Chapter 30: What Do I Look Like to You?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 30: What Do I Look Like to You?
Ferda tilted his head.
“And what does any of that have to do with plotting and inciting rebellion?”
“Because you are raising an army in league with a private corporation and constructing roads connecting to the Empire,” Karl countered. “Is that not a clear intent to facilitate an invasion?”
It was the height of absurdity.
Ferda responded calmly.
“The roads are being upgraded to revitalize logistics and trade, and to ensure we can receive swift support from the Empire in the event of an emergency. Furthermore, since we have a contract with the Pascal Trading Company, it is necessary to build roads for their benefit. In a land where the only enemies are monsters and beasts, what kind of grievance are you trying to manufacture over a few paved roads?”
“Until now, the East has consistently defended itself even without roads. What you are doing now is excessive armament—a threatening act directed at the heart of the Empire.”
“Defended, you say…?”
In that moment, Ferda’s calm demeanor was pierced by a surge of sharp emotion.
“Have any of you ever seen—even once—what is actually happening in the Far East?”
“We have not.”
“Have you ever set foot in the Far East?”
“No.”
“Then you wouldn't know what is happening there.”
Ferda hadn't known either before coming here. He had participated in the Far East Front Allied meetings several times, but it was only after arriving that he realized just how dire the situation truly was.
“To begin with, the Far East border was in a state of total neglect—starved of budget, troops, and even morale. We’ve only just managed to meet about twenty-five percent of the basic requirements. And you call that excessive armament?”
“There have been no issues until now. Increasing armaments when there is no need for them—that is the point I am making.”
“Stop being stubborn. To be perfectly honest, the only reason the Archduchy of Valdrova has been able to hold back the monsters is because of my fiancée, the Archduchess of Valdrova. Without her, this place would be nothing but a graveyard. The soldiers of the Far East need to be equipped with better weapons.”
“Stubborn? How dare you!”
Karl raised his voice, seizing on Ferda’s words.
“I am here in the capacity of an investigator! Do you not realize you should treat me as if you were looking upon the Emperor himself?”
Karl shouted, attempting to intimidate him. He tried to break Ferda’s spirit, but—
“Right now.”
Ferda’s quiet voice instantly silenced Karl.
He simply looked up at Karl, legs crossed, holding his teacup. However, there was something chilling in his blue eyes.
“Did you just raise your voice to me, Sir Karl?”
There was something in his gaze that didn't seem human.
Karl found himself suppressed by that aura. He was the one who should be shouting; he was the one in power. Or so he thought.
Ferda was equally furious. If he had followed his original nature, Karl would have been a corpse by now. No, he would have been cruelly broken and crushed. Yet, he was enduring it.
Has Valdrova been nothing more than a watchdog to them all this time?
The way they treated her was beyond anything he had imagined. Ferda had sensed it vaguely—they feared her, but it wasn't a fear born from respect.
Ferda wanted nothing more than to send the man back to the Western Empire immediately. But he didn't. He chose to look further ahead.
All of this is for my fiancée, Valdrova.
Eventually, Karl, who had tried to dominate with his momentum, tucked his tail.
“If a full-scale investigation proceeds, the Regent can be punished according to Imperial law.”
Ferda took a sip of his tea and replied, “Then try to stop me.”
“It is impossible for me to work alone when the higher-ups are also watching the situation.”
“Is that so?”
Ferda waved his hand as if disappointed.
“Then it can't be helped. I shall undergo a faithful investigation and seek the truth.”
Karl’s face twisted in frustration before he finally spoke.
“……Once it starts, it cannot be stopped.”
“It’s a pity, but there’s nothing to be done. You’ve done your job. You may leave now.”
Finally, Karl let out a long sigh.
“Why are you acting like this? A man of your stature shouldn't keep playing dumb.”
He dropped the clumsy act and showed his true colors. His murky eyes fixed on Ferda.
“Let’s settle this amicably. As a member of the Rosnova family, surely you know what our Purge Squad does?”
“Of course I know. You’re the lot of knights who commit banditry against lords, aren't you?”
“We are called many things, yes.”
He wore a face that suggested such insults meant nothing to him. He made a circle with his thumb and index finger.
“Just give us the money for the higher-ups and a small commission for me. Then we will back off.”
“How much?”
He spread all his fingers.
“100,000 Golden should suffice.”
“Hmm, 100,000…”
Ferda nodded and set down his teacup. Ruri approached with a kettle and refilled it with warm tea.
“I have one question.”
“Speak.”
“What do I look like to you?”
At Ferda’s question, Karl replied as if the answer were obvious.
“Are you not the Regent of Valdrova?”
“Is that how I look? Because I think you see me as a piece of shit.”
“A—a piece of shit?”
Karl was flustered by the blunt profanity.
“What are you talking about? How could I ever view the Regent in such a way…”
“Don't worry. I’ve already heard plenty of talk about being Valdrova’s gigolo and the trash son of Rosnova. I expected you to see me as a piece of shit.”
The very fact that someone from the Purge Squad had come here meant exactly that.
“I know everything.”
Ferda used to like honorable knights. Among them, he had once respected the Purge Squad, who were supposed to monitor the corruption of lords.
“I know exactly how you drive honest lords into the abyss.”
That was why his disappointment was greater than anyone's when he realized the truth.
“If I give you money, what does that make me? Ah, you’ll say this man paid to cover up his crimes and admitted his guilt. And just like that, you’ve created a perfect sucker to bleed dry.”
The moment one steps into that trap, they become entangled. It’s like jumping into a thick swamp; you can't get out on your own.
“And then, more people like you will start swarming. Like children running to their mother to beg for snack money, they’ll all demand I line their pockets.”
Similar demands and threats would come flooding in from all sides. Even if a lord is wealthy, their resources aren't infinite. To meet the demands is impossible, and to clean up the mess requires even more money and power. Eventually, the lord is forced to raise taxes and exploit those around them.
They push a decent person into a corner and force them down the path of actual corruption. That was how the Empire’s rot was spreading.
“Knowing all that, do you really think I would give you money?”
Ferda had made a vow. He would protect the things Valdrova loved and sought to defend. He would never allow himself to be toyed with by these lowlifes.
“So, do as you please. Go ahead and work hard to find your 'plots and incitement of rebellion.' I have no intention of giving you a single Coupe, let alone a single Golden.”
Ferda’s stance was firmer than expected. However, Karl was used to this. How many times had he seen it? Lords who tried to hold out against the Purge Squad always broke.
“Then I suppose I have no choice but to bring this up.”
Whenever someone defied the Purge Squad, they were crushed without exception. Even if he had the backing of an Archduchess, his opponent was just a green brat who had only recently become Regent.
“I hear there was a recent incident involving the murder of a nobleman. What do you have to say about that?”
He was talking about Thesalos Wolcher. He decided to bring up a real crime, not a fabricated one.
“Murder? Don't be ridiculous. Is it Imperial law now to arrest someone for killing a person in a duel?”
“A death resulting from a duel is clearly murder. There were witnesses, were there not?”
“There were. One is right here.”
Ferda glanced toward Ruri.
“Tell him. Did I commit murder?”
Ruri shook her head.
“It was an execution. He was caught secretly researching black magic using monsters, so summary execution was only fitting.”
“There you have it.”
“That’s a charge unrelated to the duel! And having your own servant speak carries no weight!”
“Then whose story should I listen to?”
Karl replied with a greasy smile.
“I am actually in the process of bringing that witness here. He will arrive at this castle shortly.”
“A witness, you say…”
Ferda simply sipped his tea.
“I’d certainly like to meet them.”
Ferda gestured as if he didn't care what they did. Karl couldn't help but feel irritated that Ferda remained unshaken no matter what he tried.
Let’s see how long you can stay that relaxed. You’ll be begging at my feet soon enough!
Karl smiled, fueled by the belief that he would be the one laughing in the end.
A short while later, the witness Karl had mentioned entered the reception room. He was an elderly lord with a crinkled white beard. He was the oldest man in the Far East and held the highest rank after Ferda.
— Ferda Valdrova is a fool drunk on his own power, so arrogant that he might soon bring ruin upon Valdrova.
He was an opposition leader who loathed Ferda Valdrova, and the very source of information that had prompted the squad's intervention.
“Oh, Count Consilus! Welcome!”
Karl greeted him warmly at the entrance. However, Consilus didn't even spare Karl a glance. His eyes were fixed on Ferda.
Consilus walked over and knelt politely.
“Regent, I trust you have been well?”
Ferda accepted the greeting plainly.
“Welcome, Count Consilus.”
It was a standard greeting between nobles. However, seeing this, Karl stood frozen like a man who had been struck in the head.
Greetings between nobles were common. But if they were meeting for the first time or were on bad terms, a simple nod was the norm. Showing such formal respect—kneeling—was impossible in noble society unless one truly intended to express their reverence.
He’s just being formal, Karl tried to convince himself.
Karl didn't let his awkwardness show. It was best to remain composed until the end.
Count Consilus is on our side.
Count Consilus was a knight who had sworn loyalty to the Emperor. He was an old man who played both sides in the Far East and, until recently, had looked unfavorably upon the young Regent.
Every lord in the Far East felt that way.
It had been verified. Ferda was a man who threatened lords with their crimes and ruled by suppressing them through fear. Fear makes people shrink. But the moment they find a chance to escape it, they will betray faster than anyone. Since that information had come from Consilus himself, he would surely cooperate.
After receiving the greeting, Ferda politely pointed to an empty chair.
“Please, sit. I have no wish to keep an elder kneeling like this.”
“Thank you.”
Count Consilus took his seat, and Karl sat down as well, clearing his throat. He tried to take control of the conversation.
“Count Consilus. Thank you for coming.”
“Not at all. The timing just happened to work out perfectly.”
Consilus chuckled and stroked his beard. Karl laughed along and set the topic.
“Count Consilus. You said you knew about the incident involving Thesalos Wolcher.”
Consilus nodded. “I do. I watched it as an observer.”
“Exactly. Would you testify here and now about the atrocities the Regent of Valdrova committed?”
“That story? Yes, you did ask me to tell that story…”
“Indeed. Can you give us your testimony?”
Count Consilus’s eyes shifted slightly toward Ferda.
“To get straight to the point, the Regent of Valdrova…”
He continued his answer.
“…did absolutely nothing wrong in that duel.”
“……Pardon?”
The answer was far from what Karl had expected.
“W-what do you mean? Haha, I must have misheard you…”
“I will say it again. The Regent of Valdrova did absolutely nothing wrong in that duel.”
Consilus did not choose the Empire.
“That day, Thesalos Wolcher activated a magic formula with the intent to kill the Lord of Valdrova, and the Lord of Valdrova merely countered to subdue him. At the time, the Regent’s level was the 1st Circle. The other was a 4th Circle mage. The difference was so great that the outcome should have been certain. Yet, that Wolcher brat didn't know when to stop. Even so, he lost.”
“That’s right. He lost. He lost, but it led to the murder of a nobleman—”
“No, it cannot be viewed that way,” Count Consilus cut Karl off.
“Even when the duel ended, he might have been trying to kill him with magic. There is a bloodlust that only the participants of a duel can feel. It’s possible he struck back before the opponent could attack. The ways of mages are profound, after all. Is that not so?”
Ferda nodded. “A mage hides their final trump card until the very end. That is indeed the way of a mage.”
“Since a noble tried to kill another noble, even if it ended in an attempt, the right to decide their life or death must be guaranteed. That is the conclusion the lords have reached.”
What the hell is this? Karl thought, his mind racing.
This isn't what he said before!