Chapter 707: The Mysterious Faction

Solomon looks Henwell straight in the eye. "How soon can you deliver them?"

"Half a month, if I spare no expense."

Solomon frowns. "That is too long."

Henwell feigns surprise. "Sir, you're asking for extraordinary equipment, complete standardized sets at that."

"Ask anyone you like. If someone can provide this quantity and quality at this price within six months,"

"I will give you several sets of extraordinary equipment for free."

Solomon asks, "How can I be certain you are capable of doing it?"

Henwell hesitates before answering. "My guild holds a contract to purchase two hundred sets of Blood Armor from Peace Haven in the Western Federation's name."

"Blood Armor is Peace Haven's standardized extraordinary equipment. That's its internal designation."

"The armor will not actually enter the Western Federation. I will hold it for a time, then transfer it to the Western Lumir Federation."

"It is a three-year deal. I delivered seventy sets last year, and this year's shipment has just set sail."

"I can intercept it at Three River City and divert fifty sets to you. I only need to replace them and deliver the full quantity to the Western Lumir Federation by the end of the year."

Solomon studies Henwell suspiciously. "How will you explain the missing equipment?"

Henwell spreads his hands. "Money solves that. I claim the ship capsized, some equipment was lost, and the rest is still being salvaged."

"Then my guild will find some Vorry nobles, pay them for the favor, and use their names to buy small quantities from Peace Haven at a higher price."

"As long as I make up the shortfall by the end of next year, when the entire contract concludes, there will be no problem."

Solomon sizes him up. "What a coincidence. I happen to need equipment, and you happen to hold this transport contract?"

Henwell sneers. "Heh... What nonsense. That contract is precisely why you lured me here."

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice someone asking about me? I followed the clues to the King's Shield to find out who was targeting me."

"What surprised me was discovering that this establishment's owner was the one investigating me."

"You are a manager with considerable authority. Why did you just happen to meet me yesterday?"

"Why go out of your way to favor me at the gaming table? You wanted to make contact, didn't you?"

"Well?"

"Now that you've made contact, you're questioning my motives instead?"

Solomon raises an eyebrow. "I underestimated you. You already knew. We acted carefully, so where did we go wrong?"

Henwell replies calmly, "The Qili Guild didn't survive this long by being careless. Every major deal we've made meant seeking profit amid danger."

"Without that much skill, others would have stripped us clean long ago. Our headquarters is in the Western Lumir Federation."

"It has become the intelligence center of the entire continent. Pay enough, and we can learn what His Majesty King Baleqi plans to eat today."

Solomon once again studies the fat merchant before him. "Then you truly can obtain quite a few valuable things from Peace Haven."

Henwell waves a hand. "Heart-Piercing Lotuses, extraordinary ballistae, steam engines, extraordinary potions... Do not even mention the things on which Peace Haven's survival depends."

"Whether I can obtain them or not, I will have nothing to do with such business."

"Don't bother offering assurances. The lord of Blood Hill is already the strongest professional on the continent, and his power keeps growing."

"Within five years, Peace Haven will essentially become a country."

"You want me to offend a future king with unmatched martial strength?"

"What sort of price could justify that?"

"If that price existed and you could afford it, why would you need an insignificant man like me?"

Solomon has no answer. He smiles bitterly. "Heh... True. Mr. Adolf has certainly thought this through."

"Very well."

"We have an agreement. I will pay when the weapons and armor arrive..."

Henwell raises a hand. "No. Pay now. Once this starts, there's no turning back."

"Once I begin carrying out the plan, I must advance the money whether it succeeds or fails."

"If I deliver the goods and you force down the price afterward, I will suffer an enormous loss."

"I want three million gold coins now. Once I see the money, I will order my people to act."

Solomon stares at him. "Was it not two and a half million?"

Henwell rolls his eyes. "Come on. Just because you claim there's treasure in those ruins doesn't mean I believe you."

Solomon answers solemnly, "I swear in my master's name that there is more than enough treasure inside. If you can carry it out, its value will far exceed the profit from this transaction."

Henwell rubs his plump chin. "How much are we talking about?"

"To be frank, the last ruins I explored were not even as large as these."

"We recovered more than a million gold coins' worth of gold and jewels, along with many rare works of art and historical relics."

"The ruins I am about to explore contain at least as much wealth. You will make a fortune."

Henwell considers this. "Two and a half million gold coins. The moment I see the money, I will send the order."

"You had better hurry. My fleet has already departed."

"If it passes Three River City, everything will become far more troublesome."

Solomon thinks for a while as well. "Very well. The gold will arrive tomorrow. One more thing."

"We do not have that many coins. May we pay with an equivalent value in gold?"

Henwell nods. "Of course. I like gold. Those gleaming little things always brighten my mood."

As he prepares to leave, Solomon asks one more question. "If a ship is going to sink, why not lose all seventy sets?"

Henwell rolls his eyes. "Absolutely not."

After Solomon leaves, Henwell's expression turns serious as he wonders what sort of organization this is.

At first, he thought the King's Shield was a covert proxy for Ika's authorities. The Lady of Calamity's behavior has already proven otherwise.

Later, Henwell suspected it was a Veil stronghold.

Yet Veil would never stake such an enormous sum on purchasing extraordinary equipment.

Henwell adopted the Adolf identity on this trip because he had indeed discovered that someone was investigating it.

He followed the trail backward while shaking off surveillance, and it led him to the King's Shield.

Henwell originally intended to find an opportunity to burn the place to the ground.

Adolf is an unusual identity. Henwell created it as a second face, but he also once used it to investigate his father's family.

He erased as many traces as possible afterward, but his enemies are growing stronger. One of them might possess some extraordinary means of tracking the identity.

Henwell came here as Adolf precisely to keep his father's family from becoming involved.

In Henwell's original plan, it did not matter who was investigating the identity.

He would use the opportunity to destroy Adolf and wipe out the faction pursuing him at the same time.

Now, however, everything the other side has done piques Henwell's curiosity. This faction interests him.

They are not trying to trace the identity back to Henwell's family.

Henwell might as well use this chance to contact the mysterious organization and learn what it truly is.