Chapter 186
Chapter 186
Session Regular Meeting (1)
Anticipating that the meeting would drag on, I calmly emptied my cup of coffee.
“Hello, sparrow.”
“You were still alive, orphan.”
The next to enter was Barenza Onui. I had a feeling I knew why, but it seemed the other Operations Committee members had started calling me sparrow.
Since every other member had their own nickname as well, I decided not to mind it. Even Wesson Barenza, who had just greeted Lukas, called him orphan.
‘Sparrow is better, at least.’
If Lukas’s nickname had not been orphan, mine might have ended up being orphan instead. After all, I did not have parents either.
“Looks like the two puppies are coming in too.”
Dawson Fillery, Commissioner of the Aylan Republic Police Department, and Security Captain Jensen Ludbow. The two entered together. As if reflecting the relationship between the Aylan Republic and the Valorn Empire, they did not exchange a single word or even meet each other’s eyes, instead sitting separately wherever they preferred.
Even though they were both members of the Operations Committee, those two stood in a slightly different position from the other five. How should I put it—rather than earning their seats, it felt more like the others had yielded those seats to them.
Like distinguished guests in this city.
“Have you all been well?”
I offered them a casual greeting and studied Jensen Ludbow. The one I needed to check on was not the police commissioner.
‘Does the Security Captain know about Simid Kellogg’s movements?’
That was the point I needed to focus on.
“Well or not, what difference does it make?”
Perhaps because we were both from the Empire, Jensen Ludbow took the seat beside me. Of course, that did not mean Dawson Fillery disliked me.
He must have heard at least that I cooperated with Nora and helped in the presidential election.
“Hey, sitting like this feels kind of strange.”
On my left was the police commissioner, and on my right was the security captain. It felt as though I had the Empire and the Republic tucked under each arm. I was like a walking Bennett City.
“Everyone’s here? Sorry I’m late.”
With Cecilia and Donovan arriving last, everyone who needed to attend the meeting was finally present.
“Let’s start right away.”
Cecilia was leading this regular meeting. She immediately distributed the prepared documents and spoke.
“This is the profit generated in the last winter quarter.”
I fell silent for a moment as I looked at the numbers in front of me. After reviewing the documents for a while longer, I raised my head and checked the expressions of the others.
No one looked particularly surprised. That meant the profit was not outrageously large.
“Didn’t the amount decrease a little?”
At Wesson Barenza’s remark, Cecilia clicked her tongue.
“When winter turns to spring, we always conduct safety inspections. Did your head go blank from messing around with unni day and night?”
“Watch your mouth. I wonder if you could still run it like that with a silver needle stuck in your skull.”
Of course, the meeting was not proceeding in a warm and harmonious atmosphere. From my standpoint, what shocked me more than the tension were the numbers printed right in front of me.
‘No wonder both the Empire and the Republic are going crazy trying to claim it.’
The profit generated by the Antaria Grand Canal looked to be about one-twentieth of the Empire’s total annual budget. It was obvious they were not sparing any expense on repairs and maintenance of the canal, yet even so, the profit-and-loss statement was absurd.
“It’s even more staggering than I expected.”
One-twentieth of the national budget, they said.
If someone got their hands on a facility that generated this kind of profit, they could use it as leverage—issue government bonds, secure loans against it—and in no time inflate the national budget.
And what would they do with that inflated budget?
Most likely use it to strike the neighboring country that had always been a thorn in their side. When there is money, the probability of winning a war skyrockets exponentially.
“You’re right. It’s far too much money for a tiny handful of people to hold and wield.”
The moment I spoke, Donovan chimed in as if he had been waiting for it. The implication of his words was obvious.
‘You’re part of that tiny handful. Don’t get greedy. We’ll slice you off a decent share, so take it and leave.’
I let out a scoff.
“Too much money? There’s no such thing. Money is always in short supply.”
No matter how much there is, it never hurts to have more.
“That’s not wrong.”
As if reaffirming the alliance we had formed earlier, Cecilia subtly sided with me.
“Let’s stop this pointless sparring and get to the point. State the percentage each of you wants.”
This was the moment to strike first. The instant Cecilia finished speaking, I answered.
“It’s simple. Let’s split it evenly.”
The moment I said that, everyone snorted in disbelief.
“Has this crazy sparrow lost his mind? I have over fifty thousand people under me. And how many do you have? Three.”
Lukas was the first to voice his objection.
“Besides, neither you nor that Lunaseeker agent has any dependents. And the Treasury Chief’s daughter isn’t so poor that she needs to send money home.”
Donovan reinforced Lukas’s argument.
“We’ll carve out enough for you to live comfortably, so cut the nonsense.”
“Two to three percent would be more than enough for you.”
Finally, Onui declared it as if pronouncing a verdict. It seemed she had no intention of granting me a generous share.
“Dependents? Anyone listening would think you’re running a daycare for infants instead of organizations.”
I had no intention of backing down. The moment I did, the amount of money falling into my hands would shrink drastically. Of course, even that would still be a large sum….
Wasn’t I the one who had just said there was no such thing as too much money in this world? I had no intention of suddenly becoming frugal.
“You guys can afford to be a little short on cash. Does it cost you money to order your subordinates around?”
The other Operations Committee members built their paths forward using money and manpower.
But I had no manpower. I had to solve everything with money alone.
“The moment I try to do anything, money drains away just from me breathing.”
As he listened, Lumis Barenza raised his middle finger.
“Who threatened you and told you not to build an organization? Why are you whining at us over something you chose to do your own damn way? Just because you don’t have anyone under you to boss around, are you expecting charity from us?”
It wasn’t entirely wrong. And I had already prepared a response to that remark.
“Oh yeah? Then spit out Tapas’s territory that you’ve all been happily carving up among yourselves.”
“You little sparrow bastard. The agreements over those businesses are already settled. What, you’re going to throw a tantrum now?”
I shook my head at Lukas’s words.
“Not outside. Inside this city.”
At my words, everyone fell silent. I stared at them for a moment, then scratched the back of my head roughly.
“Do you think I’m an idiot? You’ve been nibbling away at the city districts Tapas used to control. Spit it all out and hand it over to me.”
I was the one who killed Tapas.
And I was the one who cleaned up her remaining forces. By principle, the districts she controlled within the city should go to me.
“I’ll take over all of Tapas’s territory, absorb her people, and run the organization. And then let’s divide the Antaria Grand Canal’s profits evenly.”
If it came to that, the others would gain nothing.
They would have to give up the territory they had been quietly devouring, and they would have to split the operating funds evenly with me. Of course, I had no real intention of running an organization.
I was simply making it clear that if they kept pushing, things would stop being fun.
“Fine, maybe it’s a bit much for me to take everything like you’re suggesting. But two to three percent is complete nonsense.”
After that, a long war of words continued. In the end, they had conceded up to six percent.
“What’s with this awkward six percent? Let’s make it a clean ten.”
“Oh, six percent is awkward? Then how about we make it neat and lower it to five?”
While the long war of words dragged on, Cecilia said almost nothing, refilled her tea three times, and went to the restroom twice.
“Hey, you insurance-selling bitch. Did you come here just to drink tea and piss yourself?”
Watching that, Wesson Barenza finally threw a remark at Cecilia. He meant for her to make it clear whether she was on my side or theirs.
“Isn’t it fine? We could give him about fifteen percent.”
At Cecilia’s sudden comment, Wesson fell silent for a moment.
“Did you agree to take some kickback from the sparrow?”
“It’s not like I’m on bad terms with Kairus. Wouldn’t it be better to increase his operating funds than to increase the number of condoms rolling around on your beds?”
Cecilia wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t just about the Barenza siblings. The Operations Committee members were fundamentally hostile toward one another, and in the midst of that, only Cecilia and I maintained an ambiguous but friendly relationship.
In that situation, it was not a bad move for her to push more money toward the side that was friendly to her.
Donovan, who had been watching the situation with a faint smile, slowly raised his hand.
“You two cops. I’d like you to step outside for a moment.”
At his words, the Police Commissioner and the Security Captain looked at him.
“It’s a request. There’s something I’d like to discuss separately.”
After exchanging a brief glance, the Police Commissioner and the Security Captain showed slight reluctance but stood up and left the meeting room.
Once the two were gone, Donovan opened his mouth.
“I assume you’ve all noticed that the Minister of Finance of the Empire has been moving strangely.”
The topic had shifted abruptly. At Donovan’s words, Lukas and the Barenza siblings nodded.
“It seems the Minister of Finance is preparing something. It might even be something that could shake the Empire to its core.”
Lukas, resting his chin on his hand as he listened, spoke up.
“Just say it plainly. Looks like that old Minister of Finance is trying to replace the Emperor.”
Why was this topic being brought up right now?
“This city exists by maintaining a balance between the Empire and the Republic. For us, a major upheaval in the Empire would not be something to welcome, would it?”
Ah, I could roughly tell what Donovan Bonaparte was trying to say.
His gaze turned toward me.
“That sparrow has deep ties with the Kellogg family. Is there any guarantee he won’t hand over all the money he receives this time to the Minister of Finance?”
Everyone seated at the table turned their eyes on me.
“If that happens, we would end up contributing to instability in this city by using the canal’s profits—money that should be used to preserve it.”
In other words, they were saying they should not give me a large share.
“That’s not wrong. He’s a Featherwing, and he’s cozying up to Lunaseeker. In the first place, wasn’t his family crushed by Philip IV? He has more than enough reason to dream of revenge.”
Lukas picked up Donovan’s argument. In a situation like this, I had to say something.
Just as I was about to open my mouth, Cecilia cut in first.
“So?”
Silence fell. Donovan stared at her in disbelief.
“What I’m saying is—”
“I understood, you old fossil. If the Valorn Empire shakes, the balance of power with the Aylan Republic breaks, right?”
Cecilia brushed her hair back as she answered.
“Then we just shake the Republic at the same time. Isn’t that it?”
A balance of power only becomes dangerous when one side wavers.
If both sides are shaking, then in the end, the balance still holds.