Episode 322: Building Bulk
When I arrived at the study, Italus and his son Antonio were already there.
Seeing Italus rubbing his eyes with a tired expression, I chuckled.
“Your eyebags are pitch black. You look like an old man who’s seen everything in life.”
“It’s thanks to soone giving a massive headache.”
“Azonne really is a bastard, isn’t he?”
“Did you sleep well?”
“Does it look like I did?”
Italus let out a dry laugh and handed over a docunt.
I glanced through it, then looked at him.
It was a kind of contract—a summary of the terms we negotiated yesterday, outlining each party’s responsibilities.
“What’s this?”
“I don’t know if it’ll be useful, but as a rchant, I need to leave proof.”
“So I just sign it?”
“After reading the whole thing…”
Without even glancing at the back, I signed at the bottom and handed it back.
Italus looked at with a speechless expression.
“Do you trust ?”
I shook the Dark Sales catalog in my hand and replied,
“1 gold. What could be more certain than that? I look forward to working with you.”
I extended my hand with a smile, and Italus bitterly smiled back, gripping it.
It was the mont the World Tree Union and the Lenon Family boarded the sa ship.
“You managed to persuade the bloodline elders in just one day. Impressive.”
“Lochter Felice made the biggest difference. There’s no one else who can replace him as a shield.”
“You won’t regret the choice.”
“If things go as you say… Has Azonne’s envoy left?”
“He’s waiting outside.”
I received the catalog and told the golden mask I’d summon him later, then sent him outside.
“How did he react?”
“The bid updated to 1 gold, but he didn’t look particularly surprised.”
“He’s had plenty of ti to find out in advance.”
“What do you think Azonne will do?”
“…Did you just say old man?”
“Why? Don’t like it? I think it’s affectionate and nice.”
“Do as you please.”
Italus let out a deep sigh and continued,
“If it’s Azonne, he’ll probably pressure to back down in secret. He prefers to settle things with words whenever possible.”
“And if you refuse?”
“Then it’ll beco a battle of connections.”
“Connections?”
“As you know, Aintrier is tangled with countless interests. Azonne will try to appease us with one hand and build forces behind our backs to threaten us with the other.”
“So basically, he’s building bulk.”
“Exactly. If he judges your side as too small, he’ll launch an attack with whatever excuse he can fabricate. Most fall apart at that stage.”
“And if the size is similar?”
“Then he smiles and shakes hands. Until the next opportunity cos. Even then, negotiations usually proceed in the direction he wants. When you see the bulk gathered by the Lords aligned with him, the will to resist just disappears.”
“So, to match the opponent’s scale, you have to build up your own bulk.”
“Exactly.”
“Very rchant-like. Also very petty.”
“It’s a thod only possible because he’s a Lord.”
Azonne’s wealth is unmatched in this world, but that wealth doesn't translate into direct power.
The owners of 5-star divine spirits are all influential figures.
You can’t subjugate such people with money alone.
To do that, you’d need the kind of overwhelming power and authority soone like Grand Duke Clarke of Demtor wields.
That’s why Azonne offers conveniences in exchange for borrowing their strength.
A classic crocodile and plover bird relationship. That’s how Aintrier has survived until now.
‘And it’s a strategy that works incredibly well during upcoming events and wars too.’
Most divine spirit users joined Azonne for those conveniences.
After all, 99 out of 100 problems could usually be solved with money.
‘Azonne’s connections, huh…’
Thinking of those connections, I gave a bitter smile.
‘Even matching his scale won’t be easy…’
I knew better than anyone just how terrifying Azonne’s wealth could be.
It wasn’t just money.
There was another weapon—one that made even divine spirit holders align with him.
A way to fill that last 1% gap that even gold couldn’t buy.
‘So, a full-on war is out of the question.’
Until we could gain a force that firmly supported the World Tree Union, we had to keep a low profile.
Even if we took losses, we’d extract what we could and pull back.
After all, the power of the Leaf was, as we knew—a fake.
Silence lingered briefly in the study.
Even with a shield like Lochter, it was natural for the Lenon Family to be worried—they’d be standing against Azonne after all.
Ti to lift their spirits a little.
I pulled out a small bag I had brought. Then I emptied its contents onto the table.
“Th-This is…!”
A pile of World Tree Leaves scattered across the table.
These were the enchanted leaves I’d gathered before leaving—glowing faintly with a golden light thanks to Sacred Power.
Gulp—
Just a handful of these would be enough to cure his daughter’s curse. Antonio unconsciously swallowed hard and looked at .
“What do you want?”
I smiled and nodded at his quick-wittedness. It was always easier working with soone sharp.
“Who’s in charge of intelligence for the Lenon Family?”
Antonio looked at the old man.
When Italus gave a nod, Antonio turned to with a firm gaze.
“I am.”
“I figured. It was obvious.”
“From a year ago to now, search for others in Aintrier who show symptoms similar to Märchen’s.”
Antonio’s eyes sharpened at my words.
“…Do you know who cast the curse?”
“It’s just a theory.”
“Please share it.”
“Azonne.”
At my blunt reply, Antonio’s eyes briefly widened but then quickly cald.
He didn’t seem shocked.
Rather, he looked confused.
“I can’t say I haven’t suspected him myself…”
“You did?”
“Usually, the one with the antidote is the culprit.”
“And Azonne doesn’t qualify?”
“I haven’t found anything suspicious. And none of his known connections are capable of such a powerful curse.”
A curse so powerful not even his vast wealth could find a cure.
Indeed, none of Azonne’s publicly known allies could use such curses.
But I knew of one.
The right-hand man of Kal, and the forr head of the Nest of Shamans—the black shaman,
Rengua Field.
He was the one who transplanted the Heart of the Frost Lord into Lyon Martrein.
‘If he’s still alive, he’s the culprit.’
He was the most likely person to have cast the curse on Märchen, and the only one capable of decoding it.
aning: if Azonne possesses the antidote, Rengua is either nearby or involved sohow.
That was my theory.
To track Rengua, I needed to follow the clues. There were likely more victims out there. The antidote would be a perfect tool to subjugate or win over others.
Just like the “blessing of the leaf.”
Italus asked ,
“So you’re going to trace the curse to catch the culprit?”
“Not quite.”
“What? Then why investigate—?”
“Didn’t you say it yourself? This is about building bulk. A battle of connections.”
I gestured at the leaves scattered on the table.
Italus let out a quiet exclamation and stared at in surprise.
The ssage was clear—find others in the sa situation and bring them to our side.
If Azonne had sched this far, it ant his influence had spread throughout Aintrier.
If there really were other victims, recruiting them would be easy.
After all, we had the World Tree’s Leaves.
“Amazing. How do you co up with this stuff?”
“I suppose I’m just incredibly smart—no other explanation.”
“You’re unbelievably arrogant, but I have to admit it.”
Now that they had a way to increase allies, Italus’s expression brightened.
He seed to think it was a plan worth pursuing.
When he ordered Antonio to get moving imdiately, the son looked to for permission—his eyes flicking to the leaves on the table.
"Uh…"
“As a token of our partnership, I’ll give you enough to treat Märchen—free of charge.”
“Th-Thank you!”
Antonio bead with joy.
But Italus didn’t. He narrowed his brows and stood with a grim look.
“Then… what about the rest?”
“Nothing in this world is free, is it?”
“You expect us to buy all this?”
“Should I sell it to soone else, then? You call yourself a rchant, yet you’re clueless.”
Staring at the leaves for a mont, Italus let out a dry laugh.
As he imagined what these leaves could fetch, he finally understood what I was saying—just how invaluable they really were.
“I guess I really am getting old.”
“Glad you realize it.”
“How much do you want?”
At Antonio’s question, I raised a single finger.
Both father and son grimaced.
Every ti I raised one finger, sothing terrible happened to the Lenon Family.
The first ti: 10% equity.
The second: 1 gold.
And now… Italus was already dreading what new disaster awaited.
“100 million gold.”
Italus quietly rubbed his forehead.
He was starting to develop a neurosis just from seeing that finger.
‘Thieving bastard…!’
He cursed silently.
Still, this was their chance to rally certain factions around the Lenon Family.
He was a seasoned rchant—he already knew the leaves were worth well over 100 million gold.
In the end, he could only nod weakly.
“Ah, by the way, are you considering relocating your base?”
“Base? You an moving our estate?”
“Your shop can stay in Aintrier. I’m talking about your family’s headquarters.”
“To where, exactly?”
“There’s a port village half a day north of the Ordor Forest. It’s close to the woods and ideal for trading with non-humans. No one realizes its value yet. I’ll send you a map later.”
“Still, abandoning a place we’ve rooted ourselves in for decades is…”
“I’ll add another 5% equity.”
“Naturally possible, then. When should we move?”
rchants move for money.
If I was offering equity worth half their gold reserves, they’d move their base ten tis over.
I nodded and stood.
Starting with the Lenon Family, I would gradually peel away influential rchant groups from Aintrier.
The goal was to create a new power bloc capable of checking Azonne and weakening his hold.
Having finished everything here, I bid farewell to the father and son.
Outside, Lochter was waiting.
When he saw , he froze for a mont, then approached.
“Did you co to see off?”
“No. I have sowhere else to go.”
“Where to?”
“The Dwarf Workshop.”
“Workshop? Why all of a sudden?”
“A dwarf visited the training grounds last night.”
“A dwarf?”
A dwarf in a black hat.
Looked like Koristman, the one who led the workshop, had co to see Lochter.
“What did he say?”
“He pointed out a problem.”
“A problem?”
Koristman had pointed out sothing in Lochter’s swordsmanship?
He didn’t even seem like a fighter when I first saw him.
“Not the swordsmanship. It was advice about Belin and Reyna.”
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