The Villainous Me Turned the Losers into Blackened Bosses-Chapter 118 - Market Day

—

Don’t worry.

Will was confident he wasn’t into men.

The reason he was so invested in “S” and so eager to learn his identity…

Was because he felt more admiration than anything else for Mr. S.

To Will, S was like a mentor figure who had enlightened him.

When Will first reincarnated into this world, he hadn’t taken its “physics,” “chemistry,” or even “history” and “society” seriously. To him…

This was just a fictional world from a moderately popular story—one with shallow settings and a basic plot but enough charm to attract fans.

But…

Through his correspondence with S, he had been repeatedly introduced to new perspectives on growth and strategy.

It was as if…

S had pulled him out of the depths of his “this is just a fictional world” mindset, constantly knocking on his head and showing him the “real” side of this world.

Even something as seemingly game-like as “dungeons” now felt tangible and real to Will, thanks to S.

If he ever met S in person, he might just grab his hand, burst into tears, and thank him profusely—wait, would that scare him off?!

Although it was just a pen-pal meeting…

Will couldn’t help but feel the excitement of a fan meeting their idol.

Moreover, S had initially insisted on anonymity in their letters, but now he was willing to meet. If S really was the “reclusive master” Will suspected, then this gesture of trust meant…

He truly considered Will a friend.

From being pen pals to becoming real-life friends, there was so much more Will could learn from him.

And who knows…

Maybe S could even help with the weapons for his three teammates.

Will’s gaze shifted to the three girls, and he found himself locking eyes with Eir’s pale gray ones.

“Young Master, you seem a bit distracted. But it’s not like yesterday when you were all gloomy…” Eir tugged at Will’s sleeve as they stood in front of a weapon shop called “Sword Vendor.”

In truth, it wasn’t just Eir; the others had also noticed Will’s lack of focus during their outing.

But… Eir was the first to voice it.

Probably because she cared!

She cared a lot!

She cared so much!

This morning, Eir had noticed that Will hadn’t handed her his reply to S.

Normally, Will would write a response the same day he received a letter. Even if he needed to research or read up on something to provide a proper reply, he’d always excitedly send off an initial letter to S, following up later with additional details.

This deviation was suspicious…

And earlier, when they passed by the Adventurer’s Guild, Will had used the excuse of getting a registration form stamped, but Eir had seen him discreetly deliver a letter.

Could that be why the Young Master seemed so distracted today?

“I… I’m observing the crowd!”

“Hmm?”

Even Eir could tell this was a half-hearted excuse.

“Look at this market. As a potential heir to the Hysterm family—well, assuming my brothers don’t want the position—it’s worth studying.”

“What’s there to study, Young Master?”

“The commercialization and entertainment aspects of dungeons.”

Eir’s suspicion lessened because she didn’t fully understand what he meant.

Will pointed to the swords displayed in the shop window.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

“For example, decorative elements like these weren’t on swords before. But… in recent years, with ordinary people able to clear the lower levels of dungeons easily, many now dress up and treat dungeons like a casual outing.”

“Eir doesn’t get it.”

“In simpler terms, dungeons used to be solely for resource production—like the primary or secondary industries. But thanks to the Hysterm family’s reforms, dungeons now serve as part of the tertiary industry.”

“?”

“This is a groundbreaking shift. Of course, it’s also tied to… the inexplicable increase in dungeon exploration efficiency and the strangely improved quality of dungeon loot.”

“??”

“If this trend continues, dungeons might become an integral part of daily life—reducing their value as something to be ‘conquered.’ Hmm… is that good or bad?”

“???”

Eir’s wolf ears perked up, nearly curling from confusion.

“That’s an interesting perspective. It’s even more insightful than what the royal court lecturers propose,” Treya remarked, clearly following Will’s train of thought.

“Alright, alright, Will, stop using complicated terms to explain other complicated terms. Let’s just enjoy shopping,” Leah said, standing on her tiptoes to pat Will’s shoulder.

Success!

Will’s plan had worked!

Now no one cared what he had been distracted by earlier!

As expected, when people start debating politics, they completely forget the previous topic.

It was the perfect tactic for diverting attention.

“Still, there’s no rush to discuss this now. It’ll take about a year for this process to fully unfold. For now…”

Will pointed to Treya, who was standing slightly behind the others, her height making her stand out.

“You need to buy a few more swords as spares! Let’s go in.”

“Huh?”

Treya tilted her head in disbelief.

“Of course, since we’re all out here, there’s plenty to buy. One thing at a time!”

—

Inside the “Sword Vendor” Shop.

Treya wandered around the store. She wasn’t here to pick out a “better” sword but rather to stock up on “disposable” ones.

Entark Demon Swordsmanship was notoriously hard on swords. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have broken her cherished blade during her first sword dance.

However…

The quality of these swords was quite poor. Treya understood that they couldn’t compare to royal armory standards.

The only advantage was… they looked nice, with various decorative stickers on the hilts.

“Shopkeeper, I’ll take these ten. Can I get a discount?” Will quickly selected ten single-handed swords and placed them on the counter.

“Sorry, sir, we don’t offer discounts, no matter how many you buy.”

“Hmm? Do we need a discount? These seem pretty…”

Treya flipped over a price tag.

She didn’t have much concept of money, but…

The price was only a tenth of what she was used to paying at home. At such a low cost, of course—

“Mmmmmm%#@%…”

Will swiftly covered the little princess’s mouth.

He leaned close to Treya’s sensitive half-elf ears.

Half-elf ears were so sensitive, after all, so he whispered directly into her ear—

“20%!”

“Mmm—!”

Treya, her mouth covered, dared not make a sound.

“…This shop charges about 20% more than the market rate. They leave room for haggling. And since you go through swords quickly, buying in bulk is more cost-effective.”

Heh, this little trick was something Will had learned from Mr. S!

Hearing such a calculated explanation, Treya’s sensitive ears suddenly didn’t feel so sensitive anymore.

“…As expected of Will-sensei.”

That said…

Treya couldn’t help but wonder…

Why was he so frugal, even though Carver had provided ample funding and she had brought plenty of royal funds?

It felt like…

He had learned this habit from someone else.

“Here, these are for you.”

Will handed the swords to Treya.

It was only then that Treya noticed all ten silver swords had small demon stickers on their hilts.

“This is…”

“Demon Swordsmanship. I specifically picked these out for you. Ah… it’s just that with so many swords looking similar, it’s easier to keep track if they have a distinguishing mark.”

“Mm, thank you. They… look nice.”

Will had a bit of a personal motive.

While Treya had become less stoic than before, she still didn’t show much emotion.

But he wanted to see the mischievous side of her hidden behind that calm exterior.

Even if the decorative swords were slightly more expensive, they were worth it!