Chapter 196
Chapter 196: The Master of the Trade Route (33)
In the southern city of Southton, there was a hill.
At its peak stood a grand white mansion, so imposing that one could overlook the entire city from it.
A knight on a white horse was heading there.
While hiding his swollen wrist.
Upon arrival, he was granted an audience with his lord in the top-floor office.
And he said,
"I kept watch over Baron Roger as instructed, but nothing suspicious stood out."
"Is that so…? He's someone Archduke Eric specifically told us to keep an eye on."
The man sitting at the desk in the office stroked his thick chin.
"I see. If you're saying so, then..."
Count Anton gestured toward the secretary waiting quietly in the corner of the office.
The secretary brought over a carrier pigeon in a cage.
"Alright. Then I suppose it's fine for him to accompany us to the trading location tomorrow."
The Border Count wrote a letter to Roger, stating that nothing particularly suspicious had been found.
Then, he released the best homing pigeon in the South out the window.
At its speed, it would arrive within a day.
"But Count, if I may..."
"Go on, speak."
Anton gave permission as he munched on a walnut from his desk.
With that, Greek cautiously brought up a thought.
"If Roger is such a suspicious figure, wouldn't it have been better to exclude him from the trade altogether?"
A man dressed in a white suit nodded in agreement.
But instead of giving a clear answer, the Count posed a cryptic question.
"Do you know how much one of these walnuts costs?"
"I'm not sure."
Anton placed two walnuts on his palm and spun them lightly as he spoke.
"A whole gold apiece."
"That's quite expensive..."
Greek stared at the walnut with a puzzled look.
"Indeed. I didn’t know either, but apparently Southton walnuts are used in many high-end dishes."
The Count gripped the walnut in his large hand.
With his crushing strength, the shell shattered completely.
"He’s the same. He may look like a clueless brat on the surface, but he’s got some impressive connections."
"…"
Greek pressed his lips tightly, wearing a strange expression.
As if he had firsthand experience with what the Count was referring to.
"Major investors picked him as a witness to ensure their capital is being secured properly."
"Sounds like he’s not so easy to handle after all."
The man who had been watching Roger coughed awkwardly.
Just hearing the name made his wrist ache from where it had recently been grabbed.
"Not that it matters. As far as they’re concerned, as long as they get their money, that’s enough."
Count Anton rose to his feet with his heavy body.
He casually brushed off the walnut shell dust from his palm as he added,
"Whether this deal is legal or illegal, I doubt they care much."
Greek swallowed hard.
Sensing his nervousness, the Count patted him on the shoulder.
"Don’t worry. Who here would dare audit us? You’re always too timid."
Walnut dust clung to the southern knight’s uniform.
Normally, it wouldn’t have bothered him—but for some reason, today, he couldn’t take his eyes off it.
“If this deal goes well, I’ll help you move to the capital. You should be living with your family, shouldn’t you?”
In truth, Greek had a wife and daughter whom he had married young.
Due to financial constraints, they were currently living apart, but he had long aimed to move to the capital one day.
In that situation, only two options remained for the man.
Whose hand he would take.
「――――――」
The next day.
Greek came to the villa where I was staying.
I had expected him to be just as arrogant as the first time we met.
But surprisingly, the atmosphere during our second meeting felt somewhat different.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes. But… did something unpleasant happen?”
I asked with a harmless smile, and he turned away with a grave expression.
As if a terrifying beast were standing right behind me.
“No, nothing. Let’s depart…”
He guided me with a courteous gesture.
Once I boarded the carriage, Greek mounted his horse and led the way to Anton’s mansion.
The white palace atop the hill.
When we arrived at the top, I expected Greek to take me through the front gate.
But unexpectedly, he led me to a very secluded storage area.
“Is this the right place? Looks like a supply warehouse.”
“Yes. You can trust me.”
A few knights were quietly surveying the surroundings.
In the meantime, I calmly stepped inside the warehouse, and there…
A secret passage leading underground was hidden.
“Today, Lord Roger is officially invited to Count Anton’s luncheon.”
“Understood.”
Quite systematic.
They even accounted for our movement route.
Unless one was seriously determined to uncover their corruption—
it would be nearly impossible to detect.
“Please, go in. My lord is waiting at the end of the passage.”
Lamps were lit at intervals throughout the underground tunnel.
It was well-maintained with almost no dust, suggesting it was used frequently.
As expected of someone who got along well with Eric.
There were even rails laid out here, based on the same principle as carts used in mining operations.
“To think such a structure existed beneath the hill.”
It must have cost a significant amount of money.
And yet, the reason they could afford such construction was probably because they made far more from their various corrupt dealings.
A modified freight cart had been prepared on the tracks.
Made of luxurious hardwood and sturdy wheels, it seemed like many collaborators had used it before me.
We boarded the freight cart and set off.
Its speed was only slightly slower than a carriage.
After about an hour of travel, a staircase leading upward finally appeared.
As I climbed up, I calculated the distance between Southton and the border area, etched in my mind.
“We must be beyond the border now.”
To think a tunnel like this extended outside the city.
With each passing moment, the sentence Count Anton would receive upon arrest grew longer.
As we climbed the stairs, Greek glanced back at me.
His lips twitched, as if he had something he wanted to say.
So I casually opened the conversation for him with a relaxed tone.
“Do you have something to say? You keep staring—it’s getting uncomfortable.”
“……”
The southern knight’s pace slowed.
He came to a halt, then turned to the knights following behind and gave an order.
“You all stay back for a moment. I have something important to discuss with our guest.”
Perhaps because they knew Greek was one of the Count’s closest men, the junior knights obediently stepped back and waited by the freight cart.
Thanks to that, we had a moment of privacy.
“How were you able to build such connections at such a young age?”
Seems he had done his own research on me.
As a man in intelligence, he likely had his own methods.
“Connections? I don’t know what you mean.”
“You don’t have to play dumb. I hear you're currently the most influential young man in Nord.”
I leisurely clasped my hands behind my back.
Then, as if it had been bothering me for a while, I brushed off the walnut dust stuck to the man’s uniform jacket without a word.
“What’s your secret? I heard you came from a common background.”
“……”
A mid-ranking knight who left his family in the capital and scraped together money from the provinces.
He looked at me with eyes full of longing.
As if asking whether I was someone he could entrust his future to.
“Everyone gets a chance to meet a benefactor.”
Benefactor.
That word made Greek’s lips part slightly.
A certain woman he met the day before came to mind.
“Don’t miss that chance. If you show sincerity to those who offer kindness, they’ll return it tenfold.”
I raised my finger.
And emphasized a single word.
“In this age of material prosperity and peace, the greatest weapon is trust.”
With those words, I ascended the stairs first.
As if I were prepared to face whatever enemy awaited.
“To earn that trust, I’ve always proven myself through actions.”
Greek stood still, staring blankly at my back for a moment.
Then, as if he had made a decision in his heart, he hurried to ascend ahead of me.
“I’ll open the door for you myself.”
“Thank you.”
――――――
The heavy wooden doors opened.
Warm sunlight greeted us after an hour underground.
And the rush of fresh greenery tickled the tip of my nose.
I stepped outside and looked around.
There, waiting for us, were the mercenaries who had arrived early…
Count Anton, and Lud, the president of the Association.
“Welcome, Lord Roger.”
“How was the freight cart? Pretty fun, wasn’t it?”
Lud chuckled, wiggling his sly eyebrows.
“Thanks to it, I had quite a novel experience. Never thought I’d get to ride one of those in my life.”
“It’s a discreet little point of pride for me. I only let people I trust ride it.”
At the repeated mention of the word “trust,” Greek fell silent again.
Then, after clearing his throat, he began reciting the day’s schedule.
“Today’s official schedule is recorded as a luncheon at the mansion. After returning within two hours, a meeting with the local press is arranged.”
So they planned to meet with reporters just in time to secure an alibi.
Unless someone discovered the secret tunnel, no one would know they had ever left.
“Let’s go. I skipped lunch for this, and I’m starving.”
Anton urged us to get moving with a relaxed smile.
Following his lead, the mercenaries and I began our departure.
“……”
My eyes caught the sight of freight carts filled to the brim with Anes.
Perhaps because of the loud rattle of the wheels, not even the tiniest woodland creature could be seen in the forest.
“The forest is quite dense.”
“Well, it's outside the border, after all—hard to manage. But that makes it perfect for discreet dealings like this.”
Anton spoke in an even softer tone than he had yesterday.
Each time he walked, he wiped his thick neck with a handkerchief.
“Unless you’re a merchant who comes and goes through these parts regularly, it’s easy to lose your way.”
“I see.”
I nodded with an indifferent voice.
But my eyes were quietly scanning the terrain of the mountain.
As though I’d been here just a few days ago.
“Count, we’re approaching the meeting point.”
“Right, the Principality of Sicke should’ve arrived by now, no?”
In response to Anton’s question, the mercenary captain gave a firm nod.
Likely to avoid suspicion from drawing away too many knights, he seemed to have hired a reliable number of private soldiers instead.
Judging by the familiarity in the air, they had probably been used for these kinds of smuggling operations more than once.
“Yes, they should be visible soon… Ah, over there.”
Everyone’s attention turned in the direction the mercenary was pointing.
There, ten knights in crimson uniforms stood waiting.
“……”
At a glance, they were clearly skilled.
About mid-level experts.
Seeing that they were as strong as the Empire’s official knights, it was clear they were elite soldiers from the principality.
“This way, Count!!”
As if they all knew each other, a man who appeared to be their commander waved enthusiastically.
If the Imperial Palace were to witness this scene, they would likely laugh in disbelief.
“Commander Rednak…!! How long has it been?”
“Haha, I trust you’ve been well all this time.”
The red knight commander and the white-clad count shook hands with warm familiarity.
Anton took the opportunity to introduce us.
“This gentleman here is none other than the President of the Imperial Medical Association, the one who personally developed Anes.”
“Ah… the head of the continent’s most medically advanced nation, no less.”
At the knight commander’s flattering words, Lud burst into hearty laughter.
“And this here is Lord Roger, representative of the investors behind Anes production.”
“You seem quite young, but I hear you’re highly capable.”
Rednak offered his hand to me as well.
I gladly took it with a wide smile.
“You flatter me. I’m only here to ensure the transaction proceeds smoothly—please, carry on comfortably.”
“Of course. Our principality is in a hurry as well, so we’ve brought the full amount as promised—no need to worry.”
The knight commander got straight to the point.
He gestured to his men.
――――――
What they brought over was a large cart.
But then…
It was far too filthy to be holding gold coins.
It was a cart used for transporting corpses.
Even the blanket covering the cart bore strange reddish stains.
“It might look unpleasant, but it blends in quite naturally, doesn’t it?”
The commander let out a dry chuckle as he personally pulled back the blanket.
He slit open the grotesque, human-shaped sacks one by one.
At that moment—
Any sense of disgust was swept away by the dazzling sight of gold bars pouring out.
And not just any gold—each one bore the official imperial seal.
“To make it easier to use, we figured this method would be best. These were carefully selected straight from the national treasury.”
“As expected of Commander Rednak. Your sense is impeccable.”
Anton let out a hearty laugh, waving his hand at the commander’s meticulous arrangement.
Lud was just the same.
The only one who didn’t laugh among them—was me.
My eyes weren’t on the gold bars…
They had been fixed for some time now on the unnervingly quiet forest around us.
‘The time has come.’