In order to head to Edina Archipelago, I needed Lucynil.
It wasn't a pressing matter, but there was no reason to delay either. So, I entrusted a letter to be sent to Count Argon Ponteus through the Rotatory Gang.
Although I had to be cautious about my movements, I had no intention of visiting Count Argon Ponteus's house directly, even if I wore the Sarkegaar's ring.
I left the Rotatory Gang's headquarters and headed to the pre-arranged contact point.
As it would take some time for the message to reach its destination, I waited until nightfall.
The meeting place was in the lower part of Irene, slightly off the Royal Road.
It was a place rarely frequented by people.
Waiting like this was doable if there was time, but it would be difficult in urgent situations.
Although I was currently staying at Count Argon Ponteus's mansion, I couldn't help but think that I needed to find a more convenient way to contact Lucynil.
How much time had I killed by the riverside in the darkness?
-Swish
A faint mist gathered in the air, soon taking the shape of a silver-haired girl.
-Click
"Hello, Archdemon?" she said, as she lightly landed on the ground and looked up at me.
"You're here."
"Yeah, I'm here."
"But what was that just now? Was it something like teleportation?"
"Huh? Oh... this?"
Lucynil briefly blurred her body, turning into mist before materializing again.
"It's a vampire's ability. It's not instant teleportation. It just allows me to move quickly."
The ability to transform into mist – Eleris never demonstrated such an ability. Perhaps it was a power unique to a specific lineage.
Could each lineage have its own unique ability?
While I was pondering that, Lucynil put her hand on her hip.
"Anyway, you need me?"
"Yes, you have to go somewhere with me right now."
"Where?"
"A place called Edina Archipelago in the southern part of the empire, do you know it?"
At my question, Lucynil crossed her arms as if she couldn't believe it.
"How old do you think I am? I know a fair bit about geography. Though, there have been cases where some countries I knew end up disappearing."
Had I asked too simple a question for someone who'd lived for countless years? Lucynil tilted her head as she looked at me.
"So, what's the reason for going to that southern island nation?"
"There's someone I need to meet there."
There was no point in giving Lucynil a detailed explanation, as she wouldn't understand anyway, so I left it at that.
Lucynil seemed to have an attitude of letting me do whatever I wanted. She didn't seem to be opposed or supportive.
Lucynil looked around.
"Alright. There's no one around to see us, so should we go now? It's quite a distance, so I'll have to cast it multiple times."
"Yes, let's go."
Lucynil focused her mind and began casting Mass Teleport.
Whether it was Lucynil or Eleris, their personalities were quite different, but one thing they both shared was their reliability.
***
At the southernmost tip of the empire lay Edina Archipelago, a place so far from the mainland that it was beyond the range of even the massive warp gates. Under normal circumstances, one would have to take a boat to reach the islands.
Although there were warp gates on the islands for travel between them, they weren't connected to the mainland.
-Pop!
Lucynil cast several consecutive teleportation spells.
I was able to arrive in Lazark, the port city of Edina Archipelago, where I had visited the Granz family's villa before.
Upon our arrival at the outskirts of Lazark, Lucynil's eyes lit up.
"Wow! It's snowing here?"
Edina Archipelago was not a tropical area, so it was winter here as well, and large snowflakes were falling around us. Lucynil excitedly stepped on the snow.
"… You've seen snow plenty of times at the Council."
Hadn't she complained about being sick of it back then?
"Archdemon, is the snow that comes in a place with winds so strong it feels like your face will be ripped off the same as this peaceful snow falling quietly in a cozy port town like this?"
"What's the difference?"
"Ugh, it's quite refreshing to see someone much younger than me acting like a grumpy old man."
It was truly bizarre that Lucynil's sensitivity hadn't died down even after living for such a long time. Anyway, we stood on the outskirts of Lazark, watching the snow-covered port city.
"Anyway, who do we have to meet?"
"A friend? Colleague? Someone like that who runs a bar..."
To be honest, I could barely remember anything about Iris other than her pink hair. I could've asked last time, but I didn't. Lucynil tilted her head at my words.
"A bar? What does your grand dream of rebuilding Darkland have to do with your colleague running a bar in the southernmost corner of the continent?"
"I decided to think of it as the first step toward controlling the imperial finances. The details are complicated and ambiguous, so it's hard to explain."
"… I see? I guess that's how it is then."
"Yep."
Lucynil seemed to accept that, staring blankly at the falling snowflakes.
This girl, always helping with everything but never caring about the results. A feeling like, "As long as I help, whether it works out or not is not my problem."
Eleris at least was curious about my intentions.
I should just go with the flow. She's helping, but if something goes wrong, it's not her fault.
Was that what being versatile meant?
"Anyway, don't call me Archdemon in public anymore. I don't want to draw any weird attention."
Even though I knew there wouldn't be anyone who could recognize me here, I had changed my appearance to something completely different from Reinhardt.
"Alright, Reinhardt."
"Good."
I was no longer Reinhardt in appearance, but still Reinhardt in name. It wasn't a particularly rare name, so it was acceptable.
***
I entered Lazark and tried to inquire about Iris's tavern. I didn't even know the name of the place, and merely asked if there were many taverns frequented by attractive women in the area.
The last time I had been here, it was already famous enough to cause havoc in the city, so I thought if I simply asked around, I would quickly find it.
"…?"
However, the passing pedestrian frowned upon hearing my question.
"What are you talking about now?"
"…Pardon?"
"That tavern has been closed for quite some time."
With that said, the pedestrian quickly walked away.
Closed? During all this time, Eleris had been busy with matters related to the Royal Road and hadn't been able to pay attention to the happenings in Edina Archipelago.
Had something happened to Iris in the meantime?
"Seems like a peculiar situation?"
"…Indeed?"
Lucynil and I stared at each other, but we couldn't find an answer to the situation since neither of us knew anything.
I walked a bit further and asked more pedestrians. Most of the responses were that they knew about the tavern, but it had been closed for a while and there was no point in going there.
"Ah, that tavern? Too bad. I used to go there quite often…"
He was clearly a drunken patron from the look of it. The heavily intoxicated man licked his lips.
"Are the tavern staff… Are those people safe?"
At my question, he frowned.
"Safe? You ask if they're safe? Heh, heh, heh…"
He laughed incredulously and walked past me.
Had something happened to Iris and the succubi? Were they discovered to be succubi, causing them to suffer or even die?
Their business seemed successful, but it also appeared that they had caused quite a few family disasters.
Had that eventually become a problem, leading to an explosion of public discontent?
Such dreadful possibilities swirled in my mind.
I stopped the next pedestrian to ask.
This time, it was a middle-aged woman.
"I heard there was a famous tavern with many attractive women in Lazark, but it seems to be closed now. Do you know what happened?"
"…Why do you ask?"
The middle-aged woman frowned upon hearing my direct question.
"I was just wondering if any of them got hurt or anything…"
"Hurt? Hurt, my foot!"
"…Excuse me?"
"Who'd hurt those good-for-nothing girls? I wish they'd just drop dead! Ptui!"
The middle-aged woman spat in disgust and walked away.
What was going on?
What on earth had happened?
The answer came from the next person I asked.
"Oh, those women you're talking about?"
This person didn't seem to have much interest in alcohol, as there was no hint of disappointment in their voice.
"They quit the alcohol business quite a while ago and switched to money lending."
No way.
What on earth did that mean?
The old man I was speaking to pointed in one direction of Lazark.
There, even from a distance, stood a rather large stone building that stood out.
"They don't do business with commoners like us. They mainly lend money to shipowners leading trade fleets and nobles. It seems to be going well for them. They must've given up on their original business."
It wasn't that the business had failed.
On the contrary, it had gone so well that they no longer needed to run it. As a passerby walked by, Lucynil grabbed my sleeve with a blank expression.
"Is this that thing you mentioned earlier... the Empire's financial power or something?"
"Well... it seems like it."
"Why do you also seem like you didn't expect it?"
I merely suggested that they should try to gain the Empire's financial power, but they closed the pub and already transitioned to the money lending business?
Just how much money did they make?
Lucynil and I walked toward the building that the passerby had pointed out.
***
Iris's pub had been running successfully. So, the regular customers seemed disappointed when they saw the transition to a money lending business.
Pawnshops, loans, money lending.
It seemed to be called various names, but the stone building Lucynil and I arrived at was as big as a financial institution.
When a pawnshop gets this big, what's the difference between it and a financial institution?
I expected to see a pub bustling in the middle of the night, but when did they build this building?
[Angel Capital]
The name of the company was even engraved on the high entrance.
"I don't know much about finance, but angels and money lending seem like a really incompatible combination."
"...I think so too."
Even Lucynil's exasperated muttering.
Despite it being midnight, bright light flowed from the inside.
Moreover, there was some commotion near the entrance.
A young woman in a black suit and a middle-aged man with a protruding belly.
It wasn't Iris, but the feeling was that it was definitely one of the succubi I had rescued.
"Hey, just let this one time slide. I told you many times, my money is tied up right now. Huh?"
"Captain, how many times have I told you? Please keep the interest payment deadline. We're also running our money tight, and if the deadline isn't met, it's not just one or two things that get ruined. I told you several times to be careful about the penalties when the deadline isn't met, and in return, we lowered the interest rate."
"Ah, I know. Of course, I know. But who knew things would turn out like this? Just one week, wait just one week and I'll pay triple the interest I couldn't pay on time. Seriously, something happened and suddenly my funds got completely stuck. I've never had this problem before, you know?"
"I'm sorry, Captain, I really want to help you, but it's not something I can decide on my own. I've been strictly warned to follow the guidelines. The amount of interest isn't important right now. We once lost a big deal because we extended the deadline at our discretion, which caused financial difficulties. I'm really sorry, Captain."
"Yuria... Please, I beg you. Do you think I care about the small amount of interest? I'm the captain of a Lenos-class trading ship. I'm not the kind of person to fret over such a small amount of money, you know? I've never been in a situation where I've regretted something like this. Just look at my face. Please? How can it not work? Do you think it makes sense for me to default on this amount? If you help me just this once, I'll repay you later."
Watching the unfolding scene was giving me a headache.
What on earth was going on?
The middle-aged man's persistent pleas seemed to wear down the succubus named Yuria, who sighed heavily.
"I can't help it. I've known you, Captain, for more than just a day or two. But you must know this is the last time, right? If the due date is late next time, it's not just your problem, but my neck will be on the line too. You got that? As much as you value me."
"Of course! When have I ever broken a promise with you? Huh?! Except, well, this time! Haha!"
"Fine, I'll extend the deadline by a week, but you have to be prepared next time. You know it's difficult even with my authority, right?"
"Of course! Not only the interest, but I'll also repay the principal in a week!"
The middle-aged man burst into hearty laughter upon hearing the assurance and left.
The Capital employee, presumably a succubus named Yuria, looked at us blankly standing near the entrance after the man left.
"Are you visitors?"
"You could say that..."
At my words, Yuria scratched her cheek with an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry. Angel Capital only provides financial services to carefully selected VIP customers, and we don't accept new customers. Unless you have a recommendation from an existing member, it's difficult to use our services."
This was a loan shark business.
But it wasn't an ordinary loan shark targeting commoners.
It was unclear how we ended up here from the bar, but considering the scale, it was obvious they made a fortune.
Right now, I was neither Valier nor Reinhardt, so they wouldn't recognize me.
"Tell the boss that 'the last remaining family' has arrived. They'll understand."
"…!"
There were many ways to summon Iris.
Though not related by blood, we were the last remaining family.
The royalty of Darkland.
Except for Iris herself, I was the only other family member left, and they would certainly understand.
"…I will escort you. This way."
And if Yuria was a succubus, she had no choice but to understand.
