When Kronos left Marquis Argyle's room, he did not forget to take the notebooks with him. They would give him something to read when he had nothing to do that evening.
So after returning to his room, Kronos sat at his desk and quietly began leafing through the notebooks.
The notebooks contained many different people's handwriting, clearly knowledge and experience added over successive generations.
The practical advice began with Combat Expert, covering such matters as how to maintain the Eyes of Mystery Prying during combat, and what kinds of ordinary people and Beyonders made the most effective sparring partners.
There were also accounts of experiences with the later stages: Sequence 7, Warlock; Sequence 6, Scroll Professor; and even Sequence 5, Astronomer.
That was only the practical advice. There was knowledge as well, including analyses of abilities possessed by Beyonders of other pathways, such as the Warrior, Justiciar, Sleepless, and Sailor pathways.
These were all records accumulated by generations of the Argel Family. At the Warlock and Scroll Professor stages, these analyses could serve as the basis for developing more spells and scrolls.
Finally, the most important section should have been the introduction to Mysticologist, but the last notebook contained only a few brief sentences before abruptly ending. There was probably another notebook, but Marquis Argyle had not given it to him.
There was no hurry, though. If Kronos could one day advance to demigodhood and become a Mysticologist, he would naturally have a chance to read that notebook.
Kronos had originally planned not to let the reading interfere with his sleep that night, and to finish the notebooks the following morning. But the more he read, the more interested he became, and before he knew it, he had read well past midnight.
So Kronos washed up and went to sleep.
The next day, although Kronos was very reluctant to leave little Annie, he still departed the manor after lunch. There were plenty of things waiting for him in Backlund.
It was already evening when Kronos arrived in Backlund, and a group of people was waiting for him outside his villa in Empress Borough.
Beck Yardinis, one of Marquis Argyle's most trusted aides, excelled at coordinating and managing large companies and was in the prime of his life. Behind him stood members of Marquis Argyle's secretarial team.
When Kronos left the manor, Marquis Argyle had sent a telegram instructing these people to meet him in Empress Borough.
After shaking hands with everyone and making their acquaintance one by one, Kronos led the group into the villa.
"I believe the marquis has already told you what needs to be done, so I'll explain my plans now. If you have any questions, feel free to ask," Kronos said, sitting comfortably on the sofa with his legs crossed.
"I need you to establish a company in Hillston District immediately. It will be called the Ansair Asset Management Company and will be dedicated to managing my assets. Mr. Yardinis, you will be in charge."
Beck Yardinis gave a slight bow and nodded before saying, "You may simply call me Beck, Major Kronos."
The two had met before, but back then, he had addressed Kronos as "my lord," since the heirs of dukes and marquises were entitled to that form of address by birth.
Now, however, Kronos had a title of his own-Navy Major-so addressing him as major was the best choice.
Kronos nodded and continued, "Father has placed his shares in the Bowen Trading Company under my name. Send someone to coordinate with them and transfer those shares to the Ansair Asset Management Company."
"Then establish a factory, preferably in Saint George District, within the sphere of influence of Saint Hilarion Church. Its main business will be researching and producing metal materials. I trust I don't need to remind you what equipment it should have."
Saint Hilarion Church was the headquarters of the Church of Steam and Machinery's Backlund Diocese. Being located there would offer greater protection for the factory's interests, and with the Argel Family's relationship with the Church of Steam and Machinery, they could obtain more assistance.
"The next matter is the Coim Company. It mainly sells anthracite and high-quality charcoal, and it isn't very large. I want a majority stake in it. Also, inform my father that all anthracite mined from now on is to be sold exclusively through this company."
The Coim Company had appeared in the original novel. Its market value had multiplied after air pollution legislation was introduced, and Klein had even been commissioned to acquire shares in it.
At present, however, parliament was still squabbling over the air pollution legislation. Although it could pass at any moment, the factory owners did not care and continued using smoky coal, mainly because anthracite had a low heat output and was not cost-effective.
High-quality charcoal was already a premium resource, supplied mainly to nobles for heating. Its sales volume was modest too, so the Coim Company was still small.
Things would be different once it was in Kronos's hands, though. The Argel Family had considerable anthracite resources, and he himself knew how to process Smokeless Charcoal. Once the legislation passed, he might be able to monopolize sales throughout Backlund and the surrounding areas.
"There's one last thing to do: buy two houses. The first is at 8 Williams Street. It should have belonged to Viscount Pound twenty or thirty years ago, so make sure you buy the right one. The second is a neighboring house to 39 Böklund Street. Remember, I don't want that house itself, but one next door."
8 Williams Street was the location of the famous "Red Angel Hotpot"—Sauron Einhorn Medici. Kronos could not do anything about him now, but who knew what the future might hold?
As for 39 Böklund Street, that was Councilman Macht's home in the original novel. Kronos had set his sights on Flora Jacob, a demigod of the Marauder pathway. Of course, that was also for the future.
Having laid out these arrangements one by one, Kronos looked up at the group. "Starting tomorrow, I'll be at the Bowen Trading Company for the next few days. I hope you can complete your tasks quickly so we can get our company established as soon as possible. All right, off you go."
After hearing Kronos's instructions, everyone bowed slightly and left the villa.
Watching them leave, Kronos muttered to himself, "No wonder everyone wants to be the boss. Having people do what you say really feels great!"
With the arrangements for establishing the company handed out, Kronos had nothing else to do. He got up, intending to wash up, but when he reached into his pocket, he suddenly felt a business card. Written on it were the words "Grizzly Bear Bar."
After pretending to retire to his room, Kronos disguised himself and jumped out through the villa's window. He now looked considerably older and had put on a false beard. Combined with the disguise techniques described in his family's books, it would be almost impossible for anyone who did not know him well to connect the two appearances.
Kronos was not doing this to guard against the butler and servants, but against outsiders. After the Argel Family returned to the public eye, quite a few unfamiliar faces had appeared outside the gates. There was no telling who might be watching him at that very moment.
Empress Borough and West Borough had bars too, and plenty of them, but they were all upscale establishments. Bars as disorderly as the Grizzly Bear Bar were mostly found in Bridge Borough.
Since he had sneaked out, he naturally could not take his family's carriage. He had no choice but to slip out onto the street and hail one.
When Kronos arrived outside the Grizzly Bear Bar, his timing was just right. It was almost ten, and Marquis Argyle had said the boxing matches began after ten. After all, he had only come to see how good the matches were.
Upon entering the bar, the first thing he saw was a circular ring set right in the center. The patrons were gathered around it, drinking and chatting.
The noise and strong smell of alcohol hit him head-on, making Kronos feel distinctly uncomfortable. He skirted the ring and went straight to the counter. After ordering a beer, he did nothing else, merely checking his pocket watch frequently.
The very second his pocket watch reached ten, a burly man stepped into the ring.
"That's Beris the Raging Bear, our bar's owner." Just as Kronos was watching the ring intently, a woman's voice sounded beside his ear.
Kronos turned his head in surprise. It was a woman in a red dress, dressed to show off her sex appeal. Her mature, alluring face and voluptuous figure drew many gazes in the bar.
Naturally, Kronos remembered such a beautiful woman. She had sat down beside him about three minutes earlier, but neither of them had spoken a word.
"Our bar?" Kronos asked.
"That's right, our bar."
"So you work here? Then why are you talking to me?" Kronos remained somewhat wary.
The woman smiled and explained, "There's a Beyonder item in the bar that alerts us whenever a Beyonder enters. You're an unfamiliar face, sir, and judging by your behavior, you aren't particularly comfortable in this environment."
"So you may have come to watch the boxing matches, or perhaps to take part. My job is to explain things to Beyonders visiting for the first time. If you want to fight, you can also sign up through me."
"Can't I just get up there? Why do I need to sign up?" Kronos was a little puzzled, because that was what everyone else did. While they were talking, a fight had already begun in the ring. Anyone who wanted to fight simply went up.
The woman continued smiling. "The bar does not allow Beyonders to bully ordinary people. So if you want to fight, we'll first ask the Beyonder patrons present whether anyone is willing to face you."
"But if no one is, you can either give up or box against one of the bar's Beyonders. Fighting our Beyonders involves a wager, however. Also, the bar only has Sequence 9 and Sequence 8 Beyonders, and you may only choose someone of the same Sequence."
The rules here were quite comprehensive, and the bar's strength was nothing to scoff at either. A single bar had both Sequence 9 and Sequence 8 Beyonders, and perhaps a Sequence 7 to keep order as well. That alone made it even stronger than those gangs in East Borough.
Kronos extended his right hand. "Klein. Pleased to meet you."
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