Chapter 21: Competition Isn't Fair (4)
Chapter 21: Competition Isn't Fair (4)
Translation: Godtl
The spring in Nortaris was exceedingly dry, leaving the wooden buildings of the shopping district as parched as kindling.
By the time the fire brigade arrived, the flames were quickly extinguished, but not before four nearby stores had already burned to the ground.
"Well, this is... a complete mess."
By dawn, when the onlookers had all dispersed, the two of them stood before the charred remains of the shop.
It was utterly destroyed—nothing remained.
Even the coffee machines left in stock were all ruined, now fit only to be sold for scrap.
"What a shame. It was such a nice, quiet little shop."
"At least no one was hurt."
It wasn't a devastating loss—not the kind that would leave them aching, at least.
They had fire insurance, and the profits from selling cola had piled up nicely.
Penelope knew that.
Yet, the gloom lingered because this place had held memories for her.
This was the shop where they had struggled together to perfect his cola.
Jurgen's sense of loss was likely even greater.
Penelope knew better than anyone how dearly he had cherished this place.
She still remembered the way he would gaze lovingly at the shop every morning while cleaning.
"Jurgen, I'm sorry, but now isn't the time to wallow in sentiment."
"I agree."
Fires were accidents that could happen anytime.
Around this season, Nortaris always saw a few blazes, big and small.
But the source of this fire was Jurgen's shop, which had been left unattended for a month.
And of all times, it had to burn down just when Penelope and Jurgen were thriving with their cola business—while the shop had been sitting empty for so long.
In other words, this was likely not an accident. Arson was a real possibility.
"Any leads?"
"It's an old story, but..."
Jurgen mentioned how he had rejected an offer from Brighton, the representative of Polar Suns, to buy out his cola.
"Why didn't you tell me about that?!"
"I refused anyway, so I didn't think it mattered. But let me ask you something—do you think Polar Suns is behind this fire?"
Penelope flinched.
She hadn't noticed until now.
She had assumed Jurgen would be drowning in despair, but his voice was eerily calm.
His gaze was clear and composed.
Yet, there was none of his usual slyness in it—he seemed like a different person.
"Give me a moment. I need to think."
Penelope was no fool.
She knew better than anyone that beneath its glamorous surface, high society was a garden of razor-sharp flowers.
She couldn't afford to forget.
Nortaris wasn't some fairy-tale city where everyone lived in peace, overflowing with resources.
If outlaws thrived in the Demon Realm, then the city had its mafia.
The Nortaris Mafia's most defining trait was its collusion with the nobility.
On the surface, they operated as a corporate-style criminal organization, legitimized in broad daylight.
Many noble families outsourced work to them, employing them almost like private armies.
Polar Suns was a prime example of such a gray-zone enterprise, thriving in that ambiguous space.
"It's entirely possible. Polar Suns has had its share of bad rumors."
"I had no idea. I should've asked sooner."
"You not knowing is only natural. I was the one being too optimistic."
But she had to admit—she had been careless.
Penelope might have been endlessly slighted until now, but she was still a member of an elite family.
Not just any prestigious house, but a chaebol family with influence extending all the way to central politics.
High society could afford to ignore Penelope, but they couldn't openly disrespect her to her face—that was why.
And so, she had let her guard down.
Jurgen was already well-known as Penelope's business partner.
She had never imagined that, over something as trivial as cola, they would go so far as to target him.
—Squelch.
"..."
Penelope's gaze dropped downward.
A murky mixture of ash and mud had seeped into the puddle, forming a filthy sludge that was now staining her boots.
A creeping chill slithered up her spine.
Even the breath passing over her cheeks felt unnaturally cold.
It wasn't just the icy drizzle falling onto her cloak.
It was the sudden, visceral realization that she had truly stepped into it.
Money, laughter, power, intrigue, schemes, lies.
A viscous swamp where all these things swirled together.
The true world of nobility.
"How dare they...!"
But before fear could take hold, a scorching fury burned through her heart, pushing aside the creeping chill.
Someone must have taken offense.
To Penelope's return to high society. To the cola business she held in her grasp. To the wealth she was amassing.
They might resent it.
Their attempts to push her back out of aristocratic circles were understandable.
She was accustomed to such rejection.
Therefore, this rage wasn't due to some petty scheme to sabotage her business.
"Jurgen."
"Hmm?"
"This is my mistake."
But Polar Suns had touched what should never have been touched.
Penelope's pride.
They had pointed a blade at the noble dignity she had stubbornly upheld even when everyone else pointed fingers.
"I didn't anticipate the damage would reach you."
"Not at all. I, too, dismissed Polar Suns' proposal as insignificant."
"Even if this were actual arson, I couldn't swear Polar Suns is behind it. But from now on, attacks might come at you in any form."
Penelope removed one of her earrings and placed it in Jurgen's palm.
It was the one she always wore—a design of rose vines and unopened buds.
"Go to The Litchfield Hotel and find Manager Ritz. Show him this earring and ask for protection. He'll oblige. Stay there and don't come outside for a while."
Long ago, Penelope had tried to impress Jurgen with her noble status, flaunting her family name.
Yet, even after forming a deep bond with him, she had hidden her nobility.
Concealed her lineage.
Why had she done that?
Now, she thought she understood the answer to the question she hadn't been able to resolve earlier.
She had been afraid.
Jurgen, who treated her as an equal companion regardless of her identity.
She feared that, upon hearing the rumors circulating in high society, he might change.
But to Jurgen, Penelope was simply Penelope.
He believed in her without any conditions.
Humans call such an irrational bond "trust."
"I am Penelope Rosemore."
Then the opposite must also hold true.
"The utterly useless second daughter of the Rosemore Count Family. But... I do have enough power to protect you."
Jurgen's eyes widened slightly before he gave a faint smile.
"Only telling me now, are you?"
Penelope, who had been about to turn away dramatically toward the "battlefield," froze in place.
Like a rusted wind-up doll, she creakily turned her head back.
"Wha—wha—what... did you just... s-say...?"
"Just thought you were finally telling me, is all."
Of course.
Out of all possible scenarios, this was the one reaction she hadn't scripted!
"Wh—what?! You knew?!"
"You muttered all sorts of things in your sleep while we were making cola together."
"S-sleep-talking?! Wh—what did I say?!"
Penelope squeezed her eyes shut.
Because she had a feeling it wouldn't be good to know.
"N-no! Don't tell me! More importantly, if you knew, you should've said something! Why confuse me like this?!"
"Were you trying to hide it? If so, you weren't doing a very good job—wearing outrageously expensive clothes like they were on display. Flaunting your wealth every chance you got."
"When did I ever...!"
Huh?
Come to think of it, I did do that.
Back when my relationship with Jurgen was just that of a coffee shop owner and regular customer, I did behave like that.
Facing the mirror of truth, Penelope abruptly flushed crimson.
"Ah..."
Why had I acted like that back then?
How did things come to this?
It was supposed to be a cinematic moment where I'd dramatically declare, "Ah, my true identity is none other than Penelope of House Rosemore!" with all the gravitas of a movie's climactic scene...
Ah, I see.
Life doesn't unfold like the movies.
Penelope had gained a precious life lesson.
"Miss Penelope! Where are you going?!"
"Anyway, I'll handle everything! You just stay put in the hotel and don't move!"
Shortly after, having come face-to-face with an unexpected dark chapter of her past, Penelope fled the scene as if running away.
Left alone, Jurgen walked down the street, lost in deep contemplation.
This fire was unmistakably arson.
For Penelope, it had been mere suspicion—but for Jurgen, it was certainty.
There was a clear difference between the traces left by a natural fire and those left by intentional arson.
Especially if alchemy had been involved in setting the fire, the distinction was even more pronounced.
When he had examined the remnants of the general store in detail...
First of all, the point of ignition was unnatural.
Would flames suddenly erupt from the middle of an empty wooden floor for no reason?
Moreover, there were traces of the fire spreading in an abnormal pattern.
The unevenly charred wood and the glass panes that had seemingly evaporated in patches were proof enough.
A mediocre alchemist might not have noticed, but Jurgen's sharp eyes caught every unnatural detail.
Besides, burning and breaking things had once been his specialty.
As for whether this arson was the work of Pola Suns...
"I'll just have to confirm that now."
Instead of heading to the hotel, Jurgen prepared to receive guests at Wolseth's place.
Dawn broke, the sun rose to its zenith, dusk fell, and night arrived.
After an excruciatingly long wait, five masked, rough-looking men barged into Wolseth's place.
"Hey, mister. Changed your mind yet?"
"Thought you could hide under some noble girl's skirt and get away with it?"
"You'd better play nice, yeah? Next time, it'll be your place going up in flames."
Honestly.
"I don't recall inviting anyone."
The corner of his mouth twisted wryly.
"Still, it's bad manners to treat guests poorly. Care for a cup of coffee?"
Why did villains always lack creativity, no matter the era?
Bella Ashton.
She was a newly assigned clerk serving Lily Fontaine, the acting Minister of Internal Affairs.
And she was an ambitious social climber, thirsting for success.
From the very moment she was assigned to Lily, Bella had shed tears of joy.
Lily Fontaine, who had risen to the position of Minister of Internal Affairs (albeit acting) at the youngest age—where else could one find such a perfect golden connection for climbing the social ladder?
If she could just win Lily's favor, Bella's future would open up wider than an eight-lane royal highway.
It was the express lane to success, a smooth and royal road.
This was the life she had always dreamed of!
For that alone, Bella was prepared to lick Lily's shoes clean with her tongue every morning if necessary.
"Minister Foooontaine~"
"What is it, Clerk Ashton?"
"Have you heard about the trendy drink called cola that's been popular in the north lately?"
"Yes, I've reviewed the written reports. I judged it to be of no significant importance, however."
Bella rubbed her hands together obsequiously, her voice dripping with sycophantic sweetness as she fawned over her superior.
"I happened to—with great difficulty, immense effort—obtain some. The moment I got my hands on this cola, I immediately thought of you, my esteemed superior, Lily Fontaine! Here, think of it as a token of my devotion, and just drink it all up—"
"Clerk Ashton. Under Article 13 of the Anti-Graft and Bribery Act, public officials are prohibited from accepting any form of private benefit. I suggest you familiarize yourself with basic legal provisions before approaching me next time."
Bella was ambitious, but that didn't mean she lacked competence.
Had that been the case, Lily would have long since demoted her.
"However, that law includes a proviso stating, 'Favors extended in the course of official duties may be accepted.'"
"And how, exactly, does this fall under the extension of official duties?"
"I, Bella, as the chief secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, humbly request that Lady Fontaine personally assess the potential value of this cola..."
"...Fine. Hand it over."
"Yes, here you go."
"I'll accept it only because I hate wasting time, but don't expect any form of preferential treatment in return."
"Ehehe, of course not!"
Bella watched Lily with bated breath.
Lately, this beverage had been setting the northern regions ablaze with popularity.
Could it truly melt the heart of her rigid, by-the-book superior?
Having sampled it herself, Bella was confident it was a bribe worth betting on.
"...What do you think?"
"It's just a drink. Nothing special. This much is enough for me. You may have the rest, Secretary Ashton."
Yet even after tasting the mysterious beverage, Lily remained expressionless, engrossed in her work.
She didn't spare the cola another glance.
"Tch..."
It was always like this.
Didn't they say opportunity came hand in hand with hardship?
No matter how skillfully Bella played her cards or how tempting the gifts she offered, Lily never wavered.
She was the very model of an incorruptible minister—unyielding no matter how one tried to sway her.
But there was one exception.
A single chink in her armor that Bella had recently discovered.
Ahem, ahem. "Now that I think about it... about Han-bin, sir..."
"..."
The ears of Lily, who had been absorbed in her work, perked up ever so slightly.
"I looked into the records myself, and he truly was an extraordinary man. I think I understand why you admire him so much, Lady Fontaine."
"...So even you recognize Han-bin's greatness, Ashton."
"Of course! How could one person achieve so many incredible feats...! I couldn't help but tremble reading the royal archives!"
"Hmm, hmm. Indeed. Quite so."
No matter how much flattery Bella poured on, her superior's lips never so much as twitched—yet now, she looked positively pleased.
In other words, if Bella could bond with her by singing Han-bin's praises...
Perhaps one day, she could breach Lily's impenetrable fortress of "incorruptibility."
"What was he like in person, having worked alongside him? I'm curious, if you don't mind sharing."
"Very well. I'll indulge you this once."
As proof, Lily even set aside her work to engage in idle chatter—something she never did.
"Han-bin never yielded to any hardship. Even after suffering grave injuries subduing the Demon Realm and losing his power as a 'knight,' he distinguished himself by switching paths and excelling as an alchemist."
"Can you believe it? Despite originally being only a 4th-Rank Alchemist in terms of talent, he blossomed in such a short time."
"When Han-bin was active, even the mighty Alkand Empire regarded his personal strength with caution."
"That's not all. Do you know how the royal capital, Albion, came to possess such sophisticated water and sewage systems? Allow me to enlighten you."
But she was getting too carried away.
"...Ah-ha, uh-huh. Oh-ho! How remarkable!"
Even Bella, who had been listening with a smile, was starting to feel the pressure.
She needed to steer the conversation elsewhere—fast!
"S-So, setting aside the Minister of Internal Affairs... what was Han-bin like as a person? If I may ask."
"..."
"I vaguely recall hearing he was kind and considerate..."
"..."
Suddenly, Lily fell silent.
After a moment of deep thought, she spoke again.
"You're correct. He was kind and considerate. But..."
This was likely information even Bella didn't have clearance to access.
Before he became a "knight" and traversed the Demon Realm, the role he had played in the shadows of this kingdom...
"He showed not an ounce of mercy to those who threatened the kingdom. A true patriot, through and through."
"Uh... Um... Er... Those who threatened the kingdom?"
Bella couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.