“Huff!”
He’d lived.
Peter shuddered with shame at how relieved he was.
"Why…”
Did the assassination target save the killer who tried to murder him?
"Dad!"
"Flora…? Why are you here?”
Before the question could even finish forming –
Flora arrived.
“The count called me! He said you suddenly fell sick and now you’re resting here. Are you okay, Daddy? What were you doing that you got hurt like this?”
So he was still at the count's mansion.
Seeing that his injuries had been treated, it seemed that Peter had been saved.
His throbbing wounds reminded him of his last memory, that haunting scene of struggling in the mud under the rain.
“Flora, that’s…”
“Is it because of me?”
"Huh?"
“Did you get hurt trying to make money because of me? Sorry, Daddy. I’ll be the one to earn money from now on! I hate thinking about you getting hurt trying to make money.”
Peter smiled, wondering what to say, and stroked Flora's head.
“… Flora. Where’s the count?”
“I’m right here.”
“Flora, go out for a while. I have something to talk to him about in private.”
“Ugh, okay! Are you hungry? I'll go make some food for you!"
Pit-a-pat.
As soon as her footsteps went out of hearing range, Peter got up and knelt on the floor, bowing his head.
“Thank you for saving me.”
“You must’ve changed your mind? You were so adamant about dying yesterday.”
“Because I thought there was no way left for me to survive.”
“And what are your thoughts now?”
“I want to make one.”
"How?"
“I think there must be a reason why you’ve kept me alive, Count. Like you said before, you’re trying to save Carpe and destroy the empire. I remember.”
“And?”
"I'm sure you're wondering who was the one to send the assassins after you."
“Are you going to tell me?”
“I have to kill them anyway, or die at your hands, Count.”
Callius’ assassination was unsuccessful.
Peter didn’t even want to do it anymore.
Even if he managed to kill Callius, his life as a killer wouldn’t end.
“I will tell you.”
Therefore –
“Give me a chance.”
Looking at Peter with his head bowed down –
Callius tilted his head.
“Why did you change your mind?”
“I know I am scum. I've been living the life of an ingrate. But Flora… my daughter, I wish she wouldn't follow in my footsteps. I want her to live with dignity. That kid’s different from me. She probably resembles her mother more.”
And so –
“Please help me.”
In the office within the villa –
I sat on the chair and pondered.
‘Can I believe him?'
I couldn’t find any trace of deception in Peter's appearance.
But if he played me false, I did indeed plan to kill Flora, whether she was fated to become a master swordsman or not.
Flora was a sword I didn't dare carelessly wield, as she’d burn with vengeance if her father died.
I couldn’t stop at killing one of them. If I had to, I had to kill both.
“Orcal.”
"Yes. Did you call?”
“Keep a watch on Peter.”
“What if he betrays you?”
“Then it can’t be helped. But I’d be surprised. Keep a tight watch and help him out if there’s any danger."
If my prediction was correct, there was a high probability that Peter would visit the people who’d instigated the assassination right away.
It was safe to say that he'd put in enough effort at what he was supposed to do.
“It’s a difficult world to live in.”
"Yes?"
"Nothing. You can go."
“Yes, alright then.”
After Orcal closed the door and left, I buried my back in the backrest. Truly, nothing in the world was ever easy.
Killing Peter would be easy, wouldn’t it?
You’d think it'd be simple.
But that wasn't the case.
And hell, I didn't even want to.
When I got up from my seat and opened the window, I could see the troops training under the warm morning sun, and the children watching from the side.
The kids were sometimes chasing after them with their wooden swords, and they were also playing with each other, throwing stones.
The figure of Flora smiling while she trained.
The image of Peter looking at it.
All that I took in at a glance.
The sight of two of them made me feel complicated for no reason.
‘Has the fate of those two changed?'
I didn’t know.
Originally, Peter was just supposed to be a fuse for Flora.
That was how their roles had initially been set up and assigned.
But now I was trying to save him.
It was a complicated feeling.
“What are you doing?”
“… What is it?”
“I came to see how the lieutenant’s doing.”
It was Genos, the chief of the Inquisition.
To surprise me, he’d even taken his shoes off and silently crept into the office.
‘If that’s what you're going to waste Anivo on, I’d rather you just taught it to me.'
He was incomprehensible as always.
“There’s been a lot of chatter about you.”
“What do you mean?”
“That you’ve been trying to get some people admitted into the Royal Academy.”
Genos pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, a recommendation letter for admission to the academy.
It was obviously something I wrote recently.
“Why are you so interested? So what if I wrote some recommendation letters to the academy?”
“If it’s your daughter or some branch children, I can understand, but why did you recommend that child who has no connection with you whatsoever?”
“I just wanted to.”
I just did it because I could.
Because Flora's talent was a sure thing.
Now, it was covered under the brilliance of Rivan and Rinney, who’d been on the elite track since childhood, but with a little refinement, her talent would see her rapidly rise.
“Quite a few old foxes are asking if it’s okay to recommend a commoner.”
“The Church seems to be very interested in the academy.”
“No, I’m the only one interested. It looks fun, doesn't it?"
“… Didn't you used to hate me?"
“I don’t like you, no.”
“But now you seem to be trying to help me, right?”
“Right, that’s perfectly right.”
I crossed my arms.
“What’s the reason?”
Genos also crossed his arms and looked at me.
“Because you’re my subordinate.”
“…”
“Even if it weren’t for that, I never liked the fact that only aristocrats get to attend the Royal Academy, play around for a while and win a knighthood. I wish I could rip that honour off them.”
He was a member of the Church.
However, Genos was also from the four great noble families.
Gradas of the East.
If they put their minds to it and bit their teeth into an issue, even the royals couldn’t ignore them.
“I didn’t know you were interested in the academy.”
Was Genos originally like this?
I thought he wasn’t particularly interested in the common world.
“Among these kids, there are some pretty talented ones. I’ll support you too. I’ll also tell my acquaintances who agree with me. I know quite a few of the academy instructors. Oh, Esther also decided to teach for a while, as a temporary instructor.”
"I see."
Was even Esther an academy instructor now?
Jackpot.
"How about you? You can also be an instructor.”
“It’s not something I can do just by wanting to, and I don’t particularly want to, either.”
“Isn’t your daughter going to go to the academy this year?”
“That’s why I hate the notion even more.”
“Why?”
"Well…”
"I see. Do you want to teach her separately? Got it.”
“…”
I had nothing to say, so I left it alone.
“You love your daughter so much, huh.”
He smiled and nodded his head as if he’d been convinced.
“It sounds fun.”
“What do you mean?”
“The academy instructor post. I got interested.”
“Oh, I see.”
“There are a lot of the aspirant knights and paladins who’re secretly commoners. What if we gathered them and made a separate class for common folk?”
“… It’d be a boon for Carpe. It’s not a bad idea.”
“So you do it.”
“I don’t like…”
While I wanted to refuse –
『Sub Quest』
【Academy Swordsmanship Instructor】
<Reward>: 「Goblin Gold Coin」
A quest notification popped up.
‘Goblin gold coin.'
A special gold coin minted in ancient times that could be used to trade with the goblins.
That was what a goblin gold coin was.
Goblins were a demihuman species that had prospered in ancient times, but were almost extinct now.
They were dexterous and skilled at thievery, so their possessions were bounds to be extraordinary beyond even the usual norm. They might have ancient, long-lost relics.
It was a quest I couldn’t refuse.
“You don’t like it?”
“Well, if it’s just teaching for a little while.”
“You like children, too.”
“… I have conditions.”
"Conditions? Just lay it on me. But let me be perfectly clear here, if you want me to tell you about the Anivo, I decline.”
"No, not that. Just…”
Callius licked his lips, and Genos widened his eyes in amazement at what he hard, and then finally nodded.
“Surprising, but got it. It's not that difficult. Then I'll be off. You’re really going to flip the board over this time.”
Saying that, Genos disappeared.
Just like when he came, without the faintest whisper.
With him gone, I put on my armour and cloak, and prepared to go out.
“All preparations are complete, Boss."
"Then let's go."
A horse that Bruns had prepared was waiting. Of course, it wore the Saddle of Humasys.
“He’s a good one.”
“Of course! I worked hard to pick one that suits you the most!”
"Let's go."
Purr!
“Uh, where are you going?”
“What, you can’t be going out to play around while we train, right?”
“Shut up.”
“Where’re you going, Count?”
“Are you really going out to play?”
When he appeared on horseback, the children and troops quickly gathered around him.
Seeing him frown at the frivolous questions, the troops ran away, leaving only the children behind. In response to Rinney and Flora's questions, Callius looked at Peter lying in the distance and answered.
“To catch some bad guys.”
He then called the fleeing troops back.
“You guys, follow me.”
"Yes? Where are we going?”
“Like I said, we’re going to catch the bad guys."
Puff!!
“They’ve definitely gotten better.”
Observing the soldiers fighting from horseback, Callius could clearly see their recent improvements.
He’d repeatedly trained and abused their leg muscles, made them drink a special fluid, and even trained them at dodging stones to improve their agility and reflexes.
They were still lacking, but they definitely looked better than before.
‘It's a mix of troll and dragon blood, so I could call it ‘TD potion’.'
That wasn’t a bad name, right?
Although the ingredient was almost non-existent after about a hundred stages of dilution.
But as long as there was a certain level of long-term effect, it’d become a feasible product after a little more refinement.
“Why are we attacking the viscount? I don't think you even notified people in advance to get permission, is this okay?"
“None of the nobles who need their heads chopped off can be reported in advance.”
Taking pre-emptive action was the right course.
No matter how cleverly they hid the skeletons in their closets, the Judgment Blade could make everyone shut their mouths.
Callius was no saint who’d stay still when he knew his enemies were sharpening their blades to deal with him.
Other people in his place might’ve gotten assassinated without anybody else knowing, by now, but Callius was different.
If somebody sent assassins after him, he was capable enough to catch and interrogate them, and find out the mastermind.
Rather, this was a situation he hoped for.
Wouldn't it be the fastest way to kill all the spies?
“I’m not guilty of anything!! Count Jervain! How dare you do this to a peer noble! Her Majesty the Queen will be furious!”
“That is of course your opinion, Viscount Arpen. But I wonder, would Her Majesty truly be moved by the death of somebody like you?"
A little viscount who didn’t know his place.
The only notable facet of him was his outsized avarice.
“Viscount Arpen. Why did you order me assassinated? I'd rather you come challenge me in a fair duel. Why are you so insecure?”
“You’re talking nonsense!! I never did! Who said that! Viscount Allen? Or Count Valentine!?”
Viscount Arpen was indeed not the core mastermind.
Callius was indeed spouting bullshit.
He’d provoked him deliberately.
If you accuse people of things they haven’t done, they tend to feel resentful and stirred up.
And that often leads to slips of the tongue, revealing the hidden truth.
“You exploded all on your own, huh? Did you hear that, Bruns? Write it all down.”
"Yep! But I don't have any paper with me, though?"
“… Just remember it.”
"Yep!"
At this exchange between Callius and Bruns, the viscount gaped as if it was absurd, and then his face flushed red; he began shouting.
“Are you kidding me?!”
“Don’t be too embarrassed. All of your friends will follow you soon.”
These traitors to Carpe couldn’t be left alive.
That was then.
The viscount let out a roar while pushing his horse to charge.
“The one who brings me Jervain's head! I will hand over the heirloom passed down to the family! I will appoint you as the guardian knight of Arpen!!”
Did Arpen have any heirlooms?
It was the first time Callius heard that.
“Wooohooooo!”
The morale of the viscount’s knights went up.
Callius pondered for a while and then gave an appropriate response.
“Whoever takes Arpen’s head, I’ll give him Arpen’s heirloom.”
“This damn bastard!!”
“Kill them.”
Whinnnny~
“You bastards!!”
“Ugh!”
Insects covered all sides and chewed on the bodies of the enemy knights.
But Orcal’s form couldn’t be seen anywhere.
Taking advantage of the gap, the sixth squad charged wildly.
“Arpen’s head is mine!”
“Where’s the heirloom of Arpen!!”
Claaaang – claaang!
“Stop playing around, you go too.”
“Aren’t you going, Captain?”
“Beggars should play with beggars.”
“Tch! Huup!”
As the squad lieutenant, Diego, also rushed in, sounds of swords kept ringing all over the battlefield.
Due to the sudden surprise attack of the sixth squad, Viscount Arpen was instantly defeated, and rumours that the viscount's head was taken spread all over the place.
However, the prestige of the one called the Judge, was only at the beginning of its rise.
Editor's Notes:
None for this chapter.
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