Chapter 405
Episode 405 – Definitely a Villain
Arthur's words—offering Aintrier as the new headquarters of the Black Market.
The executives, who had only come to gauge his intentions, looked as if they’d been struck hard.
They exchanged uneasy glances, clearly unsure how to respond to such an unexpected proposal.
At that moment, Number 1 stepped forward quickly.
“Headquarters? What are you talking about?”
“You’ll need a nest if you want to settle down, don’t you?”
“The Black Market is…”
“I know. It operates through hundreds, even thousands of decentralized cells.”
Arthur looked around at the executives with a smile.
“But couldn’t you all gather them into one? Those hundreds, thousands of cells?”
At that, Number 2 flared up.
“Are you telling us to work under you?”
“Is that how it sounded?”
“If the entire Black Market stays here, we’d have no choice but to watch your every move!”
“As if.”
Arthur placed a list of alliance factions on the table.
Tobaron in the south, led by the Dwarf King.
The Witch of the Ordor Forest.
The interracial coalition centered on the Black Rose.
And Hunt.
Presenting the list from the World Tree Union, Arthur erased his smile and addressed them with a serious face.
“There’s no hierarchy in the alliance. We entrust our backs to each other, standing as comrades who’ve endured hardships together.”
“So this is… a proposal?”
“Yes. The alliance is a coalition formed for survival. Now I ask you this—”
Arthur leaned on his elbow and looked each executive in the eye.
His gaze, heavy and commanding, made them swallow hard.
Arthur Clayton, head of the alliance. The weight of his name was palpable.
“Don’t you want to live?”
“Wh-what do you mean…?”
“We came together because we wanted to survive. Don’t you?”
“With the Master missing, I’m sure you’re all confused. And you’re well aware that the political climate in Hell Grime is far from stable. Do you really believe the Black Market can survive alone?”
Arthur smiled again and extended a hand toward them.
This time, it was a gentle, reassuring smile.
“Join the alliance. The factions listed here will protect you. The Black Market is more than qualified to be a partner.”
His words shook the executives’ hearts. The threat to their survival was real and pressing.
As Arthur held out his hand, they began nervously glancing at each other.
Some wanted to accept immediately, while others hesitated.
Arthur chuckled lightly at the hesitation.
“As a sign of trust, I’ll give you control over Aintrier.”
At that, the executives’ eyes widened.
Control?
That was equivalent to handing over sovereignty of the city.
Seeing their disbelief, Arthur casually shrugged.
“As you know, I’m not actually running the city. The Lenon Merchant Guild has been managing it in my stead.”
“You mean…”
“I have more tasks than I can handle. I don’t intend to spend my time managing Aintrier. So, as a gesture of trust from the alliance, I’ll give the rights of Aintrier to the Black Market. Even now, would you still refuse?”
“Is… is there a time limit on this management period?”
“I’d prefer to maintain a long-term relationship with the Black Market.”
“Then, are you saying…”
“As long as you stay within the boundaries I set, I won’t reclaim management rights for the next ten years.”
“Ten years?!”
Ten years.
Coming from Arthur, who held majority ownership of Aintrier, it had to be serious.
This was a crazy deal.
Refuse?
Was there even one executive stupid enough to do that?
The moment they accepted his hand, they could shed their shadowy lives and rise into the light. With strong backing, even the Black Market’s fate could be entirely transformed.
No longer needing to gauge each other’s reactions, the executives all reached for Arthur’s hand—At which point, Arthur pulled it back.
Startled, the executives who were left hanging stared at him in confusion.
“W-what is this?!”
“Didn’t I say it was a gesture of trust?”
“A deal only works if the Black Market shows trust of equal value. Surely, the Black Market isn’t without honor, is it?”
“What do you want us to show you?”
“Forty percent of the Black Market’s warehouse assets.”
“…What?!”
The one who reacted most strongly was Number 1. He felt like his heart had dropped.
“What I want is money. Forty percent of the Black Market’s assets. I’ve heard there are about twenty warehouses. I’ll take eight of them.”
“That’s impossible!”
Number 1 shouted, almost in a panic, and Arthur tilted his head.
“I don’t understand. It seems like a cheap price in exchange for the right to govern Aintrier. Don’t you think?”
“Please give us time to consider.”
At that, Arthur’s expression hardened.
“If you need to think over a deal like this, perhaps I don’t need to work with the Black Market at all.”
“N-no! That’s not it!”
Seeing Arthur’s face begin to freeze over, the other executives quickly waved their hands.
“Number 1 must be out of his mind! We’ll take your hand immediately!”
The others turned toward Number 1 with daggers in their eyes. Even if some warehouses had been raided, Number 1 had assured them that over ten were still intact.
Even if they gave up eight, they could easily recover within a few years if they ran Aintrier.
There was no way the one handling the money wouldn’t know what they knew.
…Shit!
But for Number 1, this was a nightmare scenario. He couldn’t accept it, but neither could he refuse.
There was only one thing he could do.
Pale and trembling, he extended his hand and shook Arthur’s.
The handshake that sealed the deal.
“I look forward to working with you.”
Arthur beamed at him.
The crucial negotiation was over, and the details would be finalized officially the next morning.
Thinking they’d secured a golden opportunity, the executives cheerfully bid Arthur farewell and left.
Except one.
Number 1’s face was pale, as if he were about to die.
There were no warehouses left. If things continued like this, the truth would be revealed, and whether by the executives’ hands or Arthur’s, he was a dead man.
There… there has to be a way…
With his head bowed in thought, Number 1 eventually looked up with a hardened expression.
He met Arthur’s gaze through the slowly closing doors.
He couldn’t read Arthur’s faint smile.
Clenching his fists, Number 1 quietly whispered to a nearby attendant.
“Deliver a message to the Lord… secretly.”
“Huh? What message?”
Arthur Clayton.
With a bitter smile, Number 1 replied,
“Tell him… someone wishes to swear loyalty.”
There was only one way left to live.
Later that night, the Lord’s garden—occasionally opened for large banquets—was bathed in moonlight.
Under the clear sky, Arthur quietly gazed up at the stars in the garden’s lavish beauty.
Soon after, an attendant led a guest into the garden. Beneath the moonlight, the figure was revealed—Black Market Executive Number 1.
Once the attendant withdrew, Arthur and Number 1 were alone.
Number 1 knelt and bowed deeply.
“My lord, I offer you my service!”
Arthur silently looked down at him. Feeling no response, Number 1’s throat dried. This wasn’t the gentle Arthur he had seen before.
This was a heavy, overbearing presence. The air was uncomfortable, hard to endure.
“I didn’t expect you to be the one wishing to pledge loyalty.”
“I… I’ve wanted to serve you for some time! If you’ll allow it, I will become your eyes and ears within the Black Market!”
Number 1 immediately lowered himself, offering to act as a spy from within.
He believed he had to show at least this much if Arthur was to recognize his usefulness and take him in.
“In truth…”
It was going to be exposed anyway. Number 1 confessed the entire situation the Black Market was facing—without hiding a thing.
Arthur listened quietly, then let out a dry laugh.
“So in short… there’s no money.”
“Judging from the others’ reactions, it seems only you know this. Am I right?”
“That is…”
“So now that you’ll die if the truth comes out, you decided to side with me?”
“P-please… spare me!”
Number 1 lay flat on the ground. Arthur was the only rope he had left. He begged desperately, willing to do anything.
And perhaps moved by the desperation, Arthur gave him a chance.
“Hmph. Will you do everything I say?”
“O-of course! Just give me a chance, I’ll prove my worth!”
“Fine.”
Arthur nodded and set an empty booklet in front of him.
“Write down everything you know about the Black Market in that booklet.”
“Everything…?”
“Anything and everything. With the decentralized structure gone and a new system on the way, there’ll be plenty to record. Whether you live or die will depend on how useful your information is.”
“I-I’ll do my best.”
Clutching the booklet, Number 1 bowed and left.
To him, Arthur said,
“I’m not stingy with useful people.”
“Th-thank you…”
“And remember—the position of Aintrier’s master is still vacant.”
Aintrier’s master.
Number 1’s eyes widened as he looked up at Arthur. Then his gaze shifted.
No longer just desperation for survival, his eyes now carried the light of ambition.
He bowed deeply once more and exited the garden.
Left alone, Arthur gazed back up at the night sky. Then, as if speaking to the air—
“You can come out now.”
From the shadows cast by the moonlight, Fenry Chaser emerged silently.
Stretching his arms, Fenry approached Arthur’s side.
“When did you notice me?”
“It’s not the first time, I’m not an idiot.”
“There are more idiots than you'd think.”
“What about the assets?”
“All cleanly moved. But…”
Fenry glanced in the direction Number 1 had left, frowning.
“You plan to give him Aintrier’s seat?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean what you said earlier. That the seat is empty. It sounded like a reward.”
“Oh, I can see how you’d take it that way. My mistake.”
Fenry chuckled dryly and shook his head.
“You really are the worst.”
“I’m sparing a man who came begging for his life. What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing more terrifying than false hope, you villain.”
Arthur let out a short laugh and started walking.
“Let’s go.”
“Where to?”
“After a whole day of collecting payments, I need to check how much we’ve made.”
With light steps, Arthur exited the garden. Watching him go, Fenry bit down on his pipe and clicked his tongue.
If Number 1 had heard those last words, he would’ve collapsed on the spot.
“Yeah… definitely a villain.”