Ch.6363. Replication

Imperial Capital, Cordana Exchange.

This place, once a symbol of wealth, was now unable to even serve as a scapegoat.

For the past ten days, not a single transaction had been completed here. The facility was only being maintained with the intention of letting Cordana die out naturally.

The lone counter clerk was preparing for a job change with an entry-level administrative studies book open, occasionally muttering to himself, “Even a low-ranking bureaucrat is better than this.”

Unlike the trading counter, the reception room still had some vitality.

Even now, more than forty people were engaged in serious conversation. Mostly criticizing the imperial palace’s measures regarding Cordana.

They weren’t committing the madness of directly criticizing the Emperor in the Imperial Capital, but rather criticizing the officials who assisted his rule.

“Since the Court Department keeps changing their stance, we can’t make clean decisions, can we? First they say they’ll give 40 million per unit, then they say they’ll compensate 30 million per unit. When they keep changing their words like this, our anxiety only grows…!”

“That’s right, that’s the key point. As expected from someone who worked in a merchant guild.”

“See? I told you this brother knows his stuff!”

In fact, the Court Department had never once stated a policy of compensating a specific amount per unit.

Rather, it was the opposite.

Proclamations warning against spreading rumors were posted in all commercial districts, and officials had visited the exchange to answer questions.

Most investors had given up on compensation and sadly turned away.

However, some still believed the imperial palace would rescue them.

That conviction was growing stronger as time passed, due to the same people gathering daily to exchange opinions.

“…But doesn’t it feel like we’re repeating the same conversation every day?”

Occasionally someone would express doubt, but such voices were simply ignored.

However, their chatter never transformed into collective action.

Apart from a few who spoke up enthusiastically, most were just listening.

There were even quite a few people who had never owned Cordana but came to the exchange just to kill time.

“How many Cordana do you have, sir?”

“None.”

“Then why are you here…?”

“It was boring at home. Just wanted to hear what’s happening in the world. And I’ll buy a tart for my grandchild on the way back.”

“Ah, I see.”

The scene was so peaceful it was almost laughable compared to the days when exchange employees feared for their lives.

And there was one person who observed this scene briefly before turning away.

It was Court Baron Erick Wellesley.

The biggest winner in the Cordana market, a figure who had disposed of all his holdings at a realistic peak and set out on his journey. A face that would be hard for any Cordana investor not to recognize.

Yet half of the people in the reception room tilted their heads in confusion when they saw Wellesley.

Even those who recognized him merely showed curious expressions saying things like “Oh, look who’s here.”

It meant that despite witnessing Gwon Heejin’s execution, they didn’t know that Erick was one of the market’s top whales.

A faint sense of relief settled on Erick Wellesley’s face as he observed this.

And a few days later, the recovery operation began.

It was a moment when the exchange was finally operating again after a long time.

***

“Hey, senior? Why the warhammer?”

It was a question from my junior knight Katie, who was stationed at the Cordana exchange with me. She had been glancing at my warhammer. I seemed to have brought it out unconsciously and given the wrong impression. After thinking for a moment, I decided to put the warhammer away somewhere out of sight.

‘No need to instill fear.’

Today was the day to begin recovering Cordana.

The amount we had decided to pay investors for their Cordana was 2 million per unit. Actually, I was the one who set that amount.

Though it was far less than 1/150th of the peak price, honestly speaking, even 2 million was generous considering Cordana’s actual physical value.

‘Of course, if we used the money confiscated from Gwon Heejin, we could offer much more.’

But it was necessary to show our determination to end Cordana’s lifespan.

If the amount was too high, people would continue to hold onto it, and the Demon Lord’s army would continue their schemes around it.

Originally, the Demon Lord’s army wasn’t a force that charged in mindlessly.

Depending on the Demon Lord’s tendencies, looking back at history, one could see what they had done to weaken humanity.

In the past they had exploited desires for sex, power, or knowledge, but this time they were simply targeting gambling psychology.

Of course, we had somehow overcome the first scheme and even seized the Demon Lord army’s gold coins, but there was no need to allow such activities to continue.

I was here at the exchange simply to manage this operation.

Though formally, I was escorting the Prince.

This public purchase was, officially, an event arranged by the imperial family to comfort (and pressure) investors by spending funds. That’s why the Prince would be at the exchange today, and tomorrow the Grand Duke, the Emperor’s brother, would be here.

With this level of importance, it wasn’t strange for me to personally serve as an escort.

And I wasn’t alone.

Four Royal Order knights, plus a court magician and a priest. There were even magicians stationed around the exchange.

They weren’t there to target innocent investors, but to prepare for the Demon Lord’s army.

It was unlikely that the Demon Lord’s army would come directly to hand over the volume they had previously purchased, but one couldn’t be too careful. Seeing how they had casually sacrificed an incubus’s life to shake up the nobility, they might pretend to be crazy and attempt another operation.

“Um, Lord Wellesley. May we begin?”

The court magician sitting at the counter asked.

He had replaced the counter clerk who had been preparing for a bureaucratic job. This was in case the Demon Lord’s army had placed a curse on the Cordana they might return.

Outside the exchange, people were already lined up to hand over their Cordana. Fortunately, none of them showed any traces of charm magic, they said.

I nodded and had them open the exchange doors.

“Form a line.”

Unlike the 1st-3rd market crashes I had only heard about, the Cordana investors entered in an orderly fashion, albeit with dejected steps.

Most of them seemed to have made peace with the situation, calmly presenting their identification, handing over their Cordana, and accepting the payment awkwardly dispensed by the magician.

Occasionally, there were some grumbles.

“…Even so, I paid a certain price for these.”

“Better than waiting for buyers who will never appear. Unless you’re planning to sell to the Goddess.”

“Sigh. That’s true.”

A provincial lord turning away with a gloomy expression after handing over his Cordana.

A merchant from the Imperial Capital smiling desolately while muttering to himself, “I must have been crazy for a while. I should just go back to working hard at my business.”

The public purchase was proceeding smoothly.

That peace was broken before 30 minutes had passed. There was a man glancing in my direction with an uncertain voice.

“…Excuse me, I’m not sure if I can hand over my Cordana in the form of a purchase.”

What was he talking about?

A familiar face was standing before me.

It was a man called ‘Rick,’ my senior from the Academy who had gone to the Lankart border territory with big dreams immediately after graduation. He was a man who had the skills to join the Royal Order but had chosen adventure out of ambition for a title.

I had heard he had recently received a title, but it was unexpected to see him here. I also wondered why he was fidgeting and looking around nervously.

“Did you bring your Cordana?”

“Ah, well.”

Only after being prompted did he place his Cordana on the counter.

The number was 72.

A moment of silence fell over the exchange. Rick began explaining, gesturing with his hands.

“About eleven days ago, some beast-folk, cat-folk attacked our troops patrolling outside the fortress. That’s a common occurrence, and fortunately there were no casualties. But then.”

He said that after defeating the cat-folk and cleaning up the scene, they found Cordana scattered around.

‘The cat-folk donated Cordana as they died?’

It seemed that the volume the Demon Lord’s army had taken on had returned in this absurd manner.

It was surprising, but since we had fixed the purchase price, it wasn’t a burden. There wouldn’t be any conflict between the border lord or his vassals and the Imperial Capital over Cordana they had obtained for free.

‘Considering how much manpower and resources the Imperial Capital provides to the border territories.’

This much could be handled with just a bit of flexibility. No one would make a fuss about people fighting bloody battles at the border selling some Cordana. I gave Rick a nod to signal that everything was fine.

…The problem was that this wasn’t the end.

After smoothly sending off about three more investors, another investor arrived. A man who appeared to be in his forties was holding Cordana with both hands.

He looked like someone who had never visited the Imperial Capital before… no, like someone who might only visit the capital of his ruling lord for annual events. Indeed, he said he was a resident from a small village in a territory under the border lord’s domain.

Overwhelmed by the gaze of the high-ranking officials, he stammered as he continued.

“Well, this old lady wanted to buy the pig I was raising, and then she told me to hurry to the Imperial Capital… Oh my. I’m sorry, I’ve committed a terrible sin.”

The number of Cordana he hastily presented was 30.

At this point, I couldn’t just let it pass.

‘Well, it’s within the range of the 300 that went to the Demon Lord’s army, but still.’

A suspicious thought crossed my mind.

Cordana donated by cat-folk sacrificing their lives, and Cordana handed over to a rural farmer. It might cause subtle feelings of deprivation among other investors, but that would be a confusion that could be resolved in less than half a day.

“Lord Wellesley…?”

“Wait, just wait a moment.”

I suddenly picked up one Cordana.

I hadn’t handled Cordana recently, but in the past, I had frequently come into contact with them. And because of that familiarity, there was one fact I had carelessly overlooked.

While Cordana itself was just a commemorative coin with no function, there was one peculiarity about it. Namely, the enchantment to prevent counterfeiting. It was something anyone with even slightly developed magical senses, whether a magician or knight, could feel.

But.

That enchantment had completely disappeared. With Gwon Heejin dead, this itself wasn’t strange, but…

“No way.”

I raised my head again, letting out a sigh.

The man who had handed over 30 Cordana was still fidgeting, seemingly not understanding what was happening, while behind him, a well-dressed investor holding just one Cordana was standing blankly before slowly backing away.

For the first time in a very long time, I felt my facial expression becoming difficult to control.