Chapter 549
I Became a Dark Fantasy Villain
At last, Ian stopped chewing and turned his head. His eyes, looking at Jamal, who was subtly casting his gaze downward, eventually curved into a slight arc.
"As long as you play along as well as you have been, traveling together won’t be difficult."
"Truly?" Jamal’s head snapped up to look at Ian.
Meeting the flush of excitement in his gaze, Ian added, "But I don’t have any kind of plan that you’re expecting."
"Pardon?" Jamal, who had paused, asked a beat later.
Ian started chewing his meat again and added, "You’re heading to cross the sea even though you know the situation of the inner sea, so you must be thinking we have some kind of special plan, aren’t you?"
"Th-That is correct, Agent of the Saint," Jamal replied, lowering his head slightly again. He seemed embarrassed that his thoughts had been so transparently read.
"Unfortunately, there is no such thing. In fact, it might be even worse than your original plan because we will head out to sea regardless of the situation," said Ian, as if he had expected as much.
As Jamal’s eyes widened, Ian turned his gaze to Thesaya, who was now smiling with amusement, and continued, "Of course, we’ll gather what information we can in Rune Catis, then choose whatever seems the safest. But that’s as far as it goes."
Exchanging a look with Lucia across the table, Ian let out a small smile. "Even if that so-called safest method means risking our lives, we’ll still cross the sea."
It was then that laughter echoed in Ian’s mind. It was Yog who had been listening quietly.
—A plan I quite like, my friend. I hope it’s dangerous, if possible. It would be even better if I could meet that failure of the sea again.
You’re the only one who would like that.
Even so, a wry smile touched Ian’s lips. Yog had a knack for making even the most serious situations feel less so. Most of the time, it was annoying, but there were moments when it was helpful. This was one of those moments. Seeing the smile spread across Lucia’s lips, it seemed Yog’s sinister cheerfulness had worked on her as well.
Of course, Jamal wasn’t smiling. After glancing first at Thesaya and then at Lucia, he finally let out a long sigh. "So you’ve no intention of waiting until the turmoil in the inner sea settles down. None of you."
"We don’t know how long it will continue, do we? The royal family and the Order won’t just stand by, especially if what we saw today happens on the mainland. They might act even faster. But I’ve too much to do to wait on a promise that may never come." Ian, who had cut his meat, speared a well-roasted piece with his knife, juices dripping down.
He had no intention of explaining the exact reasons, but even if he didn’t, Jamal would be able to infer them on his own. Ian was the Agent of the Platinum Dragon who had brought down the Black Wall, and he was also the Margrave of the Snowfields who ruled the northern barbarians. This Vanturian merchant might even already know that he had an unfinished Imperial decree.
Popping the meat in his mouth, Ian looked at Jamal and curled one corner of his lip slightly. "Will you still join us?"
A long sigh escaped from Jamal’s nose. He had immediately understood the hidden meaning in Ian’s question.
"If I were to change my mind depending on the situation in Rune Catis, that would be a betrayal of trust," Jamal finally said, bowing his head. "There is no trade without risk, but I cannot lead my people into a danger I already know may be beyond our strength. Forgive me, Agent of the Saint. I was the one who made the request, but now I must withdraw it."
"You do not need to apologize. It was a wise decision," Ian said with a smile, chewing.
From his perspective, it was a welcome decision in many ways. There was a high probability that a dangerous voyage awaited them. He had no intention of worrying about the survival of the merchant caravan as well.
"And thank you once again," Jamal added then.
Ian’s smile turned into a faint, dry laugh. "I’ve heard enough thanks, so let’s stop there."
"Right after the Black Wall fell, many from the mainland left in a hurry," Jamal continued, as if this were not about today’s event. "But we had not yet sold all our goods. We decided to watch the situation and slowly sold off our remaining items. Only after we had purchased the goods to take back to the mainland did we finally return to Port Maron. The port was blockaded the day before we were scheduled to set sail."
"Huh…" Thesaya tilted her chin and let out a low sound of interest, popping a piece of meat Lucia had offered into her mouth.
Jamal turned his gaze to her and added, "If His Excellency’s order had been a day later, or if we had set sail a day earlier, we would all have become part of that swarm of corpses we saw earlier. Or we would be in the belly of a sea monster."
Jamal was now looking back at Ian. After meeting Ian’s eyes for a moment, he placed a hand on his chest and bowed his head. "So you, Agent of the Saint, have saved our lives twice. Not just ours, but the lives of all those who have not yet returned to the mainland. So no matter how many times I thank you, it is not enough."
At last, a smile spread across Ian’s lips. "Offer that thanks not to me, but to Priestess Lucifer here. It was her will to inform His Excellency the Duke and have all the ports blockaded."
Jamal’s eyes widened as his gaze shifted to Lucia. "I sincerely thank you. Priestess, you have saved hundreds, thousands of lives."
"I only did what was necessary. It was only possible thanks to Sir Ian. Otherwise, I would not have been able to meet His Excellency so easily, nor would His Excellency have listened to my words. All I did was have a few words of conversation," Lucia said with a shy smile, glancing at Ian.
"That does not change the fact that you have done a praiseworthy deed," Jamal said with a bright smile. "I will keep it a secret for now, but I will spread the truth far and wide when I return to the mainland. This is my duty, having heard the story."
"No, you don’t have to go that far…"
This one also gets awkward with praise or thanks.
"More than that, I hope we’ll hear good news from Rune Catis. Otherwise, you may have to remain in the South for some time or run into a shortage of smuggling ships," said Lucia, sighing.
Her attempt to change the subject was obvious, but Jamal didn’t point it out. He simply nodded.
"We didn’t leave particularly quickly, but there shouldn’t be a shortage of ships. Smuggling captains are greedy men. Until prices rise enough, they won’t take on passengers. Of course, they will also try to take on as many passengers as possible."
As expected.
He had no intention of letting anyone else board the smuggling ship. Trouble was the last thing he wanted. The captain would feel as if disaster had fallen on him, but he was likely a criminal anyway, and he even owed a debt to the Duke.
"Besides, there are a few more docks to the west of Rune Catis. They are practically lawless areas under the control of the archipelago, but we formed a group with other merchant caravans to prepare for such a situation."
So it seemed they hadn’t started their journey on this scale from the beginning. Ian, who had already expected this, showed no particular reaction and just put meat in his mouth. Of course, it was also because he had no interest in the matter.
Jamal then stroked his chin and said, "But remaining in the South will certainly be a big problem. If the blockade lasts for even a month, we will run out of funds to stay in the city."
"Can’t you just sell off the goods you’ve purchased?" Lucia asked, tilting her head.
Jamal smacked his lips. "I am a merchant from the capital, so I cannot sell Southern goods in the South. Rune Catis would be an exception, but then another problem would arise. I would have to sell them to the Southern merchants, but I wouldn’t even get half the price."
"So there’s no refund system, I see," Ian let out a short, dry laugh. That they wouldn’t even return half the price on goods they’d sold themselves—the world of merchants was colder than he’d imagined. Then again, maybe it was precisely because they were in the same trade that they were all the more ruthless.
Burning with frustration, Jamal drained his wine, then bent down to pick up the pewter wine bottle on the floor. "It is possible right after purchase, but a considerable amount of time has already passed since we bought the goods. They’d have no shortage of excuses to use against us. Still, if we truly have no other choice…"
From his tone, he had already resigned himself to that outcome. In the end, they would have to sell their cargo for a pittance. It probably wouldn’t shake the caravan to its core, but it was bound to be a losing venture regardless. It was no wonder his expression was grim.
"What kind of goods did you purchase in the South?" Thesaya, who had been wearing a strange smile, asked bluntly.
Filling her and Ian’s goblets, Jamal answered, "There are things like dried fruits and sweet potatoes, but it’s mostly luxury goods like various spices and honey."
"Hmm…" Thesaya tapped her finger on her pewter goblet and finally asked suggestively, "If there was someone who would purchase those things, would you sell them?"
It was enough to make Jamal hold his breath for a moment. Then, placing the wine bottle back on the floor, he looked at Thesaya. "Are you saying Erenos will purchase them?"
"It’s not impossible. Of course…" The corner of Thesaya’s lip curled up a little more. She tilted the pewter goblet in her hand and added, "If you sell them at cost."
Jamal drew in a sharp breath, while Ian’s mouth tugged up at one corner.
To make a deal like that in this situation.
It was the first time in a long while he had seen her acting like a true pointy-ear. Thesaya, of course, didn’t so much as blink.
"You said you wouldn’t even get half the price anyway. In that case, wouldn’t it be more profitable to at least break even? Besides, the contract would be meaningless if you could cross the inner sea."
"That is… true…" Jamal stammered.
Thesaya, who had taken another sip of wine as if to make a point, let out a short scoff. "Think carefully. I am giving you an opportunity. You were the one who recommended I become a member of the Hexagonal Alliance, weren’t you?"
At last, Jamal’s eyes went wide. That alone was enough to put another crooked smile on Ian’s lips.
"To think you made such a proposal while waiting for me. You are quite diligent," said Ian, bringing the pewter goblet to his lips.
Jamal, who had let out a somewhat awkward cough, said, "The Head of House is more than qualified to become a member of the Hexagonal Alliance. Of course, you will have to go through the screening process, but given your close ties to the Agent of the Saint, you might be granted a golden insignia rather than a silver one. It would be a great benefit to the Hexagonal Alliance, and of course, to Erenos as well."
"Well now, it’s not just about adding another member, is it?" added Thesaya.
As Jamal looked at her, a somewhat cold smile, unique to fairies, appeared on her lips. "You have a larger aim."
"You see through me exactly." Jamal froze for a beat, then admitted it without resistance.
"The central fairy houses still maintain their contracts with the large merchant caravans. Of course, the Hexagonal Alliance is indeed growing rapidly, but it is only at the level of occasional transactions. There have been no houses that have tried to sign a formal contract with us yet."
He carefully met Thesaya’s eyes. "So if you, an Elder, were to become a member of the Hexagonal Alliance, it would hold a very great meaning."
"As a bridge to Southern fairy society, and as a first step to advance into central fairy society," Thesaya finished, as if pinching him. She brought her pewter goblet to her lips. Then, she nonchalantly took the meat Lucia offered her.
It was then that Yog’s laughter-tinged whisper pierced Ian’s mind.
—Your old fairy friend here… I like her far better than that cowardly one from before.
As Lucia turned her eyes toward him sidelong, Yog went on.
—I think we’d get along splendidly. So why don’t you ask her something for me, my friend? Whether she’d mind if I inscribed a very simple spell on her.