Chapter 359
Chapter 359
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 359
>Chapter Title: Cool. The Best.
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The overall head of the Second Development Site, Melond.
His full name had originally been Melond von Blohai, but he rarely mentioned it on formal occasions.
This was quite unusual when you considered other fallen nobles.
Other fallen nobles clung desperately to their family names, no matter how meaningless they’d become.
Whenever Melond saw such fallen nobles, he couldn’t help but scoff.
‘Hmph. It’s not like a name puts money in your pocket.’
What did you gain by protecting a name?
Honor? Pride? Self-respect?
‘All useless.’
There was only one thing you could gain.
A psychological sense of superiority.
……My bloodline was once noble. I’m different from the likes of you from birth.
But so what if you were different?
What did that get you?
Once upon a time, Melond had been intoxicated by that very psychological superiority too.
I’m different from you lot. Noble blood flows through my veins.
He’d once treated those around him with contempt, his sole boast being a noble certificate from some kingdom absorbed by the Empire—a kingdom the Empire didn’t even recognize.
But all that came back were cold stares and disdain.
……He thought it was fine.
The superior were bound to face envy and jealousy.
But one day…… that notion shattered to pieces when he happened to meet a ‘real’ noble.
- Blohai Family? Sorry. My knowledge is limited, and I don’t know your house. If it’s not rude, might I ask your title and territory?
- Ah, well……
What had he said back then?
He’d prattled on endlessly about how his family ancestors had served as this or that official in some kingdom, what title they held……
He’d recited the family history his father had drilled into him until his ears bled, just like in his childhood.
Even now, thinking back made his face burn.
Acting so excited in front of a ‘real’ one.
But the real humiliation wasn’t himself back then.
- Oh, what an honorable house. I’d love to hear more of the Blohai Family history, if that’s alright?
- Ah, of course!
The young noble genuinely seemed interested, listening intently to Melond’s words. The conversation that started around noon ended only when the moon rose.
Throughout the tale, the young noble respected Melond, empathized with his family pride, and sincerely acknowledged Melond’s self-respect.
Without a hint of that typical noble arrogance.
It had been a truly satisfying encounter.
Yet, why did it feel so off?
- Sir Melond, let’s meet again soon. Next time, I’ll invite you to my estate.
- Yes, then……
Melond returned home with that nagging unease, and when he took in his dilapidated house compared to the upscale cafeteria he’d just left, he finally realized.
The source of that unease.
- I…… was a fake.
Honor? Pride? Self-respect?
It was all fake.
Honor was armor to hide poverty, pride an excuse to enjoy comfort in destitution one step removed from scraping by.
Self-respect…… what the hell was that?
That day, Melond discarded the name ‘von Blohai’.
Through an introduction from the young noble, he entered the Kriton Merchant Guild, shed the ‘fallen noble’ title, and started from the bottom.
It took 17 years to claim the guildmaster position.
And another 12 years to reach this spot.
And…… right now.
Melond turned his gaze out the window.
“Arafurgin.”
Towering peaks piercing the heavens. And the massive mountain range they formed.
“Here, I become ‘real’.”
He had no need for the discarded name ‘von Blohai’.
The continent’s top merchant guild would expand from three to four great houses, and ‘master of the Kriton Guild’ would attach itself to Melond’s name.
Of course, that required doing certain things.
“Guildmaster, are preparations complete?”
“It had better proceed without a hitch.”
Melond flashed a friendly smile even at the two uninvited guests barging into his office without warning.
“What preparations? I just pick up the fork at the table you two have set.”
The two were underlings of the Mobir Barony and Slion Viscounty, and they grinned in satisfaction at his words.
“The baron’s expectations are sky-high. Handle this right, and the guildmaster won’t come out empty-handed either.”
“Our viscount has great hopes too.”
Yeah, sure.
Their expectations must be huge.
‘Of course they are, when you’re stealing someone else’s rice bowl.’
Melond’s expectations were just as high.
* * *
Melond’s plan went like this.
First step: Invite the heads of the First and Third Development Sites.
Naturally, unless those heads were fools, they’d bring skilled escorts.
In these vast, barren plains, it was a single sword—not imperial law—that protected you.
That’s where the troops borrowed from the two noble houses came in.
‘Regular soldiers aren’t the key.’
The important part was the knights and mages handpicked by those two noble houses.
They might pale next to the Empire’s central powerhouses, but a knight was a knight, a mage a mage.
Their caliber was on another level from mere mercenaries.
‘Gale Wings? Kalia Mercenaries? Laughable.’
Even if they brought their mercenary captains, numbers would overwhelm them.
Once the two heads were secured, step two began.
What was step two?
‘Contracts.’
Melond wasn’t an idiot.
Just as investors backed him, the First and Third Sites surely had impressive backers too.
So, he couldn’t push contracts that directly seized land or wrecked their ventures.
Melond would broker two contracts.
1. Escort Contract
2. Toll Contract
The first shoved the Mobir and Slion troops into the First and Third Sites as escorts. The second charged tolls for moving personnel and supplies through Arafurgin.
‘Of course, the escorts are just a pretext.’
It was a legal way to extract money, their real role more……
Surveillance and sabotage.
The tolls were exactly as named.
‘Collect funds periodically under the toll pretext.’
The collectors? The two houses.
So, what did Melond gain?
No direct cash. He didn’t covet any.
What he sought wasn’t material.
What he’d gain was……
- Arafurgin’s Premier Development Site
While the two sites faltered under disguised surveillance, sabotage, and massive tolls, the completed Second Site would rise as Arafurgin’s top. First-mover advantage.
Once established, the rest was easy.
Every mercenary, merchant, gatherer, adventurer heading to Arafurgin would flock there.
That wealth would propel the Kriton Guild higher.
Melond had no doubt.
……Of course.
‘That requires the First and Third heads showing up.’
He’d planned for proxies, but the heads themselves made it smoother.
“Guildmaster, the Third Site head, Guildmaster Eitzf, has arrived.”
“And the troops?”
“About ten mercenaries. Top talent from an escort company, it seems……”
“As expected.”
Variables existed.
The Third Site had noble investors too.
A knight dispatched by one could complicate things.
But the outcome was as seen.
‘Well, would those haughty types escort a mere guildmaster?’
Anyway.
“And the First Site?”
“They’re not here yet……”
The secretary trailed off as another employee reported.
“The First Site group has arrived. But……”
“……?”
“Their group is a bit odd.”
“Odd how?”
The employee nodded at Melond’s question and continued.
“Only two people. One’s Viscount Kalond, from our correspondence. The other’s a fresh-faced kid.”
“……A kid? Bringing his son?”
“No, didn’t seem like it. Unless I misread, the viscount was deferring to the kid.”
“Hmm.”
Melond grunted.
‘What’s this?’
Too many oddities.
No escort troops, and the kid outranking the viscount?
‘……Come to think of it, the First Site head’s identity was still secret.’
Not just that.
The First Site was shrouded in mystery.
Largest scale, but investor identities, funds invested—nothing known.
So Melond assumed Viscount Kalond was the head……
“Hmm. Complicated.”
Someone the viscount deferred to? At least a count’s heir.
Likely from a power house with capital for massive Arafurgin investment.
“……What now?”
“Proceed as planned.”
“You sure?”
“……Hmm.”
Melond let out a faint grunt.
But.
“No reason not to.”
He’d wanted minimal investor meddling, but even if they intervened, it changed nothing.
Like the First and Third backed by powers, so was the Second.
‘A count’s heir? Hell, even a duke’s—no way around it. At least…… nah, impossible.’
Few in the Empire could match his backers’ power. And those few? Probability near zero.
He could handle anyone.
Just……
‘……Strong investor influence isn’t welcome.’
This could boost their stake.
But.
‘Grow the pie, and it’s a loss we can more than offset.’
“Where’s the proxy?”
“At the lodgings.”
Proxy meaning the top investor’s rep.
“Go tell them we might need help. And apologize for not visiting personally.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then go.”
Melond left the office, heading to the meeting room where the First and Third groups waited.
The building wasn’t far.
Behind him trailed a group.
Knights and mages up front, soldiers after.
Clank, clank.
Amid the metallic echoes, Melond straightened his clothes before the meeting room.
And.
Creeeak—
The door opened.
“Pleased to meet you. Good to put faces to the meeting.”
Flanked by knights, Melond beamed at those inside.
The Third Site head and his escorts scowled fiercely.
“……Guildmaster Melond, quite the escort entourage.”
“Does Guildmaster Eitzf see them as escorts?”
“……”
They realized.
They’d fallen into a trap.
……As their faces twisted in despair, applause rang from one corner.
Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.
“……?”
Melond narrowed his eyes toward the source.
A gray-haired boy.
The boy was smiling.
“Cool. The best. This is exactly what I wanted.”
Utterly delighted.
……And Viscount Kalond smiled too.
“Looks like noble house knights. We can settle everything today. Congratulations, Sir Aster.”
Melond thought.
‘……What the hell are these lunatics?’
Couldn’t they read the room?
As he pondered, the boy’s voice rang in his ears.
“I’ll give you two choices.”
……One, get beaten, then talk.
……Two, talk, then get beaten.
“Which’ll it be?”
Time to choose.