Chapter 123
Chapter 123
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: Reborn as the Plum Blossom Sword Master in a Count's Family
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“You're dead.”
The man screamed at my words.
“What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden?! You don't have the authority to do that, Young Master!”
He was right.
The man before me, Doron the Junior Baron, wasn't some common peasant. He was a sub-noble. A rank higher than a regular knight. I couldn't execute him on my own whim.
In a month, I'll be the lord of Tebra, so it'll be a different story then... but not right now.
I wasn't the lord of Tebra yet. I didn't even hold a baron's title. I was just the third son of the grand duke. If Doron had been a peasant, it wouldn't have mattered, but he held a sub-noble rank.
“The evidence is ironclad. I can tell my mother later, and even if I kill you right here, it won't be an issue.”
Report after the fact. Not ideal, but with solid proof, Mother Elaine wouldn't reprimand me. This place would be my domain in a month anyway.
“Ugh... P-Please wait, Young Master. Let's think this through calmly first.”
“Calmly? I just came back from the carriage all hot and bothered, and now I'm perfectly cool-headed. Sage-level calm, even.”
I swung my fist at Doron. Thwack! One of his teeth flew from his mouth and rolled across the desk.
“Let's see. Yuria, is there just ledgers in the safe?”
“There's money and magic stones too. The cash is about 500 million ner.”
Yuria stepped aside from the safe. It was filled with gold coins, magic stones, and what looked like ledgers.
The ledgers were evidence and leverage. Keeping them in the safe must have been out of fear of betrayal from the Black Tiger Merchant Guild.
“Adding the magic stones, that's gotta be around a billion ner. You've hoarded quite a bit on your own.”
Less than I'd expected. The previous lord of Tebra, Baron Gultian, had died twenty years ago. Meaning Doron had ruled Tebra for those twenty years. A billion over two decades. Pathetic.
...No. Tebra only has 5,000 people, and it's not exactly prosperous. A billion isn't chump change.
To me, who could make that much easily, it was laughable, but from Doron's perspective, it was no small fortune.
“Y-Young Master. How about a deal?”
“A deal?”
“I'll give you half of everything in the safe!”
“Half? That's barely 500 million ner. Is your life only worth 500 million?”
“Barely?! 500 million ner is a huge sum! Young Master!”
“Haa.”
I let out a sigh.
I hadn't expected the Young Duke's proxy to value his life at a measly 500 million ner. Looking at him drove home just how fucked up the port city of Tebra was.
“If you wanna deal with me, bring at least 10 billion.”
“10 billion...?”
“You've got more stashed away, right? Where is it?”
“I don't have any hidden money! Everything I own is in that safe!”
“Who keeps their entire fortune in an office safe? Obviously you've got more at home.”
His entire fortune in the office safe? What idiot would believe that? He'd hidden more at home for sure. Or maybe entrusted it to some trusted ally.
Probably another billion or so. That'd make two billion total. Still low.
I'd track it down and take it. It was low to me, but no one else would sneeze at that much.
I turned to Yuria. She was already scanning the books and parchments on the shelves.
“Young Master. I found the tax ledgers. There are discrepancies compared to the records at the Frukus estate.”
“Aha.”
I looked back at Doron. He was sweating bullets, face on the verge of tears, avoiding my gaze.
“You were skimming taxes too, huh?”
Tebra had no official lord. Doron was just the proxy.
In other words, Tebra's taxes went to the Frukus Count family, and they set the budget. Tampering with taxes was an unforgivable crime. A ruthless lord might execute his whole family and relatives.
“Y-Young Master. Please spare me. I'll give you all the money! Just spare my life...!”
“I can just kill you and confiscate your assets.”
Doron's face went ashen.
There was no reason to keep him alive.
If I hadn't come to Tebra today and waited a month, he'd have destroyed the ledgers and all evidence, then groveled with a sycophantic grin. I was certain.
“Yuria. Anyone else connected to this guy? Just the Black Tiger Guild?”
“Not sure yet. Needs more investigation. Probably two more...”
We'd been here less than ten minutes. Only Yuria could glean that much from a quick scan.
“Urgh...”
Doron, gauging my mood, seized the moment I looked at Yuria and bolted out the window. I just stood there watching. He was too slow to bother chasing.
“What should we do, Master?”
I pondered briefly.
Should I keep the bastard alive for use?
His panicked flight says it all. Doesn't look competent.
If he were competent, he wouldn't have scraped together just two billion in twenty years as lord proxy.
“Kill him. Cut off his head and hang it in the city center. I become this city's master in a month. Time to let them know what kind of man I am.”
“Yes.”
Yuria drew a dagger from her skirt pocket and leaped out the window after him. Using the Eternal Heaven Style footwork, she closed the gap in an instant, her dagger blazing with blue aura as it severed Doron's neck.
...I saw her running, but the dagger swing was too fast to track.
Yuria was stronger than me. Her current level was probably on the cusp of mid Aura Expert from low.
What's truly shocking is she's mastering both Eternal Heaven Style and shadow magic simultaneously.
I saw her pull a box from her shadow. With gloved hands, she placed Doron's head inside.
If she'd focused solely on Eternal Heaven, she'd have hit mid Aura Expert long ago. Terrifying talent.
That day.
Three city officials, including Junior Baron Doron, were killed, their heads displayed in the city center.
???
The head of Tebra's largest merchant guild, the Black Tiger Guild, visited city hall.
I was reviewing documents when I met the Black Tiger Guildmaster in my office.
Black Tiger Guildmaster. Becan Drok.
He was a hulking man with massive muscles and scars across his face and body.
The Black Tiger Guild had originally been a mercenary band. Ten years ago, they settled in Tebra's port and rebranded as a merchant guild. Info from a city hall clerk.
“Didn't expect you'd come in person. Surprising. I figured your guild would run.”
Yuria served black tea. I sipped leisurely. Perfectly to my taste.
“So, you ordered the guards to watch our guild?”
I'd planned to uncover all their illegal dealings, then raid at night. Confront them with their crimes, seize assets, and execute. That was the plan.
But Becan came first. Smart move, whether from guildmaster experience or instinct. Coming in person earned him a chance. He seemed sharp enough not to waste by killing outright.
“What's your purpose here?”
“...Spare us. I don't want to end up like Doron.”
“Saying that out of nowhere just pisses me off.”
“We know you'll be Tebra's master in a month, Young Master Eugene. The Black Tiger Guild is Tebra's largest and most influential. We can build a mutually beneficial relationship.”
“How'd you know I'd be lord here?”
I hadn't told anyone since arriving. Not even Lock, the guard captain, or the coachman who'd driven me here.
“It's from our guild's private intel network.”
“What's the source of that intel?”
“...We used an information guild.”
I chuckled.
“Paid intel, huh.”
Makes sense for an info guild. Frukus retainers and estate servants knew I'd take Tebra, so uncovering it wasn't hard.
“The ledger Doron treasured in his safe shows your guild did unauthorized smuggling. Anything to say?”
“...No. We were just dodging some taxes. Never thought it'd bite us like this. Give us a chance, and we'll pay five times the back taxes.”
“Trade taxes so far are maybe 800 million. Dodging pocket change like that with bribes doesn't add up. What'd you bring? Drugs?”
Becan flinched at “drugs.” In this world, drugs were a heavy crime. Possession alone was bad; distribution worse.
“No! We're not that kind of guild!”
“Then what?”
“...Weapons. Swords, spears, armor. We brought them to sell.”
“In bulk?”
“...Yes.”
“To whom?”
“...”
I was relaxed. I held the knife. Even if Becan hid things, raiding his guild would reveal all. He couldn't cover it completely. Not enough time.
“To Viscount Galtierd.”
“...One of our family's retainers. How much?”
“Ongoing trade. Last year, about 800 swords and spears combined, total 3,000. Armor around 1,000.”
I recalled Viscount Galtierd. Not in the original story. Lord of a northern border city.
Not rebellion. No chance of that.
Rebellion was near-impossible here. Knights with superhuman power existed. One skilled knight order could slaughter 1,000 soldiers.
He sniffed out the coming war. Reads the continental situation well. Self-preservation or stockpiling motive.
War skyrockets prices. Weapons and armor at least double. Deeper war makes steel worth gold, staples soar too.
Viscount Galtierd isn't aligned with Zent. Neutral. Note that.
Try recruiting first. If not, assassinate. Better to eliminate a capable foe early.
“Fine. I'll spare you. If you follow my terms.”
“...What terms?”
“First. Taxes. Pay them on time, no excuses.”
“Like I said, five times the arrears now, and no delays going forward.”
“That's settled. Second, hand over your guild to me.”
“What? What the— That's insane!”
Becan shot up, face twisted.
Yuria moved. Her dagger, cloaked in blue aura, aimed at his throat. Becan froze. One twitch, and it'd sink in.
His eyes shook. Shocked a maid had elite knight skill.
“I won't kill you. You seem useful, so run the guild for me. Pay based on performance.”
“The Black Tiger Guild is what my comrades and I built! You think I'd just hand it over?! You're underestimating us, Young Master Eugene. You'll regret this!”
He spat the words at me. I shrugged.
“Sounds like you'll be the one regretting.”
“...Aaaargh!”
Becan's left arm severed at the forearm, thudding to the floor. Blood dripped from the stump.
Yuria's doing. Cut it faster than he could react.
“Master isn't someone you speak to like that. Mind your tone. Next time, it's your left eye.”
“Grrrgh...!”
Becan gritted his teeth, clutching the stump with his right hand. Mercenary background showed—he staunched the bleeding expertly and grabbed the severed arm. Clean cut; a mage or priest could reattach it.
“The final third condition... Hmm. Speak now if you don't wanna hear it.”