The great nobles of the empire did not borrow money.
To be precise, they did not "personally step forward" to borrow money.
It was something that did not suit the dignity of a great noble.
Of course, there were times when even the great nobles needed money.
At such times, merchants who were either acquainted with the great nobles or eager to gain their favor would come forward on their own.
They would bow respectfully, exchange some pleasantries about the state of the world, compliment the noble's residence, praise their family, and then, with a humble tone, say something like, "I would like to offer a small sum of money to the noble lord."
The great noble would then reluctantly nod in agreement, as if granting a favor...
After that, the details would be discussed with the steward who worked under the great noble.
Since this was how things worked, most of the empire's great nobles did not know how to personally step forward to borrow money.
What more could be said of the young boys and girls who had just come of age from such families? They wouldn't even know how to bring up the topic.
That's why Arien, the branch manager of the Kaako Trading Company, was utterly shocked when a boy who was clearly from a great noble family came to him asking to borrow money.
"Is he really from the Wodanaz family??"
The village of Filone was quite prosperous for its size.
The streets were bustling with people, and there were all sorts of shops that one wouldn't find in the countryside.
Moreover, there were inns packed tightly together, and the taverns were filled to the brim.
Not just Filone, but the nearby villages and cities were equally vibrant.
The reason was simple: the magic school.
The region itself was where the magic school was located, so it was naturally overflowing with magical energy.
It was a place filled with various dungeons, monsters, and rare materials! On top of that, the mages working within the magic school needed all sorts of materials and reagents for their experiments.
Who would bring these to them? Most mages were so frail that they would wilt the moment they stood up from their desks.
Naturally, they had no choice but to hire adventurers.
With hefty rewards on the line, adventurers flocked in excitement, and as materials and reagents were quickly gathered, the delighted mages conducted their experiments and hired more adventurers.
The imperial treasurer, upon seeing the bills, would shout, "Bring me Osso Gonadaltes!!" in a fit of rage...
In any case, except for a few, everyone was part of a happy cycle that had formed in this region.
It was also a stroke of luck for Yi Han.
With money, he could buy almost anything.
It was better than not being able to buy things even with money.
"So, could you lend me some money?"
"Ah, no. Young master of the Wodanaz family. Please wait... just a moment."
"Is it not possible?"
"No! It's not that it's impossible. Of course, I will lend it to you."
The goat-like branch manager hurriedly waved both hands.
If the other party was from the Wodanaz family (and if they weren't a fake), lending money was definitely a gain.
He didn't even think about going to the Wodanaz family to ask for repayment.
Just being able to form a connection with someone from the Wodanaz family was already a benefit.
Arien steeled himself. 'Alright.
Even if I have to dig into my own savings...' But as a merchant, he couldn't help but tremble.
Just how much would the other party ask for? If it was more than Arien's entire fortune, he would have to quickly contact his superiors for permission...
"How much do you need?"
Yi Han hesitated.
Seeing this, Arien grew increasingly nervous.
Just how much was it??
"... Would twenty silver coins be possible?"
"... Excuse me?"
"If not, then maybe fifteen silver coins..."
"......"
Arien was dumbfounded for a moment before belatedly realizing something.
The other party was wearing clothes that looked familiar.
They were the uniform of the magic school.
'He's a magic school student?!'
Moreover, he was a first-year.
Knowing the insane strictness of the magic school's rules, Arien couldn't help but be shocked.
How did a first-year manage to sneak out??
'Ah... he's from the Wodanaz family.'
Arien found himself understanding without realizing it.
The person before him was truly from the Wodanaz family.
If he weren't from the Wodanaz family, who else could have sneaked out of the magic school as a first-year?
'I never dreamed that a great noble would personally come to borrow money... but it's the Wodanaz family!'
"Twelve silver coins?"
"Ah, no. You don't need to lower it."
Having grasped the situation, Arien tried to make Yi Han feel at ease.
He brought out tea and snacks, and when he mentioned that he could give the silver coins without any conditions, Yi Han looked at him suspiciously.
"Ah, no. I don't have any ulterior motives."
"I think I should go somewhere else..."
"Really! I just thought that the young master of the Wodanaz family might not have money right now, so I wanted to be considerate!"
Arien felt wronged.
What money could a first-year who had barely sneaked out of the magic school have? The situation should have been, 'Money is no issue.
I trust you, young master.' 'Arien! You have a good eye.
I won't forget your trust when I rise to prominence in the future!' It should have been a touching moment, but...
"Ah. If that's the case... I don't have money, but I do have something that could be worth money."
"?"
Arien tilted his head in confusion.
It was hard to believe that a first-year who had just sneaked out had something worth money.
'Could it be a wand...'
Arien inwardly smirked.
It was a common misconception among magic school students.
Last year, he had heard that a third-year student had tried to sell his wand but failed.
The basic wand given by the magic school wasn't worth as much as one might think.
"Here's a ledger of debts owed to me by members of other imperial families."
"......"
Arien's jaw dropped to the table.
What the hell...!?!?!!!
"I was planning to take this around to their mansions, but damn... no, the headmaster moved the mansion somewhere else."
"That... that's right. If it's this... it really is something worth money."
It was practically cash.
Moreover, it wasn't just cash.
If he took this to those families, they would repay the favor in some way, as it was a matter of imperial noble honor!
'But...'
Though it was tempting, Arien drew a clear line.
"If you have that, it's enough. I will lend you the money."
"Then this ledger..."
"No. You keep it, young master."
"......"
At Arien's words, Yi Han looked at him with an expression that seemed to ask, 'Did this merchant just start working today?' Normally, when borrowing money, the lender would hold onto the collateral, not the borrower.
Arien felt a slight pang of frustration. 'I'm showing trust...!'
The reason Arien wasn't coveting the ledger was simple.
It was practically a promise between the Wodanaz family and other noble families.
If the young master of the Wodanaz family later took this ledger to the mansions of other families, how much gratitude would he receive? If Arien took the ledger and went around to other noble families, he might gain some benefits, but the Wodanaz family would view it poorly.
-That merchant must have tricked the naive Yi Han into giving up the ledger.
Arien was willing to take a small loss to avoid being misunderstood as having deceived the young master before him.
Instead, he was misunderstood as 'Did this merchant just start working today?'!
"Young master. Think about it. You are from the Wodanaz family. What difference does it make whether I have this ledger or not?"
"Is that so? Still, it would be better for you to have it..."
"... Would you like me to guide you around the village? You must need many things."
Arien changed the subject.
What a student who had just escaped needed was clear.
Yi Han nodded.
"I would appreciate that. But you're not guiding me to shops connected to the trading company, are you?"
"... No!"
Arien was starting to get confused whether the boy before him was from the Wodanaz family or the Wodanaz Trading Company.
There was none of the innocence or naivety one would expect from a noble family.
"?"
As he followed Yi Han, who had stepped out of the room first, Arien noticed that the snacks he had brought earlier had completely disappeared.
'Did he eat them all? Strange? He didn't even touch them...'
As he tilted his head in confusion, Arien spotted Yi Han's cloak pocket bulging.
'...
Could it be... no... it can't be...'
"How about this cream puff? It's a dessert made by one of the village's top artisans. The thin pastry is filled with cream, and even the nobles are satisfied..."
"No, recommend something that's easy to store and small in size."
"......"
"......"
Yi Han acted as if he were an imperial supply officer preparing for war.
He completely ignored foods that were bulky, fragile, or prone to spoilage, no matter how delicious they were.
He was solely focused on maximum efficiency through maximum compression.
"This canned food..."
"It's a popular canned food in the empire these days? The design is quite pretty, isn't it?"
"This won't allow me to pack tightly!"
"......"
Seeing Yi Han dismiss it without a second thought, Arien pondered.
...
Should I recommend him to join the trading company after graduating from the magic school? He clearly has the makings of an excellent merchant...
Yi Han picked out various food items, calculated their volume and weight, and even chose the boxes to pack them in himself.
"Wait a moment, young master. You can't bring a carriage to the school. The headmaster will punish us."
"I know. I'll carry it myself."
"...???!?!"
It wasn't just Arien who was shocked.
The other employees were also looking at him with expressions that seemed to ask, 'Shouldn't you stop him, branch manager?'
"No. He must have something in mind."
But Arien remained steadfast.
He had to admit it now.
The young master of the Wodanaz family before him was someone blessed with the instincts of a seasoned merchant.
He must have some plan!
"Let's head to the tailor now. We'll have a suit made for you."
"?"
Yi Han looked at him as if to ask, 'What are you talking about?'
"Uh... that rag... no, that outfit must be quite uncomfortable, right?"
The uniforms of magic school students were quite uncomfortable and rough.
Even the employees could tell just by looking at them.
But Yi Han didn't seem to care much.
"It's not that uncomfortable."
"!?"
"Of course, I do need clothes, but..."
At Yi Han's following words, Arien felt relieved.
So he did have clothes in mind!
"Not the tailor, let's go to the fabric store."
"... Are you planning to make it yourself...?"
"That's right."
"......"
As Yi Han entered the fabric store and picked out only thick and durable fabrics, Arien felt dizzy.
Something was clearly happening among the new students at the magic school.
"This is the same fabric, but why is this one cheaper?"
"The pattern is out of fashion..."
"Then give me the out-of-fashion fabric. Between this fabric and that one, which one is more water-resistant?"
Following his performance at the grocery store, Yi Han displayed remarkable skill at the fabric store as well.
Among the numerous fabrics, he picked out only the best, leaving even the seasoned fabric store owner and Arien, the branch manager of the trading company, in awe.
The young boy from the Wodanaz family was now dominating the scene!