Bab 141: [Chapter 141] Kamil's Anger
"Safe travels."
"Of course. You've even provided us with an escort."
Joyce and Cladwyn shook hands firmly and briefly.
Although the siblings' stay was only a few weeks, the luggage they were taking back to the South had multiplied several times. The same went for their entourage.
Part of Maindland's elite Platinum Knights, along with exceptional soldiers recruited from nearby territories, were ready to depart on the escort mission. While the escort from MacKinnon was indeed substantial, it was limited due to the nature of the visit based on courtesy. Now, the grandeur of the entourage was impressive.
"We hope nothing happens, but if it does, our knights are here with you. Be careful, Di."
"Got it! You should worry more than me. Don't get hurt, okay?"
"I won't."
As Cladwyn and Joyce exchanged farewells, Neris and Diane sadly parted ways. Watching the two young ladies embrace tightly, Neris's mother smiled contentedly.
Reluctant to let go of Neris, Diane held on for a while, but when the time came to release the hug, she politely greeted Neris's mother.
"Mother, we're going in."
"Yes, Miss Diane. Take care as you go in."
"Just call me Di."
"Of course, Di. I wish you a safe arrival without any trouble."
"Despite being her daughter's friend, there was a clear difference in status, so Neris's mother always treated Diane with proper respect. Diane found this slightly hurtful, but it was understandable, so she deliberately acted more formal.
"Let's go, Di."
Seeing Diane about to cling onto a pillar of the White Swan Castle, Joyce stepped forward. He politely nodded to Neris's mother and Neris. They had already exchanged greetings several times, but one more time wouldn't hurt.
"May you always be peaceful and healthy."
"The same to you, sir."
The mother and daughter simultaneously gestured with their skirts in a sign of respect. Joyce then turned to Joan, who was standing beside them.
"See you soon."
"Yes."
As the main business of the Mori's Top was the supply of Southern medicines, Joan couldn't stay in Maindland indefinitely. Even if there was a possibility of relocating the headquarters here in the future, she still needed to focus on the South. Neris had given her a separate mission as well.
Therefore, she was also planning to leave Maindland within the summer. Joyce's words hinted at continuing the close cooperative relationship.
Joan's confident smile as she answered 'yes' made her look like a seasoned merchant. Joyce could keenly sense that determination.
"They are remarkable individuals."
Currently, the top three families in the Empire were all leveraging their inherited wealth from at least their grandfathers to expand their fortunes. The mid-sized families below them typically followed suit.
"When starting a business, capital was important. But more important than that was intuition. Knowing what would turn into money, how to live. Those who started with vague ideas like 'this will make money' ended up losing a large sum in no time.
Such intuition was difficult to learn if it wasn't cultivated from an early age in the surrounding environment. Or...
'Inborn.'
Although Joyce had vaguely felt it before, during this negotiation, he was convinced.
Joan Mori was a genius.
She had come into MacKinnon Top and then left shortly after, which made him uneasy. If she wanted to do things right, she needed to learn from the ground up for several years.
However, she needed the opportunity she had right now. The experience of struggling under Angelo Railing, and then quickly absorbing what she learned while mingling in MacKinnon Top.
'It's going to be big.'
The confidence of someone who knows they can do more, and the curiosity about the new future that will come with it. The positive emotions of anticipation that anyone would be envious of made Joan's face sparkle.
Joyce glanced at her face for a moment before consciously looking away. A knowing smile flickered on his rugged face.
'Exciting.'
And Neris, oh, it was beyond words. In one corner of his mind during this stay, there was a wealth of information subtly gleaned by Neris that could be worth a fortune.
From the secretive map of the social circles to the yet unnoticed new methods of material production, there were pieces of information that would be difficult to obtain unless you were a prophet.
Of course, such new information needed to be verified on his end, but Joyce had a hunch. If even 10% of what Neris had told him was true, MacKinnon Top would be the Empire's top family in ten years.
The messenger approached Joyce and spoke.
"Young master, it's time to depart."
The journey with the cart filled with Maindland's specialties would undoubtedly take longer than the arrival. Joyce nodded.
Diane and Joyce soon boarded the carriage. Diane continued to wave her hand at Neris until the carriage door closed.
"Goodbye! I'll come visit again next time! Take care! Bye-bye!"
The lingering farewell echoed in her ears even after the carriage had started moving. Neris watched the MacKinnon people departing with Joan by her side.
As the carriage set off down the road and eventually disappeared from view, Ellen approached Neris and offered comfort. Neris smiled.
"That's right."
"I hope your journey is safe."
"It will be safe."
Unless there was a reason to accuse Kamil of taking Neris's life, there was no need for him to harm the siblings.
"I've added extra safety measures."
Kamil had engaged in various businesses under a pseudonym to earn money. Among them, he had recently involved Neris in a trading business that was currently struggling to find investors. Therefore, Kamil would be very cautious with MacKinnon Top for the time being.
"...It's a business that may fail to turn a profit and go bankrupt in a couple of years due to a typhoon. Well, as long as he focuses on the parts unrelated to the typhoon and earns quickly, MacKinnon Top should be fine."
Neris didn't know the basis of Ellen's assurance. However, she trusted the 'young lady,' so she smiled gently.
"Well, that's fortunate. Shall we go in now, miss?"
"Yes."
As the words to enter were spoken, Cladwyn naturally approached Neris. Linking arms with her, they entered the castle, and Neris remembered Ellen's words.
"Will it be lonely?"
The probability was low. If her thoughts were correct.
Soon, Maindland would face a more troublesome visitor than any they had encountered in recent years.
---
"Well, did it fail?"
The voice was calm.
In the deep chamber of the palace.
The small chamber was furnished with a fireplace, a long chair, and a table, making it look like a luxurious reception room at first glance. However, in this windowless room, where several people had silently perished, and their bloodstains had been covered by new carpets, only one person in this world knew.
The fringe that adorned the underside of the plush chair silently shifted. The owner of the room rose slowly.
"...Interesting words. My precious moon has set eight times. And all for requesting the body of a mere steward."
The slow and ponderous tone did not sound like that of someone finding amusement. The man who had finished his inspection sensed a storm coming.
Her steps towards the table were ordinary, but they seemed to exude a strange sense of pressure to onlookers. Each step seemed to contain profound meanings and vast perspectives that an ordinary person could never comprehend.
Finally, her navy blue eyes, pointing to the map spread out on the table, sparkled coldly, emitting thousands of colors.
"I despise the struggles of fools."
The man immediately knelt down. He dared not even take a deep breath. She looked at the frightened man with a sidelong glance and showed a cold smile.
"Am I frightening you?"
"I am afraid."
The man answered truthfully. He knew that the truth would satisfy her more.
Indeed, instead of reprimanding him, she nodded as if it were natural.
"Yes, that's right. Isn't it a problem if there is someone who does not fear the imperial family? Moreover, I am the eldest son of the imperial family."
The current First Princess of the Empire... Kamil, in anger, scattered her icy gaze.
"Cladwyn Maindland, the cunning little man... I was very surprised to hear that there is a jewel owner by his side. So, I spent the rest of the moon not fully waxed, isn't that right? Hmm?"
Kamil's most important power and the rival to the Empire's most outstanding eldest son, 'Silver Moon'.
Kamil referred to each member of the Silver Moon as a moon. They seemed to be hidden like clouds, but in reality, they were watching from high above, looking down on the earth.
The term 'not fully waxed moon' referred to the inadequate members. If she acknowledged her words now, it would mean that she was a foolish master who did not properly understand the difficulty of the mission.
The man could not find words to respond. Kamil ignored him and stared at the pieces placed haphazardly on the map.
The meaning of these words could only be fully understood by her in the world. Her 'fully waxed' moons infiltrated throughout the Empire, the figures to watch, the targets decided to handle... Numerous factions engaged in fierce battles on the map.
Her moons were heavily involved in the lands of the grand nobles. Depending on the caution of each landlord, whether it was a pig farmer in the lower village or a maid tidying up the mansion bedroom varied. However, there were only two places where the moon did not rise.
The Elandria family was a problem, but there were weaknesses in that father-son duo. However, the other side was not so, making it more sinister.
'Maindland.'
No matter how many spies were sent, they were always caught. How meticulously the young man, who had not received proper education from his father, managed that vast land. Even if a foreigner appeared, rumors quickly spread to the neighboring territories due to the exclusive culture where loyalty to the lord was deep.
He was a dangerously suspicious figure. Rumors spread that such a person, who had already killed all his obstacles, brought the jewel owner and rallied the people, was a dangerous scent. How did Kamil feel?
She didn't really believe the jewel owner had appeared. She thought the fox-like lord was deliberately using tactics to undermine the dignity of the royal family. After all, could the border people really distinguish the real jewel owner?
However, when she learned that the person identified as the jewel owner was the heir of the Elandria family, the owner of the ancient relic, she lost her composure for the first time in a long time.
'There's a game going on that I don't know about.'
Kamil judged it that way. So, she decided to kill quickly and confirm its body. Perhaps too quickly.
Kamil opened a drawer on the table and took out a piece carved from amethyst. With a sharp sound, she placed it on the map.
A silver-gray amethyst piece lay next to the spot marked "Penmwick."
"I cannot let that go. Especially if the rumors about the jewel owner are true. However... if the vigilance is that severe, quietly handling it becomes difficult."
The man realized that Kamil had not punished him but had moved on to the next step. Coldly, Kamil said to the relieved man,
"Summon Adrian. We must take advantage of the fact that Tifian Viscount has returned to my son. While the fool may have had his own escape plan, the lord may have his own agenda, but whatever it is, if I claim it first, it's mine."
When Kamil learned that troops from the Tifian Viscount had been mobilized to monitor Aylora, she was extremely angry. How dare the elderly opportunist, driven by nothing but greed, try to exploit the weakness of the royal family?
The royal troops hidden in Aylora had secretly moved elsewhere. Even the carefully cultivated silver light, which had been invested in for years, suddenly encountered problems. When issues piled up like this, it couldn't be a coincidence, so she had several expensive subordinates killed. If the information hadn't leaked, such incidents wouldn't have occurred.
But who knew if that action would actually be useful?
"If it can't be handled discreetly, then it shall be dealt with officially."
Kamil declared decisively like a thunderbolt.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone