Chapter 13
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Money Line (1)
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Dian here?
A flood of emotions crossed his mind.
It had been nearly ten years since hed last seen his longtime friend, and now they were meeting again like this.
More than the joy of reuniting with his friend, he first felt suspicion about why Dian had come to this place.
Lets observe a bit more for now.
Roin stifled his presence and strained to listen to the conversation between Dian and the guards from as close as he could get.
Dian asked the guards,
While I was away, did anyone come looking for this place?
Occasionally, people who wanted to see Lord Rodri would show up here.
I see. They still cant accept that Rodri vanished in an instant.
The man in the black helmet, Rodri, praised as a hero across the entire continent.
Whenever danger threatened this world, Rodri had always been the one to resolve it.
Now that he was gone.
Not just people, but the international situation and every aspect of life were filled with unease.
No one knew when another being like Muorat might emerge to disrupt the world.
Rodris mere existence had been a massive deterrent to those who committed evil acts.
Nine years had already passed since Rodri disappeared.
Yet even his lingering influence had kept tension high without any real crises breaking out until now.
Of course, there were occasional reports of shadowy forces stirring in secret, but they were so cautious that they hadnt revealed their true nature yet.
That was how immense Rodris influence had been.
Dian, his closest friend, was one of those who hoped Rodri would return.
Dian stepped down from the carriage and ordered the guards to open the gate.
Then he said to the coachman,
It wont take long. Ill just go inside for a bit and come back out, so wait here.
Yes, understood.
Dian headed into the villa.
As Roin quietly watched him go, a sudden idea flashed through his mind.
Now that Rodri was gone.
All the mansions, possessions, and wealth he had owned were being managed by Dian and Rodris butler in his stead.
Since Rodri had left no blood relatives behind in life, Dian had no choice but to step up as his proxy.
As he made his way to the villa, he looked around and let out a wry smile.
Rodri had been famous in life for his extreme neatness.
Dian knew why Rodri was so obsessed with cleanliness and tidiness.
You said it was because you were ugly.
If youre ugly, at least you have to stay clean.
That was the reason Rodri had given.
Every time he recalled it, a hollow laugh escaped him.
Rodri had done all sorts of things to compensate for his lacking appearance.
That was even the reason he had become the worlds strongest hero.
He had mastered every martial art and could wield every kind of magic with ease.
On top of that, he was well-versed in most scholarly fields.
His deficient looks had, in a twist, turned Rodri into a munchkin.
He was talented in all sorts of ways from the start, after all.
Dian had been able to establish the largest merchant group on the Redinus Continent thanks to Rodris help.
Its been so long. I miss my friend.
He took out a blue petal and placed it on the display stand where Rodris favorite helmets were gathered.
That was when it happened.
I was wondering why people were leaving these blue petals at my statue when they had nothing to do with me. So it was you.
Whos there!
Dian immediately drew his sword.
For all his appearances, Dian was a seasoned expert who had roamed the world with Rodri and fought in countless battles.
For even Dian to sense no presence at all.
He tensed up, realizing this was no ordinary foe.
Are you here for my head?
As the head of the top merchant group, plenty of people were after his life.
But the owner of the unfamiliar voice denied Dians guess.
If Id come to take you out, I couldve done it ages ago.
He even revealed himself willingly.
A single man slowly emerged from the shadows.
No, a little kid.
Ten years old? Maybe even younger.
The standout feature was his extraordinarily cute face that seized attention completely.
Dian swallowed a gasp at the unexpected identity of the assassin.
But he quickly raised his sword again, aiming it at the boy.
Who are you?
Roin Leyden. Fifth son of Baron Lucas Leydens house. And
Roin grinned and said,
Im also the benefactor whos saved your life countless times.
Benefactor? A kid like you talks some wild nonsense. You trying to say youre Rodri, little one?
You know it.
The boys bold words.
Dian was dumbfounded.
I might even believe it if you said Muorat came back to life. Say something that makes sense.
Exactly.
That was the normal reaction.
Roin had expected Dian to respond this way.
The Rodri he knew was a middle-aged man barreling toward fifty.
He didnt remember Rodris face all that clearly, to be honest.
But he was certain it was uglier and more grotesque than any face hed ever seen.
Definitely not this nine-year-old kid.
Especially not one with such a radiantly beautiful handsome face.
Even if Roin were in Dians shoes, he wouldnt believe it.
Roin grinned at Dian, who hadnt let his guard down.
And then,
He said this.
After you became a Mid Knight, in your second year, you went to the Forest of Silence, right?
?
I still vividly remember how you were so scared of the Sound Hunters that you pissed yourself.
H-How do you know that!
The Forest of Silence.
Monsters called Sound Hunters lived there.
Creatures that devoured anything that made noise.
That day, Dian had faced death for the first time.
The one who had grabbed him by the scruff and pulled him from deaths swamp was Rodri.
Rodri and Dian.
The only two Mid Knights from that mission who had returned alive.
So the fact that Dian had pissed himself there was a secret known only to Rodri.
H-How?
I told you. Im Rodri.
No, but
If you still cant believe it, want me to list a few more? You pissed yourself during the Alteira mission too, and when we sneaked into the dragons lair, you got so startled by some trash mob that you fainted. And also
S-Stop! Halt!
This was what they called a memory assault.
Just like the Forest of Silence episode, everything Roin mentioned was a secret shared only between Rodri and Dian.
Rodri hadnt even had any close friends, disciples, or benefactors besides Dian.
There was no one else to tell.
So to know these episodes meant, in other words.
Youre really Rodri?
Roin nodded emphatically once more.
Ive been telling you that from the start.
What the hell happened? You just vanished, and now youre in some kids body? Explain.
For the confused Dian, Roin recounted everything that had happened to him.
From finding the Tear of the Moon and summoning the Goddess Ashutars incarnation, to wishing her to make him handsome.
So thats how I ended up like this.
You bastard. You always sang about wanting to live even one day as a handsome guy. Looks like you finally made it. Congrats.
Not yet. The real work starts now.
As long as Lucas Leydens genes flowed in Roins body, he could never let his guard down.
He didnt know when those genes might turn him ugly too.
For that, he needed Dians help.
Dian. You still killing it these days?
Killing it? With what?
Your merchant group.
Oh. Yeah, pretty much.
The Equid Merchant Group was so massive that the saying went no goods moved without going through them.
They must have raked in a fortune.
Roin smiled as if it were perfect timing and said,
Then lend me some money.
To buy beauty products, you needed a fair bit of cash.
All the good ones were expensive by default.
Unfortunately, the Leyden family had no money.
But,
Dian did.
Why money all of a sudden?
Gotta buy hand cream.
Dian stifled a hollow laugh at the unexpected answer.
But Roin was dead serious.
Hed reincarnated just to become handsome.
His obsession with looks was borderline madness.
No, it had already surpassed that.
Dian knew that well.
Fine. How much?
96 grang.
For a commoner, that was three months wages.
Even for a friend, it wasnt a request you could grant lightly.
But Dians response was different.
96 grang? That enough? Ill tack on two zeros9,600 grang.
He offered even more instead.
Thatll take me forever to pay back.
No need to pay it back. Its a giftuse it however. If its not enough, just ask for more anytime.
This was nothing compared to the dozens of times hed saved Dians life.
Thanks. Gonna milk the friend perk.
No biggie. So, you living around here?
Nah. Just temporarily here for the Loud Swordsmanship Academy entrance.
You mean Loud Swordsmanship Academy? Where we graduated?
Yeah.
Hearing about the swordsmanship academy from Roin, Dian suddenly flashed a meaningful smile.
Looks like theres another thing I can help with.
Oval, the headmaster of Loud Swordsmanship Academy, hurried toward the schools main gate.
A guest was coming today.
Dian, leader of the Equid Merchant Group, stepped down from his carriage.
The moment he saw him, Oval plastered on a forced smile and asked after his well-being.
Mr. Dian. How have you been?
Yes. Long time no see, Headmaster.
Indeed. About three years now?
Already? Time flies.
There was a reason Oval treated Dian with such care.
The Equid Merchant Group was the academys biggest funding source.
Thanks to them, Loud Swordsmanship Academy had grown into the largest school around.
So the headmaster had rushed here the instant he heard Dian was coming.
Please, come inside. Follow me.
Dian moved with Oval to his office.
He quickly exchanged glances with Roin, who had just returned from an outing.
He subtly gave a thumbs-up where no one else could see.
Trust me.
That was the gestures meaning.
That guy makes me uneasy.
Dian had always been an expert at causing trouble.
So despite the gesture, Roin felt more anxiety than reassurance.
Just staying quiet would help me the most.
Dian was great in every way, but his tendency to overdo it was the problem.