"Talk about being mischievous, Granbell-sama. You almost got me killed out there."
"Surely you jest. Didn't you already flee before getting affected at all?"
"Can that really be helped? Have you not received the report from my subordinate?"
"I guess I did—"
"That being was a monster beyond my imagination. It wouldn't matter even if the Empire sent out their regular army. And judging from my knowledge, there wouldn't be a chance to win without using the Emperor's Royal Guard. By the way—"
Damrada and Granbell exchanged these lines. Sitting on chairs opposite each other, the two casually tried to pry into each other's minds.
Damrada, noticing that the battle plan had failed, decided to distance himself from the Rosso family until the tide settled. Negotiation could have been more favorable for him had the plan been a success. Yet now that it had failed, the Rosso may deliberately use this as an excuse to place obstacles before him. That's why Damrada wanted to bail out and start over.
However, the situation had changed. When Damrada was on his way to the Eterna Federation, someone reported to him through Magic Communication.
"Hinata was defeated. And she seemed to have made peace with the Demon Lord Atem."
Among the many outcomes he had predicted, this was the worst possible scenario. Hinata was still alive and the Western Nations were still under the influence of the Western Holy Church. It would be far more difficult to do business there now. Moreover, since Hinata had made peace with Demon Lord Atem, it would be challenging to instigate Atem into trying to kill her again.
Damrada only initiated the plan because his interests aligned with Granbell's, yet at that moment he could conclude that the plan had completely failed.
But considering this from another perspective, it may be beneficial.
Although the plan had failed, it didn't cause any grave loss to Damrada. While he may have lost a venue for business in the Western Nations, there were still other channels for making profits. Cerberus was a huge underground organization and had several trade unions as its cover.
Besides, Damrada had no interest in whether Hinata lived or not. That's why he wasn't that angry at Granbell's miscalculation. His goal here, in fact, was to exploit the outcome to secure a favorable position for himself in future negotiations.
Coming to that conclusion, Damrada changed his plan on the spot and decided to drop by to greet Granbell.
"—Granbell-sama's plan did sound a lot better in theory. While failing to take care of Hinata is one thing, allowing her to build a friendly relationship with Demon Lord Atem is another issue altogether…" Damrada reasoned, avoiding taking responsibility and shifting the blame upon Granbell's group.
However, Granbell had seen this coming.
"Right, I can't deny that," Granbell unapologetically agreed with Damrada's accusation, and continued to point out his perceptions of the situation. "This upset in the balance of power can't be reversed at this point in time. The great historic kingdom of Farmus will eventually fall, and a new kingdom will be built on its ruins. It will be all according to Demon Lord Atem's wishes, also meaning that your plan is a goner."
Damrada's silence was his response, agreeing with Granbell's views.
"What do you plan to do next then?"
"In regard to what exactly?"
"Demon Lord Atem's goal seems to be to turn the Eterna Federation into an economic hub. It is something that we Rosso will not permit."
"Mmm-hmm…"
Damrada began to consider Granbell's words as he finished. He wasn't planning on being hostile with the Rosso either. It was in their mutual interest to let go of any resentment between them.
Granbell was of the same mind. Moreover, he seemed to be looking farther into the future than Damrada.
"Do we stand to gain anything with this in-fighting? Right now, we simply don't have the strength to make a blatant move against Demon Lord Atem or Hinata the Saint. Don't you agree?" Granbell continued, seemingly seeing through Damrada's thoughts.
"Hehehe. I've been totally bested, Granbell-sama. Yes indeed, there's no value in arguing as to who is to blame. We will continue our friendly relationship with the gentlemen of the Five Elders as always. Here's where I stand—though it may be true that we didn't profit from the war, that's a whole different story. As long as we live, we are left with opportunities."
"As expected of Damrada-dono; it's great that you are so reasonable. Then let's unite to prevent the emergence of a new trade bloc on that land."
There was no need for further explanation of Granbell's intent. He was trying to safeguard the power he wielded in the Western Nations. Granbell's trump card, Mariabell, had foreseen the birth of a new trade bloc centered around the Eterna Dominion. If left undealt with, the influence of the Rosso would no doubt be diminished.
How could Granbell allow such a flaw after spending more than a thousand years building up this system of domination? For this reason, Granbell planned to crush this flaw by interfering with Demon Lord Atem. Right now, he was no longer part of the Seven Luminary Clerics and could no longer act under the name of the God Luminas. That's why, no matter what, he would require the aid of the organization Damrada's party belonged to—Cerberus.
Granbell's kin—the five other elders from his family—also supported this proposal. They each secretly influenced the Western State Council to prolong the aftermath of the civil unrest in Farmus. Even though they couldn't stop the enthronement of the new Farmus king, they at least tried to stall for as much time as possible.
There were some other "Aces" that the Rosso had hidden, but it was still too early to show their hand yet. With that being the case, it was only wise to properly make use of Cerberus.
This was the ideal plan on Granbell's mind.
However—
"Well, hold on just one sec."
Damrada didn't intend to follow through with Granbell's proposal. The Rosso and the Five Elders leading them—these people were amazing business partners—he'd be lying if he claimed to not want to maintain a tie with them. But they were gravely mistaken if they thought that Damrada would listen to everything they said.
Damrada was a businessman after all. He got paid to do things, and his thoughts were ever-changing. There were trade blocs in both the East and the West. Cerberus was able to accumulate great wealth by getting hold of these trade routes, so it was more beneficial for Cerberus to have as many different trading partners as they could. Thus, it wouldn't matter to Damrada even if the influence of the Five Elders dropped in the Western Nations.
"—I speak from my heart when I say that I hope we remain on good terms in the future," Damrada said, looking Granbell in the eye. "But I can't help but disagree with what Granbell-sama just said. After all, we have no reason to antagonize Demon Lord Atem."
"Damn brat…"
"Hehehe, this is but my respectful response to your proposal. Hinata had already found me to be suspicious, so it won't be that simple to continue our activities in the Western Nations. I will have to return to my homeland and send a replacement for myself."
Had you eliminated Hinata as promised, I wouldn't be tied up like this—while insulting Granbell with this implication, Damrada also refused to comply with his demand.
"…"
"We'll continue the part of our business in trade as usual. But let us just pretend like all of this never happened."
Leaving these words, Damrada rose up from his seat. Granbell, having missed the mark with his proposal, couldn't simply argue back at Damrada anymore. The organization known as Cerberus was far too powerful in the underworld of the Eastern Empire. Angering any one of its leaders, especially someone like Damrada, would lead to a complete fracture in their relationship—something the Rosso could not afford at this point in time.
"…It can't be helped. Then leave this matter to us. Just don't hold us back," Granbell said, his tone cold but restrained.
"That's for certain. Do put your trust in us considering our relation so far," Damrada replied with a pleasant smile, bowing politely before making his way toward the door.
His composure, his manners, and that calm grin—everything about him screamed the image of a refined, honest merchant. But Granbell wasn't fooled. Damrada's honesty was only as deep as his profit. If Hinata had been successfully eliminated, Damrada would have already left to seek Demon Lord Atem's favor. He would've weighed which side—Atem or the Rosso—offered him the greatest advantage, and then acted accordingly.
The fact that he maneuvered so freely under everyone's nose was proof enough of his cunning. Damrada of "Gold" wasn't a man to be underestimated. His reputation wasn't just for show—it was built from precision, manipulation, and a ruthless understanding of opportunity.
Granbell, however, was no fool either. A man who had ruled the Rosso for over a millennium, he had long since mastered the art of reading others. He already understood half of Damrada's intentions. While Damrada had said they wouldn't interfere, Granbell could sense that he had another game in mind—perhaps one that involved Demon Lord Atem himself.
But whether Damrada would truly join hands with Atem remained uncertain. That was what infuriated Granbell the most—uncertainty.
"Ha… Damrada of Gold," Granbell muttered under his breath. "A merchant who hides behind smiles and words… thinking he can dance on a blade's edge forever."
His expression darkened. His hands clenched tightly on the armrest of his chair, the wood groaning beneath his grip.
"…How unpleasant," he spat, his tone dripping with venom. "You dare to exploit our failure… you dare to mock me?"
His voice echoed through the dim chamber, filled with restrained rage.
The flicker of the candles on the walls wavered, their light trembling before the growing storm of killing intent leaking from him. His crimson eyes reflected the flames—no, they burned brighter than them. A surge of fury, like molten fire, consumed his gaze as he whispered to himself—
"We will take care of you all… by the time this whole ordeal concludes. And when the dust settles, Demon Lord Atem will learn that the Rosso are not to be trifled with…"
His mutters faded into the dark silence of the room, but the fury behind them remained—burning, festering, and waiting for the perfect time to strike.