Chapter 752: Not a Coin or Crate Less!

After Lodar drives him back in a single exchange, Paleo realizes just how troublesome the young man will be.

Before coming here, he already knew that Lodar had advanced to Grand Knight.

But the thirty-year-old only reached the rank late last year.

Gifted though Lodar might be, Paleo expected him to remain far behind.

Their first brief exchange showed him how badly he had misjudged Lodar.

That was why Paleo changed tack and approached the negotiation with more respect.

Their latest clash makes one thing even clearer: Lodar is every bit as strong as he is.

Paleo can only watch as Philir is seized. "Mr. Lodar, I truly believe you should consider my proposal."

"Cooperating with us will cost you nothing, and you will retain complete control of Qili Guild."

"All we need is a reliable supply channel, something your guild is perfectly capable of providing."

"We will provide Qili Guild with substantial funding as well as access to more markets."

"King's Shield has some influence in Ika. An alliance between us would benefit us both."

Lodar gives a slight nod. "I'll consider it. For now, I have an internal matter to handle. See our guests out."

Paleo has no choice but to leave disappointed. Once he is gone, Lodar turns to the terrified Philir.

"Now tell me everything that happened, down to the last detail. Don't make me use other methods. Believe me, you won't endure them."

The person Philir fears most in Qili Guild is not Henwell, but the young man standing before him.

After all, there is only one reason Philir ever became a captain in the guild's guard force.

His former captain tried to betray the guild, and Lodar tore the man's head off with his bare hands.

After listening to Philir's account, Lodar sinks into thought.

His anxious confidants watch him closely. At last, one deputy says, "The guildmaster was lost in there. We have to demand an explanation."

"But stabilizing the guild comes first. Captain, don't act rashly. Recovering the guildmaster's body won't bring him back."

Lodar looks around the room, then chuckles and shakes his head. "Enough. We'll set that aside for now."

"Bick, deliver a letter for me. I will give you the destination later."

"Orvis, gather our people, seal off the news, and quietly bring every shareholder here."

Orvis lowers his voice. "Boss, what if they refuse?"

Lodar replies, "Then help them understand how serious we are."

Orvis nods, showing that he understands exactly what Lodar means.

With the arrangements made, Lodar frowns and taps one finger against the table.

Paleo returns the next day, this time with a sizable entourage.

Two more Grand Knights accompany him.

The message is clear: they have come to force Lodar into submission. Paleo has also brought several large chests.

He opens them in front of everyone, revealing neatly stacked gold bars.

"This is the outstanding balance we discussed yesterday. It is worth one million gold coins."

Lodar sets down his teacup. "Is this display of wealth meant to frighten us into submission?"

Any faction capable of producing this much gold at such short notice is no minor power.

Paleo answers, "No. It is a demonstration of our sincerity."

Lodar shakes his head. "You must be officials of Ika Kingdom. With all due respect, you are powerful."

"But this is Kriye City, and your power is far from absolute here."

"Qili Guild could never have established itself here without connections and methods of its own."

"So I suggest you proceed carefully and refrain from doing anything rash."

"We can cooperate, but I will not hand Philir over. This is an internal matter."

"Take the gold with you. Once I uncover the truth, I'll decide what happens next."

"If the money truly belongs to us, I'll collect it myself."

"Why refuse it? The money belongs to me."

Every head turns toward the doorway. Wearing Adolf's face, Henwell walks into the manor with Miller.

Lodar hurries forward and bows. "Father, I'm glad you've returned safely."

Paleo stares at Henwell in shock. "How is this possible? How did you survive?"

Henwell waves the question aside. "That doesn't matter. I'm back, and Solomon had better remember what he promised."

"The million gold coins will compensate us for having our escape route cut off."

"Every artifact recovered from the ruins is to be packed into crates and sent to me. Not a single piece may be missing."

Paleo shakes his head. "That's impossible. It goes far beyond our agreement..."

Henwell cuts him off. "I'm not negotiating with you. All you need to do is carry my message to Solomon."

"Whatever he decides is his concern. You don't have the authority to bargain over this."

Henwell heads straight for the hall, then glances back at Paleo. "Why are you still here? Waiting for me to feed you?"

Paleo hesitates, but still does not dare attack. He leaves the gold behind and withdraws from the guild manor.

Once they reach the hall, Lodar lowers his voice. "I've already sent word to the Military Intelligence Office outpost here, as well as a fast rider to Peace Haven."

"Will that interfere with Father's plan? Should I send someone to call them back?"

Miller's eyes widen. "You know our lord's true identity?"

Lodar frowns. "Very few people in this world could turn a street orphan into a Grand Knight."

"And no one else could have provided everything from Peace Haven's administrative methods to its martial arts and military training."

Henwell cannot resist cutting in when he sees Miller's astonishment. "Don't listen to him. He figured it out because he saw my sword."

On one visit, Henwell brought the Dusk Greatsword, and Lodar secretly picked it up.

Its weight and material told him that Henwell was no ordinary man, but a powerful professional.

Later, he saw Henwell's statue in Peace Haven and recognized the sword it carried.

That clue, combined with Qili Guild's unusual activities, allowed Lodar to work out Henwell's general identity.

This time, Henwell even diverted extraordinary weapons and equipment bound from Peace Haven for the Western Regions. That removed any remaining doubt.

What outsiders do not know is that Peace Haven's Military Intelligence Office normally monitors transactions of this scale.

Anyone hoping to divert part of a shipment in secret needs its approval.

Dozens of sets of extraordinary equipment are no small matter. Only a handful of people in Peace Haven can authorize such a transfer.

And even fewer can bring the Military Intelligence Office into it.

His little performance thoroughly exposed, Lodar laughs and pulls Miller into an embrace. "Brother, welcome back."

Then he gives Miller an envious look. "Back then, I begged Father to let me come along, but he refused."

"I never expected you to slip away without a word. You got lucky. If I'd known, I would have gone too."

Henwell beckons them over. "Sit down. We have matters to discuss."