Elte Sangha recapture battle (1)
It’s probably more than a year old.
It was a day of pouring rain.
The words I heard at that time still linger in Lortel’s mind often.
– ‘Did you say that power gained through betrayal eventually falls through betrayal? I was so vigilant and vigilant, but I don’t think it’s any different.’
The golden king Elte, who was sitting on the convoy headed for the imperial court, was captured and stared at Lortel through the wooden bars.
There was even a chill in his face, which was mixed with a fishy smile.
– ‘Look at me, am I funny?’
The robe, which had always been luxurious, was torn here and there, covered in dirt, and his heavy beard and mustache were soaked in blood.
The sight of him sitting on the floor of a dirty wagon and drenched in the rain… It was too ugly to be considered the words of a colossus who once ruled the continent.
As soon as the convoy departed, Elte Keheln looked straight at Lortel and spoke.
– ‘It would be better not to laugh. Look straight ahead.’
I expected that he would be cursed and abusive, but unexpectedly, he spoke while looking at Lortel calmly.
A peek of his arms revealed a mass of rags that had been ripped, torn and soiled and could no longer be called a colossus’ garment.
In the back compartment of the narrow convoy, where he could not spread his arms out wide, he smiled wryly and spoke to Lortel.
– ‘Your future.’
As he watched the carriage moving away, Lortel had a strangely unpleasant feeling.
Those who prosper by betrayal will eventually come to an end in betrayal.
From the phrases of the temple to the aphorisms among merchants. It was a word that could be found similar phrases everywhere.
Betrayal is a magic sword that, once held in hand, sticks to the person until death and leaves a curse.
Once branded as a traitor, no one believes in him.
If necessary, we can continue the relationship according to the calculation of our interests.
However, no one wants to do the business of a lifetime with a person with a history of betrayal or to build a relationship of trust that goes beyond their interests.
If you have seized power by betrayal, you must live in solitude until the day you usurp that power.
The moment I become vigilant and lose my mind, the blade of betrayal that once held in my own hand will pass over to someone else and pierce my chest.
If you already have the forbidden weapon in your hand, there is no way to escape.
Especially in the world of commerce where trust and credibility are worth a thousand dollars.
While rushing towards the pre-planned catastrophe, struggling to hold on for even one more day… when the time comes, he will have no choice but to face his death humbly.
Until the moment of such finality, no one will believe in Lortel Keheln.
At least in the world of merchants, the end of those who ascended the throne through treachery has always been like that.
pouring rain.
Lortel Keheln narrowed her brow as she watched the departing convoy.
For her, who was smiling like a squirrel, it was a pretty serious face.
*“What’s the mood?”
The same question was asked once more, but this time the subject was different.
Clean and beautiful Lortel’s private villa. Lortel, who had changed clothes and sat on a rocking chair by the fireplace, looked at the bell standing quietly next to him and asked directly.
“Why are Ed and Yenika sunbaenim creating an atmosphere where they are careful and respectful to each other like newlyweds who just had a night out?”
“…”
“And why can’t you keep your eyes on my question like this, Mr. Bell?”
Lortel’s question is sharp. Bell let out a cold sweat, running his brain to full power.
While working at the Ophelis Hall, I have gone through all sorts of crises, but this is the first time I have been so caught up in an outsider.
I’ve tried all kinds of wit to find a way to somehow manage the situation, but of course there’s no way to solve it.
So, in the end, Bell has only one option. It is merely conveying the facts as they are.
“Miss Yenica and Master Ed kissed.”
One line summary success.
He only uttered one sentence, and Bell almost choked. Seeing Lortel’s expression with her eyes raised so hard, she was surprisingly comfortable.
“…”
No, it was solid.
“Are you embarrassed?”
“…little bit?”
“You just have to be embarrassed.”
“no. Actually, looking back, it’s not something to be embarrassed about. In the first place, I got the clothes on first.”
“….Yes? Have you two ever kissed?”
Bell asked in amazement, and Lortel swallowed a gasp.
“…I made a mistake.”
“…it’s okay. I have a heavy mouth.”
“No, it is not something to hide in the first place. If possible, it might be better to show it off to the public.”
Lortel, who wore skirt-type pajamas and had her hair braided to one side, had a different impression than usual. Rather than being a cold-hearted merchant, she looks more like a girl.
Unlike the Ophelis Hall, which must always maintain dignity, or the Elte Company, which has to maintain the coolness of being a merchant… In Lortel’s private villa, it’s okay to stay in a comfortable state.
This is better and more comfortable than I thought, so Lortel was secretly excited before returning to school. Although he has accumulated so much wealth, there are not as many places where he can rest comfortably with his burdens on his shoulders.
“Are you going to show it off to the whole world?”
“Yes, that’s right… I’m the first person to kiss Ed-senpai… It’s probably best to talk like that and make it a reality…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…It’s not like that. I have something called shame.”
Although smirk and shows a lot of fox-like appearances, Lortel is also a girl of that age.
I can’t stand proudly boasting that I kissed anyone. Anyway, in terms of dating, it’s not even at the level of being better than Yenica. Rather, it is close to nonsense.
“Ehh…”
I dreamed of living in a camp life where I ran into Ed whenever I had a chance, but as soon as I arrived, I was not in a good mood when I saw Yenica, who had a pink atmosphere.
The clash with Yenika was somewhat prepared. Still, it’s more painful than I thought.
Lortel took a deep breath as she pressed her throbbing head down.
“After I dealt with the work that was pushed back from the Old Deck and squeezed some pus, Aken Island is moving completely differently than I expected. There is not a single day of peace.”
“That… Miss Lortel.”
“…why?”
“Are you planning to use any other number…”
He asks a pretty personal question for a bell. A maid who is inherently superior in skills draws a line with the employee and never goes beyond that…
In fact, Bell had already expected it. As for the crazy relationship around Ed Roth Taylor, he has already given up on traffic control.
In the meanwhile, he is arguing for the fact that there has been progress with Yenika, but that doesn’t clear up Ed’s surroundings anyway.
Rather, if it accelerated the confusion, it accelerated it, but it cannot be a solution.
So Bell had to ask. Are you up to something?
“Well… one thing is for sure: you can’t sit still.”
“…”
difficult!
I don’t really want to cheer for anyone just because it’s Bell Maia.
In fact, the women around Ed each have their own story or have gone through a complicated life history.
They applauded as they made progress with Yenika, but they were just happy to see the progress in Ed’s relationship.
As the maid in charge of the Ophelis Hall, I watched all the girls from the nearest point, so it would not be strange to say that Bell knew them much better than Ed himself.
In the end, Bell is nothing more than a figure in the middle, but… he doesn’t lose to anyone as much as he does with his eyesight.
“Lady Lortel is so busy… there are some things that can’t be helped.”
In the end, the only thing that the used dori can do is match Lortel’s words.
It was a pitiful position, but Bell was not able to take the initiative in creating the situation.
“However, I have no choice but to go back to Old Deck during vacation…”
“It looks like you are in a lot of hurry with the Old Deck side.”
“Rather than rush…”
Lortel was about to say more, but then shut her mouth. From Bell’s point of view, it wasn’t too embarrassing.
No matter how comfortable I am, I am in a position where I have to choose a horse. When I work at the Ophelis Hall, I see and live with people who are in such a position.
The same goes for Lortel. No, rather, Lortel was in a more special position.
“The old foxes of Oldek… they live with nothing but ideas to get behind the hosi-tam-tam.”
She has already been beaten once by her former maid Jean Ellis.
And she was also in a position to succumb to Elte Keheln, the former owner of the company, and many merchants in Oldek also tried to beat Lortel in many cases.
So Lortel is more cautious.
There is no one in the world who can be completely trusted. We will only continue our partnership as long as our interests are in line with each other.
Sadly, Lortel’s relationships have been like that for the rest of his life.
“If I don’t go back to the Old Deck periodically and get rid of all the hacky insiders, I don’t know if I’ll get a knife in my stomach at some point. When the weight of power is heavy, more people covet it.”
“Then it must have been a big measles season this season as well.”
“Something like book manipulation and embezzlement are cute. The old foxes in the upper headquarters drove me to the level of corruption left behind by the old-generation establishment, Elte Keheln. After all, I was his adopted daughter… That’s enough reason to drive him that way.”
Bell had to be careful about what to say after hearing that.
Apparently, it was a sensitive issue for Lortel, so even Bell, who was good at conduct, was quite embarrassed.
“Oh, I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I’m sorry, I’m talking about such a bleak story.”
“no. When I work at the Ophelis Hall, I see a lot of people with complicated circumstances. You don’t have to be too embarrassed.”
“Anyway, Bell has an atmosphere that softens people’s hearts. It makes me talk about unnecessary things…”
“I will listen to it as a compliment.”
As Lortel burrowed back into the armchair, Bell said, capturing the remains of the meal on the table.
“Anyway, Miss Lortel is just working hard to keep my place and well-being. It’s a natural thing, and I don’t think there’s any need to be offended or to give a lot of meaning to it.”
Bell always speaks only the theory. It’s theoretical, but in the end it’s the right thing to say.
It does not contain any great truth, but its solidity has a mysterious power to heal people’s hearts.
“Isn’t it a world where everyone is busy trying to make a living? When you live there, there are times when good things come and times when bad things happen.”
“It’s like Mr. Bell.”
Lortel closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh.
“When you have money and power in your hands, amazing things happen. When I come to my senses, it erodes my life and my life, and in the end it makes it difficult for me to live my daily life without money and power.”
“I’ve never had both, so I can’t empathize with them…”
“What is certain is whether it is money or power, it is better to not have it in the first place.”
What does Lortel want to say? Why did you bring up this story?
The intention began to be read a little, and Bell just listened without responding.
“There are only flies around already entangled in money and power, and if you lose both money and power in that state… you will be left with nothing but endless loneliness for the rest of your life.”
“Lady Lortel…”
“Yeah, what’s the difference with me? I’d be afraid of that too. Magical skills, natural narration, past achievements, all in vain.”
Lortel has already lived in the swamp of merchants since childhood, when she could barely read.
“If I lose money and power, what will I have left? Me and my surroundings will be empty.”
“You don’t have to think that way.”
“Oh, thank you for denying me. However, I also know how to do a minimum of self-objectification.”
Lortel, buried in the armchair, felt more relaxed than usual.
Every time I go to Old Deck, the reality touches my skin more and more.
After all, all the authority of Lortel comes from money and power.
Numerous achievements at a young age and the profits left in his hands make people around him look at Lortel and bow his head.
The employees of the trading company, the management of the business partners, the leadership of the competitive company, the ruler of the old deck back alley, and even the captain in charge of the sailing ship… The core of all human relationships Lortel had built was that money and power.
Lortel reflected in Belle’s eyes… seems infinitely lonely.
I am old enough to not know the winds and waves of the cold reality. In a more romantic place like Sylvania, it is the age to set goals far from reality and dream of dreams.
I became an adult too early because I had to get up on my own on the road with nothing.
It wouldn’t have been very enjoyable.
“So you are risking your life to protect your vested interests. There is no great reason, such as accumulation of wealth or proof of ability.”
“…”
“Because I only have this.”
For a bard who travels the world with a light body, a lute around his neck is the best treasure.
An empty can used to collect coins is the best treasure for beggars who hunt on the street.
Lortel is no different. However, it is only slightly larger.
This is all I have left, so I hold it in my arms and don’t let it go for fear of snatching it away… Is it nothing more than a child’s envy?
Isn’t it too much of a metaphor to compare his ugly inner self, who hears the sly and cruel fox, to a child’s tantrums?
With a self-helpful smile, Lortel was basking in the fireplace.
“Do you have Master Ed?”
“…”
“At least as much as Ed, I think he’s looking at the lady Lortel himself.”
Bell is sharp. Always hit a blind spot and come in.
“That’s why you’re so obsessed with Ed, aren’t you?”
A boy who was always sitting by the campfire by the campfire, sharpening his bow with a dagger.
He is a man who somehow seems to be out of touch with reality.
Whether it’s three gold coins or billions of gold, they’re all looking at me with blank eyes, and it seems like they’ll just say hello to Lortel.
He is a person who is completely out of touch with Lortel’s worldview.
From the cold streets of Old Deck to Aken Island where Sylvania is located.
I’ve met a lot of people, but I could say that he was the most unusual of them all.
What is trust that can be exchanged without cost? How much do you have to pay to buy it?
How valuable is the mutual trust that can be obtained by not buying with money?
“There are quite a few people like Master Ed in the world.”
“…”
Human beings are truly sad. It is designed to crave more of what it cannot have.
So, for Lortel, communicating with Ed is as frustrating as walking with an expensive piece of glass in your hand.
If there is a slight deviation, the relationship between Ed and Lortel will be defined by the logic of profit and loss… It will become such a transactional relationship.
However, if you just spread it out of any interest, it will end up being nothing more and nothing less than a relationship maintained by money.
From noblemtl.com
Maintaining that sense of balance is a suffocating and tense job for Lortel, who has been training his life skills on all commercial fronts.
Whether we go this way or that way, I’m afraid that even the slightest twist will destroy our mutual trust with Ed.
fear.
Yes. The name of that emotion is fear.
It’s like clenching a handful of sand with your fist. Even a little carelessness will seep it through your fingers and disappear into dust.
If you open your fists too late, there will be nothing left. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid.
“Actually, these days, I’m feeling 50,000 different emotions that I haven’t felt in my entire life.”
“Such. You were in a lot of pain.”
“No, it’s not difficult. Rather, it might be the proper expression to be happy.”
Feelings of loss, jealousy, monopoly, love, fear, ecstasy, palpitations, tension, anxiety, sense of accomplishment, and relief.
It feels like pouring lubricant into a heart that has hardened like a cold machine from living in the muddy world of commerce.
He has spent his whole life as a merchant who builds walls, draws lines, and observes the behavior of others from the outside no matter who he meets.
To such a Lortel, these arrogant thoughts and feelings are rather special. It is like a person who has been blind for a long time sees the world in full color again after decades.
I don’t think of the business representative over the negotiating table, but the boy sharpening the bow over the bonfire.
Instead of looking for the poison clause in the contract or thinking about how much our profits will fall… we think about what the boy is thinking, what the boy is worried about, what he ate today, what kind of appointment he will make tomorrow, etc. do.
The sound of the crackling fireplace tickled his ears, like the sound of a campfire, and warmth permeated Lortel’s body.
Seeing Lortel, who slowly closed her eyes and was resting peacefully, Bell closed her eyes without speaking any more.
If every moment of pushing and pulling with Ed is a treasure trove of time for Lortel, it will also be valuable.
In the first place, the value judgment was not made by Bell. The maid’s job is only housework and life assistant.
With that thought in mind, Bell busily prepared for work.
*“By the way, I got food supplies from Elte Trading Company… but the unit price has increased a lot. From now on, I think we will have to reduce the order quantity a little according to the delivery unit price, or apply for an increase in the budget at the Academic Headquarters.”
“Oh my, what was that… it happened. For some reason, prices around Aken Island are on the rise.”
“Okay… I was very surprised when I checked the unit price list this morning. The Ophelis Hall will take action as soon as possible, so can you keep the distribution itself for the time being? The deterioration of the quality of the meal is an unacceptable matter according to the operation policy of the Ophelis Hall…”
Talk about work as briefly as possible.
At first, Lortel in a private villa is in a position to rest. Bell is not so ignorant as to even try to talk about logistics and distribution in such a place.
When all the basic tasks are done, Bell opens the door to go back to the Ophelis Hall.
Just before we said goodbye, I thought I’d finish the job neatly by shuffling things in.
“Hmm… I expected that the cost of food delivery would go up… Was it that much of a burden?”
“I thought you were aware of the fact that Ms. Lortel had paid for it in the unit price document.”
“Because I was absent. While I’m away, the working area of the Sylvania branch is being taken over by Dunne, an action agent on our company’s side. Approval was probably also settled at the Dune Line.”
Lortel swung the collar of her loose pajamas and said while tilting her head.
“However, I was expecting an increase in inflation itself, but I did not know that it would be that much. I’ll have to check it out myself tomorrow. Are there any materials left in the file room of the upper branch?”
“It was decided yesterday and today, so it will probably remain.”
“I see. We will maintain the distribution itself. Ophelis Hall is a good business partner, so we have to take care of that level of convenience. Judging by the amount of circulation, it is unlikely that there will be a loss.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
So Bell politely greeted Lortel. It seemed that the work would have to end here.
“Oh right, Bell. Next time you come, bring some wine. It was the kind I kept personally in my room when I was in the Ophelis.”
“Bringing is fine, but… can you keep it?”
“I personally ordered a small wine cellar in the basement of the villa. I haven’t checked yet, but…”
“I haven’t received the basement key yet. The basement has been recently completed, so it hasn’t been cleaned properly yet.”
“is that so. That’s a bit sad. Next time, please get the key and clean it up.”
“All right.”
After receiving Lortel’s greetings, I closed the door and left the villa. Lortel’s villa, which was built quite neatly and nicely, looked plausible even at night.
Looking at the other side, Ed’s camp, which is a little far away, comes into view. It was already midnight, but the bonfire was still lit.
When I got a little closer, I saw a blonde boy sitting around the bonfire. He hadn’t slept yet, and he was still watching the fire and smelling the grass of the forest.
In the middle of the forest filled with only the rustling of leaves, the boy was sitting alone.
“Aren’t you sleeping?”
Bell packed his bags and glanced at Ed as he passed across the camp.
Ed was sharpening his bow with a dagger. Apparently it was working.
“…”
“Don’t make that face. It doesn’t take that much effort to refine the equipment. It’s perfect for rehabilitation.”
“I didn’t say anything… I didn’t.”
“…”
Bell already knew empirically. Ed is not the type of person to be dried up.
However, Bell’s concerns went in a slightly different direction.
Seeing Lortel feeling at ease just by sympathizing with him with deep meaning in his relationship with Ed… It made his mood more complicated.
Whether it’s Lortel, Yenica, or Lucy, everyone has their own way of leaning towards Ed.
However, Ed’s body and mind are all one and the same. Why can’t humans be divided into three? God is really wild.
Feeling complicated, Bell sat across from Ed for a moment.
“…why are you making such a hard face? Well… if I have some time, I can sharpen my bow a bit… I won’t overdo it, so don’t worry…”
“It’s not like that. just…”
Bell sat slightly and looked at Ed for a long time with an anguished look on his face.
“Do you know… you can use something like self-immolation?”
“…what did you eat wrong?”
“No… I’m sorry…”
So the night of the camp was deepening.
Auto inmolación? Quiere que se mate? XD