As soon as Luke’s private speech began, Count Trivi, as well as the smuggler leader who had experienced his tongue once, were all dumbfounded.
Only Bourne, who had become immune to his ramblings after listening to him for so long, pretended to be indifferent and listened nervously, wondering if Luke would make a fatal mistake.
“...So, we start by roasting rich country bumpkins with fake pearls and spreading the rumor. Originally, rumors were things that flew and ran without legs or wings, right? The nobles would go crazy over jewels, so you could make enough money with other fake jewels, not just pearls, but would someone like you be satisfied with that? You should aim for the big shot. Something bigger.”
Count Trivi noticed that Luke was trying to do something, but he was pleased with his flattery.
The word big shot appealed to him. But he didn’t show it and looked down at Luke with an arrogant face.
“You talk too much. Big shot, how big shot? You’re just trying to talk about an old nobleman who’s waiting to die, grumbling in the countryside.”
Luke immediately answered him.
“That’s not it, my lord. An old nobleman from the countryside? Of course, many of them have no children or are just miserable people. But my lord, I’m talking about a big shot in terms of future prospects. Think about it. If you’re so blind as to give up a chest of gold coins for a string of shell necklaces, if you’re an old man who does things today or tomorrow, your next deal is over. And the income we can get from the coffin...”
“Us? Are you saying I’m in the same group as you?”
Count Trivi glared and responded sharply. The smuggler leader, who had been gaping at Luke’s words, frowned as if he had been hit on the back of the head.
“Uh...”
Luke, who had been observing him, smiled even more foolishly and bowed his waist.
“Oh, my lord. Why are you being so upset? I was speaking from the perspective of a business partner. Of course. But if you find it offensive, of course, I should change my expression. My mouth was a little sloppy. Yes, anyway, back to the story...”
“No, that’s enough. Let’s get to the point. So who are you going to sell me?”
Damn, you impatient brat. Luke thought. In his judgment, it would be safer to let him out a little more...
At that moment, Bourne covered his mouth as if he was coughing and lightly poked Luke in the side. He said with his lips.
‘Just tell him.’
Luke glanced at Bourne and rolled his tongue in his mouth.
It was an act to ease the tension, but to the smugglers of Count Trivi and Kensilom, it looked like a ploy to raise the ransom.
Luke said,
“As you know, Her Majesty the Queen of our country.”
Count Trivi’s expression immediately crumpled. Luke quickly continued, not giving him a chance to refute.
“As you know, Her Majesty, if that woman is a weapon, it’s a total waste.”
“Huh, do you think that’s foolish? That crazy horse-like woman. Just thinking about it makes my teeth tremble.”
The Count groaned.
When Erdene was the Princess of Hirschsten, Kensilom had also been defeated by the imperial army time and time again and had to give up fertile lands little by little, so his animosity toward her was sky-high.
Luke said again, determined to report the fact that he had called Erdene a “crazy horse-like woman.”
“So if you bring me a rare weapon—a fake, of course—I’ll make him turn his back on her. Our captain has some connections in the capital, and the Queen is so full of muscle that she doesn’t really think. So if you bring her a famous sword or a spear, she’ll probably open up the royal treasury and throw money at me.”
Listening to Luke, Bourne thought it was a good thing Belen Wiziard wasn’t there.
Even though he knew that Belen was saying this to lure out Kensilom’s rascal, he knew that if he had heard him, he would have kicked Luke in the back.
Count Trivi grumbled.
“But all the famous weapons are in the Empire, so how can they possibly work? These ignorant worms...”
“That’s not it.”
Luke quickly cut him off.
The moment Count Trivi’s eyes moved, Luke realized that this was the time to definitely catch him and put strength into his tongue.
“Have you heard of the sword called Salgal? Of course, you have. It is a famous sword that has been rumored not only in the Empire but also inland.”
“I have heard of that sword, but it is a legend anyway. Nonsense...”
“No! No! It’s not a legend or nonsense. The sword was certainly made. What I mean is, it’s a real sword that once existed, although we don’t know where it is.”
Count Trivi held out his staff in front of him, telling him to shut up for a moment.
Luke quickly cut him off and observed his expression.
The legend of the Salgal sword, although distorted through various adaptations, had certainly spread all the way to the inland.
It was a story that all military officers had heard at least once.
Count Trivi wasn’t a military officer and didn’t care, but he knew the story of the Salgal sword.
Fortunately for Luke and Bourne, he was a diplomat by profession, so he had heard a lot of important stories from various countries as well as trivial legends.
The Count, who had kept his mouth shut, quickly thought about it.
The fact that Erdene Badd was an ignorant woman crazy about war—at least that’s what he thought—was a story that everyone in the inland knew.
It’s only natural that even these dirty worms would know.
She was supposed to be the heir to the throne, but she’d been on the battlefield laughing with all sorts of rascals before her brain even hardened, so how much insight would she have, and how much would she know...
“Yes... That’s right. Hmm, I suppose so.”
Luke squinted his eyes and glanced at Count Trivi.
‘What nonsense are you mumbling to yourself?’
Count Trivi looked at Luke again, and he quickly made a flattering grin and made a gesture of rubbing his hands together.
The Count patted his cane with an arrogant gesture—despite actually being hot—and said,
“You sound so plausible, but do you think the palace is some kind of backwoods market? How do you guys get around there, and how do you even get to see the Queen?”
Gotcha! Luke desperately suppressed his desire to cheer and said,
“Oh my, my lord. Of course, for guys like us, it would be hard to even see the castle gates, let alone the royal palace. But our captain is a different story. Oh, he has such wide legs that he meets someone he knows every three steps. It’s true. He’s especially familiar with the talkative nobles of the capital, and this is the time to use him. They say there are already many people lining up to fart because they’re afraid of that ignorant queen.”
Bone thought it was fortunate that Belen wasn’t there this time either.
Count Trivi couldn’t even think of suspecting Luke. All he could think of was the money of the royal family of Vetor, the enormous amount of money that would roll right up to his feet with a single fake sword. If only he could, he would run to the royal family of Vetor himself.
‘Well, that’s true. They say the King of Vetor got his balls grabbed by the Princess... If you cook it well, even if things go wrong, you can make a lot of escape routes as long as you have money. Of course.’
The Count thought. He cleared his throat and looked at Luke.
“Good. Then what is your condition?”
“As expected, you are so refreshing. How manly! Originally, I was going to tell you about the price of the pearls, but I can’t bargain with someone as generous and noble as you, my lord, for such small amounts of money. So let’s split the pearls as you suggested, but if you succeed in selling the sword to the Queen, please take care of us too.”
“Hmm, if you really do get the money from that woman, I’ll give you a 30% discount. I’ll set aside some money for drinks.”
“Thank you, my lord. You are truly virtuous.”
Although it was a loss in terms of calculation, Luke decided that it was right to end his speech there. It was the moment when Count Trivi, who had sniffed his nose, turned around.
“Oh, my lord. There’s mud in this place.”
Luke suddenly leaped forward and shook the end of the Count’s sleeve.
The Count shook his arm as if it had been touched by a bug, then muttered in discontent when he saw that there was indeed dirt on it.
“Take care of it properly. If word gets out about me...”
“Don’t worry, my lord. We won’t lose our money even if we lose our wives.”
The Count scrunched his nose again and went outside.
The smugglers who had been scattered here and there followed him awkwardly to see him off, and for a moment the inside became empty.
“A peacock.”
Luke quickly whispered, and Bourne frowned and asked back.
“A peacock?”
“I pretended to shake off his sleeve and looked at the ring. It had a peacock engraved on it. It must be a family ring.”
Just as Bourne was about to say something, the smuggler leader came back, strutting around.
He grinned as he ran his tongue over his yellow teeth.
“Yes, Vetor friends. Then shall we set a date for the transaction?”
Only Bourne, who had become immune to his ramblings after listening to him for so long, pretended to be indifferent and listened nervously, wondering if Luke would make a fatal mistake.
“...So, we start by roasting rich country bumpkins with fake pearls and spreading the rumor. Originally, rumors were things that flew and ran without legs or wings, right? The nobles would go crazy over jewels, so you could make enough money with other fake jewels, not just pearls, but would someone like you be satisfied with that? You should aim for the big shot. Something bigger.”
Count Trivi noticed that Luke was trying to do something, but he was pleased with his flattery.
The word big shot appealed to him. But he didn’t show it and looked down at Luke with an arrogant face.
“You talk too much. Big shot, how big shot? You’re just trying to talk about an old nobleman who’s waiting to die, grumbling in the countryside.”
Luke immediately answered him.
“That’s not it, my lord. An old nobleman from the countryside? Of course, many of them have no children or are just miserable people. But my lord, I’m talking about a big shot in terms of future prospects. Think about it. If you’re so blind as to give up a chest of gold coins for a string of shell necklaces, if you’re an old man who does things today or tomorrow, your next deal is over. And the income we can get from the coffin...”
“Us? Are you saying I’m in the same group as you?”
Count Trivi glared and responded sharply. The smuggler leader, who had been gaping at Luke’s words, frowned as if he had been hit on the back of the head.
“Uh...”
Luke, who had been observing him, smiled even more foolishly and bowed his waist.
“Oh, my lord. Why are you being so upset? I was speaking from the perspective of a business partner. Of course. But if you find it offensive, of course, I should change my expression. My mouth was a little sloppy. Yes, anyway, back to the story...”
“No, that’s enough. Let’s get to the point. So who are you going to sell me?”
Damn, you impatient brat. Luke thought. In his judgment, it would be safer to let him out a little more...
At that moment, Bourne covered his mouth as if he was coughing and lightly poked Luke in the side. He said with his lips.
‘Just tell him.’
Luke glanced at Bourne and rolled his tongue in his mouth.
It was an act to ease the tension, but to the smugglers of Count Trivi and Kensilom, it looked like a ploy to raise the ransom.
Luke said,
“As you know, Her Majesty the Queen of our country.”
Count Trivi’s expression immediately crumpled. Luke quickly continued, not giving him a chance to refute.
“As you know, Her Majesty, if that woman is a weapon, it’s a total waste.”
“Huh, do you think that’s foolish? That crazy horse-like woman. Just thinking about it makes my teeth tremble.”
The Count groaned.
When Erdene was the Princess of Hirschsten, Kensilom had also been defeated by the imperial army time and time again and had to give up fertile lands little by little, so his animosity toward her was sky-high.
Luke said again, determined to report the fact that he had called Erdene a “crazy horse-like woman.”
“So if you bring me a rare weapon—a fake, of course—I’ll make him turn his back on her. Our captain has some connections in the capital, and the Queen is so full of muscle that she doesn’t really think. So if you bring her a famous sword or a spear, she’ll probably open up the royal treasury and throw money at me.”
Listening to Luke, Bourne thought it was a good thing Belen Wiziard wasn’t there.
Even though he knew that Belen was saying this to lure out Kensilom’s rascal, he knew that if he had heard him, he would have kicked Luke in the back.
Count Trivi grumbled.
“But all the famous weapons are in the Empire, so how can they possibly work? These ignorant worms...”
“That’s not it.”
Luke quickly cut him off.
The moment Count Trivi’s eyes moved, Luke realized that this was the time to definitely catch him and put strength into his tongue.
“Have you heard of the sword called Salgal? Of course, you have. It is a famous sword that has been rumored not only in the Empire but also inland.”
“I have heard of that sword, but it is a legend anyway. Nonsense...”
“No! No! It’s not a legend or nonsense. The sword was certainly made. What I mean is, it’s a real sword that once existed, although we don’t know where it is.”
Count Trivi held out his staff in front of him, telling him to shut up for a moment.
Luke quickly cut him off and observed his expression.
The legend of the Salgal sword, although distorted through various adaptations, had certainly spread all the way to the inland.
It was a story that all military officers had heard at least once.
Count Trivi wasn’t a military officer and didn’t care, but he knew the story of the Salgal sword.
Fortunately for Luke and Bourne, he was a diplomat by profession, so he had heard a lot of important stories from various countries as well as trivial legends.
The Count, who had kept his mouth shut, quickly thought about it.
The fact that Erdene Badd was an ignorant woman crazy about war—at least that’s what he thought—was a story that everyone in the inland knew.
It’s only natural that even these dirty worms would know.
She was supposed to be the heir to the throne, but she’d been on the battlefield laughing with all sorts of rascals before her brain even hardened, so how much insight would she have, and how much would she know...
“Yes... That’s right. Hmm, I suppose so.”
Luke squinted his eyes and glanced at Count Trivi.
‘What nonsense are you mumbling to yourself?’
Count Trivi looked at Luke again, and he quickly made a flattering grin and made a gesture of rubbing his hands together.
The Count patted his cane with an arrogant gesture—despite actually being hot—and said,
“You sound so plausible, but do you think the palace is some kind of backwoods market? How do you guys get around there, and how do you even get to see the Queen?”
Gotcha! Luke desperately suppressed his desire to cheer and said,
“Oh my, my lord. Of course, for guys like us, it would be hard to even see the castle gates, let alone the royal palace. But our captain is a different story. Oh, he has such wide legs that he meets someone he knows every three steps. It’s true. He’s especially familiar with the talkative nobles of the capital, and this is the time to use him. They say there are already many people lining up to fart because they’re afraid of that ignorant queen.”
Bone thought it was fortunate that Belen wasn’t there this time either.
Count Trivi couldn’t even think of suspecting Luke. All he could think of was the money of the royal family of Vetor, the enormous amount of money that would roll right up to his feet with a single fake sword. If only he could, he would run to the royal family of Vetor himself.
‘Well, that’s true. They say the King of Vetor got his balls grabbed by the Princess... If you cook it well, even if things go wrong, you can make a lot of escape routes as long as you have money. Of course.’
The Count thought. He cleared his throat and looked at Luke.
“Good. Then what is your condition?”
“As expected, you are so refreshing. How manly! Originally, I was going to tell you about the price of the pearls, but I can’t bargain with someone as generous and noble as you, my lord, for such small amounts of money. So let’s split the pearls as you suggested, but if you succeed in selling the sword to the Queen, please take care of us too.”
“Hmm, if you really do get the money from that woman, I’ll give you a 30% discount. I’ll set aside some money for drinks.”
“Thank you, my lord. You are truly virtuous.”
Although it was a loss in terms of calculation, Luke decided that it was right to end his speech there. It was the moment when Count Trivi, who had sniffed his nose, turned around.
“Oh, my lord. There’s mud in this place.”
Luke suddenly leaped forward and shook the end of the Count’s sleeve.
The Count shook his arm as if it had been touched by a bug, then muttered in discontent when he saw that there was indeed dirt on it.
“Take care of it properly. If word gets out about me...”
“Don’t worry, my lord. We won’t lose our money even if we lose our wives.”
The Count scrunched his nose again and went outside.
The smugglers who had been scattered here and there followed him awkwardly to see him off, and for a moment the inside became empty.
“A peacock.”
Luke quickly whispered, and Bourne frowned and asked back.
“A peacock?”
“I pretended to shake off his sleeve and looked at the ring. It had a peacock engraved on it. It must be a family ring.”
Just as Bourne was about to say something, the smuggler leader came back, strutting around.
He grinned as he ran his tongue over his yellow teeth.
“Yes, Vetor friends. Then shall we set a date for the transaction?”
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