Franche-style meals take longer than Baritone-style ones.
When I entered the conference room belatedly, there was only one person. Naturally, it was Count Furst.
He was standing by the window looking outside, so I could only see his back.
“We’re ruined,” he said, resting his chin on his right hand and cradling his elbow with his left.
“Indeed, we are.”
It’s a relief that his voice doesn’t sound as dejected as one would expect from a ruined person.
I was about to mention the Hansis priest first but held back.
It would be fine to gather enough information and tell him later.
I went and sat in one of the many chairs in the conference room.
“What do you plan to do now?”
“I’m the major shareholder, so I’m fine for now. However, if Duke Balkan buys the shares of others, he could surpass me. Then the New Continent Company would become his.”
The empty conference room seems to speak volumes about his situation.
Well, it’s understandable to lose trust after losing an entire, most important branch.
“Legless Monkey really caused a lot of damage.”
The Count spoke in a dull voice.
“Hmm. Could there have been some sort of agreement between Duke Balkan and Legless Monkey? Did Duke Balkan team up with Legless Monkey to take over the company? Without planning this from the beginning, there’s no way we could have been caught so off guard.”
Come to think of it, the Hansis priest also tried to openly persuade me. Why would he say such things as soon as we met, risking me going to the Count and tattling?
It feels like trying to remove a small seed of misfortune while already holding a certain victory.
“Anyway, it seems everyone is on Duke Balkan’s side now. Do you have any grudges against him?”
“Not at all. Even if there were, Duke Balkan isn’t the type to prioritize personal feelings at his own expense. He also invested heavily in the company during its early days. He’s thoroughly calculating.”
“Then, simply put, isn’t he trying to keep you in check? You know, you said before that you’ve been reaping what your grandfather sowed. He sees your power growing, so he’s nipping it in the bud before becoming second-in-command.”
“If that were the case, he would have just killed me.”
“Then even simpler, could it be that Duke Balkan wants to swallow this company whole? You know how greed is endless. Even those who have everything want more.”
“Even then, if I die, he naturally becomes the major shareholder. My son isn’t an adult, so even if he inherits the stocks, he can’t exercise rights. Killing me would have been the fastest way.”
“There was an assassin yesterday, wasn’t there? Maybe he wanted to kill you but couldn’t.”
“No, if he had wanted to kill me, I’d have been dead long ago. That’s not it.”
What an incredibly high evaluation.
I couldn’t help but ask more.
“In your view, what kind of person is Duke Balkan?”
The Count took a deep breath for a moment.
Then he began to speak softly.
“Duke Balkan oversees the Baritone colony in the Afrin region. During exploration, he’s the bravest general; during maintenance, he’s the wisest administrator; and during tax collection, he’s the most ruthless ruler.”
“He must be very smart.”
“Moreover, he has His Majesty’s full trust, and more than half of the nobles follow him. He’s the power among powers in Baritone. There’s no place in Baritone where his influence doesn’t reach.”
Just hearing about him paints a clear picture in my mind.
“So you’ve made an enemy of such a person now?”
“I never intended to make an enemy of him. He made the first move. I really can’t understand it. The New Continent business would have brought him great profits too.”
“Then that’s for certain. He didn’t cause all this complicated trouble just to get five native children.”
“……”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Why don’t you eat something? It seems you haven’t had lunch either.”
“Eating slows down my thinking.”
“Then at least have some coffee. I think my previous master said that coffee helps the brain work better.”
“Coffee? Hmm. Well, I haven’t had any since being in the New Continent.”
He got up and went outside.
A moment later, he came back holding two cups himself.
It’s surprising how modest he can be at times like this.
He put a coffee in front of me and returned to his seat.
His face was still dark.
A situation without an answer.
“Let’s go meet him.”
“Who? Duke Balkan?”
“I think we should meet him directly. He won’t kill you, right? You said if he wanted to kill you, you’d be dead already. So don’t worry and let’s go face him.”
I spoke leisurely and took a sip of coffee.
What is this? Why is it so bitter?
“Are you alright, Ran?”
My expression must have been telling.
Damn.
I just looked cool for a moment, and now it’s all ruined.
“Why do people even drink this… Ahem. Anyway, let’s meet him and talk.”
Count Furst turned his gaze to the side. Then he slowly drank his coffee.
Wow, drinking that bitter stuff without changing his expression at all.
He put down his coffee cup leisurely and spoke softly.
“To make contact, travel to Duke Balkan’s territory… to arrange an official meeting would take at least two weeks.”
“Let’s just go. He’s probably waiting for you there anyway, right?”
“……”
“Come to me, Count Furst! Come and bow your head! It feels like he planned this whole thing with that kind of attitude. So we might as well go, right?”
Afterwards, Count Furst silently drank his coffee. Soon, he finished his thoughts and said,
“Let’s leave as soon as we return to the mansion, Ran. I need to eat something first and wrap up company affairs. In the meantime, you do what you need to do. Just be back before sunset.”
I stood up.
“Then I’ll go look around the city a bit. I couldn’t properly see it when I was a slave.”
I opened the door and went out.
There stood the knight commander I had seen earlier at the mansion, along with two or three knights.
Our eyes met, but neither of us spoke first.
He probably has a lot to say, but since I’m a mage, he’s holding back.
I gave him a bright smile, and he scrunched up his face.
That expression is one of insult.
That means he’s definitely one of the Count’s people.
Someone in cahoots with the enemy wouldn’t feel insulted at the mention of an intruder.
They would either fear being found out or force anger to hide it.
So, this place should be safe for now.
I went outside the building.
“Well then. Where should I start? There’s got to be at least one place related to magic in this big city, right?”
I slowly wandered around the famous spots of Sangria Port. All the while, I kept looking for places imbued with magical power.
But it was all in vain.
There’s no way there isn’t a single place related to magic in this vast port.
“Is it hidden?”
Sitting on a fountain’s edge, I let out a sigh.
How am I supposed to find materials to make a staff?
Would the Hansis priest be able to get them?
The sunset was sinking behind the western sea in the distance.
Should I go back?
At that moment, someone sat down next to me.
It was a young jester wearing a pointed hat and shoes.
“Why so worried, noble sir? Would you like to see my skills? It will make all your worries disappear.”
Being in the city center, even begging is done in a unique way.
I shook my head.
“I don’t have time now. No money either.”
“That’s alright. It’s free.”
The jester jumped up from his seat and stood in front of me.
Then he slightly extended both hands forward.
A dagger came out of his sleeve and floated vertically between his two hands.
It was spinning round and round, looking like it might shoot towards my face at any moment.
“A mage?”
At my question, the jester shook his head.
“Oh my. Calling someone like me, who has given up, a mage? Senior, you are too generous.”
“……”
“Of course, there was a time when I had a staff and a familiar. But when I gave up the path of magic, it all disappeared like a dream. Now, I can barely manage something as simple as spinning a dagger.”
Giving up the path of magic.
That’s no different from recognizing oneself as an ordinary human.
And that belief becomes its own kind of magic, turning a mage into an ordinary person.
The so-called ‘resignation magic’.
I folded my arms and said,
“I’ve been looking around carefully, but you spotted me well.”
“Ah, Ran. Your movements were flawless. But I happened to overhear your conversation with Hansis and knew you were a mage, that’s all.”
The jester smiled, his grin stretching from ear to ear.
“So. What business do you have with me?”
The jester waved his hand.
This time, the dagger multiplied into two.
“I run a big business. I’ve pushed out all the competitors and monopolized this entire area. But there’s a hitch. A very troublesome issue.”
Judging by his expression, he looks like he’s about to burst into tears.
“I’m out of time. I need to go now.”
“Oh, then you can listen as we walk.”
The jester put one leg back, bowed at the waist, and then exaggeratedly twirled one arm before pointing somewhere with his palm.
On top of his hand, the building of the company was placed far away.
Did he calculate the angle?
I started walking, and the jester stuck close to my side.
“So, to continue what I was saying earlier, the most fundamental reason my business was able to push out the competition was that my business item was very, very innovative. Would you like to hear about it?”
“No.”
“Originally, you see, this industry had a very inefficient system where a client would come with a request, we’d complete it, and then receive payment. Having been in the industry myself at the time, I felt firsthand how unreasonable that system was.”
I turned down a side street, and the jester stuck even closer.
“Meanwhile, there was a circus I used to frequent. Due to the nature of my job, I often stayed up all night and couldn’t sleep well. So when I was lying awake at night, I’d often go there. Even though it was the same performance, it was fun to watch every time. Then one day, the circus master suggested to me, ‘How about buying a season pass?’”
“A season pass?”
“Yes, a season pass. He said if I bought one, I could come and watch the performance anytime. And the moment I heard that! An business idea just popped into my head. What if I brought this season pass system to the industry I was in… That thought suddenly struck me.”
It’s certainly an interesting idea. I turned my head to look at the jester.
The jester was still smiling from ear to ear.
Doesn’t his face hurt staying like that?
“And then?”
“I built up my influence based on this season pass. It was a huge hit, of course. The great thing about a season pass is that it creates trust between both parties. In our industry, clients and businesses can’t trust each other. But with a season pass, we keep working together, and it’s so good, isn’t it? Plus, as we grew, we could preemptively block our clients from becoming targets.”
I stood still on the spot.
The jester who had been following me swiftly came in front of me and looked me straight in the eye.
I also looked directly into his eyes and said,
“I understand what you’re saying. You’re the one who’s been targeting Count Furst for three years.”
The corners of the jester’s mouth rose up so much that even his clenched teeth were revealed.
Isn’t that going to tear his mouth at this rate?
The jester’s eyes narrowed slightly.
