episode_0066

Silence flowed from the water fountain.

In that silence, the knights were thinking.

“What… did he just say?”

“Karceine? His fiancée?”

“Is that handkerchief Theo is holding really from his fiancée?”

And then, laughter erupted all at once.

-Hahaha!!

“Ah, Lord Theo. Did you really say it’s from your fiancée?”

Even Theo Ramsdair couldn’t hold back his laughter, clutching his stomach.

Even though he had just been cut in the neck and blood was flowing down.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Even if you lie, you should do it in moderation. No matter how expensive this handkerchief is, what’s the point of having a fiancée? A fiancée?”

-Hahaha!!

Once again, the knights at the water fountain burst into laughter.

It was a laughable situation.

That Karceine Vagrand had a fiancée.

It was unbelievable.

It was clearly a lie.

“Well, it could happen. Since you’re a man, Lord, there must be a woman who attracts you. Not only through the assumption that she gave it to you, but also through other means like coercion, theft. And using the status of the Vagrand Duke as a threat.”

“Oh, these days, marriages with class differences seem quite common, don’t they? Yes. Well, a maid from another house might have fallen for someone like you, Lord. Of course, if it’s not a duchess, the chances are even higher on the first meeting.”

-Hahaha!!

“Hehe. Theo, you rascal.”

The surrounding knights knew what Theo was trying to say and started adding their own comments.

“Oh, don’t misunderstand. The world is wide, and tastes in love are quite diverse, aren’t they? Lord, you could be attractive to someone.”

“That’s right. Extreme marriages beyond social status are rare but they exist.”

“Oh, the scandal between the Vagrand Duke and a maid. It’s quite plausible, isn’t it?”

Once again, the laughter echoed around.

“But if you’re willing to give away such a handkerchief, you must be quite a high-ranking noble. But still, to claim that you received it from a fiancée?”

Theo looked sharply at the handkerchief.

“If you don’t know what kind of person the son of the Vagrand in the Peselos Empire is, then no noble does. But a fiancée? Who could have given it to you, Lord? There are hardly any people who could even approach you.”

And then, rumors spread.

About who Karceine was in the Empire. How he was perceived.

A widespread perception among the nobles emerged.

“Lord said it was from his fiancée, but no one here would believe that. In fact, it’s possible that not even all women would be included. Even the maids of the Duke, there’s no one who would admire you, Lord.”

Theo added, making a clear and concise point.

While it could be a handkerchief received from a fiancée, it might be possible for a commoner, but this handkerchief was obviously a noble’s. Therefore, the fiancée who supposedly gave this handkerchief must be a noble.

So, the claim that it was received from a fiancée is a lie.

In the Empire, looking at the Vagrand Duke, Karceine Vagrand, as a potential partner and a woman who could hand over a handkerchief, there was no one.

“Thus, the claim of receiving a handkerchief from a fiancée itself is contradictory. But this is not the end, Lord.”

Theo Ramsdair declared that the matter was not over yet.

And then the knights crowded around and surrounded Karceine.

“Lady Arina said that in any situation, if Lord Karceine harms someone, he should immediately surrender his sword at the training ground and be expelled. This is also included in Lord’s prohibition.”

Theo casually replied, pointing his finger at his neck.

Other knights also chimed in.

“Harming Theo is a violation of the rules of the training ground.”

“Even if you have the permission of the Duchess, this is unacceptable.”

“We can no longer continue the lesson, so we have the right to legally expel you, Lord.”

“It’s a disgrace. Lord, how can you be so consistent?”

Although they didn’t openly laugh like before, their expressions were already smirking, and their lips couldn’t help but curl up.

“Don’t resent too much. This is all because of Lord’s actions.”

Among the knights, Theo pushed away his sword and bid farewell.

But this time, instead of the sword, his abdomen was kicked.

-Crack!

-Whoosh!

Karceine’s neck was pushed with the sword again as he lay on the ground.

“Is everything said?”

“Are you crossing the line with this action?”

“The line you crossed is yours. You insulted me and at the same time insulted my fiancée. Even though there is clear evidence, you still don’t recognize it. Or is it that your eyes are collectively blind?”

“What, what did you say?!”

Theo asked in confusion.

“Where is the evidence! If it’s about that handkerchief…!”

“It would be good to take a closer look at the handkerchief, Theo Ramsdair.”

“The handkerchief…?”

At that moment, Theo’s pupils shook violently.

“You probably didn’t see it clearly. The tradition of embroidering one’s family crest on a handkerchief is not common.”

“A crest?”

“What are you talking about? Wasn’t it just an expensive handkerchief?”

No. It wasn’t.

This crest was…

“It’s Theresa Hufang’s crest…!”

It was unbelievable.

There’s no way.

It must be a blatant lie.

He thought he could easily dismiss it.

But he couldn’t dismiss this.

Theo’s complexion turned pale.

“What’s going on there!”

Senior knights arrived at the water fountain.

According to Karceine’s memory, it wasn’t time for the knights to come yet.

However, he somewhat understood why they came early.

Running towards them, a young girl peeked out from behind them.

Her identity would be revealed.

“Oh, it’s nothing serious!”

Are you going to brush it off like that?

No way.

We’re going all the way.

Karceine instructed the official knight in charge of the morning training.

“Knight Carlton.”

“…! Yes, Lord.”

He was clearly different from the hesitant ones. Having spent a long time as an official knight, he realized at this moment that Karceine was calling him not as a trainee but as a member of the Vagrand Duke.

“Beat those who dared to touch my belongings so that dust flies in this place.”

It might be considered a forced order.

They had just arrived.

Whether they touched Karceine’s belongings or not, and if they did, whether it was his, those people were unknown.

Theo Pagery sneered inwardly at Karceine.

-Whack!

“Ugh?!”

-Whack! Whack! Whack!

The official knights began to beat them without a word of protest.

***

▶The official knights witnessed Theo Pagery’s misdeeds!◀

▶You have successfully triggered outcomes beyond the choices.◀

▶Theo Pagery’s rebuttal is neutralized.◀

“It really hurts.”

Although the choice of beating appeared and was written, they were really being beaten.

They mercilessly used their hands and feet to beat them, and some who were hit with the sword hilt had swollen blue eyes.

They must have been filled with questions.

Why are we being beaten?

They must have all been thinking the same thing.

“Unlike you who are just trainee or apprentice knights, those people are official knights.”

The flaw could be seen as a snowflake festival.

The official knights had rushed out that day under Isabella’s orders, and after searching Karceine, there would have been quite a commotion within the battalion.

There was no doubt that everything inside that pouch was from the Snowflake Festival.

What they did was not just tamper with Karsein’s belongings, but also steal, burn, or damage them, and they were well aware of it.

Therefore, they punished those who dared to touch their master’s belongings as knights of the house.

There was nothing wrong with this order.

“Stop.”

As soon as I declared a halt at the dusty fountain, they immediately stopped their actions. Any objections? It didn’t seem like they would take any.

“As expected. My suspicions were correct.”

The official knights may harbor negative feelings towards Karsein, but they are loyal to the house and do not cross the line. Those who dared to touch Karsein under Theo’s orders were likely trainees, apprentices, or newcomers.

This in itself had many contradictions.

The difference between official and trainee ranks within the order was like heaven and earth, but Theo did not absorb them.

In the past, he had indirectly caused incidents to drive Karsein out without directly relying on the power of the official knights.

And the scene unfolding before me. Those below the rank of trainees were being used to manipulate the official knights, and it was clear that they could not touch them.

They could only manipulate those below them and isolate Karsein.

So, he tried to climb up as an official knight by manipulating those below him and laying the groundwork for his own position.

Knowing that this alone was not enough, he reached out to Emma.

And finally, he tried to capture this order by attracting Flora’s attention.

The upper ranks were clear, but the lower ranks were clouded, turning the training ground into a muddy swamp.

Therefore, there was no problem in choosing a more daring option.

“Karton.”

“Yes.”

“I, Karsein Vagrant, command you. Dismiss all those who have insulted me and my fiancée from Vagrant. And,”

Swish!

I pointed my sword back at them.

“From this moment on, send them to the Tulea Mines, where they will be labeled as the highest-level criminals and never be allowed to touch a sword or leave the premises again.”

[ 5. The highest-level criminal punishment is imposed on the Tulea Mines prisoners. ]

***

“This is outrageous!”

“We’re being sent to the Tulea Mines! Is that even possible?”

“We can’t even accept the dismissal. Please reconsider!”

The men protested loudly.

Even dismissal was a severe punishment, but to say that they would be sent to the Tulea Mines, the empire’s largest criminal prison, was beyond belief.

“Quiet down, you lot!”

“Can’t you move already?!”

The criminals had no right to speak.

They were dragged away by the real knights, not the mere knights in disguise.

However, even the official knights momentarily hesitated at this command.

One knight bowed his head after the criminals were taken away.

It was Karton, the knight I had called earlier.

“Master. While it is appropriate to punish those who have touched the master’s belongings, sending them to the Tulea Mines seems relatively excessive in terms of their crimes.”

Karton spoke with a respectful attitude.

“The Tulea Mines are the empire’s largest criminal prison. Once you enter, you cannot get out, as it is a prison owned by the imperial family. It seems difficult to send them there for crimes such as robbery, theft, and noble insult.”

“So?”

“First, send them to the Vagrant Duke’s prison and deprive them of consciousness for 90 days to deteriorate their health in poor conditions. Then, once their sentence is complete, strip them of all rights and send them back to their hometown.”

Karton’s suggestion, or rather comment, was very reasonable.

Based on this scene alone, the three crimes were not severe enough to warrant dismissal and stripping of knighthood.

If there were any objections due to excessive punishment, the blame would fall squarely on Karsein Vagrant.

If this news spread among the empire’s nobles, it would surely have other negative consequences.

Indeed, they were not just knights who showed loyalty to the house on the surface. It was just a matter of having the wrong subordinates.

But I also knew that much.

[ 3. What will you do if they commit crimes that warrant being transferred to the Tulea Mines, beyond those already committed? ]

“What will you do if they commit crimes that warrant being transferred to the Tulea Mines, beyond those already committed?”

“Are you saying… they have committed more crimes?”

“Of course.”

A bewildered Karton asked the surrounding knights if they had heard anything.

Those who could answer, of course, had nothing to say.

Then, someone suddenly interjected into the conversation.

“Proceed as you said, Master.”

“Vice Commander Mark?”

“Commander Radiel too?”

The knights appeared amidst the confusion.

It seemed unnecessary to ask what had happened.

“I have one question for you all.”

***

“If I were to ask you to explain what happened at this fountain, how would you report to me?”

One knight raised his hand.

“I would report that Master Karsein was being robbed by the trainee knights, including Theo Ramstair, and I was justifiably pointing my sword at them.”

Other knights nodded in agreement.

It was a concise and easily understandable report.

“Let’s assume this. If that scene had not caught your eye, what would have happened?”

“Um… then I would have heard about it from other fellows.”

“Right. You would have heard it through someone else’s ears. So, who would be the first to report this news?”

“It would be the trainee knights. Our order often receives reports from the trainees.”

All the knights nodded in agreement.

“Come to think of it, those fellows just now, they were all…”

“They seemed to be trainees and apprentices.”

“It’s not just seemed. All those who touched Master’s belongings were like that. There were no official knights like us among them.”

“Moreover, I don’t remember official knights passing reports among themselves after a certain point.”

“It’s suspicious. It seems like those fellows are moving as a group.”

The knights’ expressions became more serious.

It seemed like they were missing something important.

“Although it’s just an assumption, if we were not the ones to discover this…”

As the assumption surfaced.

Radiel spoke up.

“Yes. That’s the flaw.”

“Commander…?”

“Isn’t that a perfect opportunity to push someone with a bad reputation and make them a liar? Since the communication network is made up of trainees and apprentices only.”

“Is that possible? Without any internal agreement within the order…”

“There were hidden drugs in the supply warehouse. Perhaps they were hidden to avoid being caught if they indulged in excessive luxury compared to their salary.”

-Clatter!

As if waiting for those words, Radiel poured out the box he had been holding onto the ground.

“The evidence is here. If someone were to offer them a sum equivalent to 30% of their salary and ask them to report differently, the trainees who value money over honor would gladly do it.”

“…Is this money coming out because such a thing was actually happening here in the training ground?”

“That’s not all.”

“Yes?”

“If this was an external request rather than an internal one, what would you do?”

“…!”

The knights’ faces darkened instantly.

It was not a small amount.

Inside the box were a considerable amount of money and precious jewelry.

There were quite a few fellows among the trainees and apprentices who openly showed their greed for wealth.

Some even bragged about buying new items with their sudden salary increase.

Radiel hit the nail on the head.

“If we just align our words to prevent them from moving up the ranks, it wouldn’t be that difficult. Even if they were to falsely accuse me of attacking them with a sword.”

“Commander!”

“Surely you don’t mean…”

The knights jumped up.

Their gazes involuntarily turned towards one person.

“Did Master Carsein…?”

“Are you saying he’s been framed?”

“Wasn’t it really Master Carsein who banned Director Radiel?”

Eyes filled with confusion darted around in all directions.

With clear evidence presented, it was no longer a time to debate whether to believe or not.

The malice towards Carsein from the apprentices and trainees was evident in their eyes.

The fact that money was paid and a request was made was clearly revealed.

“Who is the culprit?”

Karlton asked Radiel, swallowing his saliva.

As the victim and witness of the incident, she was expected to know clearly who the culprit was among the three.

It was a tense moment.

No matter whose name came out of her mouth, the knights would not simply let it go.

But at this moment, the person who seemed like their heart would explode was none other than Flora.

Clutching onto her clothes tightly, she held her breath and waited.

Finally, a name came out of Radiel’s mouth.

Feeling as if her breath had been taken away, Flora sank down in that spot, feeling like she would collapse.

“Because I… tried to help Teo… Carsein…?”

Something in her chest suddenly burst open with a loud bang.