Valley (2)
https://booktoki469.com/data/file/novel/5895/41787/16549820602612.jpg
John couldn't have been more bewildered as he took the one-sided beating.
What the hell?
He had no idea why he was getting pummeled like this.
But there was no reality where he could fight back.
His face was soon a bloody mess.
In the end, Count Bobert, unable to stand it any longer, called it off.
"That's enough."
"No, sir! Scum like this needs more!"
Blood had splattered on his favorite clothes, but Baron Maroon didn't have a moment to care.
All he could think about was beating John until he couldn't open his mouth.
Eventually, Bobert's knights had to rush in and pull him away.
"Calm down, sir!"
"Baron!"
Only when the sturdy knights grabbed his arms did Baron Maroon finally stop, panting heavily.
But he still spat out one last barb.
"You worm! Got anything left to say?!"
John wasn't a fool.
By now, he knew something had gone terribly wrong.
He wanted to scream that these guys had put him up to it, but he didn't have the guts to face the consequences.
He just trembled in panic and fear.
"Count Bobert! We must round up every last one of these rats. Let me take them and make them pay!"
Bobert shook his head at Baron Maroon, who was snorting like an enraged bull.
"Catch your breath first."
Deep down, Bobert found the whole thing odd.
Maroon seemed to be overreacting.
The Maroon he knew wasn't the type to rage against injustice.
On the contrary, he was a master at compromising with it to line his own pockets.
Something smells off.
Suspicious as it was, the seasoned count gave nothing away.
For now, he needed to stop Maroon from hauling these men off and doing as he pleased.
"First, we should speak with Sir Owen Leire, the administrator of the dragon stables. These are his subordinates; we can't just cart them away."
"Count! I am responsible for managing and supervising the stables."
"I know. But I am the special advisor to His Grace."
The title of special advisor came with near-absolute authority.
Excluding diplomacy and military matters in the Suffolk Duchy, he had full discretion over everything else.
It wasn't for nothing that he was called the true power in the East.
"Urk!"
Knowing this all too well, Baron Maroon began to quake.
"Please don't be angry, my lord. I just hate that such trivial matters would trouble you..."
"I'll judge that for myself."
"Understood."
In the end, Baron Maroon shut his mouth without another peep.
Meanwhile, Bobert sent for Owen.
Owen soon came running, drenched in sweat.
"I deeply apologize for not greeting you sooner!"
"Nonsense. It's clear you were in the middle of work. How could I blame you for that?"
"No, but..."
Owen froze at the sight of John's bloodied face.
What had happened?
Bobert got straight to it.
"You are tasked with managing the stables, yet how did you let these men drink on the job?"
His tone was stern, but more to gauge the situation than out of real anger.
"I was already investigating to handle this. In truth, they've been slacking for days now."
"What?"
"And I've uncovered signs of various corruptions they're tangled in."
"Is that true?"
"Yes. After taking over, I reviewed the ledgers and records—there were more than a few suspicious points."
John had thought he'd covered his tracks meticulously, but to Owen, it was laughably amateur.
He had once managed an entire vast duchy, after all.
Running a mere dragon stable was child's play.
"I even found evidence linking them to an external power broker. I don't know who yet, but further digging might turn up the tail."
"Hah!"
"I needed thorough evidence before arrests, so it must have looked lax to you, my lord. My apologies."
"Not at all. If you had a plan, how can I fault you?"
"I'll launch a full investigation now. I was getting sick of turning a blind eye anyway."
With that, Owen blew the whistle hanging around his neck.
Tweet!
The stables erupted in activity as handlers armed with iron rods poured out from everywhere.
They swiftly lined up around Owen, drawing a low whistle of admiration from the watching Bobert.
"Like trained soldiers!"
"These are men loyal to their duties. When I said I'd arrest John and his crew, they jumped at the chance."
"Impressive. How did you win them over so quickly? Hah."
In truth, the handlers, fed up with John's tyranny, were ready to do anything to oust him.
They had no choice but to cooperate eagerly with Owen's request—and to Bobert, it looked masterful.
A young, inexperienced lad turning the notoriously rowdy stable hands into a disciplined unit.
And this is the Fifth Dragon Stable, infamous for nobles fleeing it with every trick in the book! How did he take control so easily?
Bobert quietly raised his estimation of Owen.
I thought he was just good with dragons, but his people skills are something else.
Meanwhile, Owen eyed John's battered face with puzzlement.
"I was about to grab him for questioning myself. What happened? Did you act on prior knowledge, my lord?"
When Owen asked if the visit had been for this, Bobert shook his head.
"No. Do you think I keep tabs on every stable detail? Baron Maroon here got worked up and beat the man."
"The baron did?"
Owen wondered what this was about.
Just then, Baron Maroon jumped in again.
"I am Maroon, overseer of the stables. I came to inspect operations."
"Ah, I see."
"But this incident suggests it's no simple matter. Let me take them and dig into the rot myself. You're busy adapting to the new role. I'd be happy to help."
The words sounded reasonable enough.
It would be convenient to just hand over John and his gang.
But Owen found the man suspiciously off.
There was no such thing as unmotivated favors.
And his sudden appearance was weird too.
Sensing something fishy, Owen turned him down.
"How could I impose on you, Baron? I want to look into this myself."
"Come now, I'd do it better."
The Empire's justice system wasn't that rigorous.
Specialized investigators and prosecutors existed only in the capital, under the emperor.
In the East, corruption usually meant the boss flogging the culprits before handing them to a judge.
The city guard handled street crime but ignored official graft.
In short, this was a power struggle over who got to dole out the beatings.
Normally, the superior Maroon would win—but not this time.
Not with Bobert there.
"Baron Maroon, your intentions are noble, but leave this to Sir Leire. It's his stable. Handling it well will be valuable experience."
"But!"
"Do you mean to make me repeat myself?"
Maroon didn't want to back down, but he couldn't defy Bobert.
"Grr... Understood."
He could only glare at John from the shadows, as if to say he'd make him pay for any loose lips.
After that, Maroon made some excuse and slipped away.
There was nothing more he could do anyway.
He fled in a panic, fearing what might come if he lingered.
All he could think was to get out of there.
Once he was gone, Bobert turned to Owen.
"Suspicious, isn't he?"
"Yes. Very odd, in several ways."
"That external power broker you mentioned."
"Hm... Too soon to say for sure, but suspicious. No hard evidence yet, though."
"A shame."
"On the other hand, we might use these men to hook the big fish."
Owen nodded at John and his crew, bound and being dragged off.
"If John starts spilling, that power broker will be on pins and needles."
"And?"
"They'll make a move, won't they? Try to buy me off, send spies to gauge things—or even some wild card we don't expect."
"Oh? Now that's interesting."
Bobert was too busy with official duties to dive in personally but offered help as needed.
"I'll be in Bris for the grand assembly prep, so contact me anytime."
"Ah, the grand assembly."
Owen recalled Duke Drun mentioning it.
It was a major event where the East's powerful lords gathered in Bris.
All four of the duke's famed swords would appear too.
Russell's family head would probably hold a grudge after Owen crushed Austin recently.
"Yes. This is small potatoes compared to that. But I'll ensure Maroon doesn't meddle."
"That's enough."
"Good. I expect results."
"What brings you here today, though? Let me treat you to dinner. Come along."
Unexpectedly, Bobert shook his head, a smile playing on his lips.
"No need. I came to see you in action, and you're doing splendidly. I've got pressing matters tonight. Farewell."
"What a pity."
"We'll meet again soon. We're in the same city, after all."
"Understood."
As Bobert departed, Owen headed to the warehouse where John and his gang were locked up.
They were in a frenzy, begging for mercy.
"Please show mercy, Sir Leire!"
"I'll confess every penny I skimmed! Please!"
Now they finally grasped their dire straits.
Arrogant bullies moments ago, they now wailed before Owen.
From stars to gutter in the blink of an eye.
Just hours earlier, they'd planned to corner Owen using Baron Maroon's clout.
Then Bobert appeared out of nowhere, Maroon fled, and now they were trussed up in here.
They knew the worst had happened.
If only it were a dream.
"Sir Leire! Ask anything!"
"I'll answer everything."
"We never liked following John anyway!"
https://booktoki469.com/data/file/novel/5895/41787/16549820602619.jpg
Desperate to say anything for a lifeline, but Owen paid them little mind.
The small fry didn't know much.
At best, how much they'd embezzled from stable supplies.
The key was John.
"Hey, you alright?"
"Hoo..."
John sighed with a dazed expression.
He was the most crushed by this failure.
"John, I know you have a power broker backing you. Who?"
"...I can't say."
"No matter what happens to you? Tougher than I thought."
"Not toughness. If I talk out of turn, I won't survive."
"You won't have it good either way."
"What... slave mines at worst?"
In the East, criminals usually ended up in mine labor camps.
John figured mines beat blabbing and dying.
"Maybe. But the gallows seem more likely."
"...Urk."
John couldn't deny it and hung his head.
The Suffolk Duke was merciless on corruption.
But he rallied.
"If I shut up and die quietly, at least my family stays safe. Blab, and it won't end with me."
"Naive. You think it'll go your way?"
Owen had anticipated this.
Having seen every dirty trick in his past life, he knew how power brokers operated.
And how to turn it against them.
"John, truth be told, you're small fry to me too."
"..."
"Just some punk lording it over a neglected stable, pocketing budgets. Petty crook."
Honestly, clashing with John was trivial to Owen.
He'd have disciplined them lightly and moved on.
Reformable ones got worked hard and reused; the rest, cut loose.
That would have been it—until the ledgers revealed the external link.
Jackpot. Big game.
Owen's instincts screamed trophy hunt, like a wild boar in the woods.
Normalizing the Fifth Stable was one thing, but nabbing the corrupt officials too? That would exceed the duke's assignment spectacularly.
Motivation surged.
Owen pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the crusted blood from John's face as he spoke.
"But the one behind you? That's different. Very intriguing."
"...Why tell me?"
"To give you a chance."
"A chance?"
"Yes. To save your life. Your family's. Cooperate a bit, and we hook the big one."
"Wh-what?"
John's lips quivered at the bold offer.
"No joke. He's panicking right now, wondering what you'll spill. One wrong move from bursting. A little acting on your part, and he'll bite—starving fish to bait."
Owen was set on landing the prize catch.
https://booktoki469.com/data/file/novel/5895/41787/16549820602626.jpg