Chapter 19: Fining (1)


    A sunny morning at the mansion.


    When I went out after preparing breakfast, there were letters in the mailbox. Letters in the mailbox that only gathered dust—two of them, no less.


    "Oh…"


    With excitement, I pulled out the letters, half-expecting love letters.


    A pink envelope and a golden one were in my hands. As expected, they were not love letters.


    "From Miss Hanna and… a letter from the royal household?"


    A letter from the royal household.


    Not exactly a wee one.


    Setting aside my disappointment for the absence of love letters, I went upstairs and first tore open the letter from Miss Hanna. Neatly written script. A noble handwriting, as if to prove her noble lineage.


    Of course, not as remarkable as ourdy''s.


    But she certainly wrote better than I did.


    [It seems the academy matter will be tough. The seniors might be able to handle it, but there''s strong bacsh from the professors…]


    Her letter ended with apologies and a sentence saying she''d try to speak again.


    ‘I''m already grateful, how much more gratitude should I amass?''


    Later on, I''d have to secure a masterstroke to gift to Hanna. A sword should suffice… Maybe I should divert one from Michail.


    After all, in the novel, Michail uses a holy sword. Diverting one or two swords probably wouldn''t be an issue. And if a problem arises, well, Michail can just take a tumble—it wasn''t my concern.


    Kill two birds with one stone—Michail gets stronger, and how great that would be.


    Afterposing a letter full of gratitude to Hanna and sealing it with beeswax,


    "Bad handwriting."


    "What''s wrong with my writing?"


    "It squiggles so much; it''s hard to make out."


    "It''s not visible from there, is it?"


    "It''s not visible, but your chicken scratches are pretty obvious."


    Thedy sitting on the bed peered at me andined about the handwriting on the letter.


    If thedy had poor handwriting, I would have retorted with ‘Pff. Look who''s talking,'' but in terms of handwriting, ourdy was unbeatable in this world.


    Noputer was needed.


    When thedy picked up a pen, it became a keyboard and the stationery turned into A4 paper, so I couldn''t argue whatever she said.


    I wanted to ask thedy to write instead of me, but due to privacy, I couldn''t get her to ghostwrite.


    I put in a lot of effort, but was it really so illegible?


    With doubt in my tone, I questioned thedy, and she scrunched her brow, yelling at me, iming it was the first time she was nauseated by writing.


    "It''s not my fault. It''s the handwriting of this world that''s wrong. Why does it have to be so curly and…"


    "I can write fine."


    "You''re the strange one,dy. My hand is meless."


    Today, more than ever, I missed Hangul. I longed to see angr letters.


    Ignoring thedy''s nitpicking, I organized the letter and began to open the other one lying aside.


    A golden envelope


    And a letter sealed with the royal red wax.


    Olivia''s eyes went wide.


    "A letter from the royal household?"


    "It seems so. But we shouldn''t be receiving anything from them."


    "Isn''t it an invitation to a ball?"


    Thedy snorted.


    If she had a tail like a beastman, it would be wagging rapidly at this point as she reached for me.


    "Give it to me!"


    "No."


    "Why not?"


    "You''ll just tear it up if it''s something upsetting."


    Thedy had no retort.


    Apparently, she had been nning to rip it up if it was content she disliked. Thedy politely folded her extended hands and waited her turn.


    Surely, she could be mistaken.


    Until about a year ago, invitations to balls from the royal household weremon. They arrived for the empire''s founding day, the Crown Prince''s birthday, and even for the third princess''s birthday—it''s no wonder I feel nervous given those memories are still fresh.


    What if it were an invitation?


    Pondering in my mind,


    I started worrying about whether to attend or not, then fretting about what clothes to dress thedy in. Plus, I was nning in my head which foods to pilfer from the royal buffet.


    Since we couldn''t refuse an invitation from the emperor, if we had to go, we should get our money''s worth—a lesson well taken from thedy.


    Thedy and I, both caught up in imagining drinking the kimchi broth and attending the ball, looked into each other''s eyes and slowly unsealed the beeswax.


    The letter inside began to glow enchantingly.


    Thedy and I, swallowing hard, anticipated the content.


    As I unfolded it and took the first peek, I pressed my lips tightly together.


    "?"


    "What''s wrong?"


    "…"


    "You should see this for yourself."


    I presented the letter to thedy with a questioning look.


    [You have unpaid fines.]


    Outstanding Fines: 700,000 gold


    If not paid within the designated period (three months from now), properties under the name of Olivia Desmond will be confiscated.


    Expected Property for Seizure: Hamel Mountain vicinity grand manor and approximately 73 varieties of precious metals.


    "?!"


    Thedy''s response came in the form of looking out the window. ‘Ahem,'' she coughed, turning red at the ears and thoroughly avoiding turning back around.


    It wasn''t a ball invitation, but a demand for payment.


    Even a seizure notice threatening to put a red sticker on things. A chilly air swept through the room. Despite it being early fall outside, the atmosphere in the room was colder than a winter breeze.


    "Oh… This one caught me off guard."


    "… Me too."


    "I paid 300,000 gold, but to have this much left…"


    "…How much is remaining?"


    "700,000 gold."


    "Hup…!"


    Thedy had hups.


    She quietly pushed away the te of choctes that was on the bed. It seemed she was preparing to fast from now on.


    I, unhesitantly, swept thedy''s choctes aside.


    After all, if you don''t want to live, you must truly conserve.


    700,000 gold.


    If 10,000 gold is about 10 million won, then 700,000 gold would be about 7 billion, right?


    ‘…This is a big problem.''


    How to make 7 billion won in three months.


    We couldn''t even take out loans as we were cklisted for credit.


    Seeking an answer, I looked at thedy, but she stood still, gazing out the window like a broken nutcracker doll.


    "The weather is great!"


    Outside, it was raining.


    ***


    When you think about it, it''s a simple task.


    Making 700,000 gold.


    Despite constantly whining about being broke, as a possessor of a possessed body, it isn''t right to struggle for money.


    Since I''ve already managed to earn the hefty sum of 300,000 gold before, I’m certain I can easily make 700,000 gold.


    With an unyielding spirit, I stood in front of the mansion’s wall, which still disyed a huge warning sign, just as it had before.


    [Expel the wicked viiness from our vige.]


    Last time, it had demanded her exile to a convent, but now the vigers'' heartwarming message was upgraded to calling for her expulsion from the vige. A part of my heart warmed at their ‘kindness''.


    "Soon, it might be time to upturn the guards."


    I had given up on the mansion''s exterior thanks to those who express their artistic souls on someone else''s wall.


    It’s no use erasing it; they just scribble again.


    Thanks to them, my workload has decreased while the insults have increased—a two-for-one deal.


    I''ve surrendered, and strangely, it''s quite liberating.


    So, I decided to exploit our mansion''s wall actively for once.


    Brush in hand and busy sshing fluorescent paint on the wall, I was suddenly intercepted by a teddy bear flung from above.


    Thud. As the teddy bear met its end with a sound, I locked eyes with it, and thedy of the house bellowed from above.


    "Hey, you rascal! Don''t deface the wall!"


    I offered thedy a wry smile and put in earplugs.


    If she hasints, then don''t end up in debt in the first ce.


    -Swish… Whisk.


    Realistically, making 700,000 gold solely through adventurer work in just three months is an impossible task.


    Especially while taking care of thedy, earning money itself is a difficult job.


    Most adventurers set a 1-2 day period for lucrative quests, but that’s impossible for me.


    I had to focus on quantity over quality.


    With Hanna, a B-ranked adventurer, away at the academy, it was also impossible to take on higher-ranked quests.


    That''s why I came up with this alternative.


    [Wanted: Work for the Swordsman who Captured the Infamous ‘Adventurer Hunter.'' ★Anonymity Guaranteed★]


    1. I will do any job.


    2. I will take any sum of money.


    3. I will even find your lost puppy.


    4. I am open to bounty hunting requests.


    -Please write your request below.


    If there weren''t jobs with guaranteed high ie, then it was just about creating them.


    It was the best job prospect I could think of.


    The only option I saw for a quick cash influx.


    Our mansion is located behind the bustling town area.


    The guard patrols pass by our mansion, so do the town''s merchants.


    While the normal route to the bustling area takes 30 minutes, cutting through the alleys beside our mansion gets you there in just 10 minutes.


    Many people pass by the mansion.


    Perhaps that''s why it has be a favorite date spot for couples and unwittingly transformed into amunity space for the townspeople.


    -Let''s love forever. Lia?Gorf


    └She cheated on me.


    └What are you saying? You cheated first.


    └Pfft. Sweet!


    └Where do you live?


    └Are you mad? Annoyed? Can''t stand it because you''re so angry, huh? But you don''t know where I live, do you?


    In this medieval world without cellphones, Olivia’s wall had be a space formunication.


    It functioned like a bulletin board.


    Maybe this could turn a decent profit, especially with my impressive résumé.


    So I decided to seek work through the wall. I''d earn livelihood money through adventurer work, and take on big jobs through requests posted on the wall.


    Wouldn''t that quickly settle the debt?


    Feeling a sense of fulfillment while looking at the wall, I realized something was missing.


    "Ah…"


    I forgot to write the minimum fee for the requests.


    Even delivery services have a minimum order amount, and I couldn’t neglect to set one for myself.


    [Minimum request fee.]


    Hmm…


    [10,000 gold.]


    Perfect.


    ***


    Day passed.


    When I stood before the wall again,


    "What''s this?"


    I couldn''t help but be startled.


    Someone had taken seriously what I started as a half-joke.


    -Request submitted.


    ●Imission you to track down a criminal who escaped during transport.


    Request fee: 300,000 gold.


    #If captured alive, an additional 300,000 gold will be paid. If the task ispleted within a week, an extra bonus of 400,000 gold will be granted.


    For a fleeting moment, the image of a phnthropist resembling an insect shed through my mind.