Gnosis was in trouble.
The Paleroches family had always been the most hostile toward Karlan Trade.
In their eyes, laying railways near the sacred mountain and allowing factory smoke to pollute Kjerag’s pristine air were nothing short of blasphemy against Kjeragandr.
Arctosz Paleroches had long wanted to make trouble for Enciodes but lacked a proper excuse.
After all, Karlan Trade’s factories and settlements were undeniably profitable.
Even people from his own territory had relocated to Turicum with their families, leaving him with little leverage.
This time, however, things were different.
The Grand Elder of the Vine-Bead Court had provided them with the perfect pretext: the Silverash family had secretly concealed a batch of steel.
It was the kind of issue that could be either minor or serious, depending entirely on who chose to make it one.
Steel, after all, was not armor or weaponry with obvious military applications.
Arctosz could hardly use it as grounds to destroy the Silverash family outright.
But it was more than enough to demand an explanation and make Enciodes uncomfortable.
As for evidence, who really cared?
And indeed, his goal was achieved.
When Gulo, acting as the vanguard, repeatedly pressed Enciodes about the discrepancy between the reported quantities and prices of the steel, Enciodes found himself unable to answer.
Because he had, in fact, hidden a portion of it, using it to construct a secret railway along the borders of Silverash territory for military transport.
Of course, Enciodes could have explained it away or simply fabricated a story.
He could claim that international steel prices had risen during that period, that losses had occurred during transport, or that the steel had been diverted for construction.
There were countless such excuses, and he was more than capable of making them sound flawless.
The problem was that the other side had no intention of being reasonable.
Gulo was simply following a single instruction from Arctosz: no matter what Enciodes said, unless he handed over someone to take the blame, the matter would not be settled.
On one side stood a master strategist, calculating every move.
On the other, a stubborn brute who refused to listen to reason.
Even Enciodes found himself at a loss.
It was like a scholar arguing with a soldier, logic meant nothing here.
Still, someone had to take responsibility.
The railway project had been approved by the Vine-Bead Court, supervised by all three great families, and personally overseen by Enciodes as chief director.
This was no minor undertaking where a disposable scapegoat could be thrown out to resolve the issue.
If the Paleroches family insisted on pursuing the matter, only two people could plausibly bear the responsibility.
The first was Enciodes himself.
He could admit to negligence in supervision or errors during procurement that resulted in a shortfall of steel.
This would be the most convincing explanation, but also the least likely.
The second option was obvious: the unfortunate Chief Technical Executive, Gnosis Edelweiss.
“General Gulo, we understand your concerns,” Gnosis began, maintaining a composed tone.
“But I believe this is merely a misunderstanding caused by incomplete information.”
“Steel cannot simply be purchased and laid down to form a railway.
It requires processing and adjustment, and naturally, there will be some loss during that process.”
“The extent of that loss depends on the level of technology available.
Given Kjerag’s current industrial capabilities, a significant amount of loss is entirely predictable.
In fact, had Mr.
Arctosz Paleroches approved the blast furnace procurement proposal at the time, this loss could have been avoided altogether.
We would not be having this misunderstanding now.
It is never too late to make amends.
Karlan Trade would gladly welcome a representative to discuss restarting the blast furnace project.”
Gnosis attempted to overwhelm Gulo with technical reasoning, even trying to steer the conversation toward reviving a long-stalled industrial project that had little to do with the railway itself.
After the lengthy explanation, Gulo’s already limited understanding reached its limits.
He fell silent for a moment.
Then, as if arriving at a conclusion, he shook his head, raised his axe, and pointed it straight at Gnosis.
“I didn’t understand a word you said!
But you’re the one responsible, right?”
“I…” Gnosis nearly lost his temper, his lips twitching.
“Strictly speaking, this is due to objective factors—”
He was cut off mid-sentence.
“Wait, didn’t you just say it was because of ‘technical limitations’?
That just means your Karlan Trade doesn’t have good enough technology!
And you’re their… what was it… technical commander?”
“Executive,” Enciodes corrected.
Gulo nodded.
“Right, that technical executive!
For us soldiers, if we lose a battle, it’s because the general isn’t good enough.
For you people in charge of technology, if the tech isn’t good enough, isn’t that your problem?”
The words stuck in Gnosis’s throat.
He knew Gulo was being unreasonable, yet he found himself unable to respond.
How could he argue this?
The more he explained, the worse it seemed to get.
If he actually managed to make Gulo understand, he might as well admit complete defeat.
After a long, stifling silence, he finally lowered his head, clenched his fists, and forced out a single word through gritted teeth:
“…Yes.”
“That’s more like it!” Gulo grinned triumphantly.
“If the tech isn’t good enough, then you shouldn’t be the technical executive.
Honestly, maybe this railway project should be paused too.
Who knows what other problems your technology has?”
Enciodes shook his head calmly.
“The railway will not be halted.
Gnosis will be disciplined, but this is an internal matter of Karlan Trade.
It is not for the Paleroches family to interfere.
When the National Assembly convenes, I will provide a satisfactory explanation.”
With that, he turned away, ignoring Gulo’s stunned expression, and pulled the barely restrained Gnosis along with him.
Karlan Trade’s security personnel quickly moved into position, blocking the entrance and preventing Gulo from pushing further.
At their head stood a towering man, whose presence alone made even Gulo hesitate.
“The master has other matters to attend to.
Please leave.”
___
Back in the office, Enciodes calmly observed the still-fuming Gnosis, taking a sip of his tea.
You’ve lost this wager, haven’t you?”
Gnosis took several deep breaths before managing to steady himself, shooting Enciodes a glare.
Reluctant as he was to admit it, his chances of winning had already dropped to almost zero.
As mentioned earlier, the issue of the missing steel could be made big or small.
It all depended on whether the other two families and the Vine-Bead Court chose to pursue it, and whether they could produce decisive evidence proving where the steel had gone.
From the exchange just now, it was clear that the Paleroches family, along with the monastery backing them, had no such evidence.
That revealed two key points.
First, Ernest Silverash had indeed obtained the Kjerag financial records from the monastery.
He had accomplished what should have been an impossible task.
Second, whether by ignorance or by choice, Ernest had not disclosed the steel’s destination or any supporting evidence to the Grand Elder.
He had certainly struck a heavy blow against Enciodes and Karlan Trade, but he had stopped short of going too far.
‘You’ve been a bit too high-profile lately.
Consider this a small warning.’
That was the impression that surfaced in Enciodes’s mind, and it surprised him.
The last time he had been checked and restrained like this, with no way to counter it, was during his years studying in Victoria, facing those seasoned and calculating politicians.
He quickly shook his head.
Probably just an illusion.
No matter how capable Ernest was, he couldn’t possibly be compared to those old veterans of Victoria.
Either way, until the fallout from this incident subsided, the position of government head and council chairman was unlikely to fall into Gnosis’s hands again.
“Step down from your position as Technical Executive for a month,” Enciodes said, a rare hint of amusement in his voice at seeing his old friend at a disadvantage.
“You’ve already lost this month’s research funding to me anyway.”
But Gnosis was in no mood to laugh.
Frustration churned inside him.
“Hmph.
So what if he got the financial records?
We both know what Kjerag is like.
Those reports will only make him more desperate.
Sitting in that position without the necessary resources or backing, he won’t accomplish anything.
In the end, he’ll have no choice but to give up the seat!”
“You’re not wrong,” Enciodes nodded.
Under normal circumstances, that would have been the most likely outcome.
Before today, he might have sighed in quiet regret for Ernest.
But now, a different feeling stirred within him.
“But what if?”
“I have a feeling my little brother might surprise us yet.”
Gnosis curled his lip, clearly unconvinced.
Enciodes did not mind.
“Then how about another wager?
This time, three months.”
“Fine.
You’re on.”