Chapter 129
Chapter 129
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: Choosing Sides
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For a moment, I nearly became the continent's number one physical therapist.
‘At my current level, I could probably take him. Should I start by giving him a good thrashing?’
Conversations always go smoother when you start with the physical stuff, after all.
In any case, how could the assassination guild issue such an irresponsible directive?
I stared at Faceless with a dumbfounded expression.
But soon, I had no choice but to nod.
I couldn't find any grounds to refute the man's logic.
Faceless had a look that said, "It's an order from the Head. What can you do?"
“Don't overthink it. The stage has changed, but your job is the same, isn't it?”
“Are you telling me to join the imperial civil war?”
“If, by doing so, you become the new emperor's closest confidant, then the mission is a success.”
I narrowed my eyes again.
‘Easier said than done. This just moved my moment of choice way up.’
The original plan was to pretend to grow alongside the princes at Venderford and then pick the one with the highest probability of success.
Of course, my real intention was to throw my full support behind the one I liked and just plant him on the throne.
But I still hadn't decided which one to choose.
‘At a glance, Frantz seems like he'd be easy to handle, but he's no pushover.’
He's arrogant and rather fickle.
Ellington, on the other hand, is rational, but the problem is he's too cunning.
“Whatever happens, it's a race against time now.”
“I suppose securing a position early on will have a big impact.”
I agreed with Faceless, lost in thought.
If I could just make one of them the crown prince, I'd be treated like a founding contributor to a new dynasty.
Naturally, there would only be a few such positions, reserved for the most important figures.
“Oh, one more thing.”
“What is it?”
“From now on, get your support from the western continental branch, not ours. It's closer to you now.”
“Wow…”
The feeling that I should switch careers from assassin to physical therapist grew stronger…
‘Hoo! Calm down. He said it's an order from the Head.’
Swallowing my anger, I shot up from my seat and looked down at Faceless.
The obnoxious man in the half-mask gave me a smug smile.
‘Wow! How should I mess with this guy?’
I felt like I'd explode from frustration if I didn't get him back somehow.
After a moment of thought, I readily nodded.
“Alright. But did they also say to get my funding from there?”
“Huh?”
“I doubt they said that. The western branch isn't as financially well-off as this one.”
“I hadn't thought that far ahead. I'll contact the main family as soon as possible and…”
“You can handle that. Since the nature of the mission has changed, I'll need to be funded again.”
“What? What kind of sophistry is that!”
Faceless shouted, aghast.
After all, I had extorted so much money from him under the pretext of playing a wealthy sponsored student.
Hearing I was about to do it again, his reaction was only natural.
‘Heh heh! If I drain his funds, he won't be able to live so lavishly for a while.’
Seeing his office, which was even more luxurious than before, it seemed his financial situation had improved.
Got some money, have you?
Then I'll have to relieve you of it again.
I put on a business-like expression and presented my case as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“Branch Manager, think about it. Do I have a title? Or a large army?”
“No.”
“For a mere sponsored student to join a side and gain a foothold, don't I need to provide some war funds?”
“…”
Faceless clenched his jaw, his face contorting.
No matter how he thought about it, my words were a thousand times right.
‘I admit I have to follow the Head's orders unconditionally.’
Then you need to provide proper support so I can do the mission well.
I'm not just some run-of-the-mill assassin; I'm a special agent.
And as you said, I received this mission directly from the Head, didn't I?
“So, how much do you want?”
“Obviously, the more the better. How much can you give me?”
“Well, there are some complicated circumstances. It's a bit difficult to mobilize funds right now…”
“Let's not do this haphazardly. We should talk while looking at the ledgers.”
I cut off Faceless, who was trying to weasel his way out, and pointed to the back of the office.
There was a secret safe disguised as a bookshelf.
Of course, inside it, there would be confidential documents only the branch manager could access.
Cornered, Faceless began to sweat profusely under his half-mask.
I delivered the final blow with a sly smile.
“Why? Have you perhaps been misappropriating funds behind the main family's back?”
“O-Of course not!”
This bastard did it. He totally did it.
Faceless was known to be a remarkably cool-headed and clever individual.
But people make mistakes when they're flustered.
His sudden, vehement reaction turned my suspicion into certainty.
“If you're so confident, then let's see the ledgers.”
In the end, Faceless had no choice but to surrender to me.
“…I'll give you enough. Let's stop arguing.”
“Hehehe! You promise?”
“Yes.”
Watching my opponent shut his eyes tightly, I shrugged lightly.
‘I don't know how long this leverage will last, but it's not a bad outcome.’
This incident would probably be buried quickly.
That was the condition for my extortion, after all.
“Don't worry too much, Branch Manager. I'm more tight-lipped than I look.”
To keep using you for a long time, I need to hold onto your weakness as tightly as possible.
And so, I was able to acquire a massive amount of war funds.
Of course, I had no intention of handing over all that money.
‘No one would refuse me even if I showed up empty-handed.’
I, who am considered the strongest at Venderford, am going. What's the big deal?
That was right.
The war funds were just an excuse from the start.
Was there a rule that said I couldn't skim off the family's money?
I was in a much freer position than Faceless.
‘Still, I should show some sincerity, right?’
* * *
Although I had secured a satisfactory amount of money, I didn't head straight to the battlefield.
What good would a pile of gold coins be on a battlefield?
Unless I was going to launch them from a catapult.
“In war, material goods are everything.”
I looked behind me with a satisfied expression.
A long procession of over a hundred wagons, laden with all sorts of goods, followed.
‘The initial impact will be huge, that's for sure.’
With this many military supplies, any faction would welcome me with open arms.
“Hup!”
I was in the middle of admiring my great achievement.
Frixon popped out of the cargo bed and climbed onto the wagon's roof.
The reason he was with me was simple.
After learning of Venderford's downfall, I had traveled to Forven and sought out the Mulgear Merchant Guild.
By rallying the merchant guilds through Mr. Bill, I was able to create this massive supply train.
The business of joining the war went off without a hitch.
My reputation in Forven was considerable, and I had the perfect pretext.
“By the way, are you sure about that?”
“About what?”
“The crown prince's seat! The guild masters are all putting their absolute faith in you.”
“Oh, that? It's not a difficult decision.”
“I'm still confused, and you say it's easy?”
“Yep.”
Frixon shook his head, expressing his anxiety.
It was understandable, as the civil war was practically a stalemate.
Being relatively close to the battlefront, the factions in Forven were being pressured to make a decision.
But they were split in two, with opinions divided, and no one was making the first move.
In that situation, I appeared like a comet and united the guild masters.
“What on earth did you say to get those stubborn old men to follow you?”
“I told them that whichever side we joined, I would make him the crown prince, no matter what.”
“What, and that persuasion actually worked?”
“I said it's just a matter of beating down the other side, and they said they understood.”
“Hah…”
“Look at all these supplies. Those old guys are dead serious.”
Needless to say, almost none of my own money went into this colossal supply train.
It was all provided by the guild masters who wanted to forge connections in central politics.
And a portion of the funds Faceless gave me from the central branch was, of course, going straight into my pocket.
“Ah, but by the way.”
“Why do you have so many questions?”
“Of course I do! The future of our guild is at stake.”
“Fine. Go ahead.”
“So, who are we supporting in the end?”
“Hmm… about that. To be honest, it is a bit of a difficult problem.”
“See! You just jumped into it without any thought!”
“Of course not. Just listen.”
The civil war was currently a series of back-and-forth advances and retreats.
Frantz's forces were larger, but Ellington overcame every crisis with his characteristically brilliant strategies.
Thanks to that, he was able to fight so well despite being at a disadvantage.
But there was no guarantee he could keep up this good performance forever.
The moment he slipped up even slightly, the third prince's faction would come crumbling down.
“The talented people around Ellington are said to be capable but mostly from the provinces.”
“So no matter how many there are, they can't even compare to the House of Marquis Reilton alone.”
Marquis Pennant supported Ellington, but they were too far away.
If things continued like this, it was a battle Frantz was bound to win.
“That's why I decided to support Ellington.”
“Oh! Going for the difficult side, planning to become a key figure, are you?”
“No matter where I go, there's no one who can match my abilities, right?”
“…That's an incredibly obnoxious thing to say, but I'll let it slide. I guess it's more or less true.”
Frixon shot me a contemptuous look, but I couldn't care less.
The envy of a mere commoner couldn't even put a scratch on my brilliant reputation.
“If your reason for joining the weaker side isn't to stand out, then what is it?”
“Isn't it obvious?”
“No, what's obvious?”
“There are no pretty women around Frantz.”
“…Huh?”
Frixon's jaw dropped, and he couldn't seem to close it.
He looked like he was asking what kind of brain could possibly produce such a line of thought.
As if reading his mind, I answered immediately.
“Adel, Sophia, Lilian, Donias… should I go on?”
To be honest, after Sophia, the rest were so-so, but they were still quite beautiful.
It's just that Adel was on another level of beauty, making comparisons pointless.
“Now that you put it that way, I suddenly understand.”
When I listed the people on Ellington's side, Frixon nodded with a dazed look.
“See? You agree too.”
“Hah! Good grief.”
As if finding his own words absurd, Frixon let out an empty laugh.
Meanwhile, we were advancing deep into the western battlegrounds of the empire.
Just as we reached a plain dotted with signs of battle…
A frightened shout came from the front of the procession.
“U-Unidentified soldiers have appeared up ahead!”
Hearing the report from the guild member, my eyes glinted quietly.
The time for the decisive battle had finally come.
The moment when a man named Ray Carter would become a true titan of the empire!
“Wait for me, beauties… no, I mean, world. Ahem!”
Ah, that was a slip of the tongue.
Ignoring Frixon's pathetic gaze, I moved to the head of the procession.