Chapter 195: Whisper

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The vice guildmaster of the Merchants’ Guild, Hanzen, wore a satisfied smile as he glanced through several pages of the parchment handed over by his subordinate.

“These fools are everywhere. A little attention and you could get your hands on this so easily.”

The manufacturing method for Mana Beads.

The popularity of Mana Beads that had taken Polfoardel by storm was now spreading beyond the Imperial Capital to the provinces through word of mouth.

Even now, they couldn’t keep up with the demand, and backorders had piled up for half a year—so if its popularity reached the provinces, it would become staggering.

Even acquiring just a portion of that demand would undoubtedly rake in a fortune.

‘Normally, one would’ve turned to the Madeira Trading House.’

But the Madeira Trading House’s value had already skyrocketed beyond reach.

They wouldn’t even entertain meetings with ordinary merchant groups or guild leaders; without a connection to someone of high status, it was nearly impossible to get a foothold.

It was hard to believe such a storm had risen in such a short time.

“……Which just proves how effective this product is.”

On the table sat a small box, elegantly wrapped.

Inside was a Mana Bead of the lowest grade.

Even consuming just that would grant a considerable amount of mana—it was no wonder that mages and knights were going wild over it.

“Hm, I need to think about what to call the product.”

He couldn’t use ‘Mana Bead’ as-is, so he would have to change both the appearance and the name.

Perhaps he could shape it roughly like a star and call it something like ‘Mana Star’.

After all, the effect of increasing mana would be the same.

He would have to verify the method several times to ensure it was legitimate, but Hanzen had never seen someone gamble with their life on a joke.

“Especially not when they’re making this much money. The more they have to lose, the more cowardly people become.”

But the original creator of the Mana Beads was no longer in this world.

If he began research based on this manufacturing method, he could mass-produce Mana Beads of even higher quality.

He planned to crush the Madeira Trading House, which had lost its original creator, through infrastructure, capital, and the network he had built up over the years…

BOOM!

A sudden, loud explosion and intense tremor shook the entire guild building.

The documents and items on the desk were thrown to the floor.

Hanzen, who had instinctively ducked, scowled and jumped to his feet.

“What the hell is going on?”

Clack.

He carefully stored the Mana Bead’s manufacturing method in a drawer and locked it securely.

Then, as he exited the office and descended to the lobby, he was greeted by an unexpected scene.

“……What the.”

What was going on?

Guild staff, along with several guards and security personnel, lay scattered in the shattered lobby, their condition miserable.

He had stationed fairly capable people, since incidents like this weren’t unheard of—but they’d gone down this easily?

The moment he saw the culprit, Hanzen realized the reason.

“There won’t be a second time. Bring me the highest-ranking person here.”

Flowing with vivid magical power, black hair fluttered behind her.

At a glance, she had the look of someone saying, ‘I’m very angry,’ while holding a short wand and issuing a warning.

Her pale beauty was striking, but that wasn’t what drew Hanzen’s attention.

‘Cloaren from Madeira? I was sure she’d been dealt with…’

He had paid a hefty price to a shady organization to handle it.

There should have been no loose ends.

They had a long-standing relationship built over decades of trust and contracts—virtually inseparable.

So how was this woman standing here now?

“You must be Vice Guildmaster Hanzen. So we meet here.”

At that moment, a man who had been standing behind Cloaren addressed Hanzen.

He had mistaken him for a guild employee, but on a closer look, the face was unfamiliar.

There was no way any of the guild’s staff had such a handsome appearance.

“……And who might you be? And Cloaren the Mage—why are you oppressing people here at the Merchants’ Guild?”

“Merchants’ Guild?”

Cloaren—Yuria—glanced around, then scoffed as she replied.

“So this was the Merchants’ Guild? I thought it was the Thieves’ Guild. You damn bastards.”

“What nonsense is that…….”

Hanzen’s heart sank at Cloaren’s words, but he forced a frown and maintained composure.

As if he were someone truly wronged.

“Now that I look closely, you’re Galak Madeira, the third heir of Madeira. I was under the impression both of you were to attend today’s guild banquet. Why are you making a scene here?”

“I’ll explain.”

Galak stepped forward and gave a glance to Cloaren.

As she withdrew her magical energy, Hanzen quietly groaned inside.

‘So the engagement rumor was true.’

Hanzen nodded and gestured for him to speak.

“There was an attempt to kidnap Miss Cloaren during the banquet. They actually succeeded and dragged her outside the city. There, masked assailants forced her to write the manufacturing method for Mana Beads.”

“The manufacturing method for Mana Beads?!”

“Miss Cloaren had no choice but to write and hand it over. The assailants, having obtained the method, tried to kill her—but I arrived just in time and rescued her.”

Hanzen cursed silently.

Those worthless bastards—they couldn’t even handle one job properly.

It seemed they were growing complacent with wealth and starting to slack off.

He vowed to reeducate them thoroughly once this was over and opened his mouth.

“I had no idea such a thing occurred. We’ll conduct a strict internal investigation. For now, how about receiving medical treatment and an examination? You were kidnapped, after all…”

“There’s no need to worry about that.”

Hanzen, conscious of the watching crowd, tried to de-escalate the situation.

The commotion had drawn not only the Merchants’ Guild’s attention but also people from nearby.

If the Imperial Guard or the Empire’s Knights arrived, it would be a headache.

So he had spoken with a concerned tone, but Galak cut him off sharply.

“Miss Cloaren is an exceptional mage. Even with her mana sealed, she managed to leave a mark on the parchment containing the manufacturing method. A way to track its trail.”

“……!”

“Like this.”

Snap.

With a flick of his fingers, Galak unleashed a stream of magical energy that filled the air.

It extended from the guild’s entrance, passed through the lobby, and stretched upward to the floor where Hanzen’s office was located.

“……Uh, Vice Guildmaster.”

Staff nearby looked at Hanzen’s hand in horror.

A deep blue mark had spread beneath his limp hand.

“…….”

Hanzen could not utter a single word in the face of such obvious evidence.

‘No, they had come knowing that he was the ringleader from the start,’ he thought.

Otherwise, they would not have caused a commotion so openly.

His head spun and his stomach lurched.

Even so, Hanzen gritted his teeth and tried to steady his mind.

“Withdraw for today; I will explain everything, there are too many eyes watching,” he said.

“We will be taking the manufacturing method,” Galak said.

“Impossible; by the Vice Guildmaster’s authority of the Merchants’ Guild, I will not permit your entry, and besides, such a thing—” Hanzen replied.

Snap.

Hanzen violently shook his hand.

Part of the bright blue mark flaked away, but the rest still clung to his skin, showing a vivid presence.

“I do not know when you plotted against me, but I will task the Capital Guard to investigate thoroughly, even this humiliation today,” he declared.

Hanzen narrowed his eyes sharply.

Even if it meant imprisonment, he insisted on protecting the parchment containing the manufacturing method.

That way, they would recognize his service in hypocrisy and absolve his crimes.

Clack.

At that moment, several people burst in from the interior.

They were mercenaries hired by the Merchants’ Guild, each a formidable fighter in their own right.

Even if Yuria the mage and Galak were capable, they could not be expected to handle these men.

But Galak scoffed and waved a hand dismissively.

“They do not understand words,” he said.

“What—” Hanzen began.

Thud.

In the blink of an eye, when Galak’s figure vanished from his place, the mercenary in front of him had his jaw snapped.

Thump.

The mercenary who had been struck by a light punch collapsed forward.

The others immediately drew their weapons to respond, but Yuria’s magic moved faster.

Whoosh.

Vines burst across the floor and bound their limbs.

“Ugh!” one cried.

“Aaah!” another screamed.

They could not raise their mana to resist because the restraints were too tenacious to budge.

Yuria, who had taken on the name of Cloaren, addressed the crowd and warned them sternly.

“From this moment, anyone who moves even a single step should be prepared to have a limb torn off lightly,” she said.

“That is correct,” Galak added.

Step.

Carl shrugged his shoulders and approached Hanzen.

Hanzen tightly shut his eyes, but Carl passed him and headed straight for Hanzen’s office.

Creak.

Just as Carl reached for the doorknob to open it, Hanzen grabbed his shoulder from behind.

“Stop that; I speak for your sake as well. Do you think I acted alone? There are many behind me—” Hanzen protested.

“Did you think I would move just to catch a mere Vice Guildmaster of the Merchants’ Guild?” Carl replied with a scoff as he opened the office door and went inside.

He located the drawer that held the parchment with the manufacturing method and opened it precisely.

“…Well?” he asked.

The drawer was empty inside.

Seeing that, Hanzen exhaled a relieved sigh and lifted the corner of his mouth.

“This insolence will not be swept aside; Madeira will be expelled from the capital, stripped of the rights to the Mana Beads, and thanks to you we will have the pretext to act—” he began.

“You were wise to prepare,” Carl said.

Carl pulled a sheet of parchment from his sleeve.

Hanzen’s eyes widened at the sight.

“That is—!” he exclaimed.

“You will find it familiar; it is exactly the same as what you saw,” Carl said.

Galak and Yuria had raided the Merchants’ Guild.

Thus, whoever stood behind Hanzen must have tried to secure the manufacturing method first.

If they had only taken the method while Hanzen stalled, they could have made Madeira look extremely culpable.

Thud.

Carl grabbed Hanzen’s wrist and forced the parchment into his hand.

He also scraped dust from inside the drawer and sprinkled it over the parchment.

“Now this manufacturing method came out of that drawer,” Carl declared.

“…Handled in such a makeshift way,” Hanzen muttered.

“You will be taken in; do not expect to die peacefully. The man behind you will be greatly enraged,” Carl warned.

“What? That is—” Hanzen stammered.

Hanzen’s eyes went wide.

Two copies of the manufacturing method had appeared.

He thought they might have made a duplicate, or that someone had stolen it for another purpose.

His master was a suspicious and greedier person than most.

Tap tap.

Seeing Hanzen’s ashen face, Carl patted his shoulder and whispered in a low voice into his ear.

“Shall I tell you a way to live?”

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