Chapter 231
Chapter 231
Golden’s mansion meant only one thing.
It was truly Golden’s headquarters, where Golden’s information, wealth, and everything else except its master gathered in one place.
There, Lerwon ‘Viden’ was busily organizing information alone.
The space that would normally have followed the order known as Iris Viden perfectly, without the slightest disorder, was now swept up in ominous chaos.
The culprit, no matter what anyone said, was the knight order dispatched by the Emperor.
The crimes Iris and Mordegar had committed were clear, and something called guilt by association existed in the world.
Fortunately, for Golden and Lerwon to be punished, it would have to be a grave crime on the level of exterminating not nine clans, but ten… and the two people’s crimes could fairly be called close to that level.
The silver lining in the misfortune was that Lerwon was known as the maker of the Golden Elixir, which had played the greatest role in the subjugation of Iris, and that Mordegar, who had committed the same crime, had offered up his own body and made the greatest contribution to Iris’s death.
Thanks to that, Lerwon was fortunately not turned into dew on the execution ground, but rather recognized as Golden’s one and only successor.
Of course, since this concerned heresy, and a sinner among sinners who had committed a taboo at that, he would receive a certain degree of punishment, and his influence would shrink greatly.
But no matter how much that influence died down, Golden would still be at a level worthy of entering the Empire’s Three Great Merchant Groups.
That was the kind of position Golden held.
“So it’s like they handed me the stew they worked so hard to make.”
It wasn’t as if Lerwon wanted to ascend to Golden’s bloodstained seat.
But—
‘It’d be stupid not to eat something I can eat.’
“You’re giving that up? What a waste! Sunbae, are you too full or something?!”
Theo would surely have said that.
Once that guy started nagging, things became quite troublesome and complicated.
There was something Iris often said.
“Things aren’t progressing? Then you must not have had enough money.”
At the time, he had thought, ‘There’s a limit to throwing money around,’ but after sorting through Golden’s assets, it seemed like a really, really accurate statement.
He would have to cut off the transactions with the Duchy of Nevera as well, and he intended to handle all the illegal businesses too.
If he wanted to make sure unnecessary blood did not flow in the process, that is.
“Should I take a leave of absence or something?”
Maybe it would be right to take his hands off the Academy, even if only for a while.
As he stared blankly down at the documents, he heard a commotion outside.
“Kh.”
Was I being too biased if commotion made me think of Theo Lisitoel first?
Suppressing a laugh, Lerwon tried hard to focus on the documents.
The commotion he had thought would die down soon did not easily settle.
What on earth is it?
Around the time he started to wonder, the door opened with a BANG—!, and a young man with pure-white hair fluttering behind him entered the room.
Lerwon stood and stared blankly at Theo.
“You woke up?”
“Yes, but you look really reluctant about it?”
At those pointed words, Lerwon wore a face that seemed to be debating whether he should laugh or not.
Seeing that, Theo glared at Lerwon as if he had many complaints.
“No, I’m not.”
A merchant group needed military force.
If Golden was called the Empire’s greatest merchant group, it naturally possessed considerable force.
Even if Iris, who had been one part of that force, had died, and many people had been turned into snake-humans by Iris and sacrificed, he had not expected the defensive line to be pierced so helplessly.
Or did that mean Theo had become that strong?
Whichever it was, it did not seem like a very welcome story.
Theo strode up to Lerwon, who wore an ambiguous expression, and stared straight at him.
“Theo?”
At the sight of Lerwon looking puzzled, Theo walked over without hesitation and headbutted Lerwon.
CRACK—!!!
The pain was enough to make his vision spin.
At the sudden event, Lerwon lost his words and only opened and closed his mouth.
What on earth just happened?
“Theo, your forehead is bleeding….”
He had hit him so hard that blood streamed down Theo’s forehead, drawing a red line across his face.
But Theo did not care and shouted loudly.
“What’s so good about that that you picked it up and ate it?!”
Ah, right.
Come to think of it, I had tried to sacrifice myself, hadn’t I?
At the belated realization, Lerwon opened and closed his mouth.
“For that, the curse….”
“Was the Curse of Ouroboros ever a visible curse in the first place?”
If the Curse of Ouroboros had an advantage that was not quite an advantage, it was that it did not show on the outside until it manifested.
Iris’s curse had displayed abnormalities noticeable to the eye because Iris had interfered with the curse’s progress in order to quickly take Ouroboros’s power.
“So why is a patient who only looks fine on the outside working here?”
Theo went straight to the main point.
---
Lerwon Sunbae had ended up inheriting Golden.
In the Original Storyline, even if Lerwon Sunbae had died… Golden’s system itself probably wouldn’t have had any major problem.
Iris Viden was alive, and her stand-in, Mordegar, was alive and well too.
But because I intervened, those two people died, and in the end, Lerwon Sunbae lived.
Then naturally, Golden’s next master could only be Lerwon Sunbae.
“Sunbae, are you okay with just becoming Golden’s master like that?”
There were experiences like that sometimes, weren’t there?
Even if something was good, if it was handed over by someone you didn’t particularly like, you didn’t want to receive it.
Most of all, no one could demand that Sunbae inherit Golden.
Even if that person were the Emperor.
“Becoming Golden’s master does feel impossible.”
Well, in Sunbae’s mind, the master of Golden probably meant Iris Viden.
“Then I’ll just call you the merchant group leader. So, what’s your answer to my question?”
At my question, Sunbae seemed to think for a moment.
A deep silence continued for quite a while before he slowly answered.
“Do you know who benefits the most if Golden scatters as it is now?”
“Who?”
“Duke Boreas Nevera.”
At those words, I almost coughed.
Why is that man’s name coming up here?
To me, who looked puzzled, Lerwon Sunbae answered.
“Because most of Golden’s profits are connected to the Duchy of Nevera. Did you think I got along with Zephyros since childhood for no reason?”
“Krgh.”
It was human psychology to want someone you disliked to get X-ed, if possible.
And there was no way I could stand watching someone like Duke Boreas Nevera, a great man who would proudly take first place in the Empire’s Worst Father Awards, do well.
“Why did it have to be Duke Nevera?”
If someone else were the beneficiary, I would have shouted, “Just proceed with the dissolution!”
“Besides, from what I heard, Duke Nevera was trying to move things toward accepting Iris’s deal.”
Ah, even from Sunbae’s perspective, that was enough to hold a grudge.
Of course, I was included too.
Iris’s adopted son and toy, whom Duke Boreas had tried to hand over, were in the same room.
“Tch. If he hadn’t phrased it indirectly as ‘toy’ and had openly pointed to me, my family would have lodged a protest.”
“That is unfortunate.”
Circumstantial evidence and factual evidence were different things.
Even if we gathered all sorts of circumstantial evidence and protested to the Duchy of Nevera, a sly old snake like Boreas would be able to slip away as much as he wanted.
The reason a one-week time limit had been added, aside from the time Father could maintain the seal, was also entirely because of Duke Nevera.
“If I have time later, I should go hit Zephyros once.”
“If you say he got hit because of Duke Nevera, Zephyros will really feel wronged.”
Hm, that was true.
After thinking for a moment, I decided to use a skill.
「Duke Boreas Nevera falls backward and breaks his nose.」
After sending a small curse with the Writer skill, I felt a little more at peace.
May he please bleed from both nostrils.
“What did you do?”
“I cursed him to fall backward and break his nose.”
“That sure is petty.”
Still, he was Zephyros’s father, so I couldn’t seriously touch him, could I?
A desperate revenge against Duke Nevera was not my share, but Zephyros’s share and choice.
If it weren’t for that, I would have really just…!
“You’re confusing, you know. Sometimes you seem like a bold kid, and sometimes you seem petty.”
“Pardon? What did you say? That I’m that reliable?”
“Enough, enough. Anyway, I think staying with Golden as it is would be right.”
“…….”
I understood why Lerwon Sunbae had to inherit Golden.
“What are you going to do about the Academy?”
“At minimum, take a leave of absence. I’m even considering withdrawing entirely.”
Then I heard a cheerful Tiring!
+++
<Sudden Quest>
Lerwon is trying to leave the story of Lapis Academy.
But Lerwon’s help will still be needed often going forward.
Persuade Lerwon not to leave the Academy.
-Time Limit: 144 hours
-Reward: EXP 4,000
-Failure: Lerwon’s story departure, game difficulty increase, random debuff for 720 hours
+++
The moment I finished reading all of it, a hollow cough escaped me.
What kind of insane System is this?
Is this the System retaliating because I ignored its warnings and used a skill?
“Still, if possible, you should graduate!”
“In the first place, I don’t have a noble title, and you know very well that there’s nothing special for me to learn at the Academy.”
That was true, but!
From the moment he enrolled, he was probably already at a level similar to most graduates!
No, Iris, why on earth did you teach the kid that rigorously?!
I resented the dead Iris.
“But still, you might need a diploma….”
“It won’t be easy to manage the Academy and Golden at the same time.”
“Still, a person needs a diploma!!!”
Something incredibly old-fashioned came out of my mouth.
What was I, a parent from the ’90s desperate to send their child to college so they could get a job?
A groan escaped me on its own.
“Sunbae, if you leave the Academy, I’ll start causing trouble even more seriously, you know?”
“Can you even cause more trouble than you already have?”
“That’s….”
If I caused any more trouble from here, I might suddenly make my strongest mage father collapse from high blood pressure.
I had never intended that even once.
I just wanted to sit on the sidelines eating popcorn while the protagonist and his party saved the world normally.
That was probably the wish of most Possessors.
A sorrowful wish that could never come true.
Ah, I almost cried.
“Most of all, I’m too busy because there’s no one to handle the handover.”
“Is that such a big problem?”
“Of course.”
If that was the problem, I just had to solve it!
“Please wait a moment!”
Do you think I’m going to sit back and watch this Sudden Quest fail?!
I absolutely won’t be the only one suffering!
There is no way I’ll be the only one getting dragged through the Main Quest like a damn dog!!!