The sound of hooves pounded against the dirt ground.
Dozens of mounted soldiers carrying torches galloped across the field.
At the edge of their pursuit was a single knight with a billowing black cloak.
Despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered, he showed not even a hint of hesitation. Instead, he increased his speed and charged straight toward them.
"Q-quickly, stop him! Hurry!"
A man in a red cloak shouted compulsively.
CRASH!
Dozens of cavalry collided with the single rider. The sounds of things breaking and shattering erupted in a chain reaction.
"AAAAGH!"
"M-my a-arm...!"
The screams came from the side with greater numbers.
In the wake of the black-cloaked knight's path, flesh flew and blood sprayed violently.
"AHHH!"
"S-stop him, don't let him!"
"He's coming this way!"
With each flash of his blade, another mounted soldier inevitably fell. The sword cut through armor and severed muscle and bone completely.
The black cloak finally passed through the dozens of cavalry without a single scratch, spurring his horse toward the red-cloaked commander who had been keeping his distance.
"Y-you crazy bastard...!"
The red-cloaked man's face was drenched in terror.
"D-do you know who I am?! This is treason! This is treason!"
If it had been a matter of finding just one person named Marigold, it would have been difficult no matter how much time was given.
But following the traces left by Mary's Merchant Guild's grand procession wasn't particularly difficult.
"The Salt Guild, you ask? They were magnificent."
In the first village, people talked about the grand appearance of Mary's Merchant Guild.
"They stopped briefly in this village, and can you believe they had to set up camp in that field over there because there was nowhere else to stay? It was quite a sight! Those money-bags charged four times the normal price for a bottle of wine...!"
"Which way did they go?"
"Hmm? If you follow this road, you'll reach a plain, and they went through there."
In the second village, stories emerged about Mary's Merchant Guild's overwhelming mercenary force.
"That forest over there, sir. Deserters from the Kingdom of Bellog had gathered and were robbing travelers left and right, and those fools had the nerve to mess with the Salt Guild!"
"What happened?"
"Nothing but bones were left strewn in front of the village. Would you like to take a look? The wild dogs have carried most away, but some remain."
By the third village, stories about Marigold herself finally emerged.
"She was unusual. A young woman leading such a large guild. I thought she was nobility, I tell you."
"Do you remember anything else?"
"The most famous thing was her confrontation at the fortress of Count Seongwan over there."
"Count Seongwan? You mean the lord?"
"Who else would it be?"
"A noble and a guild master had a confrontation?"
"That's right. And he's not just any noble, but a high-ranking one. His personality is absolutely insane—he demanded 20 gold coins as a toll fee."
"That's no different from a bandit."
"She cleaned him out with a single gambling bet and ended up receiving 10 gold coins from him instead. I thought it served him right."
"..."
Fearless or thoughtless—she certainly had nerves of steel, this Marigold.
Lancel felt some of his travel fatigue lifting at the news. It seemed characteristic of her, for better or worse.
Through the fourth and fifth regions...
When he finally reached a village close to the battlefield:
"Don't even mention the Salt Guild."
Lancel noticed the changing atmosphere.
"Those people were called traitors until just recently."
"Traitors?"
"Yes. Traitors."
A merchant on the road visibly startled at the name of Mary's Merchant Guild and lowered his voice.
"Those people were once in this area, raking in money hand over fist. I was nearly sick with envy thinking how much silver I could have earned if I'd been there."
"How well did they do?"
"Almost all supplies flowing into the battlefield passed through the Salt Guild. That guild mistress was quite something—a woman who really knew how to sell."
"What's this about being traitors?"
"They say she sold goods to the rebels because she was too good at selling!"
Ah.
Lancel put his hand to his forehead.
"She probably didn't want to sell to them."
"I'd think not. She seemed like a woman who valued her life."
No matter how bold Marigold was, she would have known that selling to rebels would get her head cut off.
"But when a prince says you sold to them, then you sold to them, right?"
"...A prince?"
"You know the one. That temperamental one. Famous for his eccentricity."
He didn't need to say more.
If even a common merchant would speak ill of such a famous royal, there could only be one.
The 6th Prince.
Karin Craig Phrygia.
"In the end, she was stripped of everything and left with nothing. When they tell you to hand over everything or be labeled a traitor, what can you do?"
Mary's Merchant Guild had its own backing. Viscount Dante alone held half the shares.
And yet they confiscated it all.
Only the 6th Prince could do such a thing.
He was the type who didn't care if noble society pointed fingers behind his back. A temperament that did whatever he wanted.
"If you're looking for the Salt Guild people, don't waste your time. They've all probably returned to their hometowns by now. What else can merchants who've lost their money do? At least they kept their lives, so that's fortunate."
"...What about the guild mistress?"
"The guild mistress? Oh, that woman?"
The merchant, gathering his wares spread on the ground, replied casually:
"That woman... I heard she died."
"D-do you know who I am?! This is treason! This is treason!"
Lancel raised his sword hilt toward the 6th Prince, whose voice was cracking.
"And what if it is treason?"
"...!"
The blade pierced straight through the 6th Prince's heart.
Somehow, it felt nostalgic. Despite appearances, this bastard gives a satisfying kill. I could get used to this.
"Gurk...!"
============
—Event lost! 6th Prince "Karin Craig Phrygia's" route has been lost.
============
"How many more times must you die before you learn, Karin?"
Blood gushed out as he withdrew his sword. Leaving the prince falling from his horse with eyes rolling back, Lancel quickly left the scene.
Although it was an incident where dozens of imperial guards were annihilated by a single surprise attack and the 6th Prince's life was taken...
The rumor spread in a more palatable form: "The 6th Prince has fallen to the rebels!"
Months later, Lancel came to a quiet rural estate after dispatching the man he disliked.
It would be a lie to say he felt no regret. After all, he hadn't achieved the main purpose that had brought him all this way.
But dismissing even that regret without much emotion was the only choice given to Lancel.
'It leaves a bad aftertaste.'
Watching the setting sun, Lancel recalled what had happened over the past ten years.
Saving Marigold from being beaten, rescuing her from the gallows, finding her when she was framed as a bandit, following her to the battlefield when she suddenly disappeared...
Looking back, it became clear.
'My vacation was completely ruined.'
What could he do?
Sometimes things just go wrong.
'If necessary, I can always play again.'
Lancel decided to take it easy.
As the night grew dark, people gathered in front of the inn. Travelers, deserters, vagrants, and unsavory characters made up most of the crowd.
"Come on! Put your money down and win more!"
A shell game?
Come to think of it, this was similar to how he first met Marigold in this playthrough. The air, the smell, the atmosphere—all reminiscent of that time.
It felt somewhat nostalgic. He turned his gaze toward the source of the commotion.
"Too bad! Better luck next time!"
"No, how could this...!"
Men surrounded the shell game operator.
"You cheating woman, who do you think you're fooling!"
"Cheating? Where would you find someone as fair as me?"
"I saw everything, and you're still playing innocent?"
Yes, yes.
How peaceful.
"There's nothing more unsightly than making excuses after losing money, pfft!"
"You damn bitch!"
Huh?
"Yelp!"
Lancel took another look at the woman who fell back with a bloody nose.
Short hair, a hat pulled low, shabby clothes and a robe. She was completely bundled up to hide her identity.
He felt a sense of déjà vu.
This kind of intuition usually proved correct.
'Marigold?'
He didn't recognize her at first.
But he was certain now.
"Give me back my money, you fraud...!"
"Eek!"
The woman curled up as another fist came flying.
"...?"
When she didn't feel the impact after a while, she cautiously opened her eyes.
"What are you doing?"
Their eyes met.
Just like that first day.
It made sense.
In this war-torn region, there weren't many quiet villages besides this one, so meeting like this wasn't so strange.
If he had known earlier that she was alive and wandering around, he would have combed through the villages long ago.
He had assumed she was dead—thought it wouldn't be surprising if Marigold were dead by now—and had missed her right under his nose.
"...Benefactor?"
Marigold's eyes wavered.
There was no response.
How much time passed?
"I-I mistook you for someone else!"
"...!"
She turned around and fled.
Lancel stared after her with a dumbfounded expression at this unexpected reaction.
He immediately gave chase and grabbed her wrist.
"You're running away?"
"B-Benefactor..."
Marigold's face, which had become tearful, looked back at Lancel under the moonlight.
"...I heard you were dead, so what are you doing here?"
"W-what? I sent a letter... saying I was perfectly fine..."
He never received it. Perhaps because he had already left home before such a letter could arrive.
"But why?"
"..."
Lancel waited until she opened her mouth on her own.
The meaning of "Why aren't you coming back and why are you doing this here?" was easily conveyed to Marigold.
If she was alive, it would be normal to return.
After suppressing her sobs with occasional hiccups, she finally spoke after a long while.
"I was too ashamed..."
Ridiculous.
"Is this the first time? You being ashamed in front of me?"
"Still, I said I'd come back as a tycoon..."
"Sorry, but I wasn't expecting that. I thought it would be fortunate if you just avoided becoming a beggar."
"T-that's too harsh!"
"But you actually became a beggar, didn't you?"
"...Principal..."
"...?"
"I wanted to recover at least the principal... before coming back..."
"Is that possible? With shell games? Recovering such a large sum?"
The money Marigold had confiscated by the prince was truly enormous.
It represented more than half of the money earned over the years—a truly grand venture. Recovering it alone was impossible from the start.
"Is that possible, really?"
"Uuugh."
Lancel grabbed her head with both hands and squeezed.
"Ugh, oww, uuuugh!"
Only after kneading her face for a while, squeezing and stretching it, did he start to feel better.
"Come with me for now."
Lancel pulled Marigold's arm and brought her to his lodging.
That night, Lancel and Marigold exchanged stories about what had happened during their time apart.
"Benefactor... did you perhaps... come looking for me?"
"Why else would I come to a place where I have no connections?"
Marigold's expression was a sight to behold. She kept wavering between what looked like crying and laughing.
"If you want to make money, first return to the family. Get proper investment again and rebuild step by step. You know very well that playing shell games alone won't get you anywhere even after a hundred years, right?"
"Y-you're not going to chase me away?"
"Would you like me to?"
If she had just waited patiently for a year, this wouldn't have happened. The only reason he had traveled this far distance was one:
'I somehow knew this would happen.'
This was déjà vu. Marigold's characteristic was that she would immediately stray down strange paths if left alone.
"We're going back as soon as the sun rises tomorrow, so keep that in mind."
"...Yes."
Marigold bowed her head and then fumbled to take something out.
"Here."
"...?"
"Tea leaves, a specialty from the Dobern region..."
"..."
She lost all her money but still has that? Lancel let out a hollow laugh.
In the end, Lancel drank the tea that Marigold had been so insistent on. It had a pleasant aroma that made him feel drowsy.
As the night deepened, Marigold's body moved closer and pressed against him. Through Lancel's cold arms, Marigold's warm temperature slowly transferred.
"Benefactor."
Marigold's face, swollen and bruised, approached Lancel.
Though she looked disheveled, the light had returned to her eyes.
"I'll start over. This time I'll definitely succeed and become a tycoon. No."
Yes, yes.
Make sure you do that.
Though I'll regress again in a few months.
"I'll become the richest person in the entire Empire. And I'll have you in my hands too, Benefactor!"
"...? Why would you want me in your hands?"
"Because that's what tycoons do."
What a mercenary statement.
"When that time comes... will you stay with me, Benefactor?"
Marigold's voice sounded desperate. Lancel gave the same answer once more.
"I'll think about it positively."
The next morning, Lancel and Marigold began a journey that would take several months. It was a long trip circling the continent to return to the Dante family.
Feeling the approaching summer, occasionally straying from the path to frolic. Not particularly wanting to do anything, yet somehow time passed quickly.
It was that kind of leisurely journey.
"We're almost there, Benefactor."
On a hill covered with flowers.
Marigold, wearing a flower crown on her head, smiled brightly.
It was now June.
The day Marigold turned twenty-five.
"AHHH! A BEE! Benefactor, it's a bee! A bumblebee! EEEEK!"
"Take off what you're wearing on your head."
"But it's such a waste...!"
And so ten years passed.
[Playtime: 10 years, 0 days]
—Marigold has turned 25.
—There is no marriage partner.
—There are achievements.
â¶First Experience (with: Lancel Dante) +1000 points.
â·Tycoon Achievement +100 points.
â¶Sensuality Record +50 points.
â·Guild Master Title +50 points.
—Achievements have reached a total of 1700 points.
—"Succession of Memory" (1 time) has been accumulated.
—Points remaining until next Succession of Memory: (200/1500 points)
[Normal Ending 82. Pleasure Chancellor Marigold]
—The ending has been recorded in the "Album of Memories."
—Opening the album.
Welcome to the City of Pleasure.
Marigold earned countless gold coins amid the war engulfing the Empire and claimed the honor of becoming the greatest tycoon of all.
Luxury.
Ecstasy.
Pleasure.
Gambling.
Loans.
A land where everything related to money gathers.
In this massive city of pleasure built on the edge of the continent beyond the Empire, there is no place her hand doesn't reach.
Even royalty from minor kingdoms come running to borrow money. Welcome to Mary's Merchant Guild's City of Pleasure.
'Hehe, the Dante family has already borrowed this much from me? What will you do, Benefactor? You've become someone who can't do anything without me.'
Marigold's eyes still burn with desire today.
'That's right. Just forget about the crumbling Empire. Benefactor, you just need to live with me. Forever on this land...!'
The eyes of a burning beast.
The desire to have whatever she wants.
It overwhelms her longtime benefactor.
'Hehehe, come here.'
She seems to have lost her mind.
[Pleasure Chancellor Marigold - fin]
—Restarting the game.
—Would you like to use "Succession of Memory" (1 time)?
"What is this?"
Lancel couldn't hide his bewilderment.
The ridiculous ending content was nothing new, so that was fine. I knew this would happen when her sensuality broke through the ceiling.
The problem was that strange achievement called "First Experience." Lancel definitely had no such memory.
Really!
If there was such a thing, it would be Marigold's doing. Whatever happened, she must have done something.
That wasn't the only thing bothering him.
'Succession of Memory?'
Lancel felt something ominous about those words.
And then.
"Young Master, the girl over there is the new maid who just arrived. Her name is Mary."
"...?"
Marigold had come to find him.
[Wealthy Marigold - END]
[NEXT - First Succession, Curtain Call Lancel. ]