Chapter 17
I followed Carlson toward the mansion.
The rusty door opened with a creak.
It was so run-down that it was difficult to believe this was the mansion of a lord.
[ Ugh, I seriously feel like I'm going to throw up, nya.... ]
All the grass in the garden had dried up and rotted.
Because it had been abandoned for so long, a terrible stench pierced my nose.
“I apologize. The situation became so urgent that we could no longer afford to maintain the mansion.”
“I expected it to be bad, but I didn't think it would be this bad.”
He was a great merchant who would one day monopolize the entire mineral market of the Empire.
Anyone who knew that would be shocked to see how poor his current life was.
His excellent judgment and ability to read the flow of the market.
In the future, he would reshape not only the Empire's market, but the entire market structure of the Tower.
He created an enormous distribution network capable of supplying minerals to every floor of the Tower.
The principle was simple.
If residents of the Tower could not leave their own floors, then all he had to do was use Players instead.
There were even Players whose entire job was delivering goods between floors. I can only call it impressive.
That was not the only reason I had chosen him.
There were plenty of people with talent as merchants.
Even among those who would later be known as great merchants, there were many who were no worse than Carlson.
In fact, when considering the overall market size inside the Tower, the mineral market was relatively small.
Even so, the reason I reached out to Carlson here was not because of the Moonstone or anything else.
It was because of Carlson's exceptional reputation among his people.
“You have returned, my lord.”
“There's no reason for you to stay because of me. All of you should go as well.”
“But...”
“Go. I can take care of our guest by myself.”
The territory had become so poor that its residents had been forced to threaten people with farming tools just to steal food.
And yet, strangely enough, there were no signs that the mansion had been burned or attacked by angry citizens.
Several maids, butlers, and servants still remained inside.
Even though there was no hope left in this place, they silently stayed by Carlson's side.
It was all because of the trust he had earned from them.
Creak.
“Haha... it may be shabby, but please come inside. I hope you will forgive me for being unable to serve you tea.”
I entered the room and sat down on an old sofa.
The cushion sank deeply beneath me, sending clouds of dust into the air.
“I would like to get straight to the point. Is there something you want from me, no... from our territory?”
The awkward smile he had shown until a moment ago disappeared.
Now, the person sitting in front of me was nothing more than a merchant.
“...I know a bad-tempered dwarf. I want you to supply him exclusively with the highest-quality minerals you can obtain.”
Carlson looked slightly confused by my sudden request involving a mine.
That was only natural.
Until the total solar eclipse approached, Moonstone was nothing more than an ordinary lump of rock.
“...Unfortunately, there are no mines in our territory. In the first place, everything around here is farmland.”
“No. There definitely is one. I guarantee it.”
In the past, the biggest reason Carlson was able to become a great merchant appeared immediately after the total solar eclipse ended.
Once the Moonstone disappeared, an enormous mineral vein appeared in its place, so huge that it reminded people of a wormhole.
Ironically, that was also the reason this territory had become so barren.
As the total solar eclipse approached, the energy released by the Moonstone caused the surrounding land to dry up.
“You seem extremely certain. I assume you have a reason for that. May I hear it?”
Just as Carlson said, the mine was only an additional reason.
There was something else I absolutely needed to obtain along with the Moonstone.
The Hidden Dungeon.
A total solar eclipse would occur here in two weeks.
I had to clear the dungeon within three minutes.
Even I did not know what the reward would be.
After all, I was the only person who had discovered it throughout my entire previous life.
But there was one thing I was certain of.
[ 'God of Mischief' has sponsored 1,000 Coins. ]
[ 'Mother of Adversity' has sponsored 1,000 Coins. ]
[ 'Ruler of Hidden Contracts' has sponsored 1,000 Coins. ]
I could become even stronger than I was now.
“A Hidden Dungeon will soon appear here.”
“......!”
Hearing the certainty in my voice, Carlson rested his chin on his hand and fell into thought.
Not long afterward, he regained his composure.
Instead, he made a counteroffer.
“...If that is true, developing the mine will require a large amount of money. I would also like you to guarantee the necessary investment. In addition, I want full authority over the management of the mine.”
The investment Carlson was asking for was completely one-sided.
There was no guarantee that it would ever produce anything.
He was probably thinking the same thing himself.
A mine suddenly appearing here sounded ridiculous.
Even so, asking me for investment meant that he was willing to invest in my confidence.
Of course, since this was the early stage of the business, simply establishing the basic system and infrastructure would require an astronomical amount of money.
And I would have to bear all of those costs.
But for someone like me, who already knew the future, this was nothing more than an opportunity.
It was the perfect chance to invest in Carlson while his value was still at its lowest, knowing that I would eventually recover far more than I spent.
“I promise.”
Only then did Carlson finally relax and release a deep sigh of relief.
The serious appearance he had shown until now disappeared, and an awkward smile returned to his face.
“Phew... g, good. Then I accept everything you propo...”
BANG!
In the middle of our conversation, the door was kicked open.
A short, fat man with white hair barged inside.
“Tch. This place is still filthy and gloomy. Max, give me my handkerchief.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
He was a white-haired young nobleman.
Perhaps because he had grown up eating extremely well, he was so fat that his chin could barely be seen.
It was almost as though the boundary between his neck and face had disappeared.
“What? You actually have a guest in a countryside territory like this?”
Carlson's expression immediately hardened.
Then he asked in an extremely low voice.
“What brings you here, Young Master Vens? I believe I already rejected your proposal before.”
The Ahern Barony was located on the Empire's frontier.
Although its villages were small because it was a rural territory, most of the land was farmland, and the soil had always been fertile.
Every year, the streets became crowded with outsiders who came for the beer made from the territory's abundant wheat harvest.
Perhaps that was why the massive Fricksen County had always seen Ahern Territory as a thorn in its side.
They had constantly looked for opportunities to take it through every method imaginable.
At first, they tried to buy it with money.
Of course, the price they offered was absurdly low.
“I believe the Count has already shown you the greatest sincerity possible with this offer, my lord. Wouldn't it be better to accept?”
“...I apologize, but I have no intention of selling the farmland. How could I, as their lord, sell the land where my people make their living?”
It was a polite refusal filled with the dignity of a lord.
That was where everything began.
After that, the Fricksen family began pressuring him using ridiculous forged land documents, claiming that the land had belonged to them since long ago.
As if that was not enough, they even disguised private soldiers as bandits and used them to torment the farmers.
Carlson submitted petitions to the arbitration committee in the capital, but the answer he received was...
“The capital is already dealing with enough problems. Surely you cannot trouble His Majesty over something like this. It would be best if the two sides resolved the matter peacefully.”
Grit.
