At that moment, the Black anchor headquarters, which had been struggling with the attempted assassination of its leader, was once again thrown into turmoil.
"Didn't you already hand over the ice iron?"
Henrik, the second-in-command of the Black Anchor, shouted as if he had absolutely no idea why.
"It’s been a while since we heard the news that the ice iron was already taken from the mine! I was just about to complain because you didn't send the payment on time!"
However, the administrators of Barmia who stood on the opposite side, especially James, were formidable.
"What are you talking about? We never received the ice iron. And the payment has already been made."
“You paid it?”
Henrik let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded.
"The Leader is currently reeling from the attack, so we have temporarily halted all transactions. But who on earth took the Ice Iron?!"
"You mean trading has stopped?"
James stiffened up.
"Barbo, your third-in-command, his subordinates have come and collected the payment. Look here, look right here!"
James handed over the contract. Handel of the Black anchor also widened his eyes in surprise.
The seal stamped on the contract was clearly that of the Black anchor, but the content and the owner were completely different.
"What, nonsense... Barbo hasn't even taken a step out of the bed to guard the wounded chief now, so who are you sending it to?"
"That hunchback..."
However, no matter how much he tried to ask questions, he couldn't find the hunchback that Barbo was carrying.
Suddenly, an ominous feeling flashed through him.
James stumbled and ran to the cargo ship.
It was already late at night, and the only thing that illuminated the dark harbor was the lamp in James's hand.
The ice iron he found must be here. Tonight, he should have dedicated it to Barmia.
However, the warehouse was empty.
"Uh, uh..."
Only the cool sea breeze swept through the empty space. Not a handful of iron powder was visible, let alone ice.
It was like handing over only the gold in its entirety.
That's also in the current situation, where the funding line within the guild has been curled up.
"Guild leader...!"
James, whose face was pale, trembled and fell backwards.
***
Meanwhile, Lord Osric Castle.
Osric has reigned at the pinnacle of the region as the ruler of the Karkan.
But now, he was frozen with a cold sweat running down his spine.
"Ugh, Your Excellency..."
I heard that the man sitting in front of him, the governor of Barmia, must be about the same age as him.
But Osric couldn't even straighten his shoulders properly under the pressure that was emanating from him.
Maybe it was because of the bloody knights standing on either side of him.
"I didn't expect you to come here yourself. If you had sent the messenger in advance, I would have gone out to greet you myself..."
"You don't seem to be happy that I'm here."
A voice like ice rang out.
A fierce gaze turned to Osric.
Even though his face was quite smooth, his almond-shaped pupils gave him goose bumps, giving him a strange feeling as if he was facing a poisonous snake.
In the past, he was just a Prince who was pushed out of power, but the Crown Prince will certainly die in an assassination, and the next throne will be handed over.
The current King was old, the Crown Prince was young, and the only one worthy of wearing the crown of Barmia was Joachim Lantz.
No matter what, even in Valdina, a foreign country, they exude such arrogance.
The rumor that the state affairs of Barmia were in the palm of his hand did not seem to be false.
"No, it is not. It is an honor. The governor walked from Barmia to this place himself..."
However, considering they came secretly, it would have been better if they had left those fierce guards behind, as they brought quite a lot of them.
But Osric couldn't open his mouth once.
In the barren north, it was only thanks to interest that it was possible to enjoy wealth that was not envied anywhere.
If the ice iron smuggling had been stopped against the governor's wishes, all the splendor and wealth he had enjoyed would disappear like a mirage overnight.
"Has there been no word from the Valdina Imperial Palace yet?"
"Yes? Ah, I didn't hear anything in particular. You can put aside any worries that our affairs might leak to the Imperial City. As such, I have a tight grip on this place, Karkan."
Osric smiled obsequiously to curry favor with Joachim and continued speaking.
"We have sealed off both the harbor and the lord's castle so thoroughly that there isn't a single gap. A few rats did manage to sneak in to uncover the smuggling, but they, too, became food for the fish before they could do anything."
"...If so, I'm glad."
The governor, with a peculiar expression, nodded.
"I have high expectations for your birthday banquet. This banquet will surely be an opportunity for Barmia and Karkan to interact more."
Osric's facial muscles stiffened slightly.
"Yes. As you ordered, I have sent invitations to all influential figures in the Karkan region. Without missing a single one."
'It sounds nice to call it greed, but isn't he using my birthday banquet as an excuse to invite other nobles besides me to strike a new deal?'
Although he was gripped by the fear that he might lose his smuggling business rights, he was intimidated by the fierce demeanor of the Barmia side and had no choice but to do as he was told, even if he had to swallow my tears.
Just then, a small pouch was tossed in front of him with a click.
"This, this is...!"
Inside, there were sparkling diamonds.
"This is a token of our sincerity. We won't touch the Ice Iron, so don't worry unnecessarily. Do you think that is the only thing Barmia would trade?"
With the Governor's assurance and the generous brokerage fee he received, Osric's face lit up.
"Indeed, Your Excellency is truly wise. I, Osric, will do my utmost to assist you during this banquet as your most loyal ally."
With this amount of diamonds, there was enough to cover the expenses of this banquet and still have money left over to last for about 10 more years.
He bowed his head so low that it was almost obsequious.
"In the meantime, please feel at ease and enjoy yourself here as if it were your own home, Your Excellency!"
Osric left his seat with an excited look on his face.
He didn't care at all about the fact that, although he was the owner of the room, he had lost control to a guest.
"What a foolish pig you are. You drool at the mere sight of money."
The subordinate standing next to Joachim spat out, scanning the lord's retreating figure with contempt.
"That is how we got the opportunity. That man's greed opened the floodgates for us, and thanks to that, we were able to stab Valdina in the back."
Suha smiled and replied. He gazed at Joachim with respectful eyes.
"Osric probably believes he has perfectly concealed the smuggling. However, he has no idea who dragged the Emperor of Valdina all the way here."
Joachim's lips twisted slightly.
"Yeah, that stupidity will be over in a week."
"Of course. By the time the banquet ends, all of Karkan's families will have vanished; do you think that fellow will survive the chaos? The same goes for the Emperor of Valdina."
Joachim gave a bitter smile.
"Yes, if rumors spread that the Emperor of Valdina also condoned the catastrophe to purge his own nobles, the history of unity that Valdina has built will inevitably lose its strength."
The pretext that the deaths of domestic nobles were condoned as retaliation for smuggling.
That alone would be enough to plant distrust in the hearts of those incorporated into the Valdina Empire.
"Fear spreads faster than faith and loyalty."
The reason Valdina was able to grow so large was the trust that peace and safety could be enjoyed under their rule.
Joachim intended to break that belief first.
"In the meantime, we will take over Karkan first."
It was to be the first record of the epic saga in which Barmia encroached upon the territory of Valdina.
"But what on earth is the Emperor of Valdina thinking?"
'If such a tempting bait had been cast, they should have marched to Karkan long ago.'
However, the Emperor of Valdina was still staying at the border.
Perhaps that was why pressure continued to come in from the homeland of Barmia, which had become anxious as it was still in a standoff with the Agema army.
The King was restless, afraid of upsetting Valdina.
'How can we change the game without doing anything?'
Joachim had absolutely no intention of accepting a future in which his homeland would decline into a mere small kingdom, pushed back by the two empires of Valdina and Katzen.
His homeland, too, had to move forward.
In that process, this Karkan will serve as the first nutrient.
“It’s a beautiful land.”
Joachim muttered as he looked at the scenery of Karkan unfolding outside the window.
It is a good place for the banner of Barmia to fly.
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