Chapter 301
Chapter 301 – I Am the Plunder King (2)
Claude lay with his eyes closed, staring at the ceiling. Who would have thought he’d be told to act like a corrupt official and make contact with a crime organization?
“When did my reputation get to this point?”
Was it when he gambled with the lord? Or was it when he turned Alfoy into a slave too? Or perhaps when he secretly funneled gold coins during trade with the merchant group? Or when he skillfully tricked his companions and juniors into joining him?
Everything felt unjust. It was simply unfair. Claude yelled, filled with indignation.
“I’m not a corrupt official! What’s with the nickname ‘Lord of Bribes!’ Lord of Bribes! It’s all because the lord ordered it!”
“Are you sure?”
“I barely received anything! I said I was short on living expenses!”
“…Did you actually receive money? Did Wendy overlook that?”
Indeed, Wendy had once turned a blind eye to Claude siphoning off some gold coins from the merchant group. Claude, flustered, quickly changed the subject.
“No! What am I supposed to do by meeting with crime organizations?”
“We can talk about the money later. Anyway, they keep sneaking in, making it difficult to root them out. Try to gather and figure out what they’re up to.”
“So what am I supposed to do?”
“That’s up to you. Just try to get close to them.”
“I can’t act! Even if I try to get close, I’ll be found out immediately!”
“No, you can do it. Just be sincere.”
“Ah! How am I supposed to be sincere about that kind of thing? My sincerity is in hating corruption!”
Claude flailed about, but Ghislaine remained unmoved. No matter how he thought about it, the right person for this task was Claude alone.
Although he seemed to deny it, the criminals would surely recognize Claude’s true value.
Facing Ghislaine’s stubborn decision, Claude had no choice but to start the job.
“Sigh, I should at least come up with a decent operation name.”
After pondering, Claude hastily named it “Bug Extermination” and called Lowell.
“Hey, find a suitable place and try to connect with the crime organizations. I’ll be going personally.”
“Those guys are laying low nowadays, so it’ll be hard to meet them. You need to be very careful.”
“Ugh, can’t you just do as I say without fussing? If I say I want to meet, they will meet. It’s me, you know, Claude.”
Lowell silently grumbled at Claude’s irritation.
“He’s the one who complains the most.”
“What?”
“Ah, nothing. Now that I think about it, if it’s the Chief Officer, everyone would be keen to meet. I’ll be right back.”
Lowell hurried off to locate the crime organizations.
After the Plunder King swept through, the underworld was quietly holding its breath. Even the insignificant gangster groups were keeping a low profile.
This was good news for the territory residents, but for Ghislaine, who aimed to root out all criminals from the territory, it wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
Lowell contemplated for a considerable time based on existing records and pinpointed an organization that hadn’t yet fallen victim to the Plunder King.
“The Blue Skull Clan. They might be suitable. I’ve heard their leader is a bit clueless and dumb.”
The Blue Skull Clan was a small organization that manufactured and distributed hallucinogens. They were reportedly selling drugs to a somewhat affluent clientele behind the scenes.
They managed to survive this long by providing drugs to a high-ranking official, receiving protection in return.
As those who made drugs, they originally ran an herbal shop. However, after the Plunder King swept through, they had relocated and started a new business.
Gathering various pieces of information, Lowell found the address of the shop run by the Blue Skull Clan.
Upon arriving at the address, he found a large building with a magnificent sign that read:
[Taste of Illusion]
“……”
It was a restaurant rumored to be a popular spot. Not being able to do any bad deeds, it seemed they had shifted to a legitimate business.
Lowell decided to go in. The building looked quite clean as if it had been constructed recently.
Indeed, the rumors of it being a popular spot were not unfounded; the place was bustling with people. Judging by their attire, they seemed to be individuals of decent means.
“Welcome!”
A waitress dressed in slightly provocative clothing greeted him. Lowell scratched his chin, contemplating.
‘Is this what makes it popular?’
As he took his seat, the waitress presented the menu and began her explanation.
“Our restaurant uses a secret special sauce to present flavors that are hard to find anywhere else! Though the prices are a bit high, you’ll be quite satisfied!”
“Hmm…”
After a moment of thought, Lowell ordered the most expensive item. Public funds should be used on occasions like this.
“I’ll have the Taste of Illusion Special Course.”
“How would you like your sauce? Thick? Thin? Moderate?”
“Uh… thick?”
If he’s going for a pricey meal, it seems better to enjoy it with a strong flavor.
“Understood! It’s our restaurant’s best menu, so look forward to it!”
Soon, dishes began to arrive one after another. The presentation and aroma were as lavish as those of any noble banquet.
As Lowell swallowed hard, he picked up a piece of meat, covered in a fragrant sauce.
Having rarely tasted such exquisite food, Lowell indulged in the meat with a joyful expression.
Then he opened his eyes wide.
‘Whoa, this is delicious! Really, incredibly delicious!’
It was almost indescribably tasty. So good that he could see hallucinations in front of his eyes.
Tears streamed down Lowell’s face as he thought to himself.
‘What the hell did they put in this food… these crazy bastards…’
Any more and it’d be dangerous. He’d end up addicted. He began to understand why the special sauce was a secret.
Indeed, the criminals shouldn’t be left alone. Even while laying low, they were running this kind of business.
Perhaps others didn’t know what was in the sauce. But Lowell had previously managed crime organizations under Count Digald.
There was an organization that dealt with strange drugs there. So he was well aware of the insane taste that made his head spin.
As Lowell shed tears, the waitress rushed over, clearly startled.
“Oh my! What’s wrong? Is the food not to your liking?”
“No… it’s just reminding me of a taste I miss…”
“Like your mother’s cooking? Our food is remarkable, right? Hehehe.”
‘Not like that… you crazy fools.’
Stopping his meal, Lowell stood up and spoke to the waitress.
“Can I see the manager here?”
“What… is this about?”
The waitress looked at him with a hint of suspicion, but Lowell replied without a flicker of hesitation.
“The food is so delicious that I’d like to introduce it to a nobleman I serve. So bring him here.”
The waitress hesitated for a moment but nodded. After all, this was something she couldn’t handle herself.
Soon, a neatly dressed man approached and bowed.
“I’ve heard a bit about the situation. What do you need?”
Lowell glanced the manager up and down before speaking. There was no need for long explanations when dealing with those who had set up shop here.
“Do you want to keep your business going?”
“Uh… what do you mean?”
“I’m someone sent by the Chief Officer. We already know everything about you.”
“…!”
The manager’s eyes trembled. He seemed completely at a loss. Ignoring the anxious reaction, Lowell continued speaking.
“I know you can’t operate properly because of the Plunder King. The Chief Officer will help, but he wants to meet your boss. He’ll come two nights from now, so prepare for his arrival.”
“…I don’t understand what you mean.”
“It’ll be two nights from now. If you continue to hide, I’ll start from here and make sure to hunt you down and kill you, so keep that in mind.”
Without waiting for a response, Lowell turned and left. Just before exiting, he turned back and said as if remembering something.
“Stop messing around with the food. I’ll catch you all and throw you in prison before you know it. What? Mother’s cooking? Does your mother put drugs on her hands when cooking for you?”
“…Yes.”
After Lowell left, Morbin, the leader of the Blue Skull Clan who received the message, fell into deep thought.
Since the owner of the territory had changed, it would be wise to lay low for now. The nobleman who used to protect them had already lost his head to Ghislaine.
With the Plunder King around causing chaos, they couldn’t even expand their territory.
Hence, they had turned to a different industry and were living quietly. But now a new Chief Officer wanted to meet, which made that intention suspicious.
“Damn it… how did they find out about our existence? Did that nobleman leave something behind?”
If that wasn’t it, he couldn’t explain how they found them so quickly.
In any case, there were two options. To meet directly and figure out what the situation was, or to leave this territory entirely.
“Ha, restarting somewhere else is no easy feat.”
There would already be underworld organizations set up in other territories. Those organizations would likely have their own nobility backing them, making it difficult for a new organization to establish itself.
But even so, meeting a territory’s Chief Officer was a frightening prospect. It might be a trap to lure out someone like him living in hiding.
As he pondered this, one of Morbin’s subordinates cautiously spoke up from the side.
“Have you not heard the rumors about the Chief Officer yet?”
“Rumor? What about it?”
“They say he’s known as the Lord of Bribes from the North. The Lord of Bribes.”
“The Lord of Bribes from the North?”
“Yes, he’s quite famous! Haven’t you heard yet? Almost all the territory residents know about it.”
“Really? That famous?”
Given his line of work, Morbin lived cautiously in hiding, hence the delayed awareness of rumors. The chaos caused by the Plunder King contributed to this as well.
He sent more subordinates to gather information, and they echoed the same sentiments.
“They say he’s an extremely vicious fellow.”
“No merchant has successfully dealt with the lord without getting robbed.”
“There are rumors he’ll take advantage of the current chaos in the territory to make a big haul.”
Everyone said the same thing. A thoroughly corrupt official through and through. Upon hearing about Claude, Morbin couldn’t help but chuckle slyly.
“Heh, so he’s new here and looking for a benefactor. He’s proposing to back us up and receive tributes.”
As long as humans gathered, the underworld would never disappear. Thus, most nobles and officials tended to turn a blind eye as long as the criminal organizations didn’t overstep their bounds.
In fact, they found ways to utilize them for dirty work and even received tributes. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Count Desmond himself would often overlook them as long as they didn’t interfere too much with territory management. This mentality was rampant across the continent.
After hearing the rumors about Claude, Morbin came to a conclusion after much deliberation.
“I’ll meet with the Chief Officer. Prepare to ensure there’s no lapse in hospitality.”
On the promised day, the restaurant “Taste of Illusion” closed earlier than usual. They set the tables for a grand banquet and waited.
Morbin meticulously checked everything. How could he be unprepared when an official who would look after them was visiting?
As night fell, a subordinate hurriedly ran to Morbin.
“The Chief Officer has arrived.”
“Let’s go greet him quickly.”
Morbin straightened his attire, put on a broad smile, and dashed to the door.
However, his smile faded as soon as he saw who it was.
Accompanied only by a robed attendant, Claude burst in and immediately made a scene.
“Ugh, why is my body so heavy?”
Seeing Claude, Morbin’s eyes twitched.
This was absurd. The Chief Officer of a territory appeared in such a ridiculous manner.
There were dozens of bird feathers sticking out of his hat, and thick gold chains hung around his neck. Countless extravagant accessories were dangling from his outfit.
Stumbling in as if truly weighed down, Claude gulped and said,
“Is it you? Are you the boss here?”
“……”
Morbin’s eyes narrowed. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed suspicious.
He had heard of a corrupt official, but his appearance was too decadent. No matter how rich someone was, they wouldn’t normally appear like this.
Morbin gestured to his subordinates, asking whether they were sure this was the Chief Officer. However, they slightly shook their heads, indicating they didn’t recognize him. Unfortunately, they had never seen Claude’s face directly.
Claude had been busy moving around the Desmond area, but with so many attendants around, his appearance hadn’t been easy to catch.
Furthermore, he had only recently arrived. Given the focus on facility management and paperwork, the mere criminals hadn’t had the chance to familiarize themselves with his face.
Morbin spoke with a sharp gaze.
“Are you the Chief Officer of the territory?”
“What? You don’t know my face? Wendy, they say they don’t recognize my face.”
Claude said incredulously to the attendant beside him. Even though he hadn’t been here long, how could they not know the face of the Chief Officer of the territory? What boldness was this?
As someone vouched for by Ghislaine, Claude’s self-importance grew along with the territory’s strength.
Morbin subtly shook his head.
“It’s hard to believe a Chief Officer would come with just one attendant…”
At this statement, his subordinates began to radiate hostility. It didn’t make sense for the Chief Officer of a great territory to come to such a place alone.
Moreover, the robed attendant resembled nothing more than a maid. If this were the true Chief Officer, shouldn’t they at least bring someone more knightly-looking?
‘This guy seems like a fraud trying to make a quick buck… Perhaps if he came without guards, it means he’s trying to keep it a secret… Well, we could kill him here and bury him without anyone knowing…’
Such thoughts were typical of criminals.
As Morbin nodded, his subordinates began to encircle the duo stealthily.
But before they could properly encircle them, Wendy’s robe fluttered slightly.
Thwack! Thwack!
“Grrk…”
Boom!
The two approaching organization members fell to the ground with daggers embedded in their foreheads.
Seeing this, Morbin’s face went pale.
