0.
Lancel wondered if he had ever mentioned something about the sum of his efforts.
In his previous life, he had wandered the coast for decades, a journey he began after realizing that he had nearly exhausted all his efforts.
Another world.
The sea.
Travelling.
It was perfection.
While the continent's vast forests, mountains, and plains were undoubtedly beautiful, nothing could compare to the dazzling splendor of the sea, untouched by the pollution of civilization.
And the seafood! He only needed to cast his fishing rod to reel in a catch. Lancel was tempted to bring these ingredients back to the 21st century and open a restaurant.
Though Lancel had never cooked anything beyond battlefield rations, he figured this quality of sashimi might be worthy of a Michelin star rating.
‘My mouth's watering.’
He decided to temporarily forget about where Marigold was and what she might be doing right now.
‘Now that her eyesight has been restored, she'd surely find something to occupy herself. And who knew? With a bit of luck, she might even manage to seduce a prince on her own.
...Would she, though?’
Of course, the chances of that happening were practically zero.
Regardless, Lancel was simply looking forward to this decade-long vacation.
‘Finally, I'm going to the mythical island—the archipelago.’
It was a land where whales swam, delicacies danced on the tongue, and beautiful women beckoned.
"You're just being a sore loser because you lost your money! Tut, tut!"
"Y-you...!"
Lancel quietly observed the unfolding scene.
Marigold.
It was definitely her.
Lancel was certain that it was Marigold.
"If you lost the bet, you should accept it like a man! Are you really going to act so petty over just two silver coins? Are you not ashamed of yourself?"
"Y-you little brat! I was trying to go easy on you!"
"Eek! He's going to hit me! This man's hitting an innocent person, everyone! Look at this!"
"N-no! I didn't hit you! I haven’t even hit you yet!"
Marigold.
It was clear that she had grown up strong.
Taking a sip of his fruit wine, Lancel continued to silently watch the exchange.
‘How did she end up running a shell game?’
The earliest Lancel could have met Marigold was when she was a 15-year-old girl.
Conversely, Marigold lost her noble status and left her family as a 10-year-old.
In other words, Lancel met Marigold after five years had passed, a period over which he had no influence whatsoever.
This was precisely why he encountered Marigold in slightly different forms each time.
The emotional changes she underwent during those five years, which Lancel had not witnessed, had profoundly shaped her.
"Put your money where your mouth is!"
The game of three-card monte was a somewhat peculiar case.
"I can't take it anymore, you little con artist!"
"Eek!"
Finally, as the commotion escalated, Lancel, unable to bear watching any longer, stood up.
Marigold's face was suddenly struck by the fist of the man who had lost his money.
"Ack!"
1.
"Wow, that was a close call! Thanks to you, I'm still alive. Hehe."
A dark blue bruise marked her eye socket, and a cloth was stuffed up her nose to stop the bleeding.
The 15-year-old gulped down her fruit juice, letting out a "aah!" as if it were beer.
"It's on me, my benefactor! Eat as much as you want. Come on, dig in!"
"......"
Even the small hand patting Lancel's back was unmistakably Marigold.
"I heard the people in this area were a bit rough, but I never imagined they'd throw a punch at someone as delicate as me!"
Despite her bruised face, the girl grinned cheerfully.
Suddenly curious, Lancel spoke up. "You still look so young. Why are you so obsessed with money?"
"Huh? Money is a good thing, my benefactor," Marigold replied, pulling out a gleaming silver coin.
"It can solve disputes, conflicts, sorrow, resentment, and hunger—everything."
‘It seems to be the very thing that causes disputes,’ Lancel thought.
"My goal is to get to the capital."
"The Imperial Capital?" Lancel tilted his head in confusion.
"Can't you just go?"
"No. See, if I just went, I'd only be going with my body, benefactor. I don't want to end up wandering the streets without even a single coin."
Marigold let out a sigh, as if lamenting her situation.
"Outsiders who rush into the capital without a plan won't find work easily, permits for business are hard to get, and dangerous people lurk everywhere, making it risky."
‘She's smarter than I thought.’
Lancel was genuinely impressed. Previously, he'd always watch Marigold arrive at the capital penniless and unprepared, so hearing her articulate these concerns now made him wonder what she'd been up to.
‘So she's finally aware of the realities of life?
What had she been doing these past five years? Was holed up somewhere, receiving lessons on current affairs and economics?’
Lancel set down his wine glass and asked, "So your goal is to go to the capital with plenty of money?"
"Yes! First, I'll build a grand mansion. I'll hire servants to tend the gardens and have them bake fresh, fluffy bread every morning... Oh, and I heard that if you donate generously to the Martyr's Church, they'll treat you like a quasi-noble. Is that true?"
As Marigold began to excitedly lay out her goals, Lancel was briefly reminded of c Baron Ibil Shen in her words.
Indeed. Even if you're branded a nouveau riche and a fake noble, having money is still a good thing.
"Your goal is admirable, but even if you continue hustling like this, you still won't be able to afford a maid's room, let alone a mansion, in ten years. It's probably faster to turn the fist that flew at your face today into a sword."
"A s-sword might be a bit much..."
Marigold, wincing at the throbbing of her bruised eye, quickly began rubbing the area with her herbal pouch.
"I don't want to keep scamming people... I mean, not exactly." She admitted it.
"I don't plan to keep making money through gambling."
"Then how will you earn it?"
A triumphant smile flickered across Marigold's lips.
"Shipping investments, of course."
"Shipping investments."
Lancel sighed. Shipping investments—in simpler terms, investing in merchant ships.
This was a business where investors prayed for their merchant ships to sail to distant continents, load up with valuable goods, and return safely—a process that could take anywhere from ten to twenty months.
In a world where most logistics relied on horse-drawn carriages and even the few existing trains were mortgaged to the Imperial Family and the military, shipping investments were considered a lucrative venture but also a high-stakes gamble.
The most common commodities were salt and spices, as few other goods offered such high value relative to their weight.
It was said that successful ventures could yield returns dozens or even hundreds of times the initial investment.
‘But... how is this any different from gambling?’
That was, of course, assuming the ships actually made it back.
There were countless risks: unpredictable weather, outdated navigation methods, pirates, corrupt nobles, provocations from warring nations, and the ever-present threats of fraud or mutiny aboard the ships.
To succeed, one had to overcome all those hurdles. The odds were far too low for the investment required.
This was precisely why shipping investments were often considered a life-or-death gamble.
‘Well, I guess she'll figure it out.’
Lancel rummaged through his pocket, handing over whatever he found to Marigold.
"Take it."
"Huh?"
Marigold blinked, accepting the glittering object. Thinking she might be seeing things wrong, she opened her palm to examine it.
Three gold coins shimmered as if underwater.
"......!"
Marigold gasped and shot to her feet in shock.
"Gold...!"
"Shh."
"Mmph! Mmph!"
Lancel quickly clamped his hand over her mouth.
"B-b-benefactor? Why would you give me such a large sum of money...?"
Clutching the gold coins to her chest as if she would never let them go, Marigold began to sweat profusely. Her wide eyes darted back and forth incessantly.
"Consider it an investment in your ambition, kid. When you succeed, pay me back double. I'm scraping together every penny I have for this."
"Even just double? Such a huge sum... and only double the interest...!"
Marigold sank to her knees on the floor.
"I swear I'll double, no, tenfold your investment, benefactor! I, Marigold, always keep my promises. If I fail... I'll find a way to repay you!"
"...You're making me uncomfortable. Get up already."
"Yes!"
Marigold's face lit up with glee as she looked at the three glittering gold coins.
"They said the minimum investment is five gold coins. Just a little more and... hehe, hehehehe."
‘How had she become such a miser?’
Of the ten gold coins Lancel had stolen from his family for his travels, he had given a whopping thirty percent of what he had to Marigold.
Not that he had high expectations.
He had no intention of sticking with Marigold this time around. This might even be the last time he saw her in this life.
Lancel needed to enjoy his vacation. He decided to treat the three gold coins as a minimal allowance for her in exchange for his departure.
"Good luck, future tycoon Marigold."
"Yes! Please be sure to find me when you come to the capital, my benefactor!"
Lancel turned his back on the fiery-spirited Marigold and headed up to his lodgings. Suddenly, her voice rang out from behind him.
"Benefactor! I still don't know your name!"
"Lancel."
"Huh?"
Without turning around, Lancel repeated, "Lancel Dante."
After a brief silence, her reply came.
"Please! You must come to the capital!"
Her voice trembled slightly.
"I'll build the grandest mansion in the capital and reserve a spacious room for you, my benefactor, where you can relax and enjoy life as my honored guest!"
"Is that really necessary?" Lancel chuckled softly as he climbed to his room.
"Do your best."
2.
The next day, Lancel left the village, embarking on what was supposed to be a ten-year-long vacation.
However, trouble arose just two years later.
"I need to get some more money."
He was running out of funds. He had certainly been spending too freely. After much deliberation, Lancel boarded a ship once more to secure travel expenses.
He arrived at a port city.
"From this moment forward, we will execute by hanging the eleven individuals who invested in pirate ships and made illicit profits in doing so!”
"I-I never expected them to become pirates! This is unfair...!"
"Silence! Do you even know which ships your pirate vessels attacked?!"
There, Lancel once again encountered Marigold, who was on the gallows.
Her face was deathly pale, and she trembled violently. The rope around her neck was taut, ready to send her dangling the moment the trapdoor opened.
"......"
Lancel wiped his face and remained silent.
‘I expected the investment to fail, but… this…’
Comments