Chapter 409: The Hero Climaxes in Defeat Again Today[R-18] (12)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 409: The Hero Climaxes in Defeat Again Today[R-18] (12)
I quietly rang the bell. A moment later, Alfredo opened the door and entered.
“You called for me, Marquis.”
“Take a look at this.”
I handed him the ledger Eira had organized. Alfredo carefully opened it, his eyes narrowing as he quickly scanned the numbers and entries.
“This is…”
“It seems a few administrators and some of the vassals have been colluding to embezzle taxes. And quite cleverly, too… since my father was still alive.”
“I will have them arrested at once.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. The roots of this run deeper in the territory than you think. It doesn’t end with just the ones we’ve caught. We need to uncover every single person who helped them.”
Alfredo sighed deeply as he looked over the ledger again.
“To think… we didn’t notice for so long. This is my oversight.”
“There’s no need to blame yourself. They were exceptionally skilled at hiding their tracks.”
I sat down in my chair and continued, “The real problem starts now. How do we secure the evidence and root out everyone involved?”
“First, I will investigate the ledgers in more detail. And I’ll review all related documents again…”
“That’s a good start, but we also need to know who is moving, when, and how. Where the money is flowing. And… we must confirm if there are any connections to outside forces.”
“Outside forces, my lord?”
“Embezzlement within the territory alone could hardly reach this scale. There must be a place that’s helping them launder the stolen money.”
“Then… you’re saying this is a highly organized crime.”
“It’s very likely.”
I gazed out the window.
“Alfredo, have there been any suspicious merchants entering or leaving the territory recently?”
“Hmm… none that I can recall, but I will look into it.”
“Also, investigate the recent activities of the tax officials. See if there are any deviations from their usual patterns.”
Alfredo nodded, jotting down notes.
“Understood.”
“And Alfredo, this investigation is to be conducted in absolute secrecy. Do not speak of it carelessly, not even to those you normally trust.”
I spread out the documents Eira had compiled once more.
“Have Eira continue to focus on analyzing the ledgers. You will trace the personal connections and the flow of funds.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“In particular, check if anyone’s spending has suddenly increased. Those whose expenditures are excessive compared to their income.”
Alfredo nodded.
“I will begin the investigation immediately.”
“One more thing. Has anyone been leaving the territory on a regular basis recently?”
Alfredo thought for a moment before answering.
“Robert, the tax clerk, has been going out frequently of late. He claims it’s for personal matters…”
“Robert…”
I committed the name to memory.
“Investigate his travel patterns in detail. When, where, and how often he leaves.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“And for this investigation, make use of the dark elf, Ivril. With her stealth skills, she should be able to approach them without a trace.”
“Understood.”
After Alfredo left, I turned my gaze to Eira, who was standing beside me.
“Eira. For the time being, set aside your maid duties and focus solely on analyzing the ledgers.”
“Yes, leave it to me.”
After giving the order, I looked at the ledger Eira had organized and thought to myself, How dare they touch my money. I won’t grant them a clean death.
*
That night, vassals of the great southern noble house, the Alcladion Marquisate, gathered at a secluded villa in Viscount Belzac’s territory.
The windows were covered with thick cloth, and on the long table in the center of the meeting room, only the faint light of candles flickered. Familiar faces, cloaked in shadow, took their seats one by one.
“Haha, it’s been a while, everyone.”
The first to speak was the host of the gathering, Viscount Leonid Belzac. He raised his wine glass with a smile, the red liquid swirling slowly within.
“Indeed, it has. This annual secret meeting is starting to become a bother.”
A baron sitting opposite him chuckled, clinking his glass against the Viscount’s.
“Bothersome it may be, but we must remain cautious. Especially now.”
“Right, I heard the brat became a Sword Master.”
A brief silence fell over the room. A few nobles exchanged wary glances until Baron Bern broke the quiet.
“Worry not. In the end, isn’t he just as foolish as his father?”
“Hahaha! Bern is right.”
Viscount Belzac burst out laughing.
“So what if he’s a Sword Master? Brawn doesn’t equate to brains. He hasn’t noticed a thing, even after we’ve been skimming for over a decade, has he?”
“A decade…”
An elderly baron sitting in a corner muttered, swirling his glass.
“It has been a long time. I was so frightened at first.”
“Haha, it’s amusing to think about it now. We were on pins and needles during the late Marquis’s time,” Belzac said, lost in reminiscence.
“But the current one… he’s still just a kid. A fool who believes whatever information we feed him.”
“That may be true, but…”
Robert, the tax clerk, spoke up cautiously.
“Something about the atmosphere… has felt strange recently.”
“Strange, you say?”
“A few days ago, the Marquis started showing an interest in the ledgers.”
The candlelight on the table wavered, casting long shadows across their faces.
“Don’t tell me… he hasn’t figured it out, has he?”
“Impossible. We’ve been far too careful.”
Belzac’s tone was firm, but a hint of anxiety had crept into his voice.
“But just in case…” the elderly baron proposed carefully, “how about we suspend all activities until after the Royal Party?”
“The Royal Party?”
“Yes. If he has noticed something, we lay low. Then, once he’s gone, we clean everything up and cross over to the Kaisern Kingdom.”
Belzac stroked his chin, lost in thought.
“Hmm… the Kaisern Kingdom, you say.”
“The border is close… and they would welcome us if we hand over Alcladion’s intelligence.”
Viscount Belzac slowly nodded.
“I see. The Kaisern Kingdom has potential.”
“Have you already made contact with them?” Robert asked cautiously.
“Of course.”
The baron took a sip of wine.
“Kaisern is desperate for information on our southern region. Especially regarding the Alcladion family’s military strength and defense systems.”
“In that case…” Belzac began.
“It means the information we possess is quite valuable.”
“Precisely. This isn’t just about escaping. It’s about starting anew with proper treatment.”
Viscount Belzac’s eyes glinted with greed.
“But to do that, we’ll need more information. Especially while the brat is attending the Royal Party… if we can extract key intelligence then, we’ll receive much better treatment.”
“What kind of information?”
“The locations of all supply bases in the south, logistics routes, hidden depots, and so on.”
Robert’s expression was worried.
“But accessing such classified documents won’t be easy…”
“That is not your concern,” Belzac said coldly. “You just continue with your tax duties as usual. We will handle the rest.”
“Understood…”
“In any case, we’ll lie low until the Royal Party. And after that…”
He raised his golden goblet.
“Let us toast to a new beginning.”
Perched in a tree, Ivril, who had been eavesdropping on the entire conversation, trembled with rage.
These traitors… to think they would use my lord.
She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. But she had to hold back for now. The most important thing was to deliver this evidence to her lord.
Once the meeting ended and the nobles began to leave one by one, Ivril waited until they were all gone before carefully descending from the tree and racing back toward the estate.
A window opened silently.
Swoosh.
A shadow slipped through the air from beyond the window and into the bedroom.
“...My lord.”
Ivril’s eyes were burning with excitement and fury.
I took a sip of my tea and leaned back in my chair.
“How did it go?”
“As you commanded, I tailed Robert. He met with Viscount Belzac, Baron Bern, and a few other southern nobles.”
“What exactly did they discuss?”
“They’ve been embezzling taxes for ten years, and they spoke of it as if it were their right.”
I nodded.
“Is that all?”
“...No. What’s more serious… is that they’ve been in contact with the Kaisern Kingdom.”
At those words, my eyes narrowed.
“Kaisern…”
“On the day of the Royal Party, while you are away, they plan to steal all of the Alcladion family’s military secrets.”
I slowly set down my teacup.
“How amusing.”
“My lord, this is blatant treason! We must arrest them all at once…”
“Calm yourself.”
I raised a hand to stop her.
“I understand your anger, but acting rashly could backfire.”
“But…”
“Think about it. What if we arrest them right now? The link to Kaisern will be severed forever, and their contact will go into hiding.”
Ivril clenched her fists.
“Then what should we do?”
“For now, we pretend we know nothing. They said they’d wait until the Royal Party, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Good. Then we will wait until then as well.”
I turned to her and smiled.
“In the meantime, we will gather all the evidence and find their Kaisern contact.”
“Their contact?”
“Yes. There must be someone acting as an intermediary, passing information back and forth. A merchant, a traveler, or perhaps…”
I paused for a moment, thinking.
“Did they mention who specifically they were in contact with?”
“They didn’t give details… but they said they’ve been laying the groundwork for several months.”
“Several months…”
I stroked my chin, deep in thought.
“That means they have someone they meet with regularly.”
“It seems so.”
Ivril’s voice was still laced with anger.
“My lord, are we really just going to stand by and watch? Seeing them mock you like this…”
“I understand your frustration.”
I walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“But true revenge is carried out not with emotion, but with reason.”
“With reason?”
“Yes. Rather than unleashing your anger now…”
I gave her a meaningful smile.
“It’s far more effective to snatch everything away from them when they are at their happiest.”
“I understand.”
Ivril nodded.