A Knight Who Eternally Regresses

Kraiss walked up to Enkrid and dropped to one knee. Then, from his kneeling position, he raised one arm and lowered his head in an exceptionally solemn and dignified manner.

It was as if he were making a knight’s vow of loyalty. And indeed, the words that came from his mouth were the same.

"I pledge my unwavering loyalty."

Enkrid stared at Kraiss intently. He knew this man well enough.

Was he doing this because of what Enkrid had done?

Because he ended the civil war? Was he moved by that? Was this a newfound pledge of allegiance?

Not a chance.

Crang had given him the rank of general instead of a noble title. Along with it, he had handed over all the territories in this region.

‘The Border Guard alone isn’t exactly small.’

If he managed and governed all this land, how much could he fill his pockets?

Kraiss, still kneeling, looked down at the dirt ground. To him, those grains of earth looked like grains of gold.

This wasn’t a floor of dirt—it was a floor of pure gold.

‘A vast territory. Just how much krona could be extracted from this land?’

There was no need to raise taxes. If he connected all the trade routes of the cities under the general’s name and took a commission from the merchant guilds?

There was no need for bribes, either.

If he established large-scale trade networks and invested in the Lockfried Merchant Guild or other emerging guilds, he could secure shares in their profits.

The money he could make was unimaginable.

And once he had that wealth, what would he do with it?

The answer was already decided.

Kraiss had a clear vision of his dream’s stages. The first step was a small salon. Then, a street filled with salons. Ultimately—

‘A city of indulgence.’

A city built solely for pleasure.

A place where everything—from food, drink, and clothing—was provided by merchants, allowing its people to focus entirely on luxury and leisure.

A city known as Kraiss’s Salon City.

His ambition was no less than Enkrid’s.

An entire city, built purely for entertainment.

And he didn’t think it was without merit.

It would take an astronomical amount of money to build such a city, but it wouldn’t be just an investment—it would generate massive returns.

After all, who in this world doesn’t want to have fun?

Especially the rich—the ones overflowing with gold, the powerful, the merchant guild leaders—if he built a city where they could gather and enjoy themselves?

Up until now, they had to attend grand noble banquets to experience such luxury. But what if Kraiss’s Salon City allowed them to indulge in it anytime they ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) pleased?

‘This will work.’

What he needed was capital. Krona. Gold.

Originally, his plan was to make a quick fortune and open a small salon in the capital. But if he could make even more money, he could skip that step and go straight to building a fortress—a city of pleasure itself.

"…Hey, Eyeball."

Lost in his grand dreams, Kraiss only belatedly heard the voice calling him.

Enkrid locked eyes with him.

In those huge eyes, he saw ambition burning like the flames of hell.

"…Sure. Serve me with all your heart."

There was no talking him out of it.