Chapter 79: Crown Prince Alondre (5). Human, Demon, Crown Prince
A man who looked impressive on the surface but lacked substance.
That was how people described Travers Brown, a merchant from the Kingdom of Ravellocia.
With his striking appearance and eloquent speech, he excelled at stirring up expectations and winning goodwill—qualities not useless for a merchant, certainly, but that was about as far as it went.
The ability to spot valuable goods or talented individuals.
The insight to follow the flow of money and ride its waves.
The boldness to take risks and make daring plays—and the skill to win in those games.
Most of these abilities, possessed by his grandfather and father—renowned as some of the wealthiest merchants in the kingdom—were not passed down to Travers. Nor did the Brown Trading Company have any talented heirs or lieutenants to replace him.
That was because, for generations, the company had been run essentially as a one-man operation by whoever held the title of head.
The company still managed to hold on—thanks to its size and the solid foundation laid over generations—but it was clear to anyone paying attention that the longer things went on like this, the worse it would get.
Just as Travers began to suffer under the weight of this pressure—caught between anxiety and expectation—a mysterious presence appeared in his dreams.
“─You seem troubled. Is something bothering you?”
He couldn’t see the speaker.