Episode 304: Midas’ Coin (1)
The commotion finally passed.
With an exhausted expression, I looked around. Just monts ago, the place had been a complete ss, but now it had been cleaned spotless.
“A fight broke out this badly?”
A ridiculous scuffle caused by a misunderstanding had ended with quite a few injuries.
Lochter’s group, hardened by their hellish journey, had responded aggressively—but I didn’t expect them to go as far as beating people down without restraint.
Broken furniture and wounded soldiers carried out.
Since I didn’t want any trouble before my eting with Azonne, I simply settled it with money.
“Money really is great.”
I bit into a piece of fruit I picked up from the table and quietly knocked on a nearby door.
Inside, Lily and Keros were sprawled out on a large bed.
They were so delighted with the room that they weren’t even trying to sleep, just playing around.
“Can I ask you for a favor?”
“Hm? A favor? What is it?”
As Lily, who had been tugging on Keros’s cheeks, widened her eyes, I pointed outside. Outside the door, the Leafs were gathered.
“Please protect them.”
“Those humans outside? Why should I?”
“They’re our comrades.”
“Oh, comrades! Right. Hmm, I see.”
Lily touched her chin in thought for a mont, then bead brightly and gave a big nod.
If they were just humans, she would have ignored them, but comrades were different.
They were also part of the World Tree.
Convincing Lily wasn’t difficult.
“Is this place dangerous?”
“Well, it’s unlikely—but we never know.”
“Got it!”
When I signaled to Keros, he also nodded.
With even the watchdogs taking position, it felt safe enough to step away.
They’ll all be asleep soon anyway.
Not due to so sche, but simply from sheer exhaustion.
I’d heard about their ten-day journey.
They hadn’t gotten proper sleep from the constant tension, so once they were in a comfortable space, they wouldn’t be able to resist.
Leaving Lily’s room, I headed toward the one where Lochter was staying.
I passed through the long corridor, glancing at the rooms along the way.
The Leafs, having finished treatnt, were finally taking the rest they wanted.
So were enjoying a al, so had collapsed to nap, others were receiving massages or polishing equipnt.
Each had at least one attendant beside them, indulging in comfort.
All it took was a single word.
And in return, they were provided with information, goods, or food—whatever they needed.
It was paradise.
My case was a little different.
As soon as I stepped out, a familiar silhouette clung to like glue.
“How long are you planning to follow ?”
“Oh, am I making you uncomfortable?”
With the golden mask right up in my face, how could I not be uncomfortable?
“If you need anything—any people to et, information, or items—please just say the word.”
There were already dozens of attendants assigned to this annex. And on top of that, this guy.
I knew exactly what all this hospitality was about.
So I gave him the boot.
This was the limit of what I would allow the golden mask to know.
At my gesture, he bowed without dragging it out and quietly left.
When I opened one of the doors, I found Karl and Lochter having a quiet conversation.
There were no attendants inside—seed like they were thinking the sa way I was.
As I entered, Karl waved his hand.
I sat down on the chair opposite them.
“How is it here?”
“This place? It’s got everything. If I had the ti, I’d like to stay here a while.”
“What about the Ghosts?”
“They’re on alert around the periter. The master of this place may not be an enemy, but we can’t completely let our guard down.”
“Diligent.”
“More like a habit.”
Karl pointed around the room.
It was a signal that the Ghosts were stationed nearby—to ensure no information from this conversation leaked out.
“Lord Azonne seems very curious about us.”
“You an the way he’s probing the Leafs?”
“Pretty attendants fawning over them, lting their hearts... So of them are bound to spill sothing within a few days.”
The so-called kindness of assigning special attendants wasn’t care, but a strategy to extract as much intel as possible in a short ti.
Information about the World Tree known by the Leafs would eventually reach Azonne—but it didn’t matter.
“Just tell them to spill everything.”
“You sure about that?”
“One of the main reasons the World Tree Union is underestimated is the lack of information. The more people learn, the more they’ll realize it’s dangerous to provoke us lightly.”
Unless Karl or Lochter were the ones revealing things, the information the Leafs had was limited anyway.
Well, there was one exception that could be problematic.
“That troublemaker witch might be risky. She knows everything about you.”
“She’ll be fine.”
Though she acted childishly, Lily was a great witch personally taught by the Ortain.
More likely than her being recruited, she might reverse the situation and draw information out of the other side.
“By the way, did you get one of these too?”
“You an Midas’ Coin?”
“This is the famous Midas’ Coin?”
Karl held out his hand, showing a gold coin the size of a palm.
Engraved with a lavish crown pattern, the masterful craftsmanship reflected light like a high-end luxury item.
I pulled out my own Midas’ Coin from my pocket and showed it.
“I just got it earlier.”
“Oh yeah? The benefits are insane.”
With a Midas’ Coin, you could do nearly anything in the estate.
Think of it like an unlimited credit card.
The services offered by the estate were outrageously expensive, and to use them for free, you had to show this coin.
That’s why guests are told to keep it on them at all tis.
While guests may think of it as just a pass to access the estate’s luxuries, I understood better than anyone the danger that coin carried.
“Do the Leafs all have one too?”
“Every single one.”
I rubbed my chin.
“He handed out Midas’ Coins to everyone…?”
It wasn’t enough that he assigned personal attendants to each mber—he even gave out precious Midas’ Coins.
“This place is seriously going all out. What a damn money fest.”
If I hadn’t known anything about Azonne, I would’ve thought the sa as Karl and let it pass.
But I might be the only person who truly understood Azonne.
He wasn’t soone who wasted money.
What he was doing now was a sign—an impulsive act revealing that he was in a rush.
“This might end up being a lot bigger than we expected.”
“What? What’s going to be bigger?”
“You’ll see soon enough.”
“Seriously. When are you going to show us?”
“Who knows.”
I turned to glance at the clock.
There was about half a day left to finalize the items that would go up for Dark Sales.
The exclusive rights to the Leaf I’d proposed were still only a candidate.
If it wasn’t accepted into the list, I’d have to sell it through private dealings.
Private sales wouldn’t bring much money.
If I were a rchant here only for the Dark Sales, I’d be sweating bullets by now.
Not being accepted ant Aintrier didn’t recognize it as that level of product.
“But my case is a little different, isn’t it?”
If it didn’t get accepted, I’d simply choose not to sell.
I’d already achieved my purpose by raising the value of the Leaf.
“Will he call with three or four hours left?”
That bastard Azonne—he was pretty ticulous.
He wanted to apply the maximum pressure before initiating a conversation, and I planned to play along for now.
Because—
“Mnnya…”
Karl was face-down on the table, snoring.
At so point, he had dozed off, drooling with his mouth open.
So he had stationed Ghosts around the room—guess it was all so he could finally rest.
Karl and Lochter were human too.
Even if they endured without sleep for ten days, that didn’t an they were fine.
Once they were in a safe, cozy space, knowing soone was watching over them, they relaxed.
“Sleepy?”
When I called out, Lochter, who had been nodding off, snapped his eyes open and shook his head.
“No.”
That serious tone from such drowsy eyes made it all the weirder.
I chuckled, picked a few grapes, and tossed them at the ceiling—exactly four spots.
“All of you, co into the room and rest. I’ll take the watch.”
I summoned the Ghosts to the bed, then leaned lightly against the closed door.
With my arms crossed, I closed my eyes and focused on any signs.
Snorrr—
Peaceful snoring filled the quiet space.
Once everyone recognized that the grueling ten-day march was finally over, exhaustion overtook them.
Despite it being broad daylight, the mansion grew quiet.
And as dusk colored the sky, an uninvited guest arrived in that tranquil space.
The golden mask knocked and spoke,
“The Lord has invited you to a party.”
Azonne had finished preparations and was calling for us.
A beautiful lody filled the air.
The garden was full of white mistflowers that glowed in the dark, creating an otherworldly beauty.
Guests arriving at the garden’s entrance were srized by the dreamlike party setting.
But soon, all eyes turned to the figure standing at the center of the gathering—
A man glowing with golden light in the heart of this fantastical scene.
With striking features and dressed as if he were the sun itself, radiating with splendid garnts—
Lord Azonne Vistas.
The master of Aintrier.
The mont guests saw him, they rushed over, eager to make themselves known.
Here, he was the king.
Only by catching the king’s eye could they hope to gain anything, so everyone put on their biggest smiles.
“Lord Azonne, thank you for inviting to the party.”
“Ah, Count Coswell. I heard you made a large deal with Demtor last year—did it go well?”
“Ah, well, there were so issues… Could I speak with you later? It’ll interest you.”
Azonne’s golden eyes sparkled with a smile. His gaze locked onto the object in the Count’s breast pocket—Midas’ Coin.
From Midas’ Coin flowed emotions only Azonne could sense—
One of his abilities: Eyes of the Greedy.
It allowed him to read the desire and greed of the coin’s owner.
Knowing what the other party wanted ant the deal was already halfway won.
It made negotiating far easier.
The Count’s desire was “a mage.”
Apparently, Demtor’s faction had split in two and was suffering internal conflict, and neighboring territories were having trouble recruiting mages.
Having finished his calculations, Azonne smiled and nodded.
“A private talk with you is always a pleasure, Count.”
He had sothing to gain from the Count—so he intended to squeeze out every drop.
As the Count left, Azonne continued to greet guests with a smile.
Each ti his eyes glead, he read their desires and tapped away at the ntal abacus.
Tonight’s banquet would yield quite a few gains.
The main dish hasn’t arrived yet, he thought, gazing toward the entrance of the garden.
The person he had to focus on the most today—
Alex Marcia.
He’d already drawn out so information, but it wasn’t enough to steer the negotiation.
He needed to et in person and use the Eyes of the Greedy to gain the final clue.
While he was thinking about that—
“So, the next sacrifice is a hefty one, huh?”
A massive man stepped into the garden, cloaking Azonne in his shadow.
With bestial eyes and a nacing presence, he grinned as he spoke.
Special Operations Chief Richard.
He bared his teeth in a smile and asked,
“When are the ones who killed Zarakan arriving?”
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