Chapter 176
Chapter 176
Master of the Trade Route (13)
"Breaking news!! Bern City under special investigation by the Imperial Inspection Team!!"
"Interim findings indicate very poor prospects. Construction temporarily suspended!!"
New editions of the Gold Morning newspaper, carrying this breaking news, began pouring out of the newly established Nord Mountain Branch.
From the Angde Plain to Eric’s Royal Luton City.
Even to Bern City, where the subject of the investigation resided.
As if mocking Edward’s downfall, Gold Morning’s hot-off-the-press issues spread far and wide.
“No, Count. The investigation will soon be over. Please, I ask for your patience.”
Edward’s office was as busy as the newspapers flying in the wind.
Despite the urgency, Chief Secretary Tir maintained a calm tone as he tried to reassure the investors.
“Don’t you trust me? This sort of investigation will be over in no time!!”
By contrast, Edward, who had already been humiliated once, raised his voice in frustration.
With his hand on his waist, he barked at acquaintances who had come all the way to Nord to see him.
These acquaintances were also major patrons who had invested significant sums.
“Of course we trust you. But shouldn’t we at least hear how you plan to resolve this?”
“Just wrap it up within the timeframe set by the Duke of Luton. If you do, we’ll stick with you to the end.”
For now, Edward managed to avert the immediate chaos.
As his acquaintances left the Bern office, he walked with his arms around their shoulders, showing off their camaraderie.
“When have I ever broken a promise? Don’t worry, everyone—since you're here, why not have a drink before you go?”
The young noble heirs, dressed in formal suits and coats, waved him off, saying it was fine.
With luxurious scarves draped casually over their shoulders, they exchanged only brief farewells.
“No, we must go. We came in a rush and have to leave just as quickly.”
“He’s right. Once night falls, it’s still tough to return from here.”
After the investors had left, the second son let out a short sigh.
Then, returning to the cold expression he had never shown his friends, he turned to Tir and asked,
“What about the Third Prince?”
“A message came from your father. Once he makes a decision, he absolutely never bends his will.”
Edward pressed his forehead, as if his head was throbbing.
“It’s definitely that bastard’s doing. Just what did he offer the Emperor to convince him…?”
“I’d heard he was close to Her Majesty the Empress, but I never imagined His Majesty would get involved as well.”
The second son had no intention of blaming his secretary.
Even he couldn’t do anything about it—what could a mere secretary possibly do?
He turned his head and looked toward his desk.
There, placed neatly, was a graph showing the stock fluctuations of the Luton Arms Dealer, swaying under the pressure of this massive project.
The situation had grown so out of hand that even the main headquarters had begun to shake.
As word spread that the interim investigation results were unfavorable, a flood of questions followed—was there a problem with the quality of mithril?
Even if such claims were baseless, business always ran on trust.
As a result, it turned into a serious setback for him, who had even been considering manufacturing military supplies using mithril.
“At this rate, it might go beyond Bern City… to a full corporate audit…”
Edward was well aware of it.
Once the investigation extended to the company, all his past tax evasions and corrupt dealings would be thoroughly exposed.
“……”
A suffocating silence lingered in the second son's office.
It was the kind of atmosphere where if anyone so much as spoke, it felt like they might be shot with the rifle hanging on the wall.
How much time passed in that tense stillness?
As the sun rose completely above the towering mountain peaks—
―――――.
The heavy sound of wheels began to echo just beyond the quiet office window.
“……!”
Edward immediately lifted his head.
Just as he was about to ask who had arrived, his chief secretary had already glanced out the window, and his expression turned grave.
“It is His Grace the Grand Duke.”
“Already…? He’s already finished inspecting Eric’s domain?”
Was it the newspapers he had so gleefully spread? Or was it just a mid-project inspection?
The Grand Duke of the North had personally come to the Nord Mountains.
Though he had said he would begin by inspecting Eric’s domain—
Perhaps he found no flaws whatsoever, as it seemed he had completed the tour swiftly by morning.
That was why the second son had hurriedly sent the investors away.
He couldn’t allow them to see him groveling in front of his father.
And in truth, he had been inwardly longing for his father’s visit.
Because the only person who could save him from the situation he was currently in…
Was none other than his own blood—his father.
Edward hurried down the stairs with his secretary.
Bern City, where construction had been suspended, was bleak beyond words.
“We have arrived, Your Grace.”
「……」
A grand black carriage, fit for a noble, came to a stop on the unpaved road.
An elegantly polished shoe, in sharp contrast with the dirt, stepped onto the half-paved ground.
“Father, you’re here…!!”
Edward’s voice was entirely different from when he had been dealing with the investors earlier.
He quickly straightened himself and showed proper respect before his father.
“The progress doesn’t look good.”
“Yes… it just had to be the Imperial Inspection Team that stepped in…”
The second son murmured with his head deeply bowed.
But despite his son’s humbled posture, the Grand Duke didn’t so much as blink.
He simply stood there, silently observing the investors and laborers still remaining in the frozen city.
His focus was on the real-time collapse of the Luton family’s reputation.
“I am sorry, Father.”
“What can be done? As you said, ‘it just had to be the Imperial family’ that got involved.”
Edward realized he had just made a poor choice of words.
Trying to recover, he immediately got to the point in an effort to redeem the situation.
“Still, we have a chance. If we can somehow get the inspection team to withdraw, Bern City will remain intact.”
“How do you intend to make them withdraw?”
Beneath the snowy white mountain range, the Grand Duke of the North’s expression turned even more ferocious, like a beast.
He lived up to his nickname, the Black Lion.
“If Father would be willing to help just a little…”
“And why should I do that?”
Duke Luton cut his son off coldly and without emotion.
Perhaps the second son had already expected such a response, as he quickly followed up.
“Because once Bern City is completed, it’ll be a great benefit to the family. I’ll even transfer a sufficient amount of shares to you, Father.”
Edward’s pupils began to shake noticeably.
Duke Luton looked at his son with utter disappointment, then let out a deep sigh.
“So you’re saying you’ll sell me a sinking ship. Just begging me to buy it.”
If I can just keep the ship afloat, I’ll give you shares.
I’ll make you the captain.
Words anyone might utter when desperate.
It was the complete opposite of the virtue the Grand Duke of the North always emphasized—trust.
“I have no intention of helping. Resolve it on your own.”
The Grand Duke removed his black leather gloves and handed them to Debier.
“Whether you sell your shares or hand them over to the Imperial family, it’s up to you.”
He turned away indifferently.
Then, following the door opened by his chief secretary, he climbed back into the carriage.
His meeting with the second son was even shorter than his meeting with Eric.
“……”
The black carriage departed.
It headed toward the ridge where the spire of the great cathedral was visible.
Edward remained bowed until his father’s carriage completely disappeared from view.
And once the sound of the heavy wheels faded—
He lifted his head, returning to a cold expression.
“Are you all right, my lord?”
The chief secretary quickly took out the coat he had prepared and draped it over Edward’s shoulders.
Only then did Edward let out a deep breath and shake off the chill.
“Yes. Since Father came, things should more or less work out.”
Despite Duke Luton having left without a hint of concern—
The second son actually felt relief at his father’s reaction.
“The fact that he mentioned a sale means he’s willing to buy the shares himself. If he becomes the principal owner, he can take over management and construction operations—then he’ll return it to me…!!”
Edward repeatedly moistened his dry lips with his tongue.
Then he lit a cigar, biting it, and drew in a deep puff of smoke.
“All we need to do now is show that we won’t give up. As long as we’re doing our best, that’s enough.”
Tir looked at the desperate second son with pity.
Then, in silence, he followed his master as they calmly returned to the office.
「――――――」
Meanwhile, the Grand Duke’s carriage, unlike when it had arrived in Bern, now crossed the ridge in perfect ease.
As they climbed the hill, a brilliant view of the city spread out beautifully before them.
The Angde Plain basked in the noonday sunlight.
Just below the mountain range, an elegant silver cathedral and a park lay nestled together.
Encircling the park were gracefully constructed commercial buildings.
Shops bearing the names of Echina and Helena were tightly clustered like honeycombs.
Of course, the city had not yet been officially completed.
There were still three weeks left until the two-month deadline proclaimed by the Grand Duke of the North.
And yet, for some reason, the buildings were already bustling enough to hang out signs that read “Now Open.”
Debier, seated across from Duke Luton, looked on at the scene with satisfaction.
The Grand Duke gazed gently at his secretary general, who hadn’t smiled in front of him like this in a long time.
“The atmosphere of the city is bright, Debier.”
“Yes, Your Grace. I thought it would feel gloomy being beneath a cold mountain range, but it’s quite the opposite.”
Luton agreed, his once grim expression softening slightly.
Like when he was admiring one of Deyan’s masterworks.
“Yes. This is just how it felt when Nord was first built.”
Nobu seemed to be reminded of his younger days and quietly closed his eyes for a moment.
And as he listened to the smooth rolling of the wheels down the road, they arrived in Angde.
Knowing in advance that he would be arriving, Echina was already waiting at the park plaza.
I stood beside her under the lion-headed fountain as the top patron.
“The Grand Duke has arrived.”
As expected, the first to disembark was Secretary General Debier.
She exchanged a brief greeting with Echina and opened the carriage door.
The Grand Duke of the North descended the carriage steps with the same calm expression he had worn in Bern.
However, there was one difference this time…
“Echina. Why are you out here in the cold waiting?”
“…?”
No—this wasn’t just a minor difference. It was a complete transformation.
Even I, and Echina as well, widened our eyes at the rare warmth in his greeting.
The black-haired woman glanced up at me briefly, as if to ask whether the man standing before her was really her father.
“It’s an honor to see you, Your Grace.”
“You’re here too. You’ve gone through quite a bit in this cold.”
Duke Luton, with his hands clasped behind his back, turned his gaze to the lion statue gleaming under the warm sunlight.
He gently ran his bare hand along the statue’s thick front leg.
“The city has developed quite a lot.”
“I’ve been treating it as the place where I’ll live.”
A perfect answer.
Echina had become so eloquent that she no longer needed my coaching.
“Could you give me a report on the development status? Let’s talk as we walk.”
“Of course.”
Echina stood beside her father with a calm expression.
I quietly followed along, intending to help give the status report.
But—
“Would you step back for a moment? I want to hear it directly from my daughter.”
“Understood.”
As expected, even in this situation, he seemed to think I’d had a major hand in everything.
He clearly intended to judge for himself how much Echina had grown—without my help.
“……”
Still, I wasn’t worried about the young lady.
I simply stood back and leisurely watched the beautiful pair of father and daughter from behind, together with Secretary General Debier.
“It looks like a painting.”
“Indeed.”
Debier agreed.
“This is the most relaxed I’ve seen His Grace all day.”
“……”
As expected, he truly lived up to his reputation as the legendary secretary general.
Unlike me, he remained solely focused on his liege.
Their conversation didn’t last long.
The Grand Duke of the North merely nodded, as if he had already been fully informed of the city's progress.
Afterward, he returned and called me over, inviting me to join him for tea.
“Let’s talk for a bit, Roger.”
“There’s a perfect place nearby.”
I guided him into a familiar café located right in front of the plaza.
It was a franchise brand recently established by Lord Harriet.
“Fragrance of the West.”
Fragrance of the West at the northernmost edge of the continent—somewhat ironic, perhaps…
But that kind of contrast only made the place feel more unique.
“So this is where you’ve brought me.”
As expected, the Grand Duke grumbled at the distinct Western atmosphere.
Fortunately, his tone didn’t sound angry.
“This is the best café in our city. Since my guest is Your Grace, I must offer nothing but the best.”
I placed an order for two cups of tea with the neatly dressed server.
Then, as if meeting an old friend, the Grand Duke let out a quiet snort.
“So then, does that mean you—sitting across from me—are also the best this city has to offer?”
Duke Luton had always enjoyed seeing people caught off guard by his words.
To stay in his good graces, you had to know how to keep a straight face.
“Well, considering we’ve remained connected even after I left the Grand Duke’s house, wouldn’t you say so?”
“You’ve grown quite confident since I last saw you.”
He chuckled and shook his head.
Meeting like this outside made him feel, oddly enough, like a father figure to me.
“I’ve always had confidence. I just never had the chance to show it until now.”
“Good. I hope you’ll keep showing that side of you.”
The continent’s second-in-command, at last satisfied with the café, leaned comfortably into his chair.
His gaze soon shifted to the window.
There, he saw Echina, who had timidly dipped her fingers into the fountain and quickly pulled them out.
“Who knows. I may end up entrusting you with something even more significant.”
“Something more significant?”
I tilted my head like a curious fox.
Then, I gently pushed the freshly arrived cup of tea toward the now-familiar Grand Duke.