The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 112

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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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Chapter 112

“There was a guy there just like me from the old days. A janitor who was suffering under the arrogant Argos Trading Company employees. When I approached him and got him thoroughly drunk, he started spilling secretive stories.”

The story Benjamin told as he began was actually quite common content. A regrettably common occurrence.

“Those Argos Trading Company bastards have been comfortably staying in the capital all this time, just picking up scraps from the north to boost their performance. The byproduct business of monster hides and horns.”

“Right. I heard from Sion too. They get everything processed through a famous northern guild that inherited ancient dwarf techniques? So they just need to connect that with buyers.”

“That’s right. But I wonder if you know this, Guild Leader. Before selling items made from monster byproducts, there’s one procedure they must go through.”

“What is it?”

“Certification. They have to voluntarily report to the Holy Order and receive certification that it’s safe enough to meet commercial standards before they can sell. Since these are items imbued with monster power.”

“Don’t tell me there was a problem there?”

“Yes, Guild Leader. They apparently accidentally left a few items off the list. So a gauntlet worn on the arm suddenly went berserk, broke out of its box and attacked a coachman. The coachman suffered a lifelong disability and can never use his legs again.”

“Such a thing happened!”

“You had no idea either, right Guild Leader? They covered it up so thoroughly that not even a mouse or bird would know. If this accident became known, it would be big trouble.”

Benjamin whispered.

“They thoroughly hid the fact that it was an uncertified item, and immediately destroyed evidence from the scene. Then they privately mobilized a famous lawyer to threaten that this accident was entirely due to the victim’s negligent management, silencing him completely.”

“What about medical expenses?”

“Of course they didn’t pay a single penny. If they paid medical expenses, it would leave a record that could expose them, and it would mean admitting their own mistake.”

“Did Sion know about this too?”

“Of course they couldn’t fool the guild leader completely. But they reported that there was absolutely no fault on their part. The guild leader just let it slide after hearing that.”

So you decided to just cover it up and move on too?

There’s no way Sion, with his keen intuition, didn’t know the truth. He just turned a blind eye because stirring things up would only hurt him.

Sion is the type of person who thinks it’s fine to do bad things as long as he doesn’t get caught. Just like how he secretly bullied Aristina when they were alone together in the past.

‘He brought it on himself.’

I shook my head disapprovingly.

A weapon using monsters going berserk is an incident everyone should be alarmed about. It would also damage the trading company’s credibility.

And they handled it like this? Just because the other party was weak?

“They really did something stupid. With the Order involved, they’re going to pay dearly? I need to meet this victim, the coachman. What kind of person is he?”

“The janitor said he didn’t know that either. They covered it up too thoroughly.”

“Nothing leaked from the victim’s side?”

“Hmm… They were threatened severely, but if it were me, I would have tried to report this unfair situation somewhere. The janitor said something similar too. Something about the victim’s family trying to tip off a newspaper company.”

Something suddenly came to mind at Benjamin’s words.

How did they know we were investigating them?

Melissa Gremory, editor-in-chief of 【Justice Daily】, said this to me as soon as she saw me.

At the time I thought she might be investigating whether I, the villainess, had truly reformed. But thinking about it now, it might not have been about me specifically but about our entire family.

Benjamin asked.

“Should I go to 【Justice Daily】 and ask about it?”

“No.”

I shook my head.

“I’ll ask directly. I had business there anyway.”

Thinking about the victim left a bitter taste in my mouth. Using lawyers to threaten and not even paying medical expenses because admitting fault would cost them too much. It’s such a familiar pattern.

Having seen corporations use their power to cover up accidents and crush victims more than once or twice, I couldn’t help but empathize with the common people in situations like this.

“Anyway, I really want to meet the victim, so please look into it again.”

“Yes, Guild Leader.”

“Good. You worked hard. Was there any other information about Argos Trading Company’s weaknesses besides this?”

“The rest are just trivial things…”

While I was having a conversation with Benjamin, footsteps could be heard from outside.

“Young Lady!”

Sophie opened the door and came in.

“A guest just arrived!”

“Who is it?”

“Professors sent by the dean of the Paleontology Academy. They’re requesting to borrow the White Griffin’s horn for a while, saying various scholars from different fields want to gather and observe it.”

Ah…

Now I could understand.

The ‘request that couldn’t possibly be ignored’ that Ruellian mentioned was exactly this.

Duke Carnel would immediately refuse if someone made a request based on shallow connections. But he never refused requests related to academics or public projects. It was a strategy that understood the Duke’s character well.

“Good. You did well, Benjamin. I should go there then.”

I said that while looking at Benjamin, but there was no response.

He was glancing curiously at the ‘Aide’ nameplate Sophie was wearing. Not just that, but everything in this manor seemed fascinating to him.

“Benjamin.”

When I called again, he was startled.

“Yes, Guild Leader!”

“I’ll be going now. These snacks will have to be thrown away if left here, so take your time eating them all. I had portions prepared for your siblings too, so don’t forget to take them.”

“Ah, thank you!”

Benjamin answered with a brightened face.

I parted with him and went downstairs.

The professors from the academy were coming out with happy faces. The butler was guiding them and said.

“We need to put the item in a box, so please wait a moment.”

“Understood.”

Things are proceeding smoothly.

I entered the study in a good mood.

But…

Somehow the atmosphere was strange.

Duke Carnel looked at me and slightly frowned.

Sion also stopped preparing the box and looked at me, with an expression as if he found something amusing.

What?

While I was wondering, Duke Carnel suddenly said.

“You bought a newspaper company?”

Ah, was that the problem?

Strange. I know 【Justice Daily】 is a newspaper company hated from all sides, but I didn’t think he’d be troubled by just that?

I answered calmly without panicking.

“Yes, that’s right. But I don’t think I did anything wrong. That was the best choice to obtain crucial information for finding the Windfearer.”

“But not that newspaper company.”

“Why not? From what I heard, even the imperial court used it to create positive public opinion through articles about how the Emperor truly loved the Empress. Besides, it’s an incident everyone has already forgotten…”

“I’m not worried about the reaction from the imperial court or other nobles.”

Duke Carnel said coldly.

“Do you know how many newspapers that company prints per day?”

“…”

“Only 3,000 copies. They’re mainly consumed by being posted on tavern walls for multiple people to read together. Well, it’s not too few for a small newspaper company. But they can’t even properly cover printing costs and have to rely on donations from loyal readers? They’ve been running at a loss for a long time, so even at this moment, losses are continuously accumulating in your performance.”

“…”

“A kid who says she wants to do business just leaves this mess alone? Even if you acquired it out of necessity, you should have disposed of it immediately after using it. But you’re going to continue operating it? Is that a decision a businessperson should make? No matter how well your other businesses are doing, you just jump into a business that’s obviously going to lose money based on that alone? You’ve done something that lacks even the basics.”

So that was the problem.

Well, yes. It’s not really a choice a businessperson would make.

I admit that too.

‘I thought this world needed at least one newspaper company that pursues justice, so I just wanted to try managing it.’

What if I said this honestly?

There couldn’t be a more stupid and pathetic answer than this. Duke Carnel’s contemptuous gaze would immediately pour down on me. It would be a hundred times better to just pass it off as a mistake.

But…

Should I say I was fortunate? I had something to say too.

“Still, this will be a learning experience. If I expand things thoughtlessly without any consideration, it’ll only eat away at my own flesh. I need to experience this kind of painful failure at least once and learn from it.”

Duke Carnel said coldly.

In the old days, a file folder would have flown at my face. At least it stopped at this level. He seemed to just want to finish with a reprimand.

I opened my mouth again toward the Duke.

“I’m sorry, Father.”

“Hmm? You don’t have anything to be sorry to me about. Maybe you should feel bad for your guild.”

“That’s not what I mean. I’d also like to experience a painful failure from this incident and learn a lesson, but I don’t think I’ll be able to.”

“…?”

Duke Carnel looked at me with a puzzled expression as if asking what I was talking about. Sion also stared at me like ‘Have you lost your mind?’

Toward them, I boldly declared.

“Because my newspaper company will turn an immediate profit by the end of today.”

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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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