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[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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Chapter 187: I'll Shut Down Your Business Soon
Damien was a man who appeared to be in his mid-forties, wearing merchant's clothes that didn't quite suit his sturdy build.
"Are you Damien?"
"I am. And your name?"
"I am Karzan."
Damien, who had shaken my hand, raised his eyes.
"I was curious to see who could summon the young boss leading a subordinate organization of the Bisakino Brotherhood."
Naturally, he was somewhat aware of the relationship between Zizek and me.
"You are a more impressive person than I thought."
"How did you know? Did you study physiognomy or something?"
“Haha. Not quite. But when you’ve lived long enough, you develop an eye for people.”
Damian stared at me intently.
“Strange. You’ve got the eyes of someone who’s seen countless battles, yet your body doesn’t have a single scar.”
Of course, that was because this was Karzan’s appearance mimicked through the Mask of Aminicrus. Maybe he was already suspecting something.
“You, on the other hand, are covered in scars.”
“Like the marks of time carved into an old tree.”
"Hmm, your eloquence is quite something."
"Haha! It's thanks to dabbling in rhetoric in my younger days. Please, have a seat."
I sat down on a wooden chair and asked.
"I heard you made quite a name for yourself in the mercenary industry. It seems it wasn't just empty talk."
Damien looked considerably strong. He could probably cut off one of Krahel's arms within ten seconds.
"As for you, Karzan, if you'll pardon my rudeness, I have no idea where you might have sprung from. Your name sounds foreign."
I merely shrugged.
Within the melting pot of Grunewald, where foreign merchants and swordsmen gathered from all over, it wasn't such a rare occurrence.
"Well, I suppose so. Even if you investigate, you probably won't find anything interesting."
How could anyone investigate a foreign swordsman who died and disappeared seventeen years ago?
The only people who would feel a chill down their spine upon hearing my name would be the Dark King, his ugly right-hand man, and Ivan.
"Hmm. Are you using a pseudonym?"
It was a fairly logical deduction, but I didn't answer.
"Think as you please. Do you know anything about Zizek?"
"To be honest, I've only heard his name."
"You are certainly honest."
"However, as he was the one who made me an attractive offer, I've been diligently investigating him for the past few days."
At this point, Damien looked at Zizek.
"I hope you understand."
"It's only natural, so please don't worry about it."
Zizek was treating Damien with polite respect. He was indeed a man who exuded the natural aura of a bigwig.
"Hehe, thank you. Zizek is quite magnanimous. A straightforward fellow."
"So, was the result of your investigation trustworthy?"
I asked.
"His reputation is excellent. Well, this is a sensitive topic, but his background is also solid."
I nodded slightly. He must have heard the story of how Zizek avenged his father and then joined the Bisakino Brotherhood with the help of his neighbors.
'By the way.'
Damien's way of speaking was quite straightforward for a merchant.
Of course, merchants who did business in the underworld generally tended to have rougher speech than those in legitimate businesses.
"It's fortunate to hear that. Your acceptance of this meeting was probably influenced to some extent by Zizek's reputation as well."
"Of course, the biggest reason is thanks to you, who made me an offer I couldn't refuse."
Damien skillfully buttered me up.
"Of course, it would be too impolite to just investigate and do nothing in return, so I'd like to offer you some good information instead."
"Oh ho."
Look at that, his speaking skills are quite adept.
Was it because he was a man who carved out his own place among the foreign merchants flocking to Grunewald? He certainly had his own unique aura.
"I won't ask for any compensation. Please consider it a token of my sincerity in hoping for the success of our transaction."
"That's intriguing. Just how valuable is this information you're trying to sell?"
"It's internal information about the Bisakino Brotherhood."
"……!"
I narrowed my brows. It was coincidentally appropriate. There was an atmosphere suggesting that some significant information was waiting.
"What exactly are you?"
I asked.
"Well, just an ordinary smuggler."
Damien shrugged and smiled.
"More than anything, smuggling requires proficiency in information, especially dark information."
"That's true."
I agreed for now.
"Actually, it's closer to something I obtained by chance while investigating Zizek—"
Damien lowered his voice.
"There are signs of internal strife within the Bisakino Brotherhood."
"……!"
This was more important information than I had anticipated.
"How did you find that out?"
"Well, I have connections with insiders. Please don't ask for the specifics. It's a trade secret."
Damien joked.
"Well, since you two are also insiders in a way, I'll speak frankly."
Damien continued.
"The main parties involved in the internal strife are Huten and the Godfather."
"!"
I exchanged glances with Zizek. This was a continuous stream of surprising information. For Huten's name to come up again here?
"It seems you have some idea about it."
"Something like that."
"Let me continue for now. By any chance, Karzan, are you familiar with a clan called Svaltalfar?"
Who is that now?
I didn't want to say I didn't know, so I simply crossed my arms and acted thoughtfully.
"Hmm. Svaltalfar, you say."
"As I thought, you are aware."
Damien accepted it without suspicion, so I remained silent.
"They are the most renowned clan of assassins in this kingdom. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that all assassins within the kingdom are under their shadow. They apparently don't hesitate to improve their bloodline by intermarrying not only with foreigners but even with other races to cultivate even more outstanding assassins."
"……Hmm."
I nodded heavily as if I knew all about it, but inwardly I was clicking my tongue.
'What kind of fuckers are they?'
Even the underworld of Flanders didn't have such crazy people. An entire clan dedicated to raising assassins for generations to that extent? No matter how I looked at it, it wasn't normal.
'If it's true, they could rightly be called a clan of king slayers.'
"That's a bit puzzling. Why is their name coming up here?"
Damien answered my question.
"Rumor has it that the Count Agrippa hired the branch leader of Svaltalfar to eliminate Huten, but Huten killed him and sent his head to the branch as a message."
"Huh?"
I know a bit about organizations of assassins. No, even if you didn't know anything, anyone could easily tell that this was a clear provocation and insult.
"That's absurd, why would he do that?"
"That, I do not know. In any case, regarding this matter, Svaltalfar has apparently issued an ultimatum, stating that they will send a direct descendant to kill Huten."
I roughly understood the whole story of the internal strife.
"So, they're divided over whether to stand together against it or hand him over, it seems."
Damien's eyes gleamed with interest.
"You are well-versed in how things work in this world."
"I know a fair bit."
"Ah ha."
With a meaningful smile, Damien changed the subject.
"In any case, it's as you said. The Godfather summoned Huten for questioning."
"If he goes, he'll probably lose a wrist and be excommunicated."
"So, Huten hasn't responded to the summons immediately, and is instead gathering his own faction."
I frowned.
"Is he planning to start a rebellion right away?"
"Even if not, it could be a show of force. If that's the case, the Godfather won't be able to excommunicate him easily."
That was true. It was obvious that the organization would split in half the moment he was excommunicated.
"To think things have become this urgent without me knowing."
I felt a chill run down my spine.
"It's only happened in the last few days, so it's natural that you wouldn't know yet."
However, this man's information network, knowing such news so clearly, was extraordinary.
'Since things have turned out this way.'
I need to significantly accelerate my initial plan to get in line with one faction, incite the internal strife, and infiltrate the upper echelons of the organization.
'It will be either overturning the whole situation or taking advantage of the civil unrest to help one side.'
Even if it's a situation I didn't intend, sometimes you have to ride the tide.
'Because the wave will pass in the blink of an eye.'
Sensing that it was too urgent to hesitate, I exchanged glances with Zizek.
'Let's talk about how things are going.'
'Understood.'
After exchanging a silent conversation with roughly that feeling, I said.
"Damien, I thank you. Thanks to you, I've obtained truly timely information that I hadn't expected."
"Hehe, well, I also work as an information broker. I wonder if this has been sufficient promotion?"
"Indeed it has. It seems there will be many opportunities for us to cooperate and trade in the future."
"That's fortunate. However, I too firmly believe that the spirit medicines and medicinal herbs of the mountain tribes are worth even more than this."
I felt a chill on one hand. To have brought such information and still have this reaction.
Perhaps the Haglanderer goods circulating in the underworld were being valued much higher than I had thought.
'If so many are coveting them, it's dangerous. We might not have much time left.'
What was most concerning was—
'Verdzig.'
What if that man became aware of the survivors of Eisenach?
He would surely try to harm me by killing them or taking them hostage.
'I was really lucky this time.'
But there's no dumber strategy than relying on luck.
If I don't pay attention to obtaining information from the underworld, I might miss my chance next time without even realizing it.
'Damien's true value isn't just in expanding business and diversifying sources of income.'
If I can bring this man over to my side, I can gain great help from his information network in the night.
"Having received such valuable information, I will certainly do my best to ensure the success of the trade with the mountain tribes."
"I look forward to it."
Damien grinned and subtly asked.
"By the way, Karzan, who exactly is behind you?"
Look at this?
Trying to get something for free.
"That's information that's too expensive to sell."
"Hahahaha! My apologies."
There was no way I could let this guy think of the name Allenvert.
Moreover, the information that I was connected to the Haglanderer was even more something I shouldn't reveal.
'He'll probably sell it to someone else for a higher price.'
We weren't allies or anything yet.
Remember that an information broker can sell information to whoever pays a higher price.
"……Finally, let me give you one piece of advice. A big commotion might occur within the next few days. Whatever it is, it would be wise to prepare quickly."
He seemed to have already anticipated what I was thinking.
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Which side will you take?"
I answered this question easily.
"Well, we have a bad history with Huten."
"As I expected."
I stood up and shook hands with Damien.
"I will visit again with meaningful news within two weeks at the latest."
"I hope the wait won't be too long."
"I'll do my best."
Feeling the strength of his grip through our hands, and the purity of mana that he must have learned from a noble clan, I thought.
'This man is the real deal.'
Perhaps I had met the third force I would recruit today.
Zizek.
The survivors of Eisenach.
And the smuggler and information broker, Damien.
'Come to think of it, coincidentally.'
Among the guys who followed Karzan in my past life, wasn't there also one from a fallen noble clan? If Zamuel was my right hand, that guy was like my left hand.
'But let's not try to make too much progress in our first meeting, Karzan.'
First, let's deal with the immediate matters at hand.
'Huten, you bastard.'
Now that you've caught my eye, things won't go your way.
'I'll shut down your business soon.'
I'm a man with a natural talent for throwing ashes on other people's dinner tables.
Why?
'Because it's more fun that way.'
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[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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