Giving a slap and then handing over a sweet date—this was the most basic way of dealing with people.
It not only won their favor, but also made sure they wouldn't dare to go too far.
Truth be told, incidents like the one earlier were rare.
In the more than two months since opening, they could be counted on one hand.
After all, those who could afford to spend money in the royal capital weren't fools.
Most had already guessed that the Uchiha Trading Company had backing from higher powers.
Of course, there would always be the occasional idiot or hothead.
The music in the grand hall started up again.
The dance floor swayed with bodies once more.
Instead of scaring people away, the earlier commotion actually brought even more customers into Pavilion as time went on.
With nothing urgent at hand, Ethan (under the guise of Sasuke) found himself a seat.
"Lord Sasuke, th-thank you for earlier…"
A young woman carrying a wine glass approached shyly, her face flushed, her expression bashful.
Clad in a specially designed "modern hostess uniform" under the dim, hormone-stirring glow of the bar's lights, she looked almost dreamlike.
For a moment, Ethan felt as if he had stepped back into the modern world.
"It's fine. You're one of my own. If I don't stand up for you, should I have stood up for that drunkard instead?"
Pfft!
The girl couldn't help but laugh at Ethan's deadpan words.
Though the lights were dim, she had still clearly seen what had happened when Marcus's clothes had burst apart.
And indeed, as Lord Sasuke had said… "small chicken."
At most… three centimeters?
"How's life compared to before?" Ethan asked casually.
The woman, Kari, gave a small, genuine smile.
Though she was now pouring drinks and entertaining guests, it was leagues better than her old life.
Not only that, she earned commission on drinks.
Even if she wasn't good at entertaining, she could easily make ten silver coins in a month.
Each hostess in Pavilion had a guaranteed base salary of five silver coins.
And that was without counting the generous tips from satisfied customers.
In the past?
Even in an entire year, she wouldn't make ten silvers.
The most important thing wasn't money though—it was dignity.
Before, she had been nothing more than a "lowborn rat" in others' mouths.
Life was unstable, death could come at any time.
But under the protection of the Uchiha Trading Company, not only could she earn a living, but those who used to bully her no longer dared to do so openly.
Maybe in their hearts they still looked down on her, but at least her life was safe.
"All of this is thanks to Lord Sasuke and Lord Madara. If it weren't for you two, me and my sisters would probably already be dead… Oh, right, where is Lord Madara?"
"Madara… brother Madara? He went to rest early today. Already asleep."
Ethan coughed awkwardly.
After all, the so-called Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Madara were both just different faces of himself.
Madara's persona had already been fixed as a "merchant."
While formidable, that identity wasn't suitable for personally handling every kind of messy situation.
Take Marcus just now—he was a squad leader in the Third Corps, roughly Fifth Domain level in strength.
If Ethan had handled him as Madara, it would raise questions: Why would the head of a merchant company personally beat down a squad leader?
Even if he won, it risked exposing inconsistencies in his "merchant" persona.
Thus, Sasuke was born—Madara's younger brother.
A mysterious, deep, unfathomable figure who could easily suppress any chaos.
"Go call Helen. I have some questions for her."
Not long later, Helen swayed her alluring figure as she walked over.
"Lord Sasuke, do you have instructions for me?"
"Any new income these past few days?" Ethan asked.
By income, he meant intelligence.
Casinos and pleasure houses—these had always been the most profitable businesses.
But they were also the best hubs for gathering information.
The gambling dens were full of all kinds of shady characters.
Men desperate enough to gamble away their lives would spill any secret without hesitation.
As for the pleasure houses? That was even easier—one smile, a brush of soft skin, a hand on the thigh… and men would babble everything in the land of beauty.
Far more reliable than any formal spy network.
"Lord Sasuke, everything's been recorded here." Helen nodded and pulled out a jewel-like crystal, handing it over with both hands.
It was one of Ethan's special devices—a locked recorder.
Only the designated person could open it to read or write inside.
Completely eliminating any risk of leaks.
"Good. I understand. Go back to your work. And remember—don't be afraid of these things. If trouble arises, inform me immediately. We opened our doors to do business, and while I seek profit, I don't take 'troublesome money.' Everything… must go my way."
Helen's heart trembled. Her eyes grew moist.
For people like her, lowborn and despised, never before had anyone valued or cared for them.
Yet these so-called Uchiha brothers weren't only businessmen, but the kindest bosses she had ever seen.
Most merchants cared only for squeezing every last coin, no matter the cost.
But the Uchihas cared about the dignity of their workers.
Even in a pleasure house, whether a girl chose to "sell herself" was entirely up to her.
Those unwilling only had to sing, dance, or entertain.
No one was ever forced.
And if a guest tried to use force, the Uchihas would side with the girls.
Such bosses…
She would never forget in this lifetime.
Leaving Pavilion, Ethan gazed down the streets—most of which now belonged to him.
He smiled.
If you want the horse to run, you must also feed it grass.
He knew well what these lowborn folk lacked the most.
After filling their bellies, what they yearned for most was dignity and recognition.
Whoever gave them that would earn their unwavering loyalty.
Money alone built fragile bonds.
But kindness forged chains of iron.
"…Two months of effort, and I've only just mapped out the military distribution of the Spade Kingdom. These bastards sure know how to keep their mouths shut…"
He studied the information recorded in the crystal.
According to intel, of the Dark Triad ruling the Spade Kingdom, two had recently left the country.
That left only Dante sitting at the heart of power.
If there was ever a time to stir trouble… it was now.
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