Chapter 117
Chapter 117
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: The Mercenary's Intrusion
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Dun, who had been watching the situation, asked Gae-dung-i to drop the invisibility.
Colin Altoid was gazing out the window and didn't notice Dun right away.
"Ahem. Hm. Ahem."
Dun cleared his throat a few times to draw his attention.
When he suddenly sensed someone's presence in what he thought was an empty room, Colin whipped his head around to stare at the intruder.
"!!!"
An assassin?
Colin snatched the sword from beside his desk and thrust it at Dun's neck, who had transformed his body.
"Who sent you?"
"Calm down. I'm not here to kill you. If I were, would I have coughed to get your attention just now?"
". . . ."
Even with the explanation, Colin didn't lower his sword.
Dun crossed his arms and looked down at Colin arrogantly, then bit down on the blade pressed against his neck.
Crunch, crunch.
He chewed it up and casually spat the shattered tip into the corner of the room.
"Wanna talk? Threats won't work on me."
"What . . . what kind of monster are you?!"
Stunned, Colin stumbled back.
He yanked open a desk drawer and pulled out a sharp dagger, aiming it at Dun. His hand trembled violently around the hilt.
"I'm Minu. I work in Adventure Village."
'Minu . . . ?'
The familiar name made Colin frown.
Suddenly, he recalled the list of key figures in Adventure Village that Gesen had sent him.
He'd asked to investigate how the emperor's people were connected, and there was a Minu on that list.
An upper-class mercenary hired by the village.
Light brown hair, red eyes, handsome man. Estimated age late twenties.
Extremely beloved by the territory's people.
Deputy manager in charge of Mazia fruit trading—an ambiguous position.
That was all the info he had on him.
The emperor had created Adventure Village to keep tabs on him after he inherited the count's title.
Killing him would cost the emperor dearly too.
He didn't know why this frontman for the emperor had barged into his room, but he needed to calm down and think rationally.
Someone who could break in like this was probably here to extort something through threats.
Colin pressed his hand against the dagger's blade, dulling his racing thoughts with stinging pain.
"Did His Majesty the Emperor send you?"
"Hmm . . . ."
Dun started to say the emperor had sent him, but then thought about the count shoving his info at the emperor and demanding answers. He opened his mouth.
Even in disguise, it was best to hide as much info as possible.
"Nah. I'm acting on my own."
"A mere mercenary barging into a count's office for personal reasons? That's ridiculous. Be honest."
"Coming through the front gate means all that hassle with procedures. Sneaking in like this, I get to see you right away. How convenient is that?"
Colin scowled at Dun's response.
It was an idea no normal person would conceive, but a brutish upper-class mercenary? Possible.
"What do you want?"
"I'm broke as hell. Gimme 10,000 units. I heard you're the richest guy in the sector. Not asking for free, though. I've got some killer info for you."
Thanks to Han Su-hwan, Dun was loaded and didn't need the 10,000 units.
But spilling the info for nothing would make the count suspicious.
He needed to show some motive for his actions to build trust.
"Why do you suddenly need money?"
"Wanna buy a slave. Like you nobles, I wanna boss people around and live it up. Figured 10,000 units would cover it."
The common view of mercenaries was muscle-headed thugs.
Count Altoid eased his suspicions about Dun a bit.
"Pfft, you think the average slave goes for a measly 10,000 units?"
"It's not? Damn, fine. Just gimme one slave then. You're a slave trading boss, right? That thing. I'll give you top-tier info."
"Hm?"
Dun sucked at acting, but his usual vibe matched a mercenary's, making him look like the real deal.
Tossing in rough curses like "damn" and "hell" added credibility.
"I'll give you a slave if you share the info."
"Hmm . . . . Can't trust you nobles worth a damn, so gimme the 10,000 units first. Write up a slave contract first, and I'll return the units once I get the slave."
Dun grabbed a blank sheet from Count Altoid's desk and scrawled "Slave Contract" on it.
"Not bad for a mercenary. Pretty sharp."
"My mom always said I seemed dumb but was weirdly shrewd."
It was something Rihaowel had actually said.
"Puhaha!"
"Now, quit laughing and sign it."
It was oddly funny hearing someone who seemed older talk without a shred of maturity.
After dealing only with the stiff, rigid types his father had left behind, encountering someone who spoke so bluntly felt refreshing.
Barging in during his misery only to stumble into something hilarious—it made him laugh, but tears welled up too. They dried quickly, unnoticed.
『The Count gives Minu one slave. If not, Minu takes 10,000 units.』
Colin signed the sloppy contract Dun had written and handed over 10,000 units.
He was dying to know what info this guy had brought.
"So, what's this info you wanted to give me?"
"Last time, I was drinking at the tavern and ran into Gesen, that sleazy bastard. I sweet-talked him 'cause I want a slave too, and he spilled the black market location."
Dun pulled a table napkin from his pocket and handed it to Colin.
"Call an expert to check the handwriting. It's Gesen's."
Colin took the napkin and examined the contents. It listed the location of the upcoming black market.
"Leaking an unauthorized black market location is betrayal, sure. You wanted to warn me Gesen betrayed me?"
He'd heard Gesen was super loyal and trusted, but the reaction was underwhelming.
Was it because it was him, not his son?
He'd expected horror at a mercenary learning the black market spot.
Mercenaries joining would cheapen the whole thing, scaring off noble clients.
Dun decided to spice up the betrayal story.
"Yeah, but hear how I pried it out of him."
"Go on."
"I bullshitted him, said I'd sweet-talk the emperor into giving me a title. And once I'm a noble, I'd let him hijack your slave caravan outright."
"Gesen's not the type to sell out a black market spot for that."
Ah, even with proof, the guy's full of suspicions.
"I got him drunk first. Figured he wouldn't spill easy sober."
Finally, it clicked—Colin nodded.
Suddenly, he remembered the slave training camp he'd been told had vanished, thanks to Gesen.
'That guy . . . .'
Was he serious?
Was he only acting this bold because Colin wasn't his father?
If it were his father, he'd never dare attempt such treason.
His father had guarded the family legacy in exactly three ways.
The Mazia farm, the slave caravan, and his connections.
Among those connections, he prided himself most on the emperor's favor and his capable servant, Gesen.
Now that it all crumbled to dust, Colin thought of his late mother, standing alone in misery.
Finally, the tears he'd ignored welled up.
'I thought this was for everyone's sake.'
He'd just wanted the family to endure. So he'd done as told.
But now both parents were gone, and what his father claimed was "for everyone" left him with nothing of value.
He'd thought diligently protecting his father's treasures after his death might ease the pain, but losing it all brought relief instead.
At the same time, a hollow pit opened in his gut, making him nauseous.
"Puhahaha! Gesen, acting all loyal like he owned the market . . . . Listen, I told my father. Gesen does good work, but he'd betray the Altoids the second Father slipped."
Colin laughed it out, then lit his pipe again. He exhaled smoke and continued.
"Father kept insisting he was loyal, the one true faithful one—so I guess I started doubting my own judgment on Gesen."
Dun awkwardly smiled, flustered by Colin laughing through tears.
'Why's he suddenly going on about his father?'
"I'll be straight. I wrote the contract, but I got no slaves to give you. I'll look into it more, but from what you've said, seems Gesen siphoned them off midway."
More honest than expected.
He said he'd investigate Gesen's actions further, but with the napkin proof of the black market location, it was undeniable betrayal.
Hard to shake that frame of mind.
So any suspicious traces during the investigation would fuel his imagination.
If it came out that the teleport circle to the training camp pointed to Baron Weas's territory—a pro-emperor noble—and considering Gesen had met him privately a few times over slave smuggling, he'd connect the dots.
"No slaves for me? Then gimme more money."
"I was filthy rich just months ago, but suddenly I'm broke. 10,000 units will have to do. Your info hit hard—I wanna be alone, so could you leave?"
'Sage time already?'
Made sense. Losing everything at once would leave anyone hollow.
"What'll you do with Gesen?"
"What can I do? Banish him from the territory."
"Not kill him?"
"Even so, he was Father's favorite. Killing him would leave me too empty."
". . . ."
Tearjerker trash family love. From the reaction, the previous Count Altoid had treated his son well, at least.
'With Gesen handled, the Altoid slave caravan's grounded for a while.'
Losing a key player would rock the caravan hard, short-term.
Tough to profit from Mazia fruit without it, hard to rebuild.
Soon, rumors of Count Altoid's downfall would spread, and his backers would start pulling away.
Until the rebellion succeeded and they guillotined this Altoid too, better keep draining their power.
"Haha . . . ."
Before leaping out the window, Dun blinked at the count, who laughed hollowly through tears.
The more he thought about it, the more the slave caravan pissed him off.
Peeking inside confirmed he was just like the Association Chairman.
Snatching people willy-nilly, implanting perfect slave mindsets, then selling to nobles with weird tastes.
He hated comparing to the past, but kept finding parallels.
As Dun pondered ways to make him suffer more than a quick guillotine, he jumped out the window and left the mansion.