Chapter 108 : Chapter 108
Chapter 108
The note was densely packed with extremely tiny handwriting. Since the size of the paper was limited, it was obvious she had tried to cram in as much information as possible.
Eluna had very fine penmanship, but the letters were so small that it was difficult to make out the contents clearly.
Still, we had shared a few tricks involving Mana before.
Eluna had written this small because she believed I would be able to read it.
And there was a good way to do so.
I infused Mana into my eyes to slightly enhance my sight, then began reading the message.
I met with the Master of the Delfino Merchant Company. Right before the meeting, I used the method you taught me and overheard something interesting. Delfino has continued investigating Young Lady Sapiela's recent circumstances. And he said this: 'Discard the entire first plan. We now move on to the main course. Destroy all related materials and evidence.' It seemed to be connected to the matter you have been pursuing personally, so I am reporting it to you. I hope this proves helpful.
That was the end of the message.
The moment I withdrew the Mana, the note returned to its original blank state. I folded it neatly and tucked it inside my clothes.
The contents were brief, but the meaning they carried was far greater than that.
"They are discarding the entire first plan?"
I was now certain. The force behind Young Lady Sapiela's kidnapping really was the Delfino Merchant Company.
This was not merely a matter of intuition. The context of the conversation Eluna overheard closely matched the directive I had found in that box inside the Arkain Merchant Company's warehouse.
"Back then, the very last line in the document inside that hidden box said something like this: Successfully kidnap Young Lady Sapiela and achieve our first objective."
The "first" used back then and the "first" Eluna overheard now likely referred to the same thing. Otherwise, there would be no reason for the Delfino Merchant Company to keep investigating Young Lady Sapiela's circumstances.
There had also been a fair number of voices suspicious of Count Astria. Even when I attended that gathering with Young Master Hamel before, a young master named Pushkin had said we ought to investigate the Delfino Merchant Company.
My thoughts sank deeper and deeper.
"If they are discarding the entire first plan...... then at least the Young Lady should no longer be in immediate danger."
But that was by no means a positive sign.
Delfino had said with his own mouth that they were moving on to the main course now. Which meant that something even more dangerous and troublesome might be about to begin.
Taking all these circumstances together, one could infer that the Delfino Merchant Company was carrying out a vast scheme meant to strike at the Adeline Marquis House.
"The real beginning may only be now."
I let out a sigh.
I had found a hint, but it was only the tip of the iceberg, only one piece of the puzzle. I still lacked far too many clues and too much information to see the full picture.
"But why are they targeting the Marquis House in the first place?"
Of course, I acknowledged that the Delfino Merchant Company was one of the five greatest organizations on the continent, but there was no way that a mere merchant company alone would dare aim for a Marquis House.
"Another force must be involved."
That was the more rational conclusion. And if so, who was planning all this alongside the company?
"Count Astria."
It was the simplest deduction one could arrive at without exception. There was still not enough decisive evidence, but narrowing the scope that far was already a major gain.
"I ought to prepare some kind of gift for Eluna."
I checked the remaining note as well.
That one had not been treated with magic. Judging by the handwriting, it seemed Eluna had written this one too, though the message was not long.
Messenger Pigeons exchanged messages by carrying notes tied to both legs. That naturally limited the amount of information that could be sent.
Unless one had handwriting as small and neat as Eluna's, most people could only manage a few sentences at best.
Following the meeting with Master Delfino, the Delfino Merchant Company has shown signs of trying to make a full-scale entry into Adeline Territory. They have proposed several formal business agreements. This resembles the interest other merchant companies showed in the fountain pens we created. Everything is proceeding exactly as you predicted, Master.
Our company was still young, but by word of mouth it was among the hottest names around these days. That was because we had unveiled both premium and standard fountain pens, and the rumors had spread quickly.
If fountain pens had only been objects worth a few Gold, none of this would have become such an issue.
But even the standard model sold for 1,000 Gold. Naturally, wealthy nobles could not help taking an interest.
So even if it were not the Delfino Merchant Company, other merchant companies would also try to pry out our production know-how.
"But it will not be easy. I already took measures."
We had already secured the relevant patents, so if anyone stole or copied our technology and tried to release a product, we would be able to rip an enormous compensation payment out of them immediately.
That was why the other merchant companies were trying to produce our goods through business agreement structures instead.
As if I would hand over the technology unless I had gone mad.
I was not particularly worried about Spinel, the key figure who alone fully understood my blueprints.
True to his S-rank Loyalty, he showed me the utmost trust. For the time being, he was in a position where he could focus at ease on product manufacturing alone.
"Then I suppose it is my turn to send a reply."
Rising from the bench, I went back into the Messenger Pigeon Center. The courteous male clerk who had dealt with me before recognized me at once and personally showed me to a seat.
"Mr. Suhyeon, is that not you? Did I perhaps miss something?"
This man is absurdly kind. I almost want to seat him at the main desk of our merchant company. I should scout him later.
"It is nothing like that. I simply wish to send a reply right away."
"Ah, is that so? Then I will prepare writing materials and a note for you."
The man handed me a pen, ink, and two small notes. Since a long reply was unnecessary, I returned one of the notes.
What I wrote and sent was simple.
I arrived safely in the Royal Capital. I confirmed the report, so maintain the status quo.
They would handle the rest properly according to my instructions.
That was enough regarding Metis. I left the Messenger Pigeon Center and looked around the area. Then I followed the sign pointing toward the commercial district.
Now it was time to invest in myself.
***
The place I sought out was a street in the commercial district where bookstores were clustered together. They were not yet at the level of printing books in factories, but there were still quite a few shops selling them.
In Adeline Territory, there were even places that rented books. I had heard they mostly carried commercial fiction, and that the people of the territory liked them quite a lot.
It might be good to start a publishing business under our company name someday too. Something like producing newspapers and including serialized novels in them.
The more financial power I could mobilize, the more business ideas began multiplying one after another.
"Rather than an ordinary bookstore, an antiquarian bookshop would suit my purposes better."
I had come here to obtain magic books. Regrettably, there were almost none in the Adeline House library.
I did not even know what they looked like, but I had decided to throw myself at the problem first and see what happened. At the moment I was wearing the Face Mask, so there was little risk of exposing my identity.
Even if people looked at me strangely, at worst I would just feel embarrassed for a moment. The power I stood to gain was worth far more than that.
"May I ask you something, my lady?"
I stopped a woman passing by after removing my hood. Offering a greeting in the distinctive etiquette of House Adeline, I won her favor at once.
"Oh my, what is it?"
"Would you happen to know whether there is a shop nearby that sells old books? It is my first time in the Royal Capital, so I have been rather lost."
"Ah, if you mean an antiquarian bookshop......"
With the help of that lovely lady, I was able to find my way into an antiquarian bookshop tucked away in a place that did not stand out easily. Regrettably, however, I had no choice but to decline the lady's invitation for a date.
Pulling my hood back over my head, I stepped inside, and a strange scent made of paper and ink mixed together pricked at my nose. The elderly proprietor hurried over at once.
"I do not believe I have seen you before. Are you perhaps looking for something in particular?"
"Do you have any books related to magic?"
"Magic?"
The bookseller lifted his brows slightly and repeated the word. I looked back at him sternly, as if asking whether there was some problem. The man gave a start.
"Heh heh heh. Not that it could be so, of course, but...... might you perhaps be a mage......?"
I had put the hood back on to avoid being too conspicuous, but apparently it had made me look more like a mage instead. I removed the hood, parted my robe slightly, and revealed the sword at my side.
"No. I am researching ancient magic."
"Oh! Then you must be from the Academy. My apologies."
Fine wrinkles formed around the proprietor's eyes. It was the sort of expression one made upon realizing that a proper customer had arrived for the first time in a long while.
"So you do have magic books here?"
"Of course. There are not many people looking for magic books these days. They are useless, you see. Long ago, people supposedly used them to learn magic, but these days they hardly sell at all. Only researchers come looking for them once in a while."
"Show me where they are."
"This way, please."
The proprietor led me inward, weaving freely through bookshelves set up almost like a maze.
Since the Twilight of Mana, learning magic through books had become nearly impossible. People had lost the ability to sense Mana.
Only a very small number of people could still sense Mana, and they were said to learn magic not from books, but by inheriting it through towers.
And those Mage Towers were said to be hidden away or veiled behind magical barriers. That only made them even more forgotten by the people.
In other words, magic books had been reduced to burdensome relics—less entertaining than novels, yet not practical enough to be useful.
That was why I had thought magic books might simply be lying forgotten somewhere. And as it turned out, my guess had been right.
The proprietor finally stopped in front of a bookshelf crammed full of magic books.
"Here we are. This entire shelf is filled with magic books. I am sure there will be something here that could prove useful to you, sir."
"And the price?"
"All magic books are sold for 1 Gold per volume."
"Expensive."
When I showed displeasure, the proprietor rubbed his palms together with an irritating smile and made me an offer.
"It is only natural that old books should be expensive. Heh heh heh. But if you buy two or more, I can shave a little off the price. Indeed."
That was precisely the line I had been waiting to hear. I had not come here to buy one or two books.
"Do you offer delivery?"
"By delivery, you mean......?"
"I mean, can you send them to a mansion? They are too heavy for me to carry back."
"Well, if you are buying a great many, I can certainly have them delivered."
Only then did I take the money pouch from my robes. Handing it to him, I spoke. At that exact moment, the proprietor opened the pouch and nearly jumped in shock.
"I will buy every magic book on this shelf, so have them delivered to the Adeline House mansion. The recipient is Dilen."
"Wh-what? All of them?"
"That is right. Every last one. Is the amount insufficient?"
"Not at all. It is more than enough."
The proprietor showed his yellow teeth in a broad grin, and I left the bookstore.
***
That night, just as the bookseller had promised, all the goods arrived in my hands.
There were nearly fifty books in total. Each one was larger than a person's face, so moving them was no easy task. My faithful subordinate Arthas suffered through the burden for me.
And then I shut myself up alone in my room and began rifling through the magic books.
"They really are old."
Some crumbled apart as I turned the pages, and some had whole pages missing entirely. The sentences were already so abstruse that they made my head ache, and that only made them harder to understand.
Even so, that was part of the charm of self-study.
If I could only find one clue through sheer stubborn effort, then from that point onward everything would move swiftly.
What do I care about thousands of years of magical history? There is nothing to fear. I will show them the true worth of a man armed with modern knowledge built by countless genius scholars.
Before the day is over, I ought to fire off at least one fireball......
Knock knock.
Just then, there came a knock at the door.