Chapter 131
Ian lightly taps the whiskey-filled glass with his finger.
Cling!
The crisp sound rings out as his fingernail brushes against the glass. The golden liquid ripples gently, releasing its intense aroma, but Ian simply gazes at it with an indifferent expression.
“……”
The adjudicator’s mission was complete. There was no additional reward—it had never been about compensation. This mission was rely an obligation he had taken on in exchange for purifying the dragon’s magic stone.
‘Not that I ca away empty-handed.’
Through repeated real-life combat, Ian had been able to acquire fragnts of the techniques Eor had refined to perfection.
His understanding of flas had deepened, enabling him to wield Bane of Evil with greater precision. This was not speculation but a certainty.
‘And I’ve established a connection with the Golden Tower.’
He had inford them of the replicated versions of Dara’s pocket watch being circulated. He had also conveyed thods to distinguish the authentic watches from the counterfeits—a detail any craftsman would notice imdiately.
Though there had been no response yet, Ian expected a fitting reward since he had signed off under Berger’s na.
‘If they send a pocket watch, I’d be pretty disappointed.’
If they were going to provide sothing—or if there were options—it’d be better to receive a practical artifact rather than a re pile of gold coins.
The mages of the Golden Tower, though strict, were also prideful. They wouldn’t dismiss the matter lightly with empty promises.
Ian sipped his whiskey.
‘There’s so ti before the next proxy mission.’
His mind wandered back to his last encounter with Eor.
“No. There’s another mission to co.”
“…What?”
“Of course, I’m not saying it needs to start imdiately, so you can relax.”
“Then?”
“Why the irritated expression already? Please rember, the purification of the magic stone isn’t complete yet.”
“Hmph. You’re sure you’re doing it properly, right?”
“Rest assured. Unlike ordinary magic stones, the one you’ve brought requires adequate ti and care. If you rush the process, the results could fall short of expectations. Are you fine with that?”
“…I’ll leave it to you.”
“Of course. I promise to give it my utmost. And don’t feel so sour about taking on your duties—it’s a testant to your competence.”
“I don’t feel flattered in the slightest.”
“Why ever not?”
“Because I haven’t shown you anything remarkable this ti.”
“No need for such humility. You’ve just demonstrated your skills—your exceptional ability to locate things. That alone, finding what even priests and holy knights missed, is plenty impressive.”
“Why are you making uneasy?”
“No need for concern. Do you think I’d send you into a perilous situation? Just wait patiently.”
Ian frowned. What was this “next proxy mission” that had Eor specifically highlighting his search skills?
‘…I can’t figure it out.’
Eor had promised to reach out soon. An indefinite wait lay ahead.
If that was the case, they might as well have handed him a portable communication device. But the excuse of it being an unreleased item left him with no argunt.
Ian took another sip of whiskey.
“You seem lost in thought.”
“……?”
Ian shifted his eyes toward the voice. The speaker was a man with neatly trimd hair, a crisp white shirt, and a burgundy vest—the quintessential image of a bartender.
The man polished a glass with a pristine cloth, his movents smooth and ticulous.
“……”
Ian had visited this place, Midnight, even before his regression.
This bar, which he had stumbled upon by chance, had left a strong impression on him back then.
The dim lighting, the heavy atmosphere, the soft music playing in the background, and the hushed whispers of patrons all contributed to the mysterious and tranquil ambiance.
It made him feel like a lone wolf. He felt the sa now—unchanged from before.
But Midnight wasn’t an ordinary bar. While it sold drinks, it was also a hub for trading information and handling covert requests.
Who could tell if the man and woman at a table across the room were chatting about hobbies—or hiring soone for an assassination?
Given the nature of this place, its staff were known to be tight-lipped, never spilling information carelessly.
Yet, here was the bartender initiating conversation—a rare occurrence, especially from soone who appeared to be the most experienced among them.
This has never happened before.
Ian had visited countless tis in his previous life, but this was the first ti a bartender had approached him.
He emptied his glass and set it down.
“Would you like another?”
Ian nodded. Without a word, the bartender poured him another whiskey.
“If you’d like, I could keep you company.”
“Company?”
“Well, I seem to be older than you, so…”
The bartender closed the whiskey bottle and continued,
“…I might even offer you so advice. Whatever troubles you have, sotis sharing them with another can be helpful.”
The bartender’s somber gaze seed indifferent, yet there was a hint of curiosity, as though he wanted to delve into Ian’s thoughts.
Ian lifted his refilled glass. The sharp burn of the whiskey stung his tongue and throat, but paradoxically, it cald him.
“That’s good.”
A faint smile crept onto Ian’s face. His visit here wasn’t just for a drink.
He intended to make himself known to the bartenders in this quiet setting.
It was a pleasant surprise to be approached first—it saved him the trouble of making the initial move. The bartender, too, wouldn’t have spoken up without a reason.
Perhaps it was the golden insignia pinned to Ian’s coat. If they dealt in information, they likely already knew about Ian’s recent role in handling the Arbiter’s mission.
After all, he had effectively dismantled a trading guild in a less-than-pleasant manner, with the assistance of Holy Knights from the Pantheon.
“Convenient timing. I happen to need soone’s help.”
“What kind of help?”
“Not sure yet. First, why don’t we exchange nas? Or rather, I just need to know yours. You seem to already know who I am.”
Without pausing in his glass polishing, the bartender t Ian’s gaze with a calm expression.
“Judging by this being your first visit, you seem well-inford about what kind of place this is.”
“Well, being a rcenary, you tend to hear things.”
The bartender chuckled briefly.
“Oddly enough, you’ve never taken on guild-sponsored requests, as far as I know.”
He stopped for a mont and gave Ian a faint smile.
“Well, that’s not important, is it? What matters is that you’re here, you et the criteria, and you understand what we do. My na’s Victor.”
“Pleasure to et you, Victor. Let’s hope this turns into a good partnership.”
“That will be arranged. Please, tell what kind of help you require.”
“What I want is simple. Among Gawon’s rchant groups, I’d like to find one worth investing my spare money into. Could you serve as a bridge for that?”
“Spare money, you say. How much are we talking about, exactly?”
“Hmm, let’s start with one platinum coin.”
A platinum coin held the value of a thousand gold coins. It was a currency that most ordinary people would never see in their lifeti.
Even for Ian, it wasn’t a trivial sum.
Victor lowered his gaze, seemingly deep in thought, and slowly retrieved the information from his mind.
“One platinum coin… rchant groups capable of handling that level of capital aren’t uncommon. However, gaining significant influence in a large rchant group with such an amount would be difficult. For mid-sized groups, there are a few currently drawing attention. The Blue Lake rchant group stands out in trade and transportation. The Snowflake group is rapidly growing through jewelry processing and direct sales. anwhile, the Yellow Leaf group is seeing steady growth through its spice trade—after all, food ingredients are always in demand.”
Ian shook his head.
“That’s not what I’m looking for. I want a place where I can wield so influence through my investnt.”
Victor’s expression shifted to one of interest.
“Influence, is it? So, you’re not rely seeking to grow your wealth. In that case, why not consider acquiring a small-scale rchant group? Once they reach stability with sufficient capital, they could provide you with significant returns.”
“And if they fail to stabilize?”
“Then, you must be prepared to lose it all.”
It was a gamble of sorts. But things changed when you knew the future.
You don’t call sothing gambling when the outco is guaranteed. Ian needed a rchant group that would reliably generate inco while being useful when required.
His family also operated its own rchant groups, but that money was reserved strictly for family purposes.
“That sounds acceptable.”
“Fortunately, we have a prepared list on hand. But first, there’s sothing I need from you.”
“I thought advice was part of the service. Is this where the fees co in?”
“The advice was already given—acquiring a small rchant group. In life, obtaining desired information requires appropriate compensation. For us, that compensation happens to be glittering tals.”
Ian didn’t particularly need the list. He already knew the nas of the rchant groups’ leaders.
Still, why not? Circumstances might have changed, and additional insights wouldn’t hurt. Asking for the price wasn’t unreasonable.
“How much?”
“Three gold coins. It’s a small-scale group, so its importance isn’t particularly high.”
After paying the fee, Victor retrieved a nu-like board engraved with the na of Midnight in elegant cursive.
Instead of whiskey or cocktails, the nu contained the nas of small-scale rchant groups along with details about their leaders, areas of operation, financial status, and growth potential.
Each page was dedicated to one rchant group.
Ian couldn’t help but feel impressed.
“This really is a collection of hidden gems.”
Every na on the list was familiar.
So groups would ultimately fail, while others would rge with larger ones. Yet all of them had gained notable recognition at so point, confirming Midnight’s exceptional ability to gather reliable intelligence.
“All the information here is trustworthy. Whichever one you choose, you won’t regret it.”
It seed so. The details for his target rchant group were particularly thorough.
Wellington Winters.
A bastard from a viscount family. He used money earned from rcenary work to establish a rchant group but suffered repeated failures due to bad luck, leading to his downfall.
This was that very period.
Many avoided him, believing he brought misfortune. However, he eventually secured investnt from an anonymous benefactor and achieved great success thanks to his natural business acun.
Ian rembered him for his reputation as a man of integrity in a world where betrayal was common.
Ian closed the nu.
“We can assist with drawing up the investnt contract. There will be a small fee, but it’ll be much better than approaching them on your own.”
“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”
———-
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