The Money Duplication Club (1)
The Money Duplication Club (1)
Earning gold is hard. Spending it well is even harder.
The coin purse at my belt jingled softly.
At this moment, I had 10 gold to my name. Factoring in the one gold I'd earned through the prophet work and pooled into the Kirtos Network, my total assets hovered around 11 gold.
"Come to think of it, a pretty decent weapon is supposed to hit the auction soon..."
Lunarr had taken a real beating through all these incidents. The [Auction System] was practically a second home to me back in the game—I'd grind it like a zombie.
If that system had been faithfully recreated here, an item perfectly suited to my situation was bound to appear shortly.
"I think it went for about one or two hundred gold."
The price alone spoke to its exceptional performance, but it also held hidden value that most people wouldn't recognize. Moreover, it would pair perfectly with my transformation and extraction skills.
"Guess I'll set my sights on that for my main weapon."
Tap. Tap.
I sat at my desk and flicked my pen against the paper.
"I can rely on the Numbers Her Highness promised me for utility and specialized gear."
The Numbers in the 100s were packed with items that practically screamed, "Isn't this just cheating?"—items whose true applications remained a mystery to the average person.
"There's still plenty of time to get my gear sorted."
While the need for better equipment was real, there was no rush to throw everything together at once.
"So, what if I focus on growing my funds first?"
I hadn't carelessly left myself with a small fortune of 10 gold simply to invest in Sylvia's trading company.
Scratch, scratch.
I let the pen flow, savoring the rough grain of the paper.
[ Business ]
I intended to establish a venture capable of generating steady funding.
Sure, making money was part of it, but...
"That's not the only upside."
Struggling to pay off that bank loan drove home a clear reality: as far as the world was concerned, I was just a student. Any income I generated would immediately invite suspicion.
Running a business, however, changed the narrative entirely.
It would grant me a new title: "proprietor" on top of "student."
Loans would flow more freely, and more importantly, my new status would let me poke around places I otherwise couldn't.
"Of course, it's not like I'm launching some grand enterprise."
With 10 gold, my options were limited to small-cap operations—like a food stall or a modest shop.
And I planned to target the one demographic right inside the academy: the students themselves.
'Students are allowed to run businesses within the academy with relative ease.'
I'd be a fool not to capitalize on that advantage.
The academy was teeming with wealthy noble children. Naturally, the highest profit margins would come from...
[ Business Item ]: Desserts
As it happened, I had the perfect product in mind—one that would let me leverage my recent experience in the North.
"First, let's call Danya over."
◆
The next morning.
The Northern Market was already buzzing with merchants and customers from the crack of dawn.
"Fresh fish imported directly from Constantine! A taste blessed by the Pope himself!"
"Hand-stitched protective gear crafted from genuine monster hide! Lightweight and impervious to a savage beast's claws...!"
I walked through the lively clamor, letting it wash over me as background noise. It wasn't long before I spotted Danya near our meeting spot, her head swiveling around as she looked for me.
Or rather, I spotted her rigidly upright pink tail first.
It traced doughnut-like circles in the air, twisting gracefully.
'That's her tail's movement when she's scanning the area.'
Spending all that time in the North—specifically, inside Richard's dantian—had given me a deeper understanding of Danya.
Specifically, I'd learned to decipher her tail.
A tail pointed skyward, lazily drawing circles: scanning the surroundings.
A drooping tail: low energy.
Tucked between the legs: fear or embarrassment.
And then...
"Boo!"
"Eek!"
When she was genuinely startled, every single hair on her tail bristled straight out.
"What are you so surprised about? It's just me."
"Ian, you...! Hmph!"
Pretending to be furious, Danya crossed her arms and turned her head away.
"Have you been waiting long?"
"As if Lady Danya would wait for the likes of you, meow! I just got here!"
Her face was set in a deep, sulky glare...
But when her tail veered off to the right and wagged like that, it meant she was genuinely happy to see the person she'd been waiting for.
Watching her keep her eyes firmly shut and maintain that "Hmph!" expression, I couldn't stifle a laugh.
"Pfft!"
"What's so funny, meow?!"
Danya was trying so hard to keep up the charade of being angry. For her sake, I'd have to keep the tail-reading thing a lifelong secret.
After pouting for a moment longer, Danya finally spoke.
"Ahem. Anyway. Why did you call me out here, meow? Are we buying something?"
"Fruit."
"...Fruit?"
"Yeah. I need a variety of bite-sized fruits."
Danya tilted her head.
"What do you need something like that for?"
"Buy it first, and I'll show you later."
"Hmm...?"
Her reaction was lukewarm, bordering on skeptical—what could anyone possibly do with just fruit? I knew exactly how to reignite her enthusiasm.
"The important thing is finding the freshest fruit. And honestly, isn't this your area of expertise, Danya? It requires a real instinct for these things."
"W-Well, that's true, meow!"
"I'm counting on you. Lead me to the shops with the best fresh fruit."
"You got it, meow!"
The secret was simple: praise. A well-placed compliment could make even a sullen Danya dance.
She instantly switched into search mode. Her tail weaved gently, her nose twitching wildly as she sniffed the air.
Come to think of it.
'I also need wooden skewers, sugar... and equipment for making ice. But I already know where to buy those.'
There were a few other supplies to gather, but for now, I followed Danya's lead.
The first place she guided me to was a large shop stacked with a staggering quantity of fruit.
"Academy students, I see. Are you looking for any fruit in particular?"
A merchant with a neat appearance greeted us warmly.
"We're looking for a wide assortment of fruit."
"Then you've come to the right place. Please, try some samples over here at our tasting corner."
Oh, nice.
They had all kinds of fruit laid out, freshly wiped down and ready for sampling. Overall, the taste was decent and the produce was reasonably fresh.
Danya, on the other hand, wore a vague, ambiguous expression.
"Could we get one box of these fruits first?"
"Of course!"
The beaming merchant handed over a box.
"You'll enjoy them just as much as the samples you tasted."
Just then, Danya's nose twitched violently.
"Hold it."
She plunged her hand into the box and pulled out the fruit from the very bottom.
Dried out and flecked with mold.
"I thought I smelled something weird coming from in there, meow. Let's go somewhere else."
Swish.
She spun on her heel and walked right out with all the professionalism of a seasoned expert.
◆
"—This one's rotten, meow!"
"—Mmm... not fresh at all!"
And so, Master Scent Expert Danya and I wandered the market for another hour or two.
"Ooh!"
Danya's ears perked up sharply before she darted down a back alley.
"Wait for me, Danya."
I pushed through the crowd and followed her deep into the narrow side street.
A shabby shop stood there, looking ready to collapse at any moment.
[ Mister's Fruit Shop ]
The half-broken sign hanging askew was a bit concerning, but...
"Here, here!"
Danya's tail swayed gently as she pointed a finger at the shop.
"Huh? Who's making a ruckus in front of my shop?"
"Eep!"
A figure burst out from inside, and a startled Danya latched onto my arm.
He certainly looked intimidating—a burly bald man with a fierce scowl. But I didn't sense any real malice.
"We're here to look at your fruit."
"...Get in."
He glanced around furtively, as if we were conducting some kind of black-market deal, and slipped back inside.
"...You sure this place is any good?"
"It smells the freshest, meow!"
I decided to trust Danya's judgment.
Contrary to its exterior, the shop's interior was remarkably tidy. Countless boxes of fruit were lined up in neat rows. In the space between them, the man stood with his arms crossed, showing off his bulging muscles.
"Uh, would it be possible to have a taste first?"
"A taste? What's that?"
He shot me a piercing glare. His voice dropped into a low rumble as he asked again.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"...I'm asking if we can try a bit."
"Ah. Samples? Just open any box and eat up. Pick whatever."
Most merchants use samples to put their best foot forward, don't they? I started by opening the boxes closest to the edge and inspecting them.
'Oh. They really are all fresh.'
Meanwhile, Danya, who had been quietly sniffing the air, trotted over to a specific box. She plucked out a bright red fruit.
"...What's this?"
"Ah, that one's called a tomato. Those Constantine folks call it the devil's fruit."
"The devil's fruit?"
Tilting her head, Danya licked the outer skin.
"It doesn't taste like anything, meow."
"You have to bite into it."
Squeeze.
She tightened her grip.
"Wait, Danya, if you squeeze it like that—!"
Splat!
"...it'll burst open."
Danya's face was instantly smeared with tomato pulp. Like a cat grooming itself, she wiped her cheek with the back of her hand before giving it a lick.
"It's sweet and tangy, meow!"
Her tail wagged pleasantly as she cleaned the tomato off her face.
"...You're not a child."
I sighed and wiped her face with a handkerchief before buying a single tomato and placing it in her hands.
Still, this was unexpected. The fruit might not have been visually displayed in an appetizing way, but the overall quality was outstanding.
"Most of these are fresh and delicious, aren't they?"
"Of course! I either grow 'em myself or hand-pick every single one!"
The man laughed heartily and thumped his chest.
"Anyway, you there! You've got a good eye for fruit!"
He threw a brawny arm around my shoulders. His bulging muscles were a little overwhelming.
"See this scar?! Got it from pruning in the orchard! Tch, that apple tree. A worthy foe, it was!"
...This guy is nuts.
Still, humoring him paid off. When I asked if I could buy just a single bunch of each fruit instead of whole boxes—since hauling entire cases of so many varieties would be a hassle—he was all too happy to oblige.
"Any chance I could buy them by the bunch?"
"Kuhaha! How could I refuse a brother who appreciates my fruit?!"
In an instant, the distance between us vanished, and my arms were loaded up with handfuls of fruit. I'd only come to buy some fresh produce, yet I felt like I'd just survived a battle.
"...Let's get going, Danya."
"Slurp... Okay, meow!"
Danya, who had been meticulously peeling the thin skin off her tomato and licking the flesh, scampered along behind me.
"Come back anytime!"
I gave a respectful bow to the muscle-bound man before making my escape.
"Where are we going now, meow?"
Danya tilted her head at me curiously.
"We're going to make it."
"...Make what?"
"A dessert that duplicates money."
Heh heh.
I barely managed to suppress the grin that threatened to break out across my lips.