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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Pot]
[Proofreader - Kawaii]
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Chapter 102: Why is Karl There?
“Put the stall over here. Uh, yeah, yeah. There. Lean the ladder against the corner.”
“Understood.”
“Hurry, hurry. Don’t you want to eat lunch?”
“Yes, we do!”
Zizek had been renovating a run-down building, purchased with Karzan’s funds, over several days.
This was thanks to him scraping together anyone he could find—from dockworkers who lived hand-to-mouth, to day laborers, to even employees who were playing around picking their noses at nearby shops—and putting them to work.
“Boss, the upstairs is all cleaned up.”
“Good work. You can just lay down some blankets and sleep, so you guys come down and join the first-floor construction.”
“Yes!”
Zizek was supervising the construction site along with Rob.
“It looks like it will all be finished today.”
“We just need to put up the sign properly.”
Rob, surprisingly, had administrative talent and was excellently assisting Zizek.
It was just that the organization’s scale had been small and haphazard before, so there hadn’t been anything for him to do, and because of that, he had only been caught by Karzan while tagging along on patrols.
“My, oh my. This is truly! The alliance with Boss Karzan feels like we've gained immense strength and support.!”
A merchant with thick fat around his waist was diligently rubbing his hands next to Zizek, agreeing on delivery schedules, lists of goods, and payments.
“One side is a pawnshop. The other side has daily necessities like spirit medicines. You’re even saying you’ll set up snacks for children?”
“Yes. We’re aiming for a general store that provides convenience to the local residents, a place that anyone can visit.”
“That’s an excellent idea. If you set up multiple branches like that and efficiently improve the distribution of goods….”
He smelled money in Zizek’s plan. To be precise, it was Karzan’s plan.
“We’re not doing this to make a lot of money right away. I just want to bring more vitality to this street.”
“Ah, you have truly great intentions.”
The merchant exclaimed with admiration like a stage actor. This meant he was putting on an act.
“But if the store gets bigger, pubs and inns will also spring up nearby. It’s a slum area now, but the location of this street itself isn’t bad.”
“I agree with that.”
Zizek nodded.
“So, make sure you guys don’t mess around with the goods.”
“Of course! Although we’re a small trading company, we’ve been working with trust as our first priority and quality as our second. It’s the last testament my father left me.”
At those words, Zizek looked back at the merchant.
“Isn’t your father still healthy?”
“Hehe, I guess I look old, so when I mention his last testament, everyone is touched.”
“Didn’t you just say that trust was the first priority?”
“The third most important thing for us is white lies.”
“Rob, let’s cancel this deal….”
“Oh, I’m just kidding, just kidding!”
Anyway, in this way, Zizek was establishing trade relationships with the nearby merchants.
This was also a way to naturally blend into the local commercial district and interact with the legitimate world.
“It’s not really a reward, but I’m thinking of having our guys patrol your trading company’s building as well.”
“Thank you very much. With Boss Zizek’s protection, who instantly took down that motherfucker Vincent, we feel very secure.”
Rob, who was checking the cart brought by the merchant next to them, tilted his head.
“Huh?”
“What’s wrong?”
“These spirit medicines, especially these are quite good.”
As expected from his experience working at a trading company, Rob’s discerning eye was at a considerable level.
“Ah, you mean these?”
A gleam appeared in the merchant’s eyes.
“As expected, you have a good eye. Actually, we’ve recently started a new trade.”
“Oh?”
At those words, Zizek showed interest.
“Where did you source them from?”
“……That’s, well, a bit of a secret.”
“What is it?”
“They were brought by foreigners.”
The merchant looked around as if afraid someone would hear him.
“The mountain people.”
“Ah, the mountain people?”
Zizek nodded as if it were nothing much, but inwardly he was calming his surprised heart.
‘If it’s the mountain people, are they the very ones the Boss mentioned?’
Allenvert had instructed Zizek to definitely investigate if he found any traces of the ‘survivors of Eisenach.’
“That’s quite interesting. Could I perhaps meet them once?”
“Hmm. They’re our clients, so if you try to make a direct deal without me….”
“I wouldn’t do anything that goes against moral conduct, so don’t worry.”
As Rob discreetly slipped him a silver coin, the merchant’s look of reluctance quickly changed to a look of delight.
“Of course, I should tell you.”
Zizek gave a hollow laugh at the frighteningly fast change in attitude.
‘That meticulous bastard, he’s got a lot of money, yet he’s happy just to get a little spending money.’
Regardless, the merchant whispered with an excited face.
“If you want to meet them….”
***
After finishing the interrogation with Gemini, I took a walk around the annex with a calmly settled mind.
Caw!
A seagull that had been circling above me landed nearby.
“Peter, do you have any snacks?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know if it will eat something like this.”
I roughly threw a piece of bread, and the seagull quickly snatched it up with its beak.
“It eats well, my goodness.”
“Indeed.”
I casually fed the bird and then looked at the widely spread sea.
“The weather is nice.”
Dozens of large and small sailing ships were busily entering and leaving the port.
Patrol boats going back and forth along the coast were flying the Grunewald flag. Seagulls drifted above them and disappeared.
“My brother is really dragging his feet on this issue.”
I didn’t expect him to respond with silence upon silence. Was it because he was confident that Gemini would never confess?
‘He’s playing his hand well.’
Does it mean he’s discarding her as a pawn? It might mean he’s telling me to do as I please, whether I kill her or torture her.
‘That won’t happen.’
Of course, it is an undeniable fact that Gemini acted as a spy in my residence.
However, I had something more important than revenge against someone who was used like a tool while their family was held hostage. )
“Peter.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“If someone stabbed you with a knife, would you take revenge on the knife, or on the person who wielded the knife?”
Peter pondered for a moment, then carefully replied, as if he understood what I meant.
“……Well, wouldn’t it be the person who stabbed me?”
I looked back at Peter and chuckled.
“You’re right, Peter.”
As I was having this conversation with Peter, I saw a Royal Guard running from afar.
“Young Master, a guest has arrived!”
Just by looking at his urgent face, I could tell that the guest’s status was by no means low.
“The one who was supposed to come has finally come.”
I nodded and asked.
“My brother has finally come to find his younger brother.”
He made me wait a long time.
“Let’s go quickly. This younger brother must greet him quickly.”
“Understood.”
The guard saluted me and said.
“Then I will quickly guide the Eldest Young Master.”
“Hmm?”
I tilted my head and asked.
“Wait, who did you just say?”
“Young Master Karl.”
“Hmm?”
……Why is Karl there?
In a certain hallway of the Grunewald ducal castle’s main building, two men were having a secret conversation.
“Legal Officer Lawrence.”
“Finance Officer Silas, welcome.”
Lawrence Bergen.
And Silas Agrippa.
The two were vassals who had the Duke Georg’s second and third wives as their siblings, respectively, and were also capable officials of the Grunewald Duchy.
“……The recent atmosphere is unusual, so I had no choice but to visit Silas.”
Legal Officer Lawrence, the second son of the Count of Bergen, was a middle-aged man with a neat and tidy impression. Thanks to his stubborn mouth and polite speech, he always had a quiet and composed demeanor.
“You remember that Young Master Verdzig already took action regarding the prisoner assassination in the prison, right?”
“Of course.”
Lawrence continued, speaking in a somewhat slow yet clear tone.
“We thought that matter was being concluded in that way, but a few days ago, a spy was discovered in Young Master Allenvert’s residence, making the situation somewhat difficult.”
“Yes. The situation is difficult in many ways.”
Silas, the third son of the Count of Agrippa and Finance Officer, slowly rubbed his bearded chin.
“I think it’s time for us to seriously be wary of Young Master Allenvert’s talent and ambition.”
“Bergen’s position is the same.”
The two men were having a secret conversation as representatives of their respective clans.
“As long as Young Master Allenvert is moving so energetically, it’s unknown how strong his power can become.”
Therefore, the two men’s view of Allenvert was no different from the views of the Bergen and Agrippa clans.
“In the future, he could become an obstacle to Young Master Verdzig and Young Master Somerset as well.”
The two men were in a position to support their nephews, Verdzig and Somerset, respectively, and were also exchanging information and cooperating as potential allies. They had a common enemy from long ago.
“If Young Master Allenvert cooperates with Young Master Karl and receives support from the Bisquera Clan, and furthermore—”
Legal Officer Lawrence lowered his voice.
"If he finds the survivors of the Eisenach and even reunites with the fourth wife, Lusatia, then he might suddenly rise as a troublesome force."
“Eisenach, Eisenach…….”
Silas muttered with contempt.
“Should we call them the fallen royalty of the uncivilized mountain people, or rather the tribe of the tribal chief?”
Lawrence didn’t add any particular opinion to his contempt.
“Those remnants are truly secretive and cautious.”
It wasn’t easy to hide in the underworld for as long as seven years, avoiding Angantyr’s pursuit.
“Well, it might be a natural thing. Aren’t they a race that hides in the mountains, picking fruits, catching rabbits, and making a living by banditry?”
The contempt they held for Eisenach largely stemmed from the anger of having to be placed on the same level as uncivilized foreign peoples.
“Is there no particular information in the underworld?”
Lawrence asked. As far as the underworld was concerned, the Agrippa Clan’s information network was far superior to the Bergen Clan’s.
“Actually, that’s what we can’t know. Rumors have been circulating since before, and the existence of spirit medicines they handle has been confirmed, but their true form is difficult to find.”
“They are truly ghost-like people.”
Finding and securing the remnants of Eisenach was a very important matter for them.
Even though they despised the mountain people, they didn’t disregard their abilities.
“If they gather the power of a powerful external force and a race of excellent warriors under the name of Young Master Allenvert Grunewald…….”
While observing Lawrence, who was constantly expressing his concerns, Silas said.
“Well, Legal Officer. Actually….”
Silas wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and said.
“There’s one question I have.”
“Ah, please speak.”
“After all, isn’t Young Master Allenvert terminally ill? Even if he inherits the Clan, they can’t hand over the successor’s seat to someone who will die soon.”
“……It’s not something to be definitively concluded.”
Lawrence said, shaking his head.
“Perhaps he’s aiming to find the legendary elixir, Ereshkigal. Isn’t hope a stronger motivation than anything else?”
“That’s absurd. That’s something even the King of Litvaleur can’t obtain at will.”
“Well? If he receives the support of the Bisquera Clan and can borrow all of Grunewald’s resources, then you never know.”
“Support from Bisquera? What are you talking about?”
“This is my suspicion, but—”
Lawrence’s eyes gleamed.
“I suspect that Young Master Allenvert may have received an offer to receive martial arts and support in exchange for supporting Young Master Karl and helping to find Ereshkigal.”
He had a suspicious nature no less than his nephew, Verdzig.
“Huh, could that really be so?”
“If not, what other reason would there be for Young Lady Ulbhild to suddenly find him, impart martial arts to him, and give him gifts?”
“……Hmm.”
“Even though she’s currently taking a position unrelated to the succession structure, she is still the granddaughter of Count Bisquera. Wouldn’t she help her brother?”
“Hmm. Indeed.”
In fact, his reasoning had some far-fetched points in many parts, but in just one thing, he was showing surprisingly accurate insight—
That was the content of the ‘condition’ that Karl could offer to draw Allenvert in.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Pot]
[Proofreader - Kawaii]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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