The union representative, frustrated, scratched the back of his head and let out an irritated voice.
"Anyway, this situation is not under my jurisdiction but the Ismail family's. So, I'm not in a position to do anything about it."
"Then what the hell is the Ismail family doing! We're starving to death here! What have they done so far!"
"Ah, well! They must have their reasons for staying quiet, right?"
"What kind of cold-hearted reason! We're dying of hunger here!"
A few other merchants, agreeing with the angry merchant, raised their voices in anger.
"What's the point if we all die and they start moving then!"
"How long do you plan to trust the Ismail family! They don't even seem to have any intention of moving!"
"It's been a month already! If the Ismail family had acted, that shameless Lyon guild leader should have been kicked out long ago!"
"Isn't this the Ismail family giving up? They seem to be just letting it go."
"No way."
Then, one merchant spoke of a rumor he had heard.
"There's a rumor going around that Lyon's guild is trying to win over the second prince this time. If that's true, isn't it somewhat plausible that the Ismail family is turning a blind eye to the situation?"
"I've heard that too. There was such a rumor."
"I've heard it too. I mean, backing not the first prince, and not even the third prince they were originally backing, but the second prince? What kind of crazy talk is that?"
The union representative had also heard of the rumor.
"Who the hell would believe that crazy talk? I've heard it too, but what kind of idiots are the Sinclair family to just leave those guys alone."
"But what if it's true? What do you plan to do then?"
"You people. There's no way that's true..."
The union representative's expression showed that he wasn't completely free from worry.
'Damn it. I've heard that rumor too.'
He had tried to ignore the absurd rumor.
But if it was true, the lack of action from the Ismail family so far would make some sense.
'But even so, we're their source of money, and they're just standing by?'
"We're the Ismail family's cash cow. No one can deny that fact. But would the Ismail family cut off their own cash flow?"
One merchant, who seemed to find that statement pitiful, refuted it.
"Then they must have found a new cash cow! Are we the only cash cow? If Lyon's guild is supporting the second prince, it means they're trying to get on the Ismail family's side instead of the Sinclair's! Then it would explain why the Ismail family has been quiet so far!"
The union representative's face darkened, unable to argue.
'Is this... really the case?'
But he still seemed reluctant to believe it.
'Still, we were their original cash cow. Would they abandon us and collude with a new cash cow? Especially with those they can't trust because they've been siding with the Sinclair family for so long? That's strange too.'
At that moment, his subordinate Joseph, who had been quietly observing the situation, approached him and whispered in his ear.
"Sir Warren, in my opinion, there's a possibility that the Ismail family is watching a dogfight between the two dogs they've raised, waiting to see who comes out on top."
"A dogfight? But we're the dog they raised. How can they just watch us fight with another dog?"
"Who knows? Maybe they're planning to tame the winning dog again."
"What about the other dog's owner?"
"If the dog has run away from home, why would they care? They'd just consider it lost."
"What?"
"Think about it. If a runaway dog gets into a fight with another dog, would they care?"
"Still, it's a dog they've cherished and raised, and they just leave it alone? And even if they take it to the hunting ground, it's still a good worker."
"Well, maybe the owner thinks the dog bit them and ran away."
"You have a big mouth. Who told you to babble like that?"
"If I've overstepped my boundaries... I apologize. I just wanted to offer some advice to Sir Warren."
"Then talk about dogs? Shut up and go away. Don't scratch my nerves with your nonsense."
"Yes..."
As his subordinate left, the union representative looked at the frustrated merchants who had come to him, yelling.
'Everyone is so anxious because they can't do anything. There hasn't been a quiet day since those guys came.'
Before becoming the union representative, he was the captain of a notorious pirate ship that roamed the seas.
A world where betrayal and backstabbing were commonplace.
He had survived through numerous hardships in that world, and his instincts were telling him something.
'I seem to have become too accustomed to a peaceful life on land. If I were still roaming the seas, I would have smelled this coming.'
"Well... it might not be certain."
As he sighed, everyone quieted down and waited for his next words.
Read ahead by supporting me on Ko-fi. Access 5 advance chapters with the Imperial Dalants Tier ($10) or 10 advance chapters with Dwarven Sovereigns Tier ($18) or 20 advance chapters with Goblin Dollars ($35). For every $25 collected on Ko-fi, I will release an extra chapter. Choose your tier by clicking the 'Support me' button! Rate and review this novel on NU to help people find this novel. Happy reading!
