MTLNOVEL Chapter 69
“Uh…”
I had assumed that since the daughter had left, the father would naturally follow, yet for some reason, he remained standing there. Whether he was aware of my growing discomfort or not, he eventually spoke up.
“Pardon me, my name is Howard. I am the head of the Howard Trading Company, which operates around the royal capital.”
“Oh, I’ve heard of that. So Miss Serene comes from a merchant family.”
I had always thought she was from a line of priests, given how she had spent her early years in the church.
“My daughter showed great aptitude for healing magic from a young age. It was her own wish, but we also believed that using her abilities to help those in pain was important, so we sent her to the church.”
That was a very noble mindset. Instead of simply hoarding wealth, they were striving to improve the well-being of society. Seeing Serene’s kindness, I could tell she took after her father.
“Serene is kind, after all. She’s helped me out with her kindness more times than I can count.”
When I returned from the dungeon, she had looked truly relieved. Even now, she had taken the time to speak with me when I was alone. Whether it was because she was the student council president or a healer, she clearly couldn’t ignore someone in need.
As I was reminiscing warmly about Serene…
“Erik, what exactly is your relationship with my daughter?”
“…Just a junior of hers.”
I answered Howard’s unexpected question immediately.
“That can’t be all. That girl values fairness above all else. She wouldn’t have written you a recommendation letter unless you were someone special.”
He must be referring to the high-end shop that dealt in cores.
“She’s just kind. She probably couldn’t turn me down when I asked.”
I offered a logical explanation, but Howard seemed to be deep in thought about something.
“Pardon me, may I have a moment?”
“What is it? Keep it brief. I’m speaking with him right now.”
One of Howard’s subordinates had approached. As he began explaining something, I saw this as my chance to slip away. However, Howard cast me a knowing glance, making it clear he still had things to ask me. I had no choice but to wait.
“Yes, and to address this case, I would like to hear the representative’s opinion.”
“Hmm… Several factors are influencing this situation. It’s quite difficult to judge.”
Ignoring me entirely, they began discussing business strategies. This could go on indefinitely.
I sighed and then…
“In this situation, if you handle it this way, things will clear up.”
I inserted myself into their conversation.
“B-but that would cause issues over here…”
The subordinate looked flustered.
“No, if we reassign personnel stationed here to handle that case, it should be fine. Furthermore, if you shift things like this and allocate resources accordingly, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
A similar issue had arisen in my previous life’s workplace, and I simply suggested the solution that had been used back then.
“That does make sense… Representative!”
“Hmm. Proceed with the arrangements immediately.”
Howard nodded, and the subordinate left.
Suddenly, I felt Howard’s hand on my shoulder.
“Young man, how about joining my trading company? Not after graduation—right now.”
“Unfortunately, I haven’t decided on my future path yet…”
My primary concern was choosing the path that would best develop my abilities. If working at a trading company proved to be the best option, I wouldn’t mind, but that seemed unlikely.
“I see, that’s a shame. If you ever change your mind, just tell my daughter. You’ll always be welcome.”
From those words, I realized that Serene had been keeping my secret.
Come to think of it, she had seen my “The World” ability. Back then, before I had the Fake Room skill, she had witnessed its massive storage capacity.
If Howard knew about that, there was no way he would let me go so easily.
“By the way, I have a question for you.”
Since he was the owner of that shop, this was a good chance to gather information.
“Oh? What do you want to know?”
“It’s about the special core in the store that deals with dungeon cores.”
I wanted to ask about the core supposedly obtained from the Arcana Dungeon.
“That store sells cores taken from dungeons conquered by explorers, correct? When did the Arcana Dungeon core first appear there?”
‘
Howard stroked his chin before answering.
“Since when… hmm. It was already there when I was born.”
“So, you don’t know when it was purchased?”
Howard shook his head.
“That core has been passed down through generations in my family. We didn’t buy it from anyone.”
“Then…”
“Yes. My family are descendants of those who conquered the Arcana Dungeon.”
“Descendants of the conquerors…”
“Indeed. The conquerors ventured into the legendary Arcana Dungeon, brought back immense treasures and a core, and two of them used their wealth to start a business in this land. Their venture thrived, and the core has been displayed in the shop as a protective charm ever since.”
“I imagine there have been people who wanted to buy it.”
It was a legendary dungeon core. Even if someone like me could actually make use of it, surely there were wealthy collectors who would want to own it.
“Oh, plenty. That’s why I put a price on it—an amount so high that no single person could afford it.”
So that explained the ridiculous price tag.
“Then does that mean you have no intention of selling it?”
I had been saving up just in case. But if he wouldn’t sell it at all, then my preparations would be pointless. I might even need to scrap the plan entirely.
“I believe that core has been protecting my family’s safety. So no, I wouldn’t part with it… unless it was for my daughter—Serene.”
With that statement, I resigned myself to the fact that acquiring the core was impossible.
However…
“So basically, if we get it from Serene, it’s all good, right, Master?”
I completely ignored Eve’s remark.