Chapter 15
“Really, Teacher?”
Theo pulled his hands back from the table and cheered.
One gold coin was worth one hundred silver coins. Depending on the gold price, it could even be worth more. Even Theo, who was bad at calculations, knew that much.
“Gold coins!”
He waved both arms excitedly over his head.
Taking advantage of the moment, Celine covered the fountain pen, which had returned to its normal appearance, with her palm and said,
“Of course. And what if we also include compensation for emotional distress?”
“Wow…”
A look of amazement spread across Theo’s face.
“According to the ledger, you’ve traded with him for a total of three years. Since this year’s wheat harvest was poor, we’ll add 20% based on the current market price… and then another 30% for emotional damages.”
Clack, clack, clack!
Her fingers stopped moving across the jade abacus.
“That comes to about 1,122 silver coins. So you’ll receive eleven gold coins and twenty-two silver coins.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I didn’t calculate it using simple interest. I used compound interest, where unpaid interest is added each year before calculating the next year’s interest, so the amount is a little higher.”
“C-Compound interest? I don’t know what that means… but it means I’m getting more, right?”
“No! Why are you using compound interest?!”
Peddler, who was lying on the floor, suddenly lifted his upper body and protested.
But Celine completely ignored him.
“Yes. Please wait a moment, and I’ll prepare it for you.”
“Th-Thank you! Thank you so much!”
“It’s nothing.”
Just as she was about to send him outside—
Theo hesitated at the door before asking carefully,
“Teacher… will the people from the other villages also be compensated like me? I really hope so… They’re all family to us.”
He’s not very observant, but he has a kind heart.
Celine had always had a soft spot for good people.
“Of course. Everyone waiting outside will receive their money through the same process.”
Hehe. It’s not my money anyway.
“You’re so kind! Everyone! Listen to me!”
Theo immediately turned around and began telling everyone standing in line.
As soon as he moved away from Celine—
Merchant Peddler looked up at her with resentful eyes.
Now that money was involved, he had completely lost his composure.
“T-Teacher! Do I really have to compensate all those people? And what’s this about compound interest and emotional damages? Who decided that?”
“I did.”
“……”
Smiling only with her eyes, Celine kindly stepped down from her chair and bent over until they were at eye level.
Then she whispered so only he could hear.
“Your tongue has gotten pretty loose. Want to see how much longer it can get?”
“Mmph… Mm!”
Peddler pressed his tongue tightly against the roof of his mouth and shook his head frantically.
“Or would you rather come with me to the Imperial Office?”
“Urgh…”
“The villagers might not be able to do anything, but I can make sure you end up in prison somehow. Or we could even go to New Mabel. You don’t think I can’t do it, do you?”
It’s better to give up your money than spend the rest of your life rotting in an underground prison.
Driven into a corner, Peddler squeezed his eyes shut and blurted everything out.
“I-I’m just a travelling merchant! Where would I have that kind of money?”
“You made a fortune because of Elderwick’s unusual trading system, didn’t you? The approved merchants had the place all to themselves without any outside competition. And that wagon of yours looked rather unusual.”
Peddler flinched.
“The floor is much thicker than an ordinary wagon. If we open it and find coins inside, you’ll be punished according to the weight of the gold and silver.”
“W-Weight? Eek!”
Celine leaned even closer to his ear.
Her cold voice echoed beside him.
“This time, I won’t stop halfway. I’ll do it properly.”
Gulp.
Peddler swallowed hard before bursting into tears.
“Sob… Lift… lift the bottom of the wagon… The gold coins are hidden underneath… Sob…”
“Good decision. You’ve made quite a lot of money, haven’t you? Hiding gold coins beneath the wagon floor. Impressive.”
Pat. Pat.
She lightly patted the merchant’s chubby cheek before returning to her chair.
Crack. Crack.
Then she stretched her neck from side to side.
Now this feels like real work.
Maybe this really is what I’m best at.
It felt satisfying… yet bitter.
“So the teacher is really going to do that?”
“Yes! Her calculations were so accurate that all the bitterness in my heart melted away like snow!”
“Ohhh!”
Theo pounded his chest as he passionately told everyone.
While everyone was focused on Theo, Celine lowered her eyes to the fountain pen.
〔Inspection Result: No Match〕
It was worth trying.
I knew it. Of course it wasn’t him.
For someone who might be the Emperor’s descendant, Theo looked far too simple and ordinary.
According to the “Imperial Descendant Search Manual,” even if they weren’t as breathtakingly beautiful as the elf Del, members of the Imperial Family were supposed to have outstanding looks.
Still…
Sometimes children inherited only their parents’ less impressive features.
That’s why everyone in their twenties in this village has to be tested.
The alchemy formula engraved inside the Berylline fountain pen only reacted to someone around the same age as the Crown Prince whose blood had been used as its material.
That was the current limit of alchemy.
– Theo, Miller, Age 24.
Eliminated.
Celine mentally crossed his name off the list.
Just then, Felix brought in the next person.
“Please come this way.”
An elderly woman with a flower hairpin entered nervously.
“Teacher… H-how much was I cheated?”
Holding the worried old woman’s arm, Felix helped her into a chair before speaking to Celine.
“You’ve already met Grandma Betty, haven’t you? She lives beside the forest path and grows mandrakes.”
“Ahem.”
Wow.
This village really has everything. Every other minute someone mentions truffles or mandrakes.
Mandrakes were rare medicinal plants with roots shaped like tiny humans.
“Teacher, are you alright?”
Felix hurried over to the table.
His sky-blue eyes carefully examined Celine, who had covered her mouth with a handkerchief.
I thought I was about to cough up blood.
But why is he staring at me so intensely?
Did he notice something?
Celine quickly swallowed the blood that had risen in her throat.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
She had been caught off guard, but her expression remained perfectly calm.
“I’m fine. I just choked for a moment.”
“That’s good. But if you’re tired, we can continue another time.”
“No, it’s alright.”
Postpone it? After finally getting this opportunity? No way.
Avoiding Felix’s concerned gaze, Celine looked at Grandma Betty’s rough, blackened hands folded together.
Her fingerprints must have worn away…
Are those hands what she uses to grow mandrakes?
“This money was supposed to help my grandchild start a dairy farm… What should I do now, Teacher?”
Seeing the old woman’s teary eyes made Celine’s chest feel heavy, as if something were stuck inside.
If she didn’t solve this quickly, she felt like she would suffocate.
“We’ll continue. The villagers need this more than I do.”
That was all she said.
Yet somehow she felt someone staring at her.
When she looked up—
Felix’s blue eyes shimmered softly.
“Teacher, I’m cheering for you!”
He gave her a playful wink.
“…Thank you.”
Watching the handsome man blink those beautiful eyes, Celine realized something.
The manual was right…
Maybe the only person I can truly trust here is Village Chief Felix.
Tap. Tap.
The fountain pen’s modified tip lightly tapped against the white paper.
No. First, let’s deal with this.
Otherwise Grandma Betty is really going to start crying.
“Grandma, how much did you trade?”
Celine smiled as warmly as she could.
“Ten mandrake roots. Half of ’em were fifty years old, and the other half were thirty years old. I traded ’em for a calf.”
“You suffered the greatest loss in the village.”
“What did you say?”
Pop!
A vein bulged on Grandma Betty’s wrinkled forehead.
She tightly pressed her lips together as though she had made up her mind.
“I’m sorry. Just wait a little.”
“…What?”
“You rotten bastard! Today one of us is dying!”
“Grandma? Why are you rolling up your sleeves?”
“It’s hot! Too hot! Is this place hell or what?”
The old woman even threw off her flower-patterned vest.
Then she rushed at the kneeling merchant Peddler with her fingers curled like claws.
“You’re paying for my grandchild’s cow, you worthless scoundrel!”
“Grandma Betty!”
“Gaaah!”
“Elder!”
Felix hurriedly pulled Betty away as she grabbed Peddler by the hair.
Meanwhile, Celine rubbed the space between her eyebrows with the hand she had awkwardly stretched out.
This really is an S-Rank mission.
No…
It’s Double S-Rank.
No, Triple S-Rank.
