Chapter 454: The Lumberjack

Prometheus Corp.

A mining company headquartered in First Step, on the New Continent, not in either Randa or the Kingdom. It’s been around for roughly 20 years.

It’s not a long history, but Prometheus Corp. is still a company of considerable economic and political importance.

Why? Because in this age of magic and industry, they mine the most valuable resource of all—Mana Stones.

Their value can’t simply be measured by money.

“That’s why politicians and nobles from the central government have always coveted it. Since the company handles a significant portion of the Kingdom’s Mana Stone supply, they can wield political influence if they want.”

“And eventually, they secured a significant amount of shares. Both the nobles and the central politicians.”

Redmond chimed in to add to Edith’s comments, speaking as if discussing work rather than just chatting.

While driving, Oliver asked a question.

“Did they originally not own any shares?”

“Of course not. If they had, they would’ve held a shareholder meeting long ago. Your slow questions make it seem like you’ve finally returned to your old self, which is annoying.”

Edith expressed a mix of both happiness and frustration.

Seeing this, Redmond commented.

“You two sure get along well.”

“Does it look that way?”

“Yes, it does.”

“You must be losing your eyesight. Better get new glasses.”

Edith spoke curtly. Oliver just said what he wanted to say.

“Well, I do like you, Edith.”

“······.”

“······.”

“······I think you’re an incredible person.”

Seeing their strange reaction, Oliver added. Redmond spoke again.

“You really are an unusual fellow.”

“Which is why I sometimes want to punch him.”

“Anyway, to explain further, nobles and central politicians didn’t originally own shares—at least not enough to form a significant force. That’s because Prometheus Corp. was, to put it bluntly, initially considered a laughable company.”

It wasn’t a lie; it was the truth. Oliver asked why.

“Why was it considered ridiculous? From what I see, it seems like an impressive company.”

“Impressive, sure. It practically runs this city’s economy. But when Prometheus Corp. was first established, people thought it was a scam. Only a few insane speculators invested.”

“And one of them was me.”

Edith raised his hand.

It was an unexpected story. Although Oliver hadn’t forgotten he had come to meet Joanna, he grew increasingly interested in this conversation.

It was out of sheer curiosity, something Oliver couldn’t quite understand himself.

“Why did they think it had no potential?”

“Because it didn’t. At the time, wizards and geologists were confident there wasn’t a crumb of Mana Stone to be found around here. Some foolhardy miners had tried and failed miserably.”

“But Prometheus Corp. succeeded, right?”

Clap. Clap. Clap. Redmond clapped his hands.

“Correct······. Edith, who invested massively in the company during its early days, made a fortune.”

“Ah······. I’ve heard about that. You became a big shot by investing in Prometheus. Does that mean you’re the largest shareholder since you invested so much at the start?”

“No, not really.”

Edith waved his hand, which was thick with hair like a pig’s trotters.

“I almost became the largest shareholder, but I sold off a lot of my shares.”

“Why did you do that?”

“Because I thought it was a scam.”

Edith’s voice became firmer.

“That kind of thing happens often. Sometimes, they secretly plant raw Mana Stones, then claim they’ve discovered a vein. It’s not an honest method, but it’s clever. If you make it look convincing, people get excited and start spreading rumors. Newspapers cover it, well-known investors chip in more, and stock prices skyrocket like crazy. To be honest, I invested because I thought it was one of those scams.”

“You thought it was a scam and still invested?”

“Yeah. If you know how, you can make good money off a scam. Thanks to that, I sold the shares when they skyrocketed and bought property and other stocks. Looking back, it was a loss though.”

Oliver could guess why it was a loss.

As of now, Prometheus Corp. was still going strong.

So, it wasn’t a scam.

Edith, who had sold off a lot of shares thinking it was a scam, ended up losing out.

If he had held onto them, he would’ve made much more.

“That must be frustrating.”

“Speculation always has frustrating moments. It’d be a lie if I said I don’t regret it, but at least I learned from it. When the shares dropped last time, I bought them instead of selling.”

By ‘last time,’ he was referring to when Prometheus Corp.’s stock had plummeted due to their mines being depleted.

Oliver wasn’t particularly interested, but he had heard about it a few times on the radio and in the newspapers.

Of course, he had also heard about how Prometheus Corp. miraculously discovered a new mine and their stock prices soared again.

In retrospect, the company seemed like a tightrope walk—both risky and full of miracles.

Not only did they start a low-potential business and grow rapidly, but they also found new mines every time a crisis hit. It almost felt as if someone was helping them.

“The problem was that nobles bought up a huge amount of Prometheus Corp. stock at that time. Nearly as much as my nouveau riche group and the traditional capitalists.”

“There’s a rumor that the royal family led the nobles in systematically purchasing shares. Do you think that’s true?”

“Maybe. The royal family did buy the most stock, so it’s likely true, though I wonder if anyone in the family would have that kind of brainpower. The Queen isn’t interested in such things, and of the two Princes, one is just a playboy and the other is still a kid.”

Edith and Redmond exchanged opinions. Oliver listened quietly before raising his hand.

“What is it?”

“I’m curious about something. Is it bad that the nobles became shareholders?”

“It’s incredibly bad. It’s because of them that the shareholder meeting was called.”

“Isn’t it because the CEO is stepping down for health reasons?”

“That’s not the case.”

Redmond denied it.

“Kenny, who founded and has run Prometheus Corp. until now, is no saint, but he is passionate about his business. He’d be looking for new veins even if his wife ran away. If anything, he would die working before quitting because of some illness.”

“Then······?”

Edith and Redmond exchanged glances.

“······There are just a lot of rumors.”

Redmond shrugged noncommittally. It wasn’t that he didn’t know, but he was being cautious. Surprisingly, Edith was the same.

The fact that even Edith was being careful made Oliver curious about what those rumors were.

“Is it a big deal if the CEO changes?”

“Only if the nobles’ appointed CEO takes charge. They might pull tricks to share profits among themselves. That’s what nobles do.”

“How are nobles like that?”

Oliver asked the question in an uncertain tone. He couldn’t help it. Having spent his life in an orphanage, a mine, Wineham, and Randa, Oliver had never met a royal noble before.

Perhaps understanding his situation, Edith answered calmly without getting angry.

“They’re a bunch of arrogant bastards who think they’re special just because they were born into it. They love to lord it over others, using words that make them seem different from the average person. They monopolize politics and land among themselves and always try to snatch up everything that belongs to others. That, my boy, is what a noble does. That’s why the nouveau riche like us team up with the traditional capitalists. That’s why I hired you. Do you understand now?”

Edith’s answer was filled with anger towards the current situation. Oliver responded.

“Hmm… A little?”

***

Vrrrrrr······. The car’s engine, sounding like a wild horse, slowly quieted down as the car decelerated and stopped in front of a large mansion.

Most of the houses in First Step were modest, so the large mansion appeared even bigger, almost like a fortress.

It wasn’t just the size that made it resemble a fortress.

The thick, high iron fence was imposing, almost as if it were forecasting war. Heavily armed guards, wielding axes, swords, and even submachine guns, were stationed all around, thickening the tension.

From their posture, Oliver deduced that the guards were trained mercenaries. Magic users and wizards were also among them.

“Is this Edith’s mansion?”

Oliver asked as he got out of the car.

“No, it’s the mansion of Bryan, the leader of the traditional capitalist group. He and I don’t get along.”

“Why don’t you get along?”

“He does the same dirty work I do, but acts like he’s above it. That makes him worse.”

“While that’s true, there’s no need to say it. Right now, we need to join forces, don’t we?”

Redmond adjusted his silk hat as he spoke. Edith didn’t refute him but guided Oliver to the mansion without objection.

Having missed the chance to part, Oliver unwittingly followed Edith and stopped in front of a door that was 1.5 times the height of an average person.

The guard at the door identified Edith, then quickly opened the door.

The mansion was even larger inside than it appeared from outside, with even more guards. Among them, a man in a tuxedo approached Edith, seemingly the house’s butler.

“Good day, Edith. It’s a pleasure to welcome you. The other guests have arrived and are waiting.”

“They must be eager today. Keeping the schedule, I see.”

Edith casually quipped, suggesting that keeping schedule was a rare occurrence.

“If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask who this gentleman is?”

The butler eyed Oliver and inquired. Though he maintained outward politeness, inwardly he was wary and somewhat contemptuous.

It wasn’t hard to understand why. Oliver was skinny and shabby, even when dressed neatly.

“He’s a guest I happened to run into.”

Oliver was slightly surprised. He had expected to be introduced as a hired guard. Was this a gesture of consideration?

The butler replied.

“I’m sorry, Sir Edith, but outside guests cannot enter—”

“—I’ll vouch for his identity, so don’t worry. You wanted my cooperation right? More than that, I wouldn’t have brought him if he were just anyone. Just show us the way.”

Faced with Edith’s firm stance, the butler hesitated before replying.

“I apologize. Please allow me to show you to where everyone is gathered.”

The butler then guided Edith, Redmond, and Oliver to one of the mansion’s reception rooms.

The enormous reception room was mainly made of glass on two sides, letting plenty of light in and offering a full view of the glorious garden and fountain outside.

Despite more than 20 people gathered, the room was so spacious that it didn’t feel crowded.

‘So these are the nouveau riche shareholders and traditional capitalist shareholders of Prometheus······? They certainly stand out.’

Oliver noticed subtle differences between the two groups. It was hard to describe specifically, but he could distinctively tell them apart.

The traditional capitalist shareholders, who had accumulated wealth since their ancestors’ time and were considered pillars among capitalists, and the nouveau riche group, who had built their fortunes through one big gamble in their lifetimes, had subtle differences.

There was even a psychological barrier between the two groups, making it easy to distinguish them.

“Sir, Edith has arrived.”

The butler passed over the ornate marble floor and spoke to a bald old man seated on a massive sofa.

The old man, unlike Merlin, had lost all the hair around his head, making his head like an egg. He pointed toward Oliver beside Edith and asked about him. The butler whispered a reply.

“······Is he a fixer?”

After hearing the explanation, the egg-headed old man pointed again at Oliver and asked.

There was a certain dignity in his voice, but Edith didn’t care.

“To be precise, he’s a guest I’m considering hiring as a bodyguard.”

“Is he from the new class?”

A class who amassed wealth comparable to that of capitalists through superhuman abilities. The bald old man instantly deduced Oliver’s identity.

“If he’s a new class, he should have quite a bit of skill, but he doesn’t look it. And he certainly doesn’t seem like someone you’d bring here.”

“’Quite a bit of skill’······. You’re mistaken. I wouldn’t have brought him here if that was all there was to it.”

“······?”

“I brought him here because he’s the best.”

Edith spoke confidently. While it was excessive praise, he seemed sincere.

“The best?”

“Yes. With Pinkman joining forces with the nobles, we are in dire need of a skilled individual. So I pulled some strings to bring him here. Not blaming you guys for failing to recruit the Pinkman, of course.”

Some people visibly showed their displeasure. It seemed like they were the traditional capitalists.

Only the egg-headed old man remained calm. At least on the surface.

“Who is it that makes you so confident?”

“It’s the fixer known as Dave, the Lumberjack, from Randa. A living legend who wiped out more than a hundred Druids.”