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One day had passed, and I still didn't feel like repaying that 930,000-gold-coin debt. Unfortunately, this time, the system wasn't playing nice. If I didn't pay back the loan by tomorrow, a brutal 50% daily interest would be applied.
Man, that's insane.
Even worse, the interest would be compounded. Just thinking about it made me want to scream every curse I knew.
To deal with the looming disaster, I sold most of my mana crystals, leaving just 12,500 in reserve. The rest converted into gold, barely covering the war expenses. After paying off the debt, I was left with a measly 199,800 gold coins.
If I didn't have so many pending payments, I'd probably be the richest lord in existence. Maybe I already am, but still... I'd at least have the official title, right?
I wondered how the mining operation was going. Meanwhile, Lucia, my assistant, stood silently behind me like a statue. She barely spoke, but at least she got things done when asked.
I handed her the remaining gold coins. "Here's 199.8k gold. Invest it wisely. Draft and execute plans for improving the territory."
"My lord, the castle upgrade payment is approaching. Should we set some funds aside?"
"No," I said, waving her concern away. "I'll handle that when the time comes."
Later, lying on my bed, I mulled over ways to develop the lands within the second walls. Expanding to a fifth wall was tempting, but I knew I needed to allocate resources more effectively first.
Feeling restless, I sent a direct message to Kirin.
"Prepare as many grade-3 magi as you can by the next six days. I'll take them all."
After stretching, I headed to the official forum and posted an ad:
'War Maniac' Ace the Gambler:
"Seeking individuals of any species capable of conversation, knowledgeable in warfare, and skilled in financial planning. Multiple positions available!"
I can't shake this ridiculous "Gambler" title, I thought bitterly. The system seems to think it's my last name or something.
Before I could log out, Kirin messaged me again.
"Four-star military advisor available for 300,000 gold. Interested?"
I wasn't about to accept outright. "400k gold, and you agree to only provide these types of troops to me. Deal?"
A long pause followed. Finally, Kirin replied, "Sorry, I need to maintain business relationships with others, too."
I sighed but pressed on. "Take 400k and promise not to sell any grade-4 military generals to anyone else for the next two weeks."
"Deal."
Kirin had gotten the better of me, but securing exclusivity for two weeks would have to suffice. Piling the entire order onto next week's delivery, I collapsed onto my bed and tried to rest.
Four days passed with no messages other than from Kirin. Not a single friend request. Maybe I'm not as charismatic as I thought, I joked to myself, though the expected chuckle never came. Perhaps it's true.
Hoping for better news, I opened my wallet. Instead of seeing immense wealth, I saw a glaring -141,832 gold coins in red.
Beneath it was a note:
"Payment for castle construction has been delayed. Workers are revolting, demanding extra pay, or they will leave the kingdom."
What the—?! You couldn't have warned me earlier? I could've prepared for this!
Before I could figure out how many mana crystals I'd need to part with to pay this off, Kirin messaged again:
"1,525,000 gold coins for 15 grade-3 magi and the grade-4 military advisor."
I slumped to the floor, utterly defeated.
Does Kirin have a factory pumping out troops? I want one! I thought, crying out indignantly—though no actual tears came.
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