Chapter 50 - Volume 3 (2/2)
“An important announcement?”
“Yes. ‘I am unable to accept Isaac Rondart’s graduation from the College when his actions and lack of talent have time and time again ruined the reputation and pride of the College. As an honorable graduate of the College, I formally pet.i.tion the College Committee to deprive Isaac Rondart of his graduation.’ Signed by Kainen Rondart.”
“Basically, everyone who wants me dead has contributed.”
Isaac sighed with his arms folded and tapped his fingers.
Marquis Duberon, Count Milros, Port City, and maybe Seven Grand Merchant Guilds, who were suspected of betrayal. Every one of them was aiming for New Port City and Isaac.
“War huh… war… I love making money from war but hate doing it myself…”
“…”
Isaac’s mutter brought a sigh on everyone around him.
“I guess there’s no choice if they want war.”
“A, are you really going to fight the war?”
“Is there any other way when they won’t accept my surrender?”
“How can we fight a war when we don’t even have an army of our own?”
“I guess I can’t hire any mercenaries?”
“There aren’t any mercenaries crazy enough to join the losing side of a war.”
“Right?”
“Yes!”
“Tsk. I guess there’s no choice. I really didn’t want to do this…”
“Is there a way perhaps?”
Trentor’s eyes shone as he questioned Isaac, but Isaac simply shook his head as he replied.
“How can there be a way out when both winning and losing the war will end with practically identical outcomes.”
“Then what are you going to do!”
“What else but to run?”
“What?”
Everyone lost their words at Isaac’s reply.
“There’s still some time left until the war starts, so maybe I could take all of my wealth and run before it starts.”
“You’ll have a bounty on your head across the whole Empire because of the war gambling.”
“If I hide in the mountains…”
“You’ll live the rest of your life being chased by bounty hunters.”
“Right? War huh…”
Isaac sighed at each and every downcast reply. Isaac sat with his legs crossed, resting his chin on one arm propped up by the armrest while the other held a cigarette, while he was deep into thought.
There were many reasons for a war to happen, but Isaac boiled it down to two reasons.
Vengeance and profit.
Port City, Marquis Duberon, Count Milros, and the Seven Grand Merchant Guilds. Port City had more than enough reason to take part for vengeance, but what about the rest? How would they profit by starting this war? Well, considering that victory was guaranteed, there was bound to be profit somewhere.
Then what does the Empire seek from this war? Laws are the rules which set the foundations of society, and the Empire solely possesses the power to punish any who break them. That was why the laws have always been created in a way which seemed most fair to everyone within society.
But the Capital’s Department of Law made a decision which was clearly biased toward Marquis Duberon. Even though a war between a city and a fiefdom was impossible, they sided with the Marquis and made the war easier for them.
This was when Isaac realized there was something he didn’t know. The rights of the waterways would transfer to the Empire once his term was finished. Isaac thought the Empire would always be on his side so long as the Empire got the waterways, and the remaining years of his term would be a very short wait. Then what was the prize the Empire sought, which abandoned the just and fair decisions even at the cost of giving up the waterways?
Isaac sighed and shook his head. There wasn’t enough information. These were problems which would need to be considered once the immediate problem was solved, but with the power of authority turning its back on Isaac, his options were limited.
This is why the power of authority is terrifying. This is why Isaac tried to twist and turn the law as best he could until he could use it or be backed up by it, and only then did he initiate his plans and try to involve them as much as possible in the process.
With the law only taking the other side, there was only one thing he could do. To destroy the game itself.
With his pondering finished, Isaac noticed the grim atmosphere which beset the administrative body of the city, as all of the employees fully realized the situation.
‘Tsk! I can practically hear them scrambling for a way out already.’
No one liked to be on the side destined to lose. The merchant employees looked to each other once and then began to speak.
“Um… we have received an order from our guilds.”
“Did they tell you to leave before the war starts?”
“… Yes.”
“Fine. You’ve all done well until now. At least you guys are making a small fortune for yourselves right?”
“Hehe, thanks to you…”
“Well done. Leave.”
“Huh? Now?”
“Don’t you guys want to leave here as soon as possible? What more do you possibly expect to see by staying here any longer?”
The merchant employees were somewhat dumbfounded by how easily Isaac allowed them to leave. They had expected Isaac to burst out in anger declaring that what they were doing was betrayal most foul.
Isaac smirked at the merchant employees.
“Tell your Guild Masters this. It was you who broke the contract first.”
None of the merchant employees could lift their heads at Isaac’s vague comment. It was never a relations.h.i.+p built on trust in the first place. It was a relations.h.i.+p made for mutual benefit, so none of them felt a sense of guilt or betrayal for leaving the city.
In fact, it was stranger to see those who volunteered to stay.
On the roof, there was supposed to be just Rizzly, Lanburton and the syndicate bosses. However, Cordnell and Isaac’s hubaes stayed firmly put, and Isaac wondered.
“Why are you lot staying here?”
“Sigh. What am I supposed to do even if I leave? I’ll just be called back immediately anyway. Is there anyone who manages the finances of New Port City other than me? Don’t worry. We saved up a slush fund of 10 million Giga, so I’ll try to make something happen with that.”
Isaac smirked as Cordnell made his complaint, and then he turned to look at the hubaes.
“Ahahah! You’d be surprised, but I’m the loyal sort!”
Kalden laughed heartily as he spoke.
“I’ll do my share of the work as long as I’m paid.”
Trentor spoke coldly.
“… I don’t want to go anywhere else.”
For the introverted and shy Selia, she didn’t want to lose the perfect job in New Port City.
“I’d like to leave, but no one else would like to hire me.”
“We wouldn’t be able to find another job even if we leave now.”
Isaac watched his hubaes state their reasons for staying and nodded as he smiled.
“I guess it doesn’t matter for you guys since they’d never kill those from the Campus anyway. Cordnell also knows all of the details regarding our finances, so he’s safe too. Since there won’t be any guests visiting us for some time, go and start the evacuation process in the Meta District.
“Did you think of something?”
Isaac shrugged at Trentor’s question.
“As if I’d come up with something now. I’m just doing as I’m told before I them give any more reasons for them to intervene by being lazy. Get it done and over with quickly.”
“Yes sir.”
With the order given, Isaac’s hubaes walked down the stairs, discussing the amount of time, funds, and locations as to how they’d evacuate the citizens.
Once Isaac saw his hubaes disappear completely, Isaac ordered Rizzly to confirm that they left the plaza as he waited, smoking a cigarette. With one deep breath of the smoke, Isaac began to speak to the syndicate bosses.
“What do you guys want to do? If you want to leave, I can spare you guys some money and let you leave.”
All four shook their head decisively with a bitter smile to Isaac’s offer.
“We’re all in the same boat. There’s no way Port City will leave us be.”
It was just as Dinozo said. With them switching sides to Isaac’s, the four rulers of Port City were never going to let them be. Even if they ran, it was obvious they’d be hunted down by bounty hunters. So they had to stay with Isaac, whether they were alive or dead.
Dinozo continued his words.
“We may be joining in the war due to circ.u.mstances, but don’t expect us to be of much use in the war.”
The only beings New Port City could consider combatants were the syndicate members, elves, and the North Bears. The syndicate members were only useful in pub fights or tussles in the back alleys. It was obvious they’d run the moment they clashed against professional soldiers. The only trustworthy combatants Isaac had were the elves and North Bears.
Isaac nodded in agreement to Dinozo’s words and looked to Rizzly and Lanburton.
“Now that I think about it, I think it’d be better for you two races to stay out of this fight between humans.”
“Do you really not need our aid?”
Lanburton looked with surprise to Isaac. Isaac was in need of any help he could get. As long as the elves and North Bears stayed by Isaac’s side, they could at least prevent Isaac from dying in the chaos of war.
Plus, if the elves and North Bears were to fight back against the unfair treatment Isaac received, the Marquis wouldn’t be able to do as he pleased to Isaac even if he took control over New Port City.
Lanburton couldn’t understand Isaac’s act of kicking away his only saving grace while Rizzly fumed out in anger as he complained.
“North Bears do not run before battle!”
“Who says that I’ll be fighting a war?”
“What?”
Rizzly could only blink after hearing Isaac’s reply.
“Why would I fight the war when I’ll be screwed whether I win or lose?”
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t fight the war! The North Bears volunteer to be of service to Sir Isaac!”
Isaac smirked as he witnessed the fierce loyalty Rizzly swore to him, and then he looked to Lanburton.
“I’ll search for volunteers. There are many elves who wish to experience war too.”
“I told you already, I’m not fighting a war. And it’d be rather inconvenient if you ruined my work because of some mercy or pity…”
Lanburton’s laughter replied to Isaac’s worry.
“Hahaha, our perspectives are different from that of humans. The cruel and vile actions of humans are just an entertaining experience for us. Not to mention there aren’t many employers who provide us with as much entertainment as you do.”
‘So this is why. Is it because they are a different race?’
Isaac always felt something was off when the elves helped those in the slums out of pity. The look of pity they sent to those in the slums was more like a look they’d give to an abandoned puppy rather than another sentient being. Isaac wondered if the image elves had in his old world was a product of marketing. He felt like the cruel reality had shattered one of the romances he had held.
“All of you are to evacuate anyway. All you need to do is do one thing I’ll ask later. I don’t expect any more from you.”
“Haha, then we shall wait for your order.”
Lanburton laughed as he got off his chair.
“Aren’t you leaving too?”
“My mission is to be your bodyguard, Sir Isaac.”
“I told you I’m not fighting a war.”
“It doesn’t matter whether you fight the war or not. I’ll be dead if Kunette ever hears that I was separated from you.”
“Hm… Fine, I guess it doesn’t matter. But can you swear to me that you’ll keep your mouth shut, even if you’re disappointed in me?”
“The work of humans is of no concern to me.”
Isaac smiled brightly with that reply, and then he turned to look at the syndicate bosses.
“Just to make sure for some unexpected betrayal, I will place one condition. If I fail, I will die. Then as a final request, I will ask the elves and North Bears to bring me your heads. We’re in the same boat, so we should die together too. You already know that it’s much better for the Marquis or Port City to simply kill you rather than be in conflict with the elves and North Bears right? So I will give you a final opportunity. What I’m about to do will earn me the most vile of contempt whether it succeeds or fails. If you want to back out, speak up now. Because the only way to leave once you hear of the plan is through death.”
The syndicate bosses gulped and nodded in silence at Isaac’s murderous warning. Even if they wanted to leave, they were trapped in this situation anyway. They had no choice but to cooperate if they wanted to survive.
Once the syndicate bosses seemed like they’d made their decisions, Isaac began explaining them of his plan. When Isaac’s words were finished, the syndicate bosses realized that they had joined hands with the devil.
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