Chapter 246
Chapter 246
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 246
Chapter Title: My Golden Goblin
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Yuri and his friends' sanctuary.
The so-called Demon King's Castle was thoroughly rejecting outsiders' visits, just as the warning sign at the front gate proclaimed.
Among those who had toured the inside of the Demon King's Castle, the only ones still alive were the residents—Yuri and his crew—plus Johan and Se-kyung.
But today.
The list of survivors who visited that fearsome Demon King's Castle gained a new name: Yulia Sing.
"...So this is the infamous Demon King's Castle."
Guided by Moochi, Yulia arrived at the space that served as the Demon King's Castle's dining hall, conference room, and chatting spot.
She looked around curiously with wide eyes.
'It's... better than I thought. No, way better than I imagined.'
Yulia was impressed.
Who would have thought such an elegant and cozy space existed inside the Demon King's Castle, filled with all those grim rumors.
This was less a demon king's lair and more like the reception room of any prestigious family home.
It was a space that highlighted the designer's refined taste.
'And they built this... inside the Cradle.'
While others were digging caves to live in—or even worse, sleeping rough under the morning dew—she had been living here.
Yulia felt a pang of self-loathing about what she'd been doing the past two years.
As she glanced around,
Yuri set a wooden cup down in front of her.
"Drink."
"Thanks."
Yulia took a sip of the warm tea Yuri had given her, then her eyes went wide.
"...What is this?"
For something in a plain wooden cup, the contents were exceptionally fine.
To think you could drink tea this richly aromatic inside the Cradle.
'Where on earth did they get something like this in the Cradle?'
Yulia was simply amazed by the situation.
But Theresia and the others sipped their tea calmly, without any surprise.
Seeing that, Yulia asked with a subtle gaze.
"...Theresia, do you usually drink stuff like this?"
"Not often, just occasionally? It's a blend Yuri made himself, but he doesn't have much, so he doesn't share it easily."
Yulia sighed at the nonchalant reply.
"...No wonder you live here instead of the residential zone."
Life in the third-year residential zone was certainly better than for the first- or second-years.
There were decent tents where you could live somewhat humanely, and a simple daily ration like bread once a day.
A typical third-year cadet would surely be content.
But for Theresia, who had lived in this splendid environment at the Demon King's Castle, it wouldn't cut it.
'This is... a bit enviable.'
Was it her imagination, or did Theresia's lips twitch upward behind her teacup, like a victor's smile?
As Yulia eyed Theresia with a mix of jealousy,
"So, what was the favor you asked?"
Yuri's direct question snapped Yulia back to attention.
The reason she'd been formally invited into the Demon King's Castle today.
It was because Yuri had requested one piece of information from her.
Composing herself, Yulia grew serious and spoke.
"Information on Lisa Berfort, right?"
"Yeah, know anything?"
"What do you take our Hyun family's intel network for? Of course I do."
Yulia replied with a confident expression.
"Lisa Berfort, the sole heir to the massive Berfort family."
"Massive family? You mean a prestigious house?"
"Well, less 'prestigious house' and more..."
As Yulia trailed off,
An exclamation burst from one side.
"Ah! The Four Great Merchant Houses of the continent!"
The owner of the surprised voice was none other than Arin.
Her face lit up with relief now that the fuzzy memory had finally surfaced.
Meanwhile, Theresia and Gunter shot puzzled looks at Arin's outburst.
"The Four Great Merchant Houses?"
"Isn't it the Three Great Merchant Houses?"
At their reactions, Arin blinked.
"Huh? Isn't it four? That's what I learned as a kid."
"I learned it was three."
"Same here."
Arin, Theresia, and Gunter eyed each other oddly.
Yulia sorted out the situation.
"...Generally, it's known as the Three Great Merchant Houses."
"Oh ho? So if it's not general knowledge...?"
Seeing the curiosity fill Yuri's eyes, Yulia hurried to continue.
"The usual Three Great Merchant Houses of the world are the Blue Gold, White Gold, and Green Gold families... but one more color of gold gets added."
"What's that?"
"Black Gold."
At Yulia's words, Theresia, Arin, Poppi, Gunter, and Moochi all looked like it was news to them.
Yuri, the half-blood, showed even more interest.
"Black Gold... somehow smells fishy, doesn't it?"
Yulia snickered at that.
"Spot on. Black Gold—aka the Berfort family—doesn't deal in legitimate funds that move in the light of day. They take a cut from laundering illicit slush funds, usury through loan sharking, profits from trading forbidden goods, and so on. They're the ones monopolizing the funds flowing through the underworld."
"Monopolizing? They monopolize that?!"
"Yeah, monopoly."
"Whoa, insane! How much money is that?!"
"Immense, obviously. Our Hyun family predicts that even the other three combined couldn't touch Berfort."
Having explained that far, Yulia turned to Arin.
"...And not many know this fact. Berfort runs dozens of shell companies in a pyramid scheme to hide that they're the top dogs. It's intel that's hard to uncover without serious resources..."
Eyes turned to Arin: How do you know that?
Arin smiled awkwardly and scratched her cheek.
"Uh, just something I learned as a kid. Hehe."
"A family that teaches such secretive intel..."
Heirs of prestigious houses naturally received education on famous families worldwide in their youth.
Especially essential for those entering the Cradle.
But even so, no ordinary family would teach such clandestine info to children.
"Haha... hahaha."
Arin subtly turned her head away from Yulia's piercing gaze, as if peering into her soul.
Shifting her eyes from Arin, Yulia looked back at Yuri and asked.
"So, why'd you want info on Lisa Berfort?"
Yuri shrugged lightly at the question.
"Ah, well..."
With that opener, he毫不犹豫 spilled everything that had happened with Lisa.
Yuri probably wouldn't have shared this with anyone else.
But the other party was Yulia Sing.
Ever since entering the Cradle, she was the only one he'd acknowledged in terms of mind games.
Her insight would surely help analyze the opponent.
And so Yuri recounted his past conversation with Lisa word for word, finishing his explanation.
Yulia's expression turned grave as she listened.
"...Definitely not an easy opponent."
"Right? I knew something smelled off... but the heir to the Fourth Great Merchant House? Didn't see that coming."
"As heir to Berfort, she's sure to be skilled in dark schemes. Don't let your guard down."
"Any chance you could help? Like, what's her angle in what she said... I'd like your take."
"Sure, no problem! For starters, I think it all began with her covering her face and backing off the moment she saw you—that was the setup."
"Ah, I had a hunch about that part myself."
"How so?"
"Well..."
Yuri and Yulia began meticulously analyzing Lisa's actions and words.
Wild speculations flew in the process, and the others listening in shook their heads as if it made them dizzy just hearing it.
They couldn't keep up with the moves Yuri and Yulia were predicting.
Except for one person.
"Um..."
Moochi, who had been quietly listening to the careful exchanges in the room.
He tentatively raised his hand.
Yuri and Yulia's conversation paused, all eyes turned to him, and Moochi spoke cautiously, gauging reactions.
"Uh... what if there's no hidden motive? What if she really just wants to live nearby?"
At Moochi's words, Yuri and Yulia stared at each other blankly before turning to him in unison.
"Why?"
"Why?"
Their utter bafflement made Moochi the flustered one instead.
"Why why? She just wants to live nearby... so that's it, right?"
Yuri and Yulia snorted at that.
"What kinda bullshit is that?"
"No way."
From birth until now, and even in the Cradle, every day had been a nonstop competition.
Analyzing opponents' actions, words, and intents to plan moves was daily life for Yuri and Yulia.
To them, Moochi's opinion was absurd.
"Come on, no way. What kinda place is this Cradle? You think that lukewarm mindset could survive here?"
"Yeah, exactly. Even giving her the benefit of the doubt... how long has she known Yuri to show such blind goodwill? It has to be calculated."
At Yuri and Yulia's firm stance, everyone except Moochi nodded slightly in agreement.
The mood made Moochi realize.
'Ah, these people... their distrust of humanity is off the charts.'
The Cradle terrified Moochi even more.
What kind of lives did people here lead that they couldn't accept someone's sincerity at face value?
That sparked a sense of mission in Moochi.
He had to show these cynics drowning in suspicion that sincerity still existed in people.
So Moochi put force into his voice.
"Look, if Senior Yuri just assigns her a spot, I bet she'll move there gratefully!"
Of course, what came back was Yuri's icy scoff.
"Hah? You think she'd back down that obediently? What kinda nonsense are you spouting?"
* * *
"Ahh, so this is the spot closest to the sanctuary. Understood. We'll build our dwelling here. We thank Yuri for his grace."
Seeing Lisa bow politely and withdraw, Yuri's lips parted slightly.
"Eh? What?"
Confusion filled his eyes.
Moochi, who had been pounding his chest in frustration and passionately arguing his point unlike himself.
Fed up with the guy's fussing, Yuri decided to humor him and try it.
But what do you know.
"...This actually worked?"
It had sounded like total nonsense.
Yet... Lisa really bowed her head and agreed, just like Moochi said.
Even thanking him.
Yuri was a bit stunned, and Yulia, who had come to watch, dropped her jaw in disbelief.
The others, including Theresia, reacted similarly, while only Moochi puffed out his chest proudly.
Meanwhile, baffled by this incomprehensible situation, Yuri called out to the departing Lisa.
"Hey, Lisa Berfort."
Lisa scurried back at Yuri's call.
She fidgeted, at a loss, just from hearing Yuri say her name.
"Y-You called for me?"
"...Why are you just going?"
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"Why go when I tell you to? Why follow orders?"
Lisa tilted her head, puzzled.
"Isn't it obvious? It's an order from Yuri."
Her eyes shone with sincere truth, as if asking why even question something so natural.
Her voice brimmed with conviction that her actions were right.
That's when Yuri realized.
All of Lisa's behavior so far had been pure, unadulterated sincerity, with no ulterior motives.
Which made it even harder for Yuri to understand.
"You know me? Are we close?"
"You're Yuri Holland, aren't you? And close? I wouldn't dare think that, now or ever."
"Then why do you obey everything I say so readily? If you don't even want to get close?"
At the question, Lisa smiled faintly.
"Because Yuri's mere existence is salvation to me."
Staring straight at Yuri, Lisa hurriedly bowed her head with an 'Ah, too bright!' expression.
Yuri fell silent, speechless.
"......"
He quietly resolved himself.
If he ever wrote an autobiography decades from now, he'd list Lisa as the most incomprehensible being in this world.
Pondering how to even process this, he tossed out a test question.
"Hey, your family's loaded, right?"
"Indeed."
"Then lend me some money. Say, a million gold."
Yuri eyed her as if to say, 'Bet this trips you up too.'
Lisa shook her head lightly.
"No, I cannot do that."
"See..."
Yuri's face lit up with 'Knew it, this is more like it!'
But it flipped instantly.
"Not lend. I'll give it."
"...For real?"
"Of course. Why would anything be a waste? Everything I have is yours."
"......?!"
Yuri couldn't easily grasp why Lisa Berfort showed him such blind trust and goodwill.
No, he might never understand, even decades later.
But there was one thing even Yuri knew.
Something his years of experience and instincts told him.
He had found it.
'Found you, my golden goblin! So you were here...'
His golden eyes fixed on Lisa sparkled brighter than ever.
"...My moneybag!"