Too Much Money (3)
"Please, think it over once more. I can guarantee you, an opportunity like this comes once in a lifetime—if at all."
Yohan had secretly hoped the man would blow his top right then and there, but Louis Dorleans was showing far more patience than expected. From the bastard's perspective, getting Yohan to accept the business proposal was obviously the best outcome. That was why he was trying to persuade him as much as possible.
Well, let's give him a little hope before ripping it away.
Yohan furrowed his brow and let out a heavy sigh, pretending to be locked in deep contemplation.
"To be honest, Mr. Dorleans, you are absolutely right. An uncharted world across the sea... just hearing about it makes my heart race."
"Exactly! And that's not all. Once you set foot on that land across the sea as part of the vanguard, all the resources coming out of the New Continent will be..."
The gist of the venture was to establish a base in the colony, monopolize the logistics route based on the records of the charted sea path, and ultimately distribute the resources and profits gathered from the colony according to each party's investment ratio. However, the business Louis Dorleans described had a fatal flaw.
Because this world possessed the cheat-like technology of teleportation magic, long-distance transportation networks were remarkably advanced compared to its general scientific level. Paradoxically, however, the very existence of teleportation magic had hindered the development of conventional transportation. Land travel was mostly limited to carriages. While there were engines powered by mana, they were rarely used because their operating costs were astronomically higher than those of simple carriages.
At best, there were boats carrying cargo and passengers along the rivers flowing through the continent, while things like airplanes existed purely as abstract concepts. A skilled mage could fly using flight magic, but if they had to transport other people or heavy cargo, it was far more practical to just use teleportation magic.
For that reason, the only practical application of flight magic was on the battlefield—and even then, a long peace had been maintained for the past few hundred years under the dual hegemony of the Empire and the Holy Kingdom. Consequently, the common sense of this world was to walk or ride horses for short distances, and use teleportation magic circles for long distances.
Of course, the fee for using a teleportation magic circle was far too expensive for ordinary people to afford, so there was still a demand for passenger and cargo transport via land routes or rivers. Crescent Port was a prime example. Low-value, high-volume goods like grain, which were too cheap to justify the cost of teleportation, were often shipped along coastal waters between neighboring nations.
But teleportation magic circles were a different story. Traveling through a magic circle was undoubtedly fast and safe. No matter how far the distance, one could cross it in an instant without worrying about highwaymen along the way. However, a massive teleportation magic circle had to be constructed at both the departure point and the destination, and activating it consumed a vast amount of mana every single time. Thus, teleportation magic circles were an incredibly expensive method of transport. To compare it to modern transportation, it was like an airplane—but one that only offered first-class seats.
On the other hand, while maritime shipping was economical in terms of maintenance, the transit speed was agonizingly slow. Crucially, the shipbuilding and navigational technologies of this world were not advanced enough to freely traverse the open ocean. In other words, even if one survived an indefinite voyage on a poorly built ship and managed to discover a new continent through sheer grit, transporting resources back via shipping was practically impossible.
The only viable solution would be to install a teleportation magic circle in the colony. However, transporting the tools and materials required to build one was a monumental challenge in itself, and even if the circle were completed, there was no guarantee that the profits would outweigh the astronomical maintenance costs. For these reasons, this was a venture with nothing but extreme risks.
...Or at least, that was Yohan's analysis. It was a flaw that an ordinary resident of this fantasy world would not easily notice.
You'd probably have to be from a corporate nation like Burgund, or at least have a deep understanding of long-distance logistics networks utilizing teleportation magic circles, to spot it, Yohan figured.
Furthermore, even if the business plan Louis Dorleans spoke of actually existed, the masterminds who first conceived it certainly didn't have good intentions. In all likelihood, the project itself was a complete lie, and even if it had actually been drafted, it was nothing but a scam.
"Hmm..."
Yohan continued to play-act his dilemma. He put on a grand show, gripping the tablecloth for no reason and raising his wine glass to his lips only to pause and set it back down. He kept up this agonizing act, letting Louis Dorleans squirm in suspense for a good while.
"Mr. Dorleans."
"Please, speak, madam."
Falco spoke up, addressing Louis directly this time. Louis's face lit up instantly, and he nodded eagerly.
"What do you think of family, Mr. Dorleans?"
"Family?"
At Falco's question, not only Louis but even Yohan tilted his head in confusion, wondering what she was getting at. Still, she must have had some sort of plan in mind...
"My husband and I met during a very difficult time in our lives. Perhaps because we shared so much pain together, I can't even begin to imagine living apart from him now."
This was no lie. Although the marriage was a smokescreen to deceive Louis Dorleans, Yohan and Falco had truly bonded when they both barely escaped death. They had been together for a long time since then, and even when Yohan had traveled to the Holy Kingdom with Annie, he had found himself thinking of Falco.
Meanwhile, Louis's eyebrows twitched at her words. Her last remark had clearly struck a nerve. To put it bluntly, he was triggered. But the reaction was fleeting; he quickly recovered his usual smooth smile and nodded.
"I understand what you mean. You are saying that even for a chance at immense wealth and honor, you would rather not be parted from your beloved husband."
For some reason, Falco shook her head at his response.
"That is not the answer I was looking for. Give me an honest answer. What do you truly think of family, Mr. Dorleans?" she pressed sharply.
"Haha, my apologies," Louis chuckled.
At first, Yohan thought she was just trying to get under Louis's skin, but looking closely, Falco was asking with genuine seriousness.
"I have my parents who raised me, of course. They are currently retired and enjoying their later years. Other than them, I have no betrothed as of yet... Ah, but in Burgund, it is quite common to marry later in life, so it is nothing unusual."
So the bastard actually knows he's an old bachelor, Yohan thought, biting his tongue to keep from bursting into laughter.
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"
At Falco's follow-up question, Yohan finally realized what she was aiming for. It was the very thing Yohan himself had been curious about: how did Louis Dorleans feel about casting aside his own younger brother, Charles?
"Brothers or sisters..." Louis trailed off. He picked up his glass and took a sip of water. "Actually, I did have a younger brother."
Yohan and Falco briefly exchanged glances. Louis had pointedly spoken of his brother in the past tense. Regardless of whether Charles was actually alive, it meant Louis believed his brother had met a miserable end in some foreign land.
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"It is quite alright. I know you did not mean any harm by asking."
Falco offered a quiet apology, which Louis graciously accepted. Yohan focused his attention on Louis's eyes.
"He was a very clever and bright child. Despite the significant age gap between us, our father even agonized over which of us to name as the successor to the merchant group." He looked up at the ceiling. "It has been about a year now. He set off on a journey, claiming he wanted to broaden his horizons... but that turned out to be the worst decision of his life."
His voice and expression were laced with complex, bittersweet emotions. But Louis Dorleans was not... actually grieving his brother's death.
Yohan saw right through the act instantly. I spent years rolling in the dirt with thugs and scoundrels. Did you really think you could fool my sharp eyes with such amateur acting? Yohan clicked his tongue inwardly.
This bastard didn't even view his brother as family. To him, Charles was merely a rival who had threatened his inheritance. What an absolute piece of trash. Yohan desperately wanted to land a heavy blow on him. The problem was how to let Falco know that the guy was lying through his teeth... If he tried to send a hand signal in a setting like this, Louis would notice immediately.
"Liar," Falco said, her voice suddenly turning ice-cold.
"P-pardon?" Louis stammered, caught completely off guard.
Yohan was just as startled by her sudden outburst, but fortunately, Louis was too flustered to notice the shift in Yohan's expression.
"Wait, what did you just say—"
"I called you a liar. You didn't look or sound sad at all just now when you talked about your dead brother."
It seemed Yohan didn't need to tip her off after all. Come to think of it, there was no way Falco didn't know Louis's true nature. Charles himself had already told them that the reason he had fled all the way to Balifield, so far from Burgund, was because his own brother had driven him out. The only reason she had asked was to see if the man had even a shred of conscience left. And his answer had just confirmed that he was utterly beyond redemption.
"Let's go. There is no point in listening to anything this man has to say."
Falco stood up abruptly, pushing her chair back. She was still playing the role of "Dahlia," but the fury on her face was entirely real. Falco was genuinely enraged. She was clearly holding back with every ounce of her strength from punching the smug bastard right in the face.
Meanwhile, Louis looked utterly devastated. He hung his head and buried his face in his hands. It was an understandable reaction. Regardless of his rotten nature, his infatuation with "Dahlia" was likely genuine.
Hmm... Yohan felt a twinge of disappointment. He had been hoping for a furious Louis to throw a tantrum and start a scene.
Well, since things turned out like this...
Still, beating the guy up without a proper excuse would be a bit much. Yohan smacked his lips and stood up from his seat.
"Sigh..."
Just as the two of them were about to walk out of the restaurant, Louis let out a long, deep sigh, his face still buried in his hands.
"I tried my best to approach this in a gentlemanly manner. It seems that was a mistake," he said, his tone calmer than ever.
"..."
Yohan could instinctively sense the immense rage boiling beneath that seemingly flat, indifferent voice.
Click—
The firmly shut restaurant doors swung open from the outside, and men armed with daggers and clubs filed into the room.
"Dispose of the man. Subdue the woman, but try not to hurt her," Louis ordered his men, finally showing his true colors.
At a glance, it was an extremely disadvantageous situation—just the two of them against a gang of dozens. Yet neither Yohan nor Falco showed even a hint of fear. If anything, they were delighted that they finally had a reason to rough up the smug bastard.
Bwahahaha! Yes! That's more like it!
The spiritual form of the Goddess burst into boisterous laughter inside Yohan's head.