/
After building a fountain, I could use those donations and make them count as my donations somehow. Even though it’s indirect, wouldn’t they still technically be mine?
“And if I just paste my name on the fountain to declare that I’m the chief sponsor, then leave its management to the temple, I won’t have to be bothered with anything at all.”
Fortunately, a notification window didn’t pop up anywhere to counter my idea.
After coming to this conclusion, I talked to Victor about it right after class so that the plan could be implemented right away.
He listened to me intently, and his expression was clearly full of interest.
“That is a truly wonderful idea.”
…And he even praised me, too.
I then asked a favor about getting the high priest’s written consent, and thankfully, Victor showed a positive response to this.
Perhaps he already mentioned this request of mine to the high priest by now.
‘So then, what I need to do next is…’
* * *
Elsewhere, at a dark alley—
Even though it was still daytime, not a single beam of light reached the long, meandering alleyway.
It was located at the underbelly of the great capital of the empire.
After all, behind light, there was always darkness.
Everyone who stayed here in this dark alley looked dreadfully cold, but they persistently stayed in their dilapidated tents in hopes of selling their wares.
There was a variety of goods on display here.
From weapons, which looked positively dangerous, to plants, which had mysteriously unclear origins.
There were even jewels here, and it would be difficult to tell whether they were real or fake.
Even so, there was one trait that every single item had in common.
They’re not being legally distributed.
‘Bastion.’
This was the name of the dangerous alley, where all kinds of illegalities were rampant.
As such, the customers who come to a place such as this also usually bring a ton of money.
Illegal items tend to cost a fortune.
When two men entered the alley, the merchants stared at them with their eyes wide open.
Those two men were covered from head to toe with thick cloaks, however the air of elegance that surrounded them was undeniable.
Especially the taller man.
Through the cloak, his long legs and broad shoulders were apparent.
As well as his firm back, his steady saunter.
Evident to anyone who had eyes was this one fact: this customer was loaded.
“Ohhh, you two over there, big bros! We’ve got amazing merchandise available for you today! Wanna come see?”
“No, don’t go there, this place is better. We’ve got fantastic poisonous herbs over here, why don’t you take a look?”
“Ehh, you wouldn’t have any need for those herbs! Come here, come here. We have a lot of rare jewelry that’s difficult to get!”
“Tsk, this punk. Are you purposely making my customers uncomfortable?”
“What a joke. Who are ‘ya to say they’re your customers?! It should be the one who gets to them first!”
As the merchants’ solicitation couldn’t continue here and there, quarrels eventually broke out.
They started scrambling to stake their claim on the customers. It’s something that happened a lot in these parts.
If the customers were just ordinary people, they would have immediately cowered. However, the two men did not even give those merchants a single glance, as if they were not interested at all.
They just went their own way.
As the merchants were fighting amongst themselves, they only belatedly realized that their potential customers were about to slip through their grasp. So, they quickly clung onto them.
“Uhhh, hey! How could you just leave? Can’t you take a look before you go, huh?!”
When one of the merchants suddenly shouted as if threatening him, the tall man stopped in his tracks.
The other man also stopped walking.
“Will you be dealing with it, sir?”
When the question was whispered to him, the tall man—Hildeon Cairos—raised one eyebrow.
Up until just one year ago, Hildeon had still been rolling on the battlefield.
It’s been a long time now since the empire had waged war against the pagans, and Hildeon himself had entered that war.
Many people were worried about how the crown prince would be at the forefront of war, but they soon realized that their concerns were unneeded.
He was the strongest man in the whole empire.
And the most blessed member of the imperial family since the first emperor.
Despite it being a chaotic battleground, no one dared to confront Hildeon.
Rather, he returned from war with one particular nickname.
‘Bringer of misfortune’.
He was given this moniker because not one single enemy who dared approach him survived.
The war had been going on for the longest time, ravaging both sides. However, it all ended quickly with just his individual participation.
Of course, the victor was the empire.
So, for a man such as him to be present in this den of criminals…
“Never mind. There’s no need to bother.”
Not a hint of fear could be gleaned from his demeanor.
As his green eyes scanned his surroundings, they glinted with unconcealed disdain.
‘Mold that’s eating away at the Empire.’
Raised as the crown prince since birth, his love for the empire was incomparable. And so, he harbored a great deal of contempt for these kinds of people.
He was wracked with the urge to stop all the crime that’s happening here right this instant.
However, there was a different reason as to why he came to this place.