Taming The Villainesses

Episode 238.2

(EP-238.2) Summer Vacation #3

238 – Each Summer Vacation #3

I felt like I’d been racking up a bunch of experience for Casanova ever since I got Vassago.

Creak.

Finally, after passing through a sturdy and solid-looking door, I arrived at the reception room of the Gracia branch of the Elvendine Merchants Guild.

The reception room was reminiscent of a museum, with everything from swords and armor to all kinds of accoutrements, vases, pottery, and taxidermy of various strange creatures. 

Even for someone like me who had seen all kinds of bizarre things, I was left gaping in awe at the sight. Such a vast array of precious and expensive-looking items.

As I was eyeing a taxidermied bird that looked like a crow but was much larger, Deneb, handing me a cup of tea, said.

“Ah, I hunted and taxidermied that black eagle myself. Isn’t it cool?”

“You hunt as well?”

“Hunting and display are basic skills of elves.”

‘I see.’

I’d heard that the elves, one of the fairy races of this world, had a widespread culture of hunting, tracking, and showing off their trophies.

They used to hunt in vast grasslands and could boast of their hunting prowess and taxidermy.

Now they hunted for deals in auction houses and stock markets and flaunted their wealth. After all, there was nothing quite like overflowing capital to show off to others.

“Hunting and commerce are fun. Don’t nymphs think so?”

Suddenly, the conversation turned to nymphs. It was probably because I was a half-nymph that she asked. I pondered for a moment, trying to think of an appropriate response.

“Nymphs enjoy playing at home.”

“I see. Well, our merchant guild does offer lifelong tailored savings service for lazy and foolish nymphs.”

Lazy and foolish nymphs…. 

It was then that I remembered that despite both being fairy races, nymphs and elves didn’t get along well.

Nymphs gathered to sing, play, and enjoyed splashing around in ditches and streams, while elves consider it a virtue to live so busily that they would have no time to gain weight.

The two were like grasshoppers and ants; they just didn’t mix.

Then Deneb smiled and said. 

“Of course, this doesn’t apply with someone as greatly passionate as Sir Theo. Thanks to your and Queen Tarantera’s cooperation, the spider necklace we sponsored has already sold out.”

“That’s good news.”

“Nymph white stockings are selling like hotcakes, and the whitening creams and beauty products rumored to be used by Queen Tarantera are also selling well… and….”

Like I said, elves love to show off. 

If this continued, I’d be stuck listening to product talk and sales figures all day, so I cleared my throat….

“Hm, hmm, more importantly, Deneb-nim.”

“You can just call me comfortably.”

“Then, Deneb-ssi. I’d like to tell you a little bit about why I’m here. The reason for my visit is….”

“You need a large loan, right?”

As expected of a business person, she was quick on the uptake. It felt nice that I wouldn’t have to do a lengthy explanation.

Thanks to that, I was able to get straight to the point and explain the purpose of my visit and the amount needed.

After hearing everything, Deneb started flicking the abacus she brought out from somewhere, before finally… She let out a long nasal sound.

“For the funds of this martial festival… Considering the average cost of previous tournaments and adding in the various variables, the expected amount would be around this.”

Chareureu-.

She showed me the abacus. But being accustomed to 21st-century phones, computers, and calculators, I naturally didn’t know how to read it.

Seeing my slightly furrowed brow, Deneb skillfully explained.

“It’ll cost around 750,000 gold.”

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“750,000…?”

That was enormous! I felt dizzy for a moment.

As far as I knew, building a sturdy fortress at a key location costs about 300,000 gold. But more than twice that amount might be spent on a single festival.

However, Deneb’s subsequent explanation was somewhat reasonable.

“The martial festival has no qualification requirements. With no restrictions on nationality or status, participants will flock in droves. Therefore, we’d need to hire personnel to manage them and have the infrastructure to accommodate them all…”

Jwaljwaljwal-. 

When you considered the infrastructure needed to handle the influx of people from around the world, this was actually a conservative estimate.

A worldwide martial festival.

If you thought about the budget required to host the Olympics or the World Cup, the astronomical amount made sense. The problem was that it would be hard to squeeze that kind of money from Angmar’s already strained national budget.

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“Considering the current usage trend of the Angmar Kingdom’s budget and the collected tax revenue, the amount we can lend to you is….”

Guild Representative Deneb continued to list complex terms without a break.

Only a few years ago, I was just an ordinary person, and now I felt like a small business owner sitting in front of a stingy bank employee, trying to secure a loan.

The borrower was always in the weaker position, and the lender would be king. 

This remains unchanged even between the bank and a country.

However, I didn’t come to them unprepared.

“Stella Von Bellhawk.”

As soon as I mentioned this name, the chattering Deneb’s face slightly hardened. This name was the only stigma and blemish of the Bellhawk’s merchant guild, so it was a natural reaction.

Thus, I decided to exploit this blemish.