Stocks (1)
***
The contract, which was close to a slave contract, would be revised by Kara later.
Fortunately, she didn’t realize I had invested in Jane; she thought it was just a joke.
Honestly, even I wouldn’t believe it if I signed a voluntary slave contract. I wonder how Jane would react if she knew.
“Did the investment go well?”
“Yes. Here’s the contract.”
“…Did you buy a slave or something?”
Even Rize thought it was a slave contract after looking at it.
Moreover, she went on to give me all sorts of advice, thinking I got scammed.al effect at all.
From Rize’s perspective, she probably thought I was scammed and put at risk of expulsion. I made a small rebuttal here.
“She’ll give me a mechanical arm. I just have to wait.”
“Brother Sivar, people who’ve been scammed often think like that. It’s better to give up on the mechanical arm.”
“But it’s true.”
“It’s okay. It happens. This is also part of learning about the world.”
Rize patted my shoulder with a look of pity. She really thought I got scammed.
It might not be a bad idea to introduce Jane to Rize soon. They might understand each other as fellow eccentrics.
Anyway, after desperate persuasion, I managed to take charge of the passbook. In return, I had to inform her in advance where I’d use the money.
That was fine, so I agreed. I had already planned where to invest next.
‘How can I naturally get into stocks?’
Stocks are an investment tool that can yield huge profits if you’re lucky, both on Earth and in this world.
Stocks on Earth were complicated, but in this world, given the era, they were simpler.
But the inherent complexity remained. Even the famous Isaac Newton lost his fortune in stocks.
‘Stocks appeared quite early in this world.’
This world is unsafe for trade, whether by sea or land.
Monsters, demons, bandits, etc. The risks in trade are challenging to bear alone.
Moreover, rare minerals like Mana Stones exist, and coal is needed for steam locomotives.
Above all, silver, gold, diamonds, and other valuable minerals could bring huge profits if discovered.
‘No rush.’
I don’t lack money to invest in Jane immediately. If necessary, I can hunt in the Forest of Chaos.
Moreover, if I mentioned stocks, Kara and other acquaintances would likely dissuade me.
I hoped someone would keep urging me. I could just act indecisive and buy it.
“Hey, friend. I heard you made a lot of money from the Usk auction?”
“?”
“Want to grow that money even more?”
The weekend passed, and it was Monday morning.
Arriving at the classroom, I showed a puzzled expression at a student’s suggestion.
The student who suggested it was none other than Antonio. With his looks, he always seemed to have something scheming.
“What’s your deal? Trying to scam Sivar?”
Naturally, Kara, who sat next to me, showed her wariness.
She still didn’t know that I had invested in Jane. She thought the contract was a joke.
“Ms. Kara is right. You’re not planning to profit alone by using Sivar, are you?”
Grace added in a slightly pointed tone after Kara.
But Antonio shrugged off the wariness with a relaxed demeanor.
“Hey, I might be a bit sneaky, but I don’t scam. Besides, why would I scam Sivar, who will soon become a Granada citizen?”
“Ha. How shameless. When did Sivar say he’d go to Granada? He’s obviously going to Matra…”
“Enough, let’s hear him out. If he says anything weird, he’s dead.”
Before the conversation could derail, Kara intervened with a slightly uncomfortable voice.
Antonio then shrugged again and said the word I had been waiting for.
“Do you know about stocks?”
“Stocks? Isn’t that the same as investing?”
When Antonio mentioned stocks, Kara showed her confusion.
Even on Earth, many people were confused about it, so it was no wonder in this world.
Moreover, though Tatars introduced banking and finance, it was still immature. Confusion was understandable.
“It’s similar but different. Investing is paying money for a specific goal, while stocks are buying shares. To put it simply…”
Antonio started to explain stocks in detail.
I already knew the concept, but Kara and Grace did not. Both looked curious as they listened.
As Antonio’s explanation ended, Kara spoke with a fascinated expression.
“I thought investing and stocks were the same, but they’re different. So what do you recommend to Sivar?”
“This is the most important part. First, we need to check if Sivar can buy stocks.”
“What?”
I didn’t understand what he meant after explaining so well until now.
In Soul World, the protagonist could invest in stocks easily. Building wealth through stocks was basic.
Moreover, the higher the protagonist’s reputation, the more shares he could buy. It suited the era.
“What do you mean by that? Is it because Sivar’s status isn’t clear?”
“Yes.”
Anyone can buy stocks on Earth, but in the distant past, only wealthy merchants could.
Those merchants were so powerful that they could even shake the government.
It’s the same in this world. While the types have diversified, it’s still very difficult for commoners to buy stocks.
“Fortunately, academy students have a clear status, but Sivar is uncertain.”
“No need to worry. If it comes to that, we can bring the Holy Warrior or the Principal. We did that when increasing the credit limit.”
“Then it should be fine. We just need to check at the stock exchange.”
Wait a second. You might wonder why there’s a stock exchange in such an era.
Stock exchanges existed on Earth for a long time. Just that commoners didn’t have money.
Burow stronger.
Moreover, thanks to Santiago, the world is gradually industrializing. There are even steam locomotives circulating globally.
‘Most people are still farming, though.’
Explaining in detail would be complicated, so let’s move on. Trying to add realism to a fantasy world is tiring.
Anyway, stock exchanges are likely established in most major cities, including the academy.
“Anyway, what I recommend are stocks that can only rise. If you buy this, you could earn several times more.”
“What’s the basis for that? Isn’t it illegal?”
Grace asked suspiciously, worried about committing a crime.
But Antonio shrugged and answered confidently.
“Don’t worry. I’m just recommending. The choice is Sivar’s. If I wanted to scam, I’d do it directly, not like this.”
“Most scammers say that. Anyway, what do you recommend?”
“This is something I heard from my brother…”
Antonio’s brother is Chronos, one of Granada’s generals. A capable man who rose to a high position from commoner origins.
His story would certainly be intriguing. Whether liked or not, he’s directly or indirectly connected to the higher-ups.
“Recently, Granada has shown movements to expand territory. It’s not for war, just to find resources. It’s sad to say, but our empire lacks natural resources.”
“The surrounding environment is quite harsh too.”
Unlike the Matra Empire, Granada lacks resources. Moreover, the surrounding environment isn’t great.
People can live, but strong monsters are problematic, making individuals more aggressive.
The belief in strength is because it’s hard to survive without it.
“But my brother said there might be a Mithril mine. It hasn’t been investigated yet, but coming from my brother, it’s not entirely impossible.”
“Mithril? Is that true?”
“Interesting.”
Mithril is known as a rare mineral along with Mana Stones. The difference is that Mithril is treated as an alloy, while Mana Stones fuse with magic.
Using Mithril doesn’t necessarily improve performance. It just reduces weight while maintaining performance.
Still, it’s a valuable mineral. The mere possibility of finding or locating a mine would cause stock prices to skyrocket.
“It’s just a possibility, but my brother’s word gives it credibility. How about it? Are you interested now?”
“No.”
“Huh?”
I wouldn’t invest in that. As Antonio said, if it’s announced, stocks might rise temporarily.
Buon, burying everything.
An entire merchant guild would be destroyed, causing the stock to plummet to rock bottom. I wouldn’t waste my money on it.
‘Better not listen to Antonio.’
Even in Soul World, Antonio was pitiful, especially in stocks.
He made seemingly rational investments based on information, but they all failed.
There were even parts where he was extraordinarily unlucky, leading to scolding from Chronos.
“Something else.”
“Something else? I only know this.”
“Sivar can figure it out himself. Just teach him how to do it. It’s not a bad experience.”
Kara, now interested, asked Antonio to teach us.
She decided it was better for me to invest myself than get scammed.
“Do you know how difficul if you invest blindly.”
“That’s for us to decide. Who knows? Sivar’s stock might skyrocket.”
My heart skipped a beat. By the way, the stock I plan to buy is related to Kara, or rather, the Tatars.
A merchant guild crossing the Tatar desert will accidentally discover a Mana Stone mine. A large underground mine.
This is where Hector’s talent will shine. He has a knack for sniffing out money and will take immediate action.
‘I just need to invest in the guilds crossing the Tatars.’
I could gain Kara’s favor too. As the guild grows, trade will naturally increase.
I just need to sit back and rake in the money. I’ll invest that money in Jane.
“Let’s go after lunch. The stock exchange is right next to the bank, right?”
“I should visit too. I’m not interested in stocks, but I’m curious about what’s there.”
“Alright. Come after lunch. I’ll explain everything.”
downturn.
As we continued talking about stocks, a familiar face appeared in the classroom.
“Ugh…”
Luna, exhausted from Rize’s intense training, staggered in. She walked like a turtle, her limbs aching.
It was a common sight now, so no one worried. They just noted that something had happened.
“Looking like an undead again. What happened yesterday?”
“I exercised…”
Training with Rize was a secret. So she vaguely mentioned exercising.
That alone would suffice. But I was slightly worried about her mouth slipping.
“Hey, Luna. Want to try stocks too?”
“Huh? What?”
“Stocks. We decided to try it during lunch. If you’re bored, join us.”
“…What are stocks?”
Luna asked with a puzzled look. Coming from a rural area, she knew little about stocks or investments.
Kara kindly explained. As her explanation continued, Luna’s face filled with curiosity.
“So… it’s about buying shares in a guild or company based on future potential, right?”
“Yes. It could help understand the trends too.”
“I’m not really interested…”
Luna was about to say she wasn’t interested but then made eye contact with me. Her expression subtly changed.
She then looked back at Kara and cautiously asked.
“…Will Sivar be going too?”
“Yes. Sivar should experience this too.”
“Then I’ll go too.”
Luna, are you agreeing because you know I see the future?
It’s annoying but I can’t say anything. I can’t reveal the downturn in advance.
“Luna, you’re not planning to buy what Sivar buys, right?”
“I am.”
“…”
When will that mouth of hers ever change?
End of Chapter
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