Chapter 13: Seed Money of Power

Inside, all kinds of hides were piled high.

Beneath the stacked hides, a magic circle was in operation.

‘So, it’s a Preservation Magic Circle.’

It was a magic circle that continuously kept goods fresh.

The reason it was still running even after so much time had passed was because it was structured to gather mana from the air.

“Hyung, is this the warehouse where they store those byproducts?”

“It seems so.”

While Myers was looking around, Ethan picked up one of the hides placed atop the magic circle.

Hans’s eyes sparkled when he saw it.

“This is!”

“You know it?”

“Yes! This is a peacock’s hide. Thanks to its fluffiness and softness, it’s always in high demand among noble ladies in winter. Goodness… I’ve never seen so many peacock hides piled up like this.”

Hans turned the hide over and examined it carefully.

“It’s old, but the hide hasn’t deteriorated. I think it’ll fetch a good price.”

“Check the rest of the items here.”

“Understood.”

Hans busily moved around the warehouse. Each time, shouts of pure delight burst forth.

“This is amazing! Incredible! This place is a treasure trove, Young Master!”

“How much do you think we’ll get if we sell everything?”

“Hmm… The prices are probably quite different from the past, but if I had to guess, I’d say at the very least, we could get thirty platinum coins.”

“Th-thirty platinum coins?! That’s three thousand gold coins!”

Myers was shocked.

He hadn’t even held gold coins, let alone platinum, more than a few times since he was a child. And now, not just one, but thirty platinum coins?

It was only natural to be stunned.

Seeing his reaction, Ethan let out a small chuckle.

“Myers, keep your composure.”

“Ahem! Ahem, ahem. It’s nothing, really. Ha ha…”

Thirty platinum coins.

It was a considerable sum.

In other words, about three thousand gold coins—enough to cover four months’ worth of tax revenue for a wealthy Baron’s Territory.

It was enough to set aside as basic seed money.

Ethan looked at Hans.

“You know the market prices well.”

“Hehe. My father was a merchant. When I was young, I traveled all over the kingdom with him, so I have a good grasp of most goods’ prices.”

‘A merchant, huh.’

How did someone like him end up as the caretaker of a villa?

As Ethan quietly watched, Hans continued speaking.

“Ah, it wasn’t a big business. More like a wandering peddler. Later, my father passed the family business to my eldest brother, and I ended up taking this path.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I originally wanted to be an administrator… but things just turned out this way. Ha ha.”

It seemed he had his own circumstances.

At any rate, it was fortunate that he knew the market. Thanks to his childhood experiences, he’d surely be quick when it came to selling large quantities of goods.

“We’ll sell it all.”

“Understood.”

Hans began packing the items into his bag. Since all the byproducts were high-value, Hans handled them with extra care.

Fortunately, there wasn’t too much.

Most of the items in the warehouse fit into Hans’s large travel bag.

The rest went into Myers’s travel bag.

“All packed, Young Master.”

“Hyung, mine’s almost full too.”

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

As they climbed the stairs, Hans’s eyes sparkled.

‘How does he know all this?’

From the traditional festival called the Festival of Fire to discovering the Shelter and now this secret warehouse.

The Young Master seemed to know far more of the Duke’s family secrets than any of his siblings.

‘Did the late Duke tell him separately?’

As the eldest son, it was possible. Hans quietly swallowed.

The Ardan Ducal House.

Before the Ten Branch Families intervened, it had been considered the finest noble house.

If he truly knew all the family’s secrets…

‘It would be an incredible strength for the Young Master.’

He’d been blessed by the Lord of Fire, a powerful spirit, and now, right after leaving the Temple, he’d obtained byproducts worth three thousand gold coins.

All the secrets of the Ducal House were extraordinary. No matter how you looked at it, the Young Master seemed to have a much higher chance of success than the Ten Branch Families.

‘I’ll have to show even greater loyalty.’

That way, when he soars to the heavens, I can rise with him.

Resolving himself, Hans followed behind the Young Master.

Elena only tilted her head in confusion for a moment at the sight of the two men lugging heavy bags. But after hearing about the warehouse and the value of the goods, her expression turned blank with shock.

For someone who had lived in the Hunting Annex, thirty platinum coins was an enormous sum.

‘As expected of Ethan.’

Just look at him.

Not only did he easily discover a secret warehouse unknown even to the family, but he also managed to make a fortune in an instant.

“With thirty platinum coins… If you just deposit them in the Royal Bank, you’d earn one platinum coin a year in interest.”

“Money isn’t for letting sit—it’s for growing.”

That’s how you end up handling much more than you started with.

“Do you have a plan?”

“There’s something I’d like to try.”

But for that, he’d need a capable stallion to run for him. He planned to look for such a person when they returned.

And so, a day passed at the Shelter. Having obtained everything they needed from the mountains, it was time to return to the Hunting Annex.

The journey back was much smoother than before. Thanks to the blessing of fire, everyone’s combat ability had increased by two levels.

Previously, using a slash technique would have left their muscles cramping, but now, they could slash without any strain.

‘Lord of Fire.’

It was truly a remarkable being.

Thanks to it, their growth had accelerated several times over.

Two weeks.

That was how long it took to return to the Hunting Annex.

From Ethan to Myers and Elena, the attendants who saw the three were wide-eyed with surprise.

It was hard to put into words, but all of their appearances had changed drastically compared to before.

And in a very positive way.

The attendants whispered quietly.

“Was the Young Lady always this beautiful?”

“And what about the Youngest Master? He’s become incredibly handsome… What on earth did they do in the mountains?”

“Doesn’t the Young Master look different too?”

“His impression seems much warmer somehow…”

Young Master Ethan.

He was still slender, but his overall presence had softened and become much more pleasant.

It was enough to make people wonder what on earth had happened in the mountains.

Of course, no one could ask outright.

Regardless of the attendants’ curious glances, Ethan went about his business.

After taking some time to rest, he was enjoying tea time when—

“Young Master, it’s Hans. May I come in?”

“Come in.”

Hans soon entered, holding out a document.

“Here is a list of merchant guilds capable of handling the goods we acquired. Is there one you prefer?”

Ethan looked over the document.

About ten merchant guilds were listed. Among them, one caught Ethan’s eye.

‘The Misas Guild.’

It was a name he was quite familiar with. His finger naturally pointed to it.

“Should I summon the Misas Guild?”

“Yes.”

“As expected, you have excellent judgment! They may be small, but they’re famous for keeping their deadlines and being highly trustworthy.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Plus, since the goods we have are of good quality, they’ll probably pay extra to buy everything. They may be small, but they have that much purchasing power.”

Ethan nodded.

“I’ll send a letter right away. If all goes well, the guild could visit as early as tomorrow.”

“Good work.”

“Thank you. Please rest well, Young Master.”

Hans left the room.

If things went well, perhaps he could find a stallion to grow his seed money.

Thinking of the Misas Guild, Ethan smiled quietly.

The Misas Guild visited exactly one day later. The guildmaster, upon seeing Ethan, bowed his head.

His eyes were full of goodwill.

“I heard you have awakened. Congratulations, Young Master! I am Mikelan, the guildmaster of the Misas Guild.”

“I’m Ethan. Before we discuss business, let’s have some tea.”

“Yes.”

Together, they entered the guest room prepared in the annex. Soon after, Hans knocked and brought in refreshments.

“If you need anything, please call for me anytime.”

With a polite bow, Hans left. Now it was time for the real conversation.

“Guildmaster Mikelan.”

“Yes.”

“Your bodyguard is quite skilled.”

“Pardon? Bodyguard? I don’t have a bodyguard…”

He was completely unruffled.

If Ethan hadn’t known the truth, even he might have been fooled.

Ethan smiled quietly.

“My father once told me. The Besos Marquisate has a rather interesting tradition.”

“A tradition?”

“They say the heir to the family is sent out to live independently for four years.”

“What are you…”

“Why are you wearing an Infi Mask?”
||
“If I’m not mistaken, you’re the heir of the Marquisate. Am I wrong?”

Guildmaster Mikelan—no, Jeyron’s mind went blank.

It had already been three years since he’d left the family to live independently.

During that time, no one had discovered his identity.

Very few people even knew of the family’s tradition, and he’d gone so far as to use an Infi Mask and change his voice with a special potion.

He was confident that not even the king could easily figure out his identity.

And yet, he’d been exposed so easily?

Jeyron looked at Ethan.

His eyes were already full of certainty.

‘Have I been found out?’

From the secret bodyguard assigned by his family to the Infi Mask—

For an ordinary merchant, the Young Master had noticed far too much.

With a sigh, Jeyron spoke.

“You’re correct, Young Master. Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Jeyron Besos.”

“Whew…”

In truth, Ethan had lied about one thing.

He hadn’t learned of the Besos Marquisate’s tradition from his father, but from his memories of his previous life.

In his previous life, the Besos Marquisate had poured money into supporting the suicide squad until they were wiped out.

That included Jeyron, who had been newly appointed as the family head.

They’d had many conversations at the time.

It was then that Ethan had learned about the family’s tradition.

‘Back then, I heard he returned before the four years were up because of the Beastkin.’

In his past life, when Ethan was nineteen, the Beastkin had suddenly appeared and war broke out.

But here, perhaps because the past had changed, Jeyron was still running his guild just fine.

“Nice to meet you, heir.”

At that, Jeyron looked at him in disbelief.

Even after he’d revealed his identity, Ethan was not using honorifics.

For the heir of the Marquisate, even a Young Master should show some respect.

Seeing Jeyron’s face, Ethan spoke bluntly.

“If you don’t like it, you can drop the formalities too.”

“…No, it’s fine.”

Ethan smiled inwardly.

It was the same attitude as in his previous life.

“Heir.”

“Yes?”

“How about making a deal with me?”

“A deal?”

“To truly seize control of your family, you’ll need a real achievement.”
||
“Even if you profit from these byproducts, it won’t be enough to claim a great accomplishment.”

Curiosity flickered in Jeyron’s eyes.

Even the goods they were about to trade were quite valuable.

Just what else did the Young Master have up his sleeve, to be so confident?

He couldn’t help but be curious.