Episode 110
Cold Winter (5)
The third son of the Spinola family, Antonio, put down the papers he was looking at and rubbed the snowball with both hands.
“You f*cking dogs. You really do piss people off. Are you going to drown hundreds of thousands of people?”
There was still a deep anger in his voice.
Failure to subdue the Sea King.
The fury of the Sea King has made the waterspouts grow more violent, and additional abnormal changes have been detected in the rising air currents supporting the floating archipelago… … .
If things continue as they are, there is a real risk that the archipelago will collapse or sink… … So we need to find a new way to deal with the Sea King, but it won’t be easy… … .
In a report that was full of equally negative content, the part that made him the most angry was the last part.
It is worth reconsidering the need to positively review Troyban’s demands… … .
Troyvan, you f*cking dog!
No, I feel sorry for them even using the word ‘dog’.
Because dogs at least knew the words loyalty and trust very well.
But those guys had none of that.
The floating archipelago of Benota and the three shipping lines including Spinola were in fact an anomalous terrain that was difficult to find even in the empire.
One of the few
A place where a large ocean current flowing on the seabed meets the magical winds of an underwater volcano located in the deep-sea plain, causing a wide-area rising current, which in turn causes dozens of large and small islands to rise into the air.
Because they are located a considerable distance from the continent, the floating archipelago has developed a unique ecosystem and culture since ancient times.
That temperament continues to this day, allowing it to be a lawless zone where exiles and criminals driven from the continent gather, but also a huge area of vested interests.
In particular, due to its location, it was possible to function as an intermediate hub port that could distribute logistics from all over the world, which also led to significant development in the banking industry.
Shipping Federation.
This was the background to the birth of an absolute power that controlled all trade routes based on the sea.
In particular, they were also classified as electors, meaning they had the voting rights needed to elect the emperor of the empire today.
The influence they had on this empire and the world was enormous.
but,
Recently, the floating archipelago has encountered an unexpected disaster.
The ocean currents that connect the continent and the floating archipelago begin to shake, and abnormal changes are also detected in the rising air currents of the magical wind that support the islands.
In fact, several floating islands were particularly prone to earthquakes, while others were slowly sinking below the surface.
For now, the islanders are told that it is just a minor earthquake caused by the activity of an undersea volcano.
This fact could not be hidden forever.
Moreover, the three shipping companies knew very well who was causing this strange change.
Troyvan.
The culprit that broke the balance between the stable ocean currents and the rising air currents of the magical wind.
The problem is,
‘We don’t have the power to put pressure on them right now.’
No matter how much Spinola was known in the underworld, he was no match for the great Troyvan family.
Even if the Maritime Federation joined forces to pressure the logistics heading to Troyban, their influence was limited because they were located in the east.
The most useful card was banking, but… … .
‘That’s because those guys aren’t particularly cooperative.’
Spinola of the Underworld.
The Grimal of banking.
Romelin of the shipping vessel.
It seems that only when these three families become one in heart and mind can we overcome the current crisis.
Grimal wasn’t particularly cooperative in this case.
‘Unlike the other two families who are running regional businesses, they are confident that they can move their base at any time.’
It seemed as if some kind of negotiation was already taking place behind the scenes between Grimal and Troyvan. No, it was clear that there was.
Crack!
Antonio clenched his teeth.
He also lives in the underworld, so he can’t boast that he lived a clean life.
I could never easily overlook this incident because I thought his attachment to his hometown was genuine.
‘The sea king coiled beneath the floating archipelago… If only there was a way to deal with it.’
Bam!
Bam!
Antonio drummed his index finger on the table, thinking seriously.
Should we even borrow help from external forces?
‘The royal family has already been in shambles for a long time, so I can’t even bring it up there… … The North. I heard that Ragnar of the North has been at odds with Troyvan recently. What if I reach out to him?’
But it was true that I was secretly hesitating.
If he had reached out to Ragnar, Troyban would have noticed and immediately moved his hand against the Sea King, everything would have been over.
In the end, the best thing is for them to take care of it themselves.
“Euuuu… … !”
It was at that moment that Antonio was shaking his fist because he couldn’t see the road at all.
dripping.
“Mr. Antonio. This is Paolo.”
The door opened with a knock and the old butler came in.
He was also Antonio’s secretary who assisted him for a long time.
“What’s going on?”
“That’s it.”
At Paolo’s words, Antonio washed his face with both hands and raised his head again.
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“If the butler says so… … Alright. Bring all three of you here.”
* * *
“I’ll leave this whole thing up to you, so just figure it out. Just give us a signal whenever you need our help.”
The path to the new mansion, guided by the old butler.
Shelford and Arin subtly conveyed their thoughts to Theo.
Theo was secretly grateful.
Since he participated as a shooter, he must have had many concerns about the operation led by a rookie, but he trusted him without any problems.
Thanks to you,
The setting could have been created right away: Theo is a spirit of an unknown family, and Shelford and Arin are his escorting swordsmen.
‘At this time, there was quite a fuss about whether the floating archipelago would sink to the sea level or not. Then, as if by a lie, it suddenly disappeared. Could there be some kind of connection between the Maritime Federation and Troyvan?’
While Theo was pondering the cause of the collusion between the Maritime Federation and Troyvan, the carriage arrived at the mansion.
“This is it.”
As one of the three shipping magnates who handled a lot of money, Spinola’s mansion boasted a very extravagant appearance.
‘It looks flashy on the outside but it doesn’t look very good.’
Perhaps because of the aesthetic sense he had learned from Cecilia, Theo was not particularly impressed by the interior of the mansion, which was simply splendid without any particular theme or unity.
Shelford and Arin weren’t really interested in it either.
However, it seems that the old butler saw such a reaction as ‘the country bumpkins trying to pretend not to be surprised as much as possible.’
The proud steps were just funny.
“Please come in. Antonio is waiting for you inside.”
As the door opened and I went inside, a man in his 30s with a neat appearance and a suit warmly welcomed me.
“Thank you for coming such a long way. Please sit here. My name is Antonio, Spinola’s third son.”
Inside there was a table set with refreshments and cigars.
Theo glanced over at them, but instead of going in right away, he asked coldly.
“Why did you keep telling me to come? I came because Prince Spinola wanted to see my face, but if you told me to come just to see my face for no particular reason, then I know it’s not fun.”
An arrogant and cocky attitude.
If a common mercenary like Naburangi had shown such behavior, I would have buried him in the back mountain without anyone knowing.
‘You’re saying that you destroyed an entire branch by yourself?’
Antonio rather accepted Theo and his group’s attitude as pride in their skills.
In particular, despite his rough speech, Theo had a beautiful appearance that even most beauties would have a hard time comparing him to. Anyone could tell that he was the son of a noble family.
Even the way he was dressed showed a precious eye that only mere merchants and nouveau riche could imitate.
It was clear that they were the children of a great warrior and their escort knights.
‘The meeting of the three shipping companies will take place soon. If there are people with this level of power there, then so be it.’
Antonio’s eyes lit up with calculations, but he quickly hid them and smiled kindly.
“I would never have taken up your precious time for something like that. I have come to this shabby place to apologize for the foolish actions of my subordinates and to make a good suggestion. Would you like to take a seat?”
He had a very dignified attitude for a son from a wealthy family.
Perhaps we should say that he is more of a businessman than a nobleman.
It was fun to meet a new type of person after always dealing with the arrogant people of Ragnar.
“Okay.”
“Haha. As expected, you are as angry as you look.”
Antonio sat across from Theo and his group, looking them over quickly.
Young Theo sat at the top, the other two sat at the bottom as if it were a given.
It means that Theo is the leader of the group.
The arrogant attitude also suited him very well.
“The Redknit Plains in the southern region have just the right amount of sunlight and temperature, so the coffee always has a unique aroma. I brought it out because it’s your honor, but I’m not sure if it will suit your taste.”
“This is Rednit Mountain? I thought it was Pharaoh Highlands Mountain because it smells like lemons.”
“Oh, really? Oh no. I must have made a mistake. I’ll have to ask the butler to bring it back.”
“Okay. I didn’t come here to enjoy coffee.”
Theo picked up a cigar from the table, cut the top off with a cutter knife, put it in his mouth, and lit it with a match.
Chewy!
Phew-
“… … Did you know you could do this too?”
The movements were so natural that even Shelford was a little surprised.
Theo smiled faintly as he recalled his past life.
“You even nag Erica not to drink alcohol. If she finds out, she’ll be in big trouble.”
“I like this one though. Is it a cigar produced in the Baoyan Desert? I always liked the smell of cocoa.”
“As I’ve heard, you have excellent insight. You recognized it right away.”
“I also like to sprinkle some Cuban nut powder on the Upman side here. It gives it a very unique scent.”
“Oh, I didn’t know about that method. I should buy it and try it out.”
“You won’t regret it.”
Antonio was convinced that Theo was the heir to the great family.
Otherwise, it was a luxury and taste that could never have been known.
“Then let’s get to the point. Are you trying to make a business proposal?”
“I heard that the three of you are currently undergoing examination.”
“Have you even looked at our entry and exit records?”
As Theo narrowed his eyes as if in displeasure, Antonio quickly lowered his head.
“I apologize. However, we also had to be sure, so we ended up being rude.”
“Okay. Anyway, so?”
“The currents heading to Benota have been unstable recently. There are also a lot of marine species appearing.”
Marine species.
It was a general term for monsters living in the sea.
“You want us to be your escort?”
“Isn’t it rude of me to ask such a thing? We are no match for Lord Land (Theo’s pseudonym), but we also have our own escort force.”
“however?”
“However, in case of an emergency… … .”
“Shall we go together?”
“Yes. Instead, we will provide you with first-class accommodation as well as all necessary expenses at Benota.”
Theo let out a hollow laugh.
“Do you know what we’re going to do there?”
“I am proud to say that I have a good eye for people. I am sure that you will not do anything that would harm Benota.”
“Haha. Just saying it makes me feel good. But I guess I can stay for quite a while?”
“There is a saying that Spinola is a corpse without money.”
“You’re confident. Good. Is there anything else you’d like to ask? I think that’s your main purpose.”
Despite his difficult appearance, he is skilled in political tricks and conversation.
In Antonio’s mind, Theo’s evaluation continued to rise.
“Please lend me your strength just this once when I ask you a favor.”
“Do you know what that is?”
“You can listen to my request and decide whether to accept it or not. However, I can assure you on my name that it will be beneficial to you and will never cause you any harm.”
“Huh. What honor is there in the name of a mere vulgar merchant?”
Even in the face of blatant contempt, Antonio’s smiling face did not waver.
“Good. There’s no reason to refuse since they’re going to treat me this well. When do you leave?”
* * *
The ship heading to Benota was certainly different in appearance from the others.
It seemed that the protruding parts on the left and right sides of the hull played a role in maintaining balance when riding the rising air current.
‘There are quite a lot of escort troops. Some of them look powerful. They say the ocean currents are very turbulent, so aren’t things quite favorable?’
Theo and his party boarded the ship comfortably, mixing in with Antonio and his party, but they did not miss the fact that their weapons were not ordinary.
In particular, some of them were people invited separately by Antonio, just like them, and they were so blatant that they tried to keep Theo and his group in check.
Perhaps they didn’t like the idea of being treated better than others by joining at the last minute.
“Should I dampen their spirits a bit? Otherwise, they’ll be bothering me for five days straight.”
It was at that time that Shelford asked Theo’s opinion, as he felt similarly.
ridge……!
ridge……!
A wave that is suddenly detected, however faintly.
Theo’s face hardened slightly and his gaze turned outward toward the ship.
Towards the wide open horizon.
Something was ringing.
“what’s the matter?”
“Is there anything over there?”
Shelford and Arin also noticed Theo’s sudden change and quickly turned their gaze in the same direction.
Can’t you two feel that?
Theo wanted to ask that, but he had to quickly open his eyes.
A familiar energy was detected in the faint waves.
Dragon power.
It was the dragon’s magic.
and,
『Companion… … .』
Crackle, crackle-
A familiar voice was heard through the confusing noise.
“… … !”
Theo hurriedly drew up his magical power.
Thump thump thump thump!
At the moment when the faint waves and the heartbeat roughly matched, the frequency was synchronized.
Jeeeeeek!
All the relics he had also resonated,
A clearer voice was heard.
“Can you hear my voice…?
‘As expected. I didn’t mishear.’
『If you can hear it… … shake the carrot… … .』
Even the jokes are pointless.
It was Roadbroke.
How the Illegitimate Child of the Returning Sword Family Lives