Chapter 13: Young Master Dien, Please Stay Behind

Kuma wore a triumphant smile at the news that the documents had been destroyed.

“Weren’t those documents nonexistent from the start? Prime Minister! To think you would suggest I deceived the Kingdom! I am simply overwhelmed by this injustice. I don’t know what the Count is trying to say, but nothing of the sort ever happened. I have worked for the Kingdom for twenty years! Have you forgotten that His Majesty even awarded me a medal for my contributions to the Kingdom’s development?”

Emboldened by Dien’s words, Kuma, the head of the merchant group, poured out his speech with the intention of ending the situation right then and there.

However, Dien was not one to simply watch it happen.

“I was attacked by Assassins on my way to the Royal Castle. The materials were lost at that time.”

“Assassins?”

“Yes. It is the truth.”

“Dien! Are you hurt anywhere!”

Stunned by the shocking news he had never expected, Oren rushed toward Dien.

“Yes, Father. As you can see, I am fine.”

Persian Cherbil’s sharp gaze turned toward Kuma.

Persian was the man who had risen to the position of Prime Minister after killing all his brothers. He possessed an aura that could stifle an opponent’s breath with just a look. While his administrative abilities were evaluated as the lowest among previous Prime Ministers, his martial prowess was decidedly number one.

Persian’s momentum made Kuma’s skin prickle. The pressure emanating from his aura was not something an ordinary person could withstand.

Kuma’s gray eyes began to tremble violently.

“Count! I have nothing to do with this!”

Kuma waved his hands frantically, showing his dismay.

“That may be true, Count.”

Dien agreed with Kuma’s words.

This was because there was no physical evidence that the leader of the Assassins was from Kandevara.

Driving an opponent into a corner based on groundless speculation was not Dien’s style, and he did not lack enough cards to be forced into using such a method.

Both of them knew better than anyone that a Secretary’s work is based on grounds, validity, and evidence.

He had only mentioned the Assassin incident to stop Kuma from trying to escape the situation by boasting of his past merits.

Thanks to that, the atmosphere that Kuma had been leading shifted.

“Count, it has not yet been revealed who commissioned the Assassins that targeted me. And more importantly, I did not come here to tattle about the attack I received from the Assassins.”

Dien shot a glance at Kuma and continued.

“I humbly request a seat and the authority to interrogate Kuma, the head of the Kandevara Merchant Group.”

Persian withdrew the aura that was suffocating Kuma and spoke.

“Sit.”

Persian gestured with his chin toward an empty seat while looking at Dien.

His eyes said, ‘Go ahead and try it.’

“Thank you.”

With a bold and composed attitude, Dien took his place opposite Kuma.

Now, it was time to begin.

***

If you were to ask a public official in charge of construction services when they are busiest, most would say it is before and after the bidding process to select a company.

Then, when would they say they are the most relaxed? Ironically, most would say it is when construction is in full swing.

Dien was also the most relaxed during those times. At least, as long as there were no contract changes.

One of those contract changes involves adjusting the contract amount for the smooth execution of the agreement by both parties when the contract price rises or falls due to factors like inflation after a certain period has passed since the contract was signed.

This is a mandatory checklist item for a construction management officer before the completion of the project.

However, this was not specified in the Kingdom’s contract laws. This was the loophole in the contract law that Kandevara had exploited.

Dien sat down and stared quietly at Kuma. Kuma met Dien’s gaze without backing down, but in the end, it was Kuma who turned his eyes away from Dien’s unwavering look.

“Hahaha. The Young Master’s spirit is quite extraordinary.”

He was a fat man draped in gold, silver, pearls, and a long velvet cloak.

Golden ornaments hung cumbersomely from his body, and his cheeks and eyes sagged under the weight of fat.

At a glance, he was the type who looked grand on the outside but had no substance within.

While his thick-skinned nature might make him look like a typical merchant, people of this sort were usually the type to cause headaches for practical workers.

Now, it was time to strip away the mask Kuma was wearing as he sat there hypocritically.

Dien spoke his first words with a fresh smile.

“Have you had a meal?”

“Hahahaha, I was called here so suddenly that I haven’t. My, I am quite hungry. Since I’ve come all the way here thanks to you, Young Master, please finish this up quickly! Hahahaha.”

He played it off with a slyness that seemed prepared.

“Hahaha, I also only hope that Kandevara is innocent.”

“I think we could become quite good partners. Don’t you think so? Hahaha.”

The previous words were like a warm-up.

Persian didn’t seem to notice, but an invisible spark had just flown between the two.

Oren knew that in times like this, excitement becomes poison.

“I see you’ve taken charge of the fortress wall maintenance project again. It seems Kandevara specializes in wall construction. But why did you build this wall with reinforced soil instead of concrete?”

“Hahahaha, isn’t winter coming soon! In winter, many monsters prowl near the fortress walls because food runs out. For the peace of the Kingdom, we used reinforced soil, which has a short construction period, so the work could be completed quickly. You probably wouldn’t know much about that, Young Master.”

Kuma sneered as if the youngster bringing up construction questions in front of him was pathetic.

However, the one who burst out laughing at his sarcasm was none other than Dien.

“Hahaha, no, I know it very well. While the construction period is short, it is weaker against impact than concrete. The ground isn’t weak there, so I asked because it was strange to use reinforced soil, which is weak against impact. Strength is the most important thing for a fortress wall, yet Kandevara used reinforced soil for the peace of the Kingdom. I misunderstood, thinking it was to reduce the unit price.”

“Hahahaha, that’s why I was planning to add double or triple layers to the walls…”

“Of course you should have.”

“Ahem.”

“Look at this brat.”

Kuma’s face began to twitch violently.

He had spent twenty years rolling around construction sites.

When it came to construction, he was confident enough not to be intimidated by anyone.

Even the Royal Castle aides would nod their heads at his words, accepting them as truth. But why did he feel like he was being looked down upon by this fellow?

“Stupid bastard… failing to kill a single brat…”

Information had leaked through a spy planted in the Royal Castle last night.

“Dien is digging into Kandevara’s past.”

“He accurately pointed out Kandevara’s weaknesses using only documents.”

The information discovered was too fatal to simply ignore. That was why Kuma had tried to silence him by killing him.

“This young brat is rushing to his grave!”

In Kuma’s opinion, a brilliant administrative official was a detriment to a merchant group.

He had a track record of sending several talented aides to the side of the gods already.

His noble status was a concern, but seeing Dien today, Kuma was certain.

That child was someone who had to be killed.

“I understand you recently requested to increase the contract amount for the fortress wall maintenance.”

“Hahahaha, that’s because transportation costs increased when the material factory relocated. What can be done? That’s just how the situation there is.”

“True. It’s unavoidable. But the contract amount you requested is a bit too high. Would it be alright if I recalculated the increased contract amount and gave it to you?”

“Hahahaha, it seems there was a mistake. If the Prime Minister’s office calculates it for us, it would only be more convenient for us…”

“No. Recalculating the contract price is something we should have done in the first place, not the merchant group.”

Grind—!

Kuma forced a smile, showing only his mouth.

Persian and Oren watched that sight with interest.

“He’s quite something.”

They were the ones who had always been swayed by the merchant group leader’s snake-like tongue.

Every time, the merchant groups acted like experts to control the administration, and it actually worked.

But Dien was different.

He never once gave up the lead in his conversation with the merchant group leader.

He knew the clear line between the Kingdom and the merchant group, and he accurately understood the flow of contracts and market conditions.

“Hahahaha, Young Master. It seems you are misunderstanding something, but our Kandevara has always worked only for the development of the Kingdom. We are far from self-interest. You might not know because it’s your first time seeing me, but other people in the Prime Minister’s office know. They know our sacrifice for the Kingdom! We are different from other merchant groups that seek private profit.”

His words toward Dien gradually became more polite.

He had changed his attitude.

Once he got out of here, he would hire a named Assassin to kill Dien.

Then, at least there would be no administrative official in the Kingdom who could push him into a corner.

However, Dien had no intention of giving him a ‘next time.’

“Now I can begin.”

The mood was set.

Dien looked at Oren and Persian once each before continuing.

“I will take that into account, Merchant Group Leader. One more thing. When you carry out construction, you buy the necessary materials directly whenever they are needed, right?”

“Yes. Is something wrong?”

“Yes, something is very wrong.”

“…What do you mean?”

At Dien’s words, Kuma asked back, his eyebrows twitching.

“While the Kandebara Merchant Group demands more budget for increased transportation costs, why do you say nothing about the construction materials you bought cheaply when prices dropped?”

“What kind of… originally, the material costs for construction are based on the market price at the time of the contract…”

“If prices drop, the contract must be changed. Using the lower price the merchant group paid! If Kandevara truly cares for the Kingdom of Delos, shouldn’t you also consider the Kingdom’s treasury?”

Kuma’s hands, hidden under the desk, began to tremble.

“Count, as reported previously, the bridge construction in the Resto region, the harbor maintenance, and the sluice gate construction carried out with the Kandebara Merchant Group were all contracted when construction material costs were at their peak. Even when material costs dropped in the market after the contract, Kandevara continued to take unfair profits by pretending to purchase materials at the high prices.”

Dien turned toward Persian.

He deliberately avoided Kuma’s eyes to give him a sense of tension.

“That’s just how prices can go up and down according to the market economy…”

Kuma spoke with a trembling voice.

“Up and down?”

“Yes.”

His words meant that there was no legal problem.

In fact, since he had exploited a loophole in the Kingdom’s contract law, it was true that he couldn’t be punished for it.

“Isn’t it strange?”

“What is?”

“Why is it that construction materials—especially cement, rebar, and pipes—were only priced high in the market whenever there was a contract with the Kandebara Merchant Group? Mr. Kuma… you knew in advance that you would be the contracting party whenever there was a construction project, didn’t you?”

“N… No!!”

“Didn’t you also buy the construction materials in advance when they were cheap?”

At Dien’s repeated questions, Kuma’s complexion turned pale by the second.

“That’s!”

“What that means is.”

Oren’s voice trembled at Dien’s words.

“Yes. It is price manipulation. It is a fact already confirmed through the technicians of Kandevara’s subcontractors. To verify the facts, Secretary Vance must have drafted an official cooperation request for a search by the Audit Department. Please authorize it, Count.”

As Dien spoke while looking at Persian, he nodded readily.

Before he knew it, Persian’s eyes as he looked at Dien were sparkling with interest and amazement.

“I shall.”

In the Kingdom of Delos, price manipulation was considered a serious crime.

Kuma protested, now drenched in cold sweat.

“Count! That is an absurd assumption. Right now, Young Master Dien is accusing me with speculative words…”

“We’ll find that out soon enough!”

Persian slammed the table hard, silencing Kuma.

“You claimed to care for the Kingdom in front while coveting the Kingdom’s treasury behind our backs. Kuma, you were a parasite eating away at the Kingdom.”

Persian’s eyes were full of hostility as he looked at Kuma.

Persian drew the sword hanging at his waist.

Bloodlust flared in his eyes.

“His temper is as quick as they say.”

Was this the summary execution he had only heard about?

Dien’s eyes widened at a sight he could never have seen in his past life.

“And one last thing.”

A smile played on Dien’s lips.

“Regarding the existing fortress walls that were destroyed by the monster Masalata. From what I know, the Masalata is a monster that prefers slashing with sharp claws rather than destroying things.”

“You know it well.”

“Isn’t it strange? That such a Masalata would break the sturdy fortress walls of the Royal Capital. It seems unlikely that a Masalata—no, even a Masalata’s mother—could break them. And it collapsed as if it had been waiting for the moment when construction material prices were at their peak.”

“I see what you mean. Since Kandevara has a near-monopoly on fortress wall construction in the Royal Capital.”

At Dien’s words, Persian smiled.

It was the first time Dien had seen him smile.

“Aides!”

Persian shouted toward the door.

Then, Persian’s aides opened the door as if breaking it down and rushed in.

“Yes! Count!”

“Escort Kuma to the Ministry of War immediately. I will handle the reprimand later.”

“Yes!”

“Count! I am Kuma of Kandevara! You know who I am!”

Kuma screamed in despair as he grabbed Persian’s leg.

But Persian only sent him a cold look.

“If you don’t let go of that hand immediately, I’ll cut off your wrist.”

“Wow…”

Dien inwardly applauded his thrilling words.

This was more than just fiery; it was a level of intensity that felt like it would burn.

Once the situation was somewhat settled, Dien quietly rose from his seat.

But Persian’s words were faster.

“The rest of you may leave, but Young Master Dien, please stay behind.”

The look in his eyes as he turned around was strange.

“Huh?”

Persian was sending an intense gaze toward Dien.

“What’s with… that expression.”

It was so intense it gave him goosebumps.

He didn’t think even former lovers looked at each other like that…

To receive such a look from a man.

Why did that gaze feel more bone-chilling than his aura-filled momentum?