Chapter 226

Chapter 226 – Remember That?

The wave of thoughts that the Decullan mage, Nyullus, had stirred within Aster’s consciousness was quite profound.

Yet, this did not imply that Aster suddenly felt overwhelmed with pity for every vagrant or discovered a newfound profound empathy for humankind.

Naturally, Aster was merely a single person, incapable of bearing the burdens of the entire world.

Nonetheless, a specific realization remained firmly rooted.

‘In the end, establishing the Magic Tower within the Black-White Slums makes the most sense.’

Ultimately, it matched his original determination regarding the construction of the Magic Tower perfectly.

Once he had clarified his own perspective, Aster returned to the chamber where Evelyn and Timur were staying.

“Have you returned? I already relayed your message to Collin. However, before anything else, I want an update on the situation.”

Her inquiry carried an ordinary, relaxed tone, completely unaware of the turbulent reflections inside Aster’s mind, and Aster answered with equal nonchalance.

“Yes, of course, I need to bring you both up to speed.”

Right at that moment, Evelyn’s telepathic words resonated directly in his mind.

[…Are you alright?]

[What makes you ask that?]

[Nothing, it’s just… your expression was incredibly grave a moment ago. Perhaps you should rest for the remainder of the day. Collin mentioned things were somewhat…]

[Why? Is there some kind of problem?]

He asked this with complete honesty.

Whether referring to the trouble with Hormei or the encounter with Nyullus.

Compared to the numerous Troubleshooter exploits he had witnessed and learned about in the past, these events were entirely standard.

Evelyn, however, found it difficult to view the situation so casually.

[The bidding event spans four weeks regardless. The true climax won’t arrive until the final week… You really ought to take a break today.]

To clarify, the sales event was scheduled over a four-week period, occurring solely on weekends.

Every Saturday and Sunday, totaling two days weekly.

The timeline had been extended because mid-week dates conflicted with academic timetables, making this opening week the most relaxed, just as Evelyn noted.

Nevertheless, Aster gave a decisive shake of his head.

[I am perfectly fine, it is truly nothing.]

[Even so…]

Evelyn voiced her apprehension, her face showing clear signs of distress.

Aster looked at her with a fresh perspective, momentarily surprised by her demeanor.

‘Could this truly be the same Evelyn?’

Remembering her past self, who would willingly offer up fall guys just to turn a profit, a sense of satisfaction welled up within him.

‘Without a doubt, I am the premier rehabilitator of the Eastern Continent.’

Of course, by his own objective evaluation, he was nowhere near the level of Henji, the ultimate master of reform.

He remained completely baffled as to how Henji had managed to fix that spoiled, profligate young heir.

‘At any rate, this represents a significant step forward.’

Knowing that someone was actively fretting over his well-being brought an unexpected sense of comfort to his thoughts.

It felt almost like a refreshing change of pace for his spirits.

Regardless.

[To be frank, my primary concern is actually you.]

[Excuse me? For what reason…]

[You will understand the moment I explain everything.]

His anxiety for Evelyn was entirely genuine.

The current situation far exceeded a minor syndicate conflict within the Second Black-White Slums.

Although the specific particulars would only surface after questioning the detained independent mercenary mage, the collusion of Goldrin’s Basilin and the house of Decullan was absolute.

Aster’s unease centered on a single question.

‘How is Evelyn going to process this information?’

Goldrin together with Decullan.

A normal individual would find dealing with just one of those entities overwhelming, let alone both wrapped up together.

To be exact, the participant was specifically ‘Goldrin’s Basilin’ rather than the entire Goldrin corporation, but from Evelyn’s perspective, the distinction mattered little.

‘Enmeshed with the very relative who orchestrated her downfall…’

This development might prove excessive for Evelyn, who had only recently moved past her previous trauma.

Even so, realities had to be faced.

‘Ultimately, this is a trial she must face herself.’

Concluding his internal monologue, Aster reassumed the persona of ‘Knight,’ offered a respectful bow to both individuals, and addressed them.

“Allow me to present the findings I have gathered so far.”

With that, the explanation commenced.

Aster clearly detailed the entity supporting Hormei, as well as the faction that this hidden sponsor had partnered with.

He had hesitated for a moment about revealing the ties to Decullan, but in the end, he delivered each detail with absolute objectivity, maintaining total accuracy without adding or withholding anything.

As his account came to an end, an oppressive stillness descended upon the chamber.

The impact of the news was undeniably massive.

“…Mmh.”

Timur emitted a low grunt, an unusual display for him.

“…”

As for Evelyn…

Though she attempted to look unbothered, it was obvious the revelation had deeply shaken her as well.

Observing their reactions, Aster shifted his attention toward Timur.

“However, Boss Timur.”

“…Go on.”

“It appears you have withheld certain information from us.”

“…”

Timur remained tight-lipped.

Without a word, he extracted a cigarette from his jacket, struck a flame, and began to smoke, his countenance marred by profound lines of anxiety.

The secret Timur had been keeping was quite specific:

‘The final demand issued by Hormei.’

After letting loose a few clouds of grey smoke, Timur at last found his voice.

“…It was not my intention to hide this from you on purpose.”

This confirmed his awareness.

In reality, Aster had merely been testing the waters with a calculated guess.

The threat from Hormei was directed straight at the godfather.

Having observed the godfather’s associates making regular appearances recently, Aster had decided to gamble on a suspicion.

“If there is something we should know, please speak freely.”

Whether she was simply acting collected or had truly mastered her emotions, Evelyn cut in immediately, taking charge of the conversation.

Timur shifted his gaze toward her, giving a polite nod of respect.

“To begin with, I offer my regrets, Duke. However, I give you my word that deception was never my goal.”

“Do continue.”

“Well…”

Timur proceeded to explain his conversation with the godfather down to the smallest detail.

The essence of the matter was straightforward.

“In short, because this pertains to the affairs of the Black-White Slums, your intention is to settle it internally?”

“…Correct.”

“And is that why you insisted on moving the bidding schedule forward?”

“Should the sales conclude prior to the deadline of the ultimatum, no complications will arise.”

“Understood…”

Evelyn gave an accepting nod, the pieces falling into place.

She had previously found the timing peculiar.

‘We had intended to align the dates with vacation periods, yet they strongly urged us to accelerate the timeline.’

Clearly, their strategy was to initiate a full-scale conflict the moment the auction concluded.

At that juncture, Aster, who had remained a silent observer, broke his silence.

“Boss Timur, would you mind if I ask a question?”

“…Ask it.”

“What is your next move? Now that both Goldrin and Decullan are involved, this appears to be a crisis that the Black-White Slums cannot navigate by themselves.”

Hearing Aster’s inquiry, Timur shifted backwards into the cushions of the couch, tilting his gaze upward. In short order, wisps of white smoke escaped his lips.

Following a brief pause, he adjusted his posture and addressed them evenly.

“For the time being, our primary objective is to bring the bidding event to a triumphant close. As for what unfolds subsequently, you need not concern yourselves. This remains, in the end…”

“The internal affair of the Black-White Slums?”

In response to Evelyn’s confirmation, Timur gave a nod of affirmation.

In truth, providing that response had been incredibly difficult for him.

‘…If only requesting assistance were an option.’

Securing the backing of the duke would unquestionably provide an immense advantage.

Judging by the various demonstrations he had observed firsthand and secondhand, the capabilities of Knight were easily on par with the elite guardians of renowned noble estates…

Furthermore, there was no telling how many combatants of similar caliber were at the duke’s disposal.

Even if none could quite equal Knight, the lesser retainers would undoubtedly constitute a highly capable army.

However.

‘This approach is tidier.’

If there existed the slightest probability of success, he would gladly discard his dignity to plead for aid.

But the adversaries were none other than Goldrin and Decullan.

What purpose would it serve to involve outsiders in a battle that offered no hope of victory?

Just as Timur’s thoughts reached this conclusion—

“Boss Timur, would it be possible for the two of us to speak in private for a brief moment?”

“…I shall vacate the room.”

“No, it is improper for visitors to expel the master of the house. We shall take our leave.”

Evelyn spoke decisively, then cast a quick glance toward Aster.

He signaled his agreement and moved to follow.

Consequently…

Click.

Once the entryway shut, Timur remained by himself, collapsing further into the couch while using his free hand to run fingers through his hair.

“Haaaa…”

A profound, weight-laden exhalation echoed in the quiet room.

It was the sort of instant that made one desperately crave an incredibly potent drink.

Evelyn and I made our way back to the previous chamber.

Creak, click.

I secured the entryway and manipulated my magical energy to insulate the room against sound before facing Evelyn.

“Are you doing alright?”

“In some strange way… our circumstances inverted rather rapidly.”

“Which is precisely why one ought to lead an upright life.”

“…Excuse me? Where is this coming from all of a sudden?”

“One can never predict the twists and turns of fate.”

“…I suppose so.”

Evelyn offered a quiet sigh, as though she were reflecting deeply upon a self-evident reality.

I observed her for a beat, then threw myself onto the couch and looked toward the ceiling.

“So, you requested a private conversation. What is on your mind?”

“To be… entirely honest, I am uncertain. I simply required a moment to collect my thoughts.”

The revelation had clearly struck a devastating chord within her.

It was significant enough to make her discard the defensive persona she permanently maintained while operating within the Black-White Slums.

“It never crossed my mind that my own brother… rather, Basilin, would form an alliance with Decullan. And yet, looking back, the warning signs were numerous.”

“What sort of signs?”

“Take my removal from power, for example. Basilin suddenly secured immense commercial privileges, accumulated prestige, and forced me out… But it is impossible to acquire contracts of that magnitude in an instant. Furthermore, we received absolutely no intelligence regarding those movements.”

“Meaning there was no opportunity to brace yourself?”

“However, assuming he joined forces with Decullan… everything becomes perfectly clear. Yes, Decullan. Now that I reflect on it, every single one of those commercial ventures… was located right within the domain of Decullan.”

Could she be dwelling on old misfortunes?

A faint, rueful smirk appeared on Evelyn’s face.

Small though it was, she required only a moment to re-establish her emotional equilibrium.

“Regardless, well… my apologies. The news arrived so abruptly that I lost my composure for a second.”

She gave her head a sharp shake, patted her face gently to wake herself up, and directed her sharp, clear gaze back toward me.

“In any case, shall we return to our venture? To put it plainly, the current outlook appears exceptionally grim.”

“True. Besides, our intentions were never to conclude this after a single instance regardless.”

Timur remained unaware of this fact for now, but we never contemplated halting the bidding after just one iteration.

Otherwise, there would be no reason to dub it the ‘First’ auction.

However, with Goldrin and Decullan entering the equation, things grew complicated.

For our group, which intended to utilize this event as a springboard to broaden our commercial footprint and establish diverse enterprises throughout the Black-White Slums, this development posed a tremendous obstacle.

“What course of action should we adopt? Considering Decullan’s presence… our wisest move would be a retreat, correct?”

“Indeed. Initiating a withdrawal would be the intelligent choice.”

In truth, we retained the option to walk away from the table at this very moment if we so chose.

I had allowed the four Troubleshooters to live… though that mattered little to an entity like Decullan, so that could be disregarded.

The combatant I defeated was merely an isolated independent contractor at most.

The second individual had simply lost consciousness and remained completely unharmed.

‘An incident of this scale will not prompt them to pursue us to the ends of the earth.’

And had we interfered while fully aware of the consequences?

Granted, I possessed the knowledge and chose to act regardless.

But if they chose to contest it to that extreme, they might as well brand a Decullan crest onto our brows like property.

It wasn’t quite at that stage.

…Even so.

Following that train of thought, I shifted my eyes slightly toward Evelyn.

She was nervously biting down on her lip, visibly loath to abandon the prospects within the Black-White Slums.

‘True, it would be a missed opportunity.’

Yet, a tactical retreat remained the logical conclusion.

It was the correct choice…

Staring at Evelyn, I heard myself speak up on a whim.

“Do you recollect that saying?”

“Which one?”

“If an individual’s skull is shattered, they perish.”

“I mean, naturally…”

Her face clearly communicated her confusion as to why I was mentioning such an obvious thing.

It was minor.

“I imagine that if a member of Decullan has their skull shattered, they will perish just the same.”

Most likely.

I assumed that held true for them as well.

‘Furthermore…’

This presented an ideal setting to broadcast the formal unveiling of the Magic Tower.