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Chapter : 57. Rumor
A suspicious rumor was circulating—that monster meat was in high demand.
Isolde’s platinum-blonde hair swayed side to side as she tilted her head.
“…Monster meat?”
“Yes.”
“That’s impossible.”
Isolde’s graceful brows drew together slightly.
The maddened genes inherent in monsters… not even her holy power as a saint could remove them.
Monsters were creatures of chaos that defied God’s order, rejecting divine power outright.
This was a fact acknowledged even by magicians who studied the truths of the world.
It was no coincidence that this was counted among “Arcanis’s 23 Great Problems”—specifically one officially deemed impossible to solve.
A junior priest cautiously voiced a suspicion.
“Could this be related to the recent reports about the Dark Merchant Guild…?”
The Dark Merchant Guild—an underground organization that researched forbidden black magic and blood magic, conducting inhumane and horrific experiments.
As the priest said, there had been unsettling reports from the Holy Kingdom lately involving the Dark Merchant Guild.
“Where is this monster meat being distributed?”
“A new company called the Predator Merchant Guild, based in the Whitewolf County of the Batenberg Kingdom.”
A newly established guild—certainly suspicious.
“Do you know who the guild master is?”
“They say it’s Adrian Whitewolf, the direct heir of the Whitewolf family.”
“Adrian Whitewolf…”
A name she had never heard before—yet somehow familiar.
“Rumor has it he’s the family’s black sheep.”
Perhaps that explained the sense of familiarity.
“So, you’re saying this guild is run by a black sheep?”
“Yes, but the strange thing is that his behavior has suddenly changed recently.”
“Changed?”
“Well…”
The priest explained the details of Adrian’s recent actions.
After hearing the story, Isolde understood immediately. Strictly speaking, his behavior hadn’t just changed—it was as if…
“It’s as though someone else took over Adrian’s body entirely.”
It felt like another soul had entered the man named Adrian.
People don’t change. They only appear to. A person’s nature never truly changes.
“I suspect he might have been targeted by possession magic or some other form of black magic.”
His transformation was drastic enough to warrant such speculation—and possession magic was a vile tactic often used by the Dark Merchant Guild.
Isolde lowered her lashes, deep in thought.
Monster meat—supposedly impossible.
A sudden new merchant guild.
And a man who seemed to have become someone else entirely.
Could all of these strange events truly be coincidence?
Predator Merchant Guild.
Whitewolf County.
‘Adrian Whitewolf…’
That name—known as the county’s black sheep—was now carved deep into her mind.
“…We should investigate.”
“This is the last one!”
With a thud, a large wooden crate was set down on the floor.
When the heavy lid was pried open, a heap of gold gleamed inside.
Golden coins shimmered and clinked together, sparkling in the light.
The day’s earnings—earned in just one day.
“Four hundred thirty-one thousand, five hundred and sixty gold.”
Over 430,000 gold in profit.
“W-Wow…!!”
“I’ve never seen that much money in my life.”
The merchant members and soldiers all stared wide-eyed.
Earning this much in a single day’s trade was nearly impossible. In fact, even counting an entire trade route, this amount was unheard of.
‘So Rex meat sold better than I thought.’
Word of mouth had spread like wildfire.
They said stopping gossip was harder than damming a river—now he saw why.
‘Might be time to establish a Predator branch in Freche.’
A branch served as a regional network hub, overseeing trade, procurement, and acting as a base for commerce with other guilds.
Running one required guards, transporters, administrators, accountants—plenty of manpower—and a huge initial investment.
He had thought it was too early for that… but with profits like these, it was more than feasible.
It was an investment—expanding influence throughout Freche and the Free Cities, while keeping the Dark Merchant Guild in check.
He couldn’t remain confined to Freche forever. Eventually, Predator needed to extend its reach across the kingdoms of the continent.
For that, a branch to oversee operations in his stead was necessary.
“Gather up.”
Once his thoughts were settled, he called everyone together—11 merchants, 24 soldiers—all looking puzzled.
He took gold coins from the crate.
“Step forward one at a time and take these.”
Eyes widened in disbelief.
“U-Us?”
“Yes. Who else is here besides you?”
Still, they hesitated.
“You don’t want it?”
“No, sir, it’s just… are we really allowed?”
“You are.”
They said no man stays honest on an empty stomach—loyalty comes from security.
The merchant guild he envisioned would invest in people, not just immediate profits.
“My arm’s getting tired. Hurry up.”
Merchants received 1,000 gold each, soldiers 800.
The merchants got more because their work was harder—managing monster meat, calculating profits, bookkeeping, transportation. The dark circles under their eyes were proof enough.
The soldiers understood and didn’t complain—especially since 800 gold was more than five months’ pay. And their salaries would still come separately.
“Hehehe…!”
“This is crazy!”
Grinning from ear to ear, they bowed deeply in gratitude.
It cost him 30,000 gold in total.
“You have free time until tomorrow’s business. Spend your share however you like—buy what you want, get a gift, gamble, save, blow it all, whatever.”
They beamed.
‘…No boost in favorability, though.’
The townspeople’s favor toward him remained [Friendly], one step below the [Trust] level needed to clear the territory quest.
Seems the effect was too small to move the needle.
Still, most of them probably wouldn’t splurge too much—they’d never had this kind of money before.
“Repin, what will you do with yours?”
“I’m buying a gold ring.”
“A gold ring? You’re proposing to Rena?”
“Yeah! When we get back to the county, I’ll confess to her!”
…Well, so be it.
In any case, he let them do as they pleased—he wasn’t free enough to micromanage.
He still had about 900,000 gold left.
Enough to live in luxury for generations—but he had no intention of idling.
‘Time to throw some money around.’
The Free Cities had no absolute rulers—various classes and factions coexisted: citizens, merchants, adventurers, mercenaries, magicians. Without fixed ranks, relationships were tangled.
The City Congress was the central body that managed these tangled interests and governed the city—handling administration, legislation, and budgeting.
To establish a merchant branch in a Free City, Congress approval was required.
Freche was a commercial hub, closely networked with kingdoms, cities, and groups across the continent—making it a prime target for merchant guilds seeking branches.
But bureaucracy was strict, and the entrenched local merchant guilds were protective of their turf.
Not impossible—but certainly difficult.
However—
“Our Merchant Guild unanimously supports Predator’s branch proposal.”
The merchant guild executive, Aedlern, was already an ally. Passing Congress was only a matter of time.
“And as you said, I’ve stuffed the council members’ mouths with gold!”
A little bribery—and some Rex meat on the side—worked wonders.
“Approval should come soon!”
It was all going smoothly. The expense was high, but he could always earn more.
This meant he could exert influence freely across the Free Cities—except in the outlaw city, Baoreth.
“Good work. You’ve been a great help.”
“Honored to be of service, sir.”
With the merchant guild’s support, everything flowed smoothly.
But approval was just the start.
‘Now to choose a branch manager.’
This person had to be both competent and trustworthy.
Originally, he’d planned to pick someone from the special ops unit—agents skilled in covert missions, intelligence gathering, and espionage.
But looking at Aedlern bowing deeply before him…
‘His work’s been better than expected.’
Curious, he used Predator’s Instinct [S] on Aedlern.
==<Character Information>==
Name: Aedlern
Type: Mammalia – Homo sapiens
Gender: Male
Age: 36
Trait: Perceptive [R]
Older than he looked—about twice his age, though factoring in past lives, they were similar.
‘Perceptive?’
He checked the details:
◆ Perceptive [R]
Gives the user an exceptional ability to quickly and accurately gauge others’ emotions, intentions, moods, and situations—reading unspoken cues in expression, movement, and tone, and responding appropriately.
A rare [R] rank—just below Unique [U]. Not genius-level, but highly valuable.
Combined with decades running a merchant operation in Freche, he could become a truly capable subordinate.
And with his favorability toward the speaker already at [Close], raising it to [Trust] would make betrayal virtually impossible.
He was mulling this over when—
◆ Sub-Quest [I Object to This Marriage!] has arrived.
A sudden, floating prompt—out of nowhere.
And this time, it wasn’t even a “sudden” quest.
‘I Object to This Marriage?’
Marriage? What marriage?
Surely not Aedlern’s—
“Just curious—are you married?”
“…Eh? Oh, no, sir. I’ve been too busy making a living to even date…”
So not his marriage.
Thankfully, the quest details appeared.
==[I Object to This Marriage!]==
Objective – Stop Seraphia’s wedding.
Reward – Increase in Kai’s favorability.
Failure Penalty – Awakening of the <Lord of the Frozen Wastes>
…What the hell?
