Ride the Mooning Coin

Basel gave his new patron, Luden, a brief overview of his research.

"Sub-space transmission magic is, you see, a magic that bridges a passage between dimensions, built upon multi-dimensional theory and space-distortion magic. Because of that, coordinates must be derived with relativity taken into account, and once you factor in the periodic fluctuations, fixing the space itself—"

"I see."

Basel, unspooling an entire lecture with a fervent expression, looked thoroughly worked up. Luden, of course, who didn't know the first thing about magic, simply nodded along and let it wash over him.

Truthfully, he hadn't needed the explanation at all.

'I've seen it once before.'

The complicated principles were beyond him, but he had seen the end product with his own two eyes. In the future he'd left behind. It was certainly something Basel could take pride in. There was just one problem: in the future Luden knew, it was not Basel but another magic tower that finished that research and presented it to the world.

"Once this research is complete, it will be possible to store and retrieve items freely, with no restrictions on what they are. Of course, that is merely the most basic application—push it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠further, and one could make objects leap across space without any constraint of distance."

"I see."

"But even that is only the beginning. What I'm aiming for is a far higher realm. I haven't yet managed to formulate even a theory, but someday, to observe beings of another dimension—that is my goal."

From Basel as he spoke radiated a burning passion unbefitting his age.

But that lasted only a moment. Without warning, his expression darkened and his shoulders sagged.

"There is, however, a problem."

"What problem?"

"I have no money."

"……."

"N-now, don't look at me like that. I'm not joking."

When Luden stared at him with a chilled, unamused gaze, Basel spoke as though offering an excuse.

"Completing the research requires rare materials, you see."

"In other words, you can't continue your research because you can't afford the materials?"

"Th-that's right. There's the debt, too."

His voice shrank smaller with every word. From the sight of him, not a shred of the dignity befitting the head of a magic tower could be found.

"Haah."

Well, it was only natural. The Vivre Magic Tower had been all but destroyed by some incident in the past, and now only Basel and his disciple remained to keep its legacy barely alive. In truth, the place was so precarious that its collapse tomorrow would have surprised no one.

'And in fact, in the future I knew, unable to repay its debts, every scrap of research material and every achievement was seized by another tower.'

The shadow wars among mages were every bit as vicious as those among nobles. Stealing another's achievements, preening as if it were one's own, and monopolizing every last shred of credit was hardly shocking in this world. The one ironic twist, perhaps, was that the one who exposed that tower's corruption had been an insider.

"S-so, I'm sorry to have to say this, but even if you were to sponsor us, there isn't really anything we could—"

"How much?"

"…could offer you, hm?"

"The debt. How much is left?"

"W-well. A little under one million rubs."

One million rubs. At the very least, that was a sum equivalent to six months of operating funds for the Kaisar territory. However expensive a mage's research might be, what on earth had the man done, all by himself, to rack up a debt like that?

Basel watched the suddenly silent Luden with anxious eyes. If the young man changed his mind and withdrew his sponsorship now, he would be out on the street within days.

But contrary to his fears, Luden had no intention of pulling his feet out of the water now that he had waded this far in.

In the future, the sub-space transmission artifact had its share of problems, but even so it drew attention and achieved enormous success. The nations of the world took notice, and renowned merchant guilds eyed the technology with open greed.

'If it's completed, one million rubs will be a laughing matter.'

If anything, he was already thinking about how he could involve himself even more deeply.

"Very well. Then I'll handle the debt—I'll work out a solution."

"What?"

"And if there are materials you need, please tell me. I'll find out whether they can be obtained and prepare as many as I can."

"N-now, hold on. Just wait a moment."

Flustered by how quickly Luden was pushing the conversation forward, Basel cut him off. Then he asked, with eyes that could not begin to comprehend, "What are you saying right now? Don't tell me you intend to keep sponsoring us?"

"Of course that's the plan. Why?"

"No, no. But why?"

It was a fair question. He had snapped up the money dangled before his eyes, but for the life of him he couldn't fathom what Luden believed in enough to invest in him.

It couldn't be his research. Every single person who had seen his work until now had reacted with nothing but dismissal. Far more plausible was that some rich noble's son was simply indulging a whim.

Luden answered the staring Basel with a confident smile.

"I simply saw possibility in your research, Lord Basel."

"Possibility? Do you truly believe that?"

"Yes."

His achievements had been stolen from him, yes—but his research had not been wasted. And because Luden knew the future, he could be even more certain of it than Basel himself.

"Then what is it you want?"

"Nothing much. Just a small share of the profits when the research is complete."

Into an investment that could not fail, Luden gladly reached out his hand.

Charles frowned.

He asked his subordinate, who was carefully studying his mood.

"What? Say that again."

"W-well, you see. Old man Basel paid off three months of overdue interest."

"What kind of nonsense is that? Where would that old man get money?"

The most important thing in the loan-sharking business is confirming whether the mark can actually pay you back. Only then can you bury them under a debt they can't handle and strip them down to the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bedrock. And so Charles had done his homework thoroughly in advance. The tower might have been doing decently once upon a time, but now it had been picked utterly clean. All that remained was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one old man and a single disciple, and not a copper coin was left in the place.

'There's no way he could have repaid that money.'

He knew every detail of their circumstances, so he knew repayment was impossible. No—he had arranged things precisely so that it would be. And yet somehow, the interest had been paid.

Had something slipped past him?

Charles turned to the subordinate who had delivered the report.

"There's no way that old man could pay. If he'd had that kind of money, he'd have coughed it up long ago. You've been watching the place—anything else unusual?"

"Uh, um. There was one thing. Apparently they saw some man and woman, total strangers, entering the old man's house."

"You idiot! Something like that should've been reported the moment it happened!"

At his loud berating, the man shrank into himself. Honestly, this one or that one, not a single one of them was worth a damn. Charles pressed hard between his brows and swallowed his anger.

"So who were they? You investigated, naturally?"

"O-of course we investigated. Their identities couldn't be traced at all, so they're clearly outsiders."

"Not even capital folk, and they went looking for a tower that's falling apart?"

Charles sank into thought. Until just a few days ago, Basel had most definitely had no money to repay his debts. But if he had suddenly paid months of overdue interest, as if money had dropped out of the sky, then nine times out of ten it was tied to those outsiders.

'Who could it be? Was there still some place with ties left to the Vivre Magic Tower?'

But they'd kept quiet all this time—why come forward now?

"Ngh. With so little time left, things have to get complicated."

"What should we do?"

"What do you think? Keep hounding them for the debt, same as now. Keep the pressure on."

The promised deadline was close at hand. Whatever else happened, the job had to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠move forward without a hitch.

"And those two outsiders—watch them around the clock. Where they go, who they meet, right down to what they eat for dinner. Don't miss a single thing."

"Understood!"

Having finished his talk with Basel, Luden set out somewhere the next day.

"Sir Luden! Miss Sarah! You've truly come to see me."

"Oh! It's Hugo!"

Sarah brightened at the familiar face. It was Hugo, with whom they had built a bond by saving him in the Cobalt Mountains. Remembering that he ran a merchant guild in Resen, Luden had come to see him as promised.

"So this is the guild you operate, Hugo."

"Hahaha. It's hardly worth boasting about, so I'm a touch embarrassed. Come, come, this way please."

Despite the sudden visit, Hugo welcomed the two of them without a shadow of displeasure. Inside the Lotus Merchant Guild, roughly thirty employees were at work—contrary to Hugo's modest words, it was no small operation.

'Well, running a guild in the royal capital does mean he has real ability.'

The place Hugo led them to was his office, where he conducted his business.

"I never imagined we'd meet again this soon."

"You're looking better than you did back then, Hugo."

"Well, after an ordeal like that, you know. Since returning to Resen, I've been eating well, cutting back on work, and resting properly."

Then Hugo lowered his voice as though sharing a secret.

"Between us, I'm in a bit of a bind—no matter what I eat, I can't forget the taste of that soup we had back then. It seems monster meat rather suits my palate."

Luden smirked at the jest. Amusing as ever, he thought, and brought up the business that had brought him here.

"The truth is, I've come today because I have a favor to ask of you."

"Hmm. So it wasn't a simple social call after all."

Even at the word favor, Hugo didn't so much as blink. If anything, he reacted as though he'd been expecting it, and waited for Luden to continue.

'He seems easygoing, but he reads people fast.'

Was that what being a merchant did? His instincts were certainly sharp.

"I'd like to know more about the Lunvel Magic Tower."

"The Lunvel Magic Tower?"

Luden didn't miss the instant of surprise that crossed Hugo's face. It was unmistakably a reaction to the name itself.

"Lunvel is the most powerful magic tower in the Vedia Kingdom at present, is it not? I hadn't expected you to take an interest in magic towers, Sir Luden."

"I've long had an interest in magic. Magical tools especially—and Lunvel is famous in that field, no?"

"That is certainly true."

Even as he nodded, a troubled air hung about Hugo. As though he were hesitating to say something. Luden, watching his reactions closely, remarked in passing.

"Come to think of it, I heard there was one other tower in the Vedia Kingdom famous in that same field. Brus, wasn't it? Would you happen to know it?"

"Gahk. Do you mean the Vivre Magic Tower?"

"Ah. That would be the one."

Hugo, no longer even bothering to hide his alarm, spoke in a rush.

"Sir Luden. The Vivre Magic Tower no longer exists—it was lost to a terrible accident. Much as I regret it, I'd advise you to try Lunvel, or somewhere else entirely."

"Is that so? How strange, then. What I heard says the Vivre Magic Tower still exists."

"……"

"Only two of them, but they're still flying the tower's name."

"…I see. So you knew before you came."

Only then did Hugo grasp Luden's intent. He had come asking about Lunvel and the Vivre Magic Tower from the very beginning. Hugo let out a long sigh and spoke.

"Let me say this up front: you would do well to have nothing to do with the Vivre Magic Tower."

"Because of Lunvel?"

"…That is so. Lunvel is counted among the finest towers in the kingdom, but it did not climb to that position by honest means alone."

"Hmm."

"There is little I can tell you. And most of that amounts to rumors I can't vouch for."

That was more than enough.

Luden bowed his head in gratitude.