Chapter 166: Oran’s Plan, Falling Dominoes
Oran Fennel (The leader of Fennel Potion Company) POV
Oran Fennel adjusted the cuffs of his jacket and stared out the tall window of his office, watching the morning mist slowly lift from the streets of Fortified City 50.
Today was the day. His careful planning was finally about to pay off.
He turned from the window just as his secretary entered, a tablet in his hands.
"They’re setting up the stalls as we speak," he reported. "The first shipment of grain is being unpacked now. Also, Radiant Dawn has confirmed they’ve stationed two squads nearby. No one will interfere this time."
Oran nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Very good."
Outside, the marketplace was already buzzing.
The grain—Isaac Hargrave’s grain—was finally going on sale. Not under Isaac’s name, of course.
Oran’s company, Fennel Supplies, had snapped up every shipment from the boy’s shop for the last few days, rerouting and storing it under tight guard.
That initial surge of hype had slowed, just as he’d planned.
The excitement from Celia Rae’s visit to Isaac’s shop had sparked public interest, but it had gone nowhere. No one could buy anything. Oran made sure of that.
Even the awakeners had been intrigued after Vale Rae publicly praised the grain’s nutritional value.
It wasn’t just empty words, many awakeners followed specialized diets to keep their bodies balanced.
A vegetarian or semi-vegetarian diet was uncommon, as the poor nutrient quality of typical crops made monster meat the dominant choice.
Isaac’s crops had shown promise in fixing that. But now, no one could verify their quality firsthand.
Until today.
"Are the price tags ready?" Oran asked.
"Yes, sir. We’ve priced each unit at three times the original cost."
"Excellent. And they’ll still buy it."
"They will," he confirmed. "We’ve run the numbers. The demand is high. Even without proof of quality, the association with Vale Rae and Celia Rae is enough to generate interest."
Oran laughed quietly. "I’m going to destroy that brat."
It was a little more complicated than that, of course.
There was one thorn in his side that wouldn’t stop pricking at him: the Calloway Conglomerate.
His initial plan to stifle Isaac’s future by cutting off any chance of expansion had failed.
He’d tried to buy out all the farmland surrounding Isaac’s little plot, offering premium rates.
But before the deals could be finalized, Calloway agents had swooped in and snatched the land from under him.
He’d been furious. That maneuver must’ve been Alice Calloway’s interference.
"It must be Alice," he muttered now, voice low. "She’s using the Conglomerate’s power to protect that kid."
It shouldn’t have surprised him.
Even though it had been publicly declared that Alice would not inherit the Conglomerate, she was still the Saintess.
That alone made her a figure people would rally around.
Even if the board had moved her aside, there would be loyalists in key positions. People willing to quietly follow her orders.
Still, it wasn’t all bad news.
In fact, Oran had come to realize something rather promising.
If Alice Calloway was supporting Isaac, then perhaps he could reach his goals by supporting someone who hated Alice more than he ever could.
"Selene Calloway."
Her name lingered in the air like a loaded weapon.
If there was anyone in this city who wanted to ruin Alice, it was her younger cousin.
Selene’s resentment wasn’t a secret.
The two had competed for everything: their family’s approval, the future of the Conglomerate, the social spotlight.
Alice had always come out on top. First as a genius. Then as the Saintess.
Even when stripped of the title of heir, Alice still carried weight Selene could only envy.
Oran sat down at his desk and folded his hands.
Selene would want revenge, and she’d be desperate enough to take risks.
"If I support her, and help her remove Alice from the picture, I’ll earn her trust. Maybe even more than that." He grinned.
His secretary hesitated by the door. "Should I reach out to Selene Calloway?"
Oran nodded. "Yes. Do it now."
Minutes passed. The line connected. Selene’s image appeared on the screen—elegant, warm, friendly, yet unreachable. Her eyes held a flicker of curiosity, nothing more.
"We’d like to speak about Alice," Oran said without wasting time. "And Isaac."
Selene didn’t look surprised. "Is this about the grains you’ve been buying?"
She had expected something like this to happen. The Fennels had been trying to move quietly, but it was hard to hide from the Conglomerate.
She knew exactly what they were doing from the start.
Oran kept his voice steady. "Then you know we’re serious. But we don’t want trouble with the Calloway Conglomerate. That’s where you come in."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle before continuing.
"We want you to make sure your people don’t interfere with our grain sales. Alice is backing Isaac. So the Conglomerate might step in. We just need it... contained."
There was a moment of silence.
"Alright. I will come to meet you and talk about the plan in detail," Selene said, then ended the call.
A few hours later, Selene arrived in person. It was the first time she had ever done so. That alone sent Oran’s confidence soaring.
They sat across from each other in his private office. Oran explained everything.
The Radiant Dawn Guild had been hired. The warehouses were full. The crowd was restless, eager. The sales were ready to begin today.
With the grains’ quality, profits would skyrocket.
"I’ve positioned everything perfectly," he said. "The only obstacle left is the Calloway Conglomerate. If you can keep them quiet until the sales get moving, we’ll be in the clear."
Selene listened, asking only a few pointed questions. When he finished, she stood up and adjusted the cuffs of her jacket.
"Let’s start the sales in the afternoon," she said.
Oran frowned. "Why not in the morning?"
"Because your real problem isn’t me. It’s my father." Her tone didn’t change, but her gaze sharpened. "He still dotes on Alice. The Conglomerate will move in the morning. Just give me a few hours and I’ll make sure no one interferes."
Oran stood and extended his hand. "Then we’re agreed."
Selene looked at his hand, then at him.
"I’ll take my leave," she said and walked out.
Oran’s smile faded for a second before he let out a dry chuckle. She hadn’t shaken his hand.
But that would change.
She needed allies now. Powerful ones.
Once he destroyed Alice and Isaac, she would face opposition for standing against the Saintess. Then, she would have no one else but him. She wouldn’t be able to ignore him forever.
Outside, Selene entered a sleek, dark car. Marien, her secretary, was already in the driver’s seat.
Marien glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "You’re angry."
Selene didn’t respond right away. She stared out the window. Her expression remained calm but her eyes were distant.
"Contact dad," she said finally. "Tell him we’re going to crush the Fennel Corporation today. Before the afternoon."
"What?" Marien blinked. "Selene... Fennels are big—"
"I have proof against them," Selene cut her off. "Proof that the Fennel Corporation is using underhanded methods. I only needed Oran to show me everything. And he did."
Marien didn’t ask more. She simply nodded and pulled out her phone.
Selene leaned back in the seat, her reflection flickering faintly in the tinted glass. She smiled slightly.
"I wonder what I should ask from Isaac for helping him this time," she murmured.
...
By mid-morning, the dominoes began to fall.
Calloway’s legal teams filed complaints with the Commerce Regulation Department.
Simultaneously, screenshots and documents were leaked to the media—proof that Fennel Corporation had been hoarding Isaac’s grains, manipulating supply, blocking competing vendors, and pushing smaller distributors out of business.
Several influencers who had been quietly paid to downplay the grain quality were exposed.
An anonymous whistleblower—planted by Selene—came forward to share internal chats and transaction records.
News anchors began running headlines:
"Fennel Corporation Accused of Monopolizing Grain Market"
"Oran Fennel Faces Scrutiny After Documents Leak"
"Calloway Conglomerate Takes a Stand Against Market Sabotage"
Public sentiment flipped in real time.
Vendors who had signed exclusive contracts with Fennel began withdrawing, citing breach of ethics.
Warehouses that held the grain started receiving sudden inspections.
Trucks were stopped at checkpoints for ’routine searches.’
Smaller business partners announced statements distancing themselves from Fennel.
Inside the Fennel headquarters, chaos spread.
Oran’s phone rang constantly.
His advisors argued over what to do.
Some wanted to push through the afternoon sales.
Others warned against it. His inbox was flooded with termination notices from collaborators.
"What is happening?" Oran muttered, staring at a new headline on the screen: "Radiant Dawn Silent Amid Fennel Crisis. Is This the End?"
He slammed his fist on the desk.
"Where’s Radiant Dawn?" he barked. "Why aren’t they doing anything?! We paid them to manage this!"
No one had answers.
...
By the time lunch rolled around, Oran’s office was a warzone of panicked calls, collapsing stocks, and confused employees.
He stood by the window, eyes fixed on the crowd outside.
Protesters had begun to gather. Cameras were flashing. News drones hovered in the air.
Everything was unraveling.
He turned toward the table where a few of his advisors were sitting, trying to salvage what they could.
"It’s like someone flipped a switch," one muttered. "How did it all fall apart this fast?"
...
Meanwhile, Selene sat in a sunlit café at the top of Calloway Tower.
The view from the glass windows was pristine, serene. It was completely at odds with the chaos erupting across the city.
Marien placed a glass of water on the table and sat down across from her.
"Why didn’t Radiant Dawn interfere?" she asked. "They’re a top guild. Oran paid them."
Selene stirred her drink slowly. "Radiant Dawn belongs to the Governor’s faction. If they didn’t move, it means the Governor told them not to."
Marien looked thoughtful. "So the Governor is on your side?"
"No," Selene said. Her voice had cooled. "He was trying to test Isaac. He wanted to use Radiant Dawn to pressure him, and see how he reacted. It was to see if he could be controlled through intimidation."
Selene sipped her drink.
The streets below bustled with reporters. Helicopters circled the Fennel headquarters. The damage was done.
Selene’s expression didn’t change, but the victory was clear in her eyes.
Everything had moved according to plan.
Fennel Corporation. A giant in the potion industry in Fortified City 50. An Economic Council leader in Fortified City 89.
Yet they had been crushed in a single afternoon by the Calloway.
"Marien," Selene suddenly said. "Clear my schedule for the day. I’m going to visit Isaac."
Selene smiled. It was time to ask him to compensate her for the help she had given him.