The Aftermath (3)
Dawn broke, casting deep shadows over the land.
In an era where people ended their day when the sun set and began it when the sun rose, the streets were completely deserted.
Through the undeveloped outskirts—a dangerous territory lacking even the protection of the city walls—a figure clad in a black mask cut through the darkness.
Rustle. Rustle.
Judging by the silhouette, it was a woman.
Unless one belonged to a very specific profession, it was highly dangerous for a woman to wander alone at night. Moreover, the area outside the walls, where monsters could emerge at any moment, was practically a death zone.
Yet, her movements were entirely without hesitation.
My guess was right.
Sharlen, an operative of the Dark Moon's Rebion branch, was tailing a suspicious group.
Just last night, the Rebion family had lost the territory war against the Farrow family.
Because of this, it was highly predictable that the gold bars hidden away in Parean would be moved in secret.
Her superiors had ordered Sharlen to track down the location of the secret warehouse she had been investigating and report back.
She had spent a long time trying to locate this hidden vault.
If she could secure the gold bars of the Rebion Viscounty, it would provide a massive financial boost to the Dark Moon.
Furthermore, such an achievement would surely guarantee her promotion to branch manager.
Rising to a higher position was the dream of every operative in the organization.
Finally, her opportunity had arrived.
The men moving in the early hours of the morning were extremely cautious.
They checked their surroundings repeatedly and even deployed scouts.
However, the scouts failed to detect any trace of Sharlen.
It was dark, and tracking someone who had undergone professional intelligence training was next to impossible for them.
They arrived at an isolated village about a kilometer away from the city.
Sharlen had assumed the secret warehouse would be located inside the city itself, but it turned out to be in an unexpected place.
"Hurry up! Do not forget that these gold bars represent the future of our territory."
"Yes, Baronet!"
Oh? It was Baronet Bankers?
He was the administrator of Parean, one of the three major cities in the Rebion Territory.
In other words, the mayor.
While she had suspected that Baronet Bankers knew the location of the secret warehouse, she hadn't expected him to personally oversee the operation.
Keeping her eyes on the men loading the gold, she released a carrier pigeon.
Secret warehouse discovered in Poion, a village outlying Parean.
At that same hour.
Garcia was fully prepared to move at a moment's notice.
Consequently, thirty soldiers of the territory army and the royal knights had been kept awake all night, waiting.
Orphens, a royal knight, barely managed to suppress a yawn as he asked Garcia.
"Sir Garcia, are you absolutely certain Viscount Rebion's men will move tonight?"
"Most likely. They know as well as we do that tonight is their only window of opportunity."
"If we don't receive word within the hour, let's call off the operation."
"We cannot do that! If we miss them tonight, it will be incredibly difficult to catch Rebion's men in the act."
"Hmm. Is there no chance they might move tomorrow instead?"
"Tomorrow is absolutely out of the question. I have a date with Lady Marilyn!"
"..."
What on earth is inside this man's head?
Orphens still vividly remembered the sheer presence Garcia had exuded when he confronted Viscount Rebion during the city's handover.
As if his usual smiling face was merely a mask, Garcia had pressured the city administrators with an overwhelming aura.
At the time, Orphens hadn't even needed to step in.
Yet, the Garcia standing before him now was nothing but a shameless playboy.
Flutter!
While they were bickering, a carrier pigeon arrived.
Garcia flashed a dazzling, almost irritatingly handsome smile as he fluttered the small note.
"Jackpot!"
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
A troop of mounted soldiers tore through the darkness, making a thunderous racket.
It was the Farrow territory army, led by Garcia.
He halted his horse at the entrance of a forest.
"We ambush them here."
"Hmph. How can you be so sure the smugglers will pass through this exact spot?"
"Because this is the only road connecting Poion Village to the Rebion main castle."
"And how did you find that out?"
"I hired a local guide and asked."
"I-I see."
Orphens looked utterly bewildered.
Sir Garcia seemed completely frivolous at times, yet in moments like this, it was clear he hadn't won his knighthood in a card game.
A short while later.
In the distance, the loud rattling of wagons could be heard approaching.
Though he was exhausted with dawn just around the corner, Orphens's heart began to race.
Incredible! They actually showed up.
Wagons heavily laden with gold bars were moving along the road.
There were three carriages in total.
As Garcia raised his hand, the soldiers drew their bows.
Creak!
The bowstrings were pulled taut, ready to release a deadly hail of arrows at a moment's notice.
Soon, the voices of the smugglers became clear enough to distinguish.
"Hurry! Do not drop a single gold bar! If you do, we are all dead men!"
"Yes, sir!"
The moment the wagons entered the forest path, Garcia dropped his hand.
"Fire!"
Moonlight glinted off the arrowheads.
The escort guarding the wagons numbered barely ten men.
They had likely minimized their numbers to avoid drawing attention while traveling, but that proved to be their fatal mistake.
The blind arrows instantly swept through the enemy ranks.
Thwack! Thwack!
"Argh!"
"Aaargh!"
With agonized screams, the escort guards collapsed to the ground, dead or dying.
Amidst the chaos, Garcia's voice boomed over the panicked survivors.
"You are surrounded! If you wish to live, drop your weapons and kneel. Anyone who does not disarm within three seconds will be deemed hostile and executed."
Clang!
Almost before Garcia could finish speaking, the men threw down their weapons.
They had no way of knowing how many soldiers were lying in wait. Since they were indeed surrounded, surrendering immediately was their only hope of survival.
Only Baronet Bankers's voice echoed frantically through the trees.
"You cowards! Pick up your weapons and fight! Are you planning to betray Lord Rebion?!"
"You can fight to the end if you wish, Baronet. We would rather cling to our miserable lives."
Rustle!
The territory soldiers rushed forward, surrounding Baronet Bankers.
Garcia strolled casually through the ranks.
"Gasp!"
Baronet Bankers's eyes nearly popped out of his head in shock.
It hadn't even been a full day since Garcia had warned him.
"You certainly have guts, don't you? I believe I told you. If you attempted something like this, you would be torn limb from limb. Did you think I was joking?"
The chilling tone of Garcia's voice sent a shiver down the spine of even Orphens, the royal knight.
Sigh... Garcia, who on earth is this man really?
The following morning.
Jeron tried to wake up early, but his body refused to cooperate.
Drinking heavily two days in a row was taking its toll, even on his young and resilient body.
At this rate, he was bound to suffer from a hangover all morning.
Holding his throbbing head, he sat cross-legged.
As abundant mana began to circulate through his body, the hangover gradually receded.
Indeed, nothing beat mana cultivation when it came to sobering up.
Since he was already meditating, Jeron took a moment to contemplate his next steps.
The harvest is coming up, but as long as we haven't taken Viscount Rebion's main castle, a food shortage is inevitable.
The handover of the two cities and various villages would be finalized today.
Once that was done, he would need to import and stockpile more food.
He was also considering exempting the citizens of the newly annexed territories from taxes for the year to win their favor.
However, implementing such generous measures would only be possible if he could raid Viscount Rebion's hidden vaults.
With the territory and population expanding, he also needed to boost the production of local specialties, which were currently lacking.
Maybe it's time to raid Yujin Industries.
The scavengers on Earth were working hard to lure the mutants out of the city.
If a significant number of mutants had cleared out of the downtown area, heading toward Yujin Industries wasn't a bad option.
With any luck, he might even cross paths with the old man who had helped Kang.
However, to enter the city center, he absolutely needed to reach the 2nd Circle.
Jeron's body already contained a massive amount of mana.
Splitting his circle at this point wouldn't put too much strain on his body.
Once I cross over to Earth, I should try splitting my circle. Now that I can manage triple casting, it should be possible.
Jeron quietly formulated his plans.
Knock, knock.
At the sound of the knock, Jeron opened his eyes, emerging from his meditation.
"Come in."
It was Leila.
Her face looked slightly brighter than usual today.
For someone as notoriously expressionless as Leila to show this much emotion meant something very good had happened.
"My lord, Sir Garcia caught Baronet Bankers red-handed early this morning."
"The administrator of Parean?"
"Yes. He was caught attempting to smuggle out a massive quantity of gold bars."
"Oh? And where is he now?"
"Sir Garcia could not dispose of him on his own authority, so he is bringing him here."
Jeron stood up, his face clear of any fatigue.
His hangover was completely gone, and he felt light as a feather.
"This should be quite a show. Let's go."
A loud clamor filled the air.
The plaza of the Farrow Territory.
This wide area in front of the main castle had always been the preferred venue for public executions.
Since no guillotine had been set up today, there wouldn't be an execution, but the criminal would be interrogated and have his sentence publicly declared.
The residents of the territory, sensing some entertainment, began to gather in large numbers.
Sir Garcia rode through the territory, dragging the bound prisoner behind his horse.
It was a solemn and dramatic sight, but with Garcia leading it, the picture felt slightly off.
Every time he passed by, the young maidens of the territory clutched their chests. Seeing this, Garcia held his head even higher.
"That fellow would be the perfect knight if it weren't for his womanizing ways."
"...Shall I discipline him?"
"Do you think it would work?"
"I have warned him several times, but it has had no effect. I will ensure the next lesson is more memorable."
"No, let it be. The girls of the territory seem to love it anyway. Just crush him if he actually steps out of line."
"Yes, my lord."
And just like that, Garcia's fate was sealed.
Unaware of this, Sir Garcia arrived before Jeron and shouted in a booming voice.
"By your command, my lord, I have captured the wretched thief who attempted to smuggle a vast fortune out of our territory!"
"You have done well, Sir Garcia. Remove his gag."
"Yes, sir!"
Garcia roughly ripped the cloth from Bankers's mouth.
"Phew! Spare me, Lord Baron!"
"Let's get our titles right. I am a Viscount now."
"L-Lord Viscount! I have committed a mortal sin! Please, spare my life!"
"Do you at least know what sin you have committed?"
"Yes, yes! Of course!"
"Are you prepared to confess who is behind this?"
"That is..."
Bankers hesitated.
If he implicated Rebion here, his family would be executed immediately.
Jeron quickly decided how to make use of Bankers.
"Throw him into the dungeon and torture him without mercy! Do not stop until he reveals his master!"
"Yes, my lord!"
Jeron watched Bankers being dragged away, screaming for mercy, and muttered to himself.
If I play this right, I might just be able to swallow the entire Rebion family whole.