In the silence that enveloped the front of the Platinum Merchant Guild, the bodyguards of the Eiwass family stood in shock, staring at E-Urel’s corpse, pierced through the head.
An elf had died.
It wasn’t just any common elf born outside of Paradise or like their bodyguards who were not born into the six families. This was an elf of the six families, contracted with a spirit, and he was killed by none other than a human from outside of Paradise.
“Do you even understand what you’ve done?!”
Of course, E-Urel wasn’t an incredibly esteemed figure within the entire Eiwass family. If he were, he would have remained within the safety of Paradise rather than dealing with the dangerous elements of Midland.
But an elf was still an elf.
Additionally, E-Urel had been designated as an elder of the family in exchange for handling major tasks at the Paradise Bank, set to take his place in a few hundred years. Despite the reluctance of the elves in Paradise to venture outside, they would undoubtedly seek retribution.
“The Eiwass family won’t sit still… Wherever you hide in Midland, the hunters of Paradise will come for you—”
“That’s enough chatter.”
Crack. Crunch!
With a gesture from Ludmilla, the remaining bodyguards were crushed into round balls. While they were distracted by the shocking death of E-Urel, Ludmilla had swiftly dealt with them using spatial technique.
Six elves of Paradise were dead in an instant. The onlookers who had casually watched the skirmish in the heart of the capital were frozen in shock. It was an incident with profound repercussions.
“Cease this fight at once—!”
A detachment arrived late, brandishing weapons and starting to encircle Khan’s group. It was the capital’s guard force of Renford Kingdom. Among them, there were knights whose blue aura shimmered threateningly.
“How dare you fight in the middle of the capital… What is…!?”
A knight in what appeared to be magically-enhanced armor, wielding a sword wrapped in aura, pushed through the guard formation and froze up after witnessing the scene.
“Uugh! Uwek!”
Some guards began retching at the sight of the round ball of flesh that had once been an elf. Normally, the knight would have reprimanded them to maintain discipline, but his own mind was too paralyzed by shock to do so.
‘Dead?’
The strange large sword was embedded in the ground, having pierced right through the head. There was no doubt about the instant death. The problem was the pointed ears of the corpse.
The palace had already informed them that a high-ranking official from the Paradise Bank was visiting the capital. And now that official lay dead in front of the Platinum Merchant Guild? Who was responsible?
None other than himself.
“These… lunatics…!”
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t entirely his fault. He had received reports of a battle and, hearing about the significant implications, had mobilized his forces immediately. From his perspective, he had taken the best possible action.
The problem was that the battle ended too quickly, and the person killed happened to be the head of the external business division of a transcontinental power, the Paradise Bank.
“You lot. I won’t listen to any excuses. Arrest them immediately—!”
“Wait, hold on a moment.”
“Who dares interfere with the actions of the guard…! Huh.”
As the knight issued the command, a voice interrupted. The knight, about to shout angrily, was stunned into silence upon realizing who the speaker was. It was none other than the owner of the building where the fight had taken place.
“The Guild Master of the Platinum Merchant Guild…?!”
“Is it really so surprising that I appeared? A major commotion broke out on my property, after all. Shouldn’t I be the one asking questions?”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“Why did it take you so long to arrive? While different species and barbarian from the North were tearing up my land, you were nowhere to be seen. Now that it’s all over, you suddenly show up. I must say, I’m quite disappointed.”
“W-What are you talking about? I did my best—!”
“If this is your best, then the money I donated to the guard for the sake of the capital’s security feels utterly wasted, don’t you think?”
The knight’s mouth shut tight as if sealed.
It was surprising to see a person who could tear apart others with their bare hands cowering like this. But given the identity of his adversary, it was only to be expected.
The Guild Master of the Platinum Merchant Guild, the king of the financial world holding the purse strings of the kingdom. Some even claimed his influence could alter the royal succession itself.
‘Damn it.’
Privately, he was also the benefactor who poured significant donations into the guard under the pretext of maintaining security. Ruining relations with him would mean an end to the luxurious lifestyle the knight had grown accustomed to.
‘What do I do now?’
He couldn’t afford to clash with the Guild Master of the Platinum Merchant Guild. The royal family’s exact dealings with the elves of the Paradise Bank were unclear, but the elf from the bank was dead, while the guild master remained alive.
If the guild master lodged a complaint with the royal family, it would translate into tangible repercussions against them.
“…Is there anything you desire?”
In the end, it was the knight who first yielded.
And as if on cue, the Guild Master of the Platinum Merchant Guild presented an enigmatic proposal, which the knight hesitated over for a moment before accepting.
“Thank you. I will show my appreciation in due course.”
Any doubts about whether accepting this offer was the right move vanished with the guild master’s next words, implying tangible rewards—gold coins.
‘Made an agreement with the Guild Master and secured actual benefits. Plus, I have something to report back. This is perfect.’
“Well then, we will take charge of the bodies.”
“Let’s resolve the matter of their custody once my curiosity is satisfied.”
“Yes. But—should they cause trouble, you might be in danger. I can lend you some of the guard’s troops if you wish.”
“No need. We have our own means of protection. No need for concern.”
“In that case.”
The knight saluted and left after delegating the task of handling the bodies and cleaning the scene to some of the guard’s troops. He didn’t arrest Khan and his party.
“Follow me.”
The mastermind who had swiftly prevented the arrest through a discreet deal with the knight—the Guild Master of the Platinum Merchant Guild—gave that simple command, turning towards the guild’s main building.
With everything falling into place without any effort on their part, Maya looked puzzled. Khan chuckled and followed the Guild Master.
“Impressive.”
“Even a poor noble’s mansion in the Empire is more splendid than this. Compared to the money they earn, this place is quite humble.”
That was Ludmilla’s impression upon entering the building of the Platinum Merchant Guild. The Guild Master, indifferent, replied, leaving it ambiguous whether it was out of arrogance or modesty.
Maya and Ludmilla, who had never left Argon Kingdom, a place steeped in history but lagging in culture and technology, were understandably awestruck by the building.
The enchanted chandeliers lighting the corridors, the paintings and crafts clearly created by renowned artists, and the guild’s employees bustling about in fine clothing painted a picture of opulence.
‘Money returns when spent, after all.’
The episodes involving the Platinum Merchant Guild often forced players to choose sides, between the guild and the elves of the Paradise Bank.
In such scenarios, Khan always sided with the Guild Master, simply because the other option involved elves. And in progressing through some quests, the Guild Master would always utter the line, “Money returns when spent.”
The idea being, being stingy with investments leads to losing potential gains.
“Come in. Let’s talk inside.”
Recollecting his memories from the game, after walking some distance down the corridor, the Guild Master of the Platinum Merchant Guild opened a hefty-looking door himself.
The interior, compared to the opulent corridor, was filled with luxurious furniture but appeared rather modest, even plain. Seeing the familiar room, Khan muttered inwardly.
‘This is the personal office.’
They had bypassed the reception room, reserved for clients, and were directly in the Guild Master’s personal office. The reason for this privilege was probably—
“Well, well. It really is you!”
“Long time no see.”
The figure welcoming Khan’s group inside the Guild Master’s personal office was none other than Eto, the young merchant who had once made a significant profit thanks to Khan’s help in Bates.
***
“I was already surprised that a fight broke out, and even more surprised to hear it involved you….”
Though still possessing a genial nature, Eto now seemed calmer, likely due in part to his relationship with the Guild Master of the Platinum Merchant Guild.
“Ah, I almost forgot to introduce him. As you might know, the Guild Master here—”
“Is Pablo. Privately speaking, you could consider me this boy’s uncle. And I’m also the owner of the land you’ve been wreaking havoc on.”
While it raised questions as to why someone like Eto, related to the Guild Master, ventured out dangerously on his own, Khan refrained from poking into personal family matters. There were more pressing issues at hand.
“This bumbling fool went out on his own merchant adventure and received your help, didn’t he? Consider this incident repayment for that. Seeing your capabilities, it seems you wouldn’t have had much trouble anyway. But it saved us both the hassle, didn’t it?”
“That it did. But isn’t there still an outstanding matter to settle?”
“…An outstanding matter?”
Pablo’s eyes gleamed with curiosity.
“What do you mean?”
“The price for dealing with the elf from the Paradise Bank. That elf must have caused you a fair amount of trouble.”
“…!”
Pablo attempted to maintain a neutral expression, but he couldn’t fully suppress a slight flinch. With agility stat high enough to catch even the most minute reactions, Khan noticed it.
“I know everything. No need for tedious mind games. I’m not asking for a lot anyway.”
“…Before that, I have a question.”
“Go ahead.”
“Are you prepared to deal with the aftermath? Elves are inherently arrogant, viewing humans as inferior species to be preserved. To them, this incident is akin to a shepherd killing the livestock they were caring for. The elves will want revenge. Aren’t you afraid of their hunters?”
‘I’ve heard this before.’
Khan found it amusing and wanted to turn the question back on Pablo.
Just like with the Eiwass bodyguards earlier, and now with Pablo—
“Actually, let me offer you some advice. Stop thinking of elves as mystical beings different from humans.”
“What do you mean?”
Pablo started to question but froze upon meeting Khan’s stern gaze.
“Revenge? Of course, they’ll seek it. One of the six families being humiliated by a human’s hand means losing face. But Eiwass won’t emerge unscathed either. Other families will hold them accountable. When Eiwass members get expelled from Paradise, the resulting vacuum will give the Platinum Merchant Guild some breathing room.”
People often say words have power. But Pablo thought differently. The words of a powerful person carry weight. And the barbarian before him was unquestionably one of the most powerful individuals in the world.
In terms of sheer martial strength.
“They’re just like humans, only with an unusually long lifespan. Deep down, the elves are still driven by the same ambitions and greed. Even their society, Paradise, is fraught with internal strife. Their arrogance even extends to their own kind, viewing them as rivals.”
Paradise is a place whose true nature eluded even the Empire. Khan made no effort to hide his detailed knowledge of Paradise.
‘Is it just bluster?’
Pablo couldn’t help but think it might be. But he still remembered vividly. The shockwave that shook the entire guild building and the sight of the barbarian effortlessly slaying the elf.
That’s why—
He found himself nodding subconsciously to the barbarian’s proposal.
“Arrange a ship heading north for us. In return, I’ll ensure that the elves of Paradise no longer trouble the Platinum Merchant Guild.”