"Failed? How could it? What kind of assassins did you hire?" Belfor demanded, his voice sharp.
His gaze was fixed on Rick and Erland��full of anger and hatred.
Rick bit his lower lip before answering. "I enlisted the Blood Moon Organization from the eastern continent. They hired independent professional assassins as a precaution. But last night, I received word that the assassins lost track—meaning they might all be dead."
He hadn’t expected this either. At first, he thought the plan would work flawlessly. What he hadn’t anticipated was that the assassination would fail.
Belfor gritted his teeth in frustration. "Did you leave any trace that the order came from us?"
"Don’t worry, Leader. I can guarantee that everything was completely erased," Rick assured solemnly.
He wasn’t that careless. Knowing that the Red Obsidian Trading House was under surveillance, his caution had reached its peak.
Belfor exhaled and leaned back against the seat.
"Thank goodness. You did well," he said with a slight smile.
It didn’t matter that the assassination had failed. What mattered was that all evidence of their involvement had vanished. Only then would they avoid becoming prime suspects.
Rick felt a surge of pride at the compliment. It had been a long time since Belfor had praised him, and the feeling was unexpectedly nostalgic.
Just as the three continued their conversation, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside. The next second, the door was violently smashed to pieces, and dozens of armed soldiers stormed in.
"Don’t move!"
One of them commanded sharply in a cold, authoritative tone.
Belfor, Erland, and Rick froze in shock. They stared at the dozens of white-armored soldiers, swords drawn, panic rising in their chests.
Suppressing his fear, Belfor hurriedly stood up. "Can you explain what’s going on first?"
The foremost soldier, their leader, stepped forward with a serious expression.
"Belfor Horven, there are reports accusing you of involvement in money laundering, fraud, and other crimes. On behalf of the leader of the eastern regional guard force, I am placing you under arrest!"
Without waiting for a response, he grabbed Belfor and slammed him onto the table. Belfor struggled, but it was useless.
His body was short, while the soldier was tall and strong. And he was just a businessman—how could he possibly fight a trained soldier?
"This is slander! I didn’t do any of this!" Belfor roared in anger.
But the soldier didn’t budge. He tied Belfor’s hands and dragged him outside.
"Take these two as well," he ordered, pointing at the terrified Rick and Erland. "They are suspects too."
The other soldiers nodded and immediately restrained them.
"Don’t touch me! I’m innocent!" Rick shouted, struggling frantically, but it was no use.
Two soldiers restrained him and led him out. Erland looked the most pitiful of all. He wasn’t involved in anything—except the assassination plot against Anna.
No matter how desperately he searched for excuses or tried to explain, the soldiers holding him didn’t care at all.
In the end, all three were forcibly taken from the Red Obsidian Trading House head office, under the watchful eyes of the employees and guards inside.
Only when they were loaded into a horse-drawn carriage and disappeared from sight did everyone finally start to regain their senses.
"What... just happened?" someone whispered in horror. "Was that Chairman Belfor, Mr. Rick, and Count Erland? Why were they captured by soldiers?"
The rest of the staff remained silent, unsure how to respond. Like the first speaker, they were equally confused.
Then, one of them stepped forward, out of breath. "I... I overheard that Chairman Belfor is accused of major crimes—money laundering, fraud, and more."
Shock rippled through the group. To them, Belfor had always been kind-hearted; he couldn’t possibly commit such acts.
They wanted to refuse to believe it, but the arrest itself was undeniable evidence.
"So... what will happen to the Red Obsidian Trading House—and to all of us?"
The question left everyone in stunned silence.
Guilty or not, they were all employees of the trading house, relying on it for their livelihood.
If it fell, they would all suffer the consequences. A heavy tension hung over the surroundings, with no one knowing what fate awaited them.
...
"So, the arrest was successful?" a woman asked casually.
"Yes, it was successful," a maid in front of her replied respectfully.
"Alright, thank you for the information. You may leave."
The maid bowed slightly before turning and walking out of the room.
The woman smiled faintly and whispered, "It seems the Austin family is indeed reliable, just as Master said. Speaking of Master..."
She licked her lips and rubbed herself. "I miss him so much. He hasn’t visited me in a long time. Has he forgotten me already? How cruel! But... I like him! Ahn!"
Just as she was lost in her desire, a clearing of the throat came from the front.
"Ahem! Are you done, Shion? If so, please listen to me first."
Startled, Shion looked up and saw Arnold standing before her with a flat expression.
"Arnold!?" she exclaimed, taken aback. "Since when are you here?"
An embarrassed smile appeared on her face as she hurriedly withdrew her hand and straightened up.
Arnold rolled his eyes, ignoring her question. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a document, and handed it to Shion.
"Lord asked me to give this to you," he said nonchalantly.
Shion took the document and read it carefully. Minutes later, shock was clear in her eyes.
"This..." she whispered, her lips trembling in astonishment. She stared at the document. "When did Master get all this?"
The document listed every crime Belfor had committed over the years—surprisingly detailed and itemized.
If this reached the court, the outcome was clear: Belfor would be ruined and imprisoned.
"Lord has been collecting this for a few days to destroy the Red Obsidian Trading House," Arnold explained casually.
Shion nodded, a pleased light in her eyes.
"As expected from Master—brilliant!" she said earnestly.
She truly hated Belfor. It wasn’t mere rivalry but a deep loathing for how he profited so ruthlessly.
She had long suspected the Red Obsidian Trading House of dirty dealings, yet the evidence always vanished.
A few days earlier a massive search was carried out, and the proof was finally found.
Still, they hadn’t been strong enough to topple a trading house as vast as Red Obsidian—until now. With this new evidence, they had more than enough to crush it.
Red Obsidian Trading House... She licked her lips, eyes flashing with cruel delight. Time for you to disappear from this world... hehehe...