Ahhh, Investment.
It was a concept you'd get after removing the part of luck from the word gambling. The word gave off a sophisticated feeling at first glance, but in the end it was not that different from gambling.
Either way, the cruelty it carried was the same in that, as a result of their choice, one side could get everything and the other side could lose everything.
And now, in front of the eyes of many people, the cruelty of the investment was being revealed in an unfiltered manner.
"This— you can't do this! Elijah! How dare you betray me!"
A woman with red hair screamed while being tied up by soldiers.
Her appearance, with red eyes that matched her hair, was very beautiful even by simple standards.
However, her beauty gave off the impression of a sharpened sword, which made sure that no one dared to recklessly approach her.
And at the moment, an intense rage was blazing on that sharp, beautiful face.
"I just invested in what I thought was right. So don't be too angry, Miss Isolda."
With those words, the young man looked away from her.
The young man gave off a sharp impression, with a normal build, his features handsome, and he carried himself with the poise grace of indifference.
Elijah Payes.
He looked at the judge in front of him with a relaxed expression on his face.
Right after that, the judge spoke with a cold authoritative voice.
"Now that everything is clear. This court finds Isolda Evergarden, the head of the Evern Merchant, guilty!"
"As it is a serious crime, half of her entire property will belong to the state, and the other half will belong to the victims of this incident and the person who made the most contribution in uncovering this incident.
That would be Beden Merchant, who has suffered the most. I declare that it will be paid as compensation to the owner, Elijah Payes."
"Noo!!!" Isolda Evergarden shouted in despair.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The gavel struck thrice and, just like that, the verdict was final.
On the other hand, cheers of joy erupted from most of the people in the courtroom except for her, and among them, the loudest shouts erupted from the edge of the courtroom.
All the people there were adventurers dressed in plain clothes that made their poverty visible at a glance. And while watching them, Eli, the man who had completely turned this trial upside down, let out a deep sigh of relief.
It wasn't simply because he had won the trial.
It was because of his secret that he couldn't tell anyone here.
'Whew that's good. With this, the main character wouldn't turn bad and become hostile to me in the future.'
Eli looked at a particular young man.
Eli knew very well who he was and who he would become.
Isaac Freeman.
Eli knew who he was to be precise, he was the main character of the medieval dark fantasy novel [The Fallen Warrior] that Kim Jin, a young man in his 20s in Korea, had read before coming to this world.
Although at the moment Isaac was rejoicing in the victory of the trial with his colleagues, the original development of the novel had flowed in a completely opposite direction.
Isolda Evergarden, who appears as a villainess in the novel, and Eli, her fiancee and an extra side character who is simply used by Isolda, conspires against Isaac. As a result, Isaac loses the trial and is imprisoned, losing his colleagues in the process. Which forces him to enter the path of depravity.
To be precise, Isaac becomes a being close to a dark hero, but in any case, Isaac is portrayed as a fallen warrior who is notorious to the people of this world.
Isaac does reform and returns to the right path at the end. But that happens about 5 years later
In a situation where he clearly knew the future storyline, Kim Jin, who was now Eli, had no intention of dying with Isolda after being dragged around like a pushover as it was in the novel.
It was also a matter directly related to his survival, and since Kim Jin himself, unlike Eli, was a prideful man who would never accept being used by others, he decided to ignore the original work and find a way for himself to live.
So, the plan he came up with was, to continue pretending to be manipulated by Isolda and stab her at the back at the crucial moment during the trial.
In the first place, Isolda's plan was to secretly steal Eli's property and put the blame on the main character's party. It was a very simple thing for Eli to secretly collect
Simple evidence and turn the situation around.
And as a result, at the moment, Eli, who should have become the main character's enemy and the object of sharpening his sword for revenge, was receiving deep gratitude from the main character and his party.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Payes. If it wasn't for your help, who knows what would've happened to us."
"No, I'm just sorry you got involved in something bad like this. This is an expression of apology, so please accept it."
With those words, Eli held out a bag full of gold coins.
Anyway, according to the ruling, Isolda's property should be divided between them, and in addition, it would also create a favorable impression towards him in the mind of the main character who would become one of the strongest in this world.
It was the best kind of investment for them both.
"We can't take this much money rather, it is we who should thank Mr. Payes. You don't need to give us money me like this."
Eli already rolled his eyes in his mind. 'Not like I want to.'
But he smiled outwardly. "Its okay, so please accept it. I have to take responsibility for this matter at the same time," he widened his eyes to fake the sincerity he unfortunately didn't have.
"It is natural for a merchant to invest in adventurers with a promising future. If you don't forget me when you become great in the future, that will be enough."
Still—
Eli forcibly placed the money into Isaacs pocket, who repeatedly refused.
Having succeeded in raising the favorability of the main character quite easily, Eki slowly turned back, relieved by the fact that he would no longer be beaten to death by the main character in five years.
Even though he had to prepare for something else that would come after that. It was a problem that would consume him longer than the years he had just bought himself.
'Now I'm done with this, the death flags in the beginning have been erased. Now, how should I begin to enjoy my life in this world?'