Chapter 31
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 31
Raymond stared blankly at Lucian for a moment before letting out a hollow laugh.
I’ll give him a piece of my mind if he gets drunk on overconfidence?
"What a ridiculous thought that was."
Far from being drunk on confidence, Lucian had thoroughly considered every variable and even prepared contingencies for the worst-case scenario. Moreover, he had formulated this entire plan within seconds of the mercenary named Sven revealing himself.
Lucian was already operating in a realm Raymond couldn't hope to reach, yet he had presumed to offer advice.
"Ha."
Raymond found it difficult to suppress the laughter bubbling up.
During his service with the Black Lions, he had seen more than enough "promising" fledglings. Except for those whose lives were cut short by unfortunate accidents, most had blossomed exactly as expected.
But this was the first time in his life he had encountered a young man whose future was so impossible to gauge.
When I return, I should ask His Grace if I can be assigned as the Third Young Master’s escort.
The Third Young Master was showing such strategic depth at only sixteen. He wondered what kind of man Lucian would become as he grew. Just watching that future unfold from the sidelines seemed like it would be anything but boring.
*
"…Excellent."
Tristan offered a brief remark after seeing the results Lucian brought back.
The achievement was too great to add clumsy words to, and his position as a competitor wouldn't allow him to offer effusive praise. Thus, he could only let out a sigh of pure admiration.
Fortunately, those around them seemed to grasp the magnitude of Lucian's success from those few words alone.
Then again, he’s a man who is incredibly stingy with praise. Saying even that much is enough to shock everyone.
"I will leave the command of the mercenaries to you from now on. I will take the family’s knights and investigate suspicious locations near the border."
Tristan’s face looked much more relaxed than when they had first arrived. Although he had handed the merit over to Lucian, he seemed satisfied just to have the headache resolved.
"Of course, the area is too vast for the knights to cover alone, so mercenaries will be needed in certain sectors. I’ll give you a map; distribute them as you see fit."
"Understood. I heard that the Empire Liberation Front and monsters are appearing together…"
"I’ve marked them separately, so take a look. The Empire Liberation Front is in red, and the monsters are in blue."
Lucian carefully examined the military map handed to him by a knight. As expected of a border region, the area they had to cover was excessively wide. Without the mercenaries, they would have been crippled by a lack of manpower.
Now that the mercenary issue is resolved, things should return to some semblance of normalcy starting tomorrow. Still, the Empire Liberation Front is enough of a headache on its own, but monsters too… Hm?
Lucian’s brow furrowed as he studied the map.
The sectors where the Empire Liberation Front and the monsters appeared overlapped in several places. No matter how large the area was, this made no sense.
Humans and monsters were fundamentally in a predator-prey relationship. Unless they lived in strictly separated territories, there was no way they could exist in such proximity without conflict.
"Brother, is the information on this map accurate? How is the Empire Liberation Front appearing right in the middle of monster-infested territory?"
"They probably bought a low-grade relic or used incense that repels monsters. If it were other monsters, it might be different, but the ones appearing now are just Kobolds and Gnolls."
"Kobolds and Gnolls? They’re appearing together?"
Kobolds were bipedal monsters with dog-like heads, smaller than humans. Gnolls were also bipedal but resembled hyenas and were a head taller than the average man. Both species had an excellent sense of smell, making them great trackers, but they were also sensitive to foul odors, which made them relatively easy to drive away.
"It’s common for similar types of monsters to cooperate. Just as Goblins and Orcs are grouped together as greenskins, those creatures must have some sense of kinship. It’s nothing new."
"No. This is extremely strange."
Tristan dismissed it as trivial, but Lucian’s expression grew deathly serious. If it were truly similar species like Goblins and Orcs, it would be one thing, but Gnolls and Kobolds acting together was no ordinary matter.
"They might look similar at a glance, but Gnolls and Kobolds do not cooperate. If anything, Gnolls view Kobolds as prey. Far from being grouped together like greenskins, they are species that cannot coexist."
"What? Then how are they acting together?"
"As far as I know, there is only one way to make the naturally impossible possible. You know it as well, don't you, Brother?"
Tristan’s face hardened at Lucian’s words. A heavy silence descended upon the office, and no one dared to speak. After watching the situation for a moment, Lucian was forced to provide the answer himself.
"Magic."
"Watch your tongue."
Tristan’s eyes flashed the moment the word "magic" left Lucian’s lips.
"Magic is not a word to be tossed around so lightly. All authorized mages are currently residing in the capital. Why would they bother coming all the way out here?"
"Look at the reality. Humans are wandering through monster territory, and species that cannot coexist are moving in unison. Magic is the only thing that makes this possible."
"Enough."
Tristan cut Lucian off, clearly unwilling to hear more.
"Do not make this a bigger issue than it is. The Empire is already in a state of unrest; to speak of magic now… I shudder to think who might overhear."
"…"
"Father entrusted me with full authority over this matter. Your achievement is commendable, but do not dig too deep. It is enough for you to command the mercenaries and prepare for any unforeseen incidents."
As soon as he finished speaking, Tristan stood up and headed for the door. His attitude made it clear that the conversation was over. Lucian had no choice but to stand as well, but he had one more question before he left.
"Have you finished interrogating the six men captured today?"
"…Not yet."
"Make sure to squeeze them well. They might hold the answer to this anomaly."
Tristan did not respond.
Lucian let out a sigh at the sight. At this rate, Tristan might kill them to keep them quiet rather than properly interrogating them.
It looks like I’ll have to move independently.
A bitter smile played on Lucian’s lips. He had a feeling this matter wouldn't end easily.
*
"Magic. This has become much more serious than we thought."
Raymond and the other Black Lions frowned in unison. When the Empire Liberation Front and the monsters appeared at the same time, they had simply thought of it as two headaches overlapping. To think that magic was involved in between.
While Lucian and the Black Lions remained silent, Hugo spoke up with a worried expression.
"Isn't this a disaster? Ever since the mages' rebellion three hundred years ago, the Imperial Family has branded every unauthorized mage as a black mage. If it becomes known that a mage is involved here…"
"The Imperial Family will move immediately," Lucian replied. "Even after the mage catches wind of it and flees, there’s a high probability that the Royal Guard sent by the Imperial Family will tear this place apart. In the worst-case scenario, the entire Bornholm region will be caught up in a witch hunt."
It was an unwritten rule of the Empire that the Crown would not interfere in the internal affairs of a vassal's territory unless it involved treason. However, the moment an unauthorized mage was involved, such rules became meaningless. The mere existence of an unauthorized mage was considered equivalent to being a leader of a rebellion.
"Even though my father is part of the Emperor's faction, the hatred of mages has persisted for over three hundred years. If magic is truly involved, they won't show any mercy."
"What did the First Young Master say?"
"He seems intent on covering it up. I understand his reasoning, but the problem is that if there really is a mage, the damage could grow out of control."
The Imperial Family’s tendency to have a seizure at the mere sight of an unauthorized mage was a problem. However, looking at it another way, the Imperial Family was also the organization with the most experience in dealing with mages. Ordinary knights, who had never even seen a glimmer of magic, risked being wiped out without a chance to respond if things went south.
"But blindly informing the Imperial Family is also a poor move. A witch hunt could leave all of Bornholm scorched and barren."
"That’s exactly what I’m saying. We lack too much information to make a judgment."
Lucian quietly stroked his chin, lost in thought. In his past life, he had never heard of anything significant happening in Bornholm. If the Imperial Family had moved, there would have been massive rumors, even if it wasn't a witch hunt. It was clear that Tristan had successfully hidden the involvement of a mage.
He probably covered it up thoroughly. The problem is that because of that, I have no idea what actually happened.
Based on the circumstances, he could deduce two things. First, the scale of the incident was small enough to be covered up. Second, the outcome wasn't good enough to be disguised as a glorious victory.
If it were small enough to hide, they could have concealed the mage's existence and claimed they won a pure victory against the Empire Liberation Front. The fact that they didn't suggests the result was closer to a defeat.
Even if they had won, it was likely a pyrrhic victory. In other words, if things proceeded according to Tristan’s way, the cover-up might be successful, but the actual result would be far from satisfactory. He had to intervene somehow and change the direction of the overall plan.
After agonizing for a long time, Lucian finally stood up with a sigh.
"First, we need to gather information. We have too little to form a strategy."
"Are you planning to interrogate the members of the Empire Liberation Front? But the First Young Master won't allow it."
"Who said I was going to them?"
Lucian replied to Raymond's question with a smirk.
"I’d rather squeeze information out of a fresh catch than someone who’s been rotting in a cell for half a day. Since I’ve put up platinum coins as performance bonuses, let’s look forward to the exploits of the highly motivated mercenaries."
No matter how much those rebels treated the area around the castle like their own backyard, they wouldn't know that the surveillance network had been drastically tightened. At least one of them was bound to get caught within two days.
Until then, Lucian just had to command the mercenaries and wait patiently.
*
People called the woods surrounding the walls of Bornholm the Yellow Forest. The branches of the massive trees were so thick that the smaller trees beneath them, deprived of sunlight, had all withered and died. The forest, filled with shriveled yellow leaves, took on an even more eerie atmosphere at night.
Two shadows flickered in the Yellow Forest, a place usually avoided because it was a frequent path for monsters.
"Halt. When the lightning of heaven strikes."
"It shall punish the sinner on the throne. It is I, comrade."
After exchanging the passwords, the two men confirmed each other's faces and stepped closer. Both wore black hoods and were just entering middle age. Having served together in the Empire Liberation Front for over a decade since their youth, they were well-acquainted with one another.
"What is the sudden summons? It was only a few days ago that we agreed to focus on our respective tasks to move the plan forward."
"That is exactly why. Things have gone awry. I heard that the negotiations between the Valdek family and the mercenaries, who have been idling until now, were settled today."
"What? How? That situation wasn't something that could be resolved in a day or two. Did they give the mercenaries everything they asked for?"
"Hardly. From what I hear, someone from the main house arrived and finished the negotiations in a single day. It seems the Grand Duke sent one of his inner circle as an aide."
"Hmph, unbelievable. I wonder what kind of fellow he is."
The man on the right frowned at the unexpected setback. To resolve such a tangled and difficult negotiation in one go, the person must be one of the Grand Duke's most cherished tacticians. If such a close confidant had been sent, did it mean they had caught wind of the plan?