Chapter 54
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Return
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Awkward silence hung in the air.
The inspector's gaze was fixed on Lize.
Silver hair. An appearance in her early teens.
Everything matched the description he had given.
Lize didn't so much as blink.
The inspector was the first to laugh.
"Ah, it's not that child."
"Is that so?"
"She's from the enhanced human experiments and currently serves in House Krushtein's 7th Legion. I've already checked the records."
"So the silver-haired girl you're looking for is someone else entirely. Not just any silver-haired girl, but a particular one..."
"That's right. It's a direct warrant from the imperial family."
"And the crime?"
"Hard to say."
It was the answer he'd expected.
"Any leads?"
"To be honest, not much. Just the silver hair and her age range. If you happen to see her, please get in touch."
The inspector shrugged.
Duke Sylvesta was still gazing out the window. Only his back was visible.
He hadn't joined the conversation.
But even as he spoke with the inspector, the real one nagging at him was that elf.
The inspector rose from his seat.
"I'll take my leave for today. Thank you for your cooperation."
"Good work."
The door closed, and footsteps echoed down the hall, fading away.
Through the window, he could see the inspection team's banner vanishing into the dust.
The angle of the sunlight streaming in had shifted.
It took longer than I thought.
Silver-haired girl.
Come to think of it, the last time he'd gone out to the capital, it had been the same.
Looking for a silver-haired girl.
He'd brushed it off back then.
He'd been inspected too. For his pretty face. Wasn't he a girl?
Unless he was an idiot, there was no way he didn't know who they were after.
The imperial princess.
The princess replaced by an enhanced human.
Where had the real princess gone?
From the looks of it, even the imperial family didn't know for sure.
Duke Sylvesta excused himself. He said he was going for a walk.
Only after the door closed did the tension drain from his shoulders.
Just the two of them remained in the room.
Lize was tidying the teacups.
"Are you gonna look for the princess?"
Straight to the point.
"What for?"
"You'd get another pawn."
"Necessary?"
Come to think of it, in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms story he'd first told her, countless warlords had rallied to a single imperial banner.
That banner alone held such power.
A dynasty that had lasted four hundred years. Confucianism that turned loyalty into faith itself.
Brainwashing instilled before the mind could harden.
That was the Han.
"The Hardenberg Empire is nothing like the Han from the story."
The imperial dynasty's span was a mere fraction compared to four hundred years.
There had never been any ideology to turn loyalty into faith.
He didn't voice those stories aloud.
Put those words in his mouth, and he'd be a real traitor.
Lize fell silent for a moment.
Then she nodded slowly.
Smart girl. She understood without him saying it.
"And there's more than just the princess to deal with."
"Like what?"
"Sir Heinrich's false accusation, for starters."
"The merit record tampering from fifteen years ago?"
"Yeah. Mud Ernst slung."
Lize nodded.
"They're dragging it out to throw off our rhythm. We need to respond directly."
"Guess that means heading to the ducal residence."
The time had come anyway.
Three months from now, his term as legion commander would end.
**
Three months flew by faster than expected.
He signed the last document. A full year's approvals complete.
"Treason charge concluded not guilty."
Werner said as he passed over the papers. He nodded. It was the expected outcome.
The evidence was clear. They'd struck first; all the legion had done was defend.
But Sir Heinrich's merit falsification case was still ongoing.
Ernst wasn't letting it go.
He needed to go confront him directly.
A carriage loaded with luggage waited in the courtyard.
He recalled arriving here a year ago. Starving soldiers. Eyes full of resentment. A legion rotten with embezzlement.
Things were different now.
Soldiers stood in neat ranks, backs straight.
Whispers carried on the wind.
"He really was a genius."
"We served under someone incredible, huh?"
He pretended not to hear.
"Merchant docs, ledgers, green-red-blue contracts..."
Lize was checking the luggage list by the carriage. When he approached, she looked up.
"All your stuff's packed, young master."
"Told Coolruk?"
"Last night. Half a year's ops guidelines, plus the emergency network."
"Werner?"
"Shaking. Says he's being left all alone."
"My deputy's coming soon anyway."
Whether it'd be another year for him or the deputy taking over as commander, who knew.
As he moved to board the carriage, footsteps approached from behind.
It was Duke Sylvesta.
The elf who had stayed leisurely throughout the three months.
He was gazing up at the building.
"Leaving this place, it feels like my own home."
"Pardon?"
"Why? Strange?"
"Feels like something I should say. You've lived two thousand years—barely three months here has you saying that? Kinda odd for someone who's only seen eleven."
"Don't tack on two hundred. I'm eighteen hundred."
"My apologies. Rounded up."
"Rounding. Truth is, the length of time doesn't matter. Density does. Out of eighteen hundred years, only a few stick in memory. Most just slip away."
"Is that so?"
"In that sense, these three months were pretty dense."
"What'd you see in a border legion to make you say that?"
"All sorts. For instance..."
Sylvesta's gaze drifted to the document boxes being loaded onto the carriage.
"That method in those ledgers. Double-entry bookkeeping, was it? First I'd seen. Income and expenses split on both sides. Lived eighteen hundred years, never came across it."
Lize's hands paused.
"Just easier to organize that way."
"And the script Lize uses. Brand-new system. Phonetic, looks like. Where'd you learn it?"
The question was aimed at Lize.
Lize looked up.
"Young master taught me."
He already knew everything, so there was no point hiding it.
"Young master?"
"Yeah. I'm no good at reading. So young master made me an easy script. Said just write it like it sounds."
Sylvesta turned to him.
"A ten-year-old invents new accounting methods and a new writing system."
Not awe, not condemnation. Just stating facts.
"Fascinating."
"Hobbies are a bit unusual."
An evasion. No way to explain further.
Sylvesta chuckled.
"Observing people with unusual hobbies is my hobby."
"Is that right."
"We match well, then."
He didn't reply.
He glanced at the carriage. Loading was nearly done.
Knights gathered at the front.
Sir Heinrich mounted first.
Then Sir Wolfram.
The other knights following them mounted up.
And behind them, some unfamiliar faces.
Figures in Kuman leather armor draped with imperial cloaks.
Knight swords at their waists looked somehow awkward.
They were from the Red Deer Tribe.
"Taking those guys too?"
Lize asked.
"Of course."
Taking Red Deer Tribe members. Even granting them knighthoods.
Out of trust?
No.
What would they gain by betraying him?
Their homeland had become hell with the ice dragon's southward march and the cold. Returning meant only starvation.
Here, full bellies. Business booming. Knighthoods to boot.
No reason to go back. Even less to betray.
Calculation, not trust.
Last night, Coolruk had come by.
Said he'd follow. He'd refused.
Someone needed to handle Kuman matters if they blew up. That was Coolruk. He had to stay while Adrian was gone.
He'd briefed him on the new legion commander too. Neutral, no ambitions—a salaryman. No need to antagonize; cooperate for now.
Dissatisfied look, but he'd nodded.
**
It was a ten-day journey.
In the carriage, he reviewed documents, discussed matters with Lize, snatched sleep when he could.
The ducal residence came into view.
One year since he'd last seen it.
The carriage halted.
The door opened to servants lined up, heads bowed in unison.
"Young master, welcome home."
Until a year ago, many had been subtly distant toward him.
They'd bowed, sure.
But half-heartedly?
Cursory?
That was the vibe he remembered.
Now it was different. Heads bowed deeply.
Except for one at the end of the hall. His gaze was different.
One of Ernst's close aides.
Their eyes met. The man looked away first.
"We'll handle the luggage."
He nodded and walked past.
Through the entrance hall into the main building.
"Adrian."
The parlor door stood open. Duke Walter was inside.
"I'm back, Father."
"Good work. Come in for a moment."
He entered the parlor. Lize followed.
The door closed.
"By the way, you turned down the marriage proposal with the princess."
"Less a rejection and more... I left it open, but they decided first."
"Ernst's side?"
"Seems like it."
Duke Walter eyed him.
"Not regretting it?"
"No need."
Silence.
Then laughter erupted. A low, gravelly chuckle.
"Good. Yes. Good."
Did this man know the princess was fake?
No. Unlikely.
But he could sense it. More keenly than Adrian, who'd only been to the capital once.
The imperial dynasty was nearing its end.
"It's not just the imperials eyeing you. Take a look."
Duke Walter pulled a bundle of documents from his bosom and set it on the table.
"Still too young for marriage talks."
"Still, good to know who's eager to ally with you."
The duke turned and left. Door opened, closed. Footsteps faded down the hall.
He picked up the bundle on the table.
"What is it?"
"List of marriage proposals."
Lize sidled up, peering over his shoulder.
He flipped the first page. Names crammed in tight.
Page after page.
Neutrals. Pro-imperial. Vassal houses under Father.
Expected names.
His hand stopped on the last page.
"This."
Lize's eyes widened.
"Why's this name here?"