In Briol, running a loan shark business required the king’s permission, but underground moneylenders had always existed in the shadows.
The largest among them was the “Uncle Ilsoo” of the Gorio faction, based out of Sujeongru.
Though the friendly nickname “Uncle” lured in customers, missing a single payment meant the start of hell.
Until he was eventually pushed out after losing a power struggle, he was set to reign as a major player in Briol’s underworld.
“A guest has arrived.”
Led to the back of the casino, Yuri and Hernando soon found themselves sitting across from a man.
He was a middle-aged gentleman with a smooth face and a mustache, looking more like a polite nobleman than a loan shark.
Resting his elbows on the desk, he asked in a gentle voice, “Do you need money?”
Yuri nodded. The man’s eyes twinkled as he smiled.
“Very well. We never abandon a friend in trouble. How much do you need?”
Hernando fidgeted nervously and grabbed Yuri’s sleeve.
“Wait. Let’s talk first—”
“No.”
Yuri shook off his hand.
“Gorio.”
“Your Highness, or rather, Your Nephew… What’s this all of a sudden?”
“Do you know who I am?”
“Huh?”
Hernando’s eyes widened as he glanced between Yuri and the man.
The man spread his arms on the table and smiled.
“Yes. Since the king’s wizard has arrived with the valiant Third Prince, it’s only fitting that someone responsible shows up, even if just a little.”
“Huh?”
Hernando half rose from his seat.
“You know who I am?”
“Yes. From the moment you first borrowed money, I knew. You called yourself Mr. Mystery, but anyone could tell you were Sir Hernando.”
Yuri stared intently at Hernando. He cleared his throat and sat back down.
“Mr. Mystery?”
“A pseudonym.”
“Sounds cool.”
“Thank you…”
Yuri fiddled with the ring on her finger. She had worn the Briol royal crest just in case, but there was no need to show it.
Gorio stroked his mustache.
“So, Your Highness, the reason you suddenly came here is…”
He smiled wryly.
“Money, I suppose.”
Yuri smiled back.
“You don’t seem very nervous, even though a prince has come.”
“As a customer, there’s no reason to be uneasy. On the contrary, it’s a pleasure. It means my reputation has reached even the prince.”
Yuri saw a glimpse of the past in Gorio’s face.
She had never met him in person, only caught a fleeting glimpse of his expressionless face in the marketplace.
From that cold visage, it was hard to guess what kind of man he had been in life.
But the Gorio before her seemed more rational than expected.
“You value trust, then?”
“Of course. Though I operate on the edge of the law, I hold the principle of good faith above all else. I constantly remind my subordinates of this.”
His men standing behind him nodded in agreement.
“So, whether prince or commoner, there’s no difference to me. I treat all customers the same.”
Though polite, it was ultimately a warning.
“What if I don’t pay back?”
“We’ll take proper collateral and only lend up to a reasonable limit. Our standards are strict.”
“You sound confident in your calculations.”
“Experience has taught me well.”
Yuri leaned forward, smiling.
“Same here. I’ll watch your attitude and decide the right limit for you going forward.”
“Going forward…”
Gorio closed his eyes.
“May I take that to mean this won’t be a one-time thing?”
“Exactly.”
“So, I take it you’re not here just to gamble.”
Hernando quietly listened to their conversation, unable to grasp what Yuri truly wanted.
A strange feeling stirred in his chest.
“Gorio, do you know about investments?”
“Of course. That’s my business. Everyone invests these days, don’t they?”
“That’s not investing, that’s gambling. I’m borrowing your money to invest.”
“You’re not going to the bank?”
“Circumstances prevent it.”
“Planning to secretly build slush funds, huh? Hmm…”
Gorio narrowed his eyes.
“Could it be, Third Prince, that you have a grander plan…?”
“That’s enough.”
Yuri tapped the table with her fingertips.
“Interrogating me isn’t your role.”
“My apologies if I was rude.”
“It’s fine. I’m the one asking for money, so I can forgive that much.”
“You’re practical. Quite different from the rumors I’d heard.”
“Yes, I am.”
Yuri said.
“My intentions are very different from what you imagine.”
Then she looked at Hernando and continued.
“I’m borrowing money from you to buy Klein Province spices.”
Gorio fell into thought, and Hernando’s mouth dropped open at the unexpected turn.
“Wow, Your Highness… no, no, Nephew. Hey, man.”
“What?”
“Oh, right. It’s all out now. Your Highness…”
He whispered into Yuri’s ear, trying to be discreet but loud enough for those nearby to hear.
“What’s this about borrowing money from Gorio to buy spices?”
“Just stay quiet.”
Yuri said, then looked back at Gorio.
“You mean the ‘Mugranza’ from Klein Province?”
“That’s right.”
“I haven’t heard supply is short…”
“It will be soon.”
Hernando recalled a rumor he’d overheard: with civil war breaking out in Klein, orcs were prowling the borders.
Spices were Klein’s specialty. But orc raids alone wouldn’t likely drive prices up that much.
The matter of Mugranza was top secret even within Klein, with no information leaking outside.
Did the prince know something?
Or was it just a casual plan to stockpile specialty goods amid the chaos?
“…”
Hernando looked at Yuri.
Her eyes shone with an unshakable confidence.
On impulse, Hernando crossed two fingers under the table and pressed his palms together in a secret sign.
“Mugranza, huh…”
“An essential ingredient for high-grade spices.”
“My money comes with high interest.”
“I’ll pay.”
“You seem very sure.”
“That’s why I’m here.”
Yuri lifted her chin.
“So, how much?”
She fixed her gaze on Gorio.
“Besides what I can borrow as a prince of Briol, how much can I get as an investor?”
Gorio closed his eyes and tapped the table slowly—tap, tap—his eyes rolling beneath his lids.
Time passed.
Finally, Gorio opened his eyes.
“Sign a promissory note.”
After leaving Sujeongru, Hernando was silent.
“Hey.”
Yuri tapped his shoulder as he walked absentmindedly.
“This way.”
“Huh? Where are we going?”
“To buy spices.”
“Right now? Do you know how to trade spices? Mugranza isn’t sold to just anyone.”
“I’ll have someone I know handle it.”
“Huh?”
Yuri shrugged.
“Since I borrowed money from Gorio, I’ll entrust it to a trustworthy merchant now.”
Hernando frowned at her, then nodded.
“Understood.”
“You’re cooperating willingly.”
“What choice do I have?”
Hernando looked deep in thought. Yuri smiled and kept walking.
What Hernando and Gorio thought of this didn’t matter. The spice price surge was inevitable.
Mugranza was an indispensable ingredient in the continent’s finest spices, and only the alchemist close to the Duke of Klein knew the recipe.
And he was the first to be killed by the rebels.
By now, he was probably a restless spirit.
Until a substitute appeared, Mugranza’s price would skyrocket.
“So, are you going to the trading guild?”
“No.”
“There aren’t many guilds that handle Mugranza.”
Yuri smiled knowingly.
Not yet, but someday, a great entrepreneur would rise.
“This is the place.”
“Huh?”
Yuri stopped in front of a shabby sign that read “Irein Trading.”
“Here?”
“Yes.”
“If you’re going to do it, you should choose a capable guild.”
“When spice prices rise, the money will follow.”
“Wouldn’t a big guild do better work?”
“You have to think long-term.”
“Huh?”
She wasn’t after a quick profit.
Changing the future came down to people.
Yuri firmly believed the owner of this guild would become a great ally.
A titan of commerce who would expand even after Briol’s fall and build the continent’s greatest trading house.
“Irein Wood!”
She called out her name.
The old door creaked open, and a woman with sun-kissed skin and blue eyes stepped out.
“Who are you?”
“Irein Wood. I am Yuri, the Third Prince of Briol.”
“Huh?”
“Now, shake my hand.”
“Suddenly? What is this…?”
Yuri grabbed her hand without hesitation.
Irein stood there, stunned, as passersby glanced curiously.
Yuri grinned, holding her hand firmly.
“They have no idea how historic this moment is.”
“Excuse me, you said you’re a prince…?”
“That’s right.”
Gorio had wrapped himself in talk of credit, but when cornered, he resorted to every dirty trick.
Irein, on the other hand, was a legendary merchant who treated promises to customers as sacred.
At least, in her past life.
“Irein, I’m entrusting this to you.”
This time, she would become not just a legend, but a mythic merchant.
He had borrowed a huge sum from the notorious loan shark, Gorio, and entrusted it all to Elaine, an unknown merchant.
This absurd turn of events had unfolded just hours after leaving the palace.
Hernando could hardly believe it.
“So, everything’s settled now?” he asked.
Yuri shook his head.
“Not quite. I achieved the main goal of this trip, but since I have some time, there’s one more thing I want to do.”
“Another thing? What now?”
“It won’t be too difficult.”
Yuri gestured toward the distance.
“We just need to stop by over there.”
“Over there…?”
Hernando pressed his palm to his forehead.
“Why the slums again? That place is dangerous.”
Even the grand Briol Palace cast shadows. The brighter the light, the darker the darkness lurking beneath.
The slums were a melting pot of all kinds of people—poor citizens, criminals, fugitives.
“What could possibly be there? It’s too risky.”
“Today, I’ve already done a lot, haven’t I?”
“Yes. You’ve pulled off the impossible.”
“Exactly. So I want to offer a blessing.”
“Just pray at the temple.”
“I prefer to do good deeds myself.”
Without hesitation, Yuri stepped into the slums.
The streets were dark, and gloomy eyes watched him from every corner.
“Let’s extend a warm hand to those in need.”
“To whom, exactly?”
“Well…”
Yuri’s gaze shifted as he spoke.
Even he didn’t know what this would lead to.
“Sir.”
Yuri approached a shabby old man lying on the ground.
“Do you know where a group of children might be gathered?”
The man blinked blankly. Only after Yuri pressed some coins into his hand did he speak.
“Children? What kind…?”
“Some teenagers, a gang that’s oddly good at fighting…”
“Are you looking for Asana?”
Yuri paused, then nodded.
“Yes. It’s a group led by a girl.”
“Those kids…”
Following the old man’s vague direction, Yuri turned and ventured deeper into the slums.
The further they went, the quieter Hernando became, overwhelmed by the grim scenes unfolding around them.
“Are we on the right path…?”
He hesitated, circling uncertainly.
Then Yuri spotted what he was looking for.
A group of children huddled together. A few coins clinked in an empty tin can—likely from begging.
They stared openly at Yuri and Hernando.
Their gaze was blunt, unfiltered.
Yuri’s eyes fixed on the child holding the can.
Short hair, a dirty face—hard to be sure, but looking closer, it seemed to be a girl.
“Found her.”
Gorio would later meet a tragic end because of what he had done.
And the one who set it all in motion was here.
Asana.
The survivor of the Assassin’s Order.