Chapter 27: The Show Must Go On (3)

It wasn't just today's party that had its trigger pulled.

The day we left Stout, an event would have occurred that very night where assassins would raid our campsite.

At first, one suspects they might be assassins from the Tiaria Cartel targeting Ibi, but after examining their bodies, Ibi concludes that's not the case.

Therefore, based on the remaining clues, we would return to Stout to track down the mastermind behind the attack── (It's also possible to ignore it and continue the adventure, but then the assassins' raids would continue with a high probability, making it difficult to get proper rest every time we camp. In essence, they are literally threatening us with swords to come back at least once.)

“Listen up, Mr. President.”

──And the original flow of the event was to reach the truth that the president of the merchant company here was the mastermind.

But, why bother?

I already know the assassins will come, and I know their identities, so is there any reason to follow that original flow?

Unlike in Marin's case, it's not like there's any benefit that can only be obtained by following that fixed story, right?

I can just deal with it first and then leave.

“Our condition is just one.”

That's why I lightly tapped the president's cheek, who was looking at me with trembling eyes, as if soothing a child, and said.

For him, who was closer to a white-haired old man than a child, being treated like that by a kid young enough to be his grandson must have been a very unpleasant experience.

“Damn, you brat…!”

As evidenced by the fact that for a moment, he even forgot the tip of the blade pressing against his neck and bared his teeth at me.

“Oh my, it seems you still have teeth left to bite with? You must have taken good care of them.”

“Don't get cocky…!”

“I’m already on top of your head, how can I get any cockier.”

This time, I tapped the crown of his head, and he made an even more distorted expression.

“Do you remember her?”

Satisfied with his reaction, I then pointed to Rine behind me and asked.

“Eastwood… our product, you think I would forget…”

“Wrong.”

And then I immediately cut off his answer.

“Not Eastwood.”

Not with the playful tone from before, but with a firm, declarative one.

“And she is not your product.”

As if warning that if he spoke like that one more time, I would cut out not his words, but the tongue that spoke them, I gripped his cheeks with my hand.

“Her name is Rine. She is my companion.”

I said.

“Remember it clearly, you damn slave-trading piece of trash.”

After letting go of his cheeks as if pushing them away, I deliberately took a deep breath and then continued in the same slick manner as before.

“So, let me state my condition.”

Just as the President had done to me at first.

“Don't f*ck with us.”

I expressed confidence that he couldn't possibly refuse this proposal.

“If you don't want what little hair you have left to be torn out along with your scalp.”

At that, the President let out a dry laugh, ha, and then.

“No, I can't. That's impossible.”

He dismissed it firmly.

“Our company collects the ‘debt’ from debtors one way or another. We never forget an unpaid debt. Even if you kill me here, as long as a single person from our company remains, we will come to collect from you until the very end, including the debt for my life.”

He wasn't bluffing.

As he said, even if I killed him here, a new person would just become the president and send assassins.

“Doesn't seem like a profitable business. You lose your life, and the debt just keeps piling up, no?”

“In this business, letting a debtor like you live and being treated like a pushover is as good as being dead anyway.”

“That, hmm. Makes sense.”

“Ha. Bunch of merchants. These guys are the real gangsters, I tell you.”

Furthermore, it probably wasn't just this guy and his company who held a grudge against us.

There must be some among the customers who saw my face at the auction house that day.

Even if it wasn't a grudge, having been ‘charmed’ once, they might pursue me with the sole intention of seeing my beautiful face once more before they die.

No, they definitely would.

But I couldn't just blow up everyone here along with the mansion, like with the brewery.

As the President said, they were quite powerful people in this area, so if all of them disappeared overnight, the aftermath would be unmanageable.

It wouldn't be assassins sent from behind the scenes; the official authorities of the entire continent, including the knights of Stout, would start chasing us.

So, no matter how much I wanted to choose that option, I couldn't.

There was no need to in the first place, either.

“But you know what.”

Why would I go to such lengths?

“You seem to be mistaken about something.”

“…What?”

“Why on earth do you think this company will continue to exist without going bankrupt?”

“……What did you say?”

If I can't handle the aftermath, I can just pass it on to someone else.

“Marin, have you heard of him?”

The President, instead of answering, just gaped, and that expression was answer enough.

Of course, there was no way he hadn't heard.

“I had a little chat with him about you and your company.”

Who in Stout didn't know his name?

“He seemed very… interested.”

Actually, back at the Knighthood Headquarters when I met Marin, I didn't just shake his hand and leave quietly.

“Since you said you would assist us with all your heart and soul, there is one thing I would like to ask of you right away. Would that be alright?”

“Hmm, what is it?”

We had more conversation.

“Please grant us access to the residential area on the hill.”

“That is not difficult, but is there a reason?”

“There are people there who are after me. So before I leave to find the trident, I’d like to take care of it in advance.”

“Tell me in detail.”

“You must have heard the news that the brewery in the suburbs burned down recently.”

“I have. I have dispatched an investigator to ascertain the truth.”

“There is no need for that. I set it on fire.”

“Hmm.”

Even at my sudden confession, Marin's expression didn't change as he quietly crossed his arms.

Only Ibi, who seemed to think we would now leave without incident after shaking hands, was gaping.

“The reason?”

“It turned out to be a slave auction house.”

I added for emphasis.

“An unlicensed one.”

Sure enough, at these words, one of Marin's still-calm eyebrows twitched for a moment.

“I didn't like the sight of it, so I just burned it all down.”

“…Hoh.”

In short, I snitched.

──Crash!

Out of nowhere, a loud noise echoed from the hall where the party was in full swing.

Then followed screams of bewilderment and an overbearing shout that threatened to overwhelm them.

The President quickly turned his head towards the door.

Though only sounds could be heard, his eyes looked as if he had realized everything that was happening outside.

“That the customers gathered here are powerful people? I know that well.”

That the splendid party he had prepared was being completely overturned by the knights of Stout who had suddenly barged in.

“That’s why I brought an opponent of the same weight class.”

And the one leading those knights was, of course, Marin.

Vice Commander of the Stout Knight Division and the current acting Knight Commander.

And, “Oh, right. I also told him the nickname you guys gave him.”

A man of principles, rumored among this company and its powerful clients as a ‘f*cking rigid son of a bitch’.

“He found it amusing.”

A man who, even if he would backstab a player to steal a holy relic, would absolutely never be intimidated or bought by rich and powerful nobles or merchants.

“Isn’t it funny?”

Perhaps that's why the President's complexion was much paler than when the tip of the blade was piercing his neck and drawing blood.

“Unfortunately, in this world, it seems buying and selling slaves isn't a major crime.”

He must have had a premonition of what was to come.

“But f*ck, it seems secretly buying and selling slaves without a license and not paying taxes is a major crime.”

That for him, something worse than death was waiting.

“Yes, that’s right.”

The show that was his company, which he thought would continue even if he died.

“You guys are f*cked.”

Is having its curtains fall overnight.

* * *

“Sir Marin.”

“It’s you.”

After handing over the almost-dazed President to the knights, we immediately left the reception room and returned to the hall, where we encountered Marin, who was watching the situation with his hands behind his back.

The commotion in the hall seemed to have been mostly sorted out.

After a short resistance, the ‘powerful customers’ were being led away in a line by the truly powerful knights, without being able to put up a proper fight.

A few of them were still shouting at the top of their lungs as they were being dragged away, stuff like ‘Do you know who I am’ and ‘You'll regret this’, but the knights didn't even pretend to listen.

As expected of the men Marin had brought.

The knights knew too.

That Marin, the man who brought them here, was not a man who would bat an eye at such shouting.

“Aqua will be pleased.”

Marin, who was actually watching the procession, said in a pleased tone.

“He was just complaining about the massive expenses incurred by this expedition.”

“I hope I haven't added more work to his already busy schedule.”

“Don't worry. If it's this kind of work, he'll be more than happy to ask for more.”

Catching tax evaders who have been illegally buying and selling slaves for years, avoiding massive taxes, and making them fill the empty coffers?

Indeed, even Aqua's tired eyes might sparkle with excitement.

“And I, too, express my gratitude.”

“Don't mention it.”

With this, the campsite raid event by unidentified assassins was skipped entirely.

In other words, it meant that for the time being, we wouldn't have to lose sleep at night.

“I’m f*cking rich now──!! Mwahahaha!”

Ibi had been in that state ever since we left the mansion.

It was understandable, as the bag she was holding was full of jewels, at a rough glance, worth at least 10,000 gold.

In a game, 10,000 gold might not feel like much, but in the world's lore, it was different.

It was an enormous amount of money.

An amount that common people couldn't even dream of earning in their entire lives.

“If I sell all of these… heh, hehehe.”

So she couldn't help but drool.

From Ibi's perspective, our nonchalant reactions, Rine's and mine, to obtaining such a large sum of money, would be incomprehensible.

Well, for now, she seemed too preoccupied with the jewels in front of her to bother pointing that out.

“Then I’ll go sell them.”

“Huh?”

I held out a hand to Ibi and said.

“The bag. Hand it over to me.”

At that, Ibi instinctively pulled the bag slightly towards herself.

“Aha, I see what you're up to. So you can't trust a petty thief either, huh? Why, you think I'll just take it and run?”

“No. You don't know the market prices in this town.”

“And you do?”

“To some extent.”

“…….”

Ibi, who had by now completely hugged the bag to her chest, showed a hesitant look, sending a very untrusting gaze.

She seemed to look down at the sack one more time, and then.

“…Whatever, fine.”

She let out a small sigh and released her arms from around the bag.

“It's a pain to look up the prices anyway. And it seems talking your way through things is your specialty.”

It meant she agreed.

“You hesitated a bit, didn't you, honestly?”

“About what?”

“About just taking it and running.”

“Yeah! I did, you bastard.”

Thump!

She then pushed the heavy-feeling bag against my chest as if hitting me with it.

“So make sure you bring back a hefty sum so I don't regret it.”

“Of course.”

“If you get ripped off, you'll get a beating from me too.”

“Trust me. I'll bring back three times the original market price.”

“Three times?”

“Three times.”

I spread out three fingers for emphasis.

“…Why are you being so specific. Are you going to pull some scam or something?”

“Of course not.”

A snort naturally escaped at Ibi's question.

“I'm going to trade in a very honest, safe, and legal way.”

“That’s f*cking suspicious……”

“I told you to trust me.”

I answered confidently and slung the bag over my shoulder, and the jewels inside clinked together.

* * *

“Welcome, to the Hwangdo Bank, where we keep your funds safe anywhere in the 12 cities. How may I help you?”

“I'm here to invest.”

The target profit is three times the principal.

Let’s go.