Thought It Was ‘The End’, Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 60

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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 12. There’s No Grave Without an Excuse (1)

 

Every time they managed to catch a lead with difficulty, the clue would quickly be cut off.

 

Jeff let out a groaning sound.

 

When they had discovered information about the Kingdom of Brubewinn’s legend, it felt like finding a gold mine. Even though he considered it a far-fetched story, he continued investigating because Edelaine only reacted to that.

 

He planned to dig just a little more, and if nothing came up, he would give up.

 

But unexpectedly, something else got caught.

 

The Kingdom of Brubewinn was a barren and poor country located at the edge of the Mipan Mountain Range.

 

There were no notable specialties, and the farmland was so insufficient that they had to purchase food supplies from foreign countries every year.

 

In reality, the majority of the kingdom’s citizens were so poor that they couldn’t survive winter without national aid.

 

The population wasn’t large either, so the taxes collected would be pitiful, yet the Kingdom of Brubewinn distributed food supplies purchased from foreign countries every winter.

 

Where on earth does the money come from?

 

When he wasn’t paying attention to the Kingdom of Brubewinn, he thought the royal family was conducting overseas business to raise funds. How else could they purchase enough food supplies to feed the entire nation?

 

But no matter how he looked at it, the Kingdom of Brubewinn had no business opportunities.

 

While investigating the source of funds, Jeff discovered that the Kingdom of Brubewinn was secretly selling monster parts.

 

Whether or not the royal family was leading this business was unknown, but they were making money by selling even rare monster parts at high prices.

 

Business was Jeff’s area of expertise.

 

He succeeded in changing his name and approaching them to establish trade, but he couldn’t get close to the core of the business at all.

 

Gregory said,

 

“If we grab them by the throat, won’t they spit out something?”

 

“Should we try blocking their food supply purchase routes?”

 

“We should try anything.”

 

Patrick chimed in.

 

“Even if we block it now, they’ve probably already secured food supplies to get through this winter. Rather than that, how about lowering the commodity value?”

 

Monster parts were used in various places.

 

Among Jeff’s business ventures, there were many that dealt with products utilizing monster parts.

 

With large-scale investment, they could flood the market with parts and lower the commodity value.

 

Whoever the main entity of the business was, if they could maintain secrecy at that level, Jeff alone would be enough to crush them. Jeff frowned.

 

“If we destroy the business itself, won’t the people of the Kingdom of Brubewinn starve to death?”

 

“So what?”

 

Patrick replied coldly.

 

“Whether they’re estate residents or citizens, taking responsibility is the ruler’s capability. If they collapse from just one interference, that’s as far as they go. It’s their fate to have such a person as their superior.”

 

“You talk well.”

 

However, both Gregory and Jeff thought the same way.

 

Even if people really starved to death, that wasn’t their responsibility.

 

Morality, conscience – such things were meaningless before their purpose.

 

What mattered was achieving their goal and protecting their own people.

 

Gregory said,

 

“Won’t you be short on funds?”

 

“Ah, I have plenty. What do you take me for?”

 

Jeff grinned.

 

“Honestly, I don’t even have time to spend my own money. I’m too busy spending Shane’s money.”

 

“That’s not very satisfying either.”

 

Gregory sighed and shook his head. Leaving it to Shane was the best strategy to keep Edelaine close, but it was regrettable that he couldn’t see her face often.

 

“An envoy came from the Kingdom of Brubewinn too.”

 

“I’ll try approaching them. I’ll handle that.”

 

Patrick said.

 

While Jeff was good at approaching people sociably and winning their favor, Patrick could also act friendly when necessary. He just didn’t do it because there was rarely a need.

 

“Make sure to tell the Saint’s side not to let them approach Edelaine.”

 

“Yes.”

 

If Edelaine wouldn’t tell them anything, they had no choice but to find out with their own power.

 

Gregory, Emma, Patrick, and Jeff had asked the past Edelaine, who suffered from insomnia, countless times.

 

What’s wrong? Is there anything we can help with?

 

Edelaine would smile maturely and say, “I’m fine. Nothing’s wrong.”

 

This time was the same. Even when Jeff asked if she was okay, Edelaine only answered that nothing was wrong. If they just waited for her to open her heart this time too, the result would be the same.

 

Shane also knew Edelaine’s stubbornness well.

 

But he said he wouldn’t ask questions, not that he would sit idle.

 

Even if the Kingdom of Brubewinn and the mage Edelaine was looking for had no relationship, nothing would change. They were keeping it secret because they weren’t in an honorable position to begin with.

 

Even if it turned out to be unrelated, it would just be eliminating one illegally operated business.

 

They’d eliminate it because it was bothersome.

 

If Edelaine had seen this, she would have admired it as a bulldozer approach worthy of the original villain’s family.

 

***

 

Princess Mia of Brubewinn felt like every day was a dream.

 

The Greenwinsor Empire was incomparable to Brubewinn. If there was a heaven like the one described in sermons, it would surely be the Greenwinsor Imperial Palace.

 

The Empire treated its invited guests with utmost care and didn’t discriminate against her for being a princess of a small, poor country. There were power struggles among the invited guests, but such things only felt trivial to Mia.

 

The weather, which wasn’t very cold even in winter, was a blessed environment, and indoors it wasn’t cold at all.

 

The Kingdom of Brubewinn was so poor that even royalty couldn’t spend winter warmly.

 

The king and queen opened the national treasury every year for the starving people and considered waste and luxury sinful. Even when they could eat their fill, they weren’t allowed to eat much, and even when they could sleep warmly, they weren’t allowed to light fires.

 

But here, she could eat enough to leave food at every meal, enjoy various events to her heart’s content, and even take warm baths when she returned. Could it get any better than this?

 

“I want to live here forever.”

 

“That’s…”

 

“I just need to catch the Crown Prince’s eye, right? I’m qualified too!”

 

“Well, that may be so, but…”

 

“Even if not the Crown Prince, if I could marry a high-ranking noble…”

 

She could leave her detestable homeland.

 

Mia glared at her maid Kaitlyn, who wasn’t giving her pleasant words.

 

“You might think I’m foolish, but I’m serious. I really hate my country.”

 

“That’s sad. I really love Brubewinn.”

 

“I don’t understand. It’s dirt poor and there’s nothing to see.”

 

Kaitlyn smiled slightly.

 

“Well, if it weren’t for your family, we would have collapsed long ago. His Majesty said so. That you’re our kingdom’s treasure…”

 

“You flatter me. I just have a talent for business.”

 

Mia knows nothing.

 

That’s precisely why the King of Brubewinn could send her to marry into a foreign country.

 

No one expected the immature princess, who showed no trace of patriotism, to actually marry the Crown Prince, but if she was going to catch a Greenwinsor noble, they hoped she’d catch a man who could bring a lot of money to his in-laws.

 

“We’ll be able to see the Saint soon too, right?”

 

“I suppose so.”

 

“She was incredibly beautiful… It’ll be fascinating.”

 

Kaitlyn clenched her fists.

 

Noticing Kaitlyn’s darkened expression, Mia patted her arm and said,

 

“If you’re tired, you can go back and rest.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“No! I’m fine! I’m so happy right now!”

 

Kaitlyn stood up. Mia, who was about to lie down on the bed, suddenly remembered something and spoke to her back.

 

“Come to think of it, Kaitlyn, you were actually from Greenwinsor originally. You said you were adopted.”

 

“That’s right. Father saved me when I was dying while crossing the border. I’ll live my whole life repaying that debt.”

 

“Hmm, I see, so that’s how it is… Then you can’t come with me if I marry into Greenwinsor…”

 

“That won’t happen.”

 

Mia smiled smugly as if that settled it.

 

Kaitlyn looked fondly at Mia, who was acting as if she had openly eliminated a competitor, then left her bedroom.

 

‘It won’t be easy to approach the Saint, not yet…’

 

Kaitlyn could only cast magic when her target was within sight. Moreover, this place could be considered the heart of enemy territory. If she carelessly used black magic and got caught, she would die before even getting close to the Saint.

 

The most agonizing method would be to eliminate the people the Saint loved, one by one. She had no intention of giving her an easy death.

 

Either die and disappear, or be brutally betrayed.

 

‘Who is it? The person the Saint loves most.’

 

Kaitlyn planned to take her time and strangle her enemy’s neck.

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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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