The World Mistakes Me for Terminally Ill - Chapter 56
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
The World Thinks I’m Terminally Ill Episode 056
Kaiseus tilted his head in confusion and asked.
[Why do they fall for this? Are all humans stupid?]
I stroked his head and said.
“It wasn’t like this from the beginning. It’s just that human eyes become clouded in the face of desire.”
The House of Angels wasn’t this famous from the start. Naturally, suspicious gazes followed. After all, there’s no such thing as free profit in this world.
But when the brooches really did return for over a month, even those who were initially skeptical began to be tempted.
Silver, gold, crystal, ruby, opal, diamond, and more. Who wouldn’t be enchanted by these beautiful brooches?
The pretext of helping sick children erased their guilty conscience by calling it ‘sponsorship’ rather than ‘investment.’
Since the condition for brooch returns was only possible above a certain amount, it perfectly matched the psychology of capital residents who loved to show off.
Later, gossip articles even poured out about which noble or celebrity had more glamorous brooches.
All these conditions combined to sublimate into madness called ‘speculation.’
[Q. Since you always wear a swan mask, some people call the founder of the House of Angels the ‘Saint of the Swan Mask.’ Did you know?
A. No, I didn’t know. I’m embarrassed since I only did what I should have done.]
Now people even appeared who borrowed money from banks and brought all their assets to offer. Banks lent money freely since they could use the brooches as collateral.
That madness continued for nearly three months before finally bursting.
What burst?
The outcome of declining mineral values.
“Honestly, it was a predetermined ending. With so many goods flooding the market, how could prices not fall?”
Rather, it was closer to powerful figures who would be troubled by falling gem values blocking this with regulations, only for it to burst belatedly.
“But in this situation, the House of Angels suddenly ceased operations and the founder disappeared.”
Just as the date for brooch returns was approaching, the party who had taken all the cash vanished.
Here, people who had been mad with speculation suddenly came to their senses as if doused with cold water.
They belatedly realized the fact that the House of Angels was originally ‘sponsorship,’ not ‘investment.’
Except for the saint’s image plummeting to rock bottom, they had no obligation to return the sponsorship money.
[Wow, this is really an incredible scam.]
“Right. I think if this person had gotten a little older and more experienced, they would have become a legendary con artist.”
Because of this, the capital is now said to be in chaos with people who lost their fortunes. Mineral values also dropped tremendously.
Of course, it had nothing to do with me at all. I had firmly instructed the trading guild from the beginning not to get involved with this.
Rather, I was busy purchasing the gems flooding the market to use for decorating the hot springs.
What might be hell for some is a field of opportunity for others – that’s exactly the world of gold.
Speculation failure is honestly self-inflicted too.
“Now, here’s the question. If the bank that most enthusiastically sold loans related to the House of Angels goes bankrupt, what impact will come to the Northern Region?”
I pointed to a newspaper article.
[【Breaking News】 Marcello Bank facing bankruptcy crisis due to bad loans and insufficient cash assets!]
[Hmm…]
Perhaps it was too difficult a question for a 100-year-old baby dragon, as Kaiseus groaned for a while.
I smiled slightly and gave a hint.
“Marcello Bank is owned by the Marcello Trading Guild, which is based in the West.”
And except for Seton, the Four Major Trading Guilds were connected to the great families of their regions.
[Ah! Bea-something!]
“Not Bea-something, but Beatrice. No matter how much the Beatrice Ducal Family covets the Northern Region, why would they turn their attention at this time for no reason? My father-in-law is still keeping his eyes wide open. Since the cash flow became unstable, they became desperate for other pockets.”
Everything happens organically.
Right when they would find it strange that I entered the Grand Duke’s Castle and Runein began to change, suddenly finances deteriorated from an unexpected place, so something else caught their eye.
The name ‘Seton,’ which spends gold like water.
[So that’s why you said they won’t touch the gold for a while if rumors of the human’s terminal illness spread. It would be troublesome if she suddenly went crazy and spent all the money. They need to swallow it themselves.]
“I don’t like the analogy, but you’re roughly right.”
[Then what will you do now?]
I looked down at the document titled ‘North Restoration Project.’ The blank space that remained empty beyond transportation, food, security, and finances.
“What do people who lost money and time do?”
[Huh?]
“Don’t they try to chase opportunities?”
I scrawled the word ‘Arts’ in that space.
“To seize opportunities, you have to come to the land of opportunity.”
For reference, after the capital, the place most affected by the House of Angels scam was the West, the ‘Cradle of Artists,’ where Marcello Bank’s headquarters was located.
After attempting escape several times, Naintail realized he had become completely like a fox on a leash and gave up.
So when Elisia came to find him, he asked.
“Will you give me lots of food?”
Elisia smiled and said.
“Unlimited. Our head chef is a bit overly enthusiastic. If there’s something you want to eat, just go tell him.”
“Oh!”
He quickly stamped his seal on the contract.
It was a contract stating that under no circumstances could he harm people belonging to Runein.
“Good, newcomer. What should I call you?”
Clank.
The tightly closed iron bars opened.
The figure, only a vague silhouette visible in the darkness, turned around, gesturing to follow.
He followed the woman, much smaller than himself, as if enchanted, feeling his vision gradually brighten.
Hey, you there, you, slave, 99.
There were many names people called him, but this was the first time someone had given him the choice.
“I don’t… have a name.”
“Then what name would you like to be called?”
“Can’t you just give me one, master?”
Then the woman’s hand, which had been opening the underground prison door, stopped abruptly.
A gap where light faintly leaked through.
For the first time, the woman turned around.
Naintail looked dazed seeing her brilliant golden hair and vivid ruby-colored eyes.
No matter how much it was a magical contract with a mana oath, in front of an assassin who manipulates shadows, this woman so defensively exposed to light…
What should he think of her?
“I’m your employer, not your master. You’re the master of your own life, so figure it out yourself.”
And she was a woman who suited that light very well.
He stared intently at Elisia’s red eyes before opening his mouth.
“…Erban.”
According to the ancient imperial language used in sorcery, ‘Er’ means ‘sky, sun, freedom’ and ‘ban’ symbolizes ‘reversal.’
Somehow his mouth felt dry. Feeling a burning thirst in his throat, he spoke again with conviction.
“I’ll go with Erban.”
Then Elisia nodded casually.
“Good, Erban. You understood what I said, right?”
“Double agent?”
“Right. You go to Beatrice and report the failure of this mission. Tell them to give up the crazy idea of sending assassins to the Northern Region or trying to do something with force since the Grand Duke and Runein’s military power is so strong.”
“It definitely seems like a novel suicide method.”
Erban expressionlessly recalled Shubel, who had driven ice crystals into him, and chuckled.
He was someone who had received various experiments since childhood, then overturned everything and became an assassin.
His mental state was also quite abnormal in its own way.
“And?”
“Tell them that ‘Elisia Runein’ is obsessed with luxury and spending money like water.”
So the master’s name is Elisia. How pretty.
“But you can get out safely, right? If it seems impossible, don’t do it. I have no intention of wasting an innocent life.”
“That’s harsh. I can do at least that much.”
“If you can do it, that’s fine.”
Elisia turned her back again.
Erban looked at her gorgeous golden thread-like hair and reached out his hand as if entranced.
That thing which so closely resembled the light he had craved every time in the darkness.
Just once, couldn’t he touch it just once.
“I’ll tell you one last location, so go there and spread the rumor. That someone in the Northern Region is offering a fortune to find an artist.”
She opened the door.
And finding it strange that there was no response, she tried to turn around again.
“Do you understand?”
“Yes, but.”
The moment Erban’s fingertips were about to touch Elisia’s hair.
“Can’t I just call you master?”
Thwack.
His wrist was caught.
“My lady.”
Shubel had languid eyes.
“The fox you’ve tamed has no manners.”
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————