NOVEL NEXT Chapter 20: Isolda Evergarden VI (1)
Back at Bahamut’s mansion.
“Lord, what is that?”
Bahamut was taking a walk in the garden with a paper in his hand.
Seeing that, Ophelia became curious and asked a question, and Bahamut replied in a mildly excited tone.
“Ah… it’s a plan for what to do next. I’m thinking of starting right after this business trip.”
“I see… you are always very busy, Lord..”
“Well, there are many things I have to do, many things I want to do, and things I have to prepare for.”
“Preparation… but Lord, don’t you already have a lot of money? I heard that the previous work in Vienna was also very profitable…”
From Ophelia’s point of view, who had to risk her life for even a penny just a few months ago, Bahamut already had assets that could last a lifetime, so she was unable to comprehend his reasons behind wanting to do more.
“It may be a personal desire, but more than anything, in the future… umm… well… I’ll let you know the details later. It doesn’t seem like the right time yet.”Bahamut spoke with sincerity. His words made Ophelia think that there must be something important that she didn’t know about, but it was impossible for her to think of anything more than that.
“What should I say… you don’t have to mind me that much, and I think it’ll be a very difficult thing for me to understand anyways.”
“Haha… well, I guess. It’s not that serious, so don’t worry about it. Right now you just have to do your best in what you can do.”
Bahamut smiled and gently stroked Ophelia’s head.
“Lord…”
At that, Ophelia blushed slightly, and, began to motivate herself once more.
‘Yes, that’s right. All I have to do is to take up my sword and serve my Lord. In order to do that, I have to become stronger than I am now. In order to meet my Lord’s expectations, I must grow to the level of those famous high-level adventurers… no, even beyond that…’
Even now, Ophelia was confident that she wouldn’t lose against a fair number of humans.
However, she knew very well that alone was not enough.
She knew how many flying and crawling monsters there were in the world.
In this harsh world, in order to protect her Lord who planned to operate on a continental level, she had to become strong, very strong.
‘I will definitely become stronger! No matter who appears… even if the opponent is the White Dragon Princess or the Rose Empress…’
***
Isolda and Yuria left Sellenberg in their carriage and entered the territory of the Holy Empire.
Although they had to travel a considerable distance, and because of that, they needed to be extra careful about their safety, to be honest, Isolda was somewhat at ease.
It wasn’t just because of Yuria’s dogs.
Due to the rough mountainous terrain, the area around Schwyz and Sellenberg were frequented by thieves and bandits, but as soon as they entered the Holy Empire, such danger was greatly reduced.
The area around here was a wide open plain. As a powerhouse on the continent, the security inside the Holy Empire was well maintained, and the people’s lives were relatively affluent, so there were relatively few cases of bandit attacks.
However, after Carol, the current ruler, took over, there was a little problem in the economic aspect of the Empire. The current ruler raised concerns that the prestige of the Uranus Merchant Company, which held the Empire’s commercial power, had increased to an excessive level.
“In other words, as things go on, the power of the merchants of the Holy Empire will become stronger. For those of us starting from scratch, this will be a great opportunity.”
“I see… it’s an interesting story. As I thought, Miss Isera is really amazing! You know all these complex facts.”
“Well… I used to be a top merchant in the past. Even though it’s all in ruins now.”
Isolda spoke with a bit of pride followed by a sudden feeling of bitterness.
In response, Yuria nodded and spoke to her in a quiet voice.
“My parents were similar. When I was young, I heard that they used to lead a famous company.”
A dark shadow fell on Yuria’s face as she recalled the vague memories of the past.