Spending a whole 1 gold on an Escort was an undeniable display of luxury.
A carriage, a coachman, and a Noble lady to escort me—a truly extravagant arrangement.
‘Why, though?’
Yet, I couldn’t bring myself to feel grateful… After all, it was an Escort worth 1 gold.
Is kindness still kindness when you pay two million won for it, or is it just being taken for a fool?
Thinking of it in terms of a plane ticket, it was like flying First Class from Seoul to Busan…
‘This is… the luxury of Nobles…’
“You don’t just move the carriage around whenever you like. The eyes that watch Nobles are everywhere… No, more like, we’re being monitored.
And as it happens, today there’s a social tea party in Grunvalt that I must attend.”
What is this…? A shared ride?
They’re just dropping me off since they’re going anyway… And yet, they’re still charging 1 gold?
“Um… so…”
“Of course. I had planned not to go, but I decided to attend for your sake, to lay the groundwork for your caravan. It’s not a gathering I’d have chosen otherwise.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She’s as sharp as she looks…
“When we arrive in Grunvalt, you’ll move with Sir Richard. Once you form a caravan and hire Mercenaries from the Mercenary Guild, you’ll be able to move together. But don’t hire too many. Only bring along trustworthy people you can move with discreetly. Can you manage that?”
“Of course. I’ll do it better than anyone.”
“Once you’ve formed your caravan, go to Tanden Village and meet Mage Serranos to deliver the Cloak of Protection. This time, it’s not a test, but a real mission. The reward is 25 gold, so remember that. And since you found your people earlier than planned, you have a few days of leisure. Spend a few days sightseeing in Grunvalt before you leave.”
A Mage! This will be the first time I meet a Mage in this world.
And she—she is one of the Heroes in the party of eight.
‘Sten’s painting had her, too. I think she was drawn as a fire-type Mage…’
“Yes. If it’s not rude to ask, may I inquire what kind of effect this Artifact has?”
If you want to sell something, you should know what it does.
“Of course. This Artifact is called the ‘Cloak of Protection.’ The ‘Cloak of Protection’ is one of my masterpieces. It can block any spell of the 6th Circle or below, once per day.”
In one-on-one battles with Mages, it often comes down to a single spell.
To be able to block that even once—that’s an incredible effect. I wish I had an Artifact like that someday…
As we chatted about this and that, the conversation gradually faded and silence fell.
Before things got any more awkward, I decided to break the silence with a question.
“My lady, there’s something I’ve been wondering since yesterday. May I ask?”
“Of course. Speak.”
“You mentioned yesterday that a Noble’s carriage bears the family crest. Is it customary for carriages to have those crests?”
“Hmm… That’s a rather broad question. At first, not all carriages had crests. Now, it’s almost like an obligation. The price of a carriage varies greatly depending on its shape, the number of horses, and which craftsman made the compartment. People who love carriages can tell where it was made just by looking at it. Carriages are one of the main ways to display the wealth of a family.”
“So, to flaunt that wealth, they probably started carving the family crest onto the outside. Also, the guards at city gates recognize the crest, allowing you to pass with minimal inspection, which is a positive effect. But since it’s easy to figure out which Noble’s carriage it is, your movements are more easily exposed. Because groups like thieves, bards, and beggars—anyone dealing in information—can more easily track the movements of Nobles, a Noble’s whereabouts have become valuable information.”
‘It’s just like fancy foreign cars…! At first, a few Nobles added crests for convenience, but as it became widespread, you couldn’t avoid putting a crest on your carriage anymore. You see this in business sometimes, too. It’s not that the rich buy luxury cars because they want them, but as a way to flaunt their wealth, they force themselves to drive them.’
“Then couldn’t you just call a different carriage for travel? I mean, instead of always using a carriage with your family’s crest, could you use a plain carriage?”
At my words, the lady seemed puzzled.
“Call a different carriage for travel… That’s certainly an interesting idea. But there are various problems. Guess what they are… Actually, no, I’ll explain.”
The lady paused, gazing down thoughtfully.
It’s working better than I thought…
“Since carriages are a symbol of accumulated wealth, they cost a lot. Roughly, a carriage costs around 25 to 30 gold. The truly luxurious ones cost dozens of times that, crafted by artisans. Even an ordinary carriage easily exceeds 10 gold. The horses, too, vary in price depending on their bloodline, but for workhorses, let’s say about 5 gold each. A hired coachman earns about 1 gold a month. With feed, stable, and other facilities, that’s another gold.”
“So, just to operate a carriage, it’s at least 25 gold up front, plus over 2 gold in monthly maintenance. That’s not a small sum. Unless you’re a wealthy Noble or a caravan making a big profit from trade, it’s hard to manage those expenses.”
In short, owning a carriage requires massive expenses, so only wealthy Nobles or profitable caravans can bear the costs.
That’s why this world doesn’t have public carriages as a mode of transportation.
“But the idea is amusing. A carriage you could secretly call for… I’d want to try that at least once.”
“But riding an unverified carriage is very dangerous.”
Richard suddenly cut into the conversation.
‘A carriage of unknown origin means you don’t know who’s inside, and that makes you a target for thieves or outlaws.’
“That’s right. And since carriages are so large, moving secretly would hardly be possible.”
“And it would be a problem to call a carriage right up to where the lady is staying, as well.”
Many problems came up. Not so much political, but economic reasons are the main issue.
From today’s conversation, I picked up a small hint for my first Startup item. I’ll have to think it through some more.
“Yes, my lady. Thank you. My curiosity is thoroughly satisfied.”
With that, our conversation ended.
And I began pondering that small hint even deeper.
So sleepy…
Snore… snore… zzz.
‘Should I wake him? To think he’d fall asleep snoring in front of the lady…’
No. He looks quite tired, just leave him be. Not everyone has that much nerve…
In a moment of deep exhaustion, I dozed off a bit—only to sense a sudden chill and snap awake.
Why does it suddenly feel hard to breathe?
Looking up, I saw the lady quietly fanning herself with her eyes closed, while Richard was beside her, giving off a faint killing intent and smiling, as if to say, “If you’re going to sleep, do it quietly.”
***
The journey from Costa Village to the city of Grunvalt is long enough to take a week on foot.
If I had to compare, it’s about the distance from Seoul to Daejeon…
Roughly 145 km (about 90 miles) apart. At first, I’d planned to walk it.
Ashford Castle sits about halfway between Costa Village and Grunvalt, so today, riding the carriage, I’d have to travel about 72 km (about 50 miles).
Grunvalt is classified as a major city directly under the king. Commerce thrives there, and over 100,000 people live in this metropolis.
After the war, Grunvalt became a land of opportunity.
In fact, many of my dormitory friends left for Grunvalt to find work.
You can only form a caravan at a Mercenary Guild in a major city, not a territory, so it’s a mandatory destination.
The carriage moved swiftly, and thanks to our early start, we arrived in Grunvalt around two in the afternoon.
Maybe the Noble’s carriage is faster…
It’s a week’s walk, but we got here in just one day—truly, good equipment makes all the difference.
We seemed to move about 7 to 8 miles an hour. Valuable data.
Unlike the free pass I’d had in the territory, at Grunvalt’s wide walls and city gate, identity checks were strictly enforced.
But a Noble’s carriage, with its family crest, passed through with only a few seconds of verification.
And just like that, we were allowed to enter the city.
Grunvalt is known for its commerce, arts, and trade, and compared to Wind Heaven Village, the city’s energy was on another level.
Shop signs lined the streets, and stores were everywhere. People were bustling all around.
The great city of Grunvalt!
A city of freedom. A trade hub developed around the Lonan River.
It’s even said that the reason for the war between the Tutun Kingdom and the Jovia Principality was to control Grunvalt.
“Well, then. Off you go.”
“Yes, my lady. I will carry out your command and return safely.”
When the carriage stopped and I followed Richard out, Frana Bella descended last, receiving Richard’s Escort.
She covered her face with a fan, gave a few orders to Richard, and he knelt on one knee in reply.
Then he handed me a large bag and told me to follow him.
‘Ugh. This thing is heavy…!’
Richard wore a simple leather uniform with a sword at his waist.
I staggered, hauling the luggage behind him.
Once we were away from most prying eyes, I asked Richard,
“Sir Richard, what is this? Why is it so heavy?”
“Ah, that’s my armor. Just in case something happens, I brought armor and a helmet. You’re acting as an attendant, so just carry it quietly and follow.”
‘Hmph… He seems oddly pleased about this…’
Is it really necessary to lug around such heavy armor? But since I’m doubling as an Escort, I’ll just let it slide.
Fortunately, the Order of Merchants wasn’t far away.
I told myself for the hundredth time I needed to build stamina as I hurried along, and at last, I saw what looked like the Order of Merchants.
“This is the Order of Merchants.”
“Is… is this a university?”
Standing at the entrance, I was stunned.
The Order of Merchants was as big as a university campus.
The main gate was shaped like a triumphal arch, and beyond it, lawns stretched out, with multiple large buildings visible.
“The Order of Merchants has grown faster than any other force since the war.
Now, with commerce thriving even more after the war, the citizens have become the third great force after the king and Nobles.”
I’d imagined the Order of Merchants as some shabby medieval institution like in Costa Village, but the grounds here were massive, with several grand buildings.
Seeing the tall buildings, I could feel the power of the merchants.
It made me want to start my own Startup even more.
“I’ll go take care of some business nearby. It wouldn’t do for them to know about your ties to House Ashford when you form your caravan, so set it up, then return here.”
With that, Richard left for a while. I entered the Order of Merchants alone.
The grounds were so big I got a little lost, but with directions, I made it to the Order’s headquarters.
A magnificent phrase was written at the entrance.
[God made humans, and money perfects them.]
At last, the moment had come to shed the title of would-be entrepreneur in this world.
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