“Hahaha! The weather is so good today, it feels like a windfall is coming!”
Count Ariente looked out at the neatly divided mountain range and laughed heartily.
That day, when he saw the wave of darkness cutting through the mountain range, he was shocked.
He thought someone with malice was attacking Ariente.
However, after the black wave split the mountain range, it could no longer advance.
Others might have been relieved to survive such an unexpected event.
But Count Ariente was different.
He was someone who could see money-making opportunities in any situation.
“Heisig! Run to the Vermont Territory immediately!”
“Father, it’s at least a ten-day journey. I need some time to prepare…”
“Isn’t there a passage now?”
“But we don’t even know if it’s a safe path. How can I go through there?”
“You can check it yourself on the way! Depart immediately! Right now!!!”
Only after sending off his eldest son, Heisig Ariente, like he was chasing him out, did the Count feel slightly relieved.
The Vermont Territory was beyond the mountains, a remote area.
But now that the mountains were breached, if a road could be built between the Vermont Territory and the capital, it would transform the Vermont Territory into a central hub.
The traffic using the road would surge.
The revenue from tolls would be unimaginable.
If he could secure the construction rights, Ariente would be guaranteed to make a fortune.
That’s why he hurriedly sent Heisig with a contract to the Vermont Territory.
“Aslan Vermont doesn’t have any other options.”
According to the initial reconnaissance, the outer wall of the fifth floor of the Vermont mansion was severely damaged.
Moreover, it faced the direction of the split mountain.
This alone gave a rough idea of what had happened.
‘They must have had an accident while experimenting with black magic.’
Just as always, while researching evil magic, there was an outburst.
The black light that emanated from the building must have covered the mountain range.
Count Ariente, vividly remembering that nauseating and unsettling black light, could only conclude this.
When asked if Vermont knew about the black light, if he said yes, it would be an admission of experimenting with black magic.
If he said no, it would mean giving up the rights to the passage created by the split mountain.
A literal hellish dilemma.
Unless Vermont wanted to be annihilated for researching black magic, he had no choice but to agree quietly when Ariente took the road construction rights.
At least he wasn’t demanding extra money, so in a way, he was showing some mercy.
As Count Ariente chuckled and stroked his beard, he saw a returning cavalry procession in the distance.
Heisig Ariente, holding a scroll in one hand, was waving in their direction.
That expression—did he secure the contract?
Count Ariente’s face lit up as he ran outside in one breath.
“Father!”
“My son!!! Did you do it?”
“Yes! I caught a sucker! I got the road construction rights for free!”
“Hahahaha! Well done, my son!”
“There was just one minor additional condition…”
“Drop and give me twenty, Heisig.”
“…Excuse me?”
Count Ariente’s expression twisted.
This brat.
Did he dare modify the contract without his permission?
“Ugh… Father…”
“Ten more if you collapse. Stay still.”
“I’m getting dizzy with all the blood rushing to my head…”
“Stay still! I’m reading the contract!”
While Heisig was trembling with his head against the floor, Count Ariente managed to suppress his anger as he carefully read the contract Heisig brought.
He specifically told him to stamp the contract as it was.
And yet, this brat who isn’t even the family head modified and stamped the contract?
If he had known this, he wouldn’t have sent the seal with him.
Count Ariente’s grip tightened, slightly crumpling the contract.
‘The front part hasn’t changed at all.’
At least none of the pre-written sections were modified.
So the problem must be the ‘additional conditions’…
With tension, the Count scanned the section with the additional conditions.
Soon, his face showed a perplexed expression.
“What is this? These conditions are meaningless.”
“Right? Right, Father? If I had come back to ask for permission to add these, you would’ve scolded me for making a fuss over nothing!”
“Shut up.”
The additional conditions were as follows:
First, the amount Vermont invested will be fully refunded on the day the construction is completed. This condition is to be met under any circumstances.
Second, if Ariente abandons the construction, the rights will be transferred to Vermont.
‘Aslan Vermont was as stupid as the rumors say.’
These were ridiculous conditions.
Refunding the investment without any interest?
The second condition was even more absurd, as its intention was clear.
“Near the end of the construction, they plan to hire thugs to disrupt it and oust us. Ridiculous.”
It was a scheme that only a third-rate villain would come up with.
Their plan was obviously to make them abandon the construction and then swallow up the construction site they had developed.
“But what will they do? We’re so sick of such low-level tactics that we station mercenaries at our construction sites.”
In the course of handling various construction contracts, you encountered all sorts of people.
Clients who refuse to pay.
Competitors who claim it’s their territory and demand you leave.
Having experienced all this, Ariente had amassed considerable expertise.
Thus, it was a given to station mercenaries at construction sites to respond to emergencies.
Even if Vermont brought in their army, they had forces ready to repel them.
“Hahaha! Well done, Heisig! Well done!”
“Hahaha.”
The Count patted his son on the back and laughed.
This road construction would yield the highest profit margin in history.
Just thinking about the income from the tolls made him beam with delight.
***
“Young Master! Why did you agree to such an absurd contract…!”
“Why not?”
“Since the mountain is in the Vermont Territory, the construction rights naturally belong to Vermont! How could you give it away for free? Is there something I don’t understand? Please tell me that’s the case!”
“They’ll build the road for us without us having to lift a finger. Isn’t that convenient?”
“Aaah!”
Sylvia clutched her head and screamed.
Her reaction was like that of a fool who had just met someone even more foolish.
“Don’t worry. The construction rights will come back to us anyway.”
“If you plan to disrupt them and make them give up on the construction, that won’t work. Ariente runs their own security company, and they have thugs guarding the construction site.”
“Do you think I’m a thug? I’m not going to disrupt people who are just doing their work.”
“Then what is your plan…!”
Sylvia looked like she was about to die of frustration.
Of course, I had no other answer to give.
Ariente would have no choice but to abandon the construction.
‘This is information that only someone who had seen the future could know.’
Even if I tried to explain further, she wouldn’t understand.
I’d be lucky if she didn’t think I was a madman talking nonsense.
Maybe they calculated that the faster they built the road, the sooner they could start raking in tolls.
Ariente began the road construction in a hurry, as if being chased by something.
First, they leveled the ground.
Then they seemed to be working on expanding the corridor by cutting into the slopes.
When I went to inspect the construction site, it became quite tense with mercenaries swarming around.
Did they think I was going to cause trouble?
Of course, I was just there to observe the construction progress.
I really did nothing but watch.
A week passed since then.
Charlotte and Julia made rapid progress.
For Charlotte, whenever she drew the Super Super Strong Sword, mana was automatically drawn in and Aura started to be emitted.
Now, Charlotte could suppress and control it.
“It works! Mister! Look at this! Little Flame!”
“That’s called Aura.”
“Aura is hard to pronounce! I’ll call it a Little Flame!”
“…”
Thus, what she accomplished was the Aura that Sword Masters typically envelop their swords with.
Instead of an abnormally large Aura that could split mountains, she could now maintain a small Aura. And Julia…
“You. What did you do to these children? The spirits really hate you.”
“…”
“…Yes.”
Not only could she talk to ghosts, but she could also converse with spirits.
Lately, it seemed like she was avoiding me, probably due to whatever the spirits had been telling her.
Damn. I preferred it when Julia couldn’t understand the spirits.
“Julia. How much can you understand what the spirits say?”
“Hmm. I think I can understand everything except when they all talk at once…”
“Good. Then we’re ready.”
Of course, Julia being able to communicate with the spirits was also part of the plan.
A necessary condition that couldn’t be left out.
By now, we should be hearing some news…
“Young Master! At the construction site…!”
“Calm down. Take a breath and speak.”
“There’s been an accident at the construction site!”
The awaited bad news arrived that day.
There were reports of continuous earthquakes at the construction site.
“The Great Spirit of Earth is angry.”
“…What?”
It seemed our Great Spirit was quite displeased.
