Chapter 118

The fireplace crackled.

The flame continuously changed its colors, asserting that it was no ordinary fire.

As he stared at the flames shifting in various hues, Kukulo Del Conti pressed his thin lips together.

“……”

In the hands of the Del Conti family's head was a stack of papers.

They were certificates for precious metals.

They told how certain items were cheaply acquired and how they came into the possession of the Del Conti family.

These were documents created to make illicitly obtained goods appear legitimate.

Now that the illegality had been exposed, it would be less of a loss to burn them.

Kukulo Del Conti tore one of the papers into shreds and threw it into the fireplace.

It instantly burned up, leaving no ash behind. He tore another into shreds and put it in the fireplace.

Again, he tore one into shreds and burned it, and then another.

Black smoke rose and the smell was acrid, but he didn't care.

After tearing and burning all the papers, Kukulo stared into the flames.

He had personally torn and burned all the documents that proved ownership of precious metals that could fill several carriages.

It was a terrible feeling to personally discard things that had once been in his hands.

Every time he tore and burned a page, it felt as though blood was being drawn and chunks of his flesh were being cut away.

No, he would have preferred to give up his real blood and flesh to get the treasures back.

“…Pneuve.”

“Yes, Master.”

Kukulo opened his mouth with difficulty, and Pneuve answered immediately.

He had been watching Kukulo tear and burn all the documents the entire time.

“…Where is Brass Arm?”

“I let him go to a tavern because he couldn't control his temper. I've strictly warned him not to kill anyone, even if he gets into a fight, but…”

“Damn it.”

Kukulo swore.

“He should at least do his job properly.”

He wanted to blame all this frustration on Onseu Om and let out a torrent of insults, but he barely managed to hold it in.

The amount of gold he had spent to keep him was too great to admonish him for a single mistake.

Even after making a mistake, he was still Onseu Om.

He was a man considered the best not just in Merion but on the entire Bururade Peninsula.

The Del Conti family normally wouldn't be able to keep him even if they spent gold like water.

So, no matter how angry he was, he had to watch his words.

What if their relationship soured because he swore at him when he wasn't present, for which he couldn't take responsibility?

“Hmph…”

The suppressed frustration often turned into irritation, running rampant in his mind.

Kukulo clutched his throbbing head.

Life was never easy.

It was only natural for his forehead to recede so quickly in his early forties.

There were just so many things to be angry about!

“You said you went back down to check after they left. What happened?”

“They confiscated everything. However…”

“However?”

“…They left this piece of paper behind.”

[Notice of Seizure.]

[By the authority of Meh al-Hmed, Special Inspector of the Bururade Peninsula Alliance, all items in this warehouse have been seized. If you wish to reclaim them, please submit a request to the Peninsula Alliance through proper channels.]

“May they be struck by lightning, the bastards!”

Kukulo stomped his foot in a rage.

He originally intended to kick a chair, but he couldn't, remembering its price.

Even when he stomped, he couldn't bring himself to damage the expensive rug, so he stepped two paces to the side and pounded the bare floor instead.

“It's my money, which I earned!”

“Anger is not good for your health, Master.”

Kukulo’s pettiness was nothing new, so Pneuve continued calmly.

“There is some news that might be a comfort.”

“…Did they not notice?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Pneuve Freira’s eyes lit up.

“Only one location was seized. The other is safe.”

The reason Onseu Om and Pneuve went down into the sewers was simple.

The Del Conti family had two hidden warehouses.

He meticulously searched the sewers after Shion and Meh left and concluded that they had not found one of the two warehouses.

“If only one was hit, which one was it?”

“Section 68.”

“The physical goods warehouse, then.”

Kukulo stroked his chin.

“So the warehouse in Section 27…”

“I had already retrieved everything from it. They wouldn’t even know of its existence.”

When it was revealed that Onseu Om had not died in the rapid current, and while Brass Arm was confronting Shion and Meh, Pneuve was in Section 27.

He had moved quickly, taking advantage of Shion and Meh’s attention being on Brass Arm and transmitted everything from the other warehouse back to the Del Conti family.

“Is that so? That’s a relief.”

Kukulo Del Conti finally managed a smile.

“Physical goods are just petty cash in the end. I can earn it back. It would have been truly fatal if the Section 27 warehouse had been hit…”

Even after suffering a great loss, he felt fortunate.

The importance of the Section 27 warehouse was on a different level from that of Section 68.

Of course, he had hidden it with even greater care, and even if an outsider got their hands on the items inside, they wouldn't know their true value.

Still, the fact that he didn't have to take the risk was a huge relief.

“I can always trust you, Pneuve. You’ve worked hard.”

“It was nothing. It’s my job, isn’t it?”

“Is it not right to praise someone who is diligent in their duties?”

On the other hand, that wretched Onseu Om… Kukulo swallowed his anger once again.

He noticed the dark circles under Pneuve’s eyes.

Had he said he spent five days in the sewers?

“Go and rest, Pneuve.”

***

Pneuve Freira had gone.

He was extremely tired.

Besides, even though he had already washed his body once, the stench of the sewers still lingered, making him feel uncomfortable.

He desperately wanted to soak in a warm bath filled with flower petals and slowly unwind for a long time.

Kukulo Del Conti looked into the fireplace.

The news that the Section 27 warehouse’s existence hadn't been revealed was welcome, but a loss was still a loss.

The values he had personally torn and burned still pained him.

“Tibel.”

“Yes, Master.”

“What should I do?”

Tibel Bartole appeared at the sound of his call.

Although her curves were evident, she wore a men's tailcoat and a bow tie.

She spoke to Kukulo in a whisper.

“What do you mean, Master?”

“You heard everything. I'm asking what I should do for Onseu Om and Pneuve.”

“You must reward them. A very generous reward.”

“Reward them?”

Kukulo furrowed his brows.

“Even though the Del Conti family suffered a great loss from this incident?”

“It wasn't just a great loss, but a potentially fatal one, and that didn't happen.”

“And that was thanks to Onseu Om and Pneuve?”

“That's right.”

He still looked displeased.

“You're telling me to reward even Brass Arm.”

“On the contrary, you must give him a bigger reward to soothe his temper, Master.”

“Won’t Pneuve be displeased? His contribution was great, but his reward is small.”

“Did you see him as such a man?”

“No. He would say it was a wise choice. He is that kind of man.”

The fireplace light filled the room cozily.

Tibel’s neatly swept back black hair gleamed.

She pushed a stray strand behind her ear, and Kukulo stared at her.

“Onseu Om and Pneuve, both of them were introduced by you.”

“Are they not good?”

“They are more than good. Both of them are too much for the Del Conti family. The balance between them is especially good.”

Onseu Om was strong.

He was a man who had clearly entered the realm of a superhuman.

However, he was quick-tempered and mentally unstable, making him difficult to handle.

Pneuve Freira was not a strong enough fighter to be called a superhuman.

However, he lacked nothing. He was quick-witted, handled work promptly, and had a good character.

Without him, Brass Arm Onseu Om would be impossible to handle.

“Let this incident go for now, even though it's a shame. With our three guest knights, the Del Conti family can only grow bigger.”

“How big are we talking about, Tibel?”

“How far do you imagine, Master?”

Kukulo Del Conti laughed.

He smiled with his thin lips.

“So high that people would call me crazy.”

“This Tibel Bartole is looking one step further than that.”

Tibel sat on a chair and crossed her legs.

“So, Master, you must look to what’s next.”

She pulled her chair closer to Kukulo.

She spoke as if to tickle Kukulo’s ear.

“There’s a rumor that the Verchello family might enter a carriage in the Harvest Festival.”

“…With what money?”

“It seems they’ve found a patron.”

“Is there still such a fool left?”

The noble Merion family, Verchello.

They once had many patrons, but all ties had been severed by their long decline.

Del Conti had personally cut half of those ties.

Tibel Bartole straightened her bow tie.

This was information Pneuve Freira had passed on.

“No. It's a young man named Shion, the owner of the Art Gallery Lamponé. He is young enough to be called a boy.”

“…Lamponé? I’ve heard that somewhere.”

“They say he sometimes uses a fake name, Viscount Rampo.”

“…Ah, that crazy bastard from back then!”

Kukulo’s face twisted in displeasure, recalling the duel.

“Was he a Merion native?”

“Yes. He’s running an art gallery without even hiding his face.”

“How bold!”

Kukulo exclaimed in disbelief.

He had insulted the Del Conti family in Merion and now he was doing this!

He had an extraordinary amount of guts.

As the head of the Del Conti family fumed, Tibel continued.

“Anyway, looking at his spending, he seems to be quite wealthy. He’s helping the Verchello family in many ways. It was also the owner of Art Gallery Lamponé who got the mill back on track.”

“What’s a few patches on a ship that’s already half-sunk going to do.”

“That’s true, but don't I know you, Master?”

Tibel looked into Kukulo’s eyes.

Kukulo, too, looked into her pupils.

They were a black with a faint greenish tint.

When Tibel smiled, her eyes curved into crescents.

“Wouldn’t you feel satisfied only if you sank it yourself?”

“Of course.”

“How about completely crushing the Verchello family at the Harvest Festival?”

“That’s some good news for a change.”

Kukulo’s lips twisted into a sneer.

“Shion, the owner of the Art Gallery Lamponé… he messed with the wrong people. He can’t even begin to imagine what secrets the Del Conti family is hiding.”

“It's about time you revealed them.”

“I should.”

Tibel Bartole untied her hair.

Her black hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall.

In an instant, she transformed from a butler into a woman.

“Oh, Master, there’s something this Bartole would like to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a very personal matter…”

With her hair down, Tibel lightly caressed the back of Kukulo’s hand.

“You said Onseu Om and Pneuve were too much for the Del Conti family, didn’t you?”

Her flowing black hair, her crescent-shaped eye smile, her whisper tickling his ear.

Kukulo Del Conti licked his thin lips.

“Then what about this Tibel Bartole… the last guest?”

“Do I have to answer?”

“You don’t, but I would be very disappointed, wouldn't I?”

Kukulo gripped Tibel Bartole’s hand tightly.

Tibel’s face flushed.

“You are different from the other two.”

He wrapped his arm around Tibel’s waist.

“They are guest retainers of the Del Conti family, but… you are mine, Kukulo’s.”

Oh my.

Tibel Bartole covered her mouth and smiled.

“Come here, Bartole. Do you have any plans tonight?”

“What if I do, Master?”

“You'd better not.”