The First Monopoly Right
Raon swept his gaze across Creun Forest and tightened his grip on the hilt. Every last corpse is gone.
Not a single body remained of the assassins who had ambushed the carriage before they reached Letran. Judging by the inhuman footprints covering the ground, monsters or wild beasts had likely dragged them off.
Derus Robert might have cleaned them up himself. A lunatic like him would have disposed of the bodies just to cover any unforeseen contingencies. Still, it feels good knowing I landed a solid blow. He was probably seething, unable to contain himself.
Derus was a perfectionist to a pathological degree. He planned everything in advance and never moved unless he was one hundred percent certain. A scheme more than ten years in the making to seize control of House Yonan had been utterly demolished. He must have been ready to climb the walls.
He'll have heard the rumors about me by now, too. Through this incident, House Zieghart had produced the youngest Master in continental history and drawn even closer to House Yonan. Derus was surely grinding his teeth, his guts twisting in knots. I'd love to see that face.
Raon smirked, picturing Derus Robert's contorted expression.
"Woooow, even smiling to yourself, you're gorgeous. Who even needs the sun?"
Encia had her arm draped over the window frame, staring blankly at Raon. The maids trying to stop her might as well have not existed.
"Dorian. Don't go over there. There's a demon that demolishes your self-esteem."
Crain caught Dorian as he tried to sidle up next to Raon.
"I know that. I just wanted to know why he's smiling by himself."
Dorian tilted his head, studying Raon's profile.
"Think about it. He's eighteen, he reached Sword Master, he saved the Saint and even earned the title Frost-Flower Sword Hero—and on top of all that, he looks like that. You wouldn't be smiling?"
Crain's face crumpled like a wad of paper.
"If it were me, I'd be grinning like an idiot all day long!"
"Ugh…"
Dorian grimaced and turned his head away.
"Hm?"
To the right sat a little boy staring at Raon with an intensity that rivaled Encia's. Julius, was it? They hadn't spoken yet, but Raon knew the child possessed immense martial talent, and that he would be following them to Zieghart.
"The forest is a bit dark, isn't it?"
Dorian drifted over beside Julius, thinking he might at least strike up a light conversation.
"Yeah. Probably pretty scary for kids."
Crain dropped his voice, as if trying to frighten him.
"Actually, they say ghosts come out around here…"
"I'm sorry."
Julius bowed politely to Dorian and Crain.
"I can't see Lord Raon. Would you mind stepping aside?"
He furrowed his brows at the two of them, as if telling them to get out of the way already.
"Huh?"
"Huuh?"
Dorian and Crain's mouths fell open at Julius's unexpected response.
"W-what did you just…"
"Right now I am looking at Lord Raon and painting a picture of my own future. I'm sorry, but please move."
His tone was perfectly courteous. What he was actually saying was, I don't want to look at the likes of you, so get out of the way.
"Umm. What kind of future are you painting by staring at the Vice Squad Leader?"
Dorian forced his expression under control and looked at Julius.
"Grandfather said that a strong martial artist is a lesson by their mere existence. I am watching how Lord Raon observes the world and how he rides, and thinking about what I ought to learn from it."
Julius answered in that same polite register, but his eyes were murderous, as if telling them to hurry up and move.
"Ah, if that's all it is, you can watch me."
Crain pointed a thumb at himself and grinned.
"I can use a sword too, and I'm a damn good rider. Honestly, I'm better on horseback than the Vice Squad Leader! I'll specially permit you to study me."
He muttered it like a boast, adding that he'd been riding since he was five.
"Hmm…"
Julius's expression only grew colder.
"I'm sorry, but I only intend to learn from those I have personally acknowledged."
The boy waved his hand as if to say he had no interest in the likes of Crain, and that he should get out of the way.
"Th-then what about me?"
Dorian made the mistake of asking a question whose answer he already knew.
"Haa…"
Julius didn't even bother to reply. He just sighed.
"Ah…"
"Urgh!"
Struck by a fresh blow, Dorian and Crain's eyes went completely vacant.
"W-we're ugly, and now even a little kid is snubbing us…"
"I want to die. The second the river warms up, I'm throwing myself in…"
The two of them slumped face-down over their horses like men who had fainted.
"Heh."
Burren let out a short laugh and approached Julius.
"Smart thinking. There isn't much worth learning from those two."
He tapped his scabbard and gave Julius a nod.
"I like those aristocratic manners of yours. You've been taught well."
"Grandfather said that a person without etiquette is no better than a beast."
"He must have been a fine grandfather. Good. If you come to Zieghart, I'll take a look at your aptitude myself."
Burren's sharp eyes softened into a gentle smile as he patted Julius on the shoulder.
"May I ask the swordsman's name?"
"Burren. Burren Zieghart."
"Lord Burren's bearing is excellent as well. Even your riding posture carries an aristocratic air."
"Ahem!"
At Julius's praise, Burren's nose rose a full inch.
"However, as I said a moment ago, I only wish to learn from those I have acknowledged. My apologies."
"Whaaat?!"
Burren's jaw dropped far enough to hit the ground.
"N-not me either? Then who the hell have you acknowledged?!"
"Lord Raon, Lady Sheryl, the Saint, and Lord Econ."
Julius named the four of them as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Every one of them had reached Master.
"Y-you have to be a Master to get recognized?"
"Kids these days are terrifying…"
"Urgh! Over there it's looks, over here it's ability! Where are ordinary people like us supposed to live?!"
Burren, Crain, and Dorian trembled as they took in Julius's gaze—perfectly polite in speech, arrogant enough to pierce the heavens.
"Hmph. Idiots."
Marta snorted as if they were pathetic. Of course, she didn't go anywhere near Julius either.
"Would you all please step aside. I need to keep watching Lord Raon."
Julius squeezed between the three of them as if telling them to get out already, and resumed studying Raon.
Raon listened to the entire exchange and let out a quiet laugh. At least the road won't be boring.
It would be nice if your mouth weren't bored either. Chew on a piece of jerky.
......
"We're finally here."
Dorian looked up at the main gate of House Yonan, rubbing his belly pouch in slow circles.
"It was almost boring. Nothing even happened."
Crain smacked his lips, sounding disappointed.
"Who in their right mind would ambush a party with one Grandmaster and three Masters?"
Burren clicked his tongue and started toward the gate. He's not wrong. Raon nodded as he looked at the carriage standing before the entrance.
Just as Burren had said, on the entire journey back to House Yonan there had been no ambush—not so much as a glimpse of a beast or a monster. If anything, the real work had been peeling off the people who recognized him, came rushing over in awe, and tried to offer their greetings.
"Oh! They're here! The young lady has returned!"
"Hah!"
The gatekeeper standing watch at House Yonan's main gate spotted the carriage and hammered a yellow bell. The gatekeeper on the right had already started opening the gates before the sound even finished spreading.
"Waaah!"
Encia leapt down through the carriage window and ran straight to the gatekeepers.
"Sihan, Kapin! I'm back!"
She called them by name and threw her arms around both of them.
"Ah, young lady!"
"You're really all better!"
The gatekeepers of House Yonan broke into bright smiles at the sight of Encia, fully recovered.
"Hah!"
"Young lady!"
"Lady Encia!"
Hearing the bell, the artisans and servants of House Yonan came pouring down and charged at Encia in a chaotic rush.
"Kichi, Tuen, Istilin, Yedella, Fiscal, Terei, Doyan!"
Encia spoke every approaching person's name and burst into a smile like sunlight. Bright tears, perfectly matched to that smile, spilled down her cheeks.
"Uwaaah!"
"You've finally come home!"
"Young lady! Thank goodness! Truly…"
"Congratulations!"
The people of House Yonan surrounded Encia, shedding tears thick with affection, smiling all the while.
"Hm."
Raon tilted his head as he watched Encia and the people of House Yonan. Strange. Encia, who had memorized every name in the house, and the people who congratulated her with not a wrinkle of insincerity—both were strange. Are there no factions here at all?
A great house usually had factions. Even if Burren had returned after being cured of an incurable disease, not everyone in Zieghart would have been glad.
Here, though, from the gatekeepers to the steward, every last person cheered with open joy.
It felt like looking at the Annex, where Sylvia and Helen were. A smile rose to his face before he knew it.
"Everyone, say hello! I got better thanks to the Zieghart swordsmen and the Saint!"
Encia, who had been savoring the reunion with her household, turned and pointed at the swordsmen behind her.
"Thank you!"
"We're truly grateful!"
"Welcome, our benefactors!"
The people of House Yonan bowed until their heads nearly touched the ground.
"It was nothing."
Raon and the swordsmen were about to wave it off when Encia's voice rolled on.
"And this is the most insanely handsome man on the continent! Lord Raon! The man whose face shines like the sun!"
She suddenly pointed at Raon and shouted it at the top of her lungs.
"Ooh! So this is him!"
"I saw him before, but looking at him like this, it's no joke!"
"The proportions of his features are the golden ratio!"
"I want to take a cast and put him in my work."
"That's a living person's face?"
The artisans of House Yonan rushed Raon, their eyes glittering a fierce blue.
"Urgh…"
Raon stepped back and looked around, but there was no one to help him. Everyone had already retreated a long way off. It wasn't just Encia? Before, she had been ill and holding herself back—now every artisan's eyes were sparkling.
Tsk. A shame This King cannot display his absolute beauty. I could have enslaved every last one of them.
He ignored Wrath and kept backing away—and that was when a loud clap cracked through the air.
"Everyone, settle down! These are guests!"
"Urgh."
"S-sorry."
"Occupational hazard…"
Michelle Yonan, head of House Yonan and Encia's mother, stood behind them with a faint smile. The artisans who had been charging in like zombies that had spotted living flesh all fell back at once.
"Mom!"
"Encia!"
Encia ran as if she were flying and threw herself into Michelle's arms, and Michelle took her daughter's weight and patted her on the back.
"You've been through so much."
"Mm."
Mother and daughter held each other's hands tightly and did not let go for a long time. Even without seeing their faces, he felt he knew the expressions they wore.
"Just looking at those two washed all my fatigue away."
Dorian wiped the corner of his eye as he watched Encia and Michelle.
Hmph. What's so special about that.
Wrath turned his head away and sniffled.
Raon didn't argue. He simply nodded. Just as the two of them had said, watching was enough to warm the chest.
"Yeah."
Once the moving reunion had ended, Raon was shown into Michelle's office along with Sheryl and Pedrick.
The room was still a disaster, but it was a little tidier than before. She seemed to have made an effort to clean up because guests were coming.
"I should greet you properly first. Thank you so much for saving my daughter."
Michelle rose from the sofa and bowed with deep formality.
"I will never forget this for the rest of my life."
Her voice trembled finely, as if she meant every word.
"We only did what needed to be done."
Sheryl's smile was deeper than usual, as if she were in a good mood.
"And most of this mission was handled by that one. Direct your thanks to him."
"I feel the same. Receiving that kind of gratitude is a bit much for me."
Pedrick and Sheryl pointed at Raon at the same time.
"Thank you, Swordsman Raon."
Even occupying this room as the head of a house, Michelle bowed deeply to Raon, who was far younger than she was.
"I merely gave the mission my all."
"Those words sound truly reliable."
She nodded, a refreshing smile on her face.
"As head of House Yonan, I hereby formally declare that the request made of House Zieghart is complete."
Michelle took from the table a plaque engraved with Glenn's name. The red sword emblem set in its center gleamed.
"As Glenn Zieghart's representative, I confirm that the request is complete."
Sheryl bowed her head, took Glenn's plaque, and tucked it away. With that, the debt Glenn had left with House Yonan was wiped clean.
"Then I'll return what we borrowed."
Once the two of them had finished speaking, Raon set the black cloth he had been holding onto the table. Inside were the artifacts—everything except the disposable pieces that had been used up and vanished.
"Ah…"
Michelle examined the artifacts, maintained so carefully they looked brand new, and bit her lip. Shock gathered in her lowered eyes. He's returning all of this?
To save Encia, Raon had clashed with Temus, cut down countless assassins, and risked his life to rescue the Saint from Eden.
The man who had saved her daughter was, to her, more than a life-saver. He could have taken every last one of those items and demanded a Legendary-grade artifact besides, and she would have had no grounds to object. That he was returning all of it left her speechless. He's no ordinary person, after all.
Michelle lifted her head and looked at Raon. In those unshaking eyes she could see an upright heart. She felt she understood why the word for chivalry sat inside his title.
"Thank you."
Looking into those bold red eyes, she couldn't help but say it—even though she was only receiving her own things back.
"Lord Raon. You can keep all of that! It's way better with you than sitting in our vaults!"
Encia, who until now had been quietly staring at Raon's face, suddenly burst out.
"Sit still, you!"
"Ack!"
Michelle smacked Encia on the back. For a moment a worried look crossed her face at the scream, then she realized Encia was healed and let out a sigh.
"I told you clearly when you departed."
Michelle scattered the artifacts from the table straight onto the floor. Watching her, it became obvious why this room was such a mess.
"I said that if you treated Encia and returned safely, I would grant whatever you wished. You remember, yes?"
"Of course."
Sheryl nodded.
"Then please tell me. I will do everything in my power to fulfill any request made in this room."
She put the words out first, and she meant them.
"Raon."
"Yes."
"You handled this mission, so you speak."
Sheryl didn't hesitate for a second before yielding this enormous opportunity to Raon.
"Thank you."
Raon bowed his head to Sheryl and closed his eyes. That's the right call. To achieve that goal, he needed to earn merit for the family, not as an individual. This was not the time to look at a high-performance artifact. He needed to look further than that.
"I…"
He opened his eyes slowly, looked at Michelle, and spoke.
"First monopoly?"
"Yes. From now on, I would like House Yonan to sell Unique-grade and higher artifacts to House Zieghart first. We will pay a more than fair price."
"Hah…"
"That's…"
Michelle and Sheryl's eyes flew wide at the same time, as if they had never expected a conversation about a house-to-house transaction instead of a request for a fine artifact.
"One more thing. If the artifact is related to training, please sell it to the Light Wind Squad first even within House Zieghart."
Raon added one more demand. The growth of the Light Wind Squad was a higher priority than anything else.
"Raon. That is not a proposal that can be decided in this room."
Sheryl let out a sigh and shook her head.
"Even a family head cannot decide something like that easily. Don't put that burden on her."
"Mm. I think the same. Countless people want House Yonan's artifacts. Even calling it a first monopoly, it's too much to discuss here and now."
Sheryl and Pedrick both shook their heads, saying it was not a decision to be made lightly.
"Mom! What are you hesitating for! Of course you should accept!"
Encia, on the other hand, kneaded Michelle's shoulders as if giving a massage, frowning as if she couldn't understand the delay.
"Handsome Lord Raon is the truth! He's handsome and smart, handsome and strong, handsome and kind! And every time we show him our work, we get to look at Lord Raon!"
She only got to her real motive at the very end.
"You little—!"
Michelle pushed Encia aside and let out a sigh.
"I know you need time to consider. I'll give you plenty, so…"
Raon looked at Michelle with calm eyes. As the others had said, it was not an easy decision. She would need quite a long time.
"No."
"Mm…"
Michelle, who had been stilling her gaze, shook her head. The response came so fast that Raon frowned. An outright refusal? The decision had been so quick he was about to ask her to think it over just once more when Michelle's words continued.
"As long as the price is truly not disappointing…"
"I accept."
"Pardon?"
Contrary to every expectation, she accepted the proposal on the spot. Even the one who had made it was flustered.
"Uh…"
"Hah…"
Sheryl and Pedrick's eyes flew wide as well.
"Is that true?"
"We'll need some detailed adjustments, but I will accept the First Monopoly proposal itself."
Michelle nodded with grave eyes, as if this were no joke.
"Why?"
Sheryl stepped forward first with the question, her gaze saying she didn't understand.
"I am a craftsman at heart, but I am also the head of a house and a merchant. Even someone as unversed in commerce as I knows that when you invest, you invest with conviction."
Michelle set her clasped hands in front of her and looked from Sheryl to Pedrick to Raon in turn.
"Invest in me?"
Raon swallowed. He had not expected her to say she was investing in him, not in Zieghart.
"Mm."
"I see."
Sheryl and Pedrick looked unsurprised, as if they had expected that answer.
"In my time as head of House Yonan I have seen countless people, but I have never met anyone who inspires trust with their eyes alone the way Raon does. It was those red eyes—beyond anything a ruby could express—that made me choose Lord Raon over Temus. I think I'll trust those eyes one more time."
Michelle winked and let out a refreshing laugh.
"I've also never met anyone as handsome as Lord Raon!"
"Yes. That's true too."
Michelle stroked Encia's head and extended her right hand across the table.
"I will accept the First Monopoly proposal."
"Mm…"
Raon looked at the offered hand and bit his lip. It was what he had wanted, but having his own name hung on it made the thing feel terribly heavy.
"Raon."
He turned at Sheryl's voice.
"It's faster than expected, but this is the path toward the entire continent. Congratulations."
"Reaching that standing at eighteen, he'll grow even greater than him."
The two of them wore faint smiles, as if telling him to take the hand already. The world doesn't move according to plan. Raon let out a small breath and took Michelle's hand.
"It's a deal, then."
Michelle smiled.
"I'm so jealous…"
Encia smacked her lips, watching Michelle holding Raon's hand.
"Then you be the family head."
"Yeah! I should! I definitely will!"
She clenched her fist as if she would do it no matter what.
Michelle watched her cheerful daughter's vow with a smile, then reached down to the floor. She set a box on the table, engraved with a pattern of red and blue dragons crossing.
"Please accept this as a congratulatory gift for the First Monopoly contract between Yonan and Zieghart."
She pushed the box forward with a smile.
"It's a Legendary-grade artifact. I hope it suits you well, Lord Raon."