Chapter 244

The Stingray Chairman had some kind of connection with the Dragon.

To be honest, since I knew the original work, it wasn’t all that surprising to me. It was something I could roughly infer.

In the original story as well, before the protagonist’s party defeated the final boss, the Stingray Chairman, there was a part where they persuaded the leaders of each Mystic race, including the Dragon.

The process in which the protagonist persuaded intelligent races such as Elves, Dwarves, Spirits, and the Dragon had been portrayed in considerable depth.

The discussions with the other races about humanity’s endless greed and its destructive behavior toward nature had wittily criticized the dark side of modern society, and that drew a positive response from readers.

Though it was a shame that it came near the end, when the readership retention rate had already collapsed.

Naturally, in the process of forming a kind of ‘peace treaty’ with the protagonist representing humanity, Evangeline had played an important role.

And in the scene where they dealt with the Dragon—a race that believed themselves to be the rulers of the world, their pride piercing the heavens—there had been something like a subtle piece of foreshadowing.

I didn’t remember the exact line, but it had roughly carried the nuance that it was somewhat suspicious how unusually interested the Dragons were in humanity.

Those who clearly regarded themselves as supreme and looked down on all other lifeforms as ‘inferior’ strangely knew far too much about the major and minor affairs of humankind.

Of course, that foreshadowing passed without much impact—something only a veteran reader like me would barely notice.

And as the ending approached, perhaps the Author had forgotten they had planted such a hint, or perhaps they had simply been too busy wrapping up the story; in any case, the matter was never addressed, and the work ended as it was.

Not long after, a completion commemorative Quiz Event was held, and through one thing or another, I ended up in this situation.

Anyway, although nothing had been properly revealed in the original, it was certain that there was some kind of connection between the Dragon and the Stingray Chairman.

And now, finally—one year after I entered the novel (more precisely, the board game based on the original novel)—I was able to hear about it from Evangeline herself.

“Within thy father’s heart was embedded the Curse of the Dragonkin. I do not recall the exact spell that was used…… Even if I were to see it again now, I doubt I could recognize it…….”

She knew it was Dragon Magic, but not what specific magic it was…….

If I were to compare it to something, it was like recognizing a manufacturer’s brand at a glance when seeing a product, yet being unable to identify its exact functions.

The fact that such an analogy came to mind as soon as I heard Evangeline’s words made me realize just how accustomed I had become to this city’s capitalism over the past year.

I continued with another question.

“Is what the Chairman has the same thing that is currently placed on the Guardian?”

“I cannot tell…….”

“What kind of magic is placed on the Guardian?”

“I, I do not know…… ‘Curse’ is like a nickname that collectively refers to all magic cast by the Dragonkin. Because its power is so vast, even if it is a blessing that grants great strength, in the end something breaks because one cannot endure that power.”

“Then did you have any other information about the Chairman?”

“N, no. That is all…….”

The more I questioned her, the more depressed Evangeline became.

Since my reaction was calm, she seemed to feel sorry for not being of much help.

In truth, even if the Stingray Chairman had some connection with the Dragon, it wasn’t of much immediate use. There was no clear way to exploit that fact right now.

But gathering such small pieces one by one would make it easier to draw the bigger picture later.

With the intention of telling her not to feel so discouraged, I gently stroked Evangeline’s head and organized my thoughts.

‘Now, let’s sort this out.’

The current situation.

First, a Dragon was wandering the Underworld, playing the role of a genie from a lamp.

Second, Kallia was preparing for War.

Third, the Stingray Chairman had the Curse of the Dragonkin in his heart.

Fourth, Dragon Magic had been cast upon the Guardian’s heart as well.

And fifth, one of the Dragons had attacked me, aiming for my life.

“…….”

Just what in the world was going on?

Like assembling a puzzle in my head, I repeatedly constructed and erased various hypotheses and scenarios.

Was it possible that all of this was merely a coincidence—separate incidents overlapping? What was the Author’s intention? What was the relationship between the Stingray Chairman and the Dragon? Why had the Dragon targeted us through magic?

Among countless hypotheses, I instinctively narrowed it down to a single ‘possibility.’

The most plausible hypothesis when combining the Chairman’s personality with what I knew of the original.

But whether it was correct or not, I couldn’t know yet. To be certain, I needed more information. And in any case, to prepare for the events to come, I needed to secure as many cards as possible.

“A, Aaron……? Art thou well……?”

“My apologies. I was lost in thought.”

I wasn’t sure how long I had been thinking, but it must have been quite some time. Evangeline tugged anxiously at my sleeve, and only then did I come back to my senses.

Fortunately, just before my thoughts were cut off, I had reached a conclusion. In other words, what I had to do was clear.

“Was it Jeren?”

“Y, yes! He’s been selling weapons at a street stall in an alley on Black Market Street No. 26 for a long time, and recently his business—”

“I did not ask that much.”

Perhaps due to his tension, his ulterior motives were spilling straight from his mouth. Anyone could tell he knew my identity and was trying to get a share of whatever scraps might fall from me.

It wasn’t a mindset I particularly liked, but people like this were actually easier to handle.

This type had a clear and concrete goal—money. As long as you allowed them to earn it, they would never betray you.

“I will compensate you sufficiently for the footage. But before that, I have a proposal.”

“A, a proposal, sir?”

“As you have likely guessed, I came to Sector E with a certain plan. If you help ensure its success, I will promise a far greater reward. So I will give you a choice. Choose one of two options.”

“When you say two…….”

“One, take cash right now, remain uninvolved, and know nothing. Consider it simple pocket money. However, you must stay quietly hidden until our plan concludes.”

“W, why is that!? I know nothing about Lord Aaron Stingray’s plan……!”

“What matters is that you know my identity. I do not wish to bear the risk of you wagging your tongue unnecessarily and ruining the plan.”

From what I could see, this Weapons Dealer Jeren was rather naïve. Had he spent so long operating in the Black Market, dealing only with back-alley thugs, that he didn’t understand?

Ordinary corporate elites did not make proposals like this.

To the city’s upper class—including the original Aaron Stingray—a man like Jeren was nothing more than a disposable consumable, a sewer rat that could be replaced at any time. Whether he had helped them or not, instead of rewarding him, it wouldn’t even be strange if they eliminated him on the spot to silence him.

‘Judging by his personality, I can see why this old man has been running nothing but a street stall all this time.’

In short, greedy but naïve.

Was there a more perfect person to exploit? He was ideal to slot into my plan.

Therefore, I made him an offer he ‘could not refuse.’

“The second option is to abandon your original identity and live a new life. Just like the one over here.”

“I, I’ll do it!”

There wasn’t even the slightest hesitation.

He answered so quickly that I was the one caught off guard. It was as if he had been waiting his whole life for someone like me.

“I’ll do anything you order! Anything! What should I do?”

“Good.”

I showed a faint smile and replied.

“You will rule Sector E with us.”

From behind, I heard something that sounded like Kim Cheolsu either sighing or crying, but as usual…… I ignored it.

The Mafia was not merely a criminal organization of back-alley thugs. Perhaps that was how it began, but as time passed, their numbers grew from five to ten, to fifty, to a hundred.

When you were just a handful of punks in your youth, abstract concepts like ‘loyalty’ and ‘brotherhood’ were enough to bind you tightly together.

But once the number surpassed ten, concrete ‘profit,’ not ‘loyalty,’ was required to maintain organizational allegiance.

The simplest method?

Extorting protection fees from merchants in Sector D and Sector E. But they weren’t a Megacorp. How much money could small business owners in the lower sectors possibly have?

No matter how much you tried to squeeze the lifeblood out of merchants, there was a limit. And the gang members themselves were from the same neighborhoods—one connection removed, and the shop owner would be a neighbor or a relative. It didn’t sit well to wring them dry.

So the thugs started businesses.

The easiest was the liquor trade. Open a shop somewhere appropriate and sell alcohol and women. Moreover, clubs and bars like these rarely posed serious legal issues, so there was little need to worry about the police.

If you changed the labels on cheap bottles to sell counterfeit premium liquor, or assigned real women instead of sex Androids to customers, profits grew even larger. And a small bribe to the local police was enough to smooth things over. After all, those same officers were customers at the bars.

Next came drugs.

Not only new synthetic substances that left people’s minds reeling, but stabilizers that reduced side effects from illegal Nanomachines and Cyberware. Or special drugs made from Mystic corpses. There were even illegal muscle-growth injections. This line of business was largely monopolized by a gang called Beast.

They also dipped into the arts.

Illegal SS chips, commonly known as ‘Junk Chips.’

Edit and package memories—of suicides, of murder victims, of people high on drugs—to match demand, and they would sell not only to back-alley degenerates but sometimes secretly to the city’s elites.

High-quality, famous ones could fetch ten million Credits for a thirty-minute chip no larger than a finger joint. Small and easy to distribute, and sometimes traded over the dark net, they were convenient.

Occasionally, to meet rising demand, they had to acquire street victims. But after filming a few snuff videos, you could sit on a pile of cash—who wouldn’t do it?

Of course, among the Mafia, some organizations considered that crossing the line and refused to touch it.

And lastly—

The flower of the black-market business: arms dealing.

The most profitable and in-demand venture—and the most dangerous.

Knuckles, Neurotoxin Knives, Katanas—self-defense-level weapons were popular among civilians living in dangerous areas like Sector E.

These were the kinds of items Jeren usually handled.

Handguns, Submachine Guns, Cyberware, Combat Modules meant explicitly for killing were in demand among civilians and low-ranking members alike.

Assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles—items clearly ‘prohibited’ under the City Government Act—were traded between organizations.

Lv.3 and above Cyberware and Combat Modules were exchanged, and occasionally Nanomachines or Cyberware stolen and hacked from Stingray and Militech appeared on the table.

They even did business with corporations.

‘Next-generation Armadillo Tanks’ produced in colonies, ‘Wide-Area Mana Radars,’ Lv.4 and above Arcane Modules—these were transported via aerial vehicles or underground terminals. The Mafia would ambush them mid-transport and steal them.

Then they would modify the weapons from those transport trailers for their own use, or sell them at high prices to rival corporations.

Naturally, a single successful deal of that scale could let you live in luxury for life. Enough to buy multiple apartments in Sector A.

In the end, in this New Valhalla City, everyone needed ‘weapons’—from ignorant civilians who knew nothing of the back-alley darkness to high-ranking corporate figures who controlled the city.

Therefore, it meant enormous money.

In other words—

“We make money by selling weapons.”

That was the core of my plan.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep