"The assassin who sneaked into the Black Anchor headquarters last night—surely it wasn't you guys, right?"
She asked out of the blue.
Peleus did not answer.
"Ha. I told you not to cause trouble. You really didn't just kill them. If I had known this would happen, I should have told you not to lay a finger on them."
"Wait, we didn't do that."
Nathan immediately protested.
They had never admitted it with their own mouths, but the boy in front of them spoke as if he had already reached a conclusion.
Lou turned his head and asked Peleus again.
“Really?
"..."
Lou was a little funny.
A noble face, an unwavering posture, and the skills that turned the Black Anchor headquarters upside down yesterday.
He could have bet his gold coins that this man was a knight.
"You shouldn't be doing things like spying, knight. It's so obvious."
A knight.
Peleus unconsciously stroked his chin. He didn't think he was defenseless enough to let his identity slip.
"It’s not because of your facial expression. Your appears to be such a man of principle that I am convinced you would never lie."
Lou's gaze swept over Peleus.
"Even now, you would rather keep your mouth shut than deny it, sir."
"...Les."
A low voice came from Peleus.
It was something he said after remaining silent for quite a while.
"Les?"
“It’s my name.”
He meant that he disliked being called "Mr. Knight." Louu swallowed a sigh.
Adding to his thoughts that this client is a man of principle and quite stubborn.
"No. Let me ask you just one thing first. Why did you have to raid the leader of all people?"
"That was the most efficient."
“Efficient?”
"If you strike the head, the torso naturally loses its strength. It is the method to finish it with the least sacrifice."
That is why he chose an opponent surrounded by ghouls, who was several times more difficult and dangerous.
"No, I mean, it was Barbo you bumped into yesterday, and you haven't even met the leader."
Did they target the slush funds hidden by the dark day?
The place where they were staying was too simple for that.
"They have long oppressed and plundered the people while fattening their bellies."
The man asked back calmly.
"Isn't that reason enough?"
Lou was momentarily dazed.
Is it because it is an impeccable and ideal reason, yet he has seen someone for the first time in a very long time who would risk their own safety to realize that justice?
"But..."
He added lowly.
"If the leader had died, the deal could have fallen through. Had it not been for those circumstances, I wouldn't have gone out of my way to keep him alive."
Seeing how he compromises so coldly, it seems he isn't a complete idealist after all.
Lou thought the subordinates working under him must be fuming, but since he always answered his questions, he didn't seem like a completely bad boss.
Les was a truly enigmatic figure.
Perhaps because he was the Emperor's subordinate, his true intentions were hard to read.
However, in a world where everyone is busy chasing only their own desires and interests, it wouldn't be bad to have at least one person who believes in and acts upon such a great cause.
Apart from Barmia, Lou sincerely wanted to help them.
"Yes. As a resident here as well, I am grateful that the harbor was safe, even if only for a short while, thanks to all of you."
Lou gently raised the corners of his mouth.
"And the fact that the leader has stopped acting isn't entirely a bad thing for us right now."
'Actually, it’s a good thing. I had to move very carefully to avoid the leader’s eyes, but now I don’t need to do that anymore.'
Then you will be able to contact Ice Iron's manager sooner.
“Please."
Les answered. Lou realized once again that this person had been using honorifics with him from beginning to end.
Usually, most people who saw Lou for the first time would easily look down on him because of his small stature and low status.
But this man had never done that.
Perhaps that is why Lou felt an uncharacteristic urge to prove his sincerity.
Putting aside his own selfish motives, he promised to help him achieve what he wants.
Lou grabbed the back of his hand without hesitation.
"Just trust me. I will definitely make it happen."
His determination shone through in his clear and unwavering eyes.
The hand gripping the back of Peleus's hand was quite small and smooth for a man, but its grip was surprisingly strong.
"... Yes."
Les's answer came back a beat late.
His expression trembled slightly at the soft, unfamiliar pressure felt on the back of his hand.
Peleus withdrew his hand as if to conceal his embarrassment, but Lou did not notice at all, deeply moved by the fact that he had met a truly great man for the first time in a long while.
"I contacted Ice Iron's manager. And also the Barmia side."
Some time later, Lou visited the abandoned chapel again.
"Thanks to you, I was able to steal the work more easily than I expected."
"Thanks to you"? And what do you mean by "stealing"?
Lou added, noticing the look of confusion in Peleus and his party's eyes.
"So, the Black anchor is currently acting as a middleman. It is a structure where they siphon off ice iron produced from icebergs and resell it to Barmia."
In return, the black anchor pocketed its belly, collecting commissions from both sides.
"This time, we will sever that link and siphon off ice iron and the money at the same time."
As Lou continued his neat explanation, Peleus and his party marveled.
They even decided to contract with a different intermediary on the Barmia side, rather than one pretending to be the Black one.
"I contacted Barmia, and they said they would connect me with ice iron for half the commission."
“Did they agree to that?”
Lou smiled brightly at Nathan's question.
"They said they would cut the distribution fees and commissions in half, and that they would allow Barmia's agent to pocket the difference personally. Considering that Barmia has been double-dealing with the Lord and black anchor, can you imagine just how enormous that amount is?"
Personal advancement is always bound to be at the center of one's worries.
Lou thought that Barmia's representative was not as thirsty for his country's advancement as 'that guy,' and indeed, that was the case.
As he finished speaking, Lou handed over the documents.
"This is the deed of transaction they will sign. We used specially crafted temple ink. Once signed, it cannot be erased by any magic or potion."
"..."
"You need concrete evidence that ice iron is being smuggled out to other countries, right?
Peleus gave no answer. However, one could tell from his silence that the answer had been found.
"What are the date and place?"
"I'll come pick you up."
Lou spoke innocently and smiled.
However, by not disclosing the time and place of the contract in advance, he made it clear that he would not allow them to simply take advantage of him and cast him aside.
"The contract will be impossible without me anyway. I am the only person who has been in contact with the managers."
"What do you plan to do once Black Anchor finds out? If they find out you intervened, there will be retaliation."
Nathan looked up at Peleus for a moment. Is my liege worrying about this informant's future right now?
"Oh dear, considering how long I've been working here, how could I have handled this so carelessly? Would you like to take a look over here?"
Lou pointed to the documents, sending a slight look of gratitude to the rather conscientious client.
Barbo's name was written on the black anchor side next to Barmia's signature line.
"He is an executive of the Black Anchor, and he is currently in need of a large sum of money to cover his gambling expenses. Since he owes me a debt of gratitude, it is the perfect opportunity to borrow his name."
On that day, after realizing that Lou had discovered the secret of the one-eyed man, Barbo made several secret attempts to silence her.
Lou was willing to return that kindness.
"Black anchor doesn't know that I've pulled some strings. And they won't know in the future either."
After Lou left, Nathan shook his head.
He held the transaction certificate made by Lou in his hand.
"That is quite clever. How did he figure out that we were trying to make this deal to find that evidence?"
"It seems he's already roughly figured it out. That we came from the Valdina Imperial Castle."
Peleus recalled the boy's sparkling eyes.
Those eyes, which had shone with vitality, were firm and unwavering. Lou seemed as though he were certain.
That all of this will culminate in peace, safety, and prosperity.
'That child is strong.'
Peleus knew that holding onto that conviction, which is also called hope, was by no means easy.
Those who believe in hope and can move forward are strong.
Perhaps that is why he suddenly had such a thought.
Those days when he headed to the battlefield, leaving behind the death of his parents and his young sister, left him all alone.
If he had had that kind of conviction back then, would something have been different?
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