[WN] I Became the Genius Bastard of a Noble Dark Clan Chapter 58

 Chapter 58

A beautiful woman with a spirited aura.

It was the face of Ruina, whom Chris knew well.

Of course, I know her. We had such a deep connection in my previous life.

It was an absolute secret that Ruina, the Guild Master of the Alliance-aligned merchant guild, and Rubid, the Guild Master of the Magic-aligned merchant guild, were the same person.

Considering the relationship between the two factions, it was only natural.

Even Chris only discovered that the two were the same person in the middle of the Era of Destruction.

"Because I'm a genius."

"…What did you say?"

"The information must be public, haven't you heard? That I am a genius of all ages."

Chris said with an arrogant tone.

"The disguise effect of the relic was clumsy, so I saw right through it. And when I saw your true face through the disguise, it was the same as Ruina, the merchant from the Alliance."

"I-Impossible…! How could such a thing be possible?"

Ruina cried out in disbelief.

It was natural for her to react that way.

The item Ruina used to hide her appearance was a sacred relic called 'Mask of a Thousand Faces'.

This relic, imbued with the power of the constellations, possessed an absolute power that prevented anyone, no matter how high their cultivation, from seeing through the disguise.

Chris naturally couldn't see through it either, but he calmly lied.

"Didn't I tell you? I'm a genius. What can I do when it's so obvious?"

"……"

Ruina tightly pressed her lips together.

Anyway, the reason didn't matter.

"…What are you going to do with me?"

"Well, I think it would be quite amusing to inform others."

"You'll regret it."

Ruina's eyes grew cold.

Ruina was an ordinary human.

But she seemed to have something she trusted.

She must be armed to the teeth with all sorts of relics.

The Rudolph Merchant Guild operated auction houses.

The Dear Merchant Guild was no different.

Since they distributed all the hidden treasures of the world, she possessed a vast number of self-defense relics.

It would be difficult for Chris to handle if she used a relic with extraordinary power, but—

"I told you, didn't I? If you take out what's inside, you'll regret it."

"!!"

"You'll die."

Ruina gritted her teeth.

She met Christian's gaze, conflicted.

Just what is going on?

She had heard it.

That the scoundrel of the Dark Magic family had changed and was recently showing remarkable abilities.

That he was someone worth paying attention to in the future.

But even so, he was only a 3-star.

While it was an impressive achievement considering his age, there was no way he could withstand the power of the relics she possessed.

Why couldn't she ignore that arrogant brat's warning?

The moment she took out a relic, it felt as though an irreversible catastrophe would occur.

Ultimately, she followed her intuition.

Above all.

"Please don't play games with me."

"Hmm?"

"You don't intend to reveal my identity anyway, do you?"

"On what grounds do you say that?"

"If you had intended to, you wouldn't have gone through all this trouble just to meet me. You want to make a deal with me, don't you?"

Ruina spoke calmly, her expression much more stable.

"As long as you want something from me, you wouldn't easily bring me down, would you, Young Master?"

Chris whistled inwardly.

Indeed, Ruina.

Just as expected of the woman who had cheated him in his prime, she was not to be underestimated.

In reality, he couldn't afford to let the Rudolph Merchant Guild fall.

It’s not easy to find such an excellent cash cow elsewhere.

There were many wealthy merchant guilds.

But Ruina's guild was the only one that had established vast information networks by operating across both the Alliance and Magic factions.

On top of that, she had the knack for acquiring countless treasures through massive underground auction houses.

For his future plans, the power of Ruina's merchant guild was absolutely essential.

The problem is that it's hard to make her a cash cow easily.

But difficult didn't mean impossible.

He knew Ruina's weakness.

[How long are you going to keep leeching off my hard-earned money?!]

Recalling Ruina's echoing scream, Chris grinned.

"Yes, there's something I want from you."

"What is it?"

"Money."

"…Yes?"

"And the various treasures you possess."

Ruina's face was etched with bewilderment.

She looked as if she thought, Is he crazy? Asking a merchant directly for money and treasures?

"What will you do if I don't comply?"

"Well, I'm not planning to threaten you. What I want is a trade. I'll give you something in return."

"What is the price?"

Chris pointed to himself.

"The opportunity to offer me money."

"…Yes?"

"In return, I will become your backer."

"……"

Ruina fell silent.

…What is this lunatic?

That was her honest thought.

Of course, it was common for powerful figures to receive bribes from merchants and act as their backers.

Ruina herself had connections with all sorts of powerful individuals.

But Christian wasn't in a position to do that.

They called him a scoundrel. He can't discern right from wrong.

She tried to appease him with the best words possible.

"I apologize, but I already have many excellent patrons. If you need money, I can give you a certain amount without conditions, so…"

She was about to say, Take your pocket money and leave, when Chris said something unexpected.

"Among all those patrons, none would be able to save your merchant guild."

Ruina's face stiffened completely.

"What do you mean?"

"As a merchant, you must know, right? That the continental situation is unsettling. At this rate, war is just a matter of time."

"……"

"Magic factions against magic factions, Alliance against Alliance. And eventually, a great war will break out between the Magic Empire and the Alliance."

This was actually going to happen.

The result would be catastrophe.

And Ruina, as a major merchant operating between both factions, had indeed been sensing such ominous signs.

"If such a war breaks out, it's obvious what will happen to your merchant guild."

Ruina operated merchant guilds on both the Alliance and Magic sides, conducting trade and accumulating immense profits.

Her main commodities were precious metals and rare treasures.

She built her wealth by moving treasures from the Alliance to the Magic side, and from the Magic side to the Alliance.

However, the moment war broke out, such trade would be completely severed.

No, that wasn't the problem.

She could potentially be branded a traitor by both the Alliance and Magic factions, have her guild's assets confiscated, and be burned at the stake.

"…That's a leap."

"A leap? You must know the atmosphere in the Evil King Castle, yet you're so optimistic. Your life and entire fortune are on the line, and you're so carefree."

Ruina was silent for a moment.

She knew that the Evil King Castle, where the Blood Sword, Spirit, and Curse Magic families were gathered, was on the verge of erupting.

"In this situation, there's only one preparation you can make. Liquidate your merchant guild in either the Alliance or Magic faction as quickly as possible and erase all traces of their connection. Then, even if war breaks out, you can avoid the worst-case scenario."

"……"

Ruina did not answer.

Such an action would result in immeasurable losses.

It was absolutely impossible for her to do.

In fact, in the original history, she didn't abandon either guild and walked a tightrope, risking her life to the very end.

Even though she knew she would be burned at the stake immediately if her identity was exposed to either side, she never gave up.

Why?

Because she was a tenacious money-grubber.

A fierce greed for money that made her rather die than lose it.

And that was precisely Chris's target, her weakness.

"If you don't want to, there's only one way: stop the war."

Chris began to bait her.

"…You, Young Master, can stop the war?"

"Yes, it's possible."

"…How?"

Ruina asked with a hollow laugh, but Chris simply replied.

"We just need to prevent the conflict between our Dark Magic Family and the Extreme Poison Family."

"!!"

"If our Southern Magic Kingdom stands firm, the Evil King Castle wouldn't dare think of starting a war."

Ruina’s expression changed.

She was a merchant well-versed in international affairs.

She understood Chris's words.

It made sense.

For the Evil King Castle to start a war with the Alliance, they need the cooperation of the Southern Magic Kingdom, where the Dark Magic Family resides.

That's why, in the original history, the Evil King Castle, led by the Bloodthirsty Magic King, subjugated the Southern Magic Kingdom before starting the war with the Alliance.

Coincidentally, the Southern Magic Kingdom, already weakened by all the upcoming incidents, couldn't withstand the Evil King Castle's invasion and humbly knelt.

And what followed was the First Great War with the Alliance.

"You must have heard about our family's and the Extreme Poison Family's relic dispute this time, right?"

"I heard. But they said they would limit their forces to prevent clashes between the two families…"

"Do you believe that? How naive. A lot of blood will surely be shed. And this incident will become the decisive cause for the widening rift between the two families."

"……"

"I intend to end this relic dispute without casualties to prevent the two families from drifting apart. Because if our two families fight and shed blood, it will give the Evil King Castle an excuse to start a war."

"But what do you mean by needing money and treasures?"

"Just as I said. To prevent the catastrophe that will occur in this relic dispute, I need to make preparations, and that requires money and treasures."

Chris said,

"I ask you. Do you feel inclined to sponsor me?"

"……"

Ruina's face was etched in agony.

Honestly, it was just a possibility.

Whether this incident would truly lead to a conflict between the Dark Magic family and the Extreme Poison family.

Whether it would give the Evil King Castle an excuse to start a war.

Whether a war between the Magic Empire and the Alliance would eventually break out.

She thought it was highly unlikely to happen.

—You’re so optimistic. Your life and entire fortune are on the line, and you're so carefree.

But what if things proceeded as that young master said?

The problem was that the possibility wasn't zero.

In the worst case, she could lose everything.

No!! How could I lose all the money I've accumulated?

The mere thought of war breaking out, her business failing, and her entire fortune being confiscated, made Ruina's eyes darken.

She wasn't afraid of being branded a traitor by both sides and burned at the stake.

But losing money was absolutely unbearable.

Well, it’s obvious what choice she’ll make.

Chris calmly waited for her answer.

It had been a similar situation in the past.

Chris had once led a large organization. Ruina had provided the funds for that.

Why?

To protect her own money.

The reason she sponsored the hero's party and became their money pouch was also the same.

She loved money so pathologically that she couldn't help but lavishly assist them to protect it.

It was the same this time.

She, with her pathological obsession with money, couldn't possibly ignore Chris's warning.

Finally,

"…Is there really such a danger in this relic dispute?"

"Yes, it's certain."

Ruina let out a deep sigh.

"Very well. I will follow the Young Master’s words."

Chris grinned.

"A good decision. But the price will be a bit high."

"High how?"

"There are things I need to prepare, and every single one of them isn't cheap."

"…How much do you need for it to be like that?"

"I don't know the exact price. I'll tell you the necessary items."

Chris began to list the items he needed.

With each item he named, Ruina’s face grew paler and paler.

Finally, she let out a shriek.

"Are you insane?!"