MTLNOVEL Chapter 46
Chapter 46
"What is this?"
The document was none other than a share transfer agreement for the Reinhardt Trading Company.
It outlined the condition to transfer 20% of the shares of the Reinhardt Trading Company.
"Are you saying you'll transfer the shares? The shares of the Reinhardt Trading Company?"
The Reinhardt Trading Company was already a solid and profitable trading company.
Handing over 20% of the shares of such a promising company with significant growth potential was tantamount to giving away millions of gold for free.
At Sieg's astonished words, Princess Melissa nodded.
"Of course. As long as you can give me your assurance, one-fifth of the company will be yours, Sir Sieg."
"Huh."
To Sieg, who was guided by the common sense of his previous life, it was difficult to understand this action.
Even if he had saved her life by handing her the medicine, that matter had already been resolved through a separate agreement.
Now, all Princess Melissa sought was assurance. To go as far as giving Sieg shares for that seemed excessive.
"Princess Melissa, I am still just a student attending Valhalla. I don't understand why you're doing this."
To be honest, Princess Melissa's actions only heightened his wariness.
In his experience, humans never gave something without expecting a profit.
Deals that seemed too generous always had something suspicious beneath the surface.
Princess Melissa looked at Sieg and spoke.
"I am a princess, but I am also a merchant. The reason I'm making this proposal to you, Sir Sieg, is because I see sufficient investment value."
"Investment value, you say. What kind of value? Is it because I am a knight of the Draker family?"
"Please don't misunderstand—I don't mean to belittle the Drakers. I apologize if this sounds harsh, but there are many knights in the Draker family besides you, Sir Sieg."
At Princess Melissa's words, something suddenly flashed through Sieg's mind.
"The rights to the cure for the Crimson Bloom disease...."
Currently, the borders of the Kingdom of Alencia were constantly plagued by the spread of Crimson Bloom disease.
Princess Melissa, known for her charitable work, was someone who actively helped the citizens of the kingdom.
There was no way she would leave the Crimson Bloom disease unchecked.
"You're saying you'll give me shares to secure the rights to the cure."
"If the Empire is truly behind this disease, that cure could thwart their conspiracy. And even if not, it would save the citizens of the Kingdom of Alencia, making it a profitable venture."
Sieg stared into Princess Melissa's eyes, trying to discern her intentions.
Among the countless people he had encountered in his past life, there was no one quite like Princess Melissa, someone who would throw themselves into action for the sake of others.
There was, in fact, only one person.
'Damn it. I tried not to think about it.'
The first person he thought of after his regression.
The one who had insisted on walking their own path like a noble wolf in the frozen north.
"Sir Sieg?"
Sieg snapped out of his thoughts.
Melissa's eyes resembled those of the person he knew.
He slowly opened his mouth.
"All I need to do is declare that I am not aligned with the Empire?"
Princess Melissa nodded.
Sieg rose from his seat.
He drew the sword he had placed upright beside him.
Cliff, who was standing behind him, flinched in surprise and prepared to rush forward, but Princess Melissa stopped him.
Holding his sword, Sieg spoke.
"I, Sieg Draker, swear upon my honor that I have no ties whatsoever to the Empire."
Though brief, his words carried immense weight.
Princess Melissa nodded.
"Sir Sieg, thank you. Your honorable vow has reaffirmed my faith in my judgment."
Without hesitation, Melissa signed the share transfer agreement.
She then handed the contract to Sieg.
Sieg looked at the agreement, pondering for a moment.
Maintaining a lasting relationship with Princess Melissa felt burdensome, but considering the future value of the Reinhardt Trading Company, it wasn't something he could easily pass up.
'If it becomes too much of a hassle, I can just sell it off later.'
As he signed the agreement, Sieg spoke.
"Thank you for the shares. However, I would prefer my identity not be revealed to the public."
"Of course, Sir Sieg. You don't need to worry about that."
Melissa pulled her hood back up as she spoke.
"I make trips to Atlas for business at least once a month. Since you are now a director of the Reinhardt Trading Company, I hope you'll make some time for us."
With her characteristic graceful smile, Melissa left the reception room.
Left alone in the room, Sieg looked at the seat Melissa had occupied and shook his head.
It had been a tiring exchange, filled with back-and-forth conversation, but in the end, they had both gained what they needed.
'Things are going smoother than before my regression, but it feels like my headaches have only gotten worse.'
Back then, life had been rough but simple.
Sieg ran a hand through his hair and stood up.
When his mind was in turmoil, there was nothing better than swinging his sword.
Without hesitation, Sieg headed straight to the training room.
* * *
『You have acquired the Dragon-Cutting Sword Technique.』
『A special skill, dragon-Cutting Sword Technique (S-rank), has been added.』
『You have completed an achievement mission.』
『As a reward, you have been granted the title 'Successor of the Sword Saint.'』
『As a reward, you have received the coordinates of the Chronos Kingdom's Treasure Vault.』
『As a reward, you have been awarded 500 Karma Points.』
『As a reward, you have received two random boxes.』
"It's finally over!"
After two long months, Sieg had finally acquired the Dragon-Cutting Sword Technique.
He immediately checked his status window.
『Intermediate Administrator Status Window』
Name: Sieg Draker
Class: Immortal (Unique Grade)
Titles: Blessed by the Ancient Dragon, Terakan Draker's Successor, Successor of the Sword Saint
Authority: Dragonkin Domination
Constitution: Divine Physique, Immunity to Hundred Poisons
System Functions: Inventory (100 slots) / Mini-map (Portal Travel) / Intermediate Questbook / Skill Shortcut Slots / Potion Shortcut Slots
Passive Skills: Healing Factor / Unyielding Mental Defense / Endless Stamina / Combat Instinct
Special Skills: Swift Wind Technique 『A-rank (Skilled)』 / Elemental Sword 『S-rank (Skilled)』 / Dragon-Cutting Sword Technique 『S-rank (Beginner)』
Active Skills: Static Charge 『C-rank (Skilled)』, Flash Bomb 『C-rank (Skilled)』, Dissonance 『C-rank (Skilled)』 / Mana Reflection 『A-rank (Beginner)』 / Area Buff 『A-rank (Beginner)』
Draconian Skills (Stage 2 Unlocked): Dragon's Eye (Skilled) / Dragon's Majesty (Skilled) / Devour (Skilled) / Incantation (Locked) / Dragonscale Armor (Skilled) / Dragon's Claw (Skilled)
Karma Points: 1,095
Thanks to the 500 Karma Points he had just earned, Sieg had managed to recover a portion of the 800 points he had spent using portals to burn down the Mechain Cartel's warehouse.
"Still, the A-rank skills aren't leveling up at all."
No matter how often he used them over the past two months, his proficiency in Mana Reflection and Area Buff remained at the beginner level.
It seemed that real combat was required to gain the experience needed to improve these skills.
After checking his status, Sieg quickly opened his inventory, eager to inspect the most intriguing reward: the coordinates of the Chronos Kingdom's Treasure Vault.
A worn piece of paper was stored inside his inventory.
When Sieg selected the paper, a message appeared.
『The coordinates cannot currently be read.』
『You need to find the seal that can activate the coordinates.』
『Find the scattered seals and combine them to activate the coordinates.』
"What? Seals? Activate?"
Before Sieg could make sense of it, a map materialized before his eyes.
Various general locations across the continent were marked.
"What is this? Two locations on the central continent, one on the southern continent, and one in the north. So the seal has been split into four pieces?"
As expected, obtaining the kingdom's treasure was no simple task.
At the same time, a mission message window appeared.
―Linked Quest Mission―
『Find the scattered seals of the Chronos Kingdom and restore them to their original form. (No time limit)』
『Quest Mission Reward: Title - Successor of the Chronos Kingdom』
"Successor of the Chronos Kingdom? The reward is just a title?"
The idea of activating the coordinates of the treasure vault was quite appealing, but if the reward was only a title, there was no urgency to complete the mission.
Moreover, since the mission had no time limit, it could be handled at a leisurely pace.
"I'll focus on the pressing matters first and look for these seals later."
After finishing his review, Sieg stretched his body, exited the training hall, and returned to his room.
When he arrived, he noticed a letter placed on his bed.
Judging by the sturdy seal, it appeared to be from Kay.
Sieg broke the seal and read the contents.
"So, they finally took the bait."
The letter contained the date for his meeting with Don Juan.
Coincidentally, Valhalla's vacation period was approaching, giving Sieg plenty of time.
He got up immediately.
"Alright. It's been a while since I've had a chance to visit those drug-dealing bastards on the southern continent."
* * *
"Move it, move it! That goes over here!"
The port of Aison was always bustling with ships coming in for trade.
Thanks to Kali Draker's efforts, the pirates in the southern seas had been eradicated, clearing up the sea routes across the central ocean. This also enabled regular ferry operations between the Republic of Dortha and other territories.
Among the ships at the port was one belonging to the rising Reinhardt Trading Company.
Sieg, disguised as a sales agent for the Reinhardt Trading Company's southern branch, had taken great care to conceal his youthful appearance and blended in as an ordinary young man.
With the black gloves—a symbol of a pureblood awakener from the Draker family—removed, no one on the ship could connect him to Sieg Draker.
"It should take about ten days to get there."
Although Sieg wanted to use a portal, it wasn't possible unless he had been to the destination before.
Even if he had been to a location, he couldn't teleport unless the portal coordinates were activated.
There were various restrictions, but once he activated the coordinates on the southern continent, he could travel there anytime, even if it cost significant points. Sieg decided to focus on the positives.
"This is perfect for creating an alibi."
Sitting in a corner of the ship, Sieg relaxed and hummed a tune to himself.
In his previous life, Sieg had traveled extensively, often spending days aboard ships. This time, he planned to relax and reminisce about those days.
As he sat, someone approached him.
"Hey, kid. Move aside!"
The sailors rudely dropped cargo right where Sieg was sitting, even though there was no need to place it there. It was clear they found Sieg, lounging idly, an eyesore.
Adjusting the glasses he wore as part of his disguise, Sieg addressed one of the sailors.
"Hey, you. What's your name?"
The rough-looking sailor, stunned by Sieg's audacity, stepped closer.
"You? Are you out of your mind, you scrawny brat? Do you want to take a swim in the ocean?"
At that moment, the captain climbed aboard the ship.
The instant he saw Sieg, the captain hurried over, rubbing his hands together and bowing deeply.
"My apologies, Deputy Manager! You should have just relaxed; I didn't realize you'd already come aboard."
The sailor, who had been threatening Sieg, froze in shock.
"D-D-Deputy Manager?"
The "Manager" referred to the individual wielding full authority over the trading company's operations, and the "Deputy Manager" was directly beneath them.
It was almost unheard of for someone as young as Sieg to hold such a high-ranking position. If he did, it could only mean he was a close relative or bloodline member of a senior executive in the company.
It turned out that Cliff, having been instructed to secure Sieg's position, had gone so far as to fabricate an identity for him as the nephew of a high-ranking executive, granting him the title of Deputy Manager.
Adjusting his glasses again, Sieg asked, "So, what's your name?"
The sailor's face turned pale, and he bowed at a perfect 90-degree angle.
"I-I'm sorry, Deputy Manager! I didn't realize who you were and made a mistake!"
Sieg lightly patted the sailor's cheek and said, "Let's do better, shall we? I'll be watching."
"Y-Yes, Sir! I understand!"
With a smirk, Sieg followed the captain to a luxuriously decorated cabin, even more opulent than the captain's quarters.
Lying down on the plush bed, Sieg enjoyed the soft touch of the fine linens.
"If I'm going to spend ten days on this ship, there's no reason to do it uncomfortably."
Sieg, who aspired to become the continent's strongest, was also someone who understood the sweet taste of power.