WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

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Chapter 236

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Hwaryeong was still fighting with the People’s Council in Stalactite City. They were trying to seize and plunder each other’s assets to increase their own profits.

And amid those struggles, Hwaryeong had taken away many of the People’s Council’s interests. She had accomplished it through her own abilities alone.

However, Hwaryeong had not managed to completely subdue the People’s Council. The members of the People’s Council were not fools either.

In that regard, their expansion into Icewall City was also an attempt by the People’s Council to find a way to survive. If they remained confined to Stalactite City, they would be pushed back by Hwaryeong, so they had tried expanding into another city.

Hongryeong, sitting before me, had reached out to the People’s Council in that situation. Having reached the fourth floor, he had become a key figure in this branch with Ailey’s help, and he had promised the People’s Council considerable benefits as well.

The People’s Council, desperately in need of a way out, had no choice but to take Hongryeong’s hand. Though Hongryeong came from the same family as Hwaryeong, that was precisely why the People’s Council wanted to work with him.

The People’s Council members had spent a long time at the university, so they must have heard plenty about succession disputes among great families. They likely intended to use the conflict between Hongryeong and Hwaryeong to recover their own power.

This trip to the city had come about through all those agreements. I glanced at Hongryeong. I could find no reaction from him as he narrowed his eyes.

Perhaps Hongryeong had been planning for this situation ever since he subtly leaked rumors about me to Jegang. He may have intended to build a force capable of keeping Hwaryeong in check from the moment he joined the Trading Company.

Hongryeong had previously explained that the struggle to inherit the family surname began only once one joined the Trading Company. Until then, they supposedly could not interfere with each other, or something like that. That was why Hongryeong had remained safe until now.

But they could always make moves behind the scenes. Hongryeong leaking my information to the People’s Council was one example, and his attending my lecture before had been another minor form of interference.

Attending lectures was for training, but it was also for learning. I had learned so much from the two classes I had taken so far, Professor Heisen’s and Professor On’s.

From that perspective, Hongryeong, a descendant of a great family, normally would have had no reason to attend my lecture. Looking back, my lecture at the time had been woefully inadequate.

Naturally so. I had been nothing more than a freshman desperately racking my brain to create it. Why would Hongryeong choose such an uncertain lecture when he had no need to?

Even so, Hongryeong had attended my lecture. Hwaryeong had probably caused some trouble behind the scenes. She must have wanted to observe Hongryeong afterward as well.

And perhaps she had obtained information about me there too. She had learned that I was more useful than she had expected. That was how my mirror bug ended up being taken from me.

Hongryeong must have discovered traces of Hwaryeong when he saw what happened to me as well. That was likely why he had deliberately chosen to establish himself in this city, far from the Trading Company.

Of course, this was not something Hwaryeong had explained to me. It was merely speculation piled upon speculation. Still, one thing was certain. The harm I had suffered was not unrelated to the affairs of their family.

Their conflict would only grow more intense from here on. And I intended to ride that current to climb a little higher myself. Still, I had not expected Hwaryeong to make a move already.

I frowned slightly and looked at Hongryeong. Even as he told me Hwaryeong was coming, he looked rather relaxed. I opened my mouth to ask him what I was curious about.

“What business is Ms. Hwaryeong coming here for? She can’t possibly have the leisure to come here.”

Hwaryeong had not yet finished her work in Stalactite City. If she left her post, the People’s Council would surely seize the opportunity to swallow her territory. Hongryeong gave a small smile at my question.

“The People’s Council members will pause for a while too. My older sister is coming because of our family’s affairs.”

I furrowed my brow slightly. Seeing that, Hongryeong took something from his robes. He placed it on the table and held it out to me.

“This is an invitation I prepared for you, Mr. Evron. You seemed quite busy, so I was unable to give it to you before. But I heard that your business was concluded today, so I hurriedly prepared it.”

Hmm. Had word already reached Hongryeong that I had settled my territory? He had surely learned through Elmeshi, the guard at my shop.

What Hongryeong held out was an envelope edged in gold leaf. I stared down at it. An invitation? An invitation to where?

I carefully opened the envelope with magical power. Inside was a simple card bearing a date and location. It was an invitation to a banquet being held exactly a week later. I could only blink.

“Our family always holds a banquet whenever someone joins the Trading Company. It is also a declaration that I am participating in the war. Naturally, the members of our family will gather as well.”

I could not help clicking my tongue at Hongryeong’s words. Was this what a great family was like? I had not expected them to hold such a banquet merely because someone joined an organization.

Of course, it was surely not just a celebratory banquet. It would be a place to display one’s forces. Just as Hongryeong had said, it would be a declaration that he was entering the succession war.

I immediately understood what it meant for the People’s Council to be unable to move. Hwaryeong’s visit here was for family business. But what would happen if the People’s Council made a move?

The People’s Council had already half joined hands with Hongryeong. Therefore, any movement by the People’s Council would inevitably become Hongryeong’s responsibility. To plot an attack while holding a banquet would be an act of extreme disrespect from a great family’s perspective.

Hwaryeong surely knew that, which was why she could come here without hesitation. She might even have devised a plan to make the People’s Council act, in order to tarnish Hongryeong’s image.

I quietly sighed at the complicated maneuvering surrounding one simple banquet. Was this how the descendants of great families moved, thinking so deeply about every step? I could only barely keep up.

As I rubbed my forehead at the throbbing in my head, Dahwa poured tea before me. Its scent calmed me slightly. When I glanced at Dahwa, she bowed her head toward me.

She had been considerate enough to make me pause my thoughts for a moment. To think she had developed such awareness. I smiled faintly at Dahwa and took a sip of tea. Perhaps it was because she had remained by Hongryeong’s side, but she had grown remarkably well.

If it was difficult to keep up with great families, I could simply steal their methods like this. Today’s events would also become a foundation for the growth of both me and my puppets. I set down my teacup and looked at Hongryeong.

“Then why do you say there will be a problem starting next month?”

Hwaryeong’s visit to this city would only be brief. It would not last longer than a week at most. It would not be easy to cause trouble in such a short period.

Yet Hongryeong seemed certain that her arrival alone would bring some sort of problem. He stroked his teacup and smiled faintly. The way he smiled looked very much like Hwaryeong.

“My sister always prepares thoroughly, so she must have already made plans for dealing with me. She may not be able to target me directly, but she can use the things around me.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing how my sister moves.”

Hongryeong added that with a shrug. I quietly fell into thought. Always prepares thoroughly. In that regard, Hongryeong and Hwaryeong were very similar. Was that simply what siblings were like?

I nodded slightly. The reason he was telling me this was also to warn me. Hwaryeong’s grasp might reach me too.

I had expected that as well. I had continued cooperating with Hwaryeong until now. Of all the ties I possessed in Stalactite City, mine with her was the strongest.

But coming to Icewall City with the People’s Council also meant I had loosened that tie slightly. It would surely be unpleasant for Hwaryeong. Even more so because the People’s Council was connected to Hongryeong.

Perhaps she had even noticed that Hongryeong and I had already made an agreement. If so, how would Hwaryeong move in this situation? I narrowed my eyes as I considered her possible plays.

Since I provided benefits to Hwaryeong, she would likely try to reclaim me. I still had plenty of usefulness left. I clicked my tongue lightly. It seemed I would need to meet her at this banquet.

“Well then, I think you’ll need this.”

Hongryeong held something else out to me. It was a catalog introducing goods. Why was he handing me this now? I opened it with that thought in mind, then could not help frowning.

Attending a banquet meant I needed suitable attire. Not everyday clothing like the robe I currently wore, but something like formal wear.

The catalog Hongryeong showed me contained such clothing. Very expensive clothing. When I looked at Hongryeong, I saw that he wore an amused smile.

“I will give you one outfit as a gift. Consider it an apology for inviting you to the banquet on such short notice.”

Hongryeong bowed his head slightly. I gave a quiet cough. A gift? In that case, there seemed to be no reason to refuse. I scratched my head and chose one outfit that looked reasonably suitable.

Then Hongryeong took out another catalog. This one contained women’s dresses. I could only let out a low groan.

Damn it. I had been had.

“A banquet requires partners, after all.”

Hongryeong smiled mischievously. At the word partners, I thought of the people around me. Mira and Isabella.

Mira was practically my guard. Naturally, I needed to bring her. Besides, if I left her behind, there was no telling how long she would hold it against me.

But I could not leave Isabella behind either. She oversaw the puppet business. Simply making acquaintances with those attending this banquet would surely be a great help to business.

In the end, I needed to buy dresses for both of them. I looked down at the catalog and lightly shook my head.

The dresses inside were even more expensive than the formal wear I had seen earlier. But I could not ask for these for free as well. I had already received something from him.

It was such a simple sales tactic, yet I had fallen for it without a thought. Was he trying to make even this banquet into part of his sales record? He was exceptionally skilled at drawing out profit, just like Hwaryeong.

I grumbled slightly as I examined the catalog. I consoled myself by thinking it was a good opportunity, since I had already been considering gifts for the two of them to celebrate the work being properly concluded.

Paying for the dresses completely drained my points. Every last point had been wrung out of me.

Points were the sort of thing that vanished in an instant. I let out a soft sigh as I recalled the hardships of the last five years.

Still, perhaps it was because I had invested so many points, but the dresses suited both of them very well. Quite a few people’s eyes were drawn to them too.

I lightly swirled the glass in my hand and looked around. Time had passed quickly as I researched the tree branches I had collected. Now, I had arrived at the banquet hall with the two of them at the appointed time.

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