Episode 48
It was simply thanks to Gaius.
Only after I confirmed that several knights brought by Gaius were running towards Delgain did I call the less fortunate prince.
“Oh, noble blood.”
“Do you know me?”
Gaius liked to be called the Fourth Prince rather than the Special Inspector.
For that reason, Gaius wore expensive clothes that were not befitting of a special inspector. They were not flashy, but anyone with a keen eye could tell that they were the work of designer Tiamo. He also wore a wig with a lot of hair.
“Just by the pure white flags hanging on the shabby walls of Hebron and the noble attire of the man, one could tell that he was of the lineage of His Majesty Zeno.”
Gaius’ expression softened. The energetic twenty-two-year-old was glad to have someone acknowledge him.
“Do you have anything to say to me?”
“The cave where Sardia’s bloodline was hiding was a dungeon.”
“Dungeon?”
“Yes, it was a dungeon full of ghouls. They had sealed the entrance to the dungeon and were living in the spare room.”
“Ghoul! Are you talking about that hideous undead?”
“That’s right. I guess they were trying to create the undead to stage a rebellion. When I raided their hideout, they tried to kill me with the poison, which seemed to be an attempt to delay the discovery of the facility as much as possible.”
Gaius’s eyes shook. He seemed to be thinking, but he wasn’t completely stupid, so he figured out the hidden intention in my words.
“You’re late? Are you saying you have something more to hide?”
“Yes, I don’t know the full extent of the plot, but unfortunately, it seems that some of the remnants have escaped. It would be difficult for me to handle their escape alone.”
“Yes, that would be so. You have done a great job not only by dismantling that dangerous organization on your own, but also by bringing this evidence. I heard that you can control the mid-level fire spirit, and it seems that it is true. I am glad to have met a loyal subject like you in these turbulent times.”
“I have more to tell you, Your Majesty.”
“Speak frankly.”
I looked around and spoke in a lowered voice.
“I will serve you with honor.”
Gaius and I faced each other in the office.
Behind him stood two royal knights.
‘The prince’s escort is indeed different.’
I doubted that I could kill those two even if I tried my best. I might be able to kill one, but I would most likely miss one.
Still, if they both charged forward with all their might, it seemed like they would somehow win.
I came back to Hebron from the dungeon, constructing my own logic. It was a story that would both avoid any suspicion of treason and confuse the surrounding lords.
“The Duke of Sardia advocated
“What, what kind of nonsense is that!”
“That is the proof.”
They handed over to Gaius the book
But his reaction was somewhat unexpected.
“Hey, this is what’s left!”
Gaius looked at me with a puzzled face.
It was only later that he realized that he had made a slip of the tongue.
‘Was it because of republicanism that the once proud Duke of Sardia collapsed overnight?’
The Dukes were a noble family that held the second-highest power after the royal family.
No matter how great the royal power was, it was difficult to overthrow the ducal family overnight. The background that made it possible to accomplish that difficult task was ‘republicanism.’
Unlike feudalism, which concentrated power in the hands of kings and nobles, republicanism was a system that distributed power equally to all people. It was an extremely dangerous system that could destroy not only the power of the king but also the rights of the nobles.
‘No, there must be some story I don’t know about. Based on the facts revealed so far, it is impossible to say that the Duke of Sardia chose a republican system that would require them to give up their power.’
Regardless of my reasoning, all traces of Sardia and republicanism would have disappeared.
Because of my three-inch tongue.
“They raised undead in the dungeon and tried to use them to overthrow the throne. When I learned of their plot in advance and started investigating, the Duke of Sardia noticed it and sent an assassin. A vassal of the Baron Delgain family, Spiel, was involved in this assassination attempt. Spiel is a descendant of Sardia and is branded with the curse.”
From what I’ve discovered, the Sardia Dukes have nothing to do with the undead. They sharpen their swords in the hope of revenge, but Sardia’s swords are no better than a kitchen knife.
“The assassin’s body has been identified. The identity of the man named Spiel has also been revealed. If it weren’t for you, Sardia’s remnants would have infiltrated Zenon deeply. Your contribution is great.”
From then on, I started telling stories based on my own speculations and imagination.
“Baron Delgain accepted Spiel despite knowing this, and Viscount Srain sent troops to Baron Delgain to attack Hebron. It is believed that the chief wizard of the Duke of Breio, Pacus, attempted to marry Viscount Srain’s daughter, but broke off the engagement after sensing their unrest.”
It was a story made up based on facts.
Each had their own position, so they would try to cut off the tail in order to survive. It was natural that the most powerful of them, Duke Braio’s Pacus, would drive out Viscount Srein. Perhaps Duke Braio could have even cut off Pacus.
Everyone would complain about their injustice, but it would be difficult for anyone to prove their innocence. The more this matter spread, the more disadvantageous it would be, and anyone who tried to make a weak counterargument would be the first to be struck by the king’s angry hammer.
‘King Zeno is weak-hearted, but that makes him all the more dangerous. He does not tolerate even the slightest threat to his royal authority. He is a man who would rather erase things than take advantage of them by coldly considering them. In that sense, he is similar to Special Inspector Gaius.’
I also had an audience with the King. I heard more from the gossip of the Duke’s family than from the King’s own, but he was a very hot-tempered man. He also regarded the nobles as tools of power.
“Breyo, there’s no way that fox-like bastard didn’t know about this! It’s obvious he knew and was trying to cover it up!”
Gaius’s reaction alone was enough to infer the relationship between the royal family and the Duke of Breio. They both checked each other and coveted each other at the same time.
For now, it would be difficult for both sides if one side collapsed.
“I believe it is right to convict the magician Pacus and establish the authority of the royal family of Zeno.”
“Of course. I will take this opportunity to break the pride of the Breyo Dukes!”
Gaius clenched his fist, but I didn’t find him attractive.
When I was in the Breyo dukedom, the royal court never questioned the dukedom. They never even tried to make a similar attempt, because the dukedom’s military power actually surpassed that of the royal court.
If the crown wanted to deal with the Duke of Breyot, it would have to issue an order to mobilize all its loyalists across the country.
Gaius looked down at me and said.
“Your efforts are great. However, this matter cannot be easily overcome. More evidence is needed.”
I had a hope, and it was as expected.
The Crown could not condemn the Duke of Breyot on the basis of speculation alone. For that, clear evidence was required.
Gaius de Zenon asked me point-blank for proof.
“Please do not burn Spiel’s body, but keep it. His mere existence is enough to destroy the Delgain Baron family.”
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“Isn’t that a natural thing?”
“And capture the troops of Srein dispatched to Baron Delgain.”
“Is there any evidence that Srein was involved in this?”
I rather tilted my head at Gaius’s reaction.
Even though this incident was related to the Duke of Breyo, Gaius was overly cautious.
That was an attitude that was not typical of Zeno’s bloodline.
“In treason, circumstantial evidence is strong evidence.”
I told him the truth, but Gaius did not accept it. It meant that there were royal circumstances that I had not read.
“Now is not the time. With vicious monsters appearing and the security of Zeno worsening, it is not right to punish the nobles one by one for treason.”
It seemed as if the royal family of Zeno had been complacent from the beginning.
It was because the branded monsters kept appearing one after another, throwing Zenon into confusion. If the unprecedented political system of the Duke of Sardia and the Republican Party appeared on top of that, and even the Duke of Breio turned his back, Zenon’s royal family would collapse.
‘Why on earth would you cower in front of the board I laid out?’
This crisis was Hebron’s opportunity.
To utilize this, Xenon’s bloodline had to be moved.
“Then apply pressure. Capture and imprison Srein’s forces, and ask Viscount Srein why he colluded with the traitor Baron Delgain. Also, find out from the chief wizard of the Braio House why he hastily cut ties with the traitor Srein. That alone should be enough to make the Braio House nervous. Now is the time to strengthen internal unity, but if you think about it, it is also the time to strike down those who are untrustworthy.”
“You are right. You are a deep thinker.”
Gaius looked at me with a burdensome gaze.
I didn’t avoid his eyes.
“The ghoul found in the dungeon also had a strange brand on its forehead.”
Gaius’s eyes wavered.
He looked confused. His simple mind was having a hard time dealing with the current situation.
“Dungeon… … Ghoul… … Brand… … .”
Gaius kept muttering.
It was to relay the story I had heard to the royal family. After all, it was the royal family of Zeno, not Gaius, who would analyze and deal with this matter.
Gaius was a spirited young man of twenty-two.
He will want to make a name for himself by doing an excellent job at the job assigned to him as special prosecutor.
‘Once the succession to the throne is complete, Gaius will be banished to the provinces or confined to a corner of the royal palace.’
Only the king’s brothers with outstanding practical skills would remain and work in Zeno’s castle. If they were lucky, they would be given lands and titles and sent to the provinces. However, Gaius’s judgment was poor, so it was unlikely that Zeno’s king would give him a high position.
‘I will let you remain in the palace of Zeno for Hebron.’
“Monsters with a mark on their foreheads have been appearing in succession in Hebron and the Zailson Estate. It is possible that the starting point is Sardia’s laboratory, so it would be a good idea to send an investigation team to find out. I will draw a map for you.”
“Oh! Yes, that would be great!”
“It is also unsettling that Sardia’s bloodline remains. However, we cannot send the precious royal treasury to a distant wasteland, so order Viscount Srein to capture Sardia’s remnants. If they succeed, their crimes will be reduced, and if they fail, the responsibility will be doubled.”
“Yes, yes! If it’s to that extent, it’s something that the special inspector can do with his authority!”
“Just in case, summon Srein’s daughter. She can prove her connection to Pakus, the chief wizard of the Duke of Breio.”
“I will send someone right away.”
Gaius nodded.
He looked at me as if he had nothing more to say.
