The Knight Commander's Fury
"......Did you just say Baron Gideon has been imprisoned?"
In the audience chamber of the Imperial Palace, Princess Chloe's brow furrowed sharply as she received the report. Standing before her with a rigid expression was Aris, the Imperial Knight Commander clad in silver armor.
"Yes, Your Highness. Chancellor Caleb led his personal guards in a sudden raid on the baron's mansion. The pretext was a special tax audit for embezzlement of relief funds and tax evasion."
"Ha! A tax audit?" Chloe let out a hollow laugh, pressing a hand to her forehead. "It's like one thief robbing another. Not even a day ago, that bastard was bragging about swallowing the relief funds whole. Looks like he threw a tantrum because his cut was too small during the split."
"I thought it was infighting over the relief fund distribution too......but the amount seized is no joke. They smashed every hidden safe in the mansion and hauled out 50,000 gold."
50,000 gold. An astronomical sum that even the Empire's highest nobles couldn't easily lay hands on in cash. Chloe's crimson eyes wavered sharply for a moment.
"That rat bastard Baron Gideon was siphoning off that much money......! But has that gold gone into the national treasury now?"
"That's......not the case."
Aris clenched her teeth and bowed her head. "The chancellor loaded it all onto wagons and headed straight for the slums on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital. Then he deployed his guards to lock down the entire area, blocking all outsiders completely."
"Locking down the slums? With that much money?" Suspicion flickered in Chloe's eyes. He hadn't turned it over to the treasury or stashed it in his own mansion's vaults. Piling 50,000 gold in the heart of the poorest, most forsaken land and stationing an army there?
"What the hell is that trash planning to do by taking over the slums?"
"That bothers me too. As his armed guards tightened the perimeter, the clueless slum dwellers are trembling in terror. He's surely scheming some horrific crime against the powerless with that filthy money."
Chloe bit her lip. He'd bitten one of her faction's barons, seized his fortune, and now aimed to use the starving masses as shields or pawns. Disgust gave way to bone-deep hatred and murderous intent.
"Aris. I lack the pretext to move personally. Go to the slums at once using your authority as Knight Commander. If that devil lays a finger on my people, subdue him immediately and drag him here in chains."
"As you command, Your Highness!"
Aris, the upright and righteous Knight Commander, had flames of fierce hostility blazing in her blue eyes.
Meanwhile, I strolled down the long corridor of the Imperial Palace, humming a cheerful tune.
Perfect. The groundwork's flawless.
The 50,000 gold I'd ripped from Baron Gideon was stashed right in the middle of the slums, with my guards sealing off the streets completely. It was prep work to set the stage my way before any noble scum or Imperial auditors could poke their noses in.
The princess must be pacing in worry, wondering what insane stunt I'll pull there. But what can she do? To survive right now, this massive infrastructure needs to be my retirement fund and shield.
I was tapping away at my mental calculator, heading to the Chancellor's Office, when—
"Caleb!!!"
A roar of fury exploded from the end of the corridor. Before I could even look up, someone grabbed my collar roughly.
"......Damn. My collar's not holding up today."
The one slamming me against the wall was none other than Imperial Knight Commander Aris. The clash of her silver armor rang out as she radiated killing intent, like she was ready to cleave me in two right then.
"I heard you imprisoned Baron Gideon. Have you finally lost it and turned on your own side? And dragging that dirty money to the slums and surrounding it with troops?! What the hell are you plotting against the starving and sick?!"
Aris tightened her grip on my collar. Ah, word spread fast.
'The corrupt chancellor oppressing the weak with his army.' A perfect infamous moniker. The aggro for tomorrow's big play was pulled nicely.
Excusing it here with 'This is actually control to make the people self-sufficient' wouldn't fly—she'd never buy it, and it'd just mess up my plans. I flashed my signature sleazy grin and looked down at her leisurely.
"What am I plotting? Who knows. The world's full of useless labor. Figured I'd 'repurpose' these rice-munching vermin into something useful."
"You filthy bastard......!"
Aris's other hand seized her sword hilt. But she couldn't draw it. Controlling the slums was within my discretion, and there was no hard proof of illegality yet. Knowing her frustration, I leaned in close to her ear and whispered.
"Knight Commander. The world doesn't run on prayers and your precious knighthood. It runs on money, power, and ironclad control."
"What did you......"
I roughly slapped away her hand gripping my collar. With a sharp thwack, it fell free. I brushed off my crumpled collar and glared at her arrogantly.
"The people are so pitiful? Then sell that scrap metal on your arm and buy them bread. If you can't even do that, stick to practicing your fancy sword swings, Knight Commander. I'll handle the money-making."
"......Y-You......!"
Aris's lips trembled. Leaving her face flushed with rage and humiliation behind, I turned on my heel without a second glance.
"Come watch the slums starting tomorrow. I'll show you exactly how I squeeze the people's blood—nice and clear."
Back at the Chancellor's Office, Captain Cassel waited by the door with a grim face.
"What is it, Cassel? You look pissed."
"Your Excellency. A message just arrived from Marquis Valer's mansion."
I chuckled at his words. Marquis Valer. The head of the Empire's corrupt nobles, the true root of all evil who'd looped the noose around my neck. Of course he'd be foaming at the mouth now that his loyal hound, Baron Gideon, had been plucked clean and jailed overnight.
"The marquis commands you to come to his mansion at once. With minimal escort......"
"Minimal escort, huh. Means he plans to grab my collar and threaten me."
Cassel looked worried. "What will you do? The marquis must be livid over the baron."
"Of course I'm going. I cut off the tail—now it's time to see how the body reacts."
I straightened my overcoat and grinned. "Prepare the carriage, Cassel. We're off to turn our great marquis's guts inside out."
Marquis Valer's office was as opulent as the palace, but the air here was frozen solid like thin ice.
Crash!
No sooner had I opened the door than a crystal wine glass flew at my feet, shattering into pieces. Blood-red wine stained the priceless carpet grotesquely.
"Caleb. You've finally lost your mind."
The old fox stood with his back to the window, glaring at me with murderous eyes. Marquis Valer, ringleader of the corrupt nobles.
"Biting my loyal limb with that dogshit excuse of a tax audit? And seizing all of Gideon's wealth on top?"
His guards lining the room all gripped their sword hilts in unison, ready to strike at a gesture.
But I didn't flinch, casually rubbing the wine splatter on the floor with my boot.
"Old man's got some fire this morning. Throwing cups and all."
"......What did you say?"
The marquis's wrinkled face stiffened at my sudden words. No 'Caleb' puppet from before would have dreamed of this attitude.
"Old man? You dare......!"
"Dare? Get your words right, Marquis Valer."
I furrowed my brow, striding past his guards to his desk. Overwhelmed by my presence, even they stepped aside.
"I'm the Empire's Chancellor. And some mere marquis orders me around like a dog? Throws glasses at my feet? Just because I played along behind the scenes, did you think I was really your house pet?"
"You insolent......!!"
The marquis's face turned beet red with rage, on the verge of ordering his men to cut me down.
But I casually pulled Gideon's real ledger copy from my pocket and tossed it onto his desk.
"Should've managed your doghouse properly before biting people, old timer."
"This is......"
"That dumbass Gideon used his own brother-in-law's merchant guild to siphon relief funds. Even left ledgers for hiring dwarves to build secret vaults under 'estate repairs.' He didn't just leave a tail—he put up a damn signpost on the highway."
The marquis's brow twitched. He skimmed the ledger irritably, then clicked his tongue and crumpled it. He'd instantly grasped how sloppy Gideon's operation was.
"The princess's auditors were about to sniff it out. If they'd hit Gideon first, that idiot would've ratted you out to save his skin. I cut the tail before the Imperial inspection could. You should be kissing my feet, not throwing glasses."
My shout left the marquis's lips flapping. He had nothing to say.
He was power-hungry but sharp with numbers—an old capitalist villain who put profit over emotion.
"......Fine. Say Gideon was incompetent."
The marquis barely suppressed his fury and slumped into his chair. His upturned gaze sharpened.
"Then what about the 50,000 gold you squeezed from him? Taking that fortune and locking down the slums? What's your game?"
Here it comes—the real point. Unlike the princess, this old fox was sensitive to schemes and money trails. He suspected ulterior motives in my slum takeover.
I leaned cockily against the desk, smirking sideways.
"Money laundering."
"......Money laundering?"
"Yeah. Hauling 50,000 gold straight to your mansion? The princess's blind dogs would bite your neck off. So I dumped it in the slums to divert eyes and sealed it with troops."
I leaned over the desk, meeting his eyes. "Starting tomorrow, I'll wring the slum trash with 'forced labor.' Excuse it as canal construction for the Empire's progress."
His eyes narrowed. "Canal construction? What's with the sudden infrastructure talk?"
"On paper, it'll look like I blew the whole 50,000 on wages and materials. The people get worked like beasts, the princess fumes about me abusing the starving slums. While all eyes are on me......"
I tapped the desk and grinned. "The 50,000 disguised as construction pay flows quietly through ghost merchants straight to your secret vault."
"......!"
His stiff, wrinkled face finally relaxed. Divert to slum labor, launder as legit construction funds. Cleaner than any plan from his old scarecrow chancellor—this arrogant, quick-witted villain's scheme was flawless.
"Kuhahaha!"
The silent marquis suddenly burst into shoulder-shaking laughter. "Indeed! A head worthy of that arrogant attitude! No way you're comparable to a useless rat like Gideon!"
His mood fully lifted, he fetched a fresh wine glass and poured red vintage. He even wrote off my insolence as 'confidence of a capable hound.'
"Fine. Let the slum scum freeze or drop from overwork—who cares? Take all the blame, as you said. I'll swallow the money away from the princess's eyes."
"Then clear out your vault quietly. Paperwork starts tomorrow."
I turned to leave, done with him. "I'm off. Delay too long, and the princess might dig into my trail."
The mansion's grand doors shut behind me. As I climbed into the waiting carriage, the leisurely smile on my face vanished.
Money flowing to your vault? Dream on, you greedy old fart.
Not a single gold from Gideon would go to Marquis Valer. It'd all go transparently to wages for tomorrow's slum New Deal policy.
Valer would firmly believe he was pocketing it and fully back my 'forced labor' on the slums—buying me time as the perfect shield.
"Let's go, Cassel. Things get brutal starting tomorrow."