Chapter 502: Rival Company
“Oh, you made it here.”
“Retze!”
Help me! I might end up as the leader of the assassins! But I can’t tell you about the island just yet! I’ll let you know once I’m sure the heroes won’t come!
But wait, Haulon has an escape plan, right? Is that going to be okay?
“Well, I get that you’re in trouble, but just wait until I drop off my stuff.”
While I was flustered, he said that with half-closed eyes and left me behind.
“Do you really think that with Retze around, everything will be solved?”
Haulon fixed a penetrating gaze on me.
“Pretty much solves everything.”
“Most problems related to Jean get resolved!”
Dean and Chris nodded while sipping their drinks.
“At least try to handle some things on your own!”
Haulon said that, but this is the result of my efforts.
I was just experimenting to see how people who can’t recognize me would react, and I wanted to avoid attracting troublesome characters like the heroes, which led to the misunderstanding about Assassination Island!
Out in the open, people mostly misunderstand that Soleil is the lord, or they don’t even think about the lord and just refer to me as “the one from Blue Spirit Island.” My name hardly comes up.
Especially the latter feels like trying to remember the name of a company that sells weird sticks, right? Even if my name doesn’t come up, the island and its products keep running smoothly.
What about when the information travels far? First, to get information at this distance in this timeframe, a Spirit is essential. Peaceful rumors are delivered as they are.
However, those who try to dig for hidden truths end up with various misunderstandings, you know? I think it’s wrong to assume from the start that there’s something hidden. And when you go through a Spirit, it’s guaranteed that the game of telephone will have mistakes.
Haulon, the representative who wants to uncover the hidden truths, seems to have come into contact not only with peaceful visitors but also with some who have ulterior motives. It looks like he checked with Spirits as well, not just humans.
If you try to dig for hidden truths, you’ll never get the right answer!
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Can you give me something to eat too?”
Retze returned.
He was carrying clothes in his arms and approached the fireplace where Karn was, stretching out to start drying them. Did he get them wet? It’s cold today, after all.
Unlike Japan, Kanum doesn’t have distinct seasons. It’s more about the temperature, I guess? It can suddenly get cold in summer or unexpectedly hot in winter, so you can’t let your guard down about tomorrow’s temperature.
“I’ve been waiting.”
I said, setting up a seat for Retze. Warm food is better, right? Let’s go with gratin.
“You’re quite diligent.”
Dean remarked, impressed as he watched Retze brush off his dried pants.
“I think it’s because Dean is so careless!”
Chris chimed in.
I couldn’t help but look away. I’m not doing any brushing!
“I agree that Retze is diligent, but you should really brush them!”
Haulon put on his flamboyant charm!
I pretended not to hear!
“I don’t think Karn and Ash will do it, but that’s because their Butler or attendants take care of it! Even the King Wolf took care of his own clothes!”
Chris brought up Dinoss, making his eyes sparkle even more.
“Wait, the King Wolf did!?”
Dean seemed ready to be influenced immediately.
Dinoss is a good, family-oriented dad. Is not brushing a minority? Does that make me a bad person?
“Looks delicious.”
Retze finished brushing and took his seat, picking up a spoon.
The gratin had a nice golden-brown crust, with larger macaroni pieces sticking out unevenly, their cheesy tops slightly burnt.
The macaroni was boiled in milk instead of water, so it should blend well with the gratin sauce. It even had scallops in it.
There was wine, thick-cut ham, and salad. The salad was simple, garnished with snap peas. And coffee.
“Ah! Jean, I want some of that grilled ham too!”
Dean still had room in his stomach and made a request.
The new wine that Dean and Chris brought up from the cellar was opened, and I added some snacks. Karn was also enjoying red wine and thick-cut ham. The wine was definitely the main focus.
“That was delicious. So? What were you troubled about? What were you talking about?”
While eating slices of bread for seconds, Retze asked.
“It’s about ‘Blue Spirit Island.’ The lord there is also running a Trading Company, and they approached us for a deal.”
Haulon took his turn to explain.
“Oh, that island. They’re putting their Trading Company front and center, right? I heard they have direct dealings with both the Merchant Guild of Naruadeid and the Shipping Guild, so they can just play dumb about the hidden stuff, right? But if rumors are reaching us, it must be quite flashy. I’m more concerned about whether Shulm will meddle in their dealings.”
Retze said while sipping his coffee.
“I get that if problems arise, they’ll be covered up or won’t amount to much, but if assassins start working domestically right after the nation is founded, that’s a problem.”
Haulon sighed.
If the hidden truths become an issue, then the Merchant Guild and Shipping Guild of Naruadeid, who also made deals, will become a problem too—so it seems they’ll settle for a cover-up or a minor offense.
“Is information really coming in that much to Kanum?”
I was surprised by that.
“Not just to Kanum, but Note is collecting information and keeping an eye on things.”
Ah, right. The suspicion of rival companies. No, we’re not in the assassination business! The Butler seems more like a sole proprietor, though!