The Top-Tier Butler of the Marquis Family

Chapter 086

After walking for quite some time, I realized that I had forgotten to ask Eluna one very important question.

“Damn it. I forgot to ask where Kalmond is.”

I had already come a fair distance, so turning back now felt awkward. Moments like this really drove home just how inconvenient life without a smartphone could be.

Until recently, I could simply go straight to the hideout. But in the process of absorbing and integrating the Black Pig Gang, we had taken over the base they used as well. According to Kalmond, they were planning to use that place as a Forward Base.

He was likely at one of the two places, but which one? Where should I go?

“I’ll check the Forward Base first. Since it’s come to this, I might as well take a good look around the place.”

Part of me thought that, as the Underboss, he would naturally be guarding the headquarters. But there would also be a great deal to sort out at the Forward Base, so it seemed likely he would be there.

Well, if he wasn’t, I could inspect the place first and then head back to headquarters afterward. No matter how much of a hands-off style I preferred, it was still good to check the state of the organization from time to time.

I set my direction and began walking quickly.

With Mana.

Before long, I entered the Underworld.

The Underworld lay tucked into one corner of the Commercial District. There were almost no lamps there, and most people had to rely on moonlight.

What made it even more dangerous was that the roads were poorly maintained and the buildings had been thrown up haphazardly, making everything incredibly narrow.

In other words, it was the perfect place to get ambushed.

“Creepy.”

There were also many tall buildings looming around me, which made it an ideal setup for a long-range attack.

After carefully checking my surroundings, I stepped into the street, and at once I had the unpleasant feeling that someone was watching me from the darkness.

Along with that came the sense of faint movement.

“It’s always best to tap even a stone bridge before crossing it.”

Whoooom!

As I released Mana into the area around me, I simultaneously activated my Protective Aura in case a Concealed Dagger came flying at me. I had been steadily refining it, and by now I could knock away most attacks with ease.

I continued down the street like that when, ahead of me, two shadows suddenly stepped out.

They seemed as though they had business with me, so I naturally took the Mana Pistol into my hand.

Perhaps because they were both so large, the two shadows looked enormous.

The moment I stopped walking, their owners appeared. At a glance, they were clearly the sort of men who knew how to use their fists, and they came striding toward me without hesitation.

“What are you bastards doing?”

I poured Mana into my eyes and sharpened my vision. My sight brightened as though it were midday, and the details of the two thugs approaching me became perfectly clear.

They were armed. Each wore a sword at his waist, and several daggers were strapped inside his coat.

Damn it. Assassins really were on me.

But at that moment, something familiar caught my eye.

“How fortunate.”

A smile rose to my lips on its own.

Pinned to the breast of their outer garments were Avengers Badges. I took my hand off the pistol and simply stood where I was to receive them.

I did not recognize their faces, but these men were my subordinates. Once they came close enough, they bowed.

“Have you arrived, Boss?”

“You scared the hell out of me. The two of you suddenly jumped out like that.”

Even if they did not know my face, they could identify me easily because of the Golden Badge on my chest. That was an item reserved for the Boss alone.

“We apologize. After receiving word from Lady Eluna, we came out at once. We were ordered to receive you with special care, since the Boss would be coming.”

“Really?”

As expected of Eluna. Even without being told, she grasped what I wanted with uncanny precision. Was this what it felt like when Young Lady Sapiela gave me work?

But had Eluna somehow known in advance that I would come to the Forward Base? Suddenly I got chills.

“Where’s Kalmond right now?”

“At the Forward Base. He’s been waiting only for your arrival.”

“Let’s go.”

“This way, please. We’ll escort you.”

Under the guard of the two men, I arrived safely enough. Though to be honest, it was closer to me protecting them than the other way around.

The place that had been used as the Black Pig Gang’s headquarters until not long ago now stood with its doors wide open. Bright light spilled out from inside, and every now and then I could hear a burst of hearty laughter.

“The atmosphere’s completely different.”

“The order was given for everyone to relax and rest well tonight.”

“Good. Good.”

The two men who had escorted me took up guard positions at the entrance, and I stepped inside.

“Boss!”

Kalmond came running out from where he had been mingling with the others. The other subordinates also jumped to their feet all at once to greet me. The noisy interior fell silent in an instant.

Smiling in satisfaction, I raised one hand lightly.

“All of you, keep doing what you were doing. Don’t start worrying just because I’ve shown up.”

“Thank you, Boss!”

To be honest, I found Leader more comfortable than Boss, but it felt awkward to make an issue of it now, so I decided just to accept it.

In any case, I would not be using the title Boss much longer. Once the company was established, they would start calling me Master instead.

The subordinates sat back down and resumed their drinking and card games.

For a moment, I wondered whether they had relaxed too much, but since Kalmond generally knew how to handle such things, I refrained from nagging him.

“I’ll escort you inside. This way, please.”

Following Kalmond’s lead, I went deeper into the base. It seemed that all the Mechanical Traps had been deactivated. The atmosphere was entirely different from the time I had infiltrated the place.

Perhaps noticing the shift in my expression, Kalmond added an explanation.

“The mechanisms are currently being repaired. They’ll be operational again in two days.”

“Don’t be stingy. Invest properly. This base is one of our valuable assets now.”

“Yes, Boss.”

“Sorry for only asking now, but how have things been?”

“Nothing much happened. We’ve simply been carrying on with the work we always do. But did you meet Eluna?”

I nodded and stepped into the room.

It had been arranged so neatly that it was hard to believe it belonged to an Underworld organization. There was a bookshelf, and even a table where one could sit and enjoy tea.

I looked around with satisfaction, then pulled a book from the shelf.

“I stopped by Eluna’s place and came straight here. She said you’d been waiting for me so anxiously you were ready to die of it.”

“Hahaha. She conveyed it properly, then. Everyone was very worried when you didn’t come on the promised day. The Remnants had been stirring up trouble, after all.”

“A lot happened unexpectedly. I wanted to come too, but I didn’t have the time.”

“Even so, Eluna kept telling everyone that the Boss was probably doing well, so they should not worry. If not for her, there would have been even more confusion.”

Probably doing well, huh.

It really did seem that Eluna had guessed my true identity. Whether that was something I ought to take as a good sign, I was not entirely sure, but for now I would have to keep pretending otherwise.

So I changed the subject.

“How are the Black Pig Gang’s Remnants?”

“We’ve wiped them out completely. There is not a trace of the Black Pig Gang left anymore.”

I nodded and put the book back on the shelf. Then I walked over and patted Kalmond on the shoulder.

“You’ve worked hard. How’s the mood among the men?”

“As you saw on your way in, it’s perfect. Everyone’s morale is soaring. I don’t know who might pick a fight with us, but I’d like to offer them my quiet condolences in advance.”

“Hahaha. Still, don’t get arrogant. If you let your guard down, you can be finished in one blow. That’s exactly what happened to the Black Pig Gang, isn’t it?”

“I know that very well. But right now, we are strong.”

Confidence.

It was good to have.

I took a seat at the table. Lying on it was a thick stack of documents. When I showed interest in them, Kalmond stepped closer and explained.

“That’s a guide to establishing a company. Eluna prepared it and said you should read it.”

“She really handles everything without being asked.”

Even as I said that, I skimmed through the company-related documents. They described the purpose of the company and the method for obtaining approval, and from the look of it, there would be no real issue so long as the money was paid properly.

There were several reasons I wanted to establish a company.

First, I needed a systematic way to manage the businesses in the Commercial District. I intended to introduce the concept of a franchise from the world I used to live in and maximize profits that way.

Second, I planned to organize both a large Merchant Company and a large Mercenary Corps. Merchant companies and mercenary corps were inseparably connected, so I intended to run the two businesses together.

And finally, I wanted to bring the constitution of this organization, which had lived in the shadows, out into the light.

A company would be legally established under the Territory Law, and that meant it would receive protection. In other words, creating a company and pursuing various ventures through it would be far more profitable.

“But what should we call the company?”

“That is naturally for the Boss to decide.”

“That business of the person at the top deciding everything isn’t a good system. If there are many people, then we should put our heads together. Spread the word to the men. Tell them we’re holding a contest for the company name. Put up prize money too.”

“Hmm, I understand what you mean. I’ll pass it on to the men at once.”

I set the company manual back down on the table. My throat had grown a little dry. When I asked Kalmond to bring me something to drink, he immediately prepared a fine tea.

The scent was strangely familiar.

“Where did you get the tea leaves?”

“Eluna procured them through a Merchant Company. She said you liked Starleaf Tea, so she bought several boxes.”

“Well done.”

I had thought the fragrance seemed familiar, and as expected, it really was Starleaf Tea. Young Lady Sapiela had treated me to it once before, and the scent was very similar to what I remembered from then.

Naturally, it could not compare in refinement to the one she had served me, but the fact that such fine tea leaves were present in this bleak, dreary den full of men was surprising enough.

Eluna truly was someone worth trusting.

“So how much money do we currently have secured? In hard cash.”

“Around 12,000 Gold.”

“So it’s increased by another 2,000 Gold?”

“We discovered a few more of Blackship’s hidden assets and liquidated them immediately.”

“I see.”

Sitting with one leg crossed, savoring the tea, I closed my eyes for a moment. To anyone watching, it probably looked as though I had done so from fatigue, but in truth I was turning things over in my head.

If I could use 12,000 Gold, then how much of it should I skim off and hand over to Young Master Hamel?

I think it’s time I tested Kalmond’s level a little.

“You know that the Black Pig Gang was funding Young Master Prah, don’t you?”

“I do. It seems they were paying him 1,000 Gold every month.”

“Do you know what that means?”

“Well... I would assume it has something to do with a business involving vested interests. Lobbying is common enough in the Underworld, after all.”

I shook my head.

“The Black Pig Gang was funding Young Master Prah in order to make him the heir.”

“What? That......”

Only now did Kalmond seem to grasp the scale of the matter, and his expression stiffened. There was a world of difference between ordinary lobbying and trying to make someone the heir.

“Does it finally hit you now? We wiped out an organization that had been doing that, so of course the Second Young Master would dislike it.”

“What should we do?”

“That’s exactly the question I want to ask you. If you were the Boss, what would you do?”

After thinking it over carefully, Kalmond’s eyes brightened and he answered.

“What if we paid Young Master Prah another 500 Gold on top of what he was already receiving, and offered him 1,500 Gold per month in total?”

“It’s not a bad idea, but...... it’s only a stopgap measure. Think a little more broadly. Take two steps back and look at it. The Black Pig Gang supported Young Master Prah while excluding the other Young Masters.”

“That’s true.”

“So from the perspective of the First Young Master or the Third Young Master, how would they have viewed the Black Pig Gang? As a thorn in their side, naturally.”

Only then, it seemed, did something click in Kalmond’s mind, and he nodded.

“I think I understand now why you were worried, Boss. No matter what we do, the structure of the situation is such that we’re bound to earn someone’s hatred.”

“Exactly. But that doesn’t mean there’s no solution.”

“If there isn’t no solution, then......”

“It means there’s one excellent answer.”

I rose from my seat. With my hands clasped behind my back, I began to stroll slowly around the room.

Stopping again before the bookshelf, I pulled out another book. Its title was magnificent: The War of All Against All.

As I opened the book, I revealed my strategy.

“We fund all three Young Masters. All with exactly the same amount.”