WeTried Translations
Translator: Coughing Baby
Editor: Coughing Baby
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 111: Individual to Individual
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“Si-Sir Kyle, please wait a moment. Didn't you say you had to report to the Grand Duke before accepting this request?”
Lentz rose from his seat in alarm.
“Right now, the only contract between us is the confidentiality agreement. We can't share the details of the request with the Grand Duke...”
“I'll report to him after the request is finished.”
“Pardon?”
“I'm the sort of person who can manage that much.”
From the start, Julius had left the decision of whether to accept Crow Company's contract entirely to Kyle. Kyle had only brought up Julius before the negotiations because he wanted to leave himself room to refuse.
“Negotiate with the Central Branch head. If he accepts the improved terms I demand, I'll begin the request immediately.”
“...”
“Wouldn't that be cleaner and faster for both sides? I don't mind taking my time, but the Central Branch can't afford to. It's already been forty-three days, and you said you still haven't confirmed what's happening inside the Third Research Building.”
Kyle turned toward Lentz with a faint smile.
“Even now, Aia Vernes, the head of the Armaments Bureau, may be dying. We should settle this quickly. Don't you agree?”
Lentz blinked rapidly as he thought it over. Kyle was right, really. The sooner this request began, the better. Forty-three days had already passed. What rattled him was that this young boy from Alastor showed no sign of being shaken by the staggering sum of 115 billion. He had not even reviewed the request contract they had prepared and wanted to meet the Central Branch head directly.
‘Without even discussing it with Grand Duke Julius.’
The condition was that Kyle could only discuss it with the Grand Duke after accepting the contract. There were limits to raising the terms of a contract already signed, but they had not signed one yet. Kyle was the one holding the hilt now.
‘I was too hasty. I underestimated Sir Kyle because he's young.’
115 billion was by no means a low fee. If anything, it was almost excessively high. That was partly because the Central Branch was desperate, but they had also hoped to sway Kyle with money and get his signature quickly.
He was a pureblood of a family wealthy beyond measure, and only fifteen years old. He had recently received the Martial Star Medal, and had even given himself an epithet, so Lentz assumed he craved fame. He thought Kyle would care more about honor and achievements than money. And now he possessed Baal, a cursed blade unlike any other. Surely he would want to test its edge.
He had been wrong about everything. Kyle was not moved in the slightest. He was trying to get more out of them instead.
“Sir Kyle. Let me warn you in advance, you are not the only strength the Central Branch can borrow.”
Lentz composed himself before speaking.
“We can borrow high-ranking clergy, or even tower masters from the Association. If you raise the fee too much, this request will cease to exist.”
“Then why didn't you go to the clergy or tower masters from the beginning?”
Kyle asked with a smile.
“If it concerns dark magic, the clergy would have accepted with their eyes wide open. The tower masters would have been interested too.”
“...”
“My guess is that there are several reasons. But it would be troublesome for someone who calls himself a low-ranking executive to hear them, so I won't say more. Let's go to the Central Branch first.”
Kyle spoke briskly and opened the reception room door. Lentz followed behind him with a short sigh.
“I'm going out.”
The members were gathered in the common living room. Kyle spoke as soon as he stepped out.
“Where are you going?”
Lucia rose from her seat and asked. Kyle answered with a grin.
“It's a secret.”
“Yes, understood.”
If Kyle said it was a secret, then it was a secret. Lucia nodded without asking further. Kyle then sent Bruno a telepathic message.
[Pig. Go to the Sword Tower right now and see Grandfather.]
[All of a sudden?]
[Yeah, all of a sudden. I don't know when I'll be back, but while I'm gone, you and every member of the Sword Wolf Knights are to enter the Cultivation Floors. The lowest floor.]
Because of the confidentiality agreement, he could not tell Julius about the request itself. So Kyle said something else.
[Everyone received credit for Beltua Island, but you haven't claimed credit for the Crescent Moon Medal yet, right? Use that to get permission to enter the Cultivation Floors.]
[E-Enter the Cultivation Floors?]
Bruno asked with a stammer.
[Only Alastor purebloods can enter the Cultivation Floors...]
[Not necessarily. This is just my guess, but I think one of the White Night Knights' main duties is related to the Cultivation Floors.]
The White Night Knights were composed only of Gladiheim's elite. Their purpose was to guard the north, which made sense, but Erebos to the north had not invaded the continent since making peace with the Empire.
Of course, there were occasional Demon Tribe members who crossed the Northern Sea without entry permits. But the White Night Knights were far too strong to merely keep watch for that, and they often left Gladiheim on missions.
That left only one possibility. The north guarded by the White Night Knights. Their main enemy was not just the Demon Tribe. When combined with what he had heard before about Alastor's duty, and the strange, ominous environment of the Cultivation Floors, it was easy to infer that Alastor had fought on the Cultivation Floors for generations.
[If Grandfather refuses, use my name if you have to. I haven't claimed my credit for the Martial Star Medal yet either. If that isn't enough, just throw a tantrum.]
[S-Say something that makes sense. You want me to throw a tantrum in front of the Family Head...?]
[Just go and ask him. I don't think Grandfather will refuse.]
The Emperor, the Moon Church, and Izelion. Kyle had drawn close to matters that concerned the fate of the Empire and Alastor, no, the fate of great nations. The Sword Wolf Knights were his personal knight order. If they grew stronger, it would benefit Alastor too. There was no way Julius would refuse.
[Stay in the Cultivation Floors and train until I return. I don't know about the other floors, but even if you enter the sixth floor as a group, each of you has to survive on your own. I'm warning you now, if you slack off, I'll punish you.]
Bruno could not say anything. His lips simply moved soundlessly.
[Keep fighting as long as you can, and survive. My order is that none of you die even once.]
[T-Then should I die once instead of several times?]
[You can die several times in there. Anyway, this is an order, so do your best.]
The members sparring with one another while Kyle was away would still count as training, but nothing made people stronger like fighting with their lives on the line. The Cultivation Floors even allowed people to revive after dying, making it ideal for training.
‘I started going out on my own from the age of eleven, but the members won't be able to do that.’
Kyle had an exceptional Spirit Root and Circuits, not to mention his past life's experience with mana and swordsmanship. The others would suffer quite a bit once they entered the Cultivation Floors.
[I might return too quickly, so stay in there for at least a month before coming out. Got it?]
After saying that, Kyle left the Sword Wolf Knights' building. Lentz, following behind him, asked carefully.
“It looked as though you were exchanging telepathic messages. You weren't discussing anything related to the request, were you?”
“I signed a confidentiality agreement, so how could I? My family may have money to burn, but not enough to throw away 500 billion because I misspoke once.”
Afterward, Kyle boarded the sky carriage Lentz had arrived in and headed for Vigrid's Warp Gate. Between Alastor's name and the special treatment Lentz received as an executive of the Crow Central Branch, the Warp Gate was ready after only about an hour of waiting.
When Kyle passed through it and stepped outside, towering chimneys stretched before him.
Black smoke rose like pillars. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of chimneys stood throughout the city. Massive factory buildings filled the spaces between them, while the sound of hammering metal and machinery rang out all at once.
“This city's name is Avens.”
Lentz spoke with a smile.
“Formally, it is the Avens Industrial Autonomous District. It is an industrial city in the heart of the continent, within the Grandica Empire. Administratively it belongs to the Empire, but Crow Company's Central Branch manages the city.”
Lentz gestured toward the city as he continued.
“Most of the city's population consists of Crow employees and their families.”
“So the entire city belongs to the Crows.”
“Haha, you could see it that way. Since our Central Branch holds the Empire's arms market, an industrial city of this scale is necessary. A large portion of the arms used by the Empire's regular army are made here.”
Kyle raised his head and surveyed the city. Smoke from the chimneys covered the sky. If Luminas, the Empire's capital, was the Empire's face, then this city was its guts.
‘The business rights Cyrus secured five hundred years ago have grown into something inseparable from the Empire.’
The Crows' influence over the Empire was spread out before him. Seeing it made him understand what Julius had said at the detached palace. The Crows sold war and profited from it, but they did not want the Empire to collapse.
“Just in case you were wondering, there is no need to worry about environmental pollution. Our company does care about being environmentally friendly. Even that smoke goes through several stages of purification and disperses completely once it reaches a certain altitude. Sir Kyle, take a deep breath. Isn't the air wonderfully fresh?”
Lentz said proudly. Kyle tried it, and the air truly was clear. Yet the mana he breathed in felt strangely artificial. Powerful purification magic was at work throughout the city.
[Blegh...]
Jor made a disgusted sound. As a Spirit, she was even more sensitive to this kind of air and mana. If it were food, it was like something stuffed full of artificial sweeteners.
“The research grounds are over there.”
Lentz pointed toward the outskirts of the city, beyond the factory district and hidden behind tall walls.
“Everything beyond those walls is part of the research grounds, but we will not be going there yet. We still have not signed the contract. First... as you requested, we will meet the Central Branch head.”
“I feel a little sorry for coming without an appointment. He won't be absent when we get there, will he?”
“You need not worry about that. From the moment I left for Gladiheim, the Central Branch head canceled his entire schedule and waited at the branch. And, ah, I have already contacted him. While we were waiting at the Warp Gate earlier.”
Lentz smiled awkwardly as the carriage stopped on the road in front of the Warp Gate.
Kyle was not even sure this could be called a carriage. It had wheels and moved, but no horses pulled it. To him, it looked like nothing more than an iron box with wheels.
“What is this?”
“It is a new product our company is developing. There are still issues with fuel and other things to solve before it can be commercialized, but we use it in our industrial autonomous district, especially when the company's guests visit. You could call it a form of advertising.”
Lentz opened the rear door and gave Kyle a wink.
“It is called an automobile. A person drives it as they would guide a horse, and it is sturdier than a horse. It needs fuel, but since it is not a living creature like a horse, it is convenient. Please take it for a ride, and if it catches your interest... ahem, perhaps consider investing.”
“They really do have everything these days.”
The submarine Lizet had shown him was remarkable enough. Now a lump of iron with wheels could race down the road without a horse. Kyle let out a hollow laugh and sat down.
‘It's narrower than a carriage. Why would anyone ride this?’
Still, it seemed more comfortable and faster than a carriage.
“What kind of person is the Central Branch head?”
“He is Duke Oun's fourth son. His name is Orban Rubalt, and he is thirty-two this year.”
Kyle's eyebrows rose slightly. Duke Oun's direct son was the Central Branch head. He was not just someone managing a branch, but a member of the family that ran the company.
“So Duke Oun's son manages a branch.”
“Yes. Every branch of our company is like that. Duke Oun personally manages the western headquarters, while his eldest son serves as president as part of his succession training.”
“Does the family that runs the company manage every branch?”
“Yes. The second son manages the Northern Branch, and the eldest daughter manages the Southern Branch. The Central Branch head is the youngest member of the family.”
“The Northern Branch?”
“Our company's Northern Branch is located in Erebos, within Demon Tribe territory. The Western Branch may be the headquarters, but the Northern Branch actually has the highest performance. The continent and its culture are entirely different there.”
Lentz grinned.
“The gauntlets used by Lizet Beliar, whom you fought, were also made by our Western Branch.”
“No wonder they were tough.”
“Thank you.”
“My bones were wrecked after taking a few hits.”
“Hmm. Weapons... are not at fault. Only the person wielding them is.”
“The Southern Branch is in the natives' territory. Is there business to be done there?”
“Not every native tribe is closed off to outside culture. Quite a few are open. And not all of the south belongs to native tribes, does it? There are countless kingdoms and families that want to develop that land.”
Lentz smiled faintly. Kyle stared at him for a moment. Lentz must know Narua belonged to the Sword Wolf Knights, so was he saying that because he did not know Narua's tribe had been destroyed?
‘No way.’
They would have investigated Kyle thoroughly, and naturally investigated the members as well. Was he drawing a line to say the Crows had not been involved in the tribe's destruction? Or was that line only drawn by the Central Branch? As Kyle considered that, Lentz continued.
“The south is a land blessed by nature. We do not only sell goods, we buy them as well. Things the natives do not place much value on often become precious resources to us. Also, Secret Realms appear frequently in the south. The Southern Branch works with native tribes to subjugate them.”
As they spoke, the automobile passed through a massive gate.
“This is the Central Branch headquarters.”
The headquarters was a tall, pure white building. Compared to the factories filling the rest of the city, its exterior was unusually clean and refined, and the color did not suit a company named Crow. That only made the pitch-black crow with outstretched wings painted in the center of the building stand out all the more.
Armed guards stood motionless in front of the tightly shut main entrance. Each had a sword at their waist and a rod-like iron weapon of some kind strapped to their back. When Kyle glanced at the weapons, Lentz whispered.
“They are weapons called guns. They use gunpowder and mana to fire lead bullets. They are easier to handle and quicker to master than swords, so Crow soldiers are issued them as standard equipment.”
“It really is another world.”
Kyle gave his honest impression and followed Lentz inside. They rode an elevator shaped somewhat differently from the one in the Sword Tower, and before long, they arrived at the top floor.
When the elevator doors opened, a corridor stretched before them. It was long and lined with white marble. Paintings and decorations had been arranged at regular intervals along both walls, and a large portrait hung at the end of the corridor.
“Sir Kyle Alastor.”
A woman waiting in front of the elevator bowed. She wore a black suit, and her hair was neatly tied back.
“My name is Layla, secretary to the Central Branch head. I will escort you.”
“Yes.”
“Sir Kyle, I will leave you here.”
Lentz spoke from behind him. Kyle turned to see Lentz bow respectfully.
“I hope we meet again.”
“Yes.”
The elevator doors closed, hiding Lentz from view.
Kyle followed Layla down the corridor. Layla, walking ahead of him, said nothing. Her footsteps were nearly silent, and her balance carried the distinct feel of someone trained for combat.
‘She isn't just a secretary.’
A secretary kept at the Central Branch head's side could not be simple office staff. She was also a guard with combat ability.
As they walked, Kyle looked over the decorations lining the walls. Paintings, sculptures, old weapons. The corridor displayed the company's history. Each exhibit had a small plaque with a date.
At the end of the corridor, Kyle raised his head to look at the portrait.
The man's hair had turned white, and deep wrinkles marked his face. His eyes were dark brown. The corners of his lips were slightly raised, as though he were smiling, but his eyes did not smile.
A small gold plaque was set beneath the portrait.
[First Chairman Cyrus Rubalt.]
Kyle looked at his old friend's face for a moment. It was unfamiliar, yet not unfamiliar. Raikal remembered Cyrus in his thirties, but perhaps because he had suffered and thought about so much even then, he had looked somewhat old already.
‘That expression, as though he's smiling but not quite, hasn't changed.’
Kyle smiled to himself.
“Sir Kyle?”
Layla turned and asked. Kyle looked away from the portrait and shrugged.
“Sorry. It caught my eye for a moment.”
“He was our company's first chairman. Everyone who visits this corridor stops in front of him.”
“He was a legendary man.”
“Yes. Everything in our company began with him.”
Layla spoke with pride, then knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
A deep voice came from inside. Layla opened the door and bowed toward Kyle.
“Please, go in.”
Kyle stepped into the office. Layla closed the door and followed him inside.
The office was large enough to occupy half the top floor. Long windows lined both sides, offering a view of the entire industrial autonomous district from one side and the research grounds on the outskirts from the other.
A man sat behind a desk by the window. When Kyle entered, the man rose to greet him.
Orban Rubalt. Duke Oun's fourth son and the Central Branch head.
His black hair was neatly swept back. He was about a handspan taller than Kyle, broad-shouldered and thick-chested, with a strong physique. His upright posture made him seem more like a soldier than a martial artist.
“Sir Kyle Alastor of Alastor. You must have had a difficult journey.”
Orban walked over and held out his hand. Kyle clasped it. The large hand was callused, but it was not the hand of a swordsman. It belonged to someone who threw punches and struck things.
“I'm sorry for coming so suddenly.”
“It is fine. It is better to resolve matters quickly. Please, sit.”
Orban pointed to a reception sofa beside the desk. When Kyle sat, Orban took the seat opposite him. The secretary stood at a distance with her hands behind her back.
“I received a rough report from the head of the Armaments Bureau. I hear you wish to raise the fee for this request.”
“Let's put that discussion aside for the moment.”
Kyle spoke calmly, and Orban's eyes narrowed slightly.
“Is that not what you came here to discuss?”
“It is one reason.”
Orban's expression changed. It was not Lentz's flustered look, but surprise. The expression did not last long.
“Do you have a demand besides money?”
“Before we discuss that, let's write another confidentiality agreement.”
Kyle said,
“Between you and me. On the condition that neither of us speaks of anything discussed in this room from this moment onward.”
“Have you not already made a confidentiality agreement with the head of the Armaments Bureau?”
“That agreement concerns the contents of the request. It has nothing to do with our current conversation. I want a separate agreement with you.”
Orban stared at Kyle for a moment, then let out a quiet laugh.
“Are you really fifteen, Sir Kyle?”
“Yes.”
“Does a fifteen-year-old negotiate like this?”
“I'm not negotiating. I'm stating my conditions. If you do not accept them, I'll simply leave.”
Kyle spoke evenly. He was certain he held the hilt. He did not particularly need the 115 billion success fee from the request. If his conditions were rejected, he could simply look around the city and return home.
Orban studied Kyle a little longer, then glanced at Layla.
“Prepare a new confidentiality agreement. Individual to individual.”
“Yes, Branch Head.”
Layla bowed and withdrew. Only the two of them remained in the room.
“You are different from the person I expected, Sir Kyle.”
“What did you expect?”
“A young, hot-blooded swordsman. A fifteen-year-old boy swayed by money and fame. A young master raised as a pureblood of a Grand Ducal family, unfamiliar with rough work and ignorant of how the world works.”
Orban spoke frankly.
“I expected money would not sway you. I have no wish to boast, but our company is not greatly lacking even compared to Alastor. You would receive a request directly from us and form a long-term partnership. I thought that would be enough to move you.”
“I may be young, but I've learned a lot in my own way.”
Kyle answered with a quiet laugh. Orban laughed softly at that.
“Interesting.”
A short while later, Layla returned with the contract and a pen. She set them down, then left the room.
“Now, let us complete this confidentiality agreement together. Everything discussed today will remain secret. What would you set as the penalty for a breach?”
The fee had not been decided yet. They would have to set a separate penalty. Kyle answered without hesitation.
“Let's put Fenris on the line.”
“...!”
Orban's eyes widened. Seeing his expression, Kyle grinned and asked,
“Just don't breach it, right?”
“Haha...!”
Orban burst out laughing.
“You leave me no choice but to sign. What could you possibly want to discuss if you are willing to put Fenris up as the penalty...?”
Shaking his head, Orban picked up the pen.
“I will stake my life.”
Orban wrote the confidentiality agreement first.
“We are only having a conversation between the two of us.”
Once they had both signed the agreement, Orban interlocked his fingers and stared straight at Kyle.
“Do you have questions about the request?”
“I have plenty.”
Kyle replied bluntly.
“For a problem like this, there are plenty of proven experts. Isn't that right?”
Kyle had become well known as the youngest recipient of the Martial Star Medal in the Empire, but his record consisted only of subjugating the Secret Realm on Beltua Island and defeating Lizet Beliar, the Fist Demon.
That was enough proof of his ability, but the Central Branch's problem concerned dark magic.
“Clergy of the Church, or mages from the Association.”
Orban smiled faintly as he spoke.
“Our company has connections with them as well, but they are more interested in the spoils than the fee. Especially when dark magic is involved.”
“They would be interested in the Black Cube itself?”
“Yes. The clergy would want to recover or destroy the Black Cube, then purify and seal everything related to it themselves. Great mages would want to recover and possess it directly, or have its information shared with them.”
Orban paused, then shrugged.
“But you are not especially interested in such things, are you, Sir Kyle?”
“I think your words just made me a little interested.”
“If that is the case, then regrettably, we will have no choice but to consider this request canceled.”
Orban maintained his smile, but drew a firm line. He had no intention of conceding even the slightest thing concerning the Black Cube.
“That is not the only reason we brought this request to you. As you may have guessed, we suspect the Black Cube's rampage may be connected to you.”
“The timing is certainly suspicious.”
“Thank you for understanding. Also, you possess Baal as your sword, do you not? We also wish to verify how sharp and useful that sword of annihilation is. We conveyed this through the head of the Armaments Bureau as well, but the Central Branch wants a long-term partnership with you.”
“The word partner sounds quite vague.”
“It need not be vague. A relationship where both sides benefit each other. Is that not enough?”
“Is that the benefit of the entire Crow Central Branch, or your personal benefit as Branch Head?”
Kyle asked with a smile of his own. The question carried the meaning of greatly narrowing the distance between them. Orban froze for a moment, then released his clasped hands instead of answering immediately. He rubbed his chin with thick fingers as he stared at Kyle.
“Do you want a relationship between individuals, Sir Kyle?”
“There are only two of us speaking right now. That is why we made an individual-to-individual confidentiality agreement.”
“Good. If that is the relationship you want, it would please me as well. Individual to individual. Of course, I desire that.”
“Can I speak bluntly?”
Kyle's smile deepened.
“I can become Alastor's Family Head.”
Orban had not smiled since a moment ago. His expression was stiff, and the instant he heard those words, his eyes began to waver.
“I am not boasting. I mean it.”
Kyle spoke with certainty. Being only fifteen did not matter in the slightest. Within the Alastor Family, Kyle already had considerable recognition.
He had awakened Lavian Alastor, the Family Head's wife, from her nineteen-year sleep. He had become the master of Fenris and Baal. He had received the Martial Star Medal as the Empire's youngest recipient.
Those were only sentimental reasons. To become Alastor's Family Head, one simply had to be the strongest among Alastor.
Those achievements were why they recognized him. Among Alastor's relatives, no one had reached Kyle's level at the age of fifteen. Though young, Kyle possessed explosive growth and potential, and they acknowledged it.
“At the latest, I will become Family Head within ten years. At the latest.”
Julius was strong. His eldest son Karthan was strong as well. But the speed at which they grew could never outpace Kyle's growth. Kyle was certain of it.
“And what about you, Central Branch Head?”
Kyle asked while maintaining his smile.
“A long-term partnership where both sides benefit each other sounds nice. But if their standing does not match, the benefit becomes something one side grants to the other. I will certainly become Alastor's Family Head. Can you become the head of the Crows?”
“Hah...”
Orban made a sound that might have been admiration or a sigh, his fingers fidgeting. Kyle shrugged at the sight and spoke as though granting him a favor.
“You may smoke if you want.”
“Do you smoke, Sir Kyle?”
“No. My family is strict.”
“Haha... Then I will not smoke. If our standing does not match, what right do I have to smoke? It would make me seem rude.”
Orban gave a grumbling laugh and placed his fidgeting hands on the table.
“Thank you for speaking frankly and bluntly. Then I will speak frankly as well. I cannot become the head of the Crows.”
Orban forced the corners of his stiff mouth upward.
“The Central Branch is a peaceful place. Its performance is good because we deal directly with the Empire. But most of the profits we earn flow into the western headquarters, and the Central Branch is operated according to the West's demands.”
The Central Branch was, in other words, the Crows' enormous source of money. As Julius had said, the Crows were pouring all their strength into developing the western dark frontier. They did not want chaos in the center. As they had for hundreds of years, they wanted the Empire to remain stable, bring in fixed revenue, and circulate that money for the headquarters.
“Recently, the Northern Branch's performance has surpassed the Central Branch's. As you know, the ceremony to inherit the next Demon King took place in Erebos itself. High-ranking Demon Tribe members who inherited Inscription are waging territorial wars against one another, filling the Crows' coffers.”
“What about the Southern Branch?”
“That branch is the most unusual in our entire company. It is operated for entirely separate purposes, and the Southern Branch head has little interest in becoming the head of the Crows.”
“Then what about you?”
“Of course I want to become the head.”
Orban's voice carried strength.
“But if you reject a partnership because my standing does not match yours, Sir Kyle, then there is nothing I can do. All I can do is hope you will understand.”
“I cannot say I will make you the head of the Crows, but I will lend you my strength so that you can become one.”
Orban's eyes widened. Kyle took a sip of the tea in front of him and continued.
“I will become one eventually, but I am not Alastor's Family Head yet either.”
“...”
“We are both still lacking, so let us make up for each other's shortcomings.”
“It sounds as though you would lose more in this arrangement, Sir Kyle.”
Orban maintained his smile, though the corners of his mouth twitched.
“You say with certainty that you will become Family Head, but I have many mountains to climb before I can become the head of the Crows.”
“That is why I said I would lend you my strength, not make you the head.”
“What do you want from me?”
“That depends on how far the Central Branch head is willing to go for me.”
“If I can become the head, I could even sell out my own blood.”
Orban bared his teeth in a smile.
“Not only me. Everyone who bears the Rubalt name would do the same.”
Alastor strictly forbade family members from fighting one another because of the circumstances surrounding its founding. But in a family of that scale, putting a blade in a relative's back came as naturally as breathing.
“Was it the will of Duke Oun, the head of the Crows, to single me out for this request?”
“No. It was my decision to select you. But this happened within the company, so the head will understand the situation and grasp my intentions.”
“What intentions?”
“That I am trying to establish a connection with Alastor's rising talent. The head may even find that pleasing. In the end, Crow feathers will reach Alastor as well.”
“As you may have guessed, I do not have much desire for money.”
“Yes. That is why we are having this conversation. You want another form of payment. What do you want?”
“The Crows have branches throughout the continent and are deeply involved in the business of war, are they not? I want that information.”
“Hah.”
Orban once again made a sound that could have been a sigh or a laugh.
“Alastor must already hold more information than it can use. And someone like you, Sir Kyle, should be able to access it whenever you wish.”
“That may be true, but Alastor and the Crows see different things.”
It was a matter of where they were looking.
Footnotes:
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