episode_0041

“Ah, no! Investor! Would you listen to what I have to say until the end?”

“Go ahead.”

“I don’t even have a top-tier gemstone crafting certificate. I’ve just gained experience by haphazardly processing top-tier gemstones. Without any professional knowledge, taking on a new type of top-tier gemstone… I wonder what the result will be.”

“Hmm. Proceed with the work.”

“Just listen to me until the end!!!”

I shouted in frustration.

I was getting so frustrated…

Is this person even listening to what I’m saying?

Could it be that discovering my talent wasn’t just a coincidence?

Suddenly, I started to have doubts.

“I’m really sorry, Investor. Can I ask you one thing?”

“What is it?”

Without realizing it, I bit my lip.

I uttered a somewhat rude remark.

And then, after harboring a question that had been burning inside me for a long time out of curiosity, I blurted it out.

“Investor! Why did you entrust me with such expensive gemstones?”

I said it.

I’m curious about the answer that will come, but I’m also afraid.

‘Just because.’

‘Because money is overflowing.’

‘Out of boredom.’

Will I receive such answers?

Out of sheer coincidence?

Even though I know that asking won’t bring any benefit, I still had to ask.

It might be better for both of us if I didn’t ask and the Investor didn’t answer…

“I saw the low-grade gemstones you crafted.”

“Really?”

But what came out of the Investor’s mouth was a completely unexpected answer.

Why is my low-grade gemstone being mentioned here?

“I knew right away when I saw it. The person who made this is incredibly naive.”

“Oh…”

“Still messing around with low-grade gemstones with this level of skill. It was so frustrating that I came straight to Basel. If no one is willing to entrust you with top-tier gemstones, I’ll have to raise you myself. It’ll be much faster and cheaper that way.”

I never imagined…

After everyone just said I was naive and left, seeing my low-grade gemstone, the Investor actually considered having me work on top-tier gemstones?

If it were someone else’s story, I would never have believed it.

But since it’s the Investor who is so unpredictable, I have no choice but to believe it.

“The same goes for this. Whether it’s a type of gemstone you’ve never touched before, it doesn’t matter. You have to touch it to improve your skills.”

“But… I want to show you an improved skill, Investor… I don’t want to show you my clumsy side.”

“Wait until then. Just practice with mine. I also want to see your clumsy beginnings.”

“Investor…”

I felt something welling up deep inside my chest.

I haven’t cried much in the past few years.

But every time I meet the Investor, tears keep coming.

Someone who recognizes my efforts.

Someone who recognized a talent I didn’t even know I had.

And someone who patiently waits for me.

I’m so grateful that I don’t know how to repay them.

I didn’t want to disappoint such a person.

I wanted to show only my best work.

But the Investor wants to see my clumsy side and my growth…

Maybe the Investor has a bit of a perverted side.

“Uh, I’m sorry! I spoke too weakly!”

Determined, I once again looked at the gemstone emitting a sinister light.

The crystal structure is still completely incomprehensible.

But there’s no reason to give up.

I can’t justify engaging in pathetic activities like predicting failure from the start.

I was too impolite.

Investor, you are ‘investing’ in me.

Taking on the risk of failure, you are investing in me.

But how surprised you must have been to see me making excuses for the possibility of failure.

“I’ll do it! I’ll do my best! I’ll show you the best results!”

What you want, Investor, is not just a certain level of quality results.

It’s the result of my best efforts.

Only now do I realize that.

“That’s a great attitude.”

“Hehe…”

Finally, the Investor smiles satisfactorily and pats my head.

Warm.

The feeling of being in sync with someone, this warm sensation, it’s all new to me.

***

“Being overdramatic.”

“Hehe.”

Unbelievable.

After all that fuss.

Warning me that it might be less efficient than a regular stone.

“How can something with such a crazy performance come out?”

“I was really surprised too…”

The end product turned out to be a stone with an astonishing performance.

From the moment Tei hesitantly opened the box, there was a strange aura emanating from it.

As soon as I touched it, I felt like my blood was being sucked into it.

It turned out that the flow of magic was so fast that it felt that way.

To use this properly, it seems like I’ll need some adaptation.

Even with such great performance, there are difficult aspects to using it.

It’s unbelievably powerful.

“The analysis shows that there are additional effects.”

“What kind of effects?”

“There’s magic inside. It’s a small amount, but it seems like you can store magic and use it later. I don’t know how to handle magic, so I’m not sure…”

“Wow.”

Really.

When I held it and tried to use it, I could feel the magic being absorbed inside.

As I absorbed the magic, the black crystal inside the stone began to emit an even more ominous light.

To release it, it’s in reverse.

As I absorbed the magic, the crystal lost its light and returned to its ordinary gem-like appearance.

The storage capacity is not significant.

But in case of magic depletion, it could be used as an emergency backup to prevent exhaustion.

It’s something I really needed, with my high magic consumption.

“Hahaha…”

I can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it.

I’ve never seen anything like this before.

To think that a stone captured from one of the Four Kings would be something beyond its specifications.

If I had known earlier, I would have spent the 12th round stalking the Four Kings and memorizing the location of their avatars.

Instead, I chased after the lower-ranking girls, trying to conquer them…

It’s regrettable.

“Good job, Tei. I’ll probably bring a similar stone next time too, so I’ll count on you then.”

“Yes… Please leave it to me… But I’m… too sleepy right now…”

“Rest well. I’ll come to get the second stone tomorrow. Shall I leave the payment in a check?”

“Hehe. Actually, you don’t have to pay.”

“I won’t cheat you out of your money.”

Even on the first try, such a crazy item came out.

Then what about the second and third results?

If a stone captured from an avatar is like this, what about a stone captured from the main body of the Four Kings?

My heart is pounding.

I thought there was a clear limit to the stone’s performance.

But I keep discovering higher levels that I never imagined.

Thanks to that, upgrading my specs has become much easier.

“Isn’t it amazing?”

“…Yes.”

As I try to leave the workshop, Mijung’s feet seem reluctant to move.

She keeps looking at Tei as if trying to say something.

After exchanging silent glances with Tei for a while, she quickly turns away.

Do you know without saying anything?

The two seem to have become closer.

Well, they must have had some chemistry from the start…

“The black gemstone is mine. I’ll give it to you after the second gemstone is finished. How do you want to use it?”

“…As a ring.”

“It might be too heavy for a ring.”

“…I like rings.”

“Stubborn.”

Wearing a gemstone ring would make it as bulky as a candy.

Wearing that in battle is just absurd.

“What about a necklace?”

“…I don’t like it.”

“I was thinking of making the new gemstone into a necklace too.”

“…Then, a necklace for me as well.”

Since it’s easier to handle.

In the end, they both decided to make necklaces out of the gemstones.

Thanks to Tei’s quick hands, the second gemstone was completed in no time.

Although it wasn’t a gemstone of the same caliber as Belphagor’s, it was still a top-quality gemstone.

All that was left was to have the gemstones made into necklaces.

After entrusting the production to a reliable workshop, there was nothing else to do…

“Ah, I’m bored to death.”

There’s really nothing to do.

Today, I left Mijeong in the hotel room and went out alone.

Every time she brushes her teeth, she clings to my back and goes crazy…

From Mijeong’s perspective, resting in the hotel room would be much more comfortable.

So, what should I do now?

In the past, I might have gone to a gambling den at this time.

With the ability ‘Insight,’ I can see all the cards, so making money is a piece of cake.

The problem is that if I get caught gambling again, it would be a disaster.

The risk of being chased by Jill would only increase.

Besides, Cornelias’ unlimited financial support is available, so there’s no need to resort to fraudulent gambling anymore.

Maybe I should find some other form of entertainment.

“Eek!”

“…?!”

At that moment, a thin scream echoed from the alley.

I was startled and turned around, but no one in the square seemed to care.

It must have been too faint for anyone else to hear, but it was clear to me.

But one thing was certain, it wasn’t an auditory hallucination.

Someone was in danger.

Realizing this, I reflexively sprang into action, heading towards the direction where the scream came from.

The alley was dark no matter how far I went.

It didn’t seem like a place a woman would come alone.

As I worried if it was already too late…

“Ugh…”

“Tsk.”

The sound of a tongue being clicked from around the corner.

A girl with an oriental fan in hand, stepping on the thugs, appeared.

It seemed familiar for some reason.

The rabbit ears on top of her head confirmed it.

“Hmph. The way you fight like a rough dwarf is so uncivilized.”

Alicia.

A noble lady from Pallana, who follows Yerina well.

But why was Alicia here?

“Could it be that she’s looking for me?”

The delusion of grandeur caused by Jill resurfaced.

Could Yerina have remembered the previous encounter and sent Alicia to find me?

Well, it’s just a vague delusion.

Of course, it’s impossible, so I quickly calmed myself down.

“By the way, where is this man named Eugene?”

“… ”

Oh no, she’s here to find me.

The delusion I tried to brush off became reality in an instant.