Chapter 74
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Who Told You to Trust Me? (2)
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3.
The next morning.
Outside the northern gate of the city of Leben.
"Are you sure you don't want to take the train? If you wish, I can arrange a private one for you right now."
Margrave Leandro said magnanimously, looking at Karron.
But Karron just smiled and waved his hand.
"It's my first time out in four years, so I'd like to enjoy a leisurely journey."
"A journey is best taken by carriage. You appreciate the finer things, despite your youth."
"To be honest, I'm not particularly fond of trains."
"Ah, is it because of the train attack four years ago?"
"Something like that."
Margrave Leandro nodded in understanding. Then, he gestured to his men waiting behind the carriage.
A middle-aged knight in leather armor quickly ran over.
"You called for me."
The knight bowed as soon as he arrived.
Margrave Leandro lightly patted the knight's back and spoke to Karron.
"This is Sir Owen, who will escort you to Thebe. He is also the captain of the Leben Knights. He is my most trusted right-hand man, so if you have any trouble, feel free to speak with him."
The Leben Knights, Margrave Leandro's personal knight order.
As the captain leading the order, he would naturally be the margrave's right arm.
With a payment of 500,000 gold on the line, it seemed only natural to send a trusted subordinate.
Karron nodded and extended his hand to Sir Owen.
"I'll be in your care."
Owen clasped Karron's hand with both of his.
"I will serve you with utmost sincerity to ensure no unfortunate incidents occur."
Though he was a knight captain, his skill level didn't seem particularly high.
At best, he was at the tail end of the 6-star level.
Compared to the Sea Wolf Knights and the Imperial Guard, his level was insignificant, but in a way, that was to be expected.
The Leben Knights was a small order, with only about 30 knights at most.
Its scale was incomparable to the Sea Wolf Knights, which numbered over 300.
In the first place, Margrave Leandro was only responsible for the regular army in border defense.
In the event of a battle requiring a large-scale mobilization of knights, the principle was to receive support from neighboring territories.
Moreover, the Empire had enjoyed a period of peace recently, so the number of knights maintained by each noble family had significantly decreased.
'Still, maintaining around 30 is quite an effort.'
The problem was that he was using those knights to line his own pockets.
"Your escort will consist of ten knights, including Sir Owen."
Ten men was a third of his force.
It was clear how much attention Margrave Leandro was paying to this deal.
"I'm worried this might neglect border security on my account."
"Those bastards in the Southern Kingdoms are too busy tearing each other apart to be a concern."
Karron glanced at Neria, who was standing behind him.
An unconcealable hatred emanated from Neria's eyes as she looked at Owen.
Did he sense her gaze?
Owen smirked and said.
"That elf will probably end up thanking me. Who in the world gets to be a slave to the Leston Ducal Family? It must be an honor for that bitch."
"Haha! That's quite right. Don't you agree, young Karron?"
He could tell without needing confirmation.
This man, Owen, was the one who had captured Neria.
Nevertheless, Karron smiled and nodded.
"If preparations are complete, shall we get going? I'd prefer to ride in the carriage alone with the elf..."
At those words, Leandro narrowed his eyes.
"Heh heh, so you have such tastes. Very well. Sir Owen? Do as he wishes."
"I have already arranged for everyone to be on horseback."
It seemed they had a distasteful misunderstanding, but Karron had no intention of correcting it.
With the preparations complete, Karron boarded the carriage with Neria.
"I'll catch another elf for you, so be sure to visit again soon."
"...I'll look forward to it."
"Then, travel safely."
Neigh!
The horses pulling the carriage began to move, and Karron raised the corner of his mouth as he closed the window.
"What a bumpkin."
Riding in the carriage, Karron was reminded of the car he used to drive back in Cheonghaeseong.
Still, the carriage's cushions were remarkably plush.
Karron sank into the cushions and spoke to Neria.
"We have something called a car back at my home, you know? I'll give you a ride in it sometime if I get the chance. It's much faster than this. Ah, have you ever ridden in one?"
"...No."
"I don't know why elves, with all their magic, don't make things like that. Once you ride in one, you'll change your mind completely. You'll probably miss it when you go back to the Southern Great Forest."
He tried to lighten her mood with a joke.
Thanks to that, the hostility that had been written on her face since encountering Owen began to dissipate.
"It would have been much more comfortable to take the train... but that's not what I wanted."
Karron shelled a peanut from a bowl on the side of the carriage and popped it into his mouth.
"That knight, Owen. He's the one who captured you, isn't he?"
Neria clenched her fists tightly and nodded.
Her brown eyes shimmered with killing intent.
"Yes, that's him."
"Alright then. That's all I needed to know... You should get some rest now. You didn't sleep last night, did you?"
Karron said, looking at the dark circles under her eyes.
Last night, he'd had no choice but to spend the night with her.
Of course, they slept in separate beds.
But Karron hadn't seen her sleep, neither before he went to bed nor when he woke up.
Deep insomnia.
How much of a hell must this city have been for her?
"Neria."
Karron called her name softly.
Neria looked at him cautiously.
"Yes, Lord Karron."
"Get some sleep. It's a long way to Thebe. It takes half a day even by train, and it'll be even longer by carriage. There's nothing you can do right now anyway."
He made her face reality with cold logic.
At his words, Neria quietly lowered her head.
Karron spoke to her in a low voice.
"I have no intention of letting those bastards live either, so if you're going to help me later, you should get some rest."
Neria looked up at Karron, her expression startled.
"...Are you going to kill them all?"
"That's why we're going by carriage. We wouldn't get a chance on a train. I told you, didn't I? I'm going to start a rebellion. To succeed, I need to eliminate as much of their key strength as possible. And more importantly..."
Karron briefly toyed with the hilt of Guillotine. Then, he finished in a frigid voice.
"They deserve to die."
Hummm.
Sensing Karron's bloodlust, Guillotine resonated with a low hum.
4.
In the underground city of Kalligo, located in Thebe.
In the office of a grand mansion built there, Poina was reading a report sent by Karron.
Elf rescue complete. Currently en route to Thebe by carriage. Propose rendezvous at the midpoint between Thebe and Leben. Plan to deal with the margrave's knights near Tirisfal Forest.
It was a report stating that he had rescued the elf as requested.
In truth, it was less a report and more a transcription of what Karron had relayed through the communication device.
But as Poina read to the bottom of the report, she couldn't help but let out a dry laugh.
"...The scale of his madness is on another level now, isn't it?"
The 'madness' written in the last paragraph of the report was as follows.
Request that the Sion Kingdom, which borders Leben, move its troops to the border region. This is beyond Kalligo's power, so convey my intentions to my father. If this request is denied, respond immediately.
What in the world was this man thinking?
"Chairman, what are you so deep in thought about?"
"Julio. You read this."
She handed the report containing Karron's words to Julio, who was handling business in front of her.
"A report from the young master Karron, I see."
"Just read it, will you?"
Urged by Poina, Julio fell silent and read through the report.
A moment later, having reached the problematic section, Julio spoke with a serious expression.
"...Move the Sion Kingdom's troops?"
"It's insane. It's something we can't handle. This is diplomacy between nations. The moment the Sion Kingdom's forces move to the Empire's border, it'll trigger a war crisis."
Wasn't this essentially inciting a military provocation?
It was hard to believe such a plan came from a human mind.
What was he thinking, making such a request?
"It's not like he's trying to start a war."
"...A war won't break out over a mere military provocation. They'll likely just respond by moving their own troops to the border."
"I suppose so. The Sion Kingdom isn't crazy enough to go to war with the Empire. They're already at war with the Keas Kingdom, aren't they?"
"I heard the two nations signed a six-month truce."
"...Does the Leston Ducal Family have the means to negotiate with the Sion Kingdom?"
"Yes, it should be possible. The Leston family maintains good relations with neighboring countries."
It was one of the significant achievements of the Sea Wolf Knights from their travels across the continent.
Although the Leston Ducal Family is part of the Empire, almost every nation treats them as a separate entity.
"So it's possible to make the request?"
"With sufficient compensation, moving their army might be possible."
"But why go to such lengths..."
Poina stopped mid-sentence.
A possibility had just flashed through her mind.
'Lure out and eliminate the knights separately. Then, use the Sion Kingdom's army to create a standoff with the elite soldiers stationed in Leben.'
In a border standoff, Margrave Leandro would have to lead his forces to the frontier.
The difference in military strength between the Empire and the Sion Kingdom was significant.
In such a situation, Margrave Leandro couldn't possibly decide to fight a defensive war from within Leben.
If things unfolded that way?
'...Leben would be empty.'
Leben would be left completely defenseless.
Once her thoughts reached that point, Poina was finally able to deduce Karron's plan.
"He's truly insane, isn't he?"
At Poina's sudden outburst, Julio cautiously asked her.
"Who are you referring to?"
"Who else could it be in this situation? Your young master, of course. Julio. Connect me to Peil Leston right now."
"Yes, ma'am."
Julio hurriedly adjusted the communication device and handed it to Poina.
Vwooooom.
After a brief hum, a deep, dignified voice came from the other side of the device.
-Chairman Poina. It has been a while. I trust you've been well?
A voice brimming with courtesy.
A completely different air from his ruffian of a son.
Poina cleared her throat and spoke in a gentle voice.
"It's been a while, Count. I believe I told you last time that you could speak informally with me?"
-Haha... To speak informally to one who has experienced far more years than I? That would be presumptuous.
"I'm a bit disappointed to hear you say I'm old."
-Is that so? That was not my intention.
After exchanging simple greetings, she got straight to the point.
"I've contacted you so urgently because a request came in from the young master Karron."
At that moment, the tone of Peil's voice changed.
-...Please, tell me. I'm listening.
"The young master Karron has requested that we move the Sion Kingdom's troops."
-The Sion Kingdom? So suddenly?
Eliminate the key forces, the knights.
Lure the troops stationed in the city outside.
When she pieced those clues together, there was only one possible conclusion.
"It seems the young master Karron is planning to start a rebellion against the lord in Leben."
Poina let out a deep sigh before telling Peil her conclusion.
In response, Peil's grave voice came from the communication device.
-...I believe an explanation is in order, Lady Poina. What exactly is Karron doing right now?
"What is he doing, you ask..."
'Something truly insane, I'm sure.'
Poina forced herself to swallow the last part of her sentence.
A Mad Dog Lives in the Duke's House