Before recapturing Elte Trading Company (3)
There is almost no shaking, perhaps because the carriage is large.
Inside, there was a sofa filled with soft cotton, and there was even a wooden table with an old-fashioned design in the very center.
From the beautiful lace decorations hanging from the ceiling to the magnificent gold patterns on the walls… Princess Fenia and Lucy Mayril were sitting facing each other in a carriage that was difficult for an ordinary person to ride even once in their lifetime.
Lucy had her face on the table and her arms were spread out. I was looking at the scenery outside lazily, and Princess Fenia was looking at Lucy intently.
While attending Sylvania Academy, I heard rumors about Lucy Mayril and her evaluation.
During his childhood, he lived as a genius buried in exile in the Rameln Mountains. He is a talented person whose skills began to be revealed to the world only after he came to Aken Island and entered Sylvania Academy.
During this vacation, the royal family members had a hard time due to the joyful playing of the cymbals.
If he hadn’t been the hero who single-handedly destroyed the evil god Mebula, he would have been imprisoned in the dungeon. However, his accomplishments and his own skills were so enormous that he could not be treated carelessly… He was truly a bad boy who could not be helped.
“…I’m hungry.”
Thinking about the terrible days at the imperial court, Princess Fenia couldn’t help but sigh.
Lucy may or may not know how Fenia feels, but she just mutters that she is hungry with blank eyes.
“There was no reason to make such a fuss, Lucy Mayril. I might have been able to persuade her if I had just spoken politely.”
“I don’t listen when you tell me, but should I listen when I tell you what I’m saying?”
Lucy’s spirit of casually speaking to the princess of a country makes the subjects around her swallow dry saliva.
However, Lucy herself continued speaking with a nonchalant expression on her face.
“I’m not good at resolving things with words.”
That is truly a terrifying statement.
Princess Fenia sighed and did not reply further. All I can do is look at the window on the other side and see the soldiers guarding Princess Fenia on her way home.
“…”
How long is left until we arrive at Aken Island? For Princess Fenia, who has little sense of distance, this journey home feels like an endless wait.
Anyway, it feels like Lucy caused an uproar in the royal family and the attention of the royal family was drawn to Ed Ross Taylor, whom Lucy openly defends.
His position as the surviving heir of the Ross Taylor family is already unique, but since even the hero of the country’s salvation goes to great lengths to defend him… one is bound to wonder about his identity and background.
Princess Fenia felt that Selahana Persica’s gaze was becoming very strange, and she became even more worried.
“Hmm…”
I suddenly felt a strange sense of discomfort as I looked out the window. It’s the same as usual on the way home, so there’s nothing strange about it.
The faces of the soldiers are also familiar. The sight of the guards neatly lined up guarding both sides of the carriage and advancing is the same as I have seen since I was a child.
However… the scale is a bit large.
“There were more guards than I expected on my way home this time… It’s not like there was anything worthy of it.”
Although the Ross Taylor family’s affair was a great disaster, the story has already been concluded to some extent. There’s just some cleaning left to do.
Protocol is important, but wasting imperial guard manpower is not a good thing. I guess I should have instructed that it would be okay to form a more simple escort unit next time.
Thinking like that, Princess Fenia looked up at the blue sky from inside the carriage.
Occasionally, the sound of Lucy talking in her sleep was the only sound echoing inside.
*When I came to, the first thing I felt was pressure around my wrist.
Lortel barely remembered his last memory in his hazy consciousness. This is Dune ignoring Lortel’s instructions and glaring at her with his eyes wide open.
I have no memory after that.
Was he attacked, was he unconscious by magic, or was he just tired?
There isn’t even a basis for judgment. That’s how cleanly and reliably it was handled.
However, I soon realized a strong pain coming from the back of my head.
The reason Dune ignored Lortel’s words and kept his eyes wide open was that he was waiting for the movement of the insider who would attack Lortel while he was paying attention.
The place didn’t change. This is Lortel’s personal office.
Since Lortel is relatively safe, it is the best place to attack.
As soon as Lortel’s vision returned, he assessed the situation in an instant.
The body is not free. Both hands are tied behind the chair.
The scent at the tip of my nose is that of nightshade flower scented candle. It is a famous item that can temporarily subdue a wizard by twisting the flow of magical power.
However, it is an expensive product that is about the size of a fingernail and worth about 15 gold coins, and it is not easy to obtain. It is also difficult to obtain because it is effective only if you smell the scented candle for a long period of time.
If you can find something like this and smoke it, you can tell that it was planned for quite a long time.
“You’re doing something unbecoming, Dune.”
Lortel looked across the table in a low voice.
A man bowing his head in a reception chair. From his oversized beret, slim red silk vest to his pure white shirt and leather pants… just by looking at his appearance, he was a merchant himself.
“While I was concentrating on All Deck work, I set up a fun stage.”
“I’m sorry for trapping you. I don’t have good stage manners.”
“Anyway, the assistant manager of the company is a very busy position. Managing the company, checking inventory, personnel management, book management, sales, interest disputes, and even the lowest level.”
Even though anyone could see that the situation was imminent, Lortel continued speaking in a relaxed tone.
“So… are you also joining the Dune side, Rienna?”
Behind Dune, there was a hesitant girl standing.
Lortel’s secretary, Rienna Clemson, was even seen. The figure standing behind Dune, holding a bunch of documents, looked like he was always timid.
“It’s not a reasonable judgment.”
“Well, you’ll have to see.”
Dune is looking at the floor with her feet slightly apart and her elbows on her knees.
Lortel also frowned at his appearance, which was quite different from his usual calm appearance.
Knowing how to appear frivolous is also a quality of a merchant. At least Dune was born with such talent.
However, it is difficult to know what it is like on a daily basis… unless you are an employee of the company.
“You’ve been in Sylvania, a place with beautiful scenery and a lot of romance, for a long time… It seems like you’ve lost a lot of the poison.”
Despite the situation, Dune consistently treated Lortel with respect. He was that kind of person from the beginning.
“Or maybe the situation on All Deck was too urgent… You trusted me too easily.”
“You believe me? I believe you?”
Lortel spoke with a dumbfounded expression on his face.
“I don’t trust anyone. Would it be any different if it were you?”
“…”
“I’ve been working with you for quite a long time, but… I wonder if I didn’t know that you were dark inside? Why did I steal a few pennies from the ledger to buy some alcohol and luxury goods… and now I look like a bong?”
– Kugung thump.
While Lortel was speaking, busy noises could be heard from all over the store. Although school is only a few days away, it is still vacation. Anyway, it is still the off-season.
Nevertheless, looking at the seemingly busy atmosphere of the store, Lortel was able to easily infer what was so busy.
“Do you think the evidence of your embezzlement will remain within this company? Common sense would dictate that it be taken out to the outside world.”
“…”
“I told you, I don’t trust anyone.”
Dune, who was listening quietly, skimmed the wooden floor with her leather shoes and eventually answered.
“Well, I ordered you to search as much as possible inside the Chamber… but I didn’t think I would find that evidence. There was no need to do that in the first place.”
“what?”
“What’s the point of talking about it in detail? However, it would be better for you to step down from your position as the deputy head of the company.”
Lortel tried hard to hide his puzzled feelings. There was nothing good about being looked down upon here.
However, Dune also hides his true feelings as much as possible.
Why on earth did he suddenly betray Lortel? What did he believe in to do this? And how specifically would he push Lortel into a corner?
Even the slightest clue is not revealed. This is because Dune knows very well what a cunning fox Lortel is.
Even if you catch only the faintest evidence, you will be able to infer the entire picture in an instant.
So you shouldn’t give any clues. We have to capture and confine them before they notice anything strange.
Dune thought so, but he was already able to deduce the minimum amount of information from this situation.
‘There’s something behind him.’
Lortel repeated this to himself.
Lortel, who does not trust people, treats people based on the premise of ‘mutual benefit.’
No matter what anyone says, he joins Lortel only because it is beneficial to him to follow Lortel, who is the most powerful person in the Elte Company.
Trust can only be established in a relationship where both parties have something to gain from each other.
Because Dune deeply understood that fact, there was no reason to betray lowly Lortel.
However, the reason why Lortel was attacked without warning was because there had been some change in the external background.
Not only that, but he also made an unconventional move of catching Lortel and trapping him.
This proves that time is on Dune’s side.
I was certain that if I somehow caught Lortel and prevented him from doing anything, Lortel would naturally be kicked out of his position as the head of the company.
A situation where external measures have been taken and are waiting for them to take effect. Until then, Lortel was captured to eliminate all variables.
Lortel deduces this point in an instant. It was a flow of thought that occurred in that brief moment when I gently closed my eyes and opened them.
The first thing to do is to break free of the chains and escape. It is necessary to determine what changes occurred on Aken Island, especially Dune, while Lortel was away from the Chamber of Commerce.
“You’re making a fool of yourself, Dune. Do you think no one will feel uncomfortable if I leave right now?”
“You don’t have to worry about the attendance of the academics. The same applies to the internal staff of the Chamber of Commerce. Everything has been figured out, so don’t make nonsense of it. It’s not good for either of you to make things complicated.”
“Well, I think it’s better for me to make things more complicated.”
“Well, considering the difference in position, I guess so.”
Dune just raised his head and spoke. There was hardly any sense of his frivolous appearance as usual.
“I took measures to prevent something like that from happening. Everyone around Deputy Chief Lortel either joined me or took steps to ensure that they would not feel uncomfortable even if Deputy Chief Lortel disappeared.”
“It seems like a plan that has been in preparation for quite some time.”
“I’ll leave it to your imagination.”
Lortel tried to bend his arms slightly, but the tightly tied rope showed no signs of breaking.
I looked around to find something that could cut the rope with a subtle sidelong glance, but still nothing caught my eye.
“Anyway, you said you don’t trust anyone. Is there anyone worth risking their lives to come and save you? We don’t want to cause any more harm to the head of Lortel. How about you sit quietly and retire quietly?”
“Pretending to be gentle. Josae is an equally despicable traitor.”
“It feels strange to hear that story directly from the deputy leader.”
Lortel has already hit Elte behind and taken the position of deputy manager.
She, who has been branded a traitor, is accused of cursing Dune. There is no justification for that.
He is a person who has already fallen into the cycle of betrayal. Not unaware of that fact, Lortel let out a laugh.
“You haven’t lost your composure.”
“You’re hoping for that. So I feel more calm. Originally, merchants were so twisted that they never did what the other person wanted.” ”
Well, I don’t know. To me, it looks like he has a corner of faith.”
Lortel never loses his senses even when he reaches such extreme situations.
The person who maintains reason and makes rational decisions in any situation is Lortel Kecheln.
The closest person to Lortel is Dune never loses sight of that fact, as she has been assisting him.
Lortel is a sly serpent with much sharper senses than the old foxes of Oldeck.
To trick her, it is not enough to prepare for a few days or months. That is enough. It takes years to sharpen the blade of betrayal to barely scratch her.
The first thing to do is to break down her iron-like reason.
She has a mentality that always maintains composure and never wavers in any crisis. He is the number one contributor to putting .
.
Find out the hearts of people who are left behind by Lortel, who is like the devil who sold his soul for gold. That’s the only place he can delve into.
“The Deputy Lord Lortel said he doesn’t trust anyone,”
Dune continued quietly. .
“It wasn’t like that.”
“…What?”
“Lienna.”
As Dune called Lienna’s secretary’s name in a low voice, Lienna took out a piece of paper from the stack of documents she was holding in her arms.
Form . From the looks of it, it is a contract agreement. Although there were not many items, it was made in a plausible form.
Rienna, who placed the agreement on Lortel’s office table, walked away again and went back to stand behind Dune.
“Is this…?”
“Ed. Lorthel.”
When that name came up on Dune’s lips, Lortel’s pupils trembled slightly.
“Did you think he wouldn’t join us?”
“What…?”
Dune was gifted with a talent for negotiation and compromise. We are humans.
We judge what the other party really wants among all kinds of interests and create a win-win structure for each other.
We know this well because we have done this dozens and hundreds of times.
Negotiation and compromise start with knowing the other person.
Ed Rosstaylor is not someone who can be easily appeased.
He is a man of upright mind, firm in his thoughts, and to a certain extent transcends understanding and calculation… and is also physically strong.
Since I had quite a close relationship with Lortel, urging him to betray me would be difficult no matter how I look at it.
But in the end, negotiations and compromises depend on what the other party wants.
Lortel Kecheln took a quick look at the documents handed to him by Secretary Rienna. My hands were shaking slightly.
– The following agreements are reached regarding the trading of internal information and the establishment of a cooperative relationship between Dune Grex and Ed Rothtaylor, who are in charge of the Elte Chamber of Commerce.
1. Ed Rothtaylor cooperates with all requests for information sharing sent by the whistleblower, Dune Grex, regarding the internal corruption report by Lortel Kecheln, the current representative of Elte Chamber of Commerce.
2. Dune Gregg, the current plenipotentiary representative of the Elte Chamber of Commerce, guarantees full support for all tuition, living expenses and other miscellaneous expenses incurred by Ed Rothtaylor until he graduates from Sylvania.
3. We will also meet Ed Rosstaylor’s ‘early graduation’ requirements and actively support all necessary funds and preparations for his early graduation.
4. Dune Grex, the current plenipotentiary representative of the Elte Chamber of Commerce, will actively support Ed Rothtaylor’s settlement funds and all necessary facilities after graduation.
5. Ed Rosstaylor officially becomes an employee of Elte Corporation and maintains this status for at least 5 years after graduation.
6. Ed Rosstaylor must always attend dinner meetings and meetings with friendly forces and influential people of Elte Company and maintain friendly relations with them.
It is a document that seems to clearly describe the close relationship between Dune and Ed.
Lortel’s pupils trembled for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. And the items were quickly analyzed in an instant.
Dune Grex is a person with the ability to analyze people.
By thoroughly analyzing the person Ed Rosstaylor and collecting information, we came up with what he really wanted.
Ed Rosstaylor’s No. 1 concern is graduation and growth.
He was thinking about everything centered around graduation, as if he was attaching great significance to it.
It feels as if graduating from Sylvania has become a big highlight in his life.
Offering ‘early graduation eligibility’ to him… would have been difficult for Ed to refuse.
In addition, all necessary funds are provided, including settlement funds after graduation. Actually, financial issues are not that important. Even Lortel was willing to provide that level of support.
The problem is how can the plenipotentiary representative of Elte Chamber of Commerce guarantee something like early graduation?
It is Sylvania’s academics that determine whether a student will graduate. I am not a plenipotentiary representative of Elte Corporation.
‘Is the Sylvanian bachelor the secret agent…?’
That too is strange. Sylvania Academy’s principal, Obel Forcius, is not a candidate for this type of negotiation.
To begin with, the Elte Chamber of Commerce and the Sylvanian Academy are not on good terms, and even if they had somehow managed to set up a negotiating position… it would be too risky to turn Lortel into an enemy just because he sided with one bachelor.
In addition, the items in this negotiation plan… are overly obsessed with the individual Ed Ross Taylor.
Dune Grex and Ed Rothtaylor have no connection at all.
There is no reason to tie Ed to Elte Trading Company for five years after graduation or to make him a friendly force. Dune’s number one goal is money, not power.
‘Suspicious…’
After reading up to that point, Lortel smiled leisurely.
“It’s a negotiation plan full of extortion. Do you think there’s anyone in the world who would sign something like this?”
“This is a negotiated agreement that has already been concluded.”
“….what?”
Dune said nothing more and just stared at Lortel.
Lortel Kecheln appears perplexed. There is no need to explain in detail how much it means.
She is the one who maintained her composure even when the school was being destroyed.
Although he was not one to be shaken by such variables, Lortel’s vision was shaking greatly.
Finally, as I slowly turned the negotiation plan to the next page, I noticed Ed’s signature in large letters.
I forgot to breathe for a moment.
The words of Elte Kecheln, who occasionally appear in my dreams, spread faintly down my spine.
If you sit there with betrayal, you will eventually meet your end with betrayal.
When you lose everything and fall to the ground, do you think there will be someone who will reach out to you?
Those words rang in my ears and plunged a dagger into my cold heart.
“It’s quite plausible.”
It is a forged document.
Although it was difficult to come to that conclusion.
“He is now in the Elte Chamber of Commerce building.”
Dune answered casually.
Dune’s reaction left Lortel speechless for a moment.
I got dizzy for a moment, wondering how to continue the topic, and my flow of thoughts was interrupted.
It is difficult to see Lortel losing his composure. On the commercial front, she is always a rational and reasonable fox.
However, just by focusing his eyes, he felt like he was losing consciousness… Lortel had to grit his molars.
– Squeak
The person who opened the door and came in at that time was Ed Rosstaylor.
A blonde nobleman with a tall appearance… quietly walked into the office and received several documents from Secretary Rienna.
It was the Elte Trading Company employee manual and several employment contracts.
“Ed… Senior…?”
There is no movement on the face.
Ed Rosstaylor, looking at Lortel… was as expressionless as always.
He was wearing a small cloak. On the outside of the light brown cloak was a picture of a small scale symbolizing the employees of Elte Company.
He was already an employee of Elte Trading Company.
Maintaining composure in any situation and observing the situation.
Breaking down the frighteningly cool-headed Lortel is… really not easy.
However, the figure of Ed Rothtaylor, casually standing behind Dune and accepting the documents… fills Lortel’s field of vision.
He looks at Lortel with a sour expression and speaks.
“That’s it.”
A nightmare featuring Elte Kecheln, who turns his face at a bizarre angle and curses Lortel.
The dream that came to mind whenever he could forget it is engraved in Lortel’s mind.
If you end up falling to the floor, there will be no one to hold your hand.
Those curse-like words…kept flowing into my ears.
*- ‘First, you go back to the dormitory and do as I say.’
After talking with the secretary of the Elte Chamber of Commerce who came by unexpectedly, Ed Rosstaylor sent Ayla back to the dormitory.
“It’s so sudden, I don’t know what’s going on…”
Lorail Hall, the honor student dormitory.
As Ayla crossed the neatly cleaned hallway, she held a simple writing utensil and paper in her hands.
Even though she took a lot of notes in class, it had been a while since she had written a letter, so Ayla felt a bit strange.
“Hmm…”
The conversation between Elte Company and Ed Rosstaylor was unusual, but from Ayla’s perspective, there was much more that she could not understand.
– ‘…’
– ‘Ed, what are you so worried about?’
However, after the conversation with Elte Trading Company, the image of Ed Rothtaylor sitting quietly at the cafe table, rubbing his chin and lost in thought remained strongly in my mind.
– ‘We are assessing the situation.’
Ayla was a bit embarrassed because it was her first time seeing Ed look so serious.
