The Little Demon King is Too Bothered by Her Brave Dads - Chapter 84

Looking at my grandfather…

‘I’m glad.’

It warms my heart every time I see people who genuinely worry about me like this. It’s something I’m realizing anew.

Though it wasn’t a direct connection, it truly felt as if I had become a granddaughter to him…

“For now, Father, select the items and send them to Kirios. He will understand the details better.”

“I’ll do that. But what about you?”

“I, from now on.”

Siegfried declared coldly.

“I will go to the Lintz merchant group.”

* * *

It was early evening, just as the sun was beginning to set when Siegfried stormed the headquarters of the Lintz merchant group.

“Move, move, move!”

“Oh, don’t leave the cart there!”

“The number in the ledger and the number of bowls don’t match? Where did this bowl go?”

“What will happen if you just drop the luggage like that? If everything breaks, you’ll take responsibility, won’t you?!”

The headquarters office of the Lintz merchant group was bustling with workers carrying loads, managers checking items with ledgers, and a jumble of wagons and horses.

And then.

Amidst this, a man in the distance approached the main branch with determined strides.

The workers glanced at him.

“Huh? Isn’t that…”

Black hair.

Golden irises that prove noble lineage.

A face as exquisitely chiseled as a sculpture, as if crafted with the utmost care by a deity.

“Isn’t he the Duke of Orleans……?”

It was Siegfried.

The only strange thing was that the nobleman, the noblest of the nobles, had come to the main branch alone, without an entourage.

With that, Siegfried came to a halt.

In the darkness, the golden irises faintly glowed.

Thud!!

The entire world trembled.

Simultaneously, people felt a weighty pressure settling onto their shoulders.

It was as if colossal hands were pressing down on their shoulders, an overwhelming force.

“What, what is this!?”

People began to panic and scramble in astonishment as if they might faint.

The weight was so immense that their knees involuntarily buckled.

Struggling to bear the burden, people looked desperately at Siegfried.

“What’s going on!”

“For now, just…!”

With an icy expression, Siegfried observed people floundering in agitation.

And then…

Thud!!

Once again, the weight pressed upon their shoulders.

“Gah!”

“Wait, hold on!”

Unable to withstand the tremendous weight, people began to kneel, one by one.

Terrified eyes looked up at Siegfried.

There was no way to mistake it.

The wielder of this power was none other than Siegfried himself.

He was the hero who had saved humanity.

“Ple-please spare us!”

“We don’t know why you’re doing this, but…!”

People began to shout desperately in panic.

Then, a pair of piercing golden eyes stared straight ahead.

People collectively held their breath.

“Huh, huh?”

“Aaah…!”

Horror began to spread across people’s faces.

Instinct whispered to them.

The man in front of them is a being of a different dimension from them.

Something beyond their reach, beyond their touch, something they couldn’t approach.

Just the sheer presence of that overwhelming being made them cower.

At that moment, they painfully realized that Siegfried had been standing on the same ground as them, breathing the same air, living in the same world, all along.

It was solely because Siegfried had willingly lowered himself to the level of mere mortals.

And then…

Thud!!

Once again, the weight settled upon them.

“Ugh…”

“Gasp!”

The people fell flat on the floor.

There was something about the scene that reminded Siegfried of believers worshipping a god.

Siegfried walked past them with leisurely steps.

Amid the serene world,

Step, step, step.

Only the distinct sound of boot soles striking the ground echoed eerily in the silence.

There was no wind at all, but his black hair swayed as if it were alive.

As Siegfried was about to enter the main hall, his gaze briefly swept down to include the people in his line of sight.

“All of you are suspects accused of colluding with demons.”

“What?!”

“Demons?!”

The people’s eyes widened in shock.

“Of course, among you, there might be those who are unaware of the connection between the Lintz merchant group and the demons. The exact charges will be determined through further investigation.”

However, their astonishment had nothing to do with him.

Siegfried continued to speak calmly.

“To prevent any potential escape attempts, movement has been restrained. I hope you won’t cause accidents by moving recklessly and injuring yourselves.”

Step.

The boot sole struck the ground again, producing a resounding thud.

“If you don’t resist and stay still, I’ll spare your lives.”

With those words, Siegfried concealed himself within the main hall.

People who watched his retreating figure quietly lowered themselves, swallowing their dry saliva nervously.

They were afraid.

* * *

At that moment.

Thomas Lintz, the head of the Lintz merchant group, was looking over documents with a satisfied expression.

“Ha, my cunning skills.”

Thomas chuckled.

It was about four years ago when he began to walk the path of influence.

That was when he met an enigmatic gentleman.

This gentleman was peculiar in many ways.

He never revealed his true identity and possessed an immense wealth of unknown origin.

Moreover, Thomas had never seen the gentleman’s face even once.

Every time they met, the gentleman covered his eyes and sat across from Thomas after circling around in a carriage sent from the gentleman’s side.

‘I desire only one thing.’

He could still hear his rough voice.

‘Ensure that your merchant group grows as much as possible.’

‘Yes, huh?’

‘Establish connections with several noble families and gain their trust to the point of supplying them with all manner of goods. For this sake, I will provide all the support I can. So…….’

A whisper escaped his lips like honey.

‘Someday when I need it, just help me once.’

At first, it felt like being possessed by a ghost.

But then substantial amounts of money were deposited into his bank account.

Lintz, a relatively insignificant merchant group in the province, with the gentleman’s assistance, rose to become one of the empire’s top merchants…

‘Yes, what should I do?’

Thomas began to consider his encounters with the gentleman as the luckiest moments of his life.

To be honest, there was a slight sense of unease.

However, the funds the gentleman provided were incredibly sweet.

With those funds, Thomas systematically eliminated his competitors.

Spreading rumors, poaching skilled workers, taking over shops—there were many ways to do it when you had money.

‘Please don’t do this to me! If you do this, my shop will be completely destroyed! ‘

How many shop owners tearfully begged, their noses running with snot?

‘Why do I need to know that?’

To the people who were crying, Thomas smiled viciously.

As such events unfolded several times.

Before he knew it, the Lintz merchant group had become a prominent merchant even within the empire.

“Well, this time, if we receive the support… Wait a moment.”

Thomas, who had been leaning comfortably against a plush armchair, suddenly paused.

“Why is it so quiet around here?”

The main headquarters of the merchant group was a place bustling with numerous goods and people.

Naturally, there should be all sorts of noises.

But now, as if not even a mouse were stirring, isn’t it unusually quiet?

Right at that moment.

Crash!!

The exquisitely crafted walnut door, commissioned from a skilled craftsman, was torn apart as if it were nothing.

“What, what is this!!”

Startled, Thomas jumped up from his seat.

Thud!

The doorknob fell to the ground.

Amidst the flying splinters of wood, a man revealed himself.

Beneath his jet-black hair, a pair of cold, sunken gold eyes stared straight at Thomas.

“The Duke…… of Orleans?”

Thomas called out to the other man, dumbfounded.

‘Why is the Duke of Orleans here?’

He couldn’t make sense of the situation at all.

Simultaneously, Siegfried raised his hand and clenched it in the air.

As if he were grabbing Thomas’s throat.

And then.

“Kreugh!!!”

The immense force began to squeeze Thomas’s throat.

“Ugh, kreugh, cough…”

Thomas struggled desperately.

However, instead of weakening, the pressure on his throat only grew stronger.

Gasping for breath, Thomas raised his voice as if being squeezed.

“Ple-please, spare me, spare me!”

At the same time, Siegfried parted his lips.

With no warmth, his voice was truly as cold as ice.

“The crime of colluding with demons. For supplying the Duke of Orleans with demonic goods.”

In an instant, Thomas’s eyes widened.

‘Demons?!’

Was he saying that the elegant gentleman was aligned with demons?!

Thomas had always thought of demons as repulsive creatures, beasts even!

However, Thomas’s thoughts couldn’t linger for long.

His breath was becoming increasingly ragged.

“Ugh, ple-please…”

Thomas tried to scratch at the air with his nails, but it was futile.

Gradually, the color drained from his face.

Observing his feeble resistance, Siegfried spoke again.