Chapter 494. Fourth Time (4)
Rumble!
Loud rumbling noises could be heard as a ma.s.sive s.p.a.ceship streaked through s.p.a.ce.
However, the rumbling noises were even louder inside.
"d.a.m.n, the engine is getting weaker! What are those engineer b.a.s.t.a.r.ds doing!?"
"What? The output is unstable because your control is s.h.i.t!”
"That"s enough, just hang in there! We need to land safely, at the very least!" The commander sighed at the mess and muttered, "Phew, we have to get a contract somehow this time—”
The commander abruptly stopped speaking with an oops upon realizing his mistake.
“…”
The commander saw the sadness on the boy’s face and hurriedly added, "O-of course, this isn’t the only place for us to conduct our business, so you do not have to feel too much pressure, Young Master."
"... Commander Seol, I"m not a young master anymore. I’m a representative now," the boy muttered and clenched his fists. "I am the representative of my father—the owner of Overflow."
“...”
The commander felt proud of the boy, but he found the boy pitiful at the same time.
It was all because the commander thought that this business would be difficult.
‘It’s great that Planet ZY-410 has opened up its borders once more, but the timing isn’t great.’
It had been seventy years since Overflow was founded, and they had been active merchants throughout the galaxy since then.
The founder had taught them that trust came before money.
Fifteen years ago, however, the foundation of the Overflow Merchant Group was shaken.
‘Those dirty Flower Willow Merchants…’
The Flower Willow Merchants coveted Overflow’s business, and the latter’s influence sharply plummeted. The Flower Willow Merchants were part of the Five Galaxy Merchants—the five largest merchants group in the galaxy.
The Overflow Merchant Group was relatively young, so the Flower Willow Merchants had to have considered Overflow as a tasty snack that they could devour using their power as one of the Five Galaxy Merchants.
The commander’s expression turned complicated.
‘If we fail to secure this contract, it’ll be extremely hard for us to stage a comeback.;
Most of the business rights in the galaxy had already been eaten up by many large merchant groups. Planet ZY-410 had just opened up its borders after a long time, and Planet ZY-410’s potential was judged as infinite—way before it closed its borders.
"I really hope that things will work out..."
Commander Seol prayed earnestly.
***
- You have to keep these in mind. The first priority is authority, the second priority is authority, and the third priority is—
"Is it authority? I’m sure it’s authority.”
- No. I guess the third priority is to be considerate. You have to be considerate while showing your authority.
"Okay, I got it, so stop nagging."
‘Yeon, this guy… he’s starting to sound like the Deok-Gu of the 5th Floor.’
Seo Jun-Ho, the Frost Queen, and Yeon were the only ones in the great hall.
The great hall was previously the hall of Alliance Leader Namgung Jincheon.
Seo Jun-Ho swept his gaze across the cold hall and asked, "Why is the place empty? If we want to show our authority, don’t we need supporting characters?"
"We do not need any of them," the Frost Queen said sternly, "Contractor, do you really think that the dignity and presence of a monarch come from their subjects?"
"That"s not it, but I think it’ll be nice to have some people here."
“You’ve only met a handful of officials so far, so what do you think will happen if you let them gather here? It’ll simply be an act, nothing more, nothing less.”
"Hm." Indeed. Seo Jun-Ho nodded and said, "You"re right."
"Hmph. Am I not an authority in this field? I am the Queen of Niflheim, after all."
"That"s right. Even though you have been reduced to nothing but my follower...”
"I am not your follower!"
Seo Jun-Ho teased the Frost Queen. They eventually received a report; the merchants would arrive soon.
Yeon seemed worried as he stared at Seo Jun-Ho.
- Your Majesty, authority...
"I told you I got it." Seo Jun-Ho smiled and closed his eyes for a moment. He wasn’t that knowledgeable about the inner workings of this field, but he was pretty confident in exuding authority.
‘I have an extensive experience in that kind of field...’
Hadn’t he pretended to be charismatic in front of the reporters during his days as Specter when Gates could still be found everywhere? The public responded positively to his charade, and the pictures of that era could still be found on the Internet.
Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes slowly; the look in his eyes was replaced with solemnity.
- Hoh...
Yeon seemed slightly surprised as he covered his mouth with his hand fan.
Soon, the door was opened, and two people walked in with their heads down.
The laws of the Imperial Palace dictated that the emperor was the Sun of the Empire, and one shouldn’t recklessly stare at the sun.
"It is an honor to meet Your Majesty. I am Aslan, the representative of Overflow."
"I am Seol Ji-Ryang, the Commander of Overflow."
"Raise your heads."
The voice wasn’t loud, but it was heard loud and clear.
It seemed to be a voice that was above all.
Aslan unknowingly raised his head and met the emperor"s indifferent eyes.
"I am the Emperor of Neo City—Seo Jun-Ho."
"…I-it is an honor to meet you."
Aslan had only heard of Neo City’s Emperor, and the latter’s face turned out to be younger than he had expected. However, Aslan could see a maturity in Seo Jun-Ho’s eyes that seemed incongruous with his age.
Seo Jun-Ho’s maturity became dignity, and his dignity became an authority that pervaded the great hall.
‘I see. It"s a small planet, but the emperor isn’t who can be trifled with.’
Seo Jun-Ho possessed a steadfastness that could never be achieved by walking on a th.o.r.n.y path for only a day or two. In addition, Seo Jun-Ho himself seemed to have achieved a state of stability that every monarch should possess.
In other words…
‘He is a good and virtuous monarch.’
Aslan gulped and pushed himself. He thought he could easily secure a trade deal with a small planet on the periphery, and it seemed that he had been doing what the people he resented often did—judging people by their appearances.
"Please excuse me for a moment..."
Slap!
He slapped both of his cheeks and came to his senses.
"I had too many miscellaneous thoughts despite being under Your Majesty’s presence. I apologize."
"You are forgiven. Anyway, Prime Minister, what kind of position is a representative of a merchant group?"
- They represent the authority of the merchant group, Your Majesty.
“Hoh." Seo Jun-Ho nodded and asked, "How old are you?"
"I am fifteen this year."
"…You"re young."
Aslan bit his lips. His young age could be considered a fatal disadvantage when dealing with large amounts of money. However, Aslan remained steadfast and spoke, "I am young, but I am confident that I am superior to other merchants."
"Certainly, one’s ability is more important than age."
Seo Jun-Ho’s reaction was milder than Aslan expected. Aslan’s expression brightened, and he started reciting the lines he had prepared beforehand.
"Our Overflow merchant group is smaller than any other large merchant group, but we prioritize trust between our customers. If you choose to make a deal with us—.”
Aslan ended up biting his tongue out of impatience and excitement, which interrupted his speech as he teared up in pain. Aslan"s face turned white upon realizing his mistake.
Aslan couldn’t speak anymore, so Commander Seol hurriedly spoke on behalf of him, "If you choose to make a deal with us—”
"Wait." Seo Jun-Ho raised his hand and cut him off. Then, he smiled and said, "Come to think of it, we have guests, but we haven’t served them a cup of tea. Yeon."
- Yes, Your Majesty.
"Give the guests a cup of tea. I’m sure they came from afar, so they must be thirsty.”
- I understand
Yeon grinned. Seo Jun-Ho had shown enough consideration for his opponent’s rookie mistake.
"T-thank you."
Aslan recovered after drinking a cup of cool tea. Then, he continued. "Our Overflow merchant group is smaller than any other large merchant group, but we prioritize trust between our customers. If you choose to make a deal with us, we will not let you down. The items we deal with are...”
It was a great briefing for a fifteen-year-old.
Seo Jun-Ho’s heart became filled with warmth at the sight.
Yeon whispered.
- The conditions are a bit disappointing, but it is not bad.
"Disappointing? Can we not get another one?"
- I do not know. Unfortunately, we do not have any cards to negotiate the conditions.
"Well, then—” Seo Jun-Ho was about to say something.
However, the door was suddenly opened.
A group of men walked into the hall.
- What is going on?
Yeon glared at the gatekeeper.
The gatekeeper bowed in confusion. "I-I apologize! I told them that they are not allowed to go in, but…!"
"They’re..." Commander Seol bit his lips. ‘Geum Hak-Do!’
Geum Hak-Do was the owner of the Flower Willow Merchants, and he was famous for using money as if it were water. It was impossible to find any cheap article of clothing or accessory on his body.
Seo Jun-Ho put his chin on one hand.
He stared coldly at the helm of the group and asked, "…Who are you?"
Geum Hak-Do smiled softly at the cold gaze and kneeled before saying, "I greet His Majesty the Emperor of Neo City—I greet the Sun of Neo City. My name is Geum Hak-Do, and I am the owner of the Flower Willow Merchants—one of the Five Galaxy Merchants."
"Who told you that it’s okay for you to walk in here?”
"I apologize. Even if I had ten mouths, I would still have nothing to say. I knew it would be rude of me to do so, but I had no choice but to walk in. I was worried that Your Majesty would be deceived by these scammers."
"Scammers?" asked Seo Jun-Ho.
Geum Hak-Do surrept.i.tiously glanced at the two figures next to him. However, there was no way his surrept.i.tious glance could avoid Seo Jun-Ho’s detection.
Aslan and Seol Ji-Ryang felt his gaze, and they simultaneously shouted.
"That is a lie! What do you mean we’re scammers?!"
"That is slander. He is simply on bad terms with us, Your Majesty."
"Is that so?" Geum Hak-Do raised his head slowly. He smiled while staring at the two and said, “First, let me tell you the terms of our merchant group."
Geum Hak-Do spat ma.s.sive numbers.
Aslan and Seol Ji-Ryang’s faces turned dark.
Once Geum Hak-Do was done, Yeon whispered with his mouth covered with a fan.
- Hm, there is certainly a big difference.
The Flower Willow Merchants" offer was at least five times—no, ten times better than Overflow’s offer.
- What will you do?
Seo Jun-Ho replied, "You nagged me so much, so why is it that you forgot it first?"
- Yes?
"The first priority is authority, the second priority is authority, and the third priority is authority.”
- No, I definitely said that the third priority is to be considerate.
"Anyway…."
It was forbidden to visit the emperor of any empire without asking for permission.
Seo Jun-Ho asked, “Aslan, Seol Ji-Ryang."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
Seo Jun-Ho stared alternatingly between the two before saying, "Their offer is far too great compared to your offer."
"That’s…" Aslan bowed as if he were a puppy that had been abandoned in the rain.
Unfortunately, they were not capable of matching Geum Hak-Do’s ridiculous offer.
Geum Hak-Do saw that and spoke, "I told you. They’re scammers."
"Geum Hak-Do."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Open that mouth of yours once more without permission and..."
Rumble.
The great hall trembled ever so slightly as darkness burst and swirled around Seo Jun-Ho. "...I will personally close that big mouth of yours."
“...!” Geum Hak-Do’s eyes fluttered in panic.
Seo Jun-Ho turned to stare at Aslan and Seol Ji-Ryang. "Earlier, you said that you prioritize trust between yourself and your customers even though your merchant group needs a lot of money to expand and grow.”
"Y-yes."
"I do not think that trust is a one-way street." Trust could only be established if the other party was willing to return the corresponding gesture in kind.
"Aslan. You have shown your trust in me with your honesty in your excellent briefing. It is undeniable that your mettle does not match your age."
Their merchant group was small, and the terms were poor, but Aslan had never promised what they were not capable of delivering.
Aslan was also confident that he could deliver his promises.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have offered those poor conditions.
“I—the Emperor of Neo City—declare that this planet’s business rights will belong exclusively to the Overflow Merchant Group in the next three years.”
“…!”
Aslan and Seol Ji-Ryang"s eyes widened at the unexpected declaration.
Geum Hak-Do cried out. "Why! Our terms are much better!”
"Firstly…" Seo Jun-Ho"s gaze toward Geum Hak-Do was no longer cold.
Seo Jun-Ho’s gaze seemed to be as hot as boiling magma that was about to erupt.
"You entered the great hall without my permission."
"W-well… As I said before, I was afraid that Your Majesty might get deceived...”
"Secondly, you slandered innocent merchants and said that they’re scammers—"
“Isn’t it obvious judging on their terms?!”
"Lastly, you keep on interrupting me."
Seo Jun-Ho despised being interrupted. He flicked his finger gently.
Crackle!
Geum Hak-Do’s mouth froze over.
Horrified, he groped around his mouth and noticed that it was sealed with ice.
“It does not matter what you’re going to do; the ice that is sealing your mouth will not melt until next month. You will have to live with your mouth shut until then.”
The Frost Queen had been observing the situation from the side, and she raised both of her thumbs at what Seo Jun-Ho had done.
“Great job.”