"I wasn’t expecting 20 million gold either," Seth said calmly. Truthfully, he was really surprised. He didn’t think Morrigan would invest all her savings, but she did anyway.
Charlie’s eyes lit up as he looked at Dave. "This is the first time I’ve ever seen so much money. It’s really unbelievable..."
Seth smiled, looking at Charlie with amused eyes. "As I told you, this money isn’t ours, so don’t get too excited."
"Should we think of it as a loan?"
"Yes, after all, we took this money for a reason, and only for a short time. Think of it as a 0% interest loan."
Charlie nodded, and Dave looked at Seth, speaking calmly. "The construction plan has been approved; they’ll start tomorrow. I hope nothing goes wrong."
"Let’s hope so..."
Seth’s thoughtful gaze shifted to Charlie as he looked at him calmly. "Charlie, do you have any management experience?"
"Why?" Charlie, confused, paused when he heard Seth. Seth smiled, a slight grin forming on his face. "I’m thinking of hiring you as a manager, for the Nursing homes."
"What?!" Charlie shouted in surprise. Dave stood next to Seth this time. "Lord Hanson started his career at 9 years old. You can start too, Young Master."
"But I’m not my grandfather!" Charlie said. "How can I be like him?"
Dave looked at Charlie more seriously. "I don’t want you to be like Lord Hanson, Young Master. I want you to be even better."
Though Dave’s words affected Charlie, he still declined. "Sorry, I can’t do it."
"No," Seth grinned slyly. "I already appointed you as the manager."
"What? Are you serious?" Charlie could only look at Seth with a frown. Seth chuckled and rested his hand on his chin. "Sorry, but the sooner you learn, the better you’ll get. Maybe even better than your grandfather."
"Better than my grandfather?" Charlie, moved as he remembered his grandfather’s words, said, "My grandfather always used to say: Even if I die, live on for firm breasts, son because-"
"Please don’t repeat your perverted grandfather’s words, Charlie," Seth said with a sigh. This Hanson was supposed to be a feared moneylender, not a pervert.
Every time Charlie repeated Hanson’s words, Seth’s impression of the man fell further. How did this man ever become a Boss?
Still, Dave probably continued to see Hanson as a king, judging by the fanatic expression on his face.
"I don’t want to be responsible for anyone," Charlie said, looking at the ground. "I can’t meet every person’s needs, wants, and desires. I—"
"Have some confidence, Charlie. If it helps, Dave can stay by your side as an assistant for a month. Right, Dave?"
Charlie looked at Dave. "You’ll teach me, right, Dave?"
"Of course, Young Master," Dave said seriously. "You’re the last remaining legacy of Lord Hanson in this world. I’d give my life to protect you."
"Thank you, Dave."
Charlie looked at Dave gratefully, then turned to Seth. "Even if I refused, you wouldn’t have listened, would you?"
Seth laughed and scratched his head. "You really know me well, Charlie."
Charlie sighed, then looked at Seth with a serious expression. "Alright, I accept."
Seth nodded and added Charlie to the list of management positions he had prepared. While Dave was already running the bank, and Seth would be overseeing the fast-food chain with Morvos as the general manager.
The workers were already prepared. The chefs had already started cooking. While the bank would open throughout the capital, the fast-food chain would be active in the northern region for now.
If the company turned a profit, funds would be allocated to provide services in the slums for the fast-food chain. Then, slowly, the foundation would be built as the Morvos Consortium sought new partners and collaborations.
That was Seth’s one-year plan.
At least until they started making some profit...
"So, what do we do now?"
Hearing Dave’s question, Seth replied calmly: "You’ll go to the Merchants’ Guild around 3 o’clock. Let’s at least become members."
"Understood, but do you think they’ll consider investing in us?" Dave said. "After all, we’re talking about the Merchants’ Guild. These guys are very picky and greedy."
Despite Dave’s concerns, Seth was relaxed. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes closing tiredly. "That’s something only you can figure out."
Hearing her words, the Captain’s face twisted with anger, clearly feeling insulted.
Even so, despite the flicker of rage in his eyes, he continued to gaze at her with excitement for battle. "Priestess, I’ll show you the power of the Beast God! And then, I’ll offer your skull as a gift!"
Despite the threats, the Rose Priestess remained calm. A brief flicker of disgust crossed her face when the Beast God’s name was mentioned.
But her expression quickly returned to its emotionless state. "Orc, the Goddess is merciful. It’s not too late to abandon idolatry and return to the true faith. The Goddess’s mercy is for everyone."
The Captain laughed as if he’d heard something absurd. "Hahahaha! Did you hear that? What did she say? Hahaha!"
As the Orcs joined in his laughter, the Rose Priestess silently observed them, then sighed and looked at the Captain. "So this is your choice."
"Human woman, today you will die," said the Captain with pride. "And I will become a legend as the one who killed the Rose Priestess!"
The Orcs roared with excitement as the Captain leaped forward, his sword slashing toward the Priestess with enough force to crack the ground. A proud, arrogant smile spread across the Captain’s face, certain of his victory.
Dust filled the air as his sword descended, obscuring the view of the Priestess and Captain from the other Orcs. But when the dust cleared, everyone was stunned by what they saw.
"This... impossible! How could this be?"
The Captain screamed in fury while the other Orcs fell silent in horror. What they witnessed made them all swallow hard.
The Captain’s sword, capable of cutting down a dragon, had been stopped by the Priestess’s two fingers. The Captain tried to pull his sword back, but it wouldn’t budge.
"I gave you a chance to repent, but you refused," the Priestess said emotionlessly. "Now it’s too late for regret..."
The Captain angrily raised his free hand to strike her, but suddenly, two massive gashes appeared on his chest.
Still in shock and confusion, the Captain couldn’t comprehend what had happened, while the Priestess remained in the same position.
The only conclusion the Captain could draw was that the Rose Priestess was so fast, even he hadn’t seen her move.
"What kind of monster are you?!"
The Captain coughed up blood, staggering back. His 100 years of experience had given him immense willpower. Though his body was in agonizing pain, he still managed to stand tall.
"The Goddess’s mercy is beyond the understanding of our mortal minds, and I assume you don’t understand it either," the Rose Priestess said calmly. "Repent and seek the infinite mercy of the Goddess."
Laughing with a mixture of anger and amusement, the Captain gave the Priestess a mocking smile. "Never! You and that whore of a Goddess can burn in hell!"
"I see..."
The Rose Priestess calmly replied, and with a single motion of her arm, the Captain’s head was severed from his body as a cold aura surrounded her.
"Today has been a disappointment," she said, turning to face the Orc warriors who were fleeing in terror. The holy white light radiating from her body gave her an angelic beauty.
"There is no escape from the Goddess’s wrath; the only path to salvation is through faith in her. Amen..."
As her prayer ended, the Holy White light expanded, chasing after and engulfing the fleeing Orcs. Without even a chance to scream in pain, they were reduced to dust.
As the Rose Priestess’s hair fluttered in the wind, small tears fell from her empty eye sockets, and she knelt reverently. "Merciful One, Exalted One, Source of all goodness..."
She continued, "Forgive the souls of these wretched ones, grant them peace, I—"
Suddenly, her body trembled as if struck by lightning, and she took a sharp breath. The Rose Priestess, who had just obliterated the Orc Captain with ease, let out a pained groan.
After a while, her tears ceased, and she stood up robotically as if nothing had happened, like a machine that had been reset.
This was the curse of the Rose Priestess, Isolde. A curse bestowed upon one who had sacrificed herself to the Goddess of Light for her younger brother on that bloody night.
Known by heretics as ’The Goddess’s Wrath,’ by the Church as ’The one closest to the Goddess,’ and by non-human creatures as ’the monster that should not exist.’
Despite all these titles, Isolde was merely a slave to the Goddess, her will chained, turned into a puppet—a killing machine.
"I hope you’ve learned the value of life well, my brother," the Rose Priestess said calmly, her voice almost devoid of emotion. "It has been a long time since I’ve seen you."
Her hand instinctively touched the wound on her abdomen. Though her eyes were emotionless, traces of feelings still lingered within her.
Excitement, curiosity, love, longing...
Even so, Isolde turned quietly toward the desert, resuming her journey without further dwelling on unnecessary thoughts.