Reincarnation of a Hunter Chapter 27.1 - Canada Bombing Operation (2)

 

Before anyone realized it, the supplies from ‘Canada’ had gathered sufficiently, and Diego was dispatched on a business trip to Lisbon.

Raul was assigned as his escort, and the Benedita was also provided.

 

At the port of Marseille, Canada shipments were in full swing. I called Captain Adrienne, who was supervising the loading.

“Adrienne Asel! The fate of our territory depends on this voyage. I trust you’ll assist Diego and ensure the mission is accomplished.”

 

“Of course. Even if it costs me my life, I will make sure this voyage succeeds!”

 

Anyone listening might think it was a long-distance voyage, but in reality, it was just a three-day round trip.

 

I was simply emphasizing its importance. Diego would handle most of the work himself. I waved at the departing Benedicta, hoping this trade would bring at least some financial relief to our territory.

 

⚔️

 

The port city of Lisbon.

Possessing the largest harbor in the Iberian Kingdom, it was a place governed not by a single lord but by a council of nobles advocating a form of parliamentary rule.

 

Itana Vonmati, the chairman of the Lisbon Noble Council, was listening to her aide’s report in her office.

“…That concludes today’s report. Ah, and the lord’s ship from Marseille has docked. We confirmed it by the heraldic flag.”

 

Chairman Vonmati showed interest in the aide’s words.

 

“Marseille? As in ‘Eric Marseille’s’ Marseille?”

 

“Yes, the very Marseille you’ve been curious about. However, Viscount Eric Marseille did not come in person. Instead, he sent someone introduced as the chief economic secretary.”

 

“What’s the purpose of their visit?”

 

“They say it’s for trade. We confirmed cargo being unloaded from the ship.”

 

Chairman Vonmati tapped her crossed leg, pondering for a moment.

 

“Hmm, I’d like to meet this secretary. Arrange a schedule.”

 

“Yes, Chairman.”

 

As the aide withdrew, Chairman Vonmati rose from her chair and approached the cabinet. She then picked up a bottle placed on the shelf.

 

The bottle was labeled ‘Eric Marseille’s Sailor Sickness Medicine,’ with a small inscription that read, ‘Logistics are the lifeblood of the world, and something as trivial as sailor sickness should never bring it to a halt.’

 

Chairman Vonmati gently traced the words with her fingers.

 

“Eric Marseille… I was curious about what kind of person he was. What a shame.”

 

She set the bottle back down and returned to the piles of documents on her desk.

 

⚔️

 

Meanwhile, after docking in Lisbon and settling into an inn, Diego and Raul prepared for the next steps.

 

“Raul, hurry up. We need to check out the auction house.”

 

Due to the time-consuming inspections and cargo checks, Diego was growing impatient.

 

“Why the rush? Unless the auction house has legs, let’s wash up and eat first.”

 

“I just feel like we should move quickly.”

 

“No wonder the lord sent me along. He must’ve recognized my easygoing nature.”

 

Diego gave him a disbelieving look before getting ready for the bathhouse.

 

Just then, a knock came at the inn room door.

 

—Knock knock knock

 

Raul picked up his hammer and called out warily.

 

“Who is it?”

 

“A servant delivering a message from the Chairman. Is Secretary Marseille here?”

 

Raul opened the door.

 

“The Chairman?”

 

“The Chairman of the Lisbon Noble Council has invited the Secretary to dinner this evening. You may accompany me in a couple of hours.”

 

“Why would the Chairman want to see us?”

 

“It’s simply for networking purposes. No need to be overly cautious.”

 

Raul glanced back at Diego.

 

“We absolutely have to go!”

 

Diego’s intense gaze made Raul nod in agreement.

 

“Understood. We’ll wash up, dress properly, and wait.”

 

“Very well. I shall return in a couple of hours. But which of you is the Secretary?”

 

“Both of us.”

 

“I see.”

 

Once the servant left, Diego snickered.

 

“Pfft—’dress properly‘? Since when do you talk like that?”

 

“Was I wrong?”

 

“No. You just sounded like an old man.”

 

“You little—”

 

Their banter eased the tension, and even as they headed to the bathhouse, they kept teasing each other.

 

⚔️

 

As Raul and Diego stepped out in front of the inn, a servant of the Vonmati family, who had been waiting, opened the carriage door for them.

 

“Please board, Secretaries.”

 

Diego handed a box to the servant.

 

“This is a syrup called ‘Canada,’ produced in our territory. A gift for Chairman Vonmati.”

 

“I’ll make sure it’s delivered properly.”

 

Then Diego hopped up and took his seat, but Raul stood stiffly at the carriage door, creaking awkwardly.

 

“Raul, what’s wrong?”

 

“I-I’ve never ridden in such a fancy carriage before. Should I take off my shoes?”

 

Diego looked down at the carriage floor. It was lined with red velvet.

 

It seemed Raul was afraid to step on it with his dirty shoes.

 

“You’re not some country bumpkin, why are you so nervous over this?”

 

“I am a country bumpkin! A total bumpkin!”

 

Diego reached out to Raul, who was nearly panicking, and pulled him into the carriage.

 

As the carriage began moving, Diego offered some half-hearted comfort.

 

“Getting nervous over a carriage? You’ll probably faint when you see Chairman Vonmati’s house.”

 

“Have you been there before?”

 

“I’ve heard rumors. They say it’s the most extravagant mansion in Iberia, aside from the royal palace.”

 

“Ugh, my chest feels tight already.”

 

“Heh, you’re not gonna drop dead from a heart attack, are you?”

 

“Save me!”

 

While the two joked around, the carriage entered the Vonmati family’s estate. The vast gardens visible outside the window left them both awestruck.

 

“Diego, is this a garden or a forest?”

 

“More like a forest. Ah, a forest with trimmed lawns.”

 

“Look over there! There’s even a fountain!”

 

“Damn. I guess I am a country bumpkin too.”

 

“Hahaha! Two bumpkins who’ve made it big. Who’d have thought we’d see a place like this?”

 

Raul laughed heartily, but his face was still tense.

 

After traveling through the gardens for a while, the carriage finally stopped in front of the mansion.

 

As the servant opened the door, Diego and Raul stepped out, moving stiffly as they began walking.

 

“Diego, where are we supposed to go?”

 

“No idea. Don’t ask me. I can’t see straight either.”

 

The two young men, who had just turned twenty, were utterly dazzled by the opulence they had never seen before in their lives.