How to Live with a Golden Totem – Chapter 12

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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-Thud!

“Ooh, what a gorgeous sword. The blade looks sharp too. What do you think, Regret?”

“The weight balance is off, and the blade is dull. I wouldn’t use it even if you told me to.”

“Tsk, it’s not a magical tool, just for ceremonial use.”

-Thud!

“A ring this time. Look at the size of that gem. Lovely.”

“Wouldn’t something like that get in the way? Are the rich different?”

“Who knows? How often do they have to do any manual labor anyway?”

-Thud!

“Another gold bar? Can’t we get some decent magic tools?”

“Where should we put this?”

“Just shove it over there.”

Dorf Brahms thought to himself,

‘Am I still dreaming?’

Potions, created through special alchemy or spells, were highly effective in healing wounds, but some also induced hallucinations due to their potent effects.

He had been beaten to a pulp and then transported for days on a cart. His injuries must have been severe.

He must have been suffering from the aftereffects of the large amount of potions he had consumed.

Worried about making a mistake while hallucinating, Dorf tried to pinch himself hard enough to wake up.

But just then, a sharp sound from nearby made him turn his head.

Johan, an experienced warehouse manager who knew Dorf from his time as Acting Trade Representative, was repeatedly slapping his own cheeks.

Muttering, ‘Strange, I didn’t even drink last night, why can’t I wake up?’, Johan’s repeated self-inflicted blows conveyed an unspeakable madness.

Most people would run away if they encountered him on a dark night.

Only then did it dawn on Dorf.

‘Wait, so this isn’t just my hallucination?’

Exquisite weapons, each radiating an air of dignity that would make even a seasoned blacksmith with rough hands and scars believe they were treasured heirlooms, were scattered on a mat like goods at a flea market.

A bathtub-sized wooden chest overflowed with jewelry adorned with glittering gems.

Even now, gold bars and coins were still pouring out endlessly, scattered on the floor and not even properly contained in boxes.

Was this really reality?

Dorf, recruited into the Midas Trading Company at a young age and having accumulated decades of experience as a merchant, instinctively assessed the value of the treasures before him and shuddered at the result.

Moreover, the wealth was still increasing, even at this very moment!

Dorf grabbed a nearby servant who was standing there dumbfounded and shouted,

“M-Magic stones! Bring all the magic stones in the mansion! Quickly!!!”

“B-But Master Dorf, warehouses 1 through 3 cannot be opened without the Lord’s permission. And the Lord is currently out on business…”

“Then go buy some!! No, forget it, I’ll go myself!!!”

His body, unaccustomed to exercise for years, screamed in protest at the sudden exertion, but that was the least of Dorf’s concerns.

‘I don’t know what kind of bizarre magic he used, but if he can do the same thing to the Cubes in other branches, no, if he can apply this to all the Cubes floating around the market like unwanted goods right now…’

What should he call this? A goose that lays golden eggs? A millstone that grinds out salt and gold?

At least one thing was certain.

The connection to this young boy, Chrom Midas, was his lifeline back to the top.

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Unsealing of the ‘Sealed Relic.’
In short, about an hour after I started the cube lottery, I opened my mouth.

“Phew, that should be about it.”

“Huh? There are still plenty of Cubes left.”

Regret pointed at the Cubes still piled high in the warehouse, though their numbers had dwindled considerably.

“Those are fine. They’ll probably be duds.”

“…Is there a way to tell them apart? They all look the same to me.”

Regret carefully examined two different Cubes, even juggling them as if checking their weight, but eventually shrugged, seemingly unable to find any difference.

It wasn’t surprising. If it were that easy to distinguish them, Cubes wouldn’t be treated as junk.

But to me, the mist-like aura emanating from the Cubes was clearly visible.

Valuable items glowed brightly, while ordinary items had a faint, almost imperceptible shimmer.

“Well, it’s intuition. I just know when I see them.”

I would have explained it to Regret if we were alone, but with so many ears around, I didn’t want to risk starting strange rumors.

Even so, it was a bountiful harvest.

The value of the items I had obtained probably rivaled the annual income of several Midas Trading Company branches.

If someone unaware of the circumstances saw these results, they would wonder why others didn’t bother unlocking Cubes.

But I knew.

This wasn’t because others were incompetent, but because my luck with money was abnormal.

‘The magic stones I’ve used so far would be worth at least five hundred million won in my previous life.’

Of course, the value of the items I obtained more than made up for the cost.

But that was because I had precisely picked out the winning Cubes from the mountain of boxes.

If I had spent magic stones to open every single one of those cubes, would I have even gotten my money’s worth?

Moreover, magic stones were in high demand and their market price fluctuated, making it difficult for individuals to hold large quantities.

Even now, Dorf had to use his own money to buy more magic stones when we ran out.

“So, are those black ones duds too?”

I shook my head at Regret, who was pointing at the two black Cubes in the warehouse.

“No, at least one of them should be a winner. But I don’t have the key.”

Unlike white and gray Cubes, which could be opened with a sufficient number of even low-grade magic stones, black Cubes required high-grade magic stones.

High-grade magic stones were rare, and those stored in the Midas family warehouse couldn’t be used without the Lord’s permission.

‘Well, it’s only a matter of time.’

After causing such a commotion, it was inevitable that the Lord would summon me again.

Even Bern Midas must have realized by now that I’m not just the youngest son he can control at will, but a capable individual who can bring enormous profits to the entire family.

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A while later, Bern Midas, after returning and assessing the situation, Bern Midas got straight to the point and asked directly,

“Can you do the same with the Cubes in other branches?”

I nodded.

“Yes. But there’s no guarantee of such a large profit every time. I’m choosing the promising ones from among the candidates, not creating something out of nothing.”

“I don’t care. I’ll have the Cubes and magic stones from other branches transported here. You just need to sort them.”

Unlike his usual calm demeanor, he seemed quite excited.

It was understandable, considering the junk he had been hoarding was turning into treasure.

So, I replied,

“And what do I get out of it?”

Bern frowned.

“It’s family business. You’ll be rewarded handsomely if you do well. Don’t be so hasty.”

“Yes, it’s the business of a merchant family. A transaction between merchants.”

A family-like company? That’s precisely why transactions should be even more meticulous.

A transaction involves give and take.

Unilaterally exploiting someone and then throwing them whatever scraps you deemed fit wasn’t a transaction, it was exploitation.

Bern stared at me silently for a long time, but when I met his gaze with an unyielding expression, he finally shook his head.

He realized that further confrontation here would only result in his own loss.

“Will thirty percent of the profit suffice?”

“That’s a profit that wouldn’t exist without me. You could be more generous.”

“Then you can go out and acquire the Cubes and magic stones yourself.”

Wow, he was playing hardball.

Since a breakdown in negotiations would also be unfavorable for me, I decided to compromise.

“Twenty percent of the profit is fine. But let me keep anything that comes out of the black Cubes.”

“In that case, there’s no profit sharing.”

“…Twenty percent, limited to three black Cubes.”

“Ten percent. I’ll give you five items regardless of the Cube’s color. And I’ll also provide for that girl, Regret, was it?”

This shameless man.

Cursing him internally as a nationally notorious profiteer, I signed the contract.

In any case, I had secured the funds.

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