Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: Chapter 41: Lend Me Some Money (2)
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"Why is that kid here at this hour...?"
Kiriel muttered, raising one eyebrow.
What could a child be doing here alone so late?
I have no idea what Siegfried is up to, letting the kid wander around by himself.
Kiriel prepared to step out of the shop.
She couldn't just leave the child abandoned out there.
As she opened the door and stepped out, a massive hall appeared. Countless doors lined the walls, each marked with a number above it.
The Saint-Germain branch was number 16. Opening that door let in a rush of cold air, revealing the shabby interior.
A small silhouette was peeking in from outside the door. She thought it was rather cute.
"Come in."
"Ah!"
A childish voice rang out from beyond the door.
The rusty hinges screeched as the door swung open.
Jamie Welton, the boy with striking emerald hair and eyes, greeted Kiriel with a bright face.
"Hello!"
Kiriel squinted one eye at Jamie's cheerful greeting. He had been so guarded during the day, but now he acted like a completely different person.
"What brings a kid here alone so late at night?"
She had no intention of chatting with him at length.
She had just been looking at Finn's photo and felt a bit drained. All she wanted was to go back inside and get some rest.
Unaware or uncaring of her mood, the little Welton heir scurried over on his short legs and stood before the counter.
"It's nothing major."
"Something you want to buy?"
"Not that, but... could you lend me some money?"
Kiriel's expression crumpled at his words.
Out of nowhere, he shows up asking to borrow money.
An eight-year-old kid, at this late hour no less.
Before asking why, Kiriel inquired about the amount first. She was curious how much this brazen little one needed.
"How much do you need?"
"No limit. Whatever you can spare?"
As expected, utterly shameless.
Not content with straight-up asking to borrow money, he wants it with no cap.
She figured even a remarkable child was still just a child, so it wouldn't be much. Probably pocket change for snacks or something. But his response felt like a solid smack to the back of her head.
Then she noticed the pink squirrel perched on Jamie's shoulder, clutching his neck with a slightly worried look.
She hadn't seen it earlier...
"Why do you need that kind of money?"
"I'd rather not say."
"...You're asking me to lend it without even telling me why?"
"As long as I pay it back, right?"
He wasn't wrong.
Private loans had no room for personal feelings. You just lent the money and collected it back with interest.
But while it sounded simple, money transactions were never straightforward the moment they happened.
The most crucial factor was credit.
"What makes you think I'd trust you enough to lend it?"
He had the solid backing of being the Welton heir, but he was still just an eight-year-old kid.
She didn't know the exact amount, but there was no way he could repay it.
Borrowing his family's power might make it possible, but if that were the case, he would have gone to them first.
Coming here meant he wanted something secret.
Probably tied to the secret auction.
"Hm."
At her question of what to trust, Jamie pondered briefly.
Fair enough.
His current capabilities were limited. But that was only now. In a little more time, his options would multiply overwhelmingly.
So he said,
"My future potential? Think of it as an investment."
"Ha!"
Kiriel let out a loud scoff.
What a cheeky kid. But not incorrect.
From what she had observed, the much-rumored Jamie Welton was indeed 9th-class material.
Kiriel just hadn't shown it. If she invested, she'd reap massive returns, but unfortunately, she wasn't that interested in such things.
"Sorry, but I have more talent than I know what to do with."
They might pale compared to Jamie, but she oversaw over thirty academies.
Graduates went on to work in her enterprises, so there was no need to scout outsiders.
Especially not for exorbitant sums.
"That's a problem then..."
Jamie hadn't expected that response, and it made no sense. He didn't know the exact cost, but later, no amount of gold could buy his help.
It was a massive missed opportunity.
Jamie was an extreme narcissist.
"So off you go. It's late—why's a kid wandering around? Where did that Siegfried boy run off to, leaving the child?"
She'd give him an earful later.
Even if it was someone else's kid, he was responsible for protection until they reached the magic world. Saint-Germain's nights were more dangerous than they seemed. No matter how skilled the child, he couldn't counter an adult's dirty tricks.
"I'll assign you an escort. Head back to your lodgings."
Kiriel pulled a small capsule from her bosom and tossed it to the floor. With a pop, a handsome man appeared.
He had a sword at his waist and looked competent.
-Whoa! Hottie!
Vena, riding on his shoulder, covered her mouth at the sight of the man.
But that thing wasn't human.
'Homunculus.'
A combat doll in human form.
World's greatest alchemist, indeed—her skills lived up to the hype. But Jamie had no intention of leaving.
He needed that money somehow.
"Shoo~ Shoo~"
Kiriel waved him off like an annoying pest and turned away.
Jamie spoke to her curved back.
"Or I have another proposal."
"Anything you can do, I can do myself. So go. It's a decent doll—it'll get you home safely."
-A doll?!
Vena belatedly realized and cried out in shock.
Jamie spoke again.
"You're trying to enter the Shadow World, right?"
Kiriel froze in place.
She only glanced back at Jamie.
"What are you talking about?"
"The Shadow Sheep's heart is one of the materials needed to enter the Shadow World."
"How do you... Oh no!"
She had blurted it out in her panic.
And for good reason—the Shadow Sheep's heart was publicly known only as various alchemy ingredients.
To her knowledge, very few knew it was required for the Shadow World.
If it were common info, she wouldn't have struggled for decades.
She was certain neither the Saldam magic world nor the Magic Kingdom Klone knew.
And yet this eight-year-old kid did.
"...Does the Welton library have info like that?"
Jamie dodged with a smile.
Kiriel glared at him, then let out a small sigh.
"Fine. As you said, I'm gathering the heart to enter the Shadow World. Satisfied? Now go. This old lady needs her rest."
"It's said the Shadow World has been connected to the afterlife since ancient times."
Killing intent surged from Kiriel's body.
It wasn't aimed at Jamie, but it was enough to rattle the shop.
"Guessing games are a bad idea, kid. I'm going easy because you're a child, so hurry back to Siegfried. It's late."
"I might be able to help you."
"...What?"
"The Shadow World. Even with the materials, failure's likely. The owner is capricious—if it doesn't like you, it won't grant entry. And it won't return the materials, so you start over from scratch."
Jamie recalled the Shadow World's owner from long ago.
The Shadow World was a half-dimensional realm detached from the material world.
No matter existed there—everything was spirits or spirit-like.
Why?
Simple.
The Shadow World's ruler was a 'Spirit King.'
'Not your average Spirit King.'
Spirits normally lived in the Spirit Realm.
Five Spirit Kings ruled there—one for each core element, the five elements.
Most people thought that was all.
They had no choice—humanity knew nothing beyond.
But the Shadow World resembled the Spirit Realm, composed of one attribute alone.
Darkness.
Its other name: the Darkness World.
Ruled by the King of Darkness Spirits.
'Spirit Kings wield power greater than the 12 Gods in their own domains.'
In the Shadow World, the King of Darkness Spirits was supreme.
Even at his peak, Jamie would struggle to beat it on home turf.
If such a being rejected entry after taking the materials, Kiriel could do nothing.
She'd have to gather anew and offer again. Rejected? Repeat.
But Jamie knew how to get approval on the first try.
"How do I know you're telling the truth?"
Kiriel couldn't easily believe him.
The Shadow World was mostly unknown. Known facts came solely from Shadow World creatures occasionally appearing in the material world.
A ruler existing there? Hard to swallow.
Acknowledging that, Jamie proposed,
"Let's draw up a soul contract."
-Master!
Vena jumped at the words 'soul contract.'
What was a soul contract?
It pledged the contractor's soul as collateral, binding beyond life into the afterlife.
Vena never imagined her master would do something so insane.
-Are you sane?! Get money elsewhere! A soul contract?!
'Don't yell—headache.'
-Mas...!
Jamie blocked Vena's quacking protests.
He looked back at Kiriel.
She looked deeply shocked too. No one expected such words from an eight-year-old.
'That desperate, huh.'
Her divine relic was up for auction.
She'd do anything to get it.
"Isn't this enough?"
"...What the hell are you, kid? Are you even a kid?"
The Welton boy now felt slightly frightening to Kiriel.
Unless a monster wore a child's mask, his intel defied logic.
Plus the guts to mention a soul contract.
"So, what'll it be? I can help you, Kiriel. Guaranteed."
His words didn't sound like bravado.
In her 80+ years, had she ever been led around by a child?
She had manipulated kings, but being manipulated? Rare, mostly in her inexperienced youth.
"Terms?"
"Advance payment. Fulfillment after."
He needed money for the auction anyway—to get the heart and the relic.
Kiriel seemed to ponder, then spoke.
"Bring the contract."
A soul contract was made.