Arestia Empire'S World Domination
Chapter 38: The Agent

...—Hauzen City, Arestia— Empire...

...—15 September 1238—...

"Old Man, I want to make a deal with you."

The words of an untidy short blue-haired young man sitting face to face with him left Edward a little flabbergasted. It was unexpected that Ares would be so bold as to ask for her help after being ignorant of the engagement proposal that Lucia had given him.

"What...do you want? Besides, I'm only 41, you know." Hearing himself being called a parent, Edward raised his objections.

If someone looked at him, they would definitely judge if Edward was a figure who had just grown up from his royal days. Her smooth oval face showed no signs of aging, causing her to feel a bit of heartache when Ares called her a parent.

Ever since the meeting of the two when launching the establishment of the Merchant Guild in the capital two years ago, only Ares would speak frontally to him. No one among the nobles of the Kingdom of Holenstadt ignored his politeness when speaking to Edward given the position of Minister of Finance owned by the Head of the House of Honzermus.

"Before that...how is the current state of Holenstadt politics?" ask Ares.

"You're not." Edward gave a quick reply, giving a sharp look while hooking up his hands that each elbow refuted his two thighs right in front of his nose.

Edward felt that the state of the country was increasingly not conducive. The nobles of the two large groups sought each other's support from the neutral nobles who had money just like him.

No longer safe, Edward feels that his family members may be able to become hostages if things get heated up, his concern is very high if one of the factions intends to force Edward to give his support, as in terms of finances and military strength of his home.

"Can you hold them off for the next three or four years?" Ares momentarily closed his eyes slowly, "At least until the Merchant Guild has a branch in the country that is at the center of the world."

"Eh? Didn't you say something very impossible, Your Majesty?" Deeply shocked by Ares's request, Edward understands that the young man before him intends to make him an agent.

However, Edward denied, it was impossible to hold two large factions in a state of conflict, which could result in assassinations of the princes who were the leaders of the faction.

"After all, I had planned to flee the country with Lucia and my wife when things were out of control." Edward spread his back, feeling very tired to discuss a heavy topic.

Edward's arrival with his daughter to the western continent was not solely due to the inauguration of the Merchant Guild, either, but also the two who want to take a break from the hot situation of the Royal Capital of Holenstadt and vacation by enjoying the tour of the water canal that has opened in Hauzen City.

"If you accept it, I promise to protect your daughter—"

"Wait on! Have you decided to marry Lucia?!" Edward subconsciously got up, holding his body on the table with both hands while interrupting Ares' words.

Ares changed his expression to ugly, "Huh?! Do you want to bring seeds of chaos into my country?!"

Ares understands. The main source of chaos in the game world starts from Lucia, the only daughter of Edward who is favored by two princes Holenstadt from two opposing factions.

The murder of one of the princes of Holenstadt Kingdom by his opposition prince out of impatience with Lucia who did not accept any of the proposals aroused the anger of the victimized faction, igniting a world war where the two factions received the support of two major world powers, the Holy Empire of Alven and the Renacles Empire, or can be said to be Arafant and Mihiral Religions.

Even when looking at the storyline that the game has, Ares who was then still a player frowned, it is unexpected that a very powerful world war can occur only because of the existence of a girl who does not choose her bride.

"La—then, how do you protect my daughter if you don't marry her?!" Edward subconsciously raised his voice, feeling that his daughter's safety was at stake.

One of Ares' petals twitched, feeling a waste of exhausting interaction with the man before him and heaved a heavy sigh while resting his back on the sofa's backrest, "I just have to send a bodyguard to him."

"Why do you feel so sure?" Edward asked in surprise, sitting back on his couch quietly, "Are you not aware of the greatness of the two-state intelligence that supports the brand— faction"

"Bloodytears, intelligence group of the Renacles Empire, a total of 475 members, 30 members of class S. The Dark Knight, the intelligence group of the Holy Alven Empire, had a total of 286 members, 15 S-class members. Arafant Church Inquisitor, 315 members, 28 S class members."

Ares' silence once again made Edward momentarily flabbergasted, his eyes were wide open.

"You... lied.... right?" Edward said in amazement.

"What's my advantage if I lie to you, Old Man? And also, I am very confident in the abilities of my bodyguards. At the very least, he can take your daughter on the run when she's surrounded by 20 intelligence members with S-class capabilities." Ares gave his statement with great confidence.

"really?" Edward asked, great distrust contained in his tone.

"Marie."

THE HORN!

The twin doors of the wooden cabinet in the corner of the room suddenly opened, sounding loud enough to cause Edward surprise.

"Who?!" Edward frantically turned his head, raising his vigilance despite not carrying a single device of self-protection.

A short-bodied girl stepped out gracefully. Bob's short hair was purple, his round facial expression seemed very pleasant. No one thought that Marie was one of Ares's "black" underlings.

Marie smiled, her purplish eyes narrowed, bowing deeply as an introduction as well as a tribute to Edward, "Good night, sir."

"Is he someone who will control my daughter?" Edward had a cloudy face, doubting Marie's ability from the performance she showed.

"Yes..." Ares looked at Marie, looking murky as she recalled some bad memories of her time with the girl, "Cornwall's third best killer, Codename: Marie."

"Cornwall?! Didn't they already finish—"

"So your mouth, Old Man." The blade of the short sword was precisely about to slice through Edward's white neck, Marie had a great reluctance to hear the organization that had saved her from dying in the past from starvation was said to have been destroyed.

Edward's surprise was natural. A destruction of a large group that dwells under the darkness of the world will surely be heard and become a big talk.

For Edward, hearing one of the "black" groups had now been under Ares greatly surprised him, further increasing his desire to establish a family relationship with the young man before him.

"We're not destroyed, we're just moving 'home.'" Marie's tone was effectively full of revenge, as if not allowing some group of assassins who made Cornwall a scapegoat in the southern island nation to escape without the slightest sense of revenge.

Edward broke out in a cold sweat, his entire body faintly looking as small trembling as it felt a tremendous killing radiance. Looking at the reaction of the man before her, Ares could only smile wryly, feeling no need to show Edward her full ability.

Ares knew that although Marie was a girl who had a slanted head, but her professionalism in carrying out a mission was very high, it had never been heard of a failure since Ares ordered Marie to carry out his first mission.

"Take him off, Marie. He didn't mean to ridicule you guys" Ares said.

"I—it's right! I'm sorry!" Fresh blood had dripped, Edward slowly became frantic and subconsciously lowered his dignity to Marie.

"okay!" Marie immediately gave a carefree expression, leaping back and sheathing back her short sword as if nothing had happened before.

Ares handed him a handkerchief, pointing to his own neck as a sign for Edward to clean up the blood that had dripped down Edward's neck.

"Then...what do you really want in those 3 years of delay?" edward asked, still a little afraid of Marie who was standing right behind him.

"Making sure the Merchant Guild's wings have spread across the world as well as the initiation of a sea attack over the southern islands."

...----------------...