Chapter 173

Battle to recapture Elte Trading Company (2)

?If you take away money and power, what is left?

When you lose everything and are thrown into the gutter without even a chance to recover, do you think there will be a person who will reach out to you?

Once you surround yourself with the scent of money and power, only flies attracted by that scent will be attracted to you.

Once you’re thrown to the ground like that... there’s no one left around.

Ending their lives by being weeded out in that way is the end that most great merchants face.

Among those who made a name for themselves as great merchants in Old Deck, there are only a handful who lived happily in their later years.

Do you think it’s any different for you?

Do you think there will be a happy ending in a life full of betrayal and fraud?

Your ending, like most realities, ends in a dark gray mud pit.

Either you chose it because you wanted to, or you were forced to do it to survive. That doesn’t matter.

Once you enter this bondage, you can never get out again.

Elte Kecheln, with a bitter laugh and his neck turning back and forth, uttered a curse.

Covered in blood inside the convoy, he showed his teeth with a creepy face and laughed for a long time.

-Tweet Tweet.

Just like that, Lortel opened his eyes.

I could feel the refreshing air unique to the northern forest morning.

Inside the villa, bathed in morning sunlight, neatly designed wooden furniture is lined up in an orderly manner.

Lortel’s expression was infinitely calm as he slowly pushed off the blanket and raised his upper body.

I don’t really make a fuss or feel uncomfortable just because I had a dream like this.

Because it was like everyday life.

*’Seong Changryong Bellbroke.’

I tried reciting that name quietly to myself.

A mythical spear dragon that has not yet seen the light of day, as it was sealed by Luden McLore, the ‘First Sword Saint’, and maintained and repaired by the great sage Sylvania.

Known as the ‘God-Eating Dragon’, the monster tried to burn the world several times during the mythical era and has attempted to devour the world several times since.

However, it was stopped by the heroes representing that era and eventually became an old story beyond history.

The roar of Belbroke that split the sky has become a story in history books, and the generation that remembered its majesty has all passed away.

The final boss that marks the end of is resurrected without any warning.

A disaster that blows away half of the island with a single wave of the hand and slaughters thousands of people with just a roar filled with scales and magical power.

The Seongchangryong of creation, who could not even get a scratch on his body even when famous great wizards and warriors came rushing at him.

Even Lucy, who was treated as an outcast, was able to deal with the attacks the best she could do, and even the saint’s guardian, Obel Forcius, was a powerful enemy who ultimately led to his death.

As the boss that concludes every story, this is an opponent that boasts such power that you wonder how you can defeat it.

To put it bluntly, you can’t win.

The tooltip clearly stated that the scales that Velbroke was wearing could only be pierced by special means.

The only special means is the main character, Tailley McLaure’s Sword Saint Ceremony.

At least in the game... No matter what other powerful means were used, Velbroke’s scales could not be pierced.

No sword, spear, or magic could pierce Velbroke’s extremities, but they could never pierce his vital points.

In particular, the part of the heart that must be stabbed... did not even move unless it was Tailley’s sword training.

It goes beyond absurdity to the point of being unnatural. It seems as if the world has made a concerted effort to make Taily a hero.

It has to be that way. Tailly is born with the fate of a protagonist.

Since it is a sword saint ritual designed by Luden McLore, who sealed the Holy Spear Dragon a long time ago, it is only natural that only Tailly, who inherited the sword saint ritual, can pierce the Holy Spear Dragon’s scales.

...There is a strangely unconvincing but also irrefutable reason added.

“I didn’t know you would call me...”

“I didn’t really want to call you either. Neither you nor Tailina like me that much.”

“...”

The location was a terrace cafe near Maxes Bridge. The commercial district of Seongdong-dong was most active around the entrance to Maxes Bridge, so there were quite a lot of people around.

The girl sitting crouching across the cafe table was someone I hadn’t seen in quite some time—Isla Tris.

The girl with the largest and deepest proportions among the four failed sword saint heroines of Sylvania.

As a childhood friend of Tayley McLore, he supported her whenever he was tired or tired... Anyone who has played Sylvania’s Failed Sword Master would have become attached to him.

Her short chestnut hair falls down cutely and ends around her shoulders. The slightly curled ends of her hair, giving her an elegant look, go well with her personality.

However, every time he saw me, I could see that he was wary, as if he were seeing a monster... I didn’t even bother to approach him.

It was only confirmed through occasional rumors that he was staying next to Taily, who was steadily progressing through the main scenario.

As time has passed, I have developed a special relationship with Tailly... As I walk around the academy, I often hear various love stories and rumors.

What about me... I just applaud from afar.

After retirement, I spent a long time locked in my room unable to adapt to the peaceful world.

At a time when I was devastated in many ways because my body was injured and my mind was injured at will, I was healed quite a bit by seeing them.

Although both of them are grumpy and aggressive to me, as a player, they are quite friendly characters... I didn’t have any hard feelings against them. The mindset was to just watch from a distance.

Still, things have changed a lot.

Now we are in a situation where we have to approach the two out of necessity.

It was a bit burdensome to immediately attack Taily, who was hostile towards me, so I thought I would first meet Ayla and talk to her.

Vacation ends in 5 days. It is the time when students are returning home one after another.

Aila also happened to be back at the Lorail Pavilion, so she asked Ziggs, a member of the Lorail Pavilion, to personally summon her.

However, I didn’t have high expectations.

Isn’t Ayla always shaking with fear or wary when she sees me? It was just a throwaway suggestion that if I were to be rejected, I would have to find another way...

“No, it’s not that I don’t like it that much... It’s just... There were a lot of misunderstandings... I understand...”

However, surprisingly, Ayla, whom I had not seen in a while, was not wary of me at all. Now that I think about it, I remember apologizing and saying something.

“Oh, there’s nothing else to talk about that much.”

“No. I think we were too quick to judge Ed. You said you could apologize, but I still wanted to apologize since I had the chance.”

“Well, if you really want to do it, I understand. Just do it in moderation.”

After saying that, Ayla looked at me quietly and said,

“I will cooperate if you need it.”

“That means...”

“I’m actually good at getting kidnapped.”

Ayla is a gentle scholar-type girl. She seems far from a combat position.

Rather, she is a girl who seems more appropriate to be trapped at the top of a castle waiting to be rescued, like a princess waiting for a hero.

However...

“Actually, her main skill was being kidnapped... It’s a shame. ..”

Is this correct...

I suddenly had that thought...

*

“The updated unit price list is scheduled to be approved sometime today. I’ll report it soon and upload the documents.”

Lortel, who had gone to work at the Sylvania branch of the Elte Chamber of Commerce for the first time in a long time, looked over the backlog of work in his personal office. He

was so busy looking at the Old Deck side that he could barely look at the Sylvania side. As the period had accumulated. .. Lortel’s desk was filled with all kinds of documents that needed to be checked.

In the end, even after returning to Sylvania, he couldn’t escape the swamp of work.

Thinking about this, Lortel sighed and rolled up his sleeves. . First, he had to check everything that happened while Lortel was away and check all the ledgers.

In the meantime, Lortel remembered what Belle had said and ordered Dune

to bring him the most updated grocery price list . .

However, what came back from Dune was that the unit price list had not yet been updated.

– ‘However, I was expecting the price increase itself, but I did not know it would be to that extent. I will have to check it myself tomorrow. In the file room of the Chamber of Commerce branch. Is there any data left?

– ‘It was probably finalized yesterday or today, so it will probably remain.’

Bell said that the grocery price list that takes into account the latest inflation was definitely set by Dune.

However, Dune reported that the price list had not yet been updated.

Lortel felt a moment of harshness at the gap.

Looking at Dune. Looking at it.... Lortel’s expression hardened.

“Dune.”

“Yes, Assistant Manager.”

Lortel uses a mixture of honorific and deferential treatment toward his employees. Lortel’s treatment, which changes at will depending on the need, is an insult to the employees. It was a means to wake the mood.

“Bring the updated price list.”

Just now, it was clear that the price list had not been updated yet. Nevertheless, Lortel ordered the same task once more.

Dune stood still for a moment. . Standing upright across from the office table... he was pondering Lortel’s instructions. Lortel

knows that Dune is not an employee with pure integrity. He

often uses loopholes in the ledgers to commit petty embezzlement. was turning a blind eye.

Dune itself must have known this to some extent. Nevertheless, what Lortel did not take issue with was the unspoken warning to ‘do it in moderation.’

However, if that too crosses the line, there is a need to maintain discipline. .

In any case, when an issue is formally raised, Dune is always the one who is disappointed. Since the power dynamics are set up that way, Dune is always in the position of lowering its tail.

If the unit price list itself is manipulated to raise the purchase price, then the difference is paid. Dune’s embezzlement had already surpassed the ‘light’ level.

It felt a bit uncomfortable.

No matter how recently Lortel had been neglecting the Sylvania branch while focusing on the situation in Oldeck, Dune had taken such a bold step. He was not someone who would dabble in embezzlement.

At best, he used the stolen money to collect precious liquor from overseas... He was just an ordinary employee with a bit of a tendency to collect. To be honest,

in the world of cold-blooded merchants, this level of corruption is unbelievable. It doesn’t even fall into the axis of corruption.

It’s not a big problem for Lortel, who has lived his life watching all kinds of vile scenes.

However... his behavior clearly crosses the line... there is a feeling that some external variable was at work.

Is this not Dune’s own judgment, but someone else’s encouragement? Or was there some other change of heart?

In any case, it was a problem that could not be ignored.

Lortel glared at Dune with a cold face.

However, Dune was staring straight at Lortel without moving a single inch.

It didn’t even occur to me to quickly bring in the adjusted price list and ask for forgiveness.

However, I thought she would at least come up with an excuse... but

Dune just looked at Lortel with creepy eyes for some reason.

*

“My name is Rienna Clemson, the secretary directly under the management of Elte Chamber of Commerce Loortel...”

I was in the middle of a conversation with Ayla.

A short, shy woman with red hair approached the table where we were sitting.

“Eh... four...?Elte Trading Company?”

Ayla was momentarily taken aback, as if she hadn’t expected the girl to talk to her.

However, Secretary Rienna paid no heed to Ayla’s reaction and spoke straight while looking at me.

“Are you Ed Ross Taylor?”

“...That’s right.”

Secretary Rienna spoke slowly as she put down the bundle of documents she was holding in her arms.

“Elte Trading Company came to me because I had something to offer...”

From my perspective, it was a sudden event.

It felt as if something big was happening.