Will I Eventually Become a Capitalist Tycoon?

What the hell, are they here to raid my own home?!

"...What's happening?"

Megumin seemed to notice something off about Russell's expression.

--Because she was isolated, she was very good at sensing changes in others' emotions.

Huihui and Naruto were also supposed to have settings that made them good at reading people, but those two kids were genuinely broke and had never seen good food before. Right now, they were heads-down, wolfing down their meals, not even looking around.

At that moment, the Young Lady quickly caught that Russell's mindset had hit a small snag.

"Nothing, just a minor change or two."

Russell tried to stay calm, speaking with a smile.

A true Champion faces the life of being strung up on a lamppost head-on, and stares down the dripping blood in the basement.

So--

Let me see what enemies are outside?

Russell stood up and looked outside.

In his field of vision, a silver-haired beauty in a military dress uniform stood at the front of the formation. Beside her was a chubby beautiful girl.

Behind the chubby beautiful girl was a monster like a mountain.

At the monster's side, heavy shield warriors as sturdy as iron towers lined up in ranks, their momentum like a collapsing mountain.

It's over.

Russell reached that conclusion quickly.

The Black Serpent's heir--Talulah.

The leader of the Snowshoes Squad--Frostnova.

The last pure-blooded Wendigo--Patriot.

Leaving aside that random chubby beautiful girl who was just filling a slot, the other two were undeniably legitimate royal bloodlines. In this world where Bloodline theory clearly existed, that meant they were especially troublesome.

Especially Patriot. That old man, in his prime, only needed two of his kin to cover him to assault and take a city.

Right now, though he had no kin to cover him, behind him were the Shield Guards who had defected from the Ursus army alongside him.

"...Boss, your face doesn't look too good."

Even Huihui, who had been scarfing down food, sensed something unusual.

She wiped the grease from her lips with her sleeve, her slightly chubby cheeks looking quite adorable.

"I'm just surrounded by an armed force capable of besieging a city."

Russell said frankly.

Megumin: "!!"

Huihui: "?!!!"

Naruto Uzumaki: "??"

They all looked at Russell, their faces full of disbelief.

Seriously, Bro, what kind of heinous thing did you do to get an army that could take a city to surround your property?

Did you break the laws of heaven?

Or did you tear up the Book of Life and Death?!

"Should we run?"

A mage's mind works fast. Miss Huihui immediately struggled to lift the pot full of stew, packed it up as a red envelope and sent it to herself, then sent all group members a guide to the Crimson Demon Village.

When in doubt, just bolt.

As long as I run fast enough, no trouble can catch up to me!!

Russell agreed wholeheartedly.

To hell with this damn mine, or the catgirl club. I don't want any of it!!

I'm heading to the Crimson Demon Village right now!!

[Great Lord! There's also Talulah of the Zhenghuo Movement here. She's the crown princess of the Victoria Kingdom. Recruit her quickly! If you recruit her, you'll gain the qualification to ascend to the regent of Victoria!]

[Additionally, you'll receive one draw chance!!]

This Surplus Value Prompt Device actually had a mission-issuing function.

Russell was shocked, then directly clicked the X.

Holy crap.

I'm about to get nailed to a church like Jesus by Patriot's spear, and you're telling me to play Lü Buwei?

If you want a new host, just say it.

No need to imitate the Ming Dynasty's "fall into the water" inheritance method.

[Oh, my good fellow, I mean, is there any possibility that they simply don't... have the desire to fight?]

?

Russell froze.

The Reunion Movement was basically made up of poor souls who'd been drained of all their assets by the Nobles and then casually discarded.

Wasn't his identity as an aristocratic Mine Owner enough to draw their hatred?

[No, your profile doesn't fall within the Reunion Movement's attack range.]

The Prompt Device stated a certain fact bluntly.

?!!!

[Buying an Originium Mine at an exorbitant price, then having a massive explosion before you could even start development—your tragic story is already a legend in Ursus's business circles. Everyone loves watching the high and mighty fall into the mud, don't they?]

[You're both a noble and a big merchant, yet because of one accident, you owe a debt equal to two years of Chernobyl's GDP. You're just too perfect to be a joke.]

[The Reunion Movement came here because they think you're so broke now you might need to sell off assets, and they want to take this chance to buy some cheap grain—they're not bored enough to go criticize a super-debtor or the number one of the Four Digital Overlords.]

Russell: "..."

His expression could no longer be described as merely ferocious.

So he didn't even qualify for a struggle session, did he?

As a noble, a Mine Owner... he didn't even have the right to be struggled against.

What kind of humiliation was this?

Fuck your mother. Holy crap, fuck your mother.

Russell pointed one finger at the sky, silently cursing the damned heavens for giving him such a clownish identity.

"... Boss, aren't we running?"

Huihui's voice interrupted Russell's indictment of the heavens.

She tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to bolt.

"Not running."

"Are we going to fight?"

At this moment, Skadi, who had been relatively quiet, spoke up.

"The main combatants on their side are a Wendigo, a Red Dragon, a squad of Shield Guards, and a Rabbit."

"If Huihui uses magic for one bombardment, it should take out the Shield Guards and weaken the remaining three... I can handle the injured Wendigo and Rabbit, and Russell should be able to deal with the injured Red Dragon."

"If we strike before they have time to spread out and launch an attack, victory will be ours."

Shouldn't this be expected from an Abyssal Hunter?

Skadi's combat instincts were quite sharp; she quickly calmed down and completed a basic tactical plan.

If this had been a minute ago, he would have considered it.

After all, he was a Capitalist Tycoon, and he had to defend his assets.

But now, there was no need.

Because—

He realized he didn't have any assets worth defending.

"No, there's no need to fight."

Russell rubbed his face vigorously, forcing his smile to be as gentle and approachable as possible.

Huihui: "???"

Skadi: "???"

"Not fighting?"

Skadi was a bit confused.

"Who says I'm just a bankrupt Mine Owner."

Russell gritted his teeth, silently setting his future plans for mining and cross-border trade in his heart.

Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river!

Don't bully a poor Mine Owner!!

Chapter 6: Is There Something Wrong with a Mining Company Doing Foreign Trade?

Talulah looked at the mansion ahead, her expression somewhat hesitant.

Russell.

A legend in Ursus's financial world.

His name was known to everyone, from Chernobyl's high society to the petty officials of northern villages, and even some of her own subordinates had heard of him.

In her spare time, she had once tried to calculate Russell's debt, and the result had left her utterly shocked.

The debts this man owes could rival a full year's harvest from Koschei's lands.

"If this man were to jump off the walls of Chernobyl, the government officials and bank presidents would stack rescue cushions higher than the walls themselves."

She was certain of this, and it stirred a few more thoughts.

For instance—

Could she buy grain, cloth, and salt at low prices?

In the past, to trade for enough supplies to sustain the Reunion Movement, she often had to travel through a dozen villages.

It wasn't that Talulah's disguise was poor, or that she was recognized as an Infected and driven out by villagers who refused to trade.

The main issue was how the Ursus Nobles governed their lands—somewhere between human and inhuman.

"Sustainable overexploitation" might even be a compliment for them.

Because they were usually accustomed to outright draining the pond dry, not even hesitating to dig three feet into the ground.

Under the rule of these Nobles—who could easily swear brotherhood with the overlords of any African region—the villagers had little left at home to offer in trade.

Sometimes, just to get some salt, Talulah had to travel dozens of miles.

This made her think, now and then: if only there were a fixed trading post.

If there were a stable place to exchange for resources, the Reunion Movement's days might suddenly become much easier—at the very least, she wouldn't have to trek dozens of miles just for salt.

But—

The one who could provide stable resources for the Reunion Movement would certainly not be a commoner.

Only a Noble had that kind of power.

Unfortunately, in Ursus, discriminating against the Infected was a political correctness, even a national policy.

The Ursus Nobles all believed that Infected should spend their lives in the mines, have every last bit of their value squeezed out, and die miserably.