To Lortelle, it was a memory to be forgotten.
As a child,
a girl wandering the streets with her legs splashed by the dirty water of the slums was led by her adoptive father into the grandiose building of a large trading company.
Walking through the spacious lobby of the trading company, one could see the merchants here and there murmuring among themselves.
"The foster daughter of the Gold King, Elte Keheln."
It's that very girl whom Elte Keheln took in as his foster daughter to train as his trusted aide, standing right over there.
Rumor has it, after being taught to count, she figured out multiplication and division on her own.
When shown the company's ledgers, she mastered double-entry bookkeeping in just two days,
and upon seeing the market trend analysis, she came up with a new business proposal within a week, which eventually got reflected in the actual business plans of the trading company.
Becoming the Gold King's foster daughter, within a mere few weeks, she had already garnered the attention of all the merchants, and Elte Keheln was always by her side, teaching her.
On days when Elte Keheln headed to his office with her, the aides would line up and bow their heads.
In charge of ledger management, human resources, financial planning, market surveillance, market analysis…
Outstanding talents in their respective fields bowed to Elte in a scene which young Lortelle watched as if she was looking at a distant mountain.
Introducing Lortelle to each dignitary, he earnestly spoke of how when she grew up, she would become a core member responsible for the trading company.
In the amiable atmosphere, young Lortelle learned to wear a false smile. Although still clumsy at wearing a mask, she adapted at a surprising rate.
After greeting the competent staff of the trading company, she finally saw Slog Keldrucks, bowing his head.
"Slog is the one who has been associated with me the longest. He has been my aide in all my projects and tasks. He is the most trustworthy talent and, at this point, the most competent manager."
Elte Keheln said with a greedy smile.
"Lortelle still has a lot to learn. As a father, I have limits in helping, but I hope you take good care of her."
"Would there be any reason not to?"
After that brief exchange, Elte and Lortelle entered the office.
When Lortelle glanced back at Slog, his expression was cold and devoid of any warmth.
"Listen, Lortelle. Those high-ranking employees of the trading company you've just seen are the bastards you need to be most wary of."
The satisfied smile that Elte Keheln had when closing the door was gone, replaced with a menacing scowl.
"Stay in this field long enough, and you'll naturally realize it. Trust no one. Not the business partners you've worked with for decades, either. They are all bastards who will stab you in the back at a chance. Despicable bastards. Grinding their teeth with envy at my wealth. Fuming with jealousy and envy…"
A place where unlimited trust equates to sin.
This law applied just as equally to the man at the top of Elte's trading company.
Young Lortelle's view of the corrupted tycoon's interior was already dotted with the scars from the harsh world and countless failures.
That dismal sight was the final destination for those who chose to be merchants.
"That's the first lesson for the bastards who come to Elte's trading company as apprentices. Trust no one. Not friends, lovers, not even family or teachers."
"Life itself is inherently a solitary affair. Never give anyone an opening. There's no such thing as relationships where sincerity is exchanged without any cost. Humans are creatures born to weigh benefits and losses."
The wall of the office was prominently adorned with the symbol of the balance scale. A symbol synonymous with Elte's trading company.
Externally regarded as a symbol of justice, fairness, and honesty.
Among the employees of Elte's trading company, it was seen as a symbol of hypocrisy and deceit.
Looking up at that large symbol of the balance scale, Elte Keheln declared,
"There is no such thing as a perfectly level balance scale. Always remember this as you live."
His voice was profoundly heavy.
* * *
The main building of Elte's trading company was already a cauldron of chaos.
From the outside, the sight of smoke rising from the demolished building seemed almost surreal.
The Elte trading company's main headquarters had always been a building that was meant to exist there, like the royal palace of the capital, the clock tower of the Sylvania Academy, or the Shrine of the Holy City.
It was a building that always stood there in the same form, almost like a landmark.
The sight of Elte's headquarters reduced to a battlefield made one wonder if this scene was just a dream.
At least that's how it appeared to the citizens of Oldec.
The interior of the company, much like its exterior, was greatly altered.
The first-floor lobby was now littered with furniture rolling across the floor, the merchants scrambling to escape through the crumbling walls.
As such, numerous people tangled and bustled, moving each according to their own concerns.
The retainers of the Rothtaylor family were searching the inside of the company.
Traders of the company were fleeing to save their lives.
Among them, the tycoons were moving according to their beliefs, looking for solutions to the crisis.
Fellan and Kaldenheim, who had completely taken Slog's side, were rushing towards the basement.
Other tycoons were contacting the Oldec officials to understand the situation and ask for help.
Lortelle's chief secretary, Lien, quietly opened her eyes in the dark space.
The current head, slog, was trembling before Ed Rothtaylor.
At the center of it all, Ed Rothtaylor quietly moved to grab Slog's collar.
– Bang!
However, Slog did not let himself be captured so easily.
With a loud explosion, the floor where he stood collapsed beneath him.
– Crunch!
A master of magitech, Ed Rothtaylor disarms magitech devices with just a glance at their form.
Therefore, Slog had activated an explosive magitech device from within his pocket.
– Whoosh!
"Augh!"
A piercing pain surged through his body as Slog, who had fallen to the floor below, rolled and barely managed to rise amidst the dust.
His mouth tasted metallic; yet, he was able to put some distance between himself and Ed Rothtaylor.
"Gasp, gasp!"
Slog limped down the hallway.
Ed, having landed after jumping through the destroyed hole, slowly turned his head towards the fleeing Slog.
A lay merchant would not easily endure such an explosion.
Despite this, Slog was escaping at quite a speed. Ed Rothtaylor, emerging from the dust, walked steadily towards him.
Slog, covered in blood, struggled through the corridors, pushing down furniture and cabinets in his path to hinder Ed Rothtaylor's advance.
But to Ed Rothtaylor, who advanced step by step, such obstacles were insignificant.
With a few gestures filled with magic, he cleared them all out of the window.
"I-ugh… gasp… gasp…!"
Slog knew that if Ed Rothtaylor decided to, capturing him would not be difficult.
Yet Ed Rothtaylor was simply narrowing the distance by walking.
He intended to find out who was backing Slog – not just throw Slog away, but also to eliminate the source of Slog's confidence. For that, he had to know who Slog would turn to for help in such a dire crisis.
Knowing this, Slog still had no choice but to run with all his might.
Reaching the end of the corridor, he found the emergency staircase. He hurried down but stumbled and fell.
As he tumbled down the stairs with a cacophony, Slog felt as if his whole body would shatter, but he clenched his teeth and rose again.
At the top of the stairwell, the figure of Ed Rothtaylor slowly descending the steps came into view.
Killer and victim. Pursuer and fugitive. Predator and prey.
"Do you… do you really think all this will be neatly resolved!"
With no more leisure to treat Ed Rothtaylor with the decorum of nobility, Slog raged.
"Do you really so confidently believe that you can dispose of me completely? Do you think it will end like that!"
"As I said, all preparations are complete. Just stay there, calmly."
"Sorry, but if you mess with me carelessly…!"
– Vroom
Just then, the sound of a massive horn filtered through the gaps in the damaged stairwell walls.
It was the music of Oldick's ceremonial band. Hearing the reverberating sound, Slog turned with shaking eyes to look behind him.
Through the gaping wreck, Elte's trading company's large iron gate was visible.
And there… an impressively grand carriage of the Holy City had arrived. The surrounding Oldick residents were all wide-eyed with shock.
Just like them, Slog was no different. He peered out at the panorama beyond the crumbling walls, staring intently.
As the…
It was said to be a rare sight even throughout one's lifetime—it was the carriage bearing the holy maiden of Sacred Dragon City.
"This… this is madness…."
– Boo- boo-
– Doom doom doom
Amidst the grand sounds of the music band, the carriage appeared and came to a halt within the vicinity of the Elte Corporation's grounds.
The crowd that had gathered at the corporation's main gate was massive in scale. The sudden appearance of the holy maiden only plunged the scene further into chaos.
Then, as the carriage door opened… Clarice, the holy maiden of Sacred Dragon City, revealed herself.
She looked as if the very concept of mystique had taken human form and descended upon the world.
If one could describe her in color, she would be the embodiment of pure, unsullied white.
White hair, white holy robes, white skin.
Amidst this, the contrasting red of her pupils stood out alongside the red butterfly hairpin.
Her steps descending from the carriage were light, like a graceful butterfly alighting onto a petal.
Before us was truly Clarice, the holy maiden in flesh.
She was not someone who could be impersonated lightly; such an act would bring about severe punishment.
Thus, holy Maiden Clarice set foot on the ground.
Following behind her were figures known to Slog as well.
The head maid of the Rothtaylor household, Belle Mayar, and the young child she held firmly by the hand, Lortelle.
Accompanied by numerous guards of Sacred Dragon City.
It was evident to anyone that the sudden appearance of Holy Maiden Clarice here was due to the machinations of Ed Rothtaylor. The presence of his retainer Belle Mayar at such a place led naturally to this conclusion.
Ed Rothtaylor had evidently sent his chief maid Belle Mayar to the government office in advance, arranging for Holy Maiden Clarice to be guided directly to Elte Corporation.
Still, one had to consider the feasibility of a plan.
Nobody could have imagined that the Holy Maiden of Seondo Carpea would truly be brought to the premises of Elte Corporation's headquarters.
"Why do you think Holy Maiden Clarice has come all the way to the headquarters of Elte Corporation?"
Ed Rothtaylor inquired from across the stairs, gazing down at Slog.
"She's here to stamp the contract for a pre-negotiated distribution deal with Elte Corporation. However, contrary to the arrangement, upon her arrival, she found the place in utter disarray."
No such deal had ever been brokered.
Yet, if Holy Maiden Clarice were to declare it, that would become the truth.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for such a figurehead to travel all this way in person. After all, there were hardly any connections between the Elte Corporation and Sacred Dragon City.
The maiden's very presence served as incontrovertible proof of some kind of deal between Sacred Dragon City and Elte Corporation.
Inevitably, it was only a matter of time before Slog would be pinned as the one who had buried a massive contract between Sacred Dragon City and Elte Corporation—all to preserve his own position.
– Boo-oo-oo-oo
The grand sounding of horns by the band.
Legitimacy and justification.
The sound heralded the loss of Slog's last weapon.
"I sincerely hope that the person supporting you is someone with far more authority than the Holy Maiden of Sacred Dragon City."
Ed Rothtaylor spoke indifferently as he descended the stairs.
"Otherwise… you'll no longer be able to maintain your position as Head."
It was neither a statement of confidence nor a taunt. It was merely a statement of fact.
But what good would saying such a thing do?
Considering the authority held by the Holy Maiden of Sacred Dragon City, finding someone on this continent who could match it would be a difficult feat indeed.
While observing the maiden through a gap in the wall, slog lowered his voice.
"That's right… If the connection with Sacred Dragon City is exposed so publicly, I'll have no means to refute it… Moreover, it creates the perfect conditions for Lortelle Keheln to ascend to the position of Head without any blowback…."
Then, turning back towards Ed, he said with an air of resignation,
"Ha ha…"
"…"
"You're curious about who's got my back, aren't you…"
Leaning against the broken wall, he took several ragged breaths.
He looked like a cornered rat.
Even amidst this, slog managed to lift the corners of his bloody mouth into a smile.
"Khe, ha ha…. Kakak… Kahahak… Kheuhuk…."
The laugh that escaped his lips sounded both resigned and hollow.
"Huuk… Huu…."
Leaning exhaustedly, Slog caught his breath and soon stood straight up again, speaking defiantly.
"Do you think I'll tell you?!"
– Bang!!!!
At that moment, Slog's last remaining device of demonic engineering caused an explosion.
Nearly torn to pieces, it was certain that Slog himself would not escape unharmed.
Regardless, Slog accepted the explosion without flinching and fell towards the lower levels of the building.
* * *
Dust rose into the air.
The explosion was sudden, but I remained unscathed. I had quickly surrounded myself with a protective magic barrier.
Having fallen to the lowest floor with Slog, I landed deftly and dusted off my clothes.
Amidst the rising dust, the thoroughly battered form of Slog became visible.
His hair was disheveled, and his face was splattered with blood.
Parts of his body, burnt by the explosion, were exposed, and he was a sight of horror.
His merchant clothes, now tattered, were far from being considered luxurious.
The room, previously used as a conference space before destruction, was lined with multiple tables – half of which were scattered from the blast's impact.
And as the dust settled, Slog's appearance could only make one's brows furrow.
"Gah… Heuheuk… Heu… Kuk… kukuk… kukukukuk…"
After gasping for breath and letting out an inexplicable laugh, he attempted to walk before collapsing onto a conference table.
With the iron rod stuck in his side, he vainly tried to push himself up from the table, but slipping in his own blood, he fell again.
Yet he continued to struggle, knowing it was futile.
"Must… escape… If I can just get a word out, this situation can be turned around… If I ask for help…."
"…"
"Kuk… euk…"
Ed Rothtaylor, completely unharmed, stood looking down at Slog from behind.
His expression remained impassive.
A battered Slog and an unscathed Ed Rothtaylor – circumstances were in favor of Ed, who could easily subdue Slog with one hand if he wished. Yet, Ed did not stir.
"Don't come any closer…! Leave me… leave me alone…! Kehuk… kuhk…"
Slog, trembling, clung to the conference table, unable to stabilize his wild eyes, and kept shouting emptily at Ed.
"I'm… sorry…! Indeed… I didn't expect you to resort to such brute tactics… Just… give me a little more mercy…"
"Slog Kelldrax."
"Yeah, that's right… Don't meddle with me! Do you have any idea who's got my back?! Do you think I'd have casually set foot in Rothtaylor territory and defied you so boldly, and subdued Lortelle with such audacity? Me, who's been a fixture in this Oldec for decades and come to know everything there is to know!?"
"…"
"Do you think I don't have anything to rely on?! I can assure you! If you lay a hand on me now… you will definitely regret it…!"
Slog had nowhere left to retreat.
Ignoring the blood streaming from his mouth, he tried to raise his voice once more.
"Let's end this farce. You've had everything go your way, Slog."
─A piercing rebuke.
Noticing that Slog's speech had halted, I slowly added,
"There's no one behind you, no one watching over you."
"…"
"It was all your own doing."
As I said this expressionlessly, Slog froze for a moment, staring at me.
After looking at me for a long while, he coughed up blood once more and then chuckled as if he had accepted his fate.
"Is… is that so… You knew all along… Keuk, keheuk…. Kuk… kukukuk… Kahahak… Kahahaha…. Kuk… kukuk… gahheuk… heuk…"
Finally, Slog's strength left him, and he collapsed onto the table.
His ragged clothes and body, lacerated all over, his overrun blood starting to coagulate on his skin everywhere, and his unfocused eyes made it hard to find their bearings.
His trampled and desperate state made him appear less like a merchant and more like a beggar sprawled out on the roadside.