Chapter 77

Episode 77

“That’s the ominous look you get when you’re confident about something, Inspector.”

“You know me well. But it’s not ominous, is it?”

“How could it not be? My body remembers all the hardships we’ve endured because of it.”

He was exaggerating.

The plan was already set. To succeed, I had to exploit the underlying fear of monsters and demonic beasts.

“You all know that the lords are spending a fortune on monster extermination. Our Knights have also started their missions after the demonic beast appeared in Caribe.”

“Because demonic beasts influence the surrounding monsters. That’s why I said dealing with monsters should be our priority. Just between us, we can’t rule out the possibility that another ‘Dark Soul’ has appeared.”

Jericho, coming from a demon hunter family, was understandably concerned about the ‘Dark Soul’.

Now that I had revealed my secret, I intended to help him destroy it.

“I agree. But we have to focus on our mission until we understand the Lady’s intentions. She sees things we don’t.”

“You’re not planning to deal in military supplies, are you? That’s too risky. The current monster activity might be temporary.”

“My plan is different. Our target customers aren’t knights, but adventurers.”

Adventurers existed in this world too. They explored ancient ruins and dungeons, acquiring treasures to sell for a high price.

Naturally, there were auction houses that handled such items. Every major city had at least a couple of specialized auction houses.

If an artifact imbued with ancient magic was discovered, it would attract the attention of knights and mages alike. Adventurers risked their lives for a chance to “strike it rich.”

“You all know that the 1-star demonic beast we encountered influenced the surrounding area. The lords even ordered military operations. They’ll be on high alert for a while.”

If that 1-star demonic beast hadn’t run off with the Lady’s carriage, it wouldn’t have blown up into such a big deal.

In a way, the Lady had created an opportunity for us.

“The same goes for adventurers. They’ll be exploring more frequently now that the number of monsters and demonic beasts has increased.”

“That’s true, but I still don’t understand what you’re planning to sell. Supplies? Or special potions?”

“We’re going to sell equipment specialized for fighting monsters and demonic beasts.”

I glanced at Jericho. He flinched when our eyes met.

“Jericho, you know how to enchant, right?”

“If you’re talking about imbuing items with magic, of course I do… Wait a minute. Don’t tell me…”

“That’s right. We’re going to infuse weapons and armor with your family’s power. The power of a demon hunter family should guarantee quality. Once word gets out, it’s game over.”

Silence fell. Jericho, the person in question, turned pale, but Selendis and Chloe nodded in agreement.

“It’s definitely a good business idea.”

“Strike while the iron is hot, as they say. You’re the best, Inspector!”

Jericho’s speechless reaction was amusing.

I understood his hesitation.

Enchanting thousands of pieces of equipment was backbreaking work. He would probably complain about having to gather herbs in the mountains instead.

Of course, there were easier ways.

I was a modern man who had experienced cutting-edge technology. I could easily make a fortune by creating and selling revolutionary items using simple scientific principles.

I could create penicillin to save humanity from infectious diseases or invent the steam engine to revolutionize transportation and logistics.

But it was easier said than done.

Replicating modern technology required advanced skills and finding reliable engineers wouldn’t be easy.

‘Developing modern technology is something we can do after the trading company has accumulated some funds. And after I’ve gathered more people around me.’

We needed enough resources to withstand countless trials and errors.

So, I decided to utilize Jericho’s power for now.

We could buy pre-made weapons and armor, enchant them, and sell them immediately.

“Wait a minute. Even if we’re desperate for money, that’s absurd! Enchanting is the Magic Tower’s domain!”

“I understand you don’t want to do it. It’s a lot of work. But we have to follow the Lady’s orders. You know what they say: ‘Obey or get out.'”

“That’s not the point! Don’t you know the Magic Tower will investigate if we sell enchanted items? We’re not talking about a small quantity we’re going to sell them in bulk. What are you planning to do? Are you trying to get me kicked out into the Magic Tower?”

I had already heard enough about the Magic Tower and mages from Jericho during our trip to the capital.

Naturally, I had a countermeasure.

“We can solve this problem by involving the church.”

“The church? The church? Hmm… I don’t see how that would solve anything. We still need mana to enchant items.”

“Not the church itself, but holy water. We’ll apply holy water to the equipment.”

“…!”

It seemed Jericho finally understood my plan.

I had seen holy water during my time as an aide. The water, imbued with divine power, was used in potion making and even consumed directly.

Divine power was particularly effective against undead monsters.

It was common knowledge to sprinkle holy water or apply it to weapons when fighting undead monsters.

“Are you planning to use the divine power of holy water to conceal my mana?”

“Exactly. Wouldn’t that work?”

“Well… It’s theoretically possible, but I can’t shake the feeling that it’s dangerous. Weapons treated with holy water are usually only effective against undead monsters. To make them effective against ordinary monsters…”

“Let’s just say we discovered a new application. We can claim we mixed in some herbs. A secret recipe of the Lucius Trading Company.”

“That’s easier said than done.”

“Don’t worry. I know the church isn’t exactly known for its integrity.”

I had recently warned Inquisitor Godfrey about the amount of donations House Kalisto made annually.

Ultimately, even the church needed money to spread peace and the gospel.

The money we would spend on buying holy water would be pure profit for them. They were just selling water imbued with divine power.

In fact, each parish already sold holy water. It’s just that no one bought it in bulk like we would.

The church would be interested in our business proposal.

“Even if they suspect something, they’ll turn a blind eye if it’s profitable. Besides, we’ll be promoting holy water while selling our equipment, so it’s a win-win situation.”

“Sigh… I didn’t know you were a gambler, Inspector. You’re a dangerous man.”

“What’s wrong with gambling? As long as you don’t lose.”

In my previous life, a certain country had built the Nord Stream pipeline in the North Sea to export energy. It was a long pipeline that directly supplied gas.

We could do something similar.

Initially, we would have to transport holy water ourselves. But if we could connect a pipeline to the nearest holy water supplier, the transportation costs would be zero. And the unit price would decrease, maximizing our profits.

Or we could just bribe a high-ranking priest with money. We could build a factory and mass-produce holy water. Of course, we would need the church’s permission for that.

“Jericho, go with Chloe today and look for suitable buildings for sale. Register the business with the authorities. I’ll contact the church myself.”

“Understood. But where will we get the funds? Will the Lady provide them?”

“She said we could use the donation from Baron Roman.”

“That might be a bit tight. We’ll need additional funds.”

“I’ll be visiting Baron Roman soon. I’ll ask him for a larger donation.”

“You’re good at extorting money too. Being an Inspector is no easy feat!”

Jericho left with Chloe. I was preparing to go out with Selendis when we had a visitor.

It was Lady Rosalyn.

She was wearing a revealing dress, as usual, flaunting her desires.

“Lady Rosalyn, welcome. What brings you here?”

I immediately activated “Mind’s Eye.” A light, visible only to me, flickered in her eyes.

I hadn’t tested it thoroughly yet, but it should work on a mere baroness.

“I didn’t get a chance to properly greet you at yesterday’s banquet. Congratulations on your promotion.”

“Thank you.”

Her eyes flickered with darkness. It was understandable. She was more likely to envy others than offer genuine congratulations.

“I was truly surprised yesterday. I never imagined the Duke would praise you so highly. He’s a man who judges people’s abilities over time.”

“I took it as encouragement to work harder.”

“You’re so humble. If it were me, I would be bragging everywhere. Even if it was just for a moment, House Walker stood alongside House Kalisto.”

I just listened. It was obvious she was trying to find fault and spread rumors. I wished she would get to the point.

“I heard the Inspection Unit is creating a trading company. What’s that about?”

Word had spread that quickly?

“Where did you hear that?”

“Oh my, are you interrogating me? That hurts. Of course, I heard it from Lady Lucia. It doesn’t seem like a secret. She’s been telling everyone.”

“Then, you shouldn’t need to ask me.”

“I’m curious about the reason. You’re a favorite of Lady Lucia, aren’t you?”

That was unpleasant.

But showing my displeasure would be foolish. I smiled and replied, “Did young master Hylix send you? To confirm my intentions?”

“Of course not. I serve the Duchess. I don’t follow the young master’s orders.”

She was lying again.

It was true that she served the Duchess, but that didn’t negate the fact that she could follow the young master’s orders.

In other words, he had sent her.

“The reason is simple. We need to secure independent funding for the Inspection Unit.”

“I see. You’ll need a lot of money for your future endeavors. But be careful. If you use the trading company to build a mercenary army, you could be suspected of treason.”

“Don’t worry. I’m just doing my job.”

Was I being too defensive? The Lady’s gaze turned sharp.

“I’m curious to see how long your confidence will last. I’ll take my leave now.”

It seemed like I had to change my plans.

I was going to meet with a church official to discuss business, but the situation had changed.

There must be a reason why Lady Rosalyn was acting so boldly.

“We’re going to the Gerard territory to meet with Baron Roman. Prepare accordingly.”