Chapter 33

The dazzling morning sun pierced through my eyelids and stabbed at my eyeballs.

On top of that, the chirping of unidentifiable birds had been repeating in my ears for a while now.

Unable to bear the annoyance, I got out of bed.

“Be quiet!”

Flutter─.

As I shouted without even properly opening my eyes, the small warblers perched on the windowsill scattered in all directions.

Only then did the sight of the unfamiliar room come into view.

I stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling and the soft silk blanket in my hands.

Then, I managed to recall where I was.

“Ah, I'm in Fasa.”

It was the Signori family's mansion.

***

Randolfo had humbly described it as a mansion, but the Signori family's residence was more than that.

The mansion was so large and imposing that it would not lose out to any noble family's estate.

It was a testament to the Signori family's status in Fasa.

The hospitality the Signori family showed me last night would be hard to forget for the rest of my life.

If I hadn't been so tired, it felt like they would have continued the banquet for three days and nights.

A family of this caliber would certainly have ample resources.

Moreover, Randolfo was also favorable towards me.

It seemed that luck was on my side.

If things went well, I might not have to travel to other cities to recruit investors.

I rang the bell to call a servant.

In modern times, having someone attend to you was an unimaginable luxury, but I was now getting used to this kind of life.

A moment later, instead of a servant, Theo came in with a basin of water for washing and breakfast.

“Are you awake, Young Master?”

“Did you sleep well, Theo? It's a good morning, isn't it?”

“You must have been very tired. It is already noon, Young Master.”

“What? No way! It wasn't the morning sun?”

No wonder it was so bright.

Surprised, I looked outside, and indeed, the sun was high in the middle of the sky.

By a rough calculation, I had slept for over 15 hours.

It was truly a pathetic level of stamina.

“Why didn't you wake me up sooner?”

“I tried to. You just couldn't wake up.”

“I didn't know I would be this knocked out just from that journey.”

“That is why you must build up your stamina as soon as possible.”

“Ugh.”

I recalled the training I did on the ship and showed my dislike.

It seemed this body had no talent for physical activities.

“It's absurd to think you can get stronger after just a few days of training. Then why would anyone train? Did you think the world was that easy? The fastest way to get stronger is to consistently, diligently, and repetitively train.”

“Ah, alright, calm down. I just wanted to live a little more comfortably.”

Although I was scolded by Theo, who had been possessed by a fitness trainer, I was, on the other hand, contemplating an easier way.

The best method would be to obtain a magical item.

Like Michael's ring, magical items were bound to have auxiliary effects.

The problem, however, was that magical items were as difficult to obtain as they were rare.

Usually, one would choose the method of exploring secret dungeons that exist in each region and obtaining them as a reward.

The royal tomb after the fall of the Imperial Capital was a prime example of this.

But the problem was that there were no secret dungeons around Fasa where one could obtain a magical item.

The next thing that came to mind was robbing a mage, but that was not a wise thing to do.

Mages were much rarer than magical items, and much more dangerous.

Trying to catch a single mage could needlessly cost me my life.

“Shall we eat first?”

“Let's.”

The breakfast Theo brought was simple, consisting only of some ham, white bread, butter, and an egg.

It was a shame there was no coffee.

In the morning, you need to sip on an AA, an Iced Americano, through a straw to really wake up.

If I get a chance to explore the south later, I must try to find coffee.

However, the meal Theo brought was only for me.

“What about you? Aren't you eating?”

“Thank you for the offer, but I have already finished my meal while the Young Master was in dreamland.”

“The bed at the Signori family's mansion was so comfortable that I slept really well.”

“There was a bed on the ship, wasn't there?”

“I'm sorry to Captain Leandro, but it's not comparable to this. Besides, on the ship, you're constantly rocked by the waves.”

The wooden ship I was on shook so severely that it was incomparable to a modern ferry.

The sailors said you get used to it, but I couldn't adapt until the very end.

The journey itself was tiring, but that must have made it even more so.

I had a conversation with Theo while eating.

“Nothing happened while I was asleep, right?”

“It was quite chaotic. The mayor, the shipowners' union, the merchant guilds, even the bankers of Fasa. They were knocking on the gate since dawn to meet the Young Master.”

That was pretty much all the major influential figures of the city.

“That's great. The response is good.”

“I told them the Young Master was too tired to meet and sent them away for now. Isn't this a bit dangerous?”

“Everyone has caught the scent of money. Wouldn't they be curious about what will be done with the vast pirate treasure that suddenly appeared?”

“You really lit a fire, Young Master.”

“Of course, I did.”

Objectively speaking, 'Leon Gryph' not only saved Captain Leandro's life but also played a leading role in eradicating the Kresven pirate den, which no one had been able to touch before.

And I rescued Randolfo, a key figure in the city, from the pirate den and brought a huge amount of pirate treasure to the city.

Although there might be some exaggeration, I had proven myself as an adventurer.

Furthermore, I had spread the 'business plan' through Randolfo.

So, even if it was a bit of a leap, it was natural for the influential figures of Fasa to be interested in me.

“Actually, there seems to be a bit of a problem because of that.”

“What else happened?”

“They said the government discussed the issue of the captured cargo and treasure from last night until this morning.”

“Why was the meeting so long? It's just a matter of dividing it according to the set ratios.”

“They said it's because of a legal issue. Among the cargo, there are items that were stolen from other cities, and they are debating whether to consider the owner as the pirates or the other cities.”

I snorted.

“That's a foolish discussion. It's obviously goods that were rightfully captured from the pirates.”

“There must be someone who wants to pocket the compensation money for themselves.”

“What?”

I stopped talking and stared intently at Theo.

“What is it? Is there something wrong with my handsome face?”

“You're not Theo, are you? The Theo I know would never say something so smart. Tell me the truth. Where did you hide the real Theo?”

“Now I see how the Young Master usually sees me.”

Theo growled for a moment before confessing.

“Of course, I don't know the situation here well. I'm just relaying what the people of the Signori family said.”

“Is that so. To solve that problem, do I have to appear before the government myself?”

“You don't have to worry about that. They say the mayor, the shipowners' union, and the Signori family strongly demanded a proper distribution.”

“Really?”

The shipowners' union and the Signori family, who directly benefited from this pirate subjugation, made sense, but the mayor had no vested interest.

Why did he step in?

“The others make sense, but the mayor is a bit unexpected. Mayor Rapacio has nothing to gain from stepping in, he would only make enemies.”

“It's a good opportunity to collect taxes for free. He probably doesn't want to miss that chance.”

“Tell me. Where did you hide the real Theo?”

“I have common sense too, Young Master. I know how vicious tax agencies can be, and how ruthless finance officials are.”

Theo sighed.

I chuckled.

Yes.

He wasn't wrong.

It wouldn't make sense to miss such an obvious opportunity to increase tax revenue.

Fortunately, it seemed Mayor Rapacio was not incompetent.

The amount was already insufficient to proceed with the business, so if he had interfered, Mayor Rapacio would have had to meet someone in a dark alley.

“And Matriarch Costanza wishes to meet with the Young Master.”

“Matriarch Costanza? Who was that again?”

“Do you remember the woman who was crying while holding onto Mr. Randolfo yesterday? She is the head of the family. They say she put in a lot of effort to handle yesterday's matters.”

“Ah! I remember. It was her. I should meet her later and express my gratitude.”

Theo took a letter out from his pocket.

The envelope was almost uncreased.

“And a letter came for the Young Master last night.”

“Oh, the popularity of this body. From whom?”

“From the beautiful noble lady of the Imperial Capital.”

“I know who it is.”

It must be Zeta, the Captain of the Guard.

“But how did the letter arrive before we did?”

“Our schedule was delayed because we were cleaning out the pirate den, wasn't it? It seems our paths crossed in the meantime.”

“Still, that's too fast.”

“The person who brought the letter was a mage.”

“If it's the Mage Guild's mail delivery, then I understand.”

Seeing how my thoughts were lagging, it seemed I was still not fully awake.

This was why I needed strong coffee.

***

Mages were very rare and independent beings, but they never missed the advantages that collective action brought.

Thus, mages, like other professions, formed a guild.

The birth of the Mage Guild.

Since almost every mage in the world belonged to the Mage Guild, it naturally enjoyed a monopolistic position in the world.

Among the services provided by the Mage Guild, one that no one could imitate or catch up to was the postal service.

The Mage Guild's postal service was the fastest means of communication in the world.

At the same time, since it was delivered directly by a mage, security was also guaranteed.

There was no fear of it being opened or stolen by someone in the middle.

The usage fee was so expensive that not just anyone could use it, but since it was effective, there were few complaints.

A large part of that was because there was no alternative service.

“Then let's see what Zeta sent.”

Zeta also seemed to trust the security of the Mage Guild, as the letter was written in plain text, not code.

In terms of security, sending it in code would be safer, but I couldn't imagine anyone being able to infiltrate the mages' communication network.

「To Mr. Leon Gryph. The situation in the Imperial Capital is quite stable. There are no longer any signs of instability.」

Below the first sentence, written concisely without any greetings, were brief accounts of events happening outside the Imperial Capital.

「Duke Isak has been fighting a bloody battle with the surrounding lords since being declared a public enemy of the Empire.」

It seemed Isak was somehow maintaining the war situation.

He was quite talented.

I wondered if he would just collapse this time.

「However, not only that, but the number of lords who are gradually becoming interested in the succession issue is increasing. Many people are moving behind the scenes.」

Zeta concluded the letter with a warning that this interest would one day reach a dangerous level and a major explosion would occur, and that she would contact me again when new information came in.

The fully read letter turned to ash and disappeared on its own, and I was lost in thought without a word.

“Is something wrong?”

“Not really. It's just that the problem is deepening. It's not unexpected.”

Although it had been delayed a bit, it seemed that what happened in the game would eventually happen here as well.

Yes.

Just stopping Isak wouldn't change the flow of history.

I didn't think I could prevent the division just by protecting the Imperial Capital.

Wasn't that why I was in Fasa now?

It was my turn to move.

“Theo, you said the matriarch of the Signori Family has great influence in the city, right? Let's go meet her. I need to borrow her help to successfully hold the investment briefing.”

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