Episode 325 – Ah, It Missed. Lucky Bastard.
Three days later, my desk began to pile up with layer upon layer of information on the Everfell family.
With both feet propped up on the desk, I flipped through the docunts quickly, then let out a hollow laugh as I glanced around at the paperwork scattered across the room.
“I must’ve thrown around way too much money....”
Stacks of papers filled the room.
When the Leafs walked around Everfell's mansion, shops, and warehouses with heavy pouches of gold coins, information began pouring in.
Maybe it was because of Aintrier’s money-chasing nature.
The monetary persuasion worked out more smoothly than I’d expected.
Just like Carl had boasted, I probably could’ve even found out the color of the Everfell family head’s underwear the next day.
Parararak—
I flipped through the docunts quickly.
Rather than scrutinizing each pile, I focused exclusively on information about the Everfell family head.
For the rest, I skimd with keywords in mind, hoping to spot anything related to the events in the novel.
Most of the information written in the docunts ca from people who had been bribed—those working under the Everfell family.
Maybe that’s why there was so much useless chatter and nonsense mixed in, so I had to sift through it selectively.
"Hm??"
At that mont, a line among the idle gossip caught my eye.
[Rumor says Windsor Everfell will soon rise to 4-star.]
The source? Windsor Everfell himself.
Apparently, Windsor had been going around bragging that he’d beco a 4-star soon.
“Windsor Everfell, huh....”
Windsor was the heir to the Everfell family.
After checking that line, I pulled up the docunts related to him and reread them.
In short, Windsor was a scumbag.
He’d grown up in an environnt where the slave trade was the main source of inco. He must’ve seen racial, class, and wealth discrimination from a position of power. The guy had superiority complex embedded deep in his brain, and as the family’s only bloodline, he was pampered to the point that he knew no fear.
Still, growing up in the best environnt ant he did have so skill.
“He only beca a 3-star less than a month ago.”
A 3-star with no special trait, nothing impressive.
Judging from his behavior, he shouldn’t be able to beco a 4-star in his lifeti, even if he tried until he died. But now he’s running his mouth saying he’ll soon be a 4-star?
“And on the very day the Dark Sales end, no less.”
Most people probably dismissed Windsor’s boasting as nonsense and laughed it off. But to , it didn’t sound like nonsense.
I rubbed my chin and thought for a mont.
Then, I pinpointed the tifra of the Dark Sales.
aning, there must be an item among the Dark Sales that would allow him to beco a 4-star. He must’ve entered the priority negotiation to acquire it.
“Ah, co to think of it....”
I went through the docunts summarizing the Everfell family and stopped at the word "count."
The Everfell Count Family.
With the ergence of the Divine Na—those chosen by gods—the class system collapsed. Though they now barely maintained their status as a rchant family, Everfell had once been a great noble house.
A great noble family.
And the brilliant awakening of its heir.
While examining the docunts, I smirked.
“So this punk is the puppet’s master.”
[Kunta’s Soul-Binding Doll]
I rembered a part of the novel where a noble family’s heir used this puppet to rise from 3-star to 4-star.
Among those competing for priority negotiation, which had reached 20 million gold, it seed the Everfell family was one of them.
Actually, scratch that—20 million gold wasn’t the ceiling. The price would go up further, since there was still ti left.
“But in the novel, Kunta’s puppet wasn’t that big of a deal, was it?”
Now, however, it had beco the most coveted item in all of Aintrier.
That ant soone had stepped in to compete with Everfell, increasing the puppet’s value.
This was clearly a deviation from the novel’s original plot.
Just who was the one competing for the Kunta puppet?
“I should confirm it myself.”
I needed to see and hear with my own eyes and ears.
I stood up from my seat.
I’d just uncovered important information, and I had a detailed grasp of the Everfell rchant group.
Now it was ti to move.
“I’m heading to Everfell.”
As I got into the carriage and told the ghost coachman my destination, he handed a small note.
“What’s this?”
“The Master said to give it to you. You’ll know once you read it.”
“Carl?”
Tilting my head, I unfolded the note.
[It’s red.]
I let out a soft chuckle at the contents.
It seed tomorrow’s underwear color for the Everfell rchant head had already been decided.
***
The beings born as Divine Na.
The masters of Divine Na, having been chosen by the gods, rejected all forms of man-made authority, which led to the rapid collapse of the class system made up of kings and nobles.
The Everfell family, once a grand noble family that held the rank of count, had briefly basked in the glory of authority. But after that glory faded with the ergence of the Divine Na, they transford into a rchant family.
Taking advantage of the turbulent tis, they quickly changed direction and seized the opportunity to rise again—this ti, through a business targeting non-humans.
Hell Gri had long ostracized other races, and as that culture beca ingrained, Everfell led the movent to enslave them.
They pushed the idea that non-humans were re tools for the convenience of humans.
Behind the Everfell estate, at the training grounds.
At the archery range, Windsor smirked as he pulled his bowstring taut.
“If you die from squirming too much, what’ll you do? I said stay still.”
Pang—!
The arrow loosed violently. A mont later, a scream erupted from the target.
An elf, bound to the target post.
Tied tightly with rope, the elf had no ans of defense.
He had already been hit three or four tis, and his bloodied body writhed in agony.
“I told you not to move.”
Windsor extended his hand, and a guard handed him another arrow.
As he pulled the string again, a troubled butler finally stepped in.
“Young Master, perhaps you should stop now. If the slave dies, it’ll be a significant loss to the family.”
“So you’re telling to spare the bastard who got caught trying to run? If I let this one live, the others will try to escape too. We need an example.”
“But—”
The butler let out a deep sigh.
If it were a human slave, they would’ve been executed on the spot. But this was an elf, worth hundreds of thousands of gold.
If he died, it’d be a guaranteed loss.
Why else would the family head send him here?
He had to ensure the slave was kept alive and retrieved.
But since Windsor never listened to words, it was better to speak through reality.
The butler leaned in and whispered into Windsor’s ear.
“The negotiation price just hit another record high.”
“...What??”
Windsor lowered his bowstring. With a hand gesture, he dismissed the guards.
Now alone, he cursed and asked,
“How much?”
“21 million gold. It’s gone up another million.”
“...Shit. Who the hell is it?”
“I don’t know.”
“But Father would, right? He’s friends with Lord Azonne.”
“Priority negotiation information is confidential. That applies to even the family head.”
“Everfell is rich. But the current financial situation of the rchant group isn’t exactly great. You know that, don’t you? All those failed deals on selling non-humans recently?”
Alex Marcia, representative of the World Tree Union.
As his influence grew within Aintrier, clients beca more hesitant to buy non-humans.
The World Tree Union’s power seed far greater than expected, making it harder for Everfell to move their stock of slaves.
“Cowardly bastards. Who do they think he is.”
“If you sell that elf, you’ll get 500,000 gold. That money could help you acquire that ‘puppet’ you wanted.”
“Hm...”
Windsor nodded slightly.
If it would help him grow stronger, it was worth keeping the elf alive.
[Kunta’s Soul-Binding Doll]
A puppet that forcibly awakened a 3-star to 4-star.
And it wasn’t even a one-ti use item.
As long as sacrifices were made, it could be used multiple tis.
When his father discovered the puppet’s hidden power, everyone in the family—himself included—was convinced this item would be a huge opportunity for their house.
There was no need to doubt the authenticity of its secret ability.
‘It’s Lord Azonne’s artifact, after all.’
Its value was clear, and he had to obtain it, no matter what.
But with an annoying competitor stepping in, the price skyrocketed to a burdenso level even for Everfell.
If what the butler said was true, hurting the elf would be a loss.
But Windsor was a bastard.
“Just one more shot.”
“What...?”
“I don’t like his eyes.”
Even though the elf was bloodied, he still wasn’t cowering. Windsor didn’t like that.
How could he dare look at with those eyes?
“If I miss, then lucky him. If I hit his head... well, then it’s just bad luck for him.”
“The price will drop.”
“Ehay, you expect to throw away my pride over that amount? Who am I? The one and only heir of Everfell!”
That amount? Pride?
He’d never earned even a single gold himself, yet he spouted such crap. Still, when Windsor stubbornly drew his bowstring again, the butler sighed and stepped back.
It was pathetic, but Windsor was a 3-star. Surely he wouldn’t actually kill him... right?
Pang!
The string snapped, and the arrow flew.
As Windsor looked on with interest, expecting the elf to scream—
Kkaang—
“...Huh??”
The arrow was deflected by sothing.
At the sound, guards drew their swords and rushed to Windsor’s side.
Windsor quickly realized that sothing—a different arrow—had deflected his shot.
He scowled and looked toward where the arrow had co from.
“Who the hell dares...!”
Then, he spotted a man.
Walking slowly from the front gate.
Before Windsor could shout, the man’s bow was already aid at him.
One of the guards shouted frantically.
“An, an ambush!”
“Protect the Young Master!”
Tututututung!
Arrows exploded from the man’s bow.
Not one—five arrows.
Five arrows rained down straight at Windsor’s head.
Caught off guard, Windsor cried out, “W-what?” in confusion. Guards surrounded him, swinging their swords to deflect the arrows.
Arrows and swords collided.
Kakakakang—!
“Kuk!”
“Kkugh!”
Sparks burst in mid-air the mont the arrows struck the swords.
Guards scread.
The mont they blocked the arrows, their arms twisted backward.
Their arms snapped upon impact.
The arrows were absurdly heavy.
“D-dodge! Now!”
The arrows, having shoved the swords aside, slamd into the guards.
Kwajak! Kkwajajak!
Terrifying crunching sounds rang out.
Guards crashed to the ground along with the arrows. One took a hit to the face, which caved in instantly. Others struck in the chest or abdon vomited blood and died as their armor crumpled.
None of the fallen guards got back up.
It all happened in an instant.
Silence fell over the training ground.
Step, step—
Footsteps echoed.
Windsor gulped as he watched the man approach.
Or rather, he couldn’t even open his mouth or blink.
The man’s bow was still trained on him.
All he could do was tremble.
Finally, when the man ca close enough for his face to be seen, he clicked his tongue and spoke.
“Ah, it missed. Lucky bastard.”
User Comments
0 comments from readers