As they ran through the winding, maze-like alleys, Lou suddenly stopped.
"Shhhh!"
He grabbed Peleus's arm and pressed him against the wall.
It was a narrow gap between the two buildings.
Lou pushed his body into the gap with a gesture to lower his waist.
"Just bear with it a little longer."
The space was cramped, so the man had to squeeze his body in as much as possible.
However, the broken wooden boxes and rusty anchor ropes piled up in front would shield them from the outside.
"Where did you go?! You rat!"
The shouts of Barbo's gang whizzed past their heads.
Only after the pattering footsteps faded away did the alley become quiet again.
"...Phew"
So, I've shaken them off for now.
As Lou caught his breath, he felt the gaze of the man watching him from the side.
He was wearing a robe, but he looked as if he was asking if there was any reason to hide like this.
"Dealing with one Barbu isn't difficult. The problem is..."
Lou paused for a moment.
"The moment you get rid of that guy, the entire Black Anchor will start chasing you. You might be able to handle five or six, but you alone cannot take on dozens, maybe even hundreds."
No matter how skilled a person is, they cannot overcome a numerical disadvantage.
That was exactly why the black anchor was notorious in the harbor.
No matter how righteous or strong a person is, once a target is set, it does not stop until that person is brought down.
"...It seems you know this place well."
A low voice came from beneath the robe.
It was a low, clear voice that seemed to be heard right in the ear, even though it wasn't spoken very loudly.
Crackling.
Just then, footsteps were heard again from the alley.
"Have they returned?" Just as Lou was about to straighten his back, a man moved beside him.
"You shouldn't go out now."
However, in the alley stood a different tall advantage, not Barbo.
"My Lord, I heard a loud noise. I followed the tracks in case we missed each other. Are you alright?"
The man nodded at the strong man's question. It seemed they were part of the same group.
"I am glad you weren't hurt. And it seems the fixer the restaurant owner mentioned isn't near the dock either. It looks like you just came here in vain."
Lou let out a short, wry laugh at Nathan's report.
"Was it you? I did hear that people are looking for me these days."
"...Yes?"
Nathan's head turned stiffly as if struck by lightning.
The boy walked out from behind his master's back.
"So... Lou? Is that right?
"That is my name, though."
Nathan swallowed his surprise.
This was because, for a 'fixer,' he was smaller and frailer than he had imagined, barely reaching shoulder height.
"Yes, Lou, I found you."
Lou was momentarily speechless at the sight of the man's face as he slowly removed his robe and answered.
With a distinct nose and a sharp jawline, it was an outstanding conspiracy that gave a vague understanding of why he had been wearing a robe all this time.
Above all, what drew her gaze was his clear eyes.
The blue eyes, which evoked reverence like spotless holy water, held a sharp light like a finely ground dagger.
"I need your help."
"Which is?"
"I am looking for items sold at this port."
"If you want to trade, you should go to the port brokerage, not me."
Lou shrugged his shoulders and replied.
At the same time, wariness filled the boy's eyes as he indifferently scanned the strangers.
His face was so strikingly handsome that it made him even more suspicious.
Seeing his refined way of speaking, which didn't fit in with a neighborhood like this, it was obvious what he was talking about.
Either a hypocrite who only cares about appearances or someone with ulterior motives.
"I'll write a letter of introduction for the real broker, so please take that with you."
"I would like to trade ice iron as something unknown."
Lou, who was about to turn around and leave, paused.
It is an unspoken secret known only to those in the know that goods strictly controlled at the ice and iron mines are constantly traded at the port of Karkan.
So, are you talking about smuggling?
"Lou, I’ve heard that there’s nothing you don’t know about the port, but..."
He added.
"I just know it well; I wouldn't arrange it. Unless you want your head chopped off."
"I will reward you if you let me know where I can trade."
“Actually, it is.”
Lou replied coldly.
"I'm just doing this to make a living, so I wouldn't do anything that would kill me."
"Tell me what you want. I will grant it to the best of my ability."
"How can you be sure you can give me what I want?"
"...Probably most of them.”
Conviction could be read in a calm voice.
He must be a very important person. He's really throwing out empty promises.
Lou smiled brightly.
"It looks like you're quite the housegoers. What do you plan to do with ice iron?"
"...It would be safer not to know that. All we need is to take over ice iron."
A moment of silence followed.
Nathan, looking anxious at the parallel conversation, paused at Peleus's last words.
"Excuse me for a moment."
Lou watched as he took Peleus and slightly distanced himself from him.
[If we retrieve the ice iron... only domestic figures will be punished.]
Nathan spoke to Peleus in the ancient language of Valdina.
[...How do you plan to catch the evidence of the Mia side?]
However, they did not know. They did not know that the fingertips of Lou, who was sitting far away, were trembling slightly.
'It's the language my father taught me.'
The rare language of unknown origin, which their father had personally taught the siblings while telling them not to forget their duty, was now flowing from the mouths of those men.
'Then they...'
Then, the man's silver hair was also explained.
The Emperor wouldn't have traveled all the way to this far northern tip; it must be an agent sent on his orders.
‘Is it Agema?’
Their absolute loyalty to Emperor Valdina was well known.
There was also a rumor that the Emperor's guards had dyed their hair silver, just like the Emperor, as a disguise to deceive the assassins.
The authenticity is uncertain, but for now, it seems that even the Valdina Imperial Palace has caught wind of it.
[The priority is to prevent ice iron from leaking out. It won't be too late to deal with Barmia after that.]
Suddenly, Peleus's hushed whisper pierced Lou's ears.
'Barmia'
No, just one word.
'Then the story changes.'
Lou straightened his back, which he had been leaning crookedly.
Clap!
As she clapped, the two people talking in the distance turned their heads toward her.
"We need to get out of here for now. Those guys are going to keep roaming the docks for a while."
Lou's eyes turned toward Peleus.
"So, how about we move to a different spot and have a proper conversation?"
***
Basement floor of an abandoned building.
Creak, the door opened. There were stairs leading down to the basement.
"Watch your step. If you slip and break your head, I won't be able to save you either."
Lou walked ahead, leaving the two behind.
This place was her intelligence agency headquarters.
It operated as a decentralized organization, so there were not many people stationed at the office.
Nathan gulped, swallowing dry saliva as he spoke.
"Your Majesty, where could that little fellow be taking us?"
"Watch your words and actions. The way you address me as well."
"Yes, I am sorry, my lord."
After passing through a hallway littered with boxes, a door appeared.
"Lou!"
When he opened the door, there was a boy and a girl around Lou's age under the bright light. The boy was taller than Lou, and the girl had a slightly more sturdy appearance than the boy.
"Eric, Maya, they are our clients. They are important people, so handle them with care."
"Come this way, sir."
The boy led Nathan and Peleus to a small table.
"And brought out the tea."
"I’d like to talk just the two of us."
"Oh, don't worry. These friends are just like my eyes and ears."
At Lou's words, Eric, who was standing beside her, silently took Lou's old bag.
Maya, who had been watching the scene, lingered on Eric's fingertips for just a brief moment before turning to Lou. A strange look, a mixture of longing and jealousy, floated in the air and vanished.
"So."
Meanwhile, Lou touched the teacup and got to the point.
"So, shall we go back to what we were talking about earlier? You said you want to trade ice iron."
As Lou sat down, he placed his elbows on the table with his hands clasped together.
He looked like someone who had just stepped onto the negotiation table.
Even while fully aware of the striking change, Peleus calmly nodded his head.
"I will pay any amount. Just tell me what you want."
"You're so generous. But money isn't the only thing I need."
Lou asked.
"Did the two of you come from Valdina Imperial Castle?"
It took the form of a question, but in reality, it was closer to certainty.
"Why do you think that?"
Lou kept the fact that he understood the ancient language a secret. His father, too, had repeatedly urged him not to tell anyone until he had returned to his rightful place.
"First of all, you don't seem like the type to work under anyone. Considering you want to trade ice and steel, you don't seem to care much about the price or the profit."
Lou said as he answered the question.
"Are you the people sent from above to punish Lord Osric?"
Peleus raised his head at Lou's question.
The candlelight shone on his face as if it had been waiting.
A cool nose and deep eyes, a sense of intimidation that tries to hide but inevitably seeps out faintly.
If he were to take over someone else's work, he seemed like someone in a position that could not be treated lightly.
"I didn't think Valdina would leave Karkan alone forever. I guess that's now."
Peleus realized Lou's misunderstanding. It didn't seem necessary to correct it.
"My lord needs proof of smuggling. Without evidence that Osric is colluding with the enemy, capturing him would be futile."
And that Osric is now intertwined with Barmia.
Lou's heart began to pound as if it would burst.
"You might be able to see higher sooner than you've been waiting."
"Yes. I'll help."
He took a leather pouch out of his bosom and placed it on the table. However, Lou slid the pouch of gold coins that Peleus had placed there toward it.
"I don't need money, but there is one condition."
Lou said, looking into his eyes as if asking what it was.
"I must accompany you unconditionally while you are here.'
"...I will do so if circumstances permit."
Peleus left room for maneuver.
"That won't work."
Lou shook his head.
"It's a must. If I don't accompany you, there will be no deal."
Nathan glanced up at Peleus. It was a look that seemed to be asking for permission on what to do.
Peleus asked.
"May I ask why you suddenly changed your mind?"
Wasn't he the boy who, just moments ago, adamantly insisted that he had absolutely no interest?
"Shall I say I pay for the kind stew you gave the child earlier?"
Lou shrugged his shoulders lightly.
"Don't take it too seriously. I'm famous for getting everything I'm entitled to."
Peleus struggled to read beyond Lou's amber eyes.
However, no clue could be found in the small face.
"Then I’ll take it as acceptance. Here."
As Peleus nodded, Lou held out a piece of paper.
The two medicines landed on the paper.
In the end, Peleus succeeded in signing a contract with the port's fixer.
Comments
Post a Comment