"T-this is just pure crazy..."
Gandalon muttered under his breath, his eyes still wide with disbelief as he stared at the massive pile of gold coins spread across the dining table. His hands were shaking slightly as he tried to count the money, but there was simply too much to process all at once. The old man had never seen this amount of wealth in his entire life, and he was having trouble accepting that it was all real.
"Maria, Young Master, both of you made this much from gambling!?"
Daer exclaimed loudly, jumping up from his seat so fast that his chair almost fell backward from the sudden movement. His voice cracked with amazement, and his face showed pure shock as he looked back and forth between the money and his young master. The loyal butler couldn't believe that a single gambling session had produced more wealth than their entire estate had seen in years.
"Five thousand gold coins."
Zhan looked incredibly proud of their achievement, his chest puffing out with confidence as he announced the exact amount they had won. His smile was bright and satisfied, showing that he was pleased with how their risky gamble had paid off so well. The young master felt like he had finally done something right for once, and the feeling was amazing.
"All because of me!"
Maria jumped into the conversation with her usual energy, throwing her arms up in the air as she claimed credit for their success. Her voice was filled with playful pride, and she had a huge grin on her face as she reminded everyone who had accepted the dangerous bet. She was clearly enjoying the attention and the chance to show off about their incredible victory.
"Well... Maria is right."
Zhan let out a long sigh, admitting that Maria deserved most of the credit for their gambling success since she was the one who had been brave enough to accept the bet. His tone was slightly defeated but also grateful, showing that he recognized her important role in their victory. Even though it hurt his pride a little, he knew he had to give credit where it was due.
"So, what now?"
"..."
Zhan stayed completely silent for several long seconds, picking up his fork and taking a bite of the fancy steak on his plate as he thought about their next move. His expression was thoughtful and serious, like he was considering multiple different options for what they should do with their new wealth. The room was quiet except for the sound of him chewing, and everyone waited patiently for him to share his thoughts.
"We could get more money."
"H-how though?"
Daer asked nervously, his voice showing concern about what crazy plan his young master might be thinking of this time. He paused for a moment before adding his obvious guess about what Zhan might be planning. The butler was worried that they might push their luck too far and end up losing everything they had just won.
"By gambling again?"
"Not quite."
Zhan replied with a mysterious smirk spreading across his face, clearly enjoying the fact that he had surprised everyone with his answer. His tone was confident and playful, suggesting that he had some kind of secret plan that nobody else would be able to guess. The young master was obviously pleased with himself for keeping everyone in suspense about his next move.
"Then how, Young Master?"
Daer leaned forward in his chair, his eyes showing genuine curiosity and excitement as he waited to hear what brilliant idea Zhan had come up with. His voice was eager and hopeful, like he was starting to believe that his young master might actually have a real plan for once. The butler's attitude had changed from worried to interested, which was a big improvement from his usual skepticism.
—There was one thing I realized about my skills. Just once or at least twice a day, the "Skill Activated" message appears in front of me. In theory... Anything will come to me by just desiring it and leaving it all to luck!
Zhan leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smile, his mind working through the possibilities of what his mysterious power could accomplish for them. He was starting to understand how his ability worked, and the potential applications were incredibly exciting to think about. The young master felt like he had finally found the key to solving all of their problems, and maybe even more than that.
—In the past: I had always trained my skills with weapons, thinking that once I've reached the essence of it... I could finally defeat Alfonze. But. At the day of battle? None of us could touch nor scratch him. Physical attacks were nothing but a faded dream.
Zhan's face became sour and bitter as he remembered the humiliating defeat that had changed everything for him and his people. The memory of being completely powerless against his enemy still hurt deeply, and he clenched his fists as he thought about how useless all his training had been. But then his expression slowly changed back to a hopeful smile as he realized that maybe he had been approaching the problem in the wrong way all along.
—With this skill... Maybe I can finally defeat him. Ditch the weapons. Gamble.
Zhan stood up from his chair again, his movements filled with renewed energy and determination as he thought about the possibilities ahead of them. His eyes were bright with excitement, and his whole body language showed that he was ready to take action on his new plan. The young master felt like he had finally found a way to turn the tables on his enemy, and the feeling was incredible.
"Guys, sorry for not telling—but, I'm very lucky."
Everyone fell completely silent at his strange announcement, the only sound in the room being the distant cawing of crows outside the window. Their faces showed confusion and concern, wondering what their young master was trying to tell them with such an odd statement. The awkward silence stretched on for several uncomfortable seconds as nobody knew how to respond to what he had just said.
"W-what are you saying, Young Master?"
Daer shrugged his shoulders helplessly, his face showing complete confusion as he tried to understand what Zhan was talking about. His voice was uncertain and worried, like he was afraid that his young master might be having some kind of mental breakdown from all the excitement. The butler was genuinely concerned about what this strange behavior might mean for all of them.
"Just by desiring it—it will come true."
Zhan paused dramatically for a few seconds, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath as he prepared to demonstrate his incredible power to everyone. His voice was calm and confident, showing that he truly believed in what he was about to do. The young master's whole attitude suggested that he was about to prove something amazing that would change everything for them.
"We are in a bind for money, aren't we?"
There was complete silence for several tense seconds as everyone waited to see what would happen next, their hearts pounding with anticipation and confusion. The air in the room felt heavy with expectation, and nobody dared to move or speak as they watched Zhan focus his attention. Even the sounds from outside seemed to fade away as the moment stretched on, building up to something that nobody could predict.
[Skill activated.]
*CRASH!*
The entire manor shook violently to its very core, causing everyone to grab onto whatever they could find to keep from falling over. The sound was deafening, like thunder had struck right next to them, and dust and debris started falling from the ceiling above their heads. Everyone except Zhan looked terrified and confused as they tried to figure out what had just happened to their home.
"W-WHAT WAS THAT?"
Gandalon screamed over the noise, holding onto the dining table with both hands as the shaking continued for several more seconds. His face was pale with fear, and his knuckles were white from gripping the table so tightly. The old man looked like he thought the world was ending, and his voice was high with panic as he tried to stay upright.
Maria let out a grunt of surprise as she started to fall backward, but Zhan quickly reached out and grabbed her hand to pull her back to safety. His reflexes were fast, and he seemed completely calm despite the chaos happening around them, like he had been expecting this to happen. The young master's steady presence was the only thing keeping everyone from completely panicking about the mysterious earthquake.
As everyone except Zhan rushed over to the window to see what had caused the terrible noise, they discovered that one of the manor's outer walls had completely collapsed, leaving a huge hole where solid stone used to be. The destruction was massive, with chunks of wall scattered everywhere and a cloud of dust still settling over the area. Nobody could understand how or why this had happened so suddenly, and the sight was both shocking and terrifying.
"T-the walls!?"
Maria exclaimed in complete shock, her voice barely audible as she stared at the massive hole in their home's defenses. Her hands were pressed against the window glass, and her eyes were wide with disbelief at the destruction she was seeing. The young woman couldn't process how their solid stone walls had just crumbled like they were made of sand.
"S-SIRE DAER! W-WE FOUND..."
The manor's soldiers came running toward the broken wall, their voices filled with excitement and amazement as they discovered something incredible in the rubble. Their shouts could be heard clearly through the broken wall, and they sounded more excited than frightened about whatever they had found. The guards were calling for Daer specifically, which meant they had discovered something important that required immediate attention.
<-<-<-<-<-<-༒︎->->->->->->
As everyone rushed outside to investigate the collapsed wall, they were completely shocked by what the soldiers had uncovered in the destruction. The hole in the wall had revealed something that had been hidden for years, and nobody could believe what they were seeing. Their mouths dropped open in amazement as they realized that this accident had led to the discovery of something incredible.
"T-the lost treasure of VelArte..!?"
Hidden behind the wall was a secret treasury that nobody had known existed, filled with countless gold coins and precious jewelry that sparkled in the sunlight. The treasure room was enormous, with piles of wealth that seemed to go on forever into the darkness beyond what they could see. The amount of riches was so overwhelming that nobody could even begin to estimate how much it was all worth.
"Everyone. P-please."
Zhan's voice was different than anyone had ever heard before, filled with genuine emotion and humility as he prepared to address his loyal servants. His usual arrogance and pride were completely gone, replaced by something that sounded like real gratitude and respect. Everyone was shocked by this change in his personality, because he had never spoken to them this way in all the years they had known him.
"I've changed. Please believe me from now on. I'm sorry for how I acted in the past... So... Please—"
Before Zhan could finish his heartfelt apology, Maria stepped closer to him with a gentle expression on her face. Her voice was soft and caring as she interrupted him, not wanting to see him humble himself too much in front of everyone. The young woman's tone showed that she understood how difficult this moment was for him, and she wanted to help him through it.
"Zhan... It's not fitting for you to bow down before us."
"Young Master. We know."
Daer spoke up with obvious emotion in his voice, clearly touched by his young master's sincere attempt to make things right with them. His usual formal tone was softer than normal, showing that he was genuinely moved by what he was hearing. The loyal butler had been waiting for this moment for years, hoping that Zhan would eventually grow into the leader they all needed him to be.
"Young Master, you truly have changed..."
Gandalon chuckled softly, his voice filled with both amusement and relief as he watched this incredible transformation in Zhan's personality. The old man had seen many changes over the years, but this was the most surprising and hopeful development he had ever witnessed. His smile showed that he was genuinely happy about this new version of their young master.
Zhan stood up straight again, looking around at all of his loyal servants with a genuine smile that reached his eyes for the first time in years. His posture was confident but not arrogant, showing that he had found a balance between leadership and humility. The young master's expression showed gratitude and determination as he prepared to share his plans for their newfound wealth.
"The funds will be used to reconstruct Aqium, the Land of VelArte, to better suit the people of this Town."
Zhan's announcement was met with nods of approval from everyone present, and for the first time in their lives, they truly believed in their young master's leadership. His words carried weight and sincerity that had never been there before, making it clear that he was serious about helping their people. This was the moment when everything changed, and they all knew that their future was finally in good hands.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
"So... Aquim is striving even better than before?"
In a luxurious mansion far away from VelArte, a dangerous man asked his servant while lounging in his expensive chair surrounded by beautiful women and fine alcohol. His voice was calm but carried an undertone of threat, like he was not pleased with the news he was receiving. The man's expensive clothes and arrogant posture showed that he was used to getting whatever he wanted, and hearing about someone else's success was clearly annoying him.
"Yes Lord Jakon."
The servant replied respectfully, kneeling down on the floor with his head bowed low as he delivered the unwelcome report to his master. His voice was steady but nervous, knowing that Lord Jakon did not like to hear about other people's good fortune. The servant's body language showed that he was afraid of how his master might react to this information about their rival's success.
Jakon sat in his luxurious seat like a king on his throne, his cold eyes showing no emotion as he processed the news about Aquim's unexpected prosperity. His fingers drummed against the armrest of his chair, and his jaw was clenched with barely controlled anger at hearing about his enemy's good luck. The dangerous man's whole presence radiated power and menace, making it clear that he was not someone to be crossed.
"Annihilate them immediately."
Jakon's command was delivered in a calm, cold voice that made the threat even more terrifying than if he had shouted it. His eyes were like ice as he gave the order, showing no hesitation or mercy in his decision to destroy his rival's newfound happiness. The man's casual tone made it clear that ordering people's deaths was just another normal part of his day.
"Yes, Lord Jakon."