"Block it!"
"Evacuate the students!"
"Everyone, come this way!"
"What kind of monster is that?!"
Trees in the forest were uprooted by the swing of a massive tail, while spells and slashes pounded against the creature's tough scales.
The aftermath of the battle spread beyond the lake and into the surrounding forest, growing more intense by the second.
"What are you doing here? It's dangerous—evacuate immediately!"
"Yes! Understood!"
Panting heavily, Aint hurried to follow the evacuation line.
"I-I'm alive… Do you think the sea dragon might win?"
— Foolish thought. The sea dragon may be a mystical beast and powerful, but the academy is where the Empire's best talents are gathered.
The professors who taught there were strong enough to be considered top-class anywhere.
— Besides, that thing isn't even a fully grown adult.
"That's not fully grown?"
— Sea dragons can grow up to 50 meters when fully mature. There's a reason it's called a mystical beast.
"Crazy…"
— Anyway, never mind that. You brought the adamant, right?
"Of course."
Aint checked the pouch hanging from his waist. It was a subspace pouch provided by the academy for this field exercise.
It had originally been stocked with standard potions, first-aid supplies, and some jerky—but now it was filled entirely with adamant.
He had dumped everything else to cram it full.
"When I think about how I nearly died because of this thing…"
Just when he'd finally finished mining the adamant and was organizing his haul to leave—he realized the sea dragon was surfacing.
— The spirit grass! Don't forget the spirit grass!
It was Gardner's shout that caught him just as he was about to flee, and thanks to that, he'd barely managed to grab the spirit grass.
The problem was that the sea dragon had witnessed him harvesting it. Enraged, it went on a mad chase after him.
He had barely escaped the lake with his life. If it hadn't been for the professors and teaching assistants stationed all around, he might've ended up as the sea dragon's lunch.
Normally, a sea dragon that had its spirit grass stolen would rage for a bit and then calm down. The thief would be long gone, and the dragon, lacking a keen sense of smell, wouldn't be able to trace the culprit.
But thanks to Fernan's butterfly effect, Aint had discovered the adamant, which reversed the sequence of events. The sea dragon had directly witnessed him stealing the spirit grass.
And a sea dragon wasn't benevolent enough to just watch its treasure be stolen and let the thief go.
That led to the current mess—but Aint had no way of knowing that.
"Well, in any case, I'm glad things are working out. The professors can handle the sea dragon…"
Now the problem was figuring out how to naturally sell the adamant to Fernan.
"What should I say if he asks how I got it?"
— Just say it's not stolen and tell him not to ask further.
— If they're nouveau riche, they'd probably even take stolen goods.
True. There was no real need to explain. Regardless of how it was obtained, adamant was a rare treasure that everyone desperately wanted.
The advantage was clearly on his side.
"How much should I ask for so I'm not selling myself short…"
And just then—
— Speak of the devil.
Following Gardner's comment, Aint turned his head and spotted Fernan.
But he looked… strange. He was drenched in sweat and frantically scanning his surroundings with wide eyes.
"Is he looking for someone?"
Whoever it was, he looked extremely desperate.
And then their eyes met.
In the next instant, Fernan strode directly toward Aint, trying to steady his ragged breath.
"Aint Armian."
"…You mean me?"
Startled by Fernan's apparent relief, Aint was taken aback. Was he the one Fernan had been searching for? But why?
— What's going on? Did that rich brat eat something weird?
— From what I see, it looks like he's worried about you. Is that possible?
Aint thought the same. Which made it even more confusing.
— Don't tell me he somehow knows you got the adamant and spirit grass?
— No, that's impossible.
Aint and Gardner were both flustered—but Fernan was just as much at a loss.
Hmm.
He'd searched desperately, hoping Aint was alive—but hadn't thought about what to do after finding him.
What should I say now…?
The fortunate thing was that, thanks to the intense battle between the sea dragon and the professors, no one was paying attention to him.
After gathering his thoughts for a moment, Fernan decided to just act shamelessly.
"Is there anyone else?"
"Anyone else?"
"I'm asking if there were other students nearby. It's my job as a teaching assistant to look after the students' safety."
"Ah, is that all you're asking?"
"What else should I be asking?"
Faced with Fernan's clearly irritated expression, Aint shook his head.
"N-no, nothing."
"If you have nothing else to say, then join the other students—"
"Before that, I have something to say."
"Something to say? To me?"
"Yes."
Aint nodded and quickly continued.
"Does the Golden Turtle Trading Company deal in ores by any chance?"
"There's not a soul who doesn't know our company deals in ores. What are you getting at?"
Aint gave an awkward smile.
"It's just… not something I want to say out here."
"Follow me."
Fernan and Aint headed into a secluded area of the forest. Thanks to the exam being interrupted by the sea dragon, no one was around.
"Speak. Don't tell me you're asking for ores for free like you did with the elixir?"
Fernan wouldn't have minded giving some if it was in return for the mithril. But as always, one mustn't look too soft—that's the quickest way to get taken for a fool.
"No. There are only two reasons someone requests a private audience with a merchant, right?"
"To buy something or to sell something. But you're broke, so it must be the latter."
"…That's true, but it still stings a bit."
Fernan's expression twitched slightly.
It was a minor joke, but having seen a future in the prophecy book where he was ruined at this man's hands, Fernan couldn't help but tread carefully.
"…In that case, I apologize. It wasn't intentional."
"…What?"
— Did this guy eat something wrong?
Aint and Gardner were both thrown off by the sudden apology.
"A-ah, it was just a joke! Just joking!"
"Well then, that's good to hear."
"Uh… anyway, yes. The truth is, I have something I'd like to sell. I couldn't think of anyone else near me who could buy it safely… other than you, senior."
"What is it?"
Aint reached into his subspace pouch. When the ore came out, Fernan's eyes widened.
"…Is that what I think it is?"
"You recognized it right away. Yes, it's adamant."
"…Adamant."
But he quickly regained a calm expression. Gardner marveled at how fast his face had recovered.
— As expected of someone from a nouveau riche family. He sees adamant and still stabilizes his expression instantly?
"You're saying you want to sell that to me?"
"Yes."
"How did you get it? And where?"
"That's a secret. But I'll say this much—it's not stolen. I acquired it legitimately. So, would you like to buy it?"
Fernan hesitated for a moment. When negotiating, it was critical to hide your true intentions.
If your hand was revealed, you'd be played—and that would only lead to unnecessary expenses.
But this was adamant. After acquiring mithril, he had already begun drafting a grand plan—this ore was something he needed more than anything.
Even if it cost him a bit more, it was well worth obtaining.
'Besides, it's Aint we're talking about.'
He already planned to support Aint anyway. If buying the adamant gave him a valid reason to openly support him, all the better.
"Alright. I'll buy it."
"Then…"
"This time, let me ask."
Without realizing it, Fernan's instincts as a merchant slipped out.
"How much were you expecting for it?"
A week passed in a flash. Nothing major had happened since the sea dragon incident, and Fernan returned to his office and unrolled a sheet of paper.
"Adamant, huh."
When Aint first mentioned the word, Fernan had momentarily lost his composure. It couldn't be helped—this was that kind of item.
Its value was undeniable, but what truly caught him off guard was that Aint, who had lost the mithril, would come back with adamant instead.
"The chance that he had adamant all along is low. If he did, he'd have used or sold it by now."
It was certain he'd just obtained it.
To think that after being robbed of the mithril, he'd go and bring back adamant.
Was this the luck of the hero who would stop the demon, as foretold in the prophecy book?
Fernan let out a dry chuckle, but this was by no means a bad situation for him.
"If I can alloy adamant with mithril, I could create the ideal world I dream of."
The pen in his hand began moving faster. His strokes were smooth and determined as he gave form to ideas he'd harbored for years.
"Was this caused by my actions again?"
Despite all his caution, something must have slipped. That's probably how Aint ended up acquiring adamant and the sea dragon emerged from the lake.
He'd been shaken—but everything had turned out well in the end.
No, not just well. He'd gained not only mithril but adamant too. It was a windfall.
"What kind of place is it anyway? An underwater cavern with both mithril and adamant?"
There might be even more ores down there. Fernan decided he'd check it again later.
He glanced out and saw the sea dragon screaming in agony.
As expected, the academy professors were some of the most powerful people anywhere. Even a mystical beast had no way to withstand their joint assault.
It had taken some time because of its enormous size and thick hide, but it looked like it would soon fall.
"Using the sea dragon's mana hole as a core isn't a bad idea—in fact, it might be the best option."
If a mystical beast could move such a massive body and wield the power of Breath, its mana hole surely wasn't ordinary.
It wouldn't be quite at the level of a dragon's heart—the undisputed rulers of magic—but it would still be more efficient than even the highest-grade magic stones.
"In that case, I need to buy it. When professors capture something inside the academy, it's used for their private interests—nine times out of ten, that means research funding."
The professors would use their connections to find buyers.
"I need a lot of money. This is beyond what I can handle alone."
And it wasn't just a matter of money.
To make use of mithril and adamant, he needed the power of his family. With the manpower he currently had, it was impossible to refine both ores on his own.
"I'll have to visit the family estate soon."
He wasn't worried about convincing the Duke. He already had the mithril in his possession—and soon, the adamant as well…
"…I've returned, young master."
Fernan's thoughts were cut off. He paused and looked up to see Hyde standing there, looking somewhat weary.
"Hyde? When did you get here?"
"An hour ago."
"An hour?!"
He glanced out the window and saw that night had already fallen.
"Why didn't you call for me sooner?"
"You seemed deeply focused. I waited, but judging from the documents, it looked like you wouldn't be sleeping tonight, so I spoke up."
"Well done."
Indeed, he'd been so absorbed that his body had grown stiff.
"I lost track of time."
It seemed he'd gotten a little too excited over the arrival of mithril and adamant.
"Did everything go well?"
"Yes. It's all done. But if I may, could I ask something? Just to confirm if it's what I think it is?"
"Go ahead."
"…The materials are… incredibly unrealistic."
At Hyde's natural skepticism, Fernan chuckled.
"Unrealistic, huh?"
"Constructing a body using mithril and adamant? That's impossible."
Given how rare and expensive those two ores were, it was only natural to think so.
"The Golden Pillar doesn't have that kind of money. Even the Duke wouldn't approve of it. More importantly, it's doubtful we could even acquire that much of both ores."
"You really think so?"
"Yes. Absolutely."
"What if I already have it?"
"…What?"
Fernan opened his subspace. Immediately, dozens of chests began piling up in the spacious office.
"Open them."
"…Wait, don't tell me… Is this really what I think it is? No way, this much…?"
"Open and see for yourself."
Swallowing hard, Hyde gingerly opened a chest—then his jaw dropped at the soft glow of bluish-green brilliance within.
"This too…?"
Yes, and that one as well. Every chest was packed full of mithril.
"No… no way…! Where in the world did you get this?"
"I mined it myself."
"…Excuse me?"
"All of this is mithril. And I'm about to get just as much adamant, too."
Technically, he was buying it, but given the current price, it was practically a steal.
"I-I don't understand… What are you even saying right now?"
"You're seeing it with your own eyes and still don't believe it? That's not like you, Hyde."
"…No, I…"
Hyde just kept mumbling in disbelief.
"…Fine. I'll admit it—there's mithril in front of me, so I'll accept that you somehow mined it. But you're saying you're going to buy adamant? And in a similar amount? Who in the world is selling that?!"
"To be exact, it's not a straightforward purchase—more like I'm becoming the investor…"
It would've been complicated to explain, so Fernan simply changed the topic.
"That's not the important part, Hyde. This is."
Fernan pulled out the blueprints he'd been frantically drawing earlier.
"As you know, I've always had this question."
Knights had horses as their partners.
Elves had spirits.
Always a reliable companion one could trust with their back.
"But why doesn't a merchant have something like that?"
Hyde was about to retort that it would be weirder if a merchant did have something like that—but stopped himself.
The overwhelming sight of the mithril and adamant, along with Fernan's unyielding momentum, left him too stunned to argue.
"…So you really intend to make this? Using that absurd amount of mithril and adamant?"
"Exactly. If I'm going to make it, I'm going to make it strong and reliable."
Especially since war with demons was foretold in the future.
"This will be a construct that embodies a staggering fortune and the culmination of magical engineering."
Something that only truly wealthy merchants could create—something that suited a merchant better than anything else.
"My lifelong dream: a merchant's perfect companion."
A loyal bodyguard for the nightmare era of rampaging demons, and the ultimate solution to his current problems—
"A self-aware, autonomous, colossal Ego Golem."
"…That's an astronomical waste of mo—no, wait. But does it really have to be this big?"
"Because it looks cooler that way."
Hyde gave a small nod—before he even realized it, he found himself agreeing.