Part 1V THE UNDERDEAD CHAPTER 123 NEW VISITORS
Returning from St. Samuel’s Church to 160 Birklund Street, Klein saw Walter, the white-gloved butler, greet him.
”Sir, someone just delivered a business card saying that his employer wishes to pay you a visit between four and five o’clock.” Walter said with a stoic expression.
Klein thought back to which visitor it might be but couldn’t find a clue, so he nodded gently:
”Who is his employer?”
Walter glanced left and right each way, seeing that the footmen and maids were farther away, before he spoke to answer:
”Baron Sindras.”
Baron Sindras …… the multimillionaire who relied on the Tories and Duke Negan for his knighthood, one of the kingdom’s most famous bankers and business owners? It was he and his friends …… who were my rivals for Lady Mary’s help in buying shares in Cowiem before, and he paid me a personal visit for the sake of it? That is, a transaction of about thirteen thousand pounds, which is not at all necessary to him …… Crane walked towards the steps leading to the second floor while his thoughts were electrified.
Walter, half a step behind, followed beside him:
”Sir, if you don’t want to see Baron Sindras, I will tell him later that you were delayed at St. Samuel’s Church listening to the bishop’s sermon and may have to come back very late.”
The butler’s subtext was that Baron Sindelas was a follower of the “Lord of Storms”, so it was impossible for him to go directly to St. Samuel’s Church to look for someone.
Klein thought about it, smiled slightly, and said gently:
”This is a nobleman who is extremely influential in the banking industry, and will definitely cross paths again in the future, having to meet with him.
”Well …… wait to arrange in the second floor of the sunniest that small living room.”
–As far as Klein knew, Baron Sindras was the third largest shareholder of the Bank of Beckland, the first largest shareholder of the Bank of the South Wyrmans, and definitely one of the most influential few in the banking industry of the Kingdom of Ruen.
”Yes, sir.” Walter didn’t shilly-shally anymore.
At 4:10 pm, Klein met the visitor who often appeared in the newspapers in the small pre-set living room.
The only thing that was different from what he had expected was that after three o’clock the clouds thickened and the sky grew cloudy in Birkeland, with a drizzle of rain and the absence of the sunshine that had made it so cheerful and warm.
Baron Sindras, on the other hand, looked exactly like those pictures that had come out in the papers, with his black hair laced with silver strands neatly combed back, revealing a broad head and a slightly higher hairline.
His face was rounder, but lacked enough flesh to support it, with rather high cheekbones and wrinkles striped in various places.
Unlike most Ruins his age, Baron Sindras has no beard, his cheeks are clean shaven, and his blue eyes are so light as to be nearly colorless.
He was followed by a valet and a bodyguard, both of the less noticeable type in appearance, the former’s most distinguishing feature being that his hair had thinned a bit, the latter shaved short inches but with a thick beard that stretched from the position of his ears to his jaw.
”Good afternoon, noble Baron, it is an honor to have you as a guest.” Klein pressed his hand against his chest and saluted.
Normally, when a host faces a visitor, he is more likely to lean forward, extend his right palm, and perform a handshake, but at this moment, he was in front of a nobleman and had to be more polite.
Baron Sindras nodded gently and saluted with a smile:
”No, you don’t need to be polite, I should have come to visit you a long time ago, a gentleman who has experienced a lot of things and knows the southern continent very well.”
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two men took their respective seats, with their personal manservants and bodyguards standing beside them.
Klein was about to open his mouth when Baron Sindras had already said with a calm and intimate gesture:
”Dantes, I admire people like you, not just anyone can seize wealth from the chaotic southern continent, it must have enough guts, the courage to face difficulties head on, and amazing judgment.
”When I was on the verge of bankruptcy, I also wanted to go to the southern continent to start over, but unfortunately, I am not a brave person.”
Although Baron Sindras became a nobleman later, he was not really from a commoner’s background, his great-grandfather, his grandfather, benefited from the colonial exploration and made a lot of money from the sea trade, and was quite a successful merchant, and his father invested in industry and accumulated enough fame and quite a few factories.
By his generation, backed by the rich family fortune, he stormed into the booming banking industry, becoming one of the first multi-millionaires in Ruin.
There were three failures that Baron Sindras suffered in this process, but came out of them all, the most treacherous of which was the time when the Bank of the South Wyrms, which he had founded, had a severe credibility crisis and was subjected to a run on the bank that literally nearly bankrupted it.
Always communicating …… around my experience in the southern continent This is to tell me that he has already found out that my identity origin is problematic, and take this as a warning? Heh, he probably couldn t imagine that all of his repeated references to his experiences in the southern continent were false …… Klein snorted inwardly, and responded on the surface in a very normal manner:
”That’s not bravery, it’s recklessness.
”The vast majority of people who go to the southern continent do possess an adventurous spirit, but that’s all.”
Without waiting for Baron Sindras to speak, he turned to laugh:
”I almost hired Mr. Ribak as a steward before, and he said that you are a very good employer.”
Baron Sindras listened quietly and sighed:
”It is a matter of regret to me.
”I so sincerely wanted Ribak to remain my steward, but he couldn’t overcome the contradiction in his position.”
Speaking here, Baron Sindras looked at the elegant and handsome middle-aged gentleman Dawn Dantes, picked up the black tea brought by his servant, and gently took a sip, saying:
”I also sincerely hope that we can become friends, and I hope that you can transfer those 3% shares of the Cowiem Company to me.
”I will give you conditions that you cannot refuse.”
Here it comes …… But there is a contract between Mrs. Mary and me …… Klein was silent for two seconds and sighed and laughed:
”I take credibility very seriously.”
Hearing such a reply, Baron Sindras, without any apparent annoyance, half surprised and half curious, laughed:
”You will not listen to the terms I have given?”
Klein, the image of Dawn Dantes, spread his hands with a deliberately bitter smile and said:
”I’m afraid I can’t refuse.”
”Haha.” Baron Sindras burst out laughing and slowly stood up and said, “You’re as funny as the rumors, while having a strong will not mentioned in the rumors.”
He glanced at his bodyguard and valet, and with a smile in his eyes, he addressed Dawn Dantes:
”Being a partner with you is certainly better than being a competitor, well, I should take my leave, there are quite a few things waiting for me to take care of.”
Is this a sincere compliment, or is it a hidden threat? Klein was not an “audience” and could not decipher such a subtle meaning, but could only respond with a thick face:
”I feel the same way, and I look forward to the opportunity to work with you, Baron, in other areas.”
Baron Sindras, who was dressed in formal attire with a bowtie, smiled and nodded without saying anything more, and was sent all the way out of the main gate by Dawn Dantes with his butler and manservant.
Watching the ornately decorated carriage fade away, the butler Walter suddenly spoke:
”Sir, do you need to temporarily hire a few bodyguards?”
Ah? Klein almost didn’t react to his butler’s meaning.
Seeing no change in his employer’s expression, Walter added:
”There are times when competition in the business field can also bring about problems in personal safety.”
Mr. Butler also heard Baron Sindras’ latent threatening implication? Klein slightly hooked the corner of his mouth and said:
”I’m not worried about that because this is Berkland.”
Because I’ve already hung out with the Church of Darkness, because I’m preparing to cooperate with the military …… That’s why I’m not worried about retaliation from the Transcendent Realm, I’m not worried about things going the way they did that time with Ambassador Intis, and Baron Sindras is a successful person with status and position, it’s unlikely that he’d be that rash …… Klein thought silently in his mind.
As Walter tried to say something more, he chuckled again:
”However, caution is always a good habit.
”Well …… you can hire two bodyguards to provide protection in secret and try not to be noticed by the servants of the house.”
”Yes, sir.” Walter immediately responded.
Klein thought about it and said to him again:
”Go to Councilor Macht’s house and invite him, his wife, and his daughter to have tomorrow’s dinner at the Intis Cerenzo Restaurant, and if they’re not available, they can postpone it.”
He was intending to tell Councilor Macht that he was prepared to accept the military’s test and complete a small arms deal.
Originally, the most convenient way would have been for him to directly visit Councilor Macht’s house and casually mention it, but considering that there might be a demigod of the “Stealer” pathway beside Hazel, who might be able to detect the gray mist aura on his body in close contact, Klein changed his mind and set the location at an outside restaurant.
That way, according to Klein’s judgment, the one who failed to successfully “parasitize” Hazel would not be able to move together.
……
Hugh hid in the shadows of the trees and watched as a brown carriage slowly drove by, turning toward a certain street in Queens.
On that carriage, there was a distinctive coat of arms, the body of which was a flower and two finger rings, which belonged to the head of the court guard of the Kingdom of Ruin, Viscount Sturford.
Seeing nothing to be found, Hugh dejectedly left his hiding place and went to take a public carriage nearby, returning all the way to the Birkeland Bridge area and walking into the East End.
Arriving at the tavern on Dharavi Street, Hugh made his way to the bar, avoided by a drunken man, and asked directly about the bartender who was polishing glasses:
”Any new commissions?”
The bartender burst out laughing:
”There is, the Walther steward who previously spent 200 pounds to reward a few crooks has given a new commission, it is very simple, secretly protect his employer for a few days, pay face to face, surely generous.
”He was satisfied with your efficiency in completing the task last time, and appointed us to inquire about you on a priority basis.
”Well, is there any interest?”
Hugh was quite impressed with the steward and his employer as they had spent a full £200 looking for the crooks who had only swindled them out of £1000 of fabric.
It was generous, and the payment was prompt …… Hugh nodded with a little retrospection:
”All right.”