Chapter 161

Chapter 161:  Red Mithril (9)

The next day.

Edward, having returned to Nord in the morning, headed straight for the grand estate.

Attending the meeting presided over by his father as if nothing had happened, he was deep in thought.

Sitting across from him were Echina and Freya.

To think those two, who didn’t even exchange glances on the surface, had formed a single faction.

And the center of that alliance was the secretary candidate who, just a few months ago, had been beneath them.

‘Father would faint if he found out about this.’

In truth, he himself was inwardly quite shaken.

This man called Roger who had appeared before him—

Would he prove to be a beneficial ally, or a parasitic pest eating away at his own flesh?

One thing, however, was clear.

The Nordik mine incident was bound to be discovered sooner or later, and at least the witness had remained favorable.

True to the bloodline of the Grand Duke of the North, he had exceptional situational awareness.

That must be why he had stayed close to Eric and reaped personal gains all this time.

「Well then, let’s end today’s meeting here.」

Was it because winter had come?

The Grand Duke of the North, who rose from his seat first, looked more withered than before.

His hair, white as the piled-up snow, and his pale skin resembled the bark of an old tree stripped bare of leaves.

After their father and the chief secretary left the room, Eric also rose from his seat.

He gave a signal to Edward.

He wanted to speak privately outside.

Since it wasn’t unusual for the eldest to call for the second son, Edward followed him without a word.

And, as usual, he faced Eric in the drawing room.

“You’ve been secretly recruiting private soldiers recently, haven’t you, Edward?”

“Uh, there was a bit of a reason for that.”

With his hands clasped behind his back, Edward stood by the window.

Thanks to the noontime sunlight shining from behind him, a deep shadow was cast over his face.

“Nothing unusual happened, right?”

As expected of the eldest son, Eric had sharp intuition.

Underneath his silver hair, his golden eyes stared fixedly at his younger brother.

The atmosphere was exactly the same as usual.

And yet, Edward couldn’t help but feel an odd sense of discomfort—as if he were already a traitor.

“Nothing.”

“Good. In a time like this, when everything’s growing rapidly, we can’t afford to hit the brakes. Let’s just keep focusing on our own work.”

Edward walked a tightrope above the law to secure funds.

Then he would send the laundered money to Eric, who would, in turn, manipulate the Imperial family and attract wealth and connections.

This cooperative relationship had been going on for five years.

However, the second son had gradually grown dissatisfied with it.

No matter how he thought about it, the risks he bore seemed far greater than Eric’s.

The mine they were still operating was, to begin with, merely a pretense to cover the taxes of massive capital.

“……”

Unlike usual, the second son was especially quiet today.

After going through such a major ordeal, a strong thought surged within him—that his share of the return ought to be even greater.

“Brother, aren’t you curious why I was recruiting private soldiers?”

Eric, seated on the leather sofa, lifted his head.

With his handsome face, he quietly observed his younger brother, who looked troubled.

“Well, I figured you had your reasons. Did something happen?”

“Yeah, I got tangled up in a bit of a nuisance.”

Edward decided to test the waters with his elder brother first.

Even if Roger currently had something on him, blood still ran thicker than water.

He made up his mind to first see where his brother—who had cooperated with him for five years—stood on this matter.

“Is this about the mine?”

“That’s right. There were some injuries at the mine, and it looks like Gold Morning picked up the trail.”

Eric’s once relaxed expression turned into a cold, unreadable one.

With narrowed eyes, he calmly began undoing the cuff buttons of his dress shirt.

“Gold Morning, huh? Those bastards are relentless... How’d they catch wind of it?”

“Probably while we were transporting medical supplies for the injured workers. You know how those bastards have been keeping an eye on me.”

And all of it—because I was trying to secure funds for you.

Of course, he didn’t say that part out loud.

Right now, he needed to see how his brother would respond when he came asking for help.

“I think prosecution is inevitable for now. Might just end up with a fine, if we’re lucky.”

Edward approached Eric, who was seated at the host’s spot.

Then, he slumped into the seat right next to him and casually dropped a suggestion.

“You should keep an eye on the press. Things are going well with the Daily Times, aren’t they?”

“……”

Eric didn’t respond immediately.

Just as his younger brother said, he currently had a close relationship with the Daily Times.

But with the internal conflict still raging, diverting manpower to this kind of issue could lead to considerable losses.

Worse, this could give the eldest son of the Daily Times leverage over him.

Honestly, part of him wanted to say, “Your reputation’s already in the gutter anyway, just let the article run.”

But he also knew very well the importance of connections.

And he hadn’t forgotten the efforts Edward had made for him.

“All right, I’ll take care of it. But in return…”

Eric uncrossed his legs and sat up straight.

“You know what Father always taught us—never make a deal without getting something back.”

“What do you want this time?”

Edward didn’t bother hiding his displeasure.

The tip of his mustache trembled slightly at the soft scoff he let out.

“I know you’re already working hard, so I’m not asking for anything extra. Just wrap up that large-scale Nordik regional development project I mentioned before. Sooner rather than later.”

The elder brother spoke as if doing him a favor.

Pretending not to ask for anything, he simply pushed forward the task he had previously requested.

“That’s not an easy thing to pull off. The land’s legally their property, so there’s no justification.”

“Which is exactly why I’m asking you.”

Once again, he was requesting another dirty job.

But since Edward had always handled such matters, it wasn’t particularly strange.

And yet…

Why was it that this time, a strange sense of displeasure and disappointment welled up within him?

“If I pull some strings, at worst, you’ll get off with a fine. So while you’re at it, wouldn’t it be better to take care of the messy stuff all at once?”

He was absolutely right.

His public image was going to take a hit anyway—might as well get everything over with in one go and minimize the damage.

There was no more efficient way to deal with it.

But…

“It’s like you’re already about to take a shower, so what’s one more stain?”

Edward began to feel a subtle sense of discomfort toward his brother—something he hadn’t felt before.

The way Eric looked at him, like a tool.

He wasn’t just some subordinate; he was also a rightful son of the same noble house.

Yet Eric’s first instinct was to turn Edward’s crisis into an opportunity.

And that stung.

“I’ll think about it. Pressuring the residents isn’t an easy task, especially with so many eyes watching right now.”

“Yeah, I get it. Take your time. The knights won’t be launching an investigation right away anyway, will they?”

Eric shifted his gaze away from his younger brother.

He gently ran his hand over the hilt of the sword fastened to his waist.

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

Edward masked his conflicted emotions and reached for the doorknob of the drawing room.

Just as he was about to open the door—

“Oh, one more thing.”

He flinched at the sound of his brother’s voice calling him again.

“There’s someone who’s been stirring things up against the family lately. Did you know about that?”

The name that came from his brother’s lips was none other than the very person who’d been occupying Edward’s thoughts—

Julius Roger.

“Who?”

“Julius Roger. The kid who used to work for our family.”

Eric had only asked for a name, and yet it felt as if he already knew everything.

This razor-sharp instinct of his was exactly why Edward had sided with Eric over Freya.

Because his hunches had never once been wrong.

In the past, he’d even managed to track down Deyan’s missing painting—albeit a little late.

“Apparently, he’s the one who manipulated Freya into embezzling company funds through stocks.”

“……”

Eric rose from the sofa.

His tall frame stood with the warm sunlight behind him.

“Be careful. The next person he’ll come after—will be you.”

Amidst his dark expression, only his golden eyes gleamed brightly.

And yet, it was nothing like what Edward had seen in Echina the night before.

If she had looked like a beast protecting her pack…

Eric felt like a completely different kind of being now.

Something strange—something indescribable with words.

“…All right.”

Not a single strand of Edward’s mustache trembled.

He pulled the fedora that had been resting on the table low over his face, covering his eyes.

Then, in silence, he left the drawing room alone.

Outside the mansion, Edward climbed into his carriage with a heavy heart.

As he gently tapped his fingers on the window frame like playing a keyboard...

“To the Erian Hotel.”

He had made up his mind—to meet a certain man.

「―――――――」

“Director, it’s cold. Why don’t you wait inside…?”

“I’m fine. You’re all standing outside just fine, aren’t you?”

I exhaled briefly, my hands tucked deep into my coat pockets.

It was cold enough that I could visibly see my breath in the air.

So winter had come.

This was the first winter I had experienced since returning to the past.

――――――

Soon, the carriage I had been waiting for appeared.

And when the coachman opened the door, a familiar man with a mustache stepped onto the red carpet.

“Welcome.”

I greeted our Lord Edward with a bright smile.

However, his expression didn’t seem particularly delighted.

He looked like someone who had just returned from a serious ordeal—his breathing slightly unsteady.

He wore the kind of face you’d expect from a spy in a novel.

“Shall we head inside? It’s cold out here.”

“Let’s.”

Edward followed me calmly into the lounge bar.

Inside, a few guests lingered, and the table I had reserved in advance stood ready.

“This is Tabor Tade, a prosecutor with the Nord Court.”

A man in a black suit rose from his seat.

One glance told you he was a legal professional—cold and stern to the bone.

“Pleasure to meet you, Lord Edward. I’ve heard all about the people on the blacklist, and now I’ve met one.”

“And now I’ve met the infamous Mad Dog from the rumors.”

Edward shook his hand, then turned his eyes to the boy sitting beside him.

It was clear this boy didn’t quite belong in a setting like this.

“This is Luca. He’s here as the representative of the miners in the Nordik mining village.”

“And where’s the foreman?”

“He’s busy managing the workforce, so he sent this boy in his place. He’s acting as a deputy, so please treat him with appropriate formality.”

The gaunt blond youth gave Edward a polite bow.

Though dressed neatly in a collared shirt and knitwear, the countryside air of a mining town still clung to him.

“Nice to meet you, Luca.”

The boy seemed a bit frightened by Edward’s towering build and his characteristically sharp gaze.

He had said he would demand to know why they had been treated so indifferently.

But clearly, a child was still a child.

“I trust you all know the reason I’ve gathered you here.”

At the table, the four men took their seats.

Among them, I served everyone warm tea and guided the conversation.

“Lord Edward here has joined today’s meeting to take responsibility for the incident that occurred at the mining village.”

“……”

Tabor was the first to speak, saying he had already heard the circumstances.

“Please don’t worry too much. We have no intention of blowing this matter out of proportion on our end. I’ll do my best to ensure you get the lightest possible sentence.”

That was only to be expected.

Eric had likely promised to help reduce the charges as much as possible as well.

The real issue here was the media war—and Edward’s own frame of mind.

“If you agree to support Echina from this point forward, Gold Morning won’t run this story on the front page.”

“But what about Daily Times?”

The second son firmly asserted his own interests.

In response, I answered in Tabor’s stead—confidently and without hesitation.

That he wouldn’t regret siding with Echina.

“Don’t worry. Daily Times will never run your story on the front page.”

I lightly placed my hand on his shoulder.

A gesture I never would’ve dared to make in my previous life—but now carried out without a second thought.

“All you need to do is provide proper compensation to the injured.”

I glanced subtly toward Luca.

He looked nervous but had the eyes of someone who still wanted to speak his mind to Edward.

After all, he had seen with his own eyes how his friends and family had suffered because of the mine.

And deep down, he was doubtful.

Would this intimidating man before him really keep his word?

Could someone who had been so indifferent to them now truly offer fair compensation?

“Very well. I’ve prepared a compensation list—take a look.”

Edward handed over a single document, which Tabor and I read first.

Satisfied with the contents, we passed the paper to Luca.

With trembling hands, the boy accepted it.

And the moment he began reading, the weariness in his eyes vanished—replaced by a sudden glimmer.

“Is… is this really true…?”

“Yes. I never revise a document once it’s been written.”

Edward made his promise with a calm and composed expression.

「All injured workers will receive lifetime medical care until they are fully healed.」

「All miners will be paid a monthly wage of 8 million gold.」

「A full-time medical team will be stationed at the entrance of the mine.」

「The village’s welfare will be supported until all mining operations have been fully shut down.」

The welfare plan for the village even included road repairs and facility development.

“With terms like this, I wouldn’t even mind seeing it on the front page,” said Prosecutor Tabor, looking at Luca with a satisfied smile.

I felt the same.

“……”

Luca looked up at Edward with a dazed expression.

And then, something unusual happened.

The second son of the Grand Duke of the North—who had seemed so terrifying at first—now looked somewhat kind in Luca’s eyes.

And that feeling… wasn’t a coincidence.

"I'm sorry, kid."

Edward truly did apologize to him with a gentle voice.

"My greed caused great pain to you and your family."

He softly placed a hand on the top of the boy’s head.

And then, he tried to ease at least some of the suffering he had caused.

"I'm truly sorry for making you throw yourselves into a mine with no mithril."

Those words, at least, were genuine.

He really had been preparing to bring the latest medical equipment to the village.

It was just that the timing had been far too delayed.

Still, there was one thing that left a lingering sense of resentment.

"Quite the difference from when you bashed my forehead with a rifle stock."

"You were insufferable back then."

Edward let out a dry chuckle and scoffed lightly at me.

"……"

Luca said nothing for a moment.

He simply stared blankly down at the document in his hands.

It was a long while before he finally raised his head again.

"Um, Lord Edward."

"Yes, go ahead."

The second son looked down at the boy with a serious expression.

He was ready to accept whatever came next, should his faults be mentioned further.

However—

Surprisingly, Luca asked for nothing more.

Instead, he offered something to Edward.

"Actually, there’s something I couldn’t say before… because I hated you too much."

Luca reached into his jacket.

Then, with his small, fern-like fingers, he pulled out a shimmering stone.

"I mined this in the shaft... There's more of it at home."

A green-glowing mineral embedded within a dark rock.

Edward knew exactly what it was.

"The mine wasn’t fake. Real mithril did come out of it."

With trembling hands, Edward accepted the mithril.

He had lived his whole life only for himself—and this was the first time he’d received a reward for a good deed.

"I'm sorry for hiding it all this time. Back then, I really hated the Grand Duke’s family…"

The reason he had clung to his brother and never stood on his own—

It was because the only productive means of building power he had was the Luton Arms Dealer.

But now, with the discovery of mithril strong enough to fully support that arms dealer—

The fear of his brother, which had tightly gripped Edward’s throat, began to loosen—little by little.