calling himself a plain old merchant...?
Anyone who knew Giovanni would never see him that way, so her near-giggle was perfectly reasonable.
"Ah, I'm Seong Hyun-jin. I attend Terastial Academy's Combat Department, first-year."
"Mm."
Giovanni nodded. He paused, as if waiting for something, then prompted Seong Hyun-jin first.
"But you left something out, didn't you?"
"Pardon?"
"Disciple of the Sword Star."
Giovanni pointed out the omission in Seong Hyun-jin's intro.
"You should mention you're Karin's disciple. She's a master worth bragging about, right?"
"Oh, you knew?"
"Of course. We're on good terms, her and I."
Seong Hyun-jin gave an awkward smile and explained.
"I figured you didn't, so I didn't bring it up."
"Why? Sounds like you deliberately skipped it."
Giovanni asked, puzzled.
"Did your master tell you not to?"
"No, it's my choice."
"Why's that?"
Giovanni's gaze sharpened slightly. He wondered if Seong Hyun-jin skipped mentioning his master out of disrespect. To Giovanni, who valued Karin's talent above all, that was unacceptable—and his eyes narrowed unconsciously.
But Seong Hyun-jin's follow-up forced him to rethink.
"I don't want to ride my master's coattails to fame. I'm not hiding it completely, but I won't lead with it either."
"..."
Giovanni fell silent at the explanation. With his mask hiding his face, Seong Hyun-jin and Ciela exchanged puzzled glances, unable to read his thoughts or mood.
What's up with him?
No idea.
Just as they puzzled over his intentions—
"...Hahaha!"
Giovanni burst into booming laughter. The hearty guffaw echoed through the café. Seong Hyun-jin and Ciela flinched, of course, but even the staff—who had gone back to their tasks—jumped and stared.
"...Mr. Giovanni?"
"Ah, sorry. Got a bit carried away."
Giovanni reined in his laughter. Leaning forward, he spoke to Seong Hyun-jin with heightened interest.
"You just impressed me even more, Seong Hyun-jin."
"Huh? What did I do?"
"You've got some killer instincts."
Giovanni said,
"Most people with a master like that can't help bragging or leaning on her name... but not you. That's awesome."
He nodded emphatically a couple times.
"Fitting for her disciple."
"Th-Thank you..."
Seong Hyun-jin mumbled, still dazed by the praise, but the confusion lingered.
What does he want?
He couldn't fathom Giovanni's goal or why he'd arranged this meeting. The mask hid any expressions, making his sudden interest inscrutable. It didn't seem like mere curiosity about the Sword Star's disciple.
He definitely wants something... but what?
To Seong Hyun-jin, Giovanni lacked for nothing. He didn't know the man personally, but the rumors painted a clear picture: leader of a trading empire that swayed global economies, a philanthropist who tossed around unimaginable fortunes without batting an eye.
Money couldn't solve everything? Maybe—if you didn't have enough. Overwhelming wealth turned the impossible possible. Exaggeration or not, Giovanni could do or have whatever he desired.
So what could he want? Unable to hold back his curiosity, Seong Hyun-jin spoke first.
"...It feels like you want something from me, Gold Star."
"Oh, was it that obvious?"
"Crystal clear. But I have no idea what."
Seong Hyun-jin said honestly.
"I can't imagine offering you anything."
"Come on, don't sell yourself short."
Giovanni waved it off.
"You can. No one else—just you, Seong Hyun-jin."
"What's that?"
He pointed right at the still-baffled Seong Hyun-jin.
"Your talent."
"...Pardon?"
"Once you graduate the academy, come work for me? Ah, this is an official scout from Giovanni Trading Company—straight from the boss himself."
Ciela, listening beside them, couldn't contain her shock.
A scout from Giovanni Trading Company?
She'd sensed something big when Giovanni requested to meet him personally, but this was beyond imagination. As the world's largest trading company, it didn't hire just anyone. Even entry-level porters earned as much as squad leaders at rival firms—getting in was a feat.
Skilled roles were harder than civil service exams. Plenty dreamed of it; even academy elites saw landing a job there as peak success.
For its owner to personally scout an academy student? Ciela couldn't not be stunned. Especially for Seong Hyun-jin—a Combat Department student whose talents screamed bodyguard duty.
With vast capital flowing through, the company maintained its own elite guard unit against external threats. But the world's top firm wouldn't settle for mediocrity; their guards rivaled imperial knight orders.
So yeah, they wanted Seong Hyun-jin's sword talent for that.
"My... talent?"
"I rate your talent extremely highly."
Giovanni said.
"Disciple of the Sword Star—that says it all. And I hear you stopped the war in Levatein Territory before it even started?"
Seong Hyun-jin nodded slightly, confirming it. Giovanni smiled beneath his mask and continued.
"Beating five imperial knights right after turning adult? Absurd talent. That's why I want to hire you."
What came next shocked Ciela again, who had assumed it was for the guard unit.
"As my personal bodyguard."
"Pardon?"
"...Mr. Giovanni's personal bodyguard!?"
Not the company guards—but personal protection for Giovanni himself.
"Do you need a personal bodyguard, Gold Star?"
"Of course. As I said, I'm no hero... Protecting myself from all the threats isn't easy."
Myriad coveted Giovanni's wealth from leading a mega-corp; others slandered his good deeds out of envy. Assassins cropped up often, and with zero combat prowess, personal guards were a must.
But Giovanni always thought: Not good enough. He needed guards who could protect him from anything—even a Palstar Hero. Safety meant absolute.
That's why he coveted Karin's talent. With her by his side, threats would vanish for life. Her blessing meant immortality—no aging, guarding him till his last days.
But Karin's will was ironclad, so he eyed her disciple: Seong Hyun-jin, brimming with equal promise.
"...Thank you for the high regard."
Seong Hyun-jin's response was surprisingly positive. Ciela agreed—thinking long-term, it was a no-brainer. Bodyguard gigs might seem lowly to some, but for Gold Star Giovanni? Entirely different league.
"Great! So you'll accept?"
But Seong Hyun-jin's reply shattered Ciela's expectations.
"...No. I can't do that."
"...Junior?"
"...No?"
Seong Hyun-jin nodded firmly.
"I have no intention of living as someone's bodyguard. I've got my own path."
"...Mind sharing what that is?"
Giovanni asked. Seong Hyun-jin declared boldly,
"I'll become the world's greatest swordsman and make my name known far and wide. And I'll ensure everyone knows Sword Star Hakodate Karin forged me—elevating her legend too!"
"..."
"So no, I won't be anyone's bodyguard. I know it's a generous offer... but sorry."
Seong Hyun-jin turned it down flat. Ciela clamped her mouth in shock; even Giovanni went quiet. Silence blanketed the trio.
Breaking it first, Giovanni spoke in a deeply measured tone.
"...One thousand gold coins per year."
"...Pardon?"
"Plus bonuses and raises for every threat you fend off. Bonuses? Whatever you want or need—items, people, anything. I'll procure it. Raises? Saving my life merits at least a hundred gold bump per incident."
Giovanni's terms defied common sense. A single gold coin held immense value. Gold was precious even in Seong Hyun-jin's past life, but here it was scarcer—enough to feed a family of four for a year. Rarely used due to its worth; silver and copper dominated daily transactions. Gold was for special occasions, circulation limited by scarcity.
Yet thousand of them. Annually. Ten years' pay could found a small city-state.
And that's not all—bonuses and raises on top. Even Seong Hyun-jin, who'd already refused, couldn't help but waver.
"Try it for a year first. If you still want out after, no hard feelings."
Ciela turned to him at the outrageous offer. Seong Hyun-jin's eyes widened more than she'd ever seen.
"Even now, you won't?"
