How to Replace Dad 28
The merchants were quite surprised.
The lord's daughter had come out to say the soldiers had been scammed?
Not stealing military funds, so why?
The minister hadn't come out to say the civil servant had been scammed at the onion market, after all.
While the merchants were looking around, the head of the trading house stepped forward.
"It is an honor to meet you, hahaha."
Others might have been startled by the mention of the lord's daughter, but he was not.
The lord's daughter seemed to be trying to show off her prestige in front of the soldiers, but she had picked the wrong opponent.
With my flashy eloquence, I would shut their mouths.
"What business brings you here?"
"The goods I bought here turned out to be defective."
"Yes, we exchanged them according to the contract."
The head of the trading house looked at Yustea with a confident expression.
'Pull out the contract.'
Yustea slowly opened her mouth.
"My child ate the potatoes exchanged and became like this."
One of the soldiers stretched his lips.
One canine tooth was crooked.
What nonsense.
How could teeth fall out from potatoes?
"What are you saying.... Haha, I've never seen a person whose teeth fell out from eating potatoes in my life."
"I think so too. It's impossible for teeth to fall out from potatoes, right?"
"Of course..."
"So, isn't there a problem with your potatoes? You said you sold some strange magic tool, so maybe the potatoes were affected by that? Then other foods wouldn't be affected either?"
The merchants burst into hollow laughter at the unexpected words.
"What nonsense..."
"Indeed."
But the head of the trading house's expression was different.
'Could this girl be aiming for...'
Yustea frowned her eyebrows.
"If you can't admit it, there's no choice but to request a safety inspection of your trading house's food at the palace...?"
"...!"
The head of the trading house flinched.
If there's an abnormality in the product, safety inspection is conducted.
Trading houses didn't fear that much.
It ended with collecting the defective product and paying a fine.
So, they sold cheap defective products without worry.
But food is different.
Just doing the safety inspection would be a blow.
Food has expiration dates.
By the time the civil servants' slow inspection ends, it would be rotten and unsellable.
'They were aiming for this!'
The head of the trading house turned pale and begged Yustea.
"Ah, miss, then we'll die."
"Ei, we're not just selling food."
"You know that the biggest transaction item for trading houses is tea leaves, right!"
"Perfect. Tea leaves have long expiration dates."
"The civil servants will mess up the precious tea leaves!"
Hearing the urgent words of the head of the trading house, the merchants realized the situation.
Food taken away?
How much did we buy it for!
The merchants rushed to help the head of the trading house.
"Ga, potatoes! Thinking about it, the potatoes were like stones."
"Yes. Yes. There was definitely a problem."
Then Yustea smiled brightly.
"Really? So the potatoes were also defective products? Exchange is needed."
"Yes, yes. Of course. Refund...!"
"Ei. Refund doesn't work. It says 'no refund' on the contract. Exchange is fine."
"Then the weapons or magic tools you originally wanted to buy..."
"Will you give them? Guys, go pick weapons."
Yustea said it innocently, and the members' eyes sparkled.
They scanned the weapons placed around.
"Oh, this sword is okay."
"Then I'll take this crossbow. It looks sturdy and good."
"What kind of magic tool is this?"
"Don't know. I'll take it anyway."
They casually took extremely expensive items while chit-chatting.
The merchants were in despair.
"This sword is twice as expensive as the original product!"
"Hmm, thinking of the people, maybe entrusting the safety inspection to the potatoes..."
"Ah..."
Yustea threatened to call for safety inspection if they only opposed.
In the end, the merchants had to suffer losses several times the amount they scammed.
To the head of the trading house sitting with a blank expression, Yustea said.
"Ah, because of your magic tools, part of our castle collapsed. I'll send administrative management, so let's discuss compensation."
"Com, compensation...!"
"Trading, let's do it next time."
It meant if you don't compensate honestly, next time I'll come to talk about safety inspection.
With that said, the members and Yustea left the building cheerfully.
The members walked polka-dotted, chit-chatting.
"We got something we couldn't even dream of with salary!"
"Good."
Yustea looked at the excited members with a pleased expression.
Yustea, who led the prestigious trading house in the empire.
She knew the weakness of the trading house better than anyone.
The head of the trading house swore.
Next time I scam, I'll definitely check if there's a terrifying protector!
***
The Antonio squad members treated the weapons stolen from the trading house as precious.
"These weapons are the first time I've used them."
"Expensive is good after all. The feeling of holding is different."
While wiping weapons diligently with dry cloth.
It was to the point where the sword might wear out instead.
"Miss, have some tea."
A member of similar age brought tea.
"Was there such tea in the castle?"
It looked quite expensive.
"We pooled our money to buy it. For you, miss."
The member smiled lecherously.
One crooked canine tooth visible.
I lifted the teacup and thought.
'It's bad.'
The more I looked, the worse the environment was.
Seeing the dazzling Esgard outfit made it even more so.
The situation where money earned from missions was poured into San Miguel, making the members' environment worse and worse.
While pondering, I asked Antonio.
"Antonio-nim, where are the squad leader and deputy squad leader?"
"They should be in the barracks. Want to go?"
"Yes."
Chari rose to accompany me.
Then Antonio waved his hand and said.
"I'll go. Stay here."
Then he lightly bent his knee and extended his hand to me.
"Shall we go, miss."
I was surprised and looked at him.
"Have you learned etiquette?"
"Impressive?"
The members snickered.
"You were showing that to show off."
Antonio said while slightly raising his chin.
"The angle of the knee and hand is important. Right, miss?"
"Yes."
"Right, this is a wonderful...!"
"Dance application!"
It's for applying for dance.
Antonio glared at the blacksmith who taught him this posture, not leaving him alone.
Even though he said he'd go, he offered to take me along.
I went to the barracks with him.
The deputy and squad leader were in the barracks warehouse.
They seemed to be checking the warehouse.
"Insufficient weapons. They get damaged during training and missions, so even if you buy good ones, you have to replace them soon."
"Other elite funds?"
"That side is still okay, but it will be affected soon. To enter the duke's house, we need to call elite squads, so the money earned from missions will decrease."
They were probably having the same worries.
I peeked my head into the door.
"May I come in?"
Then the two turned to look at me.
The deputy welcomed me.
"What business do you have here."
"I heard your conversation. I think I can help with funding."
"Really?"
"Is it okay?"
"Of course... But how?"
In-game info.
Previously, as a single person, it was hard to earn money with info, but with Irregular, it's possible.
"Theft."
I smiled brightly.
***
Some of me and Irregular went to this place.
Old address: Emperor's 51st district 19-23.
New address law: B7 district 2311 of Bataus.
It's Andres's secret warehouse that we told the duke about.
The address notation is complicated, but simply, it's outside the system.
The center of the Avalon Empire.
Despite being on the outskirts, people were bustling.
The deputy and Antonio looked at the building in front.
"Is this really it?"
"Really?"
I, with the hood deep, nodded.
"Yes. This is the gambling house."
That's right.
Not just a building in a remote place.
There's a warehouse deep in the gambling house, guarded by Andres's elite soldiers.
I looked around and lowered my voice.
"I know the lock release method for the warehouse. But the way to the warehouse is a bit special."
"What is it?"
"You have to find the gambling house manager. To enter the path to the warehouse, you need the key the manager has."
"Does the manager not know?"
"It changes every quarter. Pretend to be a customer or a dealer."
Antonio clicked his tongue.
"Quite complicated. Who came up with such a crazy idea?"
"...Me."
I smiled innocently, and Antonio flinched.
"Eh?"
"I was the one responsible for forming the secret warehouse."
As I said before, I thought if it was about my father, I'd have to eat pesticide.
I put my head to work.
Antonio became quiet.
The deputy kicked his long legs.
"I understand the warehouse entry method. But with this number of people, is it enough?"
"If too many, it becomes noticeable."
The people who came here were a total of four, including me.
Deputy.
Antonio.
And the squad leader.
'Three is enough not to be afraid of the first squad.'
Me, deputy, Antonio nodded.
And turned to the squad leader standing a bit apart.
The squad leader had a frown...
...Lots of women clinging to him.
"Where did you come from?"
"You won't become my baby cat?"
After removing the hood, her beauty was revealed.
Thanks to that, she led people like a flute-playing man.
The deputy sighed.
"Shouldn't we cover the head?"
"Right, miss. Walking around with that face is almost a disaster."
"I did it on purpose. So that the eyes from the other side focus on me, so I don't stand out."
If I, the responsible person for installing the secret warehouse, go, I won't be lightly guarded.
Then Antonio said.
"But how to separate those women?"
"Order."
"Even so, there's magic that can be used?"
I said to the squad leader.
"Dad, grandma and 12 aunts are waiting for the only son of the forbidden garden. If you don't go quickly, mom's 30 servings will all get cold."
Sasa sasak.
In an instant, like Moses' miracle, people moved away.
Antonio and deputy looked at me with surprised faces.
I took the remaining squad leader into the gambling house.
The interior was more dazzling than when I managed it.
'The gambling house income must be good.'
People were crowded.
I told Antonio, deputy, and squad leader.
"Divide into two groups and check suspicious people."
Squad leader and deputy one group.
Me and Antonio one group.
Probably better for me, who knows the gambling house well, to manage Antonio well.
Antonio and I searched various places together.
"Money here, money there. Come on, gather!"
"There, handsome oppa, how about a round of roulette!"
I grabbed Antonio's collar who was trying to sit mesmerized and scanned around.
Dice game side... none.
Roulette game side... none.
Card game side... none.
No noticeable people.
They all looked ordinary, dazed.
'It's a person with busy eyes.'
Someone who sends employees with eye signals if going to suspicious places or fights break out.
I need to find such a person.
When I told Antonio that, he said "Ah."
"Is that man?"
"Cheater. He's trying to cheat."
"Then that woman."
"It seems like she's having an affair. She's signaling to the lover with her eyes."
"Then that kid."
"Kid?"
A kid came into the gambling house?
I was still a minor, but using experience from working in a group forging ID cards, I was pretending to be adult.
Looking at the direction Antonio pointed, the person was...
"Eh?"
There was a girl who looked like my age.
...On the dealer desk.
Antonio grabbed the person who was about to leave the dice game board where the kid was acting as dealer.
"Kid acting as dealer, does he earn well?"
"Well, he's a pro. Even fast-eyed guys can't see his hands."
He stayed at the table all morning without giving up to the kid, but got all his money taken.
'A bit suspicious.'
Should I leave the management to the kid?
I was pondering.
Just as a passerby almost bumped into me and Antonio, Antonio quickly turned me and made me dodge.
"Be careful."
"Ah, thank you."
At the moment I was saying that.
"Oppa?"
The woman at the dealer desk looked at us.
'Of course she's not calling me...'
I looked up at Antonio.
Antonio had narrowed his eyes and was looking at that girl.
That girl came running to Antonio after placing the dice.
"I'm here. Me. Mila, the squad leader and deputy helped."
"Mila? You grew up?"
"It's been 2 years."
Mila pushed me away and hugged Antonio's waist.
"I missed you!"
***
Antonio had a happy face.
"2 years already?"
"Yes. Time flies, right?"
I looked at Antonio with a bewildered expression.
Then Antonio introduced that girl to me.
"2 years ago, there was a fire accident during a mission. At that time, me, squad leader, deputy rescued that child."
"Then...?"
"Yes, she recognizes us."
After hearing that story, Mila looked at me.
"Oh, do you know the identity of Irregular... I mean, that?"
"Yes."
"Ei, I thought you told only me. I'm hurt."
Mila smiled coquettishly and looked at me.
"You were following these people?"
"Eh?"
"I did too. The old orphanage burned down, no place for old me, so I was told to take responsibility. I stuck to it for a month."
"Ah..."
"But he never put me in Irregular... He found a nursery where I could live at my age when a month passed and put me there."
Mila smiled brightly and looked back at Antonio.
"But how are squad leader and deputy doing?"
"They're fine. They came today too."
"Really? I really want to meet! Ah, can you come to the lounge? I'm a pretty good dealer here, so I can do that much."
"I'll ask."
"Then this kid is a hostage."
Mila took my arm and said.
"You have to take me to the lounge? Otherwise, I won't let this kid go."
Antonio chuckled.
"You're as stubborn as ever. Good. I thought you would want to rest a bit too."
"Miss?"
"Right. She's the squad leader's adopted daughter, so be careful with your words."
Then Antonio went to find squad leader and deputy.
Mila stared at me.
"What. If you need an adopted daughter, tell me..."