Chapter 189: Those Falling Have Wings (2)

“This is a huge mess...”

Ultima glanced at Aleron, who was kneeling meekly before him.

“H-hey, you’re going to keep your promise and let me live, right? I handed over the entire merchant company! I told you everything about Philip too!”

“I never said I would kill you. But are you sure everything you’re telling me is true?” Ultima said, pointing at the stack of documents, too thick to hold with one hand.

The papers laid out everything about how the once-small Aleron Merchant Company had suddenly exploded in growth.

Taming monsters from the Demon Capital as pets? That’s insane.

Aleron seemed like a self-made entrepreneur on the surface, but behind the scenes, he had built his wealth in disgusting ways, such as by trafficking monsters from the Demon Capital. Even Ultima, who came from Liqueur and had seen it all, was shocked.

Even if they’re weakened and branded into submission, they’re still monsters from the Demon Capital.

The method of trafficking was equally appalling because the military was involved as well. Rather than entering the Demon Capital to capture the monsters, corrupt soldiers stationed at the border were selling them off. By law, monsters that cross from the Demon Capital must be killed. But instead, the soldiers were subduing them and selling them to merchants.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Even the Transparent Slime known by various names like Philip, Dopema, and Norman, had originally been a monster captured at the border. Instead of selling it, Aleron tried to keep it for himself. And predictably, he failed to control it, and the master-servant dynamic was reversed.

“There’s a story of a rabbit from the Demon Capital that wiped out a whole three-star knight order. Everything that comes from there defies common sense. And you were distributing that filth to the world? You idiot!”

“

Shriek!!

I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

Aleron, knowing his life was in Ultima’s hands, groveled in the lowest posture possible.

“Sorry isn’t good enough! Why the hell were you selling them so cheap?! The most expensive one went for just ten thousand gold? You pathetic moron!”

“Huh?”

Thwack!

Ultima smacked Aleron in the head with his fist. More than pain, Aleron was confused. He expected anger over releasing monsters into the world, not outrage over how little he charged for them.

Ultima yanked what little hair Aleron had left.

“You grovel like you would sell your liver and kidneys, but conveniently left out the important part. There's no way someone as spineless as you came up with this alone. Someone had to suggest trafficking Demon Capital monsters, so why isn’t that in the papers?”

“I-I...”

“Don’t stall by pretending to stutter. What do you take me for, an idiot? I know. You’re afraid that guy will slit your throat if you talk. But here’s what you don’t get—I’ll do it right here and now if you stay silent.”

“...”

“

Tsk

.”

Ultima clicked his tongue and reached into his coat, making Aleron tremble. He thought Ultima was drawing a weapon, but instead, it was a cigar.

“Open your mouth.”

Aleron awkwardly opened his mouth, and Ultima shoved the cigar in.

Slice.

With aura gathered at his fingertips, Ultima snipped the cigar’s tip and lit it with a snap of his fingers. He then took a puff himself.

“Hoo... You and I. We’re both seasoned veterans in this nasty business. Let’s not waste time playing these stupid mind games.”

Tap tap.

Ultima flicked the ash and pulled out a platinum coin.

“Tell me who offered you the monster trade. In exchange, I’ll make sure the world believes you’re officially dead.”

“And the price for that is just one platinum coin?”

Aleron, who had been sniveling the entire time, completely changed. He stopped stuttering and met Ultima’s gaze directly.

“Don’t like it? Then go ahead and die. Even if you don’t tell me, the guy who pitched this monster trafficking scheme will eventually come find me,” Ultima said.

“...”

Aleron fell silent. It was not out of indecision, but agreement. Having decided to accept the deal, he opened his mouth to speak.

“It was... Huh?”

Pop!

In the blink of an eye. Aleron’s head swelled like a balloon and exploded. However, Ultima didn’t flinch or scream like people normally would. As if he had expected it, he calmly created an Aura Shield to block the flying pieces.

“

Tsk

. Predictable.”

Aleron died without even knowing why, which meant he hadn’t realized there was a constraint placed on him.

“It probably didn’t hurt. That cigar was an expensive one.”

Of course, Ultima never intended to let him live. Still, Ultima showed him mercy, as the cigar was laced with a drug that turned pain into pleasure to let him die as comfortably as possible. So when Aleron’s head burst, he likely died in sheer ecstasy.

“Hm

..

. The real problem is this mess just got more complicated than I expected.”

Ultima had just absorbed the Aleron Merchant Company, instantly expanding his own operation, which was a good thing. But now, he was up against whoever had orchestrated Aleron behind the scenes. Worse, that force was spreading monsters from the Demon Capital throughout the Lillian Kingdom. He didn’t know their intent, but it certainly wasn’t to bring joy to the nobility.

“Well... as long as I make my money, I don’t care.”

Pshh...

Ultima tossed away the half-smoked cigar and cracked his neck.

“That dumbass Aleron might have sold monsters for mere thousands, but me? I won’t settle for less than tens of thousands.”

Ultima didn’t care what they were trying to do. All that mattered was getting paid. Still, even someone like him had a nagging thought.

“I should probably let Keter know how Norman came into this world and what was happening in the kingdom. He’ll probably just go, ‘Oh, really? And?’”

Any other young knight would be shouting about justice and duty, but not Keter; he wouldn't care at all.

“That’s why I get along with the guy.”

Ultima bent down and picked up the platinum coin that he had offered Aleron.

Without even wiping off the blood, he slipped it into his pocket and muttered, “No matter what happens to the world, as long as I’m happy, that’s enough.”

* * *

In the office of the Bydent family was a chair reserved exclusively for the patriarch of the family. It was crafted from the leather of a lunar leopard known to prey on ogres. But the one sitting in it now wasn’t Patra, the patriarch of the Bydent family; it was Volus, the deputy patriarch, lounging arrogantly in resplendent robes.

“Ha, Sefira... won the tournament?” Volus asked with a sigh.

A young man stood before him. He had a muscular build, sharp eyes, and impeccable posture. He could easily be mistaken for a knight, but he clearly wasn’t. His clothes were casual rather than armor, and his demeanor relaxed rather than rigid. But most telling of all, there wasn’t even a shred of knightly loyalty in his gaze.

Still, he wasn’t quite a mercenary either. There was a focused seriousness about him that most mercenaries lacked. In truth, he had the best traits of both. He was the commander of Bydent’s independent tactical force, the Tiger Unit.

“Yes,” the young man replied calmly, unshaken by Volus’ irritation.

Volus let out a deeper sigh.

“Haah... Nether, remind me what the purpose of the Tiger Unit is.”

“To secure absolute advantage against Sefira’s archery by mastering long-range tactics.”

“I know that. I’m asking what you're really for! You exist to ensure Sefira's downfall. Am I wrong?”

“No, sir.”

“That’s why I sent you to Eslow’s fief. You were to interfere with Sefira, sabotage them at every turn, and ensure they would lose. So tell me, what did you do?”

In the face of that sharp accusation, Nether remained composed.

“Nothing.”

Thud!

Volus slammed the armrest and shot to his feet.

“And you say that with pride...!”

“At the time, it was the best course of action.”

“What?!”

“Keter was far more dangerous than any of our intelligence suggested. Exposing myself and the Tiger Unit without proper preparation would have been reckless.”

“So you’re saying Bydent’s intel was worthless?”

“No, but it underestimated him. Keter and Sefira are dozens of times more formidable than we anticipated.”

“Hah! So what, you plan to disband the unit and crawl back home?”

“You have to understand the enemy to fight them. I spent the tournament observing and analyzing Keter and Sefira’s archery.”

“We spent a fortune building that unit, and all you did was observe? You’re telling me you watched?”

Volus’s voice rose with every word, veins bulging on his forehead. But Nether’s tone never wavered.

“In our line of work, a single failure is a permanent one. If you can’t win from the start, you’ll never win.”

“You just keep arguing back! Can’t you say what I want to hear for once?”

“I’m sorry, but based on my analysis, launching a direct attack against Sefira now would be meaningless.”

“Whose side are you even on?”

Volus stormed toward him, but Nether didn’t flinch.

“In war, sides are irrelevant. Only by considering both sides can you make an objective judgment, and that’s the only way to win. Right now, the current Bydent family cannot defeat Sefira.”

“I’m going to ask you this one last time: what do you intend to do about it?”

“Exactly what I have told you from the start.”

Nether hadn’t moved a single step since the conversation began. His stance alone expressed unwavering intent.

He continued, “Doing nothing is the best strategy Bydent has right now.”

“And you think that will bring down Sefira?”

“I cannot guarantee it, but they will make a mistake eventually and the opportunity will come. And when they do, the Tiger Unit will be ready to strike.”

“...Hmph.”

Volus was tired of raging alone while Nether stayed calm. He sank back into the chair and rubbed his temples.

“They said you were a renowned Solver from the empire, so I spent millions hiring you... Had I known you would spout vague nonsense like this, I wouldn’t have bothered.”

“Shall I cancel the contract, then? You would get twenty percent of the payment back.”

“Haha, I don’t think so. If you fail, I get triple the deposit as a penalty. Why would I back out? Or... are you looking to quit?”

“No. I will neither quit nor fail.”

“Fine. Just don’t forget the penalty clause. Triple if you fail.”

“Of course.”

As Nether answered, he quietly swallowed the words he didn’t say aloud.

But you never set a deadline.