Chapter 135 - 130: White Knight
Darkness had fallen, swallowing the clamor of the day.
Garris Bangji paced in his guest room, the creaking floorboards grating on his nerves.
It had been three days. That country Baron and Caroline were actually out there playing in the mud with a bunch of broke lords.
’They aren’t playing by the rules...’
The feeling of things slipping from his control grew stronger.
His brows furrowed, and he stopped pacing.
His second-in-command, Damon, stood respectfully to the side, not daring to breathe too loudly.
"Any unusual developments recently?"
"Sir, we’ve already confirmed."
"There are no rumors about sea salt potatoes in any of the major grain markets in the southern Duchy. And that Miss Channing, aside from occasionally spending time with those broke lords these past three days, has had no private contact with anyone from the Seven Ports Alliance."
Garris didn’t respond. He simply walked to the window, his gaze falling upon the pitch-black courtyard deep within the Lord’s Mansion.
’That silver-haired witch, Caroline Channing... what in the world is she doing?’
This quiet inaction was more vexing than any fierce resistance.
"Sweeten the pot," Garris said softly, but the words made Damon look up in astonishment.
"Make those wavering hyenas understand that the bones they get for following us will be bigger. If necessary, you can concede some of the shipping profits to them."
"Yes... Sir."
"Also," Garris’s voice dropped even lower, "keep a lid on this. I don’t want any word of a ’high-yield crop’ reaching the association headquarters before these talks are over. Sew shut any extra mouths."
Damon’s heart clenched. He nodded heavily. "Understood, Sir."
Only then did Garris feel the tightness in his chest ease slightly.
He opened the window, letting the icy night wind blow in. In the night sky, a full moon hung high, its cold, clear light showering the land.
Moonlight passed through another window and into Velin’s study, casting faint shadows from the pieces on a black and white checkered board.
It was a board game Velin had recently discovered, and it was almost identical to chess from Blue Star.
Velin and Caroline sat across from each other.
The young woman wore a long velvet dress, her posture the very picture of elegance. Her legs were pressed together and angled slightly to one side, tracing a perfect curve from thigh to calf. Beneath the hem of her dress, a sliver of a pale white ankle in a black leather shoe was visible.
The game was at a tense point. She rested her chin in one hand, a lock of long hair slipping over her shoulder. The entire scene made her look like a classical oil painting, exquisitely framed by the moonlight.
With a lazy motion, Caroline used her slender fingers to push the ivory-carved "Queen" forward one space.
"Not bad lately," she began, a hint of a smile in her voice. "So, what did you want to talk to me about this time?"
"First, according to Xiaolan’s intel, Garris has already started sweetening his offer to the Seven Ports Alliance. He’s getting desperate."
"Second, our ’white Knight’ will be arriving tomorrow."
"Oh?" A playful glint appeared in Caroline’s eyes. "How confident are you in this so-called ’white Knight’ of yours? What if Garris scares him off the moment he arrives? We’ll be completely at his mercy."
Caroline’s fingertips tapped lightly on the edge of the chessboard, her expression doubtful.
"I’m worried it won’t be very effective."
Velin stared at the board, seemingly analyzing the situation without it affecting his concentration on the game.
"Garris won’t dare to gamble. The more he acts like he holds all the cards, the more afraid he is. He knows the value of the sea salt potatoes, so he can’t bear the consequences of us actually bypassing the Banky Commerce Association and finding a new buyer. For him personally, it would be a disaster."
"So, we can force Garris’s hand before the first round of probing even begins. After all, it’s a choice between a loss for the association and a loss for himself. An easy choice, isn’t it?"
Velin looked at Caroline and suddenly asked, "If... and I’m just saying if... this ’white Knight’ offers better terms, would you consider skipping the Banky Commerce Association?"
Caroline shook her head.
"No. The Golden Sail Commerce Association’s foundations are at sea; we can’t establish an inland grain trade network. To quickly liquidate the value of the sea salt potatoes, the Banky Commerce Association is an unavoidable hurdle."
Just as her thoughts were still lingering on the various possibilities for tomorrow’s encounter...
Velin silently made his move. She glanced down at the board and realized her queen was trapped by Velin’s rook and Knight, with no escape.
"Check," Velin said cheerfully.
Caroline’s cheeks instantly puffed out, like a squirrel who’d just had its nuts stolen.
"Take that back! That last move doesn’t count!" she protested, reaching out a slender finger to snatch the piece back.
Velin’s hand was faster, gently covering the back of hers.
A warm sensation spread through her. Caroline’s entire arm stiffened, as if a faint electric current had shot from the point of contact through her whole body.
"A bet is a bet, Vice President," Velin said, releasing her hand.
Caroline snatched her hand back as if shocked, a charming blush rising to her cheeks.
She shot a quick glance at Velin, then immediately looked away, her voice struggling to maintain its queenly pride.
"Hmph... go on, then. What’s your demand?"
’If his request isn’t too outrageous,’ she thought, ’like... asking me to take a walk with him under the moon, or something else... I suppose I could consider it.’
Velin looked at her seriously. "I’d like to borrow your Wind-Whisper Albatross for a while."
The blush instantly vanished from Caroline’s face. The look in her eyes shifted from anticipation to astonishment, and finally settled into undisguised disappointment and irritation.
"...That’s it?" she forced the two words out through clenched teeth.
"Yep, that’s it," Velin answered affirmatively, then added, "And if you don’t mind, there’s something else I’d like to borrow."
"Borrow! Borrow! Borrow! Go ahead and borrow everything!"
Caroline shot to her feet. The chair slid backward with a jarring scrape.
Without a backward glance at Velin, she turned and stormed out.
...
「The next morning.」
A group of men with a starkly different style arrived at the gates of Newly Town.
They were on horseback, dressed in rough linen, and covered in dust from their travels. The leader was a burly, unshaven man with a gleaming battle-axe tucked into his belt and a hearty smile on his face.
Judging by their appearance, they looked like a band of Mercenaries fresh out of the mountains.
Garris had also received a report from the men he had posted as lookouts. When he hurried to the town gate with a frown, that ominous feeling surfaced once again.
His steps came to an abrupt halt the moment he got a clear look at the newcomer’s familiar face.
The burly leader saw him too. He paused for a second, then burst into booming laughter.
"HAHAHA! Look who it is! If it isn’t the Banky family’s little Garris, the one who loves being so clean! What are you doing in this shithole?"
The gentle, elegant smile on Garris’s face cracked, inch by inch.
His knuckles, gripping his cane, turned white from the force. Beneath his monocle, his pupils contracted violently.
His expression was one of utter devastation.