Chapter 171
“Edward Siemens.”
He was the second son of the Siemens clan, who had participated in the Draker Martial Arts Tournament but failed to gain much attention, overshadowed by Zeke.
That very Edward Siemens was now with Dario Totlino.
Zeke looked at Dario.
Beside Edward sat a pale, burly man with a face full of beard. He wore rings studded with jewels on his fingers, and was a middle-aged man with a stern impression, dressed in an old aristocratic attire.
He gestured towards Zeke.
Zeke approached Dario and greeted him.
“It’s an honor to meet you. My name is Zeke Murray.”
Following the old etiquette, Zeke held Dario’s hand and kissed his ring.
Dario’s expression changed as he watched Zeke.
“Unlike the youth these days, you know your manners.”
With a satisfied expression, Dario offered him a seat.
Then, he introduced Edward sitting next to him.
“This is Mr. Edward Siemens, a direct descendant of the Siemens clan. He will soon be awarded the knighthood of Draker.”
Zeke, with a surprised expression, jumped to his feet and bowed his head to Edward.
“Greetings. My name is Zeke Murray. I’ve heard a lot about the Siemens clan. And to become a knight of Draker… I have gained the opportunity to meet such distinguished individuals today.”
At Zeke’s words, Edward gave a hearty laugh.
“Haha! Please, be at ease. You said your name was Zeke Murray? I’ve heard you’ve become quite wealthy at a young age.”
“I am still lacking, but I have been fortunate enough to run a few small businesses.”
Then Dario said with a smile,
“Mr. Edward. Mr. Murray is also showing great interest in this black ore investment.”
Edward nodded at Dario’s words.
“Good. As Sir Dario just said, only a fool wouldn't invest in this. It would be foolish to miss out on the opportunity to become rich right in front of your eyes.”
Listening to the conversation between Dario and Edward, Zeke grasped the situation.
‘How audacious. Edward Siemens might be a bit lacking, but to think they would try to manipulate a direct descendant of Siemens.’
The Mafia’s tactics were truly wicked.
They would search for a wastrel among the children of influential clans and target them, leading them astray with alcohol, gambling, drugs, and the like.
After building a relationship in this way, when the debt piled up to a certain extent, they would subtly bring up investment opportunities, suggesting ways to make money.
With their judgment already clouded, these individuals would borrow money against their credit and invest without thinking.
They would be given a taste of success a few times, earning them a large sum of money.
Having tasted the sweetness of wealth, the clan wastrel would then go all-in on the investment, not only with their own money but also with borrowed funds.
It seemed Edward was in that exact situation right now.
Edward exchanged a few more words with Dario and soon got up from his seat.
Before leaving, he looked down at Zeke and grinned.
“Have a good time. Let's meet again next time.”
Seeing Edward leave with a subtle smile, Zeke sensed something suspicious.
‘These Mafia guys are trying to steal my money and push it to that guy.’
It seemed they were using a different, roundabout method since directly approaching a direct descendant of Siemens would be too risky.
They likely planned to first give Edward a large sum of money through the planned investment, make him gradually dependent on them, and then create an opportunity to make a big deal with the Siemens clan.
He had wondered what their intentions were in approaching Siemens, but it seemed they weren’t planning to squeeze money out of Edward himself.
‘The moment you accept Mafia money, you fall into a trap. He certainly seems lacking for a Siemens.’
Once Edward left, Dario finally looked at Zeke and said,
“My apologies, Mr. Murray. Mr. Edward suddenly came to visit.”
It was a blatant tactic.
A ploy to show that he had connections with Siemens.
Moreover, it allowed them to gain Edward’s trust by showing him that a wealthy businessman was joining as an investor.
‘Their actions are incredibly cunning.’
Zeke, with an impressed expression, played along with Dario’s words.
“Not at all. From what I heard earlier, it seems you and Mr. Edward are also involved in this black ore investment.”
Dario nodded.
“Indeed, it’s one of the businesses I’m most focused on these days. As you know, black ore is a business that yields high returns as much as it requires a large investment.”
“That’s right. As I studied the investment, I became even more interested in black ore.”
Zeke responded to Dario, feigning a slightly naive demeanor.
Dario gazed steadily into Zeke’s eyes and soon nodded.
“Good. Mr. Murray, I see sincerity in your eyes.”
Having decided to set his trap on Zeke, he gestured to Vincenzo.
“Please hand over the contract to Mr. Murray.”
Vincenzo brought the contract he had prepared in advance to Zeke.
It was a contract to participate in the black ore mine investment.
Zeke quickly scanned the contents of the contract and smirked inwardly.
‘What kind of nonsensical contract is this?’
There were numerous toxic clauses with cleverly twisted wording throughout.
Even if the mine development failed, the investment would not be guaranteed, not even partially. Instead, there were absurd clauses hidden throughout, implying that if there were losses, Zeke would also have to share the debt.
Zeke read the contract, nodding repeatedly, and took out a fountain pen from his pocket, pretending to sign.
Seeing Zeke about to sign the contract, Vincenzo gulped nervously.
However, just before signing, Zeke raised his head as if he had remembered something.
“Oh my, how forgetful of me. I was going to show this to Mr. Rossi today, but it’s perfect timing since you’re here, Mr. Dario.”
Then, lowering his voice, he spoke to Vincenzo and Dario.
“Actually, this isn’t widely known, but there’s another place where I made my money before investing in the mythril mine.”
Vincenzo’s ears perked up at Zeke’s words.
“You mean you were involved in another business besides mining?”
Zeke took something out of his pocket.
It was a jewel-encrusted box, and when he opened the lid, there was a beautifully adorned necklace inside.
Vincenzo peered at the necklace and was startled.
“This… Isn’t this an artifact?”
Zeke nodded.
“Yes. Actually, a few years ago, I happened to purchase a mountain, and I discovered a dungeon inside.”
Vincenzo asked Zeke in surprise,
“Are you saying this artifact came from there?”
“Yes, that’s correct. I’m only telling the two of you this… but that place was none other than a Golden Age ruin.”
At Zeke’s words, Dario, who was listening from behind, twitched his eyebrows.
Discovering a Golden Age ruin meant your life would change in an instant.
The relics and artifacts that poured out from within were of immeasurable value, incomparable to ores.
Zeke lowered his voice again and continued,
“I’ve been secretly hiring people to explore the dungeon, and precious artifacts keep appearing. I’ve been selling them through an acquaintance at the Dorta Auction House, but there’s a limit to that. If the source of the funds is investigated by any chance, it would be troublesome.”
Dario and Vincenzo were completely absorbed in Zeke’s story.
Dario, who had been listening from behind, spoke up.
“What’s your reason for bringing this up?”
With an inward smirk, Zeke brought up the main point.
“While exploring the dungeon, I made a new discovery… It was a double dungeon.”
Vincenzo was taken aback.
“A double dungeon? Does that mean there’s an older ancient ruin beneath it?”
Zeke nodded.
“Yes. When I deciphered some of the stone tablets found there, there were some strange writings. Things like ‘immortality’ and ‘Elder Dragon’ were mentioned. I thought there must be something there.”
At Zeke’s words, Dario flinched and reacted for a moment, then abruptly stood up from his seat.
‘Was I caught?’
It was possible that Dario had noticed something due to the direct mention of those words.
Zeke watched Dario’s actions nervously. Fortunately, Dario sat back down with a sparkle in his eyes.
He spoke to Zeke,
“Go on.”
“I tried to explore further in, but it’s impossible to excavate with a small exploration team. It seems like a large-scale operation is needed. However, I’ve already sold the artifacts from the front section as stolen goods, and I’m wary of attracting the authorities’ attention with a large-scale construction, so I wanted to ask for your advice.”
At Zeke’s words, Dario and Vincenzo exchanged glances. A moment later, Dario rose from his seat.
“Mr. Murray. Let’s step aside and talk separately.”
Dario led Zeke to the inner part of the room.
Inside, bodyguards and knights who appeared to be bloodline ability users were standing.
Dario gestured to them.
“Leave us.”
The guards were taken aback.
“Boss, but…”
When Dario gave a sharp look and gestured again, all the knights and guards finally left the room.
Dario spoke to Zeke.
“Would you like a drink?”
“Of course.”
Dario went to the bar set up on one side, poured whiskey into glasses, and brought them over.
The two clinked their glasses and took a sip of the whiskey.
Dario was the first to speak.
“Zeke Murray. You surprise me.”
Zeke scratched his head with an embarrassed expression.
“I apologize if I surprised you. I just wanted to ask for your help…”
“Do you know what I do?”
Zeke responded with a flustered look,
“Of course. You own the most mines on the continent…”
“My real name is Dario Nostra.”
At those words, Zeke momentarily wore a blank expression. Then, his face turned pale.
Seeing Zeke’s reaction, Dario smirked.
“It seems you’re not completely unaware of this side of me.”
“D-Dario… No, Don Dario. I just had good intentions…”
“I like you.”
“Pardon?”
Zeke was momentarily startled by Dario’s words.
He continued,
“Zeke Murray, you have shown me sincerity. These days, sincere people are rare.”
“Indeed, Don Dario.”
“I want to repay you for that sincerity you’ve shown. I’ll take care of the double dungeon problem you mentioned.”
Zeke’s face brightened at Dario’s words.
“Th-thank you!”
“Where is this dungeon located?”
“It’s located in the central region of Alencia, my hometown. It’s a place that has nothing to do with Argos, where dungeons usually appear. It’s just an ordinary mountain in a normal neighborhood.”
“The most surprising events that can turn the world upside down often happen in such ordinary places.”
Dario smiled and poured more whiskey into their glasses.
“Don’t worry about the Alencia Kingdom or the Treasury. No one handles taxes more professionally than us.”
Zeke nodded, wiping the cold sweat off his forehead with his sleeve.
“That’s wonderful news. Thank you sincerely, Don Dario.”
Just then, Dario suddenly lowered his voice and said,
“However, we will be taking the relics that come out of that double dungeon.”
Zeke wore a bewildered expression at Dario’s words.
“Wh-what do you mean?”
“Greed always leads to misfortune. Only fools covet what they shouldn’t have. Are you a fool?”
He took a sip from his whiskey glass and continued,
“Just as I have shown a token of friendship, I expect you to show sincerity and trust. Otherwise…”
Dario caressed the ring on his finger as he spoke.
“Very unpleasant things might happen.”
The moment he revealed himself as a member of the Nostra clan, Dario had already decided to seize the dungeon Zeke had mentioned.
Hearing his words, Zeke’s hands trembled.
It was the kind of behavior an ordinary businessman would exhibit in front of the boss of a massive Mafia.
Zeke answered in a trembling voice.
“…Understood, Don Dario.”
Dario gave a satisfied smile and then spoke again in a gentle voice.
“Good. Then let’s rewrite the contract.”
He then approached the bar and pressed a button.
The liquor cabinet slid open, revealing a safe inside.
Dario matched his gaze to the magical security for authentication and opened the safe.
Inside, it was filled with secret ledgers and countless contracts.
Contracts that had forcibly seized rights and stakes from others.
Dario took out a contract from the safe and held it out to Zeke.
Zeke gulped as he looked at the contract.
‘Oath of Silence.’