In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 136

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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This Life, I Will Become the Clan Head Episode 136

When winter comes, regions that receive snow have very poor traffic conditions.

That’s why I was in a great hurry to get the delivery business into stable territory before autumn arrived.

Thanks to not only the Debon family but all the employees of Lombardi Transportation working busily, we were able to hold the business briefing before summer ended.

“Have you been very busy lately?”

Larane asked me.

“Well, it’s a matter of getting multiple families to participate simultaneously. I had to pay that much attention to it.”

The delivery business is a very large-scale operation.

What I was directly moving using my authority was only the Debon family, who are responsible for Lombardi Transportation, but they weren’t the only ones mobilized for the delivery business.

The Heringga family of the scholarship foundation, the Dillard family of the trading company, and even the Brey family of the bank from which we borrowed investment funds.

When you think about it, it was a major business involving no less than four families moving at once.

“But everyone is cooperating well, so I have no worries about tomorrow.”

To be honest, my feelings about tomorrow were closer to anticipation than worry.

“Amazing, Tia.”

“I’m just running forward looking straight ahead, that’s all.”

I got up from where I had been sitting, holding the bouquet of lilies Larane had given me.

“Well, I should get going now, Larane. I’ll keep the lilies at home and enjoy them.”

Just as I was greeting her and about to leave,

“To think you’re here leisurely chatting when you should be busy with preparations. Have you already given up?”

It was Biejie, sneering as he entered the greenhouse.

His characteristically arrogant face was full of that disgusting smile.

My mood, which had bloomed brightly thanks to Larane and the pretty flowers, turned very sour the moment I saw Biejie.

But I greeted him with an equally bright smile.

“Hello, Uncle.”

“Yes, I’m doing well, but how are you, Pirenthia?”

It wasn’t a question.

I could clearly see his intention as he scrutinized my face, wondering if I had broken down unable to bear the fear or pressure, if I had come here to escape and cry.

“I’m fine too, Uncle.”

“Yes, yes. You should be fine. You’ve made such a big deal of things with the Lombardi name on the line. What was Gallahan thinking, not stopping you earlier?”

He even clicked his tongue at the end of his words.

Biejie was so triumphant because he had recently won the Angenas development project through Lombardi Construction.

Biejie really was of no help to Lombardi whatsoever.

Of all things, he had to attach himself to the Empress and win the Angenas development rights.

Now Angenas and Lombardi Construction were practically in the same boat.

Knowing what would happen to Angenas in the future, and planning to drive the Empress and her family closer and closer to the edge of a cliff, this was very troublesome for me.

For a moment, I even considered whether I should halt my plan to destroy Angenas.

But even if we didn’t receive payment for construction, it wouldn’t ruin Lombardi, and Biejie definitely causing major losses to the family would be perfect for demonstrating his incompetence.

In a way, thanks to Biejie, I was in a situation where I could have my cake and eat it too.

Biejie, who had no idea what he had done, continued sneering at me.

“Even if this matter ends in failure, think of it as learning a good lesson.”

“Oh, Father…”

Larane said with a troubled face, as if trying to stop Biejie.

But Biejie wasn’t one to stop over something like that.

“You listen well too, Larane. You shouldn’t easily interfere in adults’ affairs. Don’t get useless ideas from being close to that child, and you should do as I tell you…”

“Stop it, Father.”

When Larane looked almost ready to cry, Biejie finally stopped talking.

But I wasn’t ready to end things yet.

Who said he could end it on his own terms?

Now it was my turn to strike.

I looked at Biejie sideways and said,

“You keep talking only about cases where I fail. What are you planning to do if I succeed, that you’re speaking such harsh words, Uncle?”

“What? Harsh words?”

“Is it possible to express what you’re saying now with any other words besides ‘harsh words’?”

I asked as if genuinely curious.

“Are you perhaps afraid that the delivery business I’m leading might be a great success?”

“It’s not that…”

Biejie’s face contorted with anger as he tried to argue back.

But I struck first with a truly disappointed expression.

“Even so, since it’s your niece’s work, I thought you’d at least encourage me to do well. Uncle, you really are small-minded.”

And I deliberately muttered while shaking my head with an audible “Tsk” for him to hear.

“At this level, isn’t it teacup-sized…”

You’re not the only one who knows how to mock people.

I’m better at it, you know?

I looked Biejie up and down once, then briefly greeted Larane and turned around.

“See you later, Larane.”

I deliberately didn’t mention tomorrow’s business briefing.

“You, you little wench…!”

If you’re reduced to bringing up age, you’ve already lost.

I didn’t forget to smile at Biejie one last time before leaving the greenhouse.

* * *

At the office of Pellet Trading Company.

Cleribane, who had been handling business, was receiving an unexpected visitor.

The visitor who came to the trading company without even contacting in advance was Durak Caravan Leader from the Angenas family.

“It’s been a while, my friend!”

They had met face to face a few times during the old Koroi-Yung business.

But they weren’t close enough to casually call each other ‘friend.’

Cleribane’s eyes sharpened as he watched Durak Caravan Leader walking into the office.

“Please sit.”

Nevertheless, Cleribane spoke politely, trying to maintain dignity as the representative of Pellet Trading Company.

However, his efforts didn’t last long.

“What did you just say?”

Cleribane raised one eyebrow and asked in a growling tone.

At his sharp appearance, the cowardly Durak Caravan Leader flinched for a moment.

However, he couldn’t back down here.

Because Empress Lavinia in the Imperial Palace was more frightening than Cleribane before him.

After clearing his throat once, Durak Caravan Leader said,

“I said to hand over all the Triba wood that Pellet Trading Company has to our Angenas.”

“No, you said ‘give it all up.'”

His voice was low enough to scrape the ground as he still glared at Durak Caravan Leader.

“By what right exactly are you telling me to ‘give it up’?”

At Cleribane’s question, Durak Caravan Leader straightened his neck and answered.

“Haven’t you been consistently refusing our Durak Guild’s continuous requests for Triba timber needed for the Angenas development project?”

“So?”

“Don’t you know that the Angenas development project is one that Empress herself is directly promoting? How can you ask back so shamelessly?”

Just who exactly was being shameless in this situation.

Cleribane crossed one leg and leaned crookedly in his chair as he looked at Durak Caravan Leader.

Let’s see how far this goes.

“…So?”

“Ahem! If you know that, then as a citizen of the Empire, you should naturally cooperate! Unless you dare intend to obstruct the Empress’s will!”

Seeing no change in Cleribane’s reaction even at the mention of ‘Empress,’ the Durak Caravan Leader shouted as if lecturing him.

“This is why young merchants are! Tsk tsk.”

The Durak Caravan Leader even clicked his tongue as if displeased.

However, Cleribane didn’t react much to that either.

He knew well that the Durak Caravan Leader’s behavior was ugly jealousy toward his success at a young age.

“Ahem.”

The oblivious Durak Caravan Leader, seeing Cleribane fall silent without a word, judged that his strategy was working.

If it were the old days when he worked beside Rulak as a member of the Lombardi Family, it might be different, but now that he seemed to have little connection with Lombardi, it was natural in a way to be mindful of the Imperial Court.

So the Durak Caravan Leader lowered his voice and began speaking in a dignified, lecturing tone.

“I came knowing full well that you still have plenty of Triba wood besides what you sent to the Chesayu region. So sell those to us at Angenas. That would be the right thing to do, wouldn’t it?”

“Is that all you came for?”

Cleribane asked quietly.

However, thinking he had gained the upper hand, the Durak Caravan Leader went one step further.

“No, there’s one more thing. You’re still buying a lot of Triba trees up north. From now on, don’t compete with the Durak Guild at auctions.”

“So, don’t interfere and step aside so the Durak Guild can monopolize the Triba trees?”

“That’s right, that’s the Empress’s command.”

As if he himself had become the Empress, the Durak Caravan Leader arrogantly lifted his chin as he spoke.

The answer was already clear from that attitude.

Today, the Durak Guild hadn’t come to the Pellet Trading Company to request a legitimate deal.

They had simply come to threaten Cleribane by invoking the Empress’s name to get what they wanted.

“Then how much are you thinking of paying?”

There we go.

The Durak Caravan Leader inwardly cheered as he answered.

“The average auction price was 20 silver per 50 trees, wasn’t it?”

No. That was from several months ago, and with the heated auctions these days, it had multiplied several times over.

“So accounting for storage costs over this time, 25 silver per 50 trees would be a reasonable price.”

The Durak Caravan Leader spoke as if doing a great favor.

“But for the Pellet Trading Company, we’ll specially offer 30 silver per 50 trees…”

“100 gold.”

Cleribane cut off the Durak Caravan Leader’s words and spoke curtly.

“What’s 100 gold supposed to mean?”

“That’s the price the Pellet Trading Company has set for 50 Triba trees.”

“Are you trying to joke with me?”

“Does my face right now look like it’s joking?”

Cleribane asked, his blue eyes shining sharply.

“Ahem. Then 50 silver per 50 trees…”

“100 gold.”

“Good grief! Fine! I’ll go up to 70 silver per 50 trees…!”

“100 gold. If you can’t pay that money, get out of here.”

Cleribane glared at the Durak Caravan Leader sideways as he spoke.

“Now, what kind of way is that to negotiate…!”

The flustered Durak Caravan Leader protested with a reddened face.

“Do you think what you said earlier can be called ‘negotiation’?”

Cleribane said, lifting one corner of his mouth.

“Brandishing the ‘Empress’s’ name to try to steal at an absurd price, and not content with that, telling us to automatically withdraw whenever the Durak Guild shows up at auctions.”

The more he thought about it, the more absurd it became.

Cleribane stopped mid-sentence and laughed, “Ha.”

Then he pointed straight at the door and said.

“100 gold per 50 trees. If you don’t have it, get lost right now.”

“Now see here, Pellet Trading Company owner!”

“You don’t seem inclined to leave.”

Cleribane looked coldly at the Durak Caravan Leader who was still occupying his seat and raising his voice, then pulled a red cord among several long cords hanging beside his chair.

Before long, several men of sturdy build opened the study door with heavy footsteps.

“Did you call for us, Lord Cleribane.”

“The Durak Caravan Leader says he’s leaving, so please escort him out.”

At Cleribane’s words, the burly men’s gazes all turned toward the Durak Caravan Leader at once.

“Please stand up.”

The Captain of the Pellet Company Guards spoke in a booming voice.

“O-our Angenas will never forget what happened today!”

Even as he reluctantly stood up from his seat in fear, the Durak Caravan Leader shouted defiantly.

Cleribane, who had been watching that scene with his arms crossed, said lightly.

“Because of what you just said, the Durak Guild won’t even get to see Triba trees at northern auctions from now on.”

“…What?”

“No matter how much money it costs, our Pellet Trading Company will win the bid at any auction the Durak Guild participates in.”

“Th-that’s…”

To the Durak Caravan Leader who finally realized what he had done, Cleribane smiled brightly and said.

“And later, when the furious Empress asks you why such a thing happened, make sure to answer, ‘I wrongly crossed the Pellet Trading Company.'”

Perhaps imagining his future at Cleribane’s words, the Durak Caravan Leader’s face was deathly pale as he was half-dragged away by the guards, his legs having lost their strength.

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