Bad Born Blood-Chapter 197

Chapter 197

As soon as Ozmer lost power, the Tajirun of Menoa fiercely kept each other in check, vying to seize the vacant authority. In a single night, all sorts of schemes and deals were exchanged.

Yet, no one truly regarded Jafa as a threat. To them, Jafa was an outsider, an exile who could not return without their permission, someone they could easily push aside if necessary.

On the contrary, they all sought to leverage Jafa’s influence as an outsider. In such a precarious balance of power, even Jafa could prove to be a significant asset.

The atmosphere shifted subtly the moment the inheritance law firm arrived. They stayed aboard Menoa’s mothership for two days, conducting inquiries and interrogations. In the meantime, the autopsy—practically a dissection—was completed.

“...It was homicide.”

The coroner hired by the law firm spoke. He submitted the autopsy report, a lengthy document.

Though it contained complex details, the summary in the opinion section was straightforward.

‘Asphyxiation due to neurotoxin, signs of evidence tampering present.’

A snake had died of venom. It felt like the perfect setup for a joke. If I were even slightly less socially aware, I might have made a remark right then and there.

Suppressing both the thoughts in my head and the words lingering on my tongue, I observed the situation.

The Tajirun of Menoa immediately turned on Ozmer, demanding he confess. Given the circumstances, it appeared as though Ozmer had murdered the family head and manipulated the evidence.

‘If I were in their position, I’d think the same thing.’

However, Ozmer adamantly claimed his innocence. Taking it a step further...

—One of you killed Father! Someone among you is trying to frame me! Maldon, was it you?!

Ozmer pointed at his siblings, repeatedly shouting that the real culprit was among them.

‘Ozmer won’t confess. Not only because he didn’t do it, but also because admitting to the crime would mean exile.’

Unlike Jafa, Ozmer would not survive in the wastelands. He had no "Kato."

The situation was at an impasse. The lawyers dispatched by the firm argued noisily among themselves. They contacted their headquarters and seemed to be in occasional discussions with officials from the Bellato Federation.

“Menoa did not want his estate to pass on to the child who killed him. That is why he hired us in secret. If the culprit within the family is not identified...”

The lawyers issued a warning. Menoa had tried to force a culprit into the role, but the lawyers would not be fooled by such crude tactics. At the very least, the culprit had to be one of his children for it to be convincing.

However, there was no one in the Menoa family willing to take the fall and falsely confess for the sake of their family and siblings.

‘If the culprit isn’t found, the former family head’s estate will be donated.’

Jafa’s ten-year plan was brilliant. She exploited the nature of the Menoa family, sowed distrust among them, and humbled herself, bowing low as she planted her seeds. No one had expected that the Jafa who bowed would be planting seeds all along.

—Is it true that Father intended to donate his estate?

Maldon, who was acting as the interim family head, asked the lawyers on behalf of the family.

“These are documents notarized by the Bellato Federation. If you suspect forgery, you are free to file an appeal with the federal government.”

The lawyers responded calmly. The Menoa family, having seemingly resigned themselves to the estate’s donation, began consulting with the lawyers in preparation.

“Menoa’s assets will be distributed among various nonprofit organizations within the Bellato Federation. As for the shares in unregistered corporations and businesses... well, let’s take this opportunity to convert them into legal enterprises.”

—Is that even possible?

Most of Menoa’s businesses were illegal under federal law. While some had been registered through loopholes, the core enterprises were still unlawful, functioning no differently from criminal organizations.

“Normally, it would be difficult. But this is an exceptional case. A massive amount of capital is about to be distributed for public benefit within federal territory. I believe the government will be willing to turn a blind eye. There’s room for negotiation here.”

The Tajirun of Menoa stirred. They seemed slightly exhilarated, as if they had discovered an opportunity within the crisis.

Jafa approached me and whispered, as if providing commentary.

“Hoyot, they’re planning to use the donation to legalize businesses that are currently illegal under federal law. For reference, converting illicit business assets into legal assets through donations is extremely costly. There are entire Tajirun families that sustain themselves solely on that process. And while currency exchange provides only a one-time profit, owning shares in a legal business generates continuous revenue.”

“So essentially, they’re bribing the federal government under the guise of a donation, asking them to look the other way.”

“Exactly. Private corporations are stepping in to cover infrastructure expenses that would otherwise come out of the federal budget.”

As we spoke, the lawyers continued persuading the Tajirun, presenting their negotiation terms. The Tajirun, being a cunning and shrewd people, subtly twisted words and phrasing in an attempt to gain greater advantage.

However, among the lawyers, there were two Tajirun as well. The Tajirun lawyers countered the tricks of their own kind, steering the negotiations forward.

The lawyers handled the estate donation and the business legalization as separate matters. If the Menoa family wanted to legalize the donated business shares, they would have to pay a substantial additional cost.

‘Truly devious.’

I couldn’t help but smile inwardly.

The lawyers were clever. They had secured an enormous sum under the guise of legalizing the businesses—an amount significant enough that the Menoa family might have outright refused. However, when considered carefully, since the estate was bound for donation anyway, it was more beneficial to invest in business legalization, even if it meant spending more money.

Thus, the Menoa family, too preoccupied with calculating immediate gains and losses, failed to realize how deeply they had already sunk into the mire.

The negotiations, which had lasted three days, were coming to an end.

“...And the donation has not yet been finalized. We will also be sending our own investigators to find the culprit. If you look at this clause, you’ll see that if we identify the culprit, we will receive ten percent of the estate. That amount far exceeds the fees for business legalization. So, we plan to dispatch our best personnel for the investigation.”

The lawyers maintained that there were still alternative options to donation and emphasized that they, too, preferred a different resolution.

—We will conduct our own investigation to identify the culprit.

“If you require federal investigators at any point, we can arrange for them on your behalf. The Menoa family would likely find it difficult to request them directly.”

After concluding negotiations with the lawyers, the Tajirun of Menoa reached out to Jafa.

—Jafa, let’s put the past behind us. Perhaps it’s time to seriously consider returning to the family...

The Tajirun of Menoa never explicitly confirmed Jafa’s reinstatement but merely hinted at the possibility. They were hesitant to have her return at a time when the family was weakened.

‘But they don’t want to turn her into an enemy either.’

Jafa stood on a delicate threshold.

To the Menoa family, Jafa was neither an ally nor an enemy. She was someone they needed to cast out, yet also someone they had to embrace if she could bring them advantages. They couldn’t kill her outright, but they weren’t comfortable letting her be either.

I had seen this kind of situation before. I had encountered people who maintained a precarious balance on the border between gray zones.

‘Kinuan’s way.’

Jafa had stepped into a delicate equilibrium, acting as the counterweight.

‘So it really was Kinuan’s plan all along.’

If one could stand at the perfect balance point of power, they could coordinate and dominate without being the strongest. That was Kinuan’s specialty.

With everything settled, we left the Menoa mothership and returned to Border City.

About a month later, some of the Tajirun from Menoa came looking for Jafa at her company headquarters. The building’s renovations were nearly complete, and the air was thick with the distinctive chemical and adhesive scent of new construction.

—Jafaaaaaa!

“Jaspiekederaaa!”

Jafa’s full name echoed loudly throughout the building. The Tajirun from Menoa practically stormed into her office.

A heated argument broke out between Jafa and the visiting Menoa Tajirun—or rather, it was a one-sided tirade of verbal abuse from the Menoa Tajirun.

—Did you deceive us, Jafa?! Don’t tell me... even Father... was your doing...

It seemed they had finally realized everything.

The direct-line Tajirun of the Menoa family, the Bellato Federation government, the law firm... Jafa had quietly manipulated people behind the scenes while pretending to be uninvolved.

The former family head’s assets and shares had been transformed into legitimate capital and businesses. Meanwhile, the rest had been scattered across nonprofit organizations under the guise of donations.

‘Menoa probably thought everything ended with the donations. But when they finally came to their senses, they must have realized Jafa had already devoured the family’s capital and businesses.’

Jafa wasted no time. She absorbed seemingly unrelated organizations into the Jafa Scholarship Foundation or recruited them as subsidiary groups. She already had ties in place. Even when some mergers were aggressive, the Bellato Federation government approved them without hesitation, leaving no obstacles in her way.

‘Jafa had been working with the Federation government for a long time, planning to consume the Menoa family from within.’

The Federation government preferred people like Jafa over gray-area groups like the Menoa family.

Menoa had been swallowed whole by Jafa. The Tajirun of Menoa remained oblivious until they found themselves completely surrounded, the lights snuffed out, and all escape routes gone.

“Oh, and I’ve brought Lisanda onto the board of the Jafa Scholarship Foundation. I’ll need to calculate how much of the shares should be allocated for Lisanda to secure a seat at the roundtable. Hoyot, hoyot. My, I suppose I’ll have to raise her salary quite a bit as well.”

Jafa spoke fluently, without even using the Tajirun language.

The Menoa Tajirun all fell silent. They, too, had realized the truth.

Jafa now had the power to appoint Menoa’s voting representatives. In fact, for those at the bottom, their ability to attend the roundtable could depend entirely on Jafa’s backing.

*Tok, tok.*

Jafa tapped the long nails of both hands together. Equessian mercenaries approached, driving the Tajirun out.

—This won’t end here, Jafa.

Maldon, the current family head, growled his warning before retreating.

...And one month later, Maldon was dead.

The head of the Menoa family had changed.

It no longer mattered who it was.

“The reason this was so easy was because the Menoa family was stuck in the past. A time has come where even the Tajirun can’t survive without cooperating with the Bellato Federation. Other families worked closely with the Federation and secured Tajirun autonomous districts, where they’ve built their own factions and political groups. If the Menoa family had been an influential force within an autonomous district, I wouldn’t have been able to swallow them so easily.”

Jafa shared her thoughts.

“And without Kinuan’s help, you wouldn’t have stood a chance. This whole thing reeked of his methods. More than that, if you’d told me your plans in advance, unnecessary sacrifices could have been avoided.”

Leaning back on the sofa, I propped my chin on my hand.

“I saw it as the perfect opportunity to see if you could reach Kinuan’s level of thinking. As an employer, I believe this level of testing is acceptable. Hoyot, hoyot.”

I narrowed my eyes. If I didn’t keep my expression in check, the corner of my mouth would twist into a scowl, pressing sharply against my cheek.

“So, was it satisfying?”

“I could tell you caught on midway through. That was a great relief. Hoyoyoyoo, but if you glare at me like that, it’s quite terrifying.”

I debated whether or not to get angry.

A couple of months ago, I would have grabbed Jafa by the collar without hesitation.

But now, I could tolerate it. It wasn’t because Jafa was a woman—I had simply regained my mental stability. Maintaining a state of calm was easier now.

*Click.*

Jafa tapped on the table. A hologram flickered into the air, displaying maps and personal data.

“...And so, from here on out, I will trust you with everything. This is Valek’s current location. Let the hunt begin, Luka.”

Jafa cleverly dangled bait in front of me, redirecting my emotions. Grinning, I stood up.

‘Valek.’

The bastard who calls himself Kinuan’s disciple. Though, it’s likely not just a self-proclaimed title—he probably did receive Kinuan’s teachings. Either way, he wields the *Firelight* series of twin blades, just like me.

“Do you need any additional support?”

I thought for a moment, then snapped my fingers.

“A duffel bag. Big enough to fit a person. Oh, and a muzzle too.”

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