Chapter 75: A Nuisance An unnamed orphanage in District 42.
Entikkan stared silently at the single check resting on his desk.
It was just a slip of paper, a donation from Maximilian von Ebenholtz. Yet, with this money, he could fix the leaking roof. He could replace the boiler—which left the building freezing every winter—with a state-of-the-art magical engine. He could feed the children special meals filled with meat and fruit until they were full, and even take in more of the children wandering the streets.
Even after all that, there would still be a vast amount left over.
"..."
Entikkan sank into a heavy silence.
The Empire's nobles generally looked down on all sub-species with equal contempt. Among them, the Yaken faced particularly severe discrimination. It was so blatant that even commoners hesitated to associate with them.
But Maximilian was different. He had gone out of his way to bring them back after they were taken by the police and had expressed genuine goodwill toward the Yaken.
No, even before that.
How did Maximilian know they had been 'arrested' in the first place?
"...Was it you?"
Entikkan looked at the photo of Eric Tarik in the weathered frame.
Eric had been a man of few words. He was the very definition of the taciturn, rugged stereotype associated with the Yaken. Just one of many.
He was born in a nomadic tent in the wilderness, raised by its winds, and had spent his life wandering with his wife, who was also a shepherd.
To him, borders and the Empire's annexations meant nothing, and that became even truer after his wife passed away.
He was a wild man who never integrated into civilized society, a man whose entire life consisted of carving paths where none existed.
If such a man had managed to move the heart of an Ebenholtz, a pure-blooded Imperial noble…
If he was the one who had planted seeds of goodwill toward the Yaken in such a high-ranking aristocrat…
"That would be the ultimate comedy."
Entikkan muttered with a self-deprecating sneer. To him, Eric was a source of both love and hatred. He loved him as a brother, but he always resented Eric's irresponsibility—wandering while ignoring reality, only to die a lonely death in a foreign land.
And yet, was it true that only a person can truly open another's heart?
Knock, knock.
The sound broke his reverie.
"Yes."
An orphanage staff member entered hesitantly.
"Um, Director. The grocery bill is overdue again…"
Entikkan tucked the check into his drawer and looked up. The worry had vanished from his face.
"It's fine. We won't have to worry about money from now on."
"Pardon?"
"This month's wages were a bit delayed. I'm sorry. I'll be able to pay the back wages soon, along with a generous bonus for all your hard work."
He had originally intended not to use this money.
A noble's money—especially money with unclear intentions—was poison. Entikkan himself harbored an instinctive hostility and suspicion toward the Imperial nobility.
However, he felt that Maximilian might be different.
The man had nothing to gain from him anyway, and more importantly…
"If there are any children who show talent, please draw up a list."
With this money, he could do more than just provide material comforts.
"Starting today, I intend to provide them with a proper education."
He could give the children of the orphanage dreams and the means to achieve them.
That was far more important than his own pride.
* * *
A pitch-black space where vision was useless. In this place, where even the distinction between up and down was blurred, lay the Veil. It was a ghostly coordinate that did not exist on any map, crafted by an anonymous mage—a secret point for those who carried on the Great Cause. Inside, where only authorized shadows could tread—
"Mensi has been selected as Maximilian's executive secretary."
A voice echoed.
It was Sensi, the comrade wearing the Rabbit Mask. As the sole survivor and key operative of the Gigantes sabotage mission, her status within the organization had risen significantly.
"That is good news," a shadow replied.
Though they didn't know how long it would last, being able to track even a portion of the movements of Maximilian—their highest-priority surveillance target—was invaluable in itself.
"Is Mensi that woman? The one who was always sniffing around?"
"Yes."
"I thought she was just an ordinary Yaken, but she's quite capable."
Nodding with satisfaction, the shadow suddenly looked at Sensi.
"Sensi. How is your condition?"
"..."
She remained silent for a long time. Instead of an answer, a thin, suppressed groan leaked through her clenched teeth.
"...It might have been better if I had just died that day."
Her memories of that day were hazy, but Sensi had been helped by someone mysterious. The destruction of the Gigantes had succeeded thanks to that man. However, Aigle had been a traitor, and Tagan, her long-time companion, was dead. The psychological and physical scars were deep.
"Rest for a while. Make sure you don't arouse any suspicion."
"...Fine."
She stood up unsteadily and left the Veil.
"..."
The man left behind, one of the managers of the Veil, opened a desk drawer.
He created a new file labeled 'Mensi - Yukia Tarik' and tucked it deep into the filing cabinet.
* * *
I investigated the noble who had once gone on an expedition with Eric Tarik. Through a cycle of moderate pressure and persuasion, I obtained an accurate account of that day.
As expected, the noble had rejected the path Eric suggested. Despite the noble's unreasonable demands, Eric had fulfilled his duty as a guide until the very end, when he fell to his death.
The Empire was truly crawling with such bastards.
I dispatched a search party in secret, though it would take some time. Even if his body had perished, I only needed to secure the artifacts he had possessed during his life.
It wasn't impossible. Mana-infused artifacts don't weather easily; they never rot.
"...Is this the place?"
Anyway.
Today, I arrived at a premium auction held on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital, which dealt only with high-bred animals. Schatz accompanied me as my guard.
"There are many dogs. Horses, too."
Schatz's face was slightly flushed with excitement. I immediately looked around the large dog section. One breed in particular stood out.
The Aran Shepherd.
As one could guess from the fact that it dared to bear the name 'Aran,' it was a well-rounded breed beloved by the Imperial Family and the nobility. They were said to lack nothing in bravery, loyalty, intelligence, or physical ability.
Yap! Woof! Whine!
Inside the enclosure where newborn large dogs barked with dignity, I stared at one pup in particular.
It had odd eyes—one blue, one gold. A shepherd sitting calmly, looking up at the sky.
It was the very same dog that had graced the front page of the newspapers before my regression.
──[Special Feature: The Miracle Dog, Meeting the Odd-Eyed Hero 'Leo']──
...During the recent terrorist attack, Leo, the hero dog, accurately located Cabinet Minister Emilton beneath the rubble of a collapsed building and used mana to withstand the collapse. His story is moving the Republic...
* * *
Not only humans but animals can also manipulate mana. Though rare, creatures called 'spirit beasts' instinctively use mana to strengthen their bodies or extend their senses.
"Oh! Sir Knight!"
The owner of the dogs came running over. He brushed back his blond hair and smiled.
"You have a good eye. These are top-grade Aran Shepherds with guaranteed pedigrees. Every one of them here has incredible mana sensitivity, and their intelligence is on par with a young child's. They already understand simple commands."
"Sit! Stay! Jump!"
The young dogs immediately followed their owner's commands. Schatz's eyes widened.
"Ooh."
I pointed to the pup with the odd eyes.
"What about that one?"
"Ah... well, Sir Knight. That one is an auction item—"
"Too much hassle. Just write down a reasonable amount."
I handed him a blank check. The owner's eyes nearly bulged out of his head, while Schatz looked like she wanted the other puppies as well.
"Sir Knight. It might be good to have a few more as guard dogs for the Genen Annex."
"Then do that. You pick them."
"Thank you!"
Schatz went right into the pen to inspect the puppies, and the owner returned the check to me after writing down a suitable amount.
"Yes. Let's go with this."
"I-I'll have them ready for you immediately!"
Leo. I planned to raise this fellow the Ebenholtz way.
Which meant I was going to feed him elixirs.
If he was a creature that knew how to use mana, he should be able to digest elixirs well enough.
"...Huh?"
Suddenly, I spotted a familiar face. It was Julian. He was in civilian clothes, and there was a ball of fluff tucked under his arm.
"Sir Julian?"
"Hmm?"
Woof! Woof!
The white ball of fluff under Julian's arm suddenly started barking at me. It wasn't an Aran Shepherd, a Davons, or a hound.
It was a small dog that looked like it didn't have an ounce of combat power—just small and cute.
Julian spoke.
"A Pomeranian. A guard dog with the blood of lions. It has an excellent sense of smell and a wide range of territory detection, making it perfect for guarding a mansion."
"Ah, I see."
"And you?"
"An Aran Shepherd. His name is Leo. He has mismatched eyes."
I showed him Leo.
Woof! Woof!
The Pomeranian barked.
"I didn't know you liked dogs."
I smiled and nodded at Julian's question.
"Doesn't the Empire need hunting dogs as well?"
From now on, I would build the justification to protect the Yaken, who were treated like nothing more than hunting dogs.
My power and wealth would be the foundation, and my words and actions would be the justification.
"I suppose so. Well then, have a good weekend."
"Yes. You too, Sir Julian. Raise it well."
Julian left while stroking the Pomeranian, and Schatz soon returned with five Aran Shepherds. Her arms were full of wriggling puppies.
"Schatz. It seems like there have been some tails following us lately?"
I glanced at a car parked not too far away. There were people following me even on the weekend.
"Yes. Likely from the Direct Agency. Shall I deal with them?"
"No. Don't provoke them for no reason."
I smiled as I stroked Leo.
"Didn't you say Reutern II wanted to see me?"
"Yes. It's likely about money. He was one of the shareholders of Gigantes as well."
"I know. Tell him we'll meet this evening."
I had a gift for that man I wanted to beat to death.
Well, as the old saying goes, you give an extra rice cake to the one you hate.
"It's time to start the setup."
...
A private room in a high-end restaurant.
"Everyone's jealous of me thanks to you! Even the knights at the Palace are drooling over it!"
Reutern II bragged as he sliced into a rare steak dripping with blood. Hanging from his neck like an accessory was the Master-grade Mana Stone Cube I had sent him.
It was an eyesore, but I nodded as if impressed.
"It suits you well."
"Doesn't it? But listen. I heard you're filling the vacancy left by Gigantes?"
"Yes. It just happened to turn out that way."
"You're going to make a lot of money... Ah, wait. I heard you lost a lot because your investments failed?"
His face made me want to kill him, but diplomacy was necessary. There was no chess piece easier to move than this man. He was the one with the best bloodline among the idiots in the Palace.
"Yes. It was quite a large sum."
"Ah~ I've had so many expenses lately, it's a headache. The cost of maintaining my dignity is no joke."
Reutern gave me a suggestive look. It was a signal to hand something over.
"You know, when you were bidding for Gigantes, I pushed really hard for you behind the scenes, right? Do you have any idea how much I spent on drinks with those bureaucrats—"
"I am well aware."
As if waiting for the fool to finish his nonsense, I pulled out a document envelope and placed it on the table.
"That's why I prepared this. It's a bearer bond designed specifically for you, Lord Reutern."
"...Oh?"
A bead of greed welled up in his eyes.
I recited exactly what Dieter had explained to me.
"It's a bond issued by a special purpose vehicle established in the Kanilan Independent State. On the surface, it looks like a corporate bond from an ordinary trading company, but it's designed so that laundered funds from various shell companies gather there."
In short, it meant handing over the entire profit gained from laundering and cashing out dirty money.
"As long as you have this bond, you can exchange it for cash at any bank in Kanilan without identity verification. About this much pure cash will be deposited every year."
I held up my fingers. Reutern's eyes flashed with greasy excitement.
"...Hoh."
Gulp. He swallowed hard. He set down his cutlery and leaned forward.
"You're giving this to me?"
"I came here specifically to give it to you, Lord Reutern. It's thanks to you that I won the bid for the munitions business."
Reutern's face brightened instantly.
"Wow, Max. You've really changed! Before, you couldn't even look people in the eye and you'd stutter. When I first saw you, I thought you were a real idiot! Hahaha!"
I forced a bitter smile.
This son of a bitch still talked like trash even when I was giving him money.
"To think that Max has grown this much! I'm so proud! Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"No. I don't have many acquaintances in the Palace, so simply maintaining a friendship with you is enough for me."
"Ah~ you really have a way with words. I like it, I like it a lot. Then I'll accept this with great thanks."
Just as Reutern was about to snatch the bond, I firmly gripped his wrist.
"However, Lord Reutern."
"What, what is it?"
"There is an important point."
I lowered my gaze and whispered seriously.
"You must keep this a secret. It would be troublesome if it became known that I gave you this bond. You know how the people at the Palace are."
"Ah, of course! You know my lips are sealed, right? Don't you worry."
I gave a small nod and released his wrist. Reutern, now thoroughly excited, tucked the bond into his inner pocket and gulped down his wine.
"Max, if any other bastards start barking for money, tell me! I'll shut them down immediately!"
This shell company and the bonds Reutern now possessed would soon find their way to the Palace's Direct Agency through an anonymous tip.
The tip would probably say something like this:
'Maximilian von Ebenholtz is laundering funds embezzled from the munitions business.'
Lutz, the department head of the Direct Agency, would never overlook such a conspicuous and suspicious flow of funds. Once his gaze was fixed on me, he would track it relentlessly, only to find Reutern II at the end of the trail instead of me.
When that day comes... I only need to watch from afar.
"Max, you have a drink too!"
"...Yes. Thank you."
We laughed together and clinked our wine glasses.
Clink.
A single match is enough to burn away a nuisance.
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