Episode 141

“I’m running a business in a three-story building in Rosens. There are five employees, excluding me.”

“Rosens…? Let me think… Rosens…”

The Marquis tilted his head thoughtfully.

“Rosens… Could it be the city that’s near the Buern Canyon? As far as I know, that place is already ruined. It used to be a transportation hub, but the monsters in the area blocked all access.”

“That’s correct. However, the monsters all disappeared about six months ago. Now it’s thriving just like before.”

The Marquis didn’t pay much attention to the fact that the monsters disappeared, but when I mentioned that I had started the inn exactly six months ago, he showed a much more intense reaction.

“Let me summarize. You went into a ghost town, bought the inn for a pittance, and the moment you opened the door, the monsters disappeared and the city came back to life… Is that it? Haha! That’s quite an impressive insight!”

“I was just lucky. Who could have predicted it would turn out that way?”

“No, that wasn’t luck. Which crazy person would even think of starting a business in such a place? It was all because you, Bertrand, boldly took action.”

The Marquis praised me until his mouth ran dry. I was so confused by the situation that I could only awkwardly smile and respond with “Yes, yes”.

“So, what special services do you offer at the inn?”

“Well, we don’t have anything particularly special right now, but…we offer meal delivery, baggage cart parking and security, hot water, seasonal ingredients all year round, a cool indoor temperature service…? Oh, and the chef is a graduate of the Royal Culinary Academy.”

Now that I said it, it’s not that we don’t have anything special. It’s actually quite extraordinary.

A blinking half-elf delivering meals to the city, statues powered by dark magic guarding the luggage carts in the parking lot, food ingredients that never rot, bathwater heated with dark magic, the cold of Asenarisi, and even François.

The Marquis said nothing. Glancing at him, he was staring at me, mouth half open, without any sense of decorum. He seemed shocked.

“Well…explain it in detail. I can’t make any sense of this from just words.”

I explained everything in detail to the Marquis. As I spoke, I naturally started mentioning our people. As my explanation grew longer, the Marquis’ mouth slowly opened wider.

“This…I thought I was experienced in this field…but I’ve never heard of such outrageous services before…”

“It just happened that way. But the inn building is about to burst, so it’s hard to do much more right now.”

“Didn’t you say it’s a three-story building?”

“But the top two floors are a duplex. So, if you count the actual floor area, this would be one floor.”

“A duplex… I suppose it can’t be helped…”

The Marquis fell into thought, his face serious.

Why is he prying so much now that we’re talking about the inn…? Maybe it’s because his family started in the inn business, and he runs a hotel himself?

“Have you ever considered expanding the building?”

“I’ve purchased land behind the inn. It’s probably bigger than the land where this club is built.”

“Really? In that case, why not build there and include various amenities? In business, the larger the scale and the more you invest, the more you earn. I think there will be enough market in Rosens, considering how many people pass through north and south.”

“That’s true. But there’s still the issue of funds. Even if I gather all the money I’ve saved, plus the pension, I could probably only build a wooden structure on this floor.”

Then the Marquis laughed heartily and slapped his knee. Did I say something wrong?

“Bertrand! Which businessman starts a venture with only their own capital? You have to go in with debt, at least. Half of the money that went into this club was a loan.”

“You’ve got half of it in debt?”

“Hah! Debt is also an asset. You pay the interest and make more money with that debt. Money makes money. Loans are an easy way to make money with someone else’s funds.”

The Marquis stopped talking and fell into thought again. Then, he snapped his fingers with a sudden realization.

“Don’t just sit there, Bertrand. From what I see, you have as much business acumen and willpower as I do. I’ll offer you some help. The heavens help those who help themselves.”

“Help? Are you offering money?”

“No. If it were that simple, I’d just buy the inn myself. But I can see that you’d never sell.”

“You’re absolutely right.”

I retired to run the inn; I can’t sell it. I can’t trade my life’s goal for money.

“Now, I’m curious about how much you can expand that inn with your abilities.”

The Marquis suddenly stood up from the sofa and walked to his desk. Seleiza, who had been leaning on my shoulder and dozing off since the inn conversation began, jerked awake and opened her eyes.

“Where was it…right…”

The Marquis grabbed a golden pen and hastily scribbled something on a piece of paper, then brought it over and handed it to me.

“What is this?”

“This is a letter of introduction in my name. If you take it to the Noble Council’s Guild Bank, they’ll loan you some money. Use it to expand your business as you see fit.”

What…? So, you’re going to invest in me? Suddenly? Why? I looked back and forth between the letter and the Marquis, asking.

“Uh…thank you. But… Why are you doing this for me…? The monster-clearing was something I was supposed to do.”

“No, of course, I’m grateful for that, but I’ve been watching your potential. You’re a man with rare bold drive in these times. I was right about you.”

“Ah, yes…”

“Ah, wait, wait! Where did I put that…”

The Marquis, who had been pacing in front of the golden bookshelf, pulled out a notebook. It was thick and old, with the corners worn down.

“Here. Take this and read it.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a notebook containing my sixty years of business expertise.”

“Thank you… What?! Why are you giving me something so valuable?!”

“I don’t need it anymore. I was looking for someone to pass it on to, but my sons seem to have no talent for business. Since I’ve met you, I’ll give it to you. You’re also a benefactor of this Club.”

I received an unbelievable gift and could only blink in disbelief. The Marquis saw my foolish face and laughed heartily, then called for the manager.

When the manager came in, the Marquis, without asking for my or Seleiza’s preferences, ordered him to bring drinks and snacks.

As he opened an obviously ridiculously expensive bottle of alcohol and poured it into our glasses, the Marquis enthusiastically began to share various advice with me.

From the basics of inn management, to the amenities provided by room grades, how to maintain two sets of books without getting caught by auditors, methods for discreetly bribing officials…and how to avoid being scammed by contractors while even squeezing them for more money.

These were vivid pieces of advice drawn from the Marquis’ status, experience, and insight. I kept raising my glass, carefully taking in everything he said.

It wasn’t until nearly two hours later that we were able to say goodbye to the Marquis.

“Would you consider staying a few more days? Of course, it’s free.”

“Thank you, but I can’t leave the inn closed for too long.”

“Ah, yes… That’s the hardship of being self-employed. Even if you take one day off, you just can’t relax.”

The Marquis nodded as if he understood completely and shook my hand. He held my hand firmly with both of his.

“If you come again, I’ll make sure you get free access once more.”

Then the Marquis promised he would visit the inn in the near future. He said we would talk about the details (?) at that time. What could that possibly mean…?

He also couldn’t help but mention that I reminded him of his younger days.

I carried Seleiza, who had completely passed out after a drink, back to the hotel. As I walked, I reflected on my meeting with the marquis.

This is truly an odd connection. I never expected it, but the Marquis remembered me and, by chance, we met again, and now I’m receiving all this help.

But… There’s a saying that even a dog wouldn’t eat a merchant’s crap. Although the Marquis treated me so generously, there must be some ulterior motive behind it. Whether it will harm me or benefit me is still uncertain.

Anyway…expansion of the business…

In fact, I had been thinking about something. I had just vaguely considered opening a branch. I had no solid plans, though.

However, after seeing the Grace Bay Club and talking with the Marquis, I felt like a more concrete plan was starting to take shape. When I get back, I’ll take time to organize my thoughts.

The suite was luxurious and extravagant, resembling the mansion of some esteemed noble. It was large enough that even all seven of us and one animal could fit without any problems, and it was also quite comfortable.

The most surprising feature was the small swimming pool on the terrace. Once you entered the pool, you could look straight out to the sea without any obstructions.

Marquis Keikos… What sorts of extraordinary ideas are in your mind…?

I tried to lay Seleiza down on the bed. But despite thinking she had fallen asleep, she suddenly grabbed my neck tightly, not letting go.

“To Bertrand’s room.”

“Huh? You weren’t asleep?”

“To Bertrand’s room.”

Seleiza spoke coldly, as if chilling my spine.

Intimidated by her tone, I didn’t say anything and simply carried her to the room I had planned to sleep in. There was only one bed, as I was supposed to be the only one using the room.

“Lock the door.”

Seleiza, still on my back, gave the order. I locked the door as instructed, and she pointed to the bed.

“To the bed.”

The staff returned to their rooms nearly at midnight. François and Pelée, having spent time at the beauty salon and wine bar, drunkenly slumped onto the sofa with flushed faces.

Their nails were painted in various colors, and they had sparkling imitation jewels attached to them.

“Pretty, right…?”

“Yes…”

They stretched out their fingers and spoke in a slurred, unclear conversation. Kali, exhausted from following them around, rested her chin on François’s thigh and blinked her eyes.

“Ugh…!”

“Ah, Della, stop crying!”

Noisy sounds came from outside, and Idi, Della, and Marim rushed into the room. Della’s eyes were swollen from crying, and Idi’s expression, holding two paper bags filled with something, wasn’t very pleasant either.

“Idi, you’re such a fool! Stupid slime!”

“I’m sorry, Della… I never thought that kind of hand would come out…”

“Be honest! You didn’t know how to play blackjack, but you just went for it!”

Della started scolding Idi, and Idi, sweating profusely, apologized. Then Della began crying again.

“What’s going on with you guys…? Why are you like this…?”

François tried to get up, swaying, but she lifted her butt a bit, only to slump back down heavily.

“Idi lost all her money at the casino… She was so loud about being able to do it, so we exchanged all three bracelets for coins up to the limit, but…”

“I was just trying it for fun… It just ended up like this… Hehe…”

“Are you laughing?! You’re the one who has to pay for all of this… What are we going to do…”

Until now, Marim had been silent, but now she chuckled and gently tapped Della on the shoulder. When Della turned around, Marim extended her hand, which had been hidden behind her back.

Several coins were clutched in her small hand. They were orange coins that could be exchanged for ten gold coins each.

“Kyaaah!! Where did you get these?!”

“I saw how ridiculously you got ripped off, so I took a chance too. Those guys had hidden other cards in their sleeves. No wonder they were sweating like crazy while wearing long sleeves.”

“Marim!”
“Marim…!”

Della and Idi both hugged Marim at the same time. Pelée, watching them, let out a small laugh.

“Thank goodness… Now we can eat snacks without worry…”

With a much lighter expression, Idi set down the paper bags she had brought to the living room table. Inside were various snacks and several bottles of alcohol.

“You’re not all going to sleep already, are you…?”

François turned to Pelée.

“We can drink more, right, Pelée…?”

“Probably…”

The staff gathered around the table to set it up. Della looked around the closed doors, searching for Bertrand and Seleiza.

“Where did they go? Huh? This door is locked. That’s strange.”

Della tried turning the locked doorknob. Idi got up, shaking off the alcohol, and walked toward the door.

“Come out… I’ll open it…”

Idi pushed Della aside and, grabbing the doorknob, recoiled as though she had grabbed a hot piece of metal.

“Ahh…! It’s so hot…!!”