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𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝
“Damn it!”
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Greed kicked the leg of the desk roughly, wincing at the pain.
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“Luke is alive?! What kind of magic did that brat use?”
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“Sir Greed, calm yourself.”
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Avaris, while tilting a glass of distilled liquor, was admonishing Greed.
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“Exactly, first, we need to stay calm.”
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The fat man sitting opposite, munching on baked sweets, nodded in agreement.
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It was Todd Gluton of the Gluton Chamber of Commerce.
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The three had gathered in Avaris’s private room after the party for a secret meeting.
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“How can I stay calm! If he’s alive, he’ll surely contest my inheritance of the title! That would be the end for me!”
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Greed held his head in his hands.
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“And to make matters worse, Rampart Margrave is his guardian? With those rogue adventurers caught and causing trouble, and now that brat too!”
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“I was surprised too. Who would have thought that boy was your nephew, Sir Greed.”
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“Sir Avaris, you knew about Luke?”
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“Yes, he has been a thorn in my side. To me, he’s like a bothersome fly.”
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“Exactly! And after the party, he even met with Lady Flora! Could he be aware of us?!”
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“That’s why I’m telling you to calm down.”
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Avaris set down his glass and continued the conversation.
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“Indeed, the capture of those adventurers is a setback. But they haven’t linked us to them yet. Gluton, how are things on your end?”
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“All evidence linking us to them has been disposed of. If asked, we simply deny everything.”
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Gluton laughs while burping.
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Of course, Gluton doesn’t do such things.
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It’s because I know that when something happens, I’ll be the one with the lizard’s tail cut off.
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“B, But. . . What about Luke? Having him with Rampart Margrave could lead to unforeseen circumstances!”
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“I understand. However, directly taking action against him would only arouse suspicion.”
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With that, Avaris wore a eerie smile.
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“There’s always a pawn in any situation. Ultimately, all we need to do is silence Rampart Margrave. For example, by kidnapping his beloved daughter, or something like that.”
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“W, Wait. . . Are you serious! If that were to be exposed, there would be no turning back!”
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“It’s only a problem if it gets exposed. Surely, you wouldn’t suggest pulling out now, would you? Do you know what would happen if you did that?”
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“. . .”
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Greed could only remain silent, pale-faced, under Avaris’s glare.
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Avaris stood up and walked to the window.
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“We’ve come too far to turn back now. We must move forward. It’s a perfect opportunity. By taking his daughter, Rampart Margrave will break. And his territory will become ours.”
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A sinister smile spread across Avaris’s face as he looked down at the cityscape of St. Arrogas below.
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“What do you plan to do by coming to a place like this?”
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Sir Wilfred asked Luke with a puzzled look.
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The two were currently in the striped dungeon they had conquered before.
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Previously, they had visited with a conquering team, but this time it was just Luke and Sir Wilfred.
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“Since we defeated the dungeon boss, there shouldn’t be any demon beasts appearing for a while. . .”
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“That’s why it’s convenient. Let’s go in first.”
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The two proceeded deeper and eventually reached the 15th layer at the very end.
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“When we defeated the chimera and broke the dungeon wall, there was something that caught my attention. I’m going to check it out now. . . .Collapse.”
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Luke’s earth magic crumbled the dungeon wall, and huge chunks of rock fell apart.
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“Just as I thought. . . look at this.”
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Luke picked up a piece of the fallen rock.
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Between the pure white rocks, there were streaks of gold.
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“. . .Could it be. . . this is?!”
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“Yes, it’s definitely gold.”
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“Nonsense. . . I’ve never heard of a gold vein running through this dungeon!”
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“It’s probably because of that chimera. I think no one could mine because of the regular appearance of demon beasts.”
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“And the amount of it. . . how much gold can be mined in this entire dungeon?”
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Sir Wilfred looked around the dungeon with an expression of astonishment.
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“We don’t know yet, but I think there’s a gold vein throughout this mountain where the dungeon is located. This plant is the evidence.”
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Luke said so and took out a grass from his pocket.
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“This is called Yabumurasaki, known to grow where gold can be mined. The presence of Yabumurasaki throughout this mountain suggests a high possibility.”
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“What a revelation. . .”
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Sir Wilfred, shocked, sat down in the dungeon and held his head.
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“Luke, have you told anyone about this?”
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“No, not yet. Given the circumstances, I’ve kept it secret until now. I asked only Sir Wilfred to come for that reason.”
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Initially, Luke intended to invite Alma, but they came just the two of them at Sir Wilfred’s insistence.
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“I see. . . I’m sorry, but could you keep this matter confidential for a while? Naturally, we will also seal off this dungeon. This seems like a very delicate case.”
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Sir Wilfred’s concern was natural.
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The discovery of a new gold vein is more than just a problem for a lord.
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It could even involve national strategies.
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“Of course.”
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“Thank you. But this is indeed an unexpected stroke of luck. If we can operate this mine, our territory can secure peace for a hundred years.”
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“I think so too. Given our enmity with Avaris, securing a stable income on our own is an urgent task.”
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“Exactly. I was concerned about financial instability for a while, even though we are out of debt, but this should help us manage.”
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Sir Wilfred stood up and hugged Luke tightly.
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“You’ve saved me again, haven’t you.”