Baron Midas (2)
The absence of the internet, television, or radio didn't matter. As long as people interacted and shared stories, rumors were bound to spread. In fact, with limited channels for information, people grew even hungrier for fresh news and listened more intently.
In that sense, the series of events that began with the martial tournament in the Mars Duchy had become the ultimate hot topic. A tournament with twice the usual number of participants and fierce duels. A horrific terrorist attack that occurred in the middle of it. The tournament participants who resolved the crisis. The shocking claim that the so-called heroes were actually the masterminds behind the terror. The emperor's intervention. A friendly match between members of the imperial family. The fall of the Second Prince and the rise of the imperial princess. And finally, the birth of a new noble.
Politically sensitive details had been suppressed or altered, but even the censored versions were sensational enough. People gathered in small groups everywhere, chattering about it nonstop.
Theo Midas flashed a bright, businesslike smile as he laid on the flattery. In response, the monocle-wearing boy's face twisted violently.
"If you keep teasing me, I'll tell Fiore to handle the negotiations instead, brother."
"Isn't it a bit unfair to pull out the cheat card right from the start?"
"In games, the one with the biggest stakes usually wins. That's just how it is."
"Still, since I've been calling you 'big brother' for a much longer time, maybe if I begged and clung to you, you'd take my side?"
"......"
Deciding the argument had merit, Chrome didn't push back. Seeing that his little sister had properly established herself despite everything, Theo felt secretly relieved. If Chrome had simply dismissed Fiore as insignificant, he wouldn't have reacted this way.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I was just looking normally. Is there something bothering you?"
"No... ha, never mind. I'd like to hear why you called me here, if we're done."
Normally, a few more verbal jabs would have flown by now, but today's Chrome seemed strangely low on energy. Then again, in just over a month he'd experienced a string of once-in-a-lifetime events that most people would never encounter. It was no wonder he was exhausted.
Even the seasoned merchant Theo Midas couldn't have guessed that his half-brother was sulking because his planned dungeon raid during the academy break had been canceled.
Completely unaware of the subtle misunderstanding between them, Theo opened his mouth.
"Are you in a romantic relationship with Her Highness the Princess?"
"Cough! Cough!"
Chrome, who had been drinking tea, choked and coughed repeatedly before staring back in utter disbelief.
"Did you start taking some kind of drug while I wasn't looking?"
"I do enjoy tea with fatigue-recovery properties, but I haven't consumed anything else that might cause issues. No matter the profession, a merchant's body is still capital."
"Then why are you suddenly spouting nonsense like a drunk?"
Was he asking despite already knowing, or did he genuinely not understand? Either way, even if it was an act, there was no benefit in calling him out on it here. Theo answered honestly.
"It's a rumor that's been quietly circulating among the nobility lately."
"It would help if you could tell me which nobles."
"All of them."
Watching Chrome frown, Theo simply shrugged.
"Honestly, it shouldn't be that surprising, should it?"
To ordinary people unaware of Lyla's complicated origins, she was just another imperial family member with little real power or presence. Yet this princess had suddenly stepped into the spotlight, elevated a mere commoner from another country to nobility, and granted him a massive territory. How else would that look to outsiders?
Chrome sneered.
"Everyone's awfully brave. Spreading rumors about the empire's princess... how do they plan to handle the consequences?"
"It's the opposite. Because she's a member of the imperial family, people only dare to whisper. If not for her status, all sorts of scandalous love affairs and even outright defamatory stories would be flying around. It wouldn't be strange at all."
"Whether it's true or not doesn't really concern me, but..."
"It's just a rumor. A rumor. We're not in that kind of relationship, so don't get any weird ideas."
"That's what I'm saying—I don't care. Why, does it hit a nerve?"
"......"
Chrome's gaze sharpened dangerously. Not wanting to torment his half-brother—who would soon rise to noble status—too much and risk future repercussions, Theo decided to change the subject.
"The important point is this: the more Her Highness reveals her presence, the more people will talk about the person standing beside her. If they were only gossiping about you, that would be one thing. But inevitably, they'll start talking about the family name attached to you. That's the problem."
The name Midas carried two major connotations.
First, traitors to the old Spero royal family. Theo judged that this angle wasn't worth worrying about too much. After all, the ones loudly shouting about betrayal were mostly nobles from the old royal faction. And one of those very nobles had received a territory alongside Chrome this time. No matter what they felt inside, as long as Princess Lyla existed as their central figure, they couldn't openly attack him.
What remained was the infamy of being a vicious merchant guild that would stop at nothing to make money.
"Every merchant guild has its dirty side, but our image is particularly bad. The fact that the Midas Merchant Group primarily targets either nobles from the old royal faction or powerless commoners only makes it worse."
Just as the old royal faction could no longer carelessly touch Chrome, Chrome also couldn't afford to carelessly touch them. If an internal conflict broke out within the faction, it would cast doubt on the princess's leadership. That would deal a severe blow to the entire newly formed faction that had only just begun to spread its wings.
The same went for sucking the blood of commoners. Of course, how many nobles had never exploited their own subjects? But there was a huge difference between doing it openly and doing it discreetly.
The problem was that no amount of caution from Chrome or Theo could change any of this. In the end, the current master of the Midas Merchant Group was Bern Midas.
"I've already spoken with the family head. I received a reply as well."
When Theo Midas pulled out a single letter from his desk and unfolded it, Chrome's expression twisted in a strange way. It was understandable. Theo had made the exact same face.
[Don't talk nonsense.]
With a bitter smile on his lips but an extremely cold light in his eyes, Theo asked,
"What should we do?"
"From what I experienced at the academy, conversation isn't something you only do with your mouth."
Chrome Midas—his other half-brother—answered clearly.
"If you have a proper 'talk' with him, he'll understand."
To Bern Midas, Chrome was a troublesome yet highly useful piece in many ways.
The more Chrome distinguished himself at the academy and mingled with the empire's high nobility, the easier it became for the Midas Merchant Group's operations. Foolish people who had nothing but pride in their bloodline, looking down on others despite lacking real power or wealth. Those who had dismissed the Midas family as nothing more than lucky commoners who stumbled into excessive riches would suddenly become remarkably flexible in the spine once shown connections to imperial nobles.
Of course, since the relationship between Chrome and Bern could hardly be called good even as a stretch, most of it was mere bluster. But very few people—the real ones—could see through the truth.
In that sense, Chrome's rise hadn't been a bad thing for Bern either.
At least until now.
No matter what, he's grown far too big.
Bern wasn't worried that Chrome would gain power or wealth and become uncontrollable. That blond little brat had never been one to listen obediently anyway. The problem was the method. The fact that he had joined hands with someone from the old Spero royal faction was the issue.
Stop attacking the old royal faction? Operate the guild with a conscience? For whose sake?
If they stopped attacking the old royal faction, they would no longer be able to extract interests from nobles through unreasonable contracts. Naturally, the 'conveniences' they had been receiving in secret from the new royal faction as compensation for keeping them in check would disappear as well.
As for commoners, the amount earned from each individual was small, but the total sum from that scale could not be ignored.
Of course, if enduring all of that allowed them to secure a supreme lifeline in the form of an imperial princess—not even a mere noble—it might be considered an 'investment.' But would the profits from such an investment truly come back to Bern?
There was no way.
Since the one currently by the princess's side bestowing those benefits was Chrome, control of the merchant group would naturally shift to Chrome and his guardian, Theo Midas. The 'Midas Merchant Group' itself might grow, but 'Bern Midas's' power would plummet sharply.
He could not allow that to happen.
Winning odds didn't matter. If you didn't fight, you would simply be devoured.
Bern Midas's eyes gleamed with a chilling light.