"Madara—no, Lord Ethan… are you truly telling the truth?"
Lucia's voice trembled. Her expression was a mix of shock and disbelief.
She wanted to think he was joking. But what reason did he have to lie to her? She was nothing more than a small nobody from the lower districts. What could she possibly be worth deceiving?
"Of course," Ethan replied, his tone sharp and decisive, leaving no room for doubt.
Lucia let out a small, bitter laugh. She had suspected his identity for some time. A wealthy, resourceful man parading as a simple free-trader? Yes, there were such merchants. But none like him—none who commanded this much wealth, power, and connections.
If he were just a trader, so many things would make no sense. But if he carried another identity… suddenly, everything did.
"I never imagined… Lord Ethan, you're actually a squad captain from the Clover Kingdom." Her voice softened, tinged with awe. "Is there anything I can do to aid you?"
Her words were sincere, her eyes steady. No matter who Ethan really was, her loyalty wouldn't change.
Ethan's lips curved into a faint smile. "Good. Do you know… if you had shown even the slightest hesitation just now, you'd already be a cold corpse at my feet."
The cruelty of his words hit hard, yet there was no hint of jest. Ethan was not one to keep around flower vases—someone who could play cute in the daytime and warm his bed at night but collapse under real pressure. Nor would he tolerate someone who discovered his secrets and immediately schemed in the shadows.
He needed people of value. That was why he had taken Lucia under him in the first place.
Lucia didn't flinch. "If my death came by Lord Ethan's hand, I would accept it willingly. But until that day comes… command me as you see fit."
Her resolve made Ethan nod in satisfaction. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a rolled parchment—a map.
"This is a chart of the Spade Kingdom. I've marked specific locations. Within the next three months, I want you to seize control of at least a third of them. If you can take all, even better."
Lucia leaned over the map, brows knitting. Each mark indicated weapon shops, food suppliers, apothecaries, potion stalls… all infrastructure vital to daily life and war.
"All of these?" she murmured. "Lord Ethan… are you trying to—"
"You don't understand? Then let me ask you this. If the Spade Kingdom goes to war with its neighbors, where will their weapons, rations, and medicine come from?"
Her eyes widened in realization. She looked up at him, respect gleaming.
Of course. Yes, mages could cast spells without tools. But the difference between an army with enchanted weapons and supplies, and one without, was night and day. Even the strongest soldiers had to eat. Even the strongest warriors bled.
Food. Medicine. Magic conduits. Without them, even the greatest nation could starve or crumble.
"You intend to seize control of the kingdom's lifeblood," she whispered in awe.
"Exactly." Ethan's eyes glinted. "That's why I spent every waking moment these past weeks building businesses, instead of tearing things down. This is what I was preparing for."
War without raising a blade. Victory without bloodshed.
Lucia's admiration grew, but Ethan raised a hand. "Don't get ahead of yourself. This won't be easy. A small acquisition goes unnoticed. But the moment we begin to corner markets on a large scale, the Spade rulers will take notice. They may wield magic, but they are not fools."
Lucia's brief spark dimmed. "So… this plan won't work after all?" She sighed. The idea was brilliant, but reality was harsh. Small disruptions were possible, but crippling a nation outright? Impossible.
"Under normal circumstances, yes," Ethan admitted. "Even with ten times the wealth, a hundred times the manpower, we couldn't finish the job. But…" His smile sharpened. "Did you already forget where I went tonight?"
Meanwhile, in the ruined throne hall of the Spade Palace—
"Intolerable! Intolerable! Has no one discovered anything yet?!" Dante's furious roar echoed.
The once-grand chamber still bore scars from the battle the night before. Countless attendants scurried about, but none dared meet their king's gaze.
"L-Lord Dante," stammered Black, his head bowed so low his forehead nearly touched the floor. "I've scoured every record of the kingdom. There is no trace of this 'Senju Hashirama.' I beg you, please, calm your anger."
"Calm?!" Dante's laughter was cold and hollow.
His chest burned with rage. Since gaining his devil's power, since seizing the throne of Spade, no one had humiliated him so thoroughly. Just recalling that man's wooden techniques, that mocking tone—Dante's teeth ground together.
"Useless. Every last one of you—useless!"
His voice boomed like thunder, and an invisible pressure spread out from him. Everyone in the hall collapsed, bodies pressed flat to the cold marble, trembling like dogs before a storm.
At that moment, a guard burst in, panting. "Report! Lord Dante—outside the palace, there is a man calling himself Uchiha Madara. He says he knows the intruder's true identity!"
"Uchiha Madara?" Dante narrowed his eyes. "Bring him here."
Black wiped the sweat from his brow in relief. But the name gnawed at him. "Lord Dante… this Uchiha Madara has become something of a… celebrity in the capital lately."
"Celebrity?" Dante's frown deepened. "Why have I not heard of him?"
"He came to the capital about two months ago," Black explained hurriedly. "A merchant, supposedly. But in that time, his businesses have spread across nearly the entire city. Many in the trade circles call him a genius. A… commercial prodigy."
"Commercial prodigy…" Dante scoffed. "A mere merchant dares speak of warriors and devils? Hmph. If he truly knows something, fine. But if he dares waste my time…"
The pressure in the hall spiked once again. Every servant gasped, choking on air as if their very souls were being crushed.
Dante's eyes burned. "Then I'll crush him like the insect he is."
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