Chapter 64: Sorting Things Out
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 64: Sorting Things Out
My original plan was to drag Segerik and Ailgar into a war to weaken their forces, then use the enemy’s hand to kill them.
In the chaos of a battlefield, it was common for high-ranking nobles to be struck down by a stray arrow.
In contrast, I would build my reputation through the war, expand my influence, and, with the justification of Eusebia, swallow the barony whole.
But it seemed the succession competition had ended much faster than I’d expected. What was I missing?
“I was going to spare his life. I even got Father’s promise. But to think he would humiliate Father in front of everyone? Even for the sake of appearances, he couldn’t be kept alive.”
Segerik made excuses, claiming it wasn’t his fault. That Bolton had dug his own grave.
It was a plausible justification. Yet, the fact that he was still making such a flimsy excuse meant he was worried about losing my loyalty.
After all, his willingness to discard his biggest supporter, Bolton, without a second thought would make his other vassals think they could suffer the same fate.
‘He has the same attitude as the Baron. He still wants to keep me by his side.’
There was clearly an under-the-table agreement with the Baron. To find out what it was, I decided to play along.
“He brought it on himself. How could he plunder the lands of a fellow vassal serving the same lord? There are lines that shouldn’t be crossed, even in a rivalry. Bolton didn’t know that.”
Segerik, who had been watching my expression, finally smiled in relief.
“He acted so arrogantly, relying only on his family’s backing. I knew he’d cause big trouble someday. Why do you think no other family helped him? It’s because he’d spent his days doing things that cost him everyone’s respect.”
The pot calling the kettle black. Did he not realize that his own act of abandoning Bolton would cost him his own reputation?
Confirming that Segerik had let his guard down and was smiling, I subtly changed the subject.
“I’m on my way back from seeing the Baron.”
“Hmm. What did he say?”
“Congratulations.”
At my words, Segerik, who had shown interest, looked as if his smile would stretch from ear to ear.
“It’s nothing to congratulate me for. It’s only natural for the eldest son to become the heir, isn’t it? Hahaha.”
It was just a light probe, but Segerik took the bait easily. He was under the illusion that I already knew the whole truth.
So, he really had been confirmed as the heir. The important thing was why the decision had been made so much earlier than expected.
When I smiled back at him, Segerik’s misunderstanding became even more firm.
“It seems Father told you everything. Then again, he couldn’t very well hide it from the vassal who will become his right-hand man.”
“However, I am worried about Sir Joang.”
Segerik must have also been concerned about Joang Conrad, Ailgar’s biggest supporter.
And just as I expected, Segerik’s expression soured. Still, there was no sign of suspicion toward me.
“I’m not happy about that either. Father says he’ll continue to use Sir Joang as his left-hand man, but how can he be trusted? But what can be done? He’s the only vassal capable of winning over the neighboring lords.”
My mind raced. Why was the Baron trying to win over the neighboring lords? I didn’t have to think too hard. There was only one answer.
‘Don’t tell me he plans to swallow the Debussy barony whole?’
It was a difficult idea to believe. A justification could always be fabricated, but no lord would welcome the emergence of a neighbor aggressive enough to devour another’s territory entirely.
Suppressing their discontent and wariness would require enormous bribes. And I was the one who had given the Baron the wealth to use for those bribes.
‘I was the problem.’
At the same time, I had to admit that I had underestimated the Baron’s greed. I thought he would be satisfied with a portion of the territory or some rights. The Baron had far surpassed my expectations, aiming for something much bigger.
Naturally, I also understood why the Baron had decided on an heir so quickly.
‘From the Baron’s perspective, the supporters of both Ailgar and Segerik are his own forces.’
Seeing Ailgar’s supporters being plundered by Bolton, he must have feared that the domain’s overall strength would be diminished if things continued.
For a man planning to swallow the entire Debussy barony, that was something he had to prevent.
“Isn’t the problem Baron Debussy’s backer? I wonder if Sir Joang can truly handle it.”
Behind Baron Debussy was Count Broua. While not a formal lord-vassal relationship, they were close comrades who had fought on the same side in the war.
If Baron Rasino tried to swallow the Debussy barony whole, the Count would surely intervene.
“…”
Segerik fell silent and avoided my gaze. Had he realized my bluff? For that, his reaction was strange. He looked like someone with a guilty conscience.
No way.
As I stared at him, Segerik’s face filled with discomfort as he made an excuse.
“I was against it. Giving my sister to an old man over fifty? Besides, didn’t I promise to wed her to you? But Father wouldn’t even pretend to listen.”
Baron Rasino planned to sell his own daughter to overcome the biggest obstacle. To him, a bond forged on the battlefield was something that could be easily severed by a marriage alliance.
“Even when I warned him that I could lose the strongest knight, even when I put my own position as heir on the line to stop him, Father wouldn’t listen.”
Segerik claimed he had done everything he could to change the Baron’s mind.
I knew he was lying. Segerik was just as greedy as the Baron; he wasn’t the type to give up something of his own for a vassal.
Funny how one’s attitude changes after getting what they want. Now that the succession was settled, he must have felt that giving his sister to a mere knight was a waste.
No, perhaps it was a promise he never intended to keep from the start.
‘Like father, like son.’
Since I already knew what kind of person he was, my anger wasn't overwhelming. I was just disappointed in myself for being played by someone like him.
Still, thanks to him, I now understood how things were unfolding, didn’t I?
Besides, as long as Joang Conrad hadn’t been cast aside, there was still a chance to recover. He would never give up so meekly. Just as he had in the future that would no longer come.
“Your words alone are thanks enough. However, my concern about Sir Joang was for a different reason.”
“Hmm? Oh, right. You said Father told you everything?”
I hadn’t said that; Segerik had just assumed it. But I didn’t bother to correct him.
Relieved to have escaped an awkward situation, Segerik’s face brightened as he continued.
“But what about Sir Joang?”
“Isn’t it strange that Sir Joang is so meekly following the Baron’s orders?”
“Are you saying Sir Joang would dare to defy Father?”
“He is the man who married his daughter to Sir Ailgar. That is proof of his great ambition. Sir Ailgar won’t accept this meekly either.”
As I said before, swallowing an entire territory required a plausible justification and the tacit approval of neighboring lords and nobles with intertwined interests.
But in the future that would no longer come, Baron Debussy had swallowed the Rasino barony. That was because Baron Rasino’s power had been weakened by a civil war, and Joang Conrad had given him the justification.
‘That’s right. They started a rebellion.’
The situation was different from back then, but the overall flow was surprisingly similar.
Unaware of this, Segerik laughed as if he’d heard a funny joke and waved his hand dismissively.
“Father’s decision has already been made. Nothing they do can change that. You seem troubled about my sister, but don’t worry too much. I’ll find you a match just as good as her.”
He dismissed my concern as mere discontent over losing Eusebia.
Having secured his victory, Segerik had become arrogant. It was his true nature, merely hidden by his competition with Ailgar.
“I’m worried about you, Sir Segerik. Try to put yourself in their shoes. Would you give up so meekly?”
“Hmm…”
Only after I put it that way did Segerik begin to waver.
“What if, and I mean what if, Sir Ailgar and Sir Joang were to do something outrageous while I’m away? Would you be able to stop them?”
Only when I mentioned that he himself could be harmed did Segerik’s attitude change. He asked again, his face a mask of disbelief.
“Something outrageous? Surely not…?”
“Why do you think Bolton crossed the line? A cornered rat will bite a cat.”
There was no need for a lengthy explanation. I already had a perfect teaching aid in Bolton.
“I shouldn’t be standing here. I must go and speak to Father. Tell him to be wary of Ailgar and Sir Joang.”
Segerik shifted as if to go see the Baron at once.
“He won’t believe you. It’s just suspicion without a shred of evidence, isn’t it? If he finds out the warning came from me, he’ll think it’s just a crude trick to get out of my deployment and be even less likely to believe it.”
I stopped Segerik. If the rebellion was crushed before it could even begin, Segerik’s position would become even more secure. I didn’t want that.
‘The environment of the plan is just changing. Not a war, but a civil war.’
Don’t they say that crisis is another word for opportunity? If things went my way, I might be able to seize the barony even faster than in my original plan.
Segerik, who had stopped in an awkward posture, looked back at me.
“So, what are you suggesting?”
“Even if those two do something outrageous, as long as you remain unharmed, Sir Segerik, you can punish them. So, order Muel to prepare for any contingency. All you need to do is buy enough time for me to return from Quaran.”
Segerik looked deeply moved.
“Hah, you are the only one who thinks of me so much. But will that be enough? What if we strike first instead?”
Proving he was his father’s son, Segerik tried to get even greedier.
“Father has acknowledged me as his heir, but a man’s heart is as fickle as a reed. If he becomes displeased with me, he’s the type to switch to my brother at any time.”
That was out of the question. For my sake, the civil war had to happen. Moreover, Segerik wasn’t the type to get his own hands dirty. He would surely try to use me as his blade.
If that happened, not only would I fail to get what I wanted, but I would be putting a leash around my own neck and handing the end to Segerik.
“There is no need for you to tarnish your own name, Sir Segerik. If you wait for them to act on their outrageous plan and then stop them as if you were waiting for it, you will not only achieve the same goal but also gain great renown.”
It wouldn’t be as easy as it sounded. If the situation turned sour, Ailgar and Joang would try to borrow Baron Debussy’s strength. Just like in the future that would no longer come.
“Oh…! You’re right!”
Of course, Segerik didn’t think that far ahead. He grabbed my hands with both of his. I suppressed my disgust and forced a smile.
“Haa…”
Having successfully persuaded Segerik, I left his room and let out a sigh of relief. With the arrangements made, the crisis would soon turn into an opportunity. Now, two problems remained.
Eusebia’s marriage and the Baron, who had become an uncontrolled variable.
If I couldn’t control the Baron, there was no guarantee that the same thing wouldn’t happen again, even if I resolved this incident.
The same went for Eusebia’s marriage. The Baron had made it clear through this affair that he had no intention of giving his daughter to me.
In the end, the Baron was the problem.
‘It’s time to get the Baron off the stage.’
The problem was how. There was no easy way to kill the Baron, who was always accompanied by guards, and if I did it myself, I would never get what I wanted and would end up a fugitive.
In other words, I had to use someone else’s hand to kill the Baron. And get past his guards.
I was pondering how to do it when a voice spoke.
“You look like you have a lot on your mind, too.”
The voice was accompanied by the sound of heels approaching. Josephine, wearing a dress with a deeply plunging neckline, had appeared behind me.