If You Are Suited for the Villain's Secretary - Chapter 30

—————

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

—————

If the Villain’s Secretary Suits Me
Chapter 30
I’d only asked about the business trip schedule, not the entire itinerary, yet even that was refused.
Since I’d come on this business trip as well, I thought I had sufficient justification, but had I been too hasty?
That was when cold sweat began to trickle down my spine.
“I cannot predict how much time this negotiation will require. Therefore, my schedule has certain fluid aspects, which means there is no point in sharing it in advance.”
“Ah, I see.”
“If there are tasks that require Iliana Grecia’s participation, I will inform you at that time. Keep your communication device on.”
“Understood, Director.”
An entirely reasonable response came back.
Though truthfully, it was also rather frightening.
For Aden—someone who could be mistaken for the reincarnation of Kant himself, moving minute by minute—to accept a fluid schedule this time meant something.
‘…He’s truly willing to do whatever it takes to secure that land.’
If he were choosing his methods carefully, the schedule wouldn’t suddenly shift like this.
So I sat rigidly tense until the carriage came to a stop.
“We’ve arrived. Let’s get out.”
The branch in the Southwestern Region was called the Third Branch.
Since branches were named in order of establishment, it meant the people here had worked with Aden since quite early on.
Looking at the building, its scale was enormous. The headquarters building in the Capital City could fit about ten times over inside it.
Meanwhile, only three people had come to greet us. The person standing at the front offered a greeting.
“Welcome. I am Laklan, Director of the Third Branch.”
“It’s an honor to meet you, Director! I’m Iliana Grecia, the Director’s in-house secretary.”
‘But still, I’m supposed to be an in-house secretary, so why do I keep feeling like I’m only doing external work….’
A fundamental question suddenly occurred to me.
Laklan and Aden merely exchanged silent bows before moving straight into business matters.
True to form as Aden’s branch director, Laklan appeared to be an equally formidable efficiency enthusiast.
As I watched the two of them converse, something caught my eye moving at the edge of my vision.
When I turned my head, I nearly cried out.
‘Sister?’
‘Iliana!’
Hidden behind Laklan, the person who was eagerly shrugging her shoulders to catch my attention was.
‘It’s been so long! How have you been?’
Selby, a ship captain I’d known from my days working at the Mason Trading Company.
***
Aden, Laklan, and the legal expert from the Third Branch departed first in their carriage toward the Flatland District.
Left behind, Selby and I held hands and bounced excitedly while waiting for our carriage to arrive.
“Sister, did you get hired at La Mar? As captain?”
“Ha! If I were captain, I’d just sail my own ship—I wouldn’t have joined this guild. I became a pilot!”
“Really? That’s wonderful! You studied so hard to get your pilot’s license!”
A pilot is someone who helps ships safely enter and leave harbors by guiding them along secure routes.
No matter how skilled a captain is, they cannot memorize the conditions of every harbor across the world. Tidal ranges and wind patterns vary by location and time.
That’s when pilots employed by the harbor step in.
As experts who understand the harbor’s characteristics and currents, they assist the captain in safely maneuvering the vessel to its berth.
“By the way, sister, did you know I joined La Mar?”
“How could I not know? Word spread across the entire Empire—not just about your hiring, but about how you handled Jeremy too. Everyone’s had their eye on that guy. When he came for a branch assignment, he made such a fuss about being headquarters staff.”
Along with the unfortunate news that not only my personal details but my exploits had been sold throughout the Empire, we moved toward Casis Bay.
It hadn’t been long since I left Sirena, yet the sea breeze awakened my senses completely.
‘They say people born from the sea long for it their entire lives. That’s true.’
With my camera in hand and Selby holding her surveying instruments, we began systematically examining the coastal district.
“Wow, the water is incredibly deep here. At this depth, even large merchant vessels could dock without difficulty, right?”
“Exactly. Plus, it has a horseshoe structure. The narrow entrance is a bit problematic, but that cliff over there blocks all the waves, so the inner waters are remarkably calm and peaceful.”
“There don’t seem to be many reefs either. Leveling the bottom shouldn’t be too difficult, would it?”
“Right! Dredging usually takes the longest because it’s so finicky. But here, like you said, there aren’t many reefs to remove, so the work should go smoothly.”
“Wow, this place is really promising. But why has such a location been left unused until now?”
“The previous lord was apparently extremely timid. There were plenty of proposals from various quarters, but he disliked outsiders coming and going, and he didn’t want large-scale construction happening in his territory at all. That would mean taking on more responsibility, after all.”
“My, he was the avoidant type, wasn’t he?”
Selby, whom I hadn’t seen in nearly four years, remained a perfectly compatible conversation partner.
After completing the basic site survey and organizing the photographs, Selby broached a subject hesitantly.
“Um, how is your father doing?”
Though she called me sister, Selby was actually a bit younger than my father.
However, since she had spent her life on ships from childhood, her maritime experience far exceeded his, so the two of them got along comfortably.
“Please, for Iliana’s sake, get yourself together, Ruben! What’s gotten into you?! Ugh, I’m so frustrated I could burst….”
Selby had been one of the most vocal people in criticizing my father.
She had even quietly pressed a considerable sum of money into my hands, saying it was collected among the crew members to help pay off his debts.
“…I’m sorry and grateful, but sister, I can’t accept this.”
“Why? Are you worried I’ll demand repayment? Absolutely not, it’s just…!”
“Because you told me not to repay it, I can’t accept it. …I’m afraid your kindness might become an escape route for my father.”
Selby had cried then, clinging to me.
I didn’t cry. Instead, I patted her back and thought that one escape route—myself—was enough for my father, and I wouldn’t drag others into this.
To Selby now, whose face looked like it might crumple into tears at any moment, I spoke calmly.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen him either. …I can only hope he’s doing well.”
“Oh dear….”
That seemed explanation enough.
Selby, who had been gazing out at the distant sea with a sniffling nose, forced a bright smile.
“When we head back later, want to skip out for a bit?”
“Why?”
“There’s this incredibly delicious chocolate shop. Just you and me—we’ll keep it secret from the Director and Branch Manager. What do you say? My treat!”
I smiled softly.
“That sounds wonderful.”
“Perfect! Just thinking about chocolate has me in such a good mood!”
Yet despite her spirited words, Selby’s expression grew darker as we made our way back.
What was wrong? Had she just realized the chocolate shop was closed today?
I glanced outside while pondering this, and noticed we weren’t on the same road we’d come from.
Looking at the map, it was that problematic Main Road—the one cutting through a passage with a cliff on one side and a mountain on the other.
The road itself was level and not particularly narrow. But then.
“Let me introduce you to the biggest obstacle in our project and the one the Third Branch resents even more than Jeremy.”
There was a house sitting squarely in the middle of the road.
Because of it, the wide road had been reduced to a width that barely allowed two carriages to pass.
Surely this wasn’t…
“Is it Albagging?”
I let out an incredulous laugh.
It certainly had a unique strategic position, in a manner of speaking.
***
Selby pressed a generous portion of chocolate into my arms, but I had no leisure to savor it.
A meeting was convened immediately.
“Administratively, the problematic house falls under Cassis Autonomous Territory. However, the owner is affiliated with Noel Marquis’s household, and the occupation period exceeds ten years, plus.”
The legal expert explained with a deeply furrowed brow.
“The critical factor is that it sits directly in the middle of the road. Under Imperial law, there is precedent that whoever pays road maintenance costs has the right to collect tolls.”
“They’re overextending that collection right, claiming the land belongs to Noel’s territory. They insist they’ve ‘maintained’ the road simply by sweeping their yard a bit.”
Branch Manager Laklan added in his characteristic monotone.
“Legally, we’d certainly have the advantage if we litigated. But the problem is that Noel will drag this into a prolonged battle. They have the funds to endure a lawsuit, and since the harbor’s fate depends on this, they won’t back down.”
“We’ll suffer losses for every period we can’t begin construction.”
“Precisely, Director.”
Moreover, even if we won the lawsuit over territorial jurisdiction, that wouldn’t be the end of it.
If the owner refused to sell the land, that was that.
“We purchased similar properties in comparable locations for 100 million gold, but this owner is demanding 10 billion.”
It was understandable why the Third Branch resented him so much.
Of course, securing the funds wouldn’t be difficult.
‘But even with the money, we absolutely cannot pay that much. Otherwise, the owners of the other lands we bought for 100 million would revolt.’
The words that followed matched my thoughts exactly.
“Due to equity concerns, La Mare has taken the position that we cannot pay more than 500 million gold. So.”
Laklan, who had been speaking in his usual monotone throughout, added with complete indifference.
“What do you think about blowing it up with explosives? That would only cost 1 million gold.”
Wait, that’s completely different from what I was thinking…!

—————

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

—————