Episode 110
cold winter (5)
Antonio, the third son of the Spinola family, rubbed the snowball with both hands as he lowered the papers he was looking at.
“Something like dogs. Seriously, it annoys people. Are you saying you’re going to drown hundreds of thousands of people?”
There was a hint of rage in his voice.
Subjugation of the sea king failed.
Due to the sea king’s frenzy, the waterspout intensified, and an additional abnormal change was detected in the updraft that was supporting the floating archipelago… … .
At this rate, there is a high risk that the archipelago will fall or be drowned… … Therefore, it is necessary to find a new way to deal with the sea king, but it is not easy… … .
In the report, which contains all the bad contents, the part that angered him the most was the last part.
It is worth reconsidering the need to positively review Troyban’s demands… … .
Dog-like Troy-Ban!
No, the expression ‘dog’ is also a pity for them.
The dog at least knew the words loyalty and trust very well.
But they had none of that.
Venota and the floating archipelago, where the 3 shipping houses, including Spinola, are located, were in fact an ideal terrain that was difficult to find in the Empire.
One of the few ＜mysteries＞ known to the world.
A place where a huge ocean current flowing on the seabed meets the magical wind of a submarine volcano located in the deep sea plain, causing a wide-area updraft, and as a result, dozens of large and small islands floated into the air.
Due to the considerable distance from the continent, the floating archipelago has formed a unique ecosystem and culture since ancient times.
Such a temperament has continued to this day, and it has become a lawless zone where refugees and criminals who have been expelled from the continent gather, but it has also become a huge zone of interest.
In particular, due to its location, it was possible to function as an intermediate hub port that could distribute logistics all over the world, so the banking industry was greatly developed.
Maritime Federation.
This was the background to the birth of an absolute powerhouse that controls all sea-based trade routes.
In particular, they were classified as Elector Counts (選帝侯), who had the right to vote necessary to elect the emperor of the empire today.
As much as that, the influence they had on this empire and the world was very great.
But,
Recently, the floating archipelago has encountered an unexpected disaster.
The ocean current that connected the continent and the floating archipelago began to shake, and abnormal changes were also detected in the magical wind updraft that supported the islands.
In fact, some of the floating islands had particularly severe earthquakes, and some were slowly sinking to the surface.
Right now, the islanders are told that it is just a light earthquake caused by the activity of an undersea volcano.
It was impossible to hide this fact forever.
Moreover, the 3rd shipping company knew very well who the cause of this abnormal change was.
Troy Ban.
The culprit who broke the balance between the stable ocean current and the magical wind updraft.
the problem is,
‘That means we don’t have the power to put pressure on them right now.’
No matter how much Spinola is a well-known force in the underworld, it was nothing compared to Troyban, the great family.
Even if the Shipping Federation joined forces to pressure the logistics going to Troy Ban, their influence was limited because they were located in the east.
Even though the most usable hand was banking… … .
‘That’s because those guys aren’t particularly cooperative.’
Underworld Spinola.
Grimal of banking.
Make sure to read from noble mtl dot com
Lomelyn of shipping vessels.
I wonder if these three families will be able to overcome the current crisis only if they come together in one mind.
Grimal was not particularly cooperative in this case.
‘It’s probably because of the confidence that they can move their base at any time, unlike the other two families that are doing business based on the region.’
It seemed that some kind of negotiations were already going on behind the scenes between Grimal and Troyvan. No, it was clear that there was.
Hard!
Antonio clenched his molars.
Even if he can’t boast that he lived a clean life because he is also in the dark,
I thought that the attachment to my hometown was sincere, so I could never easily overlook this incident.
‘Under the sea… … The sea king who is coiled under the floating islands, no matter how he finds a way to use his hands.’
Took!
Took!
Antonio seriously pondered as he pounded the table with his index finger.
Should we borrow the power of foreign powers separately?
‘The imperial family has already gone bankrupt for a long time, so I won’t be able to say anything about it… … northward. I heard that Ragnar of the North has recently set up a confrontation with Troyban. What if I stretch out my hand there?’
But it was true that this too was stirred inwardly.
If you reach out your hand to Ragnar, but Troyban notices it and immediately uses your hand to the sea king, everything is over.
In the end, the best thing is to take care of it yourself.
“Ugh… … !”
It was at that time that Antonio was trembling with his fists because he could not see the way.
smart.
“Antonio. This is Paolo.”
The door opened with a knock and an old butler entered.
He was also a secretary who assisted Antonio by his side for a long time.
“What is going on?”
“That is.”
At Paolo’s words, Antonio dried his face with both hands and then raised his head again.
“If the butler would say so… … good. Bring all three of you here.”
* * *
“I’ll leave all of this work up to you, so take care of yourself. However, whenever you need our help, give us a signal.”
Following the guidance of the old butler, the way to move to the new mansion.
Selford and Arin conveyed their thoughts to Theo.
Theo was deeply grateful.
As much as he participated as a shooter, he must have a lot of worries about the operation led by a rookie, but he trusts me casually.
Thanks to,
The setting could be made right away, with Theo being an unknown martial artist’s spirit, and Shelford and Arin being his escort swordsmen.
‘At this time, there was quite a buzz about whether the floating islands would sink to sea level or not. Then suddenly, like a lie, it suddenly disappeared. Could there be some connection between the Shipping Federation and Troy Ban in the background?’
While Theo was agonizing over the cause of the Collusion between the Shipping Federation and Troy Ban, the carriage arrived at the mansion before anyone knew it.
“This is it.”
Befitting one of the 3 shipping houses that are said to handle a lot of money, Spinola’s mansion boasted a very splendid appearance.
‘It looks glamorous on the outside, but it doesn’t look good.’
Perhaps thanks to the aesthetic sense he had learned from Cecilia, Theo was not particularly impressed by the splendid interior of the mansion without any particular theme or unity.
Selford and Arin weren’t interested in that either.
However, it seemed to No Butler that such a reaction was ‘trying to pretend that the villagers were not surprised as much as possible’.
Her triumphant footsteps were laughable.
“Go in. Inside, Antonio is waiting for you.”
The door opened and I went inside, and a man in his 30s with a clean look in a suit greeted me enthusiastically.
“You have worked hard to come a long way. Please sit down here. My name is Antonio, the third son of Spinola.”
Inside, there was a table with refreshments and cigars.
Theo glanced over there, but didn’t go in right away and asked in a cold manner.
“Why did you keep telling me to come and go? I came because the Confucius of Spinola said he wanted to see his face, but it would be boring if he asked me to come and see his face for no particular reason.”
Cheeky yet arrogant attitude.
If an ordinary mercenary, a mercenary, or something like that showed up like this, they would have buried it in the back mountain without even knowing the mouse or bird.
‘You mean you destroyed an entire branch by yourself?’
Antonio rather accepted Theo’s attitude as pride in his skills.
In particular, Theo, who had a rough tone and a beautiful appearance that even most beauties could not match, was a noble family member.
Even the clothes he was wearing were hidden in a precious eye that merchants and rich people could not imitate.
It was clear that they were the children of a huge samurai family and escort knights.
‘Soon there will be a meeting of the three shipping houses. If only there were such talented people out there.’
Antonio’s eyes shone with various calculations, but he quickly hid them underneath and smiled kindly.
“Couldn’t you be wasting precious people’s time with something like that? I asked you to visit such a shabby place because I wanted to apologize for the foolish behavior of my subordinates and also give you a good suggestion. Would you like to sit down?”
It was a compliant attitude for a son of a large family.
After all, should I say that he is a merchant rather than an aristocrat?
After dealing only with the arrogant Ragnar people, it was fun to meet a new human figure after a long time.
“I will.”
“hahahaha. As you can see from the outside, he is angry.”
Antonio sat across from Theo’s group and quickly looked at them.
Young Theo sat in the top seat, and the other two took the bottom seat as if it were natural.
It means Theo is the leader of the group.
The arrogant attitude also suited him too well.
“The Red Knit Plain in the south has the right amount of sunlight and temperature, so the coffee always has a unique aroma. I took it out because it is a noble person, but I am not sure if it will suit your taste.”
“Is this redknit acid? I thought it was from the highlands of Pharaoh because it smelled like lemon?”
“Oh, is that so? this. I guess I made a mistake. I will have to ask the butler to bring it back.”
“It happened. I didn’t come here to enjoy coffee.”
Theo picked up a cigar from the tabletop, casually cut the top with a cutter knife, and lit a match while holding it in his mouth.
Cheeik!
Whoa-
“… … Did you know you could do something like this?”
The movements were so natural that even Selford was slightly surprised.
Theo smiled slightly as he recalled his past life.
“He nagged Erica not to drink alcohol. If you knew this, you would be quite upset.”
“Still, I like it. Are these cigars from the Baoyan Desert? I always liked the smell of cacao.”
“As expected, your eyes are excellent. You know right away.”
“I also like a sprinkling of Cubana nut powder from the Ufman side here. Then the scent will be very unique.”
“Oh, that’s a way I didn’t know. I will buy one and enjoy it.”
“You won’t regret it.”
Antonio was sure that Theo was the son of a great family.
It was a luxury and taste that I would never know otherwise.
“Then let’s get down to business. Are you trying to make a business proposal?”
“I heard that the three of you are currently conducting tests.”
“Did you even look at our access records?”
Theo narrowed his eyes in displeasure, and Antonio quickly lowered his head.
“sorry. However, we also committed rudeness because we had to be sure.”
“It happened. Anyway, so?”
“Recently the current heading towards Venotta has not been very stable. There are also many marine species.”
seawater species.
It was a general term for the monsters living in the sea.
“Would you like us to be your escort troops?”
“Could I ask you such a rude favor? It won’t be comparable to Rant-sama (Theo’s pseudonym), but we also have separate escort troops.”
“By the way?”
“But, just in case there could be a situation… … .”
“Let’s go together?”
“Yes. Instead, we will arrange first class seats as well as all the expenses you need in Venota.”
Theo let out a laugh.
“Do you know what we can do there?”
“I am proud to say that I have a good eye for people. He certainly won’t do anything to harm Benotta.”
“hahahaha. Just the words make me feel good. Can you stay for quite some time though?”
“There is a saying that a spinola is a corpse without money.”
“You are confident. good. Anything else you want to ask for? Do you think that was the purpose?”
Despite looking young, he’s good at political tricks and conversations.
In Antonio’s mind, the evaluation of Theo continued to rise.
“Please lend me your strength just once when I ask.”
“Do you know what it is?”
“You can listen to the request and decide whether to accept it or not. However, I can assure you on my name that it will be beneficial to Rant-sama as well, and will never harm you.”
“huh. What kind of honor is there in the name of a mere vulgar merchant?”
Despite the blatant contempt, Antonio’s smiling face did not waver.
“good. I’m going to treat you like this, but there’s no reason to refuse. When are you leaving?”
* * *
The ship headed for Venota was definitely different in shape from the others.
The left and right protruding parts of the hull seemed to play a role in maintaining balance when riding in an updraft.
‘There are quite a lot of escort troops. I see more talented people. I heard that the ocean current is shaking a lot, isn’t it a lot of circumstances?’
Theo and his party got on board comfortably, mixed with Antonio’s and his party, but did not miss the fact that their armament was unusual.
In particular, some of them, like them, were invited by Antoniou, and they were openly checking Theo’s party.
They probably didn’t like the fact that they were treated more favorably than they did at the end.
“Shall we break their spirits? Otherwise, I’ll be bothering you all five days.”
It was the time when Shelford felt similarly and asked Theo for his opinion.
ridge… … !
ridge… … !
A wave that is suddenly and faintly perceived.
Theo’s face stiffened slightly and his gaze turned to the outside of the boat.
wide open horizon.
Something was ringing.
“what’s the matter?”
“Is there anything over there?”
Shelford and Arin read Theo’s sudden change and hurriedly turned their gazes in the same direction.
Don’t you two feel that?
Theo wanted to ask that question, but he had to open his eyes wide.
A familiar energy was sensed in the weak waves.
dragon power.
It was the dragon’s magic.
And,
『Companion… … .』
Chijik, chijik-
A familiar voice was heard through the confused noise.
“… … !”
Theo hurriedly raised his mana.
thump thump thump!
The moment the weak wave and the beat of the heart roughly matched, the frequency was synchronized.
Geeying!
While all the artifacts he possessed resonated,
A clearer voice was heard.
“My voice… … Can you hear… … ?』
‘Also. I didn’t hear it wrong.’
“If you can hear it… … Shake the carrot… … .』
even pointless jokes.
It was roadblock.