Chapter 90

Chapter 90

#90. Two Sides of the Same Coin (3)

Entaire, Gard, Carpe, Havana, Doom, Yulkaneis.

The conversation among the six started in a way similar to those at other banquets, with the same kind of setup and posture.

Meaning, each of them held a glass of wine and had gathered in a corner to take their seats.

The difference was that there was a soundproof barrier cast by Yulkaneis around them.

“You’ve been acting quite strange lately.”

“Hmm? Where? I don’t see it myself.”

Havana and Entaire were conversing while maintaining a distance even though they seemed close.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know! Lately…! You’re getting too close to the Noble Council, trying to connect the Church with the council, are you out of your mind? Do you not know that your wife has been investigating your activities?”

At his wife’s words, Entaire smirked inwardly.

‘The fact that the number of letters has drastically decreased wasn’t even mentioned. Neither was the incident where the northern knights killed the people who used to spy on me.’

He gazed at the woman he once loved more than anyone else.

‘And most importantly, you haven’t shown any concern over my dangerous solo trip to the north.’

A wave of nausea and curses welled up inside him, but as a consummate merchant, he thoroughly hid his true feelings.

“What can I do? Now that I’m a merchant specializing in goods from the North.”

“Even so, aren’t you distancing yourself too much from the royal family?”

“Elisha, my love. As you know, relations between the North and the royal family aren’t good. Do you understand how difficult it is to secure an exclusive supply contract with the Northern Duchy?”

Their conversation continued…

In the end, Elisha von Havana frowned at Entaire’s words, feeling uneasy but unable to refute them.

After explaining how their Bishop Company was thriving thanks to the northern deal and benefiting the House of Havana, Entaire added:

“All this is for sustenance. Please explain this well to His Majesty. My actions were also possible because I trusted you, one of the emperor’s loyalists.”

Elisha hesitated before agreeing to try her best to convince the emperor.

“Thank you. I only trust my beloved wife, Elisha.”

Despite appearing unchanged, Havana smirked faintly at Entaire’s declaration of affection.

Had she known the old Entaire, that smirk might have made him happy, but now it didn’t.

‘Realizing it was mockery all along.’

Everything clicked into place regarding the nature of her smiles over the years.

“I’ll be going then.”

“Safe travels.”

As their conversation wrapped up, Havana prepared to leave her husband without hesitation.

‘Too much lately.’

She wanted to meet the emperor soon to relieve her rising tension.

“By the way… Who’s that mercenary standing near you? Their skills seem extraordinary.”

Just one thing – she asked about the mysterious neutral-natured northern mercenary recently guarding her husband.

‘That mercenary must be the one who dealt with the surveillance I placed on him.’

Her instincts as a sword master told her the mercenary in front of her was no ordinary fighter.

‘Plus… Something about them feels really off. I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere before.’

Lady Havana carefully observed Carpe disguised as Phil beside Entaire, tilting her head in confusion.

‘Where have I seen them before? And why is someone with this level of skill unknown?’

When Entaire casually introduced the mercenary as “Phil,” apprentice to the Frost Sword Demon Valkyrie, it seemed to satisfy her curiosity.

After their exchange, Entaire maintained his mask of affection until the very last moment his wife left.

‘Our employer isn’t normal either.’

‘No wonder he became the empire’s top merchant.’

Both Carpe and Gard, aware of the situation, were impressed by Entaire’s performance.

“Gard Duke, right?”

However, Gard’s admiration didn’t last long when faced with Yulkaneis, one of the top three senior mages in the empire.

“Yes, that’s correct. Master of the Golden Mage Tower.”

Gard found himself suddenly questioned by the esteemed mage about everything he knew about Arad Jin.

Though reluctantly sharing more information than necessary, fortunately most of what Gard revealed matched what was already publicly known about Arad.

After listening intently, Yulkaneis seemed puzzled, his golden eyes briefly flickering strangely before returning to normal – unnoticed by everyone present.

“Who exactly is he? What could it mean?”

Without thanking Gard, Yulkaneis muttered to himself and disappeared from the banquet hall.

“…”

Gard stared blankly in the direction Yulkaneis had gone, as if waking from a trance.

Meanwhile, nearby, Dark Duke Doom engaged in conversation with Carpe, currently disguised as the mercenary Phil, about matters including potential Orc threats and past employment offers.

Their discussion concluded with Doom expressing interest in prioritizing Carpe for future contracts after current commitments ended.

Back at the Northern Duchy…

Following a formal audience with Ariana, Gard cautiously approached me about the imperial summons.

Even with the emperor, archbishop, and mage tower master personally swearing safe passage, I decisively declined the invitation, recognizing the numerous loopholes in their promises.

Explaining how their oaths only guaranteed protection within specific domains of imperial authority, church influence, or mage tower jurisdiction, I pointed out various scenarios where such protections wouldn’t apply.

Considering past experiences dealing with imperial schemes, I deduced their likely plan: attempting to lure me into anti-imperial noble territories for assassination or abduction, allowing them to conveniently blame opposition factions should anything happen.

Alternatively, the church could exploit the situation to eliminate me within imperial-controlled areas, creating an opportunity to embarrass the emperor.

Given these risks, regardless of my high luck stat, I determined it would be wisest to avoid putting myself in such perilous situations voluntarily.

Thus, I firmly decided against traveling to the capital, maintaining that I’d rather stay in the north and focus on current profitable ventures instead of risking entanglement in potentially fatal political machinations.

“Nothing.”