NOVPUBMichael was moved. As it turned out, this Inn was the only place that demi-humansuld turn to in their hour of need.
He looked at the Inn and saw multiple demi-humans looking out of the windows, with tears nearly welling up in their eyes. Demi-human mothers were cradling their children, trying to appease them while a tear drops from her eyes. Fathers scrubbed the floors harder in an attempt to try and make things better.
They knew that this was the only place that theyuld afford.
Life in the city wasn't that kind to people that didn't have great talents. This was especially more so for demi-humans, who hadme from far away to prove that they belonged here.
However, the good graces of the owner led the Inn to its eventual downfall. While prices were low enough for poor demi-humans to afford, it wasn't enough for it to keep the establishment afloat.
Just then, Michael heard a voiceming from his shadow.
It was Sheina, whontacted him to report about their current progress in procuring their arrangements.
"Lord Michael, me and Miss Yuna have finished our meeting with the owner of an abandoned building in the center of the city. It is an adequate place to establish our headquarters here in Angora City. We just need your order."
Michael stayed silent for a few snds before he looked at the demi-humans distraught in the Inn.
Then, he turned to Sheina.
"Lord Michael?"
"Change of plans," he said to her. "I'm thinking of buying another place in the City. Somewhere that reminds me of…home."
Who would he be if not for the help of all the demi-humans back in the Nation of Reborn? It was only right for him to save them too.
He raised his head just in time as a group of soldiers came marching in, erting a man in royal attire. Judging from the despaired expressions of everyone in the Inn, it was safe to guess that this person was here to officially take back the land that the owner rented.
"Greetings. I am here as a royal sent by the governing body of the City to oversee the matter of Weme's Inn.
In ardance with thentract that you and the City signed, this property is now to be seized by the rightful owner once rent has not been paid for three months' time," announced the man in regal attire, reading off a scroll. "Rent has not been paid in half a year."
"Please, can you give us more time?!" the Inn owner begged.
The soldiers prevented the Inn owner from reaching the royal, before the royal himself allowed it.
"I'm sorry," he said. "As much as I would like to help you, thisntract is mystically binding. You know what happens when antract purview by magic is broken—it has dirensequences."
The Inn owner knew that the royal had no choice.
"I know…I'm sorry. The fault is mine, and mine alone!"
His eyes were sunken from burden. He looked back at the demi-humans in the Inn and heuldn't help but shed a tear for them. Where else would they go now that the Inn was about to be destroyed?
The royal sighed and took a deep breath before he sent a signal for the guards to start forcing the demi-humans off of their property. There was pain in his eyes, yet, he had to do what he had to do.
"Wait."
Michael's voicempelled the soldiers to stop their advance.
Everyone looked towards Michael, the golden-haired boy in the middle of the street.
"What if I paid off the debt?" he asked the royal.
The Inn owner and every demi-human in the area looked at Michael. In their eyes, a tiny bit of hope flared in their souls, before eventually dying down. What gooduld a child do?
"Young man, I'm sorry. But my debt is in the total of 100,000 goldins. I'm not sure you understand that, but even blacksmiths have to work for 5 years to afford that," said the Inn owner.
"I'm afraid that debt is doubled if you want to take possession of the Inn again," said the Royal. "200,000 goldins is the total."
The Royal noticed that Michael didn't even flinch once he heard the numbers.
"I'll buy it," Michael said without hesitation. It was quite cheap, he thought.
If it weren't for the seriousness of the situation, most people would laugh and think that it was cute that a child thought heuld afford such a high price.
The royal didn't outright dismiss Michael's words. Instead, his eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Michael's face in an attempt to rgnize where he came from.
He certainly wasn't from the royal family of Angora City, or else the royal would have known it from the start.
His attire showed no signs of magical robes, meaning he wasn't someone from the Magic Tower.
And his age and lack of weapon in hand meant that he wasn't from the Order either.
An inheritor of ampany was the only possibility. However, the royal still found no possible answer for Michael's background.
Heuld see a sense ofnfidence in Michael's eyes that told him that the kid wasn't kidding.
"Even if youuld afford it, this matter has already been passed to another buyer," said the Royal. "They have already reached an agreement with the City to take over this land and make it their own."
Michael looked at the scroll in the royal's hands.
"Is that thentract for this territory?" he asked the royal.
"Yes it is—"
And before the Royaluld even say anything else, he suddenly felt the scroll thrash away from hisntrol.
"Wha—?!"
The scroll rushed perfectly into Michael's palms, allowing him to read thentract in its entirety. Since the royal established that this was a mystically binding agreement, then it meant that thisntract was filled with magic and mana. Ofurse, all he had to do was beckon them, and they came running to his possession. That was his Supreme Skill.
ChatJK3, can you analyze thentract and find a loophole for me to buy this land?
[Understood…]
It didn't even take five snds before his personal AI assistant came back with an answer. It flowed into his mind like a wave, allowing him to see the answer.
"It says here that once the territory has been seized, there is a one month grace period for buyers to bid for the territory itself."
"Yes," the Royal nodded, still staring with disbelief at the scroll in Michael's hands. "But as I said, the bid has been finished. It has been bought by ampany at a price of 300,000 goldins."
Michael nodded and pointed to a certain clause within thentract.
"But… It says here that the bidding for the property has to allow participation from all interested parties. This means that I can still bid for the land itself."
The Royal looked at Michael. "Yes…but it has another clause beside that. Once bidding has finished and another party shows interest, then this new party must bid…twice the bid amount. Meaning you need to pay 400,000 goldins."
