Funeral And The Plan

A brown long coffin stood profoundly to the visitors who paid to say their condolences. On the back wall, an image of the smiling Jams is presented to all. Looking at it once more, the hall fell into a state of melancholy.

While others were staring at the picture and the coffin, some were at Duke.

Wearing a black suit to send a message of his mournfulness, Duke's back appeared frail. There's no strength, only fragility.

On this bright day, only grief was felt in this part of the world.

'Jams is the type of guy who got along with everybody else with his charisma. No matter how I look at it, some of his affiliations came here to really just express their sympathies. As for the others… I remember you all.

'At least hide your greed in this time of grieving. My legitimate business will not go. There's a time and place for everything and you decided to attack when Jams's funeral is underway?'

Glancing at the people who gave gazes of spite from Duke's and the coffin's direction, those greedy fellas trembled and stopped whispering to each other.

"Sir, do you want me to deal with them?"

On the side, Gabby also expresses his restrained anger from his tone alone. It looked like Jams was being mocked by the other conglomerates and entrepreneurs, wanting to express their disdain and relief that he was gone.

"No, let them be."

He was going to let them be.

In those few days, Duke grew attached to Jams. Simple stories are his favorites. Whether they were goofy or dark, as long as it was entertaining, Duke or Lander would listen and read it a thousand times.

And during those times, he grew respect for him.

Jams expresses his hate towards the Fiends and whoever created it. He conveys how much he cared for him. All sorts of stories were there the little quality time they had together as Duke.

And after he died, Duke decided to do a public funeral that anyone could attend.

In there, he could discern who was real or fake. Enemies or allies.

That's right, he was just going to let those dimwits run amok, conveying their hatred at Jams, and then after the funeral was done, he was going to thoroughly destroy them.

Mentally, physically, emotionally, financially, you name it. He liked the financial route a lot because money is needed in this world.

"We let them be until this was done."

He finally let out the right words he wished to say to Gabby, who fully agreed with an evil smirk plastered on his face.

Right after, everything at the funeral continued as it was. People left once they were done with their condolences and people entered to do the same thing.

…

/Meeting with the Conglomerate Alliance

Announcement of taking over the Muaberon's Travels and Goods…/

On my hand was the busy schedule Gabby had created for me that was a must-do while I was still outside.

There were only two of them but there's by part to this schedule on the next pages of the paper. In the meeting, there were a bunch of people I had to communicate with, form connections, and other pieces of stuff to maintain the status of the legitimate business.

What was needed on the announcement was also the same thing, albeit a bit different since this time, people were just going to listen to my tiring and boring speech.

"Gabby."

"Yes, sir?"

"Would this be all necessary to the organization?"

Placing a wooden box in front of my desk, Gabby shook his head, "To put it bluntly, sir. Actually, we can abandon this legitimate business of ours. Leave this and fully focus our attention on taking the underworld.

"But, when that happens, we actually lose something viable and it is information and connections that sir Jams, sir Willop, and your ancestors had put their best to hold and maintain in a century. Of course, this only involved the outside since we're pretty much unknown to the underworld itself."

Gabby lingered for a moment as he smiled bleakly, "Still, through the time I've been in here, the only reason this legitimate was born was to hide 'our' real business and the 'real' goal of our organization which is to wage war to the forsaken nations."

"That still didn't answer my question."

A hint of a hidden message was seen in my indifferent gaze while replying to his long answer. Gabby, on the other hand, understands it and smiles.

"No, it had zero impact on the organization. We have all we need there. This business was just a bonus."

With an affirmative answer coming from Gabby, I grew silent.

We could gain and lose something if we decided to keep this business intact. On the other hand, it didn't actually affect our organization entirely since we're doing actually well in the underworld.

So...

'So, what if I can keep this business intact but my attention is still on the underworld? More like I didn't have to worry about this business at all if I have some people who can watch over it?'

An idea suddenly struck my head, realizing that if this was played well, I could achieve different kinds of goals.

Currently calculating something in my head, my gaze lingered on the balcony's door as a sly smile surfaced on my lips.

"Gabby, I got an idea. I just need you to do two things."

…

A few days passed since the funeral and the burial of Jams Mauberon was done without a hitch. Cousins, family members, and affiliations from parties came once more but unlike the funeral, the burial ended in a day.

But the day after the funeral, different business emporiums, conglomerates, and enterprises have been all invited by Duke, making the stage hall, one of Jams' private villas, filled with those sorts of people.

"Heh, is he announcing the downfall of their company? Well, he's a brat from the orphanage. Sooner or later, it will happen anyway."

One young man who excluded a confident aura spoke aloud, unafraid about the other guests hearing his statement. Even if they did, who would? They were one of the biggest company groups that monopolized the business of this nation, if not, the top five in the world.

"Hahaha, you are very right. Even if he wasn't announcing the downfall of their prideful business, he might be trying to save face and reassure their clients that everything will be all right. Sadly, the one who promised them that has passed away."

Standing beside him was an old woman in her late fifties, full of wrinkles above her face with a slim appearance.

"You two are wrong. Let me guess: since he invited the largest and biggest corporates here, he must be planning to acquire an investor or two because he'll lose half of them after his desperate approach! Hahaha! I bet the lowly ones will want to leech the Mauberon's riches. Certainly, a lot of small businesses will want to form connections with him, even if he's adopted."

A fat, wide man with lumps of stout on his neck, followed the conversation between the young man and old woman. Appearance-wise, not very good but the ideas of the man made his company what it is now.

The three seated down in one place in the hall along with the other members of their cohort signaled the same awful atmosphere as those three.

A few minutes passed and the seats were almost occupied by the attendees. Every seat was available to everyone except for the ten chairs at the front of all the rest of the seats.

It had been marked as reserved.

"I guess we can start."

Duke announced after walking into the center where a podium stood up, a mechanical mic near his mouth as he began with pleasantries.

"What a lovely day to every gentleman and woman who accepted my invitation. Some of you came from afar, some of you were near, some were interested, and some just happened to be in the right time and place. Even so, thank you."

With a slight bow, Duke headed straight to the point, ignoring the script Gabby had made.

"I know everyone… well, most of you are curious as to what this announcement is for. The Mauberon Travel and Goods rarely made this kind of thing. No, this must be the first one. Why was the independent, solitary, business empire suddenly required the attention of all the small and big companies alike? In this very instant, what are thinking?"

He raised a question to the attendees.

Suddenly, someone raised a hand.

"Yes, Ms…?"

"Scrhinger, sir."

"Yes, Ms Scrhinger?"

"A change, perhaps?"

Duke nodded and looked around the surroundings, "Ms. Scrhinger said it's change. Any other?"

Another followed.

"Yes?"

"Forren Chavosky, sir Duke."

"Mr. Chavosky. What do you think?"

"B-beginning?"

Another raised a hand as Duke dismissed Forren.

"I'm Ms Prodiue and I think it is time."

Sezter followed up with her usual smile. Soon, everyone started raising their hands but Duke never called anyone after Sezter Prodiue was done.

Seeing that Duke wasn't entertaining anyone anymore, the hall grew eerily quiet as he kept nodding his head, his whispers sounding to the microphone on his front.

"Change, Beginning, Time… All of it fits perfectly."

Duke's words permeated throughout the now silent hall, anticipating and suspicious about his next words.

"What do you think these three have similarities with and how does it relate to the sudden announcement?" Duke raised his hand at the level of his shoulder, "The previous era has changed. It's time for the new beginning!"

The curtains behind Duke opened and exactly ten people were standing, waving their hands at the attendees. Old and young were being presented on the stage as if they were art being seen by visitors.

Soon, gasps and stupefaction appeared on everyone's expression while only one person was just clapping amidst the sudden news.

It was just a sight to see being cramped with one of the most powerful people in the business industry in a single hall.

This could only mean one thing and some even caught the message Duke was sending, especially to the people who ridicule Jams.

With an indifferent gaze, Duke stretched his hand, "I present you… to the new partners of Mauberon Travels and Goods."