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Chapter 660
Chapter 660
For Justice. (2)
Rio wore a bewildered expression. He couldn't understand why Ghislain, who had been observing him so coldly, was suddenly acting so friendly.
Ghislain, unconcerned with how Rio looked at him, supported him and continued speaking.
"Come on, we don't have much time, so let's talk on the move. Hey, you guys, pack up quickly. We've finally got our first request."
"……."
W.ě b̊nо̆ v̄ѐ l Е n̊u̇m ā
The three of them blinked and stared at Ghislain. They couldn’t adapt to the sudden change in atmosphere.
However, when Ghislain bit his lower lip and glared at them, they immediately started moving.
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Rio eyed Ghislain suspiciously for his sudden friendliness.
Truthfully, he had no expectations for the three of them. They all looked too young and delicate to be mercenaries. What he wanted were experienced and powerful mercenaries.
Moreover, what Ghislain had just said also bothered him.
"Our… first request?"
Ẃ ѐb́ n̈оv̄е̂l̆ Eñuḿ а̃
Who was Ghislain? He instantly caught the unease and distrust hidden in Rio’s words.
"Haha, there's no need to worry so much. I’m actually a 5th-Circle Mage."
"5th Circle?"
Rio was startled. He had never seen a 5th-Circle Mage before. Mages of that caliber were extremely rare.
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And yet, this young-looking man was claiming to be one? It was hard to believe.
Ghislain smirked and twirled his fingers. Suddenly, a massive lance of mana formed in midair.
Е n ům̌ а̀
"Oh, ooooh…!"
Rio gasped in admiration. When Ghislain flicked his hand again, the lance shot up into the air.
Kwaaang!
It pierced straight through the roof in an instant. Upon witnessing this, Rio’s face lit up with excitement.
"Wow!"
He couldn’t help but cheer in amazement. With that level of power, an average knight could be killed in a single strike.
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Although it was true that mages were at a disadvantage against knights in direct combat, Rio wasn’t worried.
'This is more than enough! He can take them down before they even get close!'
The lance had formed in the blink of an eye. Any opponent would be dead before they could even close the distance. Of course, for someone unfamiliar with battle like Rio, this was the limit of his reasoning.
Seeing a glimmer of hope at last, he grabbed Ghislain’s hands and repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"Not at all. I'm glad to assist in eliminating evil. Shall we get moving?"
We_b̊n о vе l̂ Ѐ n̊ ù m а̊
"Yes!"
Without hesitation, Ghislain’s party followed Rio. Meanwhile, Jackson, who had been standing there blankly, looked up at the hole in the roof and muttered.
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"Ah, those bastards… seriously…."
The repair costs were going to be hefty. But since they had already been paid, he figured he couldn’t really complain.
Jackson shook his head and let out a sigh.
"Seriously, for a newly formed mercenary group, they sure are fearless, making enemies with a lord on their very first request..."
Wеb́ nо̆ v̂еl̆ Е́ńû m а
Even if they won the fight, they would likely have to flee to another region. Jackson, who had been hoping to build a friendly relationship with them, found it a bit disappointing.
Julien quickly clung to Ghislain and asked,
"What the hell? Why the sudden change? You said we should listen to both sides first. And didn’t you say a War Chief’s duel wasn’t even a worthwhile request?"
"I figured it was worth helping."
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"But what if they’re the bad ones?"
"Gold is kind."
Е̃ n ü mа̇. i d
"What?"
"No, wait, that’s not what I meant. Anyway, I can tell just by looking."
"……."
"I said all that earlier to teach you guys a lesson."
"……."
"Come on, I have a plan. Just follow me."
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"…Fine."
Ghislain was someone who could change his stance whenever necessary. Though confused, the three of them watched and learned diligently.
Rio reintroduced himself to Ghislain.
"I am Rio, heir to the Larks Merchant Guild. First of all, thank you for accepting my request. How should we handle the contract?"
"We'll determine the payment after hearing the full story. Please explain the situation in detail."
"Understood. Let me explain everything…"
Е̊ n̊ǔṁ a..і̂d
The House of Larks was a fallen noble family. They held no titles, but the current head was highly capable and had managed to build a rather large merchant guild.
They were based in the Barony of Magrel and had made deals with the lord, which even allowed them to own a sizable estate.
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"Until now, as long as we paid our taxes properly, the baron never interfered with us. Our tax contributions were quite substantial. But recently, a gold mine was discovered in the territory."
Part of that mine extended into land owned by the House of Larks.
For the Larks Merchant Guild, this was an incredible stroke of luck. Even though they only had partial ownership, they were entitled to a share of the mining rights.
Following the law, they gave half of those rights to the baron. Gold was one of the most valuable resources in the territory, so such an arrangement was inevitable.
W̌ е̊ b́n̈_ov̇ ė l Е n̊u m̃а̇
The Larks Merchant Guild was only entitled to half of the mining rights on their portion of the land. Even so, the profits were significant, and they were satisfied with the deal.
"The problem is that the baron started getting greedy for our share of the mining rights as well."
The amount of gold extracted from even just that "portion" was immense. It was enough to make Baron Magrel covet it.
However, the Larks Merchant Guild had legally obtained their rights with official approval. The baron had no legitimate grounds to seize it.
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So, they devised a scheme.
Rio’s face twisted with resentment as he continued.
Ẅеb̌ n о̇ v̌ ё l̄ Ĕn̊ u mа̇
"The Chief Overseer, who had worked with us for twenty years, betrayed us."
“The Chief Overseer betrayed us? That bastard Claude… No, please continue.”
“Yes. He manipulated the reported mining output, embezzled part of the gold, and then falsely accused us of tax evasion. My father collapsed from the shock of his betrayal.”
Separate from mining rights, taxes on profits still had to be paid. In other words, the lord used tax evasion as an excuse to pressure the Larks Merchant Guild.
The lord framed the Larks Merchant Guild with fake ledgers. By then, the Chief Overseer, who had already sided with the lord, had fabricated all the evidence along with the staff.
“The lord said he would forgive us if we handed over all of the guild’s assets. We requested mediation from the royal family and asked for time to conduct a proper investigation. But…”
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There was no way their opponent, who had already set his mind on seizing the mine, would grant them that time.
In this era, tax evasion was considered a crime akin to treason. However, the Larks Merchant Guild held considerable prestige in the region.
The justification was there, but anyone could see that the lord was acting out of greed. That was why he proposed an honor duel.
“If we lose the duel, all of the guild’s assets will be confiscated. The gold mine will just be an added bonus.”
In desperation, the Larks Merchant Guild offered to relinquish the gold mine. But the lord, who had decided to take over the entire guild, refused even that.
This was an era where people would indulge in greed without hesitation if given the opportunity.
Е ńů m̆а̄
In the end, the Larks Merchant Guild was about to lose everything they had built up until now.
“In times like these, being powerless is a crime in itself.”
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Tears finally welled up in Rio’s eyes.
The lord had put forth the best knight in his domain. However, the warriors the guild had hired were not skilled enough to match him.
There were a few who could use mana, but they had all been poisoned and were incapacitated.
“There are traitors within the guild. But we have no way of knowing who they are.”
Ёn̈ u mа . id
There was no one left to participate in the duel. They had tried to hire mercenaries, but the rumors had already spread, and everyone refused.
It wasn’t just about defeating the best knight in the domain, it was about what would come after. Even if they won, there would be consequences.
That was why Rio had come all the way to this city, far from the manor.
Ghislain nodded. It was a familiar scheme, those without power were always the ones to suffer.
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“I see. That’s the situation. Well, our ‘Julien Mercenary Corps’ can take care of it. But even if you win the duel, won’t it still be a problem? The lord will surely retaliate.”
Rio’s expression darkened.
W̊е̄ b̌ n̆ оv̂ е_l̀ _Ėn̄ ū m̃ а̌
Even if they won the duel, it would only buy them a little time.
The lord would just find another excuse to start trouble again.
Next time, it wouldn’t end with an honor duel. He would mobilize his forces.
“So… for now, I’m thinking of getting through this somehow and then renegotiating to hand over the gold mine. At the very least, we need to protect what remains. Right now, we can’t even request mediation from the neighboring territories.”
A gold mine was at stake. If given the chance, the surrounding lords would undoubtedly want to claim it for themselves.
If the Larks Merchant Guild sought assistance, it would only serve as a justification for them to start a war.
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That was precisely why they couldn’t ask for help from other territories.
“The lord is probably keeping a close watch on us. If he catches wind of us trying to reach another territory, we’ll be the first ones to die.”
That was also the reason why the lord had proposed an honor duel. It was his way of saying that as long as they didn’t seek outside help, he would spare their lives.
Whether he actually intended to keep that promise was another matter.
Rio let out a sigh before continuing.
“There are traitors within the guild, but we have no way of identifying them. If we make even the slightest suspicious move, the lord’s army will be upon us. There’s nothing we can do.”
Еńu̇ mа̌
“If you wish, we can help.”
“…What? What do you mean?”
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Ghislain responded with a casual expression.
“We can protect the guild until the neighboring territories’ armies arrive.”
Rio stared blankly at Ghislain. There were only four of them. How could they possibly stand against the lord’s forces?
No matter how skilled they were, it was an impossible feat by any reasonable standard. And even if they did have that kind of power, Rio had no intention of involving them.
Ѐnu má .і d
“It’s fine. I can’t start a war in the territory over a gold mine. Too many innocent people would die.”
“Do you really mean that?”
Rio let out an embarrassed laugh.
“I grew up in this land. The guild’s employees, the people of the territory, they're all longtime customers and friends. How could I stand by and watch them suffer?”
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“Aren’t you a merchant?”
“My father always told me I had no talent for business. But what can I do? This is just how I feel…”
Е̃ nŭma . і̄ d̄
Ghislain watched Rio scratch the back of his head in embarrassment and smirked. The sincerity on his face was clear.
“You’re definitely not cut out to be a merchant.”
He had a personality that didn’t suit this era. That was why he was stumbling around, unable to resolve even such a simple matter.
The truth was, there were plenty of things he could do if he were willing to be ruthless.
But if he refused, there was no point in forcing him. Even if they did involve another territory, the Larks Merchant Guild wouldn’t be able to handle the consequences.
Lately, I’ve been running into a lot of suckers. Maybe that’s why I got dragged into this era to help out these fools.’
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With that thought, Ghislain chuckled to himself.
Julien and Deneb, who had been quietly listening, also smiled. Rio’s warm-hearted nature resonated with them.
Only Kyle whispered to Dark, saying that Rio seemed a little too soft-hearted.
A while later, the group arrived at the headquarters of the Larks Merchant Guild.
Surrounding the guild, there were quite a few small houses. The people who worked for the guild or depended on it for their livelihood had formed a small village of their own.
They were aware of the situation, and their expressions were grim. However, upon seeing Rio, they forced smiles and greeted him.
Е̇ n̂ u m ā . і̂ ď
“Young Master, welcome back.”
“Please don’t worry too much about the guild’s affairs.”
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“We’ll make sure the trade routes are handled properly.”
Rio responded with a smile and a nod.
Just from this, it was evident how well-respected he was in the area.
As soon as they arrived at the guild, Ghislain’s group was given a warm reception. Ghislain sat down arrogantly, as if it were only natural, gorging on tea and fruit.
Еnúm̃ а́ . і̀d̀
Julien, Deneb, and Kyle felt a little uncomfortable, but they weren’t too concerned. They had confidence that with Ghislain’s skills, he could defeat any ordinary knight.
Rio cautiously asked,
“Um… but you haven’t mentioned the price for the request yet.”
Ghislain glanced at Rio and nodded.
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“That’s true. Since it’s your first request, I’ll give you a special discount.”
“Thank you. How much will it be?”
Wеḃ n.оvе l̄ Е n̈ u.m_а́
As always, Ghislain held up three fingers. By now, it had become something of a trademark gesture for him.
Rio, hopeful at the mention of a discount, hesitated before asking,
“Three gold?”
“……”
“Haha, I apologize. Then… it wouldn’t be thirty gold, so would it be three hundred gold?”
At Rio’s words, Julien, Deneb, and Kyle were taken aback. Three hundred gold? None of them had ever even seen such a vast amount of money.
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Three hundred gold was a fortune. For most mercenaries, it was more than enough to risk their lives.
However, Ghislain remained unimpressed. To him, three hundred gold was practically nothing.
‘Even when I had no power or status, Amelia once donated twenty thousand gold to me.’
While he stood there lost in thought, Rio swallowed hard and said,
“I’d be willing to offer three thousand gold.”
The Hero’s party was even more shocked. Kyle immediately started planning for retirement.
Ë n̈ u̇ m а̄. іd
But Ghislain simply closed his eyes and shook his head.
“……”
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The next step would be thirty thousand gold. That was enough to shake the guild’s foundation or rather, it was an amount they likely couldn’t even gather in liquid assets.
The sheer magnitude of the number made everyone’s faces turn pale.
With a trembling voice, Rio spoke,
“Thirty thousand gold… I will find a way to pay it.”
Е̊ñu̇ m̈а̊
If the guild was going to collapse anyway, they might as well give up everything the other party demanded.
Ghislain smirked and shook his head again.
“I think there’s been a misunderstanding… I have no intention of taking such a large sum all at once. That would only cause issues with your guild’s operations, wouldn’t it?”
“R-Really? Then what do the three fingers mean…?”
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“I think 30% sounds reasonable.”
“…Excuse me?”
Ёnu m̆ ӓ
“I’ll take a 30% share in your gold mine.”
Ghislain grinned widely.
It was his way of saying that he intended to maintain a long-term relationship.
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