Chapter 73

◈ Chapter 73: Back Alley Talks (2)

The room was filled with a heavy silence.

"What did you just say...?"

Violet's voice trembled, as if she couldn't believe what I had said.

The others had similar reactions.

Though they didn't voice it, they clearly showed their displeasure.

No, more than that, I could sense their hostility.

Phineon's lips were twitching, and he looked ready to spew curses if provoked.

'Brother, what are you trying to do?'

Hans, standing behind me, urgently signaled and asked me this.

He seemed quite flustered by what I had said.

Of course. Did he think I came here to have a peaceful discussion?

If so, it was time to correct that misconception.

"It seems you heard me wrong, so I'll say it one more time. All of you, come under me."

An arrogant statement.

Violet, who leads the women of the Black Rose, openly showed her rejection.

"Disgusting."

She shot at me, not hiding her emotions.

"I thought you would be different because you eliminated the Red Society and still wanted to talk. But you're no different from them."

"No different?"

"You're trying to force us down with power and manipulate us to your liking, aren't you?"

"Is that how it seemed to you?"

"What do you mean?"

I knew what they were worried about.

Of course, I'm not demanding unconditional obedience from them.

"You're all running businesses."

They all maintain their own businesses.

Money is essential for an organization, and they naturally need to earn it within their capabilities.

However, the Red Society held the biggest money-making ventures tightly.

The other three organizations could only make do with minor, leftover profits.

So,

"Don't you want to make more money?"

I made a proposal that they couldn't resist.

"More money?"

"What are you suddenly talking about?"

Naturally, their reactions were filled with confusion.

Yes, I understand. It's surprising to suddenly bring up business.

I decided to explain kindly.

"Our organization has taken over several business ventures after eliminating the Red Society, but to be honest, it's unrealistic to manage all of them. We are still short on numbers."

Hans flinched.

He must have been desperately trying to hide this fact from the other organizations, that our numbers were still far from sufficient.

But in situations like this, it's better to lay your cards on the table.

They can't refuse anyway.

"Our organization is still small in scale. As a result, there are inevitably areas we can't cover. So, I'll transfer those business ventures to you."

Transferring business ventures.

I was offering to hand over what the Red Society had made their own and guarded with blood.

They would feel more suspicion and caution than surprise or admiration.

Indeed, their reactions were as expected.

Mastella asked with a suspicious look.

"What's your hidden agenda?"

I shrugged.

"I have no hidden agenda. Didn't I say you should come under me?"

"You mean, you'll transfer the business ventures to us even if we don't come under you?"

"Even if you don't want to come under me, you don't have to. I'll still transfer the business ventures. They're not necessary for me anyway. How you use them is entirely up to you."

"…I don't understand. What do you want?"

By now, they must have realized I had some purpose.

Telling them to come under me, but offering to transfer the business ventures even if they don't.

At this point, they couldn't help but feel something beyond suspicion.

"As you know, I'm in a position where it's difficult to act openly."

If I were to act as James Moriarty, the Empire's Security Bureau would likely move to capture me.

That detective brat and other annoying flies would be a nuisance.

What I want is to build a solid force of my own.

But I don't want to do it by creating meaningless enemies.

"I don't want pointless conflicts."

"Ha. The one who eliminated the Red Society is saying that?"

"Eliminating them was necessary. If left alone, they would have caused problems in some way. At the very least, I had to cut off the corrupt roots."

"…You, who tried to start a war in the Delica Kingdom, shouldn't be saying that."

Violet said sarcastically.

I shrugged lightly.

"If you don't want to believe me, you don't have to. But I'd like to hear your answer here. Will you join hands with me, or go your separate ways? Of course, there's no coercion."

Even if they don't join hands with me, they will still receive the business ventures. There's no real loss for them.

The leaders exchanged glances.

They were probably weighing whether my words were true and if joining hands with me was a good idea.

"Hmm. Can we know exactly what kind of business it is?"

Phineon cleared his throat and asked.

"Phineon, what are you doing?"

"Stay out of it, Violet. We're short on funds, after all. If we can make money, we should do it."

"You materialist…!"

"Hey, let's be clear. In this world, money is ultimately what matters."

Phineon made a money sign with his hands and shook it from side to side.

"Without money, we're nothing. At least, people who are discriminated against need money to live decently in this world. You, who value honor and sisterhood, might not understand, but that's the reality."

"You…"

"Anyway, Mr. Moriarty. If it's a profitable business, we'll welcome it with open arms."

Phineon didn't fully trust me, despite his words.

"Of course, I'd like to know what kind of business it is. I mean, it could be risky, right? Don't be offended."

"I understand."

I nodded.

I can understand Phineon's attitude. He has a disability called dwarfism.

And the organization he leads is a circus made up of people with similar disabilities.

There's a term called 'freak show.'

A show where people with deformities are displayed as spectacles and earn money through the circus.

In 18th-century Europe, when human rights were not properly recognized, freak shows were quite popular.

'In Europe, even up to the 20th century, there was a history of putting other races in zoos and displaying them.'

The circus Phineon runs is based on this freak show.

'However, the difference is that the leader himself has a disability.'

Phineon isn't simply trying to exploit people with disabilities like himself.

They made this choice because they couldn't survive without doing a freak show.

"I promise I won't do anything that will put you in danger."

"…Hmm. Is that just talk, or is it real?"

Phineon's eyes widened, surprised by my words.

"So, can you tell me exactly what kind of business it is?"

"Of course, Director Phineon. Do you know what kind of entertainment the nobles enjoy?"

"Well, they enjoy plays and music, don't they?"

What is commonly known as opera is the main culture enjoyed by the nobles of this era. Not just the nobles, but wealthy patrons also enjoy it.

Grand stories of gods and heroes.

Boring and stuffy tales originating from ancient tragedies.

"But why are you asking this? Surely, you're not suggesting our circus should do that?"

"Of course not. What the nobles enjoy now is too stuffy, isn't it?"

"Oh. For the first time, I feel like we're on the same page."

"I'm recommending something even better."

"Better?"

"More spectacular. More enjoyable."

Phineon seemed to not understand what I was saying.

That's natural.

To the people of this era, what I'm about to introduce is a relatively unfamiliar concept.

"Have you heard of musicals?"

"Musicals?"

A dazzling performance that combines singing, dancing, and acting.

Lighter and more vibrant than opera, and more free, making it the perfect fit for them.

"A story is told through a mix of drama and song, with the stage lit up and dances that make it enjoyable."

"What's the difference from what the nobles enjoy?"

"It's more free. You don't have to sing all the time. The key is harmony. And you can dance too."

"…We're supposed to do that?"

"Yes."

I recalled my first walk through Leiderbalk, when I saw people singing and dancing on the streets, a common sight known as busking.

Music and dance exist in this world. Stages exist, and musical dramas exist.

That's why I seriously considered the existence of musicals.

For them, it would be a new genre of cultural art.

"Do you think that will work?"

"Yes."

And I'm confident about this because history tells me so.

Given the development of culture in this era, the emergence of musicals is inevitable.

They don't exist now, but there's a high chance they will appear within the next ten years.

In other words, what I'm doing isn't creating something out of nothing.

I'm just helping the seeds already planted to sprout earlier.

"Are you interested?"

"Hmm. I'm not sure yet."

"Don't worry about that. I'll show you the materials I've prepared."

Certainly, there will be resistance at first. Some will look down on it as a lowly act.

But as history shows, the emergence of popular culture can't be stopped by a few privileged individuals.

I took out the script I had prepared and handed it to Phineon.

Phineon quickly took it and flipped through the contents.

As the pages turned, Phineon spoke.

"It seems you have a clear vision. Let's give it a try."

Those words were essentially a declaration that he would join hands with me.

"Surprising."

Mastella and Deon, the leaders of Old Kids, looked at me with a hint of disbelief.

They probably thought I would suppress them with power and charisma.

Given that I had openly dismantled the Red Society, it was a reasonable expectation.

"What do you want from us, Mr. Moriarty?"

"Change."

I answered without hesitation.

The industrial district and Fosse Street, where most commoners live, have a poor reputation.

An area marginalized and abandoned by the city. Naturally, the only place for the people living here is the smoky factories in the industrial district.

Over 18 hours of heavy labor per day. A dull, gray world with no joy. A bleak future.

I want to change that.

"I want change."

If we do this, Fosse Street, where commoners gather, will become Leiderbalk's Broadway.

And the first step is, of course, the people gathered here.

The first production… yes.

Leiderbalk's <West Side Story> would be perfect.

"There will be no more of the old back alleys. This place will change. Not a dark, damp, and dirty place, but a place where people can live."

We can't keep dividing people by class and status forever.

What they need to see is not a stagnant, dirty swamp.

People.

Should look up at the sky and live.

"I'll help you."

What I'm offering them is not just a business venture or money.

I decided to give them hope.

And that will appear to them as the sweetest fruit.

"Of course, I can also advise other organizations on business ideas that suit them."

Violet and Mastella's eyes were filled with a strange longing.

"Are you now willing to listen to me seriously?"