Opening the Floodgates

As a man who made his living trading in human pleasure, Ahmad Hashim was one of the richest men on the continent.

His first impression was surprisingly good for the lord of such a city of pleasure.

His copper-colored body was firm and taut, without an ounce of flab, and his eyes seemed to shine.

He was the exact opposite of the nobles with the dull, vacant eyes so commonly seen in Halim.

Ahmad personally took the tea prepared by the serving girl and offered it to Ferda.

“It’s Assam tea. I heard that you enjoy tea, so I brought this instead of alcohol.”

“I’ll drink it gratefully.”

“It is an honor to receive you here in private. Although you did not attend the Grand Council, I heard that you made a very impressive speech. I sincerely wish for the development of the Far East.”

Anyone could say such things.

“I appreciate the sentiment, at least.”

“Only sentiment? Would I, Ahmad Hashim, dare do something that would anger Set?”

Set was the god of the southern desert.

Ahmad stroked his long, flowing beard as he spoke.

“It would be nice if I had another gift I could offer you directly, Regent. Ahh.”

Ahmad snapped his fingers.

“I have a good idea.”

Ahmad whispered something to the maid fanning him from the side.

The maid understood and left the room.

Ahmad smiled at Ferda.

“You know that visitors to our city enjoy gambling, don’t you?”

“Of course. I even gambled here once.”

“For those who regret having to end their game and leave with only the money they brought, we have something prepared.”

“A pawnshop?”

Ahmad nodded.

Although Ahmad was called the lord of Halim, only two of the twelve casinos operating under him actually belonged to him.

Instead, all the pawnshops were operated under Ahmad’s authority.

That alone brought him three times the profits earned by all ten casinos combined.

“We take collateral and give the borrower six months. After six months, I’m free to dispose of the item however I please.”

“You’re saying you’d like to give me one of those items.”

“That’s right. I’m sure you’ll find it worthwhile.”

The auction held after this exhibition was likely going to be centered around items collected by Ahmad’s pawnshops.

The fact that he had brought it up meant he was offering Ferda something from one of those pawnshops.

‘It goes far beyond an ordinary pawnshop.’

Most of Halim’s customers were nobles and wealthy merchants.

They pawned not only ordinary jewels, but also rare objects that could serve as heirlooms, depending on the circumstances.

‘Of course, most of those items are reclaimed by their families, even if they have to take on debt to do so.’

Putting up an heirloom as collateral was practically the same as engaging in loan-sharking.

The treasures that remained would essentially be limited to jewels and magic items with middling effects.

Even so, Ferda was curious what kind of item it would be.

Since Ahmad had told him to expect something, it was worth seeing what he had in mind.

A short while later, four maids dressed in dancers’ costumes entered, carefully carrying a palanquin.

The care with which they carried it meant that whatever they were bringing was a precious item no one was allowed to touch carelessly.

Ferda could not help but feel anticipation.

Resting atop the palanquin was a long, narrow case.

It was large enough to hold a dagger.

Ahmad took the item out himself and spread it across the table.

“This is….”

Ferda’s eyes widened.

Having lived as a mage who had pursued strength throughout his life, he recognized it immediately.

“Do you know what it is?”

“A World Tree branch struck by Heaven-Defying Lightning… isn’t it?”

Ahmad was surprised by Ferda’s guess.

“Exactly. You recognized it at a glance. It’s not something most people could identify….”

Until they are broken off, World Tree branches hold pure mana, but when struck by lightning, that power is transformed into an effect that amplifies it.

It was one of the staff materials a mage who specialized in lightning absolutely had to obtain.

However, more than a thousand World Trees had been struck by ordinary lightning and shed branches, so they were not particularly rare.

But Heaven-Defying Lightning was different.

‘The lightning that only the First Witch, Lucy Philiages, could wield.’

Lucy Philiages was the witch who defied the laws of nature and possessed the only power capable of opposing the gods.

The most representative example was Heaven-Defying Lightning.

Unlike ordinary blue lightning, it was red and pierced the sky.

There were seven World Tree branches struck by Heaven-Defying Lightning in total.

One belonged to Erdes,

one was in the Blue Eye Magic Tower,

and the remaining five were divided among famous mage families.

However, two of those famous mage families had vanished along with the downfall of their houses.

‘Could this be the one whose whereabouts had been unknown?’

There were several possibilities.

Perhaps the son of a gambling-addicted mage had stolen the family heirloom and pawned it because he could not control himself, then lost track of it out of shame.

Or perhaps a genuine thief had stolen it, squandered the money gambling, and pawned it here.

Whatever had happened, it was nothing compared to the shock of the branch’s existence.

‘1.2 million goldens.’

It was an amount that even most kings would have difficulty offering.

The price was so extraordinary that Ferda remembered it.

It was an exceedingly rare and precious material for mages who wielded lightning magic.

“There’s something I’m curious about.”

“Yes, yes. Please, ask.”

“How much was this branch pawned for?”

Ahmad grinned as if Ferda had asked exactly the right question.

“Ten thousand goldens.”

A full one hundred and twenty times less.

Ferda was reminded anew of how thoroughly gambling ruined people.

They had handed over something worth 1.2 million goldens for such a pittance?

But that was not the important part.

‘Ahmad knows this item is valuable.’

He must have thought he could get at least five hundred thousand goldens for it, even if not the full 1.2 million.

It was far too burdensome an item to casually hand over as a gift.

Which meant that Ferda was worth more to him than that enormous sum.

Ahmad must have finished calculating the matter in his own way.

“Are you sure it’s all right to give me something this valuable?”

“An object naturally finds its way to its rightful owner. Wouldn’t it be fitting to give lightning to someone who wields lightning?”

The magic Ferda had used during the wolf monster incident had been Lightning Spear and Lightning Bolt.

That must have led Ahmad to assume he was a lightning mage.

‘Still, if I had a staff made from this, it would be useful.’

It could only help him; it was certainly not a material that would ever hold him back.

Ferda accepted Ahmad’s gift.

“I’ll accept it gratefully. But after receiving a gift like this, I’m not sure whether I can simply sit back and do nothing.”

“There’s no need to worry so much. Shouldn’t people in the same position help one another?”

“The same position?”

“Yes. Aren’t we both in the position of having to build everything up from the ground?”

Ahmad rose from his seat and headed toward the window.

Ferda followed him.

Outside the window lay a wasteland beneath the blazing sun.

“Halim was once an ordinary city among many that were withering away on barren land. When the mages began pursuing their ambitions, our city was one of their targets as well.”

Interference in domestic affairs by mages was common in the south.

Water was always scarce in the south.

That was why anyone capable of wielding water magic was treated with respect.

If they could manipulate ice in addition to water, their price was whatever they wished to ask.

“That was why my grandfather worked to revive Halim. He devoted himself in every way to this land, which the mages schemed against and the gods had supposedly abandoned.”

Ahmad’s eyes brimmed with tears.

His expression was filled with such sorrow that it was as though he had personally experienced that grief.

“Everyone cursed this place and said it would be destroyed, but look at how far we’ve come! Everyone called it a blasphemous land, a place abandoned by the gods, yet we have grown so strong that no one can ignore us. We built this with human strength!”

A prosperous city utterly unlike the wasteland around it.

Although many small cities had adapted to the southern desert, there was no place as luxurious and civilized as Halim.

“And my father, Abdul Hashim, always told me never to hesitate to help a brother in the same position. The Far East is our brother—a brother nation that walks the same path and deserves to enjoy the same prosperity!”

Ahmad displayed a passion that seemed capable of setting the world ablaze.

It was impressive enough to move anyone who witnessed the passion pouring from him.

But Ferda did not take it at face value.

To protect this insane land, one had to remain sane 365 days a year.

It was not a choice but a necessity.

It made no sense that Ahmad would show such favor simply out of gratitude.

‘Vernel must have left quite an impression.’

He must have noticed the value of magitech.

A chance to obtain an object capable of killing a monster with a single shot.

Ahmad did not dare let that opportunity slip away.

Having reached his conclusion, Ferda spoke.

“As it happens, we’re currently building villages under Valdrova Castle for the conquest of the Far East.”

“I heard about that as well. I imagine you must be terribly short on labor and materials. When did you say the planned completion date was?”

“I was told the foundation work and water and sewage systems would take a year, and that enclosing everything with walls would take at least five years.”

“Five years!”

Ahmad stroked his beard and thought.

Then he abruptly held up two fingers and said,

“Two years.”

“Pardon?”

“We’ll provide the materials and labor necessary to shorten your construction plan to two years.”

The offer was so extraordinary that Ferda could not even tell whether it was realistic.

He was saying they could cut down the schedule by a full three years.

All they lacked were materials and labor.

If Ahmad filled that gap, construction of the city would accelerate tremendously.

“For a city plan like this, we should also clear a road running directly to Valdrova Castle. We’ll support you with that as well.”

“Isn’t there already a road?”

“That road passes through the Empire. It doesn’t come directly here, does it? Going that way is inconvenient. More importantly….”

Ahmad suddenly pretended to glance around like a sneaky toady and said,

“You can’t trust the people in the imperial capital.”

Ferda quietly agreed with him.

Despite his exaggerated gestures, the depth of his thinking was beyond Ferda’s expectations.

‘But can he really make such an outrageous offer?’

Offering to complete the city three years ahead of schedule and build a road as well went far beyond merely saying among the nobles, ‘We’ll cooperate with your development.’

‘Just as they say all roads lead to the Empire, all roads in the south lead to Halim.’

As Halim was known as a city of pleasure, it was also the most active commercial center.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the finest goods from the south came here to be sold to nobles gathering from every region.

In other words, Ferda had succeeded in establishing direct exchange with the south.

‘Vernel has been even more helpful than I expected.’

It was an opportunity that could never have arisen if he had not created a gathering like this.

The progress stirred by the winds of innovation made Ferda smile without even realizing it.

Even so, Ferda did not let down his guard until the very end.

Ahmad’s true intentions emerged after that.

“Those were things I meant to provide. Now, I’d like to make you a proposal.”

Ahmad extended his hand.

“How about forming a partnership with Halim?”

* * *

After finishing his conversation with Ahmad, Ferda returned to Stefan.

“Hwahahahat!!!”

Meanwhile, Stefan was holding Vernel’s hand and laughing like a madman.

“What’s gotten into you?”

“Hahaha! We hit the jackpot! We struck it big!”

“What? What?”

“Look at this!”

The bundle of papers Stefan pulled out and placed on the desk consisted entirely of investment proposals.

They ranged from one hundred to ten thousand goldens, with the most expensive offering as much as one hundred thousand.

“Merchants and even nobles—nobles from every corner of the continent are all taking an interest in our product!”

“Is that a good thing?”

“The very fact that they gave us these documents means we have the upper hand! The fact that they made such extravagant offers instead of something half-hearted is extremely significant!”

“You mean we have the initiative.”

“Yes!”

Ferda, who had been pushed into the background, quietly watched them before opening his mouth.

“So what are you going to do?”

“Ah, Regent, you’re here. Of course we can’t just accept it! When they want us this badly, only fools would accept their first offers! I have some excellent strategies for this situation. Would you like to hear them?”

Excited, Stefan handed Ferda a business model proposal.

“The big players want us now! Since several places are showing interest in magitech weapons, we’ll first consult with the new administrator and devise strategies for real estate auctions and investment!”

Everything he talked about was money, money, money.

They were all means of filling the funds Administrator Isabella had been most worried about.

“With this much money, we could even establish a new trading company. We could make the Far East our headquarters—”

“A new trading company?”

Ferda cut him off and asked,

“Yes. Rather than rely on the existing Pascal Trading Company, we’d establish a completely independent trading company in the east. The shares would be divided as follows: thirty-one percent for the Duke, twenty percent for Mr. Vernel, twenty percent for me, and the remaining twenty-nine percent for the investors we bring in.”

“Why do we need outsiders for our trading company?”

“To open up trade terms with a major trading company, they usually demand a few percent of the company’s shares. In return, we buy a few percent of that company as well, so it’s closer to an exchange and shouldn’t cause any major problems.”

We were professional merchants, and the people we were dealing with were professional merchants too, so it was complicated.

Therefore, Ferda did not try to delve too deeply into the matter.

“What do you think?”

“I have no objection if it will activate the village, but… I don’t understand why you’re so excited.”

Ferda once again looked through the materials Stefan had given him.

But there was more than one strange element among the strategies Stefan had introduced.

Although Ferda was not an expert in economics, he could at least sense that something was off.

“Many of the things you proposed feel like they have to be started from scratch.”

It felt like digging a new well even though there was already one beside them.

It seemed as though they were starting everything over from the ground up.

Ferda’s intuition had been right.

“Yes. There are parts we’ll have to start from scratch.”

“Why?”

“Because then we can take hold of a trading company without relying on the Pascal Trading Company.”

“So….”

Ferda’s gaze sharpened at those words.

Stefan felt a needless tension rise within him beneath that gaze.

“I’m asking why you don’t want to rely on Pascal.”

“That company… isn’t mine yet. It belongs to my father. And….”

The words would not come easily.

But Ferda’s gaze forced him to confess the truth.

“It doesn’t need to become mine, either.”

“I see.”

Thump!

The papers Ferda had been looking through for some time landed on the table.

To Stefan, the sound was like Ferda had slapped him across the face.

His blue eyes seemed to shine with an even colder light.

“Then you must be useless.”