<h4>Chapter 18: I''m sharing rewards while an archdemon watches?</h4>


    As we left the room, Genny and Garret both showered me with praises, "Lumiere, your idea was brilliant!" Genny eximed as Garret nodded furiously in agreement. I beamed with pride, and just as I was about to thank them, I realized there was an even greater opportunity at hand.


    "Actually, I also tricked those two with amidst my counter offer," I said with a sly grin. "The minerals they gave us were worth 350,000 copper coins. That''s the equivalent of 3,500 silver coins! We can sell it for an even higher price to the merchants!"


    Their jaws dropped in shock and awe. Even the Knights of the Cross who were walking by overheard and couldn''t help but gawk at my brilliance. "Lumiere, you''re a genius! Why didn''t I think of that?" Garret eximed.


    I couldn''t help but chuckle to myself. "Well, I can''t help it if you had less water this morning," I joked. The group erupted inughter, and even the stoic knights couldn''t help but crack a smile.


    As we walked away, I couldn''t help but think about the absurdity of the negotiations. If only people knew the true value of these minerals, we could be making so much more profit.


    But for now, I''ll settle for being the clever son the king never knew he had.


    Or did he?


    ...


    After we sold the minerals, we made almost double the amount we had before - a whopping 650,000 copper coins! The only problem now - we needed to figure out how to split it among the fifteen of us.


    Everyone was hesitant to let me handle the problem, worried that I might pull another sneaky trick. But Genny defended me, saying, "Come on guys, Lumiere may be a trickster but he''s also brilliant in arithmetics. We should trust him to do the right thing."


    I couldn''t help but grin at her defense. "Thanks, Genny. I won''t let you down," I replied.


    I quickly got to work, calcting each person''s share. "All right, guys, listen up. Since Genny, Garret, and I did most of the work, we''ll take 50% of the earnings - that''s 325,000 copper coins. The remaining 50% will be split among the other twelve knights, whiches out to 27,083 copper coins per person."


    Then, some mental math for how much the three of us would earn if we broke it down.


    "Alright, that means we each gain 108,333 copper coins." (Lumiere)


    Conversely, you could say the three of us earned 1083 silver coins and 33 copper coins.


    There were cheers of agreement and gratefulness. "Lumiere, you''re a lifesaver!" Garret eximed. "I can finally afford that new suit of armor I''ve had my eye on."


    Genny rolled her eyes, but still smiled. "I''m d we can all benefit from this sess."


    The money was in arge bag tied avariciously.


    As we divvied up the coins, I thought about how much each person would earn. 27,083 copper coins may seem like a lot, but in reality, it''s only worth 270 silver coins.


    Sure, it could feed them for a long time.


    But that wouldn''t be sufficient for me. I already had 6 gold coins, adding this would make it 17 gold coins give or take.


    The only business-rted thing I could afford with this was a cart and a horse. Oh, how wonderful, that would somehow solve all my problems.


    ...


    As we finished dividing the spoils of our quest, Genny didn''t waste a moment and took the knights straight to training. She was always eager to show off her skills as the Vice-Captain.


    As they walked out, Captain Garret suggested, "Why don''t we go for a drink at the tavern? I''m pretty sure you could use one, Lumiere."


    The Royal Capital was also home to a famous tavern, The Dragon''s Head, where people gathered to enjoy ales, wines, and meads of all kinds. The tavern was filled with stories of brave adventurers and fearsome battles, and it was said that some of the patrons themselves were capable of great feats of strength and magic.


    Iughed and replied, "I don''t see how alcohol will help me understand Demon Language better, Captain. And besides, I''m underaged."


    Garret chuckled and said, "Suit yourself, I''ll catch up with youter."


    As they left, I headed back to my study. I had no need for drinks when I could fill my mind with knowledge.


    After a few hours of studying, my stomach grumbled, reminding me that I hadn''t eaten since yesterday.


    "Alright, let''s feed you.." (Lumiere)


    In search of something to eat, I wandered through the winding hallways of the grand ten-story royal family mansion.


    My stomach grumbled and my feet ached with each step.


    As I reached for the doorknob leading to the kitchen, I heard Salmarc''s hateful voice cut through the silent hallways.


    "Look at the little bastard trying to find food like a rodent," he sneered. "You''re nothing but a short turd and will never amount to anything."


    Again with the short turd.


    I clenched my fists, taking a deep breath to steady my anger. Salmarc (26, tenth child and seventh son) was always making unnecessary remarks, and I was done with it.


    I turned around to face him, locking eyes with the seventh son. As he towered over me with a smug grin, I stood my ground and calmly replied, "I may be a bastard, but at least I am not a coward hiding behind his title."


    The smirk quickly vanished from Salmarc''s face as his fists clenched tightly by his side. He was a man fueled by his ss and title, and my words hit him where it hurt.


    I walked away from him, leaving him a pat on the back and seething with rage as I headed towards the kitchen.


    I could feel his eyes burning into my back, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of turning back.


    As I walked further, the tension in the air grew thicker, like a knife ready to be unsheathed at any moment.


    I knew Salmarc was capable of anything, but I refused to let his cruel words bring me down.


    - - - - - - - - - - - - -


    [POV: The omniscient Akashic Records]


    The battle against the Dark Mage and his minions hade to an end, but the peace that followed was only an illusion. In the depths of an infernal realm known as the Abyss, a towering demon with glowing ember eyes sat upon a throne that was crafted from the bones of fallen angels. He donned crimson robes and exuded an aura of malevolence. This was Malphas, and he was the Lord of the Abyss.


    A dark minion approached him, sweating profusely as he ryed the events that unfurled on the surface. Malphas listened with a sly grin, his fingers tapping a rhythmic beat on the armrest adorned with skulls while ck mes danced around his throne.


    "So this Lumiere has mana that could even summon and sustain an archdemon like me? Interesting," Malphas mused. "I would like to meet this human."


    The minion hesitated before speaking. "But my Lord, you cannot manifest in the real world without being summoned. That is one of the conditions of the seal ced upon you by Aurelia, the Hero goddess herself."


    Malphas growled, his eyes ring with fury as he stood up from his throne. With immense speed, he grabbed the minion by his neck, lifting him up to his eye level.


    "Don''t you dare underestimate me, or the power I hold in the Abyss," Malphas hissed with an air of authority. "Now, find a way to bring me to this Lumiere. And once I am there, I will use that mana to surpass even the most powerful demons and gods."


    A mana capacity like Lumiere''s was one to be revered. You''d barely find any humans with mana capacity so voluminous.


    The Abyss was a ce that was indescribably worse than Hell itself. It was a realm where the screams of the damned echoed endlessly, and even demons dared not to venture deep into its depths. Malphas ruled over this chaotic and treacherous realm with an iron fist, and his seal was ced on him by the Hero god herself. This seal was imbued with magic so powerful that it even bound the Lord of the Abyss himself.


    Malphas relished in the thrill of breaking free from his seal. He had bided his time, waiting for the right moment to strike. And now, with his eyes set on Lumiere''s mana, that time had finallye.


    "Come to think of it, I miss the sight of the real world," Malphas muttered to himself as he sat back down upon his throne. "If Lumiere proves to be worth my time, I shall not only use his mana to surpass the gods but also take over the world that I have been denied for so long. Yes, that shall be my ultimate goal."


    The demon minion scurried out of the throne room, leaving Malphas to ponder his next move. He needed a n to get to Lumiere without alerting the Hero god or her disciples. He chuckled at the thought of facing them head-on, but he knew that even he was not invincible against them.