Ch.1818. Escape

The Hero Gwon Heejin seated me in front of her while creating a somewhat serious atmosphere.

With her chin tilted up slightly and a smirking expression. Looking at her appearance, she was the same as before. The only slightly annoying thing was that she was wearing gloves that didn’t suit her at all.

“Erick, as you know, the Demon Lord subjugation isn’t far off.”

“I understand one of the Tetrad still remains.”

“Tsk. This isn’t some game where you have to eliminate all the Tetrad before getting a chance to face the Demon Lord. The remaining one is just serving as a chief of staff, holed up in the Demonic Land anyway. …It’s about time to end this boring war, don’t you think?”

“Yes. If that’s what you say, Hero.”

I went along with her casually. I neither made a show of excitement nor added unnecessary opinions.

This was how I used to deal with the Hero back when I was designated for the Hero’s party.

“Was it during my first year of high school? My father slipped up while investigating a major case and got demoted to a high prosecutor. I heard that even his juniors barely greeted him then. Idiots. You never know how a prosecutor’s career might turn around.”

“Ah, I see.”

“But now he’s doing so well that it’s actually concerning. When I tried to invest in a mining operation on a friend’s recommendation, my father strongly advised against it. Said he still had one more chance to be considered for the position of chief prosecutor. …Looking back now, I’m extremely fortunate I didn’t go through with it.”

“Mining… you say?”

“The mining I’m talking about isn’t digging in mines. Not that you would know.”

“Yes. What would I know?”

The best way to handle the Hero’s words was to let them flow past. After all, she wasn’t speaking because she wanted understanding.

‘If I just nod occasionally, she’ll eventually get to the point after talking to herself.’

Indeed, before long, the Hero lowered her voice.

“But… Erick. Isn’t it strange that I’m suddenly looking out for you?”

“Honestly, I can’t say it isn’t. Why are you doing this for me?”

“Huh, I like your honesty. …Actually, with the Demon Lord subjugation so close, my thoughts are complicated. At first, I just wanted to quickly kill the Demon Lord, receive a title, and enjoy life. But after staying here for so long… how should I put it? This might sound strange, but I realized you people are human too.”

How grateful I should be that she saw me as human.

“Does that mean you feel guilty about kicking me out of the party back then?”

“Mmm. That’s right.”

Gwon Heejin made a sneering expression as if to say, “You’re surprisingly perceptive.”

Of course, it was true that I had lost my opportunity to be part of the Hero’s party. But I hadn’t particularly felt upset about it.

However, there was no chance the Hero felt any remorse about it. If she had been the type of person with such a conscience, she wouldn’t have selected a female knight who barely qualified as Expert Intermediate (though her beauty was exceptional).

If anything, she might regret giving me too much Cordana as compensation. She’s definitely not the type to pity me.

It was a moment when I could feel that the Hero saw me as an idiot.

But there was something the Hero didn’t know.

While she was leading holy knights to kill the Demon Lord’s army, I had become a seasoned Cordana investor in the Imperial City.

Almost every day, I would huddle with Bingo to check on other investors’ trends, and recently, I had even managed to escape the comprehensive pressure from the Royal Order on my own. These days, I was even diversifying my investments to prepare for volatility.

Naturally, I also knew how to hide my emotions in front of someone pulling such an obvious scheme.

Actually, this was a skill I had acquired before Cordana. As a commoner studying at the Academy and aiming for top grades to join the Royal Order, this level of discretion was basic.

“You know Prince, right?”

“Of course. But why bring up His Highness…?”

The Hero took a deep breath and even moistened her lips.

“Sigh. It seems that gentleman touched the imperial treasury without the Emperor’s approval to purchase Cordana. Of course, he won’t be punished for being caught, but he can’t avoid falling out of the Emperor’s favor. …He seems to be in a hurry to dispose of his Cordana these days, sensing something’s off.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Given the urgent situation, he seems willing to sell at a price below market value. …And thinking about the Prince’s whining made me think of you, Erick.”

“……”

“Buy 70 units at 320 million each, Erick.”

“70 units, you say.”

“Yes. The Prince can recover his funds without affecting the market, which is beneficial for him, and you get a good investment opportunity, so it’s a win-win. I’ve heard you’ve been buying various things lately, but you should still have around 22 billion, right?”

At first glance, it was a sweet offer.

The price of Cordana had been holding steady at 380 million for several days. And to be honest, the trading volume itself wasn’t high. Everyone was just waiting for the Hero’s temporary return to the Imperial City (and the good or bad news the Hero might bring then).

Numerically speaking, it would be profitable to accept this quantity and gradually release it to the market, but I had no intention whatsoever of agreeing to the deal.

“Ah, but Erick? You need to make the purchase today.”

This was the reason.

‘It seems something is about to begin soon. Though I’m not exactly sure what.’

When I hesitated briefly, the Hero added with a smirk:

“Erick. Alright, I’ll admit it. …To be honest, I’m doing this because I’m worried about the future. If you were to speak up later about being forcibly removed from the Hero’s party after the Demon Lord subjugation, it would put me in a difficult position.”

“…Hero.”

“I’m being a bit petty, aren’t I? Sorry. But you need to understand my situation too. It’s not right for me to face trivial controversies right after going through hardships to subjugate the Demon Lord, is it?”

The Hero smiled as if to say, “So bear with me this much.”

I also nodded ambiguously, as if confused about how to react to such excessive kindness.

‘How do I get out of this?’

Simply put, I could just say “No.”

But I didn’t think the Hero would let me go so easily. As if wanting to rush me, she firmly gripped my shoulder with one hand and started applying pressure. Not enough to be painful, but sufficient to feel the pressure.

However, I was a knight approaching Expert Top-tier.

Even after leaving the Royal Order, my physical condition hadn’t deteriorated at all. Not only had I been consistently training, but I had also been consuming elixirs. Because I knew that my body was my most important asset.

Rather, the Hero’s behavior made me sense how desperate she was. It also gave me time to come up with an excuse.

“Erick, I’d like to give you time to think, but the Prince is so urgent. If possible, I need your decision right here?”

“……”

“What’s there to hesitate about? Just withdraw 21.4 billion from the Imperial Bank and exchange it for Cordana. You can just report the over-the-counter transaction details to the exchange later.”

The Hero tilted her head, as if to say she wouldn’t stop me if I wanted to miss such an opportunity and be a fool.

I held her gaze for a moment, then lowered my eyes and sighed.

And then I said:

“…Hero, do you distrust me that much?”

“What?”

“If that’s the case, why not contact the magic tower and request a mage? I’ll make a vow on a gear scroll. I’ll gladly offer my life if I ever raise doubts about the Hero’s party selection.”

“Hey, Erick. Someone might think I’m threatening you.”

The Hero’s expression subtly distorted. Probably because she was in a situation where she couldn’t get angry, nor could she soothe me.

But it was the Hero herself who had offered an investment opportunity to silence me. In her mind, she might have thought it would add persuasiveness, but for me, it was just a pretext for escape.

“I apologize if I’ve offended you, Hero. Due to a series of unfortunate events lately, I seem to have become unintentionally sensitive. I don’t know if you’re aware, but I recently left the Royal Order. Being expelled from an organization is more impactful than I thought.”

“I did hear about that. But shouldn’t you have money in hand, especially in such times?”

“No. That would make my position laughable. If I, who have already profited from Cordana, were to make another fortune by appealing to you, what would people think? They’d think I’m a parasite living off you for my entire life.”

“……”

“Hero. I don’t want to be a parasite. I may have given up my position as a knight, but I haven’t thrown away all my pride.”

After quietly declaring this, I slowly rose. I didn’t even maintain proper etiquette. It was to subtly show that my pride had been deeply wounded.

“…I wish you success, Hero.”

I maintained a dejected gait until I completely left the Imperial Palace. I also didn’t forget to wear a gloomy expression.

‘I should be careful, as there might be someone tipping off the Hero or the Prince.’

However, after leaving the palace grounds, I quickened my pace. It was to signal Bingo to escape quickly.

Bingo had been doing my errands lately.

He was in the process of hiring servants to efficiently manage the villa I had recently purchased, and even looking for security personnel who weren’t connected to the Royal Order. It seemed like he was enjoying spending money on my behalf after I left the knight order.

I couldn’t stand by and watch such a loyal friend become destitute. As soon as I met Bingo, I immediately instructed:

“Bingo. Stop what you’re doing and rush to the exchange. Right now.”

“Huh? What’s this suddenly?”

Bingo looked at me with a puzzled expression. He probably wanted to say that we were still far from reaching the target. I interrupted him.

“I just met with the Hero. She was trying to dump the Prince’s holdings on me.”

“The Prince… Wait, the Hero is in the Imperial City right now?”

“You said the current price is at the solar plexus, right? Just sell at the solar plexus.”

Otherwise, we’d soon be looking at the knee, or even the heel.

“…The Hero coming to the Imperial City without a victory parade, that means…”

“Go, Bingo.”

Bingo, who had been staring with wide eyes, immediately turned around. And he began running towards the exchange, moving his short legs busily.

It was a sprint for escape.