Ch.77. Selling Coins

Empire Capital, Cordana Exchange.

Though it hadn’t been open long, it had rapidly grown riding the Cordana fever.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the exchange was where all the Empire’s money seemed to gather.

And today was busier than usual. This was because Cordana was skyrocketing due to the good news of the Tetrad’s subjugation.

“3.8 million for 2 Cordana purchase reservation, yes. Understood. But customer, please be aware that there are over 100 buy orders at 3.8 million right now.”

“This is insane. Do these people have money to burn?”

A nobleman erupting with anger at the counter.

“We finalized the trade contract in the over-the-counter market yesterday! Since when can you change your word now?”

“Sorry, but the payment hasn’t arrived yet. I’m canceling it now.”

“You son of a—!”

Noblemen grabbing each other’s collars in one corner of the trading floor. One of them was even the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard responsible for the capital’s security.

The feeling was different from when the Hero Gwon Heejin defeated the first Tetrad member or the second. It was because there was only one Tetrad member left.

Above all, the fact that another Tetrad member had been defeated just a week after the second one had significant implications.

‘The journey to subjugate the Demon Lord’s army is nearing its end.’

This was the common thought in the minds of everyone who rushed to the exchange.

Of course, defeating the Tetrad one by one and subjugating the Demon Lord were completely different matters. Even capturing the Demon Lord wouldn’t end the war.

However, it felt like the war against the demon race was reaching its final stage. Those who became desperate began struggling to acquire even a single Cordana.

The desperation of missing the last chance to make money with Cordana, and the fear that if the Hero temporarily returned to the capital and suddenly announced an expedition to the Demon Lord’s castle, Cordana prices might jump to 4 or 5 million, pushed investors forward.

…However, the number of people putting Cordana on the market was limited.

Only some nobles with deteriorating liquidity due to excessive Cordana investments were reluctantly selling some of their holdings, while most of the big players were just teasing the market and watching price trends.

Of course, there were also those with pessimistic outlooks amid all this.

These were people who treated those caught up in the Cordana frenzy as barbarians.

“Now is the last good time to sell Cordana. Everyone’s waiting to sell at the peak, but why can’t they see that the peak is now?”

“Cordana is not real currency, it’s just a commemorative coin…! No one guarantees Cordana’s value…! Do you think the Hero will compensate you if you go bankrupt trading Cordana? No. Why would the Hero do that?”

“They’ll only come to their senses after they go bankrupt, idiots.”

The important thing was that even these mockers were lurking around the exchange.

They might have been watching for buying opportunities, or they might have been cursing out of frustration for not buying Cordana in time. No one was genuinely concerned about Cordana investors going bankrupt.

People’s anxiety was intensifying amid the imbalance between buying and selling.

An Empire civil servant who had been eagerly waiting for Cordana prices to fall to 2 million but ultimately missed the buying timing stared at the price board with a devastated expression.

An old prostitute who had thrown money earned from over 15 years of selling her body into Cordana had an expression full of joy as she observed the Cordana prices.

And a swindler who had been spreading rumors about the Hero issuing another commemorative coin was caught by exchange staff and dragged away.

The Cordana exchange was already in such a frenzy that it was difficult to describe it as merely overheated. Whether they owned Cordana or had failed to participate in the market, everyone was anxiously pacing around.

And at this very moment, a young man entered the exchange.

He had a fairly large build compared to average, short-cut hair, and prominent tendons on his rolled-up forearms. And decisively, he wore a sword at his waist.

Confidently entering the exchange filled with nobles, especially those carrying bags of money, while openly wearing a sword was a testament to his self-assurance. It also meant his status was certain enough not to worry about misunderstandings.

Indeed, the young man was a famous figure known to everyone in the capital.

Eric, a commoner member of the Royal Order. And a man who had once almost become a member of the Hero’s party.

Above all, a wealthy man owning 108 Cordana.

Except for a few big players including the royal family, it would be fair to say that no individual owned more Cordana than Eric. In terms of return rate, he was the protagonist of a life-changing success story that even surpassed those big players.

And he wasn’t famous just for being successful.

Because he had assisted the Hero Gwon Heejin up close for a while after she was summoned, and because he was involved in Cordana distribution, he was mistaken as one of the Hero’s close associates. The prevailing public opinion was that they still maintained a loose connection.

The situation where this person, even called “the Hero’s hidden partner” among some investors, appeared at the exchange at such a sensitive time.

Investors observed his behavior with tense expressions.

*

The way people were looking at me was unusual. The back of my neck was itchy, but there were so many eyes on me that I couldn’t even scratch it.

Actually, I was planning to determine how many to sell by checking the number of waiting buyers. I thought it would be difficult to sell all 108 at once. I thought the price might plummet if I tried to dispose of them all.

However, seeing the crowds swarming the exchange, it seemed unnecessary to sell them gradually over several days.

If there was anything to worry about in this situation, it was the aftermath of selling all 108 Cordana.

It would be difficult to quietly get away with the fact that a mere knight had acquired 40 billion in cash. Except for the royal family, there was no individual in the capital holding that much cash right now.

‘I’m essentially becoming the capital’s richest cash holder. Getting out of the exchange through this crowd won’t be easy.’

As I approached the counter, the gathered people hesitantly stepped back to the sides.

“…It’s Eric. He looks more ordinary than I thought?”

“Could he have received some signal from the Hero? Maybe the rumor about distributing treasures from the Demon Lord’s castle is false.”

“So he’s escaping alone before the ship sinks…?”

“You idiots. If that were the case, he would have sold them little by little. It’s more reasonable to think he’s just here to realize his profits.”

“True, he has nothing to lose even if he cashes out now.”

Whispers buzzed in my ears.

It was similar to the kitchen ladies in the Order gossiping. The problem was that the protagonists were all prominent nobles.

The Empire’s Minister of Justice, a former court official who was occasionally invited to the imperial palace to be the Emperor’s drinking buddy, and the second son of the Arcnight ducal family, said to be the second most powerful person in the Empire after the Emperor, and so on.

‘The capital will be turned upside down because of me.’

But it was better to be the subject of gossip than to keep holding onto Cordana. At least I wouldn’t be pressured to give away Cordana for free.

I ignored the gazes directed at me and steadfastly moved forward.

Given the amount involved, the exchange representative came out personally to deal with me.

This gentleman was also a prominent noble, and even the head of a family that had produced a member of the Hero’s party. Specifically, he was the father of “Millia,” the female knight who took the knight position in the Hero’s party instead of me. Meaning he wasn’t from a family I needed to be intimidated by.

But why? He now looked visibly nervous.

“Sir Eric. May I assume you’ve come for the purpose I’m thinking of?”

Even using honorifics. It meant he was treating me as a Cordana holder, not just a knight.

“I don’t have the ability to read your mind, Count… I mean, Director… but yes, that’s probably it. I hope it won’t be too burdensome for the exchange.”

“I’m only grateful for the opportunity to broker such a large transaction. Do you have a customer with whom you’ve agreed on a sales contract in advance? Perhaps the imperial family?”

“I’ll sell them on the spot.”

“Huh. …Ah, of course, it’s not impossible since there are many waiting buyers. But if a whale like Sir Eric announces a sale, it will cause a huge controversy. You might face a very embarrassing situation.”

“I know. I’ll bear it.”

The exchange director continued to carefully explain the precautions.

He advised me to deposit the sales proceeds, excluding fees, in credit vaults operated by the Imperial Bank and the Merchants’ Guild, and also warned me to be careful as crimes targeting Cordana investors were becoming more frequent.

Fortunately, I didn’t need to worry about the latter. There were only a handful of people in the capital who were better with a sword than me.

“It’s fine. I have the ability to protect myself from robbers.”

“…Haha, I’m sure you do. But Sir Eric, there’s one thing you should keep in mind. Once a sales contract is concluded, withdrawal is absolutely impossible.”

He said that because Cordana was rising so quickly, many people were trying to forcibly cancel sales contracts. He even said there had been bloodshed over it. That’s why he repeatedly emphasized that once sold, it could never be taken back.

“Yes. I won’t whine about it, so don’t worry.”

“…I’m sorry, but a verbal promise alone is not enough.”

I was finally able to sell my Cordana only after signing the non-withdrawal agreement the director handed me.

Throughout all this, almost everyone gathered at the exchange was glancing at the back of my head.

My neck felt hot, and I cleared my throat a few times to signal my discomfort, but it was of no use. Even when our eyes met, they didn’t look away but stared with clear eyes.

‘These bastards. Don’t they have anything better to do?’

While wondering, I put all my Cordana on the market.

And at that moment, I could understand the reason for their heated gazes. As soon as I released my supply, they all rushed in like a pack of dogs.

A young aristocrat from a ducal family and an elderly noble engaged in a shoving match, while the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard abandoned the capital’s security and focused on buying.

“What’s with the attitude of frantically buying Cordana at 3.8 million when you wouldn’t even look at it when it was 100,000?”

“Make way, please!”

The momentum of nobles charging toward the trading counter was reminiscent of a monster wave. I almost drew my sword several times without realizing it.

Anyway, on this day, I was able to dispose of all my Cordana over the course of a few hours. It was the moment when 108 unremarkable coins with the Hero’s face embossed on them were converted into cash.