Chapter 194: The Master of the Trade Route (31)

The road downhill.

I didn’t bother to meet Echina.

There were already many of Eric’s close aides in the Black Knights.

And now that she had awakened as a Swordmaster, it was the most critical time for her.

But the biggest reason was…

This matter could be extremely dangerous.

“We’ll arrive soon, Representative.”

“Alright. You’ve worked hard.”

I pulled a pouch of gold coins from my pocket.

Then I handed it to the coachman who had taken me all the way to the South over the course of twelve hours.

“This is for your trouble. Rest well with the coachmen of the rented carriages.”

Since I had brought a hundred carriages, I had hired a hundred workers.

Accordingly, I had prepared a hefty amount of sustenance expenses.

“Thank you…”

The man in the hunting cap accepted the thick pouch.

But for some reason, the gaze of this usually upright man seemed nervous today.

Bringing a hundred carriages to the South—

He must have instinctively sensed that something big was about to happen.

――――――

I stepped down from the carriage and let out a deep breath.

The air was warm.

The city in front of me was the Empire’s southernmost city, Southon.

A city full of energetic people in a warm climate.

Though it wasn’t large enough to host a Grand Duke, it had grown through trade with the city-states.

Thanks to that, many imperial nobles had established branches of their businesses here.

Of course, the far northern Luton family was no exception.

Eric hadn’t personally come down here.

With the northern trade route competition in full swing, suddenly coming to the completely opposite end of the land would be strange.

In the end, it was agreed that I and Chairman Lud would come instead.

Apparently, Lud’s term as Chairman of the Medical Association was nearly over.

So he had come down under the pretext of encouraging the provinces, which made it reasonably believable.

‘Well, it’s actually for the better.’

Eric was far too suspicious.

Whatever one did, he watched and tried to control it directly.

Of course, that was smart—but it was also a habit born from his own tendency not to trust others and constantly stab them in the back.

“……”

I headed to the warehouse on the outskirts of the southern city to find Lud, who should have arrived ahead of me.

Just this once, I didn’t use any personnel from Erian.

I bought a bicycle from a local shop and arrived leisurely, alone.

Warm wind blew the whole way there.

No one would ever guess.

That in this warm and peaceful city, illegal drugs born from one man’s greed were everywhere.

――――――

A restaurant on the outskirts of the city.

Lud stood up from a seat on the terrace.

The middle-aged man in a white suit sitting across from him also rose.

He had a slightly protruding belly and wore a monocle—he looked like a noble, no matter who was looking.

Lud paused as he was about to greet me when he saw I had arrived by bicycle.

“……”

Apparently, my arrival without even a single carriage made him uncomfortable.

Especially the middle-aged man with him, who cleared his throat and looked away from me.

He merely sipped at the champagne in front of him.

“Welcome, Lord Roger……!!”

Lud did his best to greet me cheerfully, as he usually would.

However, he soon gave me a look, as if to ask why I had come by bicycle.

“Isn’t it a bit too humble for someone about to become a baron?”

The Chairman of the Medical Association said this while introducing the man in front of me.

As if to hint that I should make a good impression.

“This is Count Anton, the Frontier Lord of Southon.”

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Roger Julius.”

The man in the white suit glanced down at the hand I offered.

Then, lifting his ornate gold monocle, he spoke.

“I heard you were a baronet. You certainly are frugal.”

“……”

Without even shaking my hand, he gave a veiled insult.

A typical nouveau riche type.

Still, I was used to dealing with people like this.

From the start, Eric had always used and discarded those who were useful to him.

Thanks to that, I also knew exactly how to handle them.

“I’m not being frugal.”

I calmly withdrew my hand.

Then, brushing off my suit jacket, I looked toward the warehouse.

“I chose the bicycle because intelligence warfare is extremely important in this business.”

At a glance, it looked like an ordinary warehouse.

But it would already be filled with Anes, brought down from the North.

“I’m currently a major investor in Angde and the city of Fern in the Nord Mountains. Now, if I were to arrive in the South by carriage, attended by servants—what would people think?”

Chairman Lud of the Medical Association quickly picked up on my intent as he listened.

He gave a faint smile and smoothly supported my statement.

“Ah, now that you mention it, that makes sense. This fellow is actually one of the largest investors in the Nord Mountains right now.”

“Is that true?”

Upon hearing that, Count Anton turned back to look at me.

“……”

Barely twenty years old, holding a baronet rank no higher than a commoner.

He fiddled with his bow tie, clearly uncertain.

“I’m not the kind of person with outstanding leadership like those present here. I find it more comfortable to support such people from behind.”

With a respectful gesture, I pointed toward the extravagantly dressed frontier lord.

Only then did Count Anton seem to properly recognize my identity. He gave a small cough.

“You do seem like someone fit to do business with Lord Eric. You understand your place well.”

This time, he extended his hand to me.

Luxurious rings adorned not only his ring finger but also his middle finger.

“My apologies. I didn’t realize you were this serious about the venture, enough to accept such discomfort.”

“I understand.”

I clasped his thick hand and gave it a gentle shake.

His hand was very warm.

As if overflowing with ambition.

Anton Rivente.

A name I remembered even ten years into the future.

To be exact, five years after Eric ascended to the position of Grand Duke of the North.

At that time, during money laundering operations in the South, the name Anton had come up constantly.

In other words, he too was someone who chose wealth and power over honor.

‘Seems I truly don’t have a single ally here.’

This time, I really had to get through it alone.

But I wasn’t particularly afraid.

Doing it alone meant I could also claim the rewards alone.

And the most valuable reward to me was…

It would be the downfall of the one threatening the fortune I had built—Old Luton.

“Well, it’s good to be cautious, but there’s no need to be that tense.”

Lud lightly tapped my shoulder and looked at Anton alongside me.

He seemed to trust the frontier lord completely.

“In this southern city, Anton might as well be His Majesty the Emperor.”

“His Majesty? That’s a stretch. A king, maybe.”

Anton gave a soft chuckle and took a sip of his champagne.

“Lord Roger. As Sir Lud said, there’s no need to be so wary here. All military authority within the city belongs to me.”

He gestured for me to take a seat.

“If there’s even the slightest suspicious movement around the city, I’ll be informed immediately.”

“Yes. I hear the city-states are quite afraid of your forces, Baron. They wouldn’t dare try anything foolish.”

Anton pointed to the plainclothes knights standing on standby in front of the warehouse.

If they had been in uniform, it might have looked suspicious—so he had them wait in everyday clothes instead.

“Truly dependable.”

They were indeed skilled individuals.

Hard to believe they were knights deployed to the border.

“So, we can consider ourselves on holiday until the deal date.”

“Indeed. You’ve come from a cold place—make sure you get some rest.”

Just then, as if timed, a maid arrived, pushing a dinner cart.

When she lifted the gilded lid, a magnificent feast of delicacies was revealed.

It was nearly on par with what would be served to the Emperor himself.

“Thank you. This is the first time in my life I’ve had a meal like this.”

“Haha… I always use only imperial-quality everything.”

Now that I noticed it, even the gilded lid bore the golden lion crest.

The food was prepared in the imperial chef’s style.

“All the knights are from the Imperial Order.”

“You can tell from their gaze—they look thoroughly upright.”

Lud chuckled and shook his head in my stead.

It was clear this man had climbed to his current position not through medical skill, but through social finesse.

“I heard only one country agreed to receive Anes.”

“The Duchy of Seek. They said they’d purchase the entire stock.”

The Chairman of the Medical Association raised one finger as he spoke.

“But there was a condition. If Anes is developed at a cheaper cost later, it must be sold exclusively to the Duchy of Seek.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem. After all, the company was founded to fund the trade route business.”

Anton quietly watched as I spoke plainly and directly.

Though he wore extravagant clothes on the outside, his gaze—as a regional ruler—was sharp.

“Lord Roger, it seems your eyes are filled with nothing but business.”

Apparently, he found it fascinating that I didn’t grovel even before a frontier lord like himself.

“You speak quite frankly.”

“My entire fortune is tied to this venture. A full eight billion.”

Eight billion gold.

As soon as the amount of investment was revealed, Anton showed even more interest.

“……Is it a clean eight billion, without a single debt?”

“Yes. All in imperial gold.”

The frontier lord let out a breath, impressed.

“You must trust Lord Eric quite a lot.”

“Yes, though I feel a bit uneasy now. Things have gotten thoroughly tangled.”

Anton let out a small laugh at my blunt tone.

And then, he went so far as to pour champagne for me himself.

At first, he wouldn’t even shake my hand—but now, he was pouring my drink personally.

“You must’ve felt a great sense of loss. But don’t worry. If this goes well, you’ll at least recover your principal, won’t you?”

“I’ll recover the principal, yes. But no one can compensate me for the time I’ve wasted.”

Anton clicked his tongue at my resentful tone.

“You really are quick to calculate—must be because you’re young. Quick to feel disappointed too.”

The middle-aged man lightly tugged at his necktie.

His thick Adam’s apple moved.

“Even if you only recover the principal, in the end, you’ve managed to put Grand Duke Eric in your debt through this, haven’t you?”

The frontier lord raised his glass, suggesting a toast.

“His Grace is a man of his word. You’ve done him a favor—he’ll surely return it with a good opportunity someday.”

“……”

I silently watched Anton.

The same man who, in the future, committed countless atrocities alongside Eric.

“I do hope that’ll be the case.”

My fox-like, narrow eyes curved like a crescent moon.

Then, I clinked glasses with the man dressed head to toe in white.

――――――!!

After the first banquet.

I didn’t return right away to the villa I had arranged as lodging.

“Roger, are you sure you don’t need a ride?”

“Yes. Like Count Anton said, I’ll take it easy and do a bit of sightseeing.”

Refusing Lud’s offer to take me back, I placed my foot on the bicycle alone.

No one seemed to take issue anymore with the sight of me leisurely heading off on my own.

I quietly cut through the streets.

And where I arrived was—

“Anyone there?”

None other than an old gun shop.

“Sounds like someone from the North. What brings you here?”

A man in his sixties, sitting behind the aged counter, stood up.

His hands were covered in burn scars—likely from firing guns.

He must’ve worked as a hunter in his youth.

“Hunting is a hobby of mine. Since I’m on a business trip to the South, I figured I’d try some local hunting.”

With a noble tone and wearing a formal suit.

The hunter nodded, understanding.

“What do you need?”

“A well-maintained musket, and if possible, a map of the border region outside the Empire.”

A map of the lands beyond the Empire.

Anyone else might have found that suspicious.

But—

“I heard there are rare tigers in the border region near the Duchy of Seek.”

With that one added remark, his suspicion faded.

“You must be quite the hunting enthusiast. That’s a detail even local hunters don’t know.”

“That’s why I rushed over the moment my official duties ended.”

I shrugged and gestured to my stiff formalwear.

The old man chuckled in understanding.

“You seem experienced—I’ll bring out something for experts.”

The shopkeeper brought out a beautifully lacquered red musket.

Recalling what I’d learned at the Academy, I did my best to remember how to inspect a firearm and checked the barrel.

But—

In truth, my eyes were on something else entirely.

The old map he had pulled from a dusty shelf.

More valuable than any gun, it marked not only paths few locals knew, but also secret hideouts used by hunters.

“I trust you, but please refrain from copying or reproducing this. It could be used for ‘military’ purposes…”

I quietly watched the old man, who regarded me like a rare young hunting enthusiast.

And with a clear, sincere smile—

“Of course. I promise to use it only for the right cause.”

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