Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Turning the Tables
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“These guys were trying to get it for nothing. They would've made a fortune even if they'd bought it properly.”
“Looks good, doesn't it?”
“Yeah. It's strange that other trading companies left this alone. From what I can see, the creditors are all in on it together.”
Oh Min-jae placed the tourism development rights document in front of Wang-sik.
“It's for exclusive development rights, no less. Worth at least 30,000 gold coins. Once the business actually starts, you could probably earn five times the initial investment. Though it would take time, of course.”
An enormous sum was mentioned.
“So even in ruin, the name Lennox still means something, huh?”
“It's as great as your face, brother.”
“I'm not particularly fond of this face, though.”
Oh Min-jae looked at Wang-sik, who now wore Vega's face.
“Brother, to be honest, it's twenty thousand times more handsome than your original face.”
“A man's charm isn't in his face.”
“Then give it to me. Let me try living with that face.”
“Unfortunately, it's non-transferable. If the ring's owner changes, the collected soul disappears.”
“Tsk!”
Oh Min-jae set aside his disappointment and continued discussing the business rights.
“The guys who lent him the maritime trade rights and tourism development rights are probably in cahoots. The truth is, he could have paid off all his debts by selling just one of them.”
“They said he was addicted to gambling. Did he borrow from them there?”
“Could be. Come to think of it, it's a shame. There must have been more than just a few business rights that were lost like this.”
Not only business rights but various other concessions and the family's own territory had vanished due to extravagance and debauchery.
“Alright, what should we do now? Time to come up with a plan, right?”
“Well, this should be easy enough to solve. First, we need to announce the revival of House Lennox.”
Oh Min-jae drafted a contract on the spot.
“I'll buy the tourism development rights. The price is 40,000 gold coins. Use this to pay off the debt and revive the maritime trade rights.”
“But we don't have the resources for trade yet.”
“You won't be doing the trading yourself. Instead, revoke the authority of the company currently exercising those rights. They're definitely operating on a bargain price. Then, spread a rumor that you'll be partnering with our trading company.”
The expansion of the Mirje Trading Company was threatening enough to draw the attention of even the largest companies. The other four businesses holding trade rights would have no choice but to be on edge.
“And then?”
“The companies that previously held the rights will probably rush to buy your trade rights. They'll offer better terms than us. Then, sell it to them for a very high price. It's usually valued at 10,000 gold coins, so around 20,000 should be about right.”
As Wang-sik nodded, Oh Min-jae began to search through a ledger.
“Let's see. I remember there was a decent investment opportunity near the Lennox territory...”
Not the current territory, but the old one.
He had handed over even his territory to other nobles.
“That's right. There was this.”
Oh Min-jae read one of the entries in the ledger.
“Hyle Forest. We should buy this place.”
“A forest? Is there something there?”
“Nope. It's just a swamp. Full of trees.”
Wang-sik sensed something in Oh Min-jae's smile.
“That's what they think on the Azelan Continent.”
“And in reality?”
“Here, it's called the Evonia tree. On Earth, we call it ebony. It's one of the finest types of wood.”
Oh Min-jae explained for a moment.
It was a wood so durable and water-resistant, so heavy and hard, that it would sink in water.
Its drawback was that it was difficult to work with, but its luxurious black color created overwhelming demand.
However, its production was so low that most countries managed it directly.
It was just that rare a wood.
“The price of wood varies depending on the shape of the raw timber, so I can't say for sure, but one thing is certain. A single Evonia tree, over 200 years old, becomes ebony worth hundreds of millions once it passes through a gate.”
This was the core of gate trading.
This wasn't the only thing that existed on both continents but had a different value.
“How many ebony trees over 200 years old are in Hyle Forest?”
“Probably more than a thousand.”
The calculation resulted in a staggering figure. If there were a thousand 200-year-old trees, there would be far more younger ones.
“Our trading company will buy up everything produced there.”
“Won't people find that strange?”
“They won't. We'll be selling on the Azelan Continent too. A few months ago, I bought a furniture workshop that caters to nobles. We'll make furniture there from ebony and birch. Once it's finished, the nobles will go crazy for it.”
Oh Min-jae had been pursuing business related to the nobility for some time.
For nobles to whom luxury was a daily affair, high-end furniture would become not a choice, but a necessity.
“In Azelan, they only used ebony for things like sturdy wooden swords. On Earth, it was used for instruments and furniture.”
“Because it's hard to work with?”
“Exactly. So, we've developed a processing method using magic. The labor costs will naturally go up, but the nobles will be dying to buy it. The finished products have a completely different feel.”
Just as Oh Min-jae was about to explain in more detail, Wang-sik cut him off.
“That's my brother for you. Brilliant. So, all I have to do is buy Hyle Forest?”
“Right. But there's a problem.”
“What is it?”
“It's a place our company tried to buy and failed.”
Even in Azelan, the supply of ebony wasn't large. It was only because it hadn't had a use for a long time that any remained.
The Hyle Forest that Oh Min-jae mentioned was the largest habitat for it on the Azelan Continent.
“A fine mission. The older brother succeeding where the younger one failed. It looks good.”
“When you put it like that, it makes me want to try again.”
“No need to trouble yourself. Your big brother here will take care of it easily.”
Oh Min-jae simply accepted Wang-sik's confidence.
The opponent was formidable, so even Oh Min-jae couldn't be certain. However, the value of the ebony was so great that it was worth another try.
“Then let's finish the tourism rights purchase first. Business is all about cash on the barrel.”
They headed to a warehouse in the Decartes Mountains Gate Hub.
When Oh Min-jae held his necklace to it, a magic circle flared with light, and the wall opened to both sides.
The warehouse walls were lined with various treasures, and in the center, gold ingots were neatly stacked.
It was similar to what he had seen in Drepia's warehouse, but the amount of gold had decreased considerably.
They were stacked in a square of the same width, but the gold that had once reached his waist was now only knee-high.
“We've spent a lot expanding the company. A lot was invested in other goods, too. The real business is about to start, so it'll recover soon.”
“You take care of that. This is still a lot, anyway.”
Though he hadn't explained everything, Wang-sik knew that the Guseong Group's business was prospering far beyond the value of the missing gold.
That money was structured to return to Mad Castle.
When it came to money, Wang-sik had left it entirely to Oh Min-jae, so he didn't get involved.
“By the way, were there no Life Stones among Drepia's treasures?”
Drepia had been aggressive in the gate business, so he'd expected them to have Life Stones, but he hadn't found any in the warehouse.
“I found that strange too, so I'm investigating their tracks. I feel like we need to know who got Drepia's Life Stones.”
Since Oh Min-jae had already started the investigation, Wang-sik decided to wait.
“Alright, 40,000 gold coins means 400 ingots.”
After taking 400 gold ingots stamped with a 100-gold-coin seal, an entire row of the square disappeared.
“I'll make sure to get it back, so look forward to it.”
“Don't overdo it, and call me right away if there's any trouble.”
“Brother, have some faith in me.”
“I always do. It's just that this mission is a high-difficulty one. The opponent is a classic sewer-type guy.”
“Sewer?”
“Things go in, but they don't come out.”
He was the type of person who stuffed his belly full of the wealth he swallowed.
“Trust me and leave it to me.”
“That's one of your charms, brother.”
“Care to praise me in detail?”
“It's clearly baseless confidence, but when I listen to you, I start to believe it.”
“An accurate analysis. I'll repay your faith this time as well.”
Wang-sik gave a thumbs-up.
The loan shark, Gayle, visited Vega's house with his two burly subordinates, as usual.
He strode confidently through the garden and knocked roughly on the front door as if he were about to start a riot.
A gentle breeze blew the door open, and they walked right in.
Discovering Vega leisurely sipping tea on the sofa, they were taken aback by the clean interior and Vega's changed demeanor, but they didn't forget their original purpose.
“Lord Lennox, it is time to pay the interest.”
“Where are your manners?”
Gayle froze at the cold tone, so Vega elaborated for him.
“Have you forgotten how to greet someone?”
“What?”
Gayle hesitated for a moment but then clasped his hands and bowed his head.
“Greetings, Lord Lennox.”
“You came for the interest?”
“Yes. And now, you must also pay the principal.”
His retaliation for the demand of a proper greeting was a demand for the principal. In any case, the promised date for repayment had long passed, so it was a legitimate request.
‘Is he trying to put on one last show of bravado?’
Just as he had that thought, Vega placed a large pouch on the table.
Overwhelmed by the strange atmosphere, Gayle slowly opened the pouch.
“Uh...”
There were twenty gold ingots.
An unmistakable 2,000 gold coins.
Vega held out a hand.
“The promissory note.”
“What? Ah, yes...”
Gayle hesitantly took out the document from his coat.
He had originally brought it to apply pressure; he never expected to hand it over like this.
‘This can't be happening.’
He had deliberately delayed the principal repayment to increase the interest, all with the intention of forcing a sham marriage to seize the title.
To this end, he had even assigned his best cardsharp to Vega when he came to the gambling den.
It was a scheme three years in the making; if he handed over the document now, the entire plan would go up in smoke.
While he had the 1,000 gold coins from the initial scam and another 1,000 in interest, the plan was not one he could be satisfied with just that.
“Allow me a moment to recalculate.”
“Recalculate?”
“The interest calculation for the delayed principal repayment was omitted.”
“Are you trying to haggle with me now? Or are you trying to defraud a Count's family?”
Vega emphasized the word "Count."
In that moment, various thoughts raced through Gayle's mind.
‘Maybe I should just kill him right here and now...’
But that wasn't a solution either.
No one would believe a marriage and adoption based on rumors alone. There was a process that required Vega himself to submit a declaration of marriage and adoption papers.
‘Pressing for more interest is dangerous.’
Above all, his instincts warned him so.
“On second thought, the calculation is correct.”
He put down the certificate and collected the gold ingots.
He was about to turn and leave, feeling a constricting pressure, when he heard Vega's voice.
“Wait.”
That single word made his heart pound.
A tension he couldn't rationally explain arose.
“You brought weapons.”
It was proper etiquette for anyone visiting a noble's house to leave their weapons outside or entrust them to the mansion's butler.
Nobles might overlook it amongst themselves, but that courtesy did not extend to a back-alley loan shark.
“My, my apologies. We were in a hurry...”
Vega slowly rose from his seat and looked at Gayle with emotionless eyes.
As the silent stare continued, Gayle's body began to tremble.
Seeing this, one of his subordinates couldn't take it anymore and drew his sword.
“This bastard! How long are you gonna act like a noble!”
The words had barely left his mouth when a gruesome sound was heard.
*Crack!*
Vega's hand had shot out, grabbed the neck of the subordinate charging with a sword, and snapped it.
Gayle and his remaining subordinate froze at the suddenness of it all. They hadn't even been able to properly see Vega's movement.
No matter how they looked, it was clearly Vega.
But his aura and actions were completely different.
“Clean it up.”
“What?”
“Are you telling me to clean up that filth?”
“N-No, sir!”
As Gayle came to his senses and began to deal with his subordinate's body, Vega tossed something.
*Thud!*
What landed on the floor was a gold ingot.
Tossing the 100-gold-coin ingot on the floor, Vega spoke in a cold voice.
“That's for running an errand. There's a troublesome task I need you to do.”
“Y-Your command is my wish!”
“Tell Captain Taylor I'm revoking the maritime trade rights, and that he should come to collect his money.”
“Y-Yes, I understand.”
“And one more thing.”
Indeed, 100 gold coins was too much for just delivering a message.
“The guys who swindled me at the gambling den, the prostitutes you deliberately sent my way, the ones who sold me fake liquor and jewels. Take care of them all.”
At this rate, rumors about Vega's change would begin to spread.
“If I see them again, they'll have to cough up that money. And let me tell you, my interest is very expensive.”
Having said his piece, Vega sat back down on the sofa and picked up his teacup again.