Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: A Use for a Traitorous Subject
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Two days later.
Baron Delmain had no choice but to be shocked upon hearing the report that came up from Sir Geral's territory.
It was the news that only the heads and some of the belongings of the two low-ranked knights he had sent to handle a trivial matter had returned.
Even if they were low-ranked, each knight was a valuable talent, and losing them like this was a huge loss.
"This… does this make any sense? How on earth did this happen?"
"We don't know how it happened either. However, yesterday morning, a suspicious man came to the mansion in the territory, handed over the heads and belongings of my lord, Sir Geral, and two others, and then vanished into thin air."
"You should have caught him!"
"I reprimanded the guard who received the heads, but he said the man disappeared with the speed of the wind…"
Andel, a retainer of Sir Geral, explained the whole story as best he could to Baron Delmain while sweating profusely, but Baron Delmain was not one to be satisfied with that.
He wanted at least some information about the perpetrator or the reason, but not knowing drove his blood pressure up until he was about to snap.
"You useless bastard! How are you going to take responsibility for this?"
"I apologize, Baron Delmain, but we are also… deeply aggrieved. With the death of our lord, Sir Geral, and none of his sons being suitable knights to succeed him, it's an emergency. Moreover, if a knight from Baron Zelkerd seizes it, we'll be in trouble."
"Grrrr!"
Baron Zelkerd. A man who could be considered Baron Delmain's rival. Although he held the title of Baron, he was unequivocally a mid-ranked knight and one of the two major factions under Earl Callermain.
Soon, a power struggle would begin over a small rural territory, not something to be overlooked.
No matter how small a territory, it had its subjects and tax revenue, and even the ability to raise a small military force gave it value.
Especially since the Geral family had ruled that region for a long time and accumulated income, so they must have amassed some wealth, however small.
"Grrrrrrr! Tell Sir Gilleon to take soldiers and go to Sir Geral's territory."
"Yes!"
After taking immediate action, Baron Delmain began reconstructing the events with Sir Andel.
He couldn't undo the damage already done, but the incident where three low-ranked knights died was serious enough that he had to find the cause.
"First, Sir Geral, Sir Galson, and Sir Encia… these three were clearly planning to go to the territory of that base-less Baron Dustycloak to assassinate him, weren't they? Surely that's it?"
"Yes. Sir Geral headed for Baron Dustycloak's territory with the bandits he had allied with from his territory's soldiers, Sir Galson, and Sir Encia. The original plan was to use the pretext of wanting to gain merit, pay the bounty on the bandits Baron Dustycloak had captured to get them back, scout the area, and then assassinate Baron Dustycloak that very night."
"Then the trouble must have started there. Did Baron Dustycloak… do something? But the Baron is just a guy with some strength, and there shouldn't be anyone among his soldiers or retainers who could become a knight, right? In the first place… isn't it a place without a mana breathing method?"
"Perhaps Baron Zelkerd or Earl Callermain intervened?"
"Hmmm… To deal with three low-ranked knights, you'd need at least three other low-ranked knights or a mid-ranked knight to appear. By the way, how many mid-ranked knights are there in Earl Callermain's sphere of influence?"
"I believe… about fifteen. And there's only one high-ranked knight, who stays by Earl Callermain's side. But whether mid or high-ranked… what merit could there possibly be in that territory to warrant sending them? In the end, there must be some merit, but they shouldn't have that kind of money…"
As Andel said, helping the Dustycloak barony wouldn't yield much benefit.
Moreover, whether it's three low-ranked knights or a mid-ranked knight, they're not talents to be sent lightly.
Sir Geral himself had paid a hefty sum just to borrow two low-ranked knights from him. But it was impossible for the Dustycloak barony, which had only lasted for two generations and had meager income, to have that kind of money.
"Hmm… Wait a minute, the Dustycloak Baron definitely has one son, right?"
"Ah~ Yes. I heard he has one son who is ten this year. Baron… surely not?"
"That's the only variable right now."
Although he hadn't seen it himself, if he reasoned it out, the only variable was the ten-year-old brat(?) of the Dustycloak family.
Andel shook his head with a ridiculous expression, denying Baron Delmain's assertion.
"But that's impossible. He's ten this year, ten! He's completely a child. How could that child be a knight? Moreover, the Dustycloak barony's roots are mercenaries! They shouldn't have a mana breathing method, should they?"
"There are cases of natural knights, aren't there? Even if mixed with lowly blood, it's still Earl Callermain's lineage. The possibility isn't zero."
"Isn't that an excessive assumption? It's more likely that Baron Zelkerd or Earl Callermain intervened…"
"Right. I did think excessively. The possibility isn't zero, but it's an extremely slim probability. A probability so low it shouldn't exist in reality. Like the probability of a chick fighting and winning against a snake? But there's no harm in checking. I'll send someone to confirm. The issue of Sir Geral's territory and the deaths of the other knights are higher priorities for now."
With many political battles ahead, starting with Sir Geral's funeral, Baron Delmain decided to send a trusted retainer to investigate the Dustycloak Baron's son.
The Dustycloak Barony.
Although they had survived the assassination attempt, there were so many things to do afterward that Beonald's parents found themselves in a busy situation.
First, the sudden death of Sir Geral, an enemy but still the lord of the neighboring territory, was a big deal in this small village community.
Baron Leon visited the funeral to pay his respects and spent busy days going back and forth to the Callermain territory.
'It's a huge relief I get to stay here under the pretext of guarding the house. Of course, Father tried to take me… but Mother actively defended me.'
His father, Baron Leon, tried to take him along, saying he should slowly start introducing Beonald around.
But his mother, knowing that Beonald possessed talents and abilities far too great for this small territory, actively opposed it. As he couldn't ignore the opinion of his wife, who was of proper noble blood, Beonald was able to stay in the territory.
'Phew~ It's great to be free.'
Having proven his proficiency in horsemanship, his ability to repel bandits alone, and skills surpassing a ten-year-old, Beonald was allowed to roam the territory freely.
Of course, the scenery was just the daily life of the territory's people cultivating crops and those who had returned from hunting, preparing their game.
'But I didn't come here to play, so let's focus.'
Frowning, Beonald began freely roaming the territory, examining the plants growing in various places.
He even tasted some of them to check if their properties had changed. The reason was very simple.
While alchemy materials were one thing, this small territory's preparations for things like 'emergency medicine' were as poor as expected.
'At least gather herbs for basic medicine! If you dry them, grind them into powder, and seal them, they last a long time! And store clean cloth for bandaging wounds! That's also basic! Don't those who live by the sword know how scary wounds are?! Even if it's not potions, prepare something! Let's see… the herb gatherer's house is here.'
"Who is it… Gasp! Y-Young Master?"
"Yes, it's me. I came because I want to know something. I'll pay for your time, so tell me all the knowledge you have."
"I, I'm honored, but I doubt a mere herb gatherer's knowledge will be of help…"
"I'll decide that. Here, an advance payment. If I'm satisfied after listening, I'll give you one more."
When Beonald threw him a silver coin, his eyes widened in surprise. Hearing he would get one more, he jumped up, placed the herbs he was sorting in front of Beonald, and began explaining them one by one.
"This is an herb called Chepper. If you dry it and make a decoction, it's good for headaches. And this one is…"
Listening to the herb gatherer's explanations, Beonald compared them with his own knowledge.
It seemed 500 years wasn't that long after all, as the efficacy and appearance of the herbs hadn't changed much.
The big difference was only the names. That was unavoidable. Even in the same era, there are foods with different names depending on the region.
'Hmm, very useful knowledge. Haah~ Though my dignity is in shambles.'
Beonald von Neumel, who once commanded the world and was recognized by the Alchemy Society in his past life, was now requesting knowledge from a mere herb gatherer.
Even he felt a sense of self-loathing, but it was something he had to endure for what lay ahead.
If things went wrong, a 10,000-year trip to hell was scheduled, so he had to do whatever he could.
"Hmm… Should I pick some herbs on the way back?"
"Well… If you go too deep, there are wild animals, but there could also be goblins."
'That's just daily life. Hmm, should I also learn hunting skills and information about the forest? As a low-ranking noble… I'll have to run around a lot.'
The next place he headed was the hunter's house.
Similarly, after paying a reward, Beonald began learning various skills from him.
Trap setting and removal, tracking signs of wild animals and monsters, etc…. Skills Beonald in his past life would have had no need to learn, but they seemed necessary for his future survival.
"Young Master, your hands are really skilled. Moreover… I can't believe you're ten years old."
"Father says I take after my grandfather?"
"Ahh~ The former lord was indeed incredibly large. Hahaha. Ah, don't set the trap like that, it's dangerous. Pull the cord back a bit more and secure it firmly for safety."
'…The grandfather excuse works incredibly well. Just what kind of man was he?'
Even though his growth was unbelievable for a ten-year-old, a single excuse about his grandfather was enough to end suspicion, making Beonald curious about that grandfather's identity instead.
After learning skills from the hunter and herb gatherer and organizing them into his knowledge, Beonald immersed himself again in swordsmanship training and mana breathing method practice.
A few days later, the Dustycloak Baron and his wife returned.
It was decided that one of the knights would take over Sir Geral's territory, and depending on who it was, the servants and people in the territory might change, they said.
Thus, Beonald was exchanging various pieces of information while having tea with his mother.
"Hmm, I see. Was there any other news, Mother?"
"Not particularly. But Baron Delmain's gaze was somewhat unusual."
"Even if they were low-ranked, two knights died, so it can't be helped. On top of that, not knowing the identity of the one who killed those two… no, including Sir Geral, must be frustrating. Whether it's me, a knight of Baron Zelkerd, or a knight of Earl Callermain~ there's a wide scope for imagination."
"You think he'd suspect even a mere ten-year-old like you? Isn't that an excessive conjecture?"
"But my appearance… isn't that of a normal ten-year-old, is it, Mother? Surely Baron Delmain will send someone to check on me."
Excluding his somewhat boyish face, Beonald's height, physique, and muscle mass absolutely did not look like a ten-year-old's. An ordinary ten-year-old would struggle to even handle a sword, but thanks to his mana breathing method training, Beonald's physical growth was accelerated, allowing him to handle one without any problem, making suspicion entirely possible.
"And since he'll send someone to confirm if I'm a knight… he'll infiltrate someone who can sense 'mana'. That's the problem."
"Then what should we do? Is there a way to hide it?"
"I'll try to conceal it, but that's an uncertain move. Rather, what's important here is an action to dispel suspicion."
"What do you suggest?"
"Send a suitably expensive gift to Baron Zelkerd. Make up a suitable excuse~ Ah! Or, asking him to send me a swordsmanship instructor wouldn't be bad either."
Beonald planned to deceive Baron Delmain by pretending to show gratitude and improve relations, as if he truly owed Baron Zelkerd a favor.
For people, when evidence of a high-probability event appears, they often become fixated on that judgment, rather than evidence of an improbable event.
'I'd need to meet the Baron directly for a more certain judgment, but this is perfect for now.'
Although he hadn't met Baron Delmain directly, Beonald thought this method was best for now, at least in terms of ordinary strategic maneuvering.
His mother also agreed with her son's judgment and immediately began preparing gifts for the Callermain earldom, using the best preserved pelts from hunts and bone accessories she had saved.