Whoosh – knock!
Branches and rocks flew through the air like a sudden hailstorm, destroying everything in its path.
The massive gates of Stefan's trading company – no, the once massive gates – were rapidly collapsing, battered and mangled by the attack.
Even the gilded signboard that read “Stefan Trading Company” lost a letter, and was transformed into the ridiculous “Stefael Merchants Guild.”
“Stefan has to make up!”
"Refund! Refund!"
“Refund the moldy silk curtains!”
Hands rose in unison as the crowd chanted his demands.
Here and there, angry customers threw rotting curtains into the streets like garbage.
In the midst of this chaos, a pathetic-looking woman struggled to make her way to the makeshift platform.
Fuck, cough!
She gasped several times before raising a magic sound-amplifying crystal to her lips.
“I...I'm Hannah. Just a humble and innocent fan who fell in love with 'The Ghost Duke's Secret' from the moment she read it.”
She identified herself as suffering from respiratory problems, and was coughing weakly as she spoke.
I had no doubt that this novel would become a masterpiece, so I bought the same silk curtains that the Ghost Duke himself had chosen without hesitation. Kah kah!
Her trembling voice stirred the audience's emotions. She raised her trembling hand and pointed to the mutilated company sign.
"But now... after Stefan's trading company betrayed me, I have contracted this disease. Cough! I can't even kiss my beloved child goodnight, I can't hold him... And yet here I am, dragging my sick body into this protest. Cough, cough!"
Although her story was heartbreaking, her message was clear:
Let's make these fraudsters pay.
As soon as she got off the stage, the crowd exploded in applause again.
"We shouldn't let our loyal readers suffer like this! Stefan's company has already betrayed us – by spreading fake news!"
Fake news?
If selling moldy curtains wasn't bad enough, this new accusation angered the crowd even more.
They have defamed their competitors with baseless lies! These immoral actions have no place in our empire!
The crowd cheered in agreement.
“Report them to the royal court!”
“Refund first! Stefan must respect the rights of the Patient Alliance!”
“Compensation! Covering all treatment costs – every penny spent at the temple!”
The crowd's anger grew more intense by the second.
I watched the chaos from afar, smiling wryly.
Everything is going well.
No, it was more like overwhelming happiness. The sight of the gates of Stefan's gleaming trading company collapsing was like washing away ten years of bitterness.
“If the Duke were here, he would feel the same way.”
Of course, he didn't know yet that I was involved in this matter.
And honestly? I didn't see the need to tell him.
In the end, Stefan's family not only committed every deception possible, but also attacked the people they raised and protected. I had no intention of treating them honorably.
Dirty people deserve dirty methods.
And what did you do?
Honestly, she could become an actress.
I hired professional protesters to stand on that stage and protest.
Yeah, that woman coughing and giving a tragic monologue?
She and the other patients were screaming until their voices broke?
forged.
They were the same veteran protesters involved in the boletta leather blackout curtain refund scandal. After witnessing their theatrical prowess firsthand, I tracked them down and learned that they belonged to a secret guild.
So I made an offer – twice the amount Stefan paid.
No wonder the crowd instigators were performing so spectacularly.
However, it wasn't all just show.
The moldy curtains caused serious respiratory problems. If we had relied only on real patients, they would have collapsed before arriving at the protest site.
Make way!
Neigh!
Suddenly, there was an angry scream and the sound of horses' hooves galloping from afar.
Eight horses entered the arena pulling a luxurious carriage. Marquis Stefan himself came out of it.
“You insolent bastards!”
Supported by heavily armed guards, he stepped forward and let out a loud roar.
"What is the meaning of this nonsense? How dare you!"
He frowned in anger as he looked at the huge number of people gathered. His trembling beard revealed the anger boiling inside him.
“Wow! How are you doing this in front of my company – the Andrew Stefan Foundation! Are you out of your minds?! Damn it!”
Hannah, the original protester, raised her voice again.
"Marquis Stefan! Please, we beg you – respect our right to live!"
“Refund the trash cans!”
But the Marquis simply sneered.
"Refund? Don't make me laugh."
He clicked his tongue and issued an order to his men.
"What are you waiting for? Deal with them!"
Like Duke Belel before him, Stefan assumed that this chaos would be easily quelled.
But he did not know anything very important.
“Ian.”
أشرت خلفي، وذراعي متقاطعتان.
I was really expecting a clash. After all, I've seen the Duke suppress a protest before.
So I made preparations.
"Whatever your real job is, Ian... Do you know any good fighters? Not thugs – people who know how to defend themselves?"
"Is it dangerous?"
“Well… let's just say punches might break out.”
“...I'll take care of it.”
And he did it. He brought with him some truly terrifying allies.
Their faces were hidden under their robes, but their synchronized steps made it clear: they were not just ordinary hooligans.
Anyway-
“Now!”
I looked into Ian's eyes and nodded. From the alleys near the trading company, his partners rushed.
"Ah! We are just victims!"
“Shut up and move – huh?”
Stefan's guards tried to disperse the crowd, but Ian's men quickly overpowered them.
Even the knights guarding the Marquis were defeated in a short time.
“Oh my God, they're real…”
I used to think that street fighters couldn't defeat trained knights, but this has shattered my prejudice.
“Hee-hee!”
As the last knight fell, the Marquis's face turned pale. He stepped back, away from the crowd, and looked around in panic.
“Fuck!”
He realized that he had no one to defend him anymore, so he screamed in despair.
"You dare to threaten me?! This is high treason! You will all be executed!"
He clung to the last threads of his pride, and cried out—
“The dead don't talk!”
The skill of the professional agitators was truly exceptional.
The angry patients suffering from respiratory diseases began screaming and throwing stones, eggs and other objects at Duke Stefan.
"This is correct!"
“Those who died in the overturned carriage can't speak anymore!”
“What? The decision was overturned? This is completely crazy! Wait, you are the person I hired last time…!”
Having belatedly realized that he recognized one of the instigators he had previously hired, it was already too late for Duke Stefan.
No matter how much he loves money, it cannot compare to the value of life.
After being hit by a half-rotten tomato, Duke Stefan finally regained consciousness and screamed, his face grimacing with despair.
“I understand, I understand!”
In the end, he signed the refund agreement, shaking with anger.
“Where did this refund agreement come from, you ask?”
Naturally, I had prepared it in advance and distributed it to people.
Even in the midst of all this, the angry respiratory patients continued to carry out small acts of revenge, secretly hitting his head or pulling his beard while pretending to do something wrong...
“Let's go, Ian.”
"concept."
After taking one last look at Duke Stefan's sullen and pained face, I turned my back without hesitation.
يبدو أن الأمر قد انتهى الآن.
Or is that not the case?
لسوء الحظ، كانت هذه مجرد البداية بالنسبة للدوق ستيفان.