Chapter 118: My Royal Privateer Smuggling Crew?

The business deals Beliv engaged in were worth millions. It was no wonder that nobles—both Muggle and wizard—politicians, and various kingdoms alike treated these great capitalists as honored guests, begging for loans or the chance to partner with them in profitable ventures.

Moreover, it seemed that this high-profile dragon client was far more valuable to Archie than a mere few million pounds. After all, an impartial dragon could tip the scales of power regardless of which side it chose to support. Whether from a business perspective or a strategic one, a client from the dragon race held immense significance.

Louis suddenly fell into deep thought. The secret ally Delphinia was hiding was likely a Black Dragon. No wonder she dared to risk staging a "Munich Incident" against the Ministry of Magic after the Muggles were defeated.

This schoolgirl wasn't particularly talented in her studies, but her methods and ambitions were extraordinary. She was far more ruthless than her adoptive mother. And she was utterly insane—she was literally betting the future of the entire world. It seemed Delphinia was just like him: she had chosen everything, only she had chosen the inverse. The consequences of Dumbledore's failure were precisely the goals she aimed to achieve.

Louis looked at Archie, his mind made up. He had to sabotage this. He was definitely going to play this dragon gladiator arena game! He had to make Archie bleed for this—Archie was in a real jam, and if Louis didn't help him, he would surely be bled dry by Queen Delphinia.

But that wasn't what Archie was saying.

"I’ve made a huge wager against the Witch Queen this time—over a hundred thousand pounds!" Archie said, his face ashen. "If I lose that money, my capital chain will break—it will be the death of me. Louis, if you win, I’ll give you twenty thousand pounds—or I’ll buy you a small castle."

Louis reached out, dismissed the silencing charm, and stood up to leave.

"Grandpa! Grandpa! Don't go! I'll give you a Department Head position! Plus a Four of Hearts!" Archie flew behind Louis, clinging to his legs and wailing. Kate and the Yodels stared in stunned silence—they had never heard of the leaders of the Beliv family begging anyone for a business deal.

"The Ministry of Magic is planning to open a new branch office! I’ll pull strings to make you the full Department Head of the Department of Mysteries—or how about I get the Special Office upgraded into an independent department? You can be the Deputy Head! That’s way more power than the Department of Mysteries has! You’ll be able to oversee everything!"

[Louis is a power-hungry man; he loves this kind of thing.]

[Besides, he already solved the big trouble for the Crowley family, so he has the track record—even if he hasn't been in the job long. A little 'pocket money' to grease the wheels, and getting this done won't be an issue. Triff is due for a promotion soon anyway; I'll just ask him for a favor, and it'll be perfect. With Triff backing Louis from above, Louis will be more than satisfied.]

"Satisfied, my foot!" Louis hauled Archie onto the table. "Kate, let's go."

Seeing this, Archie was dumbfounded.

"Don't go, Louis." Archie clung to him again. He looked at Kate, his eyes suddenly lighting up, and he pleaded tearfully, "Help me, and I owe you a favor—plus, I promise I’ll do a favor for Miss Kate! A favor for her father!"

Seeing Louis pause, Archie jumped onto the table, lit a cigar, and stood with his hands on his hips. "That privateer fleet! I promise you, after this is over, I’ll help the Crowley family get it operational. There isn't a single secret about sea trade that I, Archie, don't know. Miss Kate, your father Crowley will command a real fleet!"

Kate stood frozen, looking at Louis and Archie in disbelief. The Yodels also gaped; they never imagined that what started as Louis begging Archie would end up like this. But even more shocking revelations were yet to come.

"Crowley can't command a fleet yet, Archie," Louis said. "The fleet is nothing but skin and bones—just a few old warships, a handful of weapons, and a mountain of debt. Are you going to pay that off?"

Archie nearly fainted when he heard this.

[You are too ruthless!]

He gritted his teeth and said, "I can't help you with the debt—but don't go, Louis! I have some ships in my possession! The cannons and everything are ready to go!"

Seeing Louis stop again, Archie breathed a sigh of relief.

[This is a massive loss, but while my ships are a bit old, they’ve been magically enhanced. They’re no worse than any other nation's second-tier privateer fleets. Add that to the steel warships Crowley already has, and they can go anywhere on the high seas.]

"But Louis, let's be clear. Once I provide the ships, if Count Crowley accepts them, you have to help with my smuggling... ahem, my maritime trade fleet's cargo. We’ll split the profits!"

[Although I'll take a heavy loss at the start, if this grows, it'll be a Royal Smuggling Group! It's a win-win.]

Archie showed his sincerity. "Of course, Louis. Besides my support, the fleet’s main warships might still lack some armaments—running a fleet isn't easy. You have to do me one more favor—my cousin's favor. He runs the God of War Hammer Arms Trading Company. If the fleet needs to upgrade its weaponry, my cousin will help."

Archie puffed on his cigar, feeling confident. How many small kingdoms' fleets and armies were built up by God of War Hammer in the first place? The Seventh Fleet already had a foundation, and the kingdom's treasury would chip in, so he wouldn't have to foot the entire bill—not that he could afford to.

So, this could work. Once the deal was done and Louis held full control of the fleet, they could all make a fortune. Louis stroked his chin, lost in thought. Crowley had the connections and the clout. He had enough soft power; he just lacked the hardware. As long as this fleet was raised, he would definitely be a major player in the kingdom. Even if the King wanted to move against him later, he would have to think twice. The Princess's faction would be that much more secure.

From then on, this fleet could basically be called the "Louis Fleet"—Archie was putting up a significant stake in it. And with his own investment in the Crowley company, it could finally get off the ground.

Louis patted Archie on the head and headed to the balcony. Seeing this, the heavy stone in Archie's heart finally fell. He signaled his two pure-white dragon-servant ladies, who were holding wine, to follow them to the balcony. There, he discussed the real business with Louis—the plans for the Ministry of Magic's branch office and the maneuvering between the King and the Magic Council.

Everything began to smooth out.

Meanwhile, Miss Kate felt dizzy. Reorganizing the Seventh Fleet—what a massive favor that was! This wasn't just some million-pound deal; this was a major investment from Louis. And he was investing not just in warships, but in a vast network of relationships, contacts, and channels, along with the dedicated support of God of War Hammer.

Kate knew what this meant for her father. "Even if I were sold, I wouldn't be worth this price..."

Watching Louis's back as he spoke with Archie on the balcony, Kate felt both worried and strangely thrilled—and a little melancholy. Just last night in her dreams, she had imagined buying a car for Louis and "keeping" him, acting as his big sister. But within a single day, the situation had shifted so rapidly that she realized she was the one who had latched onto a super-powered benefactor. She wasn't the one keeping Louis; it was Lord Louis who was supporting the whole family.