Chapter 34

The lodging of the Blue Merchant Group was bustling since morning.

"Wow. How much do you think all that costs?"

Camilla gazed at the furniture loaded on the carriage with sparkling eyes.

[T&Co]

In the Frecia Empire, T&Co was the brand that came to mind when it came to 'furniture.' It was so famous that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was a must-have for nobles. Even the declining Rehinar family had T&Co furniture. Though Kane had sold all the old pieces to shops, living in an empty house wasn't an option. Now that he had made a fortune, he decided to furnish it with even better items.

"You bought all new ones with the money from selling the mana stones?"

Daniel immediately responded.

"Just as the Young Master ordered, we didn't leave a single penny."

Fifty-one-star mana stones, each worth 100,000 gold. Two-star ones were worth 1 million gold each. In total, they earned 6 million gold. Including the valuable items taken from the corrupt residents, it was much more.

"What about the rest of the furniture?"

"They'll deliver it separately."

"Good. Since our work here is done, let's head back to Rehinar."

"Do you really plan to return just like that? This is a chance to broaden your horizons. You could spend a few days exploring Philaec."

"There's a mountain of work to do. We need to transform Rehinar before the mutated monsters start causing trouble."

They had to prepare for the first defense battle that was approaching. With 4.5 billion gold obtained from the nest of the abyss, 50 million gold from the Black Crow Exchange, and 10 million gold from mana stones and valuable items, they had a total of 4.56 billion gold. It was enough to pay off most of their debts.

While Kane was thinking about this, Daniel asked with a serious face,

"Did you find something suspicious in the demon forest?"

Rehinar's territory was established within the Demon forest. If the mutated monsters moved, it would be the first to be attacked.

"It doesn't hurt to be prepared in advance."

"Absolutely, my lord."

In the meantime, the preparations for departure were complete.

"But where is Mikhail?"

Kane looked for Mikhail, who was nowhere to be seen.

"He went inside to wash up after moving the luggage," Camilla replied, nodding her head.

"That guy is a clean freak, isn't he?"

Mikhail had a personality that disliked sweating. This trait was similar to Kane, who also disliked getting his clothes dirty.

"I wonder how he tolerated all that filth when he was a slave."

As soon as Kane finished speaking, Mikhail came out of the lodging. His long red hair was tied back, and his beard, which had once covered his face, was neatly trimmed.

"Ah."

Camilla was momentarily lost in thought. Mikhail's rugged masculinity was a stark contrast to Kane's refined good looks. If Kane had a fragile, delicate charm, Mikhail exuded raw masculinity.

"Damn, He knows how to play to his strengths," Daniel said, not holding back his praise for Mikhail's new appearance.

"He looks quite striking," he added.

"It's just that I trimmed my beard," Mikhail replied humbly.

"Trimming your beard doesn't make you look handsome," Daniel countered.

Daniel and Mikhail had grown close quickly. Mikhail's polite demeanor, the subtle nobility in his bearing, and his unexpected friendliness to the elderly had completely won Daniel over.

"Camilla, you're drooling," Kane teased.

"N-No, I'm not!" Camilla stammered, shaking her head vigorously, her face turning red.

"I'm against romance between colleagues," Kane remarked.

"WH-What are you talking about!" she shouted, quickly mounting her horse.

"Aren't we going to depart?" she added, still flustered.

"Your reaction is cute," Kane said with a small smile. He then looked somewhere briefly before averting his gaze.

"Let's head back to Rehinar," he commanded.

The group left the bustling Philaec and headed west towards Rehinar.

* * *

As Kane's group departed Rehinar, dark shadows emerged atop Philaec's city walls.

"They're gone, right?" one of the shadows asked.

"They've left," came the reply.

"Do you think they saw us?"

"I'm not sure."

These shadows were Gillip and his brothers from the Black Crow exchange.

"Why do I feel so uneasy? Did we really need to tail them?" Gillip muttered.

"We need to gather more information on Kane Rehinar," one of his brothers suggested.

"It should be fine since we've kept our distance," Gillip reassured, though the unease lingered.

"Oh, we forgot to sprinkle the salt!" one of the brothers exclaimed.

"Then hurry up and do it. Lots of it," Gillip ordered.

His brothers pulled salt pouches from their robes and sprinkled the salt outside the city gate.

"Let's hope we never meet again," Gillip said, spitting on the ground.

"It's been a while since you've been this wary of someone, brother," one of the brothers noted.

"That guy reeks of blood. Nothing good will come from getting close to him," Gillip said darkly.

"In that case, we should classify his information as top secret."

"Yeah, classify it as top secret and make sure no one but the Black Crow exchange can access it."

"Not even for a huge price?"

"Seal it off until we fully understand Kane Rehinar. Got it?"

"Understood."

This was the first time a beginner 3rd-class knight was classified as top secret. Since the Black Crows' inception, this had never happened before.

"Let's head back to our quarters, brother. We have a distinguished guest arriving this evening."

"We can't afford to treat a guest seeking high-class slaves poorly."

"It seems this guest will become very important to us in the future."

Gillip returned to the exchange office and immediately opened a drawer to take out a black envelope. He then began writing on a blank sheet of paper.

[Rehinar's Dullard Young Duke]

Classification: Top Secret

Description: The Guardian Lord deceives the world and raises a dangerous individual.

Personality: Dog-like temperament, extreme caution required!!!!

Only after using four exclamation points did he finish writing. He sealed the envelope with wax and shouted towards the door.

"Third!"

The door opened, and a large bald man stepped in.

"You called, brother?"

"I finished the top-secret classification we talked about."

"I could have done it."

"You're the one who will inform the entire Black Crow exchange."

"Understood."

As the large bald man was about to leave, another member of the Black Crows came rushing in, out of breath.

"Brother!"

"What is it?"

"The guest who was supposed to arrive this evening is already here."

"Why?"

"I didn't get to ask. He seems a bit dangerous…."

The Black Crow exchange had been feeling demoralized since Kane's visit.

"Hey, don't be so down. We can't let one mad dog scare us."

"It's not just that… You'll understand why I'm saying this when you meet him."

Gillip, who had been comforting his subordinate, furrowed his brow.

"Where is he?"

"I've already taken him to the secret room."

"Let's go."

Gillip quickly made his way to the secret room using a shortcut.

"Is that him?"

"Yes, it is."

"He does seem dangerous… Damn. Why is my luck so bad since yesterday?"

"Should we just run for it?"

Gillip quickly scanned the man standing ahead. He was of slim build, wearing clothes that allowed for easy movement with minimal fluttering—a typical assassin's garb.

"He's got that chilling assassin vibe. Running won't solve anything."

"Are we going to get humiliated again?"

"That can't happen! We'll face this head-on."

"You didn't bring your axe, brother."

"Who said anything about fighting?"

Gillip strode forward quickly and bowed deeply to the man in black clothes.

"Welcome!" he greeted with extreme courtesy.

Gillip was not known for his politeness, so his deep bow of 90 degrees shocked the other Black Crows. What followed was even more surprising.

"We were preparing for your evening arrival but didn't expect you so soon. If we've offended you, we deeply apologize."

He bowed so low it seemed his back might touch the ground.

"You must be Gillip of the Black Crow exchange," came a chilling voice.

Gillip felt a shiver run down his spine, as if a single wrong word would cost him his life.

"Yes, I am Gillip."

"I heard there's an unbeatable spearman slave here," the man in black said. Gillip's eyes twitched slightly at the statement.

'That guy was right? Someone came looking for Mikhail. Damn it, I thought this wouldn't be a big deal, but it's a total disaster,' Gillip thought.

Before Kane left, he had sent Gillip a secret message.

[Someone will come looking for Mikhail. Tell them I took him first. This way, you won't suffer any consequences. I've spared you not once, but twice now, so make sure to repay this debt with top-secret information.]

'He knew exactly who we were.' The true nature of the Black Crows was not an exchange office but an intelligence organization. This identity had been exposed. This was an emergency like never before. Their secret status was compromised. Even the Emperor of Frecia didn't know the real identity of the Black Crow exchange, but the continent's fool knew.

'There's nothing to lose, so let's follow that bastard's advice.' Gillip took a deep breath and put on a regretful expression.

"Oh no, what a shame. That slave has already been sold to the Rehinar family. If you had told us earlier, we wouldn't have sold him…"

"What a pity, it seems I arrived a bit too late," the man said, though his expression showed no disappointment. Instead, he looked somewhat relieved, even smiling slightly.

"I'll report that Rehinar got ahead of us."

"We have other excellent slaves. Would you like to see them?"

"No need."

"I'm very sorry, please let me know what else you need."

"I don't like people who just flap their tongues."

"Will you allow me to serve you to the best of my ability?"

The man laughed coldly at Gillip's subservient attitude.

"If I'm not satisfied, you'll regret it."

"I'll provide the finest liquor and women for you."

"I like your attitude. Since I have a long journey ahead, I'll take a moment to relieve my fatigue."

Gillip led the man to a secret room reserved for special guests.

'They said he was obsessed with liquor and women, and it's true,' Gillip thought, noting how the man's ominous demeanor softened at the mention of women.

* * *

Mikhail slowly approached Kane.

"The Black Crows are tailing us."

"Leave it be."

"You knew?"

"Somewhat."

Kane seemed indifferent.

He paid no heed to the Black Crow's pursuit.

"It seems they're digging for your information. I'll handle them discreetly."

As Mikhail moved to disembark from the carriage,

Kane grabbed him.

"The Black Crow isn't an enemy. To use them later, we must maintain a good relationship."

"Doesn't seem like we've kept a good relationship since you brought me here."

"Gillip seems foolish, but he knows which strings to pull. He may be sharpening his edge now, but he'll approach first before long."

Kane smirked.

Confident in his tone.

Turning the Black Crow exchange into a mess and yet aiming to maintain good relations.

His words seemed contradictory.

"Mikhail, are you flustered?"

Mikhail nodded in response to Camilla's question.

"I have no clue what the Young Master is thinking."

"You probably won't. I've served him long, and I still don't know his intentions. But there's one thing you should know."

"What is it?"

"When the Young Master's eyes turn crescent-shaped, that's when trouble begins."

"I don't understand."

"Leaving the Black Crow alone means you've already taken measures. Right, Young Master?"

"You're learning. aren't you, Camilla?"

Camilla beamed at Kane's praise.

"Hehe. I've been praised."

Like a puppy wagging its tail at its owner.

Even a slight compliment brought a sky-reaching expression to her face.

"When did you take action?"

"When we left Philaec. You noticed the Black Crow watching us from above the castle gate, didn't you?"

"Hmm."

Mikhail stared at Kane as if trying to see through him.

He attempted to glean something from Kane, but nothing was apparent.

Familiar with the gaze, Kane dismissed it.

"What I said to Gillip wasn't about paving a way out. Rather, it's a shortcut to hell."

The man intending to take Mikhail away was affiliated with Hatzfeld.

He was Lieutenant Aren Stickler.

He was a notorious figure known as the Black Viper, extremely ruthless.