Chapter 22
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: God of Gold
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The Libelshtein Grand Ducal Family.
A collateral branch of the imperial family, wielding authority second only to the emperor himself in the empire.
Their official rank was always 'number two,' but the weight of their name was sometimes enough to make even the emperor tread carefully.
And the reason was simple.
Wealth.
The Libelshteins hadn't built the empire with swords.
They had gripped it with gold.
Half of all the gold mined across the continent.
Mines, refineries, vaults, exchange houses, major trade routes spanning the continent—wherever gold flowed, the Libelshtein name was inevitably entangled.
That was why people said it.
All paths of gold lead to Libelshtein.
From merchant caravans crossing borders to the costs of wars between kingdoms, from nobles' debts to national bonds—wherever money changed hands, the Libelshteins were there.
The fortune they held surpassed the combined wealth of countless counts, barons, and viscounts, including even the Valenhardt Duchy in the empire's north.
That was why, despite being a mere collateral imperial line, they were known as the 'Empire's Vault' in all but name.
And at the center of it all.
Luise von Libelshtein.
The sole princess of that colossal golden house, where all wealth and power converged.
She was flawless in lineage, beauty, intellect, and elegance, always maintaining a poised and graceful demeanor.
Yet anyone who let her beauty lure them across that line soon faced the Libelshtein way.
No swords or poisons needed.
They simply crushed with overwhelming riches.
Merchant guilds crumbled, contracts dissolved, and nobles who dined in luxury yesterday found themselves beggars by dawn. Such was everyday fare for the Libelshteins.
That was why she bore such a nickname.
'Black Rose'.
A flower blooming in exquisite beauty, yet shredding flesh the moment one reached for it.
An existence to admire from afar, but never to grasp lightly.
That was Luise von Libelshtein.
"Did you hear? Grand Duchess Luise won the Imperial Swordsmanship Tournament again."
"Wasn't she first in the Magic Theory Competition last time too?"
"Incredible... All that before even her coming-of-age ceremony."
"But did you see her face? She didn't even look pleased."
"For her... that's just par for the course."
Amid the whispers, Luise von Libelshtein's name always boiled down to the same thing.
Genius.
The Libelshtein family demanded perfection.
Excel at everything. Surpass everyone. Always shine like gold.
That was the duty borne by the Libelshtein name, and straying from it was unforgivable.
So Luise followed the path trod by every Libelshtein heir before her.
All the refinements befitting a noble lady were a given.
Swordsmanship, magic theory, politics, strategy, arts—she claimed first place in competitions and festivals not just across the empire, but throughout the continent.
She had to shine. She couldn't fall behind.
Because for those who failed to become true Libelshteins, there was only one option left.
Elimination.
And at the end of that elimination lurked only 'silence.'
"Luise. You defeated the Valenhardt lady and took first in this swordsmanship tournament, I hear."
"...Yes."
"Well done."
"I merely did what was expected."
In the basement of the Libelshtein mansion.
A space vast enough to swallow a whole village.
People called it the 'Treasure Vault.'
Golden statues and treasures lined the ceiling, walls, and floors without end, a spectacle of extravagance beyond mere luxury or indulgence.
For centuries, thieves, assassins, and greed-blinded fools had targeted it, but not one succeeded.
The world attributed this to the family's formidable guardians.
But that was merely a tale spun by outsiders from surface appearances, blind to the family's true nature.
Deep beneath the mansion draped in gold.
There sat the 'master' who had lifted the once-forgotten imperial collateral—a shabby fallen noble house called Libelshtein—into a golden dynasty overnight.
An upper god who devoured gold, breathed gold, embodied gold itself as flesh.
The Colossus of Gold, Pluto.
His form resembled a massive golden idol, but it evoked no life.
His unnaturally bulging belly twisted like metal with every breath.
And the face mimicking an infant bore the wrinkled eyes of an adult and the beastly glint of insatiable greed.
"I am gold incarnate."
In the days dwelling in the heavens, Pluto had chafed at his allotted station.
Even skies adorned in gold and worship fell short of slaking his avarice.
So he coveted more, committing the ultimate taboo: assassinating two supreme gods to seize the highest throne.
By rights, his body should have been torn asunder by the gods' hands, his soul plummeting into an abyss from which no return was possible.
Yet by some miracle, Pluto survived and plummeted to the mortal realm.
And there, his eyes fell upon the Libelshteins—humans of meager bloodline but peerless pedigree.
"Luise. Great expectations rest on you. Do not tarnish the Libelshtein name."
Pluto smiled faintly.
"Unless you wish to stray from the path your kin have walked."
"...Of course not, Lord Pluto."
Luise's reply was crisp, without tremor.
But the implication left behind was crystal clear.
For ages, Pluto had culled Libelshtein heirs like livestock.
Spare those with potential; devour the deficient himself.
Thus pruning the useless blood, leaving only perfection, he had elevated the house to its current heights.
And now, when assembly time came, of the myriad Libelshtein descendants gathered in the golden chamber, this generation had only Luise remaining.
Because she alone was qualified—nay, obligated—to become a true Libelshtein.
First off, it was undeniable: my power was needed for the brewing war among these otherworld gods.
There was also this nagging sense that my suddenly awakened Mythic Blacksmith ability tied strangely into their conflict.
And it wasn't just coincidence—thanks to this power, I'd already protected precious people.
I had to admit Aurelion had a point.
But now, waking up to my ordinary butler routine again, the most pressing hurdle remained unchanged.
"Women... Do I seriously have to go on blind dates or something?"
The one to equip my 'mythic weapon' had to be a woman with a deep bond to me.
So where the hell was I supposed to find that kind of connection?
Theoretically, 'bond level' didn't have to mean romance.
I could probably forge a weapon for a male friend too—but
"That's a terrible idea."
Aurelion shot it down flat.
"You think so?"
"I do."
He slowly shook his head, adding it like some ancient truth.
"But before that, Jinwoo... Are you perhaps the type who could truly love someone of the same sex?"
"Don't suddenly turn me into some ass-chaser, damn it."
I glared, but the ancient dragon calmly stroked his chin.
"Then the answer's simple."
Aurelion invoked true 'divine perspective.'
"Man or woman, you can befriend them to a degree. But friendship and love? From a god's view, they're incomparable emotions. The depth of bond linking to a weapon... naturally, the latter dwarfs the former."
"...So you're saying I need to find a woman after all?"
"Was there ever another option? Your power thrives on 'connections.'"
He smirked faintly and snapped his fingers.
"So skip the pointless detours. Start with love, spread your seed, Jinwoo."
Moments like this made me envy the divine lot.
A finger snap, and women flocked to them like moths.
They couldn't possibly grasp my woes.
Though Earth kindly preserved prime examples of how dangerous that game could be.
Good old Greco-Roman myths.
Perfect cautionary tales proving 'even gods shouldn't mess with women' across millennia.
"I'll be careful not to screw up like that."
In the end, one dilemma lingered.
Where and how to find a new woman.
"Sigh..."
I muttered with a heavy breath.
"Isn't there some girl around who only has eyes for me...?"
Even if there was, nurturing that into a bond as deep as with Lady Elysia? Who knew how long that would take.
"I could do it for you."
"...Huh?"
Just then, mid-sigh.
Lifting my head, my vision filled with a thorny black rose—beautiful enough to snatch impulsively, certain to leave my palm a bloody mess.
A connection from academy days.
Grand Duchess Luise von Libelshtein.
She naturally drew my hand to her chest, smiling as if that spot had always been hers.
With the very face that never smiled before imperial blood.
"I don't know what you're thinking right now."
The grand duchess whispered softly.
"But for that worry you just voiced... I'm quite confident I could handle it."