Chapter 71 : Chapter 71

Chapter 71 - I'll Perform This Surgery Myself

Land General Manager Felson and Construction General Manager Dred.

The powerful vassals of the family, the master of Fantasy Gorge, and the family’s fourth wife.

They knelt before Moirena.

They had hitched a ride on the Maxman Merchant Troupe's airship, getting off at the closest possible point.

Even so, it took them three days.

In terms of work speed, this was a fatal delay.

It was no different from two pillars disappearing during a crucial period when the foundation needed to be laid.

“You have done well to come, even when time must be like gold.”

Moirena greeted them with a satisfied smile.

But what was strange was…

“Not at all. I am simply glad to see the lands of Fantasy Gorge and Hojeopgung again after so long.”

“My thoughts are the same as this land-lover’s. Hah hah.”

Their expressions were, strangely, not bad.

“…If that is the case, then I am relieved.”

Only Moirena’s features twisted in discomfort.

Was I missing something?

I unknowingly searched through my memories.

But there was nothing.

There was no such thing.

The longer she kept these two, the more the command structure would break down and collapse, and the construction would be delayed.

So, Moirena said,

“As I informed you. The Yin energy that Styx Falls in Fantasy Gorge delivered here has weakened, and because of the weakened Yin energy, the foundation of Hojeopgung has become unstable.”

As she spoke, her eyes looked past the outer wall.

“The unstable foundation even caused a wing of the palace to collapse.”

Felson, still on one knee, bowed his head even lower.

“I am only sorry to have caused you such inconvenience.”

“I will gladly accept my punishment after resolving the issue.”

“That is enough. You two need only to inspect the land thoroughly and take measures to ensure this does not happen again.”

“So today, I plan to visit Styx Falls to find the cause of the diminished Yin energy.”

“I will go to the collapsed wing.”

“No.”

She refused at once.

“You must be exhausted from your journey to such a treacherous place. I will have rooms prepared for you in the palace, so rest today and begin when the sun rises tomorrow.”

“We thank you for your consideration.”

“We will do as you say.”

The two accepted meekly without adding or refusing anything.

The wife's slightly furrowed brows did not relax.

Everything was going according to her intentions.

It certainly was.

But what was this uncomfortable feeling?

“You may leave.”

The first meeting was over.

She did not mention the fact that the Mystics family had sent people to threaten and inconvenience her business partners.

This was a fight between blood relatives.

The reason they came here today was a problem that arose at a blood relative’s residence.

They were to deal only with the latter issue; bringing up the former would be an overreach of authority.

The powerful vassals of the family must work only for the family.

Only blood relatives could possess, interfere with, and manipulate such a family.

“Bronze Mask. Guide them to their lodgings.”

Hojeopgung, built of emerald-colored crystal and marble.

A doll emerged from the outer wall, which radiated a mystical energy.

The figure, which turned from transparent to translucent, and from translucent to opaque, gestured.

“Follow me.”

The two men followed the Bronze Mask.

They exchanged glances from behind.

Being rivals and on cat-and-dog terms, they knew what the other was thinking just by the way their eyes moved.

‘Is it alright?’

‘Of course. Even with us here, the construction will proceed. It might even go better.’

‘Right, right. The blueprint that young one showed us was truly incredible. If there’s a problem….’

‘It’s that it will cost a crazy amount of money. It’ll require an enormous budget.’

Money. Money. Money.

It was a crucial element everywhere, but the construction industry felt it most desperately.

The limits of one’s ideas expanded depending on the money available.

To them, financial power was magic power.

The more, the better.

‘If I could, I’d run to the General Manager of the Treasury.’

‘The Young Master will probably try. But will it work?’

A conversation carried on through the movement of eyebrows, eye shapes, and pupils.

But it had to end with them shaking their heads.

‘It won’t work.’

‘Right. It won’t. That scrooge is a man beyond common sense.’

If the General Manager of the Treasury had ever set foot in the eastern lands, the title of money-grubber would not have belonged to Jubel.

‘Let’s pretend to play along for a bit and then head back.’

‘Right. Without a sufficient budget, the plan in that blueprint cannot be fully realized.’

***

The Millesdusk family’s Treasury.

It managed the family's money, set the annual budget, and decided on spending and saving.

Because every endeavor required money, and with money, life became more prosperous.

Many passed through the gates of the Treasury.

No one stopped them up to this point.

Wouldn't it be inconvenient to have people around when they were bound to leave soon anyway?

“Something smells like money here.”

Lubosch said upon entering the Treasury.

It wasn't just that the building looked expensive.

On the contrary, the Treasury’s exterior was plain.

It had only what was necessary, and thus it was stark.

It was rough, without a hint of decoration.

If there was any sculpture at all, it was the large one visible just past the main gate.

The smell of money came from there.

“The owl and the crow. Both are animals that symbolize wealth.”

A leafless, dry tree was carved, and on top of it, a carved nest was placed with a carved owl and crow.

The Head Maid answered.

“The owl stores its prey. The crow collects and stores shiny things.”

“Storing. It ends there. It means they do not give.”

That was the spirit of the Treasury.

Furthermore, in the nest atop the statue, the source of the money smell was gathered.

“Then why are there so many gold coins piled up there? Is that also savings?”

The Head Maid corrected him.

“It is closer to shame than savings.”

“Shame…?”

“In the long history of the family Treasury, when a borrower fails to repay a loan. The General Manager places a single gold coin in the nest.”

Hearing that, I looked up at the nest once more.

Shiny things were piled up high.

“…They’ve failed quite a lot, haven’t they?”

“However.”

What needed to be remembered was a different fact.

“The current General Manager of the Treasury has never once placed a gold coin.”

“……”

I swallowed dryly.

“Let’s keep going.”

Led by the Head Maid, the Gatekeeper and the porter continued deeper into the Treasury.

The large buildings were the employees' workplaces.

The General Manager was in the smallest building, in the deepest part.

The path to such a place was wide open.

It was made so one could go straight from the main gate without passing through any other building.

One could meet the General Manager of the Treasury simply by following the single path.

The pilgrims who worshipped gold were not just the three of them.

“There are quite a few people here.”

Lubosch said quietly.

As we walked past the entrance until the main gate was out of sight, the number of people we encountered increased noticeably.

However, their expressions could be divided into exactly two types.

Joy. And sorrow.

They were divided by anticipation and disappointment.

The former was seen on those heading towards the General Manager.

The latter was seen on those returning after meeting the General Manager.

The proposals in their hands were either drooping or held tight, depending on their expressions.

“It seems we’ll have to line up from here.”

“It looks long.”

“It won’t take long.”

The Gatekeeper predicted with his arms crossed.

He was right.

The more than ten people standing in front of us.

More than ten plans were shot down and vanished into thin air.

They too spat curses and disappeared out the main gate.

The faster this happened, the closer we got to the General Manager's office.

It was close enough to hear the voices from inside.

The conversations didn't need much summarizing.

─This doesn't seem to be worth a single copper coin.

─It doesn’t seem like something you need to do.

─Don’t waste time, find something else to do.

A series of rejections.

Orders to leave followed before they could even explain properly.

It was called an office, but it was a shack like a commoner's house.

The walls were thin, and the voices could be heard clearly outside.

The people next in line became utterly discouraged, and their tension grew stronger.

“Hah, can this really be done….”

Lubosch was the first to feel that way.

He looked at the Head Maid with anxious eyes.

Then he was able to feel a little reassured.

Unchanging.

Her features were a mask of expressionlessness, without a hint of deviation.

Her face was harder to read than that of a great figure on a gold coin.

That was a Grade 1 Agent of the Millesdusk Intelligence Department.

Moreover, the man standing next to her was no ordinary person either.

“Come in.”

At the words of the General Manager of the Treasury, he quietly took off his helmet.

The faint light of a few candles illuminated his face.

The General Manager of the Treasury. The man with a mouse-like face smiled, revealing mouse-like front teeth.

“Esteemed guests have come to my humble abode.”

Then his gaze shifted past them.

“Though the ones in the back don’t look particularly esteemed. Anyway, please have a seat.”

“……”

At that unabashed judgment of worth, only Lubosch’s lips pouted.

As soon as he had the three of them seated, the General Manager of the Treasury spoke faster than a first greeting.

“If you’ve come about a loan for Eclipse, just turn back.”

The Head Maid paid him no mind.

“I am Mirea Rara, the Head Maid of the Fifth Son. This is the Gatekeeper, and next to him is… a messenger.”

A job title carefully chosen in place of a multi-purpose porter.

Lubosch understood.

Even in front of the General Manager of the Treasury, she couldn't reveal she was an agent assigned to a blood relative.

The Head Maid continued.

“We have come here today to borrow the maximum amount of money possible for the construction of Eclipse.”

“Are you deaf? I believe I told you to leave if it’s about Eclipse?”

“The reasons we need the money are as follows.”

“Hey, right now─”

“First. Its future value is immense. This is guaranteed by the Land General Manager and the Construction General Manager, and also─”

From the start, the Head Maid spoke while looking not at the General Manager of the Treasury but at the empty air.

Despite his rejections and orders to leave, she showed no sign of getting up.

For an hour from the moment she opened her mouth.

She endlessly explained the reasons for investing the money.

“Hmm….”

The Land General Manager rubbed his temples and continued to listen to her story.

There were no knights around the office.

The General Manager was strong enough not to need knights.

It was just that the Gatekeeper was stronger than the General Manager.

Thus, he had to listen patiently.

“Will you invest?”

Nevertheless, by the time the Head Maid wanted an answer.

“No.”

He refused as if he had been waiting for it.

Compared to the hour she had spent moving her lips, it was a violently short reply.

“Would you mind telling me the reason?”

“No.”

“Why do you dislike it?”

“Just as the Head Maid can bring that monster and talk for hours. I can also do this.”

The General Manager of the Treasury nodded his head.

“Certainly, listening to the Head Maid’s words alone, it’s an investment only a fool wouldn’t make.”

“Jubel Maxman, to whom you lent money, is also investing in this project. There should be sufficient trust.”

“That is a different concept, so I don’t mind it. However.”

He leaned his body over the flickering candlelight.

“The problem is that the subject of that loan is the Fifth Son, who could fall at any moment.”

***

Midnight approached.

The moon rose high, and the sky grew sufficiently dark.

The five of them moved to their respective positions.

The Youngest Son and the Forest Witch.

“We will conduct the ritual inside Hexa.”

Cailin and Halsin.

“You two, hunt as many monsters as you can in the forest and deliver their hearts. I will share the burden I will bear with those hearts.”

“I’ve connected our shadows. Since we’re both Magic Assimilators, we can send objects even from a distance.”

Additionally, I had something to give Cailin.

“This is a Bloodstone. Take it and place it on the corpses you hunt. Let it absorb the blood and never touch it with your bare hands.”

“Got it!”

Finally, Kio.

“You will remain at Hexa and be the guard.”

“I’ll help with the hunt, too. The more hands, the better, right?”

The Youngest Son nodded.

“You’re right, but a guard is also needed. We don’t know what might happen, and a mother will need her son by her side.”

Kio’s eyes naturally shifted to the Forest Witch.

They hadn’t spoken much, but he could tell from her gaze.

Perhaps.

It was the same gaze his mother had during the times he had cursed and resented her.

But there were emotions he had never seen when he was young.

He felt he could now see that they were tucked into a corner of her eyes.

The Youngest Son brought the awkward mother and son closer.

“Say your goodbyes.”

After that one phrase, I entered the building.

The Forest Witch had already cleared out the furniture.

The Youngest Son’s own preparations were also complete.

“Enad. Are you finished?”

[Tsk. I should have challenged you to a Battle for Dominance at this moment.]

“If you want to die as soon as you take over the body, then go ahead.”

[…….]

Silence, but I could almost hear Enad grinding his teeth.

“Just do as I taught you yesterday. You open the Path of the Beast and accept as much of the risk as possible, and I open the Path of the Human and separate the Forest Witch from the curse.”

The safest way to open two of the Six Paths simultaneously.

Two people take charge of one Path each and open them at the same time.

That was the method I had devised yesterday.

Srrrk—

Soon, the Forest Witch entered alone.

“Did you say your goodbyes?”

“Yes. Let’s begi—”

Fwoosh—!!

The blade of the Magic Sword sent the Forest Witch’s head flying.

A falling body and a severed head.

I gently laid them on the floor.

“Beginning the surgery.”

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