Chapter 136

The next afternoon.

I paced around my office. The appointed time had passed, yet there was still no word from Miyorn.

“Did I play too hard to get yesterday? Don’t tell me he’s not coming.”

The easiest way to gain the upper hand in a negotiation is to act like you couldn’t care less whether it happens or not.

It’s a surefire way to make the other party more desperate.

That’s why I acted so indifferent, but after sleeping on it, I think I might have overdone it.

“Damn it, I should have pushed just the right amount…”

– Anonymous Constellation: Looks like she’s shitting bricks, worried Miyorn got scared off and won’t show up, lol.

– Anonymous Constellation: Told you to play push-and-pull in moderation. If you just shove, of course they’re going to fall over.

– Anonymous Constellation: (Whispering) She’s never been in a relationship. How would she know how to play the game?

“I told you I’m not! And does typing ‘open parenthesis, whispering, close parenthesis’ actually make it a whisper?”

The constellations were fanning the flames of my already-brewing anxiety. I fanned my face with my hand.

“Phew, it’s hot.”

Sitting on the sofa and watching me intently, Alex poured me a glass of ice water.

“Drink this and calm down. Why are you so worked up? If the branch doesn’t work out this time, we can just make one later.”

“When is ‘later’? This is the best opportunity we’ll get.”

Hunters had already adapted to the apocalypse.

Not only that, but they were leveling up at a frightening pace, gathering all sorts of ultimate skills and upgrading their equipment.

Right now, they were too busy focusing on improving their skills to have any spare thoughts, but one day, they would start thinking like Johan.

They would start looking for a way to end the apocalypse.

Before that happens, I need to bring every Hunter in this world under my influence.

If I’m destined to enter Akron eventually, I have to seize the opportunity when it presents itself.

Just then, the door finally opened, and Zenia entered.

“Guild Master, a man named Miyorn Pwen is here to see you. Shall I show him in?”

“…!”

I held my breath and composed myself. Then, sitting in my chair with my back straight, I spoke calmly.

“Let him in.”

* * *

“Thank you, Guild Master. I’ll see you in two days, then!”

“Of course.”

*Click.*

The moment Miyorn left and the door closed, Alex burst out laughing, clutching his stomach.

“Puhahaha! You’re a really good actress. ‘For the sake of world peace, I’ve decided to accept a small loss. I’ll establish a branch for you.’ … Ah, my stomach hurts.”

“You’ve got some acting chops yourself. How did you manage to say, ‘Astell, do we really need a branch? Father told you to stop making so much money,’ without even blinking?”

Completely fooled by our brother-and-sister con, Miyorn thanked me several times over.

“We have a much bigger advantage now. I think the negotiations will go well.”

“Good, let’s fleece them for all they’re worth.”

I quickly summoned Johan and Kaiel. The first to arrive was Johan.

“Lady Astell? Ah, Sir Alex, you’re here as well.”

“Welcome, Paladin.”

“Please, have a seat here, Sir Johan.”

“Shall I?”

Johan, radiating a brilliant light as always, sat next to me with a wide grin.

“Sir Johan, has something good happened? You keep smiling.”

“Of course, something good has happened. I got to see you yesterday, and I get to see you again today.”

“…”

So this is how he plans to seduce me…

Johan’s method of seduction was just like him. He didn’t put on airs or try to embellish himself; he showed his sincere feelings as they were.

Just as I was about to be slightly moved by his unadorned seduction, Alex pretended to throw up.

“Blegh!”

“…”

When I glared at him, Alex casually turned his head away.

I wondered when this one would ever grow up. A sigh escaped me at the thought of having to take him all the way to Akron.

Just then, a magic circle flashed, and Kaiel appeared.

“Princess, Young Duke. I was told you summoned me.”

I stared blankly at Kaiel as he gave a slight nod in greeting.

A pale face, dark circles under his eyes, and bloodshot gray irises.

Kaiel had never been a cheerful person, but he seemed to have become even gloomier.

“Welcome, Sir Kaiel. But… you look incredibly pale. Are you feeling unwell?”

“Don’t mind me.”

…Some people never change.

Kaiel was probably the only man who acted as coldly as if we were meeting for the first time, no matter how many times we’d met.

I cupped my chin with my hands and batted my eyelashes frantically.

“Oh my! How could you say such a thing…? Is that all our relationship amounts to? Astell is so, so saaaad.”

Alex, who had been staring at me with a horrified expression, clenched his fists.

“Stop it. I’ll kill you.”

“Whyyy? Whyyy? Kaiel is being so cold, and it’s making Astell really, really sad.”

Even I felt nauseous saying it; I could only imagine how torturous it was for those watching.

Sure enough, Kaiel let out a deep sigh as if giving up.

“It’s lack of sleep.”

“Hmm?”

“…I couldn’t sleep because I had something to investigate. It’s my fault, so please stop. I’m begging you.”

“You should have just said so from the start. Please, have a seat.”

As I said that, wiping the expression from my face, Johan, who was beside me, chuckled under his breath.

“Haha, how cute.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

All of us, myself included, stared at Johan. Our expressions turned frosty, as if we’d heard something we shouldn’t have.

Kaiel pressed his brow, looking weary, and asked.

“The payment from the Central Auction House has been deposited. I am securing the points, so please wait a little longer.”

“The amount was quite large. Will you be able to handle it?”

“I plan to buy the points I’m short on from other Hunters.”

In other words, he was planning to buy game currency with real money. As expected, Kaiel’s resourcefulness was top-notch.

“Alright, I’ll wait. But that’s not why I called you here.”

“Is there something else?”

“I’m thinking of expanding Guardian.”

“…Pardon?”

I explained in detail what had happened with Miyorn.

“Um, Lady Astell… isn’t it too soon to establish a branch in Akron?”

“I agree with the Paladin. If we’re going to set up a branch, it should be in a regional part of the Empire before another country.”

Johan and Kaiel didn’t seem pleased.

The guild had only just stabilized, so they probably couldn’t understand why I wanted to expand—and not just domestically, but abroad.

‘This isn’t going to be easy…’

I began to lay out the excuse I had prepared all last night.

“As you all know, Guardian is short on mage-rank members. Among them, those who can contribute to our combat strength are even fewer.”

Most of Guardian’s members were swordsman-rank. Mages were the second-scarcest class after priests.

“That’s right, we’re seriously lacking mages. I heard someone say the other day that parties have even fought over a single mage.”

Alex chimed in tactfully. I picked up where he left off.

“Of course, we’ve recruited some warlocks. But many parties are still struggling to find mage-rank members.”

The warlocks who came from Akron had mostly formed parties among themselves. As a result, the existing parties were still short on mages.

“But mages aren’t something you can just buy off a shelf. So I’ve been very worried.”

I let out a deep sigh. Alex, impressed by my acting, secretly gave me a thumbs-up.

“Every time our guild members are deployed to a gate, I can’t help but think, ‘If only there was one more mage there, it would be perfect…’ They could clear it much more easily and safely. Things like that.”

“Oh dear, you were feeling that way? I had no idea.”

Johan rubbed my back comfortingly, his face filled with pity.

‘Looks like Johan is more or less on board…’

Now to work on Kaiel.

“Establishing a branch in Akron solves this problem in one fell swoop. We can recruit more mages, and they can clear gates more safely and systematically.”

“I’m not so sure. From what I see, the guild members are adapting well. Don’t you think having a slight deficiency helps them improve their skills? Creating a branch would benefit Akron more than it would us.”

Kaiel remained skeptical.

I grinned.

“I can guarantee that won’t be the case.”

“What do you mean?”

“Setting up a branch in Akron means the number of buyers for the Pocket Barriers will double. Sir Kaiel, just think of the profits we could make.”

“…”

A faint warmth spread across Kaiel’s pale cheeks. It seemed just thinking about money made him happy.

“Naturally, opening a branch would increase the burden on the Magic Tower, since you’d have to increase the supply of Pocket Barriers. That’s why I was thinking of increasing your share by about 10% from our initial contract… But if you’re really against it, we can just forget the whole thing.”

“Did I say I was against it? Let’s proceed.”

Perhaps Kaiel was even easier to persuade than Johan. All I had to do was poke at his weak spot: his love for money.

“Sir Kaiel, what’s the current production rate for Pocket Barriers?”

“With so many gates opening, the issue of procuring cores has been resolved. We have enough to sell to the guild members.”

“We’ll need more than that. We’ll have to sell to the branch in the future, too.”

“I will do my best.”

He didn’t give a definite promise, but I knew. Kaiel would get it done, even if it meant sacrificing more sleep.

“Since everyone agrees, let’s move forward with the branch. I think I’ll have to be away from the guild for about ten days.”

Kaiel’s eyes widened in surprise.

“…You’re going to Akron?”

“I need to lay the groundwork for its establishment, so I have to go at least once. There are also matters to negotiate with the elders.”

“…”

“We’ll be traveling via magic circle from here, so it will be a small, elite team. For now, it’ll be me, Alex, and…”

Johan shot his hand up.

“I will accompany you.”

“Yes, you’ll come with us, Sir Johan.”

I carefully observed Kaiel.

His head was bowed in deep thought, his expression a mixture of complex emotions.

“Sir Kaiel, there’s a rumor you’re from Akron. Is that true?”

“…It is.”

If Kaiel was from Akron, he would know more about the country than anyone else. His presence would undoubtedly be helpful in many ways.

Moreover, he was a mage. To prepare for any unforeseen circumstances, a mage was essential.

“That’s great. In that case, would you be able to come with us? I’d feel much more secure with you there.”

“I…”

“Yes?”

Kaiel’s voice trailed off. He was hesitating, which was unlike him. Was he reluctant?

I had expected Kaiel to be the most enthusiastic, given the opportunity to make a fortune. This was unexpected. I tilted my head.

“Is it difficult for you? It’s alright, please speak freely.”

“…No, it’s not. I will go with you, Princess.”

“You will? Thank you.”

Kaiel gave an awkward smile.

I clapped my hands together.

“We depart in two days. Let’s gather then.”