Chapter 102
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: The Launch of Sköll
The next morning, Allen called Acandus and Soned for another meeting.
“Was a single day not enough? I feel I may have burdened you.”
They seemed to have organized their thoughts overnight, facing Allen without a moment’s rest.
“Not at all. It’s not good to drag out a matter like this.”
“Isn’t this an issue that requires no deliberation?”
Acandus’s face was perfectly composed, but the dark circles under Soned’s eyes betrayed a long night of contemplation.
“You must all be tired, so let’s get straight to the point.”
“I will follow you.”
It was Acandus who spoke. He opened his mouth the moment Allen finished speaking. Although Allen had more or less anticipated his response, he asked again for confirmation.
“Why did you decide that?”
“Because my objective is no different from yours, my lord.”
His green eyes were firm, without a hint of hesitation.
“With all due respect, the fact that Julius had his body stolen by a demon is not important to me. However, if the ones who took my father are involved with him, that’s a different story.”
It was a statement that could have easily offended Allen, but he didn’t seem to mind.
It was just the sort of thing he would say.
“If you intend to reclaim Julius’s body, then a conflict with that organization—I’ll tentatively call them the ‘third faction’—the one that took my father, is inevitable.”
He coolly listed the facts with a stoic expression.
“Continuous funding in a territory the size of a county, not a barony; connections to the central intelligence organization; and a loyalty so profound it made my father… the lord of a barony, abandon his own domain.”
They even used spatial-movement artifacts freely, and the sheer scale of their faction was impossible to gauge.
“Do you think such people would stand idly by while we try to expel the demon occupying Julius’s body?”
“So you’ll continue to follow me? Because in clashing with them, you might find Lord Paern?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Allen responded with a satisfied smile.
Acandus was a capable man. To fully utilize his abilities, he needed bait to be tamed, not a leash to be restrained.
“Then what about you, Soned?”
“I…”
To follow, or not to follow.
He sighed at the absurdity of a choice that was never truly a choice to begin with.
“Hah, a merchant values trust above all else. I will follow you. However…”
He opened his mouth, then closed it, hesitating, before finally shutting his eyes and speaking.
“I would be grateful if you could make me one promise. That you will consider a request I might have. Of course, it’s nothing grandiose or anything of the sort…”
“Very well. I promise.”
Allen knew that Soned had joined him with a purpose from the very beginning.
The head of a well-established, mid-sized merchant company risking everything to fully side with Allen?
‘That’s impossible.’
A merchant values trust.
However, that statement was always predicated on the guarantee of sufficient profit.
The succession conflict hadn't started yet, as Julius had shown no interest in the position of heir, but even so, it was risky for a merchant to take one side.
“Soned, as long as your request does not conflict with my objectives, I will review it favorably.”
“It will not be a burden to you, my lord.”
Soned’s voice became resolute. His face showed that he believed Allen’s promise. Of course, Allen wasn’t just going to trust them blindly either.
Safety measures were necessary.
[Linbelle, Inellia.]
At Allen’s glance, the two women, after preparing tea, quietly stood at attention behind him.
‘Trusting them completely just because I've shown them grace and we share a common goal?’
Allen didn’t believe the world worked so kindly.
Saying they would follow him because of his grace and their shared purpose also meant they could leave once that grace was repaid, their objectives diverged, or they found a new purpose with someone else.
While that might not be true for everyone, Allen had to prepare for any eventuality.
This life was a second chance, and he had to succeed, no matter what.
It was difficult to trust anyone completely, unless they were ‘entirely’ his, like Linbelle and Inellia.
Therefore, they would observe Allen’s other subordinates.
If they acted according to their initial pledge, Allen would trust them indefinitely. But if some event or betrayal caused them to try and leave…
“Now, I’ll tell you what needs to be done. I’ll be speaking with Karic separately, so I’d like you to keep this confidential.”
He would have no choice but to cut them off. Even if it meant a loss for him.
“Of course.”
“I will only relay the general direction of our work.”
Soned and Acandus replied as if it were a matter of course. Karic had been a companion for several months, but whether he could be trusted was another matter.
There was no telling if this information might leak.
“In that case, Soned, you will establish a branch of your company here. I will provide the initial capital, so I’d like you to proceed quickly. The prices for herbs and healing supplies are high here, so it would be good to transport them to this location.”
“Understood.”
“Also, I am connected with a fairly renowned blacksmith here, so I’ll ensure you can receive a sufficient supply of goods. Once you’ve established a distribution network between here and the territory…”
Allen met Acandus’s gaze. Understanding what Allen was implying, Acandus spoke quickly.
“I should gather those who have been wronged by Julius, just like in the territory.”
“Correct.”
The merchant company was both a deception and a reality.
The prices for potions and herbs were indeed high in this desert, and the weapons made by Sindri and her brother would be welcomed in any region.
“Do we mix them in with the company’s movements and send them to the territory? Or have them operate here?”
“First, train them in the territory, then have them operate here.”
“If they are to operate, what are the permissible limits? For example, organizing a mercenary corps or…”
“I’ll leave that to your discretion.”
“Understood.”
Acandus’s eyes deepened. He was likely deciding how to act based on the information Allen had provided.
“Your tasks will be simple. The basics are rescue, recruitment, and infiltration… but later, you’ll be handling infiltration, instigation, and the protection of key personnel. So keep that in mind from the start.”
Acandus had succeeded in cornering Julius in even more dire circumstances.
While he might not be able to train them perfectly in all those areas, no one could surpass him in laying the groundwork.
Having finished his calculations, Acandus spoke again.
“Is there anything else we need to know?”
Allen thought for a moment before shaking his head.
“There are things… but it seems too early to speak of them.”
Acandus’s eyes gleamed. He took Allen’s subtle hint to mean there were other allies besides them.
‘I’ll need to adjust my deal with Sindri and her brother, so I’ll introduce them soon. Catherine and Iliana are scheduled to join in a few years, so I should arrange a meeting for them in advance.’
At the same time, he would briefly explain his situation to draw them in. He would have to observe them for a few years before deciding whether to reveal everything.
However, Allen had no intention of revealing his relationships with the Cycle Cult and the Queen of Shadows.
First, the Cycle Cult’s public perception was poor, making it unsuitable for open use and clashing with the image Allen wanted to create for the world.
‘And as for the Queen of Shadows…’
To take on the task of organizing the forces of the underworld as she wished, Allen’s own power needed to grow.
He needed to be strong enough to face at least one noble family.
She knew that as well, so she would likely wait for a year at the shortest, or three years at the longest.
“Well then, since our discussion is wrapping up and the time is right, how about we have a meal before we part ways?”
“Haha, I was just getting hungry myself. I agree.”
Soned, seeking to lighten the mood, nodded with a hearty laugh.
“I’d rather lock myself in my room and draw up plans, but… I suppose I can’t be the one to miss out.”
“Of course not, Acandus. Were you thinking of leaving by yourself?”
“That’s why I said I’d go with you, Soned. You’re getting a belly from eating like that all the time.”
“Now, isn’t that a bit harsh!”
Allen watched the two, who seemed to have grown close enough to joke with each other, then turned his head to the window.
A warm breeze blew through the city, adding to the heat, and the trees planted along the streets were covered in lush green leaves.
On an afternoon nearly ten months after his regression…
The organization known only by its name, Sköll, was officially launched.
It was a summer, hotter than the last.
* * *
Even after Acandus and his group arrived, life at the academy flowed on unchanged.
The practical training classes had a subdued air after the incident, but in turn, the indoor training and education became more rigorous.
And by the time the aftermath of the ruin practicum was fully settled, Allen, Julius, and Maria, who had all distinguished themselves, received awards and a great deal of merit.
Upon receiving his, Julius rushed off to report to the academy without so much as a word of greeting to Allen.
He was probably going to retrieve the replica of the famous legendary magic sword, Stormbringer.
Unlike the original’s abilities, the replica was a sword that summoned storms, a fitting item for Julius.
It was an item Allen had given up on, since he couldn’t use it even if he got it first, and he would have had to give it to Julius anyway to maintain the act of being good brothers.
Maria, seeming to care little for her own reward, approached Allen.
She silently led him to a secluded area. Allen, though puzzled, followed her.
As the crowd thinned and the voices faded, she turned to face him.
“Allen.”
He hadn’t seen her since the ruin practicum.
A main character from the black book, and a woman who had abruptly taken her own life before his regression.
At first, he had approached her out of a sliver of pity and the thought that he needed to recruit her before Julius did.
Afterward, he had continued to meet her out of questions about her very existence and to keep Haizel in check.
But after realizing his dependence on the black book, he had been acting based on his memories from before the regression, so this was the first time they were truly face-to-face in a month.
“Is there something you want to say?”
“Why didn’t you come out?”
She said it bluntly. Anyone who didn’t know the situation would have been completely lost, but… Allen instantly understood what she meant.
“Weren’t we both busy after the practicum?”
“Still, it was a promise.”
A faint trace of dissatisfaction clouded her expression. Allen stopped making excuses and apologized.
“My apologies. I didn’t realize you’d be so concerned.”
“I’ll accept it.”
“Is that all, then?”
She continued to gaze at Allen with her unchangingly blank face. Her pure white eyes held his movements captive.
“If you have nothing more to say…”
“The Central Region.”
Allen stopped talking. The Central Region? Why suddenly bring that up…
‘Don’t tell me.’
Allen flinched as a memory surfaced. She was still looking him in the eye. He couldn’t read any emotion from her expression.
“I’m from the Central Region.”
It had been over a month since he had tried to find information on her. In the end, he had found nothing. So why now?
“…And what about it?”
“The answer from last time.”
Maria said, taking another step closer.
Her eyes held Allen the entire time, making it impossible for even him to look away.
“Didn’t you say you were sensitive about your privacy? Why the sudden change…”
*Tap.*
The sound of her heels stopped. The distance between them was now so close a fist couldn’t fit through.
“Information. I’ll tell you more.”
“……”
“So come out.”
A subtle scent of evening primrose, not flashy but gentle, wafted from her.
“Please.”
There was only one emotion Allen could read from Maria’s expression.
A longing so intense it was almost pure.
As if she was giving him this because she knew it was what he wanted.
It was hard to find anything more in her.
Allen remained silent.
He was taken aback by her attitude. But soon, his thoughts couldn’t help but become complicated.
‘What’s her intention in acting like this all of a sudden… no, first, the answer.’
Perhaps she had interpreted his silence as a refusal. Just as a hint of disappointment began to color her eyes, Allen’s voice emerged.
“…Alright, I understand.”
She stared into his eyes for a moment, as if to confirm his sincerity, then nodded silently and stepped back.
“Are you satisfied now?”
“Yes.”
“…Then let’s move. There’s no need to continue our conversation here.”
Having confirmed that the faction behind Julius was no ordinary one, he had been in a situation where he couldn’t afford to worry about Haizel or Maria and had given up.
But, if she was going to act like this…
—Won’t the same thing happen again this time?
Allen stopped in his tracks as he was walking away.
At the sight, she, who had been walking ahead, turned her head.
“Allen, what’s wrong?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
Allen quickly dismissed the thought that had surfaced.
“Your expression is strange.”
As if to check her words, Allen touched his face with both hands. It was unnaturally stiff, a rigid mask.
Allen forced his expression to relax with his hands and put on a facade.
“Is something wrong?”
“I just… remembered something. It’s nothing important.”
She tilted her head, then started walking again. Allen forced his heavy feet to move and followed her.
‘No… what happened before won’t happen again.’
Because he would be careful this time.
He wouldn’t get too deep, and he would keep his emotions in check.
Because that was the right choice.
*Creaak— Creak—*
Perhaps because it was a deserted place, the unpleasant sound of rusting metal grated on his ears.
Ignoring the sound, Allen quickened his pace.
*Creaak—*
Even as he moved away from the spot, the sound remained, stuck in his ears.
It was a disquieting feeling.