‹Wh-what are these things?!›
“Meeeow.”
“Meow!”
True to his word, Cale swung by the casino on his walk. He went along at a leisurely pace, taking in the fancy fountain, the magic gambling devices, and the tables to one side of the first floor.
The invisible six-year-old dragon’s eyes darted all over the space. ‹H-hey, human, did you see that?! He put in a copper coin, and the magic device gave him a gold one!›
Both magic and alchemy produced an equivalent to whatever was sacrificed. The creation of fire or wind, for example, required sufficient mana in exchange. Similarly, there was no magic spell to turn one copper coin into numerous gold coins.
Raon quickly discerned that the magic gambling devices rewarded those who lined up all the pictures of the same fruit. This wise dragon, seasoned by his two years of experience in the world, solemnly shared his thoughts with Cale. ‹Do you want to grab one of those magic devices, human?›
“Oh my.”
Cale was equal parts stunned and impressed. The dragon didn’t want to try out the devices that resembled the slot machines of Kim Roksu’s world for himself; instead, he wanted to steal one and break it open to see how it worked.
Dragons really are different.
Hiding his pride beneath a veil of ignorance, Cale asked, “Why?”
With all the hustle and bustle, nobody paid any attention to Cale, who was chatting with Ohn in his arms. Only Vice-Captain Hilsmann, who was carrying Hong, and Bilose behind him shot Cale confused looks. Naturally, Cale took no notice of either of them.
‹What do you mean, “Why?” We need to figure out how they work! How could you not realize that?›
Oho.
‹Then I’ll take all the money this place has! I’ll use one silver coin from my piggy bank and rake it all in!›
Cale’s face stiffened. Dragons truly are amazing. Raon’s thought process was even more pragmatic than Cale’s.
For a moment, Cale seriously considered Raon’s suggestion. But after watching someone put one copper coin—or one cound in Karo’s currency—into a machine, he turned away. Resignation, anticipation, desperation, obsession, despair… Cale didn’t want to take money that had been accumulated through the buildup of all of these emotions. If he was going to rob someone, wouldn’t it be better to steal from the rich?
“Look, Lord Cale,” Bilose said, pointing discreetly. “Over there.”
Cale’s gaze shifted toward the innermost section of the first floor. Karo’s only legal casino was constructed in the shape of a large golden tree. Since one could “strike gold” inside, they’d named it the Golden Tree. Anyone could gain admittance for the price of one silver coin, or ten counds.
Fountains adorned the center of the first floor, visible all the way from the entrance. Beyond them, a golden doorway led to a path connecting the main floor to the upper levels, which were known as the Fruit of the Golden Tree.
Someone was making his way along that path at this very moment. He was one of the two people to whom Bilose had sent invitations to the auction, per Cale’s instructions. The man looked to be in his fifties, with a solemn and dignified countenance. Despite his distinguished bearing, however, he didn’t make a positive impression.
He looks like a politician who’s neck-deep in corruption. That description fit the man perfectly.
While Cale remained calm, Bilose sucked in a breath, gaping at the middle-aged man in the passage. “I didn’t expect the guildmaster to actually come.”
The middle-aged man was Plavin Sinten, leader of a merchant guild counted among the top five in the Mogor Empire: the Sinten Merchant Guild. They had superb business acumen, but more importantly, their considerable political sway had driven them up the Empire’s ranks over the past ten years.
Bilose was shocked that Plavin had appeared in response to Cale’s anonymous invitation. Then he gasped, realizing the greater implications. Lord Cale must really have the Fire Crystal.
As Bilose had personally written the two invitations, he knew what Cale had used to entice each person to show up. One of them, the Fire Crystal, was a pendant said to be in the possession of the Sinten Merchant Guild. Discovered long ago in a pit of lava, this mysterious gemstone could not be harmed by fire. The dwarven architect who’d designed the Magic Tower had crafted it into a beautiful necklace.
According to rumor, the Sinten Merchant Guild had purchased it from the Golden Tree’s auction house here in Vegas about ten years ago. So how did it end up in Lord Cale’s hands?
Bilose couldn’t figure out how Cale got ahold of it, but the necklace had to be in his custody. The young noble’s abilities left Bilose in awe. Then I suppose he has the Night’s Exultation as well. This was the jewel Cale had dangled as bait for the second recipient.
Recalling how Cale had called this a jackpot, Bilose licked his lips. His chubby face shone with anticipation. We’ll get twenty billion for everything, minimum.
Ten years ago, the Fire Crystal sold for fifteen billion. Since Cale planned to trade the necklace in secret, it would doubtless fetch close to that amount—but only if the Sinten Merchant Guild wanted it. The fact that the guildmaster himself had shown up suggested that he desperately desired the jewel.
“Lord Cale,” Bilose whispered, excitement plain in his hushed voice, “it looks like you’ll make at least fifteen billion.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Huh?”
Bilose could see that he’d taken Cale aback—and indeed, Cale’s astonishment was genuine.
Fifteen billion?
“Bilose.”
Cale’s serious expression made Bilose stand up straighter. “Yes, my lord?”
“I don’t understand how some things can be auctioned for millions, even billions.” The winning bids for jewels and artwork defied Cale’s comprehension. “But I’m sure the prices they sell for reflect their true value.”
Whether that value was purely artistic in nature, a form of investment capital, or something completely different, Cale respected its worth completely. Thus, he’d set an appropriate price for his own offerings. The final value of the Fire Crystal left Cale’s lips.
“Thirty.”
“Pardon?” When Bilose heard the number, his mind went blank. Did I hear that right?
Cale claimed not to understand how things sold for such astronomical amounts, but then he went and named a price that doubled the item’s value. The amount was no joke either. Thirty billion, Cale said—and thirty billion he meant.
The currency used in the Golden Tree was the Karo cound. The Kingdom of Karo was by all accounts a thriving economy; thirty billion counds equated to about thirty-five billion galleons in Rowoon’s currency.
He’s not usually prone to speaking nonsense!
Bilose started getting frustrated. Cale wasn’t one for mindless drivel. Though he acted carefree, he was conscientious when it came to calculations and personal profit. Therefore, the number he chose was bound to be reasonable.
“Lord Cale.”
“Yes?”
“I’ll always be by your side!” Bilose declared, gazing at Cale with the eyes of a sycophant. Cale dismissed his flattery with a snort.
That stoked Bilose’s curiosity, but this wasn’t the time to pry. He knew Cale preferred to share only the information his allies absolutely needed to know, allowing them to piece together the rest along the way as long as they stuck by him.
But I’m still curious… Should I ask? He’s not one to give an easy answer, though.
Bilose was correct. Even if he did ask, Cale couldn’t explain it to him.
Ron and Frizia had provided Cale with extremely detailed intel about the merchant guild involved in the slave trade. He didn’t recognize the guild named in the first report, but the second identified its real owner. Ron’s absence from the Golden Tree and Tasha joining their group had been arranged after they uncovered the merchant guild’s true identity.
Cale had passed along the first report’s findings the night he chatted with the crown prince, then shared the second report with the crown prince as well. Albert would claim a portion of the profits earned from this venture—though handing him Antonio’s leash allowed Cale to bump the ratio from fifty-fifty to seventy-thirty in his favor.
“That guild is a front for the Sinten Merchant Guild?” Albert had asked.
That was the true mastermind of the slave trade—the same guild Cale would meet with to trade the Fire Crystal. The crown prince found the nature of its involvement intriguing.
“Your information network is incredible.”
It couldn’t be anything less. In addition to having Ron in his employ, Cale had Frizia and other assassins formerly active in the southwestern region. They had witnessed an employee of the merchant guild entering a Sinten branch near the Empire’s border, only to emerge with a large amount of money. This event encouraged them to look into that particular branch. After that, they managed to intercept a secret missive the branch manager had sent via messenger bird.
“Won’t you consider introducing me to your informants?”
“Absolutely not, Your Highness.”
The process only went so smoothly because Ron and the other members of Cale’s network had never been exposed to the public.
“Now, how should I proceed?”
In light of this new information, Cale had wanted to know how to handle the upcoming trade with Sinten’s guildmaster. Yet Albert had just lobbed the question back at him.
“How do you wish to proceed?”
“I say we follow the original plan.”
“And what might that be?”
“I sell the jewel to the Sinten Merchant Guild and make a killing. As for you, Your Highness, keep gathering the evidence you need to catch them.”
“Take a fortune from their coffers before we capture them and bleed them dry, you mean?”
“Correct.”
“Marvelous. We’ll go with that.”
Cale had believed the original plan was a good one—and once he had the crown prince’s approval, he could do as he pleased.
“Excuse me, Lord Cale?”
Snapped out of his reverie, Cale looked down to find Bilose watching him cautiously.
“I-I’m just very curious about how you plan to sell it. Could you give me a tiny hint?”
‹I-I wanna know too! Thirty billion counds?!› Raon shouted in Cale’s mind. ‹Human, you’re great and migh—no, I’m the one who’s great and mighty, but you’re still amazing!›