‘Should I believe what they’re saying? Or are they hiding their true purpose?’

Using my maxed-out miscellaneous skills, I analyzed the expression of Dominic—the knight I strongly suspected to be Balzac. His demeanor didn’t seem to suggest he was lying.

‘Does this mean the disappearance from the original history isn’t happening now?’

I began to feel confused.

Even so, I was convinced that joining their party was the right decision.

“I heard that the owner of Polly’s Inn used to serve the Grand Duchess and the high-ranking knights of the High Castle on the battlefield.”

I cautiously broached the topic.

“That’s true. Though he retired due to age, Polly was invaluable to me and the other knights of the High Castle.”

Thanks to the rapport I’d built with my K-omakase, the conversation flowed smoothly.

“Could I perhaps serve the knights in a similar way?”

“You?”

“Yes. As you know, I’ll soon be leaving this inn. I thought it might not be a bad idea to accompany the knights on their journey through the North.”

“Is there a need for that? Our journey is dangerous and grueling. Besides, aren’t you about to receive the honorary baron title? And you’ve already earned a substantial fortune.”

The question was reasonable—why volunteer for hardship when I didn’t have to?

The knights’ expressions weren’t suspicious, only genuinely curious.

Even the Grand Duchess, who was meticulously slicing her steak, seemed to share the same sentiment.

“Before coming to the North, I was an adventurer. Although my rank was low, I enjoyed that life.”

I added a clarification to avoid any potential misunderstandings.

“Ah, but I wasn’t an adventurer supported by the Empire, so please don’t misunderstand. Low-ranked adventurers like me couldn’t even step foot into Imperial guilds.”

“We don’t particularly care about that. Do you have a wandering spirit?”

Fortunately, they didn’t seem to mind.

“Yes, I thought I might settle down in the North, but I just can’t shake the restlessness.”

Even if joining their party didn’t guarantee I could prevent the Grand Duchess’s disappearance, I couldn’t just sit idly by and watch.

“I see. We’re alike in that regard. A wandering spirit is what keeps me working as an enforcer, even at my age. I only regret not being able to give my family the attention they deserve.”

The knights seemed to find my reasoning plausible enough.

“I can do more than just cook. I’m skilled in healing and blacksmithing as well.”

I continued to pitch myself.

“While I might not be much help in combat, I’m strong and have decent stamina. I can ride horses, too. At the very least, I won’t be a burden.”

I portrayed myself as someone with a restless spirit who wanted to contribute, preferring to join a reliable group like theirs rather than a sketchy adventurer party.

“Honestly, we’d welcome someone with your skills…”

It seemed like my job application was nearly accepted.

For once, my Luck stat appeared to be working in my favor.

I glanced at the Grand Duchess, who had finished her steak and was now nodding thoughtfully.

“For now, I can’t give you a definite answer. I’ll need to discuss it with the others and report it to the High Castle.”

Balzac—or Dominic—seemed to take my request seriously.

“Of course. I’ll wait as long as necessary.”

With a 90% chance of success, I was silently celebrating when—

BANG!

The inn door slammed open.

“Huff… huff… cough!”

A man dressed as an adventurer stumbled in, covered in sweat and dust with small cuts scattered across his body.

Clomp, clomp, clomp.

He quickly strode toward the knights, ignoring the rest of us.

“Hmm? Doyle?”

Balzac and the other knights seemed to recognize the man. Judging by the “Sir” attached to his name, he was likely a knight himself.

“It’s urgent.”

Sir Doyle spoke and then leaned in to whisper something into Balzac’s ear.

“!!”

Balzac’s expression hardened as he absorbed Doyle’s message. Without delay, he turned to the Grand Duchess and whispered something to her.

Swish!

Arina and the knights immediately rose from their seats.

“It seems we’ll have to postpone your joining the party. Here’s the payment for today.”

Balzac tossed me two silver coins before leading the knights out of the inn.

In an instant, the knights were gone, leaving only empty chairs and half-eaten plates of food.

“Well, this is… disappointing.”

I stood there, staring at the abandoned chairs and plates.

It felt like my nearly secured job offer had been abruptly deferred.

‘Did my Luck stat misfire?’

It was like receiving a sudden cancellation notice the day before starting a new job.

‘Or maybe my Luck stat caused the delay?’

My thoughts spiraled. For the first time in a while, I found myself fixating on my Luck stat.

‘No. Luck is just a supplementary attribute. I can’t rely on it too much.’

Shaking off my frustration, I turned my attention to the recent events.

‘This is definitely connected to the disappearance incident!’

It had all the hallmarks of a classic setup. My instincts screamed that this was part of the tragedy foretold by the original timeline.

‘If that’s the case, I’ll switch gears to Plan B—starting my own initiative.’

Without hesitation, I left the inn and headed toward a specific destination: Haven’s carriage depot.

++++

 

In a world where long distances are traversed by horse and carriage, only those without money are forced to rely on their feet, no matter how far they have to go.

But I had money now—a lot of it.

Furthermore, inhabiting a character maxed out in production and crafting skills meant I relied heavily on equipment and resources.

To carry substantial loads or travel efficiently, a horse and carriage were indispensable.

“Is this all the carriages you have for sale?”

“Yes, sir, this is the lot.”

“Do you have any premium horses, like the ones capable of traversing the Abyss?”

“Ah, those are strategic resources, like Winter Falcons. They’re managed directly by the High Castle and not available for purchase, even if you had the money.”

I was speaking with the manager of Haven’s carriage depot.

Even the largest inns couldn’t accommodate carriages, so most travelers left them at depots located on the outskirts of the city.

“Hmm…”

Depots like this often had carriages with interesting backstories.

Some had been abandoned due to gambling debts, others were seized after their owners died in disputes, failed to repay loans, or got imprisoned for smuggling or tax evasion.

Every carriage had a story.

“I’ll take this one.”

I chose the largest, sturdiest-looking carriage and the two horses that came with it, handing the manager a pouch of silver coins.

“Ah! I’d like to modify this carriage. Do you have a warehouse I could rent?”

“Of course! Right this way, sir!”

The manager, nodding enthusiastically as if wagging a tail, eagerly led me to a storage unit while counting the coins from my pouch.

“This one’s the biggest and in the best location. It’s right by the guard post, so you won’t have to worry about thieves.”

I moved the carriage into the warehouse and nodded in satisfaction.

“Well done.”

“It’s my pleasure! Is there anything else I can help with?”

“I’ll need materials for the carriage modifications.”

“We’ve got plenty of standard parts here.”

“No, I need something special.”

“In that case, you might want to contact the adventurers.”

“That’s one option, but time is tight. I’ll check with the merchants currently in Haven first.”

Initially, I thought about working with the city’s adventurers’ guild, as I had when producing Arad Salt.

But time was of the essence.

‘According to the staff at Polly’s Inn, the Grand Duchess and her knights are still in Haven.’

Fortunately, they hadn’t left yet, but there was no telling when they might.

“From now on, I’ll instruct all deliveries addressed to you to be stored right here in this warehouse.”

“Uh… I’m not a noble yet.”

Despite my protest, the manager bowed as deferentially as a serf addressing a lord.

“In any case, I’ll be off. I need to plan how to modify this carriage.”

After dismissing the manager, I remained in the warehouse, inspecting the newly purchased carriage from every angle.

My maxed-out woodworking, alchemy, magical engineering, and mechanical engineering skills surged to the forefront of my mind.

‘Of course, just because I have these maxed-out skills doesn’t mean I can make everything right now.’

There was a twinge of frustration.

This era was 100 years before the magical advancements depicted in Era of Silver 1.

Like a smartphone developer stranded a century in the past, I was constrained by the limitations of the present.

The same was true for my alchemy and magical engineering skills.

“Still, I can approximate it, even if it’s crude.”

After some quick mental planning, I grabbed a hammer and saw from the tools available in the warehouse.

A major overhaul of my recently acquired carriage has begun.

++++

 

Over the past three days, Haven had developed what could only be described in Earthly terms as a "black hole."

This black hole devoured every kind of material available for sale in Haven: medicinal herbs, leather, cloth, metal, foodstuffs, lumber, mana stones—you name it.

It was as if a massive general store was being established in the city. Among all the items, the black hole absorbed mana stones most voraciously, causing a temporary boom for the miners and merchants of Haven.

And the creator of this black hole? None other than me, Arad Jin.

“With this, we’ve acquired all the materials available through Haven’s adventurers’ guild. The remaining mana stones from the labor yard will arrive by tomorrow evening.”

“Well done, Lennon.”

Now accustomed to being addressed as Baron Jin, I inspected the ten varieties of mana stones piled high in my warehouse and nodded in approval at Lennon’s report.

The mana stones had been amassed in such quantities that they formed a small hill.

Currently, my warehouse was about 30% occupied by the carriage, 50% by mana stones, and the rest by various tools and equipment.

It was clear that not all of this would fit inside the carriage.

“No need to thank me. After all, you saved my life—it’s the least I can do,” Lennon said with a grin, patting the chest that had recently been freed of bandages.

“Let me know if you need anything else.”

“Will do.”

Was this another boost from my Luck stat?

Lennon, the adventurer I had treated on my first day in this world, turned out to be well-connected in Haven.

From the adventurers’ guild to the labor yard and merchant caravans, Lennon’s network proved invaluable for my new business venture.

“By the way, what are you planning to do with all these mana stones?”

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Lennon finally asked as he stared at the warehouse now half-filled with mana stones.

“They’ll all serve a purpose.”

“I know mana stone powder is used in medicine, but this quantity seems… excessive.”

“Mana stones are far more versatile than you think. They’re not only used in alchemy but also in magic.”

“Well, sure. Mana stones are famous for that. Every wizard’s staff has a big one embedded in it, and witches use them in their brooms too.”

Despite my explanation, Lennon’s expression grew increasingly perplexed.

I could tell he wasn’t convinced that I, standing before him in my current attire, was a mage. After all, mages typically carried staffs adorned with mana stones and wore robes, neither of which I had.

“Besides, most of these mana stones don’t even have commercial value…”

His skepticism was understandable.

The mana stones I had purchased were mostly mid-to-low grade, the kind that wizards and alchemists wouldn’t bother with.

“Who says they lack value?”

“Well… everyone. Out of those, the only somewhat usable ones are the fire and light attribute stones.”

“That’s because most wizards and alchemists lack skill. To me, these are incredibly useful materials.”

“Wait… are you a mage, then, Baron Jin?”

“A mage? No, a magical engineer would be more accurate.”

“A… what now?”

“A half-baked mage, you could say. The kind that doesn’t fight.”

I gave him a vague answer, too lazy to explain properly.

“Oh…?”

Lennon nodded blankly, clearly not understanding.

‘Mana stones are like coal, oil, or nickel on Earth.’

In this era, just emerging from the medieval period, mana stones were used sparingly and only in limited ways.

High-grade mana stones were used for crafting wizards’ staffs and alchemists’ tools. Meanwhile, mid-to-low-grade stones were relegated to medicinal powders, dyes, or glowstones.

‘The true potential of mana stones is only recognized by the Empire’s royal family and their mage towers.’

As the Era of Silver progresses and the arcane-punk world takes shape, mana stones—regardless of grade—become indispensable.

Just like petroleum and its derivatives revolutionized Earth.

‘And the North is rich in mana stones. The Grand Duchess Arina’s disappearance may very well have been orchestrated by the Empire.’

It was becoming increasingly clear why the Empire’s royal family sought to annex the North as a direct territory.

It also explained why the northern people, who clung to Renslet, had been subjected to such relentless exploitation and oppression.