Chapter 96 - Gold Rush

Stephan belatedly gasped for the breath he had been unable to take while spewing his fiery speech.

His face was drenched in sweat, and drops of sweat dripped from his clenched fists.

Herman quietly glared at Stephan.

Herman Pascal, who had acted like a tyrant, whipping him if he got even one question wrong on a test and telling him never to let his guard down when facing numbers.

When he opened his mouth again, he said this.

"Then do as you wish."

"... Excuse me?"

Stephan blinked foolishly.

Wasn't this like arming himself and getting ready to fight, only for the opponent to declare their surrender?

"Wait a minute, Father. A-Are you ending it this anticlimactically?"

"Anticlimactic or whatever, what more do you expect me to do?"

"Isn't it rather strange for you to end it like this? If you're planning to hatch a plot behind my back—"

"As you said, I'm just an old man in the back room, so what could this old man do? I told you to do as you please."

"Before, you acted like you would devour me if I didn't step down, so why are you allowing it now?"

Herman looked at him as if he were pathetic and asked.

"Didn't you ask me back then?"

"I did."

"So I simply told you to step down."

"How is that any different from now?"

"Back then, you asked for my choice as an employee, and now, you've notified me as the master of this place."

Herman turned around.

"The master says he doesn't want to, so what am I supposed to do about it?"

After saying those words, Herman disappeared.

The heavy air pierced deeply into Stephan's lungs once again.

"Hah."

Everything felt empty.

His mind was reeling, as if a massive bomb had dropped nearby and struck his eardrums.

"Master... huh."

Stephan chewed over the words his father had said.

Suddenly, he saw what was placed on his desk.

Two apples that had rolled off when he slammed the desk.

There were two things to grasp.

But only one hand to grasp them with.

"Haha..."

Suddenly, a foolish thought crossed his mind.

No, it wasn't a foolish thought.

It was the wisest and most brilliant thought that Stephan, who had been completely suppressed, had never been able to conceive.

Stephan picked up the two apples with both hands.

"My hands... I had two all along."

And then he placed the apples back onto his fruit tray.

Everything that had been pressuring him vanished.

Stephan smiled in relief.

* * *

Herman came out of the headquarters and boarded his carriage.

Sitting in that carriage was a muscular man, a man who looked twice as large as Herman's body.

It was Muchit Pascal.

Herman looked at him and said.

"Let's go home."

"Yes."

Muchit signaled the carriage, and it began to move.

He noticed that Herman was different from his usual self and asked.

"Did your talk with my younger brother go well?"

At Muchit's question, Herman nodded.

"I don't like it, but it was satisfactory."

"Ho, then is Stephan going to be the chairman now?"

"I'll have to watch him a bit more. If I hand it over rashly, he's bound to slack off."

"Haha! Never in my life did I think I'd see that guy get acknowledged by you, Father."

Muchit laughed as if he were amused, and Herman clicked his tongue.

"Seeing him fiercely talk back to his father, it was like looking at you going through a delayed puberty, which didn't sit well with me."

"It wasn't puberty, he always had a temper. Isn't everyone in the Pascal family like that?"

"So, are you okay with this?"

It was a question of whether it was fine to hand over the Pascal trading company.

Since it was standard practice to pass the family business down to the eldest son, it was an inevitably uncomfortable situation.

However, Muchit waved his hand and laughed refreshingly.

"The mercenary company alone is enough for me. I don't have the brains to crunch numbers, do I? I'm the brawn, and Stephan is the brains. Wouldn't my head hurt less if he does the thinking instead?"

"Is that so?"

"But it's not like I don't have any greed. Seeing how my son acts, he seems to have a quick mind like his mother. I'll have to give him some successor training and eventually take it back for myself."

"Are you planning to sabotage him so much that he won't even be able to get married?"

"Kuhaha! I wish there was something to sabotage! He has no eye for women and lacks so much social grace that it's pitiful! It's gotten to the point where my wife is hyping him up to the young ladies of good houses, begging them to just take a look at my brother!"

It was impossible to tell whether he wanted to steal from his brother or give to him.

"Still, that insolent brat needs to pave the way so I can breathe a little easier, so shouldn't you do something about it, Father?"

Herman shrugged his shoulders.

"You should discuss it with the master. What will you gain by discussing it with me?"

"Hah, seeing how that bastard uses his head these days, simply yelling at him won't work. As I thought, I need to make my son smart enough to snatch it right up."

Herman chuckled.

Whatever the case, the battle for the successor of the Pascal family ended with this.

With that, the carriage continued moving toward the mansion.

* * *

"Did you hear the news?"

"It seems you came after hearing the news about the Dandolo trading company."

"Right. Who in the world could have known that the Dandolo trading company would fall into someone else's hands?"

"With Rico Dandolo dead and Henri Dandolo giving up everything, it's nothing short of bizarre."

"And the one who received it is that guy named Ferda from the far east, isn't it? He undoubtedly must have used some sort of trick."

"There are suspicions, but isn't Henri already famous for being a man who disliked his work? Now that the shackle known as his father is broken, he simply gave up the trading company."

"Even so, didn't he give up too much? Why would he give up enough money to eat and play for the rest of his life?"

"There must have undoubtedly been some sort of deal exchanged among the higher-ups."

"You can't ignore popularity, either. Since all of those numerous executives voted in favor, we have to assume he handed it over to an appropriate person."

"Even I would support Regent Ferda. He's currently flying high after discovering the western vein and rare earths, and on top of that, he's able to secure that rising star known as magical engineering."

"Then is the Dandolo name staying as it is?"

"How could that be? They say they're changing the name. To the Hestia trading company, that is."

"Not Valdrova?"

"They believe that keeping the name of that terrifying Evil Dragon will bring a curse, so how could they continue using it? I heard they're naming it after the village they're building."

"The village's name is Hestia? Sounds like a little girl's name."

"Isn't that what makes it good? Heh heh."

"But with so many people and so much money gathering in the Grand Duchy's territory, is the Empire just sitting still?"

"Don't they have the pretext of subjugating the far east? Iorga declared her support there and said she would build a village to accommodate adventurers."

"Adventurers? What do they intend to do in the far east?"

"By the looks of it, it seems the adventurer's guild intends to explore the Land of Demons in earnest."

"Hah! Do they even have the strength to enter the Land of Demons!?"

"By the looks of it, it seems there is a means to resist the demonic energy there."

"If so, does that mean they now have a way to unearth the mysteries of the East!"

"Since there are many bizarre things in their medicine and magic, we'll be able to see the things we've only heard of in legends with our own two eyes."

"Ughhh... This won't do! I need to change the destination of my next caravan!"

"Are you planning to go to the far east?"

"Money always gathers where people gather! How could I not go? I'll try selling food and whetstones there!"

"Ooh, then let's go together!"

"Hyungnim, make a spot for me too! Because I'm tagging along!"

* * *

The wind of a Gold Rush was blowing through Hestia.

It drew people in, and even in the stagnant winter, they were moving to secure a spot for themselves.

As people flocked in, the streets became lively.

"Come, come! Only 30 today! The famous western specialty, grilled flat catfish, limited to 30 servings! I'm only selling 30!"

"Selling bracelets that bring good fortune! Wear this bracelet for a long life without illness! Everything will go your way! And is that all? Just wait exactly 100 days, and immense wealth will pour in!"

Street stalls were packed tightly into spaces that should have been empty.

There were jobs there, and because there were jobs, people gathered, and as people gathered, money flowed.

As street vendors who had been shunned in the large cities laid out their spots one by one and earned a pretty penny, soon everyone started setting up stalls.

Even when the refugees received money, they had few places to spend it, but through the street stalls, they were at least able to improve their quality of life.

"A lot of people are flocking here."

Isabella said as she watched the place from afar.

She wasn't simply confirming it through documents, but observing and judging it with her own eyes.

"Expand the streets a bit more and restrict the peddlers."

"Yes."

"Do not forget to properly collect the stall fees from the street vendors. Please do not be unnecessarily greedy right now when things are not yet settled."

"Yep!"

It meant they shouldn't take bribes under the guise of stall fees.

If she had been just a regular official, they would have scoffed and ignored her, but the opponent was a dragon spawn.

Her meticulousness was at a level that would leave anyone clicking their tongue, and her martial prowess was also outstanding, so they couldn't muster the courage to evade her eyes and line their own pockets.

As the tax collectors moved out, a man wearing armor stood in front of her.

He was wearing half-plate armor, and an epaulet reading 'Captain of the Guard' was attached to his shoulder.

It was William, the knight cadet who had led the group of refugees.

"Administrator. Captain of the Guard William, reporting on the patrol. Aside from three cases of theft, there are no other unusual matters."

"Thank you for your hard work, Captain of the Guard. It seems like there would be problems with so many people flocking in, but there isn't anything major."

"That is correct. I have ordered the guard to manage the traffic so that there won't be any issues from the crowds, so no major problems will arise."

"Well done. In that case, I have nothing else to order."

William walked alongside Isabella and asked.

"Um, Administrator Isabella..."

"What is it?"

"Is it really alright for me to take on the role of Captain of the Guard?"

Isabella pushed up her glasses and answered.

"Of course, I assume you have many complaints since it is a lower rank than a knight cadet, but the Regent said he would consider a knight position for you later on, so you need not worry too much."

"No, that's not what I meant..."

It was a perplexing matter for William.

Being a knight cadet, establishing distinguished merits under Duke Yurei.

Those were all past matters he had entirely laid down.

William had come to Hestia prepared to live as a refugee.

'But to be the Captain of the Guard...'

What was the Captain of the Guard?

It was practically the second-in-command with the highest authority after the administrator.

He could command the guard and, if necessary, legally exercise force within the village.

Because of that responsibility and privilege, it was a heavy duty that could not be secured with just a moderate amount of trust.

"Because the Regent personally appointed you, the only authority I can exercise over you is the power of dismissal, but I also think your work skills are decent, so I have no complaints. And..."

"And?"

"If you quit, I will repatriate you straight back to Duke Yurei, so do not even dream of it."

"Urgh... Such heartless words..."

It was something that made his face pale, but he didn't feel bad about it.

Since it also meant that Isabella, who was known as a cold-blooded witch, needed him, it was actually a rather flattering thing.

"Then I will go and write the report. Keep up the good work."

"Yes, keep up the good work."

The village was stabilizing as the guard took control.

However, how nice would it be if there were only good things like that?

If there was one person, there was one worry; if there were a hundred people, there were a hundred worries.

Isabella forcibly suppressed the urge to sigh.

"Hey, horned girl over there."

An arrogant voice provoked her.

"You abandoned the Magic Tower, and all you're doing is cleaning up after humans? No, I suppose you're only doing that sort of work because you were kicked out of the Magic Tower?"

Although she was rational, she wasn't a saint who wouldn't get angry after hearing words insulting a dragon spawn.

"What arrogant bastard dares—!"

The moment Isabella was about to pour out her rage, her expression changed as she turned her head.

Although she didn't have horns or a tail, her elegant appearance was a face familiar to Isabella.

Having worked under her for hundreds of years, there was no way she wouldn't recognize her.

"Lady Erica?"

"It's been a while, Bella."

Erica Iorga.

She happily waved her hand.

Isabella slowly scanned her entire body and asked.

"Are you enjoying your amusement?"

"Amusement? You say it as if I'm just wandering around playing."

"It looks that way because you're unsuitably pretending to be a human."

"This is ridiculous... I don't just wander around playing, you know? Even if I look like this, I'm visiting as the Platinum-rank adventurer, Eri."

Erica showed her adventurer tag.

It was a tag given only to those with the highest achievements in the adventurer's guild.

"Aren't you ashamed that someone known as the wisdom of the 12-member expedition is acting like that among humans? In today's terms, it's an act known as slaughtering the commoners."

"Anyone listening would think I'm the most wicked bitch in the world. It just happened naturally as I was resolving troublesome matters."

Contrary to her words that it wasn't intentional, the hand holding the tag radiated an intense sense of pride.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Erica decided to change the direction of the small talk.

"How have you been lately?"

"I have been doing well. I was only hearing the groans of those old men, but now I'm hearing fresh ones, after all."

"Fresh? Are you talking about Valdrova's maid right now?"

"Is there a problem?"

At Isabella's counter-question, Erica spoke as if she was dumbfounded.

"That girl has lived for hundreds of years, too, you know?"

"Isn't she younger than me?"

"She even has the alias of the Nightmare of the Frost Giants, though?"

"I can understand why. Her delicate beauty is more than enough to captivate anyone."

Isabella muttered with an ecstatic expression on her face.

"Haa, if I could just pull her into a tight hug, all of this built-up fatigue would completely vanish."

Erica stared at her blankly with an astounded expression.

There was something oddly bothersome in what she had said, so she couldn't help but point it out.

"But you said 'ones', didn't you? Is there someone else? That... fresh one?"

"It is a child named Mori. She is a beautiful young girl who looks as though she leapt right out of a painting."

"You aren't touching that young girl?"

"It seems that damn witch residing in the castle is managing her."

Isabella wore a face full of jealousy.

It was a moment where she encountered all sorts of emotions at once, which was a rare sight even for Erica, who had spent hundreds of years with her.

"... Does the Regent know you act like this?"

"He seems to have a vague idea, but he doesn't seem to care."

"Then I guess it's fine..."

"Setting that aside, let's have a constructive conversation."

Isabella changed the subject of the conversation away from the fresh ones.

"Did you visit this place as an adventurer, Lady Erica?"

"I figured I should check out the adventurer's guild side of things as an adventurer. What do you think? The adventurers who came here?"

"They couldn't be any worse."

Isabella let out a sigh.

"The ones who think they have ambition are just immature, and the adventurers of the actual ranks we need don't even seem to have any intention of showing up. It seems they only came here to act like back-alley thugs."

"They suffered like dogs to earn their ranks, so it's understandable."

Accumulating achievements is difficult, and dying takes only an instant.

So it was only natural to act cautiously once one reached a sufficiently high rank.

"I'll have to make a suggestion to the central guild. Those Gold bastards need a wake-up call."

"Won't there be a backlash?"

"If they want to rebel, let them. I put my life on the line time and time again to help save this continent, so do they think I can't even raise my voice?"

Erica bit her lip and spat out a curse.

"Dog-like bastards. I don't give them money so they can sit their asses down and shove expensive food down their throats."

"Master of the Tower. Please maintain your dignity."

"Whatever, I'm not Erica right now, I'm the Platinum-rank adventurer, Eri, so I don't need dignity. I can spout vulgarities whenever and wherever. Want to hear it? Eri's vulgar girl talk?"

"This is a moment where I am truly proud of myself for leaving the Magic Tower."

Erica laughed playfully.

"Is the Regent here?"

"He is probably sitting in his office again today. Would you like to meet him? I will ask him via sound transmission."

"It feels a bit awkward to show my face without making an appointment, but I do have some good news, so it should be fine. Will you pass on the message?"

"Understood. I will report to him in advance so that he can prepare."

It was right as she was about to prepare the sound transmission.

CLANG CLANG CLANG!

The alarm bell installed in the center of the village was ringing loudly on its own.

Everyone stopped moving and looked over there.

Erica also looked up at the alarm bell.

"What is that? Why the alarm bell?"

"... That is the alarm bell connected to the demonic creature appearance prediction equipment. It is designed to ring automatically when they are detected."

"Does that mean..."

"Unless it is a malfunction, it means demonic creatures have appeared."

The alarm bell rang loudly, showing no signs of stopping.