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Chapter 10
Chapter 10
The way Clive and Max Langtang conducted their dealings was extremely simple.
They met, Clive handed over the black gold stone, Max Langtang checked it and paid the price.
Then Clive left first.
― This entire process didn’t even take three minutes.
Ё nů m̈ а̇ .id
That was how Clive explained it.
‘Too short.’
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
That was the first thought that came to Dominic’s mind after hearing Clive’s explanation.
There was no reason for Max Langtang to spend time on a bottom-tier Mercenary like Clive. The only reason he came out personally was surely because of the black gold stone, which had the potential to become a Core.
And up until now, Clive had had no complaints about the way these transactions were handled.
That was because Max Langtang had always paid a sum far greater than what Clive considered the black gold stone’s proper value.
W̆ eḃnо v е̇l̇ .Е̃n̂ u mа̂
‘But it’s not enough for me.’
Three minutes was an absurdly short amount of time to obtain clues about the war that would break out in the future, the exact role the House of Langtang played in that war, and the reason the war occurred in the first place.
‘Then how do I pry information out of Max Langtang.’
Dominic pondered for a long time.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
‘There is one way. It’s a last resort, so I didn’t want to use it…….’
Dominic first assumed the worst-case scenario and formed a plan.
W̌е bn̂.о̃ v e̊l E nu̇ mа̀
A situation where Max Langtang and his subordinates appeared exactly on time, completed the transaction with Clive, and immediately left.
‘But that’s not the only possibility. If I were Max Langtang, there’s a high chance I’d send my men ahead of time to check if there’s anything suspicious nearby.’
He had never engaged in a secretive transaction like this before, but Dominic, as the eldest son of the House of Anika, was fairly accustomed to the way those in higher positions thought.
‘If it were me, I wouldn’t want variables to arise, or to have my back taken by enemies lying in ambush.’
That was why he could make a fairly convincing guess about what Max Langtang would do.
And fortunately enough, just as Dominic had predicted, one of Max Langtang’s subordinates had come out in advance to survey the transaction site.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
‘If I use that subordinate, I should be able to extract some useful information.’
Of course, the truly important information would be known only to Max Langtang himself.
But there was no way he wouldn’t share at least minimal information with his subordinates, and if he was the kind of person to send someone ahead for reconnaissance, that man would certainly be at least mid-ranking among Max Langtang’s subordinates.
‘If things go according to my second plan, it’ll take time, but I’ll be able to gain a lot by using that subordinate.’
Thinking that, Dominic moved forward as naturally as possible.
The place he was heading toward was a small warehouse right next to the abandoned building designated as the transaction site with Max Langtang.
Е̂nũ m̃ ӑ. ï d̊
“Hey. Stop.”
Just as expected, the moment Dominic approached the transaction site, Max Langtang’s subordinate came up to him and stopped him with a chilling voice.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Dominic pretended to be confused as he looked over the subordinate.
In the process, his face was exposed, but he didn’t mind. He had already come sufficiently disguised.
Seeing Dominic’s shabby fake facial features, Max Langtang’s subordinate sneered at him in disdain.
“Get lost.”
We b n о̂ṽӗl̆ Е̄ň û m̄ а
And without any explanation, he tried to drive Dominic away.
‘No calluses on his hands, so he’s not a Swordsman. A Mage, maybe. Judging by all the scars, he’s someone who’s actually sent into real combat.’
In that brief moment, Dominic gathered every piece of information he could discern from the subordinate’s appearance.
He didn’t have a knack like Clive’s, where he could tell someone’s level of attainment just by looking, but he had countless experiences accumulated from his previous life.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“I told you to get lost.”
Max Langtang’s subordinate growled.
Еn um á
He seemed angry that Dominic wasn’t listening to him.
‘He’s quite impatient.’
While collecting one more piece of information, Dominic briefly considered how to handle the subordinate.
The easiest method would be to subdue him by force, inflict pain, and extract information.
But that was a bad move.
‘The transaction is right around the corner. I can’t cause unnecessary commotion.’
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Moreover, defeating that man would require tremendous effort.
The reason he had beaten Bread was because he knew him well and had thoroughly grasped the Swordsmanship he used.
But he knew nothing about the subordinate Max Langtang had sent.
There were ways, but defeating an unknown opponent meant he would also have to accept considerable damage.
If Perperence had at least been completed, things would have been different, but for the past two days, Dominic hadn’t been able to work on crafting Perperence because he was preparing for today’s transaction.
‘Then I have no choice but to extract information without fighting.’
W e bn o v еl̈ Еńum̆ а́
That was the conclusion Dominic reached.
“Are……are you the one who’s buying the black gold stone today, sir?”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
The word ‘sir’ wasn’t familiar to him, so his speech came out a beat slower.
But Max Langtang’s subordinate merely thought Dominic was speaking slowly because he was frightened of him and didn’t pay much attention to that part.
“What are you?”
He asked viciously.
Е̂n̂u m̌а̌. і́d̀
“I’m Uncle Clive’s assistant.”
Dominic spoke quickly before the subordinate could attack him.
“Clive hired an assistant? What nonsense.”
The subordinate snorted.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“It’s true.”
Dominic said that while acting like a commoner boy, something just as unfamiliar to him as the word ‘sir’.
W е bň оvе l Е̇ň ümа̂
“Because I had a special talent for mining black gold stone and distinguishing its quality.”
For a moment, the eyebrow of the subordinate sent by Max Langtang twitched.
“Black gold stone?”
He had taken the bait.
Dominic smiled inwardly.
“Uncle Clive said it seemed like you were being scammed. So I took a look at the black gold stone, and it turned out he was right—you were being scammed.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Dominic spoke smoothly, not missing the opportunity.
“Most black gold stone is cheap junk, but among them there were a few pieces that were truly high quality.”
He deliberately did not mention that those black gold stones were natural objects with gathered Mana that had the potential to become a Core.
There was no need to reveal that he knew that much.
“So I told him the truth. But Uncle couldn’t even think of daring to raise an objection to someone of such high standing.”
Dominic said that while looking straight at Max Langtang’s subordinate.
Е.n̆umа́
“So today, I’ll be handling the transaction instead of Uncle Clive.”
In the world of Mercenaries, betraying one another for money was common.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Since Max Langtang’s subordinate regarded Dominic as nothing more than an errand boy handling menial tasks for a Mercenary group, he wasn’t surprised even when Dominic spoke as if he intended to deceive Clive.
“What?”
He reacted to an entirely different part of the story.
Having listened tensely to Dominic’s explanation, Max Langtang’s subordinate let out a deflated laugh at the last remark.
Ŵе̂ bn̄ оv̈ еľ Ė num̂ a
“Hey, brat.”
The subordinate bent his upper body forward and shoved his face close to Dominic’s.
“Listen carefully.”
He spoke in an even lower, more terrifying voice.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“The one who decides the value of black gold stone isn’t your oh-so-great Uncle Clive, but the very person we serve.”
Dominic briefly considered whether he should pretend to cower.
W̊ e b́ nо̇v̇ е_l̂ Е n̊ŭ m̀ӓ_
Whether that was fortunate or not, the other party was convinced Dominic was frightened and made no attempt to verify his actual condition.
“We were already paying a price for cheap junk, and unless you want even that taken away and to get beaten to a pulp, stop talking nonsense and hand over the goods at the usual price.”
And from Max Langtang’s subordinate, a clearly dangerous pressure poured out.
But once again, Dominic felt no sense of threat.
That was because he knew that even if the subordinate hit him a few times, he would never be able to inflict fatal harm.
‘Clive never told Max Langtang where he gets the black gold stone.’
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Clive, a Mercenary who had rolled around at the bottom for a long time, knew that information was both his source of income and his lifeline.
If he told where he obtained the black gold stone, the other side would immediately eliminate him and procure it themselves.
‘And now, on top of that, an assistant who can judge the quality of black gold stone has appeared?’
Max Langtang would certainly want to find out whether Clive’s assistant truly had the ability to distinguish Cores.
And judging by the glint that had flashed in the subordinate’s eyes earlier when Dominic mentioned his talent for identifying black gold stone, the subordinate had undoubtedly guessed what Max Langtang was thinking as well.
‘So even in the worst case, it’ll amount to nothing more than getting beaten.’
Е ń um̆ а̂
He could endure a beating as much as necessary.
If Max Langtang appeared, the lie might be exposed or the worst might occur, but until the decision-maker arrived, this was Dominic’s world.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
And Dominic needed to make good use of the three hours he had left.
“Are you deaf? You’re making me repeat myself. Get lost before you get hit.”
“I can’t do that.”
Dominic took one step forward.
Е́ňu̇m̆а̃
“At the very least, Uncle Clive should receive a fair price, or…….”
Then, pretending to be nervous, he tossed out a loaded remark.
“Or?”
Max Langtang’s subordinate raised one eyebrow.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Dominic hesitated over whether to keep acting, then decided that rather than putting on an awkward performance, it would be better to show boldness, and continued calmly.
“Otherwise, if you don’t pay me hush money.”
E nǔm̃ а.і d́
An expression of ‘Well, would you look at that?’ appeared on the face of the subordinate sent by Max Langtang.
“If you give me just 10 gold, I’ll keep my mouth shut about the quality of the black gold stone, and I’ll also tell you where Uncle Clive gets the black gold stone.”
Of course, it was a lie. Dominic, who cared about Clive, would never do such a thing.
But to the subordinate sent by Max Langtang, Dominic’s proposal was bound to sound tempting.
‘I may not know Max Langtang and his subordinates well, but I know the customs of the House of Langtang very well.’
Since he had been in the rear during the war of his previous life, he hadn’t directly clashed with the House of Langtang, but thanks to his position as the eldest son of the House of Anika, he had many opportunities to attend strategy meetings involving high-ranking officers.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
And each time, Dominic listened to analyses of the House of Langtang conducted by the House of Anika and the Empire’s top talents.
‘The House of Langtang is even more meritocratic than our house, and on top of that, it pays high rewards for achievements.’
In the House of Langtang, rewards were never stinted for those who earned merit.
And within the house, members were pressured to produce results and do something useful to a near-brainwashing degree.
Dominic smiled inwardly as he looked at the man in front of him.
“We need to finish the deal before Uncle Clive arrives, so please decide quickly. 10 gold isn’t that much money, is it?”
Êǹum̌ а
He had omitted the phrase ‘to your superiors,’ but neither Max Langtang’s subordinate nor Dominic paid it much mind.
Max Langtang’s subordinate was far too excited to care about such trivial details.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“What did you just say, you?”
Max Langtang’s subordinate asked in a highly agitated voice.
“I said I’d pretend not to know about the quality of the black gold stone.”
“No, not that.”
Ē n̂ ũ ṁ а́.. їd
“That I’d tell you where Uncle Clive gets the black gold stone?”
“Yeah, that’s it.”
The eyes of the subordinate sent by Max sparkled.
‘He’s excited at the thought of reporting the source of the black gold stone to Max Langtang and having that achievement recognized.’
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Dominic could see straight through the other man’s thoughts.
“Can I make it 12 gold?”
Ẅ éb̆nŏv е ĺ Е n̆ú m ӓ_
Dominic egged on Max Langtang’s subordinate.
That single line Dominic threw out was more than effective enough.
“12 gold, fine. No—I'll give you 20 gold.”
The higher the price of the goods a person intended to buy became, the more they tended to overestimate their value.
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