Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 70. The Golden Lion (3)
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The day after Irina was summoned to the palace.
Fortunately, no bad news came back from her.
Thanks to that, I could finally relax and return to my leisurely daily routine.
"Now I can breathe easy."
For the first time in a while, I went on patrol as a garrison knight.
I also made sure the Torman clansmen tending their vegetable plots and the Eastern Knights were well-trained.
After finishing my morning duties like that.
I strolled to the market with my hands clasped behind my back, feeling carefree.
To take care of the "retirement preparations" I'd put off.
Truth be told, if I had to pick the most pleasant day since my return, it would be today.
Because right now, tucked away in my pocket...
I had the fiefdom permit and a check for 10,000 gold.
A fiefdom permit was something only nobles with great merits or family heads could normally obtain.
And 10,000 gold was the price of an entire grand mansion.
In my current state, I was practically on par with high nobility.
A perfect financial situation I couldn't even dream of in my previous life.
This was the solid life I'd always wanted.
"Alright, time to do some investing."
My first stop, in high spirits, was the seedling shop.
I entered and headed straight to the display shelf I'd eyed yesterday.
I checked if they had any watermelon seedlings.
But.
The watermelon seedlings that had been stacked high just yesterday were all gone.
"What...?"
Puzzled, I glanced at the counter.
There, a middle-aged merchant approached from afar.
"Looking for watermelon seedlings?"
His voice, usually sharp and prickly, was gentle today as he asked me.
"Yes... don't tell me they're all sold out...?"
"That's right. They sold out clean this morning."
Someone had bought every single seedling.
I frowned at that.
"Isn't there a rule against selling all the seedlings to one person?"
If an individual bought up an entire crop, they could monopolize it and jack up prices.
It was tacitly forbidden for that reason—what the hell was going on?
"Heh heh..."
The merchant responded to my question by grinning ear to ear.
As if liberated from all the world's pains.
"I didn't want to, but the buyer offered ten times the price."
The middle-aged merchant who'd been snippy and rude to customers yesterday.
Today, he practically glowed with a saintly halo from behind.
'Is this bastard actually being nice because he made a killing...?'
I couldn't help but chuckle dryly at the sight.
"No, who the hell buys watermelons for ten times the price?"
"You tell me. The buyer's from the west—must be loaded."
The capital's west side.
The neighborhood where the empire's wealthiest elite lived.
No way—they were even trying to monopolize luxury fruits from there?
They already had everything, yet their greed knew no bounds.
"So, when do the next seedlings come in?"
I asked, and the merchant slowly shook his head.
He replied with a benevolent smile worthy of a saint.
"Even if they do, I won't have any for you. I've got an exclusive deal with that gentleman."
'Yeah, definitely nice because of the money.'
I glared at him sourly.
Then, with a deep sigh, I left the seedling shop.
'This is insane—the only place in Nostun selling imported seedlings is here...'
Still.
Large-scale farming was a distant future anyway.
For now, let's buy the land first.
There were plenty of other crops besides watermelons.
I headed toward today's highlight.
And visited the real estate agent Senior Miya had recommended.
"Are you in? It's Veil Mikhail, the one with the appointment today."
"Come in, Sir Veil. I've been waiting."
Since Senior had tipped him off in advance, the agent ushered me familiarly to the sofa.
"What property are you here to see? Don't tell me a newlywed home?"
"A newlywed home?"
"Our Miya begged me to help out. Aren't you two looking for a love nest?"
The agent pointed to a list of newlywed homes spread on the table.
"No, I'm just here to look at land. And Senior and I aren't lovers..."
Disappointed at the mention of not being lovers.
He soon apologized with an awkward laugh.
"Ahaha... Sorry about that. I jumped to conclusions."
"No, it's fine. Easy mistake."
If Miya were here, she'd bristle up like a cat.
Imagining that made me snort involuntarily.
"Anyway, for land, how much do you need?"
"I'm building a farm and a mansion, so something reasonably spacious would be good."
To house the Torman clan.
And to include training facilities for the Eastern Knights, it'd need to be fairly large.
"A farm means climate matters. What about the east?"
"That's too far from work. I'd prefer the north if possible."
Hearing that, the man furrowed his brow.
He replied with a troubled look.
"Sorry, but there's no land that size available in the north right now..."
"What...? There were three listings in yesterday's paper alone?"
I showed him the newspaper I'd brought.
But even seeing it, the agent shook his head firmly.
"Hard to believe, I know, but someone from the west bought them all up this morning."
The west again?
This morning too?
It felt like someone was snatching everything I wanted.
That subtle irritation made my brows knit together.
"Who's the buyer?"
"I didn't handle the deal myself, so I'm not sure."
The agent checked again for any remaining land.
But no matter how he looked, nothing was left in the north.
"From the west, though—probably upper crust."
"Sigh..."
Upper nobility don't easily part with land they own.
Even if they do, being flush, they hike the price several times and sell leisurely.
My chest tightened.
"Hang on. I'll scour for something close to your budget."
The agent went to the birdcage by the window.
He checked off the messenger pigeons one by one that had brought new info.
"Let's see... Huh? Haven't seen this one before."
A real estate vet of 20 years, familiar with all sorts of pigeons.
He tilted his head at an especially luxurious white one.
"Definitely from the west at a glance."
Fitting for the rich district—even their pigeons were upscale.
The agent pulled out the note attached to it.
And...
As he squinted reading the text, he froze in shock at the unbelievable info.
"S-Sir Veil...?"
"Yes, what is it?"
I looked at the wide-eyed agent.
He shakily held out the note to me.
"Take a look at this! The land you're after just came up!"
The agent pointed to a fresh new land listing.
And its location was none other than...
The empire's west.
The priciest, most prime spot around.
Closest to the western palace.
A beautiful plot with a massive lake nearby for water.
And it was listed for a mere 5,000 gold.
"What is this?"
"What else? A gold mine!"
I eyed the land the agent showed me carefully.
Size just right, price just right.
It was perfect, like prepared specially for someone.
"This isn't a fake listing, is it?"
I asked, and the man shook his head firmly.
He pointed to the real estate association seal stamped on the note.
"The association's seal doesn't lie. This is legit."
The man exhaled deeply, excited.
But ever suspicious, I asked coolly.
"Why would such prime land suddenly go for this low a price?"
Hearing my question, the agent pondered, hand on chin.
Then he waved the note as he theorized.
"Probably one of two things. They need cash in a hurry, or..."
He fetched a map of the empire's west.
And pointed to the area around the listing.
"Bad blood with the neighbors."
"Neighbors?"
"Yeah, the capital's west—you know it's ritzy. Some nobles there have nasty tempers."
Neighbors, huh.
Well, if Luper's family was average nobility, it was plausible enough.
But...
That was no issue at all.
Problems with neighbors could be settled with "talks."
Like with Luper.
"Want to... go see it yourself?"
"If I like it, can we close the deal right there?"
"Yep, the note says anytime."
If it was as great as he claimed, someone else would snag it while I hesitated.
Just like today.
"Got it. Set up the appointment, and I'll check it out."
"Good call. You won't regret it at that price."
The agent approached the pigeon from the west.
He tied on a note confirming the deal appointment and sent it off.
"Then I'll head out first."
"Hope the deal goes smoothly."
We shook hands.
Then I boarded the carriage he'd called and parted ways.
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"Every time I come, I realize how convenient this neighborhood is."
Just four hours after boarding the carriage, I arrived in the empire's west.
It took over seven just to get to the east.
The west lived up to its fame as the top rich district—roads were impeccably paved.
The paths were perfectly flat too.
Traffic alone was already a pass.
Stepping off the carriage, a fresh spring breeze greeted me.
I strolled quietly along the fir-lined path with the wind.
"Ha."
So all those flashy nobles like Luper lived in comfort like this.
At the end of the fir path stood imposing walls.
In the center, a ornate Gothic gate welcomed me.
The gate stood open.
I entered the land without obstruction.
And at that moment.
The irritation from today vanished before the vast plain stretching out.
The clearing for the mansion was ringed by a lake.
The soil was fertile enough to till into a vegetable garden right away.
Plus a front yard perfect for training facilities.
It was the fief of my dreams, exactly.
"The west really is the best..."
Amazed inwardly, I circled the land I planned to buy.
Then a platinum mansion nearby caught my eye.
"Is that the neighbor's place?"
From outside, it looked serene and cozy.
It had a garden and even a small fountain.
'Doesn't look like some cranky neighbor lives here...'
Hands behind my back, I approached the mansion leisurely.
To check out my future neighbor, I headed to the front yard.
A parasol stood before the front yard.
Beneath it, a table and a luxurious chair.
A teacup steaming gently.
A lady gracefully holding it.
I approached her from behind slowly.
Clearing my throat, I meant to greet my future neighbor.
But the moment she sensed me and turned.
My words caught in my throat.
"Oh my."
The neighbor to the land I was buying...
Was the empire's First Imperial Princess, Lea.
"Is that you, Sir Veil?"
The princess, in a loose white shirt and slacks.
She smiled brightly at me.
"What brings you to my villa?"
Her radiant golden hair danced in the spring breeze.
She brushed it behind her ear and continued.
"This whole area is my 'private property,' after all."
Lea smiled with mature amusement in her eyes.
Her half-lidded gaze gleamed blue in the shadows.