All the Actors Begin Heading East
While Kyle was concluding his contracts in the North and the Emperor was waking up to wield the blade of a purge, a different story was unfolding at Meriel’s mansion.
At Meriel’s estate, the Prince had been sending letters daily. At first, Meriel had held a neutral opinion of him, but as the letters continued day after day, she grew increasingly terrified.
To survive, she felt compelled to write back, trembling in fear. The daily flow of letters only stopped when the Prince was placed under house arrest. Seeing this as his chance, Meriel’s father spoke to her:
“Meriel… you must go to the East.”
“The East…?”
Meriel was taken aback by her father's sudden declaration. With a heavy sigh, Baron Liford Erentz explained carefully, “Yes. I have a villa there. You are to stay there and wait quietly until this storm passes.”
“Father…”
Her heart sank at the sudden order to leave home. However, she could not bring herself to protest when she saw his face; in just one month, he seemed to have aged ten years, his face etched with new wrinkles.
It was clear evidence of his agony and contemplation, fearing that the ripples of the Prince's rampage might splash onto their family and destroy them.
The Baron believed that now, with the Prince under house arrest and his subordinates no longer searching for her, it was the perfect opportunity to smuggle his daughter out.
“This is the only way for you to stay safe.”
Although she didn't say it aloud, Meriel felt her father’s profound worry and anguish. And in the depths of her heart, a single flower of hope began to bloom. Having lived in the capital her entire life, she had never been to the East.
But she had heard many times in high society that it was the most beautiful place in the empire, where the most gorgeous flowers blossomed. Perhaps she could escape the Prince and find her true love there. Dreaming of such things, she replied:
“I understand, Father… I will go to the East.”
That day, Meriel’s move to the East was decided. It was carried out in absolute secrecy, and Prince Lucas only learned of it after she had already departed.
“What!? Meriel went to the East?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“How could she leave without saying a single word to me!?”
“It seems… Baron Liford, her father, pushed the plan forward in secret.”
Bang!
“That man… I was willing to be lenient because he is Meriel’s father, but… he has crossed the line.”
The Prince, currently under house arrest in the Imperial Palace, heard the news from his secret subordinates. But no matter how hard he raged, he could not go to see Meriel while under house arrest by the Emperor's order. After much contemplation, the Prince made a decision.
“Request an audience with His Majesty. I, too, shall go to the East.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
It took some time, but the Prince eventually obtained the Emperor’s permission and headed East as the Governor of the Eastern Region. All the actors had begun their journey to the East.
The moment I heard that Meriel was heading to the East, I decided to make my way there as well. Officially, I claimed the trip was for business—to visit the Lorend Merchant Guild branch in the East and inspect the milk and Blue Stone supply chains. But everyone around me knew that wasn’t the real reason.
Father simply patted my shoulder as I prepared to leave and said with a knowing look, “Take it easy… son.”
Hmm. He must still be bothered by how aggressively I went after the Jev Merchant Guild. That’s strange. In my previous life, I was taught that every punch should carry murderous intent. Anyway, I climbed into the carriage and began the leisurely journey eastward.
While we were on the road, Elina, who was riding with me, suddenly asked, “Do you like her, young master?”
“Who? Meriel?”
She gave a small nod. It seemed that after seeing me assign surveillance to Meriel, Elina had concluded I was interested in her. Well, she wasn’t entirely wrong—I was interested.
“Hmm… if I had to pick a side, I’d say yes, I do like her.”
I was interested in her. Not because she was beautiful, but because she was an incredibly valuable source of income. At my answer, Elina’s expression grew serious.
“Young master… I can understand you having an interest in women. But that person… she seems dangerous.”
Elina spoke with genuine concern. Wait, could she actually sense the aura of ruin surrounding Meriel? A chill ran down my spine at how sharp her instincts were.
“Don’t worry. The kind of interest I have isn’t the kind you’re thinking of.”
“In that case… that’s a relief.”
I knew all too well how dangerous Meriel was. Why else would I call her the poison apple? No matter how much I liked beautiful women, I wasn’t deranged enough to willingly bite into something laced with rat poison.
To lighten the mood, I slid over and sat beside Elina.
“Anyway, we still have a long way until we reach the East. What should we do to pass the time?”
I took her hand firmly in mine. Her face flushed bright red as she answered,
“…As your perfect maid, I am prepared to accept anything you desire, young master.”
“Then let’s…”
Thump. Thump.
I could feel her heartbeat through her palm. I leaned in closer… and pulled out a deck of trump cards.
“How about a card game?”
A sudden, bone-chilling cold filled the carriage.
Elina stared at me with eyes so icy they could freeze my blood vessels solid. Then she placed her hand on my thigh.
And… pinch—
“Aaaagh!!”
Her pinch struck my thigh with terrifying precision. Looking closer, I saw she was even channeling red mana into her grip.
“…I really hate it when you make jokes like that, young master.”
Still, teasing Elina was so satisfyingly effective that it was genuinely fun. I kept my mouth shut, though. If I said that out loud, there was no telling what she might do. She might even follow up with a rapid-fire barrage of red-mana-enhanced punches.
Upon arriving in the East, I first carried out the official business of inspecting the guild branch. Though I called it an inspection, it was really just a quick appearance to stamp my face around.
“I heard the news, Vice Guild Master. Congratulations on acquiring the Jev Merchant Guild.”
“Hahaha, it was only possible thanks to people like you who worked hard for our guild.”
“We simply did as we were told.”
“Executing orders well is a skill in itself. Now, let’s wrap up today’s work and share a drink.”
“This much… thank you, young master!!”
In any organization, people are like gears. You have to oil them properly if you want them to turn smoothly. While I was at it, I naturally let word spread among the eastern nobles that I had arrived in the region.
Kyle Lorend—the successor who had taken over the Jev Merchant Guild in the capital and turned the Lorend Merchant Guild into a major player—had come to the East.
The Lorend family was currently enjoying the greatest golden age in its history. Not only did we control the empire’s milk distribution, we also held rights to Blue Stone, which was essentially this world’s petroleum. We had ties to the rising Imperial Princess and maintained a good relationship with the Grand Duke of the North.
If the heir of such a powerful guild had come to the East, people would naturally assume there was a reason. And just as expected, letters soon arrived from nobles hoping to meet me.
“Young master, the Rieri family has requested an audience with you.”
“The Rieri family… that would be…”
“They run a baking guild.”
“Hmm… pass. Tell them I’m sorry, but I’m too busy right now.”
“Understood.”
It was certainly nice that they bought so much of our guild’s milk for their bread-making, but they weren’t the target I was aiming for right now. Actually, from their perspective, this might be a good thing.
If I wasn’t meeting them, it meant they weren’t on my list of people to devour. I’d have to treat them to a meal later and say, “Back then, I spared your family.”
While I waited for my real target, the news I had been hoping for finally arrived.
“Young master, the Rosenberg family has requested to meet with you.”
“Yes!”
Finally, it was here! The moment I heard my target had called for me, I immediately set up an appointment. A few days later, on the appointed day, I dressed in formal attire and headed for the Rosenberg family estate.
Clatter. Clatter.
“……………”
The road leading to the Rosenberg estate was lined with endless flower fields. Wow, as expected of one of the East’s great noble families that boasted control over the vast plains. The land was insanely wide. After riding in the carriage for quite some time, we finally arrived at the estate. A charming yet extravagant pink mansion greeted me.
At the entrance, a butler dressed in a tuxedo that looked like it had stepped out of a painting welcomed me.
“Welcome. My master is waiting for you, Sir Kyle Lorend.”
Following the butler’s guidance, I was led to the guest reception room. Shortly after, the door opened and the head of the Rosenberg family appeared, a man of truly imposing stature.
A middle-aged, pot-bellied man with gray hair, draped in luxurious goods. This was the man who had invited me—Count Purcus Rosenberg, one of the East’s great nobles.
“Ohohoho! Welcome, Sir Kyle.”
“Thank you for the invitation, Count Purcus Rosenberg.”
They say pigs are a symbol of good fortune. Maybe that was why. The moment I saw Count Purcus, I had a strong feeling that I was about to receive a massive stroke of luck in the East.