Chapter 44: Oh Yeah? Then Bring It On! (1)
Imperial Year 372, September 21st.
The Empire’s Founding Festival has begun.
It was bustling and noisy with the Emperor’s congratulatory speech, the successful first step towards friendship with the Azot Kingdom, and other such things, so it’s bothersome to explain and I’ll skip it.
By the way, the Emperor gave the same old congratulatory speech. Doesn’t he get tired of it?
Everyone was excited because of the festive atmosphere, and except for the morons who called themselves cynics, everyone seemed to be floating in the festive mood.
Thanks to this, the black market was also booming.
Pickpockets were busy putting into practice the famous saying, ‘Earn in one season, eat for a year,’ and since one or two people disappearing wouldn’t be noticed with the influx of travelers and the boisterous atmosphere, human trafficking was also active.
The classic robbers who hit the back of the heads of drunk people were rampant, and the traditional prostitution that has been passed down since ancient times was also revitalized.
In the city where the festival is taking place, if you peel back a layer of light, you can see all sorts of crimes. What were my subordinates, Jay and Old Man, doing in this situation?……
“One and two!”
“Wait! There’s only one and a half!”
“There are two chips!”
“Call with one.”
They were engrossed in gambling.
Holding back the furious Jay, Old Man held out a chip. Old Man, who only had 10 gold coins and a 5 gold coin chip left, was currently in a frenzy.
Wait, didn’t you start with 50 gold coins? Why are you doubling the bet every time you get a card, you fool? And with weak cards, too.
I sighed lightly and looked around. It was a very large gambling house considering it was set up underground. Thanks to the festival, security was strengthened, but thanks to the festival, the number of customers was also strengthened, and now a tremendous amount of money was being exchanged.
The basic chip is five gold coins, and in big games, chips worth 100 gold coins are exchanged. However, the basic principle of a gambling house is that the dealer takes half. It’s not like jackpots are that easy to hit.
“Triple. I win.”
“Damn it! I’m broke!”
Jay went ballistic, and Old Man collected the chips. Since Old Man was recovering what Jay lost, the overall money didn’t decrease. I’d like to have Old Man participate in the game alone if possible.
I smoothed my brown bob wig used for disguise and said,
“Old Man, how is it?”
“It looks decent.”
“Not decent at all! Losing to Old Man……Sob!”
“Be quiet, Jay.”
Coming here like this tonight was a sort of market research. To start a business, wouldn’t some market research be necessary? It’s an experience to examine the market’s potential and prospects.
I didn’t necessarily have to come myself, but I wanted to see it once. After all, it will be ours someday.
“Now, let’s go.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Sniff. Boss, just one more game……”
“Use your own money, idiot.”
Three gambling houses we’ve visited today. All of them are located excessively close to the Royal Palace. It feels like they are generally distributed across six districts, from District 7 to District 12.
That area is where the Empire’s dark power is concentrated. And the Empire’s underworld is divided into a total of five organizations. Compared to Ast, the number of organizations is small, but each one is more than twice the size.
Adding in the minor factions and lone wolves, an underworld of unimaginable size compared to Azot is established here. I heard a rumor that the largest organization has about 3,000 members? That’s practically an army.
“There are several problems.”
Old Man said in the carriage on the way back. Old Man doesn’t tend to use harsh language, but to tell the truth, there are ‘only problems’.
There’s no money, no personnel, and everyone has to adapt to the somewhat different atmosphere since they’re not locals. The only good points are abundant experience and future potential.
Jay grumbled a bit and said,
“If they’re connected to nobles, they’ll hand over their competitors to the security forces. Tsk, they don’t know the meaning of independence. Besides, the work in this field isn’t that glamorous.”
“They’re criminals anyway. There might be loyal ones, but they’re not good people. Good people don’t do that kind of work in the first place. Only kids with no brains or those with delusional fantasies about violence do.”
“It’s closer to the law.”
“That makes sense.”
I chuckled.
Trying to become the hidden boss of a criminal organization from now on, yet talking so eloquently, I’m something else. And I don’t think I can justify what I’m doing just because my intentions are more noble than others. No, it’s not that noble anyway.
Old Man said with his usual calm expression,
“For now, I saw some cracks to dig into. If we slowly encroach from the outside, there’s a possibility, but the problem is funds.”
“Is that the biggest issue after all?”
“Yes. We can gather people and kill those who get in the way, but it’s not easy to gather money that doesn’t exist.”
“It’s not like we’re workers of a new nation. How can we make such a wholesome plan to earn money bit by bit and take over the underworld? Boss, you kept your promise, but honestly, 300 platinum coins aren’t even close to enough.”
Jay said with a bitter expression.
Despite saying that, the good thing about him is that he never thinks of running away. He has the will to keep his promises as a man. And there’s also the exciting goal of taking over the Empire’s underworld.
I told the man I liked, even though his work was a bit questionable,
“That thing I mentioned before, it starts tomorrow.”
“I know that. But Boss, you saw it too. If Old Man and I combine, we just break even. And if only Old Man plays, we don’t win any money.”
I said with a grin,
“Then what if I join in?”
“Huh?”
Jay’s eyes widened.
Imperial Year 372, September 22nd.
“Hey, did you hear? About the Grand Arena?”
“Ah, yeah. They say eight people guessed the winner correctly? And the candidate was a nobody.”
“Right. It’s so exciting. No one knows what will happen. I’m looking forward to tomorrow too.”
Various individuals participated in this year’s Founding Festival jousting tournament. And the cheering was fervent. No matter what anyone says, it’s bound to get heated when money is involved.
Today’s winner was an unknown warrior. He defeated the Empire’s knights, who were expected to perform well, and won today’s tournament.
Since he was a nobody, naturally no one bet on him, so the payout was the highest ever.
Thus, our organization – Jay and Old Man’s organization, which doesn’t even have a name yet – could rejoice while looking at the ledger.
If you ask me if I remember all the matches that took place because I have a gambler’s constitution, that’s not it.
It’s just that this story will continue to be heard for the next three years, and about nine years later, an Imperial officer will discover that the winner was a special knight of Azot while reviewing confidential military documents.
“He was a spy we tried to infiltrate into the Empire. His skills are as you see. Want me to hand him over?”
“What are the conditions?”
“Black New Moon. I want you to leave Mangya alone.”
“Rejected. I said we’d be at a standstill on that matter, right?”
It’s a strange feeling to be talking to the Crown Prince of Azot at the Imperial Palace Grand Ball.
But who knows. Unfortunately, the level of court mages in Azot is much higher than in the Empire, and according to the principles of magic, it’s difficult for lower-level mages to trace the traces of higher-level mages.
“Use the spy as you see fit. We’ll be seeing each other soon anyway.”
“I will. Then enjoy the dance.”
“I will, even if you don’t tell me to.”
I raised the glass filled with grape juice. The color is the same as wine, but it’s a measure to abide by the strict national law that prohibits drinking alcohol before the age of 18. And my partner simply drank wine.
“It’s comfortable that no one is approaching us.”
“It’s thanks to my attendant.”
From the moment he got off the carriage, Joey was treated like a magical tool that invoked tension in the surroundings.
With a physique that other attendants could hardly consider a colleague, and at an age where other boys of the same age would be adding worries about the unfairness of the world to their adolescent anxieties, Joey was the subject of tremendous attention.
No, in a way, I myself could be the subject of attention.
With a giant-like attendant, and a partner who came out wearing a white opera mask covering her eyes and right cheek. The curves beneath her clothes and her white skin, along with the one-third of her face that was revealed, made her look incredibly beautiful, but the mysterious atmosphere made her somewhat unapproachable.
Levidian tightened her arm linked with mine as she savored the wine. She stuck out her tongue slightly and licked her red lips before saying,
“If Namia were here too, it would have caused quite a stir.”
“She went to Damachi with the High Priest, didn’t she?”
“That’s why it’s fortunate.”
She seemed quite pleased that people were keeping a distance of at least 20 meters.
I wonder what my father or brother would say if they saw this later.
“Joey, are you alright?”
“There are just……a lot of people.”
“You have to endure it. You need to get used to things like this from now on. Did you forget? When it’s just us, we’re brothers, but in official settings, you have to act as my attendant.”
“I understand. But I can’t get used to it, Master.”
Joey awkwardly added the title.
If I were a son truly acknowledged by my father, I could elevate Joey to the status of a guest. But Joey, who is not a noble’s son and is of mixed Southern descent, is a bit of a stretch.
By the way, my father, who said he would bring his vassals, is late. Originally, in grand balls like this, Dukes enter before the Royal Family, but isn’t he a bit too late?
“Risel, where did Aila go?”
“I don’t know. She’s somewhere around here.”
The reason I came first was to guide my guests. I guided Namia to the Damachi High Priest, and I came out early to guide Aila and her family, the Hind family, here.
I thought it was about time, so I looked at Joey. Sure enough, his shoulders were slumping.
“Joey, straighten your chest. Straighten your back. Your position in official settings is comparable to a knight’s title.”
“Ah……Yes.”
An attendant to the second son of a Duke is highly likely to become the butler when the family branches out later. And such individuals are generally respected. That’s Joey’s current position, but our fifteen-year-old, two-meter-tall little brother, who is not used to such occasions, gradually shrinks. He’s not a hibernating bear.
I looked around and listened to the voices of the people. This place, where stories of the festival and recent gossip are exchanged, is truly a place for sharing unlimited information.
Levidian squeezed my arm that she was holding. It was a sign that she had something to say.
“What is it?”
“They say that the Herduke family brought all their vassals to show off their power this time. And they say that the second son is starting to show his eccentricities.”
Your ears are sharp too. But who’s eccentric?!
“If you take off your mask, you’ll hear something else instead of eccentricity. If anyone recognizes you, they’ll be shocked.”
“I don’t want to. Just listen to them say I’m eccentric.”
“That’s what I plan to do.”
Unless it’s something on the level of what happened with Crown Prince Orange, she won’t take off her mask easily.
I picked at the light snacks and looked around. When I made eye contact with members of the delegation, I raised my glass and greeted them lightly. The grand ball hasn’t even properly started yet.
“We seem to have come too early.”
“Indeed. Look, Aila is spreading rumors over there.”
Levidian turned her head slightly and said, and I could see Aila surrounded by many noble ladies. All the ladies listening to her story were tense, with their hands on their faces or chests.
Damn it. Where did she leave her partner?
I sighed and said to Joey,
“Joey, bring Aila here.”
“Yes.”
Joey could also see what Aila was doing. He gathered all the attention around him just by walking with large strides, and approached Aila, who was oblivious, from behind.
As the young ladies listening to Aila’s story became tense and stepped back, she was busy chattering away and only belatedly noticed the strange atmosphere. By the time she finally turned her head, Joey had already completed his approach from behind her.
Joey politely bowed and relayed the message, and Aila waved at me. I responded with a light gesture that wouldn’t be considered rude. Shut up and come here.
Aila lowered the corners of her eyebrows and tried to bid farewell to the noble ladies, but she and the others were already quite far apart to be considered friendly.
Aila sighed and came to where I was, with Joey as a visual barrier behind her. Then she shamelessly asked,
“Why?”
“You’re asking why? What did you say?”
“Nothing much. I was just talking about how close the second son of the Herduke family and the Princess of the Azot Kingdom are.”
“But we’ve never gone on a date alone, and neither I nor you have accompanied them.”
Levidian easily shut down Aila by boasting about her good ears.
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