Chapter 188: The Master of the Trade Route (25)

After meeting the two at the hotel.

I went straight to the office to prepare a letter for Echina.

Naturally, it was to warn her to be careful, as I would be sending the broken sword.

If I gave her a heads-up like this in advance, it would be easier to avoid Eric’s suspicions.

However—

The Northern Archduke’s son was no easy opponent either.

When I finished writing the letter and looked down at the hotel from the eighth floor—

“……”

I saw some suspicious figures waiting near the hotel entrance.

“Duncan.”

A middle-aged man with a well-groomed mustache and a fedora.

It was obvious why he was casually reading a newspaper at the hotel entrance in my district.

He planned to intercept the letter I would send to Echina and monitor everything in advance.

All letters in the Empire were delivered through the post office.

And Eric had connections not only within the post office but also across various transportation lines.

Intercepting a letter I sent would be child’s play for him.

This applied even to carrier pigeons.

‘Until I pour my entire fortune into him, this surveillance will continue.’

He’d probably only let up once I sent him the 8 billion.

Until then, I couldn’t meet with Echina.

I waited quietly until the day both chairmen would leave to obtain imperial approval for their pharmaceuticals.

“Shall I look for a painting to display in the new Julius estate?”

A few days later.

As expected, Lud and Tilda headed to the Imperial Palace.

They presented the results of the reviews for numerous medications that had been awaiting approval over the past few months.

“Your Majesty, that concludes the list of pharmaceuticals approved for this month’s review.”

“If there is any item that particularly interests or concerns you, please feel free to mention it.”

Tilda finished the report in a cold, composed tone, and the skilled Lud chimed in to assist.

Since this was an event that happened once or twice a year, the Emperor didn’t seem overly curious.

「Nothing in particular. You two must’ve personally inspected them, so there should be no problem, right?」

Emperor Leonidas.

The supreme ruler of the continent, with his blond hair brushed back from his forehead, asked perfunctorily.

“Yes, from our assessment, there was nothing that would cause serious concern.”

“If any issues arise, I will take full responsibility and step down.”

Lud bowed his head and made the promise with a confident voice.

At that, the Emperor gave a faint chuckle and asked why he was being so dramatic.

「With your eye for judgment, there’s no way there’d be an issue. You’ve never had a single blemish until now.」

“Your words are more than I deserve.”

Chairman Lud, who had served the Emperor faithfully for decades.

Now approaching retirement, he seemed intent on receiving due recognition for all his hard work.

「I grant permission for all the items listed. May these advanced goods benefit the Empire and its people.」

“I shall serve with utmost diligence.”

“……”

When Lud responded loudly, Tilda followed suit and bowed her head.

As soon as the two delivered the good news to the Northern Archduke’s son, Eric summoned me immediately.

And not just anywhere—but to a secluded villa built on his private estate.

“Welcome, Lord Roger.”

The silver-haired man greeted me with a broad smile.

He was accompanied by far more private knights than when the two chairmen were present.

“I’m not sure if I should be part of an occasion like this.”

“What are you saying? Weren’t you the one who invested the largest sum among all our backers?”

With a firm hand, Eric led me forward.

To the massive villa and the tea party garden set up in front of it.

“This is the party spot where we’ve gathered our investors. You can observe the production of the stock and relax until the official launch date.”

Pushing through the private guards and passing through the dense forest path, a spacious lawn came into view.

There, numerous parasols and tables had been arranged…

And several of the well-known wealthy and noble figures from Nord were enjoying their tea time.

‘They must all be Anes investors.’

Given how secretive the project was, the group wasn’t large.

At most, around ten people.

Eric had likely handpicked individuals he deemed trustworthy.

Of course, I wouldn’t normally be included in that circle, but with a clean investment of 8 billion, he must have decided to let me in.

“There’s practically no way I can communicate with Echina here.”

With this level of surveillance, even my past self wouldn’t have known.

For now, I exhaled briefly and grabbed a light salad from the buffet.

―――――――

I must’ve been the last guest to arrive, because the villa gates shut tightly afterward.

Soon after, Eric walked leisurely to the center of the party hall with his hands behind his back.

「Is everyone enjoying the party?」

The Northern Archduke’s son amplified his voice with a voice transmission spell.

He took the wine offered by a waiter and stood before the crowd.

「I bring good news. At last, His Majesty the Emperor has granted us approval to launch our new drug, ‘Anes’.」

Applause filled the air.

I too set down my tasteless salad and joined in the clapping.

「It’s all thanks to your keen judgment in supporting Luton Pharmaceuticals.」

Gentlemen in white suits chuckled softly and waved their hands.

Ladies in black dresses smiled behind their hands.

「And today, I’d like to introduce a young man who offered us the most help.」

The silver-haired man raised his finger.

And pointed it—at me.

「Roger Julius. He invested a whopping 8 billion gold this time.」

―――――――

All eyes turned to me in unison.

Their gazes were filled with curiosity—was there really someone in Nord that rich, investing 8 billion at just twenty years old?

But I knew.

That Eric wasn’t praising me at all.

He was making sure everyone’s eyes were on me, so I couldn’t do anything suspicious.

He was planning to have Echina receive the cracked sword without knowing a thing.

Whether I had come in as a double agent or not.

He intended to drive a wedge between me and the Grand Duke’s daughter.

“Haha… it’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

I forced a smile and kept offering polite grins to the distinguished guests.

Afterward, Eric spoke about how long it would take to reach the production goal once the new drug went into manufacturing.

「In three days, we’ll reach our targeted amount. If you could wait just until then, we’ll reward you with even greater returns.」

Three days.

That was when the Grand Duke of the North and the dignitaries would visit the Nord Mountains.

And once they returned to Angde that day, they’d immediately go to watch the match.

Eric had calculated everything—down to the dates.

‘There’s nothing more I can do now.’

At the moment when everyone raised their glasses for a toast,

I too lifted mine with a calm expression and celebrated the launch of the new drug.

But—

In my mind, there was only one thought: Echina Luton.

Only her.

I prayed that even if she received the cracked sword, she wouldn’t be harmed by it.

After a light meal,

the villa on Eric’s private estate began receiving real-time reports on the quantity of the drug being produced.

Since the factory was also located nearby, it was possible to visit it with the escort team.

I, too, joined the group.

‘At this rate, the full 70 billion investment goal will be reached in no time.’

The drug production process was so simple that competitors would soon spring up.

Proving this point, the factory’s facilities were absurdly minimal.

Perhaps that’s why Luton Pharmaceuticals, as the first to launch, had already begun mass-producing Anes at a remarkable speed.

The reason they were keeping the investors confined for just three days was precisely because they could secure the entire quantity within that period.

Stacks of medicine boxes bearing the three-letter name “Anes,” with luxurious packaging, piled up one after another.

The noble guests chuckled softly, watching the sight with satisfaction.

They must have heard about the drug’s side effects too, yet still…

“……”

As I stood a short distance away from them, watching the production process alone,

Eric casually walked up and slung an arm over my shoulders.

“Just looking at it brings a smile to your face, doesn’t it?”

“It does. I’d heard they could immediately go into full production once the approval was granted, and it wasn’t an exaggeration.”

The Northern Archduke’s son nodded.

“I told you, didn’t I? Everything was ready from the start.”

He took a deep breath, savoring the stench of money.

Then, removing his hand from my shoulder, he added,

“Not sending a letter to Echina? I could have my men deliver it directly for you.”

“There’s no need for that, is there? It’s not like I report to her or anything.”

His tone suggested he was casually probing the relationship between me and the Grand Duke’s daughter.

I answered indifferently.

“We’ve never had any private conversations.”

And that was true.

I had always gone out of my way to avoid getting close to her.

In fact, I’d roughly known that she had some interest in me.

I also knew that, if by some chance I ended up dating the Grand Duke’s daughter, I could elevate my family status like the Mansachs did.

But—

How could I?

She was someone who had helped the man I loathed—the one standing right in front of me.

I had once run endlessly, helping him commit his evils, all for the reward I hoped would come in return.

And then, as expected, he discarded me like nothing, and I met a fitting end.

Perhaps she and I were never meant to be.

The same went for Istina and Helena.

“Well, that girl’s always been so blunt. She’s striking in appearance, but she lacks any kind of feminine charm.”

There was much I could have said in rebuttal to that, but I held my tongue.

After all, Eric had only ever used women as tools.

He had never once shared a genuine love with anyone.

That was the biggest difference between the Grand Duke of the North and his son.

The Duke of Luton had, at the very least, truly loved his wife.

“I’ve seen enough of the drug. I’ll return now and get some rest.”

“Already? We’ve prepared a party for the investors too.”

“It’s alright. Coming down from the mountains left me a bit travel-weary.”

Eric stared at me intently with sharp eyes.

But there was no emotion in my dull, faded gaze.

“If you want, you can return to the Erian Hotel. Some investors have said they plan to rest at their own homes.”

Most of them probably wouldn’t leave.

And if anyone did, it would be only those very few who were fully on board with him.

“It’s fine. Since I’m already here, I’d prefer to rest in such a fine villa.”

I had no intention of leaving either.

There was no point in going back to the hotel—I’d already cut off every possible way of contacting Echina in advance.

Nord was still—for now—under his control.

“If you say so, I can’t stop you. Get plenty of rest, and in two days, let’s return together with my father.”

“Thank you.”

Maybe because I willingly agreed to stay,

Eric didn’t bother me further.

Thanks to that, I was able to return to the villa and finally have some time to myself.

I quietly gazed at the cracked sword leaning against the wall.

Then slowly closed my eyes, waiting for the day of reckoning.

「――――――」

And so, three days later—

Eric departed for the Nord Mountains with the Grand Duke of the North.

I boarded his carriage along with a group of mercenaries, joining the journey.

It was only known that Eric’s close aides were riding in the carriage I was in, so even the Grand Duke likely didn’t know I was among them.

The sheer scale of the procession helped conceal me.

Alongside the Grand Duke of the North, the Western Grand Duke, Harriet, and his entourage were also traveling.

Even the newspapers had dubbed this massive procession a “Great Journey.”

After half a day along the well-maintained roads, we finally approached the majestic, snow-covered mountains.

Then, upon arriving at Royal Luton—

Countless dignitaries gathered, crowding the streets, eager to catch a glimpse of the two Grand Dukes and the Imperial delegates.

The city of the eldest son was so grand, it could be called a second Nord without exaggeration.

“We’ve arrived, Lord Roger.”

The private mercenaries opened the door with cold expressions.

With a solemn face, I stepped down from the carriage.

At my waist was the sword I would deliver to Echina.

In the distance, I saw the Grand Duke’s daughter.

As if she had known I would return with Eric, she gazed at me with a serious expression.

I simply offered her a slight nod in silent greeting.

After that, I followed Eric’s close aides and waited in a separate location until the duel match began.

All the while, I tightly gripped the cracked Luton Sword.

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