Chapter 141
Chapter 141
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: A Merchant's Epiphany
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After successfully hunting the Earth Dragon and the clan's forces returning home.
The Lichtenauer Martial Clan plunged into a cauldron of ecstasy.
Their own Patriarch had succeeded in slaying an Earth Dragon, a beast that only appeared in myths.
It was only natural for the entire clan to erupt in celebration.
But that frenzy lasted only a moment.
As the excitement died down, it became clear that the warriors returning from the expedition were covered in wounds from head to toe.
With severe injuries numbering far beyond a handful, the clan's priests and physicians threw every ounce of their energy into healing them, utterly overwhelmed.
Even with their tireless dedication... countless others had fallen to the Great Curtain's resistance and never risen again.
No, those at least had the mercy of passing in front of their families.
Others who ventured into the scorching desert toward the Great Curtain left behind bodies that could never be recovered—their kin left only with the bare fact of their deaths.
Warriors who live and die by the blade are no strangers to death, but sending off so many in such a short span was unprecedented in recent memory.
And so, a heavy pall of mourning settled over the clan for some time.
Amid this blend of joy and sorrow.
For the first time in ages, not only the Lichtenauer Martial Clan but the residents of Titan territory itself were buzzing with excitement.
Most of the surviving warriors had risen from their sickbeds, and the butchering of the hunted Earth Dragon's corpse was finally complete.
In response, the clan publicly announced to the entire continent that it would offer portions of the Earth Dragon's byproducts.
At the same time, delegations poured in from every corner of the continent, turning the territory into a chaotic throng with barely room to stand.
In truth, this was as predictable as the tides.
The Earth Dragon was a mythical monster unseen for centuries, but above all, it was a dragon.
In the incomprehensibly vast world of Agenai, traces of living dragons were virtually nonexistent.
They survived at best in a handful of weapons.
The most famous example was Snow White, the treasured blade of Dufer Empire's Emperor, the Hero-Emperor Siegfried Dufer.
With a chance to secure such priceless materials firsthand, the dignitaries of every nation could hardly keep their composure.
"...That's what most of the clan is probably thinking."
Shrustle!
Alex coldly muttered as he gazed at the endless stream of delegations flooding into the territory.
"Who doesn't know they're just waiting for the wounded lion to collapse? Vultures like you... This land wasn't defended through all our blood and sweat just to hand it over."
Despite his icy tone, Alex donned his formal attire and stepped slowly out the door.
"Let's go, Zodiac. Vultures or not, guests are guests. We can't let word spread that the Lichtenauer Clan skimps on hospitality."
In stark contrast to his frigid eyes, Alex relaxed his facial muscles and let a faint smile curl his lips.
"It's our chance to show the world that Lichtenauer still stands strong."
Putting on a face at odds with one's true heart... wasn't a privilege reserved for them alone.
'Ian, no matter how grand your feats... the Patriarch's seat will never be yours. The head of Lichtenauer... belongs to me.'
The Lichtenauer Martial Clan's grand banquet hall, now packed with delegations from every nation.
"Well, if it isn't Viscount Daniel! Long time no see. Not since Shurton two years back, right?"
"Oh my! Baron Shaburuni! Forgive my absent mind. Thanks to those crops you sold cheap back then, we weathered the crisis—but I never properly thanked you. Allow me to do so now."
"Aigoo, don't remind me. I still kick myself for letting them go at that price."
"Hahaha!! When do things ever go as planned? Who could've predicted such a sudden famine? Come on, it's been ages—let's raise a glass together."
Some rekindled old acquaintances with joyful clinks of their cups.
"Haha... ouch. Take a look over there."
"Hm? Who's that? Some new VIP?"
The man turned his gaze to an elderly figure in ragged clothes, quietly eating.
"Huh? No way... is that the head of the Creep Merchant Group?"
"He's turned into a complete beggar. Tsk tsk, whatever happened to that powerhouse of a trading house..."
"What can you do? Word is the Dufer Navy's failing miserably against Leviathan—far worse than expected. No single merchant guild could weather that."
Others pitied those who had fallen from grace.
'...Damn them all.'
Crunch!
Suddenly the target of their mocking sympathy, Hiren shielded his face with his collar and slunk into a corner.
'How did I end up like this...'
A sigh escaped Hiren unbidden, lamenting his downfall.
Hiren, head of the Creep Merchant Group.
Owner of one of North Continent Krohoka's premier trading houses, he had risen steadily from the days of the Alexandor Empire onward, thanks to his shrewd acumen.
Even through the cataclysm of Alexandor's fall and Dufer Empire's rise over the north, he navigated unscathed—a testament to his exceptional talent.
But.
Even his sharp wits were powerless against the whims of nature.
An uninvited guest had planted itself squarely in the North Sea, the heart of Creep's operations.
The Sea Dragon, Leviathan.
Once that colossal monster—dwarfing any land beast—appeared, dark clouds gathered over the once-bright future of Creep Merchant Group.
Ships sinking one after another. Reparations in unimaginable sums. The result: endless decline.
Enough to force its lord, Hiren, to cross to distant South Continent Bestrika in person.
'...Just you wait. If I can secure distribution rights for the Earth Dragon's byproducts... I'll make my comeback and smash those sneering faces. Who do you think I am? I'm Hiren!!'
Fallen by a dragon, rise by a dragon.
Hiren was confident.
By scraping together every coin—borrowed or begged—to lavish on fellow merchants trading with the south, he'd gleaned key intel.
One of the successor candidates had claimed massive credit in the Earth Dragon subjugation.
'Among Lichtenauer's successor hopefuls, the frontrunner has to be the Eldest Young Lord, Alex Lichtenauer. Win his favor, and I'll outpace the competition.'
No matter how brilliant the youth, his tender years left gaps in experience no talent could fill.
Hiren trusted the silver tongue that had fed him for decades to sweet-talk Alex.
How long had he nursed his wine in the corner, waiting?
Finally, the announcement he awaited rang out.
"Entering the Eldest Young Lord of Lichtenauer Martial Clan, Alex Lichtenauer!!"
'So that's the Eldest Young Lord of Lichtenauer...'
Hiren couldn't hide his admiration upon seeing Alex in person.
The innate dignity radiating from him, the razor-sharp aura honed like a master blade—it proved his title no fluke.
'A truly exceptional young man. Even in Dufer Empire, few peers could match him... Well deserving of the name.'
Following Alex came Sophia Clonen of Clonen Shadow House, Andy Pallkion of Pallkion Sword House, Manus Kalia of Kalia Soldier House, and even the thunderbolt rascal from Lichtenauer's branch family.
Lichtenauer's finest talents took their seats one by one.
Hiren meticulously memorized each of these rising stars, whose fame spanned from South Continent Bestrika to all Agenai.
The secret to his decades of success? He trusted nothing unseen with his own eyes.
'Hmm... They're all impressive talents, no doubt...'
He coolly compared the Eldest Young Lord to the others.
'But the Eldest is a cut above. No need to alter the plan.'
Confirming public acclaim spot-on, Hiren rose to move.
At his advanced age, traversing continents took its toll.
Excessive drinking without rest dulled the tongue and clouded the mind.
With no margin for error ahead, he headed to his room to review once more—when.
"Ugh, seriously! Ralph, we were late because of this idiot!"
"Yeah, can't even tell work from play, the moron!"
"Hey, sorry for being late, but you don't have to go that far..."
As most of Lichtenauer filled the hall, a small late contingent rushed in.
'...What, just arriving now? Unbelievable. Tardiness at such a crucial gathering of continental elites? Does Lichtenauer even have such sloppy units?'
Lichtenauer's iron discipline was legendary.
Anyone showing such sloppiness? Not worth a second glance.
As Hiren dismissed the laggards and turned away.
Murmurs rippled around him.
"It's Ian Lichtenauer, the Second Young Lord."
"Heard he finished his probation... Doesn't look it, though."
"Well, rumors get exaggerated all the time."
Those seeing Ian for the first time dismissed him, trapped in outdated scorn.
"Heh, he's grown a lot since Shurton."
"Tsk tsk, fools judging by hearsay, blind to the real Ian Lichtenauer..."
"Baron, didn't you dismiss him back in Shurton too?"
"...Ahem!"
Those who witnessed Ian's feats in Shurton shrugged off his and Latent Dragon Squad's ragtag appearance.
Perhaps the stark divide in opinions piqued Hiren's curiosity?
On impulse, he glanced over—just as Ian, trailing the squad, met his eyes head-on.
"......?!"
In that instant.
Hiren froze, as if struck by lightning.
"Excuse me."
Ian, halted by Hiren's blockage at the entrance, blinked blankly and spoke.
"Pardon? Ah, yes!"
"Could you step aside? My seat's further in."
"Ah, aah! Forgive this old fool. I've been rude."
Scuffle!
In his haste to clear Ian's path, Hiren tripped over a chair leg.
Thud crash!
Some couldn't stifle snickers at the comical sight.
"Pfft!"
"What a perfect pair of dimwits, eh?"
"Haha, come now. In a house like Lichtenauer, such 'human' moments are a refreshing change... I rather like it."
But heedless of their chatter, Hiren worked to calm his pounding heart.
'...Idiots. Delegation members parading around with eyes just for show.'
Finally steadying himself, Hiren glared at Ian's retreating back—now heading to the clan-segregated seats—and swallowed hard.
'Those eyes of Ian Lichtenauer... Unless this old man's seeing things on his deathbed, they're unmistakably... just like his.'
Eyes like a dormant volcano: serene on the surface, yet harboring magma hotter than any eruption deep within.
How could a merchant forget such striking eyes?
The eyes of the hero who unified chaotic, barbaric North Continent Krohoka in a flash, before Dufer Empire's rise.
'Lucas Alexei...!!'
Identical to the departed legend's. Eerily so.
How could such a man have been on probation?
'...Time to revise the plan.'
Hiren scrapped every scheme for Alex, rewriting them on the spot to forge ties with Ian.
His instincts, honed over decades building Creep Merchant Group, screamed urgently.
On this journey to South Continent Bestrika, the one to ally with above all... was none other than Lichtenauer's Second Young Lord, Ian Lichtenauer.