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[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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Chapter 226: Revenge and Opportunity
"Are you suggesting we join the Bisakino Brotherhood?"
Knut's question carried a hint of displeasure.
"Calm yourself, Knut."
Before I could respond, Balthazar raised his hand to pacify him.
"Allen wouldn't have suggested this without reason. Besides, in the face of our great goal of revenge, petty pride isn't something to cling to."
"Grandfather."
"However—"
Balthazar looked at me and continued.
"That's precisely why we need a compelling practical reason to be convinced."
It seemed Balthazar preferred to hear me out before making judgments rather than letting emotions lead.
'Indeed.'
This old man possessed the qualities of a sage. Of course, he was once ‘the king's brother’ who ruled over entire mountain ranges as his domain. How could his political insight be inferior to any noble in the kingdom?
"First, you all know that I helped the young leader of the Bisakino Brotherhood eliminate Huten."
I turned to Zizek.
"Zizek, in your assessment, what kind of man is Nagan?"
"He's trustworthy. A man of unusually solid character," Zizek replied.
"However, it's true that his skills and experience still fall short compared to other godfathers."
Balthazar nodded as if it were only natural.
"He's still young. That's unavoidable."
"Moreover, Nagan desperately needs to recruit capable executives."
"The recent incident swept away many executives who had sided with Huten. As a result, Nagan has neither reliable executives to assign tasks to nor elders to seek counsel from."
"I see."
"Though Zizek and I are there, we're numerically insufficient."
My mother continued where I left off.
"Knut, your martial prowess was the greatest among our clan. Your current strength certainly surpasses Rudgarda, who holds the position of the sixth commander in Grunewald's Special Operations Division."
"...That's correct."
"Power that exceeds mid-sixth tier would certainly be regarded as formidable even in Grunewald's underworld."
Moreover.
"Uncle's wisdom and experience are unmatched. With both of you joining, the Bisakino Brotherhood would instantly gain both strength and strategic insight."
Balthazar nodded.
"...It would be mutually beneficial. We lack power and foundation."
"Exactly. With the Bisakino Brotherhood as our roof, even a pack of wolves would find it difficult to challenge us."
After contemplating briefly, Balthazar turned to my mother.
"Lusatia, I'm amazed. When did you teach Allen the art of kingship?"
My mother shook her head.
"I'm embarrassed to say I've taught Allen very little. This strategy came from Allen's own mind."
"So the blood of royalty shows itself regardless?"
Balthazar nodded with a satisfied expression.
"While we're at it, tell us more. If we join under the Bisakino Brotherhood's shadow, what happens next?"
I answered confidently.
"I guarantee that within less than six months, the Bisakino Brotherhood can become the foremost among the five major organizations."
"How specifically?"
"I will bring in another force as an ally."
"An ally? Who might that be?"
"His name is Damien, known as the Merchant of Death, a magnate in the commercial world."
"Oh!"
Balthazar exclaimed in admiration.
"I've heard of him. A man of great cunning who has accumulated wealth and fame while deeply involved in the shadows."
"That's right."
"Wasn't he an illegitimate child of some noble clan?"
To this, Zizek answered instead.
"He was from a baronial clan, as I understand, sir."
"Ah, I see. Starting as an illegitimate noble child to become a merchant magnate recognized throughout the duchy..."
"He's an arms dealer, smuggler, and information broker as well. His assistance was significant in thwarting Huten's conspiracy."
Balthazar showed interest.
"So that's what happened. A capable man indeed."
"They want to exclusively distribute Haglandere's spirit medicines and elixirs."
"It's fortunate that their desires are so clear."
Balthazar laughed softly.
"As long as credit and profit are assured, merchants can be as faithful companions as knights."
"Precisely."
"When did you establish connections with him? This is no ordinary strategy."
Balthazar patted Knut's shoulder.
"What do you think? Your cousin's proposal."
"...It sounds reasonable now that I hear it."
Knut replied with an understanding expression.
"Since we need to relocate our base anyway, I think it's timely in many ways."
"Right. Let's work together to make Allen, or rather, Karzan's name a power in the underworld."
Balthazar raised his cup, and we quickly followed suit.
"To our clan's revenge."
"To revenge."
It was a toast both deadly and sweet.
"Phew, this is really strong. It feels like my stomach is burning."
Zizek made a fuss, while I secretly gathered the alcohol at my fingertips and released it, maintaining a solemn face.
'Good, perfect.'
There's no way I could drink such strong liquor outright.
It was so potent I couldn't tell if it was alcohol or poison.
'Would it catch fire if lit?'
"With this, we've become bound by an oath of shared drink."
Fearing my little trick might be discovered, I said the first thing that came to mind.
"Indeed, humans cannot live alone. At any time, one must create reliable allies."
"Truly so."
Did I get away with it? I put on an expression of deep appreciation for Balthazar's golden words and then turned to my mother.
"Are you alright? The liquor is quite strong."
"Hmm? This level is just a light palate cleanser before meals in our clan."
"..."
Turns out my mother was quite the drinker.
"By the way, Allen."
I turned my head.
"Yes, Granduncle?"
"I don't think your intention to take over the underworld is solely for revenge. Am I correct in my guess?"
"!"
Seeing my surprised face, Balthazar spoke as if he had expected it.
"We've spent seven years in Grunewald's underworld. Various rumors naturally reach our ears."
I remained alert, waiting for his next words.
"Those who manipulated Somerset and the Bisakino Brotherhood from behind, using Huten as a spy."
What followed was quite shocking even to me.
"Aren't they pawns of the Black Society sent by the Dark King? They must have business in Grunewald."
"...!"
I asked in surprise.
"You knew?"
Balthazar nodded.
"They're dangerous. If left unchecked, the entire Grunewald underworld will fall into their hands."
The Black Society.
With its intuitive name suggesting a society of night and darkness, this organization was in fact a first rate major organization that completely dominated Flanders's underworld.
"If one were to establish a hierarchy in the continent's shadow world, the highest place would belong to the Dark King."
This saying had been circulating among the continent's chroniclers for a very long time, easily twenty years or more.
The Dark King.
Born as the son of a great noble, he defeated his brothers to become the head of the clan. Combining his innate cunning and meticulousness with his clan's power, he had seized both the day and night of Flanders.
"There are two kings in Flanders. One is the monarch, and the other is the Dark King, whom the monarch calls 'second father.'"
The father-in-law of Flanders's king and the maternal grandfather of the first prince.
Yet few knew his face. In a sense, he could be considered a mythical figure. He was a man shrouded in veils in almost every aspect.
...Particularly, no one knew how his subordinates had mastered such powerful and terrible ancient demonic arts.
"Better not to know. Definitely better not to."
A middle-aged man leaning against the deck of a small squid fishing boat muttered while gazing at the moon rising over the water's surface.
"Branch Director. You should return soon."
At his subordinate's words, the branch director scratched his head.
"Is it that time already?"
"Yes."
The Black Society had several branches. The largest was the 8th Branch located in the Duchy of Grunewald.
Thus, the position of 8th Branch Director could only be filled by a high-ranking executive in the entire Black Society.
"Alright, let's return."
Then a strange thing happened. A griffin that had been sleeping curled up on the deck approached the branch director's feet and clacked its beak.
"I got it, I got it. Stop fussing."
The branch director grumbled while stroking the griffin's mane.
"Isn't it prone to seasickness? It probably wants to sleep on stable ground soon."
"It's a fussy creature."
When the branch director and his subordinate mounted its back, the griffin spread its large wings.
Whoosh—riding the strong sea wind that made even large ships slide across the water's surface, the griffin soared high.
"Look at that. Like a cluster of stars floating on the sea."
The lights of Grunewald Port spread out beyond the dark sea. They were stars kindled by humans, symbols of prosperity.
"...The prosperity of Grunewald Port is too brilliant for you to possess."
The branch director smirked.
"Has Huten's replacement arrived?"
"He's scheduled to arrive by ship tomorrow."
"It's a shame about that useful fellow."
The regret he felt was far from grief. If one were to draw a comparison, it was similar to a chef's feeling when a well-used knife breaks.
"Intelligence work indeed has many variables. Just when you think everything is going according to plan, something always happens. Don't you agree?"
"Indeed."
"But this time was unexpected. An unforeseen presence suddenly overturned the table."
"This Karzan must certainly be someone carefully nurtured by Lord Black Serpent and Venion."
"Karzan, Karzan."
The branch director murmured a man's name as if tasting it.
"...How coincidental."
"Pardon? Coincidental?"
"There's something to it."
The branch director suddenly turned his head to look at the sea where his homeland lay.
"...Why am I hearing the name of a man who died seventeen years ago here?"
He had been a member of the execution squad who witnessed Karzan's end alongside Ivan.
After the drinking party ended, Balthazar stopped me as I was about to return to the castle.
"Allen, I heard you're looking for ways to handle dark mana."
I glanced at my mother before answering.
"That's right."
My mother must have given him a hint.
"As you know, to obtain the secret manual, you must kill Grimnar. However—"
He lowered his voice and whispered.
"I've read the beginning part of that secret manual. I might be able to teach you a little."
"...!"
Amazing.
"Is that true?"
"Of course. Since you've already heard the truth from Lusatia, our conversation will be faster."
An aura of the same color as my mother's flowed from Balthazar's fingertips.
"Though Grunewald's martial arts are said to be the kingdom's finest, the mountain wisdom accumulated by Eisenach, who had a great ancestor, is not so lacking either."
Another opportunity awaited me.
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[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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