NOVEL NEXT Chapter 256: The Most Disadvantaged Party
"What did you say? How could this happen? How can such important news arrive so late?"
Belfor slammed his right palm on the desk, glaring at Rick with eyes burning in anger.
Rick didn't dare look back. He lowered his head, trembling with fear.
"Leader, please, don't be angry yet. Listen to my explanation," he said, his voice shaking.
But Belfor's fury only grew. He slammed his palm against the desk again.
Bang!
The thunderous sound made Rick's fear deepen.
"What explanation? What's the use of explanations when things have already turned out like this?" Belfor growled.
The Castellan family, which he had worked so hard to support and invest in, had collapsed and fallen into the hands of the Valmire family.
And that wasn't all. The ruling power of the eastern region, the Austin family, had taken up the matter and uncovered overwhelming evidence of their crimes.
It was revealed that Rovert, leader of the Castellan family, had committed a grave crime by using men from the eastern region as experimental subjects.
The news struck like a nuclear bomb from the sky. The Castellan family's authority was stripped away, and their status as a Marquis house was suspended by the Austins. For now, the eastern region had only two Marquis families left.
The greater problem was that the Red Obsidian Trading House was affiliated with the Castellan family. If suspicion spread, they could be accused of colluding with Rovert in his crimes.
If that happened, both his trading house and Belfor himself would be ruined. It wasn't impossible that the Emperor would sentence him to death.
The thought alone made his small body tremble violently.
Damn you, Rovert! If I had known you were hiding this, I would've killed you first! Belfor gnashed his teeth in hatred.
What unsettled him most was that the Valmire family had settled the case with help from the Blue Moon Trading House.
Rovert's death was also tied to them, making it clear their real goal was to suppress the Red Obsidian Trading House.
After five minutes, Belfor's rage finally eased.
He rubbed his temples and said in a heavy voice, "I'm sorry for my outburst, Rick. Our focus now is to resolve this matter. Have you erased all traces of our involvement with the Castellan family?"
"I have, Leader," Rick replied firmly. "When the news came, I destroyed most of the evidence linking us to the Castellan family. Even if accusations arise, they won't drag us into the abyss with them. Instead, we'll appear as victims of the Castellans."
"Good!" Belfor nodded with satisfaction. "Thank you, Rick. I truly appreciate your actions."
Everyone knew how close the Red Obsidian Trading House was to the Castellan family. But all of that would mean nothing if the evidence of their cooperation was erased.
At the very least, it would free the Red Obsidian Trading House from suspicion of aiding Rovert's crimes.
Still, that didn't mean Belfor and his trading house were spared from losses. The investments he had poured into the Castellan family were gone.
All of the Castellan family's properties and assets had been temporarily seized by the Austin family.
It might sound temporary, but in truth, recovering from it would be nearly impossible.
Damn it… Belfor felt his chest tighten. My billions of Sharn have just disappeared. Damn you, Rovert! If I'd known you were scheming behind my back, I would have killed you and torn you apart!
His face burned red with rage. Although not all of it was in cash—some was tied up in land, buildings, and other assets—the trading house would still suffer heavy losses.
Their cash flow would also be disrupted. Next month was supposed to bring in the returns from his investment in the Castellan family.
If everything had gone according to plan, he and his trading house would have made a huge profit. But misfortune struck too suddenly, leaving him no chance to withdraw his investment.
He grabbed his teacup and downed it in one gulp. The warm, sweet flavor slowly eased the tension in his body.
"By the way, Leader," Rick said in a serious tone. "I have a concern. What if the Blue Moon Trading House makes a move against us?"
His words jolted Belfor. His eyes widened slightly as he considered the possibility.
"Attack us? So they'd try to seize our power in the east?" Belfor's brows furrowed.
"Yes," Rick replied bluntly. "With the Castellan family's fall, our cash flow will shrink, and investments in other noble families will be delayed. If I were leading the Blue Moon Trading House, I'd strike at us right then."
After all, their investments weren't limited to the Castellan family—they had spread their wealth across many noble houses.
Of course, the amount was not as much as the Castellan family's, but when added up, it nearly equaled what they had spent on them.
The investments had also been made in stages rather than all at once, to maintain cash flow and avoid running a deficit.
But now, the investment in the Castellan family had to be forfeited, and they no longer had enough money to cover the remaining investments in the other noble families.
Belfor fell silent, his palms clenched tightly. After a moment of contemplation, he took a deep breath and said with a heavy heart, "In that case, we should sell the assets in the western and northern regions. In the west, we have many mining businesses. Sell half of them while keeping the rest, and make them more efficient by reducing the workforce."
"In the northern region, we have mines, hotels, and lodging businesses. Sell half and channel the money into cash flow to counter the Blue Moon Trading House's attack."
His voice carried reluctance. Those assets had long been steady sources of income for the Red Obsidian Trading House, bringing in hundreds of millions of Sharn each year.
Now, he had no choice but to part with half of them to overcome this crisis. Painful, but necessary.
The Red Obsidian Trading House's strength was in the east. If that foundation shook—or worse, collapsed—they would be finished.
"Alright, leader. I'll do as you say," Rick replied firmly.
Afterward, the two discussed many things, including the future of their investments. Because of the Castellan family's troubles, they could no longer move as freely as before.
The Austin family would be watching them closely, so they had to keep a low profile until the investigation ended.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot, leader. There's bad news about those slaves I mentioned before."
Rick's words made the once-calm Belfor seethe again.
"What now?" he asked, suppressing his irritation.
Rick, of course, noticed it, but he couldn't keep this matter hidden. It had to be reported at once.
"The High Elf I mentioned earlier..." Rick lowered his head in embarrassment. "She managed to escape..."