Chapter 183 - 183 Betrayal
In August, Arthur met Heimdal at a gathering of western nobles.
Brian had set out on a journey to reform the world, saying Steve would handle the affairs, so Arthur was left in charge of the territory's work and thus attended the gathering.
There, Arthur asked Heimdal a question.
"Baron Parker, how is the adzuki bean harvest this year?"
Heimdal answered.
"It seems it will be the same as usual."
"I see. Hearing that puts my mind at ease."
Arthur said so, but inside his heart he was not at all at ease.
The harvest volume of Baronet Parker's territory averages 500 tons, accounting for 5% of the domestic harvest. Even if one does not know the harvest forecast from the Meteorological Forecast Department, by August signs of a poor harvest should have appeared, and Heimdal could not possibly not know that.
After all, the territory's operating funds for that year depended entirely on the adzuki bean harvest volume.
And currently, the adzuki bean price had risen to 5 times its normal rate, reaching 50,000 Dora per kilogram. This was because the Sowell family had succeeded in hoarding the beans and driving up the price.
From this situation, Arthur considered the possibility that Heimdal might be betraying them.
If it were the Sowell family, they would naturally contact Baronet Parker's house as well. However, since the Archibalt family purchases almost the entire quantity of adzuki beans from Baronet Parker's territory every year, if such an approach had been made, they should have been consulted. But there was no such thing. Moreover, it is a well-known fact that Loki, the head of the Sowell family, and Heimdal are on good terms.
Arthur was not so foolish as to not consider the possibility of betrayal.
And so, he reached the conclusion that Heimdal was indeed betraying them. Therefore, he decided to consult with Isabella and Michael immediately after returning home.
He summoned the two to the mansion and conveyed to them the possibility that Heimdal was betraying them.
Isabella wore a face of disbelief, but she had no material to refute Arthur's explanation.
"So, what are we going to do? Are we going to report this to Papa?"
"No. Since we are watching how the Sowell family handles the market manipulation, we will move on our own and report the results. Besides, it is not yet confirmed that Heimdal is betraying us."
"But it's almost certain, isn't it? Shouldn't we settle this quickly?"
"We will. Isabella, there is no problem with procuring the adzuki beans, right?"
Arthur pressed for confirmation. Isabella nodded, of course.
"Good. Sell the adzuki bean futures. And Michael, contact the companies that decided to make other confectionery because they couldn't procure adzuki beans, and have them sign a contract where we sell the beans at the usual price."
"Finally, it's counterattack time."
Michael clenched his fist tightly.
Shortly after, Arthur gave Heimdal instructions regarding the delivery destination for the adzuki beans that were different from usual.
The preparations for the summer festival in the Archibalt territory in August happened to coincide, and Heimdal came there, so the conversation took place there.
"Heimdal, the adzuki bean price is rising this year. So, I plan to sell the futures and deliver the harvested beans in cash from your side. It's nothing; cheap foreign goods will come in soon, so there will be no problem for the confectionery business. So, you will definitely harvest 500 tons, right?"
"Of course."
"Good. Then, please store them in the warehouse for commodity futures located in the Margrave Sowell territory. I will send the warehouse receipt later."
"Hmm."
Heimdal showed a posture of following Arthur's instructions.
A warehouse receipt is a security issued when goods are deposited in a warehouse, used when selling commodity futures to deliver the physical goods.
In this case, it is a certificate proving that Baronet Parker deposited the goods in the warehouse and that the ownership belongs to the Archibalt Viscount.
With Heimdal accepting this instruction, Arthur sold 500 tons of adzuki bean futures under the Archibalt family's name.
Heimdal happily reported this to Loki.
"My Lord, the Archibalt family has sold the adzuki bean futures."
"I see. I thought their confectionery business would collapse due to the lack of physical goods they should have been able to procure, but they even got involved in selling futures. They are fools who are supposed to sell all their beans to us."
"They are foolishly unaware that they are being deceived by me. They will soon realize that they were simply born into a good family."
The two smiled. It was a very ugly smile.
"So, what did you say to deceive them?"
"Yes. I asked about this year's harvest forecast, and when I told them it would be 500 tons as usual, they were delighted to sell that entire amount."
"What! You said it would be as usual!"
Upon hearing Heimdal's words, Loki's expression changed.
The Archibalt family could not possibly not have noticed the poor harvest of adzuki beans. Yet, the fool before him lied and said it would be as usual. If so, the other party must have become suspicious.
"My Lord, did something offend you?"
But the fool before him did not notice that. Loki became even more angry at this. However, he did not let it show on his face, and decided in his heart, "I'll discard this one too."
"No, if they are selling, we will squeeze them even harder. By the way, I have a favor to ask of you."
"Whatever you wish."
"Falsify the warehouse receipt."
Heimdal was surprised by Loki's instruction. Falsifying a warehouse receipt is a crime. Even for a noble, a crime would be punished.
At that moment, Loki spoke in a sweet voice.
"What is it? I will handle the rest skillfully. Besides, you intended to hand over the deposited adzuki beans to me anyway. It would be twice as surprising for them to find out there are no beans in the warehouse on the settlement date."
"Indeed."
In Heimdal's plan, after storing the beans in the warehouse, he intended to claim he had sold them to Loki, but that would result in the futures being bought back, and the Archibalt family's loss would be small. Loki had tempted him to inflict a much larger loss.
Heimdal fell for this temptation. He assumed that since Loki said he would handle it skillfully, he would not be held responsible for the crime.
Thus, two warehouse receipts were issued and delivered to both the Archibalt family and the Sowell family.
And in September, the adzuki bean price finally reached 10 times its normal rate, 100,000 Dora per kilogram, becoming the final trading day for the October contract. The rule for commodity futures here is that the delivery date is three days after the final trading day.
On this day, Arthur, Isabella, Michael, Loki, and Heimdal were at the warehouse. The transaction amount had swollen to 50 billion Dora, so they wanted to confirm it with their own eyes.
When they arrived at the warehouse, there were no adzuki beans.
Arthur showed the warehouse receipt, but it was said that the Sowell family had taken it first.
"What is going on?"
Arthur asked the staff.
"Even if you ask what is going on, since the Sowell family possessed the official warehouse receipt, we simply handed it over to them."
The staff was also at a loss.
This was because the staff handling the matter did not know about the forgery of the receipt, so they did not understand the situation.
"Heimdal, this receipt definitely has your signature, right?"
"Yes, it does. But I have no responsibility for this."
Heimdal looked at Arthur with a smirk.
It was a "just as planned" look. But immediately after, he was plunged into the depths of hell.
Loki opened his mouth.
"We also received a warehouse receipt from Baronet Parker's house, which stated 500 tons, but in reality, there were only 250 tons. You can check this with the warehouse's exit records. Baron Parker, did you deceive me too?"
"Huh?"
Heimdal made a foolish sound.
When falsifying the warehouse receipt, the entry record was also set to 500 tons. And then, a warehouse receipt for 500 tons was issued to the Sowell family as well. But the actual entry was only 250 tons.
Against this, Loki also claimed to have been deceived. Heimdal, who was struck from an unexpected direction, went into a panic. However, he held back the words, "Isn't this all your doing?"
"But we have the warehouse receipt here, and if you call the staff who confirmed the entry..."
"Oh, by the way, I heard there was a murder. Perhaps you ordered it to silence someone?"
"That is not true."
Heimdal denied it.
Of course, the one who ordered the silencing was Loki.
Isabella was dumbfounded at Loki.
"You are quite thorough."
Heimdal mistook the words directed at himself.
Loki thought the same.
"Indeed. We will investigate this thoroughly. After all, this happened in our territory."
Hearing these words, Heimdal turned pale. He realized he had been betrayed by Margrave Sowell. And he understood that they intended to make him bear all the responsibility for the crimes committed so far. And an investigation in his own territory would not yield anything inconvenient.
He was on the verge of tears.
Loki was convinced that Heimdal was finished and shifted his spearhead to the Archibalt family next.
"So, it seems you could not prepare the physical goods on the delivery date. What will you do?"
Hearing these words, Isabella smiled fearlessly.
"The railway schedule is very accurate. Shall we go to the station now? That way, we can see the time the train from the Empire arrives."
"You transported them by railway? But I haven't heard any news of the Empire exporting adzuki beans."
Loki had received no report from the Frobel Trading Company. In other words, Isabella had not gathered adzuki beans in the Empire. And the Empire's adzuki bean harvest season is in October, so this year's harvest should not be exported to the Kingdom of Cascade now.
He had also not heard that any other neighboring countries were exporting large quantities of adzuki beans.
He twisted his neck, wondering what kind of desperate struggle this was.
However, thinking that they would know if they went to the station, he went to the station with them.
Upon arriving at the station, a train coming from the Empire just arrived.
Stepping off that train was a woman who looked exactly like Isabella. Of course, Loki was familiar with her.
"Auntie."
"Second Lady!!"
"I came as promised. Come on, check the containers."
They saw the guards frantically chasing after the running Cecily.
Isabella smiled bitterly, thinking that guards were unnecessary. There was no one in this vicinity who could defeat Cecily, a survivor of the peak-era Suit Knights, except for her own parents.
After a brief greeting upon their reunion, everyone looked at the containers. There, there was a large quantity of adzuki beans.
"These are this year's adzuki beans harvested in the Imperial Domain. I shortened the cultivation period with my magic, so I was able to harvest a lot."
Hearing this, Loki understood the trick.
The Imperial Domain was the Emperor's direct territory, and even the Frobel Trading Company could not penetrate there. And if it were put up for sale, their movements could be grasped, but if it was harvested and brought directly, the Frobel Trading Company could not possibly grasp those movements either.
Isabella had taken measures knowing about Heimdal's betrayal.
"Please unload 500 tons here, and transport the rest to our territory. I have to deliver this to the people who will buy it."
"You are going to sell this?"
"Yes. At the same price as last year."
"Foolish. You could make a huge profit by selling at market price."
Loki thought the woman before him was a real fool. He could not understand why she would throw away profits so openly.
But Isabella smiled.
"We do not take profits from fellow confectionery manufacturers. We fight fairly. Besides, profits can be gained elsewhere."
"Elsewhere?"
"Yes. Someone shorted a large amount of stock in a confectionery company, didn't they? We bought that here. So, what do you think will happen when information spreads that adzuki beans can be procured cheaply? The falling stock price will rise. Ah, the stock market trading hours are also over. I hope you can buy it back tomorrow."
Loki realized here that his short selling was targeted. And he also realized that she had deliberately kept him moving until the trading hours ended.
"Grr. I will check the beans with our people. Yes, Heimdal! Bring the unpaid 250 tons immediately. The longer you delay, the more interest will accumulate!"
Loki vented his anger on Heimdal and left.
Hearing this, Heimdal turned even paler.