[Side story] Both arm scales (9)
For Lortel, it would be a memory he would like to forget.
childhood,
A girl who had been wandering the streets, stepping on the dirt of a slum, holds her adoptive father’s hand and enters a grand, grand commercial building.
If you walk straight through the large lobby of the store, you will see merchants standing here and there talking.
She is the adopted daughter of the Golden King Elte Keheln.
The girl that Elte Keheln took in as his adopted daughter to become his confidant is right there.
I heard that after teaching him how to count numbers, he learned to multiply and divide on his own.
When I showed him the company’s ledger, he said that he had mastered double-entry bookkeeping in just two days.
When I showed them the market trend analysis table, they came up with a new business plan within a week, and it was even reflected in the actual business plan for the company.
In just a few weeks after becoming the Golden King’s adopted daughter, she received the attention of all merchants, and by her side, Elte Keheln was always there to teach her.
On the day when Elte Kecheln accompanied her to the office, her confidants lined up and bowed their heads.
Responsible for bookkeeping, human resources management, financial planning, trend identification, market analysis…
Young Lortel looks at the sight as if he were looking at a distant mountain as talented people boasting outstanding abilities in their respective fields bow their heads and bow to Elte.
While introducing Lortel to each person, he carefully tells them that when she grows up, she will become a key person in charge of this company.
In this friendly atmosphere, young Lortel learned to fake a smile. Although she is still new to wearing masks, she adapts surprisingly quickly.
After saying hello to the company’s talented people, I finally saw Slog Keldlux with his head bowed.
[This is the slog that has been with me for the longest time. I had his assistance in every business and task I did. He is the most reliable talent and can be said to be the most capable manager at the moment. ]
Elte Kecheln spoke with a greedy smile.
[ Lortel still has a lot to learn, but there are limits to how much help he can provide as a father. Anyway, I hope you take good care of Lortel. ] [Whether it is possible? ]
After exchanging brief greetings, Elte and Lortel entered the office.
When Lortel turned around for a moment and looked at Slog’s expression, he was extremely cold.
[Listen carefully, Lortel. The high-ranking employees of the commercial association that I just met face-to-face are the ones you need to be most wary of. ]
Unlike when he closed the door with a satisfied smile, Elte Kecheln looked back and had a grim face.
[If you stay on the floor for a long time, you will naturally realize this. Don’t trust anyone. The same is true even if you are a business partner who has been working together for decades. They are all bastards who will stab you in the back if you get the chance. Pathetic bastards. Inevitably, I will be greedy for my wealth. They are like bastards who have gone crazy with envy and jealousy… ]
A place where infinite trust is treated as a sin.
That law applies equally to the man sitting at the top of Elte Company.
The inside of the corrupted colossus that young Lortel looked up at was already filled with scars from the three waves and traces of numerous failures.
That miserable sight was truly the final destination reached by people who made their living as merchants.
[He’s an apprentice at this Elte Company, and that’s the first thing he teaches to the kids who come in. Don’t trust anyone. Friends, lovers, even family and teachers. ] [ In the first place, life in this world is lonely. Never give anyone a chance. There is no such thing as a human relationship in the world where you can give and receive sincerely without receiving anything in return. Humans are creatures born to weigh pros and cons. ]
A large symbol of two-arm scales attached to the wall of the office. It is the same as the symbol of Elte Trading Company.
Externally, it was considered a symbol of justice, fairness, and truth.
Among the employees of Elte Corporation, it was considered a symbol of hypocrisy and deception.
Looking up at the large arms scale symbol, Elte Kecheln declares.
[There is no such thing as a perfectly horizontal two-arm scale in the world. You must always remember and live. ]
The voice that said that was heavy and subdued.
*The Elte Trading Company head office building was already in a state of chaos.
When looking from the outside, the sight of smoke rising between the half-destroyed buildings feels unrealistic.
The Elte Trading Company head office was always a building that had to be there.
Like the imperial capital of the imperial capital, the clock tower of Sylvania Academy, or the imperial capital of the holy capital.
It was a building close to a landmark, always standing there with the same appearance.
The sight of Elte Trading Company’s head office in chaos makes you wonder if this scene is a dream.
At least it seemed that way to the citizens of Old Deck.
The appearance of the inside of the store is not much different from the appearance from the outside.
In the lobby on the first floor, numerous furniture were already rolling on the floor, and merchants were fleeing through collapsed walls here and there.
Just like that, countless people were intertwined and moving according to their own circumstances.
The Ross Taylor family’s vassals search the interior of the Chamber of Commerce.
The merchants of the store run away for their lives.
Among them, the great merchants move to find solutions to the situation according to their individual beliefs.
Puellan and Kaldenheim, who are completely on Slog’s side, run at full speed toward the basement.
The other merchants understand the situation and contact the Old Deck government office to ask for help.
Lortel’s confidant, Chief Secretary Rienna, quietly opens her eyes in a dark space.
Slog, the current owner, is shaking in front of Ed Rothtaylor.
And Ed Rosstaylor, who was at the center of the situation, was quietly trying to grab Slog by the collar.
– Bang!
However, the slog was not captured as is.
Perhaps because he still had magic supplies hidden in his back pocket, the floor where the slog was was collapsed along with a loud explosion sound.
– Quagga-ga-ga-ga-ga-gag!
Ed Rosstaylor is a master of magic engineering. Just by showing him the appearance of magic school supplies, he can instantly understand the internal structure and neutralize them.
That’s why Slog activated the explosive magical engineering equipment in his arms.
– Hwaaaaaaa!
“Kaaaaaaak!”
A sharp pain rushed through my entire body. The slog that fell downstairs rolled on the floor and barely managed to get up from the dust.
There is a bitter taste of iron in my mouth. Still, I was able to distance myself from Ed Rosstaylor.
“Heo-eok, heo-eok!”
Just like that, Slog ran down the hallway with a limping gait.
Ed jumped down into the collapsed hole, landed, and slowly turned his head towards the fleeing Slog.
It would not have been easy for a merchant, not even a combatant, to withstand the explosion.
Nevertheless, Slog was running away at a fairly high speed. Ed Rosstaylor emerged from the dust and trotted toward the slog.
Slog crossed the hallway with difficulty, his body covered in blood. He continued to run away, limping along the twisting and bending hallways and holding on to the walls.
As they went, they knocked down all the furniture and cabinets they could get their hands on, impeding Ed Rosstaylor’s progress.
However, for Ed Rosstaylor, who was steadily closing the distance, such an obstacle could not even be called an obstacle.
Just a few flicks of a magical hand gesture will blow them all out the window.
“Ugh… Huh… Huh… !”
I know the slog. If Ed Rosstaylor decides to do it, it’s not a problem to catch him running away.
However, Ed Rothtaylor is only narrowing the distance by walking steadily.
The guy is trying to find out who is behind Slog.
Rather than just catching Slog and getting rid of it, I plan to find and eliminate the source of Slog’s ability to run with confidence. To do that, we had to find out who Slog would turn to for help in this extreme crisis situation.
Even though he knew that fact, Slog had no choice but to run away with all his might.
When I got to the end of the hallway, I came across an outer staircase. As he ran down the stairs at a hurried pace, he lost his footing and fell.
Slog rolled awkwardly down the stairs with a screeching sound, and although it felt like his entire body would be crushed at any moment, he gritted his teeth and got up again.
At the top of the stairs, Ed Rosstaylor can be seen slowly coming down the stairs.
Killer and victim. Chaser and fugitive. hunter and prey.
“You… Your guy… “Do you really think the whole situation will be resolved like this!”
As if he already had no time to treat Ed Rothtaylor as a noble, Slog did something evil.
“Are you confident that you can send me away cleanly? “Do you really think that will happen!”
“Like I said, everything has already been done. “Just be quiet, just.”
“I’m sorry, but if you touched me carelessly… !”
– Buuuu
At that time, a huge trumpet sound was heard through the gap in the collapsed outer wall of the landing.
It was the sound made by the ceremonial music band of the Oldeck Government Office. As the sound rang in his ears, Slog looked back with trembling eyes.
Beyond the collapsed exterior wall, the large iron gate of Elte Company can be seen.
And there… The magnificently large carriage of the Holy Emperor was entering. All the residents of Old Deck who were around were wide-eyed and surprised at the sight.
The same goes for slogs. I put my head down in front of the crack in the collapsed outer wall and stared at the scenery outside.
It is a carriage ridden by a saint of the Holy Emperor that is difficult to see even if you live your whole life.
“this… Run… crazy… .”
– married couple-
– Boom boom boom
A carriage appears amidst the magnificent music band’s performance and stops within the premises of Elte Company.
The crowd gathered in front of the main gate of the store is grandiose. The sudden appearance of a saint plunges the scene further into chaos.
And then, the carriage door opens… Clarice, the saint of the Holy City, appears.
It seems as if the concept of mystery has come down to the world in human form.
If expressed in color, it is noble pure white itself.
Pure white hair, pure white saint’s clothes, pure white skin.
Meanwhile, red eyes and a red butterfly hairpin are revealed.
The light steps of walking down the carriage stairs also seem like a beautiful butterfly landing on a flower petal.
Really, it is the real life of Saint Clarice.
She is not a person who can be impersonated by anyone. If she did something like that, she would be put to death.
In this way, Saint Clarice stood with her feet on the ground.
And the person who came down after that… These are people who also know slog.
Belle Maia, the head maid of the Ross Taylor family. And young Lortel held her hand tightly.
In addition, there were countless guards of the Holy Emperor Capital.
When I saw that, I could be sure.
The reason why Saint Clarisse suddenly appeared in a place like this was because of Ed Rothtaylor’s intervention. It was a natural conclusion to see that his vassal Bel Maia appeared in such a place.
Ed Rosstaylor sent Maid Jean Belle Maia to the government office in advance and arranged for Saint Clarice to be escorted to the Elte Chamber of Commerce.
Anyway, there is something called the reality of the plan.
There is no one in the world who could think that they would really bring the saint of Saint Carpea to the premises of the Elte Company.
“Why do you think Saint Clarice came to the Elte Company headquarters?”
Looking down at the slog from the landing on the other side, Ed Rothtaylor talks.
“I came to sign the distribution contract that I had discussed with Elte Company in advance. However, when we arrived at the Chamber of Commerce contrary to our promise, it was chaos.”
We have never concluded such a distribution contract.
Nevertheless, if Saint Clarice says so, it will be true.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for a big name like a saint to travel this far in person. There is almost no contact between Elte Trading Company and Seonghwangdo.
There is no other means that can perfectly prove that the story of the transaction between the Saint Emperor and the Elte Company actually took place than the appearance of the saint in person.
In the end, Slog signed a huge contract between Seonghwangdo and Elte Company… It’s only a matter of time before he becomes the guy who buries himself just to preserve his position.
– Buuuuuuu
The magnificent sound of trumpets blared by the music band.
Justification and justification.
It was the sound of the last weapon held by Slog disappearing.
“I hope that the person watching your back is a person with much more authority than the saint of the Holy Emperor.”
Ed Rosstaylor slowly walked down the stairs and spoke calmly.
“Otherwise… “I won’t be able to protect your position as head of the society any longer.”
It is neither an expression of confidence nor an expression of ridicule. It was just the facts as they are.
However, what does it mean to say that?
If we were to name a person on this continent as authoritative as the saint of the Holy Emperor, it would be difficult to fill one palm.
While watching the saintess’s appearance through the gap in the outer wall, Slog lowered his voice.
“okay… If my contact with the Holy Emperor is revealed to the world like this, I will have no other way to refute it… In addition, conditions have been created for Lortel Kecheln to ascend to the position of leader without any repercussions… .”
Then, as if in vain, he turned around again, looked at Ed, and said:
“haha… ”
“… ”
“Okay, you’re curious about my behind… ”
I put my back against the half-ruined outer wall and took a deep breath as if I was exhausted.
The shape of a cornered mouse.
Meanwhile, Slog raised the corner of his mouth, dripping blood.
“Huh, haha… . Kakak… . Kahahaha… . Hehehehe… .”
The sound of laughter coming from between the lips seems either resigned or empty.
“Huh… Phew… .”
Just like that, Slog took a deep breath as if he was tired, then quickly straightened up and spoke.
“You think I’m going to tell you that?!”
– BOOM!!!!
At that moment, the last magic engineering supplies Slog had stocked up exploded.
If such an explosion were to occur with a body that was almost completely destroyed, it seemed certain that even Slog himself would not be safe.
Nevertheless, Slog accepted the explosion without any hesitation… He fell to the lowest floor of the commercial building.
*Dust rose up.
It was a sudden explosion, but I didn’t suffer any damage. This is because we quickly used defensive magic to deal with it.
I fell to the bottom floor with a slog, landed with skill, and shook off my clothes.
And through the rising dust… Slog was seen completely devastated.
His gray hair had become scattered, and his face was covered in blood.
In the aftermath of the explosion, burns were exposed here and there, making him look horrendous.
The tattered clothes of a merchant can no longer be called luxurious.
Looking around, I saw that it was a space that had been used as a conference room or something before it was destroyed.
There were several conference tables lined up, but half of them were blown away in the aftermath of the explosion.
And the dirt completely disappeared and the slog was revealed… I couldn’t help but frown.
“turn off… Ugh… Huh… Pfft… ”
There was something like an iron bar penetrating my waist. The impact of the fall caused it to become lodged in the abdomen. It seemed that the outer wall had collapsed, exposing the building materials.
The blood was flowing and soaking the floor.
With almost maniacal tenacity, Slog tried to raise his body and pull out the iron bar from his waist, but he couldn’t use any more strength, so he ended up putting his hand down.
“… ”
“big… her… Huh… Ugh… Pfft… Tsk tsk… Tsk tsk tsk tsk… ”
I let out a few gasps as if the air had been knocked out of my throat, and then burst into laughter again, wondering what was so funny.
I tried to walk like that a few times, but ended up falling down on the conference table.
Clutching the iron bar stuck in his side, he tried to push himself up on the table again, but he slipped on his own blood and fell.
Nevertheless, I pick myself up and move forward, stumbling again.
Even though I know it’s useless.
“first… escape… I have to run away… If you just report… you can overcome this situation… help… If you ask for help… .”
“… ”
“nice… . Ugh… ”
Ed Rosstaylor, clean and without a scratch, was standing behind Slog, looking down at him.
A calm face that shows no emotions.
Slog, who is completely devastated, and Ed Rothtaylor, who is fine.
It was a situation where he could overpower Slog with just one hand if he wanted to, but Ed didn’t bother to move.
“more… Don’t come any closer… .! me… Leave me alone… ! Wow… Ugh… ”
Slog stands, holding the conference table tightly with trembling arms. Unable to control his trembling pupils, he was just repeating empty shouts to Ed.
“mi… Sorry… ! Yeah, definitely… I never thought you would take such violent measures… a little bit… Give me a little more mercy… ”
“Slog Keldlux.”
“Yeah, yeah… I prefer you don’t touch me! Do you know who’s behind me?! Do you think I would have wandered into Lorthaylor’s territory without even thinking about it, set up a standoff, and taken down Lortel so boldly?! “I, who has endured in this Old Deck for decades, have learned everything there is to know?!”
“… ”
“Do you think I have no faith in anything?! I can assure you! If you touch me here and now… You will regret it unconditionally… .!”
Slog doesn’t even have room to step back anymore.
It was the moment when I tried to raise my voice further, ignoring the fresh blood flowing from the corner of my mouth.
“Now let’s stop with these skits. I did everything you wanted. “Slog.”
─A word that pierces one’s lungs.
Seeing Slog’s words suddenly stop, I slowly added.
“I know that there is no one behind you who is looking after you.”
“… ”
“It was all your opinion.”
When I said that with a grave expression, Slog stayed still for a while with a completely frozen expression.
He looked at me like that for a while, then spit out blood once more with a gurgling sound… She laughed as if she were detached.
“is it… Did you notice everything in the first place? Wow, ugh… . Cough… Cough… ”
“… ”
“—I thought it was a bit strange from the beginning… Sigh… Hehehehe… . Pfft… Tsk tsk tsk… Haha… Kahahahahaha… Ugh… Cough… Oh my… Huh… ”
Soon, Slog lost all his strength and fell onto the conference table, unable to support his body.
Clothes in tatters, and a body full of wounds. The blood that had been flowing has hardened and stuck to various places on the skin, and it is difficult to focus the eyes.
He looked like a beggar on the street rather than a great figure, with a shabby appearance that had left him in disrepair.
