Betrayal Knight's Joyful Faith

Chapter 241

However, it seemed that Neumann did not go to bed and was waiting for Arendt’s contact.As he was holding onto the communication port for what seemed like the umpteenth time today, he soon heard the voice he had been waiting for.

– Sir Arendt, I was waiting as I thought you would contact me soon.

“Lord Neumann, is this what I think it is?”

Neumann answered Arendt, who got straight to the point without any preamble, with a troubled voice.

– At this point, it’s just a guess. It seems there is a possibility that Count Eckhart and the East Merchant Group have joined forces.

“Please explain step by step. How did such a conclusion come about?”

– Union Leader Henry and Vice-leader Arcus have requested information from an information dealer near the Union. Do you know this much?

Without waiting for an answer, Neumann continued.

– So we started investigating right away, and I was informed that one of the people who was spying on the Union had been going in and out of the East Merchant Group. They said that something was not right.

“Was there a problem with the East Merchant Group?”

– On the surface, there was nothing wrong. But…

From the way his voice trailed off, Arendt could guess what he was about to say next.

“You mean it wouldn’t have been strange if a problem had occurred at any time, right?”

– Yes, that’s probably the case. It’s a bit embarrassing to say this, but the leader of the East Merchant Group was displeased with the idea of my independence as well.

“Hmm…”

The East Merchant Group was Neumann’s family home.

In “The Blue Knight of the Holy Sword”, Neumann was kicked out of the merchant group after failing to protect the East Safe, and founded the Neumann Group with the encouragement of Laius.

But now that Arendt intervened, things were different.

‘So you’re saying that twisting the narrative has brought things back like this?’

The East Merchant Group must have felt like Neumann betrayed them.

The subtle pressure to keep him from leaving the group was in vain, as the guy who kicked the nest and left had now become so successful.

“Please continue.”

– After sending the documents to Sir Arendt, the main office also began its investigation. It turned out that recently, the East Merchant Group and Count Eckhart’s family’s merchant had quietly entered into a contract.

“Quietly?”

– Yes, it was done secretly. I asked other merchant groups, but they all said they didn’t know about it. Maybe the East Merchant Group reached out to Count Eckhart first.

Why did the East Merchant Group even target the Khan Union?

Looking back, the answer was simple.

The Count needed to get Arcus back into the Count’s household, and the East Merchant Group wanted to keep the Neumann Merchant Group in check.

Although they each had their own goals, there was one obstacle they had in common.

‘But now it’s scary to touch me.’

Because the Crown Prince is standing behind Arendt.

As he was thinking about that, Neumann’s complicated voice continued.

– And just recently, I confirmed that the East Merchant Group purchased a building near the Khan Union. I guess they intend to open a store to check the Union.

From the perspective of the East Merchant Group, Arendt’s frequent exchanges with the Neumann Merchant Group must have been irritating.

Then came the news that the eldest son of the Eckhart family had run away from home and formed a union.

It was well known that Arendt and Arcus were at odds, but when Arcus chose to turn his back on his home, the two naturally began to interact.

It would not have been surprising if, in the eyes of others, the brotherly relationship had been restored.

‘And the Khan Union is expanding its business by following the path already paved by the Neumann Merchant Group.’

Arendt had little involvement in their business, but it did not seem to be of much interest to the East Merchant Group.

So, the East Merchant Group also came to regard the Khan Union as a thorn in their side, and joined hands with Count Eckhart, who was looking for a way to bring his son back.

This was roughly the scenario that could be expected.

Arendt, having gathered his thoughts, leaned back on the sofa.

“So, to sum it up, you’re saying that two dirty, petty adults are joining hands to try to crush some kids who are just starting to settle down?”

– That… is not wrong, but…

Neumann muttered awkwardly at the explicit remark.

“The Count will get his eldest son back and deal a blow to the troublesome second son. The East Merchant Group will get rid of the troublesome union, and then they will target Lord Neumann or the temple?”

Even if they attacked the Union, the immediate benefits that would fall into the hands of the East Merchant Group were not great.

Clearly, the deal between the East Merchant Group and Count Eckhart would not end with just keeping the Khan Union in check.

Obviously, the ultimate goal was to reduce Neumann’s power.

The Khan Union was just the beginning.

– Yes, probably.

Neumann seemed to have the same idea and silently agreed.

Arendt thought for a moment and then said leisurely.

“This is a big problem.”

– I apologize for the inconvenience. It was something I should have taken care of… I will settle the matter with the East Merchant Group, so don’t worry about it, Sir Arendt.

“What are you talking about? It’s not us who’s in trouble, it’s them.”

– Yes?

When Neumann responded with surprise, Arendt responded plainly.

“They don’t even know who they’re pointing their swords at right now.”

– Ah…

A short sigh escaped Neumann’s lips.

“Besides, the timing is a bit bad. If we’re not careful, things could get worse.”

– What do you mean the timing is bad?

“It means that the situation is not good enough to respond leniently to such pranks.”

Neumann paused for a moment and asked in a subdued voice.

– …Has something happened in the palace?

“I can’t say anything right now, but I can’t say it’s completely peaceful. Anyway, we need to sort this out quickly for the Khan Union to function properly.”

It was a vague answer, but it seemed to convey the meaning well enough to Neumann.

Neumann responded in a heavy voice.

– I understand. I must prepare myself. I cannot be a burden to Sir Arendt and the Crown Prince.

“How are you listening? I’m telling you, it’s them who are in trouble right now.”

But Arendt, as always, was indifferent.

“Do you know the saying, ‘throwing an egg against a rock’? Who do you think is the egg and who is the rock now?”

– Well…

Taking advantage of Neumann’s momentary silence, Arendt quickly struck first.

“And think about it logically. Do you think I don’t care right now? You know better than anyone that most of my assets are in the Neumann Merchant Group.”

Arendt added, leaning back on the sofa.

“More than anything, if we don’t stop them now, it’s obvious they’ll eventually come at me directly. In that case, it’s better to nip it in the bud from the start.”

– Haha… those are truly Arendt-like words.

Only then did laughter return from beyond the communication port.

“What do you plan to do, Lord Neumann?”

– Yes?

Neumann was taken aback by the sudden question and asked back.

Arendt continued leisurely.

“You couldn’t have just sat back and watched this much information come out. You must have thought of some kind of countermeasure.”

– Honestly, I’m not sure. If it were just me, I would go directly and protest, but…

“Hmm.”

Neumann gave an uncharacteristically weak answer.

Arendt, who had been pondering for a moment, blurted out:

“That sounds good, going over and protesting.”

– Yes?

“Anyway, by now the East Merchant Group’s Information Center would have probably gotten wind of something.”

A smile appeared on Arendt’s lips.

“So, why don’t you go and vent your anger and try to talk about something?”

– No, wait. Are you serious?

Neumann asked back, doubting his ears.

“Of course I’m serious. If it were up to me, I’d want to march in there myself, but given all that I’ve done so far, I think they’d be on guard.”

– But if I do that, the leader of the East Merchant Group will become convinced that I am connected to the Khan Union… ah.

Neumann, who was asking again as if to confirm, stopped when he realized something.

– That’s your purpose.

“Yes, once suspicion turns into certainty, any kind of action will become visible.”

Half-buried in the sofa, Arendt flipped through the documents.

“It’s not our turn yet. Let’s just watch how far they can go with their tricks. Let’s cheer them on and clap while we’re at it.”

– And then?

“The moment they show any weakness, we destroy them.”

It was an overly simplistic answer, but Neumann understood the implications.

– So you mean you’ll wait for the right moment and then take action, ensuring that this doesn’t happen again.

Since no problems had occurred yet, even if they tried to stop the East Merchant Group, it would just fizzle out without a fight.

“That’s right. We need something more certain, so they can’t back out, no matter what.”

It was a coincidence, the contract between the Count and the East Merchant Group was for something else, etc.

There were dozens of excuses they could come up with.

Arendt’s eyes cooled.

“So let’s put a stop to it so that they don’t bother us again.”

It was a sight that would have sent shivers down anyone’s spine, but fortunately or unfortunately, Arendt was alone in the room.

However, it seemed that Neumann sensed a chilling aura through the communication port.

– Ah, Lord Arendt?

“Yes?”

– No, it’s nothing. But…

Neumann hesitated, then added cautiously.

– Are you okay?

Arendt raised an eyebrow at the unexpected remark.

“What could possibly be wrong? If you’re not keen on having conflicts with the East Merchant Group, or if you have any other opinions, feel free to speak up. I’ll listen.”

After a moment of silence, a warm reply mixed with a smile came from the other end of the communication port.

– No, that’s not possible. If you don’t mind, that’s fine. I’ll contact you again when I find out more information, so get some rest. It’s late.

Arendt swallowed a sigh and answered dully.

“Lord Neumann, please go to sleep quickly. You should also consider your age.”

– Haha, okay. Good night.

The light from the communication port that had been glowing dimly faded.

Arendt, who confirmed that communication was completely cut off, clicked his tongue and brushed his hair back.

“Unbelievable.”

Although he pretended not to know, he could guess what Neumann meant when he asked if he was okay.

It probably meant: Is it really okay to fight with your father like this?

Arendt, staring at the communication port with indifferent eyes, repeated what he had said to Neumann earlier as if talking to himself.

“What could possibly be wrong?”

He just collapsed completely on the sofa.

He had just returned from a mission and was starting to feel tired after using his brain all day.

As he relaxed and slowly blinked his eyes, a gorgeous ceiling came into view.

It was a room he was now familiar with, but for a moment the luxurious wallpaper felt unfamiliar.

‘I guess there’s no luck with blood relations here either.’

Whether it was this fool of an apprentice knight or himself.

As useless thoughts began to quietly rise, he easily shook them off by closing his eyes.