38: Chapter 38 My Creditor is the City's Nobles

Yesterday, Levi personally visited the dilapidated orphanage and donated fifty gold coins on the spot. This huge sum almost made the old dean faint from excitement.

His only request was to invite the most innocent and sympathetic novice nun to the afternoon tea party to tell the children's stories.

Levi's gaze was gentle, as if he was looking at a trustworthy junior.

"Sister Cecilia, there's no need to be nervous. Today, you are not here for me, nor for Blackstone Territory, but for the children who need help. You just need to truthfully tell every kind lady present about their hardships and the orphanage's difficulties. That will be enough."

His voice carried a steady power that seemed to easily soothe people's hearts.

Cecilia nodded vigorously, her azure eyes filled with gratitude and determination.

She clutched the wooden cross on her chest tightly, her knuckles turning white from the effort.

Levi withdrew his gaze, satisfied.

He didn't need Cecilia to lie; he only needed her to show the truth.

Truth is the sharpest weapon in this world, especially in front of a group of wealthy noblewomen who occasionally need "charity" to adorn their noble souls.

On his chessboard, every piece was in place.

Baron Todd's army was stepping into the inescapable net laid by the Shadow Claw tribe; the noblewomen of St. Andrew City were immersed in the dual halo of "charity" and "new products"; and President Sallon of the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce had probably received a secret letter from his "business ally," Baron Todd, and was preparing to launch a fatal blow against Levi's "priceless" goods.

Everything was like a precisely meshed machine, operating exactly according to the blueprint he had drawn.

At the same time, on the main commercial thoroughfare in the northern district of St. Andrew City, the emblem of the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce—a heavy gold coin weighing down a scale—shone brightly in the sun.

However, the atmosphere in President Sallon's office was far from as bright as the sunshine.

Sallon, a man nearing fifty with a portly figure, was pacing back and forth anxiously.

His silk waistcoat, embroidered with gold thread, was heavily wrinkled from his exaggerated movements.

The letter in his hand had been crumpled out of shape.

The letter was urgently sent by Baron Todd.

The content was simple: he had dispatched troops to "escort" Monica's exploration team to Blackstone Territory, and the operation would commence tonight.

What he needed Sallon to do was to cooperate with him to completely destroy Levi's commercial foundation within the city.

The letter clearly indicated the location of Levi's secret warehouse for "Eastern Silk" and "Elf Perfume"—an abandoned dried fish warehouse in the west dock area.

"Is the information reliable?" Sallon asked for the seventeenth time to the captain of the guard, a lean and sharp-looking man in leather armor, standing before him.

"President, absolutely reliable. Our informant, planted in Viscount Fernand's Mansion, heard it with his own ears. That fool Fernand got drunk and personally boasted to his new butler that they had hidden all the goods there, absolutely foolproof," the guard captain replied, bowing with certainty.

Sallon stopped, narrowing his eyes, which were squeezed into a slit by his fleshy cheeks.

Fernand was a hopeless drunkard, which was no secret in St. Andrew City.

Truth revealed in drunkenness sounded reasonable enough.

He hated that young man named Levi.

Ever since the goods from Blackstone Territory appeared, the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce's high-end luxury business had been significantly eroded.

What he found even more intolerable was the opponent's "prepaid card" sales model, which was simply a desecration of traditional business rules!

Money and goods exchanged, fair and square.

Taking the money in advance, but delivering the goods later?

This was the behavior of a swindler!

Yet, the foolish noblewomen in the city fell for it.

Baron Todd's plan was a timely rain for him.

As long as that batch of goods was burned to ashes, Levi would be unable to honor those "Love Rose Cards," and his reputation would be completely ruined.

By then, the enraged nobles would tear him to shreds, without Sallon needing to lift a finger.

At this thought, greed and ruthlessness flashed across Sallon's eyes.

He waved his hand decisively, issuing the order: "Green, take our fifty best men and act tonight! Remember, do it cleanly, burn everything to the ground, don't leave anything behind. Just make it look like an accidental fire started by dock hooligans."

"Yes, President!" Guard Captain Green grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, then turned and strode away.

Outside the window, the sky gradually darkened, and the city lights flickered on one by one, casting Sallon's sinister smile in alternating light and shadow.

He seemed to already see the dilapidated Viscount's mansion, completely overwhelmed by angry creditors in the morning sun.

At midnight, the moon was dark and the wind howled.

More than fifty dark figures crept like ghosts in the shadows of the west dock area.

The air was filled with the smell of fish and the salty dampness of the sea, occasionally a wild cat darted across stacked cargo boxes, letting out a sharp cry.

Green made a gesture, and everyone immediately stopped and crouched low.

He peered out from his hiding spot, looking at the solitary warehouse not far away.

It indeed looked long abandoned; the wooden wallboards were somewhat decayed from the erosion of the sea wind, and several large holes in the windows were crudely nailed with rotten planks.

Everything was exactly as described in the intelligence report.

After confirming there were no patrolling guards, Green waved his hand again.

Two agile guard members immediately scurried forward, and with a few pries of a crowbar, they opened the rusty lock.

The large door creaked open, and a strong, pungent odor wafted out.

Green frowned. This smell... wasn't right.

It wasn't the musty smell of silk, nor the fragrance of perfume; instead, it was like... a farmer's fertilizer shed.

He didn't dwell on it, leading his men to rush in.

Torches were lit, and the dim yellow light instantly illuminated the entire warehouse.

Then, everyone froze.

The huge warehouse was empty; let alone piles of silk and perfume, there wasn't even an extra wooden plank.

Only in the very center of the warehouse were a dozen half-human-tall wooden crates neatly stacked.

The pungent odor emanated precisely from these wooden crates.

An ominous premonition rose in Green's heart.

He stepped forward and violently pried open the lid of one box with his sword sheath.

Inside, it was filled with dark, wet stuff, gleaming suspiciously in the torchlight.

The familiar, nauseating smell instantly intensified tenfold.

It was manure. High-quality, fermented manure, used to fertilize rye.

"Damn it!" Green cursed, then pried open several more boxes in succession. Without exception, they all contained the same thing.

"Boss, there's a note here!" A subordinate found a parchment on the topmost box.

Green snatched it and held it under the torchlight.

He saw a small line of text written in elegant and flowing script:

"Thank you, Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce, for helping to dispose of the trash. Also, a friendly reminder: this batch of manure has been sold to farmer Hank outside the city. Please ensure it is cleared before dawn, otherwise we will press charges for theft. —Blackstone Territory Logistics Department."

"Pfft—"

Green felt a surge of blood rush to his head.

He had been played!

Completely and utterly played!

This was no secret warehouse at all; it was a meticulously arranged trap, a cesspit specifically designed to humiliate them!

"Retreat! Quickly retreat!" he roared hoarsely.

However, it was already too late.

Almost simultaneously with their intrusion into the warehouse, countless children in the streets and alleys of St. Andrew City, those "little rats" who usually survived by scavenging and odd jobs, began frantically spreading a message in taverns, inns, and even at the back doors of noble mansions:

"Did you hear? The Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce people have gone mad! They got jealous that Blackstone Territory donated to the orphanage, so they sent a bunch of thugs to rob the winter supplies meant for the children!"

"Oh my! Is that true? Those were things for the orphanage!"

"Absolutely true! My cousin's neighbor works as a porter at the docks and personally saw a group of masked men rush into Blackstone Territory's warehouse! Inside were cotton clothes and bread prepared for Sister Cecilia!"

The rumor spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the city with incredible speed.

The noblewomen who had just generously donated at the afternoon tea party, still basking in the glow of their "good deeds," were the first powder kegs to ignite.

When they heard the news through their respective channels, the feeling of being offended was far stronger than the monetary loss itself.

This wasn't just robbery; it was a blatant desecration of their "kindness"!

As dawn broke, a dozen magnificent carriages converged and stopped in front of the dilapidated orphanage in the eastern part of the city.

The noblewomen, assisted by their servants, descended from their carriages and immediately saw a heartbreaking scene.

Young Sister Cecilia was crouching on the ground, tightly embracing several trembling children with her simple nun's habit.

Her eyes were red and swollen, and tear stains still streaked her face, yet she was gently comforting the children: "Don't be afraid, children, don't be afraid... the lord of radiance will protect us..."

This scene instantly broke through the noblewomen's last line of psychological defense.

"Shameless bandits!"

"Even stealing from children, is Sallon that fat pig's heart black?"

The anger completely erupted.

And all of this was observed by Evelyn, hidden in the shadows of a nearby alley.

She lightly pushed up the crystal spectacles on her nose, a cold arc forming at the corner of her lips.

A succubus's talent was never just seduction, but also the precise manipulation of human hearts and emotions.

The first phase of the public opinion war concluded perfectly.

Inside the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce, President Sallon was practically insane.

He hadn't slept all night, sporting two massive dark circles under his eyes, and trembled with rage as he listened to his subordinates' reports about the out-of-control public opinion.

He slammed his fist on the table, making the teacups clatter.

"Levi! I'll make you die!" he growled through gritted teeth.

Humiliation, anger, and the frustration of being deceived pushed his sanity to the brink.

He no longer cared about business tactics; he wanted to use the most direct, most brutal force to crush his opponent completely.

"Garrison Officer! Go call Garrison Officer Kane for me! Tell him I'm trading his daughter's marriage for him to deploy troops today!" Sallon roared at the door.

Less than an hour later, a fifty-man squad of city guards, brightly armored and with drawn swords, menacingly surrounded Viscount Fernand's Mansion.

Leading them was Garrison Officer Kane, a burly middle-aged man with a stern face, holding an emergency sealing order issued by the city hall, his face etched with impatience and greed.

"By order of the City Hall! Viscount Fernand Adrian is suspected of illegal fundraising and tax fraud. All his property is now sealed, and all his funds are frozen! All relevant personnel are to immediately cooperate with the investigation!" Kane's voice was loud, echoing throughout the entire block.

Onlookers and noble stewards who had rushed to the scene blocked the street completely.

The mansion gates slowly opened.

Levi, still in his well-fitted black suit, wore a gentle smile on his face, completely out of place with the tense atmosphere outside.

Beside him stood Viscount Fernand, pale-faced and trembling-lipped.

"Good day, Lord Kane." Levi bowed slightly, performing a standard noble's 禮, "May I ask what you mean by 'illegal fundraising' and 'tax fraud'?"

Kane snorted coldly, rustling the sealing order: "Enough nonsense! That 'Love Rose Card' you issued, collecting large sums of gold in advance but delaying delivery of goods—what is that if not illegal fundraising? Hand over your account books!"

"Of course." Levi's smile remained unchanged. He took a thick ledger from Evelyn behind him and handed it to Fernand. "Viscount Fernand, please present our 'debt statement' for Lord Kane's review."

Fernand's trembling hand took the ledger and passed it over.

Kane snatched it and roughly flipped it open.

He expected to see shocking income records, but the contents of the ledger made his pupils suddenly contract.

What was recorded there was not income.

Every page was titled "Debt."

Below, each "Love Rose Card"'s prepayment was detailed.

Fifty gold coins, one hundred gold coins, three hundred gold coins... behind each sum, a name and family crest were clearly marked.

"Countess Anastasia von Heidelberg..."

"Marchioness Isabella de Windsor..."

"Duchess Sophia Romanoff..."

Kane's gaze was fixed on one name, and cold sweat immediately broke out on his forehead.

"Margaret Augustus... wife of the Minister of Finance..."

He even saw the name of his direct superior, the Lord Mayor of St. Andrew City, and... his own wife's name on the following pages.

His hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

Levi seemed oblivious to the change in his expression, his voice still calm and gentle, yet like a cold chisel, piercing Kane's ears word by word: "Lord Kane, you see, this ledger records all the debts owed by our Blackstone Territory. According to the Imperial Code, these prepayments, before goods are delivered, still belong to our customers, who are the noblewomen of this entire city. They are not our 'assets,' but our 'liabilities.'"

He deliberately emphasized the last two words.

"So, if you insist on sealing and freezing these funds..." Levi paused, scanning the surrounding noble stewards who were craning their necks, and delivered the final blow with a smile, "Then, Blackstone Territory will be 'forced' to declare bankruptcy due to a broken capital chain. At that time, we will be unable to deliver the goods owed to any holder of an 'Love Rose Card.'"