The Winner of the Whale Fight is the Shrimp

Lamostal is a massive merchant group that dominates Rezhen Kingdom.

From weapons and food to even precious jewels, their influence is so great they supply directly to the royal family.

Though the group’s leader hasn’t received a single title, even most nobles can’t lift their heads before him.

After his precious daughter bore the king’s child, that authority pierced the sky.

The reason 3rd Prince Lügen, evaluated as a good-for-nothing, can exert power in the throne succession structure is precisely because he receives Lamostal’s full support.

Financial power is strength itself.

Officials who ate Lamostal’s money had no choice but to support Lügen.

‘They said it was impenetrable.’

Lügen trying to ascend the throne backed by the merchant group was a thorn in other royals’ eyes.

In fact, royals had pressed Lamostal before.

But no matter what audit methods they employed, not a speck of dust emerged from Lamostal.

The more they dug into the absurd situation, the more the royals themselves suffered damage.

After that, everyone came to fear Lamostal.

An impregnable fortress handling one axis of Rezhen Kingdom’s economy.

This was why other princes couldn’t easily touch them despite having information about the Tunnel Folk.

‘Definitely trickier than the 1st Prince’s research lab.’

Pernok looked down at the mine from a distance. The number of mages examined with Observation Eye was quite substantial.

Though their skills were merely ordinary mercenary mages, the surveillance network was so systematic, making the 1st Prince’s research lab look shabby in comparison.

Dense and precise enough that the moment even one person got hurt, the alarm would immediately echo throughout the entire mine.

‘Combat personnel alone exceed roughly 100, and miners more than double that. If I tried to extract Tunnel Folk sloppily, I’d be caught immediately and have to fight. Flashy explosions would erupt one after another in the dead of night.’

The carefully prepared escape routes might become useless. However, infiltrating inside without frontal collision seemed difficult.

After pondering, Pernok snapped his fingers.

The informant Salavan had attached to serve as contact emerged from the shadows.

“You called?”

“Your name was…”

“Please call me Number 12.”

“…What was your magic again?”

“I hide and move through shadows.”

“Convenient ability. Can you enter inside with that?”

“Impossible. All sides are bright as day, making the shadows’ contours severe. I’d be caught immediately.”

Pernok nodded.

“Get caught as slowly as possible. Then when the alarm sounds, run west.”

“You mean to draw attention.”

“Impossible?”

“Not at all. I’ll execute immediately.”

Number 12 sent a messenger hawk without complaint.

It signaled that Pernok would act, so others should simultaneously activate elsewhere to prevent his movements from being noticed. Then Number 12 hid in shadows and approached the mine.

Whiiiiiine—!

Less than a minute after Number 12 infiltrated, an alarm piercing thoughts echoed. Five mages began running west.

‘They instantly grasped magic as covert as shadows, measured that level, and accurately allocated personnel to pursue. Quite many skilled at tracking.’

New mages replaced the gaps the pursuers left.

The mine’s guard with no gaps whatsoever felt tight.

No need to attack that place directly.

Rather than descending to the mine, Pernok headed west instead.

In the meantime, Number 12 seemed to have suffered serious damage, limping without even hiding in shadows.

The moment Pernok spotted the mages relentlessly targeting him, he took the rear.

“Al, Ryu!”

As if sufficiently anticipating accomplices, the mages’ response was excellent.

One clung to Number 12, while the remaining four rather pressured Pernok.

If the opponent had been anyone but Pernok, they had sufficient judgment and combat power to subdue him.

Kaboom!

Pernok lightly deflected the magic and tapped the four mages. When they all clutched their abdomens and collapsed, the mage pursuing Number 12 turned his back without hesitation.

Both his arms swelled greatly. Though reinforcement-type magic that could easily crush even steel bars, when caught in Pernok’s hands, they twisted as is.

“…!”

Seeing they didn’t even scream, definite professionals.

So no one would suspect them.

[Hypnosis Lv.4]

Controls the target’s consciousness.

Possible on up to 5 people, and when controlling a new target, previous subjects are released from suggestion.

Magic obtained by killing mages at the research lab.

Pernok hypnotized 4 mages. Then he killed the remaining one by striking his neck.

“Number 12, can you move?”

“Yes.”

“Report to His Highness that I’ll kill every last Tunnel Folk without leaving a single one.”

“I’ll stay togeth…”

“You’d sabotage His Highness’s plan with that crude skill?”

Number 12 was both contact and observer watching Pernok’s actions.

But what must be prioritized above all was helping Pernok complete his mission.

Number 12 bowed his head.

“My thinking was short. I’ll report to His Highness.”

When Pernok nodded, Number 12 led his injured body out of the forest. And Pernok changed into the killed mage’s outfit.

“My name is?”

“Syke.”

“Rank?”

“Pursuit team member.”

“Who’s the team leader?”

One person stood up.

“Who do you make final reports to?”

“Report directly to the chief supervisor.”

“Then convey this.”

Pernok handed the team leader a cloth fragment engraved with a cross-sword.

“This emblem came from the pursuer’s possession.”

The 1st Prince possesses an assassination squad skilled at cleanup.

Beings called the dark squad in the royal family.

Though nobles only heard of their existence through rumors, Salavan knows the reality.

The evidence is this cross-sword emblem.

If the chief supervisor reports this emblem to superiors, deducing the 1st Prince with the merchant group’s information network won’t be difficult.

“You’ll act as usual. Just remember that I’m in a state with serious facial injuries.”

Pernok wrapped his face with torn cloth and clapped his hands.

Clap!

The mages flinched their shoulders and came to their senses.

But in their consciousness, several memories Pernok set remained latent.

The team leader looked down at the stripped-naked dead team member and nodded.

“The infiltrator is dead. Syke, can you move?”

“Yes, team leader.”

“Send Syke to the medical office immediately upon returning to the mine. I’ll report this emblem.”

The team leader opened the path to the mine at the front.

* * *

“I must see the manager immediately.”

With just those words, the tight guard was pierced.

“Al, take Syke to the medical office.”

“Yes.”

A gaunt man stuck to Pernok’s side. Then Pernok separated from the pursuit team and entered the mine interior. Rising heat swept over his skin.

‘Did they install even a workshop inside the mine?’

He’d thought it a mine after seeing tunnels dug with rails and carts connected. The report also specified this place as a mine.

But the deeper inside, what surged was sweltering heat and the sound of hammering iron.

“Go bring iron!”

“Water’s insufficient!”

“Didn’t you hear to grind it more!”

The path split in two.

One the workshop where heat surged.

The other the dark, dreary ore vein where miners descended.

‘That side descending underground must be the real mine. They’re pulling up minerals from there.’

The mine here meant nothing more than a facility to rapidly pull up raw materials.

Even if the mineshaft collapsed, the workshop built above seemed like it would remain intact.

‘They increase productivity this way.’

Not only blacksmiths but also multiple overseers were positioned in the workshop.

Dreaming of escape while avoiding those fierce glares seemed impossible.

“Where are you going?”

“Syke got injured.”

“Tsk, pursuit team members being pathetic.”

Pernok easily broke through the surveillance network with the gaunt man.

The place called the medical office was quite a cozy room.

Seeing no sick people, it seemed made to prepare for cases where people occupying important positions in this mine got hurt.

“Who are you to enter here?”

A middle-aged woman asked sharply.

The gaunt man bowed his head.

“I apologize. Syke got injured, so I request treatment.”

“Go outside, not here.”

“His condition is critical… The team leader should be receiving permission from the manager now.”

“Tsk, fine, go out.”

“Thank you.”

The gaunt man left the medical office.

The woman exhaled deeply and sat before Pernok.

“Having to care for even these lowly ones now…”

The woman who removed all the cloth blinked her eyes.

“…Huh? You’re fine…”

Pernok cast his last hypnosis.

The moment the condition of up to 5 people was met, he could no longer activate hypnosis.

Brief regret aside, Pernok spoke to the woman with clouded eyes.

“Name and rank.”

The woman answered with blank eyes.

“Fusa, chief medical officer.”

“Who do you treat here?”

“Executives and core resources.”

“Do you know Tunnel Folk?”

Fusa closed her mouth.

“Have you seen beings with small builds and furry ears?”

“Yes.”

Pernok grinned.

‘Right. They’re a rare race with few in the world. For that level of money-making means, they’d at least prevent deaths from injuries.’

Worth coming to the medical office.

“Do you examine them here?”

“I visit them since they mustn’t be discovered.”

“Guide me. I’m going to treat Tunnel Folk.”

Fusa quietly stood and gathered medical tools.

Pernok wrapped his face with bandages and followed behind.

The deeper he went, the stronger mana he felt.

“Stop.”

Two level 5 mages blocked the way.

“Fusa, what’s your purpose coming here?”

“I came to examine them.”

“No appointment is scheduled?”

“I must examine them.”

“…I’ll ask the manager, so wait.”

Coming this far easily was fortunate enough.

Pernok blocked the mages’ path.

“What are you…”

“Mages of your level aren’t ordinary surveillance soldiers. If you report directly to the manager, shift times must be quite long too.”

Instantly, both mages immediately drew up their mana.

They seemed to have even authority to immediately punish unusual individuals.

“…?”

But their mana was blocked by Pernok’s mana domination.

Finally grasping the situation and stiffening, the two mages drew swords but.

Scritch.

A dry sound cut both mages’ necks.

Blood fountains burst from both sides, but Fusa didn’t blink an eye.

Pernok absorbed both mages’ mana and spiritual power while speaking dryly.

“Guide me.”

* * *

Though several more clashes occurred afterward, since there weren’t even level 6 mages, Pernok cleanly eliminated surveillance soldiers.

When learning that the reporting time between surveillance soldiers was roughly 30 minutes, Pernok entered a tunnel where heat and musty smell coexisted.

“Keruk, keruk.”

He turned his gaze following the unique coughing sound.

He couldn’t suppress the smile spreading on his lips.

“Keruk, human. Quota, filled.”

Raccoon-like humanoids with fluffy fur.

Tunnel Folk that fit Lord of Despair’s expression perfectly were making and stacking famous swords.

Pernok captured a few more faint life forces deep inside and stepped forward.

“Keruk, human?”

“I’m not mine personnel.”

Pernok loosened the cloth fragment.

Whether not grasping the situation, the Tunnel Folk looked back and forth between Fusa and Pernok blankly.

“I came to propose a partnership to you.”

“Keruk, keruk!”

When the Tunnel Folk stepped back while crying loudly in confusion, five small raccoons burst out from inside.

“Not adults yet. Perhaps your children?”

“Kerruk!”

Toward the large raccoon glaring like fire while gripping a hammer, Pernok extended his hand to block.

“Don’t get excited. I came to talk. The ones outside are dead, and we have only 25 minutes left at most.”

“Keruk!”

Lord of Despair said once Tunnel Folk get excited, they don’t listen.

The time when Lord of Despair and Tunnel Folk were amicable.

To proceed with smooth conversation, Lord of Despair always prepared this.

Pernok pulled out the most important point of negotiation from his pocket.

“Wait, shall we eat some walnuts?”

“Ke… walnuts?”

Like cold water splashed over them.

Before he knew it, they all focused their gazes on the walnut in Pernok’s hand.

When Pernok threw the walnut, they set down hammers and caught it with both hands.

“Walnuts!”

The Tunnel Folk smiled brightly.

Seeing this, the personnel here seemed not to know Tunnel Folk’ habits well.

Well, Tunnel Folk known as a fantasy race.

Unless someone from hundreds of years ago, they wouldn’t know the fact that they’re more crazy about food than minerals.

Especially, Lord of Despair also discovered Tunnel Folk’ walnut love by chance.

Because Tunnel Folk request walnuts as a sign of favor to people they want to become close with.

“I prepared many walnuts, so shall we talk for a moment?”

The Tunnel Folk gathered in a line before Pernok with sparkling eyes.