Watching Shermie's retreating figure, Mirai climbed into the carriage. Although he had acted quite clever when getting in, once he sat down in the comfortable carriage seat, he felt terribly pained.
I could have rented a cheap carriage, but when I turned around, I found Shermie was still watching me.
That's right. He was, after all, a baron's son and an official mage of the Mage Guild. If I rode in that cheap carriage, Shermie would laugh at me...
Thus, Mirai boarded a lavishly decorated carriage and told the driver, "Thunderstar Fort."
"Ugh... pride kills..."
The carriage set off, and Mirai began planning for the future inside it.
First was the matter of money. The fare for this carriage had nearly used up all his funds.
The reward for completing the mission could only be collected after returning to the Mage Guild. There was no hope of returning to Thunderstar Fort and relying on his father, Hark. As for the Thunderstar Mine area, with production reduced by at least half, Hark had no hope of earning any income from it. Moreover, with Rena and the dwarf Moffat effectively employed there, the income could be ignored altogether.
"Heavens! I'm worrying about money!"
Mirai ran a hand through his hair. Things had been fine when others were around him. But once he took action himself, he discovered that expenses were far greater than usual.
As for selling the soul crystal in his arms, Mirai would become rich in no time, but he still did not want to do that. First, the soul crystal represented his father's trust. Second, things had not yet reached the point of utter desperation.
The carriage swayed constantly, but this was precisely an opportunity for him to calm down and think.
Money was still money; he could not