Ross left, taking with him an enormous loan arrangement.
What Charles wanted were materials worth tens of millions of Magic Stones.
As for exactly how much Ross could provide, Charles was not entirely sure.
But the more Ross gave, the happier Charles would be.
At the highest tower of the castle, Charles stood before the window, looking beyond the city.
Ross's party outside the city had gradually vanished into the distance, shrinking to a mere speck in Charles's eyes.
"What is the fastest way to acquire resources in this world?"
"Construction? Plunder? Trade?"
"None of those. The fastest method is lending!"
"Only lending allows me to grasp resources others have accumulated over many years without spending too much effort."
The Book of Causal Paths wrote: "But loans must be repaid."
With his hands behind his back, Charles slowly paced away. "I borrowed it through my own ability. Why should I repay it?"
"The best way to solve a debt is to deal with the creditor... isn't it?"
"You shouldn't be a wizard. You should have been born directly in the Abyss!"
"And how can you be certain Ross will lend you enough resources?" the Book of Causal Paths wrote.
Charles smiled. "Because Ross is a smart man. When he cannot see a reasonable future amid the tangled intelligence currently before him..."
"Then he will increasingly lean toward the future I have woven for him."
The Book of Causal Paths smiled. "You said yourself that he is a smart man. Do you think you are smarter than him?"
"Of course not," Charles said. "I may not be smarter than him, but we stand in different positions."
"With a different position, even if a fool stood in mine, Ross might still believe what he said."
"He will believe it. Even if he