Chapter 123

The contract that was close to a slave contract was later decided to be modified again by Kara.

Fortunately, the fact that I had invested in Jane didn’t get exposed; she seemed to think it was just a prank.

Honestly, if I had signed a voluntary slave contract, I wouldn’t have believed it either. I wonder how Jane would react if she knew.

“Did the investment go well?”

“Yeah. Here’s the contract.”

“······Did you buy a slave or something?”

Even Rize looked at the contract and thought it was a slave agreement.

Moreover, she took it a step further, thinking I had been scammed and started giving me unsolicited advice.

In this world, slavery has long been abolished, and naturally, such things are outright illegal. It means the contract has no validity whatsoever.

From Rize’s perspective, she probably thinks I’m a con artist who not only got scammed but also put my academic future at risk. I tried to counter a bit.

“They’re going to give me a mechanical arm. I just have to wait.”

“Brother Sivar, people who get scammed have that kind of mindset. You should probably give up on the mechanical arm.”

“But it’s real.”

“That’s okay. It could happen. This is all part of learning about the world.”

Rize patted my shoulder with a pitying look. She really thinks I’ve been taken for a ride.

It might not be a bad idea to introduce Jane to Rize soon. Oddballs like them might click in some way.

Anyway, after a desperate negotiation, I decided to take charge of managing the bank account. However, she wanted to know in advance what I’d spend the money on.

I found that reasonable and agreed. After all, I already had a plan for where to invest the next batch of money.

‘How can I smoothly get into stocks?’

Whether on Earth or in this world, if luck’s on your side, stocks are a means to achieve a sudden fortune.

The structure of stocks on Earth was too complicated, but in this world, it’s relatively simple given the era.

However, the inherent complexity remains. Even the renowned Isaac Newton famously lost his entire fortune in stocks.

‘In this world, stocks appeared quite early.’

It’s a world where even trade over the seas is unsafe, let alone on land.

Monsters, demons, thieves—trade alone carries risks that can easily overwhelm anyone.

Not to mention the existence of rare minerals like magic stones, plus the steam trains that require coal.

Above all, valuable ores like silver, gold, and diamonds can generate significant profits when discovered.

‘It’s not urgent yet.’

I don’t currently lack the funds to invest in Jane. If things get tight, I can just hunt in the Chaos Forest.

What’s more, if I mention that I’m getting into stocks, there’s a high possibility that friends like Kara will try to dissuade me.

I hope someone keeps suggesting it to me. I can just pretend to be easily swayed and buy in.

“Hey, buddy. I heard you made a lot of money at the Usuk auction?”

“?”

“Any chance you want to multiply that money?”

After the weekend, on a weekday morning.

Arriving in the classroom, I raised an eyebrow at a student sitting in the back who was making the suggestion.

The student making the suggestion was none other than Antonio. He had a look that suggested he was scheming about something.

“What’s up with you? Trying to con Sivar or something?”

Kara, who conveniently sat next to me, showed a protective attitude.

She still had no idea that I had invested in Jane. She thinks the contract is just a joke.

“Kara is right. You’re not trying to use Sivar to profit for yourself, are you?”

Next to Kara, Grace chimed in with a bit of a sharp tone.

But Antonio, unfazed by their vigilance, shrugged it off, looking overly relaxed.

“Oh, come on. I might be a little cowardly, but I’m not a scammer. Besides, Sivar is going to be a citizen of the Granado Empire soon, so why would I con him?”

“Hah. How shameless can you get? When did Sivar say he was going to Granado Empire? Clearly, he’s going to the Matra Empire…”

“Alright, let’s just hear him out. If he says anything weird, I’ll have his head.”

Kara intervened before the topic wandered off. Maybe it was my imagination, but her tone felt uncomfortable.

Then, Antonio shrugged and finally spoke the word I wanted to hear.

“Have you heard of stocks?”

“Stocks? Isn’t that basically the same thing as investing?”

When Antonio mentioned stocks, Kara showed confusion.

Even on Earth, many people find it confusing; how much more so in this world.

Moreover, while Tartar has adopted banks and financial systems, they’re still pretty inexperienced. Confusion is expected.

“Similar but different. Investing is paying money for a specific goal, while stocks are about buying shares. To sum it up…”

Antonio began to explain stocks in detail.

I already knew the concepts, but neither Kara nor Grace did. Both of them looked like they were just trying to listen.

After he finished his explanation, Kara opened her mouth with a look of realization.

“I thought investing and stocks were the same thing, but I guess not. So, what do you recommend for Sivar?”

“This is the most important part. First, we need to check if Sivar can buy stocks.”

“Eh?”

I was puzzled. He was doing so well until now; what was that supposed to mean?

In the Soul World, specifically for the protagonist, buying stocks is entirely possible. Making money through stocks is basic protocol.

Also, as your reputation rises, the stock shares you can purchase also increase. It’s a fitting method for the era.

“What does that even mean? Is Sivar’s status unclear or something?”

“Exactly.”

On Earth, anyone can invest in stocks, but in the distant past, only wealthy merchants could.

Those merchants even carried enough weight to shake nations.

This world is no different. It’s just that the types have diversified; for a commoner, venturing into stocks is extremely difficult.

“At least academy students have confirmed status, so it’s okay, but who knows about Sivar?”

“You don’t need to worry about that. If it comes down to it, I can just bring the Saint or the Dean. That worked last time too, right?”

“Oh… then it should be fine. We just need to verify it at the stock exchange.”

Wait a second. You could ask what a stock exchange is doing in a world like this.

Stock exchanges have existed for a long time, but it was just that common folk didn’t have money to invest.

However, in this world, commoners can make a lot of money. Power is wealth, and if you build your strength, that’s it.

Moreover, thanks to Santia, the world is steadily moving toward industrialization. The steam trains are circulating around the globe, so that says it all.

‘Well, most people are probably still farming anyway.’

Let’s skip the detailed explanation; arguing about reality in a fantasy world could give you a headache.

Anyway, stock exchanges will probably be established in most major cities, including the academy.

“Anyway, what I’m recommending is stocks that are only going up from now on. If you buy this, you can definitely earn a few times more.”

“And what’s the basis for that? Also, won’t that be illegal?”

Grace asked with a voice full of suspicion. She seems worried about breaking any laws.

But Antonio shrugged again and replied in a reassuring tone.

“Don’t worry. I’m just making the suggestion; whether Sivar chooses to go ahead is up to him. I’d rather commit fraud directly than engage in something this indirect.”

“Most scammers say that. Anyway, what are you suggesting?”

“This is something I heard from my brother…”

Antonio’s brother is none other than Kronos, one of the generals of Granado. An impressive figure who rose to a powerful position from common origins.

If a person like him is making such claims, that’s bound to catch my attention. Regardless of whether I like it or not, there’s definitely a connection to the higher-ups.

“Recently, the Granado Empire has been showing signs of wanting to expand its territory. Oh, just to clarify, it’s not a war; it’s just movement to seek resources. I hate to say this, but our empire is pretty short on natural resources.”

“I heard the surrounding environment is pretty fierce too.”

Unlike the Matra Empire, the Granado Empire lacks resources. Plus, the environment around it isn’t very friendly.

People can live there, but the monsters are a considerable threat. Hence, individuals tend to have more aggressive personalities.

They worship power because without strength, survival is a tall order.

“But according to my brother, there might be a magic stone mine coming up. They haven’t investigated yet, but since it’s my brother saying this, there’s a chance.”

“Magic stone? Is that really true?”

“That’s intriguing.”

Magic stones are renowned as rare minerals along with mithril. The difference is that mithril is treated as an alloy, while magic stones are more about magic fusion.

Using mithril doesn’t necessarily improve performance. It’s about reducing weight while enhancing efficiency.

Still, it remains an excellent mineral. Just the possibility of discovering a mine would boost the stock prices significantly.

“That’s still just a possibility, but since my brother said it, the reliability is decent. How about it? Are you a bit interested now?”

“No.”

“Eh?”

I won’t invest in that. Like Antonio said, it might rise temporarily after the announcement.

But it will probably take a severe dip within days. The mine could be flooded with powerful dragons, and everything buried.

It would be a complete disaster, sending the stock prices plummeting. I can’t afford to lose my money over something like that.

‘It’s better not to listen to what Antonio says.’

Even in the Soul World, Antonio is somewhat… pitiful. Especially regarding stocks.

Despite trying to make rational investments through his grasp of the situation, they all end up failing spectacularly.

Furthermore, there are aspects that could be deemed as bad luck, leading to Kronos delivering personal reprimands.

“Anything else?”

“Anything else? I only know about this!”

“Sivar can check it out firsthand. Just tell him how to proceed. This experience won’t be bad either.”

Kara seemed to find it interesting and asked Antonio to teach her.

It probably makes more sense for me to invest directly than get scammed.

“Do you even know how difficult stocks are? You need to gauge the situation and understand the nature of the upper and lower markets. You could go broke just rushing in.”

“That’s for us to decide. Who knows? The stocks Sivar buys might skyrocket.”

For some reason, my heart skipped a beat. Just for reference, the stocks I plan to buy are connected to Kara, specifically tied to Tartar.

While crossing Tartar’s desert, a trade caravan is set to coincidentally discover a magic stone mine. A large-scale underground mine at that.

Hector’s expertise will shine here. The guy has an incredible nose for money and will spring into action instantly.

‘Investing in the trade caravan that crosses Tartar should be sufficient.’

And I’d naturally increase Kara’s favorability too. As the caravan expands, trade will inevitably grow.

I can just sit back and let the money roll in. That cash will eventually go to investing in Jane.

“Let’s check it out after lunch. I think the stock exchange is right next to the bank?”

“I need to visit too. I’m not too interested in stocks, but I’m curious what’s around.”

“Alright. Just come after lunch, and I’ll kindly explain everything.”

Antonio seemed almost triumphant, as if he had gathered a swarm of ants. I’ll offer my condolences for the impending market crash.

Just when we were chatting about stocks for a long time, a familiar face soon walked into the classroom.

“Ugh······”

It was Luna, trudging in like a tortoise from fatigue due to Rize’s intense training. She looked as if every limb was sore.

Now, it had become so routine that nobody was overly concerned. They merely wondered what was going on.

“You’ve become undead again today. What happened yesterday?”

“I… exercised.”

It’s a secret that I’m training under Rize. So I can only vaguely say it was just exercise.

Still, that would probably suffice for understanding. Just a little worried about the disaster waiting to pop out of her mouth.

“Hey, Luna. Want to try investing in stocks?”

“Eh? What’s that?”

“I’m talking stocks. We’re going to give it a shot during lunch. If you’re bored, you should join in.”

“······What’s stocks?”

Luna asked back with a perplexed expression. Being from the countryside, she probably doesn’t know much about stocks or investments.

Kara kindly explained it to her. As she continued to explain, curiosity lit up Luna’s face.

“So… it’s buying shares of a trading company or guild based on future possibilities. Right?”

“Exactly. I figured it could help with understanding the situation.”

“I’m not really interested…”

Luna was about to say she wasn’t interested but made eye contact with me just then. Her expression changed mysteriously at that moment.

Then Luna glanced cautiously back at Kara and asked:

“······Is Sivar going too?”

“Yeah, Sivar should have such experiences too.”

“Then I’ll go as well.”

Luna, oh Luna. Are you somehow realizing I know the future and are asking for permission based on that?

It’s infuriating, yet I have no ground to argue. Also, revealing that I foresee a downturn isn’t an option either.

“Luna, you aren’t seriously trying to pick the same stocks as Sivar, are you?”

“That’s right.”

“··· ···”

When will that kid’s mouth ever be fixed?

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