Chapter 8
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: An Investment in the Future
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A land stained crimson.
On the blood-soaked battlefield, the wounded and surviving soldiers sat slumped, unable to hide their exhaustion.
Demian's unit was among them, all looking completely drained after the fierce battle.
"...Captain, I think relief supplies are coming."
"Ugh... Someone go get some water. I've been dying of thirst."
At his men's words, Demian turned his head.
An emblem came into view.
The crest, depicting an angel's wings with intertwined blue and red, was that of the continent's top merchant guild, the Wirkeu Merchant Guild.
Seeing this, one of Demian's men spoke.
"Wow... The Wirkeu Merchant Guild. Aren't they the richest guild on the continent right now?"
"Damn, I'm jealous. Some of us are busting our asses on the battlefield... while others are raking in cash selling wheat and swords."
Demian glanced at the complainer and said,
"You're not forgetting that we'd be dead without that wheat and those swords, are you?"
"I know. Just feeling bitter."
Demian let out a small laugh at that.
He could certainly understand how tired and weary everyone was from the battle.
It was natural to feel a bit resentful toward people approaching with such carefree expressions.
"Still, running a charity like this can't be easy."
The Wirkeu Merchant Guild employees handed out water and bread to the soldiers, offering words of comfort.
It couldn't be easy to come all the way out to a battlefield like this.
Demian, too, simply watched them in silence. But then.
"C-Captain! That's the head of the Wirkeu Merchant Guild over there!"
"...The head?"
Demian's gaze followed where his subordinate pointed.
No matter how dedicated to charity, it would be rare for the head of a guild to come to a battlefield in person.
"Wow... I'd heard he personally participates in their charity work, but I didn't know it was true."
At the mention of the Wirkeu Guild's head, all the men turned to look.
Demian did the same.
*So that's the head of the Wirkeu Merchant Guild, Wirkeu.*
For the head of the continent's largest guild, his build was surprisingly slender.
A white robe, out of place on a battlefield.
Beneath it, wavy blond hair framed the face of an impressive man. But what was even more peculiar...
"But his face is so... punchable."
"Tell me about it. Why's a guy gotta be so pretty? Ugh, makes me sick."
"Damn it, this filthy lookism. It's because of guys like him that we're all gonna die, isn't it?"
At one soldier's remark, the man next to him snickered and said,
"You're not wrong, but with a mug like yours, you were probably gonna die anyway."
"What was that!"
"Ahahahaha!"
As the area erupted in laughter, Demian chuckled and said,
"Those of you who can still move, go help them out. It's good to lend a hand to people doing good work."
"Yes, sir."
Suddenly, old memories surfaced.
"..."
...Why does the face of the Wirkeu Guild head I saw back then seem to overlap with this person?
He had only seen him once, but the memory was vivid. Demian looked at the woman who had just entered the guild's office.
"Oh?"
Noticing Demian staring at her, the woman who entered the office started in surprise and said,
"Oh, we have a visitor. My apologies."
The woman bowed politely to Demian.
Demian quickly waved his hand.
"Ah, no, it's quite all right."
"This is my daughter, Diel. Say hello, Diel. This is Demian, who has come to invest in our charity."
"Oh, hello. You've come to invest in our charity?"
They treated Demian with bright expressions, seemingly unconcerned with his age.
Their reaction was a bit puzzling, but...
"Yes, that's correct."
Demian nodded.
His mind was in turmoil, but he felt it was best to continue the conversation for now.
*The guild head's name is Wirkeu... and this is his daughter...?*
But for a daughter, she looked far too much like the Wirkeu he had seen back then.
For a moment, Demian's eyes wavered.
*...What if he wasn't a man, but a woman?*
In that instant, it felt as if something shattered in his mind.
The age seemed about right, too.
Diel, sitting before him, couldn't be more than twenty at most.
And if she got this excited just talking about charity work...
*...it's highly likely she'll continue the charity work after inheriting the guild.*
Compared to all the other guilds he had seen, this one held the most promise.
Demian looked at Diel, who sat across from him.
*The resemblance is uncanny.*
His impression of that person had been so strong that he remembered them clearly.
If that person had a younger self, she would have looked exactly like this.
*But why...?*
A glance.
Demian glanced at Wirkeu, sitting beside him.
Why would this woman inherit the guild under the name Wirkeu, instead of this man?
And why did the guild's name change from Hamel to Wirkeu?
*Was there some reason for it?*
Demian had no way of knowing the reason.
Demian simply looked at the charity pamphlet Diel handed him.
It was concise, stating the purpose, current projects, and future plans without any unnecessary fluff.
"By the way, how much were you thinking of investing? Ah, I'm not asking to pressure you for more, but because how we allocate the funds depends on the amount."
A polite tone.
She stated her purpose clearly without offending the other person.
Demian paused for a moment to consider Diel's question.
*For now...*
He had a strong feeling, but he couldn't be 100% certain yet.
Besides, even if this was the right guild, there was always a chance they might take a different path in the future...
"I'd like to start with 300 gold."
"Th-Three hundred gold?!"
Diel's eyes widened.
To be honest, she hadn't expected much when a young boy came in talking about an investment.
But an investor was an investor.
No matter how young, she couldn't and wouldn't disrespect someone who came with the good intention of investing in their charity.
But 300 gold...
That was more than their entire charity budget for a year.
"A-Are you sure? That's a huge amount..."
"Yes, 300 gold for now... I plan to contribute more depending on how things progress."
"..."
300 gold was already an enormous sum, and he was talking about additional investments.
At that, Wirkeu the guild head's expression grew serious.
Wirkeu asked.
"But you called it an investment, not a donation. Is there something you wish to gain from this?"
"I would like a small stake in the Hamel Merchant Guild. Of course, I have no intention of meddling in your operations. I simply wish to receive a portion of the guild's profits as a return on my investment."
"Hmm... That is something we will have to consider. Besides, our guild is not so large that we have a clear system for shares."
Wirkeu's gaze on Demian changed.
It wasn't negative, but rather...
*He can't be older than his mid-teens...*
How could he have this kind of money and make such a bold move?
With a firm expression, Wirkeu asked Demian,
"And if you don't mind my asking, may I inquire as to the source of these funds?"
If there was even a one-in-a-million chance the money was tied to crime or illicit dealings, they absolutely could not accept it.
Demian's lips curved into a slight smile at Wirkeu's question.
"If you're worried it might be dirty money, you don't have to be. As for the source..."
Demian placed the insurance certificate he had prepared on the table.
"It's the insurance payment I inherited when my parents passed away. As you can see, it has the insurance company's name and the stamp of the Imperial Bank."
"Ah... my apologies."
"Not at all. I understand completely."
That should be enough to clear up any doubts.
Wirkeu nodded.
"Then, regarding the matter of shares, I believe we can give you an answer after an internal meeting. May we discuss the investment again at that time?"
"Yes, that's fine."
For now, simply establishing a connection with the Hamel Merchant Guild was enough.
The shares were just a small measure for the future anyway; the actual amount didn't matter much.
*I can't believe... it used to be such a small guild.*
Now more certain, Demian glanced around the guild's interior.
It wasn't large, but the interior was well-organized, and a monthly schedule was written clearly on the wall.
Still, there were unanswered questions...
*But there's no way to find out now.*
It would just take time.
"Then, where should we contact you?"
"Ah, about that..."
At Demian's following words, Wirkeu's eyes flickered slightly.
***
It felt like a storm had just passed.
Wirkeu entered the office with Diel, sat down, and burst into laughter as he recalled their recent meeting.
"...Heh heh."
"What is it?"
Diel asked at her father's laughter.
Wirkeu said,
"The more I think about it, the more amazing it is. To think a boy of just thirteen would come to us with such an idea."
There were plenty of other guilds in the capital engaged in charity work.
He was curious why the boy had chosen them, but...
*That look in his eyes... He was no ordinary boy.*
And that was to say nothing of the investment amount and the talk of shares.
"And a soldier, at that. Hahahaha."
What's more, he was a very promising young man who had even passed the military exam to protect the kingdom.
A perfect boy, with not a single flaw to be found.
If there was just one small regret...
"If only he were five years older, he'd be perfect."
"...Pardon?"
Diel tilted her head at her father's muttering.
Wirkeu grinned in response and said,
"Who knows, maybe he's into older women?"
"...Dad!"
At Diel's cry, Wirkeu just roared with laughter.
***
"Should I call this an unexpected gain...?"
After leaving the Hamel Merchant Guild, Demian returned to his lodgings and sorted through the day's events.
He had been quite surprised by the unexpected truth (?) about Diel, but...
*It's certainly plausible.*
It could be a difficult world for a woman to run a guild on her own.
But at least he found them.
*Well, that's one thing taken care of.*
The next steps with the Hamel Merchant Guild would have to wait for them to make contact.
Now, then...
"Hoo, time to get ready."
Once enlisted, he would be cooped up inside for at least a month of nothing but training.
He'd heard that some of the successful applicants couldn't handle it and decided to drop out during this process, but...
"That has nothing to do with me."
For now, his primary goal was to perform well during this training period and apply to 'that place'.
*If I go there... I wonder if I'll see him?*
The reason Demian came to the 3rd Training Center.
To get into that unit, one had to go through the 3rd Training Center.
The place where his former senior, his friend, and his most trusted subordinate was.
Demian recalled his past with him and a small smile touched his lips.
And...
"It was called the Lion Eagle Shop, right?"
He set off to buy the necessary supplies at the military specialty shop Apel had mentioned.