Chapter 122: The Exchange

As soon as Evan safely escaped from the Gate, the Gate itself disappeared.

Once the boss monster was dealt with, everything else wrapped up smoothly.

It seemed the situation outside was the same, with the Gate vanishing to mark the end.

Members of the Order were busy clearing away the corpses of the Undead monsters.

Looking at the scorched land, traces of the fierce battle could be seen.

“Young Master! Are you alright!”

Members of the Order approached Evan and asked.

‘Were these people the ones who finished off Abaddon in the end?’

Evan looked at them for a moment, then answered with a bright smile.

“Yes. I’m alright.”

“That’s truly amazing!”

“You managed to deal with a Crimson Oath… and you didn’t hesitate to risk yourself for the Southern Region.”

“Evan, you are a hero of the age!”

Their praise came one after another, their eyes full of respect as they looked at Evan.

Among them was the woman from the Magic Tower who had first greeted Evan as a guide; now her eyes brimmed with personal affection.

“Evan! I knew you could do it.”

Humans are weak to what they see.

That’s why Evan fit the image of the ideal hero.

She sidled up to Evan in a subtle manner.

Then she began to introduce herself to him.

“Evan, I’m sorry it’s a bit late to introduce myself because of all the chaos, but my name is Lena.”

With a troubled expression, Evan raised his left hand and showed her his engagement ring instead of replying.

“Ah…”

Seeing that, Lena clicked her tongue in disappointment.

“Ahaha, sorry about that.”

She scratched her head awkwardly and stepped away from Evan.

Evan asked her a question.

“I’m curious about one thing. Has the Saintess come around here by any chance?”

He felt the need to check something that had been bothering him.

The sudden death of Abaddon was still hard to comprehend.

The power of the rune had been applied to him.

But there was no way the power of such a rune would just activate within the Gate on its own.

He could only suspect some external intervention.

Even if it were a trap, there’s no way a boss monster would die on its own from such a trap.

It was clear that something had been intentionally hidden.

Of course, through the Eye of the Spirit, Evan had looked into Abaddon’s memories and captured the world through the power of the heavens.

No matter who the culprit was, they could not keep it hidden from him.

Lena shook her head at Evan’s question.

“Huh? No. The Saintess should still be waiting in Seiram.”

Since she didn’t seem to know, Evan bid her farewell.

“Understood. Then I’ll handle my business first and come by right after. I’ll visit you in a bit.”

“Alright. If you come by the Magic Tower, I’ll prepare for immediate transport.”

She greeted him with a wide smile.

The members of the Order nearby also bowed their heads to Evan.

“Thank you for all your efforts for peace. We at the Holy Union of Bellium will never forget this favor.”

Evan accepted their greetings and moved on.

Rozi, Ayra, Alan, and Reynold were all waiting for Evan.

“Did you wait long?”

Evan approached Rozi and asked.

“No. Since you’re putting in so much effort for Rozi Currency, I can wait as long as you need.”

“Yes. This will probably leave an even better impression this time.”

Rozi was grinning so widely that it nearly reached his ears.

“Haha, that’s right. Young Master, and this isn’t just about a good impression. With this event, word will spread across the Southern Region once again. Let’s seize this opportunity and ride the wave.”

With that, Rozi took a coin pouch out from inside his coat.

“Here, take this.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“I had some extra Rozi Currency minted. It’s better for you to hand them out while you travel than for me to keep them. Give them as gifts to important people only.”

“Alright, I will.”

Evan gave a slight laugh and took the extra coin pouch full of Rozi Currency.

The party stood in front of the Adela Guild.

“…Wow. That’s enormous.”

Ayra couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.

A massive white temple.

Architecture marked by pointed roofs and a huge bell tower.

Various decorations symbolizing the Order were displayed in grand style.

In terms of sheer scale, it dwarfed even Count Kerthen’s mansion.

At that moment, Rozi explained to Ayra.

“Don’t just look at this one building and say it’s huge. Every building you see here is Adela’s property. There’s so much money here. Think of it as the place where all the money in the Southern Region gathers—this much is actually on the small side.”

“…What?”

Ayra looked around, surveying the surroundings at Rozi’s explanation.

She had thought this was just part of a lively city street.

But upon learning the entire area belonged to Adela, she couldn’t hide her surprise.

Rozi added more.

“Most of the crowds you see are here for Guild Currency. Adela Guild is basically the Main Branch for Guild Currency. Unlike other exchanges, you can trade all Guild Currencies here.”

Ayra nodded, listening carefully to Rozi’s explanation.

Now that she was in business herself, Ayra would play an important role.

So Rozi made sure to fill her in along the way.

‘Still, what a crowd.’

Everyone was gathered around the Posting Board that Adela Guild had prepared.

All eyes were fixed on the board as if they might pierce through it.

There were all kinds of reactions.

“Please! Let’s go! Please…”

“Why did it drop! Ahhhh!”

“Ah, I shouldn’t have sold yesterday. Whenever I sell, the price goes up.”

“As expected, the Rain Guild pulled it off. They’ve got real credibility.”

Some were in delight, others in fear and despair.

It was a scene of mixed fortunes, though those in delight were few and most seemed dejected.

Evan didn’t quite get it.

“Is that really such a big deal?”

But the next scene left Evan speechless.

“Are they crazy! Why! Why is it going up!”

“It’s rising! The tower is rising!”

“I bought in at the 35th floor.”

“Break through the sky!”

Suddenly, the whole area became feverish with wild excitement.

Everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs.

The noise was almost deafening.

Evan, stunned by the frenzy, glanced over in disbelief as Rozi approached.

“Young Master, let’s hurry. It looks like the market has started. Whenever a tower’s construction begins, every exchange becomes chaos. Let’s get moving before then.”

Rozi, acting as if he was used to this, calmly led Evan and the group.

“Ah, right.”

Evan looked perplexed.

Led by Rozi, Evan and his party entered the Adela Guild Main Branch.

“Is this really inside a building?”

Alan’s eyes widened.

A hall so massive its end was out of sight.

In the center, huge magic screens floated, too many to count.

Each screen displayed the current prices of various Guild Currencies.

It seemed this was set up so you could check them in real time.

Evan took his time looking around the guild interior, when Reynold approached and spoke up.

“Young Master, may I go ahead? There’s something I need to take care of.”

He looked quite desperate.

Apparently, after checking the prices of Guild Currencies on the screens, his face showed he’d suffered a loss.

“Alright, go ahead. I’ll take care of some business with the Count. Let’s meet at the statue in the center.”

“Yes! Thank you.”

With Evan’s permission, Reynold rushed off somewhere.

Alan, watching this, shook his head.

“Let’s hurry up. He’ll be waiting.”

Rozi addressed everyone.

He then squeezed through the crowd and approached a guild receptionist.

“Hello, what brings you here?”

“I’m Count Rozi. I previously submitted an application for Guild Union membership and Guild stock listing.”

“Of course, right away I’ll—wait… Evan?”

At that moment, the receptionist noticed Evan behind Rozi and exclaimed without realizing it.

Instantly, all eyes in the area turned toward Evan’s party.

“Isn’t that Evan?”

“It’s my first time seeing him in person!”

“Is that the hero who saved the Central Region?”

“What brings him here?”

The crowd buzzed with curiosity and intense interest.

Rozi cleared his throat and whispered to Evan so only he could hear.

“Young Master, this is an opportunity. Why not take out a 1 Rozi and show it to the receptionist?”

Evan nodded, pulling the pouch containing Rozi Currency from inside his coat.

Soon, the receptionist approached Evan and asked with utmost politeness.

“Evan, what brings you here? If you’d let us know in advance, the Guild could have prepared.”

Glancing at the crowd, Evan deliberately raised his voice so everyone could hear.

“It’s nothing much. I happened to come across this thing called Guild Currency through Count Rozi, and ended up coming here by chance. But seeing it now, Guild Currency seems worth investing in.”

As soon as Evan finished with a smile, the crowd erupted into whispers.

Seeing this, Evan continued.

“So, I’m thinking of buying some Guild Currency myself.”

“Excuse me?”

The receptionist’s eyes trembled as if in shock.

For Evan, a hero with immense influence in the Southern Region, to say he was buying Guild Currency—it was big news.

The receptionist subtly asked Evan,

“Guild Currency is a great choice! I hear it’s not yet widely circulated in the Central Region, which is a shame. But… if I may be so bold, is there a particular Guild Currency you’ve been interested in?”

“One I’ve been interested in…”

Evan paused, pretending to think, as the whole hall went silent in anticipation.

He slowly opened his mouth.

“I like things that are environmentally friendly.”

“W-what…?”

“Environmentally friendly?”

“Hey, tell the Guild Master right away!”

“This is big! Bring the money!”

The atmosphere became chaotic at once.

But as Evan began to speak again, the entire room quieted, hanging on his words.

“I…”

Trying to recall the features of Rozi Currency one by one, Evan clicked his tongue at the growingly intense mood.

‘If I don’t say it quickly, they might mob me.’

Sweating under their crazed gazes, Evan pulled a single 1 Rozi from the pouch he held.

“This is the Rozi Currency of the Rozi Guild, given to me by Count Rozi. It’s a high-class currency made from environmentally friendly materials. I think it’s a currency of real distinction.”

“…Rozi Currency? Then the Guild stock must be…”

“Count Rozi and the Guild made this wonderful Rozi Currency together. So today, to commemorate the listing, I’m planning to buy more Rozi Currency.”

As soon as those words ended, the crowd erupted into wild cheers.