Chapter 89: I took away Yeju's first love.
Aster sent a reply after hearing news about the Cassel family's tyranny. It seemed he was also completely unaware of the situation. The letter mentioned that the Cassel family had monopolized all small business logistics and had also been found to have purchased large amounts of farmland under other people's names.
'They seem to have dug their claws into more places than I thought.'
Then, in the latter part of the letter, an unexpected story emerged.
[It seems the relationship between the Cassel family and Sir Raymond is not good. Signs of conflict have been found everywhere.]
The black-and-white photo that came with the letter showed several buildings owned by the Cassel family with signs of being burned. The buildings were in ruins, and the people around them had a dazed, unfocused look in their eyes.
A deep and intense anger could be felt.
In the original story, I remember Raymond's relationship with the Cassel family wasn't that bad.
"Miss, the boat is ready."
At Lily's voice, I lifted my head.
"I'll be out in a moment."
Today, we were going to enter the Saban Islands by boat. We were harvesting salt from the Saban Islands, which we had taken from Wilhelm. I planned to build a resort on one of these islands, complete with a large spa, swimming pool, and luxurious guest rooms. I wanted to create a perfect dream place where I could relax and enjoy myself after everything was done.
When I went down to the first floor, three bodyguards and a carriage were waiting for me. Pio, looking exhausted, was clinging to Lily, probably because of the heat.
"He must have been affected by the heat."
Seeing him struggle made me worried, but I also thought it was karma for getting involved with Andrew because of Pio.
"Give him some cool water and ice."
Lily, who had prepared cold water, carried Pio into the carriage. Throughout the journey to the port, Lily seemed to be focused entirely on Pio.
At the driver's words, I got out of the carriage. Larence, while not as developed commercially as the eastern part, was still a fairly large port city. Ships were busy loading and unloading goods, but there weren't many people working.
'They must be fighting Giovanni.'
Despite this, the fact that some people were already out working suggested it wouldn't be easy.
"This is the boat, Miss."
Following the bodyguard's words, we boarded the ship. After about an hour, we arrived at Pahiti Island, the largest of the Saban Islands. The sea was so clear that we could see the white sandy beach and coral reefs, and palm trees were visible in the distance.
Lily murmured in awe. We toured the island, marveling at the beautiful natural scenery that seemed to come straight out of a dream.
"I can't imagine what kind of resort we could build here."
"We'll build a few detached houses, a hotel, and a spa."
It would require a lot of money. One perfume shop wouldn't be enough. Of course, with the family's help, it wouldn't be impossible, but I wanted to achieve this on my own.
"It might be difficult for now. We'll have to expand gradually."
After touring the island, we returned to the boat and had lunch under a palm tree. The menu included toast with ham, cheese, and tomatoes on buttered bread, and iced tea. As we ate and rested, I noticed people in the distance looking at us curiously, as if they wanted to say something.
"Lily, can you go ask who those people are and why they're looking at us?"
Lily got up and approached them, then returned.
"They are residents of Pahiti Island. They say they want to show you something because you are the owner of the island."
"Yes. They seem to have something they want to ask, but if you're busy, you don't have to go."
Lily didn't seem to like the idea, adding that it might be troublesome.
"Still, if they came all this way, it must be important."
I approached them with the bodyguards. The residents' faces brightened when they saw me. A sturdy middle-aged man stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and greeted me.
"It's an honor to meet you, Lady Pioneer. I am Marco, the village chief here."
His formal manner seemed more fitting for a knight or someone who had graduated from an academy.
"You have something to say to me?"
"Yes, Lady. I came to show you something important."
"A cave was discovered after an earthquake recently. Strange things have been happening in that cave."
"Strange things? Can you be more specific?"
After hesitating for a moment, Marco spoke.
"To put it bluntly... ghosts appear."
At the mention of ghosts, Lily, who seemed fearless, fainted on the spot. She was immediately taken to the village chief's house.
"Miss, I... I need to go with you..."
Lily, pale and trembling, looked like she was about to faint again. I shook my head.
"Stay here. The rest of you, follow me."
I handed Lily to one of the bodyguards and carried the groaning Pio out of the room. Marco, who had been waiting, stood up.
With Marco leading the way, we headed to the location. On the way, he explained the situation.
"It's not exactly ghosts. It seems to show people or scenes from memory."
According to Marco, it wasn't completely unknown people appearing. It seemed to show people they desperately wanted to see or scenes from their past.
"It's all speculation, but that's my experience."
"The things I saw were not of dead people."
Marco fell silent after saying that. If it wasn't ghosts, I had a rough idea of what it might be.
[What are you going to do about seeing ghosts?]
Pio, who had been quiet, muttered.
"Do you really think ghosts will appear?"
Pio's ears twitched, but he didn't say anything. I chuckled.
"I think it's a Seasonal Stone."
There were four types of Seasonal Stones: Spring of Birth, Summer of Bloom, Autumn of Harvest, and Winter of Death.
Each type had its own characteristics, and the one causing this eerie phenomenon was likely a Winter Seasonal Stone.
Seasonal Stones were rarer than magic stones and traded at extremely high prices. If there was a Seasonal Stone mine here, it would be like sitting on a gold mine.
I walked lightly along the path. We passed through a forest and came to a large cave by the sea.
Inside the cave, a chill that didn't belong in this tropical region could be felt. I glanced at Pio. As a beginner magician, his judgment would be more reliable than mine.
[This isn't enough. We need to go deeper.]
"Have you gone deeper inside?"
"Yes, not too deep, but we can go in for about 15 minutes."
"Let's go in, but not too far."
Marco looked reluctant but had no choice since he had asked for help.
"If any strange symptoms appear, we must leave immediately."
He warned us firmly before leading us deeper.
"Normally, caves are cold, but this one is especially so."
Our breath formed white clouds in the air. After going in a bit, Pio barked at the air.
[It's a Seasonal Stone. I didn't realize it was the power of winter because I'm always in a place with the power of autumn.]
Pio sniffed and his eyes sparkled. It was hard to believe he had been reluctant to come just a moment ago.
[The deposit is substantial. It might not have been discovered yet because this area is a tropical region.]
My heart raced at Pio's words. I had only planned to harvest salt, but this hidden treasure was a pleasant surprise. I needed to inform my mother and plan our next steps.
"That's enough. Let's head back."
I turned around to speak, but the faces of the bodyguards guarding me were strange. They looked pale, as if they had seen a ghost.