Chapter 390: In One Shot (3)
Translator: miraclerifle
Editor: Borderline Masochist
“Human! I can’t connect with Clopeh Sekka's video communication device! He must be busy!”
Unfortunately, Cale was unable to contact Clopeh Sekka right away.
‘Should I call Witira instead?’
He thought about the Whales Witira and Paseton but decided to push it off for later.
“I guess we will first go visit the Singten Merchant Guild Leader.”
Cale put the top's whip down and opened the map Rosalyn gave him. He then looked out to the night sky over the Mogoru Empire’s capital.
He needed to be back before morning.
“Damn it!”
Clang!
A glass cup crashed into the wall and broke into pieces.
Plavin Singten, the Singten Merchant Guild Leader, felt suffocated thinking that the broken glass resembled his own future.
He felt as if those sharp glass shards would be pointed at his neck.
‘Who knew it would end up like this?!’
Plavin Singten clutched his head with both hands.
“...Guild leader-nim.”
“Be quiet.”
Plavin Singten just clutched his head even harder without looking at his trusted subordinate who called out to him.
The trusted subordinate shut up after seeing that the usually calm and collected guild leader who only focused on his personal gains had reached his limits.
It was because he was in a similar situation.
The trusted subordinate sitting across from the merchant guild leader quietly put down the wine glass in his hand.
He and the Singten Merchant Guild leader were drinking wine with their late dinner.
Plavin didn't even look at his quiet trusted subordinate as his mind was in a chaotic state.
‘...The crown- the Alchemists’ Bell Tower was destroyed!’
The Singten Merchant Guild.
This merchant guild had risen to the position of being one of the top five merchant guilds in the Mogoru Empire in just 10 years.
The Singten Merchant Guild was famous for being close with the crown.
But that was not the only reason they grew so much in a short period of time.
‘Black magic! I should never have been involved with it!’
The Singten Merchant Guild had sold people off to the crown and the Alchemists’ Bell Tower for their experiments.
Those people were slaves they kidnapped through human trafficking in other nations around the Western continent.
Plavin Singten had earned a chance to get close to the crown and the Alchemists’ Bell Tower while profiting immensely through these slaves.
He opened his mouth to speak.
“You got rid of all of the evidence?”
Plavin had ordered his trusted subordinate to get rid of all evidence related to the human trafficking and slaves as soon as the Alchemists’ Bell Tower battle ended.
“Yes sir, everything is destroyed.”
They had gotten rid of the evidence in the capital as soon as possible, so the trusted subordinate was saying that there were no traces anywhere to tie them to it.
“You made sure nobody saw you?”
“Guild leader-nim, of course I made sure nobody saw me.”
“...You know that is not what I am talking about.”
Plavin’s eyes turned cold.
The trusted subordinate bowed and responded to Plavin's statement.
“Yes sir, all of them are gone. They will all come up as missing.”
The merchant guild leader finally started to smile.
“Good. Exactly how it should be. People and evidence as well. We have to get rid of them even if they are on our side.”
The trusted subordinate gulped.
Even if it was a secret, one person was not enough to stealthily destroy the records of something the merchant guild had been doing for over ten years.
Plavin had ordered his trusted subordinate to kill anybody involved in getting rid of the evidence, in other words, anybody who had been involved in this stealthy operation for over ten years.
And all of it was completed today. The ones who helped him were the assassins who were the merchant guild leader’s other trusted subordinates.
‘...What a scary person.’
The trusted subordinate was afraid of Plavin who had erased both material and human evidences.
Only such a scary person could have committed a terrible deed like human trafficking for over ten years.
‘It’s quite hilarious.’
The trusted subordinate barely managed to prevent himself from sighing.
He too had been involved in this terrible deed.
‘In the end, we have to resort to living in hiding like this.’
He then peeked toward the merchant guild leader. The guild leader had his head in both hands and seemed to be deep in thought.
He had agreed to purchase the Determination of Fire from an unknown person for 30 billion counds.
Plavin had been uncertain about what to do when the man in the white mask first offered him the Determination of Fire in a deal.
It was because the Determination of Fire was a treasure that served as evidence of his secret bribe to the former pope even as he had a close connection with the crown.
But now, the conversation he had with that masked man was letting Plavin feel relieved.
‘Plavin Singten, the Empire and the Church of the Sun God. Which has the longer history?’
That was what the man had said.
‘Plavin Singten, they say you are known for your political abilities. Then you should know about it. You should know what the bad news from the Empire means.’
The Determination of Fire.
The man had asked for a significant sum of 30 billion counds to secretly return the item he used as a bribe back to him.
‘Who I am, why I came to find you, and whether the amount I called out is just for the value of this necklace. Think long and hard.’
Those words had been enough for the Singten Merchant Guild leader to understand the value of these 30 billion counds.
That money would be used to connect him back to the Church of the Sun God.
“That was the best decision.”
Plavin licked his tongue while thinking about that moment.
He had created a connection with the Church of the Sun God before the crown fell apart and thanks to that, he thought that he would be able to survive even as Saint Jack and sword master Hannah returned the Church of the Sun God to its former glory.
‘I might get even more power.’
That would happen if the royal family member in the Southern Alchemists’ Tower ended up as the Emperor.
A connection with the Church of the Sun God and a connection with the crown would allow the Singten Merchant Guild to be the most influential merchant guild in the Empire.
“You need to take risks to get rewards.”
That was why he was waiting in the capital.
He knew the Church of the Sun God would look for him soon enough.
It was at that moment.
Beeeeeep- Beeeeeeep-
“Mm!”
He jumped up from the couch in shock.
The alarm in the residence was going off.
That meant that someone had infiltrated past the magic circle making this look like a regular building.
‘Who could it be?
Who is coming here?’
“Guild leader-nim!”
The merchant guild leader smiled as the assassin trusted subordinate spoke for the first time today. He then started to speak.
“It’s fine.”
He was in the second floor terrace.
A man with brown hair and a white mask appeared in front of him.
‘He's here.’
Plavin started to smile.
The person who would raise him to higher heights had arrived.
The man in the white mask standing at the terrace reached out and opened the terrace window.
Screeeech.
He started to speak as he entered the building.
“Long time no see, Singten Merchant Guild Leader.”
The assassin trusted subordinates surrounded Plavin Singten trying to protect him from the man in the white mask.
However, Plavin welcomed him with a smile.
“Sir, I've been waiting for you.”
Plavin had been waiting for this man in the white mask who would take him to greater heights.
- Human! The punk to be looted said he was waiting for you! Something is definitely weird! Why would he wait for you when he’s going to lose everything?
Cale, the man in the white mask, ignored Raon's comment as he reached his hand out to Plavin Singten.
“You're good with politics, right?”
The merchant guild leader grabbed Cale's hand with both of his hands as he responded.
“Of course. I am very good.”
He was willing to speak like a loyal vassal in order to climb up this new connection.
“Please tell me whatever it is you need, sir. I will get it all ready for you.”
The corners of Cale’s mouth that were not covered by the mask slightly went up.
Of course, that smile looked majestic and strong to Plavin since Cale had the Dominating Aura surrounding him.
Cale gently spoke to Plavin who seemed as if he had become has vassal.
“Then I guess it is time to test your sincerity.”
‘Sincerity my ass.
The only thing left for you is death, you damn bastard.’
Cale heard Raon's voice at that moment.
- I, it’s an evil smile! It's so evil even the White Star would be shocked!