C133
"In-No.
Kais, who had been lost in the emotion, suddenly regained his senses.
"Even if you say it like that now, it could change later.
The faces of countless investors he had worked with until now flashed through his mind.
Although they initially seemed indifferent, there were many cases where they expressed great interest in Kais after seeing his astonishing inventions.
Thinking that Ethel Lucibiu could do the same, Kais quickly moved his clone, which was originally in the room, and approached the executioner.
"Brother, what do your subordinates say? I heard there was an escort with you?
As Kais spoke aloud, his clone facing the execution asked the same question.
"Well. I tried to bring up the story while serving a cup of tea earlier. According to her, she originally served the Second Prince, but now she is under the command of Viscountess Lucibiu...
This was his assessment of Ethel Lucibiu and the second prince.
"Both are good people. His Highness is good, but lacks a bit of human affection.
He said that although the performance-based reward system is excellent, he doesn't easily yield his side to others and doesn't pay personal attention.
Kais's heart, which had just calmed down, started beating strongly again.
Those people didn't seem to give Kais unusually special treatment.
He thought as he shook his disheveled hair.
The second prince is the enemy of the first prince. There is a high probability that he is also an enemy of the first prince's lover, Princess Cassius.
I don't know how she knew, but the girl came to see Kais before he made a name for himself and claimed to be an investor.
Liena Cassius has been a good client of Kais for a long time.
She never underestimated the value of his inventions like others did, and always believed in him and supported the enormous research costs.
As there was no opponent like her until now, Kais entrusted Liena with the exclusive marketing of his invention.
"But... "
It was obvious that Liena was a good investor, but she had a fatal flaw.
"When can I meet you in person? I guarantee it! I'm sure we can become good friends!"
For Kais, that attitude was too burdensome.
Every time he saw Liena worried with her bright eyes, he felt as if a cold sweat ran down his back.
All you have to do is do good business with the person you are trading with. Why do they have to be friends?
He always euphemistically rejected the request, but Liena's intentions were firm.
"It's too much... I ask you this so you can see me at least once. You just need to do it once!"
Still, it wasn't until this point in the past, but after the Iver guild collapsed, Liena tried to meet Kais as if someone were chasing her.
Furthermore, she even proposed a new business, saying that she would make his long-time dream come true.
So Kais gradually began to tremble.
Anyway, it's hard to find a business partner like Liena, and we've been interacting for more than a decade, so he was contemplating whether he should close his eyes and see her just once.
However, Ethel Lucibiu and the second prince came to visit Kais at the right moment.
They could be as good as Liena, or maybe even better than Liena, as they had the possibility of providing a large quantity of high-quality magic stones.
"Moreover, if our hearts are aligned, it's perfect."
Kais controlled his clone to go upstairs.
He planned to make the final decision after talking to them himself.
* * *
"I apologize for making you wait. I am what is called the eccentric inventor.
When I heard that, it had been an hour and a half since Terence and I arrived here.
"You finally arrived."
Despite having those thoughts, he seemed a bit surprised on the outside.
"Is that...?"
Terence tilted his head, doubtful.
It was a natural reaction. Because the being that introduced itself as an eccentric inventor was not human.
"What you see now is my alter ego. Please understand that due to circumstances, I cannot meet with you in person.
As he said that, the parrot courteously bowed its head.
"What are the circumstances?"
He just doesn't want to leave the house.
Terence, who heard his story, knew that the eccentric inventor would appear in the form of an animal, but remained silent for a moment to feign surprise.
After Terence and I exchanged glances, I spoke on behalf of the speaker.
"It doesn't matter. I would be happy if I could talk to you, alter ego or not.
Terence nodded towards me.
"... Not only Viscountess Lucibiu, but also His Highness the Second Prince are not bound by etiquette rules. It's quite surprising.
"The important thing when attracting talent is not courtesy.
The parrot stared intently at Terence for a moment and then turned to me.
"Viscountess Lucibiu, there are many things I would like to ask you, but what I am most curious about is this."
The black eyes of the animal shone intensely.
"What do you want from me?"
It was a rather comprehensive question. At the same time, it was a matter of defining what kind of person I am.
"A mutually beneficial relationship. You can conduct any research you want, and I can benefit from it."
I answered that question with my unadorned sincerity.
"What will you do if my research doesn't benefit you much?"
"That can't be possible. My eyes on talent are accurate. But if we assume that just in case..."