Chapter 64: Enemy of the Empire (4) A restaurant in the Kanilan Independent State.
"…And thanks to a crazy bastard like that, I've been raking it in lately. That's what I'm saying."
Ren, the leader of the mercenary group 'Acarius,' tilted her head as she listened to her old friend, Russell.
"I have no idea what the hell you're talking about. You sell insurance, yet you're buying insurance?"
"You don't need to understand. It's just a way to lose money."
Russell's smugness was incredibly irritating to behold.
"…Fine. Just recommend something to me, too."
"Hey. When I was practically begging you to do it, you kept your eyes shut tight. Why the sudden change of heart?"
"Everyone but me is making a killing. They say they're printing money like it's coming out of a copier. Apparently, I'm the only one who's become an 'overnight beggar' while standing still."
Russell chuckled. Recently, the Kanilan stock market had skyrocketed. While asset values exploded, Ren, who had held only cash, had effectively lost money just by doing nothing.
"Want me to put it accurately? Since you and your company haven't invested for three years, your asset value has basically been halved."
"Sigh. Are you mocking me, you prick…?"
Ren ran a hand roughly through her hair.
"Mocking you? Perish the thought, valued client. Take a look at this."
Russell stopped cutting his steak and tossed a folder onto the table.
"It's a CDO—Collateralized Debt Obligation. It's our current money-printing machine. The greatest invention in human history."
Ren snatched the documents.
"I just buy this?"
"It's a contract. You sign a contract, kid."
"Dammit, you've been acting like a real arrogant prick for a while now, haven't you?"
"Oh? Ah. Well then, forget it—"
"I'm joking!"
Ren grabbed Russell's wrist as he tried to take the contract back.
"Do I just sign right here?"
"No. You have to decide how much you're investing. How much do you have?"
"Right now… I can put in about 3 million."
"That's it? Just that much? From the leader of the Acarius mercenaries?"
Ren furrowed her brow.
The guy had a greasy face to begin with, and combined with the swagger and the sarcasm, he was a real piece of work.
"I'm just an employee who draws a salary from the company, too."
"Then pull from the company funds."
"…Are you insane?"
"Good grief."
Russell shook his head as if she were hopeless. He spoke while chewing on a thick piece of steak.
"You still don't understand the concept of risk and return, do you?"
"Is using company money a 'risk'?"
"Hey, hey. How many times do I have to tell you that corporations can invest, too? You'll see a 30% return in a year. You could use that surplus profit to put up a building or something. If you just sign a one-year contract, you'll get a 30% profit more safely than putting it in a bank deposit."
"…30%?"
Thirty percent.
Ren's expression shifted to one of genuine interest.
"Yeah. But it needs to be at a certain scale. Money is pouring in not just from Kanilan, but from the West, the East, and the Empire."
"30%…"
"So, how much can you invest?"
At Russell's question, Ren swallowed hard before answering.
"…30 million."
"30 million? Great!"
Russell clapped his hands.
"That's 33 million total, then? I have a contract available at exactly that scale. Follow me. Ah, I really wasn't going to give this to just anyone."
Rising from his seat, Russell naturally picked up the bill. Ren reached out in surprise.
"Hey, hey. I'll pay. I'm the one who asked to meet."
"Uh-uh. How much could a mercenary leader possibly make? Valued client, I'll take care of this."
"…Hah."
Ren bit her lip.
The leader of a mercenary group ranked among the best on the continent, not just in Kanilan, was being treated like a pauper by a mere vice president of a securities firm. That was how much the world had changed.
"You're definitely investing, right?"
Russell asked, waving the bill.
For a moment, she felt the urge to bash this suit-wearing bastard's head in, but she steadied her heart once more.
"Yeah. I'm doing it. I'll do it. Let me make some money, too."
"That's the spirit. How long are you going to keep chasing Zebestian's coattails? I heard his son hit the jackpot with a mana stone mine and became some kind of tycoon…"
Maximilian von Ebenholtz's mana stone mine jackpot.
That was the reason Ren, the mercenary leader, had recently become interested in investing.
* * *
The black market on the 9th floor of the Underground City didn't fit the typical image of a 'black market.' Instead, it was a grand space designed like an ancient castle.
The ceiling was carved with Gothic arches, the floor was covered in purple carpet, and masked guards stood at the entrance.
I approached them and presented my ID card.
"Please, enter."
The first-floor hall was filled with stalls. There were all sorts of illegal goods, from rare magical items to forbidden drugs.
Thump—
The virus inside me pulsed again. It was the presence of an Izenheim. Not far inside, I saw a group from the Revolutionary Group walking somewhere. However, they disappeared into a separate, heavily guarded passage, seemingly as VVIPs of the black market.
"Tsk."
Disappointing, but it couldn't be helped. I had a separate mission for now.
I pulled a compass from my coat. It was the contact equipment Chiron had handed me. The needle spun around before pointing in one direction.
I walked that way.
Before long, the tip of the needle caught a particularly short man.
Tap. I placed a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to look at me.
I asked him, "Is it black fur?"
"…Yes. Follow me."
The resident agent pulled me toward a secluded corner of the black market.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Ashton."
"I am Maximilian."
"I heard from Sir Chiron in advance. First, this is the item we need to acquire."
The photo he showed me depicted a cylindrical bomb.
"It's a mana-chemical bomb. It was made by a crazy guy named 'Ekentoy,' and rumors say its performance is incredible."
Thump.
Even as we spoke, my heart pulsed steadily. I had expected it to some extent, but there were quite a few Izenheim here in this underground where the Empire's eyes couldn't reach.
"By the way. That place."
I pointed toward the VVIP passage the Revolutionary Group had just entered.
"Can we not go in there?"
"Ah, yes. VVIP status is by recommendation only, so you need connections."
That was a shame.
"How much does this bomb cost?"
"They're pricing it at roughly 1 million dollars. Ekentoy has his own corner, so follow me."
I followed him.
We climbed the stairs and reached a corner on the 3rd floor with a sign that read [The Life and Death of Ekentoy].
"That guy is Ekentoy. A terrorist organization called 'Skidmark' is currently trying to buy a bomb from him."
Where the agent pointed, there was a man who looked like a mad scientist, and a cylindrical bomb the size of a forearm was displayed in the prime spot.
I approached him and asked, "This bomb. How much?"
"Ah~ Hahahaha. It seems you've already heard the rumors and come looking. However, this has already been reserved—"
I opened my bag in front of his eyes. Imperial Dollars spilled out.
"2 million dollars. Is it reserved?"
"Uh…"
I opened the bag a bit more. More Imperial Dollars popped out.
"2.5 million dollars. Is it reserved?"
"Please, just take it~"
He chuckled as he gathered the dollars, and the mission was completed more anticlimactically than I had thought.
"Mr. Ashton. Since we're here, let's do some shopping."
"…Ah. Yes."
The dazed agent nodded belatedly. I looked around the black market while waiting for the Revolutionary Group to come down.
The way to choose good items was to leave it to the virus.
The virus, which had a deep understanding of mana, could easily distinguish well-carved mana.
I bought up everything the creature reacted to. Fountain pens, cloaks, prosthetic limbs, glasses, jewelry, and so on…
"…Is it really alright to buy this much?"
The agent was impressed by my spending.
"Pick one for yourself, Mr. Ashton."
"Oh, no. I'm fine—"
"Refusing a kindness is also not polite."
"…Understood."
Just as the agent was about to pick a small magic tool as a token of gratitude.
KABOOOOM—!
A massive explosion erupted from the upper part of the black market.
"It seems a fight has broken out."
At my words, the agent gave a bitter smile.
"It's a daily occurrence in the black market."
Indeed, no one seemed to care much.
The agent reached for a magic tool on the stall again—
BOOM—! KABOOM!
Explosions rang out in succession.
"…Is this a daily occurrence?"
"Ah… yes. Daily. It's a daily thing."
The agent stubbornly tried to grab a magic tool, something that looked like a crystal ball—
Creeeeeak—!
The ceiling tilted, and debris and rubble began to pour down from above.
It seemed a bomb terror attack had occurred.
The black market instantly turned into a scene of carnage. In the chaos, people began to evacuate.
"It's still a daily occurrence."
"Mr. Ashton. Take these and head up to the surface."
"No. It's daily. It's a daily thing!"
"I'll give you one of the items I bought."
"…Yes, sir."
I entrusted the items to the agent.
Thump—
Taking advantage of the chaos from the explosion, that guy emerged from the VVIP passage.
A core executive of the Revolutionary Group and a wanted criminal: Izenheim.
Thump—
I pursued him, pushing against the scattering crowd.
The man, who had hurriedly escaped the black market, threw himself down into a dark passage.
Thump—
I jumped down after him.
Using my heartbeat as a GPS, I tracked him.
Thump—
Finally, the place the virus pointed to was in front of a sewer.
Unidentified filth flowed viscously along the edges, and sewer rats squeaked and scurried beneath my feet.
"…."
I tightened my gas mask and entered. It was pitch black without a single point of light, but I moved through the darkness following only the resonance of my heart.
Thump—
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
This was an outskirts where the Empire's gaze and power did not easily reach.
Could I, all on my own, overcome the enemy?
Thump—
…No, even such fear is a luxury.
Do not waver, Maximilian.
You are the one who cut down Dune Khan.
There are no more nightmares for you.
You must not fear battle. Rather, you must enjoy it as you move forward.
If you believe in yourself, you will surely win.
Thump—
Taking a deep breath, I felt inside my coat. I still had the insurance called 'Super Stimpak.'
Thump—!
Following the pulse that was becoming clearer, I turned a corner and saw the man's silhouette in the distance.
Step.
The moment I took a single step forward.
"…Are you with them?"
At his question, I gripped my longsword.
"Yes. I'm with them."
Suddenly, a third party's voice came from behind me.
The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I spun around in shock.
It was Sonette Kandel, whose presence I hadn't even detected.
She nodded at me expressionlessly.
"Nice to meet you, Sir Knight."
"…Your footsteps are quite silent."
Even though all my attention had been focused on the man, Sonette's movement had been perfectly concealed.
"Was it?"
Sonette approached the man as if it were nothing. I was momentarily confused.
Was Sonette a member of the Revolutionary Group?
No, that couldn't be. She had definitely been hanged and died.
"Let me introduce you."
Sonette said, pointing at the man.
"This is Mr. Arustel, an internal informant for the Revolutionary Group."
I tilted my head at Sonette's introduction. My body just moved that way on its own.
An Izenheim was Sonette's internal informant?
Again, I stared blankly at the man named Arustel.
"Come and sit."
Sonette gestured in the air. Mana bloomed, manifesting an elegant table and three chairs that were entirely out of place with the stench of the sewer.
I approached and sat down.
"Did you induce this meeting from the beginning?"
"No. It's a coincidence. If I had to blame something, it would be Sir Maximilian's intuition."
Sonette continued as she pulled out a thermos and teacups.
"We delivered the relevant information to Sir Chiron's resident agent, and Sir Chiron assigned the mission to Sir Maximilian. Originally, the mission should have ended with the recovery of the bomb, but…"
Sonette's gaze swept over me.
"Sir Maximilian's eye for detail is quite remarkable. Do you remember all the wanted criminals?"
"Yes. I remember most of them."
All the wanted posters distributed by the Knights were stored in my head. It had become that way because of the virus as well.
"How did you predict that I would track him?"
"You lifted his robe with the wind."
A hollow laugh escaped me despite myself. Sonette was indeed Sonette. The true core of the Kandel family, incomparable to someone like Jun.
She continued.
"So, rather than an unnecessary fight breaking out, I thought it would be better to introduce him."
I looked at her intently and asked back, "Who exactly are you?"
"I am the eldest daughter of the Kandel family. I have a law license and a medical license, I've published three volumes of essays, and I run businesses in the Underground City."
She was a major player in the Underground City, both then and now. Though I didn't know specifically what kind of major player she was.
"Is this black market that business?"
"Yes. But the shares are divided. My rank is quite low."
"Was the terror attack just now intentional too?"
"It's a perfect excuse for a meeting."
Sonette said all of this without any change in her expression.
She gestured toward the seat next to her.
"This Mr. Arustel is also part of my business."
I turned back to the Izenheim.
"…Nice to meet you. I am Arustel. Code name: Gideon. I am in love with the Kandel lady."
Sonette let out a short sigh, and for me, it was disgusting.
An Izenheim pretending to be human. That son of a bitch.
I wanted to cut him down right then and there, but I needed to understand this situation first.
"Ahem. That was a joke. First, I want to tell you that I am the one who delivered the information that a terrorist group was trying to purchase this bomb."
I glared at him and asked, "Why bother cooperating with the Empire?"
"I'm sick of this life. I'm exhausted. Devoting my life to a world that hasn't changed in over a decade… it's quite meaningless."
Arustel let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.
"I want to retire. A new face. A new identity. I want to live as something like a billionaire."
This bastard is a good actor. His facial expressions changed as if they had been stitched together stitch by stitch.
If he hadn't been an Izenheim, would I have been fooled too?
"And?"
"Since the meeting has been arranged, I have a request."
Trickle. Sonette poured tea into the cups.
"For me?"
"I am merely a lady of the Kandel family. I have very few inheritances to receive. Even if I run a few businesses, I cannot provide Mr. Arustel with a proper identity and make him a billionaire."
Indeed, Sonette called this a 'business.' It meant she was a kind of broker.
I looked at Arustel.
"And what can you give in return?"
"Accurate information on the whereabouts of one of the Revolutionary Group's leaders. Code name: 'Red Flower'."
Arustel smiled and raised a finger.
"And, one more thing."
Staring at his smug face and listening to his voice that curled unnecessarily like a poet's, I thought:
"Did you know that the flames of revolution have also infiltrated the Sentinel Knights?"
As a regressor, this was information I already knew.
The whereabouts of Red Flower, the existence of a Sentinel Knight harboring revolution—all of it.
Which meant his information had no value, and if it had no value…
Was there any need to keep a guy who was clearly a 'double agent' alive?
If I could keep an Izenheim alive and use him, I would, but was there any reason to endure the opportunity cost of having to be 'manipulated' by him and Sonette?
My thoughts were organized in an instant.
I gripped the sword at my back.
—Tick
Time slowed. A silent draw.
The most aristocratic sword of Ebenholtz was, ironically, most efficient when ambushing an opponent.
——Slash.
A silver arc illuminated the sewer, and the blade quietly passed through a neck.
Blood splattered onto Sonette's face.
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