74. Even monkeys fall from trees
“Sup… Whoa…. So, are you going to leave after all?”
Ras, the director of the Levenor Exchange, involuntarily frowned at the tobacco smoke coming out of the old man’s mouth.
‘This old woman is really…. Like smoking a cigarette in front of a customer….’
I don’t know what it would have been like in the past, but the old man in front of me now was very shabby. Modest attire, modest gestures, modest drawing room. But even so, Lars captured every single movement of the old man in his eyes.
Perhaps it was because he was old and hit by the wind, the old man’s arms would occasionally pause in the air and twitch slightly. His hair had long since gone gray, and his tall face, which had always smiled wildly, was wrinkled with wrinkles. Even so, the old man’s face didn’t look too bad.
Some say middle-aged. Although the old man in front of me was not middle-aged, he never looked ugly even though he had grown old. He even looked rather sophisticated.
“Answer?”
While frantically spying on the old man’s actions, Lars suddenly came to his senses at the words of the old man who urged him to answer.
“Ah… yes, old man I want to stand on my own soon.”
“What is it like to stand alone… This time he, there he… He must have been anxious since he saw what the central market would not have seen.”
The old man in front of me definitely belonged to the finely aged side, but he did not look like someone in a high position. In other words, why is Lars, who is in charge of the manager of the largest currency exchange in Harman, bowing his head repeatedly to this shabby old man?
A merchant who will remain as a legend. The greatest colossus on the continent, and the richest man whose fortune cannot be estimated. A tycoon among tycoons who is said to have a deep understanding of the flow of money.
The old man in front of me was such a person.
‘I don’t know how it is now, but it’s definitely a masterpiece.’
Even though the old man’s appearance may seem shabby, his golden eyes were the same as when he was young. Eyes that see the flow of money. A mark of greed that measures the exact price of an object and makes a profit in any way.
Golden Eyes. Even though others may see insignificant, ubiquitous yellow eyes, this old man’s eyes from a merchant’s point of view are definitely different.
Right now, the old man’s eyes were constantly rolling his eyes as if he were trying to judge Rath’s quality, trying to put a price on it.
Bantique Vigil, a genius merchant and leader of the Harman Merchant Guild.
He is in charge of the top lord of the Vigil Merchant, the most famous and gigantic guild on the continent, and the person who holds the trade in Harman, the continent’s best commercial city with a canal. His success story, which came up from the bottom, was indeed a heroic story in the legend itself, which warmed the hearts of merchants.
Van Tiq Vigil said, rubbing the cigarette in his hand into a glass ashtray to put out the fire.
“Coke!… If the smoke at the beginning of the year makes you uncomfortable, I’m sorry. I’m not feeling well these days, so even the priests ask me to smoke medicinal tobacco often…. Well, I hope you understand.”
“Ah… no. It’s okay. hahahaha….”
“It’s okay. Your face is looking very sh*tty, what is it?”
Ah. You heard everything. He tried to hide his expression as much as possible, but he could not escape the eyes of Vantic, who had lived as a merchant for decades.
Bantique still has a faint smile on his face, but a contractor might be hired after he leaves it behind. With the momentum of the Merchants Guild back, he sat in the position of director of the currency exchange, so it probably wouldn’t be a big deal to appoint a new director after dealing with Lars without even realizing it. Lars swallowed his saliva and continued to speak while watching Van Thik’s eyes.
“Uh, old man. So… Leaving the Merchant Guild, how….”
“On the other side.”
“… Yes?”
Van Teak, who had erased his smile from Lars, corrected his posture, sat down, and asked again.
“If you go under those thugs, I will collect less protection tax…. What, is that so?”
“What are you talking about….”
“Don’t try to trick me. I already know everything.”
Bantique’s golden eyes were calm, but Lars could see some emotion rippling in those calm eyes.
He was quietly angry.
“If you crawl under those thugs. Do you think they will use you seriously, Lars? You’re welcome!”
“Old man….”
“I am Bantiq Vigil! Those thugs are nothing! If I could just lift my finger, it wouldn’t be a job to wipe out these low-quality thugs from this city… !”
After a brief pause, Van Thiek calmed his excitement and caught his breath.
“… I won’t talk too long Think again.”
At Vantik’s angry scolding, Lars’ mind was inclined towards the Merchant Guild for a moment. But.
“… Can you reconsider, can’t you?”
Ras took the risk and bowed his head once more. Although Vantique almost monopolizes Harman’s business, rumors are already circulating that the lord’s representative and the queen of the underworld were terribly broken in a three-way confrontation.
The Queen of the Underworld. She, too, has a social status that is incomparable to Van Tiq, so it would be good for her to get away from the heavy membership dues of her Merchant Guild this time.
“… It looks like he has no intention of fixing it. Like an idiot.”
“Sorry.”
“There is nothing to be sorry about. Just keep in mind that I buried one of those thugs’ business.”
“Yes, yes?!”
This old woman has finally become senile. Her underworld queen is a woman who terribly cares about her own establishment. She said that she buried one of her businesses.
“Oh, no… old man! Wait a minute! What, did you bury it?! What is that… !”
“Clack… Where the fiends roll their money, over there… Stabbed in the garrison. Some of the merchants on our side are a bit bleeding, but the money line over there is half of the drug dealers. It is worth taking this much loss.”
“That’s not what I mean… !”
“What, are you worried about retaliation from the other side?”
Yes. No matter what anyone says, the ruler of the underworld doesn’t even blink an eye at the opponent. What on earth were you thinking when you challenged her to a fight like that?
“Don’t worry. I’ve already talked with the garrison commander. If we rush in from the other side and rush in first, we can release the garrison and hit it once and for all.”
“Ah… !”
“Of course they aren’t idiots either, so they wouldn’t think of retaliation. It’s fine not to worry.”
Ras was contemplating once again leaving the Merchant Guild. Should I get out of this or should I stay?
From what I’ve heard so far, Van Tiq’s plan seems overwhelmingly advantageous. No matter how much she is the Queen of the Underworld, it would be impossible to deal with both the Garrison and the Merchant Guild at once.
Thump! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Just when Lars was in serious trouble, he heard the sound of someone rushing towards him.
Then the door slams! It opened, and one of Vantiq’s henchmen hurriedly entered the room.
“Why is there such a fuss?”
“Uh, old man… ! That… !”
“Speak slowly. What’s the matter?”
Bantique’s henchman, who was gasping for breath, hurriedly opened his mouth before long.
“It’s a big deal! Robbers have broken into the Levener Exchange!”
“… What, what?!”
It is said that even monkeys fall from trees.
Both of you, Vantik and Lars, immediately ran out of the room.
* * *
“Ugh, sh*t is heavy….”
Entering a narrow, deserted alleyway, we lifted our shoulders, put our sacks on the floor, and threw off our stuffy masks and robes.
At Becky’s request, robbing the money changer went smoothly. The security guards dispatched by the Merchant Guild were all idiots who couldn’t even grate properly, so it might have been natural for things to end so blandly.
“Ah, my shoulder hurts…. Seniors. But can we do something like this?”
“What, what can I do? I was worried about how to cover up the killing of the gate manager, but it turned out well.”
“Ummm… I’m not sure….”
Princess Alexis, a good-natured young lady, didn’t seem to like this incident very much. Well, to say that the son of a prestigious aristocratic family agreed to rob the money changer. If this is found out, it will go to the monastery.
“Princess. It’s okay. You can trust what Becky does. That guy is sure about getting things done.”
“Oh, no, that’s not it….”
“They say the money will be returned anyway, isn’t there any problem? It’s just that we’re holding it for a while. Right, Royman?”
“You can think of us as purifying dirty money.”
“That’s total money laundering….”
“Uh-huh, Robin. Even if they say it’s okay.”
If everything goes according to Becky’s plan, the moneychanger will probably turn his back on the Merchant Guild and work under Becky. Then, all Becky has to do is put the money we stole back into the money exchange manager’s hands in the name of helping the exchange office that suffered major damage.
The money will eventually go back to its original owner, and it’s good for my friend Becky. Well, this is a good sister and a good brother-in-law.
“… Is that so?”
“That’s right. It’s not a crime if you don’t get caught.”
“… Sylvia. Is that too criminal an idea?”
“Senior. We are already criminals.”
“Write! You’re a criminal We are just business partners with Becky.”
Since we were chatting while sitting on a baggy bag of money, as Becky said, the person to collect the money approached us.
“Are you the people who worked?”
“Yes. Did Becky send you?”
“Yes. Excuse me, but things….”
“Here.”
As I sneaked away and showed the sack full of golden coins, the organizer asked with admiration.
“Huh…. There are many. Is this all?”
“I packed it in as tight as I could. There was so much money in the exchange office that even after taking out so much, there was still a lot left.”
“I see.”
Soon, the gold coins in the sack began to be moved into a wooden barrel. It’s probably safer to carry it hidden in a keg rather than the sack that you just robbed.
“Huh…. It’s the first time I’ve seen a sight like this.”
“Luna. You can’t follow that.”
“I, I know….”
All the money was moved, and the four kegs full of money were put on a wheelbarrow.
“Thank you for your hard work. We will take care of the rest.”
“Yes. Curse me.”
After seeing off the humble members of the thugs, we got out of the alley first to avoid overlapping.
“Move quickly!”
“Damn it, what kind of madman robbed money changers?!”
I casually passed the guards belonging to the Merchant Guild rushing over from a distance and calmly moved to the place where I was supposed to meet up with Becky.
“It’s easy.”
“It’s easy.”
“It’s easy.”
I don’t know if I should change my occupation to robbery.