Chapter 34 - Sin (2)
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"It's not just a lot, but they come constantly. And how come all those people are nothing but young masters and ladies from noble families who don't know the world? Even though I explained everything to them in advance, they just ignore me and ask for the investment money? They don't care about a proper investment. They always come up with something weird they heard somewhere, like it's a new business, it's going to explode in the near future, or it's a business backed by the imperial court... Ugh."
As she continued talking, her hands trembled uncontrollably. It seemed that even thinking about it made her teeth chatter. After checking the documents, she tapped them on the table to tidy them up, then put them in a thick leather bag and handed them to me.
"The investor doesn't seem to be that kind of person, but it would be good to listen to what I told you earlier. If you don't check properly, you really can lose everything, you know? You have to use your own money carefully."
"Ha ha, thank you for your advice. I'll take it to heart. Ah, it might be written on the documents, but I'm currently a student at the academy, so please be sure to send the correspondence to that address. My family home is in Maidhaven in the south, and it would be very difficult to check if it is sent to that address."
"Don't worry about it too much. That's something we always check as a matter of course. Well, go in and have a look, handsome young master."
I left the building with Irene seeing me off.
Will the method I used in the game work again this time? I had already confirmed several times that the knowledge I knew - for example, the location and efficacy of hidden items - was still common sense in this world. However, this time was a bit different.
In the game, there was a way to invest your money and grow it through the guild system. The two guilds with the highest investment success rates were Horace and Esmond, where I just invested.
Although these two places had a very low return rate of 10% of the investment amount, the success rate was close to 90%, so it was always a favorite investment destination for users who wanted to increase their goods steadily.
As for Valentine, it was a bit different. In the game, Valentine had an insane dividend rate, amounting to 1.5 times the investment amount, but conversely, it boasted an abysmal success rate of only 20%.
However, as with several other aspects of the game, there was what could be considered a bug in this system. It was rumored that if you invested a specific amount at a certain time, you could secure a 100% success rate and earn the full dividend.
For example, given that the time I was writing the investment contract was 3:48 PM, if I invested 30 gold, 300 gold, and 3000 gold, each in accordance with the hour unit, I would receive 1.5 times the amount as a dividend for each. This method was said to work reliably, and like other errors, it hadn't been fixed until the end of the beta test. What I was experimenting with now was precisely this aspect.
Unlike buried items, this was actually a guild operated by humans, so it was necessary to check how it was actually applied.
If this case also followed the rules I knew, I would secure one more sturdy source of funds without any worries.
I earnestly wished that the same rule would apply this time.
* * * * *
"Argh, where am I... I'm going crazy...
I've been wandering around the dark back alleys of Drakton for two hours now. When I left the building, it was already getting dark, so I decided to leave for the academy tomorrow. I was looking for a place to eat dinner and stay overnight, but now I'm in this mess.
I was told by a local that if I wanted to find an inn, I had to go around the back alley, so I came this way.
Now that I think about it, I think I went the wrong way at the fork in the road...
Contrary to my wish to quickly get out of here, the surrounding landscape was gradually changing into a ghastly slum.
Unlike the main streets, which were neatly lined in a straight line, the back alleys were meandering and intertwined in all directions, and instead of finding an exit, I was gradually sinking into the darkness of the alleys.
I was feeling like a butterfly caught in a spider web.
"Arrgh, really... I'm going to meet a robber or something, aren't I? I should hurry before something annoying happens…"
—Crash!!
As if my words were a signal, suddenly the sound of something breaking was heard from a block or two away, and the sound of people shouting began to echo throughout the alley.
Most of the noise was made up of men, but when I listened closely, I felt like there were female voices mixed in occasionally.
"...That... Stop that...!"
"Witch...woman...!"
"...Don't...dare...!"
It was hard to hear, but it sounded like a group of men facing off against a woman. What should I do? After all, if the woman loses, it is likely that she would end up in a rough situation.
After a brief hesitation, I soon made up my mind.
I don't want to get involved in troublesome things, but I don't want to leave someone who is in crisis right in front of me.
And I've already decided that I'll try not to interfere with the main course of history, but instead, I'll practice small acts of kindness.
Since I have to pass that way anyway, I'll just go and check the situation out, and if someone is really in danger, I'll help them then.
If it was a commotion caused by a power struggle between the ruffians of the back alley, I can just pass by.
After I finished organizing my thoughts, I killed my presence and moved carefully along the alley. And when I reached the street that was just one wall away from the epicenter of the commotion, I suddenly collided with something that came running out from the corner.
"Hurk...let go...! Let go of me!! Huuk..."
The one who bumped into was a woman wearing a certain robe. Unexpectedly, I ended up hugging the woman in a fluster, and she was struggling to get away, thinking I was a ruffian.
However, the woman was exhaling a rough breath as if she had already exhausted her stamina, and there was little force in her movement.
I carefully put her down and put my index finger to my mouth to signal her to be quiet.
Then, as if she had now grasped the situation, she stopped struggling and quieted her tumultuous presence in accordance with my request.
And she started begging me in a low voice., "Heh...Heok...Please…help me...I got on the wrong road and got into a fight with the ruffians...Heuk...I can't...I can't..."
It seemed that I was right about the one-on-many fight I had thought of at first. But could I believe the woman's words? Maybe she stole something, or she was about to be caught for a serious crime.
Hearing the woman's plea, I was lost in thought for a while, when I heard several men's raucous voices from the other side of the alley.
"Ugh... This woman... This b*tch counts really dirty."
"Of course she's a mage. I wouldn't have touched her if I'd known... Ah, brother, I told you, something's wrong, let's just leave her alone!"
"Shut your mouth! Even a mage can be in this state by a woman alone! What the hell is wrong with these morons...?"
"It's okay. At least we caught her. If you're a newcomer to this alley, you can't get out of it at all. I wonder if I'll get a chance to taste this woman again…"
"Judging from the way she's dressed, she's not a noblewoman, just a commoner. Don't bother trying to get a ransom, just use her and dispose of her. Max, leave her arms and legs. Got it? You did the same thing last time..."
Listening to the vulgar conversation of the noisy men, it seemed like the dilemma I had just gone through was quite unnecessary. I had decided to help the woman, and after contemplating again, I turned back to address her.
Now, encountering the ruffians was only a matter of moments.
"Sorry to interrupt in this situation, but how much mana do you have left?"
"Huk... Gasp... I'm sorry. I'm completely out of it now... I got a rebound... Gasp..."
I closed my eyes tightly. Judging from the voices I heard, it seems that there are about five or six opponents. Can I defeat them all alone and get out of this crisis without help?
I also thought about running away, but the backside was a maze-like alley, and as the ruffian said before, if I step in the wrong place, I might even get deeper into the place.
Eventually, there was no choice but to confront them. Realizing this, I approached the corner where the ruffians were coming, hid in the shadows, and carefully pulled out the sword I had hanging on my waist.
Using a sword in this narrow alley wasn't an ideal choice, but using magic also required preparation, and in the current situation with the ruffians approaching, it wasn't the right method. In the meantime, if they noticed my presence, I could lose the element of surprise.
Their presence was now almost within sight, and I drew my sword, rushing towards the nearest one, swinging it diagonally.
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Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone