“Didn’t you even check the contents?”
Delia glanced at my trembling hand before asking with a peculiar expression.
“As you mentioned earlier, it’s not difficult information. Would I really try to deceive you with something this simple?”
Delia’s gaze settled into a calm composure.
‘It seems like she’s starting to bite…’
Observing Delia’s reaction, I pretended to casually review the documents.
The addresses of the people I was looking for were listed—two of them.
They didn’t seem too far from here.
‘I can head over right away.’
I stole a quick glance at Delia, but she showed no sign of initiating conversation.
Not yet?
Should I provoke her a bit more?
Deliberately, I gathered the documents and stood up.
“Thanks. I’ll be going now.”
“Yes, take care.”
Delia rose as if to see me out.
‘Huh? This isn’t right.’
Was today really not the day?
Having said I was leaving, I couldn’t linger any longer, so I was just about to step out of the office when…
“Miss Espin, may I ask you one thing?”
Delia’s voice halted my steps.
‘Yes, that’s it.’
It was exactly what I’d hoped for, so I forcibly suppressed the corners of my mouth that threatened to curl up.
I turned around with a composed expression.
“What is it?”
Delia’s face looked complicated.
“Why did you commission our Adventurers’ Guild?”
It was the question I’d anticipated—and the one I’d wanted her to ask.
“Am I not allowed to?”
“If you’re seeking information, the Information Guild would be better suited. It’s strange that you came to us. This is the first time we’ve had an external commission from someone who’s not a guild member.”
Delia’s turbulent inner thoughts were plain to see.
The place I’d visited was the Adventurers’ Guild.
Not long ago, I’d entrusted them with a request to find two people.
And today, I was here to receive the results.
Billy often shared stories of his adventuring days with me.
He told them with such vivid flair.
Listening to Billy’s tales sometimes made me want to embark on an adventure myself.
But if I did that, the genre would shift from romance fantasy to straight fantasy, so I had to hold back.
‘The life of a protagonist is exhausting in its own way.’
Anyway, while hearing Billy’s adventure stories, a thought suddenly struck me.
Adventurers travel far and wide, accumulating a wealth of experiences.
Couldn’t I use them to build an information network?
It didn’t seem like they had a structured system in place, but with a little tweaking, I could probably gather quite a variety of information.
And then make use of it?
Even though I’d read the original story, the information I possessed was limited.
I was saving up money for investments, but I had no idea where those investment opportunities actually were.
[Your Majesty, Please Don’t Obsess!] didn’t detail such things meticulously.
It was just vague recollections: what trends emerged around certain times, which shops thrived.
That was the extent of what I remembered.
To make use of this meager knowledge, I needed a proper source for accurate information.
I could have used the established Information Guild, of course.
‘But that’s under Damian’s influence, the villain…’
I needed to create my own information network.
While pondering this, learning about the Adventurers’ Guild through Billy naturally led me to think:
‘If there’s potential, I should snatch it up!’
…Isn’t that the obvious reaction?
Swallowing the Adventurers’ Guild whole wasn’t something that could happen overnight.
This commission was the first step.
To make myself known.
‘And it was information I actually needed.’
As expected, the Adventurers’ Guild had responded.
It was inevitable—their status was lower than other guilds.
They must have faced numerous challenges in maintaining the guild.
Aside from the occasional remote exploration requests, commissions were probably scarce.
In a place lacking reliable income streams, discovering a new revenue model would spark ideas.
What thoughts would arise?
Couldn’t we exploit this?
Greed like that would emerge.
In this unexpected situation, Delia’s mind must be in turmoil—and that’s what I was aiming for.
“As I said earlier, is there a reason I can’t commission you?”
“Well, not necessarily…”
“Of course not. If there were, you wouldn’t have accepted the request in the first place.”
Sensing Delia was about to voice something negative, I quickly cut her off.
From my life experiences, I’ve learned that negative thoughts breed bad outcomes.
If you want good things to happen, you need positive thoughts and actions.
Delia emanated a displeased aura, perhaps offended by my interruption.
No, that won’t do.
“So, how did it feel to take on this kind of request?”
I swiftly redirected her attention.
“…It seems like something we could utilize in the future.”
“Then go ahead and do so.”
And with that, I neatly simplified Delia’s complicated feelings.
“May we adopt this approach ourselves?”
Was she seeking permission because she’d gotten the idea from me?
The concept of gathering information through adventurers wasn’t particularly unique.
It was something anyone could think of, but people naturally turned to the Information Guild when they needed intel, so it hadn’t occurred to them.
Thus, I couldn’t tell them not to use it.
Besides, if they actively built an information network, that was even better for me.
‘That way, I can make use of it when I need to.’
“Of course. If it’s a useful method, you should employ it as much as you like, right?”
I gave her a gentle push to dispel any hesitation.
She pondered for a moment, then her eyes sparkled.
“It could be a new challenge.”
Her motivated demeanor was pleasing to see.
It seemed the seeds I’d intended to plant had taken root properly.
* * *
As I wrapped up the conversation at the Adventurers’ Guild and left, a vague sense of dissatisfaction lingered.
I’d achieved what I aimed for, but I’d hoped luck might make things unfold even more smoothly.
Like Delia, moved by my advice, clinging to me and pleading, ‘Please save our Adventurers’ Guild!’
That didn’t happen.
In a romance fantasy, shouldn’t things like that just flow naturally?
Deep down, I wished for the protagonist buff to kick in explosively.
It had been too quiet for the past two years.
‘It’s about time for it to burst forth.’
“My lady, we’ve arrived.”
After leaving the Adventurers’ Guild, we’d headed straight here.
“Is this the right place?”
“If the address is correct, then yes?”
I could only respond to Billy’s words like that.
It was my first time here, after all.
An unfamiliar neighborhood, in front of an ordinary house.
This was the address I’d obtained for five gold coins—the home of the person who would become my future investment target.
Knock, knock.
Without hesitation, I rapped on the door.
“Coming?”
The homeowner opened the door with a cheerful voice, as if expecting someone, but upon seeing me, her face turned to bewilderment.
“Uh, who are you?”
As the door swung open, a delicious aroma wafted out, stirring my appetite.
It seemed I’d come to the right place.
“May?”
Just to be sure, I confirmed.
“Huh? You’re here for me? Um, yes, that’s me.”
May started to reply casually but, noticing Billy standing behind me, switched to polite speech.
“Could we talk for a moment?”
“Hmm, sure. Come in.”
May showed a hint of unease but readily let me inside.
My youthful appearance probably didn’t trigger much wariness.
Stepping further in, the delectable scent grew stronger.
The aroma of freshly baked bread.
It tantalized my bread-loving senses, making my mouth water involuntarily.
Would she offer me a bite?
“You seem to have come looking for me—what brings you here?”
May got straight to the point.
No intention of entertaining an uninvited guest, apparently.
Oh well. I’ll have to go home and bake some bread myself today.
“Will Belle be coming over today, by any chance?”
May’s eyes widened in surprise.
“You know Belle? She should be here soon, but… Did you arrange to meet her here?”
It seemed May had been waiting for Belle.
Perfect timing.
“No, that’s not it. Shall we wait for Belle and talk together?”
May’s expression grew even more puzzled.
“May? I’m here! Oh? You have a guest?”
Right on cue, Belle arrived and eyed me curiously.
May hurried over, and the two whispered quietly.
“Do you know her?”
“Me? No, I don’t. Why would I know a kid like that…”
“Shh! She looks like a noble young lady. Anyway, you don’t know her?”
“Yeah. Isn’t she your guest?”
“I thought she was yours?”
I could hear every word of their conversation about me.
Then, they both turned to look at me simultaneously, and I flashed a bright smile.
“Hello?”
May and Belle exchanged glances, signaling their mutual confusion about who I was.
“Um, who are you?”
“Are you really here for us?”
“Yes, I’m here for May and Belle. I’m Espin Samuel.”
The two looked even more baffled.
Understandably so.
I’d unilaterally researched May and Belle and come to invest in them.
More precisely, to invest in the dessert shop Maybelle, which the two would open together.
In the original story, Maybelle led the dessert trends in the capital.
It was a place frequently mentioned, with the female protagonist visiting often.
As such an important spot, I naturally had to secure it in advance.
My plan was simple.
Like most entrepreneurs in romance fantasy worlds, Maybelle would struggle with funding in its early days, right?
That’s when I’d swoop in and extend a helping hand.
‘Since I’ve found them early, investing should be easy!’
So, I jumped straight to the main topic.
“You two are debating whether to open a dessert shop, right? I’ll invest. Accept my investment!”
At my confident declaration, May and Belle stared at each other before turning to me with odd expressions.
Huh? This isn’t the reaction I wanted.
“Um, miss. We have no plans to open a dessert shop. Who told you that?”
May asked, sounding utterly incredulous.
She seemed genuinely baffled, which threw me off in turn.
I quickly glanced at Belle, who nodded in agreement with May.
‘Th-that can’t be.’
Maybelle definitely opens a dessert shop and becomes famous.
“You two really have no intention of opening a shop?”
“No, we’re still lacking in skills.”
“Exactly. Making desserts is just a hobby for us.”
The two were resolute.
“……”
It seemed my greed to preempt had led me to arrive too early.
Even so, to come at a time when they hadn’t even considered opening a shop.
I hadn’t expected my plans to go this awry.
I want to make money too!
I decided to persuade them.
“You have to open one. Your desserts are the best! They’ll become the top in the capital!”
“Are you serious?”
To May’s question,
“Of course!”
I replied earnestly.
“But you’ve never tried anything we’ve made.”
“……I can tell just by looking.”
“You haven’t even seen them.”
May and Belle eyed me like I was a con artist.
