Chapter 404
Episode 404 – What About Aintrier?
Just one day.
That was all it took for warehouses No.1 through No.25 to be looted.
“...This can’t be happening.”
Number 1 stared blankly at the letters laid out on the table.
They were all urgent reports sent by the warehouse keepers, and they all contained the same message.
Attack. Attack. Another attack.
Every single warehouse had been raided.
It felt like being trapped in a terrible nightmare.
Just yesterday, he had been dreaming of becoming the master of the Black Market, painting a rosy future—Now, that dream had crumbled like a midsummer night’s illusion.
“How could this happen?”
He couldn’t make sense of it. There were only two people who knew the locations and existence of the warehouses: the Master and himself.
“Well, Arthur knows some of them, too...”
But Arthur only knew the location of a few.
And yet, every single warehouse under his management had been raided in a single night.
That meant someone had perfect knowledge of the warehouses.
The enemy knew both the locations and the security conditions of every storage site. In other words, someone who knew everything had leaked the information.
It wasn’t me.
If not himself, then it had to be the Master.
It led to the conclusion that the Master had divulged the information to someone.
“Could it be... that he was kidnapped?”
It was possible.
If the Master had been abducted and forced to give up the information, it would explain everything.
Suddenly, he remembered something Arthur had said back at the VIP residence:
[You never know. The former executive, before dying, might’ve revealed the Master’s identity in a fit of desperation.]
The Master's identity must never be revealed.
“If the one who killed the Master could become the Master...”
That was the fate of a compartmentalized organization. And it was also possible under the assumption that someone had kidnapped the Master and extracted the information.
“That’s where the weight leans.”
The Master’s long-standing silence, the warehouse raids—
Everything made sense if it was connected to an abduction.
I have to move first.
Right now, he was the only one who knew that all the Black Market’s assets had been stolen.
If this information reached the other executives, it would be a deadly poison to him.
With all the assets gone, I’d be completely useless as an executive.
Just look at No.4, who had suffered a devastating blow from the Mad Witch.
Currently, No.4 held almost no voice among the executives.
If he hadn’t still held the intelligence list of the divine names and the infrastructure of the slave hunters, he would’ve been completely cast out.
This wasn’t someone else’s problem anymore.
Number 1 let out a long sigh.
He started by clearing the letters in front of him, stuffing them into a large container and burning them all.
Fwoooosh—
Staring into the black flames, he sank deep into thought. After a while, he stomped out the embers in the ashes and left the room.
When he moved to the residence’s reception room, the other executives were waiting for him.
Curious about the urgent matter that had taken him away for a while, one of them asked as soon as he appeared:
“You said it was urgent. Did something happen?”
“A few more warehouses appear to have been hit.”
“...More warehouses?”
Number 1 lied, saying only a few had been attacked. Upon hearing this, the executives’ expressions turned serious.
He observed their reactions before asking No.2,
“Did you investigate the traces left behind at Warehouses No.11 and No.12?”
“We lost the trail midway. Seems like professionals who specialize in erasing tracks were involved. With only the remnants we found, it’ll be difficult to identify the culprits.”
“I’ll give you the locations of a few more warehouses that were hit. Maybe something will turn up from those.”
He then provided information on three more warehouses nearby.
“The amount of goods they took isn’t small. It’s massive.
It’ll be impossible for that kind of volume to go unnoticed, so if we focus on tracking the flow of goods, we should be able to find the culprits.”
“I’ll look into it.”
No.2 nodded and left.
Given the urgency, Number 1 addressed the remaining executives:
“Since identifying the culprits is our top priority, the Black Market will now operate in support of No.2. Does anyone object?”
“No objections.”
“That’s the best course of action for now.”
“Then if No.2 requests support, we’ll move immediately.”
With their nods of agreement, No.3 and No.4 rose from their seats. They designated Number 1’s building as the temporary base and began working to resolve the warehouse crisis.
Three days passed.
The executives who had scattered across the region to solve the problem reconvened at the agreed location. Their faces were grim.
They were beginning to show signs of unease.
Bang!
“Damn it! Who the hell are these bastards?”
No.2 had never felt so powerless in managing information. They had mobilized hundreds of compartmentalized cells to track the perpetrators, yet they had no idea who the culprits were, let alone where the stolen goods had gone.
According to No.1, ten warehouses had been raided so far.
That amount of wealth could probably buy an entire small city.
Such immense assets had to be circulating somewhere in Hell Grime, and yet it was as if they had sunk into the earth—completely untraceable.
Number 1 asked carefully,
“Could there be a problem with our information network?”
“Are you saying you don’t trust my abilities?”
“Of course not. I’m just troubled that we haven’t found even the smallest clue....”
“You’re blaming me after giving me such meager support?”
As No.2 flared up, the other executives had no choice but to stay silent.
Number 1 had failed to provide the funds No.2 requested,
and Number 3 had also failed to provide adequate military support.
“When will the additional funds arrive? How do you expect the organization to run when you won’t even pay us?”
“As you know, the warehouse raids have halted our cash flow. We need time.”
“Don’t tell me... we’re out of money?”
“Watch your mouth.”
Number 1’s expression hardened as he looked at No.2.
“Don’t assume the warehouses you know of are all there is.”
Not knowing everything about each other, No.2 scowled but said nothing more about the money.
Watching the tension, Number 3 spoke:
“Our military forces have been tied up for the past year.”
“Because of the negotiations with the Allied Forces?”
“Yes. As a result of our last negotiation, we ceded control of our elite troops to the Allied Forces for a year. With that gap, we can’t offer substantial military support right now. Instead, what about using the slave hunters for support? They’re veterans in tracking.”
At that, Number 4 let out a dry laugh.
“You want to use slave hunters to find gold and jewels? That’s like handing fish to a cat. We can’t trust them.”
“So we’re back to square one.”
Despite running around for three days, they had learned nothing. And with Number 1 reporting that more warehouses were being hit, it was clear time wasn’t on their side.
Just as they were unsure of what to do next, Number 1 cautiously spoke.
The moment to bring up his prepared suggestion had come.
Through the heavy silence, his voice broke out:
“I believe the Master’s information has been leaked.”
“The Master?”
“What do you mean by that?”
At the mention of the Master, the executives’ faces turned stone-cold. It seemed the Master’s presence still weighed heavily on their minds.
But Number 1 was different. Even now, with all warehouses attacked, there had been no word from the Master. He was now certain the Master had been kidnapped.
“Only the Master and I know the warehouse locations.
What does that tell you?”
“Are you saying the Master told someone? That would be a foolish move. Why would he do that?”
“Do you remember what Arthur said before? That the Master’s identity could’ve been leaked?”
The room grew heavier at the reminder.
“No matter how skilled the Master is, if his identity was discovered, he’d be in danger. You all know the reason for that.”
“So what are you trying to say?”
“I think—no, I’m certain—the Master was kidnapped.”
“What nonsense...!”
As No.2 tried to object, No.1 immediately cut in:
“Don’t you find this situation strange? The Black Market, helpless in an information war? Has that ever happened before? Clearly, the culprit knows our information infrastructure inside and out.”
“It’s the same on my end. The warehouses are being hit one by one—ones only I and the Master knew about. If the Master’s information has been compromised, it’s only a matter of time before the rest are gone. When that happens, the Black Market’s funds will run dry. Then, the Black Market is finished.”
Finished.
At that word, the executives swallowed hard. They all knew that information and force stemmed from wealth.
“So, is there any way to turn this around?”
“There is.”
At Number 1’s confident response, everyone turned to look at him.
He nodded and spoke:
“We need to go under the protection of the Lord.”
“...The Lord? You mean Arthur?”
“As you know, he already extended a hand to recruit us.
Right now, we might be able to negotiate with favorable terms.”
“What if he wants the entire Black Market?”
“He won’t be able to run it without the four of us. As long as we stay united, he can’t just take it for himself.”
The executives fell into thought. Given their current dead-end, Arthur seemed like a viable option.
He did promise to offer real protection...Arthur’s faction currently held the most influence in Hell Grime.
Since they were in an alliance, it would also be easier to negotiate demands.
But running to Arthur immediately seemed too desperate.
“Didn’t we just reject his offer three days ago and leave with our heads held high? Isn’t it too soon to go crawling back?”
“He’s right. Let’s observe the situation a little...”
“No, we can’t!”
Number 1 was firm. Right now, he had nothing left. He couldn’t even meet No.2’s funding requests. The fact that all the warehouses had been looted would leak out soon.
It had already been three days. They needed to move fast.
“Right now is when our value is highest. Delaying will only work against us.”
“But making such a big decision for the organization’s fate...
It feels rushed. I’ll investigate Arthur’s surroundings first.”
“That would be wise.”
As the mood shifted toward cautious observation, Number 1 grew anxious.
“Then how about this? Let’s go to Arthur and feel him out. If he doesn’t show an active interest in recruiting us, we’ll consider another plan.”
“You mean to test the waters?”
“Exactly. We’ll decide whether to rely on him or not based on his reaction. It’s something we need to do anyway.”
“Hmm... if it’s just that much...”
Whether convinced by the logic or desperate for a lead, the executives nodded in agreement.
“Then let’s move right away.”
As Number 1 rose from his seat, he silently prayed.
Please, be proactive!
If Arthur responded with visible enthusiasm and proposed decent terms, Number 1 was confident he could convince the others right then and there.
So the executives left the building and made their way toward Aintrier.
And when they visited the castle to test Arthur’s response—
“What do you think about Aintrier?”
“Huh?”
“As the new headquarters of the Black Market.”
A proposal they could hardly believe came out of Arthur’s mouth.