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T/N - There we go! Can’t beat a master at his own game. MC proves he’s the most unscrupulous merchant of them all. With the Golden Ear Merchant Guild being a no-go, the MC will most likely turn to the coming Frost Merchant Guild for trade. After all, the Frost Kingdom Princess (I’m assuming) has her eyes on him.
Following Dawson's roar, a completely unnoticeable figure in the shadows at the corner of the counter who had originally been wiping a vase moved.
It was a brown-haired young man wearing a gray, old robe. His hair was somewhat messy, and he was thin and malnourished, looking just like a subservient apprentice one could see anywhere.
He walked with almost no sound, drifting to the counter like a ghost, and handed a thick ledger into Dawson's hands.
"Boss, the accounts for the Blackstone Fief are on page 42."
The young man's voice was low and lacking in fluctuation.
When he spoke, a strong smell of alcohol wafted from his mouth.
However, the moment this young man approached them, Lynn once again saw a system pop-up window jump out in front of him.
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【Name: Griffin Sethi】
【Race: Human】
【Talent: S-Rank Scout】
【Battle Aura Level: D-Rank】
【Stamina: B-Rank】
【Physiological Indicators: Poisoned】
【Favorability: -5 (Non-threatening individual)】
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This unexpected discovery proved one thing: the system wasn’t only effective on females.
And another hypothesis was confirmed by this: the system only reacted to individuals possessing either Battle Aura or magic.
Speaking of which, what was it about this man being poisoned?
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【Afflicted with Frost Ice Poison. Requires Fire Magic channeling to detoxify, otherwise can only rely on strong alcohol for alleviation】
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So this system would give out more information based on his doubts, huh?
Then what if he wanted to know the other party's general life story?
This time, the system had no reaction whatsoever.
Alright, after all, this system didn't specialize in intelligence.
However, he was very curious: why would a poisoned person who knew Battle Aura be working as a counter apprentice in such a backwater merchant guild?
Or was he actually a personal bodyguard moonlighting as a counter apprentice?
"It stinks, get lost... Remember to pour me a cup of tea."
After snatching the ledger, Dawson licked his thumb and began flipping through the pages while impatiently shooing the other party away in passing.
Alright, it looked like he really was just an apprentice.
Why, though?
Lynn was very curious.
"What’re you looking at? This is where you should be looking, esteemed Baron of Blackstone."
Dawson's caustic words squeezed out from between his trembling fat lips.
Lynn raised his eyebrows and looked at the other party.
He saw the man randomly pointing at a few entries between the complex lines of text, and then said:
"Your predecessor, that sickly fellow, owed quite a lot of debt here with me.
Look here, this time when he bought wheat seeds... This time when he bought farming tools...
Although I don't know what a lord like him was buying these for, in short, principal and interest, plus this year's late fees, the total is this amount."
Lynn glanced at the number the other party had written down, and immediately grew anxious on the spot.
"Go to hell, you damn fat pig, how are you even shadier than the Church?"
Before Dawson, who had been hissed at by Lynn without a single frame of wind-up and completely lacking any noble image, could react, the ledger in his hands was immediately snatched away.
Lynn only took one look before instantly pointing at several other places on the page and clamoring:
"Do you see this?! These orders from similar dates are also for wheat seeds and farming tools! The prices are more than twice as cheap!
And who allowed your interest rate to exceed the regulations of the ‘Milanese Codex’? The Church doesn't allow usury either!
The late fees are even more unreasonable! The death of the previous lord constituted an act of God*, making it difficult to fulfill the principal payment. So you shouldn't even be collecting interest!"
Just as Lynn was exasperated, the mysterious apprentice walked over while holding a cup of tea.
For some reason, when he placed the cup beside the red-faced Dawson, whose expression was already twisted with anger, Lynn saw a trace of a smile curl up at the corners of his mouth.
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【Favorability: +5 (Well scolded)】
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"Paul! What’re you laughing at, you little bastard?! If it weren't for the fact that you’re somewhat nimble and you only ask for alcohol as payment, I would have let a deadbeat drunkard like you freeze to death outside long ago!"
Dawson suddenly slammed his hand onto the counter.
"Mir! Bring the men out!"
Following his roar, several aggressive-looking burly men immediately came down from the second floor.
"Baron of Blackstone, please give the ledger to me right now! I won’t say it a second time!"
Looking at Dawson extending his greasy palm, Lynn sneered, and then his two legs began to tremble.
However, even though his legs were shaking because he was surrounded by burly men, he still self-righteously shouted aloud.
"Do you want to lay a hand on me? Lay a hand on a Baron?
Let me tell you, I came here this time specifically to perform the vassal homage to the Viscount of White Pine.
Do you want me to go see him covered in injuries?"
Using the fiercest tone, Lynn spoke the most cowardly words.
Dawson sneered.
"That's not impossible either. I think my brother's son-in-law will be understanding of my anger."
Damn it, it was actually the evil of nepotism.
Lynn suppressed the urge to call Iyanna to save him. After all, once she made a move, her identity would inevitably be exposed.
He didn't want his employee to encounter danger because of this, as that would cause him unnecessary losses.
Thus, he took a deep breath, raised his head, and threw out his trump card.
"You didn't refute me, Mr. Dawson, because you know very well that what I said was correct.
You realized in a split second just now that I’m a person who understands the law and accounts very well, didn't you?"
Then, he raised the ledger in his hand:
"What if I tell the Viscount of White Pine that you've been evading taxes, huh, Mr. Dawson?
I don't think your brother's son-in-law will be understanding of your plight when it comes to matters of money."
Hearing this sentence, Dawson's face simply turned the color of pig liver.
"What are you talking about…?"
Although Lynn had no direct evidence, he believed that a guy like Dawson had absolutely acted in such a manner, and thus he continued to emphasize:
"Just with one glance earlier, I saw many unnatural entries.
Furthermore, how exactly did you record the debt owed by my Blackstone Fief?
Was it written according to the amount you demanded I pay?
No, it wasn't, was it?"
Dawson gritted his teeth tightly, and Lynn felt the man’s killing intent in an instant.
But very quickly, this killing intent subsided.
"What do you want to do?"
He squeezed this sentence out almost through his teeth.
"Very simple. I had no connection with you to begin with, so I hope it’ll be the same for us in the future."
Lynn leaned back comfortably against the counter.
This wasn’t because he was confident, but because his legs were trembling so much that he couldn't stand straight anymore.
"I don't like owing money without paying it back, but I dislike paying unreasonable debts even more.
I’ll help the old Baron pay off his debt. This is the debt I inherited, after all.
However, it’ll only be limited to the bills at normal prices. You shouldn't even think about getting a single penny more—"
He also really wanted to throw out words like this at the Church, but unfortunately, he truly couldn't afford to provoke them.
"Get out!!!"
A hysterical roar interrupted Lynn's words.
Dawson snatched his ledger back as if protecting his lifeblood, his face ashen as he pointed at the door:
"Just pretend that there’s no bill, you bastard! The Golden Ear Merchant Guild will never do business with you again in the future!
Even if everyone in that broken place of yours starves to death, I won't sell you even a single grain of moldy wheat!"
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While Lynn was supported onto the freezing cold street by Iyanna, he rubbed his chin.
Should this negotiation be considered a success or a failure?
Having not rested for a long time, tormented by the sled, and then undergoing a bout of brainstorming, Lynn felt as if the wrinkles on his brain were about to be smoothed out.
Lacking the energy to think about more complex problems, he looked at the street, where evening had already fallen.
He still had to find a place to stay...
...
"Mmm... Iyanna’s a little hot..."
"Shut up, I'm very cold right now. Honestly stay put and I'll give you meat to eat."
"Mmm... You said that before too..."
"I promise it won't be just a bone this time."
"Ehehe."
Holding his biological thermal heater, Lynn once again confirmed that the hemp rope for the goods was tightly tied to his wrist, ensuring that he would feel it the moment it loosened. After that, he let out a yawn and curled his body up into the windbreaker cloth.
Sure enough, sleeping on the street was still the most economical accommodation.
"Hey! You over there! What are you doing?! White Pine City doesn’t allow staying outside at night!"
Suddenly, the roars of the patrol guards, who acted as medieval urban management, rang out.
"Damn it, I forgot there was a curfew. Iyanna! The odds are against us, so let’s retreat…
Wait, no... Ah! Slow down!"
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*For those not familiar with the concept, an “act of God” is an extraordinary, unforeseeable natural phenomenon (such as an earthquake, flood, or hurricane) that occurs without human intervention and cannot be prevented through reasonable foresight or care. More commonly known as “force majeure” in civil law, it’s an often used concept in contracts and insurance.