The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 274

“When do you think you will retire as a merchant?”

It was the same question I had asked Bell. It seemed like the right time to finally ask her about it. These days, I had my own reasons for having such thoughts.

“…What? All of a sudden?”

“You lived your whole life as a merchant. I was wondering when you think you will quit doing what you’ve done your entire life?”

“…I don’t really know why you’re asking me that, but… I’m not sure. I never thought about retiring before. It’s still too early…”

The sea breeze blew gently. It was probably a little past four in the morning. It was too close to morning to consider it night, but it was still too dark to consider it early morning. We continued to walk together as we listened to the sounds of the crashing waves.

There was a large boat that was docked. Soon, the hardworking workers would show up and begin loading the day’s load.

Most of the ships left early in the morning. That was why, even at such an early hour, there were already quite a few ships that were prepared in advance.

“And usually… Retirement isn’t a good thing for a merchant.”

Lortel looked out at the pier, which she must be quite familiar with by now.

“In this line of work, you end up getting stabbed in the back, betrayed, and killed. When the work becomes too much to handle, you get kicked into the gutter. Enemies are always looking for your weaknesses so they can tear you down. Because of that… most of us end our lives in the dirt.”

I listened in silence.

“But now… I want my life to have more meaning. Of course, I know if I live my life with such a reckless goal, there will certainly come a time when I come crashing down. That’s the life of a wealthy merchant. Falling into greed, trying to chase and pursue higher ideals, only to eventually fall to your death.”

It wasn’t easy for a person to stop having such ambitions and peacefully end their life’s journey. Most people were like butterflies jumping straight into the fire, living a life of desire before burning to the ground. That was what it meant to live the life of a wealthy merchant.

And it seemed that Lortel thought no differently of herself.

“I’m not sure. I’ve always lived my life walking on the edge, but I don’t think I’ll be retiring any time soon.”

Lortel still had the ambitions of a merchant. And more than anything else, she was still too young. Even if she were to retire, there was still a lot of work ahead of her that she would need to take care of.

“I see…”

“In the first place, it’s not easy for merchants to retire…”

Lortel looked down at the ground and said, “By the time you realize it, you’re already trapped, entangled in countless relationships that form one’s better interests. They aren’t things you can so easily just break free from. And once you learn the secrets of the trade, it becomes impossible to simply retire. The market here in Oldek could drastically change with just one man’s retirement.”

“That must be difficult.”

“Well, some merchants make sure to build plans for the future. That way they can retire without any trouble… There are also those that steal money and erase any trace that leads back to them. Though, cases like that are rather rare.”

“…”

“But probably just as you’d expect, in most cases, merchants don’t retire until death.”

Sad as it was, death was the easiest and cleanest way to retire. Lortel quietly told me those words. We continued to walk along the pier together while having such a conversation.

The cool early morning air had become much colder. Summer was over and autumn had arrived.

Lortel hugged my arm as she smiled, talking a bit brighter. She changed the subject as if the depressing topic wasn’t something worth discussing yet.

“Well, it feels special to walk along the pier here in Oldek with you, Ed. I’ve lived my entire life here in this place that’s filled with merchants, but on this quiet early morning, the atmosphere is much different than I’m used to…”

“It won’t be long before those hardworking merchants come back out on the streets.”

“That’s right. This city has always been like that. Anyway, you asked me to walk with you to help me feel better, right? But there’s no need for you to be so considerate. I’m really fine.”

The corner of Lortel’s mouth went up. She rubbed her head on my shoulder as she uttered words of happiness.

“Well, that was part of the reason, but there was also something I wanted to check.”

“Something you wanted to check?”

“Well, it’s not that big of a deal, but there’s someone I wanted to help.”

“What?””

At the moment Lortel responded, someone could be seen farther down the road. He had a large body and a shabby robe. It was hard to see his face from where we were. He walked slowly. The way his frayed robe moved, he looked like a ghost that was walking down the pier of Oldek.

…But he was just a passerby.

Lortel and I were simply walking to the Elte Company, where Secretary Lienna was waiting. But that man far away, who slowly walked along the pier, looked as if he were trying to take the boat out at early dawn.

Lortel and I walked closer to him with our arms interlocked.

Lortel and I… didn’t say a word. However, the mysterious man in the robe continued to carefully walk step by step… When he was right in front of us, he paused for a moment.

Then, very slightly…he lowered his head. And then he continued to pass by us as if nothing had happened.

Like that, the two of us continued moving towards our own respective destinations. He was going to his destination. We were going to ours.

As was the case with most relationships in one’s life.

Just a passing relationship.

Lortel, who was hugging my arm, suddenly opened her eyes. Did she notice something? Lortel was smart enough to notice something the moment I responded to her question in a strange way as we walked down the pier.

However, there was no need to explain anymore.

“Excuse me.”

Lortel quickly called out to that man.

The man had already passed us by and was now far away. He seemed quite busy as if his ship was soon to depart.

No one knew why the man was rushing to board a ship that left so early in the morning. After all, that was his own business.

Not turning her body around, she only moved her head… She then looked towards that man.

The man wearing the shabby robe also turned his head slightly. Of course, we still couldn’t see his face. Because of the robe that completely covered his body, it was hard to even make out the shape of his body.

It was a situation where it would be impossible to recognize who he was, yet Lortel was convinced that she recognized him. Then, she started to smile.

“The seasons are changing, so the night air is getting cold. Once you head out to sea, I’m sure it will be even colder.”

The man still hid in the darkness of the robe, not moving one inch.

“Please dress warmly. It will be very cold.”

After Lortel said that, silence filled the air. On the quiet streets of Oldek, there was a moment of emptiness.

“…Ha.”

The man stayed silent for some time as if wondering what to say.

The sound of seagulls. The sound of the crashing waves. The sound of workers heading to work in the distance.

The sounds that make up the early morning of Oldek slowly began to fill that empty silence.

After staying silent for a while, he finally opened his mouth.

“Alright. I’ll keep that in mind.”

And like that, he responded as if it wasn’t a big deal. From his tone of voice, you could infer that he was an elderly man.

“Thanks for the advice.”

After that short exchange of words, they both turn their heads, going back down their own path.

That was how merchants said goodbye.

Meeting in passing and breaking up in passing. If they became close, perhaps they would share a conversation and brag about a good deal. Other than that, they would simply walk away from each other.

And just like that, the two of them walked away from each other.

Lortel held onto my arm tightly as we continued to walk down the road. She had a smile on her face.

The gentle sea breeze passed through her hair.

“…I didn’t even give him his severance pay.”

Lortel walked with her head buried in my shoulder, lamenting briefly. The crescent moon that was still in the sky looked as if it were smiling with her.

* * *

The two-arm scales of the Elte Company were always balanced.

The merchants of the Elte Company always laughed at such a deceitful saying. That was because merchants knew better than anyone that there was no such thing as a perfectly balanced scale in the world.

“Wow. You really went wild.”

As we walked into the lobby, Lortel was in shock. The outer walls were broken, and the entire interior of the place was in shambles. I had to create as big a scene as possible, so it couldn’t be helped.

Still, Secretary Lienna seems to have taken care of the major things.

She had already finished compiling a list of merchants that were on Slogg’s side. Now that Slogg—the former head of the store—was dead, there was no room for them.

“You went through a lot.”

“Lienna, I’ve shown you a rather shameful side of me.”

“No. That was inevitable…”

Like always, Lienna was very reliable. Being Lortel’s secretary for such a long time, she has become rather capable herself. Lienna went through a lot herself, being kidnapped and imprisoned by Slogg… Still, at the end of the day, it seemed that Slogg had released her with his own hands.

After all, Secretary Lienna was just another card that the old merchant used to make sure his plan would be complete.

“You must have a lot on your mind still. Please rest for a little longer. I will be able to sort out the destroyed headquarters myself. We have a lot of workers to use. Before the sun is high in the sky, we will be able to take care of everything urgent.”

“But it would still be better for the two of us to stay here. We need to check the damages, after all.”

Since I was the one who caused the damage in the first place, I felt a little embarrassed. But like I said already, that couldn’t be helped. Without causing that much of a scene, the merchants of the Elte Company wouldn’t have been so easily deceived.

“And maybe it’s an early celebration, but…” Secretary Lienna spoke with her head down. “You’ll finally become the official new head of the Elte Company. Congratulations.”

“Like you said, it’s too early.”

With a soft smile, Lortel thanked Lienna.

Nearby workers, who were cleaning up the broken building, started to look our way. That was right. Now Lortel Kehelland had finally become the new head of the Elte Company.

Behind her was the powerful House Rothstaylor, the empire’s capital Kroelon, and the holy capital Karpea. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she had every major trade route on the continent in the palm of her hand.

“And the name the ‘Elte Company’ is starting to get old…”

It was the first decision she made after coming to power.

The age of the Golden King was over. Now it was the time of Lortel Kehelland. The name Elte would disappear from history.

“We are much too big to simply call ourselves a company. Considering all the small businesses under our control, it would be far better to call ourselves a major commercial union.”

As Lortel said, the Elte Company had become much too big to just be considered a single company.

It wasn’t just a place for business… It was now a group that gathered and listened to the voices of all merchants.

And the leader sitting on top of the union was none other than Lortel Kehelland. She is the one who has the authority to coordinate internal union regulations and negotiate with other groups as the representative.

It was safe to say that she had become a queen, reigning above all merchants who risked their lives for money.

“There will be more paperwork for the government office as well,” Secretary Lienna responded with a subtle smile. “I will gather the necessary documents to have them processed, Union President.”

Having abandoned the name of the Elte Company, it was time to rename it as a commercial union. There were countless names that could be put together, but Lortel wasn’t particularly worried about that.

As if she was led by something, she naturally uttered the new name. Lienna smiled and nodded her head upon hearing the new name.

* * *

The room that used to be the Elte Company’s head office was also completely destroyed.

When Ed and Lortel entered together, there was barely anywhere to sit. That was because of all the dust and debris that came from the outer wall being broken into.

Lortel looked around as she swept the dirt off the table to sit on it. She then called on Ed to come over and sit next to her. She buried her head on his shoulder as she had the brightest smile there was.

Outside of the broken wall, you could see the boats at the pier getting ready to set sail. There probably weren’t many people trying to leave Oldek so early in the morning, but it seemed they were still ready to depart.

That ship was ready to set sail out towards the ocean, far beyond the horizon.

In Oldek, when the night ended but before morning came…that boat left as if it were being chased.

Then, as if nothing happened, the sun in the commercial city would rise again.

It was still dark out. The crescent moon could still be seen above the horizon.

With that soft moonlight shining down on the continent, others would still be asleep for a while longer. However, there were always going to be hard workers who opened their eyes at such a time.

In the carriage heading to the Rothstaylor Estate, Bell opened the window as she looked up at the stars in the bluish night sky.

Tanya Rothstaylor, who sat in her office, checked the messenger pigeon that was sent from Oldek.

Secretary Lienna was giving out instructions to the workers, clearing away the debris of the destroyed building.

As for those who would have a bright day when the sun rose, they were still fast asleep. But even when the rest of the world was asleep, the moon still smiled down on those who were working hard.

* * *

“Th-that can’t be…! Th-that’s not what you said…! I’m sure you said the boarding fee to Telos would be seven coins! How can you do this?!”

On the pier at late dawn, a boy was having a scuffle with a sailor.

For the first time in his life, that young boy was getting ready to set sail. He complained to the crew with a depressed expression, but the crew paid no attention to him.

“You’re the one who’s acting out, kid! Look at the scale! It’s obviously not in balance! And if ain’t balanced, we can’t help you! Are you sure your coins are even real!”

“Wh-what are you saying?! That’s ridiculous! I just got these coins from the bank!”

“How are we supposed to believe that? You need to pay us the right amount! Throw in another coin!”

Anyone could tell that it was unfair. The scale the sailor had put on the table wasn’t level at all. The boy felt wronged, but he couldn’t get eaten by those vicious-looking sailors.

“If you can’t pay the fare, you can’t ride the boat! That’s the ru—”

Clink.

Just before the altercation intensified any further, a gold coin was thrown onto the scale.

As it was a heavy gold coin, the scale tilted completely. It was nearly the pay of six people’s boarding fees.

When the boy turned his head in surprise, a man in a shabby robe was putting his wallet back in his pocket. The sailors started at each, completely stunned. They then quickly went over and guided him.

“P-please come inside and aboard.”

“Thanks.”

The man in the robe patted the boy on the shoulder a few times before disappearing further into the ship.

Caw. Caw.

A few seagulls were out on the deck, staring at the distant horizon. The man in the robe also stared blankly out at the distant sea, leaning against the ship’s railing.

“Th-thank you for earlier. I-I was sure I had the right amount of coins, but… I don’t know why the scale wasn’t balancing…”

“You should have checked the scale properly. It’s a common trick used against people who look gullible. Next time, make sure to not fall for such an obvious trick.”

The boy was surprised to hear the rough voice of the man. The sailboat, which left Oldek at early dawn, was always full of people with all sorts of circumstances. Yet among all of them, that man seemed to be the most special.

“I…I never thought they would mess with the scale…”

“You should have known from the start that there is no such thing as a perfectly balanced scale.”

The boy dreamed of becoming a peddler who ventured around the world. He was embarrassed that he couldn’t even see through such a basic trick.

“Uhm… Can I ask you what you usually do?”

The man thought about how he should answer. He then showed a smile on his face. Seeing the boy reminded him of his own childhood where he was constantly stabbed in the back and tricked because he couldn’t use a scale.

Everyone goes through a time like that.

The golden king Elte. The union president Lortel. At the start, they were all inexperienced and anxious rookies.

The man pulled his hood off. His grayish-white hair could be seen. A veteran merchant. A man who had spent most of his life in Oldek.

But now, that was all in the past.

“I used to work with money myself. But now I’m a retired old man.”

In the boy’s eyes, he was looking at a veteran merchant that was full of stories. He was in a daze. Standing next to him, the boy looked out at the moon over the horizon.

The man had boarded a ship to leave the commercial city of Oldek. A place he had spent his life.

Far in the distance, he could see a broken building. After looking at it for a moment, the old merchant looked down with a smile on his face.

“Let me tell you something, boy.”

The old man who had experienced it all was going to tell a story to a young boy who didn’t even know how a scale works.

“A two-arm scale can never be perfectly balanced. But that doesn’t really matter.”

“…What?’

“That’s just how relationships are.”

As you received help and gave help, the scales would always end up leaning to one side. In the end, something would face a loss.

But when you met someone who didn’t care about that, that was who you could call a companion for life.

In fact, in a way, before a merchant finds a partner, it is probably better for them to find a lifetime companion.

After all, if you had people on your side, you could survive in the world for a long time.

The sea breeze passed, ruffling his robe. The man patted the hem of his clothes a few times as he leaned against the railing, looking out at the scenery.

The ship was still far from reaching its final destination, but now there was someone to talk to, so it wouldn’t be a boring journey.

Looking at the broken building in the distance, he started to think to himself.

Oldek’s nights are long. It would be great if one were to take a long break.

But not yet. There was still a long way to go.

* * *

With the sea breeze passing by, Lortel fell into a short rest. The two-arm scale was slanted, but she didn’t care.

Lortel Kehelland. The head of Oldek’s General Commercial Union, Three Golden Coins.

Before she was a cold-blooded merchant, she was also a woman.