Chapter 9: Do I Have Luck with Subordinates or Not?
“Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!!”
“That mutt, noisy as he is, is quite the clever one.”
Kael was murmuring low, pinching the bridge of his nose, when—
Bang!—the rickety door of the old guard post beside the annex's main gate flew open, and someone burst out in a hurry.
It was Weger, clad only in pajamas with a leather breastplate thrown on haphazardly, clutching an iron sword in one hand.
“Oliver, what’s going on!!”
Hmm, not bad. Quick on his feet, sharp ears, and no hesitation to move. You can’t teach that—it’s innate.
Kael silently admired Weger’s movements from the shadows, tracking him with his eyes. Even at this deep hour of the night, when anyone else would be lost in slumber, the man had grabbed his weapon and charged out at the first bark. It showed just how dearly he cherished this place.
Weger dashed after the growling Oliver, then froze in shock upon spotting the crumpled form in the middle of the courtyard.
“Wh-what the hell!? Oliver, what is this!?”
Bathed in moonlight was a corpse, its throat half-severed, sprawled in a pool of blood. Weger’s eyes had caught the body at his feet before the figure standing in the darkness.
His face drained of color as he glanced back and forth between the barking Oliver and the corpse, shouting, “D-did you do this!? Oliver!?”
At Weger’s absurd misunderstanding, Kael chuckled softly from the shadows and tossed out a remark.
“If a dog could slice a man’s throat that cleanly, it wouldn’t be a dog—it’d be a demonic beast. Don’t spout nonsense. Hurry up and dispose of the body.”
“G-gah!!!”
Startled by the sudden voice, Weger finally looked up and spotted Kael in the dark. His eyes bulged like they might pop out.
“Y-young master!? What are you doing out here in the dead of night! The night air’s cold! You’ll catch a chill—what if you get sick!?”
Even with the blood-soaked corpse at his feet, Weger’s first concern was Kael’s health. The guy fretted over Kael whether awake or asleep. In this gruesome scene with a body rolling around, his fretting over a mere cold struck Kael as ridiculous yet oddly touching.
“Good grief. Aren’t you curious who that corpse at your feet is?”
“Oh, right! What the hell is this body!? Who is it!?”
At Kael’s prompting, Weger cautiously approached and flipped the corpse’s face. Wiping away the blood, he gasped sharply.
“Wh-what is this!? Huh??? This guy—he’s that messenger who came from the main estate a few days ago, isn’t he?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Wh-why’s he dead here? Who the hell dares kill a ducal messenger in the annex courtyard!?”
As Weger asked with a sense that something massive was amiss, Kael replied flatly.
“Who killed him? I did.”
“Pardon!?”
Weger’s mind blanked. He couldn’t wrap his head around the situation. Sure, the young master had miraculously recovered his health and gained stamina, but physical fitness and the skill to kill a man were worlds apart. As far as Weger knew, Kael hadn’t so much as touched a wooden sword since falling ill with some unknown disease as a child, right after grasping the basics.
Yet here he’d neatly killed a sturdy man sent on an errand from the main house? Even with Weger’s modest martial knowledge, he could tell the wound was a single, perfect strike that severed the throat for instant death. No signs of struggle—a flawless blow.
“Wh-what’s going on, young master!? What is all this!?”
“What else? He came to kill me, so I killed him.”
“Pardon!?”
A messenger from the main house trying to assassinate the duke’s firstborn son? This was a scandal that could upheave the entire family.
“N-no way! Why would anyone from the main house assassinate you!?”
Weger bellowed, veins bulging, but Kael shrugged casually.
“Beats me. I’m pretty curious about that myself.”
Kael gazed up at the moon, swallowing a smile inwardly.
This place is going to get interesting from now on.
***
The next morning, the annex dining hall was filled with the aroma of delicious food.
Ella, Weger, and Kael sat around the large table, eating together. Underneath, Oliver wagged his tail as he devoured his share from the dog bowl.
All four of them—three people and a dog—sharing a meal.
So these are the family I’ve gathered in this world. Quite a modest bunch. All the better for it.
Kael sipped his soup, glancing back and forth between the two. In a rigidly hierarchical ducal house, a young master eating at the same table as a maid and a guard was unthinkable. At first, when Kael had insisted they join him because eating alone was lonely, Ella and Weger had freaked out and refused.
But Kael refused to relive the solitude he’d known in the Demonic Cult. Even as the Heavenly Demon, lording over thousands, he’d always eaten alone at the vast table in the Demon Tower. No one by his side due to poisoning risks, just him downing cold sake in lonely silence. He wasn’t about to mope like that here too.
Unable to resist Kael’s insistence, the two had started off perched awkwardly at the table’s edge, but now they chewed comfortably, chatting naturally.
“No way! Young master! You have to report this to the main house—no, straight to the duke himself!”
Weger shouted, mouth stuffed with bread, still heated from last night’s shocking assassination attempt.
Kael frowned, pointing his spoon at Weger’s forehead.
“...Finish eating first, Weger. You’re spraying food everywhere.”
“S-sorry! Oliver eats all the crumbs anyway.”
Weger pointed sheepishly under the table.
“Even Oliver won’t touch bread soaked in your filthy spit.”
At Kael’s jab, Oliver whined “Whine...” as if agreeing and turned his head away. Ella burst out laughing, but soon her face clouded with worry.
“...Young master... Weger’s right. Shouldn’t we report it to the family properly...? I’m so scared something’ll happen to you...”
Ella pleaded, voice trembling. Kael set down his spoon, deciding to calmly explain the situation to ease their fears.
“Think about it. If I move to tell Father or send someone, how would the culprit behind this react?”
“Uh, well...?”
“Where did I say Father is right now?”
Weger swallowed hard before answering.
“I-I’m not sure exactly, but I heard a ridiculously strong monster appeared on the northern front, so he went on a subjugation expedition.”
“Right, that’s what I heard too. A monster too much even for the knight orders to handle up there?”
“Yes. They say it’s on par with a dragon...”
“Oh? News to me.”
Kael tapped the table lightly with a finger and continued.
“Anyway, not the point. The family head’s been away for months now, so that subjugation isn’t wrapping up anytime soon. How exactly are we supposed to safely get word to Father all the way at the front?”
Weger shot his hand up like a bolt.
“I-I’ll go! My legs are thick and sturdy, young master! I’ll run day and night to find the duke and report every detail!”
Weger clenched his fist, burning with loyalty, but Kael scoffed.
“Know your place. With your skills, you wouldn’t make it past the estate’s outer woods before getting a hole in your neck.”
“...Ugh...”
Weger’s shoulders slumped, stung. Kael went on.
“That’s why I plan to stay put here for now. If we don’t move first, they won’t dare make the next play rashly. Their assassin doesn’t return, and we stay quiet—they’ll start overthinking.”
Information blackout, the basics of strategy. Kael aimed to buy time in that gap.
“Huh? What do you...?”
“Buy time. That’s our best move right now.”
“Buy time for what? What if they come again?”
A smile crept onto Kael’s face at Weger’s question.
“We get stronger.”
“Pardon...?”
“I’m saying I’ll make you two stronger.”
Ella and Weger gaped at each other, mouths dropping open.
***
After breakfast, the three—or four, including Oliver—gathered at the disused training ground behind the annex.
True to the swordsmanship house of Restis, even this remote annex had a training yard to keep up appearances. Family tradition demanded even servants and maids learn basic fitness and self-defense before wielding a broom.
By Kael’s sky-high standards, it was mere parlor tricks, but Ella and Weger had internalized shallow basics of qi circulation and body control.
Standing in the center with hands behind his back, Kael eyed them with interest.
“Before we dive into proper training, I need to gauge your foundations. Spar with me.”
“S-spar!? How could we dare cross swords with you, young master!?”
Weger recoiled in horror. Ella waved her hands frantically, shaking her head.
“Didn’t you swear lifelong loyalty to protect me?”
“Y-yes! I’d stake my life on it!”
His instant reply made Kael chuckle briefly, reminded of Young Il-rang.
Do I have luck with subordinates or not...
“Then you need to get stronger. Lip service loyalty is worthless. I plan to climb high in this house, so if you’re following me, you’d better keep up with my pace, no?”
Kael’s declaration shook their gazes. It was as good as declaring he’d reclaim the heir position.
Then—
“Woof!! Woof woof woof!!! Pant pant pant!!”
Reading the mood, Oliver trotted forward, tail wagging, barking boldly as if volunteering himself. A proud stance, like he’d pitch in too.
Kael laughed heartily, petting Oliver’s head.
“See? Even the beast Oliver steps up first. What good’s a big lug scared worse than a dog? Fine, let’s start with Oliver.”
“...Huh? With—with Oliver...?”