The Merchant's Reckoning
Put yourself in their shoes.
“Lord Apro! The Beria family is returning their goods!”
“Lord Apro! It’s a disaster! Baron Aladdin says he won’t accept any defective items and is returning everything!”
“Lord Apro! Strange rumors are spreading through the streets.”
“Lord Apro!!!”
“Enough!!”
Whether he was some kind of celebrity or not, Apro finally snapped at the endless calls of his name. He enjoyed attention as much as any attention-seeker, but this kind of attention was far too burdensome. The path of a true attention-seeker was long and treacherous indeed.
“What the hell is going on!!!”
Apro tore at his hair as he stared at the warehouse overflowing with returned goods. Never once since he had become branch manager of Landolf Territory had he faced a return crisis of this scale. Outside, rumors were already circulating that a boycott was imminent. Once kindled, the spark began to blaze, fueled by the oil of karma.
“Defective goods? What nonsense is this?”
“W-well, we don’t really understand it either. These are the kinds of things we would normally overlook without issue, but… suddenly everyone is nitpicking them.”
“Why!? They never cared before!”
Apro could not comprehend it. The “defects” the nobles were now seizing upon were things that would have been casually ignored in the past. Why were they making an issue of them now?
“And… there’s more.”
“More… what?”
The bad news did not end there. Though he dreaded hearing more, he had no choice but to listen.
“Word got out that the Mage Guild returned everything. Now the nobles are refusing to accept any goods from our branch.”
“W-what are you saying?”
“One by one, they’re declaring they’ll end their dealings with us. Baron Ransen, Viscount Grinsen, and Baron Lairan have already announced they’re cutting ties… and…”
The string of bad news seemed endless. Families that had traded with him for over ten years were lining up to sever relations. Apro’s body swayed violently, but he barely managed to stay on his feet.
“……Why…… What’s the reason?”
“It seems an odd rumor has been spreading among the nobles.”
“An odd rumor?”
“Yes. They’re saying that you deliberately sent them defective goods to pocket the extra profit, and that you laugh behind their backs at the nobles who accept such items with a smile.”
“Who the hell is spreading that garbage!!”
He had said it, but only when no one else was around. Yet somehow the words he believed could never leak out had already spread among the nobles. A rumor without legs travels a thousand miles. Barely a day had passed, and the rumor had grown beyond control.
“There’s even a rumor that Lord Apro enjoys sniffing other people’s scents like some kind of pervert.”
“What kind of bullshit is that!? Who the hell is spreading this crap!?”
“W-we’re looking into it now. But rumors like these are difficult to trace back to their source.”
He knew. After all, he himself had spread countless rumors in exactly the same way to eliminate his competitors. That was why it infuriated him so much—he had done it many times before. He knew that once a rumor started, no amount of explanation would easily quell it. The tower of trust and credibility he had painstakingly built was crumbling far too easily under the wind of hearsay.
“Damn it!!”
“Lord Apro, this is truly serious.”
Kibae’s voice trembled with fear.
“At this rate, our sales will plummet to less than half. On top of that, the returned goods are now tainted by the rumor of defects, so no one will buy them even if we sell them at half price.”
“Ah……”
“No matter how much we try to persuade them, the fact that the Mage Guild returned their goods seems to have dealt a massive blow.”
His head spun. Deals were being cut off, and he was left to deal with the returned merchandise. The resulting losses were beyond imagination. That alone would have been bad enough, but the returns themselves would also count against his performance record—and for a merchant, performance was directly tied to trust and credibility. In short:
‘If this continues, I won’t just be sent to the central branch—I might be exiled even farther away.’
Or worse, he might have to relinquish his position as branch manager altogether.
Apro’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees before the mountain of returned goods.
“I’m…… finished……”
“Lord Apro!”
Just then, a merchant rushed into the warehouse filled with returned items.
“L-Lord Apro! There’s someone here who says they’ll buy all the returned goods in bulk!”
“B-bulk!?”
“Yes!”
“W-where are they!?”
“In the reception room!”
“I-I’m going right now!!”
Apro sprang to his feet and dashed toward the reception room. Left alone in the warehouse, Kibae felt a strange sense of foreboding. Someone willing to buy all the returned goods in one go was certainly a blessing. But still…
‘Why does this feel so unsettling?’
An inexplicable anxiety washed over him. Though his chest felt heavy with unease, the immediate crisis forced him to push it aside.
“Ahaha, a pleasure to meet you! I’m Apro, the branch manager of the Merchant Guild in Landolf Territory!!”
Apro burst into the reception room and awkwardly greeted the man seated gracefully, sipping tea. The man set down his cup and offered a warm, friendly smile.
“The pleasure is mine. My name is Albert. I look forward to working with you.”
The finisher had come to deliver the final blow.
This is a huge deal!
Buying up returned stock at this price?
As expected, Lord Albert has a real talent for business.
The contract was concluded with lightning speed. Though it pained him to sell the returned goods at half price…
‘It’s still far better than shouldering the entire loss!’
In a situation like this, minimizing damage was the priority. Otherwise, he might go under so completely that recovery would be impossible.
‘But who is this guy? Wow, he’s really handsome.’
Apro stole a glance at Albert. His posture and expression were flawless, exuding natural elegance. His overall presence carried a refined sophistication—soft yet graceful. Even the way he drank his tea radiated dignity and poise. And that quill he was using…
‘That’s a quill made from a Rice Eater’s feather, isn’t it? To carry something that expensive… He must be from a noble house.’
Apro cleared his throat and asked casually.
“Might I ask which family you hail from?”
“Must I say?”
“Ahaha, of course not!”
When Albert showed a hint of discomfort, Apro quickly backed down.
“Well then, the signatures are done. It was 500,000 gold, correct?”
“Kuh…… Yes.”
The original value had exceeded a million gold, but since the goods were returned, he had no choice but to let them go for 500,000. This was no ordinary fire sale. Given time, he might have fetched more, but…
‘I don’t have the luxury of holding onto inventory.’
If he had to take a loss, he had to minimize it. Albert paid using gold taken from the Carnival family and promissory notes previously received from merchants.
This is a huge deal!
Buying up returned stock at this price?
As expected, Lord Albert has a real talent for business.
Albert smirked. Everything was going according to plan.
“From now on, everything in that warehouse belongs to me.”
“Haha, of course. How would you like the goods delivered?”
“I’ll have my own people handle it. They should be waiting outside.”
“As you wish.”
Albert and Apro descended the stairs.
“You?”
Below, Apro spotted Richel. Seeing her, he grinned as if things had worked out perfectly. He had been building up stress, and he figured he could vent it on her.
‘At least seeing that wench’s twisted face will make me feel a little better.’
“Well, well, if it isn’t the leader of the Flower Merchant Group, Richel. What brings you all the way here? Don’t tell me you’ve come to accept my proposal…?”
But her reaction was strange. Normally, Richel’s response upon seeing him was predictable—anger, irritation, or disgust. Today, however, she was calm. As if she didn’t care at all. She even walked past him without a glance and headed straight for Albert standing behind him.
“Lord Albert, the carriages are ready. The contract…?”
“Ah, here’s the contract. Everything in that warehouse is ours now, so load it all onto the carriages.”
“Understood.”
At Richel’s signal, the waiting laborers began loading the goods onto the Flower Merchant Group’s carriages. Apro stared in disbelief at the unfolding scene.
“W-why are you…? No! Why are you taking my goods! Put them down right now!?”
“What are you doing? We’re simply conducting legitimate business.”
“Business!? You call stealing my goods your business, you thief!?”
“That’s a bit harsh. You signed the contract yourself.”
Richel frowned in displeasure and held up the contract, the ink still fresh. There, plain as day, were the signatures of Apro and Albert.
“T-this is…… What the……”
His face twisted in shock as he turned to stare at Albert. His eyes trembled violently with rising dread. No way… It couldn’t be… He tried to deny reality. Albert merely smirked, his expression playful.
“Ah~ Right. Now that I think about it, since we’ve done business together, hiding my name feels a bit rude. My full name is Albert Legrian.”
“……Legrian…… Gah!”
Startled, his eyes widened. A noble bearing the name Legrian—he knew exactly who that was. It was the fallen house that the Flower Merchant Group had continued trading with until the very end.
“Don’t tell me!”
Only then did Apro feel the scattered pieces of the puzzle finally click into place. The sense of dissonance he had felt vanished, replaced by certainty.
“You planned all of this!?”
“Planned? What do you mean?”
Albert feigned ignorance. His expression, gaze, tone, and gestures all conveyed complete detachment—as if he had nothing to do with any of it. He controlled everything perfectly, pretending not to understand. Flawless. Perfection itself.
Your acting has improved quite a bit.
Back when you played poker with Min-seob and Yeseul, you got completely wrecked……
‘Shut up.’
Thinking back to that time still made him furious.
‘Just remembering how much money I lost back then makes me wake up in a cold sweat.’
After that, he had recognized the importance of a poker face and practiced his acting relentlessly. This was the result.
Apro suspected, but he couldn’t be certain.
‘I really should have become an actor. My acting is perfect. And my face is perfect too.’
Even if you became an actor, you’d probably get canceled for personality controversies……
‘What did you just say? Don’t feel like reading books these days?’
……My apologies.
‘Do your job properly.’
Yes……
The laborers moved busily, loading goods into the carriages. Unable to contain his rage, Apro grabbed Richel by the collar.
“You! This is all your doing!”
“What are you talking about?”
“What do you mean, what!? This was all your scheme! Those rumors…… Yes! The rumors too! And the Mage Guild! Everything was your doing!”
“What are you saying?”
“All of it! It was you! I knew something was off. The timing was too suspicious, and forcing the Mage Guild to return their goods—that was all you!”
“Is that so?”
Richel merely shrugged as if she had no idea what he was talking about.
“I wouldn’t know anything about that.”
“Stop pretending!”
“Do you have proof?”
“What?”
“Proof. Witnesses. If you don’t have any, stop accusing innocent people~.”
“You……”
Richel was throwing his own words right back at him.
“A merchant should……”
Richel smacked his arm away.
“……not be this emotional, don’t you think? That’s why getting older doesn’t help if you don’t grow wiser. Tsk tsk.”
“You……”
“And about those rumors—where there’s smoke, there’s fire, right? You must have done something to deserve them.”
The bright, innocent smile on Richel’s face as she spoke made him feel as if all the pent-up frustration in his chest was finally clearing. He had been feeling suffocated lately, his anger building to the point of explosion.
‘It feels like everything just got blown wide open.’
You look like you’re chugging cider like crazy.
This reminds me of when Lord Albert trolled his teammates in-game and then switched sides to kill them.
It must feel refreshing. After all, she had suffered so much at that man’s hands. Her revenge was far from over.
“Let’s not make a scene in front of so many people. If you want to be respected in your old age, try developing some dignity.”
“What!?”
“Everyone gets older with time. What’s the point of a stubborn old man like you lecturing about respect from juniors…… How do you expect to be a merchant acting like that? Sigh.”
She shook her head in pity.
“Anyway, we bought these goods fair and square. You can see the signature right here, can’t you?”
“……Do you really think I’ll let this slide!?”
At Apro’s signal, the mercenaries employed by the Merchant Guild raised their weapons. They kept mercenaries on hand for the occasional troublesome customer. These were the newly hired Kaliban Mercenary Group.
“Hey, miss. I don’t know what’s going on, but……”
“You’d be better off staying out of this.”
“We’re gentlemen too. We don’t want to get violent……”
Just then, Albert stepped between the mercenaries. He never imagined he would run into familiar faces in a place like this.
“Hey, fancy meeting you here again. This is the second time since the Rice Eater incident, right?”
“Who the hell are you?”
“Who am I? That’s a bit disappointing. We’ve met before.”
“Met? We’ve never met someone like you……”
At that moment, the mercenaries’ eyes widened. His voice sounded strangely familiar. They had heard it somewhere before…… Definitely……
Memories they had tried to forget were being forcibly dredged up to the surface. A small stone had been thrown into the still lake of memory, and the ripples were spreading, turning anxiety into certainty.
“Ah, you don’t recognize me because of the glasses?”
When Albert removed his glasses, his true face was revealed. The mercenaries’ eyes bulged and their mouths fell open in shock. Seeing their reaction, Albert grinned.
“Why? Even you guys think I’m handsome, right? I really should have become an actor……”
“Aaaaaagh!!”
“Aaaah! S-save me!”
“I don’t have anything left! I’m sorry!”
The mercenaries fled in terror.
“……”
They ran away after seeing Lord Albert’s face, didn’t they?
‘Don’t remind me.’
Even after saying “Even you guys think I’m handsome, right?” so confidently, they still ran…… Pfft……
ಥ⌣ಥ
‘You’re upgrading your emoticons more and more, huh?’
I’m a System that’s always learning and growing!
‘Right. Here, you’re restricted in authority. You’re not going to the library.’
That’s something, at least!
A promise must be kept!
Requesting information!
Request!!!
‘Shut up.’
Albert ignored the System’s whining and looked to the side, where Apro stood, still unable to grasp the situation. He clearly didn’t understand why the mercenaries had suddenly fled. It must have been bewildering.
“Tsk, I told you. There’s no need to hire useless trash like that.”
Just then, a muscular man with tanned skin and tattoos stepped out from the crowd. The scars on his body suggested he was a mercenary as well.
“I alone am enough to guard this place. If you have money to hire those weaklings, give it to me instead. I’ll protect you properly.”
“H-hahaha! Right! You were here! Yes! Karls! You……”
BOOM!
In an instant, the moment the mercenary called Karls stepped forward to act, Albert grabbed his head and slammed it into the ground.
“Kuh! You bastard…… Attacking by surprise……”
“Oh, you’re sturdy.”
It was an impact that would have knocked out an ordinary person. Yet Karls somehow managed to stay conscious.
Is it because he trained his body?
Analyzing……
He’s around B-rank Hunter level. Not particularly strong, but……
He held out pretty well.
More precisely, you held back too much.
‘Can’t be helped. He might have burst if I used full strength. These guys are too weak.’
There were so many people who would pop like balloons if touched too hard that he had grown accustomed to holding back—only for this guy to endure.
“You bastard!”
As Karls tried to rise, Albert stepped on his head. The mercenary’s muscles bulged, veins like serpents rising to the surface.
‘I was caught off guard, but do you really think a nobody like you can beat me with strength!?’
“Graaaagh!”
With a fierce battle cry, Karls struggled to stand, but he couldn’t move an inch.
‘My strength……’
CRACK!
He pushed against the floor with all his might, but the pressure pinning him down was overwhelming. It was an immense force.
‘With that body…… How can he have this much strength…… Beating me with raw power!!’
“Graaaagh!!”
“What? Can’t do it? Try harder.”
Albert smirked as he spoke. No matter how much Karls had trained his body, he could never match an EX-rank Hunter like Albert.
It’s like a max-level player coming to a low-level zone to cause chaos.
“Time to sleep.”
Albert applied more pressure, driving Karls’s head deeper into the floor. The mercenary trembled violently before finally losing consciousness.
“……”
“……”
The onlookers watched in stunned silence as the once-powerful Karls was defeated without putting up any real resistance. Especially Apro, whose face was filled with disbelief. Having hired him personally, he knew exactly how strong Karls was. His raw power from those muscles was comparable to an A-rank, regardless of official rank. Yet he had been subdued without meaningful resistance. It was like watching a child fight an adult. Though he wondered if it was staged, seeing the mercenary’s head buried in the floor dispelled any such doubt.
‘H-how is this possible……’
Albert slowly approached the dazed Apro and whispered into his ear.
“This is your final warning. The Flower Merchant Group is mine. Touch them again, and it won’t end like this.”
Even though they hadn’t officially joined the territory yet, the Flower Merchant Group was essential to it. More than anything, when everyone else had turned away, only the Flower Merchant Group had upheld their loyalty to the end. They deserved his favoritism.
“……If the Merchant Guild finds out about this…… D-do you think you can handle it……? The guild won’t stay silent……”
He forced the words out. What came from his mouth was the usual, clichéd threat. For something spoken with such difficulty, it was remarkably boring and trite.
Wow, these people are all the same.
Grandel also started with “the Mage Guild this, the Mage Guild that”……
‘And then he got beaten by me.’
“The Merchant Guild, huh…… Well, if they move, it’ll be a bit annoying…… Then there’s no helping it.”
Albert’s ominous voice, laced with killing intent and pressure, pierced Apro’s ears.
“In that case, I’ll just have to erase the Merchant Guild. Without a trace.”
“……”
It was an arrogant declaration that he would destroy the Merchant Guild. If anyone else had said it, Apro would have scoffed. But hearing it from Albert made his heart drop.
‘This…… This man…… If he says he’ll do it, he will…… If the Merchant Guild tries anything……’
The Merchant Guild might disappear. It could be an empty delusion, but for some reason, he felt that if it was this man, he might actually pull it off. It wasn’t a question of whether Albert could do it—it was that he would do it if he chose to. He had the power to make it happen.
“But before that…… If the Merchant Guild tries to retaliate over this incident.”
Albert placed a hand on his shoulder. A heavy, chilling killing intent emanated from it. From the point of contact, a cold sensation spread, as if death itself had seized him.
“I’ll come for you first. No matter where you hide, no matter where you run, no matter who protects you—you will die by my hand. I swear it.”
An EX-rank Hunter. A vow from one who stood at the pinnacle of all races and life. Even Apro could feel that this vow would be kept.
“Well then……”
Albert lightened the mood with a casual smile, patted his shoulder, and turned away.
“See you next time.”
The finishing blow had landed perfectly.