Ch.336EP.71 – Cowardice Is Not the Exclusive Property of Villains (1)

“…Haah.”

A maid who would be called cute by at least five out of ten people passing her on the street let out a deep sigh.

Anyone with a keen eye could tell from her outfit—not the trendy maid uniform popular these days, but something rather drab—that she worked for a traditional, somewhat closed-off household.

“Anna, what’s wrong? You’ve been sighing for a while.”

“Nothing, just tired…”

Anna, a maid with a rather common name, had been sighing heavily for some time, naturally concerning her colleagues.

She was usually so full of energy.

To their questions…

“…I think I’m going to get fired.”

“Why?”

“Did you make a mistake?”

“I ran into the Count while cleaning the other day…”

“What?!”

“Of all people…”

She saw the Count.

With that one sentence, her fellow maids immediately understood why she was sighing.

Their workplace, the Lohengrin County, could be described as a thoroughly patriarchal household where everything was strictly controlled by the head of the family.

The previous Count, now deceased, was said to have been somewhat gentle, but the current Count Lohengrin, Lord Roseth, was known for his strict demeanor and cold-heartedness toward anything that displeased him.

Would you believe that he even dismissed servants who had served the Lohengrin family for hundreds of years simply because they displeased him?

That’s how cold-hearted he was, and the current servants lived in constant tension, feeling as if they were walking on thin ice.

The only consolation was the generous salary.

“Sigh, the pay is good even if it’s suffocating to work here.”

“How did you end up running into him?”

“Like I said, I was just cleaning. We just happened to cross paths.”

“Oh dear…”

The maids looked at Anna with pitying expressions—it was simply bad luck—and Anna’s face grew even more dejected.

Just then.

Clop, clop, clop.

“?”

The maids instinctively turned their heads at the sudden sound of hoofbeats, and they saw:

“Oh my…”

A very handsome young man stopping in front of the Lohengrin mansion’s main gate, mounted on a pure white horse.

“How can someone look so kind…”

“How is being handsome the same as being kind?”

“Well, does that face look evil to you?”

“…No, he looks very kind.”

“Exactly.”

The women’s whispers created a low murmur throughout the garden, but it didn’t last long.

Hnnnngh!

Suddenly, the young man on the white horse took a deep breath and…

“—My name is Santa Rihan!!! Lord of Lohengrin! To defend my honor, I challenge you to a duel!!!”

Ziiing! An incredibly loud shout reverberated throughout the vast garden and every corner of the mansion.

It was such a tremendous shout that several women fell on their backsides.

It was merely a loud voice, but the spirit behind it was difficult for a woman’s body to withstand.

“M-maybe he’s dangerous?”

Anna muttered, and the women nodded…

“I like dangerous men too…”

“…Your taste is a bit…”

Tastes vary in this world.

* * *

Naturally, neither the lord nor his knights would come out to deal with a ruffian shouting loudly in front of the mansion.

Instead…

“Who are you to be doing this, sir!”

“Judging by your armor and horse, you seem to be from a distinguished family. Please calm down.”

The soldiers came out to pacify the man.

From his expensive white horse, his impractical but clearly expensive armor, and the jewel-decorated sword, it was obvious that this man was a young nobleman who had come from the provinces.

Likely a noble who had come to the capital for the Crown Prince’s birthday.

‘He’s clearly immature.’

‘He must have heard rumors and come looking for trouble. Probably wants to gain fame by picking a fight with the Lohengrin family.’

‘He looks handsome, but what a fool.’

It was a time when many unsavory rumors about the Lohengrin family were circulating.

Well, some of them were somewhat true.

But regardless, this was Lohengrin territory.

They were a family with hundreds of years of history and power, not the type to show weakness to random troublemakers.

The soldiers were also quite skilled, and as they narrowed their eyes dangerously…

Rustle!

“Deliver this to Count Lohengrin! Tell him that if he doesn’t come out after seeing this, I will not hesitate to resort to a show of force as well!”

“…?”

“Hurry!”

“M-my ears hurt…”

The soldiers blinked in surprise as the man, who had seemed determined to be unreasonable until the end, suddenly handed them a letter.

However.

“You may read the letter if you wish. But you alone must bear the consequences of the truth you will discover!”

“……”

…Something seemed off.

His demeanor was too intense for a mere spoiled young nobleman, and as the soldiers wondered what to do with the letter…

“L-let’s give it to the butler.”

“Y-yes, that would be best.”

Under normal circumstances, they would have chased him away or burned the letter, but they couldn’t treat a noble-looking young man too roughly. The extraordinary aura he emitted earned the letter the achievement of being passed up to a superior.

Remarkably, this process took less than ten minutes.

The man folded his arms and maintained silence on his horse as he confirmed that the letter was being taken into the mansion.

As if he hadn’t been making a commotion just moments ago.

“…He’s more manly than he looks.”

“That’s true.”

It was absurd how he became taciturn after achieving his goal, but somehow positive evaluations were forming when—

“Huff, huff!”

The soldier who had gone to deliver the letter came running back urgently.

“T-the butler is calling for you! He says to come into the mansion…”

“!!?”

Everyone couldn’t hide their shock as they looked at the young man.

But the young man, as if this were the expected outcome, continued to glare at those blocking his way.

“Move aside. I must meet your master.”

“……”

…Though the soldiers weren’t under any hypnosis, they somehow found themselves obeying the young man’s words and stepping aside.

It felt like they had to follow his command.

* * *

“……”

Roseth, who had been deeply focused on his work, made no attempt to hide his displeasure.

Not only was he disturbed from his work, but such a situation was unprecedented.

“Has there ever been such a rude person who visited Lohengrin without appointment or prior consent, butler?”

“…I apologize, Your Excellency.”

“You shouldn’t create situations that require apologies.”

“……”

“Haah, enough. What use is there in talking with incompetent ones? Fine, let me see the face of this impudent fellow.”

As soon as Roseth finished speaking, the butler immediately went outside.

He was carrying out his orders, but even this seemed to displease Roseth.

No, he was a person who hated all humans besides himself from the beginning.

“How annoying. Why is everyone so incompetent?”

He hated the servants.

They talked back under the pretense of giving loyal advice, not knowing their place.

He hated men.

They polluted his eyes and ears with their ugly faces and dirty voices.

He hated women too.

Not just for their terrible perfume smells, but for daring to try to touch him without knowing their place.

…He despised humans.

“Huu-.”

Barely suppressing his undisguised disgust, Roseth quickly skimmed through the letter.

Though it seemed like a cursory glance, it was enough for him to understand the overall content and context, and he—

“Your Excellency, the guest has arrived…-“

CRASH!

…threw a glass cup.

It flew with the force of a shot put rather than a glass, but the butler, or rather, the butler who miraculously survived as it just grazed his hair, broke out in a cold sweat.

If it had hit him, he would have died instantly.

On the other hand.

“What a rough welcome. Is this how Lohengrin threatens its guests?”

The young man who had casually avoided the glass cup was staring at Roseth with a sneering smile.

“…Impudent bastard. You handed over this trash and expected kind words? I should cut you to pieces.”

“Hmm, for a family of Holy Knights, you speak more roughly than most mercenaries.”

“!!!”

Roseth was about to burst out in anger again at the renewed displeasure, but the young man was undeterred.

He simply approached Roseth’s desk as if nothing had happened.

Then suddenly.

“Let’s talk just the two of us. That would be better for focusing on our ‘deal,’ wouldn’t it?”

“Why should I trust you?”

“Don’t worry. I’m not foolish enough to try to threaten you stupidly. Hmm, or what? Are you afraid of someone like me, Count Roseth?”

“……”

Crack!

“That looks like an expensive fountain pen. What a waste. You don’t seem to know the value of things.”

“Shut up!”

Roseth made a gesture with a rough curse.

It was a gesture directed at the butler, and although the butler understood its meaning, he hesitated, wondering if it was right to leave his lord alone with this unknown ruffian.

However.

“P-please call if you need anything.”

He couldn’t further upset his already displeased lord.

The butler closed the door and left, and silence fell over the office.

“Now we’re finally alone, Your Excellency.”

“…Stop your impudent chattering and tell me where you got this information.”

Thwack.

Roseth threw the letter at the young man without hesitation, and the young man calmly accepted it.

The letter that fell to the floor was more like a document than a letter.

None other than.

“I was shocked too, Your Excellency, or should I say, Opium King. To think you were distributing such large quantities of opium throughout the south.”

“I told you not to speak nonsense.”

Indeed. The document contained information about a secret trading company operated by the Lohengrin family and the opium it distributed.

The amount of opium imported from the east and west exceeded tens of tons, and it was being distributed throughout the continent.

If this information were revealed, Lohengrin, or rather Roseth, would have to stand trial,

for he had committed all the criminal acts forbidden to a nobleman.

However.

“Hmph, do you think you can arrest me with this? Do you think Lohengrin is the only one benefiting from this opium?”

“Oh? Are you admitting it now? That you and several other nobles are collaborating to distribute opium?”

“Admission or not, I’m telling you that someone like you can’t do anything to me. If you think you can threaten me because this little matter is exposed, I can only call you a fool.”

Roseth sneered at the young man.

Opium distribution?

Yes, it’s illegal and something that shouldn’t be done.

-But so what?

‘I can easily get away with this.’

No matter how much evidence there was, there were plenty of people who would die in place of Lohengrin, who would take the blame.

Roseth felt no sense of crisis whatsoever.

So, the reason Roseth bothered to meet with this impudent young man alone was none other than:

“Tell me where you got this information. Well, it’s obvious. There are plenty of people who want to bring me down. But I’d like to be certain.”

Snap!

As Roseth lightly snapped his fingers, some kind of holy spell installed in the office activated.

– [Holy Spell of Concealment].

A spell that prevents sounds and vibrations from escaping outside, originally used to hide one’s presence.

However, depending on how it’s used, it was also suitable for conducting secret affairs.

Thud thud thud!

As the spell activated, people revealed themselves.

They had been hiding with the same concealment spell, Holy Knights, no.

“…Half-demons?”

“Oh, you’re quite knowledgeable. Well, I can take my time finding out who you are. …Make that arrogant maggot kneel.”

Roseth gave the order, and the half-demons immediately moved.

Just as Roseth was about to bring his tea to his lips, using the man’s screams as background music,

Crack!

…one of the half-demons collapsed.

“…?”

It happened in the blink of an eye, and Roseth froze with the teacup in his hand.

And suddenly,

“Thank you, I didn’t expect you to set the stage for me like this. I didn’t ask for such consideration.”

“Y-you?”

“Well, as a token of gratitude for now…”

Tuk.

“I’ll just take two of your front teeth.”

Pop!

With a clear, crisp sound, Roseth’s front teeth were easily pulled out.

One might wonder if they were artificial teeth, but unfortunately…

Splash!

The stream of blood made it clear they were not artificial.

…Unfortunately.