The Founding Monarch Became the Mastermind

Chapter 116

“Don’t you think we’re in big trouble?”

“Yes. We are. If we go back like this, we’ll be screwed.”

The heads of the Yazan merchant groups, gathered in a secluded part of the annex of the Twin-headed Eagle Castle, were speaking with dark expressions.

“Is the situation in Portna still a mess?”

“It’s probably even worse by now. It’s not just about buying weapons and heading back.”

News was being urgently delivered from Yazan via high-speed ships almost once a day. Naturally, none of it was good, and all of it was bad.

“Don’t we have mercenaries? If we scrape them all together, we can get 2,000 or 3,000 men. What if we send them all in?”

“Did you forget what Sir Salen said? Even if we push them back into their habitat, it’ll all be back to normal within a few months. Then what, hire more mercenaries? Thousands of them? Will the Delphi merchant group foot that bill?”

“But we could sell the by-products from the monsters we catch. That should be enough…”

“How?”

“Huh?”

“I mean the monster by-products. How do you plan to butcher all those monsters and collect the by-products?”

“Well… um.”

The merchant who brought up the idea fell silent.

In the first place, dismantling the corpses of monsters and collecting by-products, then processing them, was no easy task.

Even with cattle or sheep, you needed a professional butcher, and handling monster corpses, which often carried various poisons, could be deadly if done recklessly.

It wasn’t something just anyone could do.

“Since you seem to have a method in mind, why don’t you go ahead and do it? The Delphi merchant group can hire all the mercenaries, carry out the extermination, and handle the by-products. You can either sell them as they are or process them for sale, whichever works. We, along with the Spio merchant group, will just sell the processed monster by-products from the Si-on Duchy.”

“I made a mistake.”

The head of the Delphi merchant group quickly shifted his stance.

Yazan, being a large city, naturally had many artisans and technicians in various fields.

Their skill level was above average, at least.

But unfortunately, the so-called high-quality equipment that the artisans and technicians of Yazan painstakingly produced was about the same quality as the mass-produced goods from the Cheolsan Dwarves.

The quality was similar, but in terms of price and supply, they were no match.

Who would buy that?

Not even the head of the Delphi merchant group himself would buy it.

Moreover, continually hiring a large number of mercenaries to exterminate monsters, dismantle the corpses, secure by-products, and process and sell them—

The Delphi merchant group handling all of that alone was impossible.

Even if it were possible, there was no way to turn a profit.

“The Si-on Duchy has been regularly hunting monsters for decades, producing equipment and various goods, and even they leave the sales to us. Stick to what we’re good at and do it well.”

“Really, I’m sorry.”

The head of the Delphi merchant group apologized once more and quietly retreated into a corner.

Having knocked down the fifth-ranked head of the Delphi merchant group in Yazan’s business hierarchy, it was now Belin, representing the sixth-ranked Spio merchant group, who looked around at the other merchant heads and spoke.

“Gentlemen, gathering all the mercenaries in the city to push the monsters back into their habitat might be possible with our strength alone. If we can supply our mercenaries with equipment from the Si-on Duchy at a discounted price, our chances of success will increase dramatically.”

“Mm. That’s true.”

“Indeed.”

The bodyguards the merchants had brought along were unanimous in their praise for the weapons crafted from monster by-products by the Cheolsan Dwarves.

When a sample weapon from the auction held by the Dwarves’ Mine Master was (wickedly) handed to them, they were so grateful they almost shed tears.

“The problem lies in how we handle the monster corpses and by-products afterward. There’s only one solution. We must invite experts from the Si-on Duchy to train us in handling the corpses, and then send all the by-products to the Si-on Duchy.”

“Oh, and the Cheolsan Dwarves will process them into weapons or goods and send them back to us?”

“Yes. And we’ll handle the consignment sales. The important thing is…”

Even amidst this conversation, as the merchant heads revealed their greedy intentions with expressions that openly said, ‘Oh? That could be quite profitable,’ Belin gave them a cold look and continued speaking.

“If you think of making big money from this, you’re screwed.”

“Right.”

As expected.

Belin glared at the merchant head who was openly showing regret on his face and spoke again.

“Let me be blunt. The Si-on Duchy doesn’t need the by-products we send them. They’re not even considering the conversation we’re having right now.

Besides, do you really think the people of the Si-on Duchy, especially Sir Salen, don’t know what we’re scheming? If we bring them the by-products and suggest splitting the profits 50-50, what do you think Sir Salen will say?”

“I apologize.”

The fourth-ranked merchant head retreated into a corner as well.

“Just think of covering labor and transportation costs. Even that would be good for us, right? The world is in chaos right now, but here in Yazan, we wouldn’t have to worry about the economy or jobs.”

The merchant heads gathered here were not just simple merchants in Yazan; they held special positions that influenced the city.

The council could not ignore their influence, and even the mayor was not free from their sway.

This was, after all, a port city that had thrived on trade.

However, having such a special status didn’t mean they could simply suck the city dry.

Yazan had to thrive for them to thrive, and the same held true in reverse: if they prospered, so would Yazan.

And the most basic condition to achieve that?

It was to maintain jobs and revitalize the port’s economy.

And if they did as Belin suggested, at least the citizens of Yazan wouldn’t die from hunger because they couldn’t make a living.

Moreover, if the citizens worked and earned money, it meant that the city’s economy would continue to circulate through consumption.

“So, you’re saying it’s about breaking even.”

“Exactly. But while everyone else is losing even their underwear, we’d be the only ones breaking even.”

“Alright, let’s go with it!”

At the words of the second and third-ranked merchant heads, the first-ranked merchant head confidently agreed.

Belin suppressed a sense of frustration and asked.

“How?”

“Huh?”

“I just told you. Even if we gather mercenaries and carry out the first round of extermination, what happens after that? Are you all planning to keep chipping in to hire mercenaries?”

“……”

Of course not.

Hiring thousands of mercenaries for an indefinite amount of time?

That’s pouring water into a bottomless pit.

“We need mercenaries.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Not Yazan’s mercenaries. We need to hire specialized forces that are proven to be effective in monster hunting.”

“But where could we find such forces right now…?”

“They exist.”

A specific name popped into the heads of the merchant heads.

“The Peregrine Division!”

That’s right.

The Peregrine Division, the monster-hunting force of the Si-on Duchy.

They had already achieved numerous successful results, and they were constantly recruiting and training new soldiers, making them the top experts specialized in monster hunting.

“Yes. We should hire the Peregrine Division. Of course, hiring the entire force would be impossible, but we could hire around 30 men? About one company’s worth, to train the unit we form here and the mercenaries.”

“It’ll cost a fair bit, but what do you think? Does anyone have a better plan?”

The merchant heads looked around at each other.

There was no better plan at the moment.

“But you know…”

At that moment, the head of the fifth-ranked Delphi merchant group, who had been keeping quiet, cautiously raised his hand.

“So, we’re going to buy equipment from the Si-on Duchy, and also import their troops? Won’t that cause problems later on? What if the council or the mayor gets involved?”

At his words, the other merchant heads, including the fourth-ranked one who had been silent until now, clicked their tongues.

“Hexagonal Seal! Hexagonal Seal!”

“…I was wrong.”

Forgetting about the ‘Hexagonal Seal’, which was basically a ‘free pass’ in Yazan, he had to retreat once again.

“Then, let’s go to Yonas Hender right away. We need to get this done quickly.”

“Alright!”

Belin and the Yazan merchant heads hurriedly left the annex to meet Yonas.

But as soon as they opened the ebony door to Hender’s office, they were disheartened.

“Why are you all here…!?”

“What do you think? We’ve come to ask Hender to hire the Peregrine Division as mercenaries and instructors.”

They were met by the elites of Souden, Yazan’s rival in the Inner Sea, who scowled at them.

***

Even in this world, just like Earth, there were no eternal enemies or allies.

Since social status was determined at birth and rarely changed throughout one’s life, the way ‘powerful people’ viewed and treated ‘those below them’ was far more ruthless and cold-blooded than on Earth.

Did our knights and soldiers die in droves?

Was there a reasonable cause for it?

Then to the powerful, it was just a passing event. Most didn’t care any further.

Ah, aren’t knights nobles?

Yes, they are.

However, in this world, over 90% of knights were considered throwaway cards or burdens by noble families, particularly their second and younger sons.

Knights were treated well only because they fought (instead of the powerful) when battles arose, often risking their lives.

Of course, knights from prestigious families could be ransomed to negotiate with the ‘powerful’, but most nobles didn’t care whether their knights lived or died.

That’s why captured knights had to ransom their own armor and weapons to survive and walk away with just their undergarments.

Given this reality for knights, the plight of soldiers and mercenaries goes without saying.

Anyway.

This is why the elites of Souden held no particular grudge against the Si-on Duchy for the massacre of their knights and forces.

Even after being beaten and having all their demands met by the Si-on Duchy, they harbored no ill will.

In fact, they were now in a position where they had to beg at the feet of Yonas and Si-on.

Yesterday’s report stated that five towns in the Garen Count’s territory—three originally, but five by the latest count—had been overrun by monsters, resulting in the deaths and abductions of over 1,000 residents, with refugees numbering ten times that.

Count Garen had naturally declared a full military mobilization, as the situation was dire enough to threaten the entire grand territory.

Faced with this crucial moment, the elites of Souden, who happened to be in the Si-on Duchy, made a simple decision.

“Please help us!”

“We’ll pay any amount! Just send the Peregrine Division!”

The Souden elites stormed into Hender’s office, practically ready to cling to his legs and beg.

But Yonas, who had already received ‘education’ from the venerable Founding Patriarch, calmly responded.

“How much are you prepared to offer?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking for an initial offer.”

“……”

Under normal circumstances, they would have haggled, but with their backs against the wall, the elites made a quick decision, as if dunking bread into soup.

“We’ll pay three times the Peregrine Division’s usual fee! We’ll also grant all rights to any monsters caught to the Peregrine Division and the Si-on Duchy!

And as payment for training our forces after the situation is under control, we’ll waive all tariffs on products produced and sold by the Si-on Duchy for one year!”

“One year is too short. Make it three.”

“Pardon?”

“Three years.”

“Understood…”

And so, Hender of the Si-on Duchy agreed to dispatch one company of the Peregrine Division to Souden.

“But why are you all here…!?”

“What do you think? We’ve come to ask Hender to hire the Peregrine Division as mercenaries and instructors.”

Just as this was happening, the Yazan merchant heads arrived.

“We also want the Peregrine Division to be dispatched to us!”

“No way! We were here first!”

As the powerholders of the two rival forces began to bicker—

The immortal Ancient Monster opened the office door.

“Hender, approval from the royal capital has come down. We can dispatch one company of the Peregrine Division to Burgos for now… Hmm? Is something happening here?”