The North Wants Multiple Lontes (1)
Aiden acted as if he were performing a role, blending the speech patterns and mannerisms of several individuals so naturally that it seemed as if they were his own from the start. It could have been awkward, but thanks to his natural "hardware"—his imposing, cold presence—no one dared to suspect it was all an act.
If he didn't force the corners of his mouth upward, his expression was so frigid that it felt like a cold wind was blowing. In the North, he usually crinkled the corners of his eyes and smiled at even the passing residents unless he was buried in paperwork, but such a smile wouldn't suit him today.
“……”
The man with the goat beard, who had been raising his voice, claiming he would take the lead in negotiating the unreasonableness of the Northern Development Fund, was now silent. But faced with Aiden—who was a head taller and as cold as an ice sheet—negotiation was out of the question. He couldn't even manage a proper greeting; his hands simply trembled.
“How boring.”
Aiden brushed past him as if he had lost all interest, ignoring the man’s sudden, rhythmic hiccups. Jefferson quickly scurried to his side.
“Administrative Officer! If you had given me a heads-up, I would have come out to greet you myself… I hope you didn't have any trouble getting here?”
Jefferson was terrified of Aiden. Having gone to the North to meet him, he knew Aiden was a man who wouldn't hesitate to hang someone with a completely indifferent expression. If he were merely cruel, Jefferson could have just pretended to cater to his whims to protect his own interests, but behind that arrogant, clipped way of speaking, Aiden was a man who calculated profit faster than anyone else.
‘I must stay in his good graces.’
Even after returning from the North, cold sweat would trickle down Jefferson’s back whenever he thought of Aiden. Yet, he couldn't simply avoid him, because he had felt his standing within the Lontes territory rising rapidly ever since he joined hands with him.
He was no longer just a figurehead adjutant.
The parasites, whose only interest was inflating their own wealth regardless of whether the Lontes castle’s coffers were empty, scrambled to find Jefferson. They wanted to form a connection with the North. To be precise, they wanted to use that connection to help pick the Lontes Viscount’s pockets together.
“It seems there are many who are dissatisfied with the development fund.”
Aiden, naturally, had taken the seat of honor. He downed the wine in front of him in one gulp, then leaned back in his chair with one corner of his mouth curled crookedly. It was a breach of etiquette, but no one dared to point it out.
“Did I ever force you?”
His voice was slow, leaving it unclear whether it was a question or a mutter to himself. Behind him, the Northern adjutant and knights, radiating a beast-like aura, ground their teeth without even trying to hide it.
“T-that is…!”
Jefferson, who had been standing awkwardly by Aiden’s side, unable to sit or stand, glared at the goat-bearded man who was still standing there, hands trembling, and replied.
“We cannot work with those who do not know how to be grateful.”
“A-Adjutant!”
His thoughts were shallow and his actions were swift. Jefferson had cleanly cut ties with the goat-bearded man. Only then did the man realize that his loose tongue had put his entire family fortune at risk, and he grabbed Jefferson’s arm, screaming.
“What is this? Let go of me at once!”
“J-just give me one more chance…!”
“How can there be a ‘next time’ after you’ve been rude to such an honored guest!”
“B-but…!”
“Leave at once.”
“You can’t do this! I’ve done so much for you, Adjutant, how can you be so cold-hearted!”
“Hey!”
Even amidst the sudden scuffle, the wolves of the North didn't add a single word, merely watching the ridiculous scene with cold detachment. It was, quite literally, a dog-eat-dog mess. The party atmosphere had long been ruined by the unexpected display of ugliness. Thanks to that, Aiden was able to be escorted to his bedroom earlier than expected.
“Phew.”
Left alone, Aiden finally released the tension he had been holding in his eyebrows. His entire facial muscles felt stiff. After entering the bathwater the servants had prepared, he felt his tension begin to melt away.
‘Acting is such a chore.’
He chuckled to himself as the thought surfaced while he was submerged in the tub. Still, this "sub-character" was quite useful. Once he put a bit of intensity into his gaze, the opponent would naturally grovel, which made it highly efficient. Since they weren't his own subordinates, he saw no reason to coddle or persuade them; intimidating them into submission wasn't a bad choice at all.
Aiden stepped out of the tub. As he rubbed his temples and mentally organized the tasks ahead, he heard a familiar voice from outside: "I am coming in."
It was Jamie.
“Things seem to be moving more easily than expected.”
“Is that so?”
As Aiden pulled up a chair, Jamie grinned and shared the information he had gathered.
“The Lontes adjutant seems to be overreaching quite a bit. They say he spread bribes everywhere to secure his position, and now he’s splitting up all sorts of rights and interests to recoup those costs.”
“Roland said he was a man with no ability but plenty of greed. He was right.”
“Indeed he was. Heh.”
“And the Lontes Viscount still hasn't caught wind of it?”
“He’s so focused on the harbor right now that he doesn't even think to look elsewhere. They say he hasn't even been at the Lord’s castle for quite some time.”
“He vacated the Lord’s castle?”
“Yes. He’s staying at a villa near the harbor, saying he’ll be launching the ship that’s finishing construction soon.”
“He doesn't even know there are rats in his own pantry. Tsk tsk.”
Aiden clicked his tongue lightly and stroked his smooth chin.
“I saw some people who were dissatisfied with us earlier. Did you check into that too?”
“It didn't seem like something they were trying to hide. I poked them a little, and they spilled everything. Tell me, are other territories always this much of a mess?”
Jamie asked, sounding baffled, and Aiden simply shrugged his shoulders in response.
“To be precise, it’s not that they’re dissatisfied with the North itself, but that they’re annoyed they can only get to us through Jefferson. It turns out that Jefferson, that guy, was skimming half of the Northern Development Fund for himself.”
“His greed was excessive.”
He had expected him to take some commission, but skimming half? It seemed that the guy who trembled just by making eye contact with him was the type whose eyes would roll back and find courage the moment money was mentioned.
“What shall we do now?”
Jamie asked for the next step.
“It’s time to start the fight.”
He added a soft whisper: ‘Let’s just watch the show and enjoy the snacks.’ Jamie didn't seem to grasp the exact meaning of the phrase, but he caught on enough to know it meant to set the stage and watch the chaos unfold from behind.
“Heh. This will be fun.”
“It will be.”
A mischievous smile, which hadn't been there just moments ago, spread across both their faces. From the start, Aiden hadn't come all the way to someone else’s land just to share pleasantries. While it might have appeared as a threat, his true, hidden goal was something else entirely.
Aiden didn't trust Jefferson. A man who loves money is certainly easy to handle, but a stupid man will eventually trip you up. Therefore, now was the best time to achieve his original goal.
‘The division of Lontes.’
The high-ranking officials of Lontes, fed up with Jefferson’s endless greed, would soon start looking for ways to connect directly with the North. And if he offered a helping hand at that moment?
“Make sure you fan the flames well.”
“Leave it to me.”
Jamie thumped his chest and left the bedroom. It was a dark night, but thinking of the seeds of division that were about to sprout, Aiden couldn't easily fall asleep. Just the thought of it was better than any stimulant.
“I greet the Lord of the North.”
Sure enough. As soon as he left the mansion under the pretext of looking around the Lontes shopping district, someone approached him, feigning coincidence. He looked like someone he had seen at the party yesterday.
“I am not a Lord.”
“Haha! I have heard much of your popularity among the Northern territory residents; you are quite humble.”
“……”
“I-I apologize. I simply had a proposal I wished to offer…”
The man introduced himself at length and began to recite the speech he had prepared. Aiden didn't offer a reply, but since he didn't issue an order to leave, the man managed to finish his piece.
“…That is all. If there is anything else you desire—.”
“You talk too much for no reason.”
Gulp.
The man swallowed hard at Aiden’s cynical tone.
“You have a talent for making short things very long. So, you’re saying you can take Jefferson’s place?”
“Y-yes, that is correct!”
Realizing that the following voice didn't carry a tone of rejection, the man quickly leaned in again, fawning over him.
“Start with proof of trust.”
“Proof of trust… what kind of…”
Clang!
“Stand back. No further approach to the Administrative Officer is permitted.”
“Eek!”
As the man tried to step closer, the escort knights drew their swords in an instant. Their spirit was entirely different from the Lontes knights, who were all style and no substance, having neglected their training. Their blades, likely maintained daily, were so bright in the morning sun that they looked almost blue.
That day, similar events repeated several times over. Aiden always demanded "proof of trust" from those who sought him out. Those who lacked wit handed over funds, asking him to use them for Northern development. Those who were clever added letters containing their future, promising rights and interests they could guarantee later.
Jefferson, who found out about this belatedly, went wild, but Aiden had already returned to the North by then. The only saving grace was that Aiden, despite receiving countless temptations, hadn't shown any gesture of acceptance.
“See! There is trust between us!”
Jefferson, despite being the adjutant to the Lontes Viscount, reportedly boasted proudly for a long time about his "faith" with another territory’s leader. Truly, there is no cure for a fool.
Bang!
A few days later. Soldiers suddenly burst into the wild party held by the high-ranking officials who had once again embezzled a massive sum from the Lontes Viscount’s coffers. They were the Lontes Viscount’s direct soldiers.
“You bastards! Do you have any idea where you are to commit such rudeness!”
A startled Jefferson and the officials participating in the party glared at the soldiers, throwing water and food at them. It was a silent protest, implying that since they had dared to ruin the party’s mood, they should be prepared to endure this level of insult.
“Arrest all traitors!”
But this time, it was different. The underlings who usually couldn't even lift their heads in front of them were now pointing spears and grinding their teeth.
“W-what? T-traitors! What on earth is this about…!”
“These are men who abandoned their lord’s grace for their own personal gain. Show no mercy!”
Clang, clang, clang.
In an instant, a standoff ensued between the Lontes troops and the private soldiers of the high-ranking officials. It was all created by a single letter. A letter that began with the rather insincere greeting, ‘To my dear Lontes Viscount.’
A document was enclosed with the letter. It was the handwritten pledge that the Lontes officials, who prided themselves on being quick-witted, had promised to give to the North. The sender, needless to say, was Aiden.