Barbarian's Adventure in a Fantasy World-Chapter 69: Milayna Akasha (3)

Milayna instinctively took a step back. Ketal had merely smiled, yet it felt as though her head was half-swallowed by a starved beast that hadn’t eaten in a week.

Come on... Milayna gave a small shake of her head. She knew this barbarian well enough. There was no reason to fear him.

Suppressing her unease, she forced herself to speak. “Congratulations.”

“You seem to have done quite well yourself,” Ketal replied with a knowing smile.

While staying in the basement, Ketal had asked the guards about Milayna’s situation, and what he learned was nothing short of astounding.

She had successfully navigated the treacherous White Snowfield, reaping an enormous fortune by selling her weapons. Not only had she restored her family’s crumbling legacy, but she had secured enough wealth to spare. Her daring ventures, which had risked her very life, saved her family and earned her the unwavering loyalty of her vassals.

The stigma of being the child of a concubine meant nothing in the face of her achievements, and she swiftly seized real power within her family.

Using the remaining funds, Milayna undertook further investments and trade expeditions, most of which were resounding successes. In just three years, she transformed a family on the brink of ruin into one of the most influential houses in the kingdom—powerful enough to engage directly with the royal family.

Now, the Akasha family had unparalleled sway in the Denian Kingdom. Their accomplishments were so monumental that, despite her father still being alive, Milayna had effectively become the head of the house.

Speaking calmly, she addressed Ketal. “It’s all thanks to you, Ketal. If you hadn’t helped me back then, I would be a frozen corpse buried in the snowfield.”

“That’s kind of you to say, but you were the one who risked your life. You deserve the reward you’ve earned.” Ketal chuckled heartily.

“By the way,” Ketal began, glancing off to the side. An elderly woman stood there, watching him warily. “Is this your housekeeper?”

“Yes, she assists me now,” Milayna replied.

“She doesn’t seem to be the old man I saw with you in the White Snowfield,” he noted.

The old servant who had accompanied Milayna through the perilous snowfield was nowhere to be seen.

Milayna’s expression darkened. “He...has left. He’s gone to serve the rest of my family.”

Sensing the melancholy in her voice, Ketal refrained from pressing further.

“I feel like there’s a story behind this,” Ketal said.

“No, it’s all because of my incompetence,” she murmured bitterly.

The conversation trailed off, and silence hung between them until it was broken by a faint rumbling sound from her stomach.

Grumble.

Embarrassed, she quickly stammered. “I-it was because I was about to prepare dinner!”

“My apologies for intruding. Why don’t you eat first?” Ketal suggested.

“Would you care to join me, Ketal? It’s too much for me to finish alone.”

“That sounds great.” Ketal’s face lit up. A noble’s cuisine was not something he would refuse.

Milayna rose from her seat. “Now that I think about it, I haven’t properly expressed my gratitude.”

Suddenly, as if remembering something, she turned to Ketal and bowed deeply. Her gesture was impeccably graceful, befitting her noble status.

“I am Milayna Akasha, the 22nd head of the Akasha family. I welcome you as my honored guest, Ketal.”

“Thank you,” Ketal replied with a smile.

***

Ketal lay sprawled across the bed in the room he had been shown to.

“Not bad,” he muttered.

The meal had been excellent. Though the spices were a tad overwhelming, the dishes were prepared with great care, to the point where Ketal couldn’t help but marvel.

So, this is noble cuisine, he thought.

While he had spent some time at the royal palace of Denian, the circumstances hadn’t allowed for leisurely sightseeing, and the meals offered were simple and practical—far from the lavish royal dining he had hoped for. In that sense, the noble’s meal he had just enjoyed was more than enough compensation.

The room is not bad either. Though less opulent than those in the royal palace, it was still plenty luxurious.

“This is indulgence, pure indulgence,” Ketal remarked as he smiled.

If this were the modern era, he mused, a single night in this room would easily cost a million won. It was a rare treat for him to have stayed in two such luxurious rooms within just two days.

As he lounged idly, the door creaked open. It was Milayna, lightly dressed, presumably ready for bed. She paused at the doorway, slightly taken aback to find Ketal sprawling across the bed.

The sight of the towering barbarian rolling around on a bed barely wider than his torso was a peculiar one. Unbothered, Ketal asked casually, “What brings you here?”

“Oh, it’s nothing much,” she began, regaining her composure. Holding up a wine bottle, she continued, “Would you care for a drink?”

“Of course,” Ketal said, nodding.

Milayna entered the room and poured herself a glass, sipping as they made small talk. As the night deepened and the wine bottle emptied to half, Milayna’s face grew slightly flushed, her cheeks tinged with the warmth of alcohol. Yet Ketal seemed entirely unaffected.

“You hold your liquor well,” she remarked, slightly slurring. “I’m no lightweight, but...”

“You get used to it,” Ketal replied, taking another sip. The barbarians of the White Snowfield, as he explained, were mad about liquor and combat, often drinking themselves into a stupor. Living among them, Ketal had naturally built up his tolerance.

“So,” Ketal said, setting down his glass, “what is it you wanted to say? You came here for a reason, didn’t you?”

“You noticed,” Milayna admitted with a wry smile.

Her late-night visit to a man’s quarters, particularly for a noblewoman, was a risky move. A single rumor could tarnish her reputation, and there were also physical dangers to consider. Yet, despite the risks, she felt compelled to come see Ketal.

Milayna hesitated before speaking. “Ketal, do you know what I’ve been doing since I left the White Snowfield?”

“I heard you’ve been making various investments and running businesses. That’s about it.”

“Would you be willing to hear me out?”

“Go ahead,” Ketal said, nodding.

After a moment of deliberation, Milayna began her explanation, her tone resolute. “I succeeded in completing the White Snowfield expedition and, as you predicted, gained real power in my family.”

With her newfound authority, she pursued numerous investments despite her family’s and father’s objections. Her track record of saving the family from ruin gave her the leverage she needed to take charge. Her father, who led the family to the brink of collapse through repeated failures, had no choice but to yield to her decisions.

She ventured into weapon contracts, spice trading, and more. Whether it was skill, luck, or a combination of both, her endeavors were overwhelmingly successful, bringing immense wealth to her family.

However, as her family and the people around her praised her, she felt stifled.

“Sure, the family is flourishing now, but simple investments are too risky. One mistake and everything could come crashing down again,” she confessed.

Her concerns about the high stakes of investment led her to explore safer, more sustainable options. After much deliberation, she arrived at a solution. She would lend money to those in urgent need, safeguard the money of those seeking secure storage, and earn profits through fees and interest.

Though this required significant initial capital, her previous successes had left her with more than enough funds to get started. She implemented her plan immediately, announcing that the Akasha family would now also handle financial services.

In just three months, she achieved unparalleled success, surpassing even her previous accomplishments. The family’s influence grew exponentially.

“I’ve built my success by buying and selling money,” Milayna concluded, her gaze uncertain as she looked at Ketal. “What do you think of my choices?”

Ketal, the barbarian who had always seen through her, was the only one she could turn to for an honest opinion. Barbarians notoriously despised those who traded in money. Milayna’s lips quivered nervously at the thought that Ketal would think the same.

His response was unexpectedly nonchalant. “Why should it matter?”

His lighthearted tone instantly dispelled her anxiety, and Milayna’s expression faltered. “W-why doesn’t it matter?”

“I heard you’ve obtained the king’s approval. Is that correct?”

“Yes, I met with His Majesty and received his consent.”

“Then there’s no issue.”

Trading money was no different from running a sketchy loan business, or so some might argue. Yet, with the kingdom’s approval, it was far from questionable—it was a legitimate bank.

Her family is like the Rothschild family, Ketal thought. That legendary family, wielding unfathomable wealth, had started similarly as merchants before creating banks. The Akasha family seemed to be following the same path.

I wonder if the Rothschild family also started like this, he thought. frёewebηovel.cѳm

At that moment, Ketal realized he might be witnessing the inception of a family that could one day hold the wealth of the world in its hands.

“Do you... think I’m filthy or dishonorable?” Milayna asked hesitantly, biting her lip.

“Some might see you that way,” Ketal replied with a shrug, “but I don’t think too much of it.”

It was said that in medieval times, people loathed and despised those who traded in money. Literature from that era frequently portrayed merchants as villains. However, Ketal was a man of modern sensibilities. Unless Milayna had been a predatory moneylender, there was nothing to despise about a banker operating with the kingdom’s approval.

“You lend money to those who need it and safeguard it for those who don’t. What is there to hate? You’re simply doing your job,” Ketal said.

“R-right?” Milayna’s voice rose slightly, trembling with a mix of relief and emotion.

Ever since she entered the banking industry, her family had accused her of tarnishing the Akasha family’s honor. They had left her, one after another, condemning her for being consumed by greed. Even those who had once stood by her, like the old man who had risked his life alongside her in the White Snowfield, had failed to understand her and abandoned her.

She had no one left by her side.

She told herself she was doing the right thing. Taking dangerous risks for the sake of family honor only invited disaster if things went wrong. What she was doing was the correct choice.

She believed this with all her heart—because if she didn’t, she feared she would crumble.

The title of Iron Lady that people had given her wasn’t just a reflection of her strength but a testament to the walls she had built around her heart to shield herself.

However, it was still hard on her. What she truly wanted was for someone, just one person, to understand her. And now, Ketal had given her the words she longed to hear.

Looking back, Ketal had always been like this. Back then, too, he had been the only one to see through the feelings she kept hidden from everyone else. He was her only confidant.

Tears welled up in Milayna’s eyes and began to spill over.

***

The elderly woman walked down the dimly lit hallway, her face etched with worry as she held a lantern.

Will Lady Milayna be alright? she thought.

Milayna had instructed her not to come looking for her, saying she planned to visit the guest’s room. However, the elderly woman couldn’t help feeling uneasy. Reluctantly, she trod softly toward the room where Ketal was staying.

As she got close to the room, she heard the sound of a woman’s voice, tearful and shaky.

The elderly woman froze in place, her expression hardening. Then, in a panic, she rushed forward and grasped the doorknob. Just as she was about to fling the door open, voices from inside made her hesitate.

“I’m telling you, everything I have done was for the family. If just one investment goes wrong, we will lose everything and be left destitute. Continuing down that path would have been madness, don’t you think?” Milayna said.

“Yes, I think so.”

“People who borrow money and don’t even pay it back—yet still talk about honor. Honor! If that’s so important, they should repay their debts before preaching about it. Don’t you think that’s shameless?”

“It is shameless.”

“That’s exactly it, Ketal. You completely understand me.”

“I’m only agreeing with what you’re saying.”

The elderly woman, her hand still on the doorknob, froze. What am I hearing?

For a moment, she doubted her own ears. She considered the possibility it might not be Milayna inside the room, but the voice was unmistakable hers.

Milayna Akasha, who had led her family to its current heights without a single visible crack in her composure, was now venting her frustration, drunkenly, no less. And she was doing it in front of a barbarian, of all people.

The elderly woman felt a wave of confusion wash over her. In the end, she couldn’t bring herself to do anything. Slowly, she released her grip on the doorknob and stepped back.

I didn’t hear anything. Nothing at all. Resolving herself, the elderly woman turned away and left.