Surviving Demi – Episode 174
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Jjanggra
Recapture of Elte Company (3)
Perhaps because the carriage is large, there is almost no shaking.
Inside, there was a sofa filled with soft cotton, and there was even a wooden table with an old-fashioned design in the very center.
From the beautiful lace decorations hanging from the ceiling to the magnificent golden patterns on the walls… Princess Fenia and Lucy Mayril were sitting facing each other in a carriage like this, which was difficult for an ordinary person to ride even once in their lifetime.
Lucy had her face on the table and her arms were spread out. She was looking at the scenery outside lazily, and Princess Fenia was looking at Lucy intently.
While attending Sylvania Academy, I heard rumors about Lucy Mayril and her evaluation.
During his childhood, he lived as a genius buried in exile in the Rameln Mountains. He is a talented person whose skills began to be revealed to the world only after he came to Aken Island and entered Sylvania Academy.
During this vacation, the royal family members had a hard time due to the joyful playing of the cymbals.
If he hadn’t been the hero who single-handedly destroyed the evil god Mebula, he would have been imprisoned in the dungeon. However, his accomplishments and his own skills are so enormous that he cannot be treated carelessly… He was truly a bad boy who couldn’t do anything with his hands.
“… “I’m hungry.”
Thinking about the terrible days at the imperial court, Princess Fenia couldn’t help but sigh.
Lucy may or may not know how Fenia feels, but she just mutters that she is hungry with blank eyes.
“There was no reason to make such a fuss, Lucy Mayril. “If I had just spoken politely, I might have been able to persuade him.”
“They don’t listen even when you say it, so why don’t they listen when I tell them what I’m saying?”
Lucy’s spirit of casually speaking to the princess of a country makes the subjects around her swallow dry saliva.
However, Lucy herself continued speaking with a nonchalant expression on her face.
“I’m not good at resolving things with words.”
That is truly a terrifying statement.
Princess Fenia sighed and did not reply further. All she can do is look at the window opposite her and see the soldiers guarding Princess Fenia on her way home from school.
“… ”
How long until we arrive at Aken Island? For Princess Fenia, who has little sense of distance, this road home feels like an indefinite wait.
Anyway, because Lucy caused a stir in the imperial family, it seems like the attention of the imperial family was drawn to Ed Ross-Taylor, whom Lucy openly defends.
His position as the surviving heir of the Ross Taylor family is already unique, but even the hero of the country’s salvation goes out of his way to defend him… One is bound to be curious about its identity or background.
Princess Fenia was even more worried as she felt that Selahana Persica’s gaze was becoming very strange.
“Hmm… ”
Suddenly, as I looked out the window, I felt a strange sense of discomfort. It’s the same as usual on the way home, so there’s nothing strange about it.
The faces of the soldiers are also familiar. The sight of the guards neatly lined up guarding both sides of the carriage and advancing is the same as I have seen since I was a child.
however… The scale is a bit large.
“There were more guards on this trip home than I expected… “It’s not like there was an incident like that.”
Although the Ross Taylor family’s affair was a great disaster, the story has already been concluded to some extent. There’s just some cleaning left to do.
Protocol is important, but wasting imperial guard manpower is not a good thing. I guess I should have instructed that it would be okay to form a more simple escort unit next time.
Thinking like that, Princess Fenia looked up at the blue sky from inside the carriage.
Occasionally, the sound of Lucy talking in her sleep was the only sound echoing inside.
*When I came to, the first thing I felt was pressure around my wrist.
Lortel barely remembered his last memory in his hazy consciousness. This is Dune ignoring her Lortel’s instructions and glaring at her with her eyes wide open.
I have no memory after that.
Was he attacked, lost consciousness due to magic, or fell asleep from exhaustion?
There isn’t even a basis for judgment. That’s how cleanly and reliably it was handled.
However, I soon realized when a strong pain came from the back of my head.
The reason Dune kept his eyes wide open, ignoring Lortel’s words, was because he was waiting for the movement of the insider who would attack Lortel while he was paying attention.
The place didn’t change. This is Lortel’s personal office.
Since Lortel is relatively safe, it is the best place to attack.
As soon as Lortel’s vision returned, he assessed the situation in an instant.
The body is not free. Both hands are tied behind the chair.
The scent at the tip of my nose is that of nightshade flower scented candle. It is a famous item that can temporarily subdue a wizard by twisting the flow of magical power.
However, it is an expensive product that is about the size of a fingernail and worth about 15 gold coins, and it is not easy to obtain, and it is also difficult to obtain because it is effective only if you smell the scented candle for a long period of time.
If you can find something like this and smoke it, you can tell that it was planned for quite a long time.
“You’re doing something unbecoming, Dune.”
Lortel looked across the table in a low voice.
A man bowing his head in a reception chair. A generous-sized beret, a slim figure, a silk red fleece vest, a pure white shirt, and leather pants… Just looking at him, he was a merchant himself.
“While I was concentrating on All Deck work, I set up a fun stage.”
“I am sorry for arresting you. “Because I don’t have good stage manners.”
“Anyway, the assistant manager of Hoeju is a very busy person. “Company management, inventory verification, personnel management, bookkeeping, business interest disputes, and even the lowest level.”
Although anyone could see that the situation was imminent, Lortel continued speaking in a relaxed tone.
“so… Are you on the Dune side too, Rienna?”
Behind Dune, there was a hesitant girl standing.
Lortel’s secretary, Rienna Clemson, was even seen. The figure standing behind Dune, holding a bunch of documents, as if hiding… He was the same timid person he always was.
“It’s not a reasonable judgment.”
“well. “You’ll have to see that to know.”
Dune is looking at the floor with her feet slightly apart, her elbows on her knees.
Lortel also frowned at his appearance, which was quite different from his usual calm appearance.
Knowing how to appear frivolous is also a quality of a merchant. At least Dune was born with such talent.
However, what it looks like on a regular basis… Unless you are an employee of the commercial association, you cannot really know.
“You stayed in Sylvania, a place with beautiful scenery and a lot of romance, for a long time… “It looks like a lot of your poison has disappeared.”
Despite the situation, Dune consistently treated Lortel with respect. He was that kind of person from the beginning.
“Or maybe the situation on Alldeck’s side was too urgent… “You trusted me too easily.”
“You believe it? Me, you?”
Lortel spoke with a dumbfounded expression on his face.
“I don’t trust anyone. “Is it different because it’s you?”
“… ”
“I’ve been working with you for quite some time, but… Do you think I didn’t know that your insides were dark? Why, I stole a few pennies from the ledger to buy some alcohol and some luxury items… Do I look like a bong now?”
– Kugoong, boom.
While Lortel was speaking, busy noises could be heard from all over the store. Although school is only a few days away, it is still vacation. Either way, it is still the off-season.
Nevertheless, looking at the seemingly busy atmosphere of the store, Lortel was able to easily infer what was so busy.
“Do you think evidence of your embezzlement will remain within this company? “Common sense dictates that it be taken out to the outside world.”
“… ”
“I told you, I don’t trust anyone.”
Dune, who had been listening quietly, skimmed the wooden floor with her leather shoes and eventually answered.
“Well, I instructed you to search inside the Chamber as much as possible, but… I never thought I’d find evidence of that either. There’s no need to do that in the first place.”
“what?”
“What’s the use of talking about it in detail? However, it would be better for you to step down from your position as the head of the company.”
Lortel tried hard to hide his puzzled feelings. There was nothing good about being looked down upon here.
However, Dune also hides his true feelings as much as possible.
Why on earth did he suddenly betray Lortel, what did he believe in when he did this, and how specifically would he push Lortel into a corner?
Even the slightest clue is not revealed. This is because Dune knows very well what a cunning fox Lortel is.
Even if you catch only the faintest evidence, you will be able to infer the entire picture in an instant.
So you shouldn’t give any clues. Before they notice anything strange, they must be captured and locked away.
Dune thought so, but he was already able to deduce the minimum amount of information from this situation.
‘There’s something behind him.’
Lortel repeated this to himself.
Lortel, who does not trust people, treats people based on the premise of ‘mutual benefit.’
No matter what anyone says, he joins Lortel only because it is beneficial to him to follow Lortel, who is the most powerful person in the Elte Company.
Trust can only be established in a relationship where both parties have something to gain from each other.
Because Dune deeply understood that fact, there was no reason to betray lowly Lortel.
However, to attack Lortel without warning like this… This is probably because there has been some change in the external background.
Not only that, he made an unconventional move to catch Lortel and imprison him.
this is… This proves that time is on Dune’s side.
Some kind of conviction that if Lortel was somehow caught and prevented from doing anything, Lortel would naturally be kicked out of the position of deputy chairman of the company.
A situation where external action has been taken and is waiting for it to take effect. Until then, Lortel was captured to eliminate all variables.
Lortel deduces this point in an instant. It was a flow of thought that occurred in that brief moment when his eyes were gently closed and opened.
The first thing to do is to break free of the chains and escape. It is necessary to determine what changes occurred on Aken Island, especially Dune, while Lortel was away from the Chamber of Commerce.
“You’re killing yourself, Dune. “Do you think no one will feel uncomfortable if I leave the room immediately?”
“You don’t have to worry about attendance on the undergraduate level. The same goes for the company’s internal staff. I’ve written down all the numbers, so don’t be fooled. “It’s not good for either of us to make things complicated.”
“Well, I guess it’s better for me to make things more complicated.”
“Well, considering the difference in position, I guess so.”
Dune just raised his head and spoke. She hardly seemed as frivolous as usual.
“We have taken steps to prevent something like that from happening. “Everyone around Deputy Chief Lortel either joined me or took steps to ensure that they would not feel uncomfortable even if Deputy Chief Lortel disappeared.”
“It seems like a plan that has been in preparation for quite some time.”
“I’ll leave it to your imagination.”
Lortel tried to bend his arms slightly, but the tightly tied rope showed no signs of breaking.
I looked around to find something that could cut the rope with a subtle sidelong glance, but still nothing caught my eye.
“You said no one would believe you anyway, right? Is there anyone worth risking their life to come and save? We also don’t want to do any more harm to the acting owner of Lortel. “Why don’t you sit quietly and retire quietly?”
“Pretending to be gentle. “To the subject who is an equally vile traitor.”
“It feels strange to hear that story directly from the head of the company.”
Lortel has already replaced Elte and taken the position of acting representative.
There is no way that she, who has been branded a traitor, can be justified in criticizing Dune.
He is a person who has already fallen into the cycle of betrayal. Lortel couldn’t help but laugh because he didn’t know that fact.
“You don’t lose your composure.”
“You’re hoping for that. So I feel more calm. “The merchants are inherently twisted, so there is no way to do what the other person wants.”
“well. To me, it looks like there is a part of him that believes.”
Lortel never loses his temper even when brought to such extremes.
The person who maintains reason and makes rational decisions in any situation is Lortel Kecheln.
Since Dune has been the closest person to assisting Lortel, she never loses sight of that fact.
Lortel is a snarky snake himself, with much sharper senses than the old foxes of Old Deck.
If you want to fool her, it’s not enough to prepare for a few days or months. It takes several years to sharpen the blade of betrayal to barely scratch the surface.
The first thing to do is to break down her iron-like reason.
Her mentality of always maintaining composure and never wavering in any crisis is the number one contributor to her rise to the position of a colossus. If we don’t solve that problem first… You can never gain the upper hand in a confrontation with Lortel.
Therefore, Dune analyzes the character Lortel more calmly than anyone else.
We find the human heart that remains in Lortel, who is like a devil who sold his soul for gold. That’s the only place where there’s room to dig.
“Agent Lortel said he didn’t trust anyone.”
Dune continued speaking quietly.
“It wasn’t like that.”
“… what?”
“Lienna.”
When Dune quietly called Secretary Lienna’s name, Lienna took out a piece of paper from the stack of documents she was holding in her arms.
Looking at the form, it is a contract agreement. There weren’t many items, but the shape was decently made.
Rienna, who placed the agreement on Lortel’s office table, walked away again and stood behind Dune.
“This… ?”
“Ed Rosstaylor.”
When that name came out of Dune’s mouth, Lortel’s pupils twitched slightly.
“Did you think he wouldn’t join us?”
“what… ?”
Dune is a human being with a natural talent for negotiation and compromise.
Amidst all kinds of interests, we determine what the other party really wants and create a win-win structure for both parties.
I know this well, as I am a human being who has done this dozens and hundreds of times.
Negotiation and compromise start with knowing the other person.
Ed Rosstaylor is not someone who can be easily appeased.
He has an upright mind, is firm in his thoughts, and has a certain degree of transcendence in his understanding and calculations… He is a person who is even physically strong.
Since I had quite a close relationship with Lortel, urging him to betray me would be difficult no matter how I look at it.
However, in the end, negotiations and compromises depend on what the other party wants.
Lortel Kecheln took a quick look at the documents handed to him by Secretary Rienna. His hands were shaking slightly.
– The following agreements are reached regarding the trading of internal information and the establishment of a cooperative relationship between Dune Grex and Ed Rothtaylor, who are in charge of Elte Chamber of Commerce.
1. Regarding the internal corruption complaint made by Lortel Kecheln, the current representative of Elte Chamber of Commerce, Ed Rothtaylor cooperates with all information sharing requests sent by the whistleblower, Dune Grex.
2. Dune Gregg, the current plenipotentiary representative of the Elte Chamber of Commerce, guarantees full support for all tuition, living expenses, and other expenses incurred by Ed Rosstaylor until he graduates from Sylvania.
3. In addition, we will meet Ed Rosstaylor’s ‘early graduation’ requirements and actively support all necessary funds and preparations for his early graduation.
4. Dune Grex, the current plenipotentiary representative of the Elte Chamber of Commerce, will actively support Ed Rothtaylor’s settlement funds and all necessary facilities after graduation.
5. Ed Rosstaylor officially becomes an employee of Elte Corporation and maintains this status for at least 5 years after graduation.
6. Ed Rosstaylor must always attend dinners, meetings, and conferences with friendly forces and influential people of the Elte Chamber of Commerce and must maintain friendly relations with them.
It is a document that seems to clearly describe the close relationship between Dune and Ed.
Lortel’s pupils trembled for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. And he quickly analyzed the items in an instant.
Dune Grex is a person with the ability to analyze people.
By thoroughly analyzing the character Ed Rosstaylor, collecting information, and deriving what he really wants.
Ed Rosstaylor’s No. 1 concern is graduation and growth.
He was thinking about everything centered around graduation, as if he was attaching great significance to it.
It feels as if graduating from Sylvania has become a big highlight in his life.
Proposing ‘early graduation eligibility’ to him is… For Ed, it would have been difficult to refuse.
In addition, all necessary funds are provided, including settlement funds after graduation. Actually, financial issues are not that important. Even Lortel was willing to provide that level of support.
The problem is, how can the plenipotentiary representative of the Elte Chamber of Commerce guarantee something like early graduation?
It is Sylvania’s academics that determine whether a student will graduate. I am not a plenipotentiary representative of Elte Corporation.
‘Is the Sylvanian bachelor the insider? ?’
That too is strange. Sylvania Academy’s principal, Obel Forcius, is not a candidate for this type of negotiation.
To begin with, the Elte Chamber of Commerce and the Sylvanian Academy do not get along very well, and even if they had somehow managed to set up a negotiating position… It is too dangerous to turn Lortel into an enemy just because he sided with one bachelor.
In addition, the items in this negotiation plan… There is too much obsession with the individual Ed Ross-Taylor.
Dune Grex and Ed Rothtaylor have no connection at all.
There is no reason to tie Ed to Elte Trading Company for five years after graduation or to make him a friendly force. Dune’s number one goal is money, not power.
‘It’s suspicious… ‘
After reading up to that point, Lortel smiled leisurely.
“It’s a negotiation plan full of extortion. “Do you think there’s anyone in the world who would sign something like this?”
“This is a negotiation that has already been concluded.”
“… .what?”
Dune didn’t say anything more and just stared at Lortel.
Lortel Kecheln appears perplexed. There is no need to explain in detail how significant it is.
She is the one who maintained her composure even when the school was being destroyed.
Although he was not one to be shaken by such variables, Lortel’s vision was shaking greatly.
As I slowly turned the negotiation plan to the next page, I noticed Ed’s signature in large letters.
I forgot to breathe for a moment.
The words of Elte Kecheln, who occasionally appear in my dreams, spread faintly down my spine.
If you sit there through betrayal, you will eventually meet your end through betrayal.
When you lose everything and fall to the ground, do you think there will be someone who will reach out to you?
Those words rang in my ears, stabbing me like a dagger into my cold heart.
“It’s quite plausible.”
It is a forged document.
Although it was difficult to come to that conclusion.
“He is now in the Elte Chamber of Commerce building.”
Dune answered casually.
Dune’s reaction left Lortel speechless for a moment.
I don’t know how to continue the topic here, but for a moment my head becomes dizzy and my flow of thoughts is interrupted.
It is difficult to see Lortel losing his composure. On the commercial front, she is always a rational and rational fox herself.
However, just by focusing my eyes, I felt like I was losing consciousness… Lortel had to clench his molars.
– Squeak
At that time, the person who opened the door and came in was Ed Rosstaylor.
A blonde nobleman with a tall appearance… I quietly walked into the office and received some documents from Secretary Rienna.
It was the Elte Trading Company employee manual and several employment contracts.
“to… Mr. De… ?”
There is no movement in the expression.
Ed Rothtaylor looks at Lortel… As always, he looked expressionless.
He was wearing a small cloak. On the outside of the light brown cloak was a picture of a small scale symbolizing the employees of Elte Company.
He was already an employee of Elte Trading Company.
Maintaining composure in any situation and observing the situation.
What destroys the reason of Lortel, who is so cold-hearted as to be creepy… It really isn’t easy.
However, the sight of Ed Rothtaylor casually standing behind Dune and accepting the documents… It fills Lortel’s field of vision.
He looks at Lortel with a sour expression and speaks.
“That’s it.”
A nightmare featuring Elte Kecheln, who turns his face at a bizarre angle and curses Lortel.
The dream that came to mind whenever he could forget it is engraved in Lortel’s mind.
If you end up falling to the floor, there will be no one to hold your hand.
Those curse-like words… It kept pouring into my ears.
*- ‘First you go back to the dormitory and do as I say.’
After talking with the secretary of the Elte Chamber of Commerce who came by unexpectedly, Ed Rosstaylor sent Ayla back to the dormitory.
“It’s so sudden, I don’t know what’s going on… ”
Lorail Hall, honor student dormitory.
As Ayla crossed the neatly cleaned hallway, she held a simple writing utensil and paper in her hands.
Even though she took a lot of notes in class, it had been a while since she had written a letter, so Ayla felt a bit strange.
“Hmm… ”
The conversation between Elte Company and Ed Rosstaylor was unusual, but there was much more that Ayla could not understand.
– ‘… ‘
– ‘Senior Ed, what are you so worried about?’
However, after the conversation with Elte Trading Company, the image of Ed Rosstaylor sitting quietly at the cafe table, stroking his chin and lost in thought, remained strongly in my mind.
– ‘We are assessing the situation.’
This was her first time seeing Ed’s serious side, so Ayla was a bit embarrassed.
