Chapter 81 - All Too Common

Stephan asked with a face that looked as though he had been struck hard in the back of the head.

"... Excuse me?"

Ferda repeated himself without a single hint of wavering.

"I said that you are of no use."

"W-What do you mean by that? For you to say I'm useless now..."

"I had a private conversation with Ahmed Hashim. He proposed a partnership."

Hearing those words, Stephan could more or less understand.

"If it's a partnership... you really pulled off something huge..."

It was a proposal on a scale that couldn't even be compared to the simple cooperative relationship between Stephan and Ferda.

The largest city in the south, a place where money gathered, was offering equal standing to a city that hadn't even been built yet.

Unless they were completely out of their minds, it was a proposal heavily in Ferda's favor since the southern side was bound to lose out.

"The proposal... did you accept it?"

Stephan asked, desperately trying to steady his trembling voice.

"If I accepted that proposal, there would be no need for me to maintain a relationship with you."

What welled up in Stephan's chest was a sense of betrayal.

It was only natural.

Stephan had been completely captivated by Ferda's words, leading him to make aggressive investments.

He choked up and demanded answers.

"Didn't we make a contract? I have the exclusive rights to the products of magical engineering, and you even signed off on it. If I take this to court, the Regent will be at a disadvantage."

"Yes, and even if you win, the most I'd have to do is spit out a few pennies in compensation. No, wouldn't you be lucky to even recover those few pennies?"

"On what grounds are you saying that?"

"Because you are also failing to fulfill the contract."

Stephan was startled to hear those words.

"When did I ever betray you? Do you mean in the part I just explained?"

Stephan retraced the explanations he had given.

No matter how much he thought about it, there were no clauses he had tried to exploit for his own gain.

Well, even if there were, it wasn't a significant part.

It was a fair relationship commonly established between a merchant and a lord, and he had even proposed it in a way that favored the lord.

"Do you remember what I said when I brought you in?"

Ferda said.

"I said that I would cooperate with you as much as you cooperated with me. And I said I would make you the master of the merchant company."

"You did."

Stephan also recalled those words and nodded.

"Yes. That's what you promised. But it's just that there's no need for that anymore. The Pascal trading company is no longer necessary."

"How much value does the Pascal trading company have?"

"It is influential to the point that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that half of all goods in the Empire's territory pass through it."

"Yes, it is that kind of company. A company that wields influence in the Empire."

Ferda grew even colder upon hearing those words.

"And you just said with your own mouth that you are going to give up such a company."

"If it's a company like that, we can build one as much as we want. We are the pioneers in magical engineering, and as long as we don't neglect our research—."

"Stephan."

Ferda cut Stephan off.

"Yes, Regent."

Ferda took out three grapes from the fruit basket and placed them on the table.

"How many grapes are here?"

"There are three."

"Right, three. They are me, Burnel, and you, respectively."

Ferda pointed to the grape he had designated as himself.

"I agreed to become a connection for you. And even now, I am working to build those connections."

"You are."

This time, the grape designated as Burnel.

"And Burnel serves as your idea vault, using his research and development to create fresh goods for you. Having successfully finished today, he will continue to work hard tomorrow."

"He will."

"And lastly, you."

He placed his finger on Stephan's grape and rolled it.

"You have the money, so you must play the role of supplying the volume. In this system, we each have our own roles, and we need to keep things rolling from there."

"That is true..."

"And yet you are trying to give up the best company on the continent. Do you know what that means?"

Ferda's finger crushed Stephan's grape.

"It means you are nothing more than one of the all-too-common merchants out there."

The soft grape could not withstand the pressure of his finger and burst.

"Someone who gives up and compromises on what they originally had is not the merchant this Grand Duchy's territory needs."

Stephan quietly looked down at the grape.

Ferda's finger was stained red.

He felt a sudden dread that he, too, might be crushed and killed like a bug, just like that grape.

"Then... what should I do?"

"I'm not asking for anything difficult. Fulfill the contract. Become the master of the Pascal trading company. That is what you must do."

Stephan felt dizzy.

Here it was again.

This crushing pressure he had felt at his father's mansion.

Now, Ferda was the one subjecting him to it.

"Must it... truly involve bloodshed?"

For Stephan to become the master of Pascal, he had to dive into the power struggle.

His older brother running the mercenary business, Muchit.

His younger sister trying to expand her influence through an arranged marriage with another major merchant company, Tilda.

And their father, Herman Pascal.

To become the master, he had to either persuade or crush all of them.

Stephan did not want to do that.

A fight among family?

Did he really have to draw his sword in an arena where they pointed blades at one another and fought until one side died?

"Whether you fight or not is not for me to decide."

Ferda replied coldly.

"I simply want you to prove that you are the talent the Valdrova Grand Duchy's territory needs."

* * *

There had been a slight commotion, but the exhibition concluded with great success and zero casualties.

An auction followed in Halim, but there weren't any items that particularly caught his eye.

Still, one sword looked decent enough, so he bought it and handed it to Malcolm to encourage him.

'I almost snatched it back when he looked like he was about to bawl his eyes out the moment he received it.'

Even though he had taken the imperial knight exam and risen to the position of a knight, he was a young man who fell far too short to truly be called one.

'Well, that's exactly why he's useful.'

It wouldn't be too late to think about disposing of him once his value as a sample diminished.

In any case, the business in Halim was settled for now.

With the auction as the final event, the scholars began to wrap up the exhibition and pack their things.

Among them, some were satisfied, while others sighed after completely bombing their presentations.

Burnel did not let such circumstances sway his emotions.

Inside the carriage, he was reviewing the blueprints for the magical engineering rifle as if every second was precious.

Perhaps applying it in actual combat had given him various inspirations, for he was racking his brain just as intensely as he had while preparing for the exhibition.

Just as they were preparing to leave Halim, Ferda felt a glare reflecting off the sunlight.

The Chancellor of Escolaia, Bernard Wayne, was approaching.

"Did you enjoy the exhibition?"

"Yes, there was an incident, but overall it was satisfactory."

"I'm glad to hear that. I am looking for Burnel, do you happen to know where he is?"

Ferda subtly motioned toward the carriage with his eyes.

"If you don't mind, may I have a word with Burnel?"

Ferda looked into Bernard's eyes.

He could sense a faint trace of guilt over having provoked him.

'Is he planning to apologize?'

Driving him into a state of anger had made him incredibly passionate, and now he wanted to throw cold water on that?

That was something Ferda did not want.

'Still, doesn't he have a new driving force now?'

The successful presentation had become his new driving force.

Ferda judged that the anger directed at Chancellor Bernard was no longer necessary, so he stepped aside.

Bernard stepped into the carriage and called out to him.

"Burnel."

Burnel glanced at him briefly before turning his head back.

"There's no need to talk."

"I have something to say to you. I—"

"I already know what it is. I know exactly what your intentions were when you said those things, Chancellor."

Bernard was rendered speechless.

"How did you know?"

"Am I not a scholar as well? I once took classes under you, Chancellor. Everyone knows that you are strict with geniuses. So you must have been the same with me."

"..."

Burnel lifted his head and looked up at the ceiling.

He was recalling the past, but there was no bitterness.

"Back then... I was incredibly angry. I was disappointed, and I felt betrayed. But not anymore. Because you were right, Chancellor."

A sense of awe from long ago bled into Burnel's voice and eyes.

"Just as you said, Chancellor, I was a man with narrow vision. I was so fixated on 1% that I couldn't see the 10%. Because you gave me this opportunity, I was able to broaden my horizons."

"..."

"So... next time, I will bring an invention so groundbreaking that you will have no choice but to acknowledge it."

Burnel said with a smile.

"The light of truth."

Hearing those words, Chancellor Bernard couldn't help but be inwardly shocked.

It was a phrase known to every cadet at the Escolaia academy.

Chancellor Bernard smiled in return and finished the phrase.

"Shall set you free."

A profound emotion still lingered between them, but the deep chasm of hatred was no more.

Bernard patted Burnel's shoulder.

"Turn the world upside down with your ideals."

"And at the end of it, I will treat you to a cup of tea."

Bernard never ended up apologizing.

And Burnel did not wish for that apology.

They were men who pursued their ideals and marched toward the truth.

Confirming that they were united by the single conviction of truth, they each walked their own path.

"We're departing!"

Malcolm, who stood at the lead, blew a horn, and the carriage began to move.

It was time to return to the castle.

It had taken ten days to get here.

Now, it would take another ten days to go back.

As that tedious time stretched on, Ferda's heart swelled with thoughts of Valdrova.

'My heart, what are you doing right now?'

Tossing out that question that would yield no answer, the carriage rolled on endlessly.

* * *

A dragon's daily life is closely related to their nest—that is, their lair.

Thus, flaunting their strength and power was a given, and they would construct structures that highlighted their own characteristics.

In that regard, Valdrova was different from other dragons.

Valdrova's lair was a refuge, a concept similar to an underground prison.

Originally, it had been a damp cave with cold drafts.

However, after she settled there, it became a place where dry, warm breezes blew.

Lying there coiled up, Valdrova thought to herself.

'I'm bored.'

She was said to be an immortal who had lived for a long time, but the moment she felt the passage of time day by day, boredom enveloped her entire body.

The only reason she was able to live in such a dark, gloomy place for so long was because of Luri.

'And I didn't have to think about anything either.'

The anxiety of wondering when she would suffer from the bloodlust again left her no time to be bored.

Feeling this kind of boredom was a new experience that only came after realizing she no longer had to agonize over the bloodlust.

Whenever she felt like it was going to hurt even a little, Ferda would step up and help her.

Whenever that happened, they always shared a light conversation.

["I greet you, Grand Duchess Valdrova."]

["Ah, i-it's nice to see you!"]

["I will begin."]

["Yes, okay!"]

'No, that wasn't even a conversation...'

It was far too one-sided to be called a conversation.

Ferda always did all the talking unilaterally, and Valdrova merely nodded or shook her head.

It couldn't be helped.

Her daily routine was going outside and killing demonic creatures.

What would happen if she used that as a topic of conversation?

["I went out today and killed demonic creatures."]

["Is that so?"]

["One of them didn't die even when I tore it apart with my claws, so I set its internal organs ablaze."]

["Ah..."]

["There were also demonic parasite creatures hiding inside, and they burned away nicely as they squirmed around."]

["Right..."]

'He would definitely be repulsed.'

Ferda's expression naturally painted itself in Valdrova's mind.

The thought that he would look at her as if thinking, 'This thing is my fiancée?' made Valdrova miserable.

'I resolved to change, and yet...'

She reproached herself time and time again for only being capable of saying hello, goodbye, and making exclamations.

The suffering from the bloodlust had lessened, but another kind of agony took its place.

'Should I ask them to send Ferda to me...'

Wouldn't she be able to pick a topic and talk to him this time?

Of course, she had thought this eight times already, but nothing had changed.

The reason was simple.

'Because I have nothing to talk about.'

Just as a sprout cannot grow from unplanted ground, it was only natural that there was no conversation when there were no topics to discuss in the first place.

Besides, she belatedly realized that there was no need to do so today.

'Luri said Ferda went to a place called... Halim.'

Whatever it was, she guessed it wasn't a good place.

Because when Luri uttered the word Halim, her expression hadn't been good, and she had let out a sigh.

She figured it must be a place roughly like a battlefield.

'And his workload has increased a lot lately too.'

She was also aware that they had formed an alliance with Iorga.

'Iorga...'

Valdrova felt uncomfortable with that name.

The Blue Dragon, Iorga.

Iorga particularly hated Valdrova.

Whenever Valdrova said something, Iorga would scowl, criticize her, and try to break her spirit.

Valdrova knew she didn't harbor any malicious intent.

But aside from that, it was still far too difficult to deal with her.

'I'm sure Iorga... is doing well.'

It had been a long time since she last saw her, so her face was hazy, but she remembered her form.

She was smart, beautiful, and a Guardian Dragon respected by many people.

She was a woman who would receive admiration rather than fear, no matter what village she visited.

["Village..."]

The next thought naturally followed her train of consciousness.

'Come to think of it... it's been a really long time since I've seen a human village.'

The final destination of her drifting thoughts was curiosity.

How many hundreds of years had it been since she last saw a human village?

What did they look like these days?

Did they look similar to the ones I saw last? Or had they changed significantly?

That curiosity willfully poked at Valdrova's body.

Her body gradually shrank until she eventually became a single human woman.

"I want to go see..."

She muttered, needlessly fiddling with her skirt.

If she had to go out, she absolutely had to take on a human form.

Valdrova did not want to meet others in her dragon form.

'People... will be terrified of my dragon form.'

But even so, she couldn't go out in her human form either.

'And I'm too scared to go out in my human form...'

It was a dilemma where neither side offered a solution.

Valdrova subtly turned her head.

To the armor resting against the wall.

'Maybe with that armor...'

Wouldn't it be okay?

She had worn that armor when she met Ferda, so she was used to it now.

The eye level was also slightly higher, so it didn't seem like it would cause her much discomfort.

"But isn't this a bit scary..."

It was large and muscular, making it imposing.

Above all, the armor was sculpted in her own image, so the helmet looked just like her dragon self.

Her menacing form that made everyone tremble in fear, that is.

"Can it not be... in a less threatening form...?"

Valdrova spat out the words as if lamenting.

It was then.

As if it had heard her muttering, the armor squirmed.

"Huh?"

SHHRRK—.

The threatening form of the dragon head began to lose its shape.

It wasn't just the dragon head.

Every element crafted to display a dragon's majesty began to disappear.

While she was flustering about, wondering if something had gone wrong, the armor transformed into a new shape.

"Ah...!"

Valdrova let out an exclamation of awe.

The final result was something very familiar to her eyes.

"It's ordinary."

A half-plate armor that was neither flashy nor too clean, with just the right amount of wear and tear.

It was an armor so ordinary that even ordinary people would look at it and assume it belonged to an ordinary knight.

"It's so ordinary..."

Valdrova's golden eyes sparkled.

To her, "ordinary" was a precious thing that couldn't be bought with all the gold and jewels in the world.

As if possessed, she slid her body into it.

It was time to break out of her shell.