Date- 5 April 2321
Time- 09:18
Location- Southern Region, Blossom district, Sky Blossom City, Southern Watch Military Camp
"Seeing your expressions I can tell you guys have nothing good to tell so let us just get it over with," Anna's grandma did not mind my manners so I did not bother to change them and addressed everyone as if they were my friends and we were all equal.
"Kid, how come I did cannot perceive through your thoughts?" Colleen asked as she did not feel any vulgar thoughts of the boy directed toward her, not just vulgar thoughts this time she could not perceive any intent from him. Being unable to perceive the intent of a card soldier shocked Colleen as even veteran semi-demigods and demigods could not hide their intent from her perception.
"You look beautiful your highness," I said dodging Anna's grandma's question only to have Anna pinch my waist.
"Boy, you are daring. With your arms around my granddaughter, you dare to flirt with me? Are you making light of us Heatsend family women?" Colleen asked sternly pretending to be strict.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"I was just saying praise where it is due. You Heatsend gals seem to be my type," I said finding Anna's grandma easy to talk to.
"Another word and you are a deadman," Anna glared daggers at me.
"What? I am just stating the facts as they are… Aw Aw Aw, I take it back," Anna increased the force as she squeeze my waist forcing me to concede.
"Ahem, let us talk work. Considering that you are the creator of the silver milk powder and hold its patent, I feel it is only fair to tell you that the Silver Beach Gate dungeon was stolen by the Freedom Fighters with the help of a traitor within our family, Dr. Luna Lorn," After making some small talk Colleen spoke the matter at hand, throwing the room back into a graveyard silence.
"..." I stared at Anna's grandma, feeling she was joking with me but then observing everyone's micro-expressions, I realized that this was no joke Anna's grandma was being serious.
'Silver Beach Gate Dungeon was stolen'
'Freedom Fighters'
'Dr. Luna Lorn is a traitor'
Anna's grandma might joke about the dungeon getting stolen but calling her grand-niece a traitor, this was no joke. The silver beach gate dungeon was indeed stolen.
Fuck! Does this mean I am poor again?
After all, there was only one known dungeon that could produce silver milk, without that the southern royal family cannot produce and supply silver milk powder to the world. Which meant my part of the shares in the production and supply of the silver milk powder were worthless.
No, I was not poor I was in debt.
Believing that silver milk powder will be a huge hit once it hits the market I had taken a lot of loans from the southern royal family in the form of soul jades, broken runes, gold and platinum grimoires, rare ingredients, etc. Now that the silver milk project was finished even before it started I owe the southern royal family a big debt. Which I don't think I could pay off by selling Fine Gold to them.
Speaking of Fine Gold, the main reason Diana sold me her company was that I promised her the exclusive right to supply and distribute silver milk powder in Blossom District. If I were to give it a thought, my entire business model and future plans depended on the huge capital which I would gain from silver milk powder.
It seems I placed a bad bet trusting the southern royal family.
"Wyatt, Wyatt…." Anna called out to me as she gently shook me.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Y-yes," I answered Anna jolting wake from the thoughts of the crushing debt I owe and the false promises that I made.
"Are you okay, I know it's a lot to take in, how about you sit down?" Anna said as she directed me to a nearby empty coach.
"Sit, sure," I muttered, and then turning to Lorenzo I yelled, "How can you let this happen you old fool?"
"..." Lorenzo looked slowly turned his head my way and stared at me with dead eyes, then they burst up with fiery red light as if he had a sudden revolution and yelled, "How the fuck am I supposed to know that my cute granddaughter whom I taught array mastery since the early age of eight would betray me?"
"You damned old geezer, how dare you yell at me when you are at wrong here?" Here, I was trying to default on my debt by blaming it all on Lorenzo. A single platinum grimoire alone was priceless, I had burrowed a quite few of them from the southern royal family and handed them all to my subordinates. Not to forget the priceless broken runes, now that I had lost the safety net of the silver milk powder It may take me years to repay what I owe the southern royal family.
Wait, I still had a stand-in bulk order of MegaMorpher Cards, is it still valid now that the one who placed the order was labeled as a traitor by the southern family? Do I need to pay back the advance I took from Luna to the southern royal family?
Fuck! Everything I worked and struggled so hard to build was now crumbling down right in front of my eyes. Without the captain from silver milk powder, none of my start-ups will be able to take off.
I regret it, I should have just mooched off Anna instead of letting my dick pride meddle with my head and arrogantly taking loans left and right even when I did not need them. Why did I not just let Anna be my sugar mama and take care of me?
"You damned brat how dare you blame it all on me? Do I look like an easy target to you? Come here, I will have you know who is wrong here," Lorenzo yelled at the top of his lungs pointing at me.
It seems I was mistaken to assume this old fox would take the blame sitting sown, seeing him disgruntled and mopping, I thought he oozed self-pity and self-blame, if I played it right he would accept that everything was his fault giving me a reason to clean my debt. Instead, now I get the feeling that he was weeping crocodile tears to not get blamed by his family members for not raising his granddaughter well and papering her too much, especially Anna's grandma who was right next to him.