Episode 63
Episode 63
Originally, the great nobles of the empire did not borrow money.
To be precise, they did not 'personally step forward' to borrow money.
It was an act unbefitting the dignity of an honorable great noble.
Of course, even great nobles sometimes needed money.
At such times, merchants who were either already acquainted with the great nobles or eager to gain their favor would come forward on their own.
They would bow respectfully, exchange pleasantries about the state of the world, compliment the mansion, praise the family, and then casually mention something like, "This humble one wishes to offer a small sum to the noble lord." The great noble would then reluctantly nod as if granting permission...
...After which, the steward serving under the great noble would handle the finer details.
Since this was how things worked, most of the empire's great nobles had no idea how to personally borrow money.
Let alone young boys and girls who had just come of age from such families?
They wouldn't even know how to broach the subject.
That was why Arien, the branch manager of the Kaako Merchant Guild, couldn't help but be startled when a boy who was unmistakably from a great noble family came asking to borrow money.
'Is he really from the Wardanaz family??'
Philone Village was unusually prosperous for its size.
The streets bustled with people, and shops of all kinds—rarely seen in rural areas—lined the roads.
Moreover, there were more than enough inns crammed together for a village of this size, and the taverns were packed.
Not just Philone Village, but the nearby towns and cities were equally vibrant.
The reason was simple.
It was because of the magic school.
Since the region itself was where the magic school was located, natural mana overflowed here.
A place teeming with dungeons, monsters, and rare materials!
On top of that, the mages working within the magic school needed all sorts of materials and reagents for their experiments.
Who would fetch these for them?
Most mages were so frail that they'd wither away the moment they stood up from their desks.
Naturally, they had no choice but to hire adventurers.
With hefty rewards at stake, adventurers flocked eagerly. As materials and reagents were quickly gathered, the delighted mages conducted experiments in rapid succession, hired more adventurers, and when the imperial treasurer saw the expense reports, he'd roar, "Bring me Os Gonadaltes!!"...
In short, a happy Cycle of Recurrence had formed in this region—happy for everyone except a select few.
For Lee Han, it was also fortunate.
With enough money, he could buy almost anything. It was better than not being able to buy things even with money.
"So, could you lend me some money?"
"Ah, no. Young master of the Wardanaz family. Just a moment... Please give me a moment."
"Is it not possible?"
"No! It's not that it's impossible. Of course, I'll lend it to you."
The goat beastkin branch manager frantically waved both hands.
If the other party was truly from the Wardanaz family (and not an imposter), lending money was an absolute benefit.
He didn't even consider the idea of going to the Wardanaz family to demand repayment.
Simply forming a connection with someone from the Wardanaz family was advantageous enough.
Arien steeled himself.
'Fine. Even if I have to dip into my personal savings...'
But as a merchant, he couldn't help but tremble.
Just how large a sum would the other party demand?
If it exceeded his entire fortune, he'd have to quickly contact his superiors for approval...
"How much do you need?"
Lee Han hesitated.
Seeing this, Arien grew increasingly nervous.
Just how much was it going to be??
"...Would twenty silver coins be possible?"
"...Pardon?"
"If not, then maybe fifteen silver coins..."
"......"
Arien stood there dumbfounded before belatedly realizing one fact.
The other party was wearing clothes he'd seen somewhere before.
They were the uniform of the magic school.
'He's a magic school student?!?'
What's more, he was a first-year. Knowing the insane strictness of the Magic School's discipline, Arien couldn't help but be shocked.
How did a first-year manage to slip out??
'Ah... the Wardanaz family.'
Arien found himself nodding in understanding despite himself.
The person before him was truly from the Wardanaz family.
If he weren't from the Wardanaz family, who else could have escaped the Magic School as a first-year?
'I never would have dreamed a high noble would personally come to borrow money... but it's the Wardanaz family!'
"Twelve silver coins?"
"Ah, no. You don't have to lower it any further."
Once he grasped the situation, Arien made an effort to put Lee Han at ease.
After serving tea and refreshments, he even mentioned that he could lend the silver coins without expecting anything in return. But instead of being reassured, Lee Han eyed Arien suspiciously.
"Ah, no, I don't have any ulterior motives."
"I think I should go somewhere else..."
"I mean it! I just thought that the young master of the Wardanaz family might be short on funds right now, so I wanted to be considerate!"
Arien felt wronged.
What money would a first-year who barely escaped the Magic School have?
This should have been one of those touching moments—'Money doesn't matter. I trust you, young master!' 'Mr. Arien! You have a good eye. I won't forget your faith in me when I rise to greatness!'—but...
"Ah. If that's the case... I don't have money, but I do have something that could be worth money."
"?"
Arien tilted his head in confusion.
It was hard to believe that a freshly escaped first-year would have anything of value.
'Don't tell me he's trying to sell his wand...'
Arien gave a bitter smile inwardly.
It was a common misconception among Magic School students.
Last year, he'd heard about a third-year who tried to sell his wand and failed.
The basic wands provided by the Magic School weren't worth as much as people thought.
"Here's a ledger of debts owed to me by members of other imperial noble families."
"......"
Arien's jaw dropped so hard it nearly hit the table.
What kind of madness...!?!?!!!
"I was originally going to take this around to their mansions, but damn it—no, the headmaster moved the mansions somewhere else."
"Th-that's right. If it's this... then it really is something worth money."
That was practically cash.
And it wasn't just about the cash.
If he took that ledger to those families, they would repay him in kind for showing favor to one of their own bloodlines.
That was the pride of imperial nobility!
'But...'
As tempting as it was, Arien drew a firm line.
"If you have that, it's more than enough. I'll lend you the money."
"Then this ledger..."
"No. You keep it, young master."
"......"
At Arien's words, Lee Han gave him a look that said, 'Did this merchant just start working today?'
Normally, when borrowing money, the lender held onto the collateral, not the borrower.
Arien felt a twinge of frustration.
'I'm showing trust here...!'
The reason Arien wasn't tempted by the ledger was simple.
It was practically a pact between the Wardanaz family and other noble houses.
If the young master of the Wardanaz family later took that ledger to another noble's mansion, imagine the gratitude he'd receive.
Sure, Arien could profit by taking the ledger around to other noble families himself, but the Wardanaz family might not take kindly to that.
—That merchant didn't trick the clueless Lee Han into handing over the ledger, did he?
Arien was willing to take a small loss to avoid being misunderstood as having deceived the young master.
Even if it meant being misunderstood as a merchant who'd just started working today!
"Young master. Please think about it. You are from the Wardanaz family—what difference does it make whether I have that ledger or not?"
"I suppose so. Still, it would be better if you had it..."
"...Perhaps I could show you around the village? You must need many things."
Arien deftly changed the subject.
What students who had just escaped would need was already predetermined.
Lee Han nodded.
"I'd appreciate that. But you're not planning to guide me to shops connected to the merchant group, are you?"
"...Of course not!"
Arien was gradually becoming confused whether the boy before him was from the Wardanaz family or the Wardanaz merchant group.
There was none of the naive innocence or simplicity one would expect from a noble family's scion.
"?"
As Arien followed Lee Han, who had stepped out of the room first, he noticed that all the refreshments he had brought earlier had completely vanished.
'Did he eat all of it? That's strange? He didn't even touch anything...?'
As Arien tilted his head in confusion, he caught sight of Lee Han's cloak pocket bulging.
'...Don't tell me... Ah... Surely not...'
"How about this cream puff? It's a dessert made by one of the village's most renowned artisans. The thin pastry is filled with rich cream, and even nobles find it satisfying—"
"No, recommend something that's easy to store and compact."
"......"
"......"
Lee Han acted as thoroughly as an imperial quartermaster preparing for war.
No matter how delicious they were, he didn't even glance at foods that were bulky, fragile, or prone to spoilage.
He pursued only maximum efficiency through maximum compression.
"This canned food..."
"It's a popular canned food in the empire these days? The design is quite pretty, isn't it?"
"This won't let me pack things tightly!"
"......"
Watching Lee Han dismiss it without a second thought, Arien pondered.
...Should I recommend he join the merchant group after graduating from the Magic School?
No matter how you looked at it, he had the makings of an exceptional merchant...
Lee Han selected various food supplies, calculated their volume and weight, and even personally chose the boxes to store them in.
"Wait a moment, young master. You can't take a carriage to the school. The headmaster will punish us."
"I know. I'll carry it myself."
"...???!?!"
Arien wasn't the only one shocked.
Other employees were staring with expressions that said, 'Shouldn't we stop the branch manager?'
"No. He must have a plan."
But Arien remained unshaken.
It was time to admit it.
This young master of the Wardanaz family was blessed with the instincts of a seasoned merchant.
He must have something in mind!
"Let's head to the tailor next. We'll have a suit made for you."
"?"
Lee Han looked at him as if asking what he was talking about.
"Uh... That ragg— I mean, isn't that outfit rather uncomfortable?"
The Magic School students' uniforms were notoriously uncomfortable and rough. Even the employees could tell at a glance.
But Lee Han didn't seem to mind.
"It's not uncomfortable at all."
"!?"
"Though I do need clothes..."
Arien felt relieved at Lee Han's follow-up words.
So he had thought about clothes after all!
"Not the tailor—let's go to the fabric store."
"...Don't tell me you plan to make them yourself...?"
"Exactly."
"......"
Watching Lee Han pick out only thick, durable fabrics at the store, Arien felt dizzy.
Something was clearly happening among this year's Magic School freshmen.
"Why is this the same fabric but cheaper?"
"The pattern is out of fashion..."
"Then give me the out-of-fashion fabric. Which of these two fabrics holds up better against water?"
Following his impressive performance at the grocery store, Lee Han dazzled again at the fabric shop.
Even the seasoned shop owner and Arien, a branch manager of the merchant group, couldn't help but acknowledge his skill as he expertly picked out only the best fabrics from the multitude.
The one dominating this space was none other than that young boy from the Wardanaz family!