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“I’ve been waiting for you, Abus.”
“...I will always answer your call, Prince Lance.” The Merchants’ Guild’s guildmaster broke into a cold sweat from being called to Lance’s residence.
Wh-Why was I called here? Was my betrayal discovered...?
Abus had switched his allegiance to Arthur and leaked information to the Ladies of the Lake—namely, that Count Atlaus and other nobles from the neutral faction had decided to support Lance, and that reinforcements from them were coming from the west through the mountain pass. That was a clear act of disloyalty, and if it were discovered, Abus would surely lose his head.
N-No, that’s not it! Prince Lance isn’t acting differently from usual, so he must not have found out about it yet!
In the mansion’s parlor, Lance smiled at Abus as he drank the black tea a maid had brought in earlier. He would never act like this if he had discovered Abus’s betrayal.
Yes, I just need to feign ignorance. Everything will be fine.
“Can I ask the reason you have sent for me?” Abus inquired.
“Of course. We’ve decided to buy weapons from another country. Magic weapons, to be precise.”
“Oooh! What a wonderful idea!” Abus exclaimed cheerfully, but he clicked his tongue in his mind. After all, obtaining powerful weapons would strengthen Lance’s army, and that wasn’t good for someone like Abus, who had just switched sides.
Oh well. It should still benefit me if I inform Prince Arthur about it.
“Unfortunately, they’re very expensive.” Lance sighed, shaking his head. “We’re already spending a lot on mercenaries and provisions for the soldiers, so I’ve been wondering where I could get more money.”
“Ah, I see. You want me to finance it.” Abus once again clicked his tongue in his mind as he realized that he had been called to lend Lance money. For merchants, money was their lifeblood—their soul. If Lance lost the war, Abus would never be repaid. No sane merchant would lend money they would never get back.
If I’m never going to see my money back, I should ask for precious items as collateral. He’s a prince—he should have a national treasure or two in his possession.
“Naturally, I would not mind lending you funds. However, I am a merchant. I cannot just do it for free...”
“Hmm? I think you’ve misunderstood. I’m not asking you to lend me money,” Lance said.
“Huh? Then what do you mean?” Abus was perplexed. From how the conversation had been going, he was certain this was what Lance wanted. Once again, Abus found himself confused about Lance’s motivation for calling him here, but it was all blown away by his shock at Lance’s next words.
“I’m not asking you to lend me money. I’m asking you to give me money.”
“...What?”
“I want you to give me money for free—no interest and no repayment. You’ll donate all the money your firm holds. All for the future of this city.”
Abus gaped like a fish, stunned by Lance’s shameless request. “I... I do not understand...” He finally managed to say. He could understand if Lance had asked him for a loan to pay for the weapons. While he would have found the request bold, he would have offered some support in exchange for suitable collateral. But Lance had been even more brazen than that—he had asked for free money with no interest, no collateral, and no repayment. “Is this a joke...? I do not find it funny.”
“I’m not joking. I’m deeply serious.” Lance took a sip of tea with his usual carefree expression, then continued. “We need the weapons to win against Arthur, but unfortunately, I don’t have the money. Thus, I’m asking you to pay for me. Easy to understand, no?”
“...It seems our talk has come to a close. I shall take my leave.” Abus did his best to contain his fury as he stood up from his chair, ready to exit the parlor. Was the prince really such a fool that he would believe that Abus would accept?
I was right to switch sides to Prince Arthur. I don’t want to waste my life for an idiotic prince who makes unreasonable demands.
“By the way, Abus. Do you know about an organization called the Ladies of the Lake?” Lance suddenly asked, just before Abus could reach the door of the parlor.
Abus froze in his tracks, startled, but managed to keep a calm expression as he turned around. “No, I do not know of it. It is an elegant name, however.”
“It’s a group of mages working under Dame Merlin, one of Arthur’s Twin Wings. They’ve been hiding in the city, spying on us and scheming.”
“...My goodness. This is terrible,” Abus replied, his expression unchanged. He was a seasoned merchant—he had perfect control over his face.
He has no proof that I am connected to them. He’s trying to trick me.
“If you wish, I shall investigate them. Was that all you wanted?” Abus asked.
“You don’t need to. They’ve already been dealt with.”
“...Huh?”
“They tried to ambush Count Atlaus at the mountain pass, but were eliminated by the assassin I sent there beforehand. Isn’t that a relief to hear?”
Abus gasped and, for the first time, his expression changed to one of surprise.
They acted so arrogantly, and yet they failed? What a bunch of incompetents!
“If I hadn’t made preparations to deal with them, Count Atlaus might have died. You know what that means, right, Abus? You are the only one I informed of Count Atlaus’s arrival, after all.”
Abus answered with silence, finally realizing that he had been tricked by Lance.
He knew that I would betray him and used it to his benefit!
Lance had told Abus about Count Atlaus’s route knowing that Abus would leak it to the Ladies of the Lake, and at the same time he’d sent someone to deal with them. That way, Lance had killed two birds with one stone—he had revealed the traitor in his camp and taken care of the spies in the city.
Lance Garnet... What a crafty man, despite his innocent looks!
“...Will I be spared if I lend you the money free of charge?” Abus asked, finally giving in. He could try to persist and say that Lance had no proof, but at this point, struggling in vain would only put his life at risk. No, it was better to bargain for his survival instead. “And will you execute me if I refuse?”
“No, not at all.” Lance spread his arms humorously. “You’re a very capable businessman and the head of the Merchants’ Guild. If you died or lost your position, chaos would ensue. That’s why I want you to keep your position.”
Abus listened silently.
“But if I die... Well, everything will be over for you,” Lance declared with a calm smile. “After all, from Arthur’s point of view, doesn’t it look like you feigned betraying me to trick the Ladies of the Lake and wipe them out?”
“Well...”
“If I lose and Arthur captures the city, I’m certain he will kill you. While Arthur doesn’t hesitate to use any means at his disposal to win, he hates turncoats. He won’t forgive you for betraying him after promising your support. Your death will be inevitable.”
If Abus had been a mere merchant on Lance’s side, Arthur might just have given him a fine. But he had given false intel, which had resulted in the deaths of Arthur’s subordinates. There was no way Arthur wouldn’t make him pay for that with his life.
“In short, you have no other choice but to make sure I win the war. You have to support me wholly by giving me a large amount of money free of charge. Our fates are tied—don’t ever forget that.”
“...Understood,” Abus said after letting out a long, deep sigh. As Lance had just pointed out, their fates were indeed tied—Abus wouldn’t survive unless Lance won.
So I’m in limbo, huh... In a way, that’s worse than a swift execution...
Abus realized that he had made an enemy of a truly fearsome man, drooping his shoulders and cursing himself for his poor judgment.