Chapter 151
Chapter 151
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 151
Chapter Title: If You're a Man, At Least Once
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If a man were to ask whether he too hadn't once wanted to profit like the others, Baron Rephoem would have answered that he was only human.
Who wouldn't want to bask in wealth? Who wouldn't want to fill the bellies of his people?
He had even considered closing his eyes tight, buying goods from the barbarian tribes cheap like the other nobles, selling them dear, and deceiving them to acquire even cheaper wares.
But Baron Rephoem just couldn't bring himself to do it.
The risks were far too great to enjoy immediate riches.
The other northern nobles called him a coward, saying no one could rise without taking risks, but he insisted this was truly unacceptable and tried to dissuade them.
When that failed to stop them, he resorted to his final measure: dispatching someone to the capital to fully expose their misdeeds.
Some called him a whistleblower, others a traitor to the North, but he was a noble of the kingdom, appointed by the royal family.
'This is only right. We can't shake the entire North for the sake of greed.'
Yet once he thought that way, countless conflicts tore at his heart.
Wasn't he doing something wicked to the northern folk who had barely begun to thrive after years of hardship? Wouldn't revealing this bring harm to his own territory? Such worries plagued him.
Unable to act either way, Baron Rephoem ultimately handed over all trade with the barbarian tribes to the other nobles as his last act of conscience.
It wouldn't absolve his guilt entirely, but at least it eased his conscience somewhat—he told himself that much was enough.
And today, Baron Rephoem finally muttered that what was bound to come had arrived.
"Baron Rephoem, open the gates!
Young Lord Sion Clauzen, heir to the Margrave Territory of Clauzen and lawful proxy of His Majesty the King of Hispanya, has arrived!"
Remote as the North might be, and lowly as his baronial rank was among the nobility, he knew full well no one could dare impersonate the King's proxy.
He was also aware of the rising star noble named Sion Clauzen.
'No sign of the other nobles, and for such a figure to come all the way to this backwater territory...'
In the end, their three years of irrational deeds had all come to light.
Baron Rephoem let out a deep sigh and ordered the castle gates opened.
Though he wasn't directly involved, he had deliberately omitted reporting to the capital.
He couldn't claim innocence; if anything, he was equally guilty.
"Come in, Young Lord Sion Clauzen."
Thus, Baron Rephoem stepped forward before those who had come to punish him, striving for a composed expression.
When he recognized the man beside Sion Clauzen as Schumacher, vice-commander of the Royal Knights and a prodigy of the North, Baron Rephoem knew his suspicions were confirmed.
"Have a seat."
Sion entered the drawing room as if it were his own home, sat in a chair, and gestured for the baron to do the same.
"Baron Rephoem."
"Yes, Young Lord Sion."
"What do you think brought me to the North?"
"...I heard it was to carry out a mission in the barbarian tribes' lands."
"More precisely, I came here as His Majesty's proxy to decide Hispanya's course.
On my way back after concluding talks with the barbarian tribes, I discovered something rather interesting."
Something rather interesting—he swallowed dryly at the young noble's words before him.
He knew exactly what the northern nobles had been doing and how grave their crimes were; it was a natural reaction.
"In the trade led by the royal family for the kingdom's peace and prosperity, some scoundrels skimmed off bits here and there, driving things to the worst possible state."
"..."
"Surely the royal family allowed northern nobles some profit, but they couldn't resist that fleeting greed and joined hands to march down the path to ruin."
"Young Lord Sion, I..."
"Don't you want to live?"
The blunt question caught Baron Rephoem off guard, prompting an involuntary "Pardon?"
Sion smiled faintly, whispering like an angel saving someone from hell's gates.
"Viscount Gino said you weren't directly involved in this affair.
You weren't entirely ignorant, but not committing the major crime yourself leaves some room for leniency, doesn't it?"
"B-But I..."
"Yes, yes, I know.
Even abetting it is a crime.
But you upheld a minimum of conscience, so you deserve some recognition for that.
Am I wrong?"
"..."
"I want to make money too. I want my territory to develop further. I want to feed my people.
Why wouldn't such temptations arise?
But you overcame them all and held your line."
The man who seemed ready to cry "Traitor!" instead acknowledged his past struggles and patted him understandingly—Baron Rephoem's chest suddenly swelled.
For three years of inner turmoil, this stranger affirmed it was right, unclogging something long blocked.
"Baron Rephoem.
You knew of this and stayed silent—a sin you can't deny."
"...Yes, that's true."
"At the same time, you upheld the bare minimum line.
So, let me tell you how to mitigate that sin somewhat and maximize any leniency."
You can live—those unspoken words made Baron Rephoem look up.
Sion stroked his chin and continued.
"Gather all your knights and soldiers in the territory.
We're marching on Viscount Tyker's estate right now."
"Pardon?"
"The others show some signs of cowering, but that one was utterly brazen.
If the upper stream is filthy, how could the lower be clean?
They'll likely be the first to rebel against this.
Shouldn't we burn them out before they become a problem?"
Meeting Sion's eyes as he spoke, Baron Rephoem felt cold sweat trickle down.
His mouth smiled, but those icy, hardened eyes—what were they?
Baron Rephoem worried that "burn them out" wasn't mere metaphor but literal intent.
Hours later, Sion arrived before Viscount Tyker's estate.
Unlike his visit to Baron Rephoem's, he brought no words of parley—just overt pressure with his escorts and nearly all of Baron Rephoem's fully armed forces behind.
"Young Lord Sion, what now?"
Vice-Commander Schumacher turned to ask.
Instead of the absent head who had gone to the party, fully armed soldiers returned with the young noble, King's proxy, among them.
If one couldn't grasp the meaning, they'd be the king of fools.
Sion pretended to ponder, then exclaimed "Ah!" and called for Baron Rephoem.
"Baron Rephoem."
"Y-Yes, Young Lord Sion."
"How does the situation look?"
"...They intend to resist."
As he said, chaos reigned inside Viscount Tyker's castle.
It was only natural; fully armed troops suddenly appearing would stir anyone.
"Then what should we do?
Push in?"
"We lack siege equipment, and our numbers are few.
Casualties would..."
"Another chance to reduce your guilt, and you're slyly trying to back out?"
His smile hid barbs.
Backing down here might mean true punishment as a criminal.
Baron Rephoem shook his head firmly and explained.
"If we fail to breach at once, other territories might join them.
We've captured the heads, and Viscount Gino's is fully suppressed, but..."
"If our momentum wanes, they might get ideas."
"Exactly."
News travels slow in the North, Sion muttered inwardly, confident it wouldn't happen.
Just the two senior knights beside him outmatched them, plus two beings surpassing them.
And one mad Black Flame Dragon to turn soldiers to ash with a grin.
'And capture? When has Butler ever shown mercy?'
Evidence was ample; one witness sufficed.
Viscount Gino's party hall had long been a slaughterhouse for piglets.
Can't harm a royally appointed noble physically?
He'd shattered that as King's proxy long ago.
'Stinking trash we can't embrace must be swiftly disposed.
No needless mercy or useless criminals.
Kill quickly, remove, uproot.
Less than a year left.'
Sion planned to handle the rest swiftly too.
"Baron Rephoem.
You go and urge their surrender directly.
It'll show everyone you've fully turned, creating an 'us versus them' atmosphere."
"Understood."
At Sion's word, Baron Rephoem spurred his horse to the gates.
After speaking with Viscount Tyker's acting knight commander and heir, he sighed and returned.
"The result?"
"My apologies."
Negotiations had failed, as expected.
With everything gone wrong, head absent, crimes known, and punishment looming, resistance to the death was natural.
"Young Lord Sion.
We must attack sooner or later, but what of the territory folk inside?"
Vice-Commander Schumacher subtly inquired.
He had no issue with direct culprits harming the kingdom, but harming innocents sat ill.
Sion's thinking differed entirely.
"Surely the territory folk know what it means to bar the gates against the King's proxy, Vice-Commander."
"Indeed."
"Then they're all criminals.
Knowing it's a crime yet doing nothing—how's that different from complicity?
Right, Baron Rephoem?"
Not aimed at him, but he flinched regardless.
As the baron trembled and looked, Sion waved it off reassuringly.
"But you stepped up, even if late.
The folk inside are different.
To avoid horror, they must fight the troublemakers or seize the gates to welcome us."
Acting late still earned some excuse.
But inaction now? The end was clear.
Burn together, drown together, buried alive together.
"Baron Rephoem."
"Yes, Young Lord Sion."
"Viscount Tyker's castle is quite large, you said."
"Yes.
He was one of the North's notable knights..."
"Once it starts blazing, it'll be visible from everywhere."
"...Pardon?"
"Just a figure of speech.
A figure."
Sion laughed "Haha!"
Watching, Baron Rephoem and Vice-Commander Schumacher sensed something beyond the visible in Sion.
The usually gentle youth harbored a brilliant flame ready to blaze fiercely.
'It's about time to start.'
Sion's bold appearance before Tyker was to divert eyes while delivering greater shock.
Foes poised to attack upfront, but home ablaze from behind—what choice?
Fight to death with nowhere left?
Or surrender, morale broken?
'Either way, I don't care.
The conclusion remains the same.'
Why are those women late? he wondered.
Then Baron Rephoem urgently raised a hand.
"Uh...?
Y-Young Lord Sion!
L-Look there!"
"Oh dear."
Suppressing laughter, Sion looked up at the red-and-yellow floral fireworks dazzling the sky.
Viscount Tyker's castle—renowned in northern noble lands—was engulfed in crimson flames, burning madly.
'Yes, that's it.
If you're a man, at least once.'
Who wouldn't crave such a spectacular fire show?
With world-consuming scarlet blaze.
No loss to him, just nuisances' homes burning.
"Ooooh!"—ecstasy surged, utterly thrilling.
'Didn't know Lily and Trisha synced this well.
But on return, both will cling for top rewards.'
Sion shrugged inwardly—what could he do?
They earned it for this glorious spectacle.
'Burn brighter!
Devour all!
Everything!
Kyahaha!'
Money he wouldn't touch anyway—burn it all!
Gazing at flames, Sion unwittingly waved—devilish, gleefully conducting world's calamity.
―――――――Author's Note―――――――
The devil feeds on recommendations!