Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Generational Change (5)
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Nothing out of the ordinary happened.
Thirty-two counts of murder, along with various other serious crimes.
Faced with the testimonies and evidence, Lord Francis couldn't muster a single proper defense and could only grit his teeth.
"Therefore, to the sinner Francis Monteir, I ask: Do you accept the verdict of this trial and acknowledge your crimes?"
"……."
"I ask again. Do you acknowledge your crimes?"
Even as the judge in the red robe repeated the question, Francis kept his head bowed and said nothing.
He had two choices.
Accept the verdict and meet his end on the execution ground.
Or reject it and leave everything to the will of the gods.
"For the last time, I ask: Francis Monteir, do you acknowledge your crimes?"
"…I acknowledge my crimes."
In the end, Francis squeezed his eyes shut and accepted his fate.
He knew full well that rejecting it here would only lead to an even more agonizing death.
"I was on edge, wondering if Lord Francis would stubbornly resist needlessly."
"Even if he were thrown into the Penalty Corps, he wouldn't last the first month anyway."
Leon snorted and shook his head at his aide's words.
The final chance given to those who rejected the trial's verdict.
Enlist in the Penalty Corps and prove one's innocence through glory on the battlefield.
However, historical precedents of success were exceedingly rare.
"Leon! Your father's execution as a criminal will stain your name too! You've gotten what you wanted, so isn't this enough?!"
Francis shouted desperately at his son as he was dragged away in chains by the soldiers.
The lord's right to pardon.
That was now his only remaining hope.
"I'm sorry, Father. Since I haven't formally inherited the title yet, I have no means to intervene."
"Leon! Don't you feel any shame toward your late mother? Leooon!!"
"Then I hope you spend your remaining time in peace."
Leon turned his back on his screaming father and rose from his seat.
Even if Francis survived, it was obvious he'd become a rallying point for the nobles and constantly obstruct Leon.
Of course, pardoning him and confining him was one option.
But there were cases where the confined had led rebellions, so it wasn't reassuring.
"Where's Lian? Is he still unwilling to reconsider my offer?"
"Yes. He said he wants to focus solely on the merchant house's affairs from now on…."
"Any signs he's accepted offers from elsewhere?"
"Doesn't seem like it. Even the three great families approached him, but he turned them all down."
"That's a small mercy, at least."
Leon rubbed the bridge of his nose and let out a deep sigh.
The situation wasn't good.
Not only had he lost Lian, whom he'd assumed would definitely be swayed.
To make matters worse, an unexpected variable had arisen: the local families colluding with the court mage.
"We need to push forward with expanding the kingdom army command without delay. At this point, we'll have to bring in people from the capital."
"Pardon? That would make maintaining our autonomy difficult…."
"What does that matter?"
Aide Simon stared at Leon in bewilderment.
Then he realized the nature of his superior and inwardly cringed.
"Over a century has passed since Castel and Madella became one under the true sun. We must not reject His Highness's grace out of nostalgia for past glories."
"…My apologies. My thinking was shortsighted."
Overzealous loyalty to the royal family.
A fine trait for a soldier, but questionable for a lord of a domain.
"Still, it's not bad to have a backup plan. To the underground prison."
"Pardon? The underground prison…?"
"You're awfully talkative today."
"S-Sorry."
Simon followed behind Leon with a wronged expression.
Wasn't it weirder to just nod along when talk of factions suddenly shifted to the underground prison?
Thud, thud—
Yet Leon's footsteps didn't slow.
The underground prison's structure required descending one floor to reach the opposite corridor, then the next stairs.
Naturally, the deeper one went, the more heinous or dangerous the prisoners.
And currently, there was only one in the deepest level.
"Any inconveniences in your stay, Delico Matron?"
"……."
"Well, after spending twenty years locked in the castle's underground prison, this must feel like home."
Simon shuddered in shock.
Wasn't this old woman the vicious mage who manipulated people?
Of course, he'd heard both her hands were severed, preventing her foul sorcery now.
Still, magic was such an unknown quantity that full reassurance was impossible.
But Leon ignored Simon's anxious gaze and approached the iron bars.
"I'll ask: Even without your hands, is casting magic no great hindrance?"
Delico Matron silently stared at Leon, lips sealed.
Prison-bound, she had no outside news, but Leon's plain clothes—unlike his usual security uniform—spoke volumes.
"You must answer. It will determine your future treatment."
"…With proper materials and adequate assistance, it's possible."
"I see."
A faint smile spread across Leon's lips.
"I originally planned to send you to the capital…."
Mages were valuable talents.
No card to discard lightly, even if implicated in crimes.
Besides, her lack of free limbs imposed many restrictions.
"I've changed my mind. Care to work for me?"
"Good grief. Like father, like son."
Delico Matron contorted her half-melted face in genuine disbelief.
Yet her eyes gleamed with interest.
"I have only one condition. You know what it is."
"Of course."
Leon nodded slowly with a chilling gaze.
Lian grinned as he surveyed the merchant house members seated across the table.
High-caliber personnel he'd carefully selected.
His auto-workshop disguised as executives.
"Now, everyone, from here on, please handle dividing up my previous duties according to the manuals I've distributed."
"Um… Do we have to memorize all of this?"
"I won't demand it overnight. But working while constantly checking the manual is inefficient, so gradually commit it to memory."
No need for perfect memorization.
Knowing where each item is would cut down flipping time.
"For now, just confirm your main assigned parts. But to cover for each other in emergencies, make sure to thoroughly read the entire manual."
"Hold on. So you've been handling alone what the six of us will split…?"
"Heavens! It takes all six of us to barely make one Lian!"
"Strictly speaking, we're just following the path Lian paved, so equaling one Lian would be fortunate."
"Whew! I'd never work like Lian even for billions!"
"Watch your words. We can't earn billions in lifetimes because we can't match Lian."
Of course, delegating didn't eliminate all his work.
Final approvals were still his, plus separate progress and results reports to Isabel.
Dealing with annoying nobles remained his too.
But it was undeniable he'd gained enough leisure to enjoy free time.
"Oh, right. You probably know without saying, but absolutely no going to the inner quarters, got it?"
"Of course! I'm more scared they'll send me there on an errand…!"
For efficiency, he'd moved their workspace from the annex to beside his office.
Naturally, Isabel wouldn't be pleased.
"If you upset Isabel, even I can't cover for you. Please be careful not to slip up."
"Hey, you. Married and still so whipped? You're her husband now, not subordinate—husband!"
"And you, Miguel? Not scared of your wife angry?"
"No way! I can't budge against my wife either! Haha!"
The corridor to the inner quarters was guarded anyway, and paths to the main gate or annex bypassed it.
Besides, it was just cautious advice.
Isabel wasn't some people-eating monster; chance encounters wouldn't cause disasters.
"Alright, now get to work! Work! You've got double pay—earn it!"
"Yes, sir! Merchant House Lord!"
"Miguel… I said even married, the merchant house lord is strictly Isabel."
"Oops! Such a slip…!"
No.
Better they avoid Isabel as much as possible.
Lian sprawled long on the study sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Who knew the study ceiling had such patterns.
Over a year in the mansion, and only now he noticed.
"…So, what now?"
The one who'd tasted fine food craved more; with leisure, he had no idea what to do.
In his past life, playtime had ended by middle school.
After: study, study, work, work, work….
Reborn, he'd been used relentlessly since toddling.
"Trying new things is hard too. Sigh."
Lian bolted upright with a long sigh.
He'd dreamed of being a rich widow's kept man.
Never planned beyond.
"Right. With free time now, self-improvement. Who knows what'll happen later."
People default to habits.
Lian scanned shelves, grabbing books randomly, speed-reading contents.
Flip—
Honestly, excluding society and culture, other knowledge seemed useless to him.
Calculus undiscovered in math; science commonsense?
No need for quantum mechanics.
This world believed earth flat, sun and moon circling above.
"But magic exists here… Huh? Then…!"
The court mage said magic was knowledge's byproduct.
Mages realized it via such knowledge and understanding.
Here, that was correct.
His past knowledge mismatched this world.
'To understand birdsong, first understand the bird.'
The hallucinations he'd heard.
He'd thought he couldn't comprehend the voices of all things, but he distinguished them.
Warnings of danger.
Mumbles of lies.
Laughs of deceit, etc.
He'd grasped their intents!
"I just misinterpreted arbitrarily!"
First, distinguish.
Filter noise from past biases.
Lian grabbed another book, returned to sofa.
Flip—
No need to discard prior knowledge entirely.
Keep intersections first.
Then build upon, reshaping perceptions.
Of course, this world's books didn't hold pure truth.
"Hmm. This part's wrong, right?"
Errors? Voices whispered corrections.
As Lian delved into knowledge.
Showed interest in all things, unseen existences paid him greater heed.
They couldn't resist pointers.
"Finally, I get it."
And as red sunset seeped through the window.
Lian attained his first realization.