Chapter 33 - Volume 2 (1/2)

Being a center of trade and transportation meant that all money flowed through the region. If those goods were transported by water, controlling those waterways was sure to bring an insurmountable amount of money and power to its owners.

There were four incredibly powerful individuals in Port City whom even the mayor looked at in fear. There were Zeroman of the south, Rodney of the east, Niske of the west, and Harold of the north.

These four each owned the rights to one of the four ca.n.a.ls which led out of Port City in their respective regions. And these ca.n.a.ls have brought them wealth beyond measure simply by existing.

The Seven Grand Merchant Guilds have stopped them until now in forming their own merchant guild, but if they were to succeed, they could threaten the existence of the Seven Grand Merchant Guilds using their control over the ca.n.a.ls. This was the reason why the Seven Grand Merchant Guilds blocked its inception with all their might, while it was the fours’ lifetime goal to make it happen.

They’ve spent incredible sums of money on lobbying the government and bribes to high-ranking officials to the point where just remembering how much it had cost would make them gasp in horror. But despite their efforts, there had been very little progress thanks to the lobbying and connections from the Seven Grand Merchant Guilds. It seemed like the money had gone to waste, until the Milros Family approached them as their s.h.i.+ning beacon of light.

“Did they really say that they will give a hand on making our merchant guild if we help them eliminate that brat Isaac?”

“Count Milros told us himself. This entire plot was constructed by them.”

“I can only say that fortune is on our side. With the strength of Milros Family on our back, our dream may have yet see fruition.”

“But we will have to give them a considerable number of shares.”

“It will still be profitable for us. With their help, we will be able to fight back against the government and the Seven Grand Merchant Guild to some degree.”

“And the Milros Family will be able to use Rondart Family to step foot into the business world. It’s an excellent opportunity for them as well.”

“And thanks to that we can finally see some progress on this ambition of ours.”

“How likely is it to succeed?”

“How can we possibly fail? Even if he has the power of a Lord, what could he possibly do to make New Port City prosper?”

“What you say is true. Funny how we haven’t been able to do anything against him because of that College t.i.tle of his, but now it has shackled him to his own death.”

“Huhu. And we get to shatter that insufferable pride and honour of College as a bonus. How many times have they tried to change New Port City? All they ever achieved was failure anyway.”

“It seems the Seven Grand Merchant Guild has reached their end too. To think they’d hand out one million Giga to that brat.”

“Haha, they must be incredibly desperate to do so.”

“Now! Let us toast! To what will become the greatest Merchant Guild within the Empire!”

Strength, money, and manpower.

Just acquiring one of the three is a long and difficult process. But once you gain one of the three, the remaining two cease to be a challenge.

Everyone expected Isaac to take aggressive actions when they heard the rumours of Isaac’s heightened authority as Lord and the investment of one million Giga from Seven Grand Merchant Guilds, but Isaac simply continued his leisurely behaviour like nothing changed.

Nothing was confirmed yet – not even the investment. If Isaac were to make an ambitious move now, he could end up getting backstabbed with a letter saying ‘I’m sorry, but let’s make that investment we talked about void.’ It was very unlikely to happen, but Isaac wasn’t foolish enough to play with money he didn’t have yet.

The criminal syndicates were troubled by the sudden turn of events and worried about what Isaac would do. They sighed in relief when they saw that nothing had changed, but they continued to be on guard.

The first group to find him was Goldman and seven employees who were chosen as representatives of each guild in the Seven Grand Merchant Guilds.

“Haha, it doesn’t even seem that long ago that we’ve seen each other face to face thanks to that Communicator.”

Isaac was casually smoking a choyu leaf at the plaza when Goldman visited him. Isaac got on his feet and politely greeted Goldman.

“I didn’t think you would come personally. But who are they?”

The group of men and women who followed Goldman seemed to be regretting their decision to come when they saw the state New Port City was in. They’d only heard about it in rumours, but seeing it with their own eyes made them realise that what they imagined in their heads wasn’t even close to the situation at hand.

“Haha. They are here to help you with your work. We have selected the brightest individuals in all our guilds.”

‘They are here to watch me. I guess there’s no way they’d simply hand out that million Giga with no strings attached.’

A million Giga had been invested, yet they had no idea what this money was going to be used on. If it weren’t for the special situation they were in, no other guild would have made such a dangerous investment.

If Isaac was to simply take the money and run, betraying his declaration to make Port City fall, it would turn the Seven Grand Merchant Guilds into the laughing stocks of the Empire.

Even Milros Family would have second thoughts if Isaac were to try negotiating with that million Giga of his. The Seven Grand Merchant Guilds obviously didn’t trust Isaac, and they couldn’t be blamed for thinking that Isaac was trying to steal their money using Port City as an excuse. So they’ve sent their employees to watch and figure out exactly what their money was going to be used on.

“Well, it’s a given that you’d want to watch how your money is being spent. I happened to need some hands anyway, so it’s good for both of us.”

Goldman flinched when Isaac immediately discerned their intentions, but he quickly regained his posture and changed the topic of the conversation as if he hadn’t heard Isaac’s words.

“So are we the first to arrive?”

“Yes. Personally, I thought the investment would arrive last. I guess the Seven Grand Merchant Guilds work on a different time schedule compared to the rest of the world.”

“A merchant needs to be quick when opportunity arises. One million Giga may be a large sum of money, but it isn’t so difficult if we share the burden. And the biggest reason for this investment is that this is insurance.”

Even if the burden was shared among the Seven Grand Merchant Guilds, each guild was essentially required to pay around 150 thousand Giga in the investment. This 150 thousand Giga investment was a significant deposit, considering that the average income of one of the guilds is about 600 to 700 thousand Giga every year.

Isaac kept the question in his head for now and replied.

“Insurance. You want to distract Port City with that million Giga.”

“Yes! You really are easy to talk with. Young ones these days aren’t as sharp as you. Ah! If it weren’t for the College, I would have hired you without a second thought. As long as you don’t really abuse the funds, the Seven Grand Merchant Guild won’t say anything against what you do.”

“But you want to know exactly what the money is being used on?”

“We can’t make too many concessions. No merchant would treat money like it grows on trees. So how long will you make us stand here?”

“You’re going to stay here too?”

“No. I must go soon, but these guys are your subordinates now, are they not?”

Isaac spoke to the group with an annoyed expression when Goldman asked his question.

“Go back to Port City and stay in a hotel there until I call you guys.”

The group looked at Isaac in confusion. They expected at least some form of a brief introduction and at least a notification of future projects to come. But telling them to stand by was an order they could not understand.

“Hm? Does this city not have a hotel of its own? It will be much easier for them to get to work if they can stay here, since it’ll make their a.n.a.lysis much easier.”

Goldman asked the question in place of everyone. Isaac snickered.

“You’re going to sleep in New Port City? Shall we make a bet how many of those faces will still be alive by tomorrow?”

Everyone’s faces turned pale. They had heard about the notoriety of New Port City from rumours, but hearing it firsthand from its Administrator who was now a Lord’s Representative had slammed them with the cold reality of this place.

Once Goldman left, the group of seven who were selected from each guild of the Seven Grand Merchant Guilds situated themselves in Port City. It seemed Goldman wasn’t lying when he said they were the most capable employees of each guild. They began working on their own after resting for one or two days.

They looked through every detail of New Port City’s financial and administrative system. Once they were done, they could only wail despair. The city had been in a state of bankruptcy for a long time.

First of all, they received no funds from the provincial governing body. What’s more is that the city doesn’t have an administration body of its own. All of the basic doc.u.ments required to be sent to the Capital were done by Port City. Responsibilities like surveys, taxes, education, medical care, residential and infrastructure, which are mandatory for a city to operate, were owned and run by the criminal syndicates.

This meant that taxes wouldn’t be collected properly, and educational, medical and residential works were obviously in shambles. They didn’t know where to start from.

But since they completed their investigation, they had to report on it; but, n.o.body wanted to enter New Port City again. They pushed the duty to one another, and Cordnell was eventually selected since he was from Rivolden Merchant Guild, which had some relation to Isaac.

“Huh? You actually came here on your volition?”

“…”

Cordnell could only sigh at Isaac’s surprised reaction. It seemed Isaac was astonished that he came willingly when he was clearly ordered to quietly stay in Port City. Cordnell felt the effects of New Port City’s notoriety once more when he looked for a bodyguard, but even the mercenary he hired refused to do the job alone, forcing Cordnell to hire multiple mercenaries just to get here.

“This is the report we’ve made after a.n.a.lysing the situation.”

“Hm? I told you guys to rest, but you guys were working instead?”

“If you want to run this city, then you need to stabilise the administration of this city as soon as possible.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about that stuff.”

“How could we not care about it?”

“That’s not what you guys are here for.”

“Huh? Then what are you going to make us do…?”

“You will know when the time comes. Well, if you’re that bored, I can give you work. Go find me experts on law, city planning and construction.”

“Expert on law?”

A construction expert was easy enough to find. It was expected that construction was going to be a part of Isaac’s project with that million Giga, so the Headstone Merchant Guild had sent a construction specialist as one of the supervisors. But needing an expert on law wasn’t something they foresaw.

“I just have a few questions. Try bringing me one who specialises on the Empire’s Law and laws regarding lords.h.i.+p.”

“Yes sir.”

Cordnell has come here with the promise of promotion and an incredible sum in his retirement fund if he managed to hold on for three years. No man would have been crazy enough to come here without such rewards on the line, but Cordnell had volunteered, believing this to be his life-changing opportunity. So all he had to do was follow the orders, no matter how little sense it made.

Just hang on for 3 years. Just hang on for 3 years.

It had just been over 2 days, yet Cordnell was repeating those words like a mantra to preserve his sanity.

The whole Empire was in turmoil when the rumour of the guilds’ one million Giga investment into Isaac was confirmed to be true. Some praised Isaac for his ability to make one million Giga with his tongue alone, while others both praised and insulted the Seven Grand Merchant Guilds. Some admired the guilds’ ability to make such a risky investment, while the rest reacted to this event as a sign that they had finally gone mad.

This news piqued the curiosity of those who were still oblivious about Isaac, and they sought to figure out the reason why the Seven Grand Merchant Guild decided to make such a large investment on him. This curiosity was answered by the words from recent Campus graduates, and the whole Empire soon knew who Isaac was.

All of the backstories about Isaac had been revealed. From the reason why the Department of Administration made a decision that was unheard of in history to the reason for the investments and even Isaac’s birth and all the turmoil he had been through due to the complicated relations.h.i.+p between the Rondart and Milros Families. The majority of the public sided with Isaac, while the Rondart and Milros Families were looked upon as the antagonists. People also began to focus on what Isaac was scheming with the million-Giga investment, but their expectations were quickly betrayed by Isaac’s deplorable behaviour.

“Hooh! I see they are having good business.”

New Port City was the final destination for s.h.i.+ps that transported goods. That meant this was the place the sailors got their pay and also the place to quell their desires. One of the main attractions directed at these sailors were the gambling dens.

A mob of drunk, rough grunts sit together on a table and bet their money. On one side you hear cheers and laughter while screams and despair fill the other side. Some laugh out loud in joy, some throw one insult after another as they are dragged out of the den, and some shake on the spot as they hesitated on what to do. This was the place to see men who have been consumed by greed express every emotions known to man. And in between them walk women with their revealing clothes, seducing the men to earn some tips.

‘I expected a smoke-filled gambling den, but this is more of a casino.’

From the cla.s.sic roulettes to card games and dice, this place had many games that were both new and familiar to Isaac. It piqued his interest, and he began prowling the area.

“Hm, maybe I’ll play this?”

Isaac walked toward the roulette table, which only needed you to bet money thanks to its simple rules.

The manager of this gambling den who was watching Isaac ever since he entered quickly left the den to report this to his superiors while the dealers and employees of this den looked to each other, unsure of how they would deal with this situation.

“What? The b.a.s.t.a.r.d’s in the gambling den?”

Soland, who have finally started making money after much effort, stood up thundering when he received report. Why the man who had shut himself in the City Hall has come out was unknown, but his mere existence was a problem to Soland.

“So? What is he doing?!”

“He’s playing trumble.”

“Why did he have to pick that out of everything?!”

Trumble was the game Isaac thought was similar to roulette. In fact, the game was very similar to roulette. The numbers ranged from 1 to 40, and there were hundreds of ways to make a bet; the earnings ranged from double to forty times the bet, making it a favourite for those who aimed for a large earning. Plus, the game didn’t have a maximum bet, so you could instantly become penniless if you played carelessly.

Soland struggled to think of a way out of this predicament when another subordinate came to shout him the news.

“Boss, the Administrator already lost 100 thousand Giga.”

Soland’s legs collapsed and his face went pale.

“… How can that b.a.s.t.a.r.d lose 100 thousand in less than 30 minutes?”

“Well he started slow at first, but now he’s betting a thousand Giga each on twenty numbers and said that winning was 50/50.”

Soland facepalmed when he heard those words. He was betting twenty thousand Giga per round. Even if he were to bet on the winning number, he would only receive 40 thousand Giga. He would also need to exclude the 19 thousand bet, so basically his winning would only double his investment. If he’d already lost 100 thousand, even ten wins in a row wouldn’t even make up for his loss, and it wasn’t even counting the inevitability that he would also lose some rounds so as continued playing. Isaac would only lose more money.

“Tell the dealer to play as the situation calls for it!”

One of the reasons why gambling dens liked Trumble was because an experienced dealer could rig the game according to his needs. It’s not to a point where they can make any number they want to win, but it was enough to make the ball fall in the general target area.

“Well… most of the dealers have given up.”

“Sigh. Let’s just go there now.”

Soland moaned as he ordered his subordinate. The gambling den was aimed at the sailors. Having just a thousand Giga placed in a single bet made it an enormous game, and it was understandable that the dealers couldn’t remain calm when a single game had 20 thousand Giga moving around.

He had to go there and settle the situation.

The thought of taking all of Isaac’s million Giga investment crossed Soland’s mind briefly, but if word of such a loss were to spread, there was no telling what the Seven Grand Merchant Guild was going to do.

Plus, gambling was illegal and Isaac was a Lord’s Representative. The fact that a Lord was playing in an illegal gambling den was laughable enough as it was, but what Soland truly feared was what Isaac would do if he went mad after losing all of his money.

“T, the number is 36.”

“Huh! Missed by a single number is it?”

The dealer’s hand trembled as he took all of the chips placed on the board. All of the other games in the den were on hold as everyone’s eyes were on Isaac’s table. Where else could they see a game where 20 thousand Giga changed hands at once?

This was going to be a great story for the pubs no matter how it ended.

“Y, you’ve already lost 150 thousand Giga. May you should stop…”

“Huh? Do you know who I am?”

“I do, but…”

“I’ve got money.”

“I know that, but…”

This isn’t the place you should be spending that million Giga!

The manager despaired as he looked to the roof. The dens only kicked out people who cheated or someone who lost all of his money. There wasn’t a single den who told someone who has lost a game to stop playing.

Not to mention the news of Isaac’s investment was confirmed so they couldn’t even refuse him with the excuse that his credit wasn’t reliable. While the manager pranced around the den hopelessly, Isaac let out words that turned the situation for the worse.

“Shall we make the game more interesting? Let’s bet 10 thousand per number.”

“Hiiik!”

The guests in the den cheered and shouted in response, but the workers of the den could only scream in terror. They might be able to manage up to a thousand Giga, but 10 thousand? That was a problem whether Isaac won or not.

The winning ratio may be the same, but the difference was astronomical. If Isaac were to win now, Isaac would take 200 thousand Giga from the gambling den. The den’s annual earnings for this gambling den were 70 to 80 thousand Giga. This was way beyond what they could cope with.

Just as the manager was about to beg to Isaac to leave the den with all of his losses paid for, the door suddenly opened and a group of police officers barged in.

“Don’t move! You’re all under arrest for illegal gambling.”

“Huh?”

While Isaac looked at the situation dumbfounded, the other guests quickly retaliated with insults and picked up the chairs they were sitting on, threatening to use them as weapons. It seemed that their aggressive nature as sailors were in full swing, and blood was bound to be shed at this point.

Soland quickly entered the situation in this moment and smiled as he spoke to the officers.

“Hahaha. I think there was a misunderstanding. This lodge only provides entertainment that simulates gambling. There is no illegal transfer of money in this place.”

“Is that so? Hm… Fine. I’ll look over it this time. But, if I were to see illegal gambling taking place, I won’t let you run free.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Like a horrible movie, Soland’s horrendous act had sent the officers out of the den, and Soland began talking to the guests.

“Now! I think we will have to call it a day with this sudden visit. We will give back all of the money you’ve lost, so please head to the changing booth. Our lodge records exactly how much our guests have spent, so I hope there won’t be any accidents for trying to trick my employees.”

With that, a group of syndicate members entered the den as enforcers. They corralled the guests into a line, and without a choice, the guests quietly left the den, albeit with some grumbling.

Once all of the guests left, there was only silence. In the room were Isaac, Soland, and the employees. Soland approached Isaac, who sat with a smoke in his mouth, clearly entertained.

“You should have told me you were coming today. I would have shown you around. Did you enjoy our service?”

“No, not really. I think gambling is fun only when the money is really on the line. Knowing that I won’t lose any money makes the entire thing a bore.”

“Haha, but you still shouldn’t gamble.”

Soland smiled on the outside, but in his mind, his teeth were grinding.

‘As expected, he never intended to pay for his losses.’

Soland realised while he was on the way that even if Isaac were to lose all of one million Giga, there was no way for him to take the money from Isaac. Even debt collection should be done while keeping in consideration who is owes the debt; doing it to a Lord’s Representative is like asking to have your head chopped. So as his final method, Soland decided to void the fact that Isaac ever gambled here.

“Well, it was fun at the end. I didn’t think you’d use the police force. I admit, it was very creative.”

Isaac pat Soland’s shoulder as he walked past him, and Soland could only ease his anger by gripping his fists.