Chapter 142
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 142
Barkas replied in a calm voice, slowly straightening his posture.
Eyes glazed with fever followed his movements vacantly. He stared into them for a long moment, and just as he was about to turn away with lingering reluctance, slender fingertips caught the edge of his sleeve.
“You have to come back quickly.”
“……”
“It is quite inconvenient when you aren’t here to attend to me.”
He ground his molars, biting the inside of his cheek. Only after wetting his parched throat with a mixture of blood and saliva was he finally able to force out a response.
“……I will return shortly. Please, try to nap while I am gone.”
He gently brushed back her disheveled hair before quietly slipping out of the room.
As he inhaled the cold air pooling in the hallway, the heat simmering inside him—as if he had downed a shot of potent liquor—subsided slightly. Roughly raking his hair back, he barked an order to the attendant waiting in the corridor.
“Prepare a bath in the sauna. Have a change of clothes ready as well.”
He began to stride away, but then, feeling a sudden, uncomfortable tightness in his trousers, he let out a sharp, irritable sigh.
“There is no need to light a fire. Tell them to prepare the water ice-cold.”
*
Lowell Draven moistened his lips with the fine wine provided by the servants, surveying the panoramic view of Raedgo Castle through the window.
As expected of the stronghold of a mighty family whose influence reached not only the East but the Northern and Southern regions as well, there wasn’t a single flaw to be found. Inside the massive fortress, protected by double walls, stone buildings boasting functional beauty stood in orderly rows. Between them, waterways of clear, flowing water were interconnected like a spiderweb.
At the front of the castle lay a massive barracks and training ground, which appeared at a glance to house over a thousand troops. Including the Kalmor security forces, there were likely around five thousand soldiers permanently stationed in this area alone.
When combining the garrisons across the East and the border defense units, the total military strength possessed by the Sieorkan Grand Duchy amounted to approximately fifty-eight to sixty thousand men. It was a scale that could rival the Imperial Guard itself. Furthermore, since most of the Khan people were said to receive cavalry training from a young age, it would be possible to organize an even larger army if additional troops were recruited.
Lowell made various calculations in his head while observing the castle’s internal structure. Suddenly, he felt a chilling presence and whipped his head around.
Standing at the wide-open entrance of the drawing room was a man wearing a gray fur-trimmed cloak over a black velvet tunic. Lowell hurriedly placed a hand over his chest and bowed in respect.
“I apologize for the late greeting, Your Excellency. I am Lowell Draven, Chairman of the Northern Merchant Guild. Thank you for inviting me to your castle.”
“Sit.”
The man gave a slight nod and took a seat at the end of the long table. Lowell pulled out a chair to the man’s side and sat, scrutinizing the young lord of the East with a cautious gaze.
The man possessed a refined beauty that resembled a marble sculpture. Delicate features, a bone structure of perfect proportions, and eyes of a rare hue… Based on appearance alone, he looked more suited to be a troubadour or a stage actor. Had Lowell not witnessed the man’s monstrous strength firsthand, he would have dismissed him as nothing more than a sleek, handsome nobleman.
“Done with your scouting?”
Startled by the low, dry voice, Lowell broke the uncomfortable silence with an awkward laugh.
“I was momentarily entranced by Your Excellency’s striking appearance. Please forgive my rudeness.”
The corners of the man’s mouth curled upward. It was a smooth smile, yet it sent a shiver down Lowell’s spine.
“You certainly have a way with words.”
“Haha, is a merchant’s tongue not his very livelihood? Since I often meet with high-ranking individuals, my eloquence has naturally improved.”
“Indeed. It seems you’ve used that silver tongue to sow quite a bit of mischief here and there.”
The man spoke smoothly as he accepted a goblet from a young boy who appeared to be an attendant. Lowell forced a smile onto his face, which was threatening to stiffen.
“I’m not sure what you mean by that…”
“I already know you’ve been selling information regarding the East’s strategic military points to the North. Let’s dispense with the tedious wordplay,” the man said in a bored tone, swirling his glass.
Lowell swallowed hard. For a split second, he considered feigning innocence, but he sensed that would only provoke the young lord’s wrath. Deciding to take a direct approach, he spoke with a calm expression.
“I am a Northerner, Your Excellency. It is my duty to obey my lord’s commands.”
“So, you are saying you were merely following the orders of Bjorn Blodar Heimdall?”
Lowell bit his lip. The name of the current Duke Heimdall was Cailus. However, the man before him seemed to already know that the real power in the North had passed to the son.
Feeling cold sweat soak his spine, Lowell spoke urgently.
“The information I passed on was far too trivial to be considered military secrets. It’s the kind of thing anyone with a sharp eye could easily figure out. Road conditions, market logistics, the size of the army… Is this not the kind of information a trader should naturally be well-versed in? I am aware that Your Excellency also collects detailed information on the North’s situation through merchants.”
“True. Normally, using a merchant’s information network to keep an eye on one’s neighbors isn’t that big of a deal…”
The man trailed off. Lowell watched the cool line of the man’s lips with tense eyes. After a few seconds of silence that made Lowell’s insides wither with anxiety, the man finally dropped the bombshell.
“But participating in treason is a different story, is it not?”
Lowell’s shoulders slumped as if he had been struck by lightning. He jumped up from his seat with a panicked face.
“T-Treason! That is an outrageous slander! How could you say such a terrible thing…!”
“I heard that the circulation of silver coins in the North has increased dramatically since last spring. Quite strange… considering the volume of trade hasn’t changed much since last year.”
Lowell, who had been putting on a show of indignation, froze. The Grand Duke of Sieorkan took a sip of wine and continued slowly.
“The state of the North was so pathetic that I looked into it, and I came across something very interesting. A certain fearless metalsmith made a very convincing replica of the Roem Imperial minting plates. Which faction do you think that smith belonged to?”
Lowell’s legs gave out, and he slumped back into his chair.
He had expected some level of reprimand and pressure when he was brought here, but he never imagined his darkest secrets would be so thoroughly exposed. He looked up at the young Grand Duke with eyes filled with terror.
The man set his empty glass down with a sharp clack and let out a regretful sigh.
“Infringing upon the Imperial minting rights alone is a capital crime warranting the execution of three generations. Since those coins were used to line the pockets of rebels… I doubt you’ll be buried in one piece. Allow me to offer my condolences in advance.”
Lowell immediately fell to his knees before the man.
Now was not the time to weigh what cards the opponent held. There had to be another reason he was summoned to Raedgo Castle instead of being handed over to the Imperial Court. He cast aside all pride and began to beg.
“I—I never intended to join a rebellion! I only cooperated with the minting of silver coins because I didn’t know what would happen to my business and my family if I didn’t comply. Please, have mercy!”
“Do you ask for mercy knowing that overlooking your crime is also an act of treason? What profit is there for me to take such a risk?”
The man leaned toward him. His expressionless, beautiful face looked like that of a punishing angel. Lowell managed to squeeze out his next words through trembling lips.
“If you spare me just this once, I swear I will never mention Your Excellency’s name, no matter what happens later. Furthermore, I will become your hands and feet and will not shy away from any dirty work. From this moment on, I am your servant.”
Lowell instinctively knew that this man had invited him here expecting those very words. The young lord stared at his face for a moment, and then the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. It was a smile as sharp as a honed blade.
“I suppose I shall put my trust in that silver tongue of yours.”
*
Thalia seemed to have drifted off to sleep while reading a book in bed.
With her eyelids closed and her breathing soft, she felt something cool touch her lips and unconsciously opened her mouth. Soon after, a small, bead-like object was pushed inside.
As she bit down lightly, sweet and sour juice spread across her palate. Swallowing the pulpy fruit, she rubbed her stiff eyelids with the back of her hand. As her vision gradually cleared, Barkas came into view.
She slightly furrowed her brows. He was sitting with his elbows resting on his knees, fiddling with something.
“What is that?”
“A pomegranate. The guests brought it as a gift. Open your mouth.”
He carefully took a red seed from the halved pomegranate and brought it to her lips. Thalia stared at it blankly for a moment before slowly opening her mouth. He placed the pomegranate seed inside and immediately began to dig out another.