Chapter 140: A Merchant’s Desperate Plea

There were far too many eyes watching, so we decided to change locations first.

Count Rufus Schultz guided us to the trading company office.

However, something felt off.

Didn’t they say his company was quite successful in the south? Why is it so rundown and empty?

The afternoon at a trading company should normally be bustling.

It was the peak time for goods coming in and going out, so laborers should have been swarming the place.

Yet not a single ant could be seen around the office.

I stared quietly at the teacup that Count Schultz had personally brought out.

It’s not porcelain?

The teacups made in the workshop district of the Carius Duchy were extremely popular.

They were so sought after that they sold out constantly, and most counts owned at least some.

We had released quite a large quantity.

However, the cup Count Schultz brought was just a plain metal one.

The very kind where you had to order a maid to check the handle temperature.

“Ahem! Please forgive the poor hospitality. The situation is what it is.”

It seemed embarrassing for him to have served tea in a metal cup, as Count Schultz’s face turned red.

However, I wasn’t particularly interested in luxury or empty formalities.

As long as I wasn’t being blatantly disrespected, it was fine.

“It’s alright, so please don’t worry about it. By the way, how did things end up like this? It doesn’t look normal no matter how I see it.”

“As expected, you have sharp eyes. The truth is, our company has run into a massive crisis.”

The story began in a gloomy atmosphere.

Count Schultz’s dark expression and tired tone clearly conveyed the severity of the situation.

“Our Schultz Trading Company recently expanded our operations all the way to the sea.”

“Ah! So that’s why the office is near the port.”

“Yes. Do you see that structure over there?”

His trembling finger pointed toward a long pier.

However, only four small ships were docked there.

Meanwhile, numerous vessels were coming and going at the other piers nearby.

“Yes, it’s completely empty.”

“That’s our company’s exclusive pier. We built it ourselves, and at one point we were operating dozens of ships.”

“What did you use them for?”

“We visited small island nations nearby or the private island estates of nobles. Since we could charge high transport fees, the profits were enormous.”

“From the looks of it, trade has been suspended.”

“It started going downhill after a pirate group called Billigart appeared. Those bastards have been specifically targeting only our company’s ships.”

I tilted my head at Count Schultz’s words.

Wasn’t that strange?

There was no reason for pirates to target only one specific trading company.

They robbed to survive, so as long as it wasn’t a warship, any ship should have been fair game.

“Does the Schultz Trading Company’s ships have some kind of weakness?”

“Not at all. Most of them are newly built, sturdy, and well-armed.”

“Does Billigart not attack other ships at all?”

“Not exactly, but the scale of damage is noticeably different. When we lose ten ships, other companies only lose one or two.”

If this was true, the situation was more serious than I thought.

In that case, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume there was a large conspiracy behind it.

It’s possible someone wants to see him ruined. But colluding with pirates to pull this off?

It was definitely an unforgivable act.

I was about to ask Count Schultz a question but quickly changed direction.

“The prosecution…”

The Empire’s current investigation system was utterly pathetic.

The prosecution headquarters’ influence reached Perias and the areas near the capital, but they had no resources to spare for faraway provinces like this.

Count Schultz probably hadn’t even considered asking law enforcement for help.

So I quickly changed my question.

“Is there any person or organization you might have a grudge with? It would likely be someone with significant influence in the south.”

“I can’t think of anyone in particular. My reputation isn’t that bad.”

While the Giovanni noble faction had a relatively moderate stance in the Imperial Assembly, once they returned to their home territories, they acted like typical tyrants.

Exploiting their subjects and seizing the wealth of lower nobles or wealthy freemen was standard practice.

If they had justification, they would do it without hesitation.

But this man doesn’t seem like that type.

Just as people had different personalities, so did nobles.

There were quite a few lords who surprisingly ruled benevolently.

Although I hadn’t interacted with him much, considering my own judgment and the reputation around him…

Count Schultz appeared to be a fairly upright noble.

Even in his status window, no words related to ‘evil deeds’ had appeared.

So this means a purely malicious party is targeting him…

He was also a major business partner of the Dapan Group. I couldn’t just ignore this.

I nodded slowly and stood up.

Count Schultz spoke in a flustered voice.

“A-are you leaving already?”

He seemed to think I was rejecting his request.

So I smiled brightly to reassure him.

“No…”

“Kheuungheung! Y-Your Grace! Your Grace is our company’s last remaining hope. Please look upon our family with mercy and do not refuse us!”

Count Schultz suddenly prostrated himself on the floor and wailed.

It looked like he had suffered tremendously.

In truth, I had planned to help him anyway, but his desperate plea was touching.

A man’s hot tears after casting aside his pride.

Moreover, he was worried about his employees first rather than his own safety.

That was the mark of a true leader.

I quietly extended my hand.

Count Schultz’s tear-stained face changed to one of surprise.

“The chairman of the Dapan Group could not possibly ignore the difficulties of a business partner. Don’t worry too much and comfort your employees. Tell them that things will return to normal soon.”

“Y-Your Grace…”

“Resume your trade routes as if nothing happened. We need Billigart to make their move.”

“A bait operation!”

“Correct. Then I’ll take my leave.”

“Would you stay at our villa… Ah, never mind.”

Count Schultz had been about to invite me to his villa.

But he quickly realized something and shook his head vigorously.

He’s quite sharp.

If I stayed at his villa, the operation could fail.

If the Billigart pirates got scared and didn’t act, everything would go to waste.

They might think a big shot had come to help.

But if I went to my villa according to the original plan?

They would think I refused an excessive request.

Then they would attack the Schultz Trading Company’s ships like before.

That would be the perfect opportunity to crush Billigart.

“Then I’ll be going. No need to see me out.”

“Thank you, Your Grace!”

After stopping Count Schultz from seeing me off, I left the trading company office without looking back.

Suddenly, Cordell McNeil snapped his fingers.

Snap!

“Ah!”

It seemed he had realized something.

He then spoke to me abruptly.

“Your Grace?”

“What?”

“Surely I don’t have to move this time too, right?”

I looked at Cordell and gave him a meaningful smile.

“Sir McNeil.”

“Yes?”

“Your senses have gotten quite sharp lately. Are you attending some kind of academy?”

“We’re on vacation, aren’t we? I think it’s only right that you handle overtime work yourself—”

I firmly shook my head, cutting off his nonsense completely.

“I’m sorry, but His Majesty only granted the vacation to me. That means it doesn’t apply to you, Sir McNeil.”

“Wait, why is that?”

“If you don’t move properly, I won’t let you see a single woman for the entire month.”

“Eh? You can do that?”

“I don’t mind just staying cooped up in the villa.”

Having no trials or work was heaven for me.

Besides, the entertainment options weren’t that different between Perias and Grand Cape anyway.

Cordell McNeil’s face instantly became downcast.

Now that I’ve used the whip, it’s time for the carrot.

I casually added,

“If you handle this matter well, I might be willing to participate in the festival. I heard all kinds of events are held in Grand Cape during the dry season.”

“I’ll do it! Leave it to me!”

Cordell disappeared into the crowd in an instant.

He probably planned to go back the way we came and stick close to the Schultz Trading Company’s merchant ships.

That way he could find the pirates’ hideout.

“As expected, he’s easy to handle.”

As I whistled and clasped my hands behind my neck, Brandon let out a hearty laugh.

“Haha! You two are always so entertaining. You don’t seem like an escort knight and his charge at all.”

“We’re basically friends at this point.”

“Shall we head to the villa then?”

“Since we’re here, I should take a look around the city. Take us on a big loop.”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

I leisurely toured Grand Cape by carriage.

Honestly, there wasn’t much to see.

The important thing was the food.

It was very difficult to get fresh seafood inland.

A big piece of sashimi dipped in chojang and enjoyed with soju… Ahhh!

I reminisced about my past life.

Just then, the carriage happened to be passing by the fish market.

“Please stop for a moment, Mr. Brandon.”

“Yes!”

I got out of the carriage and looked around the stalls by the pier.

There was no chojang or soju, but there was an incredible amount of fish.

Some merchants even kept fish alive for a long time in large water tanks.

Of course, without oxygen supply they would die eventually.

But if they kept supplying fresh seawater, the fish might survive quite a while.

Should I buy a few? It’s been so long since I last made sashimi.

However, I didn’t see anyone eating raw fish anywhere.

All the shops near the fish market only sold grilled fish.

It was probably because they didn’t have dipping sauces like soy sauce or chojang.

Making some sauce while I’m at it might be nice.

But I soon shook my head.

I didn’t know how to make fermented sauces, and I probably wouldn’t have the ingredients anyway.

Let’s just grill them normally. Or make a stew or spicy fish soup.

As I walked while thinking that, a familiar yet thrilling scent suddenly hit me.

It was spicy enough to make me want to sneeze.

I hurried over and saw a shop where they were stir-frying something tiny and red in a pot.

“This is…?”

It wasn’t the chili peppers I was used to from Korea, but it looked very similar to peperoncino.

However, the spicy aroma was on another level.

I could make ultra-spicy gochujang sauce with this.

Moreover, I wouldn’t even need to make it myself. This shop’s sauce alone would be more than enough.

I immediately bought a large quantity of the sauce.

The shop owner looked puzzled, but I didn’t care and left.

That night.

A scream echoed through my villa.

“No, Your Grace! I worked hard on intelligence activities all day, and now you want me to eat raw fish?! Uwaaaaaah!”

“Ah, just try it first, will you?”

Let me make one thing clear: this isn’t food torture.

I’m simply spreading beautiful food culture.