“I don’t know that?”
Oh, I don't think I know,
Smith swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. He didn't mean to swallow them, but because his subordinate had just brought out the tea at that moment.
“I recently opened a store while expanding my business, but the owner there is a really bad guy.”
Judith shook her head as she picked up her teacup. She confided in Smith about the stench and the landlord's misconduct.
“If I fix the stench, won’t the landlord raise the rent? If I say no, he’ll tell me to move out. I fixed the stench and everything, and I’ll be kicked out after only a year of business.”
Judith's hand holding the teacup trembled.
“I couldn’t look at that sight until dirt got in my eyes.”
Judith gritted her teeth and muttered, staring into space.
“Yes, I really don’t think you’ll be able to see it.”
Smith offered Judith cold water instead of tea as if to calm her down.
“But why do you need my name there, yes?”
"That..."
Judith motioned for Smith to come closer and whispered the plan to him. Smith, who occasionally nodded while listening to her story, gave her a thumbs up, saying it was a very good plan.
“The plan is excellent. I am sure that you, Madam, are a talented person for us.”
“You flatter me.”
...Is that really a compliment, Miss Judith Harrington? Erne looked at Judith, who seemed genuinely pleased, and then looked away, saying, “I don’t know.” If Smith said he liked it, then he guessed it was good.
***
Although he was a commoner, Kane owned as many as four shops around the square. This was thanks to his wealthy ancestors.
However, due to entertainment and investment failures, they were sold one by one until only the store at number 72 remained.
However, when he tried to make up his mind to do business, a strange foul smell came out of the store. He thought about calling a psychic to resolve the issue, but he was concerned that they were all members of the Shartin tribe.
The Shartins are said to be known to all across the country, but what if they heard George's story?
Rather than solving the stench, it might have brought about an even greater curse.
So while he was thinking about it, Kane came up with a really brilliant idea. He decided to take advantage of the fact that there was no smell when the business was not operating.
Wouldn't it be much easier to pretend to be a normal store, rent it out to someone else, and live off the rent, rather than doing business?
He deliberately estimated the rent at a lower rate than the market rate and then collected a year's worth of rent in one go.
When the tenant came to ask to break the contract because of the smell, he shamelessly pushed the contract forward and said:
“As per the contract, you can either take half and leave or do business for a year. Do whatever you want with it.”
Then everyone made the choice to get half of their money back while crying and regretted. Kane made quite a lot of money this way without lifting a finger.
And this time, he was thinking of receiving a separate deposit from a woman named Judith. If she threatened to not give him half of her money back if he didn't give her the deposit, what would he do?
Kane's plan was perfect.
“S, Smith is looking after me? That loan shark?”
“You’re looking after my back, I said, because you made an investment, an investment.”
Until the new tenant, a woman named Judith Harrington showed up with Smith's right-hand man, Brother Luhmann.
“Do we look like thugs?”
Judith asked, seemingly out of pure curiosity.
Kane was furious. What if two big guys with butcher's knives on their waists grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and dragged me down a dark alley? What if they didn't look like thugs?
What, she must have thought it was the security forces?
“What do you want from me?”
Kane decided to go out with dignity for now. After all, the contract itself was legal.
“I said I’ll give you back half of the rent you paid if you want?”
Kane raised his voice.
Yes, she knew this would happen. Judith responded calmly.
“Then shall we start by talking about that contract?”
“There is no problem with the contract...”
Kane, who was about to shout, quickly backed down when Brother Luhmann, known as Smith's confidant, frowned and fiddled with the handle of his sword behind Judith.
“There is no problem.”
Kane's tone of speech, which had previously been dismissive of the young woman, became considerably more polite in a short moment.
'It's worth the money.'
Judith was secretly pleased. Smith readily lent her his name and his men.
“My name is already covered in filth, so feel free to use it as you wish, and my subordinates will do anything as long as you give them their daily wages.”
Judith asked for two of the most men she could find. Smith recommended his right-hand men, the Luhmann brothers, who were as notorious as he was and would be very useful for blackmail.
Then, he demanded a gold coin as a daily wage. Judith regretted for a moment that she had spent the money on dressing up Erne and Henry in a bad way since it was more expensive than she had thought.
Erne also muttered, asking why she was spending gold coins, that he could just draw his sword and hold it behind him.
But soon Judith and Erne, who had seen the Luhmann brothers in person, understood immediately why Smith had recommended them.
His hair was shaved short except for the middle part, his forehead and brow were deeply furrowed as if he was always frowning, and his eyes were piercing. One of the brothers even had artificial eyes that looked very fake.
He was big and had a lot of flesh, so whenever he walked, his belly fat and the sword on his waist would swing together, which was strangely threatening.
In a real fight, Erne would win, but if you only look at their appearance, Erne couldn't keep up with their ferocity.
Anyway, the Luhmann brothers were experts at threats and intimidation. As soon as they saw Kane, they grabbed him and dragged him into a dark alley. It was a preemptive strike.
Thanks to this, Judith was able to have an easy conversation with Kane without raising her voice.
Kane might wonder what kind of conversation this is.
“Mr. Kane, you knew there was a strange smell in the store but you pretended not to know. You scammed other people like this too, didn’t you?”
Judith took a step closer to Kane and whispered.
“It’s not okay to cheat other people, but it’s even more unacceptable to cheat Mr. Smith.”
Judith lied to Kane, saying that she was working for Smith. She also said that Smith was planning to use her to get into the business and that he had given her the money she had paid in advance for a year's rent.
“Miss, what are you talking about! I, I’m not a fraud.”
“Try saying that in front of Mr. Smith too.”
Smith's notoriety was truly extraordinary. Kane's face turned pale whenever Smith's name was mentioned.
“What, what do you want from me? Just give you back the deposit?”
“No. Mr. Kane, you can keep the tax you’ve already paid.”
"Yes?"
“And give us the store.”
As soon as Judith finished speaking, the younger of the Luhmann brothers handed over a piece of paper.
“This is a sales contract. Here, sign.”
“Huh? For sale? Are you asking me to sell the store?”
Kane blinked, seeming puzzled.
“Are you looking to buy a store?”
"Yes."
“Selling it isn’t a problem though.”
Do you want to buy that smelly house?
Kane trailed off. He glanced at Judith and the Luhmann brothers. It didn’t seem like a joke.
“I’ll give you a discount since Mr. Smith is buying it.”
“You’ll give me a discount? When are you going to give me change?”
Kane pursed his lips as if he didn't understand Judith's question at all.
“What are you talking about...?”
“I already paid you the house price. 150 gold.”
“Isn’t that what I received as rent for a year? You’re not asking me to hand over the store for that amount?”
When Judith nodded, Kane let out a breath of exasperation and tore up the contract shoved in front of him.
“Even if it's Mr. Smith, you can’t do this! Even if you can’t do that, this store should at least charge 800 gold. You thieves!”
He was indignant.
Who the hell is calling someone a robber? Judith pouted, and Brother Luhmann handed over the extra contract she had prepared for this.
“Mr. Kane, I think you’re having trouble grasping the situation.”
Brother Luhmann took his sword out of its scabbard and tapped the wall for no reason. Judith whispered, not missing the flinch of Kane.
“If word got out that Mr. Smith wanted that store, would anyone want to buy it? I don’t think anyone would want to buy it.”
Kane swallowed hard. If it became known that Smith, the notorious moneylender whom even the nobles were reluctant to deal with, had his eye on his shop, it would probably not sell even at one gold.
“It’s better to get it even if it costs 150 gold.”
“I recommend it.”
Brother Luhmann gave Kane a pen and spoke a few words.
“It’ll be more difficult if you're dragged to the office.”
“It’s very difficult. Of course, you.”
Kane, who had been thinking for a moment, looked at Brother Luhmann and then took the contract with a blushing face. Kane's hand holding the pen was trembling.
In fact, he had expected that he wouldn't be able to do this for long. Rumors about the stench would spread someday. So he tried to sell the store before the rumors spread. Of course, he didn't intend to sell it so cheaply.
I guess he could say he paid the price of my life... Even though he knew in his head that it would be better not to talk back to Smith, Kane felt bad about handing over the store for so cheap.
But life is precious.
Kane ended up signing the sales contract with a tearful face.
“Good idea, Mr. Kane.”
Judith held the contract in her arms and smiled proudly. Judith's eyes lit up with satisfaction, regardless of whether Kane, who had his store taken away helplessly, collapsed or not.
At the end of the alley, Erne, who was watching Judith from afar, muttered as he looked at Judith smiling brightly.
“I guess it was successful.”
It was a so-called 'eat the guy who's trying to eat me' operation.
“Then shall we start by talking about that contract?”
“There is no problem with the contract...”
Kane, who was about to shout, quickly backed down when Brother Luhmann, known as Smith's confidant, frowned and fiddled with the handle of his sword behind Judith.
“There is no problem.”
Kane's tone of speech, which had previously been dismissive of the young woman, became considerably more polite in a short moment.
'It's worth the money.'
Judith was secretly pleased. Smith readily lent her his name and his men.
“My name is already covered in filth, so feel free to use it as you wish, and my subordinates will do anything as long as you give them their daily wages.”
Judith asked for two of the most men she could find. Smith recommended his right-hand men, the Luhmann brothers, who were as notorious as he was and would be very useful for blackmail.
Then, he demanded a gold coin as a daily wage. Judith regretted for a moment that she had spent the money on dressing up Erne and Henry in a bad way since it was more expensive than she had thought.
Erne also muttered, asking why she was spending gold coins, that he could just draw his sword and hold it behind him.
But soon Judith and Erne, who had seen the Luhmann brothers in person, understood immediately why Smith had recommended them.
His hair was shaved short except for the middle part, his forehead and brow were deeply furrowed as if he was always frowning, and his eyes were piercing. One of the brothers even had artificial eyes that looked very fake.
He was big and had a lot of flesh, so whenever he walked, his belly fat and the sword on his waist would swing together, which was strangely threatening.
In a real fight, Erne would win, but if you only look at their appearance, Erne couldn't keep up with their ferocity.
Anyway, the Luhmann brothers were experts at threats and intimidation. As soon as they saw Kane, they grabbed him and dragged him into a dark alley. It was a preemptive strike.
Thanks to this, Judith was able to have an easy conversation with Kane without raising her voice.
Kane might wonder what kind of conversation this is.
“Mr. Kane, you knew there was a strange smell in the store but you pretended not to know. You scammed other people like this too, didn’t you?”
Judith took a step closer to Kane and whispered.
“It’s not okay to cheat other people, but it’s even more unacceptable to cheat Mr. Smith.”
Judith lied to Kane, saying that she was working for Smith. She also said that Smith was planning to use her to get into the business and that he had given her the money she had paid in advance for a year's rent.
“Miss, what are you talking about! I, I’m not a fraud.”
“Try saying that in front of Mr. Smith too.”
Smith's notoriety was truly extraordinary. Kane's face turned pale whenever Smith's name was mentioned.
“What, what do you want from me? Just give you back the deposit?”
“No. Mr. Kane, you can keep the tax you’ve already paid.”
"Yes?"
“And give us the store.”
As soon as Judith finished speaking, the younger of the Luhmann brothers handed over a piece of paper.
“This is a sales contract. Here, sign.”
“Huh? For sale? Are you asking me to sell the store?”
Kane blinked, seeming puzzled.
“Are you looking to buy a store?”
"Yes."
“Selling it isn’t a problem though.”
Do you want to buy that smelly house?
Kane trailed off. He glanced at Judith and the Luhmann brothers. It didn’t seem like a joke.
“I’ll give you a discount since Mr. Smith is buying it.”
“You’ll give me a discount? When are you going to give me change?”
Kane pursed his lips as if he didn't understand Judith's question at all.
“What are you talking about...?”
“I already paid you the house price. 150 gold.”
“Isn’t that what I received as rent for a year? You’re not asking me to hand over the store for that amount?”
When Judith nodded, Kane let out a breath of exasperation and tore up the contract shoved in front of him.
“Even if it's Mr. Smith, you can’t do this! Even if you can’t do that, this store should at least charge 800 gold. You thieves!”
He was indignant.
Who the hell is calling someone a robber? Judith pouted, and Brother Luhmann handed over the extra contract she had prepared for this.
“Mr. Kane, I think you’re having trouble grasping the situation.”
Brother Luhmann took his sword out of its scabbard and tapped the wall for no reason. Judith whispered, not missing the flinch of Kane.
“If word got out that Mr. Smith wanted that store, would anyone want to buy it? I don’t think anyone would want to buy it.”
Kane swallowed hard. If it became known that Smith, the notorious moneylender whom even the nobles were reluctant to deal with, had his eye on his shop, it would probably not sell even at one gold.
“It’s better to get it even if it costs 150 gold.”
“I recommend it.”
Brother Luhmann gave Kane a pen and spoke a few words.
“It’ll be more difficult if you're dragged to the office.”
“It’s very difficult. Of course, you.”
Kane, who had been thinking for a moment, looked at Brother Luhmann and then took the contract with a blushing face. Kane's hand holding the pen was trembling.
In fact, he had expected that he wouldn't be able to do this for long. Rumors about the stench would spread someday. So he tried to sell the store before the rumors spread. Of course, he didn't intend to sell it so cheaply.
I guess he could say he paid the price of my life... Even though he knew in his head that it would be better not to talk back to Smith, Kane felt bad about handing over the store for so cheap.
But life is precious.
Kane ended up signing the sales contract with a tearful face.
“Good idea, Mr. Kane.”
Judith held the contract in her arms and smiled proudly. Judith's eyes lit up with satisfaction, regardless of whether Kane, who had his store taken away helplessly, collapsed or not.
At the end of the alley, Erne, who was watching Judith from afar, muttered as he looked at Judith smiling brightly.
“I guess it was successful.”
It was a so-called 'eat the guy who's trying to eat me' operation.
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