The Mansion Awaits Spring - Chapter 152

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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 152
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Jonah Tabishi, who operated a gas company, lived in fear of Pejin. He worried that at any moment, Pejin might demand repayment of the gas fees that House Lunos owed him.
By the Empire’s standards, it was an enormous sum of money.
It was the capital with which the Tabishi Company could return to the Empire and launch new ventures. Jonah Tabishi, ambitious in business, had already invested heavily in it and spent much of it away.
He wanted to know the real reason House Lunos had been able to light their Gas Lamps. If he understood that, he could protect this money.
Fortunately, after investigations using every connection at his disposal, he found a clue: the issue was connected to a fuel extraction plant near House Lunos.
The problem was that the Empire Police maintained security at that plant, which meant he could not examine it while Pejin was on duty.
Jonah Tabishi waited for a day when Pejin was not working.
His wedding day.
On the day of the wedding, Jonah Tabishi slipped a bribe to a factory worker and secretly entered the plant.
Since it was a wedding with guests arriving from the Empire, fuel extraction had ceased since the day before the ceremony. With the toxic gas emissions also halted, a worker who had removed his protective suit for the first time in a while spoke.
“You coming in here has to stay secret. If the Empire Police find out, I’ll get fired too, so please be careful.”
“Yeah, yeah, I understand. I can’t get caught either, trust me.”
Jonah Tabishi, rather irritated, began to inspect the factory.
When he tried to venture closer to the Lunos Residence, the worker hurried to stop him.
“You can’t go near the residence. That’s a section only employees are allowed to enter.”
Blocked from the place he truly needed to see, Jonah Tabishi pulled out his checkbook, scrawled a figure, and slipped it into the worker’s pocket.
While the worker glanced at the amount and tucked the check back into his pocket, Jonah Tabishi took a step toward the residence.
He discovered that the residence and the factory were connected, and he let out a hollow laugh.
“So the gas buried together with other matter becomes fuel, does it?”
The worker, now thoroughly cooperative thanks to the generous sum, replied.
“Yes, that’s right. However, we have nowhere to transport it. We’re preparing liquefaction technology, but it lacks sufficient development right now.”
Jonah Tabishi licked his lips repeatedly.
If he could supply this gas to the Fiefdom and be paid for it, the costs currently spent producing gas would vanish entirely.
He paid the worker extra and asked why they hadn’t supplied it to the Fiefdom sooner, getting his answer.
It turned out this gas became the Fiefdom’s fog.
Because the plant was hiding that it was the source of the fog, they were simply wasting all that valuable fuel that erupted along with the crude fuel.
Jonah Tabishi tapped the gauge that displayed the factory’s air quality continuously.
“So that’s for maintaining air quality in this plant, isn’t it? For the workers.”
“That’s correct.”
“When a lot of that gas builds up, how do you vent it all? From underground?”
“Well, that…”
The worker pointed in one direction and spoke.
“If you go that way, there’s a lake within the Lunos Fiefdom.”
“Ah!”
“If holes just opened naturally in the ground, people wouldn’t suspect anything, would they? So we’ve installed pipes leading toward the lake to vent the gas outside.”
“I see.”
Jonah Tabishi’s face flushed with excitement, and he slapped his knee.
“Then the gas being vented there—I could use it however I want, couldn’t I?”
“Well… you’d have to speak with the plant director. Since this place ultimately belongs to the Royal Family… it wouldn’t be that simple to arrange a contract.”
Hearing this, Jonah Tabishi merely nodded with a satisfied expression.
He had confidence. Confidence that he could bring this venture to success.
He moved his steps toward the lake to verify it himself.
* * *
Even the nobility of Rasa rarely had the chance to witness a wedding this lavish.
The ship departing from the Empire, accompanied by musicians and wine, was already the beginning of a party, and the journey to the wedding venue was no different.
Pejin boarded the third carriage from the end on the way to House Lunos.
In the carriage rode a youth of House Disher and an elderly woman of House Madison. In the two carriages immediately following, members of the Royal Family rode one per carriage. In the Empire, it was customary for royalty to arrive last, regardless of the occasion.
“All things considered, it’s not bad at all.”
At the youth’s remark from House Disher, Pejin responded in his characteristically cold manner.
“Of course not. I was involved.”
At his words, the young man from House Disher laughed and nodded in agreement.
Right Island did not have many maintained roads, but fortunately, from any port, there was a path leading to House Lunos.
The people from the Rasa Empire, having just arrived on Right Island, groaned under the unbelievable cold and unfastened their coats, but they could not help but regard with reverence the endless expanse of snow that covered everything except the roads.
“In my lifetime, I never thought I’d see such a sight.”
Madam Madison murmured.
Pejin looked up at the snow covering the Lunos Fiefdom and the chilling snow-capped mountains that formed its backdrop.
Even after living so long in the Empire, he had never felt fear in this land of his childhood. Yet foreign visitors, when they set foot on Right Island, are said to feel dread at this spectacle.
Mountain shadows that resembled beasts of every kind, glaciers large and small, and the Primeval Forest.
Even the ambitious king of Left Island from a hundred years ago, who had sought to rule Right Island, had been stopped in his tracks by that Primeval Forest.
Madam Madison asked.
“Is there truly so much moss in the Primeval Forest?”
“Yes, one could say the true masters of that forest are moss and volcanic ash.”
“There can’t be much land on Right Island where people can actually live.”
“That’s correct.”
Through years in the Social Season, Madam Madison had grown accustomed to asking questions and raising topics to keep conversations flowing.
Madam Madison continued.
“I’m curious about the deep parts of that forest…”
“Most likely there’s a volcano in the interior.”
“Perhaps one day the Empire’s technology will allow us to see what lies beyond.”
To Madam Madison’s question, spoken in a gentle and kind tone, Pejin curled his lips slightly and replied.
“That’s possible, but honestly, there probably won’t be much to see.”
As he spoke, the carriage began to climb the hill toward House Lunos. Flower baskets hung from every Gas Lamp lining both sides of the road.
“So that’s the Lunos Grand Residence.”
The youth from House Disher gazed up at the Grand Residence on the hill.
One didn’t need an explanation to understand. The legendary Grand Residence that stood proudly in this snow field, its countless Gas Lamps burning bright.
Pejin spoke.
“I’ll get out here. I want to speak with a friend.”
He stepped out of the carriage and immediately boarded the royal carriage following behind.
In it rode Rian Ragnar, the son of the Emperor’s youngest sister and Pejin’s only rival within the Empire Police.
Rian clicked his tongue at seeing Pejin dressed as a bridegroom.
“Look at you, all dressed up.”
“People can’t take their eyes off me today. What should I do, I’m too handsome.”
“Your substance hasn’t changed one bit.”
Pejin sat down beside Rian, who sighed with an exhausted expression.
Rian spoke.
“I don’t understand it. My own younger sister is so shy she can barely speak, but if someone said she could marry you, she’d run to the Fiefdom even if I told her to. So why are you getting married here, to a target?”
“There’s affection from childhood.”
“That makes it even less understandable.”
“Never mind that—I need to speak with you about something.”
At Pejin’s words, Rian narrowed his brows, then immediately had the driver step out of the carriage.
With only the two of them remaining in the carriage, Rian asked.
“What is it?”
“Back when we were cadets, we made a promise, remember?”
“We did.”
The two had promised to watch each other’s backs, no matter what happened. To always fulfill each other’s requests.
It had been Rian’s proposal.
After observing Pejin for a long time, Rian had concluded that he was someone whose personal interests did not complicate the pursuit of Rian’s own desires.
Although he had no manners to speak of, he was otherwise trustworthy, and besides, Rian cherished their friendship.
Rian, looking at Pejin, continued.
“I wanted my own personal revenge. But you said you didn’t want anything back then.”
“I didn’t have anything to want then.”
“But we promised to watch each other’s backs anyway.”
“Let’s renew that promise now.”
At Pejin’s words, Rian looked at him. Pejin continued.
“I want the complete freedom of Right Island.”
“That’s impossible.”
“And putting the Emperor on trial is possible?”
“…It’s similar, I suppose.”
Rian laughed quietly.
“So? What do you need me to do?”
“Make me the Empire’s hero, starting from today.”
“What’s happening today?”
“You’ll find out when the moment comes.”
At Pejin’s words, Rian did not press further and simply nodded.
“Got it.”

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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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