Chapter 17. The Noble Lady and the Gold Coins
Forty-seven gold coins.
Do-yoon stared at the pouch in front of him, but the amount still did not feel real.
Even when the guild employee placed the heavy pouch on the table...
Even when the Mana Stone appraiser repeatedly checked the ledger to make sure the calculation was correct...
It felt less like reality and more like an incredibly vivid dream.
Mercenaries around them watched with envy and jealousy.
But Do-yoon barely noticed.
Only a few days ago...
Kim Do-yoon's entire fortune had been no more than several tens of thousands of won left in his bank account.
Whenever he bought even a single drink at a convenience store, he checked the price first.
When shopping with his mother, they always looked for the cheapest option.
A difference of one or two thousand won directly affected their lives.
Now...
Forty-seven gold coins sat before him.
It was far more than the reward for investigating the Northern Abandoned Mine.
The guild had paid that amount for the Mana Stones they had brought back.
And the real-world potion business had not even properly begun yet.
"Hey."
Liana nudged his side with her elbow.
"Wake up."
Do-yoon did not take his eyes off the pouch.
"Why?"
"You're making that stupid face again."
"I'm happy right now."
"Because you have money?"
"Yeah."
Liana nodded as if that were perfectly natural.
"Then you're normal."
They looked at each other.
Then both burst out laughing.
The joy of obtaining a huge amount of money was real.
But so was the relief of having survived.
When they had faced the Mine Rat Queen deep inside the abandoned mine...
Neither of them had been certain they would ever return.
They had risked their lives to earn this money.
But the mercenaries around them saw only the result.
A pouch full of gold.
A huge amount of Mana Stones.
Two rookie mercenaries succeeding overnight.
Feeling their gazes, Do-yoon remembered Grain's warning.
The smell of money attracts the smell of blood.
That was when he heard it.
Click.
Click.
Click.
The sound of hard heels striking the floor.
The guild slowly became quiet.
Without anyone ordering them to do so, the mercenaries moved aside and opened a path.
Do-yoon turned toward the sound.
It was the woman who had been watching him from the second-floor railing.
Long blonde hair falling below her waist.
Flawless white skin.
Cold blue eyes as clear as gemstones.
She was no longer wearing the silver armor from earlier.
Instead, she wore elegant clothing embroidered with silver thread.
The same crest decorated her chest and shoulders.
Judging from the behavior of the attendants following behind her...
There was no doubt she was nobility.
And not low-ranking nobility either.
Someone from an extremely powerful family.
The blonde woman calmly accepted all the attention as she walked straight toward Do-yoon.
"Hello."
Her voice was calm and pleasant.
Do-yoon recovered a little late.
"Hello."
Unlike him, Liana had been cautious from the beginning.
She shifted one step sideways, naturally positioning herself where she could stand between Do-yoon and the blonde woman if necessary.
"What business do you have?"
The blonde woman did not appear offended by Liana's sharp attitude.
Instead...
She smiled softly.
"Nothing serious."
"Then?"
"I was simply curious."
Her blue eyes turned toward Do-yoon.
"I heard two newly registered rookie mercenaries entered the Northern Abandoned Mine and cleared out a Mine Rat colony."
Do-yoon scratched his head.
Apparently the rumor had spread already.
"We were lucky."
The blonde woman laughed quietly.
"Luck?"
"We happened to discover its weakness."
"Luck can help someone avoid danger."
"But it doesn't kill a Mine Rat Queen the size of a wagon."
Do-yoon had no answer.
She had not come simply to confirm a rumor.
She seemed to be personally evaluating how strong Do-yoon was and what abilities he possessed.
Her blue eyes moved over his body.
The dagger at his waist.
His worn equipment.
There was more interest than disrespect in her gaze.
The blonde woman extended her right hand.
"I'm Ariel."
Do-yoon hesitated briefly before taking it.
"Kim Do-yoon."
"Ariel von Estelle."
The moment the family name was spoken...
Liana's expression froze.
Small exclamations rose from the mercenaries nearby.
Some immediately lowered their heads.
Others who had been standing near Do-yoon took another step away.
Do-yoon had never heard the name Estelle before.
But the reactions around him made its importance obvious.
Ariel released his hand.
"I hope we can become close."
That was all.
She did not demand anything.
She did not ask about the abandoned mine or the Mana Stones.
Without even waiting for Do-yoon's response...
Ariel turned away.
Her attendants followed.
No one dared speak until she had passed through the path opened by the mercenaries and left the guild.
Do-yoon stared after her.
Then turned to Liana.
"What was that?"
Liana let out a long sigh.
"A noble."
"I figured that much out."
"Not just any noble."
"A very high-ranking one."
"Is the Estelle family that important?"
Liana checked their surroundings and lowered her voice.
"One of the greatest noble houses in the kingdom."
"They control a huge territory in the north."
"They also command knights and manage several mines."
Do-yoon began to understand why Ariel had approached him.
A large mineral deposit had been discovered.
A rookie mercenary had survived the place where it was found.
If the Estelle family managed mines...
It made sense for her to take an interest.
Liana looked at Do-yoon.
Then asked with a teasing smile,
"She's pretty, isn't she?"
"What?"
"You've been staring at her back this whole time."
Do-yoon laughed.
"She was kind of pretty."
"Men are all the same."
"What's wrong with saying a beautiful person is beautiful?"
"I'm telling you to be careful."
Liana's tone was no longer playful.
"High-ranking nobles don't approach rookie mercenaries personally for no reason."
"Nobles calculate people's value even when they're dealing with them."
"Don't assume she's being kind just because she smiled."
Do-yoon nodded.
It felt similar to what he had sensed from Han Myeong-jae.
Ariel had not approached him out of pure curiosity either.
She had only said she hoped they would get along.
But sooner or later...
She would make an offer with a price attached.
That did not mean he needed to avoid her entirely.
A connection with a great noble house could be dangerous.
But it could also become an enormous opportunity.
Do-yoon watched the entrance Ariel had disappeared through and memorized her name.
Ariel von Estelle.
After leaving the guild, Do-yoon headed straight to an equipment shop.
Today...
He had money.
More than enough.
Until now, every time he passed an equipment store, he had looked at the displayed swords and armor.
Then walked away after seeing the prices.
This time was different.
The moment he opened the shop door, countless weapons and pieces of equipment lined the walls.
Longswords.
Daggers.
Axes.
Spears.
Shields.
Leather and iron armor filled one side.
Higher-end equipment embedded with Mana Stones sat inside display cases farther back.
When Do-yoon and Liana entered, the merchant hurried over with a wide smile.
"Welcome! What are you looking for?"
Do-yoon picked up the nearest sword.
It looked impressive.
But the moment he held it...
