"Hahahaha… Alric, do you seriously want to buy that rundown town?"
A voice filled with scorn and a hint of surprise rang out.
Inside a luxurious parlor built in a medieval European style, four people sat facing each other.
The laughter came from a fat middle-aged man with a belly so large it looked like he was six months pregnant.
He wore a crimson noble's outfit, with expensive jewelry hanging from his neck, wrists, and fingers.
Standing behind him was a middle-aged knight in white armor, his expression equally filled with contempt as he looked toward the young man opposite them.
"That's right, Baron Bruk," said the young man named Alric.
He had slightly messy golden hair, as if he didn't care much about his appearance, yet that couldn't hide his masculine charm.
His eyes were deep, carrying a sharp glint, but also a lazy, unreadable air—like a lion basking lazily in the sun.
He wore a crimson robe embroidered with fine golden patterns, exuding both noble dignity and royal authority.
However, the robe was loosely draped, as if he only wore it because he had no better choice.
Beside him stood a woman clad in a black cloak that concealed her entire figure, her face hidden behind a black mask.
Her whole body seemed shrouded in a faint black mist, radiating mystery and danger.
Yet, within Alric's heart, there was neither mystery nor danger—only anxiety and fear.
Though his gaze appeared fixed on Bruk, his eyes were actually focused on a notification window from the System.
[Mission: "Own Your First Territory" — 24 hours remaining. Please complete the mission within the allotted time. Failure to comply will trigger the 'Self-Destruction' protocol.]
Alric sighed inwardly.
Indeed, he… was not a native of this world.
'Oy! I'm negotiating with Bruk to buy a territory—can you shut that damn timer off for a bit?' Alric muttered inwardly to the System.
[Ding! Negative attitude toward the System detected. One hour deducted. Time remaining until "Self-Destruction": 23 hours and 12 minutes.]
Alric: "…"
"Do you even know what that town is like?" Bruk asked, pulling Alric's attention back to reality.
"Ah! I know very well." Alric took a deep breath, calming himself before replying, "Or could it be that there's some hidden secret in that town that makes you unwilling to sell it to me?"
"Hahahaha…" Baron Bruk burst out laughing, his layers of fat trembling as he did. "No, I just wanted to confirm it one more time."
"The town of Black Leaf has no mineral resources, no Dungeon, and not even the birds want to shit there."
"I find it rather strange—has the youngest son of the Demon King fallen so far that he must buy a broken town just to satisfy his craving for power?"
Bruk's voice was filled with mockery, but Alric showed no reaction. His face remained calm, even a little lazy.
"Perhaps Baron Bruk has already heard the rumors about me, hasn't he?" Alric spoke softly.
Bruk frowned, unable to discern any emotion in Alric's tone.
"Of course!" Bruk chuckled. "They say the youngest son of the Demon King—Alric Dreadmoore—is nothing but a useless, lazy fool, which is why he was banished from the Demon Realm."
"In fact, when he left, he even brought along an ugly fiancée of filthy mixed blood."
The woman beside Alric trembled slightly, clenching her hands tightly—but he immediately placed his hand gently over hers.
That simple gesture from Alric seemed to calm her heart, reassuring her amidst the insults.
"That's right." Alric immediately admitted. "Then you should already know the reason I'm buying that town, don't you?"
Seeing that Alric didn't show the slightest hint of anger, Bruk felt even more contempt. "I can sell that town to you, but you'll have to agree to three conditions."
"First, since that town is under my ownership, you'll need to pay me an annual protection fee of five thousand gold coins."
"Second, you are forbidden from exploiting the surrounding lands. What you purchase will be only the town itself."
"Third, every four months, a Priest from the Church will come to inspect your town. Depending on what you've done, the Church has the right to either kill you or allow you to remain there."
"However, no matter what happens, it has nothing to do with me. Understood?"
Hearing that, Alric calmly took a sip of tea, then nodded lightly. "Understood. So, Baron Bruk, how much do you intend to sell the town for?"
"Twenty thousand gold coins," Bruk said without hesitation.
Alric shook his head. "Too expensive."
"Expensive? Hahahaha…" Bruk laughed loudly. "Alric, it seems you've lived in the Demon Realm too long to understand what that number means."
"With twenty thousand gold coins, you could only buy a small house in the capital city of Karol, the heart of the Karol Empire."
"But with that same amount, you can buy an entire small town with over two thousand residents—that's a bargain."
Alric didn't reply immediately. He took another sip of tea before saying, "Baron Bruk, a slave capable of doing hard labor costs less than five gold coins."
"And you expect me to pay twenty thousand to buy two thousand residents—many of whom are children and elders? That's not a purchase, that's a burden."
Bruk frowned and quickly retorted, "You should think carefully. Aside from the residents, you'll also gain the right to use the town's real estate."
"Baron Bruk," Alric placed his teacup down and tilted his head slightly, "did you already forget what you just said?"
Bruk froze, his face twitching with irritation and discomfort.
Indeed, he had just declared that the town was worthless—no resources, no Dungeon, not even birds cared to stop there.
He couldn't use that same argument to raise the price now.
Bruk wanted to slap himself. He never should've said that in the first place—mocking Alric had only backfired, turning into a loss for him instead.
"Twelve thousand gold coins. That's the highest price I can offer, Baron Bruk," Alric said calmly. "Of course, that includes one year of protection fees."
"No way!" Bruk barked. "Twenty thousand, including the protection fee!"
Alric shook his head, slowly rising to his feet.
"Wait!" Seeing Alric's expression as if he were about to leave, Bruk hastily said, "Eighteen thousand gold!"
Alric remained silent and gestured to the woman beside him to prepare to leave.
"Fine!" Bruk gritted his teeth, his face red with anger and frustration. "Fifteen thousand gold! That's my final offer!"
Still silent, Alric and the woman began walking toward the door.
Crack!
The door opened, yet Alric showed no sign of accepting Bruk's price.
"Damn it!" Bruk's face turned crimson with rage, his breath quickening as his fat body trembled violently.
"Fine! I accept twelve thousand gold coins!"
Hearing that, Alric stopped at the doorway and turned back. "Including one year of protection fees."
Bruk clenched his fists, gritting his teeth in fury. "Fine! Twelve thousand gold coins—including one year of protection fees!"
"Good." Alric finally turned around and said, "Then prepare the sale contract. We'll sign it immediately."
Bruk let out a deep sigh. "Fine. Wait a moment."
A short while later, a servant brought the sale contract to Alric.
He read it carefully and, finding nothing strange, used his magic energy to sign it.
Indeed, this was a world of magic—so contracts had to be signed through magic as well.
This ensured that neither side could break the agreement.
Bruk also signed it using his magic.
[Ding! Congratulations! You have successfully acquired your first territory. The 'Self-Destruction' mode has been temporarily suspended.]
"Heh?!" Alric's eyes widened at the System message. "Wait—temporarily suspended? Not deactivated?!"
[Ding! Please wait for the next mission. If you wish to experience more excitement, the System can re-enable the 'Self-Destruction' mode for your enjoyment.]
"No! No! No! Damn it! Don't you dare turn that cursed thing back on!" Alric cursed inwardly at the System.
Still, seeing the Self-Destruction mode vanish from the screen made him let out a long, relieved sigh.
Holding the sale contract in his hand, Alric nodded in satisfaction. Then, he took out a small chest and placed it on the table.
Crack!
The sound of the lock opening echoed, and when the lid lifted, a pile of golden coins gleamed under the light, radiating a dazzling golden glow.
"There are thirteen thousand gold coins inside. Twelve thousand for the purchase, and one thousand as a gift for Baron Bruk," Alric said with a faint smile. "I hope we can continue to do business together in the future."