Chapter 13: Thorough Calculations
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 13: Thorough Calculations
Burnell Marquis.
Age: 27.
Education: Graduate of the 525th class of Veritas Academy.
Bestowed Title: ‘The Disaster.’
Residence: A semi-basement in the slums of Escoleia (the previous tenant didn't last a week before fleeing).
Current Assets: 72 gold coins.
“When are you going to pay me back, you piece of shit?!”
Correction: -72 gold coins.
Two hulking men were currently systematically trashing the small room. They were accompanied by a third man who, while smaller in stature, possessed a far more sinister face.
A man knelt on the floor, trembling as he watched the thuggery unfold, utterly powerless to stop them. This was Burnell Marquis. Scrawny and wearing oversized glasses, he began to rub his hands together frantically.
“P-please, just give me a little more time. This is a long-term experiment, so the results are taking a bit longer than expec—”
“How much more ‘long-term’ do you need? I gave you a year! Didn't you say there’d be meaningful results within a year?”
“I-I said there could be. But collecting monster corpses is difficult, and I…”
“Ah, enough.”
The loan shark cut him off with a dismissive wave.
“I don't need excuses. Can you turn what you have now into money or not?”
“T-that… it probably won't make any money yet… There are still too many variables…”
“Sigh…”
The man looking down at Burnell was a bottom-feeder—a loan shark who lent money at exorbitant interest rates to those who couldn't even get a credit loan from a bank. Their true goal was usually to seize research before it was even finished, but this time, the shark felt he’d made a mistake.
“I really picked a loser this time, didn't I?”
The loan shark closed his eyes tight, realizing he might never recover the principal he’d lent to Burnell. He dragged a tattered chair over, sat down, and bit into a cigar.
“Fine. I’ll give you a little more time to pay off the debt.”
“R-really?”
“On one condition: you give up on the research you’re doing now.”
“……Pardon?”
The loan shark blew out a long cloud of cigar smoke.
“I heard you were quite the hotshot during your first year at the Academy. Looking at your transcripts, you weren't just top of your class—you were top of the entire year.”
“Ah, well, back then I didn't know what I wanted to do, so I just coasted and ended up at the top, but…”
Coasted.
This guy was likely the only person in the world who would describe being valedictorian as ‘coasting.’
“So, let’s do something else. Just coast through something else and get results, yeah? I’ve got a few projects I seized from other losers. I’ll give them to you, so finish them up and bring them to me. Then we’ll call the debt even. How about it?”
“Could I… perhaps do them alongside my current experiment? If it’s just that much—”
Thud!
A dagger flew through the air and embedded itself in the floor, vibrating right between Burnell's legs.
“Hieeeek!”
“I try to be nice, and you start losing perspective. I hear organs are going for a high price these days, thanks to all that talk about human rights. How much did they say we could get for a healthy scholar?”
“If we keep him just barely breathing, I think we can cover all the interest, boss,” one of the thugs chimed in.
“How about it? Sell your organs, and you can keep doing your experiment. You don't want that, do you?”
“No, that’s a bit…”
“Then give up your research and do mine.”
“That’s also a bit…”
Thwack!
The loan shark’s boot slammed into Burnell’s ribs.
“Is this piece of shit joking with me?! You don't want this, you don't want that? Then just die, you bastard! You’re a dog that doesn't even deserve to live!”
“Urgh! Ack! Gah!”
Burnell curled into a ball, taking the beating helplessly. Unable to even catch his breath, he screamed internally.
Someone, please, someone save me!
His prayers for a single rose to bloom in the gutter had always gone unanswered.
“That’s enough.”
But today was different.
The thugs and the loan shark stopped their assault. They turned their heads toward the door they had broken down. Burnell followed their gaze, lifting his eyes.
“I’m sorry to interrupt your quality time, but I’d like you to stop.”
The ray of salvation Burnell had yearned for so desperately had arrived. Its color was gray.
‘Ah…’
Burnell fell into despair. He didn't recognize the man. There was no reason for a stranger to save him, so he couldn't help but feel hopeless.
The loan shark, who had been mid-beating, brushed his hair back and licked his lips.
“You look like some young master from out of town. Don't interfere.”
“I’m afraid I must.”
The gray-haired man pointed a finger at Burnell.
“I have business with that man.”
* * *
By the time Ferda entered the semi-basement, the beating was already underway. Seeing the man being thrashed like a dog that had bitten its master, Ferda thought to himself:
The timing is perfect.
To appear right when someone is desperately praying for a ray of hope—that was the best way to secure loyalty.
“That’s enough.”
With those words, Ferda halted the violence. Burnell was pushed to the side as the loan shark stood crookedly, eyeing Ferda up and down.
“You’re a different breed from the nerds in Escoleia… You an outsider?”
“Yes. I’ve come from afar.”
“Did this bastard owe you money too?”
“No.”
“Then wait your turn. I was here first. Meet him after I’m done teaching him a lesson.”
“How kind of you. But what if I were to settle his debt?”
A brief silence followed. The loan shark’s expression shifted subtly before he spoke.
“It’s 72 gold coins, including interest. Can you pay?”
“Of course.”
“Then just pay the money.”
Seventy-two gold coins. To Ferda, who had become the Lord of Valdrova Castle, that amount wasn't particularly large. It was something he could give as easily as tossing a scrap of meat to a dog.
However, Ferda didn't accept the proposal immediately. His blue eyes shifted toward Burnell, who lay curled and bleeding on the floor. After observing the damage, Ferda made a counter-offer.
“Let’s do this. You beat the man, and you trashed the place. Let’s deduct that and settle for 50 gold coins. What do you think?”
The loan shark let out a hollow laugh.
“Ha! Are you crazy? The stuff we broke isn't even worth 3 gold coins.”
“Is that so? Then take 49. I’m practically giving you 20 gold coins for the man you beat up.”
“Are you insane? You want me to burn 20 gold coins just because we got a little ‘friendly’ with him?”
“Is the negotiation dead, then?”
“Negotiation? This is just extortion, isn't it?”
“Dead it is, then.”
Ferda raised a finger.
“Then you shall receive exactly what you gave to settle the account. Ruri.”
Ruri, who had been standing behind him, stepped forward.
“Make them exactly the same.”
“……”
“I will fulfill my promise, so do not worry.”
“Sigh, understood.”
The young maid, her silver hair tied in a side-tail, walked forward with an expressionless face.
“What’s this, a brat?”
“A young master bringing a kid into the slums… is he an idiot?”
The thugs sneered crudely. Unlike his uneducated underlings, the loan shark could tell. This girl was not just a child.
In that instant, Ruri released a fraction of the power she had been hiding. Her silver eyes flashed with an eerie light.
Eeeeeeeee—!
A high-pitched ringing erupted in their ears simultaneously.
“Ugh!”
“Gah!?”
“W-what is this?”
The thugs and the loan shark panicked. But what was even more terrifying was the sudden paralysis.
“Ack… urgh…”
“M-my body…!”
They couldn't move. They tried with all their might, but the most they could manage was a slight tremor. Their bodies felt as though they had turned to stone.
Ruri glanced at them before approaching the nearest thug.
“I’ll start with you.”
Ruri pointed a finger. In that moment, the space around the thug distorted like a mirage.
Thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack!
The sound of a rapid-fire beating erupted, and the thug collapsed.
“Urgh… blegh…”
His body was covered in bruises, and blood streamed from his nose as he groaned on the floor. He was in exactly the same state as Burnell.
‘What the hell was that?!’
The remaining thug and the loan shark broke into a cold sweat. This defied all common sense. Her eyes turned toward the second thug.
“Next.”
“Wait—?”
Thwack-thwack-thwack!
The loan shark was seeing it for the second time, but he still couldn't wrap his head around it. The air distorted, followed by a simultaneous explosion of blows.
‘Magic!’ he realized, but understanding didn't help. ‘It’s magic! But how can she do that without a circle?’
The girl used no magic circles; she simply flicked her finger. How could she exert such destructive power?
“Next… well, there’s no one else but you.”
“U-uaaaah!”
The loan shark made a final, desperate struggle. He tried to force his frozen, trembling body to move. The space in front of his vision distorted.
Thwack-thwack-thwack!
The loan shark face-planted onto the floor.
Snap!
“Aaaagh!”
Another scream erupted. As he fell, his right index finger had snapped.
“Ack! My fingeeeer!”
An unexpected variable had occurred—one not in the calculations.
“You son of a bitch! You said you’d make it the same! The finger wasn't part of it!!”
The loan shark raved like a madman. With his scarred, terrifying face, he was throwing a tantrum like a toddler. The loan shark leader had started his career with blackmail and intimidation; that true nature was on full display now.
It was an absurd moment, but Ferda remained stoic.
“You’re right. This has become quite troublesome.”
Ferda’s expression turned serious as he looked down at the man. The loan shark felt an unsettling chill.
“You’re saying it’s unfair that only your finger is broken, aren't you?”
“Y-yeah, you bastard! What are you going to do about my finger?!”
Ferda looked toward Ruri.
“The gentleman feels he has been wronged.”
“Understood.”
The way to soothe such a grievance was to provide appropriate compensation—or to do the exact same thing to everyone else. Ferda had no intention of giving compensation.
Crack!
“Gwaaaah!”
Crack!
“Aaaagh!”
The fingers of the other two thugs were snapped in exactly the same way. Thinking the matter settled, Ruri prepared to turn away.
“Ruri.”
Ferda called her name.
“Yes.”
“Isn't there one left?”
“……Are you serious?” Ruri asked, her brow furrowing.
Ferda nodded. “Calculations must be thorough.”
Ruri looked like she couldn't understand him. If the calculation had to be thorough, there was still one person remaining.
“Wait…?”
Burnell Marquis.
Crack!
“Aaaagh!”
Ruri snapped Burnell’s index finger as well. The loan shark, his thugs, and even Burnell were left speechless.
‘W-what?’
‘Why did he break that nerd’s finger?’
‘Wasn't he on Burnell’s side?’
The pain echoing in their bones was momentarily forgotten. Because he wanted to be fair, he had broken Burnell’s finger too. Now, everyone was in the exact same state.
‘He’s a complete lunatic!’
They began to feel a primal fear toward Ferda. Ferda glanced at their condition and nodded, seemingly satisfied.
“Looks right to me. If anyone feels they’ve been punished too excessively, speak up.”
Ferda’s lips curled into a slight smirk.
“I’ll make sure everything is handled fairly.”
“N-no, sir!!”
“T-this is more than enough!”
“Is that so?”
Ferda held out his hand to Ruri. She pulled a pouch from beneath her skirt, and Ferda tossed it to the loan shark. It contained exactly 69 gold coins—the debt minus the cost of the property damage.
“Now that the debt is settled, leave.”
“T-thank you!”
They scrambled away without looking back. Watching them disappear, Ferda spoke softly to Ruri.
“You’re quite skilled with magic.”
“I only used the most basic of basics.”
“Does that ‘basic’ include healing magic?”
“I can manage to some extent.”
“Then I’d like you to treat Burnell over there.”
“Urgh… it’s fine.”
Burnell, groaning in pain, waved them off.
“If you receive too much recovery magic, you develop a resistance to it. I can't risk a disaster where healing magic doesn't work when I truly need it… I’ll endure this much.”
“A rational judgment, fitting for a scholar.”
Burnell grabbed his own finger.
“K-uugh…!”
Pop!
After snapping it back into place, he flexed it. Confirming it was back to normal, he wiped the sweat from his brow.
“Phew… Thank you for saving me.”
Even though you broke my finger…
Swallowing those words, he asked Ferda, “May I ask your name?”
“I am Ferda Valdrova.”
“Valdrova? Isn't that the name of the Red Dragon?”
“Correct. I am the man who will become her consort.”
“Huh? W-wait, no way?! The one who is engaged to the Archduchess is…?”
The color drained from Burnell’s face. He immediately fell to his knees and prostrated himself.
“I-I apologize for not recognizing the Archduchess’s husband!”
“No, it’s only natural you wouldn't know. Don't worry about it.”
“And he isn't her husband yet. He just uses the Valdrova name,” Ruri interjected to correct him.
Burnell introduced himself. “I am Burnell Marquis. As the world knows, I am the scholar called ‘The Disaster.’ I’m sure you already knew that before coming here. Haha…”
“Yes, I’ve heard much of your reputation.”
“What business would you have with such a failure…?”
“I find beating around the bush tedious, so I’ll be direct. I am interested in your research.”
“M-my research?”
His eyes went wide. Someone was interested in the research that even the loan shark had treated as a joke?
“If you come to Valdrova Castle, I promise unconditional support for your current research.”
“Pardon?”
“I mean I will provide whatever materials, research funds, and facilities you desire, without question.”
“H-huk!”
Unconditional support. It was an unprecedented offer that no scholar had ever received. He was overjoyed, but simultaneously anxious. He wondered what kind of strings were attached.
Burnell asked in a trembling voice, “W-w-w-what is the condition?”
“Your research. We will use it to create weapons.”
Burnell’s expression froze. “Weapons… you say?”
“Yes. Using your research.”
Burnell, who had been ready to cheer just moments ago, shook his head.
“Then I cannot do it.”
“Is that any way to speak to the man who cleared your debt?”
“E-even if a blade is at my throat, I cannot do that. I… I want a peaceful Serdes Continent. I only wish for the people living on it to be happy.”
Ferda had expected it wouldn't be smooth. Burnell Marquis was a pacifist.
“Tools of war… only create more victims. So, even if you are my savior, I cannot do it.”
Ferda rubbed his chin and muttered, “So, you won't change your mind even with a blade at your throat?”
Burnell felt a chill run down his spine. He had heard countless threats of death or being crippled before, but this was different. It felt as if Death itself was embracing him from behind.
“But think about it.”
Ferda traced a finger along the dust-covered floor.
“Who do you think you have to thank for being able to sit in this rat-infested gutter and research in peace?”
“This was my choice.”
“No. It wasn't your choice. Enjoying this peace isn't something created by the choices of someone as insignificant as you.”
Burnell grew tense. Ferda’s voice was now laced with clear emotion.
“The Archduchess of Valdrova, my betrothed, goes to the front lines nearly every three days. She fights monsters that could easily destroy a city like this. What do you think she wagers every time? A bit of territory? The people of the Far East? Or perhaps my life?”
Ferda poked a finger against his own chest as he answered.
“No. She wagers herself. While you would throw away your life for your pathetic convictions, she uses her life as a noble sword to cut down enemies and create peace.”
Ferda had always watched Valdrova as she fought on the front lines. He had secretly watched her from the highest vantage point. In this moment, the image of Valdrova seemed to appear before his eyes again.
His chest felt tight. Ferda’s finger dug into his own chest almost unconsciously. All that remained for him, who could only watch helplessly, was guilt.
“So, I will do anything for her.”
A flame flickered deep within Ferda’s eyes.
“And therefore, regardless of what you think, I will have you create weapons.”