Episode 58
A confident, beautiful woman.
It was a face Chris knew all too well—Ruina’s.
“Of course I know her. We go way back, from a past life.”
Originally, it was an absolute secret that Ruina of the Union merchant guild and Rubid of the Magic merchant guild were the same person.
Given the tense relations between the two factions, it was only natural.
Even Chris hadn’t realized they were one and the same until the middle of the Age of Destruction.
“I’m a genius, after all.”
“…What did you say?”
“You must have heard. I’m a prodigy of the highest order.”
Chris said it with a cocky tone.
“The disguise on that relic was sloppy, so I saw through it. Peeling back the illusion, I saw the true face—Ruina, the Union merchant.”
“Th-that’s impossible! There’s no way that could be true!”
Ruina shouted in disbelief.
Understandably so.
The disguise she used was a sacred relic called the ‘Mask of a Thousand Faces.’
Infused with the power of the Constellation, this relic granted absolute concealment—no matter how skilled, no one could see through it.
Even Chris shouldn’t have been able to pierce it, but he lied with ease.
“Didn’t I say I’m a genius? How could I not see through something so obvious?”
“……”
Ruina pressed her lips tightly shut.
In the end, the reason didn’t matter.
“…What do you intend to do with me?”
“Well, I think it’d be fun to let others know.”
“You’ll regret that.”
Ruina’s eyes turned icy cold.
She was an ordinary human, but clearly had some backup.
‘She’s probably armored with all sorts of relics.’
The Rudolf guild ran an auction house.
So did the Deer guild.
They dealt in all the treasures of the underworld, so they had plenty of defensive relics.
If she unleashed the power of those relics, even Chris would struggle.
“But I told you—if you pull out what’s inside, you’ll regret it.”
“!!”
“You’re dead.”
Ruina gritted her teeth.
She locked eyes with Chris, torn.
‘What the hell.’
She’d heard the rumors.
That the rogue of the Dark Mage clan had changed, showing remarkable power lately.
That he was someone to watch.
But he was only a three-star.
Considering his age, it was impressive, but there was no way he could stand against the relics she held.
So why couldn’t she ignore that arrogant bastard’s warning?
The moment she pulled out her relics, an irreversible disaster seemed inevitable.
In the end, she trusted her instincts.
Above all—
“Please, no games.”
“Hmm?”
“You have no intention of revealing your identity, do you?”
“On what grounds do you say that?”
“If you planned to, you wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble to meet me. You want to make a deal, don’t you?”
Ruina spoke steadily, her face calm.
“As long as you want something from me, you won’t destroy me recklessly.”
Chris whistled inwardly.
As expected of Ruina.
Not someone to be taken lightly—just like the woman who once stabbed him in the back.
In truth, he couldn’t afford to bring down the Rudolf guild.
‘It’s not easy to find such a valuable mark again.’
There were many wealthy guilds.
But only Ruina’s guild had built such vast intelligence networks, crossing between the Union and Magic factions.
Plus, they had the skill to acquire countless treasures through their massive underground auction house.
For his future plans, Ruina’s guild’s power was essential.
‘The problem is, she’s not an easy mark.’
But difficult didn’t mean impossible.
He knew her weakness.
[How long do you plan to keep milking me?!]
Chris smiled, recalling Ruina’s echoing shout.
“Alright, I want something from you.”
“Something?”
“Money.”
“…What?”
“And the various treasures you have.”
Ruina’s face twisted in disbelief.
Asking a merchant outright for money and treasures? Was he crazy?
“What if I refuse?”
“I’m not here to threaten you. I want a deal. You’ll get something in return.”
“What kind of deal?”
Chris pointed to himself.
“An opportunity to give me money.”
“…What?”
“In exchange, I’ll be your backing.”
“……”
Ruina fell silent.
‘…What is this madman talking about?’
Honestly, it was common for those in power to back merchants in exchange for bribes.
Ruina had connections with all sorts of influential people.
But Chris wasn’t in that position.
‘They say he’s a rogue, but he can’t even tell when he’s being used.’
She tried to soothe him with the best words she could muster.
“I’m sorry, but I already have many good patrons. If you need money, I can give you some without conditions…”
She was basically telling him to take a handout and leave, but Chris surprised her.
“None of those patrons can save your guild.”
Ruina’s face stiffened.
“What do you mean?”
“As a merchant, you should know the continent’s political climate is unstable. War is just a matter of time.”
“……”
“The Magic faction will fight among themselves, the Union will do the same. Eventually, a great war will break out between the Magic Empire and the Union.”
It was inevitable.
And Ruina, who had her hands in both factions, sensed the signs.
“When that war happens, you know what will become of your guild.”
Ruina’s guild operated on both sides, trading heavily in precious metals and rare treasures.
They moved Union treasures to the Magic side, and Magic treasures to the Union, amassing wealth.
But once war broke out, those trades would stop completely.
More than that, she’d be branded a traitor by both sides, her guild’s assets confiscated, and she’d be burned at the stake.
“That’s an exaggeration.”
“Exaggeration? You know the atmosphere at the Four Kings’ Castle, yet you’re so optimistic. Your life and entire fortune are at stake—how can you be so calm?”
Ruina fell silent for a moment.
The Four Kings’ Castle was home to the Blood Sword, the Spirit Commander, and the Cursed Mage.
It was on the brink of exploding at any moment.
“The only thing you can do now is prepare. Quickly cut ties with one side’s guild and erase all traces of connection. Then, even if war breaks out, you can avoid the worst.”
“……”
Ruina said nothing.
Such a move would cost her dearly.
It was unthinkable.
In the original history, she never gave up either side’s guild, walking a deadly tightrope until the end.
If her identity was discovered by either side, she’d be burned immediately—but she never gave up.
Why?
Because she was a ruthless money-grubber.
She’d rather die than lose her money.
And that was exactly the weakness Chris was aiming for.
“If you refuse, there’s only one way. Stop the war.”
Chris began to lay his trap.
“…You say you can stop the war?”
“Yes, it’s possible.”
“How?”
Ruina chuckled bitterly, but Chris answered simply.
“Stop the clash between our Dark Mage clan and the Extreme Poison Mage clan.”
“!!”
“If our Southern Magic Kingdom holds firm, the Four Kings’ Castle won’t dare start a war.”
Ruina’s expression shifted.
She was a merchant well-versed in international affairs.
She understood what Chris meant.
‘For the Four Kings’ Castle to wage war against the Union, they need the Southern Magic Kingdom’s cooperation.’
In the original history, before the Four Kings’ Castle, led by the Blood King, started a war with the Union, they subjugated the Southern Magic Kingdom.
At that time, the Southern Magic Kingdom was weakened by various events and fell easily.
Then came the first great war with the Union.
“You’ve heard about the relic conflict between our family and the Extreme Poison Mage clan, right?”
“I have. But I heard both families agreed to limit their efforts to avoid conflict…”
“Do you believe that? How naive. There will be bloodshed. And this incident will be the decisive cause of the rift between the two families.”
“……”
“I want to end this relic conflict without casualties to prevent the two families from fighting. If they spill blood, it’ll give the Four Kings’ Castle an excuse to start a war.”
“But why do you need money and treasures?”
“Exactly as I said. To prepare for the disaster this relic conflict will bring, I need funds and treasures.”
Chris said.
“So, will you support me?”
“……”
Ruina’s face twisted in torment.
It was just a possibility.
Whether this incident would spark a conflict between the Dark Mage and Extreme Poison Mage clans.
Whether that would give the Four Kings’ Castle an excuse to start a war.
Whether a war between Magic and the Union would break out.
She thought it unlikely.
But if things went as Chris predicted?
The problem was, it wasn’t impossible.
In the worst case, she could lose everything.
“No! This is the money I worked so hard to gather.”
The thought of war stopping her business and having her entire fortune confiscated made Ruina’s vision darken.
She wasn’t afraid of being branded a traitor and burned.
But losing her money was something she could never accept.
“Well, I know what you’ll choose.”
Chris waited calmly for her answer.
He’d been in similar situations before.
He once led a massive organization, and Ruina had been the one funding him.
Why?
To protect her own money.
The reason she became the party’s financier was the same as always.
Her love for money was so intense that she couldn’t help but lavishly support them just to protect her funds.
This time was no different.
There was no way someone so obsessively attached to money could simply ignore Chris’s warning.
In the end,
“…Is there really that much danger in this relic battle?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
Luina let out a deep sigh.
“Understood. I’ll follow your lead, my lord.”
Chris grinned.
“Good choice. But it’s going to cost you a pretty penny.”
“A pretty penny?”
“There are some things we need to prepare, and none of them come cheap.”
“How much are we talking about?”
“I don’t know the exact price myself, but I’ll tell you what we need.”
As Chris listed the items, Luina’s face grew paler with each word.
Finally, she let out a strangled scream.
“Are you insane?”