Chapter 2 - c2

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 2

Chapter Title: Blue Gold

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"We've succeeded in extracting top-grade mana crystals of 99% purity by burning away 100% of the impurities from blue waste ore that had been discarded until now!!"

Alfred's voice boomed through the study, loud enough to pierce its high ceiling.

📰 Special ReportMagic Engineering Revolution! High-Temperature Combustion Purification Method Developed Successfully. Rediscovery of Blue Waste Ore. The Continent's Power Balance Will Be Overturned! Waste Ore Is No Longer Trash. It Is Blue Gold.

"...What?"

The brothers' mouths fell open wide.

Alfonso shot up from his seat as well.

"Is this true?"

"It is, sir! The entire capital is in an uproar! Prices for waste ore are skyrocketing like mad!"

The butler, unable to contain his excitement, trembled all over as he pointed at Eric.

"Skyrocketing... by how much?"

"The value of the waste ore and mines held by Young Master Eric has already surpassed 100 times the purchase price! It's whatever the seller asks for now! Merchants are clamoring in front of the purification plant, begging you to sell!!"

"A... a hundred times?"

Thud.

Nermang collapsed to the floor as if his legs had given out.

A hundred times the original 10,000 gold investment. One million gold.

It was an astronomical sum equivalent to the ducal family's annual budget.

All in just one month. From lumps of stone dismissed as trash.

Every eye in the study locked onto Eric, who stood there blankly.

"You... predicted all of this?"

The duke asked in a trembling voice.

"Yaaawn..."

Breaking the silence, Eric stretched out with a massive yawn.

He wiped the tears from his eyes and spoke in a tone dripping with boredom.

"Ah... Why'd it go up? I just bought it to get rid of some trash. Guess I got lucky."

"....."

Luck? Even a stray dog would laugh at that.

Who would believe such a line?

Just look at Eric's languid, indifferent expression.

The nonchalant attitude of someone who had known the outcome all along.

"No way! It's fake news! How could trash multiply a hundredfold?!"

"Father! Something's wrong here. The Magic Tower might be pulling a scam..."

The brothers shouted, denying reality.

But Alfred crushed their nonsense with a cold voice.

"Young Masters, the empire's trading companies are in a frenzy because they can't secure supply. If Young Master Eric sells, it's not just a hundredfold—they'd pay premiums on top of that. Right now, the heads of the four great trading houses are lining up at the purification plant, requesting meetings with him."

"Th-that can't be..."

As the brothers fell silent like they'd swallowed honey, Family Head Alfonso cleared his throat and took control of the room.

"The contest is decided."

His eyes, once filled with anger, now brimmed with awe toward Eric.

"The winner of this trial is the youngest, Eric Theodore."

Eric inwardly cheered.

Now that I've made the money, no one should bother me for a while.

"Then I don't have to go north, right? I'll head out first. My head's pounding 'cause I haven't napped."

Eric scratched the back of his neck lazily and turned to leave.

The jealous glares from his brothers meant nothing to him.

Making a million gold and whining about a nap?

The retainers watching his retreating back swallowed dryly.

Not even batting an eye at a hundredfold profit. Just how big is his vessel?

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

That evening.

The duke quietly summoned Eric to his private study.

Crackle, crackle.

The only sound filling the silence was the fireplace logs burning.

"You called for me?"

"Sit there."

The duke took a sip of red wine and stared piercingly at Eric.

"Be honest."

"About what?"

"How did you know to buy it?"

Alfonso's gaze was sharper than a sword.

"Magic Tower research is top-secret. It's too much to chalk up to luck when you bet such a huge sum."

Eric inwardly clicked his tongue.

Old man's sharp as ever. Can't exactly say it was from a novel I read in my past life.

He shrugged with an expression of utter boredom.

"Come on. It was pure luck, seriously. I bought it thinking I'd try a trash landfill business, and it hit the jackpot. You know me, Father—everything's a hassle except breathing. I just went for the cheap land, and that spot was perfect."

Eric pulled a heavy pouch from his pocket and plunked it down on the desk.

"..."

"This is the 10,000 gold you lent me. I added plenty of interest. Use the extra as pocket money."

As if that was all, Eric stood without hesitation.

"Well, I'm beat. See you."

Eric gave a quick bow and slipped out of the study.

His mind was solely on rushing back to merge with his bed.

Alone now with the door shut, Alfonso fiddled with the pouch Eric had left behind.

Landfill business, huh. Playing innocent.

Alfonso was convinced.

There hadn't been a flicker of unease in Eric's eyes earlier.

He'd treated a million gold like pocket change.

That wasn't the attitude of someone who succeeded by chance.

It was the gaze of a gambler who had seen through everything and set the board in advance.

Pretending to be lazy for a full ten years, waiting for the perfect moment to snap at his brothers' throats.

A deep, chilling smile spread across the duke's lips.

"You've hidden your fangs deep, haven't you... Eric."

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

His joyful reunion with the bed was shattered just before it could happen.

Alfred came sprinting down the hall in a panic.

"Y-Young Master! Big trouble!"

"What now? Let me sleep."

"The imperial investigation squad! They're at the front gate!"

"After who? Me?"

"Suspicion of leaking Magic Tower secrets. You must escape now!"

Eric irritably ran a hand through his hair and approached the window.

Looking down, he saw uniformed men occupying the mansion courtyard.

And in the far corner of the garden.

Ormang and Nermang were whispering with the squad leader, smirking slyly.

Ha... these guys really try everything. Pathetic losers.

Eric let out a deep sigh.

They couldn't admit defeat cleanly.

Pathetic people gonna pathetic.

He could see right through them.

Slapping on charges like insider trading or leaking secrets to bury him.

What a pain. I just want to nap.

Eric chuckled and straightened his clothes.

"Alfred."

"Yes! Young Master! Hurry through the back door! I'll buy time!"

"Escape? No need. I've got nothing to fear."

Eric waved it off casually and headed for the entrance.

The front hall was already chaos, with investigators tangled among the servants.

"How dare you set foot here! Trying to drag off ducal blood without evidence?!"

Family Head Alfonso bellowed in fury.

The family knights gripped their sword hilts in unison.

Clang.

The squad leader, sweating profusely, raised his voice anyway.

D-Duke, please calm down. We've detected suspicion of Magic Tower secret leakage against Lord Eric. Even Your Grace, if you obstruct, it'll be interference with official duties..."

"You insolent cur!"

The tension was thick enough to spark bloodshed at any moment.

"Father, calm down. You'll stroke out from high blood pressure."

Eric descended the stairs leisurely, stifling a yawn.

"Eric! Stay back. I'll deal with these arrogant fools right—"

"No. I'll handle it. Won't take long. Go have some tea."

Eric calmly stepped in front of the fuming family head and stared down the squad leader.

"Let's go. Just need to answer questions, right?"

"Oh? So you're admitting the charges?"

The squad leader smirked and reached for his handcuffs.

"Admitting what? Let's just get it over with. I want dinner at home."

Eric ignored the cuffs entirely and boarded the transport carriage on his own.

His steps showed no hesitation.

A boldness devoid of any fear.

The retainers and knights couldn't hide their admiration.

Prioritizing the family honor and Father's health over his own safety!

Of course, Eric's mind was simpler.

Gotta get this over quick. Man... sleepy.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

A dim, musty interrogation room thick with the smell of mold.

Eric sat slouched, propping his chin.

The squad leader across from him slammed the desk with a fierce scowl.

Bam!

"Spill it! Who in the Magic Tower fed you info? How'd a lazy bum like you know useless rocks would hit big?!"

Classic hardball interrogation.

Having pocketed a fat bribe from the brothers already,

the squad leader was determined to wring a confession and bury Eric.

"Who gave you the Magic Tower secrets? Spill! No way a punk like you figured it out solo!"

The room's light flickered unsteadily.

The intimidating pressure that would make most noble young masters piss themselves in terror.

But Eric casually picked his ear with his pinky.

"Sheesh. Great set of lungs. Volume down, my ears hurt."

"You cocky brat! Don't you get your situation?!"

"Hey, Captain."

"Wh-what?"

"Seems you're the one who doesn't get it."

Eric smirked and jabbed a finger at his own chest.

"You did background checks too, right? Academy grades always dead last. Barely graduated by donating enough to cover my absences."

"Th-that's..."

"No connections to anyone in the Magic Tower. Who'd leak secrets to me? Name one mage crazy enough to risk their neck for the empire's laziest slacker."

The squad leader was speechless.

No rebuttal possible.

Eric's infamous laziness was common knowledge—even stray dogs knew.

Eric pressed without mercy.

"And the Magic Tower pumps out thousands of projects a year. Barely a handful succeed."

Eric gave him a pitying look.

"How could I predict that? Am I some grand archmage? Or a prophet who sees the future?"

"Th-then why'd you buy it?! What's your motive?!"

"Told you. Bought it for a dump site, got lucky. That's it."

Eric laughed in disbelief.

"Arresting me for this? Then picking up money off the street is theft, and lottery winners are frauds? Empire law's a riot!"

"Y-you...!"

"Got evidence? Witnesses? No?"

Eric's complete victory.

No hard evidence, no circumstantial case, not even a solid motive.

The squad leader's face turned beet red with rage, but he had nothing to say.

No justification to hold him.

In under an hour, Eric stood up.

The squad leader glared, biting his lip in frustration.

"No evidence? I'm out. Wasted time."

As Eric grabbed the doorknob on his way out, he paused.

Slowly turned and approached the frozen squad leader.

Then patted his stiff shoulder.

"Oh, Captain. Looked pretty chummy with my brothers."

"....!"

Eric flicked a gold coin into the air, caught it, and tucked it into the squad leader's uniform pocket like a tip.

"Tough job on a tight budget. Grab some stew on the way home."

"Wh-what is this..."

The squad leader's face burned with humiliation.

Charity to an imperial investigator?

But Eric's whisper froze him solid.

"The kickbacks from my brothers won't cut it. Cleaning up later? You'll bleed cash. Save up now."

".....!"

"I'll remember your name real well, Captain. See you soon."

The squad leader couldn't move, feet nailed to the floor.

Cold sweat trickled down his back.

His instincts screamed.

He'd poked the wrong bear.

Eric left the frozen squad leader behind and exited the room.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

At the investigation bureau's main gate.

As Eric emerged, Alfred, who had been pacing anxiously outside, ran up teary-eyed.

"Y-Young Master! You endured so much. Are you hurt? Any injuries?!"

"Ugh, back off. Snot's gonna get on me."

Eric shoved Alfred's face away with his palm in disgust.

"Please, get in the carriage. I'll take you back to the mansion. The Family Head is waiting anxiously."

"No."

Eric shook his head.

The perpetual drowsiness in his eyes had vanished.

"Now it's time to collect for real."

"Pardon? Collect what?"

"To the purification plant. Got a very important guest to meet."

Eric left the dazed Alfred and boarded the carriage.

A particularly bright, enormous full moon hung outside the window.

If things followed the novel's plot, then tonight at the plant...

Wonder if she's there by now?