Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: The Infiltration Plan
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“After pretending to know nothing like that, Sir Erich could attack an entirely different angle.”
Florian picked up one of the ledgers sitting in front of him.
He handed it to Erich, who narrowed his sharp eyes and quickly flipped through the pages.
“For instance, something like the suspected tax evasion during the holy flower purchase process.”
Finding the relevant page, the corners of Erich’s eyes twisted.
“So you’re saying to divert Count Dvayer’s attention elsewhere.”
“Yes.”
“But we can’t just summon Father without solid evidence.”
That was true.
If Dad showed up with all those knights before anything was uncovered, everyone would think war had broken out in the territory.
I’d been listening quietly to Florian and Erich’s conversation when I shot my hand up.
“We’ll find the evidence!”
“What?”
“There’s a wild rewishi colony on the outskirts of the county, right? Bringing rewishi inside the territory would be risky, so they probably set up the workshop nearby.”
“No.”
“Not just me—Florian, Dietrich, Lavinia, all of us together…”
“Still no. I’d rather let this whole thing drop than put you up to something like that.”
Erich’s expression was utterly resolute.
He was great in every way, but my big brother had this problem of overprotecting his little siblings.
His sense of responsibility overflowed, making him try to shoulder everything alone.
‘Put nicely, it’s firstborn energy; put harshly, it’s kind of…’
Hm.
I shook off the negative thoughts about my big brother who was trying so hard to protect me and opened my mouth just as firmly.
“I saw a kid collapse in the market today, poisoned by this stuff. She couldn’t have been much older than me.”
Her name was Nina.
They’d rushed her to the hospital, but how was she doing now?
For a while, she’d probably cling to her parents, begging for Marscio potion.
And if those parents gave in even a little—if we failed to collect all the Marscio potion before then—what would happen to her?
Everyone has a desire to be beautiful.
It was an ancient, primal urge, deep enough that even cavemen painted their faces with mud or strung shells into necklaces.
‘That’s not wrong.’
In this world, dieting knowledge barely went beyond starving yourself.
So the girl who chose Marscio potion to slim down a little faster, a little easier—her desire wasn’t wrong either.
The sin lay with the greedy bastards who made and sold this crap despite knowing the side effects.
They climbed into the North’s three major trading firms by peddling this poison?
‘Who gave them permission?’
The North was land ruled by our grandfather.
I was direct lineage of the Kalenberg ducal family, the North’s lords and guardians.
I absolutely couldn’t tolerate this trash potion spreading here.
You think I’d let it slide?
“This stuff can’t spread any further in the North. We’re the Kalenberg ducal family—the owners and protectors of the North.”
I couldn’t let ordinary people ruin their health without knowing.
Even the people of Count Dvayer’s territory ultimately belonged to the North.
Erich stared deep into my eyes for a long time before letting out a heavy sigh.
“But it’s too dangerous, Ella. If anyone spots you…”
“Forgot already?”
I flashed Erich a grin.
“We’ve banned Morten Trading Company members from leaving the county. The workshop’s probably deserted right now.”
The promise Erich had extracted as payback for their rudeness at the friendly polo match was still in effect.
Six days left.
‘Plenty of time to move.’
It wasn’t a place they could openly guard with outsiders.
With no need for sentries—since the wild monster-populated colony kept normal people away—they’d likely be lax.
So if we went now, we could just scoop up the evidence!
Erich, who’d been staring at me with wide eyes, chuckled and ruffled my hair.
“Guess I’d better fetch Dietrich.”
“Why?”
“To discuss how to split into teams. You know he’ll throw a fit if we leave him out.”
“I’ll get him!”
I jumped up with a beaming smile.
I knew my brother would come around!
Dietrich, still half-asleep, yawned hugely as he shuffled into Erich’s room.
I’d given him a quick rundown on the way, so he grasped the situation.
His face didn’t show much concern, though.
“Split into three teams to investigate?”
He’d summed it up in seconds, glancing between Erich and me.
“It’s not that simple. Fine for us three, but Lavinia and Ella are still…”
“Then leave those two to comb through the ledgers.”
What?!
Erich looked convinced and glanced my way.
I latched onto his arm.
“Erich, please don’t tie me to the ledgers.”
“M-Me too. Not the ledgers.”
Lavinia couldn’t quite bring herself to cling, but she gazed up at Erich with desperate eyes.
Erich rubbed his face, watching us—the eternal bottom-of-the-class scrappers.
A deep sigh escaped him.
“Dietrich, maybe you should…”
“Eung? M-Me?”
“…I must’ve misspoke.”
Erich gave up fast.
He’d finally realized that even our three heads combined couldn’t crack double ledgers.
His gaze lingered briefly on Florian.
It was a last-resort look, but Florian declined with a faint smile.
“Wouldn’t it be better if I guarded the baby?”
“Hey, our baby Ella’s got her blood brother right here—why you?!”
“…You’d entrust our youngest to this Dietrich?”
Erich nodded vigorously at that.
Dietrich pulled a maximally aggrieved face, but Erich’s decisions weren’t up for reversal.
“Then I’ll handle the double ledgers.”
Smart choice. Erich was the man for it.
Count Dvayer watched him closest anyway, so staying here pretending to audit fit perfectly.
The rewishi colony infiltration split into two teams: me and Florian, Lavinia and Dietrich.
Dietrich, who’d sulked through Erich’s whole decision-making, lightly tapped Florian’s perfectly poised shoulder.
“Take good care of baby Ella?”
“You focus on your own job.”
Florian brushed off Dietrich’s hand in one swift motion.
As the two bickered like always, Lavinia alone pumped her fist hard.
“I’ll do my best! I just awakened my divine grace recently!”
“Ooh, not bad? Still, run if it gets dangerous—got it?”
“Yeah!”
I’m counting on you, Lavinia.
“I’m not thrilled about sending kids like you, but…”
“Actually works out great. Everyone’s too busy watching big bro anyway. They won’t spare us a thought.”
“Right. No one’d dream kids like us would move.”
Erich frowned briefly at our back-and-forth.
“Let’s contact Father first, then move right before he arrives.”
It had taken five days by carriage for us to reach Count Dvayer’s territory.
Dad would ride horseback, so from message to arrival—at least a week.
The colony infiltration naturally settled on six days from now.
‘The last day Morten folks are locked in the county.’
Tight, but unavoidable to sync with Dad’s arrival.
We all agreed: grab evidence fast and quiet, wait, then drop it the moment Dad showed.