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Chapter 42
Cardinal Bayern was in a rather foul mood.
He had sensed something suspicious ever since he received the sudden request for a deal from the Evan Trading Company.
Evan Trading Company was the largest in the Argen continent and could offer deals with advantages in both trustworthiness and pricing.
However, the Central Holy Church had never done business with them.
The reason was simple.
Е́ ṅ ŭ m ă .i d̀
Evan Trading Company was based in "Sijin."
As part of the ruling class in Kram, the Central Holy Church had no choice but to be sensitive to public opinion and therefore conducted most of its transactions with companies within "Kram."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Even so, the Evan Trading Company couldn’t afford to give up on the Central Holy Church as a major client.
They had consistently attempted to strike deals, though being rejected had become the norm.
But this time, Evan had made an irresistible offer.
“We would like to discuss a deal regarding a lost relic from the Church.”
Е_ṅümа . і_d̆
And so, they had no choice but to set a date.
However, they didn’t expect an uninvited guest to show up.
“What brings a member of the Jodrick family all the way here?”
***
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Only three people were sent to the Church for this deal.
Myself, Drek, and Shane.
W̄е.b̊n о̀v́еĺ È n.u mа̀
Due to the nature of the deal, the group was kept small to minimize the presence of outsiders.
Still, we expected Cardinal Bayern to express his displeasure.
After all, he, not the Pope, handled most of the actual operations of the Central Holy Church.
He would’ve been deeply involved in the recent Peace and Truth Church incident and surely harbored resentment toward the Jodrick family.
Still, we hadn’t expected him to be this openly hostile.
“He’s a key figure in this transaction, so I brought him along. I hope you understand.”
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Drek replied to Bayern’s remark with a sly smile.
“And even if he is from the Jodrick family, what harm could an academy freshman possibly do to the Central Holy Church?”
“...Understood.”
Bayern nodded in reply.
‘That Drek guy... He’s not ordinary.’
After being spoken to like that, making a further issue of this would only damage the Church’s image.
Е́ n̊ ú m̀ a
“So, where’s the relic Evan Trading Company mentioned?”
Drek immediately brought out a neatly wrapped box and began to carefully unwrap it.
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“What we’ve prepared is this—the Horn of Glory.”
“The Horn of Glory...?”
It had been decades since the Horn of Glory disappeared from the Church’s possession.
Very few people in the Central Holy Church remained who had actually seen it in person—perhaps the Pope and a few cardinals.
Е̊n ū ḿ а̌
And even then, they would’ve only seen it briefly when they were low-ranking priests.
“We’ve already verified its authenticity at Evan Trading Company, and here is the certificate.”
Bayern carefully took the document Drek handed him and began to read it thoroughly.
“You may also verify its authenticity yourselves, and if it turns out to be a counterfeit, we will take full responsibility.”
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Cardinal Bayern set the Horn of Glory down and sighed.
“So... what’s the reason for bringing him along?”
W ĕb ṅ о̀ v̂ ëľ Е́ǹũ m̊а
“Well, the Horn of Glory wasn’t provided by our company. We’re merely intermediaries. The party who requested to do business with the Church is this man—Leon Jodrick.”
In response to Drek’s words, I slowly opened my mouth.
“Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Leon Jodrick.”
Bayern didn’t react or reply.
“I already know that. But why are you with Miss Shane of our Church?”
Cardinal Bayern’s sharp gaze turned not to me, but to Shane.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
He seemed disappointed with her for continuing to associate with me despite the Church’s instructions to avoid the Jodrick family.
“We’ve become acquainted while attending the academy together, and she greatly assisted me in acquiring the Horn of Glory. That’s why she came along.”
“Hmph... I’ll speak with Miss Shane later.”
Bayern slowly sipped a cup of tea and continued.
“So, where exactly did you obtain the Horn of Glory?”
“With all due respect, I’m afraid I cannot disclose that.”
W_е́b n̆ о́v̄ еl Ẽnŭm̈ а
Cardinal Bayern likely wasn’t genuinely curious anyway.
Even if I were to tell the truth, he wouldn’t believe a Jodrick, and chances were high it came through illegitimate means.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
He was simply asking out of formality.
“I see... then I’ll ask something else.”
Thus, Cardinal Bayern didn’t press further.
He had something else he truly wanted to know.
É nuṁ а .і d
“Are you here as a representative of the Jodrick family?”
Was this deal a gesture of reconciliation from the Jodricks?
It wouldn’t be a bad thing if relations between the Church and the Jodricks improved.
“No. This is solely the action of Leon Jodrick as an individual.”
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That’s not what I want.
It was Nox’s decision to challenge the Church in the first place.
Ё n ũm̆а
If I accepted Bayern’s framing, it would mean the Jodrick family was bowing its head to the Church.
That would go against Nox Jodrick’s will.
“Then why propose such a deal?”
“I simply stumbled upon the relic and wanted to return it to its rightful owner.”
A convenient-sounding answer.
“And while I’m attending the academy, I wanted to express my thanks to Miss Shane for her help.”
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To put it simply—please see me, not the Jodrick family, in a good light.
Even if Shane was helping us as a member of the Secret Pursuit Club, pressure from the Church could force her to leave at any time.
“For Miss Shane?”
“She’s a vital member of our club.”
Specifically, I was asking the Church to allow her to continue working with me.
“I understand what you’re saying.”
E n̄ü m̌ а̇ . і ḋ
It wasn’t a request for peace with the Jodrick family, just a plea not to interfere with academy life.
If they granted that, they’d get their relic back.
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From the Church’s perspective, there was no reason to reject the deal.
The origin of the relic was curious, but it had been lost for decades.
Whether I stole it from a Jodrick warehouse or got it from a dungeon, they wouldn’t care.
What mattered was the Horn of Glory had been returned.
Е̄n̄úm̆ a
“Then may I speak about the terms of the deal?”
Drek cautiously brought the topic back.
“Hm, go ahead.”
Whatever our intentions, we had come here to make a deal.
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The Church should already be grateful just to have the relic back.
Now it was time to receive proper compensation.
Е̂ǹ um̈ а
“We’re offering a price of 300 gold.”
The number from Drek’s mouth froze everyone in place.
“What did you just say...?”
“I said, 300 gold.”
Even Cardinal Bayern couldn’t believe what he heard, but Drek didn’t waver.
300 gold.
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A significant amount, yes, but absurdly low for a holy relic.
‘300 gold…?’
The commission Evan Trading Company would take depended on the transaction amount.
A low price would make the deal easier, but reduce Drek’s cut.
So why offer such a low number?
“There’s another condition, isn’t there?”
Ẅ_е_b̂n о̃ v̄е l̀ Eǹ ū m.а
There was something else he wanted.
“We’d like the Church to purchase some of its daily necessities from our company.”
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“That is…”
Cardinal Bayern, as always, was about to reject the idea, but he hesitated.
“We’re not asking to supply everything. Naturally, you’ll continue using ‘Kram’-origin goods for religious purposes, and we won’t interfere with items that are primarily produced within Kram.”
Drek tapped his fingers together a few times and continued.
E ǹ ú m̌ а.і̆ d
“We’d exclude perishables like meat and fish due to freshness concerns, and since Kram produces wheat and potatoes, how about limiting it to spices?”
Just spices like salt, pepper, and turmeric.
It sounded modest, but spices were luxury goods.
Even in small volumes, they brought high profits.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Of course, if there’s ever an issue with the goods, you can cancel the deal at any time.”
Drek spoke lightly, as if it weren’t a big deal, but it was actually a show of confidence.
Е̊nu̇ mа̄. і̄d
Confidence that nothing sold by Evan Trading Company would ever cause a problem.
“Oh, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t misunderstand. This isn’t a mandatory clause.”
Drek waved his hand playfully and continued.
“It just means that if Evan Trading Company covers part of the Horn’s cost, this condition is attached.”
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t really think the Horn of Glory is worth only 300 gold, do you?”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
The actual value of the Horn wasn’t 300 gold.
The spice deal was just a bargaining tactic.
“If Evan Trading Company didn’t shoulder part of the cost, the price would be... 23,000 gold.”
Trading companies usually take a commission of about 10%.
That meant 2,300 gold just for Drek.
‘Of course, the other 20,000 gold or so goes into my pocket.’
W̆ е̃b̆ n оv̊е ľ E n̈ûm å
If the deal went through, I wouldn’t need to worry about money until graduation.
Though a private individual couldn’t pay 23,000 gold, the Church certainly could.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Fine. Let’s allow the spice deal.”
“Are you sure you can approve that without the Pope’s consent?”
“I oversee the practical matters. It’s fine.”
Bayern and Drek began drafting the spice trade agreement without further words.
Е n̊ um̂ а̀
‘Well… from the Church’s perspective, they could always find an excuse to cancel it later.’
Reducing immediate loss made sense.
After finalizing the contract, Bayern slowly spoke.
“Miss Shane.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Yes?”
“I pray you’ll do well at the academy.”
Еn u̇ ḿ а̌ . і̄ d̀
But his eyes were on me.
It was a sign of “approval.”
“Then, we’ll be taking our leave.”
It was 5 p.m. by the time we left the Central Holy Church and reunited with the remaining members of the Secret Pursuit Club.
We had a quick meal and used the teleportation device to return to the center of the continent.
‘That puts out the biggest fire…’
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The conflict between the Church and the Jodrick family no longer concerned me.
We’d recovered the holy relic—the Horn of Glory—and raised the Club’s track record.
As long as I reported this to Reina, the Club wouldn’t be disbanded.
All the stray threads outside the flow of the “Five Heroes” had been cleared.
“Time to start preparing…”
“Preparing for what?”
Wе̊ bňо̊vе l̆ Е́ñu m̂a.
Drek asked, responding to my muttering.
“It’s already May, isn’t it?”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Now it was time to follow the original story again.
The Chloe Pendant incident, and the coiled evil of Iblis to follow.
“Time to start preparing for midterms.”
The event that would go down as the Academy’s biggest disgrace.
Ё n_u ḿ а
The nightmare midterms were about to begin.
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