[Side Story] Two-Arm Scale (9)
For Lortel, it would be a memory he would like to forget. A girl who wandered the streets of the slums
as a child,
stepping on the trash of a slum, holds her adoptive father’s hand and enters a grand, grand commercial building.
If you walk straight through the large lobby of the store, you will see merchants standing here and there talking.
She is the adopted daughter of the Golden King Elte Keheln.
The girl that Elte Keheln took in as his adopted daughter to become his confidant is right there.
I heard that after teaching him how to count numbers, he learned to multiply and divide on his own.
When I showed him the company’s ledger, he said he had mastered double-entry bookkeeping in just two days. When I
showed him the market trend analysis table, he came up with a new business plan within a week, and it was even reflected in the actual company’s business plan.
In just a few weeks after becoming the Golden King’s adopted daughter, she attracted the attention of all merchants, and by her side, Elte Keheln was always there to teach her.
On the day when Elte Kecheln heads to the office accompanied by her, her confidants line up and bow their heads.
In charge of bookkeeping, in charge of human resource management, in charge of financial planning, in charge of trend analysis, in charge of market analysis…
Young Lortel looks at the mountains in the distance as talented people boasting outstanding abilities in their respective fields bow their heads and bow to Elte. Looking at the scenery.
While introducing Lortel to each person, he carefully tells them that when she grows up, she will become a key person in charge of this company.
In this friendly atmosphere, young Lortel learned to fake a smile. Although he is still new to wearing a mask, he adapts surprisingly quickly.
After saying hello to the talented people of the company, I finally saw Slog Keldlux with his head bowed.
[This is the slog that has been with me for the longest time. I had his assistance in every business and task I did. I can say that he is the most reliable person and the most capable manager at the moment. ]
Elte Kecheln spoke with a greedy smile.
[ Lortel still has a lot to learn, but there are limits to how much help he can provide as a father. Anyway, I hope you take good care of Lortel. ]
[Would it be possible? ]
After exchanging brief greetings, Elte and Lortel entered the office.
When Lortel turned around for a moment and saw Slog’s expression, he became infinitely cold.
[Listen carefully, Lortel. The high-ranking employees of the commercial association that I just met face-to-face are the ones you need to be most wary of. ]
Unlike when he closed the door with a satisfied smile, Elte Kecheln looked back and had a grim face.
[If you stay on the floor for a long time, you will naturally realize this. Don’t trust anyone. The same is true even if you are a business partner who has been working together for decades. They are all bastards who will stab you in the back if you get the chance. Pathetic bastards. Inevitably, I will be greedy for my wealth. They are like children who have gone crazy with envy and jealousy…]
A place where infinite trust is treated as a sin.
That law applies equally to the man sitting at the top of Elte Company.
The inside of the corrupted colossus that young Lortel looked up at was already riddled with wounds caused by the three waves and traces of numerous failures.
That miserable sight was truly the final destination reached by people who made their living as merchants.
[He’s an apprentice at this Elte Company, and that’s the first thing he teaches to the kids who come in. Don’t trust anyone. Friends, lovers, even family and teachers. ]
[ In the first place, life in this world is lonely. Never give anyone a chance. There is no such thing as a human relationship in the world where you can give and receive sincerely without receiving anything in return. Humans are creatures born to weigh pros and cons. ]
A large two-arm scale pattern attached to the office wall. It is the same as the symbol of Elte Trading Company.
Externally, it was considered a symbol of justice, fairness, and truth.
Among the employees of Elte Corporation, it was considered a symbol of hypocrisy and deception.
Looking up at the large arms scale pattern, Elte Kecheln declares.
[There is no such thing as a perfectly horizontal two-arm scale in the world. You must always remember and live. ]
The voice that said that was heavy and subdued.
*The Elte Trading Company head office building was already in a state of chaos.
When looking from the outside, the sight of smoke rising between the half-destroyed buildings feels unrealistic.
The Elte Trading Company head office was always a building that had to be there.
Like the Imperial Capital of the Imperial Capital or the Imperial Capital of the Clock Tower of Sylvania Academy.
It was a building close to a landmark that always looked the same.
The sight of Elte Trading Company’s head office in chaos makes you wonder if this scene is a dream.
At least it seemed that way to the citizens of Old Deck.
The appearance of the inside of the store is not much different from the appearance from the outside.
In the lobby on the first floor, numerous furniture were already rolling on the floor, and merchants were fleeing from collapsed walls here and there.
So many people were intertwined and moving according to their own circumstances.
The Ross Taylor family’s vassals search the interior of the Chamber of Commerce.
The merchants of the store run away for their lives.
Among them, the great merchants move to find solutions to the situation according to their individual beliefs.
Puellan and Kaldenheim, who are completely on Slog’s side, run at full speed toward the basement.
The other merchants understand the situation and contact the Old Deck government office to ask for help.
Lortel’s confidant, Chief Secretary Rienna, quietly opens her eyes in a dark space.
Slog, the current owner, is shaking in front of Ed Rothtaylor.
And Ed Rosstaylor, at the center of the situation, was quietly trying to grab Slog by the collar.
– Boom!
However, the slog was not captured as is.
Perhaps because he still had magic supplies hidden in his back pocket, the floor where the slog was was collapsed along with a loud explosion sound.
– Kwa-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-gak!
Ed Rosstaylor is a master of magic engineering. Just by showing the appearance of a magic engineering tool, the internal structure can be identified in an instant and neutralized.
That’s why Slog activated the explosive magical engineering equipment in his arms.
– Whaaah!
“Kaaaaaaak!”
A sharp pain rushed through my entire body. The slog that fell downstairs rolled on the floor and barely managed to get up from the dust.
There is a bitter taste of iron in my mouth. Still, I was able to distance myself from Ed Rosstaylor.
“Huh oh oh oh oh oh!”
Just like that, Slog ran down the hallway with a limping gait.
Ed jumped down into the collapsed hole, landed, and slowly turned his head towards the fleeing Slog.
It would not have been easy for a merchant, not a combatant, to withstand the explosion.
Nevertheless, Slog was running away at a fairly high speed. Ed Rosstaylor emerged from the dust and trotted toward the slog.
Slog crossed the hallway with difficulty, his body covered in blood. I continued to run away, limping along the curved corridors while holding my hand against the wall.
As they went, they knocked down all the furniture and cabinets they could get their hands on, impeding Ed Rosstaylor’s progress.
However, for Ed Rosstaylor, who was steadily closing the distance, such an obstacle could not even be called an obstacle.
Just a few flicks of a magical hand gesture will blow them all out the window.
“Ugh… huh… huh…!”
I know the slog. If Ed Rosstaylor decides to do it, it’s not a problem to catch him running away.
However, Ed Rothtaylor is only narrowing the distance by walking steadily.
The guy is trying to find out who is behind Slog.
Rather than just catching Slog and getting rid of him, I plan to find and eliminate the source of Slog’s ability to run with confidence. To do so, we had to find out who Slog would ask for help in this extreme crisis situation.
Even though he knew that fact, Slog had no choice but to run away with all his might.
When I got to the end of the hallway, I came across an outer staircase. As I ran down the stairs at a hurried pace, I lost my footing and fell.
Slog rolled awkwardly down the stairs with a screeching sound and felt as if his whole body would be crushed at any moment, but he gritted his teeth and got up again.
At the top of the stairs, Ed Rosstaylor can be seen slowly coming down the stairs.
Killer and victim. Chaser and fugitive. hunter and prey.
“You… you… do you really think the whole situation will be resolved like this!”
Slog didn’t even have time to treat Ed Rothtaylor as a noble, so he wrote evilly.
“Are you confident that you can send me away cleanly? “Do you really think that will happen!”
“Like I said, everything has already been done. “Just stay calm.”
“I’m sorry, but if you touched me carelessly…!”
– Buuu
At that time, a huge trumpet sound was heard through the gap in the collapsed outer wall of the landing.
It was the sound made by the ceremonial music band of the Oldeck Government Office. As the sound reached his ears, Slog looked back with trembling eyes.
Beyond the collapsed exterior wall, the large iron gate of Elte Trading Company can be seen.
And there… the magnificently large carriage of the Holy Emperor was entering. All the residents of Old Deck who were around were wide-eyed and surprised at the sight.
The same goes for slogs. I put my head down in front of the crack in the collapsed outer wall and stared at the scenery outside.
This is a carriage ridden by a saint of the Holy Emperor, which is said to be difficult to see even if you live your whole life.
“This… this… crazy…”
– Boo- Boo-
– Boo-Boo-Boo
The carriage that appears amidst the magnificent music band’s performance stops within the premises of Elte Company.
The crowd gathered in front of the main gate of the store is grandiose. The sudden appearance of a saint plunges the scene further into chaos.
And then the carriage door opens… and Clarice, the saintess of the Holy Emperor, appears.
It seems as if the concept of mystery has come down to the world in human form.
If expressed in color, it is noble pure white itself.
Pure white hair, pure white saint’s clothes, pure white skin.
Meanwhile, red eyes and a red bow hairpin are revealed.
The way you walk down the carriage stairs is also like a beautiful butterfly landing on a flower petal.
It is truly a replica of Saint Clarice.
She is not a person who can be impersonated by anyone. If you do something like that, you will be sentenced to death.
In this way, Saint Clarice stood with her feet on the ground.
And the people who came down after that… are people who also know slog.
Belle Maia, the head maid of the Ross Taylor family. And young Lortel held her hand tightly.
In addition, there were countless guards of the Holy Emperor Capital.
When I saw that, I could be sure.
The reason why Saint Clarice suddenly appeared in a place like this was because of Ed Rothtaylor’s intervention. It was a natural conclusion to draw when one saw that his vassal, Bel Maia, appeared in such a place.
Ed Rosstaylor sent Maid Jean Belle Maia to the government office in advance so that Saint Clarice could be escorted to the Elte Chamber of Commerce.
Anyway, there is something called the reality of the plan.
There is no one in the world who could think that they would really bring the saint of Saint Carpea to the premises of the Elte Company.
“Why do you think Saint Clarisse came to Elte Company’s headquarters?”
Ed Rosstaylor talks as he looks down at the slog from the landing on the other side.
“I came to sign the distribution contract that I had discussed with Elte Company in advance. However, when we arrived at the Chamber of Commerce contrary to our promise, it was chaos.”
We have never concluded such a distribution contract.
Nevertheless, if Saint Clarice says so, it will be true.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for a big name like a saint to travel this far in person. There is almost no contact between Elte Trading Company and Seonghwangdo.
There is no other means that can perfectly prove that the story of the transaction between the Holy Emperor and the Elte Company actually took place than the appearance of the saint in person.
In the end, it is only a matter of time before Slog becomes the one who buried the huge contract between Seonghwangdo and Elte Company… solely to preserve his position.
– Buuuuuu
The magnificent trumpet sound of the music band.
Justification and justification.
It was the sound of the last weapon held by Slog disappearing.
“I hope that the person watching your back is a person with much more authority than the saint of the Holy Emperor.”
Ed Rosstaylor slowly walked down the stairs and spoke calmly.
“Otherwise… I won’t be able to protect your position as head of the society any longer.”
It is neither an expression of confidence nor an expression of ridicule. It was just the facts as they are.
But what does it mean to say that?
If we were to name a person on this continent as authoritative as the saint of the Holy Emperor, it would be difficult to fill the entire palm of one hand.
Slog lowered his voice as he watched the saintess’s appearance through the gap in the outer wall.
“Yes… If the connection with the Holy Emperor is revealed to the world like this, I will have no means of refuting it… Moreover, conditions will be created for Lortel Kecheln to ascend to the position of Lord without any repercussions. It works…”
Then, as if in vain, he turned around again, looked at Ed, and said.
“Haha…”
“…”
“So, you’re curious about my backside…” He
put his back against the half-ruined exterior wall and took a deep breath as if he was tired.
The shape of a cornered mouse.
Meanwhile, Slog raised the corner of his mouth, dripping blood.
“Khahaha…. Kaakak…. Kahahaak…. Keuhhehe….”
The sound of laughter coming from between the lips seems resigned or empty.
“Hu -wook … Huh ….”
The slog of the slog was exhausted and soon talked with the back waist.
“You think I’m going to tell you that?!”
– Boom!!!!
At that moment, the last magical engineering supplies Slog had stocked up exploded.
It seemed certain that even Slog himself would not be safe if such an explosion were to occur with his almost completely destroyed body.
Nevertheless, Slog accepted the explosion without any hesitation… and fell to the lowest floor of the commercial building.
*Dust rose up.
It was a sudden explosion, but I didn’t suffer any damage. This is because we quickly used defensive magic to deal with it.
I fell to the bottom floor with a slog, landed deftly, and shook off my clothes.
And through the rising dust… I could see Slog completely devastated.
His gray hair was scattered and his face was covered in blood.
In the aftermath of the explosion, burns were exposed here and there, making him look terrible.
The tattered clothes of a merchant can no longer be called luxurious.
Looking around, I saw that it was a space that had been used as a conference room or something before it was destroyed.
There were several conference tables lined up, but half of them were blown away in the aftermath of the explosion.
And when the dust completely disappeared and the sight of the slog was revealed… I couldn’t help but frown.
“Off… huh… huh… huh…”
Something like an iron bar was penetrating my waist. The impact of the fall caused it to become lodged in the abdomen. It seemed that the exterior wall had collapsed, exposing the building materials.
The blood was flowing and soaking the floor.
With almost maniacal tenacity, Slog tried to raise his body and pull out the iron bar from his waist, but he couldn’t use any more strength, so he ended up putting his hand down.
“…”
“Kuh… huh… huh… huh… huh… huh… huh huh…”
He let out a few breathy sounds as if the air had been knocked out of his throat, then something came out. I laughed again because it was so funny.
I tried to walk like that a few times and ended up falling down on the conference table.
He tries to raise himself up again by pushing up on the table while grasping tightly at the iron bar stuck in his side, but he slips on his own blood and falls out.
Nevertheless, I pick myself up and move forward, stumbling again.
Even though I know it’s useless.
“First of all… run… you have to run… see… you can overcome this situation just by reporting… help… if you ask for help…” “
…”
“ “Ugh…”
Ed Rosstaylor, clean and without a scratch, was standing behind Slog, looking down at him.
A calm face that shows no emotions.
Slog, who is completely devastated, and Ed Rosstaylor, who is fine.
It was a situation where he could overpower Slog with just one hand if he wanted to, but Ed didn’t bother to move.
“Don’t… come any closer…! I… leave me alone…! “Whoa… whoa…”
Slog stood, holding the conference table tightly with his trembling arms. Unable to control his trembling pupils, he was just repeating empty shouts to Ed.
“I… I’m sorry…! Yes, definitely… I didn’t expect you to take such violent measures… Just a little… just a little more mercy…”
“Slog Keldlux.”
“Yeah… I like it when you don’t touch me! Do you know who’s behind me?! Do you think I would have wandered into Lorthaylor’s territory without thinking, set up a confrontation, and taken down Lortel so boldly?! “I, who has endured in this Old Deck for decades, have learned everything there is to know?!”
“…”
“Do you think I have no faith in anything?! I can assure you! “If you touch me here and now… you will definitely regret it…!”
Slog doesn’t even have room to step back anymore.
It was the moment when I tried to raise my voice further, ignoring the fresh blood flowing from the corner of my mouth.
“Now let’s stop with these skits. I did everything you wanted. “Slog.”
─A word that pierces one’s lungs.
Seeing Slog’s words suddenly stop, I added slowly.
“I know that there is no one like you who is looking after you.”
“…”
“It was all your opinion.”
When I said that with a grave face, Slog stayed still for a while with a completely frozen expression.
He looked at me like that for a while, then made a coughing sound and spat out blood once more… and then laughed as if he was detached.
“I see… Did you notice it all in the first place… Cough, cluck, cluck… Cluck…” “
…”
“—I thought it was a bit strange from the beginning… Cough. ..K black …. …
… The loose slog was unable to support its body and fell onto the conference table.
The clothes were in tatters and the entire body was covered with wounds. The blood that had been flowing had hardened and stuck to various places on the skin, and it was difficult to focus the eyes.
He looked like a beggar on the street rather than a colossus, with a shabby appearance that had left him in disrepair.
