Yes. We Are a Newlywed Couple.
TL/ED: Lolz
Sharon said nothing.
“…”
No. It’s probably more accurate to say she had lost her mind.
Ian just walked past Sharon, who was staring blankly into the air.
Two days later. Weekend.
Rumors spread that Sharon Pierce had disappeared from the Academy.
[Silvia]: I found out where the Miss Sharon went.
[Ian]: Where?
[Silvia]: The Northern Duchy. Since it’s soon the Saint Gregory Rest Week, the academy doesn’t seem to have any special plans to deal with it.
It seemed quite shocking.
Well, considering the results of the grade assessment were the worst and the complete defeat at the Disciplinary Committee.
‘She must have returned home after all.’
He had expected it, as it was an event that occasionally occurred in the game when the so-called ‘Sharon Pierce Development’ failed.
Regardless of whether it was an enemy or whatever, a slight sense of disappointment arose. There wouldn’t be a suitable place for Sharon Pierce in that huge mansion. Figuratively and literally, the only place for Sharon Pierce to comfortably lay her body was on the path of the sword.
Ian temporarily put aside his concerns about Sharon Pierce, who had already left and would soon meet again.
Instead, there was a more urgent issue than Sharon Pierce at the moment.
Money.
Because of the daily incidents and training that needed to be handled, time was rapidly disappearing.
And for Ian, time literally equaled money.
The debt Pongpong borrowed for his dubious activities.
Considering the significant amount of interest accruing monthly, a substantial sum was needed to repay it.
Of course, it would have been daunting for an ordinary person, but Ian was different.
He knew the name of the company that would show explosive profitability in the future.
Now was the time to actually buy stocks of ‘that company’.
[Ian]: Oh, and can you recommend a guild suitable for securities trading?
[Silvia]: Stocks? For reputable securities, there’s a branch of ‘Standard and Riches’ near the east gate. For small and medium-sized tech, ‘Continental Securities Association’ seems good. It’s located near the north gate.
[Ian]: Thanks.
… And so, during a leisurely weekend that came after a long time.
Ian arrived at ‘North Town’, the bustling district in the north of the academy, as expected for an area with many cost-effective stores.
— This train will arrive at North Town 11th Avenue Station shortly. The surroundings of the station are busy, so please be careful…
True to the nature of the northern district of the academy, known for its many cost-effective stores, ‘North Town’ was bustling with many people and diverse shops.
Ian’s first destination was the bank.
[Charles Bancorp Lichten Branch]
Looking at the notice attached to the door of the accommodation, this was Pongpong’s main bank.
Sure enough, a female employee greeted him.
“Ian Blackangers, it’s been a while. Come this way and have a seat.”
It was natural for the employee to greet Ian like this.
Ian was a distinguished customer for the bank.
The banks in Lichten had various loan programs for academy students.
The interest rates were quite reasonable compared to the general public.
It was possible due to the academy’s guarantee and support.
Considering the principal and interest Ian owed, he might not be a VIP, but he was certainly an excellent customer.
“I’ll repay some of the principal and interest.”
“…Excuse me?”
The employee was surprised.
“Paying back the principal is a first for you. Just a moment…”
Pongpong, who had been busy begging the heroines, would have borrowed more money if needed, but he probably wouldn’t have repaid any.
Surprisingly, he had been diligently paying the interest.
The bank employee inserted something into a magical engineering crystal.
Soon, the crystal emitted a green light.
“Huh? Interest rate adjustment?”
The bewildered employee mumbled to herself.
She soon smiled awkwardly and opened her mouth.
“Congratulations. Due to recent improvements in Ian’s reputation, the interest rate has been reduced with this partial repayment of the principal. The monthly burden of interest you have to bear… has decreased by about 30 percent.”
“Thank you.”
Ian smiled broadly.
Indeed, this aspect was not much different from the game.
The judgment criteria for bank transactions were all determined through that magic crystal.
And one of the easiest strategies to reduce loan interest rates was to meet the conditions of ‘reputation increase’ and ‘partial repayment of the principal’.
He came to see if it would work, and it did, so it was a win.
‘…Wait, is this really a win?’
It felt like being happy about reducing the burden by repaying someone else’s debt.
Whip.
Ian shook his head.
Think positive, think positive.
Above all, he would soon be able to repay this enormous debt anyway.
“Was there anything else you wanted to discuss regarding your transactions?”
“Yes. I wanted to take out an additional loan now.”
“… What?”
The employee was perplexed by Ian’s words.
◆
Making money through stocks was simple mathematics.
A 100,000 won could only become 10 million won if it increased by a hundred times.
However, 10 million won became 100 million won even with just a tenfold increase.
No matter how high the rate of return was, it was useless if there was no money to invest in the first place.
That was why Ian had decided to take out an additional loan.
Fortunately, there was still a remaining loan limit, and the amount he could borrow was reasonable.
One gold coin.
In modern value, it would be around ten million won.
‘For now, this amount should be appropriate.’
Buying too much at once could potentially alter the future.
“Please come again next time, sir.”
And so, he had headed to the Securities Trading Association.
[Continental Securities Association]
The association’s building had been quite large, giving off a sophisticated feeling, much like a grand art museum.
Employees at the reception desk had glanced at him suspiciously. Perhaps they had thought a young student had taken a wrong turn.
“The exchange entrance fee is one silver.”
Ten thousand won just for entrance. It hadn’t been a small amount, but Ian had handed over the money without hesitation. His pockets had been currently filled.
The atmosphere of the employees had changed instantly.
“Due to the high density, please wait for a moment. We’ll guide you.”
Following the employee’s guidance, Ian had arrived at the waiting room.
Through the glass, he could see the vast trading floor of the main exchange behind the glass.
Tall ceilings had given a sense of openness, and large columns had caught his eye.
Around the columns, papers had been stuck, constantly displaying moving numbers. In front of them, people had been busy placing orders on phones, celebrating or feeling disappointed.
“As we guide customers in the order they arrive, please wait for a moment.”
Ian had sat quietly in a luxurious chair.
Indeed, it had been like a stock exchange where a considerable amount of money flowed.
Everything had seemed to operate based on the logic of money.
Since the guild he had been going to buy was already decided, there hadn’t been much to worry about.
While leisurely looking around in a comfortable posture…
“…?”
Under the white lights, beautiful translucent golden hair, glimpses of violet eyes beyond the sunglasses, and sharp eyes like those of a cat.
It was Silvia Laurent.
At the end of her waiting room, wearing a sophisticated hat that had given off a noble lady vibe, staring off into the distance.
She must have been busy with Laurent family matters today.
Why was she sitting there?
Ian approached her quietly.
“…Silvia?”
“Eek!”
“Why are you here? You said you were busy with Laurent matters.”
“Shh! Keep it down. I’m in a place with a lot of Raymond influence, so it’s embarrassing if they find out.”
She glanced around behind her stylish yellow polarized sunglasses.
The more she looked at it, the more curious she became.
“Are you here to see me by any chance?”
“W-What? No! It’s amazing how self-centered you are. For someone as busy as me to come all the way here secretly just to see you…!”
Well, that made sense, doesn’t it?
When they were talking on Kirtos in the morning, there was somehow a feeling that she wanted to meet him, and there might have been a slight misunderstanding.
Still, calling it self-centered felt a bit too harsh.
Ian wanted to thank Silvia for helping with the disciplinary committee and thought about buying her a drink, but he guessed that could wait.
“Sorry. Looks like I misunderstood.”
“O-Of course! However, I’m sorry too… I got startled, and those words just slipped out. Anyway, I didn’t come to see you for real. Maybe some work came up coincidentally. Really. That sometimes happens… Really.”
Silvia actively defended herself, using gestures and expressions.
What exactly she was defending herself from, Ian didn’t know…
“Got it.”
Even though Ian answered, Silvia looked at him with suspicion.
“I mean it. It’s not like I specifically came to see you after checking Kirtos. I just happened to remember some business here. Really. Occasionally, things like this happen, okay…? Seriously.”
“I understand.”
Heh! Silvia, who made a fist and waved it, turned around and mumbled.
“But I have some time left, right? I can at least give you some guidance.”
It was quite fortunate that there was suddenly some time left.
The timing seemed unbelievably good.
Ian nodded his head.
Sure enough, a staff member appeared at that moment.
“It seems you have an acquaintance. I’ll guide you both.”
From the waiting room to the main hall of the exchange, it was quite a distance.
As they walked through the corridor following the employee, the heat gradually became noticeable.
Distant shouts could be heard intermittently.
– Did I say the stock would rise today?
– Let’s go. Let’s go. Gooo!
– This XX! Delisting? It was supposed to be a good stock! You said it was a good stock!
Amidst the noisy sounds, the employee asked us somewhat awkwardly.
“By the way, what is the relationship between you two?”
Ian and Silvia were both surprised.
Since Silvia’s identity had to be kept secret, there was no prepared answer.
Fortunately, the employee made a reasonable guess.
“Are you a newlywed couple?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
When situations like this arise, it was best not to hesitate in answering to avoid unnecessary suspicions.
Ian smoothly accepted it.
“Huh?”
On the other hand, Silvia made a strange sound.
Hmm. This wasn’t her usual lack of wit. Why was she acting like this? Looking at her red ears, did she have a fever or something?
The employee stared at us suspiciously.
Ian, feigning warmth despite the awkward situation, asked Silvia.
“Are you okay?”
“Y-yeah.”
Silvia hesitated as she took her seat.
Her legs seemed to have lost their strength.
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