Chapter 305: Let's Call It the Block Consortium
Sona never expected Steven to return so quickly.
It was as if he had merely gone out for a casual stroll—yet came back carrying documents she would have had to risk her life to obtain.
And that wasn't even the most outrageous part.
In the span of just half a day, not only did he acquire those materials, he even brought back hot coffee for everyone.
Just how leisurely was he treating this whole affair?
Was the headquarters of the K.G.C.C nothing more than his personal garden?
Did he really stroll in and out of that place more easily than people use a public restroom?
And this was only what Sona could see.
If she knew that this guy had, in the meantime, also taken the Union's elite enforcers—the entire Armorless Union—and put them under his command, her expression would surely have been much more colorful.
"So here's the deal. I'll hand all this intel over to you. In return, I want the Pinus Sylvestris to serve me from now on. Let's just say…I need my own team—people who can take care of the troublesome stuff I can't be bothered to handle myself."
Steven spread the files before Sona and her companions with a magnanimous air, only to follow up with an utterly shameless demand.
To make the entire Pinus Sylvestris work for him? That was something he had planned from the start.
The Armorless Union alone was nowhere near enough—nine out of ten of those rogues were already halfway out the door, buckets in hand, ready to bail at any moment. Sure, his employee benefits were generous, but loyalty was another matter entirely.
With the Pinus Sylvestris—an actual infected Knightclub—under his wing, at least they could counterbalance the Union. That way, no single faction would grow too dominant.
The truth was, Steven had no talent for management. The whole idea of forming a company was just a whim, another three-minute burst of enthusiasm. He hadn't even figured out what industry this so-called company should be in.
But at the very least, one thing he did understand: a company needs motivated employees.
"To serve you? But…you haven't even explained what it is you intend to do. Without knowing that, how could we possibly lead our people to pledge ourselves to you? Even with the reward you're offering, that's not something we can accept."
Sona's words were blunt, perhaps even cruel—but they were the truth. Steven hadn't fully earned their trust yet. And even if she, personally, trusted him, that wasn't enough. She had to think of the Knights as a whole, and she couldn't risk following someone who might drag them into something strange or dangerous.
At this moment, she wasn't speaking only for herself.
"Hmm… First, I can guarantee this: as infected, you'll enjoy the same treatment as ordinary people. Second, I swear I will never force you to do anything against your conscience. That much, I promise. Is that enough for you?"
Steven stroked his chin.
With the Armorless Union, he could rely on hard power and coercion—whether they accepted it or not wasn't really their choice. But the Pinus Sylvestris were different. They weren't some band of killers; he couldn't push them the same way.
And he understood her caution. Which was why, for once, he put in the effort to explain himself properly.
"Even so," Sona pressed, "you still haven't told us what exactly we'd be doing under you. We don't even know what side you represent."
Sona looked at Steven in confusion.
She could tell he wasn't lying—but that only made her even more puzzled. If that was the case, then why on earth didn't the man who started all this even know what he wanted to do himself?
Did he think this was some kind of game?
"Mm, you've got a point. I should at least decide on something, huh."
Steven licked his lips with a troubled expression. Then, as if struck by inspiration, he clasped his hands together and clapped lightly.
"Let's just say…we're a logistics company. But besides delivering parcels, we might also dabble in food trading, weapons and ore commerce, maybe even some medical supply sales. Call it a conglomerate, if you like."
His eyes lit up. "Ah! Let's name it the Block Consortium."
With that, Steven rubbed his chin in satisfaction. Why keep relying on middlemen to flip goods back and forth? Why not run his own company, do the trading himself, and cut out the profit-grabbing middle layer entirely?
As for the foundation of this so-called consortium, he already had a plan.
Once he acquired a majority of the K.G.C.C's shares, he'd inherit their infrastructure wholesale—and then, building his new organization would be as easy as flipping a switch.
After all…money? He had more than enough.
"Block…Consortium?"
Sona struggled to wrap her head around this bizarre "everything under the sun" company Steven described. But she could tell this was definitely an opportunity—an opportunity the Pinus Sylvestris could never have dreamed of otherwise.
Forget everything else—just the fact that Steven promised infected people equal treatment to ordinary citizens was already something no Kazimierz corporation would ever even consider.
And as for his vow not to make them do anything against their conscience? What sort of self-proclaimed business owner said things like that?
In this day and age, what kind of consortium wasn't built on trampling consciences?
But since Steven said it so plainly, Sona chose to believe him. At the very least, if he broke that promise, she and her companions could always walk away.
What she never imagined was that this seemingly casual decision of hers would go on to shape the course of her entire life.
"…Truthfully, after all the help I've already received from you, I have no right to refuse. That last question of mine was just me being shameless. Since you've said as much, I suppose I have no reason left to turn you down."
After a brief silence, Sona sighed and lowered her head before Steven.
"As for my companions, I'll explain things to them. Whether they choose to follow me or not…I can't say. If some refuse, will you still accept that?"
She gave him a little wink. She couldn't force her fellow knights to pledge themselves to a stranger. All she could do was persuade them as best she could.
"Mm…how about this," Steven mused. "I'll offer them triple the salary of a standard Kazimierz corporate white-collar worker, plus a medical insurance plan specifically for the infected. If even that doesn't sway them, then I won't press the matter."
He named the offer so casually that even Sona herself felt a stir of temptation. And once again, she was reminded of just how absurdly rich this boy really was.
This was already reaching the level of a "sucker boss," wasn't it?
With wages and benefits that high, Sona was starting to wonder if Steven wasn't secretly planning to throw them into some suicide squad missions.
"…Shouldn't you, I don't know, at least ask for something difficult in return? Otherwise, with pay like this, I'm starting to suspect you might be some kind of scammer."
She laughed as she teased him. Honestly, his offer was so generous it was almost beyond belief.
"Relax," Steven said, scratching his head as he patted her shoulder reassuringly. "As long as you do your jobs properly, that's all I'll ever ask. I'm not like those leeches in the K.G.C.C, trying to suck everyone dry. You'll get what you deserve—no less."
Then, as if shifting gears entirely, he added:
"But all that can wait until your names are off Kazimierz's wanted list. For now, I think it's about time you contacted the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi. With the documents you're holding, I bet they'll be very eager to see you."
Having already decided Sona's next course of action, Steven yawned, stood up, and started making his way toward the lounge.
"Eh? Wait—Mr. Steve, you're not going to handle this yourself?"
Sona hadn't expected him to just hand her the files so freely. Was he truly not worried that she might cut a deal with the Sprawiedliwi and turn her back on him? Their so-called contract was nothing more than spoken words—not even a scrap of paper to formalize it.
"Please," Steven groaned, stretching his arms. "I can't stand political scheming. That's exactly why I found someone to handle that mess for me. Next time, I'll introduce you to him—you might even know him already."
That was just the way he was. The last thing Steven wanted was to sit around playing verbal chess with high-ranking officials and slick businessmen. Every one of those people was a sly rat, speaking in riddles, setting traps, playing word games.
Half an hour of that nonsense? He'd rather spend it fighting monsters on the frozen plains. At least the monsters didn't exhaust his soul.
That was why he had gone out of his way to rope in someone like Czarny—a genuine politician to serve under him. That way, he wouldn't have to lift a finger when it came to that side of things.
With that thought, he decided a nap—or maybe a quick round of shark-petting—sounded far more worthwhile.
At the doorway, Specter was already waiting for him, as though she'd been anticipating his return. The moment Steven saw her, his expression softened.
And when he noticed the small statue she held in her hands—clearly meant to be a likeness of him—he couldn't help but grin and give her a thumbs-up.
The blocky head, the square face…
Well, what could he say? It really did look like him.
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