Chapter 104: Hadrian's Predicament

"Ha!" Ryan laughed, his smile radiant: "Does Mr. Hadrian really think that sending me a couple of insignificant slaves would make us friends? If so, my friendship is indeed cheap."

"At the auction, it's all about fair competition. Since Mr. Hadrian insisted on competing with me, let him have it. But let's forget about becoming friends; I don't need friends who undermine their own for the sake of showing off." Ryan waved his hand, intending to leave.

"No, no, no! Mr. Hadrian genuinely wants to be your friend!" The butler quickly stopped Ryan, bowing again: "We know that these few cheap slaves cannot impress Mr. Ryan, but... what if we add a Dark Elf to the offer?"

Ryan paused in his tracks: "A Dark Elf?"

"Yes, let me put it simply, Mr. Hadrian was determined to acquire this Dark Elf! And this Dark Elf will serve as a testament to the friendship between Mr. Hadrian and Mr. Ryan! This afternoon, we will deliver that Dark Elf along with the other slaves to Mr. Ryan's residence!" the butler continued: "Please, Mr. Ryan, grant us the honor! All we've done was to catch Mr. Ryan's attention and friendship, with no ill intentions!"

Ryan was now interested.

That Dark Elf clearly caught the attention of most trading companies and many nobles. They openly let him have it as a gesture of respect to him, knowing his strength and ruthlessness, which they've witnessed; they wouldn't want to offend him over something so trivial.

But Hadrian's Luigi Commerce Association was different. This Southern merchant wanted that Dark Elf and had to carve out a path of blood.

Hadrian would have to spend an astonishing amount.

"Buying that Dark Elf would cost at least several thousand gold coins, just to make a good impression on me. Is it worth it?" Ryan smiled.

"It's worth it! Because we all believe Mr. Ryan is worth that price!" the butler said earnestly.

Ryan truly felt Hadrian's sincerity then. The accumulated displeasure and anger were redirected, and he became curious about Hadrian's intentions.

He knew this could be a carefully designed trap by Hadrian, hoping to win his attention. Yet, in such a situation, someone willing to spend a fortune just for a chance at friendship was a covert flattery that anyone would find hard to reject.

"Alright then, I live at... When you deliver the items this afternoon, just tell the guards they're for me, and they'll let you through. Also... if you're really going to send them, just send that girl Miranda. The other two aren't necessary; too many people and the house can't accommodate them." Ryan finally nodded, to the butler's ecstatic gaze.

With only two servant rooms on the first floor, and although they could squeeze in, Ryan felt it was better to give Emilia some personal space. Among the three slaves, Miranda was of the highest quality, so she was enough.

"And the Dark Elf! We'll send her too!" the butler immediately added.

"Interesting. Then I shall see how Mr. Hadrian manages to do so."

...

That afternoon, at 53 Amber Road.

"The auction this morning was really lively." Ryan changed into comfortable clothes and sat by the warm fireplace with a book. He had returned to witness the entire auction of the Dark Elf, amidst the frenzied competition from numerous merchants and nobles of Marlinburg. Hadrian bought the Dark Elf at a price nearly ten times the starting bid: "A final price of 12,000 gold marks, the highest for a slave in recent years."

"Such an astronomical price!" Emilia, dressed in a modified maid's outfit, sat across from Ryan. She was supposed to continue working, but Ryan gestured for her to sit and chat with him.

The modified maid's outfit had more decorations and patterns, with the skirt length adjusted from floor-length to about five centimeters below the knees, revealing her pretty legs in white stockings and black short boots.

"Is the multipurpose room on the third floor ready?" Ryan continued.

"It's ready, Mr. Ryan." Emilia nodded.

"Do you find it comfortable living here?"

"Very comfortable, thank you, Mr. Ryan!"

As snow fell outside and warmth filled the room, Ryan and Emilia conversed. Emilia felt Ryan's care and respect, contrasting her fearful past in Marlinburg with her current peace and comfort under Ryan's protection. She wished these days would last forever.

But if she wished for it to last forever, wouldn't she be... Her cheeks reddened at the thought.

"Emilia, you're nominally my maid, but I've never really seen you as one. Not to mention your education and knowledge of Gothic, but even just your combat skills, you're definitely not lacking. Am I right?" Ryan smiled warmly at Emilia: "You're at least an elite novice wanderer, right?"

"I'm an elite mid-level wanderer and an advanced master of disguise, Mr. Ryan," Emilia admitted truthfully. "But please don't tell anyone."

"You always surprise me, Emilia. Rest assured, you're just my maid..." Ryan was interrupted by a knock at the door, so he gestured for Emilia to answer it.

After a brief exchange of footsteps and a quiet inquiry from Emilia, the door opened.

A tall, handsome man in luxurious silk entered, his every detail meticulously adorned. The excessive lavishness seemed discordant and somewhat ridiculous on him, indicating he wasn't of true noble birth; true nobility takes generations to cultivate, not just wealth.

Clearly, this man was Hadrian.

"Hello, Mr. Hadrian!" Ryan stood to greet him: "Pleased to meet you!"

That morning, this Southerner made a lasting impression on Ryan by promising the Dark Elf and then battling the entire Marlinburg Senate. To many, he seemed foolish, but as the beneficiary, Ryan thought differently.

"It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Ryan! I've long admired your name! Champion who faced thousands of barbarians alone, unveiled the vile schemes of the Cult of Beautiful Harmony, and slew the Champion of the Blood God. I've always admired you, and I'm grateful for this opportunity to meet." Hadrian eagerly shook hands with Ryan.

"Ha, when a merchant spends over ten thousand gold marks just to see me, I have no reason to refuse his request." Ryan's tone carried a hint of sarcasm and incomprehension, inviting Hadrian to sit. Emilia served them hot milk, while the merchant's slaves and attendants waited outside in the snow.

"Thank you." Hadrian sat opposite Ryan, holding the warm milk, eager to speak: "I just want to earn your friendship."

"Take your time, we have a leisurely afternoon, and I'm not in a hurry. You don't have to keep emphasizing that." Ryan noticed Hadrian's urgency to explain his intentions, so he assured him to take his time.

"Much appreciated!" Hadrian, overjoyed by Ryan's patience, paused to organize his thoughts before speaking with a wry smile: "I admit I was a bit impulsive, Mr. Ryan."

"You realize that yourself? You were practically facing all the major trade unions and merchants of both the Senate and the House, alone. It was clear to everyone you were desperate for that Dark Elf, so they kept raising the price maliciously. In my opinion, if not for you, that Dark Elf would've sold for no more than six thousand gold marks. You made it too obvious." Ryan smirked: "You showed your hand too clearly."

"But I just wanted to prove a point! Mr. Ryan, I wanted to show those arrogant fools that even merchants from the southern countries have wealth and power not inferior to theirs!" Hadrian said indignantly, revealing his accumulated frustration and anger.

After chatting for a while, Ryan gradually understood why this merchant from a southern country suddenly acted so irrationally in competing with him and then spent a fortune on a Dark Elf as a gift. Hadrian's actions, while seemingly foolish—spending 12,000 gold coins, a staggering sum even in Marlinburg, for someone's impression—were not typical. Even if trying to befriend Ryan, this extreme method was unwise and akin to gambling, yet foolish.

But Hadrian was determined to make a statement, having been oppressed too long and deeply since arriving in Marlinburg.

This southern magnate encountered numerous troubles upon his arrival. He struggled to integrate into high society and faced unequal treatment. Seen as an outsider from a southern country, Marlinburg's merchants and nobles treated him like a fool, causing his business ventures to suffer from empty expenditures and constant harassment. Guilds acted uncooperatively, demanding more benefits while treating him as a joke.

Furthermore, his caravans were repeatedly attacked, and local guards treated him poorly.

Fed up, Hadrian knew he needed to act.

"Uh... So you spent over twelve thousand gold coins just to complain about the injustices you've faced? Um... I must say, I'm not a great listener." Ryan was amused and bewildered by Hadrian's outpouring. While Ryan did have influence in Marlinburg, it was doubtful he could help Hadrian break into the upper echelons of society; respect for Ryan was due to his strength, but that was personal.

Hadrian couldn't possibly believe that befriending Ryan would allow him to integrate into Marlinburg's elite, could he?

"It's not about that, Mr. Ryan. I'm here to ask for your help with something." Hadrian took out a scroll from his space ring: "Mr. Ryan, take a look. This is a mining vein I purchased some time ago, located deep within Marlinburg's mining district."

"Hmm, let me see." Ryan examined the scroll and noted the vein's distance from Marlinburg's city area—about fifteen kilometers: "What happened?"

"It's a mithril vein. I bought it for a high price and started mining, but when I sent people to work, I realized there was a problem." Hadrian's complexion turned pale: "Since we began mining, miners have been disappearing, going mad, and it's clear something's wrong with the vein. I was deceived again."

"Clearly, you need to organize patrols and guards; there must be something in the vein." Ryan nodded, offering a basic assessment.

"That's what I did, but it was useless because... the patrols and guards didn't encounter any monsters." Hadrian shook his head in frustration, his neatly groomed beard seeming even more bent: "The patrols... only found small animals, which even the miners could easily handle."

"Oh? And then?" Ryan wondered if it wasn't a monster, bandit, or malicious harasser.

"But the miners' conditions worsened. Many went mad or spoke incoherently, and nobody could understand them. Some even underwent mutations. I tried many methods, but nothing worked." Hadrian concluded: "So, I thought of you, Mr. Ryan. Please help me!"

"And what do I get in return?" Ryan nodded, finally getting to the heart of the matter.

"If Mr. Ryan can help me solve the problem with this mithril vein, I will transfer 80% of its ownership to you!" Hadrian offered a shocking deal, leaving Ryan agape.

Ryan knew the value of this mithril vein was at least 30,000 gold coins, and 80% ownership meant 24,000 gold coins. Even after deducting costs, it was close to 20,000 gold coins!

What was Hadrian planning?

"I just want to make a point! I want to show everyone that merchants from southern countries are no worse than those from the Empire! Money is not valuable; what's truly valuable is what money can't buy!" Hadrian clenched his fists, his face flushed with emotional agitation: "We can have the churches attest to our agreement. Mr. Ryan, will you help me?"

After pondering for a moment, Ryan finally agreed: "Then I will be happy to help you."

"Excellent!" Hadrian cheered, suddenly realizing something and calling out.

"Bring Mr. Ryan's gifts up!"

As servants responded and Emilia watched curiously, the promised slaves were brought in: the impoverished knight's daughter Miranda and a tall, dark-haired Dark Elf with wheat-colored skin.

Beautiful... truly beautiful. Even having seen the Dark Elf before, Ryan couldn't help but marvel at her beauty.

She was stunningly beautiful.

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