Karnak, Monarch of Death

As they walked and talked, they eventually entered the merchant district.

”So, are you only going to use the money you just received?” Varos suddenly asked as they strolled.

”Why not invest more?” he suggested. ”You already know it’s going to succeed.”

He was proposing they throw in the Zestrad Estate’s reserve funds to maximize the potential profit.

Karnak shook his head. ”That’s too risky. There’s no guarantee this will absolutely succeed.”

The world had already changed significantly. The Tecas Guild, for instance, wasn’t supposed to have become this big at this point in time.

”Similarly, the Altas Guild could fail earlier than expected,” Karnak explained.

In his previous life, the Cult of the Black God hadn’t even existed. There was a significant possibility that the Altas Guild could face unforeseen crises this time around. When investing, one had to assess people rather than the future because people didn’t change easily.

”Owent’s business acumen is reliable,” Karnak stated. ”He overcame countless hardships to become a great merchant.”

Of course, even talent couldn’t guarantee success if luck didn’t follow. There was no guarantee Owent wouldn’t fall into that category. But what investment came without risk? Simply knowing someone’s potential ahead of time already put Karnak at a considerable advantage.

”This is free money anyway,” he added. ”Even if we lose it, it won’t hurt much. I’d feel a little bad about it, though.”

Serati glanced at him curiously. ”You’re more cautious than I expected.”

”Life has a way of throwing curveballs,” Karnak admitted.

He wasn’t without greed. The same thoughts had crossed his mind earlier.

”If everything moved according to a fixed future, I could become the god of investments. But when has the world ever worked that smoothly?”

Looking around, Karnak muttered, ”Where’s the guild building? I heard it was around here somewhere.”

Varos pointed to a two-story structure down the street.

”Found it.”

***

The guild building was sizable but looked run-down overall. The structure appeared old, with a worn and weathered exterior. The only thing that seemed new was the sign, which read Altas Guild.

”It seems like it hasn’t been around for long,” Karnak noted as they stepped inside.

Several workers were busily packing goods for trade. In the midst of it all, a dark-brown-haired woman, appearing in her mid-thirties, was jotting down figures in a ledger while giving orders to the staff.

Varos cautiously addressed someone nearby. ”Excuse me.”

A servant turned toward him, speaking curtly. ”What do you want?”

The group’s attire didn’t stand out. Karnak and the others were dressed in plain clothes, not their usual knightly or magical garb. Varos and Serati had even left their swords behind, as city law prohibited carrying blades longer than thirty centimeters. To the workers, they looked like ordinary citizens, which explained the brusque attitude.

Varos took on a serious expression and adjusted his tone. ”This is Baron Karnak of the Zestrad family. We’re here to see the owner of the Altas Guild.”

A-a noble?

Startled, the servant quickly bowed.

”Please wait a moment.”

The man hurried to fetch the woman with the ledger. She approached the group and asked, ”Welcome to the Altas Guild. May I ask the purpose of your visit?”

As they were here for investment purposes, Karnak knew better than to disclose their intentions to just anyone.

Karnak replied cautiously. ”I’d like to speak with the guild master alone, as it concerns a significant matter.”

”Understood.”

The woman led the group to the guild master’s private office on the second floor.

Still, Owent was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the woman spoke again. ”You may proceed.”

”I mean to speak with the guild master alone...” Karnak hesitated, looking uncertain.

The woman smiled gently, seemingly amused. ”Ah, it seems you weren’t aware.”

”Aware of what?”

She gave a polite bow. ”It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Karnak. I am Edia Altas, the guild master of Altas Guild.”

Karnak was stunned.

“Isn’t the guild master Mister Owent?”

Had he been ousted from the guild? No, that didn’t seem right. The guild still bore the name Altas. It wouldn’t make sense if the leadership had changed.

Then, Edia’s expression hardened visibly, her tone turning sharp. ”Don’t tell me that damned fool is still going around claiming he’s the guild master?”

“Pardon...?”

”Otherwise, how do you know Owent?”

Karnak and Varos exchanged confused glances, unable to make sense of the situation.

Serati hesitantly asked Edia, ”Excuse me, could we hear the full story?”

Only after hearing the details did they finally understand. Her full name was Edia Altas—Owent Altas’s wife.

”We’re married, though it’s been over a year since I’ve seen his face.”

When Owent had been a traveling merchant, their marriage had been an ordinary one. They had no children, but their life had been stable. That changed after the founding of Altas Guild.

”That lunatic suddenly got wrapped up in some cult nonsense about Tesra or whatever it’s called,” Edia explained bitterly.

Claiming that the world was about to change and that worldly ties were meaningless, he abandoned both his wife and the guild to join the Cult of the Black God.

”Since then, I’ve been managing Altas Guild on my own.”

As Edia explained, Serati turned to Karnak with an incredulous look.

—The man’s changed, but in a completely different way.

Karnak let out a dry laugh.

—Truly, nothing ever goes as planned.

***

A brief silence followed.

Edia finally broke it, asking cautiously, “I’m sorry, but I still don’t know why you’ve come. May I ask why you’re here?”

“Well, it was to discuss a possible investment,” Karnak admitted. ”But...” He trailed off.

He’d come here specifically because of Owent. Without him, there was no reason to invest in Altas Guild. But the moment the word investment left his lips, Edia’s demeanor shifted dramatically.

”Please, have a seat.”

Before Karnak could even think to refuse, she guided him to a sofa, served him tea, and promptly spread out a stack of ledgers and documents.

”Our guild holds partial salt trading rights between Ethriel and Tarum Kingdoms. We also trade in Baracant Mountain furs and Tarum wool.”

With the practiced professionalism of a seasoned merchant, she began a comprehensive briefing tailored to entice a potential investor. Karnak felt awkward as she continued.

He couldn’t very well say outright that he had come to invest in Owent, not her. In this timeline, it seemed as if Owent had no involvement in the guild at all. If Edia were to question why he held such high regard for such a man, Karnak would have no suitable explanation.

What should I even say to this?

Meanwhile, Edia was secretly delighted. For a good merchant, information about influential figures in social circles was essential. The moment she heard Karnak’s name, she recognized him.

It’s definitely the man from the rumors.

Recently, a rising noble had appeared in Drunta, the capital. This individual was the owner of the wealthy Zestrad Barony in the north, a position bolstered by a lucrative copper mine. He held a high rank in the King’s Order and was a trusted confidant of Prince Lloyd. On top of that, he was said to command two aura users and was himself a sixth circle mage. For the fledgling Altas Guild, he was a figure of immense importance.

There’s no way I can let this opportunity slip away!

A wealthy, skilled, and well-connected investor was an invaluable asset in every respect. Edia didn’t know what had brought him to Altas Guild, but she was determined to show him all her cards.

”May I explain a little more in detail?”

At her suggestion, Karnak gave a vague nod. ”Ah, yes.”

He wasn’t particularly curious, but letting her speak gave him time to come up with a polite excuse to leave without raising suspicion. However, as Edia continued to speak, he began to sense something unusual.

Hmm?

She passionately outlined the guild’s potential and its future vision. Oddly enough, much of what she said aligned with the information Karnak already knew.

This... these are the plans Altas Guild would execute in the future.

Plans that, in his past life, Owent should have been responsible for.

Unable to suppress his curiosity, he interrupted. ”Did you come up with these plans yourself, madam? Not your husband?”

Edia smirked bitterly. ”That man? He couldn’t come up with something like this if his life depended on it. All he ever did was lug things around and spend his time drinking.”

Her response didn’t seem to be a lie. Karnak had briefly wondered if she was simply reiterating Owent’s ideas, but it was clear from the natural way she explained everything that these were her own.

If that’s the case...

Even though Serati often scolded him, Karnak wasn’t wrong in his reasoning—people didn’t change so easily. Even with the disruptive force of the Shadow of Doom reshaping the world, the core of who Owent and Edia were likely hadn’t changed.

Was the real mastermind behind Altas Guild always her?

If so, everything made sense. In his past life, the Cult of the Black God hadn’t existed, so Owent wouldn’t have left his home to join it. Moreover, the Seven Kingdoms Alliance had far more regressive views on women compared to the empire. It was likely that, for public credibility, Owent had acted as the face of the guild while Edia quietly managed its operations. In truth, it had been Edia who elevated Altas Guild to the ranks of the three great merchant guilds.

So, what does this mean now?

After all, Karnak hadn’t sought Owent as a person. What he had valued was the man’s business acumen. If that talent truly belonged to Edia...

Then there’s no reason not to invest.

***

In the end, Karnak became an investor in the Altas Guild. The banknote he had received from Deltros was handed over in its entirety to Edia.

As they left the guild and made their way back home, Karnak grumbled to himself. ”Ugh, I can’t tell if this was a smart move or not.”

Sensing his unease, Serati asked, ”Didn’t you say that Edia was the real mastermind behind Altas Guild in your past life?”

”That’s only a theory,” Karnak replied with a shrug.

”Then shouldn’t it go well this time too? Or is there a specific reason you’re feeling uneasy?”

Karnak scratched his head. ”There’s no particular reason. It’s just... my instincts don’t feel right about this.”

Varos’s expression hardened. As someone who had served Karnak for years, he knew better than most how strangely accurate his master’s gut feelings could be.

”You think we might lose the money?”

Karnak shook his head. ”No, it doesn’t feel like we’ll lose money. That’s not it.”

But at the same time, he couldn’t shake the sense that something would go wrong.

”What does that even mean?” Serati frowned, looking baffled. ”That doesn’t make any sense.”

Watching their disbelief, Karnak simply shrugged. ”Right? It doesn’t make sense at all.”

Even he found it ridiculous. ”I just don’t know why I feel this way.”