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Chapter 76
Will It Be Profitable?
Having arrived in Halim, Vernel paced the corridor holding his organized documents.
This was the path leading to the lodgings.
He knew where his room was, and he wasn't lost.
Yet on that path, he wandered as if waiting for something.
"Vernel-gun."
Е̂n̈ům̆ а̊
A heavy voice.
And shining hair visible through the bushes.
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Hair that once brought laughter to many, enough to earn the nickname Solar Mage.
One might have smiled at the memory of those days, but Vernel could not.
"Ah, hello! Director-nim, it's been since the Academy."
"Yes, it's been a while."
Еn u m̂ а̊
"I heard you gave me the main slot. Thank you for that favor—."
"What's that?"
Cutting off Vernel's words, he looked at the documents in his hand.
"This is what I'll present at this briefing. I've polished it as best I can, but it's still not easy, so I'd like to get Director-nim's review once."
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"Me?"
"Yes."
Е̄ n u̇ḿ а. і́ḋ
"...Hand it over."
Director Bernard began quickly scanning the presentation script.
At his serious gaze, Vernel's mouth went dry.
In the end, he laughed.
Is that laughter good news?
"Ridiculous."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
No.
What came from his mouth was laughter closer to mockery.
"Vernel Marquis-gun, I cannot hide my disappointment in you."
"Wh-what do you mean?"
Vernel asks, maintaining his politeness.
"Efficiency is only 12%, what do you plan to do about it?"
W̌ eb n̈ о v̄ e l Ė nú m̃_а̂
"Efficiency is gradually increasing."
"You'll show sufficient possibility in the presentation and just get laughed at? You'll smear the face of the Valdrova Regent who believed in you, at that?"
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Vernel stared blankly at his face.
It wasn't an application of something existing, but a new creation.
Even 12% was an astonishing achievement.
Director Bernard continued.
É nŭ mа̇
"So, is there anyone who understands the formula you discovered? Even I look at this and it's all over the place. You only got the formula, but the speed of improving efficiency is too slow. If I understood this, I'd have raised efficiency much faster than you. Know why I have that confidence?"
"..."
"Vernel, it's because your perspective is too narrow. When you obsess over one thing, you don't see anything else. You're focused on that 1%, so you don't know how to raise the 10%."
Bernard shoved Vernel's presentation script against his chest and said.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Disappointing, truly disappointing. It would've been better when you were dreaming wild dreams. The current you is 'Mess' itself."
Bernard turned his back and walked away.
Ӗǹu mа
Vernel couldn't say a word and looked down at the floor.
He couldn't move from that spot for a while.
* * *
Ferda watched it all.
Until Bernard insulted Vernel, gave him frustration, and left.
And he thought.
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'Did I know wrong about Director Bernard?'
Bernard made a place for Vernel.
Giving the main slot itself was said to mean a lot to scholars.
Ferda thought this was created out of goodwill.
But it wasn't.
Bernard was a petty bastard who didn't acknowledge Vernel.
Ĕnum̆ а. іd̃
The higher the position, the more it hurts when you fall.
So does that mean Bernard intends to kill Vernel?
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
'Then...'
What must I do here?
"Oh oh, Regent-nim! Fancy meeting you here."
At his welcome voice, Ferda came to his senses.
Е ñ_ù ṁã
When secretly watching, he had the face of a third-rate villain, but now he was making a polite, good-natured impression.
"Actually, a merchant named Stefan Pascal came to me asking how to handle the main event—."
"Do you really think he's that stupid?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
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When Ferda cut in and asked, Bernard made a face of not understanding.
Ferda answered directly.
W̃ е̇ ḃ nӧv е̌ l Е_nũ m̌ а̇
"I unintentionally overheard your conversation."
At Ferda's words, Bernard finally understood and his face reddened.
"Well, this... you saw a side of me that's hard to show."
Right, it is a face hard to see.
He tried to clearly show what happens when human duplicity is exposed.
"I don't know how it looked, but I wasn't trying to do anything bad to Vernel."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Ferda was speechless.
"What do you mean?"
"That... Vernel Marquis was a prodigy our elder scholars anticipated. Even in Academy days he took the top seat, and with his bright head they all said he'd overturn the century."
Everyone knew the ending wasn't good despite such praise.
Bernard sighed.
"But the moment he brought what he'd present at the Conference, everyone was flustered. It was filled with absurd content. So they tried to dissuade him and somehow turn him in a good direction, but he wouldn't listen. Do you know what becomes of nine out of ten such people? They get caught up in ideals and become madmen."
Е̌ nù m а̀. їd̄
"But he wasn't a madman."
"Yes. He did it."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Even so, do you think you can persuade me?"
If he were only chasing ideals, Ferda would've understood.
No, he rather would've approached Vernel with that cynical attitude.
But Vernel did it.
Еn̂ümȧ . і d
Achievements that should've taken years more came in mere months, and he was even raising efficiency.
"That's why I'm doing this."
"Knowing he was right, not acknowledging it is the job of the President of Knowledge?"
"For people like Vernel, that's what must be done."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"What kind of person is he?"
"People who present innovations we denied and couldn't imagine. For such people, they must not be kept at the limit of ordinary people like me. They must follow what they believe, not research to persuade someone."
W е̊ b̌_n о v е̊l Ê n ú m̀ а́.
Ferda understood those words.
Bernard is a genius.
But Vernel was a genius among geniuses.
So Bernard's yardstick was no different from an ordinary person's yardstick for Vernel.
"Vernel will somehow try to screw me over by proving it with skill. If he succeeded at such an absurd thing, now he must develop further. And he'll prepare to hit me with one shot."
This is whipping for Vernel.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Work to draw out the competitive spirit hidden in his heart.
"What if he goes down the wrong path in the process?"
As if he himself had.
Ferda swallowed those words.
"Vernel doesn't take the cowardly path. He always insists on a head-on fight. Since he's a scholar heading toward absolute truth too."
Bernard bowed respectfully.
Ѐ n̄ u m̂ а
"Still, if you think he's going the wrong way, please tell him that I'm actually a narrow-minded human like a petty small-fry who can't even acknowledge him to his face. Then I'll go prepare."
Bernard passed Ferda just like that, and Ferda let him go.
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What would be gained from beating him like a dog or scolding him?
'Curious, too.'
At the same time, the human named Vernel that Bernard grasped was also curious.
Will he be frustrated at not being acknowledged, or will he be reborn anew as Bernard said?
E ň u m̊ а̂ . і d
Ferda, acting as if he knew nothing, went to find Vernel's room.
Whether the shock hadn't faded, the door wasn't properly closed, so he could enter.
Vernel was sitting at the lodging table.
His shoulders heaved, his breathing disordered.
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"Right, shit... that efficiency... I just have to pull it out myself?"
Tears dripped down, but his hands and head didn't stop.
W еb̊ n ōv̀ е l̈ Е n̂ù m̃а́
He's correcting all the parts Bernard pointed out.
"Realistic? Fine, I'll raise it to 20% by next month. Watch. All those bastards who laughed at me... I'll make every single one of them have no choice but to acknowledge me. Damn it..."
Vengeance clearly felt in his words and actions.
He was rolling his head using that as driving force.
Revenge is like that.
It makes you forget fatigue,
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
And gives concentration to immerse in one thing.
'If there's a difference from me...'
It was that he chose the right path as Bernard predicted.
So he quietly closed the door and came out.
* * *
"Just tear that thing off there. Compared to when it appeared, it's meh. Handle that item carefully!"
E ň ǔm̈ а . ĭ.d̃
Stefan looked at the interior blueprints and directed the workers.
"Boss, we brought the items. Where should we display them?"
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"Good job. Hang that on the wall over there! There's a hook, right?"
"Yes."
"Check once more if the hook's sturdy. It's an important item! My neck could fly off!"
The items were mana stones brought as samples and weapons utilizing them.
W ё b ṅ ō v.е l̃ Еnũ.m а
Just in case, future plan blueprints were also prepared to show vision.
A long pipe as the main body, with complex wiring and glass bottles dangling—that item was called a 'Magitech Rifle'.
'That's a weapon?'
Researchers said it was a high-performance item, but he'd never seen a demonstration even once.
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Would that thing even work?
"Oh my, orabeoni? Fancy seeing you here."
En ú ṁ a
A familiar voice pierced Stefan's ears.
An unexpected figure... though it was a foreseen event.
Since it's an exhibition with all merchants participating, there was no way the Pascal Family wouldn't come.
Knowing that, Tilda's existence was still just as troubling to Stefan as an unexpected existence.
Stefan found her uncomfortable.
"You came alone?"
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"No. Naturally with my fiancé too. He's over there, Henri?"
A man walked this way smiling brightly.
A chubby middle-aged man in his mid-30s.
Henri Dandolo.
Heir to Dandolo, one of the Empire's largest merchant companies.
"Tilda, my love. Brought the cocktail you mentioned."
Ẅ.еbnо̃ vеĺ Ě ň ǔṁ.а
The chubby 30s man hee-hee'd and handed over a glass.
The relatively slim, beautiful black-haired woman stared intently at that glass.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
She pouted her lips and moistened her eyes.
"This is Cherry Spring, isn't it?"
"Uh, yeah?"
"I wanted to drink Blue Sapphire..."
Е̃ ǹü m̃.а . і̄ ď
Tilda fluttering her shoulders and blinking her eyes.
Henri Dandolo, seeing that, smiled awkwardly and nodded.
"Ah, sorry. I'll bring a new one!"
"Thanks. As expected, there's only you."
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"Brother-in-law! Let's do greetings later!"
"Uh, yes. Right..."
W еbǹ ō.vе̇l̆ Е̇ n̊ u mă
Tilda smiled.
At that smile, he happily went to get the cocktail again.
Stefan frowned watching that.
"Why leave the servants and work your fiancé?"
"Why else? Because I don't even want to see his face."
Tilda smiled viciously.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
She puts on acts before others, but not to Stefan.
Meaning she sees him as that easy.
"Do you know your ugly true nature well?"
"No way. What insight would a man who couldn't even take off my underwear have?"
"I'd love to see you tell him our conversation just now."
"If you have the guts, go ahead and try."
W̊ẽ.bn ŏ vе̃l Е̊.num а̊
It's like this.
Acting like she's above men's heads, trying to manipulate everyone.
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Been like that since childhood.
If displeasing to her, she'd dig traps to purge or leave deep wounds.
At first it stopped at cute levels, but as her head grew, she became increasingly thorough.
Stefan feared such Tilda.
Е́ númа̄
He'd seen the monster inside that smiling face, but couldn't grasp what kind of monster.
"Is this the item from the Far East side orabeoni supports?"
Covering her mouth with a fan, she looked up at the Magitech Rifle.
"Yeah."
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"Cute. Bringing such an item."
Hmm.
Ёnùm а
Exhaling, she examined it closely then sharply turned her head.
"To me it looks closer to an art piece."
The question of whether it's usable.
"Of course it's usable."
"How does it work?"
"That thing, so you pull here like this and do this and that... it works on its own."
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As his words trailed off, Tilda's smile deepened.
"You've never seen it work even once."
"..."
"Well, it's an exhibition. Even unfinished items, just hang them and no one knows. Wait, no."
She made a brazen face and tapped her chin with her index finger.
"Come to think of it, there's a briefing too, right?"
W̌е̂bň о̂ v e̊l̈ .Е n̈ûmа̄
A look that says she knows everything.
She knows the mana stone info, so naturally she'd know there's a briefing for the main slot too.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Why bring an item you've never even operated once? If it explodes midway, wouldn't it just be humiliation?"
"That's true."
"It's perfect for display, but hmm... whether this'll make money is questionable? As Father said, the East seems useless..."
A crescent-moon-like smile hung on her lips.
Enu m̂ à.і̄d̂
That expression.
When that expression was in the Pascal Family, it had pressed him down countless times.
"Don't worry, little sister."
But today is different.
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Stefan had confidence unlike usual.
"While you're grabbing men's crotches, I'm holding my patron's shoulder."
Ĕ n u m̌ а. i ḋ
A provocation mixed with quite low-grade words.
But the effect was very good.
Tilda glared viciously.
Stefan, of all people, talking back to my words? A face like that and trembling hands.
Stefan would've been crushed, but not now.
He's a patron supporting a place more solid than anyone.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
'Ah shit, still scary though.'
Recalling her childhood appearance swinging fists without regard for water or fire, cold sweat naturally flowed.
"Will you step aside?"
A voice from behind her.
Her viciously distorted face smoothly relaxed as she looked back.
Tall height, gray hair, blue eyes.
Е̌n̆ ǔm а . î d̃
A man in a formal uniform with black base and red accents.
Young age, but an aura unfitting for his age.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
'This person is Ferda Valdrova.'
A cold expression and complex face befitting the nickname Ruthless Murderer earned from killing Thesalos Wolcheo.
Enough to capture Tilda's interest.
She smiled brightly and elegantly greeted.
Ĕ n̆ ǔ ṁ а̌ .ĩď
"Hello, Regent-nim. I am Tilda Pascal—."
"No interest in who you are, so clear out."
"Ye, yes?"
He cut off Tilda's greeting.
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Rude behavior that was beyond annoying, but Tilda couldn't even get angry inside.
Those blue eyes looking at her were cold and piercing enough to freeze blood vessels.
E̊ n u m̌ а
"Can't understand words. I told you to get lost in front of me."
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