Chapter 21: Young Master Kailun is a Genius
“No! It must be the ring! Princess Hilna wouldn’t lie to me!”
Instead of tending to his wound, Anderson chose to deceive himself. It was the only way he could justify continuing this charade.
As he grappled with his shattered reality, Philip calmly lowered his arm, which he had used to shield his eyes, and fixed a cold gaze on him.
Everything Roden had predicted had come to pass. Young Master Kailun had calculated every step perfectly.
He had been skeptical when he first heard the plan. If not for the vast difference in their social standing, he might have even refused.
If things hadn’t gone according to Kailun’s predictions, the Magic Shop would have suffered a loss of over a thousand gold coins in a single day. Factoring in the other branches, the potential damage was immense.
But Kailun had been right.
‘It seems the young master has been hiding his true abilities all along. Now that the royal family is weakening, he’s finally revealing his fangs. This is what a true leader looks like.’
Philip’s admiration for Kailun grew, solidifying his resolve to remain loyal to the Kate family.
“Aaaargh!”
Anderson’s delayed scream pierced the air. He clutched his mangled stump, howling in agony. “Everyone, look! The Magic Shop is selling faulty products! My hand! It hurts so much!”
His cries drew a crowd. Customers browsing the shop and passersby alike gathered to witness the spectacle.
To amplify the drama, he hadn’t even bothered to heal himself. Blood gushed from his gruesome wound.
For customers, product safety was paramount. If even the most basic safety standards couldn’t be guaranteed, who would dare purchase anything from the Magic Shop again?
This was a crisis of trust, one that could have far-reaching consequences if not handled properly.
“I saw him! He just bought a magic storage ring for three hundred gold coins! And it exploded the moment he put it on! How terrifying!”
Kostja, disguised as a bystander, recounted the incident to the crowd.
“No way! Not only are their products overpriced, but they’re also dangerous? Who would dare buy anything from them now?”
“I certainly wouldn’t! I don’t want to lose my hand! Just looking at it makes me cringe.”
“The Magic Shop is off my list from now on.”
“…”
The crowd murmured nervously, fearing they might be the next victim.
Philip, observing the scene, calmly instructed his staff to remain calm. The most important person hadn’t arrived yet.
“What’s going on here? Why is everyone gathered like this?”
A minute later, the Royal City Enforcement Squad swaggered over. They had been waiting nearby, anticipating this very scenario.
Their leader, clad in golden armor and wielding a golden sword, was the head of security for the entire Royal City.
He, too, was a subordinate of Princess Hilna. Upon seeing Anderson’s mangled arm, he couldn’t help but click his tongue. After this, Anderson would be relegated to desk duty.
“Selling such dangerous products! Men, shut this place down! And close down all their branches as well! They can only reopen after a thorough investigation!”
He passed judgment without even conducting an inquiry, placing the blame squarely on the Magic Shop.
“Hold on!”
Philip finally stepped forward, blocking the enforcement squad.
He pointed at the sobbing Anderson. “Are you certain it’s the Magic Shop’s fault?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” the captain retorted.
“Then take a closer look at this.”
Philip shot him a knowing look and picked up the bloodstained ring.
The captain remained unfazed. “What’s there to see? Your product is clearly faulty. Are you trying to shift the blame?”
“Fine, if you insist. Let’s have someone else take a look.” He wiped the ring clean and handed it to a young noble who was watching from the sidelines. “Sir, would you mind identifying the maker of this ring?”
“Of course. Hmm… this ring seems to be from the Divine Church.” The young noble examined the ring and spotted a familiar symbol.
The crowd fell silent. They knew what the Divine Church represented. It was a powerful organization closely tied to the royal family, rumored to have close ties to the Second Prince.
In the public’s mind, the Divine Church was practically an extension of the royal family. Any matter involving them was bound to be complicated.
“Let me see that!”
The captain panicked and snatched the ring back, his eyes widening as he saw the scale symbol etched inside. Cold sweat trickled down his back.
He had just stumbled into a hornet’s nest.
Anderson looked up in disbelief. Whether it was due to shock or blood loss, he promptly fainted.
Kostja, sensing danger, slipped away unnoticed. She had to inform Princess Hilna immediately. Her plan had failed yet again.
Come to think of it, had any of Hilna’s plans actually succeeded?
With the Divine Church’s involvement confirmed, the whispers intensified, the blame shifting from the Magic Shop to the church.
Seizing the opportunity, Philip addressed the captain with a smile. “I apologize for this unfortunate incident. It seems our product inspection process was lacking. But who would have thought that products from the Divine Church require no inspection whatsoever? So, Captain, are you still planning to shut us down?”
His words put the captain in a difficult position. If the Divine Church learned of his actions, he would be hanging from the city gates by morning.
“No, that won’t be necessary. This incident has nothing to do with the Magic Shop. We’ll conduct a thorough investigation. Dismissed!”
He practically spat out the last word. Not only had he failed his mission, but he had also created a huge problem for Princess Hilna. He would surely be punished.
Fuming, he couldn’t resist taking out his frustration on Anderson, stomping on his face repeatedly.
“You useless piece of trash!”
He spat on him before finally calming down.
“I apologize for the inconvenience. Since this matter involves the Divine Church, I won’t elaborate further. As a token of apology, all products in the Magic Shop are now 5% off. Please feel free to browse. We guarantee your safety.”
Philip seized the opportunity to mitigate the damage with a small discount.
“Sir, what should we do with him?” His assistant gestured towards the unconscious Anderson.
“Just toss him out. His fate is no concern of ours.”
“Yes, sir!”
As his assistant dragged Anderson away, Philip could be heard muttering, “Young Master Kailun is a genius.”
…
“Your Highness! Princess Hilna! We have a problem!”
Kostja’s frantic knocking woke Hilna from her nap.
Hilna: “…”
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! That was a great joke performance.