"How much money did you say was here?"
Simon studied the five large chests of gold coins arrayed before him. Each chest held a million gold coins. Remarkably, runes gleamed on the chests, signaling their security.
"Yes, this will be our gift to you," Dave explained calmly. As the Chairman of Morvos Bank, Dave had come to Drachenreich to open the bank's new headquarters.
He wasn't alone, either. Accompanied by newly established mercenaries under the Morvos Consortium, he had brought five massive chests filled with five million gold coins to the city.
According to Seth's orders, this money was to be transferred to the newly founded Church of Creation in Erntestadt. Although this intrigued Dave, he didn't question Seth's decision. He brushed off his curiosity, thinking of it as just another investment.
"But for what purpose?" Simon asked, regaining his composure. He looked at Dave suspiciously. The man's expensive, spotless suit and the thirty mercenaries he'd brought along had both astonished and confused Simon.
"Who sent this money?"
The barrage of questions urged Dave to quickly clarify the situation. Noticing Simon's unease, Dave decided not to scare the young man too much.
"Friends, would you mind giving us a moment?"
As Dave's mercenaries exited the room, Dave looked at Simon calmly. "You're followers of the God of Darkness, aren't you?"
Simon nodded quickly, intrigued by what this giant man might mean. Dave smiled approvingly before continuing, "My patron is a devoted believer as well. And, incidentally, a rather powerful Dark Sorcerer."
"A Dark Sorcerer, you say?"
A new realization dawned on Simon. Now he knew who had sent the gold. Whoever Dave's patron was, Simon assumed he must be a very powerful and wealthy individual.
"I don't know why you call yourselves followers of the God of Creation, but my Patron seemed to trust you deeply," Dave's gaze wandered around the room, and he said with curiosity.
Hearing this, Simon became even more intrigued about the identity of this man. Who could trust him so much despite not knowing him personally?
"Thank you," Simon smiled slightly and said, "This money will be of great help to us. Please convey our regards and respect to your Patron."
"Understood." Without another word, Dave stood up. After all, his time was limited. Simon saw Dave off to the door.
Five minutes after Dave left, the door opened again. Simon lifted his head from his documents, raising an eyebrow at the person entering.
The newcomer was Urien, holding two cups of tea.
Despite the scattered chests of gold around the room, Urien seemed unfazed. Upon entering, he first served Simon his tea.
Then he took his own cup and sat down in a chair.
"Urien, what is it?" Simon asked after taking a sip. Urien responded quickly, not hesitating. "I came to ask something of you."
Seeing Urien hesitate, Simon encouraged him to speak. "Go on. What do you want?"
"Simon, if you allow it, I would like to open schools," Urien said seriously. Noting Urien's serious expression, Simon straightened and asked with curiosity.
"Schools? For what?"
Looking down, Urien sighed softly and then looked back at Simon. "All the children in our village dreamed of going to school. We thought school could make us wealthy and let us take care of our families."
"Even if they're not here anymore, I want to do everything I can so that children with dreams like theirs can attend school." If Simon claimed he wasn't moved by Urien's serious, pleading expression, it would be a lie.
He sighed and leaned back, then looked at Urien gently. "There's no need to plead with me for this. You're free to open as many schools as you want."
"My sister is like this every morning. Moody and irritating," Richard said, smiling slightly. Morrigan raised an intrigued brow, her lips curving into a grin. "Is Rachel always like this?"
"Yes," Richard answered, looking at Morrigan. "Rachel's quite moody. She usually gets this way when she's bored."
"Seems Thomas will be nursing a headache for a long while?" Morrigan smiled at Richard, who chuckled, sharing her amusement. "At least we won't be bored watching."
As Thomas and Rachel continued to bicker, Morrigan and Richard prepared for the journey. The road ahead was long.
"At least we have a carriage," Morrigan said with hope. Gale's mercenaries had brought plenty of provisions with them. It seemed Gale had truly become wealthy, considering they even had the finest beers and exquisite meals.
The carriage itself was fit for Morrigan, enough to even earn Thomas's praise. One of the reasons Rachel argued with Thomas was due to his behavior, which she found distasteful.
"Stop arguing and get ready," Morrigan raised her voice, and Thomas and Rachel immediately fell silent. Morrigan smiled and gave the two adults a firm look. "Good. Now, get in the carriage."
"Don't think we're done here, pig-face," Rachel muttered quickly and climbed into the carriage without waiting for Thomas's reply.
"Women," Thomas scoffed, then took his place at the front. Once everyone was ready, and with Morrigan's approval, they finally set off.
---
"Have they set off?"
"Y-yes, m-my lord..."
In a dark cellar, there were two men. One was the mysterious figure cloaked entirely in black, who had previously attempted an assassination on Morrigan.
The other was a thin, short man dressed in black from head to toe, with two short swords on his back and several Mana bombs strapped around his waist.
Eleven more men dressed in similar attire were with him, all trembling in the presence of the cloaked figure for reasons unknown.
"Follow them closely, 24/7. I want a report every single second. Do you understand?" the cloaked man commanded menacingly.
The twelve assassins shivered as they bowed and prostrated themselves before him. The cloaked man murmured with satisfaction, his gaze drifting to a crystal sphere displaying an image.
The image depicted Alice and the Prince strolling through a luxurious garden together as friends. The cloaked man's eyes gleamed with excitement as he watched Alice.
"If only I could possess her..."
"It's been a long time since I've feasted on a soul filled with such holy power..." The cloaked man licked his lips, a small glint flashing in his eyes.
As his thoughts returned to Morrigan, the crystal sensed it and shifted to display an image of Morrigan calmly drinking tea.
For some reason, the cloaked man trembled with rage upon seeing her. Beneath his cloak, a hand resembling that of an incredibly aged man emerged.
"Even after all these years, you're back in my path." His hand slowly tightened around the crystal sphere. "I'm both delighted and furious to see you again."
"I could never thank the gods enough for giving me the chance to make you suffer," he sneered at the mention of the gods. As the crystal sphere slightly cracked, his snake-like, sadistic voice grew more intense.
"And yet, I am enraged at the thought that you could once again become a threat..."
The cloaked man's power overwhelmed the crystal until it finally shattered. As he pulled his hand back, his eyes glowed a cold blue beneath the cloak.
"No matter where you run, I will destroy you, my dear Morgana..."
He laughed softly, then dismissed the still-trembling assassins in the corner and retreated to his chamber to continue planning his next moves.