Everyone I Meet Is Hardcore Difficulty
After a heated festival night, the next day arrived. Ah, the passionate evening I’d spent with Elina and Chloe had been pure bliss. As expected, money really was the greatest force in this world. Money is supreme! Long live money!! Come on, everyone shout it with me! Money is king!!! …Ahem. Ahem. Anyway… the next day had come.
Nothing in this world lasts forever. It had been a delightful time, but now it was time to get back to work. Time to wake up… and head off to make more money.
The mansion was still in chaos from the previous evening’s festivities, but the moment morning came everyone moved with military precision. The entire place was cleaned and organized in the blink of an eye. My bedroom was no exception.
Having left the heated night behind them, Chloe and Elina had washed up cleanly and were preparing to head out. I did the same, then let them help me dress in the proper attire of the Lorend Guild’s heir.
One of the things that’s both nice and incredibly annoying about this fantasy world is that even washing and dressing requires other people’s assistance. Too many garments are deliberately designed so you can’t put them on by yourself. After finishing all preparations, we enjoyed a leisurely brunch in the dining room.
Hmm… Maybe I’d used too much milk last night, but today I was craving it even more than usual. I savored my breakfast while sipping a milk tea that was sweeter and richer than normal. That was when Elina quietly delivered her report.
“Young Master… the Poison Apple has drawn near to the South.”
“Already? She’s faster than I expected. Tell the team to keep monitoring her closely.”
“Understood.”
My little lucky charm, Meriel, had begun heading south on her journey of self-discovery, exactly as the original story described. No matter how much money you had, sending a woman off alone to the South while carrying an enormous sum was no ordinary act of madness. But this was a romance-fantasy world.
As the protagonist of this otherworld, she possessed what could only be called plot armor—a divine blessing from the gods themselves. No matter what hardships she faced, she would receive unexpected luck and the help of good people, safely reaching the South.
That was why I had ordered the ninja unit watching her to track her movements but never intervene, no matter what crisis she encountered. The moment I helped Meriel out of some misplaced sense of pity, I might accidentally create the romance-fantasy world’s legendary ninja male lead. No thank you.
Anyway, there was still plenty of time before Meriel arrived in the South, settled down, and the next part of the story began. During that window I needed to wrap up loose ends and prepare to conquer the southern region.
“How are the grain delivery preparations coming?”
“Yes, Young Master! We’ve mobilized every available carriage to transport everything to the Eastern Government Office warehouse today.”
“Her Highness the Imperial Princess’s honor is on the line. Make sure the delivery is flawless.”
“Yes!”
Baren, who was in charge of grain transport, answered with energetic spirit. He was Jiren’s twin brother from the capital branch—insanely strong when it came to holding his liquor, yet his face would turn bright red the moment he drank. Listening with satisfaction to Baren’s enthusiastic reply, his face already flushed crimson, I finished the last of my milk tea.
“Shall we get going then, Elina?”
“Yes, Young Master. I will attend you.”
After entrusting the smaller tasks to reliable employees, I climbed into the carriage to take care of bigger matters. The moment I boarded, it quietly set off toward its destination.
My destination was the residence of the Eastern Frontier Duke, Albert di Brabant.
The Brabant family mansion, which ruled the East, was truly enormous. It looked at least twice the size of the one I had taken—no, acquired—from the Jev Guild. I was guided into a guest room that matched the mansion’s massive scale. After sitting for only a short while, the door opened and the master of the house, Albert the Frontier Duke, entered.
His neatly combed hair carried a faint greenish tint, and he had the clean, rugged look of a seasoned warrior. Recent events must have weighed heavily on him; dark circles shadowed his eyes. I rose to greet him properly.
“I greet the Guardian of the East, Lord Albert di Brabant.”
“A pleasure, Kyle Lorend, eldest son of the Lorend family.”
At his gesture I sat down. Once he had taken the head seat, he spoke without delay.
“So… what business does the Savior of the East have with me?”
“Savior of the East? You flatter me. I am merely a humble merchant.”
As expected of the ruler of the East, he already seemed to have gathered information about me. Still, I answered with maximum humility. There was no way I could say, Yes, that’s right. I’m Kyle, the savior of the East.
“There’s no way a mere merchant could obtain such vast wealth, seize Eastern lands, and even receive the Agricultural Administration Control Right that I once held.”
“It was simply good fortune.”
Even at my bashful reply, the duke’s gaze remained razor sharp. It was as if he wanted to make it clear he wasn’t fooled by my act. Every time this happened I felt a twinge of sadness.
In front of Meriel, princes and knights alike seemed to lose about sixty IQ points, yet in front of me their intelligence only sharpened. Well, everyone I meet really is hardcore difficulty.
But I was the one who had survived among the milk ladies and even earned the dishonorable title of Milk King. I kept my poker face perfectly intact.
“On the battlefield, they say luck is also a gift from the gods. Thanks to that divine gift, I’ve survived until now… Sadly, it seems the blessings the gods granted me only work on the battlefield.”
“The matter concerning your son is by no means your responsibility, Lord Albert di Brabant.”
“It is my responsibility. The crime of raising my son that way, the crime of trusting him and neglecting my duties, the crime of endangering the East that His Majesty entrusted to me… All of it is my fault.”
True to his warrior nature, Albert di Brabant blamed himself without mercy. This was exactly why the emperor trusted him, yet the irony of the world was that this very upright character had invited a catastrophe like the Tulip Incident.
“I’ve spoken too long about idle matters… Sir Kyle of the Lorend Guild, what is the real reason you wished to see me?”
Taking the cue that we should get to the main topic, I dove straight in.
“I have come to present a modest gift to you, Lord Albert di Brabant.”
“A gift? I’m sorry, but I do not accept bribes. If that’s what this is, take it back with you.”
Good grief, this rigid old warrior. At least let me finish speaking.
“This is not a bribe. It is a gift for you, Lord Albert di Brabant.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
The duke continued to eye me with open suspicion.
“I would appreciate it if you would look at it first before making your judgment.”
“Very well… What have you brought?”
I placed the luxurious wooden box I had carried on the table. When I opened the lid, it contained the Imperial Gold Coins the prince had used during the tulip transactions. The moment Albert di Brabant recognized them, his expression shattered. He couldn’t hide his shock.
“Th-this is…! Are these not Imperial Gold Coins?”
“Correct. These are the Imperial Gold Coins His Highness the Prince used when he purchased tulips from our guild.”
The Imperial Gold Coins the prince had used. I had kept the entire sum—two billion zenons, twenty billion in total—perfectly intact.
“His Highness used Imperial Gold Coins!?”
“Yes, he did.”
“How… How could he use something so important so carelessly…”
“That is precisely why we kept them stored with great care.”
Imperial Gold Coins bearing the imperial seal held tremendous value, but they could not be used lightly. Using them essentially announced, Our house is so poor we’re about to starve, so we’re forced to sell even this precious coin bestowed by the imperial family.
It would immediately trigger an emergency response from the imperial administration. People who received such coins were those who had performed great services for the empire or the royal family. If even they were driven to such desperation, it meant a crisis of catastrophic scale had occurred.
And yet the prince had spent those meaningful coins in one go to pay for tulips.
“So… why are you giving them to me? No matter how I look at it, this appears to be a bribe.”
“How can it be a bribe when I desire nothing in return?”
“You desire nothing?”
“Correct. I seek no compensation whatsoever. I simply hope that by offering these Imperial Gold Coins to the imperial family, you, Lord Albert di Brabant, might find even a little peace of mind.”
The Imperial Gold Coins whose whereabouts had become unknown after the prince used them so recklessly. The plan was for the duke to recover every last one and present them to the imperial family, thereby reducing some of the blame he carried for the Eastern Tulip Incident.
Having understood my intention, the duke looked at me with surprise, then immediately returned to his suspicious gaze.
“If you presented them directly to Her Highness the Imperial Princess, you could have received an even greater reward… Why didn’t you?”
“I have already received more than enough rewards. Anything further would be pure greed.”
Of course, if I had given them to Shuren she would have been delighted. But I had already gained far too much from her. Providing this level of service wasn’t bad, but I was a merchant. I was the Milk King who always chose the option that brought even the slightest bit more profit.
Seeming to feel the temptation that this could lighten the sins of both himself and his son, the duke’s eyes softened slightly as he looked at me.
“Then… what do you want from me?”
“I want nothing. If I had to name one desire, it would be to become a friend of Lord Albert di Brabant.”
“A friend?”
“Yes.”
The East was vast, and the Frontier Duke’s power remained formidable. My goal was to earn massive profits from the East; I had no interest in becoming its ruler. One of the most important things for me was a genuine connection with the Eastern Frontier Duke.
“I am but a half-baked Frontier Duke who couldn’t even manage his own child. Even if you become my friend, I have no intention of granting you special treatment.”
This was exactly the kind of upright character Albert di Brabant had shown both in the original story and in the information I had gathered. He truly was as straight as an arrow in this regard.
He might overlook things he didn’t know about, but he never forgave what he did know. That had been true until now, and it would remain true in the future.
But… that was more than enough.
“It is precisely because of that towering, tree-like integrity that I wish to become your friend, Lord Albert di Brabant.”
“What?”
What was the worst situation the Lorend Guild could face in the East? It would be the Eastern nobles and the Frontier Duke joining forces to expel us outright. However, if the duke stepped back in the name of fair competition, it would give us strength. His integrity could become my greatest asset.
Zero becoming plus was the power of connections, but minus becoming zero was also the power of connections.
“The scariest thing on the battlefield is a bullet in the back. What I desire is to die by the enemy’s bullet, even if death is inevitable.”
“……… ”
My words seemed to strike something within him. Albert di Brabant’s expression changed. It was a gentle yet firm gaze, like that of a martial arts master teaching in the training hall. To drive the point home, I rose from my seat and knelt on one knee.
“Please become my friend, Lord Albert di Brabant.”
At my words the duke stood, placed a hand on my shoulder, and gestured for me to rise. Once I was standing, he looked deeply into my eyes and spoke.
“…I will never forget the gift you have given to the Brabant family, Kyle.”
“Thank you, Lord Albert.”
With the prince’s unwitting gift, I had become friends with the Brabant family—who could have become the greatest obstacle in the East. Burp. Thank you, Your Highness. I’ve eaten well.