Chapter 99: Mop
"Welcome, everyone, to this gathering. I am Toba. This event is being jointly hosted by..."
On the stage, the speaker launched into the usual round of formal greetings and polished pleasantries, the kind of opening speech every merchant gathering seemed to require.
At the same time, Yves and his group hurried into the hall looking distinctly out of place.
They had clearly rushed all the way here. Kenneth was panting like a broken bellows, his face pale and slick with sweat, while Yves looked only slightly better, though his clothes were damp and his breathing was far from steady.
The contrast between them and the rest of the venue was almost comical.
This was Maturu Island's anniversary banquet, attended by prominent merchants, business elites, and local dignitaries from every corner of the island. The guests stood or sat with practiced elegance, listening to the speech on stage with composed expressions and refined manners.
Compared to them, Yves and his people looked like they had run straight out of a warehouse fire.
Quite a few guests cast surprised looks their way, but since they had entered the hall without being stopped, no one questioned their identities. At most, they shifted aside a little to let them pass, then returned their attention to the stage.
"Thank goodness... we made it..." Kenneth wheezed, clutching his knees. His heavy body quivered with every breath. "I swear... I must've lost at least dozens of pounds this time..."
"You still have the nerve to say that?" Yves snapped between breaths.
Normally, Kenneth would have fired back at once, but this time he knew he was in the wrong.
"I... I was thinking about business..."
Yves rolled his eyes so hard they were nearly audible.
Kenneth had gotten caught up arguing prices while storing their cargo and nearly delayed them past the entrance cutoff. If they had arrived any later, they would have been turned away at the door, and all the effort they had spent preparing for this gathering would have gone to waste.
"This banquet is a rare opportunity," Yves said in a low, irritated voice. "Do you know how much our business could benefit if we built ties with even one of the people here? We nearly missed everything because you couldn't stop haggling."
Kenneth straightened up a little and muttered, "Skinny, you're being too dramatic."
"No," Yves said flatly. "I'm being realistic."
Kenneth grumbled under his breath but did not argue further.
Not far behind them, Axel and the others had also entered the hall.
Issho had made his way here on his own, relying purely on his senses, while Axel, still blindfolded, had been dragged along the entire way by Hawkins like a stubborn child being hauled through a marketplace.
Even with the cloth over his eyes, Axel's ears were working just fine. The moment he stepped into the hall, he noticed the change in acoustics, the hush of a large indoor crowd, and the voice carrying from the stage.
"Toba? Why does that name sound like 'mop'..."
Before he could finish, Yves and Kenneth turned pale and lunged at him in panic, slapping a hand over his mouth almost in perfect sync.
"Mmph...!"
Kenneth glared at him. "You brat, do you have a death wish?"
Yves quickly bent down and whispered in a strained voice, "Do not say nonsense here."
Seeing Axel's muffled confusion, he explained in a hurry.
"Lord Toba Megaro is one of the main organizers of this gathering, and the most influential among them. On this island, he stands at the very top of the commercial world."
To emphasize his point, Yves even raised his thumb.
"He is the biggest of the big. The leader among leaders."
Kenneth added in a grave tone, "If you offend him here, we won't just get thrown out. We might not even make it out of the city in one piece."
Yves nodded seriously.
"And more importantly, if anyone here can help you gain approval to pass through the World Government's channels, it's probably someone like him. So no matter what you're thinking, keep it inside your head."
Axel gave a small nod.
Only then did the two men slowly remove their hands, both of them visibly relieved, as if they had just dragged him back from the edge of a cliff.
The little disturbance they caused drew a few glances, but it was quickly buried beneath the hall's much larger concern.
Toba's speech had reached its true purpose.
"Besides this merchant gathering," he said, his voice deepening, "there is another reason I have invited all of you here today. And this matter is one that cannot be handled by any one person alone. It requires all of us."
The hall stirred at once.
The guests who had been listening politely suddenly became alert. Murmurs rose in every direction. Even those who had been half distracted moments ago now fixed their full attention on the stage.
What kind of issue could force someone like Toba Megaro to ask for help from everyone present?
Toba did not answer immediately.
He allowed the discussion to spread, allowed curiosity and unease to build, and only watched quietly from the stage. He clearly understood people. Once anticipation reached the right height, every word afterward would land harder.
Near the back, Yves frowned.
"What do you think he wants?" he muttered.
Kenneth shook his head, though his eyes were already shining with greedy ambition.
"How would I know? But if we can get involved in whatever this is, maybe this is our chance. If we can build a relationship with someone at Lord Toba's level, we'll be set for life."
Yves gave him a sidelong glance.
"You're blinded by profit again."
Kenneth sniffed. "And you're too pessimistic."
"No," Yves said. "I just know how the world works. Look around. Every merchant here wants the same thing you do. Even if Toba really does open some kind of door, why would it be our turn to walk through it?"
Kenneth did not answer that. He just stared stubbornly at the stage, unwilling to give up hope.
At last, Toba raised a hand and the hall gradually quieted.
"The reason I gathered everyone today," he said clearly, "is because the Sandersford Kingdom has decided to withdraw its protection from Maturu Island."
For one heartbeat, the entire hall went dead silent.
Then the place exploded.
"What?!"
"They're withdrawing protection?"
"That's impossible!"
"Where did you hear this?"
The noise surged like a tidal wave. The merchants who had been calm and composed just moments ago were now visibly shaken. Many of them were locals, merchants whose businesses were rooted on this island. To them, this was not some distant policy change. It was a knife at the throat.
Without the kingdom's protection, Maturu Island would become a fat sheep left alone in open water.
Pirates would swarm here like flies.
"I don't believe it!"
A merchant in the front row stood up in agitation.
"Since the founding of this island, we have had a standing agreement with the Sandersford Kingdom. Their nobles take enormous annual profits from our trade. Why would they ever abandon us?"
"That's right!"
"Those greedy bastards would never let go of such a large source of revenue!"
"Lord Toba, is your information reliable?"
The questions came one after another, some frightened, some angry, some desperate.
Toba waited until the noise had risen to its peak, then sharply struck the floor of the stage with his cane.
"Quiet!"
His voice rang out like a hammer.
The hall fell silent again.
.....
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