Chapter 215

Chapter 215 – Already Got a Job?

Evelyn’s sudden shift in demeanor completely caught me off guard for a second.

However, I regained my composure almost immediately.

“Are you doing alright?”

“What? Why wouldn’t I be?”

I had fully anticipated that she would be completely depressed for the foreseeable future.

Perhaps she noticed how intensely I was looking at her. Evelyn took a sip of the drink she had purchased with my funds and offered a faint, self-deprecating smile.

“A girl’s still got to eat to survive, right?”

Ah, of course. That made sense.

I had briefly overlooked the fact that she was entirely penniless at the moment.

‘I suppose sheer desperation forces a person to grow resilient.’

Regardless, it wasn’t a negative development from my perspective.

In fact, it was highly beneficial.

If Evelyn could pull herself together and be of assistance, that would work out ideally.

However, before proceeding, there was a specific matter that required clarification.

“Regarding that broker fee.”

“Oh, you don’t need to worry. I am highly capable of delivering excellent results. It might not match the leverage I possessed back when the Goldrin name stood behind me, but even so…”

“No, that isn’t the issue. Didn’t you mention earlier that you would grant me a special rate because we are companions?”

“Yes, I did say that.”

“Well, shouldn’t a true friendship warrant an even steeper price reduction?”

“……?”

Evelyn tilted her head to the side, momentarily perplexed.

The confusion didn’t last.

It took only a brief second for the expression in her eyes to shift completely.

“Aster, you cannot possibly be planning to execute some underhanded maneuver like registering the artifact under your own name just to swindle me out of my cut, right?”

What on earth was that expression supposed to mean?

She was staring at me as if she were a bandit brandishing a blade.

What kind of person did she take me for anyway?

“No, the artifact truly is my personal property…”

“I’m listening. Prove it.”

I had to dedicate a significant amount of effort and time to convince Evelyn that the artifact actually belonged to me.

Her skepticism only diminished after I manifested one of the items directly from my dimensional storage to present to her.

“Alright… I will grant you the benefit of the doubt for now. But how on earth did you acquire such an artifact…?”

“A lot of unexpected things occurred during the academic recess. I didn’t steal it, so you can put your mind at ease.”

“Honestly, it would be preferable if it were stolen.”

“……?”

“Hot merchandise yields a significantly higher broker fee.”

Ah, right. Splendid.

My throat suddenly felt incredibly parched, so I took a sip of my beverage to soothe it. Evelyn mirrored my action, consuming the drink funded entirely by my pocket.

At any rate, it was time to move past the idle chatter.

“So, my objective is to liquidate this artifact. Are you prepared to take charge of the transaction?”

“Yes, absolutely. I am confident I can secure a far greater profit than you ever could on your own, even after subtracting my percentage.”

Fair enough.

“In that case, are you willing to place your trust in me?”

“Yes, certainly.”

It required very little deliberation.

Had Evelyn been in high spirits from the beginning, I would have entrusted the task to her regardless.

There was only a single concern lingering in my mind.

“Are you absolutely certain you can manage this, though?”

“Manage what?”

“Won’t the Goldrin family attempt to obstruct your path?”

“……Ah.”

Had I inadvertently struck a raw nerve?

Evelyn’s countenance visibly darkened at my words.

However, if I had no intention of employing her, that would be one thing—but since I was indeed offering her the position, we absolutely had to confront this reality.

‘Based on the rumors I gathered, the conflict regarding the family succession was incredibly savage.’

Even the betrayal committed by her personal aide—I strongly suspected it was orchestrated entirely by her sibling.

To put it plainly, she was contending with an adversary ruthless enough to utterly destroy a competitor who had already stripped away all their assets and fled, ensuring absolutely no possibility of a future recovery.

Would an individual of that caliber simply sit back and watch if Evelyn attempted to re-enter the commercial market?

‘If positions were reversed, I certainly wouldn’t allow it.’

If I were in that position, I would mobilize every single resource at my disposal to completely suppress her.

It wouldn’t even be a difficult endeavor.

An enterprise with the status of Goldrin possessed immense leverage across all of Hazen’s commercial districts. A single quiet word delivered to the appropriate merchants would settle the matter instantly.

Furthermore, even that wouldn’t be strictly necessary.

‘Given her current financial destitution, she lacks the means to even depart from Hazen anyway…’

Simply choking off the local trade routes within Hazen would suffice. It was effortless.

Did the reality of her situation only dawn on her just now?

Evelyn’s eyelids fluttered slightly, and she shook her head back and forth with great intensity. A moment later, she finally spoke up.

“I… I have devised a strategy to handle that.”

“A strategy?”

“Not every single merchant operates under the direct control of Goldrin. There are factions allied with the remaining big three families… They certainly won’t view me with any favor, but I lack alternative options. Bitin used to excel at managing these specific dynamics…”

Evelyn’s voice grew faint as a melancholic smile surfaced on her face.

Yes, I had anticipated that exact course of action.

I had merely been curious to see what her perspective would be.

As it turned out, human thoughts tend to follow similar trajectories—her intended path was nearly identical to my own line of reasoning.

“Hmm, I understand.”

So, what should the next step be?

I fell into silent contemplation for a brief moment.

Did she completely misinterpret my quiet reflection?

The despondent smile vanished from Evelyn’s face as she abruptly averted her gaze and raised the volume of her voice.

“I! I am absolutely certain I can execute this flawlessly! Please, just grant me a single opportunity. Of course… if your preference is to seek out an established industry expert, you have no logical reason to select me…”

She attempted to project an energetic demeanor, but her words ultimately lost momentum and trailed off.

I shook my head from side to side with absolute certainty.

“No, what reason would I have to place my confidence in some anonymous intermediary?”

“Huh? What makes you say you wouldn’t trust an intermediary?”

“How can I be certain they won’t attempt to defraud me? I harbor no faith in them whatsoever. That goes double when dealing with valuable artifacts.”

In the absolute worst-case scenario, to an uninitiated outsider, assessing the value of an artifact is completely subjective—it can be manipulated to mean whatever the broker desires.

Why would I ever surrender such property to a complete stranger?

Furthermore, after listening to her predicament, I had already resolved to endure any potential interference from Goldrin the moment I decided to bring her on board.

Granted, I remained uncertain whether she truly possessed the caliber required for the higher echelons of the tower, but navigating a minor obstacle of that nature? It was a worthwhile investment.

My genuine point of hesitation?

It was this specific detail.

“What would your thoughts be if we conducted the sale within the black market?”

“……What?”

“I am aware that the Black-White Slums are situated in close proximity to Hazen. There must be an underground trade network operating within that district, correct?”

“Yes, that is true… but for what purpose would we utilize an underground market?”

“No specific underlying motive.”

Looking toward the future: once the liquidation was complete, I intended to establish myself within the Black-White Slums for a period of time. There was no practical reason to navigate the standard shops throughout Hazen.

I might as well initiate connections within the slums’ illicit trade networks ahead of schedule.

“Utilizing an underground market would certainly bypass any interference from Goldrin, that much is true…”

“Will they significantly undervalue the property because the transaction is illicit?”

“Not necessarily. Because government tariffs are entirely avoided, the net discrepancy can occasionally be quite negligible.”

Excellent.

The choice was made.

“We will proceed with selling the artifact within the underground market.”

“Are you serious? No, regardless of that…”

Evelyn’s words faltered, clearly remaining skeptical, before she addressed me with a serious expression clouding her features.

“Listen… if you are making this decision solely on my account, you really do not have to go to such lengths. I am entirely capable of introducing you to a trustworthy broker. Just earning a standard referral fee would be more than enough to sustain me…”

Operating under the assumption that I was altering my plans purely for her well-being, she remained remarkably steadfast.

To be perfectly honest… I found myself rather astonished.

‘Is this individual truly the same Evelyn I knew?’

The very same person who had previously attempted to cultivate a seed of malice within the academy solely for her personal advancement—now demonstrating concern for another person’s welfare while in the depths of her own crisis?

…Very well, the character assessment was complete: she passed.

Excellent, it was time to present the actual proposal.

I steeled my resolve, focused my gaze directly on Evelyn, and delivered my proposition.

“Hey, would you be interested in executing a joint venture with me?”

“……What?”

“Let us establish an enterprise together. We will utilize the capital generated from the artifact sale as our initial funding. Operating out of the Black-White Slums implies we won’t have to contend with regulatory complications, correct?”

“No… putting age restrictions aside, it isn’t that complications don’t exist—it is simply that the authorities lack the ability to enforce the law there…”

“Tch, details. So, are you prepared to participate? Or are you declining?”

The granular specifics were irrelevant.

Only a single reality mattered: whether we would cross the threshold into the lawless territory of the Black-White Slums as partners or not.

“Do you require additional time to deliberate?”

Evelyn extended a hand outward—signaling for me to pause.

Following that, she began nervously biting down on the straw of the beverage purchased with my-money, sinking deep into her own thoughts.

How much time slipped away?

She swiftly consumed the remaining contents of her cup, snapped her head around, and fixed an intense gaze directly upon me.

“I am participating.”

“Are you entirely certain? Once you commit to this path, extracting yourself will not be simple. The situation could become highly perilous. My objectives extend far beyond mere commerce.”

“Beyond mere commerce…?”

“I will provide a full explanation at a later date. You maintain the option to withdraw from any matters that fall outside the scope of our business arrangement, should you choose to do so.”

I had no intention of deceiving her.

This endeavor was not restricted solely to commercial enterprise. My vision extended much further into the future.

Depending on the outcome, if our operations within Hazen’s Black-White Slums proved successful, I intended to transform that territory into my primary headquarters.

The foundational bedrock for the Magic Tower.

My opening move to alter the trajectory of days to come.

Did she discern the gravity reflected in my eyes?

Gulp.

Evelyn watched me with a distinct air of tension.

After a protracted pause.

She finally parted her lips to speak.

“I have no inkling of what your ultimate agenda might be, but I am willing to attempt this. Regarding any matters separate from our business… I can formulate my final decision when the time arises, correct?”

“You are fully aware that we risk academic expulsion if our activities are uncovered, right?”

“……Given my current circumstances, there is a distinct possibility I won’t even possess the means to attend the upcoming academic term anyway.”

“Not a terrible position to be in.”

“……What?”

“Nothing, don’t worry about it. Moving forward…”

A bright grin surfaced on my face as I reached out to offer a handshake.

Evelyn extended her unencumbered hand—the one not currently occupied with the beverage funded by my-money—and gripped mine securely.

“I look forward to our professional relationship.”

“……Likewise.”

Our palms locked together in a firm grasp.

‘An indentured servant… no, a valuable ally secured.’

…The process had involved a rather substantial deviation from the plan, but the outcome was quite satisfactory.

That concluded my interaction with Evelyn for the day.

We agreed to iron out the finer points of our enterprise at a later juncture—in all likelihood, we would reconvene tomorrow.

Following our separation, I endured my customary grueling training sessions alongside senior classmate Teheman, after which I quietly infiltrated the dormitory by scaling through the window framework.

However.

‘Is Pola absent once again?’

The designated curfew had elapsed quite some time ago, yet Pola’s mattress remained entirely unoccupied.

Lately, I had absolutely no inkling regarding his nocturnal activities—I could not recall a single instance where he arrived back at the room according to schedule.

His bedding was invariably disheveled by the time morning arrived, indicating that he did indeed return to sleep, but it had been ages since I actually looked upon his countenance.

‘It is none of my concern.’

I concluded my evening wash and was in the process of making my way toward my bed when the sudden sound of rustling caught my attention.

It was Pola.

Had he literally just infiltrated the room via the window? The glass panel had been left slightly unlatched. Shaking my head in mild amusement, I continued toward my blankets while throwing out a relaxed inquiry.

“What exactly are you up to?”

“……!”

His entire frame flinched in surprise as he hurriedly began adjusting the alignment of his garments.

A wry smirk manifested on my face as I took in the sight of his current attire.

“Have you already secured employment somewhere?”

“……?”

“Forget it, you simply bear a striking resemblance to a nocturnal marauder.”

A nocturnal marauder was just another term for a burglar.

Slinking back into the quarters at such ungodly hours every single evening, utilizing the window frames as entry points—the comparison had simply slipped past my lips unbidden.

Yet, why did he react that way?

“That is entirely none of your business.”

Under typical circumstances, he would have simply ignored my commentary with a freezing cold shoulder, but on this occasion, he shot back with a sharp retort, spun around immediately, and vanished straight into the washroom.

I tracked his retreating form with my eyes, tilting my head in curiosity.

‘What is going on? Is he actually involved in something?’

The frantic nature of his response just a moment ago…

Furthermore, right before he disappeared from view.

‘Those were medical dressings, weren’t they?’

A barely perceptible aroma of fresh blood was currently drifting toward my nostrils.

It was an element that would easily go unnoticed unless one consciously dedicated their senses to detecting it, but the moment I focused my awareness—the unmistakable metallic scent of blood hung faintly in the ambient air.

I had previously operated under the assumption that he was associated with some manner of private security or mercenary outfit.

Had he fully committed himself to mercenary operations? Was this some sort of clandestine secondary occupation?

‘Tch, whatever.’

I deliberately dismissed all speculation concerning Pola from my thoughts. It was not my problem to solve.

He was entirely capable of managing his own affairs.

Reclining upon my mattress, the illumination within the room was completely extinguished.

A sudden, amusing concept manifested within my mind.

‘Should I begin securing the window latches starting tomorrow evening?’

I was genuinely intrigued to see the outcome.

Our unwritten, mutual agreement dictated that the window remained permanently unlatched. I couldn’t help but wonder how Pola would navigate the situation if I suddenly altered that dynamic.

I possessed the mystical capability to gain entry regardless, but he enjoyed no such arcane privileges.

‘Tch, whatever.’

That officially marked the conclusion of my thoughts regarding Pola.

Closing my eyelids, I allowed myself to drift toward slumber.

‘At any rate, coordinating with Evelyn proceeded quite smoothly…’

Moving forward, I required additional physical enforcement… rather, I needed to acquire more companions. Where exactly should I look to discover individuals possessing the appropriate qualifications?

I had absolutely no use for mediocre rabble.

…Consequently, the evening grew progressively deeper as my internal deliberations multiplied.

Fast forward exactly one week later during the weekend interval.

“Aster, it is time for us to depart.”

“Understood, let’s move.”

Side by side with Evelyn, I set out toward the territory of the Black-White Slums.