Chapter 81
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 81
Zimmer seemed startled by my sudden appearance.
He quickly composed himself, glanced at Ciel standing beside me, and spoke.
“Roen… is that Ciel next to you?”
“It is a pleasure to meet you.”
Even in a tense situation like this, Ciel offered Zimmer a polite bow.
Zimmer sighed, his gaze shifting back to me.
“Right… So, why are the two of you in a place like this? It isn't exactly suitable for students.”
“I agree. But then again, it isn't a particularly suitable place for a Union professor, either.”
“I’ve heard of your notoriety, but I didn’t realize you’d joined hands with the underworld. What do you plan to do, bringing me all the way out here? Are you going to eliminate me?”
Twitch—
His hand moved slowly toward the sword at his waist.
“Even if that is your intention, I won’t go down easily.”
Whoosh—
A suffocating killing intent suddenly emanated from Zimmer. At his movement—showing he was ready to strike at any moment—Alfredo and the guards behind him tensed instantly.
In a heartbeat, a strange, heavy current of tension consumed the clearing.
I smiled gently, diffusing the atmosphere.
“Don’t worry too much. I didn’t arrange this meeting for a fight.”
Swish—
At my glance, Alfredo signaled for the men behind him to stand down.
I took a step closer to the wary Zimmer and continued.
“On the contrary, I’ve come to make you a very constructive proposal, Professor.”
“…Are you trying to buy me?”
“Buy you? It’s closer to me unilaterally helping you. You should understand that clearly.”
“What?”
Zimmer furrowed his brow in displeasure, but it was, quite literally, a case of me helping him.
He may be a named character in Myrillin Saga who eventually grows to become a Sword Master, but he wasn't a major figure who played an active role in the main storyline. Today’s negotiation was merely one of the seeds I was planting for the future.
Using a fragment of the Mad Dragon’s heart to negotiate with him could be seen as a losing deal for now. It was closer to a one-sided sponsorship than a bribe or a trade.
Zimmer spoke.
“I won’t fall for some half-baked proposal. I have a goal I must achieve.”
“Yes, and I’m here to help you achieve that very goal. There’s no need for a long discussion.”
At my nod, Alfredo took a jewel box from one of his guards and handed it to me. I opened the box in front of Zimmer to show him its contents.
Click—
“……!”
Seeing the item inside the box, Zimmer’s eyes widened in shock.
“The heart of the Mad Dragon Calvador. A fragment of it. It was quite difficult to obtain.”
It was the very item Professor Zimmer had desperately wanted. The key that would allow him to ascend to the next level and take revenge on his brother was now in my hands.
Zimmer stared at the fragment of the Mad Dragon’s heart with trembling eyes before asking, “…What do you want? Grades? The reinstatement of your friend? Or information on who instigated this incident?”
“Of course not. Do you think I would have prepared something this expensive for things like that?”
I shrugged.
The issue with the grades had already been discussed with the other student council presidents, and a revised proposal had been submitted to the faculty meeting. Since it would be applied retroactively, the A-grade assessment for the Basic Swordsmanship course—which Zimmer had limited to a single student—would return to normal.
Garfield’s return to class was a secondary issue, and I had already identified who was behind this incident.
I closed the jewel box and spoke in a calm voice.
“Before that, there is some information you should know first, Professor.”
“What is it?”
“A while ago, you received a portion of the shares of several merchant guilds belonging to the Gilbert Kingdom from Jeremy in exchange for changing the lecture evaluation criteria, correct?”
“!”
Zimmer flinched for a moment, then asked in a questioning tone, “How did you know that?”
Alfredo answered for me.
“Do not underestimate the underworld’s information network. We know every detail of what happens in this Meteor Archipelago.”
“……”
Zimmer furrowed his brow in displeasure. “It’s true that I received them. But what of it? Are you going to reprimand me for being instigated to keep you in check? I’m sorry, but it couldn’t be helped.”
“That’s not the point. The important thing is that the share transfer certificates you received from Jeremy are fake.”
“What?” Zimmer asked, his voice laced with rising anger.
I repeated myself kindly.
“Let me say it again. The share transfer certificates you received are fake, and your name is not on the shareholder lists of those guilds.”
“What are you talking about? I’ve already received and confirmed all the documents.”
“Yes, and those documents are precisely the problem. You simply received and read the letters the guilds gave you. Did you personally check the shareholder register at the Stella Stock Exchange?”
“No… but there was clearly nothing wrong with the contents of the documents. They even had a magic seal. That seal was real.”
“Documents can be easily forged. The guilds are all in league with Jeremy, anyway. Besides, for a contract to be valid, the magic seals of both parties must be taken to the stock exchange—the notary—and cross-verified with the seal of a certified trader. A single magic seal on its own has no legal effect.”
Even after my explanation, Zimmer slowly shook his head, as if finding it hard to believe.
“…I can’t believe it.”
“If you really can’t believe it, you can visit the stock exchange on a weekday when it’s open and check for yourself. Though… Jeremy’s subordinate students and staff will likely do whatever it takes to stop you from going.”
“!”
Zimmer flinched as if something had occurred to him, then quietly clenched his fists.
Crrk—
Then, in a voice that seemed to suppress his rage, he asked, “Does that mean I was just used?”
“Yes, but there’s no need to be too outraged. It’s not like you particularly trusted Jeremy anyway, did you, Professor?”
Although he had joined hands with Jeremy as a means for revenge, Zimmer disliked his orders. He was one of the few people who knew Jeremy’s true nature, hidden behind his reputation for being just and sincere.
After closing his eyes in silence for a moment, Zimmer spoke as if he had made a decision.
“…I have information to give you.”
“Are you referring to the fact that those guilds are engaging in illegal activities to make unjust profits?”
“!”
“We’ve already figured that out and have finished setting things up to use their plan against them. Far from making money, they’re about to be buried under a mountain of debt. In a way, you could say it’s fortunate you don’t actually own any of their shares, Professor.”
“……”
“In any case, we will handle your revenge for you. So let’s continue with a more constructive negotiation.”
I looked at the jewel box in my hand and continued.
“In exchange for this fragment of the Mad Dragon’s heart, you, Professor… no, Zimmer Demetri, will enter into a cooperative relationship with me, Roen Devalis. What do you say?”
“…The terms?”
At his question, I simply smiled and took out a pre-prepared contract.
Fwip—
Zimmer snatched the contract I offered and read it carefully. He let out a deep sigh and parted his lips.
“An offer I can’t refuse, I see.”
*
After the successful negotiation.
Zimmer returned to the Union with his escorts, and we went back to the Panopticon’s western branch. Of course, the fragment of the Mad Dragon’s heart was still in our possession. We couldn’t just hand over such an expensive item based on a contract alone. Zimmer understood that part.
Fwip—
I examined the contract in my hand. It bore the magical signatures of Zimmer Demetri and Roen Devalis, with Alfredo’s seal as the notary.
According to the contract, after his term as a professor at the Union ended, Zimmer would return to the kingdom, join the Second Prince’s faction, and act as an informant. In exchange for him fulfilling my demands sequentially, I would process this Mad Dragon’s heart into the form of pills and provide them to Zimmer in five installments over two years. Those were the terms of our agreement.
‘A Dragon Heart is a good alchemy ingredient.’
While processing it into pills, I could raise my alchemy level, and like a craftsman skimming gold dust, I could siphon off a little at a time to experiment with in various ways.
Not that this was a complete loss for Zimmer, either. Processing it into pills increased the absorption and mana conductivity rates while also lowering the risk of consumption. It was better than him suffering after chewing up the whole heart fragment raw.
Ciel looked at the jewel box in my hand and said, “…In the end, you haven’t lost a single thing, Lord Roen.”
“That’s about right.”
I grinned as I looked at the pulsating fragment of the Mad Dragon’s heart inside the box. I hadn’t handed the item over to Zimmer yet, and what’s more, I didn’t even buy it with my own money.
Furthermore, in the grand scheme of things, I had begun the process of planting my own person inside the Gilbert Kingdom—a likely future adversary. Finally, there was no loss to my grades, and Garfield, who was practically kicked out, would be able to return to the lecture.
With this one move, I had killed three or four birds with one stone.
“Of course… that’s assuming everything proceeds according to plan.”
To Ciel’s worried remark, I answered calmly.
“There’s no need to worry. Their movements are being reported here in real-time. There are no variables.”
The power of the Panopticon, which controlled the underworld, didn’t come from mere force. The true strength of the Panopticon lay in the eyes and ears of its professional assassins and spies, like Gretel, spread throughout the archipelago. It was a power represented by an all-seeing eye that looked down upon everything.
“……”
Even after hearing my words, Ciel’s expression was not one of satisfaction. I wondered what she was so displeased about.
Just then, Alfredo spoke up cautiously.
“Lord Roen. I believe Lady Ciel is questioning whether our underworld organization, which is cooperating with you, can be trusted.”
“Aha.”
Now I understood. If the underworld, my collaborators, were to have a change of heart and act against the plan, the entire premise would crumble. It seemed Ciel was worried about that.
It made sense. The rumors about the underworld weren’t exactly good, and since Ciel didn’t know the details of the contract between Rebecca and me, it was natural for her to think that way.
Alfredo calmly explained.
“Lady Ciel, there is no need to worry. Our relationship is not one based merely on a contract. Our young lady has taken a liking to Lord Roen, so the matter you are concerned about will not happen.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
As Ciel slightly furrowed her brow, Alfredo explained again.
“It means exactly what I said. Lady Rebecca, the head of the Panopticon’s western branch, and Lord Roen are bound by a contract. And even if they weren’t, our young lady holds him in high personal regard, which means we would never betray Lord Roen.”
“I see. I understand for now.”
Although her expression was still one of dissatisfaction, Ciel slowly nodded. Seeing that Ciel was more or less convinced, Alfredo smiled gently and wrapped things up.
“Excellent. It seems today’s business is more or less concluded. We have guest rooms prepared. Would you like to stay the night?”
“We will.”
I checked the time; it was already around 1 AM. It would be a hassle to return to the Union now, so I decided we would sleep here.
*
Monday. The day the stock market in Stella Harbor opened.
Normally, it would have been difficult to attend because of classes, but as it happened, the first class on Monday was Basic Swordsmanship. At the discretion of the professor in charge, Zimmer, today’s lecture was replaced with self-study.
And so, I personally headed to the stock exchange.
It would have been too much of a waste to just be satisfied with seeing the numbers deposited in my bank account and miss the day’s event. On top of that, I wanted to witness the scene for myself—the astronomical sums of money changing hands, the intersection of elation and despair.
However, I wasn't alone on this outing, either.
“Huhu, there is no way this humble one would miss such a spectacle.”
“Don’t stand so close. It’s hot.”
Somehow, Garfield and Ciel ended up accompanying me. Garfield, having been kicked out of swordsmanship class, seemed to have free time, while Ciel said she had personally taken a day off for this.
And so, the three of us visited Stella together again.
As soon as we arrived at Stella Harbor, we headed straight for the stock exchange where various trades took place. It was a marble building with smooth curves, located near the harbor’s coastal cliffs and designed to resemble a falling meteor.
The Stella Stock Exchange.
Like any morning at the docks, this place was bustling with merchants, guild officials, traders, and individual investors. The crowd was so large that an uninformed person might mistake it for some kind of festival.
Ciel looked around at the scene and spoke. “It’s incredibly crowded for so early in the morning.”
“Everyone has money on the line. They have no choice but to be diligent.”
Monday mornings were especially noisy, as it was the day all sorts of new information was posted at the exchange. And there, in the crowded plaza in front of the stock exchange, I spotted an unexpected, yet not entirely out-of-place, figure.
Bright blond hair, shining in the distance. Jeremy Gilbert.
He wasn't with the usual disciplinary committee members he always had with him, but with unfamiliar faces. They were probably guild officials or people dispatched from the kingdom. They may have thought their operation was top-secret, but to visit the exchange so openly... they had some nerve.
Garfield, also spotting Jeremy, tilted his head. “Lord Jeremy? What is he doing here…?”
Ciel, on the other hand, who knew the whole story from the weekend’s events, looked at me and asked, “Are you going to go say hello… or rather, declare war?”
At that, I shrugged and smiled.
“A declaration of war? Victory is already decided. I’ll just go and exchange a light greeting.”