The Terminally Ill Young Master is the Mad Dog of the Underworld-Chapter 260

[Translator - Pot ]

[Proofreader - Kawaii ]

Chapter 260: Finally Crossing Seven Years of Time

"Karzan. Your confidence is admirable, but will you still feel the same after hearing what I have to say?"

Bazalo spoke with a cryptic tone.

"The truth is, your master, the Fourth Young Master, doesn't have much time left."

I tilted my head to the side.

"Are you really trying to make an issue out of his terminal condition?"

If so, that would be ridiculous.

I had long since escaped the fate of death by finding a way to control the dark mana.

"Terminal condition? He probably has his own ways to overcome that, whether by obtaining Ereshkigal or extending his lifespan somehow. That's why he's making these moves."

Bazalo showed a surprisingly calm reaction.

"I have no particular interest or concern about that."

"Then what?"

"It's a simple story. Second Young Master Verdzig has already sent me an ultimatum."

"!"

At this point, even I couldn't help but be shocked.

'Damn. He beat me to the punch?'

My blood ran cold.

I had almost been in serious trouble.

"And then immediately after, the Fourth Young Master's man comes looking for me. How interesting. You can really tell they're brothers."

Without responding to that comment, I asked a different question.

"What was the content of that ultimatum?"

"In short, it was coercive content mixed with threats and enticements."

"That couldn't have felt very good."

To my probing words, Bazalo replied as if it were obvious.

"Well. This isn't a matter to be decided by pride alone, as you yourself explained to me directly."

He wasn't easily swayed.

He was generally a man with few weaknesses.

'For someone who has reached the pinnacle like this man, this kind of flawlessness might suit him better than overwhelming strength or ferocity.'

Just like how Father had presided over the duchy's complex politics as an iron-blooded ruler who had set aside human emotions.

"There must be a reason why you hasn't answered that ultimatum yet."

Bazalo nodded.

"It's not something to decide easily. For me, it's a choice between confronting or submitting, so I needed time to deliberate."

"In such a situation, having Young Master Allenvert as an option wouldn't be bad."

"Well, I wonder about that."

Bazalo placed large and small pieces of meat side by side on his plate.

"To me, the difference in power between the two sides feels about this much. Young Master Verdzig has the full support of Count Bergen's clan, and the man Harald who serves as his aide is also from the Grimarr family, who have deep roots in the underworld."

I quietly listened to Bazalo's words.

"Moreover, the Second Young Master has long since recruited many underworld minions, including the Pawelmoon. Seeing how he smashed the Pawelmoon with just two subordinates, his skills have clearly improved from before."

Bazalo cut a piece of meat and placed it on Verdzig's side before continuing.

"According to recent rumors, he's been drawing various forces under his wing, including Count Agrippa's clan. It means he's expanding at a tremendous pace."

I nodded.

"Your information is fast."

"The problem is that Count Agrippa's clan has considerable influence in the underworld. If they all join forces to pressure me, it would be difficult to endure."

"...Hmm."

Bazalo's assessment of the situation was quite accurate.

Moreover, all the information from this world seemed to reach this man's ears.

"Compared to that."

Bazalo pointed to Nagan and Zizek.

"Your lord Young Master Allenvert's personal forces are still small, aren't they?"

"...!"

Nagan seemed to bristle, but since this was someone above his former boss whom he had served his entire life, he made no particular retort.

"The Bisakino Brotherhood, weakened after losing their boss to schemes and suffering internal strife. And the remnants of Eisenach, who suffered annihilation."

I glared lightly at Bazalo.

"You know quite a lot."

"Is there more besides that? I don't know how many forces exist within the duchy, but at least in the underworld, what I know seems to be everything."

Of course, I had the two brothers from Svaltalfar, Ghir and Drak, as allies, but I didn't bother to reveal them.

"Gathering that much power alone in such a short time is remarkable. However, it's hardly enough to match the forces of Young Master Verdzig or the Black Society."

Bazalo belittled my forces like a merchant who starts negotiations by severely undercutting the price.

"Even if the Black Serpent Duke and Venion side with the Fourth Young Master."

"How harsh of you."

But for a Godfather who had been rolling around in the underworld for a long time, showing this kind of calculated aggression was not strange at all.

"Didn't you see that I already defeated Schelde of that Black Society?"

"Of course I saw it. It was quite impressive."

Bazalo replied.

"However, compared to the Black Society's true power, wasn't that just the tip of the iceberg? Even if Young Master Verdzig had stepped in, the result of Schelde's defeat would have been the same."

"Well, I'll be damned."

I chuckled.

"I can't tell if you want to negotiate or whine. Why do you keep making such weak arguments?"

"It means that half-hearted word games won't work. If you want to persuade me, you'll need to present solid evidence."

Bazalo urged me on.

"It's not just the Second and Fourth Young Masters competing for dominance in this underworld. The truth is, the Black Society is actually more persistent and vicious than both Young Masters."

Bazalo was right.

As long as the Black Society existed, focusing solely on the confrontation with Verdzig was impossible.

"As far as I know, Schelde had extended his reach to no less than three organizations. One of them was the Bisakino Brotherhood, but Huten's conspiracy ended up being thwarted by you."

"...Mm."

I hummed thoughtfully. Targeting three places at once, what a diligent bastard he was.

"Another was the Pawelmoon, but that was suppressed by Young Master Verdzig."

Compared to all the shit I went through catching Huten, recruiting Nagan, and joining hands with the Svaltalfar brothers, Verdzig had finished the job with a single small-scale surprise attack.

'Looking at it this way, it feels rather hollow.'

When the body is weak, the head suffers, this might be exactly what that saying means.

"According to the Godfather's words."

I asked.

"They worked on three organizations but failed with two, so effectively they only recruited one organization?"

"Correct."

Bazalo nodded.

"However, they had already taken control of another organization long ago. Effectively, two of the five organizations, mainly composed of outsiders, should be considered belonging to the Black Society."

"!"

That meant that without my and Verdzig's intervention, as much as 80% of the forces would have fallen into the Black Society's hands.

But Father and Venion wouldn't have just watched that happen... freewebnoveℓ.com

'If I hadn't regained my memories from my previous life, Verdzig would have crushed the Black Society's conspiracy with the clan's support.'

Then Verdzig becoming the next generation's duke would have been all but certain.

"Well, let's leave the complex political situation discussion at that."

Bazalo tapped the table to draw attention.

"Now I'm curious about your persuasion. I spoke frankly about my position because I'm curious if there's a reason I should still take the Fourth Young Master's hand despite all this."

"It's actually quite simple."

"Simple? What is?"

I held up four fingers.

"There are four forces competing for dominance. Let's say Young Master Verdzig and the Black Society are fighting for first and second place, while the Godfather and I are competing for third and fourth place."

"...I suppose so."

"If third and fourth place join hands, it will become difficult for first and second place to defeat us individually. It's simple math."

Bazalo suppressed what he wanted to argue and showed patience.

"And then?"

"The problem is that the possibility of first and second place joining hands is very low."

"The reason?"

I countered.

"Would a Young Master of Grunewald really sell his clan to the Black Society and some Dark King?"

"...If he were that kind of man, he wouldn't have killed the Pawelmoon’s Godfather who was recruited by the Black Society either."

"Exactly. Therefore, since first and second place cannot mix with each other, if third and fourth place combine forces, they could become the strongest force and create a situation where the underworld is divided into three parts."

Bazalo nodded.

"That makes sense."

"My plan is this. To Young Master Allenvert's faction..."

That is, to my faction.

"Add the Red Mist Alliance and its subordinate organizations. Thus creating a structure where if one side moves, they give the other side an advantage."

"That would buy time. But the enemies will eventually find a way too."

"That's fine. The important thing is buying time."

Bazalo leaned toward me.

"You mean the key to victory lies in buying time?"

"That's right."

"I'm truly curious about that method."

"You can't be unaware of what it means to hear that method from me."

"Hahaha!"

Bazalo laughed heartily and stood up.

"Karzan."

I also stood up and replied.

"Godfather, speak."

"To hear that method, I should naturally pay the price. In advance."

"I would be grateful if you did."

Bazalo declared with a serious expression.

"From today, the Red Mist Alliance will side with Young Master Allenvert."

I smiled broadly and extended my hand...

The king who ruled Grunewald's underworld grasped my hand.

"Now that we're in the same boat, we'll weather storms together and share treasure together."

Sorry, but...

I got ahead of you again this time, Verdzig.

"So now let me hear what that method is."

I nodded.

"Of course I must tell you."

***

The couple walked quietly through the garden under the moonlight.

"...Lusatia."

After a very long silence, Georg finally spoke.

"I had prepared so many words, but now that I stand before you, I feel like my mind has gone completely blank."

Then Lusatia's gaze, which had been quietly looking into the distance, turned to the man standing beside her.

"...Darling."

Lusatia's eyes were gentle in the moonlight.

The duke felt his breath stop momentarily as he replied.

"Speak, Lusatia."

"You really do have a lot more gray hair."

"Ahem."

Only after the duke coughed awkwardly did he realize this was Lusatia's joke.

"Seven years have passed. I'm old now too."

"You were already quite an old husband to me from the beginning, so it's fine."

"Ahem!"

It was truly a rare sight to see the duke so flustered by someone's words.

If Venion had seen this, he would have rolled his eyes like hooks and teased him endlessly, but fortunately he was a man busy with public and private affairs.

"...Of all places, you chose this as our meeting place. Despite your stern appearance, you're quite romantic."

"I can't help how I look."

"You always keep your mouth shut so sternly that your expression becomes heavy too."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Only after Lusatia had gently scolded her husband did she finally bring up what she wanted to say.

"...I counted the letters you sent over the years, and there were over 500."

The duke asked with quiet joy.

"...Did you read them?"

"Only after meeting Allen, finally."

Lusatia stopped and looked up at the night sky. Georg waited quietly for her.

"So this is what it feels like to take an evening stroll."

"..."

"If it weren't for Allen, I probably would never have felt this feeling again."

Georg nodded heavily.

"I'm truly grateful to Allen. I too feel like I've received much salvation from that boy."

The honest words he couldn't even say in front of his son came out so easily in front of his wife.

"While resenting you, I hated myself for trying to understand the reasons behind such a choice."

It was the same for Lusatia.

"But I never had any intention of forgiving you in the end. Even if there were a hundred good reasons, I knew that with your power, you could have saved my clan and family."

"..."

Georg had no words to say.

This wasn't a place for explanations, but for hearing her resentment.

"Darling."

"I'm listening."

"However, just as Eisenach is my clan, Grunewald is your clan. I guessed that it was a decision made to protect Grunewald, and I confirmed it again while reading your letters."

"But Eisenach is also my clan. The fact that the head who protected Grunewald was simultaneously a son-in-law who abandoned his wife's clan doesn't change."

Georg didn't evade his responsibility.

"To rule means to decide what to abandon and what to sacrifice at every moment. I understand that in moments of choice, you made the decision most fitting to your duty."

"As a result, my wife and child's lives were ruined, so I am a sinner."

Lusatia shook her head.

"Only after meeting Allen did I finally come to reflect on my own weakness and cowardice."

"Only you yourself would have criticized yourself as weak."

At her husband's comfort, Lusatia smiled very faintly and said.

"But the more I think about it, the more miraculous and mysterious it seems. The fact that the jewel called Allen, born between you and me, diligently crossed the river that we could never cross ourselves and pulled us together to meet each other."

"...Such a miracle is something we could never have felt before our child was born into this world."

The couple who had created the miracle called Allenvert held each other's hands.

"We should be grateful for the long night. We'd need time to share the stories that have accumulated over seven years."

At those words, the duke smiled gently.

"I've already written down all my stories, filling 500 letters."

The couple's reconciliation was both this difficult and this simple.

[Translator - Pot ]

[Proofreader - Kawaii ]

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