/
“Excuse me, Young Miss, but has anything been bothering you up until now during your stay?”
“Uhmm, huh?”
“Or is it because I haven’t served you well?”
Nora looked at me with eyes full of concern.
“I don’t know why Miss suddenly decided to get money. I really have no idea why…….”
“No, it’s not like that!” I hurriedly waved my hands in the air. “It’s just that my tutor recently told me how other people make money!”
I blurted out the first excuse that came out of my mouth, and Nora’s concern eased a bit.
” ……Told you how to make money?”
“Yeah, and it made me want to make some money myself!”
Nora still looked dubious, but it was true that I was indeed learning about the basic skills needed to work in various jobs in the empire.
‘Fine. Since it’s come to this, I’ll just be shameless.’
I looked up at Nora brazenly.
“According to the books, you need investment funds before you can make money.”
“Investment funds……….”
“Yeah. So, by the way, how much pocket money do you think I have in my bank account? I want to use it for my investment fund!” I declared confidently.
But I didn’t forget to sneak a look at Nora.
I must have looked like a little kid who doesn’t know what’s going on in the world, right? I’m a kid, I don’t know anything, and I’m curious, so I’m going to use my pocket money to invest.
If you give a ten-year-old pocket money, it’s just for snacks, right?
But then.
“I don’t know exactly, but I think it’s probably around 10,000 rudem.”
……Wait. Did I hear it wrong?
I was a little stunned.
“Ten, ten thousand rudem?”
“Yes, Miss.”
Nora replied without raising an eyebrow.
And I was amazed at her calmness.
As far as I know, the monthly cost of living for a commoner family living without difficulties is about 10 rudem.
That means… for ten thousand rudem…
That’s more than enough to buy a farmhouse on the outskirts of the city, and the farmland that comes with it……..
I gulped and turned to Nora.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. Why would I lie to you about something like this?”
“Heuk.”
I had to stop freaking out. I mean, what kind of ten-year-old kid gets paid that much money?
What the hell happened to Siegfried’s sense of economics?
After the shock of that slap to the head passed…
‘No, it’s actually good.’
Slightly sobered, I nodded.
Having a lot of money to invest means you have the opportunity to think about different ways to make money independently.
So why not be a bit more aggressive with my investments…….
“Hey, kid!”
Bam!
The door flew open and Kirios burst into the library.
I opened my eyes wide.
“Second dad?”
For the record, my first dad is Siegfried, and my third dad is Cesar.
To establish that ranking, let’s just say that the three dads had a bloody verbal battle…….
“Geez, Cesar dickhead. You can’t even go to the townhouse alone without me…… hmm?”
Kirios grumbled, walking into the library, his eyebrows waggling.
He spotted the mountain of books on my desk.
“What the hell, kid. Is that Siegfried bastard starving you or stripping the clothes off your back?”
“What?”
“If he is, tell me now.”
The look on his face as he said that was so murderous, I shook my head in horror.
“It’s not like that!”
“Then why are you suddenly reading those books?”
Kirios gestured to the books.
“So, you can make money and spend it on what?”
“No, that’s…….”
I recited the excuses I had given Nora earlier.
Having heard all of my excuses, Kirios spoke up.
“Then there’s no better place to start than the Magic Tower. It’s the birthplace of magic tool patents.”
What kind of place is ……?
For a moment, my eyes gleamed.
“You know, maybe you’ll come up with a good business idea,” Kirios shrugged, coaxing once more. “So come visit and take a look. Hmm?”
I think he was suggesting a visit to the tower because he thought it would help my studies, and maybe out of some self-interest.
Anyway, that’s how I ended up visiting the Magic Tower….
And my first impression of the Magic Tower was.
‘It’s more ordinary than I expected.’
Stepping out of the carriage with Kirios, I wandered over and examined the gray tower that stood before me.
The Magic Tower was deliberately built on the outskirts of the city, away from the public eye.
The magicians of the tower conduct many strange experiments, and they were worried that the citizens might be harmed.
‘For such a place, it certainly doesn’t look like much.’
There are no security guards at all, so you’d think it was a rundown building.
At the bottom of the tower was a single old wooden door.
It was hanging so precariously; it looked like it was going to fall backwards if you touched it…….
‘But according to Nora, it’s one of the most important locations in the empire.’
The Magic Tower, the Imperial Palace, the Great Temple.
The most important state buildings in the empire.
The highest-ranking magicians in the Hagiya Empire all hail from the Magic Tower.
And who better to lead them?
Archmage Kirios, the greatest of all mages.
‘So, a man of this caliber has become my father?’
I was suddenly proud.
‘He’s definitely the best!’
I glanced up at Kirios, feeling elated.
And then.
‘Oops, we made eye contact.’
At the same time, Kirios asked me a question.
“So, how do you like your first time in the Magic Tower?”
“Mmmm…… it’s cool!”
I reflexively smiled broadly.
Then Kirios asked me sternly.
“You really think so?”
“What?”
“Because I didn’t think you would think it’s cool.”
Oh ….
I rolled my eyes in embarrassment.
‘No, what am I supposed to say to that?’
Kirios’s eyes narrowed, and he took my hand in his.
“Let’s go inside.”
“What? But the doors here are locked…….”
I panicked and let myself be pulled by Kirios’ hand.
Gulp.
As if my anguish was none of his business, the door opened quite easily.
And then.
‘Heuk.’
I sucked in a breath.
I rubbed my eyes and looked again, but the scene before me hadn’t changed at all.
It was the same old tower I’d seen from outside…….
‘What was that small, crumbling building?’
The inside of the tower was incredibly spacious!
From the looks of it, it was much larger than the main palace of the Imperial Palace!
Furthermore, the outside of the magic tower was cylindrical, whereas the hall I stepped into was rectangular.
‘Is this a realistically possible structure?’
I looked around, mesmerized.
Ornate crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and plush, luxurious carpets covered the marble floor.
Silver candlesticks dotted the room, and fresh flowers were in full bloom.
It looked like a ballroom ready for a party.
And throughout the vast hall, there were statues of wizards walking around… …….
“No, hold on,” I muttered in a dumbfounded voice. “….There are statues walking around?”
As if to mock me for my bewilderment, one of the statues walked towards me.
In its hands, it held a silver tray filled with beverage glasses.
“Welcome, Lady Tatiana.”
It offered me a glass.
I hesitantly accepted the glass.
Out of respect for the child, the drink in the glass was freshly squeezed orange juice…….
……Not that this was important.
No, how are the statues even capable of moving?
It’s just not possible!
“Uh, how is this possible?”
I looked up at Kirios in disbelief.
He looked down at me with an amused expression on his face, and then shrugged.
“It’s been a while since my little kid came to play. I paid attention.”
And then.
“Magic Tower Master!” Someone called desperately to Kirios.
In the distance, a young mage was running towards us, panting.
“No, Magic Tower Master, what if you change the structure of the Magic Tower at will?!”
The mage shouted, looking like he might faint at any moment.
“Even if the entire tower is built and powered by your magic, you can’t do this!”
I beg your pardon?
For a moment, I was stunned.
‘No way, this entire sprawling tower is powered by a single spell of Kirios’s magic?’
I reflexively glanced at Kirios out of the corner of my eye.
As soon as our eyes met, Kyrios turned to me playfully.
“What, do I seem like a great person?”
“Yeah!”
‘What the hell, you’re a superhero!’
I nodded quickly,
“Hmph, really?”
Kirios flicked his head away, looking a little embarrassed.
The nape of his neck was now a delightful, bright red.
✦ • ······················• ✦ •······················• ✦