Monster Company Tycoon - Chapter 52

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Monster Company Tycoon
Chapter 52
The conversation about Sabira was beginning to run dry.
Sensing an awkward silence settling in, I decided to change the subject.
“You seem to have a very good relationship with the Temple, don’t you? Or is it a matter of faith?”
The moment I mentioned the Temple, his expression darkened visibly.
Wait—was I misreading this? Either way, I’d picked the wrong topic.
“I heard you help with Temple construction almost every day. I was just curious, so I asked.”
To do that, you’d have to be either an extremely devout believer or obsessed with money. Or both.
‘Does he think it’s presumptuous of me to ask about the divine when I’m on the Demon King’s side?’
I added the clarification hastily and watched his face, but Ragnar answered matter-of-factly.
“It’s not something I do out of enjoyment.”
“Hmm…”
Truth was, I’d been hoping to glean some information about the Temple construction site through Ragnar.
If the place wasn’t as heavily guarded as I’d worried, maybe I could manage a Temple errand or two without incident.
After all, I could handle Purification Stones bare-handed without any problem.
The Facilities Team staff couldn’t even touch the Purification Stones destined for the Rewards Room directly—they had to move them with tools, and it clearly exhausted them.
But I wasn’t affected at all, which meant there was no outward way for anyone to detect that I was part of the Demon King’s faction.
If I could just keep my identity hidden, the Temple would likely have no reason to suspect me.
I could waltz right into enemy territory, help them out without shame, and pocket the spoils!
“So it really is about earning money…?”
“I have no particular need to earn money. I’ve already set aside enough to live comfortably through my retirement.”
“…”
That was genuinely enviable from an employee’s perspective.
“The reason I help with Temple work, despite finding it disagreeable…”
Ragnar’s deep green eyes suddenly fixed on me intently.
“…is to avoid tedious situations. There’s someone who will seek me out unless I’m where they can see me.”
“Huh?”
“It’s safer to keep them occupied than to let them wander around and stumble across me by accident.”
“You mean… a stalker?”
“Something like that.”
I was taken aback. Ragnar had a stalker?
What kind of fearless person would do that?
“But you’re so strong, I’d think you could just use force to get rid of them!”
“If that were possible, I would have done it long ago.”
Wait—if that’s the reason he goes to the Temple…
“Is the stalker someone affiliated with the Temple? A priest, maybe?”
“Choi, the priests are half-mad—their heads are filled with nothing but faith. So no matter what happens, avoid getting tangled up with them. Especially the Retta Sect lot.”
“Eek! Yes, understood!”
My earlier idea to tackle a Temple errand if the atmosphere seemed favorable? Cancelled. Abandoned completely.
If even Ragnar was warning me to steer clear and calling them lunatics, then avoiding them altogether was definitely the right call.
Sabira herself was someone I’d written off as just an energetic type, but if even Ragnar called her deranged, how utterly unhinged were these people?
“What brings you two here together?”
As we talked while walking, the Training Center came into view.
Luadis, who happened to be outside, spotted us and approached immediately.
“Oh, we ran into each other on the way. Ragnar seemed to have some business as well…”
“Hmm? Do we have an appointment?”
“Nothing urgent or particularly important. Let’s discuss Choi’s matter first.”
I followed Luadis as he led me toward the seating area, when a familiar face caught my eye.
“Wait, isn’t that…?”
That was the outsider who’d gotten completely wrecked in our Dungeon yesterday.
Yet for some reason, he was now sweeping the floor of the training grounds with a broom in hand.
His thoroughly dejected expression was quite pitiful. The very air around him felt heavy and gray.
“Ah, now that you mention it, shouldn’t you have looked after him a bit?”
Luadis suddenly clicked his tongue and lightly reproached me.
“What? I thought the Dungeon difficulty was appropriate. I was planning to have Sabira adjust things even if he made it to the Boss Room. Besides, he didn’t have the skill to reach it in the first place.”
“That’s not it. The fellow came to see me late last night complaining that his pockets had been completely emptied.”
“Ahem, well…”
I’d been caught looting.
The theft was now openly exposed, and I felt mortified beyond measure.
“Well… I was an adventurer myself, so I know the unspoken rules well enough. We’ve been steadily plundering spoils from fallen monsters too.”
“Right, the unspoken rules. Of course.”
So the adventurers understood it too.
“That young man was naive enough to bring valuables into the Dungeon, and I’ve no intention of complaining about how the Dungeon operates… but still.”
My conscience pricked, and I avoided Luadis’s gaze.
“Even so, he’s an outsider—wouldn’t it have been decent to leave him lodging money? To strip him clean like that.”
“It’s just that we have this one greedy fairy spirit in our Dungeon….”
“Out of pity, we let him stay at the Training Center. We’re planning to have him help with odd jobs around the place until he finds an part-time job.”
So that’s why he’s working like this.
I bowed deeply at the waist.
“I’m sorry for causing all this trouble.”
“Well, it’s partly my responsibility for recommending the Dungeon. But I’d hope you’d show at least minimal mercy.”
Truth be told, we did show minimal mercy. If we’d set our minds to it, we could’ve stripped him down to nothing but his underwear….
Taking only his wallet—isn’t that consideration?
Here I am, naturally taking the Demon King’s side like this.
“Actually, since we started cooperating with Luadis, we’ve added a clause that we don’t lay a hand on the trainees’ possessions. So please don’t worry too much.”
I definitely don’t want things to get awkward with Luadis over some student’s belongings!
“Since he isn’t just a Training Center student, we were a bit… harsher with him.”
He still had that suspicious look, so I flashed him a smile of trust.
Luadis finally nodded as if there was nothing to be done about it.
“Well then, I won’t press the matter further.”
“Yes….”
I didn’t regret taking the wallet, but after hearing Luadis’s explanation, that young man seemed all the more pitiful.
“By the way, he’s looking for part-time work in this town? Is he planning to work just until he scrapes together travel money?”
“He said he’d stay at the Training Center to receive formal education until he graduates. He’s realized through your Dungeon just how lacking he is.”
No wonder he looked so dejected. He’s already come to terms with himself.
“We did work him pretty hard yesterday in the Dungeon.”
“How far did he make it? That’s the only thing he wouldn’t open his mouth about.”
“Just the first Gate. After that, he hit a trap in the corridor and gave up partway.”
“Tsk tsk. The lad’s got decent fundamentals, but your people put up a good fight, it seems. Well? Did you get to verify the training results?”
“Yes! Thanks to your excellent teaching, our staff fought splendidly yesterday!”
Luadis was a truly excellent instructor—for both humans and monsters alike.
“Master, I’ve finished the sweeping… huh? Oh! That restaurant part-timer from yesterday!”
The man who’d finished cleaning came to report to Luadis, then our eyes met directly.
I worried he might’ve caught on to the Dungeon incident, but fortunately that wasn’t it.
“Hello there. We meet again.”
“Indeed we do. At this rate, wouldn’t you call it fate? This makes three times we’ve run into each other, doesn’t it?”
He’d looked as wilted as old vegetables just moments ago, but now his face was radiant with a broad smile.
If it were me, I’d have wallowed in despair for a week after losing my wallet—his recovery is impressive.
Actually, strictly speaking, it was four times, not three. We met in the Dungeon too.
But he found his way to the restaurant on his own—can that really count as chance?
“My, we still haven’t exchanged names. I’m Gale.”
He introduced himself and extended his hand as if to shake.
“Ah, I’m Choi….”
I was about to introduce myself in return and clasp his hand when a hand suddenly shot forward from the side, reaching out before mine.
“Ragnar. I heard you’d just enrolled at the Training Center. As a graduate of this institution myself, we’d be in a senior-junior relationship, wouldn’t we?”
Ragnar, cutting in abruptly, shook Gale’s hand and introduced himself.
I was willing to let it slide up to that point.
Until Gale suddenly let out a piercing shriek.
“Aaahhh! The Ragnar? Lightning’s Champion Ragnar!?”
His reaction was extraordinary—like a devoted fan meeting their favorite celebrity….

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