Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Punishment Corps (2)
The guards stopped me in front of a long, rectangular stone building.
The Punishment Corps, was it?
As expected, even the place where they stayed gave off the impression of a giant prison.
The Punishment Corps barracks were not far from the castle.
Considering I would probably be summoned back and forth often, that was at least one advantage.
“This place used to be an armory.”
Krellyn the Scholar explained as he led me forward.
“As you know, House Rondor was once powerful. This armory used to be packed with weapons. Though, I suppose most of those weapons are now buried in the mud of various battlefields.”
It was easy enough to guess which family had likely buried Rondor’s weapons in the ground, so for a moment I wondered if Krellyn was deliberately trying to make a point to me... but judging by his expression, there did not seem to be any malice behind his words.
“While thinking about how to make use of the empty space, I realized, ah, creating the Punishment Corps would solve every problem.”
As he spoke, Krellyn proudly puffed out his chest. The man, who looked to be around forty, had eyes full of enthusiasm.
“With the men of Roktana wiped out and crime rates soaring, we were already struggling with how to deal with petty criminals... but by placing the criminals into the Punishment Corps and forcing them to work, we could both punish them and solve troublesome problems at the same time. It was quite a brilliant strategy.”
“...You created the Punishment Corps?”
“That’s right. It came from my own brilliant mi— ah.”
Only belatedly did he notice my expression and stop himself.
An awkward silence settled between us.
Well, judging from the name Punishment Corps, I had already expected it, but it truly felt as though I was walking into a den of criminals.
Though Roktana was already overflowing with enemies anyway, so perhaps it would not make much difference. Even so, the thought of living alongside scum immediately filled me with disgust.
Who would have imagined that I, the eldest son of one of the great northern houses, would end up sharing quarters with common criminals?
Fate was cruelly ironic.
I missed my mother.
Following the guards’ guidance, I entered the Punishment Corps building.
The moment the doors opened, the stench of men hit me full force.
A curse nearly slipped from my mouth.
Inside, there was even a small common area prepared near the entrance.
One soldier who had been sitting there joking around with his companions immediately jumped up and saluted.
“Scholar Krellyn, what brings you here...”
“I came under Lady Vivian’s orders to introduce your new brother.”
The soldier glanced over my black hair and black eyes before quickly realizing who I was.
“...Kylo Allen?”
“Is Sir Vergor here?”
“Ah, yes. He is. Shall I guide you?”
“That would be appreciated.”
The guards who had escorted me this far turned and left, and now I was guided by the soldiers of the Punishment Corps instead.
As we walked, Krellyn continued explaining.
“The Punishment Corps is divided into two groups. The Punishment Corps itself, which Lord Kylo will be joining, and the Surveillance Corps, which ensures the Punishment Corps does not escape or commit crimes. The Surveillance Corps are all knights or squires training to become knights. They’re skilled fighters as well.”
“...”
“You can think of it as a slightly altered relationship between prisoners and jailers. Because of that, the Punishment Corps has restricted freedom. They cannot leave freely.”
“...”
“Ah, though of course Lord Kylo is different. Since you are Lady Vivian’s guard, you may move about however you wish—”
“Enough already.”
Krellyn’s constant reminders of my reality, as though rubbing it directly into my face, irritated me.
“...I’ll figure it out myself, so please just be quiet.”
“Ah...! Yes.”
Thankfully, Krellyn immediately bowed his head in agreement.
Looking at him, he seemed like the type who was timid and lacked awareness. Probably not malicious, but definitely the sort of person who became exhausting to be around.
Before long, we stopped before a room. Krellyn lightly knocked before entering.
“Sir Vergor.”
“Scholar Krellyn, what brings you—”
The man called Sir Vergor was built like a bear.
Shorter than my father, but far wider.
Not only was he massive side to side, but thick front to back as well. Standing before him felt like facing a giant tree trunk.
His head was bald, and his face was covered in scars. The face of a man who had survived countless wars.
The moment he saw my black hair and black eyes, he recognized who I was.
“...Kylo Allen. So we are the ones assigned to handle you?”
A faint smile appeared on Sir Vergor’s face as he asked.
“It is Lady Vivian’s order.”
“Lady Vivian... truly wise. There could be no more fitting place for the eldest son of the Unbeaten Knight.”
Thud. Thud.
The floor trembled as Sir Vergor approached me.
The closer he came, the larger he seemed.
Krellyn introduced him to me.
“This is Sir Vergor. Commander of the Punishment Corps, and also commander of the Surveillance Corps. You may think of him as the overall leader of the Punishment Corps knights.”
“...”
It felt like the sort of moment where I should greet him, but I held my head high instead.
I could not bow my head to someone who had fought against House Allen in war.
Sir Vergor looked at me and spoke.
“Your eyes... are alive. Looking at you feels like seeing a smaller Jade Allen. Is blood truly impossible to hide?”
“...”
“Your new brothers are going to love you, Kylo Allen.”
“What brothers...? We’re not even the same breed.”
“Do criminals care about lineage?”
“I didn’t come here because I committed a crime.”
Krellyn gave a warning to the clearly excited Sir Vergor.
“Sir Vergor, be careful. Lord Kylo Allen is a guest of House Rondor. The moment anything happens to him—”
“...I know. Jade Allen will come charging here. Don’t worry, I have my own plans.”
.
.
.
The Punishment Corps dining hall was filled with chaos.
Curses and arguments echoed from every direction.
The sour smell and humid air only made it worse.
Following Sir Vergor, I entered a place completely devoid of dignity.
Long tables lined the hall, and seated around them were men gnawing at their meals like cockroaches.
The dining hall itself was divided into two sections. On one side sat filthy, ragged men, while the other held cleaner-looking people with red bands tied around their arms.
Just as Krellyn had said, one side was the Punishment Corps, and the other was the Surveillance Corps.
Judging by the numbers, there seemed to be roughly one member of the Surveillance Corps for every three members of the Punishment Corps.
Counting only those currently in the dining hall, it looked like a force of around two hundred people.
“Attention!”
-Smack!
“What the hell?! Ah, Vergor...”
Sir Vergor smacked away the bowls of the Punishment Corps men who had been happily eating, clearing a small space atop the wooden table.
-Thud!
Then he climbed onto the table with muddy boots and dragged me up beside him.
The attention of around two hundred men focused entirely on me.
“You know who this is, don’t you?”
Vergor said as he lifted a few strands of my black hair.
“He’s the new brother of the Punishment Corps. Welcome him warmly.”
Complete silence.
The once noisy dining hall became so quiet it felt as though I could hear flies buzzing.
The only thing breaking the silence was Vergor’s rough chuckling beside me.
Swallowing my fear, I met the gazes directed at me.
Not a single one of them looked like they intended to welcome me warmly.
Grinding my teeth, I thought to myself.
Vivian Rondor.
...You damn bitch.
Several days passed.
Today as well, Vivian Rondor sat by the window staring outside.
Another day spent blankly letting time drift by.
Whenever she came back to her senses, tears would already be running down her cheeks, or somehow it would already be night.
Normally, she would have spent the day visiting her mother’s sickbed...
...But now that her mother was gone, she no longer knew what she was supposed to do.
Whenever she sat alone in the silent room, loneliness came to find her again and again.
Every time she realized that her respected father, dependable older brother, and beloved mother were truly gone from this world, an unbearable fear gripped her.
Her father and brother had died two years ago, yet it still felt as vivid as yesterday.
Then how much time would need to pass before she could accept her mother’s death?
When would she truly realize she had been left all alone in this world?
She did not even know whom she could rely on anymore when things became difficult.
Her uncle Robert Rondor?
Head Butler Pippin?
Treasurer Brinden?
First Knight Commander Baellor?
Intelligence Officer Nesto?
Or should she trust the counts and marquises who had sworn loyalty to House Rondor?
But somehow...
“...”
Vivian Rondor remembered every one of them from her mother’s funeral.
She had clearly seen the strange greed and ambition lurking in their eyes.
She also remembered those who exploded in anger when her mother’s will forbade a regency.
Their gazes had been terrifying.
Had her mother not warned her as well? Never to trust the retainers completely.
That loyalty without compensation was a fictional concept, and that they had to be ruled through profit and benefit.
...But how?
For Vivian Rondor, it all felt impossibly difficult.
And there was no trustworthy adult beside her to teach her how.
“...”
Before she realized it, both of Vivian’s hands had begun trembling violently.
At the sight of such a pathetic version of herself, tears surged from her eyes once again.
She stuttered like an idiot, and now even her body refused to obey her properly.
How was someone like her supposed to rule this vast territory and lead an entire family?
The hopelessness and suffocation became so overwhelming that she could barely breathe.
She needed family.
She desperately wanted someone she could lean on and be embraced by.
Soon, her sorrow transformed into rage.
Vivian clenched her teeth.
...This was all House Allen’s fault.
If they had never existed, she would still be living happily within her family’s embrace.
There would be no starving citizens staring holes through her, no retainers sizing her up from head to toe, no crushing pressure weighing upon her shoulders.
...At this point, dying almost seemed preferable.
Her family was probably together in heaven without her.
Wouldn’t it be better if she simply joined them?
“You must survive somehow, Vivian. Somehow...”
Her mother’s final words echoed in her head... but Vivian had never been particularly good at listening to her mother in the first place.
Maybe, just one more time, she could ignore her mother’s words.
-Knock knock.
“Lady Vivian, it is Pippin. Lady Linne has arrived.”
Lady Linne.
The mistress of House Rommer, who would now oversee Vivian’s education.
She had also been the Duchess’s nanny. Vivian’s mother herself had learned etiquette, politics, and many other things from Linne Rommer.
Vivian quickly wiped away her tears before answering.
“L-Let her in.”
-Creak.
Lady Linne entered the room and gave a brief greeting.
“It has been a long time, Lady Vivian.”
White hair. Deep wrinkles. Yet her back remained perfectly straight, and her presence felt unbreakable.
“Y-Yes...”
Why had she forgotten?
The person her mother relied upon most was Lady Linne.
The moment she saw her, Vivian felt the discomfort in her heart begin melting away.
Just as her mother had, surely she too could rely on Lady Linne.
“Have you... mourned enough?”
Lady Linne asked gently.
“...N-No.”
At Vivian’s honest answer, Lady Linne nodded bitterly.
“Neither have I. I watched the Duchess from the time she was a baby, so seeing her leave this world like that... no amount of mourning eases the pain.”
“I-It’s all because of House Allen. M-Mother became ill after losing Father and Brother...”
“...”
Lady Linne drew a deep breath before speaking firmly.
“But Lady Vivian cannot remain like this forever.”
“What?”
“You are now the head of House Rondor and the lord of Roktana. I heard there was already resistance from the retainers when you opposed appointing a regent... It worries me. You must grow quickly. I do not think you have much time.”
“...Y-Yes...? I-I don’t understand what you mean...”
-Clap! Clap!
The moment Lady Linne clapped her hands twice, the doors opened and several people flooded into the room.
“These are the instructors who will oversee Lady Vivian’s education until adulthood. Economics lessons, history lessons, music lessons, etiquette lessons, social dancing, and much more. You will need to learn many things quickly. We will ensure you still have proper rest times, so there is no need to worry too much.”
Vivian stared blankly at the people entering her room.
No matter what, wasn’t this too much...?
Not even five days had passed since her mother’s death.
The pain was still far too fresh for her to focus on anything else.
While she sat speechless, unable to answer, Lady Linne drew something from her waist.
It was a long metal rod.
“Lady Vivian, the Duchess personally asked me to raise you strictly. You will be tested constantly from now on, and if you fail to meet the standards, punishment will follow. The same applies if you speak weakly.”
Lady Linne slowly approached Vivian step by step.
Vivian did not understand why she suddenly felt unable to breathe again.
She had believed this would be someone she could lean on psychologically...
Had she been mistaken?
Punishment even for speaking weakly? What exactly did that mean?
When Lady Linne stopped directly before her, she spoke.
“And I intend to correct Lady Vivian’s speech. Stuttering... truly looks pathetic.”
“B-But I—”
-Smack!!
“Ah!”
The pain turned Vivian’s mind completely white, and her body shrank back instinctively.
“...Huh?”
It took Vivian a moment to understand what had just happened.
She had never once been struck by anyone in her life, so the experience itself left her confused.
Through the strands of hair falling over her face, Vivian looked up at Lady Linne.
“I-It hurts...”
-Smack!!
“Aah!!”
Lady Linne swung the rod with all her strength.
Two vivid red marks slowly bloomed across Vivian’s pale forearm.
“Weak words.”
The emotion Vivian felt toward Lady Linne shifted from relief, to confusion, and then from confusion to fear.
But as though none of Vivian’s thoughts mattered at all, Lady Linne coldly said,
“...Did I not clearly say that weak words would be punished?”