CH 75

‘I’m afraid I’m going to die because the atmosphere is so nasty!’

Anton really wanted to burn the newspaper. Since he is the owner of the Magic Tower, can he do it if he puts his mind to it?

But Duke Gelon was quicker to open his mouth.

“Bring that newspaper here and see.”

Duke Gelon glanced at the advertisements in the newspaper with cool eyes.

[The Holt Merchant’s new invention, ‘Noon’, is an invention that has luminous magic in Aquarin processed with its own technology…]

“In a word, Princess Frey made it possible to use it as a light by putting it on jewelry.”

After the Duke of Gelon was silent for a long time, Anton spoke quietly. It was a bad thing from the Magic Tower or Gelon’s point of view, but it wasn’t an unexpectedly surprising situation either.

‘The divine power, which is far more difficult to handle than magic, has already been sold in rose quartz.’

But as he is pale Duke Gelon mutters because he is speechless.

“Aquarin…”

“Your Highness the Duke?”

Kreek-!

The handle of the chair Duke Gelon was holding cracked. He was shaking and couldn’t properly control his powers.

‘How dare you trick me?’

Baron Holt and Frey.

After overhearing their conversation, Frey said that topaz was the best jewel to contain magic, so he swept it like this. However, as if they had waited, they processed Aquarin and released a new product.

‘Did you trick me because you were expecting me to use the eavesdropping magic?’

In the first place, is Topaz an appropriate gemstone to process and capture magic?

Numerous questions arose in Duke Gelon’s mind. But none of them came out of His mouth.

The moment he said that he had spent a lot of money on a shallow trick, it was no different than letting everyone know about his stupidity. Only those who do succeed on their own spy on the victors. Gelon’s high pride, higher than the imperial family, could not allow such an embarrassing thing.

“ Well, that’s okay. That lowly buys jewelry like that and does all sorts of trivial things. Order some for research on new business.”

In order to deal with that many topaz, it had to be made and sold as similar low-quality products.

‘If we lower the price and sell in bulk, it might be an opportunity to make Frey’s party more difficult.’

However, the hesitant answer of someone from the Vliette merchants was disastrous.

“That is… they have already run out of preorders and they are not taking any additional orders”

“What?”

* * *

Among the recently successful young merchants, the North was no different from a gold mine. Those with extraordinary brains and quick wits flocked to the central market in the north, which would develop more dazzlingly than the capital’s shopping district.

“Oh, what a relief. You bought a shopping mall just before Her Highness built the sacred tower.”

“I signed a contract for a commercial building on the same day that the Sacred Tower was built, and it seems fortunate that I entered the market even then.”

“Well, yes. I have no idea how much I should pay to buy a commercial building now.”

Shortly after Frey built the sacred tower in the central shopping district, rumors began to circulate among the merchants.

[“I heard that Her Highness, our grand duchess, said that more sacred towers would be built?”]

[“Well, my colleague who visits the Grand Duke’s residence from time to time said that a direct gate connecting the capital and the north will be opened.”]

[“If I had heard this a few years ago, I would have snorted and passed over, but now, thanks to the Sacred Tower, undead monsters can’t attack… Isn’t there a possibility, right?”]

These were all facts Frey secretly leaked through Lina and Emma.

If only the direct gate to the capital was opened, it was clear that the central shopping district in the north would see the light.

‘I think there will be more rumors that can make money…’

So merchants were always on the alert for news related to Frey Prause.

Then one thing was found out.

“Hey, did you hear that? I heard Lady Frey processed Aquarin this time.”

“Is she trying to build a sacred tower again?”

“No, this time, they say that they put magic needed for daily life into it and sell it.”

This also was information leaked only to the North before Frey advertised in the newspaper.

Merchants gathered in the north were waiting all the time, and as soon as Holt’s merchants received the ‘noon’ reservation sale, they rushed in with money.

“Hey, take my money first!”

“How much can each person buy?”

It was a new invention of the Grand Duchess, so people lined up to buy it without knowing what it was for.

First of all, it was a specially processed product, so it seemed like it would make money if they kept it and resold it for research purposes.

However, after receiving the goods, the merchants gave up their desire to resell them.

Flash-!

“Hey, what is this? the price of 3 gold gets this bright item?”

“It looks almost the same as the luminous magic scroll in our lord’s mansion.”

The new product at the merchant of the Holt gave off a brilliant light befitting its name ‘noon’.

It was much easier to turn on and off than conventional lighting, which was both uncomfortable and dangerous. Above all, the jewel that emits a beautiful brilliance seemed worth owning in itself.

“I thought the light would go out quickly, but it’s not.”

“The fact that the magic is so stable in the jewel means that an invention has finally come out that can replace the Scroll of the Magic Tower.”

This was no mere invention.

It was a revolution in which magic could be bought and sold at a very convenient and reasonable price, and it was possible to apply it endlessly.

“Hey, do you know where Jakov is?  He said he was close to Her Highness the Grand Duchess!”

“Do you know anyone at the top of Holt? How can I introduce myself….”

The eyes of those who are bright in calculation began to shine brighter than the light emitted by noon.

* * *

“Your Highness, Grand Duchess. Baron Holt sent you a letter.”

“Thank you, Nolma.”

Frey accepted the letter from Nolma. Nolma and Bien were originally officials in charge of economy-related parts in Prause Castle but Daniel had sent them to help Frey for the time being.

‘I could have said that they were helping, so thank you.’

Once the two of them started getting involved with Holt’s business, things went much easier than before.

Apparently, the top of Holt was a little anxious ahead of the small-scale business that moved a lot of money but that was completely compensated for.

[Her Highness Grand Duchess Prause. we have officially stated that we can take over the top of Vliette.]

‘Is the acquisition process going well?’

When Frey wanted to take over the top of Vliette, she was most concerned about funding, but the new product ‘Noon’ hit the jackpot, and that problem was resolved.

Since it was a guild that was deeply involved with the Fog of Fall in the first place, there was no competition to take over.

‘Even though I used up all the proceeds from the sale of Aquarin’s  light-emitting stone to fund the acquisition of the Top of Vliette…’

Thanks to Emma and Jakov and other people’s good words, orders came in before the pre-order advertisement even appeared in the newspaper, and so they had to reduce sleep.

The money Frey earned was in her hands for a while and then went out as the acquisition price. The money she earns passes by her in any world.

Feeling a bit bitter, Frey read the end of the letter and fixed her eyes on the unexpected contents for a long time.

[I want to tell you only good things, but a small problem occurred during the acquisition process. A woman named Karuna, who worked as the  leader of the Top Of Vliette merchant is stubbornly resisting.]

“resistance?”

At first, Frey couldn’t quite understand its meaning. She asked Lina, who might know the contents of the letter.

“Does this mean that a woman named Karuna, like Aiger, who was the owner of the Vliette Merchant, wants to keep working with Duke Gelon?”

However, Frey heard that Duke Gelon took all the talented people who could be used as his own. As she was pondering what the hell was the problem, Lina hesitated before opening her mouth.

“A woman named Karuna is not opposed to the takeover of the Vliette Company itself.”

“Then you’re in favor of the acquisition itself, and I definitely offered to treat existing employees better.”

“That’s… Karuna seemed to be hoping that someone other than Her Highness the Grand Duchess would lead the Top of Vliette.”

“So, she refuses to work for me.”

“From what I’ve investigated with Wiz, it seems that she’s not from the Gelon side, but I don’t know why.”

Having seen Lina for a long time, Frey was able to read what she didn’t say.

‘Seeing that Lina is in such trouble, it seems that a woman named Karuna met Baron Holt and undermined me very much.’

It was as if the acquisition of Vliette, which was proceeding smoothly, suddenly met a reef.

There must be a person to use the acquired merchant properly, but the fact that the leader rejected Frey was a big problem. Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if he only brought in piles of sacks of barley that she borrowed after spending money on them?

Frey paused her work and arranged her seat.

“I’d like to meet her in person and hear her story.”

* * *

The office building at the top of the Vliette was in poor condition. It was because after the fact that the count family was deeply involved with the fog of Fall became known to the world, several times the knights came and invaded every nook and cranny.

Karuna sighed as she sat in the seat of the top that Aiger had abandoned.

‘Why is it intertwined with the fog of Fall…!’

So, there were only two options. Close the merchant and let all the employees go. Or just pray that someone who is not harmed by the fog of corruption will take over the Top of Vliette.

‘But no Princess Frey. No matter how divine power she has.’

Karuna brushed her red hair and tried to come up with a trick to save the Top of Vliette she had dedicated since her youth.

At that time, when she had been tearing her hair out for hours without getting any solution, one of her adjutants cautiously said,

“Lady Karuna. Her Highness Grand Duchess Prause has sent a letter.”