Chapter 14

Chapter 14

When making a deal, you must never reveal your thoughts.

The moment your desperation is exposed, the other party will become a devil.

‘How does it feel to see that devil, Keirin?’

In contrast to my relaxed demeanor, Keirin kept her lips tightly shut, seemingly lost in deep thought.

‘Keirin might talk a lot, but she’s not a stupid person.’

If the deal didn’t work to her advantage, she would smile and either stop or walk away from the negotiation.

But the current situation was different.

“Mmmmmm……”

Agonizing.

She couldn’t easily give me an answer.

At best, it was just a woolen guard, so why did she want it so badly?

It could easily be found in any general store.

But Keirin had a particular reason for wanting mine.

I was using that point to put myself in a favorable position.

Wool Guard Blessed by the Goddess

Slightly increases defense. Excellent for cold protection. Its effect becomes more pronounced in frigid regions.

This was the result Keirin got after appraising it.

It wasn’t an ordinary wool guard but an equipment imbued with special abilities.

When crafted with a master-level skill, such an item could be produced.

‘So this is the correction effect called the Goddess’s Blessing.’

In terms of cold protection alone, it was a mid-to-high-grade piece of equipment.

Only nobles like me or 2nd and 3rd-year students preparing for real combat could get such cold-weather gear.

A 1st-year wouldn’t even dare think about it.

‘I thought that knitting set wasn’t a big deal.’

It could reach master-level crafting capability.

Even at master level, reaching that realm required years of enduring hardship.

But with the knitting set, I could produce it instantly without going through all that.

‘It’s a one-time-use item that disappears after crafting, but it’s basically broken-tier.’

As long as I had points, I could keep getting them.

Outwardly, I didn’t show it, but inside, I felt like dancing.

‘Right, with this performance, who wouldn’t want it?’

If I were Keirin, I would take it even if I had to steal it.

I decided to push her further toward buying it.

“If you’re not going to buy it, then forget it. You don’t really need it anyway, right?”

“Oh, it’s not that I don’t need it. Actually, I’m heading toward the Aubes region tomorrow.”

“Planning to go to the snowy mountains to hunt a dragon?”

“Whoa, you nailed it. How did you even guess that?”

“What else is there to visit in that frozen region besides the snowy mountains?”

I shrugged and continued speaking.

“You’re going to have a hard time there. The gear sold in regular shops won’t even come close to being enough.”

“Ugh, just imagining it is making me feel cold.”

Keirin suddenly hugged her arms and shivered.

It was a method of identifying the other party’s circumstances and raising their desire to buy by pointing out their problem.

“There’s no time, so if you’re not buying, I’ll just use it myself since the temperature difference is huge.”

I made it sound like I was being generous.

Keirin tilted her head after much thought.

“Could I just borrow it for two days? I’ll pay a generous rental fee……!”

Her eyes sparkled like a stray cat begging for mercy.

But I shook my head mercilessly.

“As a noble, would I ever use something someone else has worn?”

“Right… that makes sense…”

Her spirits quickly dampened as she pulled out her wallet with a sigh.

“I got an allowance from school, but I’ve already spent quite a lot. I don’t think I can buy it with what I have left.”

Then she actually showed me inside her wallet. There were only five gold coins.

Keirin was from a commoner background, but since she was the second-ranked incoming student, she received school support.

‘I heard she gets 2,000 gold per month.’

She had already spent 1,500 gold.

‘Anyway, 500 gold, huh.’

If I took it to a few shops outside Yggdrasil, I could get at least double that amount.

And that would still be considered selling it cheap.

‘To make it worth it, I’d need to get at least 2,000 gold.’

I stroked my chin, staring at Keirin and her wallet.

‘Going around to sell it would be a hassle. A complete waste of time.’

The decision was easy.

Keirin closed her wallet again and smiled awkwardly.

“With just this…… there’s no way I can buy it, right? Hehe, just kidding.”

“Then let’s do that.”

“So it really won’t work…… huh?”

Keirin had already given up, but at my unexpected answer, her eyes widened and she leaned in toward me.

She really hadn’t expected me to sell it.

“Seriously? You’ll sell it for 500 gold?”

“On one condition.”

“A condition?”

I looked at her tilting her head and got to the main point.

‘Yeah, since it’s basically her entire fortune, I can’t really ask for more.’

The price didn’t matter much to me anyway.

My real goal lay elsewhere.

‘I’ll have Keirin handle proxy sales for me.’

Keirin was extremely sociable, which meant her network was wide.

She could become a great distributor.

“What’s the condition?”

“It’s simple.”

I gave her four conditions.

First, promote my equipment to people she knew.

Second, handle proxy sales.

Third, if she got good materials, she would commission me to craft with them.

Lastly, she had to keep it a secret that I was the one making these.

“You made such good gear, so why hide it?”

“Because it doesn’t suit a noble’s image.”

“Hmm…… true? Knitting really doesn’t suit you, my lord. Honestly, I was super shocked!”

I couldn’t tell if that was praise or an insult.

“It’s not a hard request, so I’ll do it!”

Keirin readily accepted the conditions.

There was no reason for her to refuse and miss the chance to buy equipment at a cheap price.

‘Anyway, money had been a headache, but it seems this will solve it to some extent.’

From now on, I set the selling price at 2,000 gold.

If promotions went well, theoretically I could sell one every four days.

If that accumulated, it would be a significant income.

But it wasn’t like I could recklessly splurge the money I earned.

I was still stuck living in the livestock shed because I didn’t have the funds.

‘Besides, I have to save up for next semester’s tuition and dormitory fees.’

Not only that, but also food expenses and maintenance for my dignity.

This deal helped lift that burden a little.

‘She might even become my bridge to certain connections later.’

Through Keirin, I might be introduced to specific people and get various opportunities.

‘500 gold is actually cheap in that sense.’

Looking at the long term, it was the best kind of investment.

“Thanks, I’ll really make good use of it!”

Keirin placed five gold coins in my palm and took the guard.

Thank you, valuable cus— I mean, customer.

I watched her try the guard on and fell into brief thought.

Maybe the story would change a little.

‘How will this turn out?’

Of course, Keirin’s role in the early stages was small.

Keirin going to the Aubes region wouldn’t directly affect the protagonist.

That much was certain.

‘In the original story, she complained about the cold and just hunted a few baby dragons on the lowest level before coming back.’

This time, she would endure the cold.

Then, what if she actually managed to take down a dragon?

‘No, with her skills, she could definitely do it.’

I knew Keirin’s abilities well, so I wasn’t worried.

She was specialized in earth-type abilities, which gave her a natural advantage against ice monsters.

‘She’s already strong enough to shake the ground.’

She was the second-ranked student in prestigious Yggdrasil.

She would likely defeat the ice dragon without much trouble, and that would become a special experience that fueled her growth.

‘Much later, she joins Ren as an ally. If she grows stronger, that’s even better for him.’

Keirin was already strong—if she got even stronger, she’d be like an army for Ren.

‘And if she defeats a dragon, she could gather its teeth, horns, and hide.’

Yes, she might even bring such loot to me.

That’s why I included the condition about materials.

“If you bring me good materials, I could make you even better gear than this.”

When I gave her a line fit for an equipment-crafting NPC, Keirin’s eyes lit up.

“My lord, you’re actually a good person, aren’t you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll make sure to get paid properly.”

Keirin—she might turn out to be a good supplier.

After four days of rest, all the students returned to Yggdrasil.

‘It’s been quiet until now.’

Now, like usual, the school had become lively again.

Walking to class among the crowd of students, I brought my sleeve to my nose.

‘No smell.’

My uniform still carried the same cool, refreshing scent of cologne.

With the money from Keirin, I had first bought daily necessities.

‘Never thought I’d end up hand-washing laundry in Yggdrasil.’

When I lived in the dorms, maids handled the laundry, but in the livestock shed, I had to do it myself.

I had washed clothes often before, so it wasn’t hard.

Thanks to that, I could maintain cleanliness.

‘Besides, since Villed is busy parading around as a noble, he has plenty of cologne.’

There shouldn’t be a problem keeping up my student-like dignity like before.

After arriving at school, the main classes proceeded as scheduled.

Yggdrasil’s lectures were similar to those at a university.

The first class was a 1st-year mandatory course.

After that, students could choose classes that matched their field.

1st-years could try various lectures with an undeclared major.

‘Not that I had any choice.’

When I first entered, Villed had already chosen my classes.

Since I couldn’t change them, I had no choice but to attend as he had picked.

“Attention.”

After the mandatory 1st-year class on Basic Elements ended, the 1st-year advisor, Professor Luber, announced a new notice.

It was the start of the one-on-one sparring episode in Chapter 3.

‘This is the episode where Ren’s abilities take a huge leap.’

Ren would pour everything he learned during the break into the fight and crush his opponent.

That would be the turning point where his reputation, once that of a weakling, would rise dramatically.

It also served as the main event that connected him with the heroine and key characters.

‘Who will be the opponent?’

The protagonist’s opponent would be the fastest-growing student.

Not strong, but not weak either—a perfectly balanced match.

This part was always random, so I couldn’t know who it would be.

‘Usually, it ended up being a mid-level character.’

High- and low-level characters were excluded, and someone between low-mid and mid-level was chosen at random.

‘Well, that’s Ren’s business.’

Whoever it was, Ren would win.

I focused on finding my own name on the match list.

Who I faced was important.

I wanted an opponent who would be a good test of my improved abilities.

‘Though I’ll probably end up against a low-level cadet.’

Right now, I was perfectly acting the role of incompetent.

Because of that, I would be matched with an easy opponent.

‘Found it.’

A noble’s name was always long, so it wasn’t hard to spot mine.

‘Alright, my opponent is…’

I rubbed my eyes and checked the name again.

「Riz Villed Dedencman Ludwig VS Duke Ren」

Why is your name there?