Episode 228 – Work (1)

Work (1)

In the annex of the Edsilla capital, a place purchased for a business trip, Jade poured whiskey into a glass.

“Got something on your mind?”

He asked me, holding up the glass where ice and spirits swirled together.

“It’s fine.”

Even if he offers, if I actually accepted to dine with him, Jade would inwardly dislike it.

He nodded and took a sip by himself.

“So, you’re saying my ginseng business is a scam?”

“Yes.”

“Have you read the business plan?”

As a Chaser, I had access to Jade’s business plans.

In fact, it’s a story I already knew.

The list of businesses Jade had botched was quite famous even before my regression.

“Yes, I’ve read it.”

Jade has been swindled many times, but there’s always a reason. If someone has the audacity and meticulousness to scam Jade, it’s likely the work of a ‘team’ with exceptional nerve.

“Recite it. In what way is it a scam?”

The outline is simple.

‘Jade plans to invest tens of millions of Ren to acquire ginseng farmland.’

That’s it.

“Of course, the farmland is fertile. Ginseng would grow well. But it’s ordinary ginseng.”

“Ordinary ginseng?”

Jade frowned.

“Yes.”

Ginseng isn’t just a folk remedy. It’s a crop that actually absorbs the magic from the soil, so it can be processed into a meaningful magic supplement and sold.

“The farmland that Lord Jade intends to purchase will grow ordinary ginseng well because the land’s soil is rich in vitality. However, the concentration of mana in the soil is lacking.”

“Ha.”

Jade laughed, as if amused, taking a swig of his whiskey.

“You think I wouldn’t know that much? I’ve already collected and tested the soil. The right concentration of mana—”

“Which part of the soil did you test?”

“……”

For a moment, Jade’s expression froze. He silently looked at me, then abruptly—

Set down the glass.

“What if, on the ‘surface’ of the soil, they’ve only spread dirt with a high concentration of magic?”

It’s dedication to the scam. If they’ve laid magic soil on the surface of such a large farmland, most people would be convinced.

Ginseng land is something no one wants to give up easily, so in their haste not to miss out, they get fooled.

“……”

Jade ran his tongue over his lips. He seemed inwardly furious, but still maintained a nobleman’s smile.

“That could be the case. I’ll have to talk to Davis about it.”

“But, Lord Jade. Who was the first person to introduce you to this business item?”

“That would be Davis……”

Jade’s hand stopped abruptly.

I asked him once more.

“When did you hire Davis as a butler?”

“……”

Jade closed his mouth again. He gripped the glass so tightly that it crunched. Crisp— the glass shattered like a biscuit.

“The taste of the drink has gone bad.”

Even to his voice, thick with killing intent, I maintained my composure.

“I thought you should know.”

The reason I’m going out of my way to help Jade now is that businessman Jade is not a threat.

He is actually safest when conducting business as a noble.

The most dangerous being in this world is Jade, who has squandered everything and fallen into desolation.

At the brink, having abandoned his nobility, he would become a strategic weapon formidable even for a nation to contend with.

Therefore, at least until Zia has fully matured, Jade must remain a dignified noble and businessman.

“But what about this ‘curse’?”

Jade inquired about the cursed assassination.

“The curse’s target has been calculated to be one of the direct family members in the Aerial Garden. Of course, the direct family can resist—”

“It’s no big deal. Any direct family member who can’t resist such a curse deserves to die.”

“If it’s no big deal, that’s a relief. But as a Chaser, it’s my duty to hunt down and kill that bastard.”

Jade’s eyebrows twitched. He then looked out the window for a moment.

He seemed to be setting the mood.

“Business ideas aren’t coming together well these days.”

Clearly, he’s fishing for a hint.

I asked back.

“Isn’t the extreme mana stone business doing well for you?”

“It has been profitable, but there’s a limit to extreme mana stones. Once a mana stone is sold, it’s gone. I need a business that can provide a long-term source of income…”

Jade glanced at me again.

“Business ideas aren’t coming together well these days.”

He seemed to be openly asking for a business idea…

Suddenly, an idea came to me.

“Lord Jade. I’ve heard that ‘Balance Bakery’ belongs to you.”

“…Yes. I own ninety percent of the shares, and Zia has ten percent.”

Then this is a welcome topic.

“Instead of looking for a new business, how about expanding an existing one?”

“The bakery?”

Jade’s wrinkles slightly contorted. He glared at me with a predatory look for a moment.

I’m in his good graces, so he tolerates this much, but if it were someone he disliked, they’d be dead by now.

“Yes. Transform the bakery into a cafe.”

“…”

Jade leaned back in his chair.

He’s not interested—that’s what it means.

After all, selling coffee and bread doesn’t quite fit the image of a noble businessman.

“A sophisticated, upscale cafe, I mean.”

However, when I added ‘noble’ and ‘upscale’ to the mix, his expression softened somewhat.

“Lord Jade has an exceptional sense for detecting and creating beauty, does he not?”

The corners of his mouth twitched.

He seems to agree with that statement very much.

“Introduce a high-end cafe unlike any on the continent, with you personally overseeing the interior design and presentation to the public.”

Jade does indeed have an excellent eye. His artistic sense is undeniable, and his style of dress alone is worth emulating.

“…Hmm. But do you consider that a business? Merely selling bread and water?”

“Lord Jade. Do you know how many cups of coffee a university student consumes in a day? Office workers, knights, even mages enjoy coffee.”

In reality, the cafe industry has been on a consistent upward trend for the past decade. It’s not a domain to be taken lightly.

“And, there are many hit items at Balance Bakery that sell out as soon as they’re stocked.”

“…That’s true.”

Jade had by now leaned forward in his chair, his ears perked up with interest.

“If it were me, I would start by buying land in the capital for marketing purposes and build a very large cafe.”

“A large cafe?”

“Yes. A cafe like a department store that operates 24 hours a day.”

“24 hours doesn’t seem very upscale.”

“No. The purpose of this cafe is to provide the dignity and artistic beauty that Lord Jade pursues to the ‘masses.’ How much would nobles spend in a cafe? In the end, you need to attract the general public.”

“…Hmm.”

By this point, Jade’s face had completely warmed up to the idea.

“However, we would set the prices a bit higher. 6 to 7 Ren for a cup of coffee should be about right.”

“That’s too cheap.”

“No. The average price at existing cafes is 2 Ren per cup.”

“…”

Jade let out a slight chuckle.

That’s the kind of incredulous expression one might have at the thought of people drinking such trash and calling it coffee.

“Of course, I’m merely offering advice, but it’s certain not to fail.”

“Not a huge success, but not a failure either… Is that what you mean?”

“Personally, I believe that with Lord Jade’s artistic discernment, a huge success is also possible.”

A deep smile appeared on Jade’s lips.

“My sense has never been wrong.”

“That’s correct.”

I nodded in agreement.

“If this business does well, perhaps Miss Zia could be entrusted with the coffee bean supply.”

“Always thinking of Zia, aren’t you?”

As if he had finally found something to do, Jade continued with a noticeably relieved tone.

“Very well. Shion Ascal. Submit a business plan under your name. You’re a Chaser, but you’re planning to join the staff anyway, aren’t you?”

“Yes. If all goes well, by next year, or the year after at the latest—”

“The results will be retroactively applied. Whether the business does well or not, it will be reflected in your evaluation.”

Jade stood up from his seat.

“That’s all for now. I’ll have the appropriate land purchased in advance. We’re currently overflowing with cash.”

“…Yes.”

I bowed and retreated.

* * *

Back in the dormitory, I’m staring at my laptop. Lately, I’ve been recognized for my competence, so there’s a lot to do.

There’s hardly any time to rest.

[Personnel List]

Three days ago, Johanna handed me this personnel list.

The exact number is 33.

All of them are executive-level.

Among them are those loyal to Johanna, Derek’s cronies, and those who bore a grudge against me before my regression.

“…Sigh.”

I’m in the middle of compiling a background check file on them.

─Master! Have you received all the information?!

Grawl has been a huge help.

A Chaser usually has several personal information sources, but Grawl makes that unnecessary.

Thanks to his feline connections. He employs dozens, hundreds of unsuspecting cats to gather information.

“Yeah. Got it.”

All 33 people Johanna personally requested have been thoroughly investigated.

Out of them, there are about seven who are suspicious or at least worth keeping an eye on.

“…It’s done.”

I complete the file with the shell bank accounts, call records, and footage from CCTV that Grawl found through hacking.

“You’ve worked hard, Grawl.”

─No problem~ Haha!

Click-

I press enter.

The report is sent to her email.

…

Tick-tock─ Tick-tock─

The sound of the clock’s second hand echoes emptily inside.

Johanna is sitting in her office, her chin propped on her hand.

The flicker of the laptop screen is reflected in her empty eyes.

Click-

Johanna scrolls through the [Report] from Shion Ascal.

“…He’s quite capable.”

He had perfectly investigated the executive-level personnel she had requested. He found some of their shell bank accounts and captured suspicious circumstances.

Scroll- Scroll-

Johanna reads the report. With eyes that have lost interest, a bit empty.

Then suddenly,

The last paragraph.

A sentence left by Shion Ascal himself.

[I have done my best to be of assistance to Lord Johanna. While my best may not be perfect, I hope to prevent a repeat of the previous unfortunate incident.

Always wishing you peace.

From someone who once played your game, with respect, Shion Ascal.]

It’s like a short letter.

Johanna looks at it. She reads from top to bottom, and bottom to top.

“…Hmm.”

Suddenly, it feels as if an invisible wind is wrapping around her. As if lonely leaves are tumbling through the vast office.

Johanna sits in her chair, looking up at the trophy display.

In the spot where the best sunlight falls, the [World Series of Poker: Final Champion Trophy] has finally been placed. Next to it, her hang glider.

A bitter smile appears on her lips.

The memory of that day suddenly flashes before her eyes.

“…It was fun.”

Unforgettably so.

That’s why she’s thinking of flying again this week.

“It was fun…”

Johanna smirks, lighting a cigar. Smoke rises in the windowless space.

* * *

Weekend.

I arrived in Valrod City, on the outskirts of the Edsilla capital. It was an uncommon summons from Zia.

“…Did I come to the wrong place?”

The destination was a building as dilapidated as an abandoned factory. I took out my smartphone and made a call to someone.

Ring-ring-

Then, a ringtone flowed from inside. Soon after, the door creaked open, and Zia, clad in a baggy hoodie, emerged.

I asked in surprise.

“Were you here?”

“Yeah. Come in.”

“…Yes.”

I followed her inside.

First thing I noticed was the shattered windows. The production lines that once manufactured something were artificially destroyed, and the floor bore heavy traces of fire damage.

“This is a factory I run.”

“…You call this a factory?”

It’s nothing but a ruin. Zia laughed awkwardly.

“Yeah. It’s a factory for making weapons…”

Weapons. My eyes widened at the moment.

This place was a business Zia operated under a pseudonym.

A venture that must never be discovered by her direct relatives, nor by the council.

She had invited me here.

“It’s a bit shabby…”

“No.”

I shook my head, smiling faintly as I looked around. I dragged over a chair that was still in one piece.

“But the state of the factory isn’t very good. Have you been attacked?”

Zia naturally took a seat.

“Yeah. In the weapons industry… there are many competitors…”

True to her words, the weapons industry is rife with competition. It feels a bit different from defense and military supply industries.

The structure and powers of the weapons industry, encompassing both Edsilla and Trick City, are quite chaotic. Illegal modifications, looting, and plagiarism are common.

Of course, Zia would later dominate even the weapons industry, but not without enduring all sorts of hardships.

“I created and distributed a weapons catalog… and then they came attacking…”

Zia pouted her lips with a slightly aggrieved tone.

“I worked hard on the designs myself… but it all got destroyed.”

“Which company is it?”

At that moment, I had an intuition.

Zia was now trying to use me as her sword.

This was a golden opportunity for me to gain her trust.

“…A company called Lockhard. A small to medium-sized enterprise, but they claim this section as their own.”

This industry is quite violent. Even large corporations don’t hesitate to commit murder, and all sorts of bribery and trickery are frequent.

However, one must not simply abandon it because it’s dirty.

The weapons industry of the near future becomes even more massive and important than most big tech companies. Especially in that future where monsters prevail, and the number of beasts increases.

“Yes. I understand. For now, you should rebuild the factory. I’ll take care of Lockhard. But.”

I turned to look at Zia.

“Miss Zia.”

“…Yes?”

Zia looked up at me from her seat, her eyes wide and innocent like a deer’s.

“There’s no need for you to reveal yourself to me in person next time.”

“…”

Zia blinked silently.

“Please contact me remotely whenever you need to. Treat me as just an informant or a Chaser, in that manner.”

She dislikes coming out. She avoids it to an extreme. Because doing so itself is a risk.

If someone were to tail her, Zia’s ambitions could come to an end.

Yet, she waited here for me in person, perhaps to give a certain degree of trust.

To show that she, too, was with me in this.

“…Is that really okay?”

“Of course. It doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I won’t feel bothered at the least.”

Zia quietly observed me.

I told her,

“It is my wish that you continue to protect your well-being as cautiously as you are now, Miss.”

Zia must not fall because of me.

If that were to happen, all my efforts up until now would dissolve into nothingness.