The Final Strike
Albert headed to Landolf Territory to deliver the finishing blow. The Flower Merchant Group had made the territory its base of operations. Normally, since they had signed an exclusive contract with the Legrian family, it would have made sense to relocate their headquarters there. But that was impossible. Legrian Territory sat right next to Monster Land and was far too remote. It simply wasn’t suitable as a merchant group’s base.
Landolf Territory, on the other hand, was perfect. It housed branch offices of major guilds—the Mercenary Guild, the Mage Guild, and the Merchant Guild—making it a thriving commercial hub. Its location was advantageous as well. Situated in the middle of vast plains, the territory offered proper lodging facilities for travelers and merchants passing through on long journeys. Carriage services and transportation routes to other territories were well established, allowing it to function as a true hub. Thanks to this, countless merchants, travelers, and mercenaries flocked to the area. There was no better place for a merchant group to establish itself and grow.
“Bwahaha! Did you see the look on that wench’s face? Twisted with rage!”
Inside the Merchant Guild branch office in Landolf Territory, Branch Manager Apro roared with laughter. He had enjoyed a rather pleasant morning. Early that day, Richel, the leader of the Flower Merchant Group, had stormed in to confront him.
“It was you! You’re the one who spread those rumors about our group!”
She looked ready to grab him by the collar, but the surrounding eyes held her back. Her hands trembled with fury. Apro sneered inwardly at her pathetic state, but outwardly he remained calm and feigned ignorance.
“Hmm, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Rumors? Why? Did something happen?”
“Stop pretending! It was you! Who else would spread such vile rumors?!”
“Oh dear, you’re accusing the wrong person. And watch your words. There’s no smoke without fire. If rumors like that are spreading, it must be because of your usual behavior, don’t you think?”
“What did you say?!”
“Whoa there~ You’re about to hit me, aren’t you? Tsk tsk. A merchant shouldn’t be so emotional. And a youngster talking back to an elder… I’m only giving you advice for your own good… Tsk tsk.”
He clicked his tongue lightly, then glanced sideways at Richel’s furious expression and spoke in a suggestive tone.
“Still, as a fellow merchant, I can’t just stand by and watch. If you hand over those goods to us, we could help clear up the misunderstanding on your behalf.”
“What?”
“That offer I made before is still on the table. How about it?”
“……You really think I’d accept that offer?”
“Well~ It’s fine if you don’t. But what good are valuable goods if you have no one to sell them to?”
“This is all your fault! You spread those ridiculous rumors! And you told your connections not to buy from us!”
“Do you have proof?”
“What?”
“Proof. Witnesses. If you don’t have any, stop accusing innocent people.”
Apro looked around briefly.
“Let’s not make a scene in front of so many people. If you change your mind, feel free to come back anytime.”
With that, Apro turned his back on Richel and walked inside. That had been the morning’s incident.
“What’s the current situation?”
At Apro’s question, Vice Branch Manager Kibae adjusted his glasses with one hand.
“It seems they’re in quite a difficult position. Even if they want to sell their goods, they have no trading partners.”
“Kuhuhu, as expected. What about the Mage Guild?”
“Hmm…… That side seems difficult for us to block.”
“Why? Using the Merchant Guild’s name, it should be easy to stop smaller groups from trading with them. With our connections, it should be possible.”
“That’s the strange part. Other merchant groups would back down at the mention of the Merchant Guild’s name, but……”
Kibae also looked puzzled.
“They said they cannot cut ties with the Flower Merchant Group.”
“Tsk, we should have severed that connection completely.”
Apro sipped from the cup in front of him with a regretful expression. Greed gleamed in his eyes.
“I have to get my hands on that wench no matter what. Or more precisely, the Iron Ant antennae and ant iron ingots.”
He was covetous. If he could handle the Iron Ant antennae and iron ingots himself—
‘I’ll be recognized for my achievements and transferred to the central office. That alone would be worth it.’
“Kibae, what about the task I gave you?”
“You mean finding the supplier?”
“Yes. That wench isn’t ordinary. If she’s making those her main products, it must be because she has a stable supply source.”
Apro possessed the necessary competence to hold the position of branch manager. His vision was broad, his experience extensive, and he had learned how to read people through countless encounters. That was why he had recognized Richel’s talent.
‘At first, I wanted to keep her under me, but I feared that talent and tried to crush it before it could bloom.’
He had realized that placing Richel beneath him would eventually strangle him. She might even try to take his position. So he had attempted to trample and sever her talent before it could flower.
“She’s like a weed growing in the wasteland.”
Like a weed that rises again no matter how many times it is stepped on or cut down, Richel had not given up. And just as he feared, she had grown—and in the end, she had even secured a supply of Iron Ants.
‘I should have eliminated her completely. Tsk.’
Anyway, if Richel was selling Iron Ant antennae and iron ingots, it must be because she had obtained a stable supplier.
‘She wouldn’t start something without reason or evidence.’
A disgusting smile filled with greed spread across Apro’s lips.
“If we can just find that supplier, taking it away will be easy. We just need to offer better terms.”
“If that happens, we’ll be able to go to the central office.”
“Exactly.”
The Iron Ant antennae and iron ingots held value worthy of such effort. The antennae were magical materials. The ant iron ingots had countless uses and superior quality, so demand was high. If they were put on the market, buyers would line up, and that would directly translate into profit.
‘If I handle this well, I could secure a significant position within the Merchant Guild.’
“We must find it no matter what. Put in a request with the Information Guild.”
“But if we’re talking about recent trading partners of the Flower Merchant Group, there’s the Legrian family. Couldn’t it be them? Since their territory is adjacent to Monster Land……”
“No, it’s not there.”
Apro cut him off and shook his head firmly.
“That place is a territory that collapsed long ago. I heard they even sold off the surrounding land. How could a place like that have the power to hunt Iron Ants? It’s impossible.”
“That may be true, but still……”
“No. Don’t investigate that place. It’s a waste of time and money. My sharp merchant’s intuition tells me it’s not there.”
“But……”
“Oh come now, Kibae. Don’t you trust my intuition? I’m Apro! The branch manager of Landolf Territory! My intuition says it’s not there!”
“Well, if you say so, I understand. Then I’ll put in a request with the Information Guild……”
“Branch Manager!”
Just then, the door to the branch manager’s office burst open, and a merchant in a gray robe rushed in, panting. Apro frowned.
“What is it?”
“Th-there’s been a huge problem!”
“What happened?”
“The goods we supplied to the Mage Guild were found to be defective and returned in full! The Carnival family is also continuously protesting that we gave them defective products!”
“I…… Is this really okay?”
Delren barely managed to squeeze out his trembling voice as he looked at Albert, who sat casually with his legs crossed in front of him. He immediately lowered his gaze. He couldn’t bring himself to meet Albert’s eyes directly. All Delren could do was stare at his feet.
“It’s sufficient.”
Albert smiled with satisfaction.
I never expected you to use the Carnival family.
Is this really okay?
You must be quite busy thanks to Albert-nim.
‘Well, what does it matter? If I can use something, I should use it. Besides, I’m not the one who’s busy.’
You’re shameless.
Demon!
Albert shrugged as if to say, “So what?”
‘Unfortunately, there aren’t many things I can use here.’
In his previous world, he wouldn’t have needed to go through such troublesome methods. As an EX-rank Hunter standing at the pinnacle of power, his network of connections spanned the entire world. With a single word from him, it would have been entirely possible to convene a summit-level meeting. Before he left, his influence had reached global proportions.
‘But what can I do? I ended up here empty-handed.’
The problem was that he had none of that here. With his family’s foundation collapsed and his influence drastically weakened, he intended to use everything he could.
‘No point in clinging to what doesn’t exist. If I really need something……’
“I can just make it. I’m just too lazy to bother.”
“Th-then……”
Delren timidly raised his head, and the moment his eyes met Albert’s, he quickly lowered it again. His fingertips trembled slightly. The enemy who had ruined his family and reduced his father to such a state was right in front of him. Yet the terror carved into him that day ran so deep that he couldn’t even think of resisting.
“I-is it over with this……?”
“Well, more or less?”
By now, the Merchant Guild must be in complete chaos. The goods they had supplied to the Mage Guild had been found defective and returned in full. Of course, this too had been Albert’s instructions to Grandel.
‘So you’re saying I should make them process a return no matter what?’
‘Yeah.’
‘How am I supposed to……?’
‘Isn’t figuring out the “how” part of your job?’
At Albert’s irresponsible remark, Grandel had looked dumbfounded.
‘But the Merchant Guild has been a long-time trading partner of our guild. No matter what…… We’ve built up trust, credibility, and reliability over the years……’
‘So you’re saying you can’t do it?’
‘That’s……’
‘You’ll have to. Otherwise, I’ll march into the Mage Guild with your contract and promissory note. What do you think your master will do when he finds out?’
Would that trust, credibility, and reliability really protect you? You’d be lucky if he didn’t turn you into a X-head.
‘……In truth, the Merchant Guild has had many problems even before this. They’ve been subtly supplying defective goods while trading with us. We’ve tolerated it until now, but we can’t anymore. I’ll report this immediately.’
Once Grandel had assessed the situation, he headed straight for the Mage Guild. Well, after that, Grandel had probably handled everything on his own.
‘He said he came to learn world-class magic, so he must have used that to persuade Hades.’
As a result, the Merchant Guild was now in complete disarray. On top of that, the Carnival family had begun filing formal complaints about things they would normally have overlooked.
“If those bastards are going to use their connections to pull tricks, then I have no choice but to do the same.”
He had no choice but to use his own connections.
Can the Carnival family really be considered a connection?
【・ヘ・?】
‘Why not?’
Connections were ultimately like links formed between people. Whether good or bad, the Carnival family had become entangled with Albert, and that too was a connection. Even if it was a one-way street where only one side benefited.
“There’s one last thing I need you to do.”
“Wh-what is it?”
“Spread some bad rumors about the Merchant Guild.”
“B-bad rumors?”
“Just leave negative reviews. Like, it turned out not to be the great place everyone said it was, or you were fooled by exaggerated advertising, or it’s not even worth one star out of five……”
Delren couldn’t fully understand what Albert was saying, but he grasped the general meaning.
“So you want me to…… spread bad rumors about the Merchant Guild among the nobles……?”
“Exactly.”
You said it in such a roundabout way, but he understood perfectly.
‘Shut up.’
“B-but…… If we do that, the Merchant Guild might cut ties with us. Even this protest……”
“How strange. Did it sound like I was asking?”
A heavy aura exploded from Albert’s body.
“Kugh!!”
Crushed by the pressure, Delren groaned and dropped to his knees. Terror wrapped around his entire body. The events of that day resurfaced, and the fear rippled across the surface of a once-calm lake as if a stone had been thrown into it.
“I told you to do it. I didn’t ask if you would.”
‘I’m scared……’
Goosebumps rose across his skin as a chill ran through him. The overwhelming pressure in Albert’s voice carried an irresistible force.
‘It’s as if……’
Delren struggled to lift his head. Under Albert’s heavy, cold gaze as he sat with his legs crossed looking down at him, Delren saw the image of a “king.” Not a wise king or a sage king.
‘A tyrant.’
“……I understand. I-I’ll do it.”
“Good.”
When Albert withdrew his aura, Delren’s body swayed.
“Ah, and one more thing.”
“Y……es?”
“Has anyone come looking for me?”
“Someone…… came looking? What do you mean?”
Albert stared straight into Delren’s eyes. A chill ran down Delren’s spine.
‘Eyes that see right through me. Are those even human eyes? It doesn’t make sense……’
They were clearer and deeper than the lake at the summit of Mount Berskan. A strange sense of dread welled up, as if he would be sucked in if he kept looking, yet he couldn’t avert his gaze.
“You don’t know? Well, it doesn’t matter. I don’t particularly care anyway.”
Are you keeping those guys in mind?
‘Yeah.’
What are you planning to do?
‘Well, if they mess with me, they die. If not, then whatever. But if they show even the slightest sign……’
They all die.
Albert left the Carnival family after those words.
After Albert departed—
“Huu……”
Delren could finally breathe comfortably. Then a memory suddenly surfaced.
‘Hansen!’
Hansen had said that to deal with that monster, they needed to bring another monster. He had declared that he could never forgive this humiliation and disgrace, and that he would go inform the Mage Guild. He had left yesterday. By now, he should have arrived at the Mage Guild.
At the time, Delren had thought—
‘He’s right…… There is one monster in the Mage Guild, after all.’
—and had let it pass. But meeting Albert again today had made him realize once more.
That thing couldn’t be dealt with even by a monster.
‘……Should I have stopped him……?’
As always, regret came too late. That was why it was called regret.
What are you going to do now?
System asked Albert as he stepped outside. Albert replied as if the question was obvious.
“What do you mean? I’m obviously going to deliver the final blow.”
By now, they must be on the verge of death after suffering continuous bad news. He couldn’t miss the chance for the finishing strike.
The final blow?
“Yeah. I need to drive a stake in so they never touch my money…… No, our…… Damn it, our precious merchant group again.”
Don’t people usually say “drive a nail” at times like this?
“A nail won’t be enough. I need to drive in a stake so they never act up again.”
Won’t they die on the stake before they can act up again?
“Then I’ll just pray for their souls.”
Albert raised his hand and waved it familiarly as he shouted.
“Taxi!!”