[Vol. 9] Chapter 110: Two Sides on the Move
The true owner behind this Merchant Guild was one of the biggest mysteries in the world. People loved to talk about it, but no one could ever uncover the truth. Some curious people once tried to make rough guesses, and they claimed that if such a person really existed, their wealth would be enough to build an entire grand city like the Holy Empire’s Capital, the Angel City, all made of gold coins!
Fred had never imagined that today, what he thought would just be a routine inspection, would lead to him meeting the mysterious owner behind the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild! What was going on? Was he dreaming? Or trapped in some kind of illusion spell?
After the shock came confusion and disbelief. He had already noticed earlier that Ming Yu was walking half a step behind the girl, as if on purpose, a gesture that showed respect. That had made him suspect that this young lady was someone with higher status. But to think she was the owner of the entire Spirit Veil Merchant Guild? That was simply unbelievable!
Could someone like that be so easy to meet? Could he, a small nobody, even have the right to be standing here talking to her?
But then again, why would he lie to him?
A storm of thoughts flashed through Fred’s mind. For a brief second, he even had the crazy idea of turning around and running away. But in the end, he didn’t move at all. His feet felt frozen to the cold stone floor, unable to take even a single step.
Because he quickly realized, if the other party dared to openly reveal her identity, that meant he was already trapped in her web. No matter what this mysterious owner of the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild planned to do, Fred no longer had the right to refuse.
Knowing a secret like this meant stepping right into the center of the storm, there was no way to escape now.
Being weak wasn’t the scary part. The real danger was being weak without self-awareness. The powerful and the powerless were both necessary parts of society. As long as both sides understood their positions, coexistence was possible.
Sure enough, after seeing him quickly regain his composure and suppress his shock, the girl whose face was completely hidden behind the white fox mask finally made a sound of satisfaction.
“Oh? You’re quite a clever one. Ming Yu was right~ I like dealing with smart people.”
Her voice was clear and pleasant. Even though it carried no magical power, there was something mysterious and captivating about it that made people instinctively want to trust and obey her. Fred opened his mouth, his throat moving as he tried several times to speak, but each time he forced himself to stay silent.
At last, the young leader of the Ice Wolf Guards let out a bitter smile. After respectfully raising his hand to show his understanding, he gave in helplessly and said,
“I wouldn’t dare call myself clever, I just know where I stand. So… what do you want me to do?”
Then he heard a soft, airy laugh from beneath the mask, a cheerful sound like wind chimes.
“Don’t be so nervous. It’s nothing bad~ Fred, was it? Tell me… are you interested in becoming the true leader of the Ice Wolf Guards?”
………………………………………
Salzburg — Main Fortress, Royal Temple
Inside the royal bedchamber, imported magic furnaces from the Austre Empire filled the room with gentle warmth. Outside, snow was falling thick and fast, but inside, the temperature was perfectly comfortable. Soft lights glowed through the curtains, reflecting off the pale skin of several faintly visible young women, creating a dangerously seductive sight.
Fragrant warmth, soft beauties, a king’s private bedchamber. This was what most would call the peak of life.
But the master of this place was far from pleased.
Crash!!!
An elegant white jade wine cup shattered into pieces. The red wine splashed out like blood, staining the expensive carpet with deep crimson. The strong smell of alcohol mixed with incense filled the air.
Behind the curtains, King Ewald Sinong of the Preston Kingdom was in a towering rage.
“Trash! All of you are trash!!”
Ewald leaned against the pale, trembling beauty behind him. The girl looked frightened and didn’t dare move. He wore only a loose robe and sat casually, not caring about the woman’s feelings.
As a member of the Snow race with natural talent, Ewald wasn’t fat, his exposed muscles looked strong. But his twisted, furious face broke that image. The Preston king looked more like a raging, useless beast than a ruler.
Not far from him, the commander of the Ice Wolf Guards knelt on the floor, clutching his helmet and trembling. Snow still clung to his armor from the cold, and the white jade cup that had been smashed on his head left stains of something, blood or wine, yet he didn’t dare wipe it off.
Everyone knew this new Preston king had taken the throne by stepping over the former king’s corpse. His record since taking power was mediocre, but he was especially cruel when it came to crushing rivals. He was suspicious by nature.
Those loyal to the previous king had been purged from the temple one by one over the years. Even the Ice Wolf Guards’ commander had been replaced several times. If things went wrong now and someone spoke up, the next thing that might hit the floor could be that person’s head.
“A whole day and night, twenty-four hours! The Ice Wolf Guards and the city garrison together number over fifty thousand, and you can’t even find a single underage girl! Tell me, what have I been paying you soldiers for!?”
“Y-Your Majesty, please calm down. We are searching the whole city. We’ve cleared most areas. We believe—believe we will find her…”
“Believe my ass!!!”
Ewald suddenly stood up and kicked the table. The wooden table flew and smashed into the wall, wood splinters everywhere. He drew his sword with a whoosh and set the blade at the commander’s armor collar.
“I now suspect one of you is a traitor! A traitor, do you understand!?”
“Ah!”
Feeling the king’s killing intent like a solid thing, the commander broke out in cold sweat. His face went pale and his lips trembled, but he didn’t dare say another word.
The king wasn’t stupid. What he said matched the commander’s worst guess about why the search had failed. Even if the traitor couldn’t openly hide the fugitive, someone must have leaked information so the target had time to prepare and vanish.
This arrest was ordered by the king himself and organized by the Ice Wolf Guards. If a traitor existed, it would mean someone inside the guard’s higher ranks had betrayed them. Whoever it was, the commander would shoulder the blame.
Shh…
The sword’s cold edge slid lightly along the chain mail. Ewald’s voice cooled from rage to a deep, dark chill that made the commander’s scalp tingle.
“Listen. I hate betrayal more than anything. I cannot tolerate traitors. You know what to do, right?”
“Y-Yes, Your Majesty…”
“Get out! In one day, bring me the traitor and that little bastard alive, or bring your own head to me!”