Chapter: 75
His Excellency, the just and honorable Gold Duke, proclaimed that the funding allocated to the Prosecutor’s Office would increase by a whopping 50%.
‘A 50% increase per throw!’
For a brief moment, the miraculous calculation of throwing all three would result in a 150% increase flashed through my mind. Of course, voicing that would raise suspicions about the intelligence of the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor’s Office, potentially shaking the very social foundations.
Regardless, the reward was absolutely monumental compared to my efforts. Honestly, even enduring a harrowing journey on the ship for the entire study trip felt bearable with this kind of reward, but I accomplished the subjugation in less than a day. Was this a divine gift for all my laborious struggles?
In the process, a female student’s heart got quite the emotional bruise, but at least she didn’t get physically hurt.
— Glad to hear you seem satisfied.
“I’m just grateful for such generous consideration.”
The broad smile on the Gold Duke’s face was the epitome of a gallant man’s generosity and a sage’s leniency. It’s true; when times get tough, the best cure is financial aid. Reality feels so much brighter now.
— Come visit the casino whenever you’re comfortable. Sending everything straight to the Prosecutor’s Office can be a hassle, so feel free to pocket some of it yourself.
‘Oh.’
I realized too late the implication of him saying to collect it at the casino. I had totally forgotten about the crucial part amid the shocking 50% increase.
“Can you promise me one thing?”
Marghetta, her teary eyes peering as she cautiously extended her pinky, seemed both hopeful and anxious. At the moment of making that promise, I was confident I wouldn’t get caught. But looking back now, trying to hold that secret becomes more troublesome than I envisioned.
With Irina already having lost her mind on a deserted beach, I found myself doubting my luck. On top of that, it didn’t seem likely that all Academy students were righteous little angels who’d never step foot in a casino. There was a chance that news of my casino visit could reach Marghetta by some weird connection.
Marghetta might rage at first, but in the end, she’d likely forgive me. Still, I really didn’t want to let her down. It felt like I’d be manipulating her kindness.
“Your Grace, would it be possible to send all the funds directly to the Prosecutor’s Office?”
— It’s not a small sum, and processing it without going through the casino will take time. Are you okay with that?
“If Your Grace is fine with it, I’d sincerely appreciate it.”
After a brief pause, the Gold Duke pressed his lips together into a small chuckle.
— Just be careful; you’re not even engaged yet, and you’re already thinking that way about her.
This casual remark from the Gold Duke momentarily rendered me speechless. The fact that I made that promise to Marghetta in the resort lobby was surely enough for him to catch wind of it. His eyes and ears were bound to be everywhere.
— A harmonious relationship is essential, but being too controlled isn’t ideal. Even within a marriage, some autonomy should be maintained, wouldn’t you agree?
“I’ll take that to heart.”
Coming from a man with twelve wives, oddly enough, it sounded rather convincing.
— Well, if that’s your situation, what can I say? Just let me know if you change your mind.
“Thank you for being considerate, Your Grace.”
Ultimately, the Gold Duke took on a slight inconvenience and agreed to send all funds to the Prosecutor’s Office. Given how he obliged my request, it seemed like some leftover credit from the Kraken subjugation was still in play.
I slid the communication crystal to the side and plopped onto the bed. So, all I had to do was get past this hurdle. I had visited the casino several times before, but this was the first time Marghetta caught me red-handed.
This time’s fluke was purely due to sharing the same Boyar space with that rascal Tannian. The next time I visited, I wouldn’t have to fret so much. I mean, there’s no reason for Marghetta and me to venture to Boyar together, let alone that creep, Tannian.
‘Ah, finally, some peace.’
Now that my only chore— the Kraken subjugation— had wrapped up, and the compensation issue was settled, the jittery club members were still keeping an eager eye on Villar and the rest.
Wow, how long has it been since I could just unwind? At the thought of going to Boyar, I felt like I’d lose my mind, but now that I’m here, it feels like paradise.
*
A man who rules a club may find his body at ease, but his mind remains a prisoner to fate. What a melancholic destiny indeed!
Glancing over my shoulder, I spotted Louise, who had just hopped off the carriage, brightly beaming as she approached me.
“I heard it’s a maze-like forest! They’re even arranging flowers by season, so it’s supposed to be beautiful!”
“I’m excited! I can’t believe you found such a place!”
“Hehe, one of the staff told me about it.”
After a little while, I heard a knock at the door, and there was Louise again. She mentioned that she found some places we could explore together while I was absent. Watching her eyes sparkle with delight made it impossible to turn her down.
I have yet to have kids or get married, but I could easily picture a child eagerly anticipating a day at an amusement park with dad— that’s exactly the look on her face! I seriously did not want to be the grumpy club advisor who was so immersed in club duties that he forgot to care for the members.
So yeah, since I made it all the way to Boyar, roaming around wouldn’t be too bad. A maze forest sounded intriguing, and I had never heard of it before. Was it built recently?
“I heard sometimes people can’t even find their way out.”
“It sounds terrifying!”
Like, how dedicated must they have been to design it so poorly that people could literally get trapped inside?
Fortunately, before entering the forest, they did hand out signal flares. Just in case, a rescue team would come for you. But is that really the best plan? I’d feel pretty embarrassed calling for a rescue team just because I got lost!
“I thought this place was known just for its beaches! It seems like there’s a lot more!”
As soon as Louise finished, Erich hopped out of the carriage. He had been sprawled out on the bed after eating earlier, yet he got up incredibly fast when Louise suggested going. The same went for the other four.
“The duchy is enormous! Besides the beaches, there are various tourist attractions to explore!”
I mean, it’s not surprising given that Boyar is renowned for producing some of the Empire’s most expensive wine. Had the Gold Duke been unable to create wine, I could totally see him peddling seawater claiming it was ’emerald water’.
As I scooted to the side a bit, Erich took the seat next to Louise. When our gazes met, he nodded slightly. Not bad, he’s becoming more observant! But please, may he grow at least five times faster? Watching him is driving me nuts!
“The days are getting longer, but if we don’t hurry, it’ll get dark soon!”
Tannian, the demon— no, the notorious Tannian, looked around, forewarning us. It’s true that as summer approaches, the daylight extends, but if we dawdle too much, we might find ourselves stumbling around at night. Perfectly terrifying for a nocturnal adventure in a maze!
“If we’re here, shouldn’t we at least take a look around?”
“It’s a tourist spot, right? I’m sure they’ve made it easy to wander around. And if it doesn’t seem right, we can speed up then!”
Rutis and Ainter were both interested in a leisurely stroll. That way, they could cling to Louise for just a bit longer even after goofing off with her all day. Greedy little devils, aren’t they?
“That’s fair. I might’ve been overly worried.”
Even Tannian hastily backed down and pushed for a lengthy tour. All signs pointed toward us returning to the resort while stargazing.
Meanwhile, Louise curiously fiddled with a flare, while Lather held onto the map. As he claimed to search for the optimal path, I thought to myself that, yeah, he’d manage it on his own.
“I mean, magicians are smart!”
Rutis laughed boisterously as usual. But hey, the map is something anyone should be able to read, magician or no magician.
‘Honestly, what a waste of brainpower!’
In a matter of seconds, I made my decision. Yeah, the map ended up being pretty complicated. Given Rutis’s action-first mentality, navigation could easily throw him off his game. Though, honestly, there’s no need for navigation methods in a tourist-themed maze, right?
Before I knew it, the sun dipped below the horizon. With five people dragging their feet since dinner, it was just too tiring to keep the endurance tests going!
‘Good-for-nothing dummies.’
These folks truly bonded in the oddest ways. Despite constant competitiveness, it’s funny how they seem to vibe perfectly on less formal things!
“This breeze feels fantastic!”
I whipped around at the familiar sound of lively footsteps and saw Louise wandering about, her vitality on full display even in the dark forest setting. And honestly, are capybaras nocturnal? Regardless, it felt cool now that the sun had set!
“It’s too bad we didn’t see many flowers.”
Regrettably, the highlight—the flowers touted as the pride of the Maze Forest—were mostly hidden in the dark.
“No worries! We see flowers all the time anyway!”
“Then why even come here?”
I burst into laughter at her innocent reply. Louise often wandered around the flowerbeds at the Academy— unless the trees were adorned with golden flowers, I guess there wasn’t much that could wow her.
Seems like she simply loves being out and about with others!
“This place has the vibe that ghosts would love to pop up.”
“Ghosts? What kind of saintly folks do you think would bother with ghosts around?”
“Haha, but I still wish a ghost would show up! I haven’t seen one before!”
Perhaps the eerie forest awakened a wave of youthful fervor, igniting a round of strange chatter. It seemed like everyone was revving up to share tales of fright right at this special gathering!
“—I’ve heard that overwhelming strength is the key to warding them off before they can cast a curse!”
“Indeed, I’m learning a lot today.”
What on earth are you all even talking about?
“……”
“Louise?”
I noticed Louise slyly inching closer while the club members were getting intense about their ghost stories.
Oh dear, her facade seemed anxious… Seems like such tales aren’t her favorite.
“Lather, don’t you have any spooky stories?”
“Let’s take turns telling our tales! And vote on which one is best afterwards!”
While it was decided that Lather would be the next to share, his quiet demeanor reminded me that maybe the map had indeed kept him preoccupied.
“Personal tales allowed?”
“Oh, that’s even better!”
Finally, Lather turned his gaze from the map and whispered with a hint of dread.
“I think we’re lost.”
“What?”
“We’ve been circling back to the same spot. I’m not sure where we are.”
Louise turned paler than a ghost. Despite the rescue team, the mere thought of being lost in this pitch-black forest surely felt like a nightmare materializing.
After a moment of suffocating silence, Lather nodded with satisfaction.
“Just joking!”
“…You win.”
Unanimously, Lather’s tale won the title of “Scariest Story.”
And from that point until we made it back to the resort, Louise couldn’t bring herself to glance Lather’s way.
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