CHAPTER 133: CHAPTER 133: PALACE COUP_1

"My lord, why did we just give them so much money?" Dismas rode beside him, noticing that the money given just now far exceeded the city entrance tax.

"If you don’t give it to them, they’ll delay you by searching through the goods for half a day. If you encounter greedy ones, they’ll find an excuse to confiscate your goods. In the end, you still have to pay, and even more so. Giving them money now at least leaves a good impression. The cost of dealing with a small squad leader and a bureaucrat is not the same."

Lance said faintly, encapsulating the intricacies, which were all relayed to him by Walter.

Otherwise, how would an ordinary person like him have such experience?

"Let’s go; we need to settle down quickly. Everyone needs to rest." Lance wasted no time and hurriedly looked for a place to stay.

「...」

Inside the Walter Conglomerate’s quarters, an argument was erupting.

"York! You actually betrayed us!" The woman roared at the man before her, "How can you justify this to the trust my father placed in you? When have we ever wronged you in our household?"

"Miss, I did it to save the boss. Lord Gene said that as soon as you marry him, he’ll immediately mobilize men to rescue the boss from Hamlet."

York, hearing these words, showed not the slightest guilt. Instead, he put on a smile; it seemed he had learned all the tricks of a merchant.

"Impossible! Go back and tell that fellow to give up any such notion. The affairs of the Walter family are not his concern." The woman slammed her hand on the table and glared angrily.

She wasn’t like those foolish women. She was well aware that those men weren’t really thinking about saving anyone; they just wanted to swallow the Walter Conglomerate whole.

Even if her father were still alive, all she would receive after marrying into that family would likely be his corpse.

"Miss, you should think this through. With the boss missing and rumors spreading that he died at the hands of bandits, without Lord Gene’s help, I fear you won’t be able to handle the conglomerate’s troubles." York’s smile turned menacing, his tone ostensibly a reminder but in actuality a threat.

"Hmph! No matter what troubles we at the Walter Conglomerate face, they have nothing to do with him, Gene. And now, they have nothing to do with you either, since you’ve been expelled from our group! Get out!"

The woman had heard those rumors too. She had dispatched teams to search, but all had failed. She knew her father was most likely dead.

Yet, she couldn’t afford to show any weakness; she still had her mother and younger brother to look after.

On the contrary, she had to be even tougher, or she wouldn’t be able to protect the property her father had left behind from those greedy wolves.

"So the warehouse is empty now, huh? What will you use to fulfill orders? Failing to deliver incurs a hefty fine. Do you know how much?"

York’s smile carried a hint of mockery. He had been one of Walter’s right-hand men, qualified to be involved in most matters, and knew the conglomerate’s ins and outs like the back of his hand. Now, with just a few words, he’d pierced the facade of the woman’s bravado.

With her deepest vulnerabilities exposed, the woman was left speechless. Her face turned cold as she fell into silence.

But York seized on this vulnerability, aware of the real issues the conglomerate faced, and continued his deadly assault.

"Furthermore, the boss took most of the manpower with him on his last trip. If we leave, the Walter Conglomerate will dissolve by tomorrow."

He looked around at the other members present, tempting them, "Lord Gene said the terms would remain the same if you go to him. Everyone knows the current situation. Staying here isn’t a good choice."

The other conglomerate members inevitably began to waver. For the conglomerate founded by Walter himself, if Walter were still alive, they would have trusted that any difficulty could ultimately be resolved and would have been willing to strive for it.

But now that the boss was dead, it was hard for them to believe the young miss could lead them out of this slump. In this era, even if she performed well enough, a woman’s status was always a problem.

It had not been questioned before because Walter had backed her, but now the issue had come to the fore.

Moreover, with York’s words, although Walter had been good to them, no one wanted to tie themselves to a sinking ship. They were wavering; they had wavered.

"Miss, York’s right. You should just..."

The woman suddenly looked at another man in astonishment, clearly not expecting the Guard Captain she had promoted to also defect.

"Bill! Have you forgotten? When your son was gravely ill, it was Father who spent a fortune to have a Priest save him! We’ve never even asked you to repay that money!"

The Guard Captain named Bill appeared somewhat embarrassed upon hearing this. He didn’t say much but began to move his feet to stand behind York, his stance making his decision clear without needing to utter a word.

"Hahaha!" York, seeing this, became more arrogant. He threatened those remaining with venom, "You all better think carefully! When the conglomerate falls, you’ll have no chance to leave even if you want to!"

With one person taking the lead, more and more from the remaining group went over, leaving only a few with conflicted expressions. After all, Walter had been good to them, and abandoning the conglomerate at this time was something they couldn’t bring themselves to do.

Witnessing this scene, the woman felt a surge of sorrow. Her father’s hard-built legacy was finally collapsing in her hands. At that moment, she truly lost the will to fight and gestured towards the few who remained.

"You all should go too."

The few remaining exchanged looks, realizing the conglomerate was on the brink of collapse.

"Who wants to leave?"

At that moment, a voice broke the strange atmosphere in the room. Everyone looked over and discovered a stranger who had appeared in the hall without them noticing.

"Who are you? Do you know where this is..." one of them stepped forward, aiming to rebuke the newcomer, but was completely ignored.

"I don’t think I’m in the wrong place. This is the Walter Conglomerate’s base, isn’t it?" Lance walked up, self-assuredly surveying the hall. He asked with curiosity, acting as if he owned the place.

"What’s going on here? What are you all doing?"

York sensed something was off. He should have been familiar with anyone connected to the caravan, but this man was someone he had never seen before.

"Friend, this is an internal matter of our conglomerate. Don’t you think it’s a bit inappropriate for you to interfere?"

"If it were any other matter, I wouldn’t bother," Lance replied, not flustered in the least, his gaze revealing a hint of amusement.

"Friend, paths are made by walking. There’s no need to offend people over a failing conglomerate, especially since Lord Gene could be..."

"So, you’re threatening me, eh?" Lance interrupted him with a languid comment before he could finish speaking.

When York looked up, he saw the man’s casual smile had faded. His face turned cold, and his sharp, terrifying gaze tremendously increased the pressure on York.

Having traveled far and wide for so many years, he had only ever felt such an aura from those who held high positions. Who exactly was this man?