307fury
307Flashing in the east and flashing in the west (2)
It was already the second time.
Hoffman was more embarrassed than angry at the poor treatment he received from Dmitry..
turned around.
Looking at Valentino's mansion, I spit out words..
“How dare you treat me like this?.”
Count Fabius.
Meeting him together was not a coincidence..
At first, I didn't think it was anything special as Marquis Valentino explained, but during the conversation, I saw Valentino and Fabius exchanging glances..
it was clear evidence.
Roman Dmitry demanded to sever ties with the Golden Bank, and the Marquis Valentino absurdly accepted the offer..
I didn't understand.
What is a merchant?.
These are people who pursue transactions with clear compensation rather than general human relationships..
No matter how deeply the Valentino family is rooted in the Kingdom of Cairo, if they take this opportunity to strengthen their relationship with Golden Bank, it will somehow secure their future..
‘The Golden Bank is a place where a single organization can give up 1 million gold in exchange for its life..
Considering my interests as a merchant, rejecting Golden Bank and joining hands with Dmitry could not be said to be a practical choice..
suddenly.
Rumors arose about Dmitry..
People used to say that the bond between people related to Roman Dmitry was as strong as an iron fortress..
‘It may have been my mistake to target the Marquis Valentino from the beginning. From the rebellion in Cairo to the all-out war with Kronos. In the process, Marquis Valentino and Roman Dmitry must have developed a significant bond. Marquis Valentino is also old. Selling the future of the Valentino family for such an unlikely bond?.’
Hoffman didn't know the truth.
It was not a bond, but a large part of Roman Dmitry's desire to collect swords..
Anyway.
It didn't matter now.
The next destination was absolutely impossible to fail..
‘Going back to Valhalla.’
Valhalla Empire.
That was where the headquarters of the Golden Bank was located..
* * *
It was an inefficient route..
If he had gone to Count Muriel from the beginning, he would have been able to secure allies and put pressure on Marquis Valentino..
I put my regrets aside.
however.
Behind Count Muriel, whom I had just met, I discovered a person who made me doubt my eyes..
“See you here again.”
sly smile.
Hoffman's expression couldn't help but be distorted by his friendly attitude, which made it seem as if he had a good relationship with him..
It was Count Fabius..
Apparently, as soon as I left the Valentino family, I immediately made an appointment with Count Muriel, but this time, Fabius arrived at the meeting place one step ahead..
Hoffman asked.
“Why is the author here??”
“First, there was a prior agreement. Come here. We will guide you to another reception room..”
I felt bad.
Seeing Count Fabius' gaze scanning over him, Hoffmann walked along with Count Muriel..
The prior contract was something that could not be done..
Still, Count Muriel showed a more common sense reaction than Valentino, who openly suggested that he and Fabius should be together, so he was able to ease his feelings quickly..
Count Fabius's intentions were obvious..
Just as he persuaded the Marquis Valentino, he would have asked Count Muriel to cut ties with the ‘Golden Bank’..
It was a strange sound..
The Muriel family couldn't do that..
Hoffman said.
“How is your father doing??”
“You are so healthy that you can return to active duty right away. He said he feels more secluded now that he has retired, but recently he has been cultivating a vegetable garden every day. By the way, my father asked me to tell him that he really appreciated the gift that Mr. Hoffman sent me. Where on earth did you get that precious herb??”
“There is nothing in this world that is impossible with money. For this precious person, I worked especially hard, hahaha.”
It was a friendly atmosphere.
House Muriel and the Golden Bank.
As forces rooted in the same Valhalla, they have been connected since ancient times..
As we naturally interacted with each other through our ancestral ties, we became close enough to look for each other and take care of each other when something special happened..
so that.
I was in no hurry to persuade the Muriel family..
He was not pro-Dmitri like Cairo or Hector, and there was no reason for him to stick to Dmitri even though the Valhalla Empire's family refused Golden Bank's request..
So we talked trivially for a while..
Hoffman's conversation as if it were a comfortable home showed his confidence that he could persuade Muriel..
Some time has passed.
Just as the car was about to run out, Hoffman got lucky..
“The reason I visited the Muriel family is because of Roman Dmitri..”
“……okay.”
“Roman Dmitry, that guy is absolutely crazy. After defeating the Kronos Empire, he seemed to not know how high the sky was, and threatened me by holding a knife to my throat when I visited him in the name of a deal. Does this make any sense? As President of Golden Bank, I am determined not to overlook this issue..”
The voice got louder..
The more I spoke, the more the humiliation I suffered at Roman Dmitry took over my mind..
“Going forward, Golden Bank plans to block all transactions involving Dmitry and isolate them economically. Count Muriel. I heard that they trade a large amount of iron from Dritrysan. Please stop doing business with them. This is not a unilateral request. If you accept Golden Bank's offer, we will deliver 'iron' at a lower price than them. Additionally, we will completely waive interest on money borrowed through us..”
It was an unprecedented condition.
economic isolation.
It started with the Muriel family..
The plan was to cut off transactions one by one and as inventory of steel, the main product, built up, it would be taken down step by step from then on..
I was filled with joy.
Roman Dmitry.
Those who only knew the sword were fools who only realized reality when they were oppressed by wealth..
however.
“……I'm sorry, but I don't think I can accept Mr. Hoffman's request..”
Count Muriel's refusal.
That was an unexpected development.
* * *
The corners of my eyes trembled..
In a cold atmosphere, Count Muriel calmly stated his position..
“I, too, would like to take Mr. Hoffman’s side whenever possible. But aren’t we ‘merchants’? Considering the practical benefits of being a merchant, it is impossible to cut off business with Dmitry..”
“……Please explain so I can understand. Otherwise, we have no choice but to look back on our ancestral ties..”
“All right.”
Count Muriel took a deep breath..
From the moment Hoffman requested the meeting, he expected an uncomfortable situation..
“First of all, Dmitry's iron is irreplaceable. The reason the Muriel family goes all the way to Dmitri to get iron is because the iron from Dmitri is the best on the continent. Don’t you know this well, Mr. Hoffman? Would the warriors of the Valhalla Empire want to purchase low-quality iron? No matter how much we substitute products, if we do not supply Dmitry iron, it will be impossible to monopolize the iron market like before. That's the first reason.”
It was a valid statement..
Because Dmitri-made iron is considered to be of the highest quality, the Dmitri family was able to achieve such wealth..
but.
I was not at the point of giving up my relationship with Golden Bank..
Although it would only trade with Dmitry for one item, iron, Golden Bank had considerable influence over a variety of items..
Muriel is a top family.
They were engaged in a variety of businesses, not just steel, and their strained relationship with Golden Bank would cause enormous damage to them..
iron industry?
It wasn't important enough to risk my future on..
Hoffman showed an expression that he still didn't understand..
“Actually, the second reason is the most important. Valhalla is a land of warriors. Those who work for Muriel are also warriors with boiling blood, and Roman Dmitry recently started a swordsmanship revolution through a 'swordsmanship presentation'..”
Just now.
Count Fabius didn't say anything..
It was only briefly explained how the separation from Dmitri would affect the Muriel family in the future..
“The Dmitry family is a force leading the swordsmanship revolution. They have publicly revealed the concept of 'severance of power' and have announced that they will share a certain amount of information with friendly forces. The times are changing. With Roman Dmitri leading the era, what would happen if the Muriel family turned against Dmitri? The warriors of Valhalla will not work for us. While others are moving ahead, the Muriel family has no choice but to regress if they cling to the outdated methods of using Alexandre's aura. Don't you know that here in Valhalla, the power of the warriors of the family resolves all disputes??”
like he said.
Actual force was important.
A conflict broke out in Valhalla, and if Alexandre's aura was used, the outcome was obvious..
Dmitry was a pioneer.
Although I couldn't ride on their backs as they rushed forward, I couldn't bear to choose to reject them first..
Kronos and Valhalla.
the two were different.
Cronus was a country where the emperor's control was absolute, but Valhalla was still a country with a romantic notion of power..
Count Muriel's attitude changed..
He appealed to his emotions in a earnest and earnest voice..
“Mr. Hoffman. Forcing one or the other is too harsh. Even considering our ancestral ties, please consider the situation of the Muriel family..”
* * *
The conversation broke down..
Hoffman, who had failed to persuade Count Muriel, now seemed to understand why Roman Dmitry was so confident..
‘Did you believe in martial arts?.’
sword revolution.
Roman Dmitry took intangible power in his hands..
The fact that the Aura swordsmen currently leading the continent wanted to learn Dmitri's 'martial arts' was an area that could not be suppressed with the gold coins of the Golden Bank alone..
Especially Valhalla..
Hoffmann thought it would be easy to persuade someone from Valhalla, but Count Muriel would not compromise on the issue of martial arts..
Roman Dmitry.
He was a great guy.
I've never seen anyone take control of a situation like this, losing money with Golden Bank..
but.
‘Things won't go your way.’
Golden Bank President.
Or, a person called a poisonous snake..
Hoffman never gave up.
People called him a poisonous snake because he achieved his goal by any means necessary..
Roman Dmitry was a difficult enemy that could not be solved with money..
Considering that even the Kronos Empire had a hard time dealing with him, it was wrong to judge from the beginning that they could persuade him..
But that doesn't mean everyone in the world is like Roman Dmitry..
Marquis Valentino has a close bond with him, and Count Muriel cannot go against the sentiments of Valhalla, but the situation is different with the last remaining great rich man..
‘Vincent, the rich man of the Kingdom Alliance, is a similar type of person to me. No matter how much Roman Dmitry is leading the swordsmanship revolution, he considers the accumulated gold coins in front of him to be the greatest value..’
today.
Hoffman was angry..
I was mad as hell..
Normally, Golden Bank's wishes were met without any special effort, but the constant variables were frustrating..
This problem could not be easily overlooked..
The president of Golden Bank had been threatened and had coughed up 1 million gold, and if no retaliation was achieved, it was clear that a ridiculous precedent would be set..
must.
I wanted to deal a blow to the steel industry..
Hoffman's venom has finally reached its peak..
‘From now on, I will clearly show you what financial resources you cannot afford..’
final destination.
In the Kingdom of the Franks, we will put an end to this frustrating situation..
* * *
The first meeting was a coincidence.
The second meeting is fate.
There is a saying that the third meeting is inevitable..
Those words, which would normally be taken kindly, really upset Hoffmann as he visited Viscount Vincent's reception room..
“Hehehe, we meet again?”
Count Fabius.
Dmitry's raccoon welcomed Hoffman with a funny face..
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