Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: The Shattered Goblet
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“Honestly, I’m still a bit dazed. I’ve never seen someone change so suddenly. For a moment, I thought he’d become a completely different person.”
Sion chuckled at Jonas’s words after wrapping up negotiations with Boris Pamell.
“I get why that guy Boris changed like that.”
“……?”
“You said he seemed to have a really strong sense of responsibility, right?”
“Yes. When I first met him and talked, I couldn’t believe he was Count Pamell’s son.”
Setting aside the crimes committed by Count Pamell and their past bad blood, Jonas didn’t dislike Boris.
(It’s not because he suddenly turned into a decent person and asked to become a vassal of Duke Sion’s family, so please accept him.)
Frankly, he quite liked the way he took responsibility without making manly excuses.
“Yeah. He opposed his father to the end and got confined for it. It’s not like he suddenly grew a sense of responsibility; he’s always been that kind of guy. Do you think he kept his eyes and ears shut while stuck in that tower?”
“No, he wouldn’t have. Especially since he was supposed to be the next Count Pamell.”
“Right. So even while confined, a guy like that would’ve kept hearing what his father was up to and how the county was being run.
Now, imagine how that eldest son with his strong sense of responsibility felt hearing about the mess in the Pamell Count family. While he could do absolutely nothing about it. So, what do you think you’d feel?”
“…Just thinking about it makes my blood boil, Grandfather. If it were me, I might’ve died of frustration.”
“Exactly. You’ve got a strong sense of responsibility too. But given his position in the Pamell Count family, Boris must’ve felt it even more intensely than you. He endured over a month of tremendous, nonstop stress. Like this.”
With that, Sion slowly poured water into a cup.
But this wasn’t drinking water; it was prepared for lightly washing hands or face.
When the cup was about three-quarters full, Sion paused.
“When the king’s envoy got Boris out of the tower, it was probably around this level. Then his father suddenly died, and he was thrust into the position of having to clean up the massive mess his father left behind. Half by choice, half by force.”
Splash.
The water filled a bit more.
“And right in this state, he met you and the king’s envoy for negotiations. And when you, Jonas, delivered our demands.”
Drip.
The water reached the brim, teetering on the edge of overflowing.
“That’s how far it got. Unlike his father, even a guy with the strongest sense of responsibility and mental fortitude has his limits. And right then, the king’s envoy revealed the truth about Count Pamell’s hidden real estate and slush funds.”
Sion poured the water in without hesitation.
Water overflowed from the cup, soaking the table, but Sion didn’t stop.
As water gushed from the pitcher, Sion continued.
“If just a little had overflowed, he would’ve thrown away any thought of face and quickly pressed his mouth to the cup to drink the spill. With his strong sense of responsibility, even if he’d just barely exceeded his limit, he would’ve tried to hold on and fix it somehow.
But the truth the king’s envoy revealed wasn’t at that level. When it’s gushing out like this, do you think you’d try pressing your mouth to the cup?”
“No. It’d be pointless anyway.”
“Right. So that’s what Boris chose right there.”
Sion picked up the cup and dumped out all the water.
“Ah! You mean he decided to start over completely from the beginning?”
“No. It’s beyond that level.”
Grinning, Sion hurled the now-empty cup to the floor.
Clang!
He hadn’t used full strength, but the metal cup shattered under Sion’s powerful grip.
“He decided to smash the very cup that kept giving him unbearable, ongoing stress. If the Pamell Count family cup is gone, no more stress.”
“Ah…!”
The cup was broken, but as Sion kept pouring water onto the floor, Jonas’s mouth fell open.
Finally stopping, Sion picked up another cup from the tray.
“Boris destroyed the Pamell Count family cup that had confined him. And he chose to accept a new cup: the Sion Duke family. Why?”
Sion lifted a fine wine bottle and poured an appropriate amount into the silver cup, answering himself.
“So he could drink delicious wine instead of stale, undrinkable water. So he could escape the stress that tormented him. And.”
Sion downed the wine in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and continued.
“So he could easily deal with the other ‘Pamells’ who’d been rampaging, trusting in their dying father.”
“……!”
“Get it now? Boris isn’t crazy or blinded by revenge. He calculated exactly how to fully seize the Pamell Count family and rule it properly before saying that to you.”
“…He didn’t seem ordinary, but he’s scary.”
“Haha. No need to be scared. He’s just the leader of defeated jackals. No matter how hard they try, the Pamell County won’t be able to lift its head toward our duchy for decades.”
“Of course. We have you, Grandfather.”
“Even without me, that’s how it’ll be?”
“Yes?”
“‘Yes’? So you’re just gonna slack off? Looks like that Handler guy’s already slacking.”
“Ah! No! That’s not what I meant, Grandfather…”
“Well, you can slack a bit until today. Starting tomorrow, you’ll be buried in work anyway.”
“Ah! Aah….”
Jonas’s face turned pale instantly.
The rebellion attempt was resolved, and Count Pamell’s family punished, but fixing the duchy’s administration— which had been a mess for nearly a year— was just beginning.
So who’d suffer the most?
“Ah…….”
He could already picture the aides at the Triad Eagle Castle, dark circles under their eyes, weeping.
Of course, Jonas himself would soon be one of them.
“Then tough it out. I’m off.”
“Yes? Uh, where are you going?”
“Where else? Time to look after my first subordinate, who’s worked hard until now. She must’ve been struggling alone; I need to see if there’s anything I can help with. Oh, and Jonas, when you return to Shionia, send Piotr to August Territory. With the Janstrick Mercenary Corps… yeah, and Blaho too.”
“Understood. But Grandfather, what about Frland and Rozin’s direct lines… Grandfather? Grandfather, w-wait a second….”
Exiting the tent, Sion mounted the waiting Blackie without looking back.
“Tell a few of their heads about me. Let them know to behave if they don’t want to get beaten. Alright, let’s go!”
“Ah…….”
The excited black horse carrying Sion, followed by the dun horse trotting along with various loads, kicked up dust as they departed.
Staring blankly at Sion’s receding figure, Jonas muttered.
“By the way, if it’s his first subordinate… that ferret-like woman? Saying she struggled alone and needs looking after. No matter how I think about it, she didn’t seem to struggle much.”
During his time with Sion, Jonas had realized something.
Being personally looked after by the founder meant more work piling up.
He himself had received excessive care from the duchy’s Handler.
“I’ll have to cut back on sleep for a while. That woman’s got it rough, though.”
Though they weren’t close, Jonas genuinely pitied Jenna.
* * *
“Ow, jackpot.”
Jenna scratched her itchy ear, grinned at the earwax on her pinky, then laughed.
“Ew, gross.”
Her subordinate, who’d followed her from the Burgos Branch, grimaced and stuck out his tongue.
“Gross my ass. This means your big sis is healthy. If your ears aren’t healthy, you get that dark, sticky gunk instead of nice wax like this.”
“Sis, stop. Now I’m picturing it. Ack! Why are you flicking it this way!”
“Eww! Eww! Heh heh.”
Jenna wiggled her finger at her subordinate, then cackled and flicked the pinky out the window.
“Jeez. You’re the acting lord now; act with some dignity. Be even half as proper in front of Sir Seilun…”
“Stop.”
“Huh?”
“Why bring him up out of nowhere? You’re making me anxious.”
“Ah! Sorry, slipped out.”
Her subordinate clamped his mouth shut.
Both Jenna and her subordinate— all the information guild members from the Burgos Branch left in August Territory— had been extremely happy these past couple of months.
August Territory duties?
Seilun and Duke Sion’s family were like a massive sword and shield here— gods, invincible.
Vassals and officials all trembled at Jenna’s glance. Sure, it was a bit annoying, but nothing difficult.
She couldn’t understand how Anselm August had botched things so badly in this environment.
Information guild duties?
Our ‘Whale’ Duke Sion is a real god, you know?
After the covert but proactive support from headquarters— unthinkable in backwater Burgos— Jenna and her crew were baffled at first, then tearfully grateful.
In Burgos, getting info from other branches meant groveling and endless paperwork just to maybe get it. But since being assigned to ‘Whale,’ everything was smooth sailing.
Jenna had never seen guild informants move so swiftly since learning the trade following her late father.
And the best part, the one that gave her chills just thinking about it.
“By the way, what’s that punk up to these days? Haven’t seen him around.”
“Dunno? He vanished after that king’s secretary guy stopped by briefly. Saw them talking then.”
“Hah! Street informants slacking off. Thinks he’s hot shit just ’cause he chats with a fellow Wangdo guy?”
A thick smile played on Jenna’s lips as she cracked her knuckles.
“Hey, call informant Jens over. He should stick to field work instead of hiding and slacking. Geez!”
The best thing for Jenna, left in August, was that Jens— the headquarters aggregator who’d tormented her— had been demoted to field informant and assigned here.
Naturally, Jenna gave her ‘righteous’ ‘work guidance’ to her subordinate employee whenever she had time.
“Y-Yes.”
Knowing full well it wasn’t righteous or guidance, her subordinate— wondering what outrageous excuse she’d latch onto today like catching a rat— stood up, a bit expectant.
Frankly, with work so easy here, watching these petty(?) dramas was his joy.
But moments later.
“Sis! Branch Chief!”
“Yeah? Got him?”
Jenna, drafting a report for headquarters, looked up with a wicked grin.
But seeing the two entering the office behind her sweating subordinate, her smile vanished.
“Acting lord. Or rather, you might not know since it’s your first time seeing the Burgos Branch Chief?”
Jens, who’d ground his teeth darkly at Jenna every time since arriving in August Territory, was beaming.
“Introduce yourself. It’s Sir Botan, close aide to the Crown Prince.”
“You the crazy bitch who’s the Information Guild’s Burgos Branch Chief?”
Jenna’s face drained of color at the plump noble who barged in and spewed curses right away.