I Will Try to Save My Dad - Chapter 64

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 64

‘Do I carefully investigate the places where I want to invest?’
I nearly let out a hollow laugh despite the grave situation.
In truth, Victor had planned to use Reytan Quartz Trabel until the moment he received word of his visit.
Reytan Quartz Trabel.
Perhaps skilled with a sword, but in commerce—a man with the cursed touch, everything he handled crumbled to ruin.

“Manager, it seems the second son of Count Trabel wishes to invest in us.”
“That’s hardly an auspicious sign, sir. He’s notorious for his ruinous touch. Are you certain about this?”
“What we must trust is money. It matters not what discernment that young master possesses. What matters is that Count Trabel’s wealth flows into our coffers, does it not?”
“What of the eldest son?”
“Too dangerous. I made a mistake there. It wasn’t discovered, but he may have sensed something regarding the eyes.”

Growing impatient over Shin-yak, I had rashly approached Hevanth—a bitter blunder I now had the chance to rectify.
The brothers of the Trabel Count Family were worse than strangers due to their succession struggle.
There was no way Hevanth would have told Reytan that he intended to use his eyes as leverage for blackmail.
Even though letters from Shin-yak and Hevanth had arrived at the Blue Company, Victor remained confident.

But on the day of the appointment with Reytan.
Eyes visibly clouded and turbid.

“If the merchant lord’s eyes are seen, Count Trabel’s young master will surely notice. We should cancel the appointment—”
“There will be no cancellation, Manager. Do you know how much wealth Count Trabel possesses? More than the Igselona Royal Family.”
“What are you planning to do?”
“Test Shin-yak.”

In a flash, memories swept through my mind, and Victor swallowed hard.
Reytan Quartz Trabel had remained in the Reception Room.
“….”
What had I muttered earlier? Had I said the merchant’s eyes couldn’t see me?
I felt a twinge of regret—perhaps I should have cancelled the appointment as the Manager suggested.
Victor hid his trembling lips and forced Reytan into his blurred vision.
“My apologies for such poor eyesight. I should have simply looked to the side, yet I failed to notice you were here, Reytan.”
“Your eyes are troubling you?”
“Yes. Recently, I had an accident where mushroom spores entered my eyes. My vision has deteriorated somewhat because of it, but it’s only temporary.”
I concealed my true feelings behind laughter and performance. It was my specialty.
In truth, I couldn’t see at all. But there was no evidence, even if pressed. No matter how much the second son of Count Trabel tried to threaten me—.
“I see. Then I’ll be on my way.”
“…Pardon?”
“Since you say investment isn’t necessary, I have no business here either.”
Reytan withdrew cleanly.
Victor was bewildered. This was what I wanted, yet he accepted such an absurd excuse?
He was a minus hand, not a fool. A Grand Master’s intuition couldn’t possibly overlook the state of my eyes.
I wanted to see Reytan’s expression. I wanted to know his thoughts. But this damned vision wouldn’t allow even that.
“At least have some tea—.”
When I came to my senses, I realized I was the one holding onto Reytan.
This wasn’t right. It felt unsettling.
Victor’s unease didn’t end there.
The two children spared no encouragement, as if pitying my state.
“Our teacher said it’s best to quietly cheer someone on at times like these.”
“Mister, hang in there!”
What times are “times like these”? Did even the children know my condition?
Victor remained alone in the Reception Room, his expression complicated.

***

A moment earlier.

“I must decline the investment.”

It was just as I was about to leave the reception room following the merchant company’s refusal.
Before I could step outside, Father flicked his thumb and ring finger together—one of our secret signals.
‘Coordinating our moves?’
I looked up at Father.
‘Three minutes.’
He mouthed the words while holding up three fingers, then mimicked knocking on the reception room door, followed by the gesture of tiptoeing backward with muffled footsteps.
At that moment, I didn’t understand what Father was planning.
‘So the Blue Company’s merchant master’s weakness was his eyes.’
Now I understood how Uncle had gotten leverage over the merchant master.
The condition must have been maintaining secrecy in exchange for providing medicine to clear his vision. After all, the Alchemists employed by Uncle were developing similar remedies around this time.

And now we were walking through the shopping district of Goldport.
Having cast the bait, we simply had to wait for a response.
“There are so many pretty things here~”
“It’s a merchant’s city, after all. You’ll find goods here that don’t exist anywhere else.”
I was holding Father’s hand, admiring the shops, when he suddenly stopped and gazed intently into the glass display case of one store. Fountain pens were arranged attractively to catch the attention of passersby.
When Father stared silently at something, it meant he liked it but wasn’t quite ready to buy it.
‘Hmm. This will take him a moment to decide.’
Theon was also staring fixedly at something at a nearby stall, and there were no people around us.
Perfect timing. I asked Father about what had just happened.
“Father, but how did you know the merchant master’s eyes were troubling him?”
That was my biggest question.
Even during our investment discussion, the Blue Company’s merchant master’s eyes had seemed perfectly fine. Probably because he’d taken the medicine Uncle Hevanth had given him.
‘And the fact that he refused the investment… he hasn’t already made a contract with Uncle, has he?’
Just as worry began to creep in, Father answered casually.
“No. Serber told me something.”
“Huh? The butler?”
“He said that since Hevanth has medicine good for the eyes, the merchant master probably came to Hevanth trying to obtain it.”
Oh no. Could it be that the butler, anxious about the stocks, actually went to Father to get the answer directly?
It wasn’t impossible. After all, he’d made me fidget for quite a long time while trying to extract information.
“So I decided to verify it. Whether his eyes really were troubling him.”
“I see.”
I responded to Father’s words first. Internally, I was breaking into a cold sweat.
“But Berry.”
This was a critical moment.
“Y-yes?”
“Why would Serber ask me how the Blue Company’s stocks were doing?”
A sharp question. And sharp deduction.
“You said I passed along the message.”
Cold sweat dripped down my face. When I looked up, Father had turned away from the fountain pen display and was looking down at me.
“D-did Serber say that to Father?”
“We coordinated our stories. I’m not sure what you did, though.”
“R-really? Father is the best.”
Since there was no allowance left to cut, I wondered what other punishment might come—perhaps a ban on snacks, or being forced to drink bitter medicine for my health.
I quietly released the hand I’d been holding with Father.
Unlike my willing release, Father’s voice ensnared me.
“Berry.”
“Eek! Theon!”
“Don’t run.”
I bolted toward Theon as if fleeing. Father pursued me at a leisurely pace.
Theon appeared to have purchased something in the meantime.
He was receiving a paper bag from a merchant when my cry startled him, and he turned to look.
“Berry?”
“Run!”
I grabbed Theon’s arm and ran. It was an instinctive act of securing my ally.
Theon matched my pace without understanding what was happening, and Father’s voice reached us.
“Leave Theon alone.”
“Theon is mine, so I can’t!”
“What?”
“⋯….”
My ally, my own.
Similar words that had tumbled out hastily.
Father asked in bewilderment, and Theon said nothing.
But our spirited escape didn’t last even a full block.
A man in a deep navy uniform emerged from a building and caught us.
It was an investigator’s uniform.
And emblazoned on the building: “Heysial Empire Central Investigation Bureau Branch 17”.
“You shouldn’t run without looking ahead on the street.”
“I apologize.”
“I’m sorry.”
Before authority, one must be respectful, so I quickly expressed remorse.
The investigator seemed intent on lecturing the children, as he withdrew a notebook from his pocket.
“I’ll need to know your family. Which house do you belong to?”
“I’d appreciate your leniency. You’re a fellow investigator, after all.”
In the meantime, Father approached leisurely and addressed the investigator.
‘A fellow investigator? Oh no. Don’t tell me…’
I turned my head sideways toward Father and made a gesture to be quiet.
But despite my efforts, Father went ahead and uttered that word anyway.
“Berry Berry, the investigator.”
“Berry Berry, the investigator?”
Prick, prick. The piercing stares felt like needles.
I felt like an impostor investigator. I averted my gaze from the investigator’s eyes looking down at me, feigning ignorance.
The investigator spoke.
“It seems the youngest investigator of the Trabel Count Family was born without my knowledge. Then, is the person standing beside you the first disciple?”
“…Huh?”
How did that investigator uncle know about that?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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