I Alone Regress in a Hero Party That Was Annihilated - Chapter 94

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#94. The Scent of Money (4)

Scrape— Scrape— Scrape—

The soldiers cut through ice.

The work of sawing large, solid chunks of ice to create rectangular bricks.

The reason the soldiers were doing such heavy labor that slaves would normally do was because of Featherback’s orders.

“Cut them bigger.”

Featherback was also cutting ice with his shirt off.

After pushing and pulling a massive saw that looked like it could cut through a cow’s spine in one go several times, chunks of ice broke off cleanly.

Featherback carried ice chunks large enough to fill an entire cargo wagon on his bare body.

“We’ll circle around the outer castle walls within this week. Know that if you fail, there will be no meals or sleep.”

“Hnghhhhh…”

The soldiers repeated their sawing desperately.

This was a training process specially devised by Featherback.

‘To accept Northern Mana, the body must be adapted to the cold.’

Featherback was laying the groundwork so that all his troops could use mana.

‘If Garmelda’s Equation is ever completed, these soldiers here will be the first to acquire mana. And if they all get promoted from soldiers to knights…’

Featherback turned his head to look at the snowy field.

In the empty snowy field, translucent ice bricks were stacked layer upon layer, forming castle walls.

Steel framework and timber embedded inside the half-completed ice walls could be glimpsed through the translucent bricks.

The soldiers were carrying ice bricks there, stacking them in two rows, and filling the space between with snow and soil, packing it down.

Since the Northern Region’s cold never subsides even in midsummer, this kind of snow castle construction was possible.

Construction proceeding with methods and speed unimaginable in warmer climates.

At this rate, within a few months, Mörsolt Territory would be surrounded by high and solid castle walls.

That’s why Featherback was also cutting ice from the lake surface day and night, without eating or sleeping, to build the castle walls.

‘In the future, the Northern Region will become a battlefield. The more castles, the better.’

They would be useful during war and useful during peacetime too.

Moreover, the soldiers could be trained in the process of building the castle, so it was like killing two birds with one stone.

…Crack!

Featherback caught a Frost Viper from beneath the ice powder that had been scraped off by the saw blade and piled up high, then brought it straight to his mouth.

Crunch— Crunch— Crunch—

The soldiers swallowed their saliva at the sight of Featherback chewing and eating the writhing snake alive, starting from its head.

“I feel like the girl inside me is awakening.”

“You have to be at least that tough to become the Young Lord of the Mörsolt Family.”

“My child is also fifteen, but he can’t eat meat if it’s even slightly undercooked because he says it smells like blood.”

“Idiot, how can you compare your child to Prince Featherback? The blood flowing in their bodies is on a completely different level to begin with.”

“Hey, let’s do it too. We need to show our grit to catch the Young Lord’s eye.”

“Right. The Young Lord is doing that because he finds meal time wasteful, so we can’t leisurely sit and enjoy our meals either.”

“But chewing and eating snake heads would be a bit difficult, so let’s work hard at cutting ice.”

The soldiers breathed out white puffs and threw themselves at the ice.

The castle wall construction was picking up even more speed.

Just then.

“Lord Featherback!”

A knight came riding over on horseback from the distance.

Skullsage shouted toward Featherback.

“You have a visitor!”

“…”

At those words, Featherback put down his saw.

Skullsage grinned and continued speaking.

“It’s that young merchant you mentioned before.”

“Go now.”

Featherback immediately mounted his horse.

* * *

In the reception room of Mörsolt Mansion sits a handsome young man.

The young man was so handsome that the maids were fighting over who would bring him tea.

“Move aside, it’s my turn this time.”

“I haven’t seen him even once yet! So I should go!”

“Hey, you’ve already refilled his tea three times, what more do you want!”

“Come on, instead of pouring tea, you could bring him snacks!”

But the maids’ expectations were dashed.

Because Featherback appeared immediately, dismissed everyone nearby, and closed the reception room door.

…Click!

As Featherback closed the door, the young man stood up.

“I greet the Young Lord of Mörsolt. I’ve come to give you your change.”

Portia.

He, no, she smiled brightly at Featherback.

Featherback nodded.

“Is there a particular reason you dress as a man?”

“Huh, you noticed?”

Portia asked back in surprise.

Featherback said as he sat down in a chair.

“While the Northern Region’s security is rough, it’s fine within Mörsolt Territory. You won’t face any disadvantages for being a woman.”

“…Thank you. This is all thanks to Young Lord’s efforts.”

Portia removed the fake mustache that had been stuck under his nose.

Then Featherback immediately got to the main point.

“I don’t have much time. Let me talk briefly about the main point.”

“That’s good for me too. Time is like gold, after all.”

“You didn’t come to the Northern Region just to sell apples. What else do you deal with? Mithril?”

“…!”

Even so, he hadn’t expected such a direct approach.

Portia had to open and close his mouth for a moment, speechless.

Featherback continued speaking.

“I know you’re no ordinary merchant. You scooped up salt from the Eastern Salt Desert and sold it in the Central Inland Region, making quite a fortune.”

“Ah, no, how do you know that fact…”

“If I want to know something, I can find out. Since we don’t have time, let’s quickly talk about the main point.”

At Featherback’s words, Portia’s pupils trembled.

Seeing that sight, Featherback thought.

‘As expected. Compared to before regression, he’s still inexperienced.’

Portia from the time when she was called the Golden Queen was a woman with blood as hot as boiling gold.

A great merchant who put a price on everything in this world and obtained the absolute majority of it.

But in the end, there was something that even she couldn’t buy with money.

That was the Demon King’s head.

Featherback remembered clearly.

Portia had offered support to the Hero Party as advance payment, saying she would buy the Demon King’s head.

However, Portia’s end, who had even emptied his private fortune to support all the Hero Party’s supplies, was truly miserable.

She was brutally murdered by assassins sent by the Demon Army.

If Portia had learned about the Demon King’s existence a little sooner, and had used his wealth and talent for all of humanity, the future might have changed.

Therefore, Featherback wanted to make Portia his ally as soon as possible.

“How much mithril could you buy with money from selling a few apples? I’ll support you with goods and distribution channels myself.”

“…I heard rumors that Mörsolt has a tight grip on the Northern Region’s mithril. Are you saying you’ll open those distribution channels to me?”

“We’re selling what’s left after meeting weapon production quotas. If we invest too much in military supplies alone, it might arouse the Imperial Palace’s suspicion.”

“Is, is it alright for you to tell me such things?”

“Of course it’s not alright. Now that you’ve heard this, you must stand on our side.”

“…It’s blackmail.”

“But I’ll help you make big money in return.”

At Featherback’s words, Portia opened his mouth as if dumbfounded.

Just then.

…Thud!

Featherback placed a large sack on the table.

“I believe everything in this world can be priced.”

“…”

Featherback repeated the exact words he had heard from Portia before his regression.

Portia slowly nodded at those words.

Eventually, she opened the sack Featherback had handed over.

Inside, it was filled with gold coins.

Featherback spoke.

“One million gold. I’ll give it as a contract fee.”

“You’re giving me the goods, the sales channels, and even a contract fee?”

“But you’ll need to generate profits accordingly.”

“….”

Portia closed her mouth and fell into thought for a while.

And soon, she spoke.

“Young Lord, I have a hobby.”

“What is it.”

“I keep arthropods as pets. Mainly spiders, scorpions, and centipedes.”

Portia’s gaze turned toward Featherback.

She continued speaking in a calm tone.

“Among them, I particularly like centipedes. Their hunting behavior is dynamic and wild.”

“….”

“So when I raise centipedes, I give them plenty of nutritious food. I feed them beef, horse meat, and chicken meat once every three or four days. Expecting rapid growth.”

Featherback silently listened to Portia’s words.

Portia continued speaking slowly but in a clear tone.

“But one day, I found that all the centipedes had died.”

“….”

“Not knowing the reason, I performed an autopsy and found undigested pieces of meat stuck in the middle of their intestines. Overeating nutritious food had caused intestinal obstruction.”

Having said this much, he understood.

Featherback nodded his head.

“You’re saying you’ll refuse.”

Portia nodded with a refreshing smile.

“There’s no such thing as free in this world. Behind great opportunities lie great dangers.”

“….”

“My abilities seem woefully inadequate to accept the Young Lord’s proposal. I’m worried that if I rashly bite off more than I can chew, it might cause intestinal blockage.”

The fortune before his eyes, and the countless trade routes that would come after.

As a merchant, it wasn’t easy to turn away from such an opportunity right in front of him.

But Portia did exactly that.

It was an action only possible with the confidence that he could achieve even greater things on his own in the future.

“I see. You can earn that much money on your own, is that it.”

“Not at all. I’m simply concerned that my inadequacy might cause harm to the Young Lord…”

“I said time is precious, so let’s stick to the main point.”

Featherback cut off Portia’s words.

Then he continued in his characteristic dry tone.

“The stakes seem insufficient, so I’ll add one more thing.”

“No, you’ve already given me plenty of money and opportunity. Any more would be…”

“Who do you need me to kill?”

“!”

At Featherback’s words, Portia’s eyes widened.

Her fists clenched tightly.

Featherback leaned back against the chair.

“You’re looking for them. Your family’s enemies.”

“…Do you know about the ‘Descendants of the New Moon’?”

“I know. Where they are right now, how many members they have, how strong they are and how secretive they are, all of it.”

“Do you perhaps have some relationship with them…?”

“No relationship. It’s just that those things were running wild even in the Northern Region beyond the Imperial Capital, so I gave them a little lesson.”

Featherback rested his chin on his hand.

Not long ago, Featherback had sowed discord between the ‘Descendants of the New Moon’ and Marquis Berserker.

Following Featherback’s orders, Rorschach had placed a request with the ‘Descendants of the New Moon’, and the client’s information was thoroughly forged.

However, the original unforged client information was delivered intact to Marquis Berserker, and he misunderstood that the Descendants of the New Moon had joined hands with the Mörsolt Family.

‘By now, the Descendants of the New Moon have probably been completely wiped out. Marquis Berserker has a cunning yet meticulous personality. He would have massacred them all without leaving a single successor to continue the organization.’

Knowing this fact well, Featherback gazed intently at Portia’s face.

Before his regression, Portia had relentlessly pursued the Descendants of the New Moon.

The reason was simple.

Her Father, who ran a small Trading Company, had been assassinated by the Descendants of the New Moon.

After her Mother and Younger Brothers who witnessed the scene were all massacred, Portia, who had been away on business and returned, became a vengeful spirit.

Featherback opened his mouth.

“If you swear to follow me, I will completely erase the ‘Descendants of the New Moon’ and even their backers from this world without a trace. And I will make you the greatest merchant in the Northern Region, no, the greatest merchant in the entire world.”

At those words, Portia knelt down.

“…Please give me any order, Master.”

A master-servant relationship was established.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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