The Difference Is Like Between a Dog and a Cow

34 – Secretly Greatly (4)

Shakov, the head of Cherno City, and Lamour, the head of the guard, met each other alone in the VIP room inside the union.

There was a steaming cup of tea on the table, but Shakov was the only one who sipped the tea.

“Do you not eat?”

“All right. Let’s just get to the point.”

Tsk, said La Mour, clicking his tongue.

“What were your thoughts on the transportation book freeze?”

“It’s simple. It’s insurance.”

“…… You.”

“Did you know I didn’t know? Originally, the basic qualities of a merchant are the ability to quickly grasp the situation and the ability to make decisions.”

Shakov’s relaxed expression narrowed his eyes. Lamour took a slight step back from the obvious shooting death.

“It would be disappointing if you saw the captain of my guard as being on the same level as the idiot merchants who would die.”

Originally, the two had a symbiotic relationship that benefited each other.

The security forces in Cherno City are corrupt.

In the first place, the leader of the Lamour guard, who can be said to be in charge of the security forces, was related by blood to the leader of the delinquent organization Gavial.

Especially because criminal organizations are corrupt, security forces do not actively intervene.

At the point where the city mayor, ‘Anatoly’, was also old and sick and was looking at retirement, the only way for the merchants to survive was to form a powerful force centered on the union.

The reason why the city seemed stable ‘outwardly’ was because the Merchant Guild and the Guard were in an equal cooperative relationship.

Forcibly intimidating the merchants did nothing good for the guards or criminal organizations.

Even if the guards were on my side, even if the national gendarmerie was dispatched, the criminal organizations that had established themselves in the outskirts would be blown away.

That was the position.

The merchants colluded with the guards and embezzled a percentage of commissions from outsiders.

Criminal organizations are deeply involved with the top and commit various corruption or illegal activities.

To be honest, neither side was in a position to be proud of.

Not long ago, Belgordo Fortress was attacked by bandits who crossed the border, and everything changed.

Fort raids by thieves have happened a couple of times a year.

The problem was that the fort kept artifacts that were specially transported from the center.

And the company that transported the artifact to the fortress was the Merchant Guild of Cherno City.

Of course, Shakov was of course, and the related contractors didn’t even know that the artifact was hidden in the material.

At this rate, the military police were in a position to put a dump on them.

Unless the gendarmerie investigating the case was an idiot, it was certain that they would find the union somehow and stir it up.

“If this is revealed anyway, Shakov, you and I will die the same way.”

“That would be better. Rather than just me dying unfairly.”

“f*ck, yes. You want to come out like this?”

“Isn’t it the responsibility of your guards to inspect supplies going to the fort? Where are you going to fall for the guards?”

This was also the reason why Shakov froze only the transport ledger.

If the ledger is destroyed, only the responsibility of the ‘merchants’ union’ remains in the case of stealing the artifact in question.

The National Military Police have a terrifying rumor that they make and punish even innocent crimes.

If the guards cut off his tail, Shakov, a mere merchant guild leader, knew very well that he would never survive.

“And why do you think the only way is to kill both of you? We have a way to live together.”

Shakov, who had emptied his tea before he knew it, put down his glass and said.

“Isn’t the mistake of the guards just negligence? If you stab the National Gendarmerie in moderation, it will end with only a light punishment. Isn’t it?”

Although it was ‘corrupt’, there is room for normal consideration.

If the city guards and merchants’ unions join forces and claim that it was a pure mistake, even the national military police will find it impossible to find anything unusual.

However, Lamour’s guard captain’s expression was not very good. Clenched fists tremble.

“Captain of the guard?”

“Shakov, I can’t help it anymore.”

The captain of the guard rose from his seat and approached the window of the VIP room. And then open the window and shout in a loud voice, isn’t it?

“Execution!!!”

At the same time, a loud noise started coming from downstairs. The sound of breaking things, the screams of familiar people.

In an instant, the entire building was filled with the footsteps of the guards. In the end, it was an attitude that he would take possession of the ledger even by force.

‘You’re so reckless.’

However, arresting him did not mean that the freeze on transportation books would be lifted.

Shakov knew very well what kind of person Ramour was.

So I even put a special magic barrier in the library where the ledgers were kept.

A barrier that could never be physically penetrated unless the entire guild was burned.

However.

Shakov’s expression distorted at the pungent scent rising from below.

“No way!! Did you set it on fire?!”

From noble mtl dot com

“Khehehehe…… I already knew that you put a barrier on the ledger archive. There’s no way that a very cautious nobleman wouldn’t have prepared something like that.”

The captain of the Lamour guard laughed at Shakov. Now the smoke has grown thicker and started to flow into the VIP room on the second floor.

“Well, if you obeyed the request calmly. I could have kept the Merchant Guild and my family safe by sacrificing you, didn’t I?”

“What the hell is the reason for doing this!!”

It was an overkill. Setting the Merchant Guild on fire in broad daylight?

The National Military Police must have smelled it. However, it was Shakoff’s theory that responsibility could be avoided as much as possible.

Isn’t this happening without the knowledge of both the guard and the Merchant Guild?

Unless someone knows that the artifact is there, unless they deliberately report it or leak the information to others…….

That moment.

A worst-case scenario passed through Shakoff’s head.

“Lamour, you…… Did you know that the cargo contained artifacts? Even that is not enough to leak information-.”

“Ha, it wasn’t until I drank that that I realized it was a poisoned chalice. I shouldn’t have done that.”

It was Lamour’s voice that sounded like he was dejected, but at the end of it there was a definite madness.

“…… sh*t.”

Shakhoff reluctantly raised his hand and expressed his intention to surrender.

He was a mage who could use simple magic like a moment ago, but he was helpless in front of a gun pushed in front of him.

They even burned down the building of the head of the association. It was clear that he would punch a hole in his forehead if he made a mistake.

“Damn it.”

“I have to live, too. Isn’t it? Union president.”

Wedge juice! Puck!!

Ramour grabbed the pistol and hit Shakov hard on the neck with the metal grip. Without even trying to resist, Shakov fell to the floor.

Lamur lightly wrapped the fainting head on his back and quickly left the VIP room.

It didn’t take long for the searing flames to completely engulf the building of the guildmaster.

The transport ledger, which says the guards are involved, will also be engulfed in flames and reduced to ashes.

Now, according to the scenario prepared in advance, if you hand over all responsibility to the Merchant Guild…….

“The perfect crime.”

Ramour smiled and laughed.

***

“Bring water! Hurry!!”

“Don’t let it spread to the central shopping district!! Stop it somehow!”

As soon as I came out of the restaurant, I saw black smoke rising high into the sky. Upon arriving at the union building quickly, the scene was completely polar opposite.

The merchants wandering around with buckets in a near panic, and the guards watching, almost abandoned, even though they are in the center of the fire.

As soon as I saw that scene, an estimate came out in my head at once along with the situation just before.

‘These bastards, did they even set fire to it as soon as the negotiations broke down?’

Looking at the almost devastated union members, it was clear at least it wasn’t Shakov’s doing.

“Platoon commander, what now?”

“First, put out the fire! Rumia evacuates any citizens in case you don’t know!”

Rumia is reluctant to use magic. Even if it’s for firefighting, if you don’t use magic as much as possible…….

“No, I will help too!!”

“Yes? Rumia? Are you okay?”

“So, it’s okay if I’m with the platoon commander…… !”

Rumia tugged at my sleeve and let out a deep breath.

“What’s more, if it’s just about putting out fires!!”

The sleeping magic core of her awakens. Her breath mixed with blue mana, which slowly spread through the air.

Afterwards, the scattered water vapor turned into water droplets and moved along Rumia’s hand.

“I can do that!!”

Paang!!

Huge droplets of water that coalesce burst on top of the Guild Building, pouring down as thick raindrops.

Beginner blue magic, Heavy Rainfall.

It was magic that simply gathered water vapor in the air and created a temporary shower.

It was enough to catch the momentum of the flames climbing up the outer wall.

“Ohh!! The mage has come to help!”

“Now pour water quickly!”

It took a while for the merchants, who had been stomping their feet, to exclaim in admiration.

“But the fire inside is still very strong…… !!”

It may be possible to control the fire outside to some extent, but it was not enough to control the fire spreading inside the building.

Actually, the most important thing right now was the existence of ledgers. Guild Leader Shakov and Guard Leader Lamour. I had to know what the two of them were trying to hide.

Maybe it’s because there’s a high probability that this ledger will serve as the ‘evidence’ the National Military Police want.

“Rumia, please keep the fire from spreading from here to the other side.”

“What about the platoon commander!?”

“The fire inside must be extinguished.”

After saying that, I strode into the Guild Building, which was engulfed in red flames.

The inside of the guild was covered in so thick smoke that it was impossible to see even an inch ahead. Still, most of them were made of wood, so it was difficult to extinguish the fire with just pouring a little water.

“Cough, Cough!”

I let out a pungent cough and stretched his hand out toward the raging mouth of the flame. The engine of the magic core had already been turned on for a long time.

“I can’t even begin with halfway magic…… !”

I recalled in my mind the image of the magic Bell Meyer used during the last Battle of Belgordo.

It was clearly called ‘water bombing’.

What I was reminded of was a scene where a huge stream of water rushes like an explosion. Add blue color to pure mana, and take the form of condensed magic power.

Keying-.

As soon as the magic was successfully cast, Lumia’s raindrops pouring from the outside of the building were quickly sucked through the burned walls.

In the blink of an eye, a sphere inflated like a giant water balloon. I clenched my fists as I looked straight at the wriggling orb of water as if it were about to explode at any moment.

“Supok!”

Puuuong!!!

As soon as he finished the chant gate, the extremely concentrated blue mana exploded and the water rushed like a whirlpool. A wave that swallowed up the fiercely burning flames at once.

“Yes!”

The time when I, who had extinguished the fire in an instant, was clenching my fists and was about to sing a feat.

Wood Deuk─.

I hear a not-so-good sound.

“?”

The wooden floor collapsed.