Thelma trembled in front of the truth she did not want to admit. Roelica waited for her to calm down, then continued in a calm voice.
“I will let you meet the Princess.”
Thelma raised her head.
In that moment, the suspicion she had previously harbored—that Roelica might have decided to take Tenek’s hand—suddenly came back to life.
However, Roelica’s eyes were calm. She could not read any hesitation or anxiety.
When she did not answer, Roelica thought that Thelma did not understand her intentions, so she added an explanation.
“From the moment Princess Erdene arrives at the Golden Castle, the eyes of surveillance will be following her relentlessly. She must not have forgotten who my father was. He is a man who will do anything to protect his position. From the moment Princess Erdene sets foot in the Imperial Golden Castle, he will use every means at his disposal to monitor her every move. He will be more concerned about her movements than the King of Vetor. So if Captain Thelma, Merton, or Captain Aiman come into contact with the Princess, Tenek will immediately hear about it and things will get complicated. However, if the Princess meets me, it will be okay. Even if those sent by my father follow her, I can handle it within the Empress’s palace.”
“Then... Are you saying that the Empress will personally convey all of these words to Her Highness?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Thelma stared at Roelica as if she was suffering from complicated worries.
She was still unsure whether she could trust her.
However, Roelica’s words were not wrong. Atelgadis was greedy, but by no means dull.
Even though he had let his men into his house, he had not yet reaped any significant results.
In that case, Roelica’s proposal was the best for now.
“Understood. But, Your Majesty, would it be okay if I shared this with Captain Merton and Captain Aiman?”
“Of course. As you wish.”
“Thank you.”
Thelma bowed her head once more, turned around, and left Roelica’s bedroom.
He carelessly wiped away the dried bloodstains with the back of his hand and disappeared into the darkness without a sound.
To make contact with the smugglers of Kensilom again, many small preparations were needed.
First, he had to let them know that Erdene would be accompanying him and finish the task of drawing out Count Trivi.
Vice Captain Rusmov went to Maple Mansion two days early and, when night fell, blinked the lamp to signal the Kensilom smugglers staying nearby.
He had assumed that they would cross the border of Vetor and stay nearby to conclude the deal quickly.
His prediction turned out to be correct. The smuggler leader, accompanied by three large men, knocked on the side door of the mansion.
He looked at Rusmov, furrowed his thick, dirty eyebrows, and began to grumble.
“What’s going on? It’s not the agreed date yet.”
The leader looked around sharply at the empty surroundings and made a fierce expression.
“If you’re going to mumble about a problem now, you’d be wise to keep your mouth shut.”
Rusmov said.
“Oh, why would you say such a thing? We deal with trust first and foremost, and you don’t know that you’re doing business with us like that? Our boss would be very upset if he found out.”
The leader’s expression became even more frowning.
Having been caught in his private affairs once, the leader waved his hand to cut off Rusmov before he could speak again.
“Yes, yes. What do you mean?”
“Sit down for a moment. You’re so impatient.”
Rusmov led them into the mansion in an even more relaxed manner than usual.
He wanted to beat the three of them up right then and there, then load them onto a cart and take them to the Vetor Castle, but... he had to hold back.
It was a net he had laid out, and he couldn’t just catch these little guys and go back.
The smugglers of Kensilom who heard Rusmov’s story looked incredulous at first, but eventually opened their mouths wide.
“Oh, Princess Erdene herself? She said she would come here?”
“That’s right.”
Rusmov responded arrogantly, trying to distract the three before they could sense something strange.
“As you can see, I’m pretty good with my tongue, aren’t I? Do you think Her Majesty the Queen could avoid my lip movements? Ahem, not at all. Absolutely not. No one can do that unless they put a lump of pine resin in their ears. Do you understand?”
“No, even so, why would Princess Erdene come all the way here herself? You just took the items and told her...”
Rusmov clicked his tongue, sticking out his lips exaggeratedly.
“Hey, come to your senses. Are you going to close up shop?”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Think about it.”
Rusmov leaned his upper body toward them and glared.
The smuggler’s chieftain’s unpleasant stench wafted from his body, but Rusmov lowered his voice without blinking.
“Why would she come all the way here? She needs to see it with her own eyes, right? And she’ll do that. I hear she’s no joke...”
“I will let you meet the Princess.”
Thelma raised her head.
In that moment, the suspicion she had previously harbored—that Roelica might have decided to take Tenek’s hand—suddenly came back to life.
However, Roelica’s eyes were calm. She could not read any hesitation or anxiety.
When she did not answer, Roelica thought that Thelma did not understand her intentions, so she added an explanation.
“From the moment Princess Erdene arrives at the Golden Castle, the eyes of surveillance will be following her relentlessly. She must not have forgotten who my father was. He is a man who will do anything to protect his position. From the moment Princess Erdene sets foot in the Imperial Golden Castle, he will use every means at his disposal to monitor her every move. He will be more concerned about her movements than the King of Vetor. So if Captain Thelma, Merton, or Captain Aiman come into contact with the Princess, Tenek will immediately hear about it and things will get complicated. However, if the Princess meets me, it will be okay. Even if those sent by my father follow her, I can handle it within the Empress’s palace.”
“Then... Are you saying that the Empress will personally convey all of these words to Her Highness?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Thelma stared at Roelica as if she was suffering from complicated worries.
She was still unsure whether she could trust her.
However, Roelica’s words were not wrong. Atelgadis was greedy, but by no means dull.
Even though he had let his men into his house, he had not yet reaped any significant results.
In that case, Roelica’s proposal was the best for now.
“Understood. But, Your Majesty, would it be okay if I shared this with Captain Merton and Captain Aiman?”
“Of course. As you wish.”
“Thank you.”
Thelma bowed her head once more, turned around, and left Roelica’s bedroom.
He carelessly wiped away the dried bloodstains with the back of his hand and disappeared into the darkness without a sound.
***
To make contact with the smugglers of Kensilom again, many small preparations were needed.
First, he had to let them know that Erdene would be accompanying him and finish the task of drawing out Count Trivi.
Vice Captain Rusmov went to Maple Mansion two days early and, when night fell, blinked the lamp to signal the Kensilom smugglers staying nearby.
He had assumed that they would cross the border of Vetor and stay nearby to conclude the deal quickly.
His prediction turned out to be correct. The smuggler leader, accompanied by three large men, knocked on the side door of the mansion.
He looked at Rusmov, furrowed his thick, dirty eyebrows, and began to grumble.
“What’s going on? It’s not the agreed date yet.”
The leader looked around sharply at the empty surroundings and made a fierce expression.
“If you’re going to mumble about a problem now, you’d be wise to keep your mouth shut.”
Rusmov said.
“Oh, why would you say such a thing? We deal with trust first and foremost, and you don’t know that you’re doing business with us like that? Our boss would be very upset if he found out.”
The leader’s expression became even more frowning.
Having been caught in his private affairs once, the leader waved his hand to cut off Rusmov before he could speak again.
“Yes, yes. What do you mean?”
“Sit down for a moment. You’re so impatient.”
Rusmov led them into the mansion in an even more relaxed manner than usual.
He wanted to beat the three of them up right then and there, then load them onto a cart and take them to the Vetor Castle, but... he had to hold back.
It was a net he had laid out, and he couldn’t just catch these little guys and go back.
The smugglers of Kensilom who heard Rusmov’s story looked incredulous at first, but eventually opened their mouths wide.
“Oh, Princess Erdene herself? She said she would come here?”
“That’s right.”
Rusmov responded arrogantly, trying to distract the three before they could sense something strange.
“As you can see, I’m pretty good with my tongue, aren’t I? Do you think Her Majesty the Queen could avoid my lip movements? Ahem, not at all. Absolutely not. No one can do that unless they put a lump of pine resin in their ears. Do you understand?”
“No, even so, why would Princess Erdene come all the way here herself? You just took the items and told her...”
Rusmov clicked his tongue, sticking out his lips exaggeratedly.
“Hey, come to your senses. Are you going to close up shop?”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Think about it.”
Rusmov leaned his upper body toward them and glared.
The smuggler’s chieftain’s unpleasant stench wafted from his body, but Rusmov lowered his voice without blinking.
“Why would she come all the way here? She needs to see it with her own eyes, right? And she’ll do that. I hear she’s no joke...”
There was a dry slurp.
Rusmov grinned internally, thinking that things were going well.
“You couldn’t just sit still when you heard the name Salgal. Now, here’s the problem. Let’s say that the sword you made is a great way to trick that woman. Right? Of course, she would. She wouldn’t have accepted such a deal without even that much skill... Now, that woman firmly believes that a worthless sword is a legendary sword told in stories. That’s when I’ll give her a little tip. I’m telling you that you can actually procure other famous swords.”
The smuggler leader’s brow furrowed strangely. He didn’t believe Rusmov, but he understood the gist of what he was saying.
“...So you’re going to continue to fool Princess Erdene?”
“How can that compare to the profits you make from selling fake jewels?”
“Are you kidding me? What if you get stepped on?”
“How can you run this business if you tremble because you think you might get stepped on?”
Rusmov slyly stabbed the leader’s pride.
This was important when you were using your tongue to turn someone around. It’s about making her lose her temper by making her lose her rational thinking, and then before she can oil her frozen head again, you tell her a story that’s bound to make her lose her mind.
“If you don’t have confidence, you should have just gotten out of this world. Back when you were a pee-pee. Amazingly, you had no guts or confidence. What should I tell our boss?”
“What the hell, you son of a bitch. Do you think everything that comes out of your mouth is nonsense?”
“Why are you mad at me? You were just whining like a brat. No? Yes. Then let’s call it no and get back to the story we were talking about. I’m saying that she’s not stupid enough to believe that there are all kinds of famous swords rolling around in that dirty smuggling warehouse. But what if a very noble person from Kensilom is a secret sword enthusiast who doesn’t tell anyone... What would happen?”
The smuggler leader blinked for a moment, then frowned and jerked away.
“What the hell! Is that going to work!”
“What’s wrong with that? That ‘Count’ seems to like gold as much as we do, so it’s not a bad deal to try your luck once, right? Right? If you say no, the deal will end after one time. It’ll just end. But if ‘that person’ cooperates... think about it. He’ll have his teeth firmly planted in the treasury of the Vetor Castle.”
“This guy’s crazy. Hey, that person...”
“Now, here’s the problem! I think this is not only a very good offer, but it’s also a very, very profitable offer for the ‘Count’ for a long time. There’s nothing to lose. But if you cut off the offer in the middle... let’s say the river of gold that was supposed to flow ceased. What would he do if he found out? Huh? Would he just say, ‘Oh, that’s too bad,’ and slap his forehead and end it?”
The leader’s eyes were now fixed on Rusmov, and he wouldn’t leave. He stared intently at Rusmov’s fingers, which were moving rapidly and meanderingly across the table to express the river, and felt his heart sink when they suddenly stopped.
Count Trivi was not only a close associate of the King but also a miser who would rush forward with a vengeance if there was anything that could make him money.
On the other hand, his temper toward his subordinates was cruel and merciless.
If this conversation had reached his ears, who did not even consider a group of smugglers as his ‘subordinates’?
He didn’t know, but it was certain that it would not end with a sigh of ‘Oh, what a pity’, as this bastard Vetor had said.
The leader, who had been chewing his dirty lips and grumbling, looked straight into Rusmov’s face.
“...Yes, I understand what you said, so let’s sort things out again step by step.”
That’s it.
Rusmov slapped the table with his palm, smiling half-heartedly.
“You should come out like that. Do you now understand why I came early? It wasn't because I wanted to see your face that I ran all the way here."
Rusmov grinned internally, thinking that things were going well.
“You couldn’t just sit still when you heard the name Salgal. Now, here’s the problem. Let’s say that the sword you made is a great way to trick that woman. Right? Of course, she would. She wouldn’t have accepted such a deal without even that much skill... Now, that woman firmly believes that a worthless sword is a legendary sword told in stories. That’s when I’ll give her a little tip. I’m telling you that you can actually procure other famous swords.”
The smuggler leader’s brow furrowed strangely. He didn’t believe Rusmov, but he understood the gist of what he was saying.
“...So you’re going to continue to fool Princess Erdene?”
“How can that compare to the profits you make from selling fake jewels?”
“Are you kidding me? What if you get stepped on?”
“How can you run this business if you tremble because you think you might get stepped on?”
Rusmov slyly stabbed the leader’s pride.
This was important when you were using your tongue to turn someone around. It’s about making her lose her temper by making her lose her rational thinking, and then before she can oil her frozen head again, you tell her a story that’s bound to make her lose her mind.
“If you don’t have confidence, you should have just gotten out of this world. Back when you were a pee-pee. Amazingly, you had no guts or confidence. What should I tell our boss?”
“What the hell, you son of a bitch. Do you think everything that comes out of your mouth is nonsense?”
“Why are you mad at me? You were just whining like a brat. No? Yes. Then let’s call it no and get back to the story we were talking about. I’m saying that she’s not stupid enough to believe that there are all kinds of famous swords rolling around in that dirty smuggling warehouse. But what if a very noble person from Kensilom is a secret sword enthusiast who doesn’t tell anyone... What would happen?”
The smuggler leader blinked for a moment, then frowned and jerked away.
“What the hell! Is that going to work!”
“What’s wrong with that? That ‘Count’ seems to like gold as much as we do, so it’s not a bad deal to try your luck once, right? Right? If you say no, the deal will end after one time. It’ll just end. But if ‘that person’ cooperates... think about it. He’ll have his teeth firmly planted in the treasury of the Vetor Castle.”
“This guy’s crazy. Hey, that person...”
“Now, here’s the problem! I think this is not only a very good offer, but it’s also a very, very profitable offer for the ‘Count’ for a long time. There’s nothing to lose. But if you cut off the offer in the middle... let’s say the river of gold that was supposed to flow ceased. What would he do if he found out? Huh? Would he just say, ‘Oh, that’s too bad,’ and slap his forehead and end it?”
The leader’s eyes were now fixed on Rusmov, and he wouldn’t leave. He stared intently at Rusmov’s fingers, which were moving rapidly and meanderingly across the table to express the river, and felt his heart sink when they suddenly stopped.
Count Trivi was not only a close associate of the King but also a miser who would rush forward with a vengeance if there was anything that could make him money.
On the other hand, his temper toward his subordinates was cruel and merciless.
If this conversation had reached his ears, who did not even consider a group of smugglers as his ‘subordinates’?
He didn’t know, but it was certain that it would not end with a sigh of ‘Oh, what a pity’, as this bastard Vetor had said.
The leader, who had been chewing his dirty lips and grumbling, looked straight into Rusmov’s face.
“...Yes, I understand what you said, so let’s sort things out again step by step.”
That’s it.
Rusmov slapped the table with his palm, smiling half-heartedly.
“You should come out like that. Do you now understand why I came early? It wasn't because I wanted to see your face that I ran all the way here."
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