[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]
Chapter 76
The Graham Dukedom was the ruler of Phantasia, one of the three major cities of Midland.
In the past, during the Holy Empire era, it was a clan that boasted strong power, ruling the entire eastern region where Midland is currently located.
Even after the decline of the Holy Empire, the Graham clan continued to exert a powerful influence, leading the financial and real estate industries of the Central Continent.
Zeke, along with Farel and Felix, headed to Phantasia to visit this Graham clan.
Felix, riding in the carriage, was excited about the prospect of visiting the Graham clan.
"The Graham clan! Master, this isn't a dream, is it?"
Zeke clicked his tongue at Felix.
"We're not going there to play, Felix."
"B-But it's the Graham clan! The clan with the most handsome men and beautiful women on the continent!"
The Graham clan was famous for their outstanding appearance in addition to their wealth and power.
There were even rumors that they had the blood of the elf race, which had now disappeared, mixed in their lineage.
Zeke looked at Felix with a disapproving gaze.
Farel, who was next to them, said with a good-natured smile,
"Haha, the Graham clan's outstanding appearance is quite famous. Not only Felix but everyone who visits the Graham clan has such expectations. Don't be too hard on him, Sir Zeke."
Felix nodded in agreement with Farel and said to Zeke,
"See? It's strange that you're so indifferent to this, Master."
"Tsk. Stop talking nonsense and focus on your training."
Although Felix was four years older than Zeke, their conversation sounded like that of a naive squire and a stern knight.
Actually, there was another reason why Zeke didn't have any particular expectations for the Graham clan.
'I saw quite a bit of the Graham clan in my past life.'
The Graham clan, who had been involved in the financial industry for generations, fled to the Northern Continent after the Continental War broke out to avoid the Rom Empire's invasion.
They were in charge of supplying war materials from the rear, supporting the Northern Continent.
And in the process, Zeke had quite a few encounters with the Graham clan.
'They may have a pretty appearance, but if you knew how greedy those misers were, you wouldn't say a good word about them.'
The Graham clan never invested in anything that would put them at a disadvantage.
As a result, in his past life, they first sought refuge in the Northern Continent, but as the Imperial army advanced, they later sided with Nirvana to secure their safety.
Zeke, who had been betrayed by the Graham clan at the last minute, didn't have good feelings towards them.
'They're not a clan I'm particularly fond of, but they're certainly good with calculations, so I'll have to use them well.'
***
"Wow!"
Felix marveled at the scenery of Phantasia outside the carriage window.
If Atlas had a modern sophistication and Mycenae had an ancient elegance, Phantasia had a completely different charm.
"Wow, Master, this is the first time I've seen a city with so many different races."
Phantasia was a transportation hub, connecting to the Northern Alliance in the north and the Central Kingdom in the east.
Anyone traveling from the north to the center or from the center to the north would inevitably pass through Phantasia.
As a result, with the mixture of various races and cultures, Phantasia developed into a city with a unique and eclectic charm.
Cling! Cling! Cling! Cling!
In the city square, dwarves were attracting the attention of travelers by performing their traditional dances, and in another area, dwarves were displaying and selling goods they had made themselves.
Nagas, a snake-human race rarely seen in other cities, and the mystical bird-people were also occasionally seen.
Felix gaped at the wondrous sights, different from Atlas.
The carriage passed through downtown Phantasia and headed towards the Graham clan's castle.
With Zeke and Farel, who had clear identities, they were able to enter Graham Castle without difficulty.
The problem was that even meeting Duchess Catherine Graham was an obstacle.
As a prominent figure in social circles, her schedule was packed, and it wasn't possible to meet her immediately.
Farel returned to the reception room after speaking with the head servant.
His expression wasn't good.
"It seems the Duchess is very busy, as it's the start of the debutante season. I apologize, Sir Zeke."
Zeke nodded at Farel's words.
"Thank you for your efforts, Sir Farel. I'll try talking from here."
Zeke rang the bell to summon a servant.
A servant of the Graham clan immediately entered the reception room.
"Do you need anything?"
Zeke said to the servant,
"I'd like to meet His Excellency the Duke."
"May I ask what business you have with His Excellency the Duke?"
Zeke replied,
"Tell him that I'm interested in investing in the mithril mine."
The servant, surprised by the unexpected words, asked back,
"I-Investment in the mine, you say?"
"Yes."
The servant tried to hide his bewildered expression and left the reception room.
And exactly 30 minutes later, instead of the Duke, a young man appeared in the reception room.
"My name is Albert Graham."
He seemed to be the banker in charge of investments for the Graham clan.
As expected of a Graham blood relative, he was incredibly handsome.
Zeke said to Albert,
"I said I wanted to meet the Duke."
Albert replied with a stiff expression,
"The Duke is away on an external meeting, so I came instead. If it's about investment consultation, you can speak with me. I heard you're interested in investing in the mithril mine."
Albert only said what he wanted to say.
Zeke said in a calm voice,
"I heard that the exploration work for the mineral veins in the northern mountain range is in full swing."
"That's correct. We've practically found the mineral veins, so if you invest now, you can be guaranteed a stable profit."
Zeke grinned and said,
"That's a bit different from what I heard. I heard that you've been working on mineral exploration for three years, but there are no results yet, and the initial investment funds have almost dried up."
Albert's eyes trembled slightly at Zeke's pointed words.
Zeke inwardly laughed as he looked at Albert.
'The mithril vein will be discovered around next year. I remember the Graham clan almost went bankrupt before the vein was finally found and they narrowly escaped, but I didn't know I'd be using this information like this.'
Albert Graham regained his composure and asked Zeke in a somewhat arrogant voice, "What level of investment are you considering? Mine development is an investment that requires a large amount of funds, so we are not currently accepting small investments."
Zeke took out a check issued by the Northern Bank from his pocket.
Albert's eyes widened as he glanced at the amount on the check.
"F-Five hundred thousand gold?"
Albert was surprised to see Zeke present an amount far exceeding his expectations.
Even Farel and Felix were speechless at the astronomical figure of five hundred thousand gold.
Zeke said to Albert,
"Would this be enough for an investment?"
Albert, who had been wearing an arrogant expression, took out a handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
"O-Of course. Will you be investing the entire amount?"
"That's what I intend to do."
Albert's expression completely changed as he received the check.
"S-Sir Zeke, would it be alright if I confirm the check with the Northern Bank first?"
"Of course."
Albert wrote down the check information and left the reception room for a moment.
And ten minutes later, Albert returned to the reception room with Duke Graham.
Duke Graham offered Zeke a handshake.
"Sir Zeke! I apologize. I've just finished my external meeting and have kept you waiting. My name is Brian Graham."
As rumored, Duke Graham was incredibly handsome.
Zeke knew he was in his fifties, but judging from his appearance alone, he looked no older than thirty.
After shaking hands with Duke Graham, Zeke asked Albert, who was standing behind him,
"Have you confirmed the check?"
"I-It's been confirmed. There's no problem with the investment."
With the Graham clan short on funds, Zeke, who brought a large sum of 500,000 gold, was like a savior.
Duke Graham immediately drew up an investment contract without delay.
By investing 500,000 gold, Zeke was able to secure a 38% stake in the mining project.
It was the highest percentage of individual ownership.
The Duke's attitude towards Zeke, who became a major shareholder in the mithril mine, was very polite.
"Sir Zeke, we have other good investment opportunities, would you like to take a look?"
Zeke shook his head at the Duke's offer.
"I have to participate in the upcoming Draker Martial Arts Tournament, so I don't have time to consider other investments."
The astute Duke Graham immediately understood Zeke's implication.
He smiled at Zeke and said,
"The Draker Martial Arts Tournament! It's a dream stage for young and capable knights. Ah, come to think of it, there's a way I can help you, Sir Zeke."
"What kind of help?"
"I'll arrange a meeting with my wife, Catherine. My wife is well acquainted with the central region nobles, so she might have heard some information about this Draker Martial Arts Tournament."
"It would be a great help if you could do that."
"Let's have dinner together tonight. My wife will be delighted to have a chance to get to know such an excellent knight as Sir Zeke."
After promising to have dinner together that evening, the Duke and Albert Graham left the reception room.
They then gave Zeke and his party the best room in the castle and had the most beautiful servants attend to them.
Farel was dumbfounded by the dramatically changed treatment.
"I-I never imagined such a method, Sir Zeke."
"Sometimes, money is the quickest solution, Sir Farel."
Zeke had learned from bitter experience in his past life that although there were things money couldn't solve, there were actually more things it could.
And that evening, Zeke and his party were able to meet Catherine Graham at the dinner table.
Catherine Graham smiled and greeted Zeke.
"I've heard a lot about you from the Duke. He says you're the most talked-about knight on the continent right now."
Catherine Graham, with her gorgeous blonde hair, was the epitome of a central region noblewoman.
In addition to her glamorous appearance, her every word and gesture exuded the refinement of a central region aristocrat.
"You flatter me. I still have much to learn."
The dinner proceeded formally.
Appropriate greetings and polite conversations about various issues on the continent were exchanged.
After dinner, Catherine rose from her seat and said,
"It would be a shame not to have tea after a meal like this."
Duke Graham subtly excused himself, and Catherine, Zeke, and Farel moved to the tea table on the balcony.
Felix stood behind them, guarding their seats.
Catherine sipped her tea with an elegant posture and said to Zeke,
"I heard you're participating in the Draker Martial Arts Tournament."
Zeke nodded.
"That's correct."
"I've heard that the Draker Martial Arts Tournament is different from other competitions, with events that surprise people every time. Do you happen to know what events have been decided for this tournament?"
Zeke shook his head.
"I haven't heard any news yet."
Catherine covered her mouth and smiled slightly.
"I see. I'll give you a little hint about what I've heard from others. I'd like to see you achieve good results in the tournament, Sir Zeke..."
"Lady Catherine."
Catherine's eyes widened as Zeke interrupted her.
Zeke said to her,
"I didn't come here just to hear some simple information."
Catherine's eyebrows twitched slightly.
"I don't quite understand what you mean, Sir Zeke."
"I would like you to help me, Lady Catherine."
Zeke didn't beat around the bush and directly conveyed his intentions.
Catherine closed her fan and slowly rose from her seat.
"It's getting quite late. Sir Zeke, Sir Farel, I had a lovely time. I hope we can have another pleasant conversation next time."
As Catherine flatly expressed her refusal, Zeke said to her,
"I want to make a deal."
Catherine turned her head to look at him.
Zeke slowly opened his mouth.
"If I can cure your daughter, Lady Angelina's, illness, would you agree to the deal?"
[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]