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“That’s an exaggeration.”

The chief officer smiled understandingly.

“Haha, I knew you wouldn’t believe it. Even I didn’t expect it to be this much.”

“Are you out of your mind, Chief? Even if it’s true, it’s as much as the entire Merchant Association.”

“The Leon Merchant Association as a whole doesn’t possess an unimaginable amount of money. There’s a limit to the cash they have on hand. This amount is definitely not something to be underestimated compared to their wealth.”

“…”

I observed the expressions of the executives for a moment, gauging the situation.

Their reactions made it clear that the amount was substantial, and the executives had no idea Shepiro had been stashing away this much.

However, from my perspective, it wasn’t particularly surprising.

Collecting tolls is inherently profitable.

If he had been extorting money from all the merchants passing through the city and keeping it all for himself, it’s no wonder the money piled up so quickly.

“Well done.”

Clap clap—

As I abruptly started clapping, the executives finally joined in with pleased expressions.

The third-rate chief officer, thinking he had finally earned recognition, raised both hands and shouted.

“We, we’re rich now!”

“We?”

As soon as I questioned him, Daisy swiftly turned her head and landed a quick blow to the back of the chief officer’s head.

“Are you crazy? Why are ‘we’ rich? Isn’t that right, boss?”

I responded with a serious expression.

“Embezzlement is a serious crime. As the employer, I’ll be confiscating all the embezzled funds.”

While the executives were confused, unable to comprehend my response, I looked at the chief officer and asked.

“Do you know the Hamad Merchant Group?”

The chief officer, clutching the back of his head, replied.

“Yes, I do.”

“Were they part of the Merchant Association?”

“No, they weren’t active in Leon. But they were a large merchant group, so I occasionally encountered them in Leon. Although they’re no longer around.”

“Could we acquire Hamad with this money?”

At that moment, as if an idea had struck him, the chief officer gulped and answered.

“…If it were the Hamad of the past, maybe not. But the recent Hamad? It would be more than enough.”

“I see.”

I briefly surveyed the surroundings and then issued orders to organize the situation.

“First, Chief, find a wagon and load the gold bars. Get the most dilapidated one you can find. And make sure the gold bars aren’t visible. Don’t load too many, just a reasonable amount.”

I then looked at the other executives.

“Everyone, keep doing your jobs well. And fix that front gate properly. What is that, all tattered? The messenger, make sure the kids keep their mouths shut. Daisy, wait until the chief is done organizing, then come to the Merchant Association with the wagon. I’ll go ahead.”

“The Merchant Association?”

I lifted a small pouch lying to the side and said.

“I have to go collect the bounty.”

I walked through the manor and turned back at the front gate.

The mercenaries were greeting me with bright faces.

“Farewell!”

As soon as I crossed the front gate and took a few steps, I heard Daisy shouting from behind.

“These idiots are grinning like fools. Have you ever heard of a crazy bastard? The boss is a master of disguise. You never know when the guy next to you might turn into the boss. Don’t let your guard down, not even when you’re peeing or sleeping. Got it?”

The mercenaries shuddered at Daisy’s words.

* * *

The Merchant Association was located at the edge of the southern Leon district.

In terms of location, it was the furthest away from the Dark Soul headquarters.

They occupied an entire towering building, with men in martial attire guarding the exterior.

As I approached, one of the men blocked the entrance and inquired about my business.

I held out the bundle and said,

“Shepiro’s head.”

“What?”

A man who appeared to be the leader hurriedly approached from the side, looking suspiciously back and forth between me and the bundle.

“… You say it’s Boss Shepiro’s head? May I confirm?”

I handed him the bundle without a word. He untied the knot, checked inside the box, and then responded with a surprised expression.

“Please wait a moment.”

While the man rushed inside, I struck up a conversation with those standing nearby.

“Are you locals?”

Having seen the severed head inside the box, their attitude towards me had become noticeably more respectful.

“No, we’ve been hired for a few months.”

“Ah.”

It seemed the Merchant Association had paid outside mercenaries for protection.

At that moment, the entrance opened, and the man who had gone inside reappeared along with a merchant dressed in fine clothing.

“Please come inside.”

The interior was impeccably clean.

The merchant led me to a reception room on the top floor, ordered refreshments from a servant, and then took a seat in the place of honor.

“Please, have a seat.”

As I sat beside him, the merchant scrutinized me and then spoke.

“Excuse me, but may I ask your name?”

“I’m Ruin. Has Shepiro’s head been confirmed?”

“… Of course. By the way, you look young, but you’re quite impressive. Even renowned hunters failed at this task.”

“You flatter me.”

The merchant leaned back and let out a sigh.

“We’ve been through a lot over the years. Shepiro’s tyranny was so severe that we’ve been deeply troubled until recently. But I never imagined someone would bring Shepiro’s head in this manner.”

When I didn’t respond, the merchant asked with an awkward expression.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you kill him?”

“It was nothing special. Shepiro seemed to have a sudden urge to relieve himself and ran off in a panic, so I simply took care of him from behind.”

“… Ruin, may I inquire about your family name?”

“It’s Samael.”

“Samael?”

The merchant paused, searching his memory, then tilted his head and furrowed his brow slightly.

“… Samael, as in the one from Khaoto? … How…”

I looked directly at the merchant and said,

“Let’s get to the point. I believe there was a bounty on Shepiro’s head.”

“Ah, of course, we’ll give it to you. Please wait a moment. We need the Association Head’s approval for this.”

“…”

“The Association Head is currently receiving a guest. Please enjoy some refreshments while you wait.”

The merchant clapped his hands, and a servant who had been waiting outside respectfully placed a teacup and some snacks on the table before leaving.

I pointed at the merchant’s grinning face and said,

“What’s your name?”

“Ah, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m the Vice-Head of the Irieu Merchant Group…”

“Move aside.”

“Pardon?”

“Get out of there.”

As I beckoned with my finger, the Vice-Head stood up from the seat of honor with a flustered expression.

“Go and call the Association Head or whatever.”

“I told you he’s receiving a guest. If you wait, he’ll come.”

“I know that’s not true, so go and get him.”

I sat on the seat of honor and repeated,

“I’m being nice, but it seems you guys are trying to play games.”

As if on cue, the door swung open, and a middle-aged man in extravagant clothes appeared.

“I hear there’s someone who brought Shepiro’s head.”

Following him, a man exuding a fierce aura entered the room.

The middle-aged man stared at the seat of honor where I was sitting for a moment, then dismissed the Vice-Head and laughed heartily.

“I’m Michel Irieu, the head of the Irieu Merchant Group and the Association Head of the Leon Merchant Association. So, our young master here brought Shepiro’s head?”

Before I could respond, the middle-aged man, who had introduced himself as Michel, looked at the man with the fierce aura.

“Haha, it seems things have become a bit awkward, Tuyo. We didn’t anticipate Shepiro’s demise like this. Oh dear. We won’t ask for the deposit back, so please understand. We can’t very well take the head of someone who’s already dead, can we?”

While the man called Tuyo snorted and glared at me, Michel laughed again and spoke.

“So, what is it that you desire, young Master Ruin Samael?”

Feeling like I was watching a farce, I replied,

“You should give me the bounty.”

“Of course, of course. Hey, bring it here quickly.”

Before Michel could finish his sentence, the door opened, and a servant entered carrying a bag of gold coins and a piece of paper.

“We’ve put in more than the amount we offered. Here, and this is a certificate proving you killed Shepiro.”

“A certificate?”

“It’s something bounty hunters collect like badges. It has a seal on it, so no one will doubt it.”

As I casually stuffed the certificate into my pocket and rummaged through the bag of gold coins, Michel asked in a nonchalant tone,

“Oh, by the way, I’m curious about something. What happened to the headquarters?”

“Hmm?”

“It must be chaotic now that Shepiro is dead.”

“Not particularly.”

“… I see. Well then, farewell.”

Michel exchanged a meaningful glance with the man named Tuyo.

From my seat, I warned Michel,

“It’s best not to think about touching the headquarters’ money.”

Instantly, Michel’s eyes twitched slightly, and the man named Tuyo took a step forward.

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. Act like a merchant. They’re all under me now. If you have any foolish thoughts, you’ll die. Hey, you there. Wipe that expression off your face before your head gets smashed in.”

“You’re a quick one.”

At the moment Tuyo took a menacing step forward, drawing his sword,

I swung the bag of gold coins and smacked Michel upside the head.

“Cough!”

Gold coins scattered everywhere. I immediately flipped the iron table in front of me with one hand.

Tuyo’s sword was blocked by the iron table, producing a sharp metallic clang.

I swiftly snatched a glass teacup that had bounced off the table and hurled it at Tuyo’s face.

‘Fire Spear.’

The fire spear I launched next struck the teacup at high speed.

The instantly heated teacup shattered into pieces, showering Tuyo.

“AAAAARGH!”

The red-hot shards of glass embedded themselves in Tuyo’s face, causing burns.

“Damn it. These guys are all the same, pissing me off.”

Having quickly taken control of the situation, I once again grabbed the bag of gold coins and whacked the back of Michel’s head.

“Cough.”

“Sit down.”

Michel trembled and sat down next to me.

“Why do you judge people by their appearance, you idiot? You don’t even know how to read people.”

“…”

“You guys, come and sit down too.”

I let out a sigh as I looked at the three men gathered respectfully in front of me.

I had been momentarily misled because Shepiro had been extorting so much from the merchant groups.

It’s not always the good guys who get bullied.

It’s simply the weak who get bullied.

Among merchants, there are decent ones, but there are also those who, like wolves, try to seize every opportunity for their own gain. These guys were the latter.

They had probably been preparing quite thoroughly,

and when Shepiro died, they must have seen it as an opportunity.

Asking about my family name or using Tuyo to deliberately exude hostility was all a ploy to gauge my level.

Suddenly enraged, I smacked the Vice-Head and said,

“You idiot. You’re a problem too. I told you I killed Shepiro. So, for fuck’s sake, you should at least be careful, thinking this guy might be stronger than Shepiro. Can’t you read the situation?”

“… I apologize.”

“The Merchant Association is acting shamefully. I might just tear this whole place down.”

At that moment, the door burst open, and a familiar woman entered.

“Boss, I’m here… Huh?”

Daisy looked around the room, then glanced back and forth between me and the merchants with a slightly bewildered expression.

“What’s going on here?”

“… Daisy, it’s been a while.”

“Michel, what happened to your face? Did the boss hit you?”

As Daisy approached Michel with a concerned look, I said,

“It’s been a while, my ass. These guys were trying to steal our slush fund. That guy over there even pulled a knife on me.”

“Gasp. Really?”

Daisy suddenly transformed into a warrior, drawing a dagger from her waist and plunging it into Tuyo’s thigh.

“Uggghhh.”

“Don’t make a sound. A man should take responsibility when he draws his sword.”

Daisy swiftly pulled the knife from Tuyo’s thigh, then held the blood-soaked blade to Michel’s neck.

“Should I kill Michel too, then?”

“P-Please spare me.”

I shook my head.

“No, that’s not necessary. After all, Shepiro brought this upon himself to some extent. But make sure you manage them well so they don’t try anything foolish again.”

Having witnessed the knife flashing before his eyes, Michel wet his pants and repeatedly bowed his head.

I spoke to Daisy,

“By the way, how did you get in here? The mercenaries were blocking the entrance.”

“I said I was from the Dark Soul Mercenary Group, and they stepped aside.”

I had a hunch about what might have happened and nodded with a wry smile.

“Let’s take care of things here first.”

The servants came in and cleaned up the room, and while I was taking a short break, another commotion arose outside.

‘Is it another one of my subordinates?’

Once again, the door flew open, and a woman dressed as a merchant rushed in.

“Association Head, there’s someone who wishes to see you. The matter seems urgent, so I couldn’t inform you beforehand…”

At the same time, a man with an anxious expression rushed in from behind, causing Daisy to shudder.

It was the man we had encountered on the forest path.

“A-Association Head, I apologize for this sudden intrusion.”

Michel managed his expression and replied,

“… What brings you here? Do you have business with the Merchant Association?”

The man shook his head and spoke urgently,

“The Association is not the priority. Please inform all the merchant groups in Leon. There should be no merchant groups heading to Khaoto for the time being.”

“What?”

“War has broken out in Khaoto.”

———