The Bear Performs the Tricks (2)
The only reason the manager couldn’t argue against Patrick’s unreasonable demands was the enormous profit he stood to gain from the trap Patrick had laid for him. “Want to try a targeted investigation?” The message had arrived by courier in the form of a single, simple letter. Its contents were brief, but the weight behind them was anything but light.
“But are you truly certain? That there really is a black market?”
“Of course there is. Think about it. In this tiny rural territory, that much coral has been hauled up for over ten years—enough to fill both hands. Yet have you ever heard of anyone in this domain growing rich by selling jewels from the sea? And you’re a local, aren’t you?”
“······No, sir.”
“What does that tell you?”
“But… it’s possible the jewels were fake, isn’t it?”
“You’re still saying that after seeing this?”
“······”
When the manager laid eyes on the coral bead Patrick pulled from his pocket, he fell silent. If anyone could look at that and still call it fake, their eyes weren’t eyes at all—they were knotholes.
“Then it really is······”
“There are fishermen who brought coral to sell, yet no one ever sold it at a proper price, and no one who bought it has come forward. The story writes itself.”
“······But why assume a black market? If it was just a private transaction, it wouldn’t even be illegal. The vice-leader could simply claim he didn’t know its true value. Besides, merchants buying low and selling high isn’t exactly a crime. The buyer shares some of the blame for being fooled, doesn’t he?”
“Listen to yourself. You sound like a real manager now. Forget it. I’m not working with you.”
“N-no, that’s not what I meant! I’m saying that’s what the law says—the law!”
“Exactly. If it had been a legitimate private transaction, why hasn’t a single rumor spread? Doesn’t that strike you as strange?”
“······Well, because they wanted to keep fleecing the fishermen······”
“You think the high-and-mighty nobles who buy and sell that precious coral would keep their mouths shut for ten whole years just to swindle a few fishermen?”
“······”
Patrick clicked his tongue. “At this rate, how are you ever going to get promoted, being this slow?”
“So it can’t possibly be a private transaction.”
“What if they sent the goods somewhere outside our territory to trade?”
“I already checked with Lord Oren. Around the time the Dunbrook fishermen traded their fish and coral, did the vice-leader ever leave on a long trading trip?”
Patrick plucked an unripe apple from a nearby tree and took a bite as he continued. “He says no.”
“······Is that true?”
“It is. Oren Merchant Group is unusual—Lord Oren himself travels everywhere while the vice-leader handles the internal affairs. Do you really think the vice-leader could disappear during the busiest seasons for food trading, summer and autumn?”
“That does make sense. Still… what if he had his subordinates secretly sell the coral far away?”
“One or two times, maybe they could’ve kept it secret. But we’re talking ten years here. Ten years. Even mountains and rivers change in that time.”
When mountains and rivers could change, there was no reason to believe something as flimsy as human loyalty or secrecy would remain unchanged. Besides, dark secrets had a peculiar way of cracking open over time, their contents leaking out bit by bit.
“If he didn’t handle it himself and used someone else’s hands, the real miracle would be if that secret stayed buried for ten years.”
The manager had no reply to Patrick’s cynical words.
“So there has to be a place where the vice-leader can dispose of the coral without ever leaving his post. And the only place like that is a black market, isn’t it?”
“······It would seem so.”
“You’re a local. Haven’t you heard any rumors?”
“I grew up rather ordinary, so······”
“······Tsk. Useless. Completely useless.”
“Anyway, you saw my performance, right? I made sure no one suspected a thing. From here on, it’s up to you. You want that promotion, don’t you?”
“But why me?”
The eager new manager suddenly turned to Patrick with a curious expression.
“Couldn’t you have sent a letter directly to His Lordship? Why tell me all this?”
“Because there’s no evidence.”
Patrick chuckled, having already finished the apple. “No proof that the Dunbrook fishermen sold their coral to the vice-leader at a fraction of its worth for the past ten years. Since it was the vice-leader’s personal money, it never appeared in the merchant group’s records or anywhere else. How can I accuse him of ties to a black market when there’s no evidence he even bought the coral in the first place?”
“Ah······”
“If there’s no evidence, you make it.”
“Who does?”
“There are people for that.”
In every K-drama about catching bad guys, there was always that scene.
“The capital’s magic tower really does teach some fascinating things······”
“Something like that.”
Patrick had only given a vague answer, but he found it rather convenient that people were so quick to jump to their own conclusions.
“So what are you going to do?”
“Leave it to me. If I can’t take advantage of an opportunity like this, I don’t deserve to be called a manager.”
Joseph, the new manager, silently vowed that this time he would finally catch the lord’s eye.
“Whew. I suppose it’s about time to break out the thick blankets at night.”
The vibrant green of summer was slowly fading, giving way to the rich hues of autumn. As the season changed, Josh had finally left the island, insisting he could no longer delay his shop’s opening. Patrick found himself oddly missing the man’s constant pestering now that he was gone.
‘Ah, whatever. He’ll probably come back anyway.’
But a farmer in autumn had no time for sentiment. First came the task of harvesting every last crop that needed gathering. Then there were the new plantings—mustard greens, celery, and the like—that required preparing the soil once more. Fields that had already yielded their crops needed to be turned with compost and left to rest, while harvested produce had to be cleaned, stored, or sorted for sale at the village warehouse. The growing flock of chickens, ducks, and goats also demanded attention, along with repairs to their pens and the preparation of winter hay.
“And I still need to mend the nets and traps.”
Even the fishing gear required maintenance.
“Who the hell said farming was easy? Or relaxing? Damn broadcasters and their lies!”
This wasn’t the life he’d dreamed of! Hadn’t he already escaped the endless cycle of work from dawn to dusk in his previous life? Why was he stuck on the same hamster wheel again?
“Life, seriously······ Ugh!”
At this point, he must have sold out his country in a past life beyond the previous one. There was no other explanation.
“And of course the potatoes and onions are doing ridiculously well. Ugh!”
Patrick had come to realize that farming stressed you out whether the harvest was good or bad.
“Teacher, the village chief says you should come down!”
“I’m extremely busy right now.”
“He said it’s extremely important!”
“I’m also extremely busy harvesting potatoes!”
“I’m not here to play word games!”
“Fine, fine. I’m coming.”
Ben came panting up the hill to deliver the message.
‘Since he called me while I’m busy, I should make him help with the farm work later.’
As Patrick entered the village, pondering what task to foist onto the chief, he sensed something was off.
‘Why does the atmosphere feel so strange?’
It wasn’t the usual mood at all.
‘What’s going on?’
Patrick tilted his head in confusion as he made his way toward the village hall, and soon realized the source of the unease.
“Ben.”
“Yes?”
“Where did everyone go?”
“They’re at the village hall.”
“Why is everyone at the village hall? There’s nothing special happening today.”
The answer didn’t come from Ben, but from the village chief, who had been waiting in front of the hall.
“The results are in, Teacher!”
“······!”
The long-delayed day of reckoning had finally arrived.
“What on earth is all this about?”
“How should I know?”
“Shh! Be quiet!”
With an exaggerated flourish, the manager untied the lord’s letter, which had been bound with an ornate silk cord, drawing every eye in the room. Then he began to speak.
“It has been revealed that Belfour, the vice-leader of the Oren Merchant Group, has long conducted illicit transactions with criminals through the black market. The goods they bought and sold included not only precious metals, but also forbidden herbs, unregistered monster carcasses, and even records of human trafficking.”
Joseph, once the bumbling new manager, now spoke with an air of authority. It was almost comical, but the content was anything but.
‘So it wasn’t just a simple fence operation.’
Patrick wondered what had drawn such people to this rural territory in the first place. Then again, perhaps that was exactly why they had chosen it—because no one would suspect them.
The lord must have been furious. Discovering that such scum had been operating right under his nose, he probably wanted nothing more than to have them executed on the spot.
“Therefore, Belfour, the vice-leader of the Oren Merchant Group who has long served as an appraiser for the black market’s key figures, along with the other major criminals uncovered in this case, will be transported to the capital to face the full severity of imperial law.”
The fact that the lord of Eltron was sending them to the capital rather than handling the matter himself suggested that this black market was not operating alone, but was likely connected to others in different regions.
‘This might have been just a branch.’
If the scale of the incident was larger than expected, that also meant a bigger share of the rewards. The true essence of life was found in the give-and-take of favors.
“In recognition of the Dunbrook villagers who provided crucial clues and evidence for resolving this case, rewards shall be bestowed. Let all the people of Eltron territory take note and follow their example!”
“Blessings upon His Lordship!”
“Blessings!”
“Blessings!”
The moment Joseph finished reading, the village chief led a chorus of cheers that echoed again and again. Several fishermen, including Halmae’s eldest son, flushed red with excitement at its peak.
“Teacher! Teacher! From now on, whenever coral gets caught in the nets, the lord’s castle will buy it at full price! They’ve even issued permits so we can go straight to the castle without going through anyone else!”
“Oh? Is that so? That’s wonderful.”
Patrick had thought so before, but the lord of this territory really was quite decent. He might not be the type to proactively look after his people, but he was precise with rewards and punishments, and meticulous in his handling of affairs.
‘If coral keeps getting caught like before, the fishing cooperative could become rich overnight at this rate.’
It was a decision that also prevented any potential conflict among the villagers over greed. No merchant in their right mind would approach the fishermen to steal coral that the lord himself had declared he would purchase. And since the buyers were now fixed, the island’s fishermen couldn’t accept bribes from merchants either. If the goal had been to prevent chaos in the village, it was a masterstroke.
“Mage!”
“I can barely recognize you in those clothes.”
“I bought new ones. Hehe. They’re custom-tailored, you know.”
“Really? Did you get promoted?”
Joseph, who had somehow made his way to Patrick’s side, nodded with a grin so wide it looked like his face might split.
“The fastest promotion in our lord’s castle. Hehe. Oh, right! I almost forgot something important.”
After muttering to himself, Joseph suddenly looked startled and hurried back up to the platform, clearing his throat.
“His Lordship has also decreed that the purchase of coral will begin immediately today! Anyone who has any should come forward! ······The price will be paid on the spot, so if anyone has coral pieces at home—perhaps used as decorations—please step forward!”
At that, Patrick quickly asked, “What about the ones the vice-leader took······?”
“Ah, those have already been recovered.”
“Great! Of course they’ll pay for those too······!”
“Yes, of course, Mage. However······”
“······However?”
“Since they’re considered evidence to be sent to the capital, we can’t pay for them right away. Once all the trials are concluded and the evidence is returned to Eltron, the settlement will be made then.”
“Ah, well. That’s fine. It’s not like it’ll take ten or twenty years.”
“Indeed. Haha. Perhaps the fishing cooperative might finally get that harbor they’ve always dreamed of.”
“······Huh?”
What was he talking about? Why would the fishing cooperative build a harbor with his money?
“Ah, Mage. Naturally, that would be the fishing cooperative’s share. You understand, right?”
No, he didn’t. Patrick felt as though he could see the wings sprouting from his lottery ticket as it flew far, far away.
“Excuse me, Manager.”
“Hm? What is it, kid?”
“Can I sell this too?”
“Oh! Of course! So you had something valuable. Haha!”
“Wow! Guys, we can sell these!”
“Really? Wow!”
“I have some too!”
“Me too!”
“······?”
At that moment, Patrick saw the children in front of him pulling out beads one by one, their faces bright with smiles.
“Thank you, Teacher!”
“You’re the best, Teacher!”
Be quiet, please······
Feeling as though his mind was about to snap, Patrick chose to simply close his eyes.