Chapter 29: When in the Archduchy, Do as the Archduchy Does
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 29: When in the Archduchy, Do as the Archduchy Does
From his high vantage point, Ferda watched a group galloping toward the Archduchy of Valdrova.
There were about twenty of them, all mounted.
Unless a horse was bred in the Far East, it would naturally recoil from a dragon’s presence. However, these steeds showed no such resistance despite being raised in the central regions. They were beasts trained to charge into the jaws of death, pushing until their very last breath even if their legs were to be severed.
Only the Empire’s finest elites could ride such horses.
Ferda knew exactly who they were.
“The Purge Squad has arrived,” he noted.
Ruri, standing beside him, tilted her head. “The Purge Squad? You mean the agency that monitors the lords within the Empire?”
“Exactly. Their official name is the Imperial Audit Team, but they rebranded themselves.”
Originally, the institution was created to monitor and curb the corruption of local lords. The Emperor had established it to win the hearts of the common people.
“They were nowhere to be seen until now, but they start sniffing around the Far East the moment you arrive, Lord Ferda,” Ruri said, her tone suggesting he was the root of all their troubles.
She wasn't exactly wrong.
“Do you know why? It’s because there was nothing to scavenge here before.”
“Nothing to scavenge?”
“They call themselves the Purge Squad, but in reality, they’re just a pack of wolves that extorts money from the lords.”
Though the Emperor had introduced the agency with grand ambitions of public service, it had rotted within months. Eventually, they transformed into state-sanctioned thugs who traveled the provinces, threatening lords and shaking them down for bribes under the guise of 'auditing' and 'eradicating corruption.'
What had the Archduchy of Valdrova been like before Ferda arrived?
The castle itself was neglected, and the local lords were merely stationed on the front lines, entrusting their lives to Valdrova’s protection. The Purge Squad had ignored the place simply because it was dangerous and didn't offer enough profit to cover their travel expenses.
“They’re no different from wandering knights, then.”
“The only difference is whether they’re shaking down a lord or a commoner.”
“If they’ve come to extort money under the pretext of an audit… they’ll likely question you about Thesalos Wolcher. Will that be alright?”
Killing a nobleman was a capital offense. Word of the incident had undoubtedly reached the Empire’s ears through the local lords who had witnessed it.
“They’ll mention the murder charge, but they’ll only treat it as one of many counts.”
“Are there other crimes you’ve committed?”
“None—and yet, there are.”
Ferda came from a family of knights. He knew exactly which cards the Purge Squad would play first—the words that made any lord’s heart skip a beat.
“They’ll pressure me with 'conspiracy and incitement of rebellion.'”
Conspiracy and incitement of rebellion.
Was there any phrase more terrifying? It was a catch-all charge—a "nose ring if hung on the nose, an earring if hung on the ear"—that could easily lead to one’s head rolling on the floor. They would undoubtedly try to pin a non-existent crime on him.
“It might be better not to speak with them at all. Shall I chase them away?”
Ferda shook his head at Ruri’s suggestion.
“No. We have guests who have traveled a long way; shouldn't we lure them in properly?”
“Lure them in?”
“They are people from the heart of the Arken Empire. Imagine how much easier things will be if we win them over now.”
“Hmm…”
Their heads were filled with nothing but blind greed. They were men who trusted in nothing but the insignias on their chests. By their very nature, they were full of holes.
“To think such sub-human filth will be entering our castle…” Ruri muttered.
She made no secret of her loathing for knights. Her disgust had reached an unprecedented peak. It was only natural; she had recently suffered from the stench of the place, only to be told by Valdrova that she was the one who smelled.
“Lord Ferda.”
“Yes?”
“If those primitive morons are to enter this castle, shouldn't they be scrubbed 'squeaky clean' first?”
They had to be. Her expression suggested she might start a rebellion herself if he refused.
“Do as you wish.”
“Thank you.”
With permission granted, Ruri hurried off to prepare the bathwater.
* * *
Karl Harvest.
As the eldest son of the knightly Harvest family, he served as a field audit leader for the Purge Squad. While the title of 'leader' wasn't particularly prestigious, Karl had no complaints. It was one of the few positions where one could use the status of a knight to suppress local lords and act like a king.
Recently, a new prey had appeared.
Ferda Valdrova.
A man who had supposedly been exiled from the Rosnova family but had snatched up an engagement with the Archduchess. At first, everyone laughed at him, calling him a fool who chose to be torn apart by a dragon rather than give up his nobility.
But he hadn't been torn apart. On the contrary, he was thriving.
Since he set foot in the Archduchy, the Far East—which had been stagnant for years—was showing signs of life. For now, it was just the Pascal Trading Company setting up a branch, but merchant traffic would only increase. That meant a lot of money would soon be flowing through the East.
The Archduchy of Valdrova, once treated like useless chaff, now looked like a delicious meal. The Purge Squad, an agency directly under the Imperial family, was the first to catch the scent.
It was a foregone conclusion that this development would accelerate. However, they grossly underestimated the achievements Ferda had made.
‘It just means Valdrova’s hoard is overflowing.’
Karl didn't imagine for a second that this was possible because Ferda was competent. To him, Ferda was just a brat kicked out of the Rosnova family.
‘Since the current Regent is from a knightly house, he’ll know how we operate.’
Being from a knightly family, Ferda would know about the Purge Squad. Karl figured he might be easier to deal with than other lords. Ferda would know that if he just lined their pockets, the Purge Squad wouldn't harass him beyond a certain point.
‘I need to squeeze as much as I can while he still has money.’
The Archduchy was dangerous, and Valdrova’s wealth and treasures couldn't be infinite.
‘But I shouldn't take him too lightly.’
Karl wasn't a fool who thought everything would go exactly as planned. People tended to change when intoxicated by power they didn't deserve. If Ferda had become arrogant after becoming Regent, Karl would have to crush him. He was, of course, prepared for that.
“Has the reply arrived from the letter I sent?”
Karl had sent a letter to Count Consilus for a final check. His adjutant, who had confirmed the contents, replied.
“Yes. He says he is currently on his way to Valdrova Castle. He suggested we start the conversation first.”
“Good.”
Karl smirked. He had an informant who had told him about Ferda Valdrova, an ally who would solidify the Purge Squad’s position, and a witness. With this, he held the cards to crush Ferda. No matter how the boy acted, he wouldn't be able to escape the Purge Squad’s pressure.
Finally, they reached the entrance to the inner castle.
As a castle with no servants, the surroundings were desolate. Usually, lords would display a multitude of servants to maintain their dignity and prestige. However, all they saw upon entering the inner castle was a man with gray hair in a uniform and a girl in a maid outfit.
The man was looking down at them with his hands behind his back, as if he had been waiting.
‘Is that him?’
The third son exiled from the Rosnova family. As rumored, he was tall, but his frame was slender. He looked so frail that it was impossible to believe he came from a family of knights.
‘His gaze is unusual for a Regent, though.’
His deep eyes and expressionless face suggested he wouldn't be an easy opponent. Ordinary people would have been nervous, but Karl had seen this countless times—people who had nothing of substance but put on airs. Karl had watched many such people crumble.
‘In the end, he’s just the Dragon’s kept man.’
In Karl’s eyes, Ferda was just a brat trying to look cool. Hiding his sneer behind his visor, Karl dismounted and removed his helmet. As befitting the eldest son of a knightly house, his features were sharp and angular.
“A pleasure to meet you, Lord Ferda Rosnova! I am Karl of the Harvest family, sent to investigate by order of the Purge Squad, a unit directly under the Imperial family!”
Karl gave a polite greeting, placing his hand over his heart. Ferda accepted the greeting graciously.
“A pleasure to meet you, Sir Karl Harvest. However, it has been a long time since I dropped the Rosnova name, so I would prefer you call me Ferda Valdrova.”
“Oh, my apologies.”
It wasn't a mistake. He simply wanted to remind Ferda that he was the third son of the Rosnova family. It was a subtle way of saying, ‘We’re both from knightly families, so you know how this works, right?’
Of course, such petty tricks didn't work on Ferda.
“What business does the Purge Squad, protectors of the Empire’s subjects, have here? There aren't even any subjects to protect in Valdrova Castle yet.”
“This isn't a conversation to be had standing out here. Why don't we go inside and talk?”
“Inside, you say…”
Ferda was welcoming them at the gate of the inner castle. He glanced back, met the eyes of the young maid, and nodded.
“It’s possible, but you’ll have to follow the rules of our castle. Is that acceptable?”
“What rules are you referring to?”
“A new rule was recently established. All knights must undergo a full-body scrub before entering.”
Karl frowned. It sounded like a blatant insult, as if he were being told he smelled.
“Who established such an absurd rule?”
“Ruri Silverwind, the attendant of the Red Dragon, Valdrova,” Ferda replied.
He simply wanted to avoid unnecessary back-and-forth. Ferda gestured toward their silver plate armor.
“Wearing all that sweat-trapping gear makes it easy to fall ill. Especially in the Far East, where ominous energies lurk. Maintaining cleanliness is a priority. That’s why I decreed that everyone must wash thoroughly.”
“Hmm…”
Karl didn't like the idea of bathing as soon as he arrived at someone else’s estate, but when in another’s territory, one must follow their rules. Besides, he had felt the foul energy of the East throughout his journey.
“Very well. Since we are in the Archduchy, we shall follow the Archduchy’s laws.”
“I appreciate it.”
Ferda turned his head slightly toward the waiting Ruri. She stepped forward as if she had been waiting for this moment and bowed to the audit team.
“Welcome to Valdrova Castle. I am Ruri, and I will be assisting with your baths. Please, this way.”
Karl couldn't hide the disappointment in his eyes. Ruri was a beauty with silver hair and silver eyes, but she had the slight, undeveloped figure of a young girl. Hearing that such a plain girl would be assisting with the bath killed his expectations instantly.
‘I’ll just take a quick bath and get out.’
Of course, that was only Karl’s thought.
‘I won’t let a single speck of dirt remain on them.’
Ruri was more serious than ever. She held a coarse loofah in her hand. The spirits she had summoned were also waiting in the bathhouse, each holding a loofah just like her. She welcomed them, fully prepared to strip away every bit of grime clinging to their skin.
“Aaaaagh!”
“Help me!”
“Ack! Argh!”
That day, screams echoed continuously through Valdrova Castle.
* * *
Ferda and Karl finally met in the drawing room after the bath. Ferda discovered a surprising fact.
‘His skin was actually that bright.’
The difference was so stark it was as if a layer of skin had been peeled off. Karl, who had been scrubbed 'squeaky clean,' swallowed his curses.
“Thank you… for the hospitality.”
“Not at all. I didn't expect them to be that hospitable myself. Please, have some tea.”
“Yes.”
Karl and Ferda both picked up their teacups. To facilitate the conversation, Ferda opened the floor.
“So, what brings the Purge Squad here?”
“As I mentioned, we are here for an investigation. Are you aware of the charges against you, Regent?”
“I am not. That is why I am asking.”
“I see.”
‘Playing dumb, are we?’ Karl brought out his prepared lines.
“Regent Ferda Valdrova, you are currently under investigation for conspiracy and incitement of rebellion against the Empire. Do you understand?”
The charge was exactly what Ferda had expected. It was cliché, but he decided to play along for now.
“I see. So, did you come here to give me a medal?”
“This is not the time for jokes with an Imperial audit leader.”
“Was that not a joke? When you said 'incitement and conspiracy,' I assumed it was. All I’ve done is contribute to the development of my territory.”
“We are aware that you are dedicated to the development and well-being of the Empire. However, since a report has been filed, it is our duty to investigate.”
“And the informant?”
“I cannot disclose that. It is classified information.”
‘Can’t disclose it? More like there isn't one.’
“I heard you recently signed a contract with the Pascal Trading Company.”
“I did.”
“I also heard that Pascal is providing full financial support for road improvements and the supply of scarce goods.”
“Not full support. I’m contributing a small amount myself.”
Since it was important to have at least a small stake, Valdrova Castle was paying about 1%. It was Stephan who had suggested it.
“All of this can be investigated under the charge of conspiracy and incitement of rebellion against the Empire.”