This time, I wasn’t mistaken.
The crimson eyes seen amidst the pitch-black hair, the sharp jawline, and the steep nose were exactly as I remembered.
Without any time to think, my body moved first.
“Master!”
Jack, lost in thought, grabbed me urgently without realizing the danger of crossing the street as carriages roared past.
“It’s dangerous…”
“Let go of me!”
I could feel Jack hesitating at the sharp command, but I didn’t have the luxury to pay attention to such things.
Master was already disappearing, too far away to be seen or caught.
I stared at the alley where he disappeared, my lips trembling.
“Ria?”
At that moment, accompanied by Jack’s startled voice, tears welled up and fell with a thud.
I was bewildered as I looked at the tears I had shed. It wasn’t just one drop.
In no time, tears were streaming down from my eyes to my chin.
Why?
I couldn’t understand why I was crying. But my chest felt tight, almost suffocating.
Why did I try to chase after him? What was I trying to say?
Was I really going to ask if sending me to the Elrad Duchy was truly Master’s intention?
What if it was a lie from Jade, or what if it was something else?
I knew better than anyone that the truth was now beyond reach.
But the moment I saw Master, whom I had cherished all this time, everything crumbled.
I still harbored feelings of indebtedness to Master, yet at the same time, I felt resentment and bitterness towards him.
<Attack here.>
Suddenly, Master’s voice echoed above the hazy gaze.
It was during the harsh winter, a special training session on a snow-covered cliff that seemed to turn the whole world white.
Seeing Master pointing a sharp dagger at my chest, I felt fear creeping in and hesitated.
<Don’t back down. Even if you become a hundred, you won’t be able to inflict a single wound on me.>
Filled with anger at his words, I swung the sword in my hands towards his vital point.
Master blocked the attack with one hand and grabbed my wrist with the other.
Realizing that I was being pulled towards him, the sword suddenly slipped from my hand and spun in the air.
Master had taken my dagger.
<Again. Don’t let the sword be taken from you.>
I snatched the sword he threw, gritting my teeth.
Who wanted it to be taken away? But what could I do against someone unbeatable? He was taller and stronger than me…
<I understand why you’re thinking like a loser, but your opponent will always be superior to you.>
At his words, pride, which I hadn’t even known was there, pricked sharply.
Without hesitation, I rushed at him again.
I stopped counting after it exceeded a thousand.
With rough breaths, white breath collided with the cold air.
For a moment of silence, I quickly twisted my wrist to grab the sword and rushed forward to attack.
But maybe I was too hasty; my legs lost strength, and I slipped.
Master caught me as I was about to fall to the ground.
<Let’s call it a day.>
<No! Just a little more…>
The duel with Master was precious.
None of the guild members received such special treatment.
So everyone complained about it being “favoritism,” but I knew better.
‘It’s because I’m too weak.’
If it wasn’t for that.
<If you don’t give in like this, the situation won’t improve at all.>
I wouldn’t have listened to such words.
Living my second life, I realized clearly.
Master had nurtured me to improve my abilities and gain recognition, yet he was the one who hindered me the most.
Why did he teach me magic and martial arts so harshly, only to make me feel like a worthless fool?
‘…I must never meet Jade.’
I realized this once again from today’s encounter.
Even though I knew in my head that turning Terenchem into an enemy and seeking blood revenge would only bring more bloodshed…
When I see Jade like I saw Master, I might lose my sanity and rush at him.
Unlike before, I wasn’t alone now.
I wanted to live peacefully and happily with Diana by my side in the Elrad Duchy.
I wiped my eyes roughly, feeling lost, unable to even know what to do, and said to Jack beside me.
“Jack, I’m sorry for shouting. I guess I lost it for a moment.”
“…Are you okay now?”
“Yeah. Let’s just go back now.”
“Yeah. It’s probably best… But what about that?”
Following Jack’s gaze, I saw the cake box I had been holding rolling messily on the opposite side of the street, trampled by people’s feet.
It felt like it was left behind, useless, just like me.
* * *
The alleyway, the most dangerous hot spot in the capital.
As a man entered the dim and humid tavern, the executives seated around the table immediately stood up.
“Master, have you arrived.”
The man, without his robe, swept his black hair aside and passed by them without acknowledging their greeting.
“Um, Master…”
At that moment, a woman with a pair of faintly glinting glasses cautiously called out to him.
As the man turned his head, Lophe swallowed his saliva and spoke.
“The atmosphere within the guild has been tense lately. Not long ago, Master suddenly, for no apparent reason, dealt with Jade…”
She couldn’t finish her words and closed her mouth.
The horrific scene of the red blood of their colleague, whom they had recently socialized with, gushing out, was unforgettable.
Moreover, Jade, despite his young age, was ambitious and deeply loyal, making him a promising talent in the guild for a long time.
The executives, who had long been grooming the man, could not understand why such a precious talent had been abruptly disposed of, without any reason or justification.
“Ha.”
Seeing the grim expressions of the executives, the man let out a bitter laugh.
“So what do you expect me to do?”
“…Nothing, sir.”
“Then do your job and keep quiet.”
Without waiting for a response, the man moved again.
The executives, watching his retreating figure with dismay, felt a chill run down their spines.
He had never been humane to begin with, but lately, he seemed even more ruthless.
Yet they had no choice but to bow deeply and show submission.
However he chose to operate, they had to obey their master’s will.
* * *
It’s already been a month since my visit to the capital.
Although time seemed to pass too quickly, in reality, many things had happened during that time.
Upon returning to the mansion as a viscount, I secretly inspected the estate to see if there were any infiltrators, not only Darel but also any other guilds.
Of course, if they had infiltrated perfectly from the beginning, it might have been difficult to trace them. But from what I could gather, there didn’t seem to be any leaks of information.
And fortunately, my anxiety eased a few days later.
On the appointed day, I met a man who was sitting on a bench like he owned the place, waiting for me as if it were his own home.
<Guildmaster? Did you come in person?>
Surprisingly, the person who came to report to me and deliver the gems was the guildmaster of Darel.
It was hard to gauge accurately, but he seemed to be a skilled individual, no less than a first-class agent.
If he was the one personally involved, then the security of the Ellard Duchy would be somewhat reliable.
‘Of course, if Lucio had been in the mansion, the story might have been different…’
Either way, Darel did a much better job than I had expected.
In the past month, the capital had been buzzing with excitement over the appearance of the pink magic stone.
Due to its high price, only a few nobles and lords, including the imperial family, used magical devices, and they were the ones who demanded magic stones.
With an invitation sent by the Delis upper echelon, urging them to attend the historic first auction, I presented my first magic stone as a gift.
Realizing that my magic stone, despite its appearance, was of exceptional quality, they were impressed, and novice upper echelons flocked to the upcoming auction.
‘And then came the top-grade pink magic stone…!’
Already, the existing magic stones were in short supply, and even those with money couldn’t obtain them because the Velous Kingdom, which owned the largest magic stone mine on the continent, strictly limited the export of magic stones to other countries.
So those who valued magic stones as if their lives depended on them were captivated by my pure and beautiful magic stone.
Thanks to that, the auction was successfully concluded with an astronomical amount that couldn’t be compared to ordinary magic stones, and the name of the Delis upper echelon, who was just starting out in the business, suddenly soared.
And since that day, everyone had been curious about where exactly this pink magic stone was mined from. They said they were going crazy trying to obtain magic stones separately, pressuring the monopolizing Delis upper echelon.
In fact, I thought that in order to enter the established magic stone market, I would have to offer it at a low price and sell a lot.
But ironically, by upgrading the strategy, my workload decreased significantly, and I was able to earn more money.
The higher the selling price, the more profit for the upper echelon, so I naturally knew I had to do my best. But I was more surprised than I expected by the much greater success.
It was also really convenient to have someone else take care of the annoying tasks in my place, as I couldn’t engage in actual combat.
‘But most of all, what I liked the most was…’
I remembered the moment I saw the first invoice along with the gems for making new magic stones.
My whole body trembled as my eyes turned to the endless stream of numbers. This excitement was unprecedented.
‘Financial therapy is truly the best!’
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Translator Note:
This chapter was translated by Bree.
If you like my work please support us in Patreon. Next post will be released on May, 18.
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