Recapture of Elte Company (6)
In order to catch Seongchangryong Velbroke, you need Taily McLore’s Sword Seongsik.
This is a concern that has been bothering me chronically. The most fundamental solution is for Taily McLore to become that strong and have the power to finish off Bellbroke.
However, 〈Sylvania’s Failed Swordsman〉 has already become so twisted that it can no longer go back to the way it was before.
It is clear that Tailly’s growth will be much slower than I thought.
Sung Chang-ryong’s defeat of Bellbroke is, in fact, an event that concludes all the trials I had to face after coming to this world.
If Taily can’t handle Velbroke, from then on it becomes completely up to me to handle it. This is because the catastrophe that will occur if Bellbroke is not dealt with in time is neither my nor anyone else’s story.
The moment Belbroke’s resurrection is not properly completed on Aken Island and begins to affect the mainland of the continent… I cannot even estimate the damage it will cause to this empire and continent. Of course, it will have a significant impact on my future.
My plan to quietly leave everything to Tailley and get a diploma was ruined a long time ago… But even so, Bellbroke is an enemy I can’t handle alone.
That’s why I have no choice but to pray.
I hope that Tailley McLaure’s specs are at least a little better.
* * *
The branch’s backyard, surrounded by a large iron cage, is engulfed in the darkness of the night and cannot be seen by anyone.
After knocking on the back door of the Sylvania branch of the Elte Company a couple of times, a worker inside opened the door.
Beyond the quietly opened door, the figure of Dune Grex, who was currently fully acquainted with the Sylvania branch of the Elte Company, was visible.
Behind him, I could see the employees of the company attached to Dune, along with Secretary Rienna.
Among them, there are several employees who have pledged loyalty to Lortel, making it a rather strange sight.
“You’re hotter than I thought, Mr. Ed.”
The sight Dune must have seen would not have been so easy to accept.
The image of me and Yenika standing somewhat behind me, violently dragging Ayla, who was tightly tied with a rope.
Because Dune was second to none in terms of intelligence, I didn’t necessarily question why Yenika was with me.
She is Yenica, who takes part in most things. She just didn’t think she would get involved in the blatant kidnapping of someone like this… Dune She erased her embarrassed face with a coy smile.
“Eup…! Eup…!”
Ayla, whose mouth was covered with a cloth, tried to scream, but nothing came out verbally.
“Arrest me.”
The employees of the store who were standing behind Dune grabbed Ayla’s arms. Ayla, who had completely lost the will to resist, was dragged deep inside her by the hands of her superiors.
“I didn’t know you would reach out to her for something like this. Is there something about that girl?”
“This child is born with an exceptional sensitivity to various high-ranking magic powers… especially star-level magic power.”
“Aspect magic power?”
As I walked into the hallway with Dune, we continued our conversation.
Behind us, along the corridor, Yenika, the company’s workers, and Lienna’s secretary came in.
I raised my hand and slightly increased my strength.
The recoil of the Phoenix Ring has been alleviated to some extent by a long rest, but its energy still remains, making it difficult to draw out magical power.
However, it is possible to show even a slight hint of magical power by concentrating your mind.
―Hwiik.
Dune narrowed her eyes at the dark red magical energy that slowly rose up.
The employees of the company who followed behind Dune also swallowed their saliva. It was the magic power of an aspect that was so clearly revealed that even a person unfamiliar with magic could recognize it at a glance.
“Do you know how to use Aspect magic?”
“Yes. However, you can’t research advanced Aspect magic on your own. It may be somewhat… unethical, but you need a scapegoat with good sensitivity.”
Actually, that was not the reason for kidnapping Ayla. The purpose is simply to provoke Tailley McLaure and gauge the bottom of his bowl.
However, I can’t say that out loud, so that’s why I put it separately. As Professor Glast did, Ayla’s magic sensitivity is a good cause.
“I’m not in very good shape right now, so it’s hard to conduct research properly, but… I need to secure Ayla before the vacation ends. Once school starts and she starts participating in the academic schedule, Ayla’s absence will be more noticeable. .”
While saying that, I glanced towards her Dune.
“It’s a natural thing to say, but it’s not something you can say proudly. Taking a person and using him as a research scapegoat… if it becomes a public issue, there will definitely be repercussions.”
“I don’t think even the university will sit still. What if a student who was living a normal university life was kidnapped?”
“Okay. So I hope this news never gets out. Ayla was just alone in her room and then suddenly disappeared. She ran away from home or something.”
The reason I tell this story is simple.
It is to express ‘I revealed my weakness to you…’
In fact, it’s not even a weakness. This is because even Ayla, who was kidnapped, is in the same boat anyway.
A true trusting relationship arises when both parties embrace each other’s weaknesses.
If the other person has bad feelings, my plan will go wrong. Only when you have that confidence can you trust the other person and entrust everything to them.
“If we become a group like the Elte Company, it wouldn’t be a problem to hide even a girl, right?”
When I asked that, Dune smiled softly.
“There are more than 20 empty rooms in the basement of the store. Most of them are used as a shelter for workers or for storage of supplies, but if you lock the door, it turns into a prison.”
“I’ll have to see it with my own eyes.”
“Of course.”
So I went straight down to the basement with Dune.
The Sylvania branch of the Elte Chamber of Commerce was built on a 4-story building on a piece of land directly adjacent to the Maxes Bridge.
The site is large and the building size is quite large… It would not be easy to search the entire inside of this building to find Ayla.
As I went down the stairs leading to the basement, the underground space was revealed at once. Rooms crammed with various inventory items lined the basement.
The workers opened a deep door in the middle and pushed Ayla in.
“town!”
Ayla rolled on the floor, making a loud noise, and looked up at her workers. She must have been scared as several of her rugged-looking men were glaring at her…her body was trembling.
“The room is in pretty good condition.”
“There is no place like this to accommodate one person. Since there is no sound leaking outside, it will be difficult to know from the outside.”
I went over to Ayla, who was rolling on the floor, and squatted down.
“I’m sorry. You must be very embarrassed.”
Speaking slyly, I checked Ayla’s condition.
When she nodded her head secretly so that the workers standing behind her could not see it, Ayla, who was trapped, subtly nodded her head in return.
I had already predicted that the situation would turn out this way, but I may have been taken aback by the more violent and insidious atmosphere than I expected.
So I really wanted to check its condition… but surprisingly, it looked fine.
If there is such a thing as skill in kidnapping… wouldn’t Ayla be quite skilled…?
It was a moment when I had such a meaningless thought.
‘Anyway, I’ve made you suffer more than I thought, so I’ll give you some help next time…’
“So how do you plan on catching Lortel?”
“You have to use the classic method. There is a certain way to bring people down from the bottom. It is to blame them.”
It’s the same as when Lortel took down Elte.
However, at that time, Elte had some self-employment gains, but Lortel was in a completely unfair position.
“This side is moving steadily according to plan. When the next semester in Sylvania begins, the hegemony of the Elte Chamber will have already passed to us.”
Dune never reveals all of his plans. He gives off the impression that he is showing his own weaknesses, and even when asked subtly what he is thinking, he only talks about the overall picture and never explains the specific methodology.
“Yeah… I guess you all have your own thoughts.”
I closed my eyes and spoke. If you try to dig further here, it will only raise suspicion.
“Then I guess I should take a look at Lortel.”
* * *
There was silence inside the magnificent imperial carriage.
In fact, Lucy and Princess Fenia are not even that close. Although they had the same grade in common, how many times would Princess Fenia, who always walked around with an escort, and Lucy, who was napping in a high or remote place, meet?
Only the sound of carriage wheels permeated the awkward silence.
Princess Fenia continued to look out her window uncomfortably, accompanied by the sound of Lucy Mayl wheezing.
The movement among the escort soldiers is unusual.
Having been escorted by soldiers since she was young, Sanfenia had developed a keen eye for such things.
It seems that not only the soldiers who normally guard Fenia but other types of soldiers also stuck to the guard.
It seems as if the only purpose was not to protect Princess Fenia.
‘She doesn’t have anyone who can manipulate the princess’s guards.’
No one would hire a bodyguard to protect the imperial princess. Most of them are spherical.
There are many escorts who look older and have quite a bit of experience.
About half of them were soldiers whom Princess Fenia also knew. However, it is a bit difficult for Princess Fenia to recognize the other half.
It was strange that the Imperial Knights sent so many soldiers to escort Princess Fenia, but the fact that they were people we had never seen before was somewhat confusing.
Still, since they are members of the imperial family, they will not do anything special to Princess Fenia.
But then, why are you joining Princess Fenia’s bodyguard?
“They say he’s part of the convoy.”
Suddenly, Lucy, who I thought was asleep, spoke with her head down on the table.
A message came to her suddenly without even a warning. Princess Fenia looked at Lucy with a puzzled look on her face, but Lucy spoke without any sign of surprise.
He said, “They say he came with a convoy because he had a convict to take from Acken Island.”
“yes?”
Lucy has good ears.
It’s not just that he has good hearing, but if he puts his mind to it, he can spread his magical power to his surroundings even while asleep and have a cognitive range that exceeds human limits.
Of course, if he is someone she completely trusts or is not particularly threatening, Lucy will not react even if he approaches her.
However, Lucy, who had been living among hostile people for the past few days… was completely out of her senses.
Although he appears sloppy and sleepy, Lucy always has an accurate grasp of the situation around him.
Princess Fenia swallowed dry saliva once as she felt Lucy’s sharp senses. The fact that her ears were pricked like this… I couldn’t tell from her expression alone.
She is now Fenia’s ally. I reflect on that fact.
Not only does she have a keen sense of force and lack of knowledge, but she also has the ability to clearly judge the situation.
When he is an ally, he may feel like he has won a thousand armies, but when he turns into an enemy, he is an opponent that I have no idea how to defeat.
The story is that he is someone who should not be turned into an enemy.
“A convoy…? A criminal…?”
“Are there any criminals on Aken Island?”
“no way….”
Ed Rosstaylor?
As he monologues like that, Lucy slowly raises her head.
His eyes, which he thought were asleep, were surprisingly clearly open.
“….”
“Don’t be so quick to judge, Lucy Mayril.”
Lucy Mayril quietly raised her upper body.
It feels as if a bomb driving a huge explosion has ignited the wick without permission.
Princess Fenia had a sense of foreboding and decided to put an end to the catastrophe before her.
She said, “Whether or not to escort Ed Ross Taylor is a sensitive issue that cannot be easily decided even at the central meeting of the imperial family. There is no way that anyone in the imperial power would have thoughtlessly tried to secure Ed Ross Taylor’s recruits.”
That’s an act of stepping on one’s own foot politically. Even if you fall over, no one can blame you.
Lucy Mayril seemed to know this well as she quietly listened to Fenia’s words.
“Besides, I know for sure that you are accompanying me… but I wouldn’t have been foolish enough to send someone with the convoy to take down Ed Rosstaylor.”
“Then who else is the sinner?”
“Well… I’ll just have to wait and see. I’ll just pretend I don’t know anything and join the soldiers in the convoy for now.”
There are not many people with enough influence over Princess Fenia to sneak her own convoy into her bodyguard.
He is a person who has the authority to organize personnel or exerts equivalent influence.
Either the knight leader-level chancellor or the top three close associates of Emperor Cloel… or the three imperial power runners.
One of them… Fenia’s feelings had already hardened to some extent.
“Sister Persica.”
The Imperial Knight Commander, who had the authority to organize personnel, was attached to the Persica forces.
If she had any influence, she was most likely the Princess of Persia.
When Princess Fenia mentioned her Persica’s name, Lucy Mayl’s gaze became sharp.
Princess Persica is an ambiguous character as to whether she is friendly or hostile to Ed Rothtaylor.
It is difficult to judge her, unlike Princess Selaha, who is openly hostile, or Princess Fenia, who is openly friendly.
She also felt ambiguous from Lucy’s point of view, but if she was thinking of using the convoy to capture Ed Ross Taylor, her opinion would be completely different.
However, she cannot make a hasty judgment just yet.
Inside a running carriage.
She is seen traversing the peaceful territories of the Empire. A feast of beautiful vegetation was unfolding outside her window, but the two of them were not in a situation to enjoy such a view.
Inside, where the sound of carriage wheels was spreading, the two were maintaining a sharp sense of tension.
It seems like something unexpected will happen when we arrive at Aken Island.
Princess Fenia did not want to provoke Lucy in any way. In order to do that, Ed Rosstaylor should not be provoked either.
She kept that fact in mind and remained tense.
The carriage had already passed by Margrave Zahur. When you pass through this territory and reach the southwest coast, the Maxes Bridge heading to Aken Island comes into view.
Arrival at Aken Island is not far away.
The cold air of the early morning was disappearing and the morning energy was slowly starting to cool down.
* * *
-thud!
The office of Lord Mayor Lortel Kecheln.
When I opened the door and came in, Lortel had his head completely down.
He was motionless, his hands tied behind his chair, the brown robe he always wore wrapped around him, his hat pulled down completely.
A simple meal was prepared on his dance desk at home. There was bread and dried fish that he could eat even with his hands tied.
But Lortel had not even touched a single piece to his mouth… he was silent.
“….”
A sight that seems as if even a sad poison is rising.
The Sanghoe employee, who was Lortel’s closest associate, was extremely nervous as he escorted me to the office.
It’s shameful to go out in front of the leader who stabbed you in the back, but the other person has not even said a word since he was captured and has a cold expression on his face.
It was as if if I closed my eyes even once, the blade of revenge would pierce my neck right away… Did I feel that kind of death?
Lortel, who always looked like a snake or a fox, has such a cold appearance that it sends a chill down the spine of even the employees of the company, no matter how much they have experienced hardships.
Rather, because it is Lortel, the fear that comes from such a gap is felt even more strongly.
Just breathing in the same space feels like thick mud flowing into his throat.
It feels like walking on the tip of his sword.
A sharp sense that Lortel would not leave him alone if he did not completely subdue him at this opportunity.
“Would you like to go out?”
“Is that so?”
He didn’t say it was considerate, but when I suggested it, the trading company staff readily accepted it.
“I’ll be waiting in front of the door. Please come out when you’re done.”
Saying that, the Chamber of Commerce employee quickly opened the office door and left.
The office door closes with a bang, and Lortel Kecheln is seen tied behind the office table in front of him.
Unlike the way she always sat quietly and led the business in a relaxed manner, the way she was completely trapped was like a queen on the verge of confinement.
I trudged inside and sat down across from the office desk.
Lortel did not raise his head.
“You haven’t eaten at all.”
Even though I hinted at him like that, Lortel still didn’t move a muscle.
I wonder if he fainted, but judging by the occasional signs of popularity, he appears to be in good spirits.
“Why did you come?”
Eventually, Lortel’s clear voice came up, breaking the long silence.
“To laugh at me?”
There is an edge to the voice. The appearance is like the voice of a person facing evil in front of an enemy.
All kinds of emotions are contained in tightly suppressed words. However, since he cannot howl or roar… he speaks quietly with his voice lowered.
“I sat alone and thought about it. No matter how much I thought about it, there was no benefit for Senior Ed to take my side.”
Lortel Kecheln sat here and thought this.
Is there any benefit that Ed Rothtaylor can gain if he takes Lortel Kecheln’s side?
If there is something to be gained by sticking to Lortel’s side rather than Dune’s side… Ed Rothtaylor can take his side.
However, Lortel Kecheln was wise and would have figured it out quickly.
If you think about it from a self-interest perspective, there is absolutely nothing that Ed Rothtaylor can gain by siding with Lortel Kecheln.
“Congratulations. It’s good that you became friends with me.”
However, it would be a lie to say that I did not criticize him.
Over the past two years, all the times we have fought and bonded in various places… it all becomes meaningless in front of the wall of understanding and calculation.
“Thanks to you, I see a surplus.”
Even if you are a merchant to your core, you are still a human being.
In particular, Lortel Kecheln has never shown affection to anyone this much.
Because she stood alone without her family, friends, or trusted colleagues… she was a girl who longed for that type of relationship.
Because it would have been the first time I felt the pain of loss.
Even though she knew that my choice was a reasonable one, she would have been unable to control that feeling of betrayal.
For the first time in his life, Lortel Kecheln would have understood the fear and pain that comes from the loss of a relationship.
For a girl who had lived only in a calculated relationship, it must have been the first pain she experienced.
That fact made me feel strangely guilty, but there weren’t many options for me to choose from right now.
So all I can do is… tell you clearly.
“What are you… now?”
So I said something somewhat unexpected.
Lortel, still bowing her head under the shadow of her robe hat, did not even move a muscle.
“Are you the acting head of the Elte Chamber of Commerce? Are you the deputy head of the Ministry of Magic at Sylvania Academy?”
I ask questions that I don’t understand, but there is no answer.
Still, I didn’t stop.
“Or are you a self-made merchant at a young age? Are you a business partner who supplies my magic engineering supplies?”
“….”
“At this point, you are… nothing. Nothing.”
This is probably the only thing she can say with certainty.
“You are Lortel Kecheln.”
I sit slouched on a wooden chair and tell you something that seems insignificant but is very important.
“Unfortunately, at this point, there is only one reason.”
“For what reason?”
“The reason I have to save you.”
I took out a dagger from my belt.
Before Lortel could react, the ropes binding his wrists were cut off.
The rope was cut without a hitch by a sharp-edged dagger.
Lortel’s hands were completely free. Just when he thought that all he had to do was cut the ropes that were binding his feet――Lortel jerked his head up.
Lortel raised his head and was smiling triumphantly.
“Oh my goodness.”
“Hey you….”
“I can’t be this satisfied.”
From the beginning, Lortel was never heartbroken or distressed…
He just sat quietly and waited for me to get here.
However, she was so sneaky that it would not be surprising even if she had caught and eaten thousands of snakes… She lowered her head as if she was heartbroken and was waiting for me to speak.
“Why? Are you afraid I might have suspected you?”
There is no other reason. I’m only saving Lortel because it’s you.
Did you want to hear that?
Grinning sinisterly like her fox, Lortel slowly lifted her hat with her freed arms.
The corners of her mouth are turned up as if she is infinitely happy, proving her excited mood.
“She almost died waiting.”
“….”
“My legs are so tight that it hurts. Please loosen them quickly.”
I raised my dagger and bowed down to her waist. I was carefully holding the dagger towards the rope for fear of hurting Lortel’s ankle.
“I knew about Senior Ed from the moment he first came in. After reading the negotiation contract, I understood. If Senior Ed had really intended to stick with Dune, there would have been no need to show his face to me in the first place.”
“I’m devastated. I thought you were heartbroken.”
“Aha, senior. I heard you are secretly shady too. Did you ever imagine instilling that kind of hope in a girl who was depressed because she was betrayed, by telling her not to worry because you weren’t betrayed?”
Lortel let out a sigh and she smiled leisurely.
“Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. From the moment I saw your face for the first time, I thought, ‘Oh, everyone has ulterior motives.’”
“Ugh, that’s it. What can I say? We need to get off our feet first and think about escaping. Tailly will probably come in soon.”
“You’ve come up with some trick again. Okay, let’s calm down and gather our thoughts first.”
As she said that, she slowly cut away the ropes that bound her Lortel’s ankles.
Well, it’s all like this. How dramatic would this be?
As always in the world of merchants, even though it may seem like a huge ordeal, there is always an opening to emerge.
Since Lortel didn’t know that fact….she wasn’t even shaken.
As expected, he is the embodiment of reason who always maintains calm. Lortel is exactly what I thought.
There is no need to sort out your emotions. First of all, it is right to quickly brief the next move.
You saved quite a bit of time.
―Percussion.
―Cudangtang!
The moment I thought that, I was attacked.
His body was pushed backwards and the back of his head hit the floor. I felt a slight pain, but what surprised me more than that was the sight of Lortel jumping into my arms.
The moment his body was free, Lortel buried his face in my chest and hugged me tightly.
In the aftermath, I rolled around on the wooden floor and when I came to, Lortel was in his arms, rubbing his face against my body.
“….”
“….”
I brushed the back of my head and felt the chill of the cold wooden floor on my back.
“They said they were evaluating everything.”
“Just because you know it doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.”
I didn’t bother to ask what that meant.
A betrayal of Lortel Kecheln. Her Dune stuck by her side, selling her out, taking advantage of her mine… her future, completely abandoning her.
If you imagine it, it wasn’t a completely impossible future.
That fact may have struck Lortel even more, sending a chill down Lortel’s spine.
“One thing is certain….”
Lortel, buried in his arms, looked like nothing he had ever seen before.
Seeing her, who was always cool-headed, become this soft… it will probably be hard to see her in the future.
“It wasn’t a very… pleasant experience.”
Without saying anything more, I quietly stroked the back of Lortel’s head.
“…I’m sorry.”
There was a situation on my side too. But I didn’t necessarily say it in detail like that.
For a while… I had to lie down on the office floor.
―Kwaang! bang!
―Cugung! Coo!
The next thing that happened was a huge explosion was heard from the main entrance of the store.
The huge vibration that shook the earth was felt all the way to the floor of the office.
