Tick. Tock.
The office was filled with the quiet sound of the second hand.
“······.”
The president of Veritas Trading, sweating, eyed me nervously. The other two shareholders, likely the president’s son and daughter, sat with rigid expressions.
“All you need to do now is stamp your seal.”
The president’s face contorted as if he were on the verge of tears.
They probably considered this exploitation, or perhaps outright theft. They might have been partly right.
“The payment is 4 million dollars. It will be paid immediately upon signing the contract.”
“······What?”
All three pairs of eyes widened simultaneously. Their expressions were a mixture of surprise and disbelief.
“Four… did you say four million dollars?”
“Yes. Cash.”
“······.”
They exchanged glances, but the president wiped his forehead with a trembling hand.
“Th-that four million dollars is, of course, a large sum. Far more than our company is worth. But this is the business our late father dedicated his life to…”
I let out a small laugh. This made me think maybe those Imperial Guard bastards were right to just take it.
They take a mile when you give them an inch… No, let’s not think that. I had to be at least a little bit different from them.
“Forget those old fairy tales and just stamp your seal quietly. Your father would have wanted a comfortable retirement for you.”
I looked from the president to his son and daughter beside him. Their faces looked no older than twenty-two or twenty-three.
“You also have to think about your children’s future. I’ll leave you with an additional 1% of the shares.”
Stubbornness wouldn’t help them, and persuasion would only be a waste of my time.
After all, if the world ends without their future changing, we’ll all die together anyway.
“Ah…”
The president groaned, pondering for a long while before finally stamping his seal with a trembling hand.
“······Here, it is.”
“Good.”
I took the contract. I said to the dejected president,
“Then please arrange the handover with Mr. Dieter Schmidt. Transfer all information you possess as the owner.”
“······Yes.”
The president left with his children. Their slumped figures walking away were somewhat pathetic, but oh well.
“Hmm. Not bad.”
I sat down in the empty president’s chair. It was shabby but presentable. It was also only a 40-minute drive from the Sentinel Knights headquarters, not too far.
Viiiiiiiiing-
An alarm rang from the communicator in my pocket.
“Jun?”
The caller ID read ‘Jun Kandel’.
Just hearing the name made me nauseous. Memories from the past surged up like vomit.
I answered the call, my brow furrowed.
“Hello.”
─It’s been a while, Lord Max. This is Jun Kandel.
Jun Kandel is the legitimate heir of the Kandel family. Kandel is one of the pillars of the empire, comparable to Ebenholz. In simple terms, he’s my rival.
“What is it?”
─It’s nothing much, but I heard some rather interesting news. You had a clash with a Major of the Imperial Guard?
As expected, Rodriguez had already run to Kandel and started flattering him.
“It wasn’t so much a clash, more like a fly in my way that was being irritating.”
From the other end of the line, I heard Jun Kandel’s low chuckle.
─Yes. I understand. However, this incident may be difficult for us to overlook as if nothing happened. After all, a formal member of the Imperial Guard was killed. There’s been some chatter within the Imperial Guard.
“Is that so.”
So what do you want, you bastard? This snake-like guy always speaks in a slithery voice, beating around the bush. A pathetic worm, not even like a man—
─Lord Max. I hear you have your eye on the ‘Egolos White Porcelain’ at this auction.
White porcelain.
······White porcelain?
Is he talking about ceramics? But why ceramics?
I tried to recall the memory.
─Lord Max. Can you hear me?
Thump!
At that moment, the virus within me pulsed strongly, and my vision shifted abruptly. A scene from the past flashed before my eyes, like a film rewinding.
‘This is the Egolos White Porcelain! The opening bid is 3 million credits!’
‘Bidder 131, 4 million!’
‘Bidder 151, 4.1 million!’
‘Bidder 131 again, 4.5 million!’
‘Ah~ Bidder 151 bids 5 million!’
‘The competition between Bidder 131 and 151 is fierce!’
“······Ah.”
That happened.
The Egolos White Porcelain. It was rumored to enhance virility if one drank water from it.
─As expected, you’re tempted.
I understood Jun Kandel’s intentions. I had once been passionate about such useless collectibles, but now I had little interest.
“Yes. I am tempted. It’s a genuine antique, the first in a long time. However.”
─······However?
To pretend to concede, such words were also necessary.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be able to attend this auction. I’ve been quite busy with recent renovations.”
This meant I would give him the white porcelain, and Jun Kandel smiled with satisfaction.
─I understand. A small gift will be delivered soon.
The transaction was completed in an instant.
I traded the porcelain for a small gift, and the nature of that gift was obvious.
─Then, farewell.
Jun Kandel hung up.
“······His voice is still unpleasant.”
Forget the white porcelain or Rodriguez, I thought about the strange phenomenon that had just occurred.
No matter how much of a returnee one is, it’s hard to remember all the trivial events of decades ago.
Yet, the memory of bidding at an auction back then had resurfaced as if it were yesterday.
The cause was probably—
“Was it you?”
I laid my hand on my collarbone.
It was undoubtedly this fragment of the virus that had resurrected my memory.
If so.
“······Let’s delve deeper into my memories.”
I closed my eyes.
The memories buried in the dusty drawers of my mind. Things I had glimpsed in passing. Among them, I recalled knowledge of the future that would be particularly profitable.
‘The southern mines, I hear they haven’t been profitable lately. Not even magic stones, even usable iron ore is scarce.’
Past memories unfolded like a panorama before my eyes.
A lavish yet somewhat decadent aristocratic salon. A space filled with the intermingling scent of thick cigar smoke and expensive perfume.
‘Diving into the magic stone business at a time like this is foolish. Investing in real estate in the capital would be much wiser.’
‘Indeed, even our family has sold almost all of its shares in the southern mines. It’s like pouring water into a bottomless pit.’
This was when I mingled with a group of nobles, discussing business.
During the time I felt out of place in the Knights, and my life felt directionless.
‘They’ll probably go through the process of closing the mines within a few years. There’s nothing left in that barren land.’
‘······Tsk. Some people fall backward and break their noses, while I hear the Republic just digs up magic stones wherever they go?’
These nobles had said that the South, once the cradle of magic stones, was now finished. Thanks to that, I had also sold the mines I had bought in advance.
But one day, suddenly, a headline broke.
The headline of that newspaper clearly came to mind.
[Unidentified magic wave detected in the Romilton mountain range area, Hermès Province, Southern Region… Academia raises the possibility of discovering large-scale magic stone veins.]
“Found it.”
I opened my eyes.
Hermès Vestone, the Romilton mountain range area. The magic stone mining industry requires massive initial investment and carries a high risk of failure, but once it strikes gold, it brings significant profits – a prime example of hyper-risk, hyper-return. The mining costs would be fully covered by Ebenholz anyway.
I quickly left the president’s office. I approached Dieter, who was in a corner of the office.
“Mr. Dieter. Did you hear? I’ve acquired this company.”
“Yes.”
“Do you perhaps only serve the former president or something like that—”
“No. I am an employee of this company.”
“······That’s a relief.”
Indeed, Dieter was a person whose inner thoughts were difficult to discern.
“From now on, you will have full authority over this company. At the same time, you must also perform your duties as my personal secretary.”
I thought I saw a flicker of brightness on Dieter’s face.
Perhaps he was someone who enjoyed overworking.
“First, here is your first assignment. We will purchase all land in the area of Vestone County, Hermès, in the South. Discreetly, so that rumors do not spread.”
Dieter looked up at me and nodded.
“Yes. I will do that.”
Then he buried himself again in a mountain of documents. This person doesn’t even have a computer. It means he handles everything manually.
“I’ll get you a computer too. Do you know how to use it?”
He then looked up again,
“I will learn.”
He pushed his rimless glasses up his nose.
“······Alright. Good luck.”
The more I looked at him, the more he seemed like a true eccentric, far more so than the rumors suggested. He seemed like a stubbornly focused person, impossible to evaluate by common standards, but it was precisely for that reason that I could trust him more.
Dieter Schmidt.
You are my first secretary.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez received good news.
Triumphantly, he stepped out into the back garden of the Guard headquarters. Lieutenant General Strassen was waiting for him there.
“Loyalty!”
Rodriguez saluted first. Strassen, in civilian clothes, smiled.
“Did you hear the news?”
“Yes. Indeed. I heard you reached an agreement with Duke Kandel.”
“······Yes. We reached an agreement.”
Strassen nodded. Rodriguez’s cheeks flushed red.
“That’s a relief. I believe this incident will be another opportunity and turning point for the Guard. We will oust the old-fashioned nobles who have maintained their power under the guise of tradition, and our Guard—”
“-We’ve decided to discard you.”
“At the forefront…”
Rodriguez’s long speech was abruptly cut off, and his expression froze for a moment.
Rodriguez tilted his head, as if he had misheard. Strassen let out a deep sigh.
“Rodriguez, you spent your time in the East and may not understand some things.”
The Lieutenant General took a step closer to him, grabbed his tie, and whispered,
“Ebenholz is a name that should not be trifled with, even if it were a newborn puppy.”
In an instant, men in uniform emerged from the shadows. They roughly grabbed Rodriguez’s arms.
“My-My Lord? What is this—”
“Shush. Handle it quietly.”
“My Lord! General Strassen! What is this! What are you doing! Your Excellency!”
Rodriguez screamed as he was dragged away. At some point, his mouth was covered, and Strassen clicked his tongue and muttered,
“Incompetent fool.”
No matter how reckless Maximilian was, he was Sebastian’s only son. Rodriguez, a country bumpkin, was a nobleman of a status he could not even dare to look up to.
“This is why country bumpkins don’t know their place.”
Strassen took out a silver toothpick from his breast pocket and cleaned between his teeth.
Scrape. Scrape. Scrape.
As if removing food debris, someone’s neck was severed.
The last day at the main house.
Enzi delivered a small gift from the Kandel family. It was a beanbag. When I unzipped it, Rodriguez’s face was there.
“Yes. I’ve confirmed it.”
“Yes.”
Jun Kandel had acquired the white porcelain at a relatively low price at a recent auction, and Rodriguez had his head cut off. This meant Rodriguez’s life was worth no more than a single piece of pottery.
He was insignificant to begin with, but high-ranking nobles in the empire assessed people’s value even more coldly.
“Enzi. Is Father upset?”
“I haven’t reported to him separately, but.”
Enzi’s narrowed eyes formed a curve.
“He probably knows. He’ll likely be proud. However, Sir, if this is for Father’s sake, there’s no need to go this far.”
Enzi seemed concerned about my drastic change. Before my regression, around this time, I had only gone out to explore fine dining.
“No. I did this because I wanted to. It has nothing to do with Father.”
I stared intently at Rodriguez’s closed eyes.
“A guy who doesn’t know his place tried to act tough.”
I handed the beanbag back to Enzi.
“Burn it. Are the moving preparations complete?”
“All finished.”
Everything from the wooden sword my mother had made for me, which I had cherished since childhood, to my well-worn books, had been packed into moving boxes. My favorite furniture, like the sofa and bed, had already been moved to the new mansion.
Enzi had likely taken care of even the minor details I hadn’t mentioned.
“Enzi, can I rummage through the Ebenholz armory before we go?”
I’m looking for a sword. I need to beat the one I’m feeding, and I can’t think of anything other than recklessness to stand alone without my family’s help.
I have to make the most of what I’ve been given. Because there is an ‘enemy’ we must confront.
“Of course. The entire armory is yours, Sir. Please follow me.”
Enzi opened the door. His gesture of guiding me was as affectionate as always.
…To be honest.
I was more saddened by Enzi’s death than by my father’s head hanging in the street.
What a great unfilial son I was.
