Turning Chapter 1096

Chapter 1096

Before Mick and the merchants rose to finalize the details of the trade contract, Kishiar asked where they planned to stay. The merchants answered that they would be staying at the Shuden Trading Company branch within Peletta.

"Hmm. The Shuden Trading Company side might be a bit small for several people to stay. How about staying in the outer castle of Peletta until the deal is finalized?"

Before the merchants, surprised by the sudden offer, could express their burden,

"What? That's too much. Please let me stay here too. Do you know how annoying it is to go down to the town and come back up every time?"

Mick complained loudly. Without waiting for Kishiar's answer, he abruptly dragged in Yuder, who had been sitting quietly until then.

"Look at this. It seems Yuder also thinks that I, who is in charge of proceeding with the trade contract, should stay here together until it's finished, right?"

"..."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Kishiar asked in a playful voice. Yuder looked alternately at the merchants who were blinking with faces that didn't know what to say, Mick who looked deliberately desperate, and Kishiar who was quietly looking this way, then opened his mouth.

"But if the head of the trading company stays here away from the company, won't the subordinates suffer quite a bit?"

At the emotionless voice that flowed through the expressionless face, the merchants' shoulders stiffened.

"That's a reasonable point."

"Are you saying my words are unreasonable?"

"Mick, your words are reasonable too, of course. But my precious guest's words seem to consider the well-being of more people."

"...However, given the situation where Peletta and the North might become dangerous at any time, I think it's also important to be careful about the safety of those who will be conducting important transactions. If Mick, the head of the trading company, doesn't mind..."

"I don't mind at all!"

"Yes. Then just tell them to stay together in the outer castle."

Kishiar let out a laugh.

"Good. I allow it."

"We are grateful for the Duke's grace."

Mick greeted cheerfully. Thanks to this, the merchants lost the opportunity to express their burden and refusal. Still, Gohum sighed and quickly greeted along with him.

"If Mick, the head of the trading company, joins us, we will be much more at ease. We will accept your words, Duke, and our trading company will stay here."

'Good. Thanks to Mick's quick response, we've succeeded in keeping them close by.'

If they had abruptly told the merchants to stay in the castle, they would have been wary. Thanks to creating the situation well and making the proposal, everything went as desired.

"Then... we will take our leave now."

"Ah, wait. There's one last thing I just thought of and want to ask."

Kishiar opened his mouth as if something had suddenly occurred to him.

"How many tribes that advocate for the unification of the stars and tribes that oppose their intentions like you are there that we should definitely remember their names?"

Although he asked this as if it was nothing at the very end, it was actually the most important main point. Gohum thought for a moment and then answered immediately.

"The central point of the tribes advocating for unification is the Ansuma Mehet tribe. The meaning of the name in the imperial language is Wolf's Eye. Among the tribes that want to maintain the status quo like us, the largest is the Anman Noon tribe, which translates to Owl's Wing."

Wolf's Eye. Owl's Wing.

They were all familiar names.

***

"I expected the name of the Wolf's Eye tribe to come up, of course, but the Owl's Wing side is unexpected."

After the merchants withdrew and only the two of them remained, Yuder spoke first.

"I didn't expect that those who took Nahan would be on the side opposing unification."

"It's quite hopeful news."

Kishiar answered lightly.

"The fact that the Wolf's Eye tribe's grip within the South, which seemed to have been prepared for such a long time, was lower than expected is also good. It's not bad for us in many ways."

That's right. It was truly ridiculous and dangerous for those who couldn't even properly control their internal affairs to aim for the outside.

"Aton also said that the Wolf's Eye tribe chief was gathering the children of the moon. Perhaps they were trying to build up their power in the outside, including the empire, and then use that as a basis to persuade the inside to unify."

"How was it in the previous game?"

"At that time..."

At that time, the Orr Empire thought they were interacting with the 'South'. However, thinking about it now, they were probably all people related to the Wolf's Eye tribe.

'Since it was a relationship that started with the southern merchants introduced by Duke Tain to Katchian'

The southern envoys who visited at that time acted as if they had received orders from their king, describing their leader as 'the representative of all southerners'. Although they knew that the South didn't have a national system like other countries, they simply understood it as they said because there was no opportunity to feel the presence of other tribes like now.

'I thought there might be a representative like a king even if there was no king.'

"...So I think the situation probably flowed almost as they wanted at that time."

"But it means that even they didn't end up perfectly establishing a country and becoming kings in the end."

Almost achieving a goal and perfectly achieving it are different. Kishiar's eyes were saying that.

"There were probably those who opposed until the end internally even then. Even if it was a movement so weak that it couldn't be noticed from the outside... it was definitely enough to prevent them from calling themselves kings as they wished."

"..."

He had never thought in that direction in his previous life. If he had taken a deeper interest in the internal affairs of the South even though Katchian had forbidden it, would something have been different? Some regret inevitably crept in, but Yuder shook his head to shake off that emotion.

"So what we need to do from now on is decided."

To lend strength so that those who want peace, like the Cat Whiskers tribe, don't perish.

At the same time, to continue collecting related information.

Yuder nodded to express his agreement.

"When we build more trust with the Cat Whiskers Trading Company people, I'd like to first check how much they know about what the Wolf's Eye tribe is doing. If possible, I'd also like to find a way to contact the Owl's Wing tribe directly..."

It was then. There was a commotion outside the door, and someone knocked.

"My lord! Urgent news!"

The ones who opened the door and entered were not one but two knights. They stood with different expressions and delivered the news they had brought in turn.

"Sir Zuckerman has sent a letter saying he will return. He says he has those presumed to be the Shuden Trading Company impostors with him."

'He finally caught them.'

He knew it would succeed since Nathan Zuckerman had taken on the task, but the timing was really good. If he brought the culprits while Mick Shuden was here with the Cat Whiskers Trading Company, it would be even easier to obtain information.

Kishiar's gaze turned to the second person who was to deliver the news. Unlike the one next to him, he opened his mouth after hesitating slightly with a more tense face.

"There's news that there were people who attempted to assassinate Her Majesty the Empress in the capital."

Kishiar's eyes changed in an instant.

"They were stopped before they could make a proper attempt and nothing happened, but the one who stopped it... is said to be a knight from House Diarca."

'...Huh?'

A knight from House Diarca who prevented an attempt to assassinate the Empress?

The combination was very strange. It wouldn't have felt more bizarre even if they had seen two objects that could never be together stuck together. Yuder tapped his ears for a moment to confirm that they hadn't suddenly broken down, then turned his head and asked.

"Are there any other knights from the direct line of House Diarca besides Kiolle?"

As far as Yuder knew, there weren't. But surely there couldn't be only Kiolle as a direct line knight in such a large family? Perhaps there might be someone he didn't know about.

He thought so, but,

"There isn't. Only Kiolle da Diarca."

That thought was quickly shattered by Kishiar's firm answer.

'...Then did Kiolle really prevent the attempted assassination of the Empress?'

All the serious atmosphere that had been there until now was broken.

Emperor Keilusa had told Kishiar not to pay attention to what was happening in the capital and to rest, and then really didn't relay any related news at all. Therefore, even the news brought now wasn't directly from the imperial palace, but was said to be a compilation of circulating rumors.

So they couldn't believe that those rumors were facts without a single lie, but...

'At least something similar must have happened for rumors to spread.'

But the Kiolle that Yuder knew was not someone who would voluntarily do such a thing. He could assert this very confidently.

Then the conclusion is...

'It seems like it might be a misunderstanding.'

Yuder turned his head to look at Kishiar's eyes. He also seemed certain to be thinking similarly to Yuder.

"Tell me in more detail what happened."

"Since the imperial palace side didn't directly convey information to us, most of it is based on rumors, but that..."

The report of the one speaking slowly began to flow out.

As his story progressed, Yuder's expression became increasingly peculiar.