Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: An Arrow That Lost Its Target
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If the Hunter was right and Anna truly couldn't be tracked,
there was no point clinging to that thread any longer.
As Grandfather had said, I needed to tackle what I could, one step at a time.
Lord's Mansion.
First-floor conference room.
I had gathered all the retainers from South Castle.
"Thank you for coming at such a late hour."
"Not at all, Young Lord!"
"Just call us anytime, anywhere, and we'll come running!"
"Of course, Young Lord!"
With Brilda's death,
the battle for succession was finally over.
Perhaps because of that, the retainers were showing excessive loyalty.
I met each of their eyes one by one.
Most of them were the ones who had sided with Brilda to flaunt her power.
'I can't punish them all...'
I couldn't just eliminate everyone I disliked.
Frontier administration would grind to a halt.
Then, one person caught my eye.
"Sir Wilson."
"Y-Yes!! Young Lord!! I pledge my utmost loyalty!!"
There were some I could overlook,
but others I could never forgive.
"Sir Wilson, do you remember the day we fought the Black Orc together?"
Sir Wilson didn't answer.
"Have you forgotten?"
"No!! I remember it well!!"
"So do I."
How could I forget that day?
When I returned to Frontier after the broken engagement,
Brilda summoned me.
She claimed Black Orcs had invaded and tasked me with subduing them.
Sir Wilson was the knight who had joined me then.
'And the one who never showed up until I was on the verge of death.'
Of course, thanks to that, I completed the tutorial.
And that's how I grew this far.
"I've heard you're an outstanding knight, Sir Wilson."
"...Pardon? Ah, thank you!!"
"That's why I'd like you at the very front lines."
"..."
All the skilled knights were already at the front.
The ones stationed inside were relatively less capable.
Sending someone like him to the front
was as good as a death sentence.
They couldn't survive there.
'A life that's forfeit anyway. Die fighting monsters.'
Clang, clang, clang.
Clang, clang, clang.
The sound of Sir Wilson's armor rattling against the table filled the conference room.
"Th-th-that... such matters are for the Lord to... decide..."
"I'll get approval after the fact. Head to the front immediately, Sir."
"Young Lord... please..."
Sir Wilson dropped to his knees on the floor.
He crawled all the way to the head of the table in that position.
"I was wrong. I'll do any other order. Please..."
I rose from my chair.
And drew my sword.
"How many benefits has your vassal family received? Yet you refuse to fulfill your duty!!"
I pressed the blade to Sir Wilson's neck.
Blood trickled down the edge.
"Decide. Fight monsters for Frontier. Or die by my sword."
If he chose the latter, I would cut him down without hesitation.
Sir Wilson had directly intervened when Brilda tried to kill me.
And I needed to show the other retainers.
That crossing the line meant death.
Sir Wilson couldn't make a decision.
He just begged for mercy.
"Make Sir Wilson kneel."
This wasn't bad either.
It was a good lesson for Brilda's former retainers.
The knights bound Sir Wilson.
Then stretched out his neck.
"Sir Wilson, for the crime of attempting to murder the Young Lord..."
"I'll go to the front! I'll fight the monsters!! I'll defend Frontier until the Young Lord forgives me!!"
"Wavering like that. Depart for the front lines immediately."
"Yes!! I'll leave right away!!"
Sir Wilson bolted from the conference room.
He might hope I'd recall him after some time at the front,
but I had no such intention.
'I'll bring him back to South Castle after he's dead.'
I swung my sword sharply.
The drop of Sir Wilson's blood clinging to the blade fell to the floor.
I wiped off the remaining blood and sheathed it.
"Sorry for the disturbance. Let's begin the meeting."
The main topic was reverting to sixteen years ago.
Starting with the chief steward, I replaced all the key officials.
All of them had been appointed by Brilda.
Once the personnel changes were done,
the newly appointed chief steward spoke up.
"Young Lord, there's something concerning."
"What is it?"
The chief steward glanced around hesitantly before speaking.
"Key official appointments are the Lord's authority. Is it alright for the Young Lord to do this...?"
"I'll handle that."
Father had left internal affairs to Brilda.
Not out of favoritism toward her.
It was Father's nature.
The father I knew
spent all his energy fighting monsters.
He had no strength left for anything else.
If I replaced the officials, he'd approve without a word.
"Proceed like this starting tomorrow."
"Understood, Young Lord."
"Understood, Young Lord."
Perhaps due to their guilt,
they all accepted the changes.
"And knights, assemble in front of the mansion at dawn tomorrow. I have a task for you."
The next day, at dawn.
The knight order and Chase Mercenary Corps assembled.
The current situation felt like playing a long game of chess against an unknown enemy.
When I attacked, the enemy defended.
And their defense had been successful.
All the attackers on the merchant group were dead.
I'd falsified the traces to pin the blame on Brilda and the Silnia Merchant Group.
Next, I eliminated Brilda.
Cleaned up her room.
The key figure, Anna, had vanished.
"One piece left."
Silnia Merchant Group.
"All forces raid the Silnia Merchant Group headquarters. Subdue everyone without letting a single one escape. Secure all internal documents without damaging them."
The knight order and Chase Mercenary Corps moved in unison.
Toward the Silnia Merchant Group headquarters.
.
.
Silnia Merchant Group.
The headquarters was a chaotic tangle of knights, mercenaries, and merchant staff.
'I need to find clues here.'
As I waited for the situation to settle,
the requested merchant arrived.
"Russell?"
"My lord, you summoned me."
"I requested a merchant, and you came."
"Fortunately, I was passing nearby."
I explained the situation so far.
And why I'd called for a merchant.
"Don't worry about that. Money always leaves a trail."
More honest than words,
than actions,
is money.
"True. I'm just worried they might have double ledgers."
"That can be handled too. Double ledgers always have flaws. I'll find them."
I clapped Russell on the shoulder.
"Find something, no matter what. All leads are cut off. This is our last chance."
"Yes, my lord."
In the end...
Russell found nothing.
We arrested Silnia Merchant Group leader Silron and all the staff.
We also secured all internal materials, including goods.
But.
"My lord, there are no ledgers at all."
I didn't need to worry about double ledgers.
They'd destroyed every single one.
Thud.
I kicked Silron.
Stepped on his chest as he fell sideways.
"Where are the ledgers?"
"Cough... Our group never kept ledgers in the first pl..."
Thud.
What merchant group doesn't keep ledgers?
He was spouting nonsense.
"The reason you're going this far, Young Lord... cough. It's because of the merchant group attack, right?"
"Do you admit you're the mastermind?"
"Cough... Yes. But this is excessive. It was just competition between merchant groups."
Depending on how you frame it, the situation looks different.
Silron wanted to spin this as mere rivalry between merchants.
That way, his crimes would be lighter.
"Everyone involved in this is dead. Even the lady of the house, Brilda."
"That was suicide... Arghhh!"
I kicked Silron's side hard as he lay there.
"This... is too much. Even for the Young Lord, you can't do this."
"Can't I?"
"That's right! I worked for Frontier. I bore all the taxes. Why...!"
I squatted down.
Leaning in until I was eye level with Silron.
"You only know one side and ignore the other. Or are you deliberately turning a blind eye?"
"What do you...?"
"That this was just merchant group rivalry?"
"Yes."
I sneered right in his face.
For him to see.
"What was the cargo your raiders hit transporting?"
"That was..."
Weapons, armor, food, and ballistae.
All military supplies.
Meant for Frontier's forces fighting monsters.
On a small scale, it harmed Frontier's war effort.
On a larger one, it sabotaged humanity's war against monsters.
"You and all the merchant executives will be executed. Even the lower staff will face heavy punishment. However..."
I trailed off deliberately.
To build anticipation.
After a few seconds of silence,
I spoke again.
"Reveal every last mastermind, and I'll spare your life. No, I'll end it with exile. You can live freely on the continent."
"..."
"You want to end your life like this? Your one and only life?"
Silron's expression changed.
This must be his true face.
"Young Lord. It's already too late."
"Elwin-nim!"
"Young Lord!"
A mercenary lunged at me.
The knight blocked Silron.
Boom.
A searing heat passed,
and burning pain shot through my arm.
Splash.
The Hunter and knights doused my soaked arm with potion.
"Enough. That's done."
I stood and went to the knight who had blocked Silron.
"You alright?"
"Protected with mana."
I checked his condition,
then turned my gaze.
To Silron's corpse, upper body gone.
Silron was dead.
All Silnia Merchant Group's ledgers were gone.
With this, the final clue vanished too.