Chapter 79

Episode 79

We left the inner castle and immediately mounted our horses. Selendis looked worried.

Our original objective was to secure additional funding from Baron Roman by sweet-talking him.

I hadn’t explained the change of plans.

‘She’s a hundred times better than those who just blindly follow orders.’

I appreciated her attitude.

It was one of Selendis’s strengths, as well as Jericho’s. They followed my orders faithfully, but they weren’t afraid to voice their concerns.

I was only human I couldn’t always make the right decisions. Their input was valuable.

“What’s wrong? Are you worried?”

“I think you provoked Baron Roman too much. Won’t this make it difficult to secure funding? Not that I’m defending the Baron.”

Selendis rarely expressed her personal feelings, but she seemed disgusted by the naked women we had seen earlier.

“I never intended to secure funding from him.”

“Then…”

“The plan has changed. We’re not going to take a small bite we’re going to devour the whole thing.”

Selendis was intelligent. She understood that my metaphor meant taking over the entire Gerard territory.

“But isn’t it against the law of the land to punish someone for past transgressions?”

The principle of double jeopardy.

You can’t prosecute someone twice for the same crime. It was a principle upheld in my previous world and in most territories here.

“We’ll leave the past in the past. Bringing it up now wouldn’t be beneficial for the Inspection Unit. It would also harm the Lady’s reputation.”

“Is there a way to destroy him?”

“Of course. We’ll discuss the details later. For now, let’s leave this place. Things could get messy.”

We immediately left the castle. We rode far away from the city, putting as much distance between us and Baron Roman’s influence as possible.

After riding for an entire day, we set up camp in the middle of a forest late at night.

As Selendis was preparing the campfire, I sensed a familiar presence overhead. A large hawk was circling above us.

It was “Thunder,” my messenger hawk. Jericho must have sent a message from the capital.

I extended my arm, providing a landing spot.

*Flap!*

Thunder landed on my arm, gripping it tightly with its talons.

“Good work.”

I took out some food from my bag, rewarding him for his long journey.

One of the first things I wanted to do after magic became widespread was to reform this inefficient communication system.

‘Queen Maker’ had no communication devices or magical tools. Or rather, they existed, but they were only used by the Imperial Family and the Magic Tower.

Therefore, most nobles relied on messengers or carrier pigeons. It was inconvenient and dangerous not to be able to communicate in real time.

One of my plans was to initiate a “Magic Revolution” and distribute mana communication devices throughout the land.

While Thunder was busy eating, I opened the container attached to his leg. It contained a rolled-up piece of paper.

‘Things are going well.’

The note said Jericho had successfully invited Inquisitor Godfrey and had purchased a suitable building. He had also submitted the business registration application, which should be approved within a few days.

If there were no obstacles, the “Lucius Trading Company” would have a smooth start.

Everything was proceeding smoothly.

Taking over the Gerard territory would be the easy part. Duke Kalisto wouldn’t be able to refuse my request.

I had revealed my identity as a “Magic Swordsman” to him personally.

We didn’t even need the Lady’s intervention to take over the Gerard territory. Persuading the church would be the most difficult task.

“Is that a message from Sir Jericho?”

“Yes.”

I handed the note to Selendis. She needed to be informed as well.

After reading it, she frowned.

“It says you summoned Inquisitor Godfrey. Was that your decision?”

“Why? Is there a problem?”

“No, it’s just… Based on my experience, he’s a difficult person to deal with. That’s why I asked.”

“When it comes to business, it doesn’t matter if someone is difficult or not. All that matters is their greed. He’s a clever man who knows how to hide his desires behind the church’s name.”

Selendis nodded slightly. She seemed to understand.

“You always choose the difficult path, Master.”

“Are you worried?”

Was it too personal a question? Selendis flinched and looked away, towards the crackling campfire.

I skewered the meat I had hunted earlier onto the makeshift barbecue grill over the fire.

“I’m just kidding. Don’t be so flustered. I chose this path because it’s more certain, not because it’s difficult. Things are boring when they’re easy.”

“I see.”

“By the way, how long are you going to call me ‘Master’?”

Selendis looked at me, surprised again.

“Even Jericho calls me ‘Inspector.’ You can call me O’Brien too. ‘Master’ sounds too formal.”

“I’ll call you that until the day I lay down my sword.”

“You’re stubborn about the strangest things. Speaking of Jericho, he would have definitely asked why I summoned Inquisitor Godfrey. It’s strange that he didn’t mention it.”

“Perhaps he ran out of space on the note.”

We shared the meat and rested for a while. Neither Selendis nor I needed much sleep.

We could use aura to reduce fatigue.

Moreover, I could utilize both aura and mana, so the effect was doubled. That’s why I didn’t ask Selendis to keep watch.

And “Automatic Combat” provided a cheat-like advantage.

If I activated “Automatic Combat” while sleeping, I could react instantly to any attack.

I had considered keeping it activated at all times, but I didn’t want to overreact if someone played a prank on me.

After resting for about an hour, we extinguished the campfire and mounted our horses.

***

“I don’t understand what he’s thinking.”

“Who are you talking about?”

Oracle asked. Hylix, frustrated, emptied his glass in one gulp. It was a precious wine that even nobles rarely tasted.

“My father. Our trading company isn’t doing poorly, yet he allowed Lucia to create her own. I don’t understand.”

“I agree. I can’t fathom his intentions.”

Mars, the vice-captain of the Black Dragon Knights, chimed in. Hylix, Oracle, and Mars were having a small drinking party.

Oracle and Mars were Hylix’s advisors and lieutenants, both promising young men.

Mars, in particular, was one of the few knights who had mastered the Kalisto swordsmanship. His future was secure if Hylix became the successor.

The same went for Oracle, so they couldn’t ignore the succession issue.

“Damn it.”

Hylix was inwardly irritated.

Not only his sister, but the name “O’Brien Walker” kept popping up.

And then there was the incident of his sister’s broken engagement.

He had been concerned about his sister ever since the Lucius Inspection Unit was established. Even though she was a woman, there was no rule against her becoming the head of the family.

Moreover, O’Brien had saved his sister’s life, and tales of his heroism were spreading like wildfire.

Individually, these events were insignificant, but together, they were giving him a headache.

“What’s he doing now? O’Brien Walker, I mean.”

“I heard he left the capital yesterday. We’re tracking his whereabouts. But both he and his companion are using aura, so it’s not easy.”

“What’s their direction?”

“Southwest. I believe their destination is the Gerard territory.”

Young master Hylix’s eyes narrowed.

“Did he figure it out?”

“He probably never trusted Baron Roman in the first place. If he did, he would have given him real poison. O’Brien is a very clever man.”

His irritation grew. Oracle often spoke favorably of O’Brien.

*Crash!*

He slammed his fist on the armrest of the sofa, shattering it.

“Damn it! I told my father this would happen!”

Hylix had opposed O’Brien’s promotion to Baron.

He had argued that it was excessive. Rewarding him with gold and farmland would have been sufficient.

But he didn’t know.

Duke Kalisto already considered O’Brien a valuable asset to the family.

“And Romero is being openly defiant these days. This is getting complicated. We need a plan.”

“The fact that O’Brien requested the pardon of the Azure Dragon Knights is noteworthy. There’s definitely something going on between him and Darius. It’s not a good sign.”

Hylix pondered for a moment, then tilted his head.

“But if Lucia is aiming for the family headship, wouldn’t she and Romero become enemies?”

Mars couldn’t answer. Oracle spoke instead.

“She might be aiming for a situation where she is biding her time while you and Sir Romero fight, and then swallow you both whole. Or they could form an alliance to eliminate us and then have a final showdown.”

“…”

It was a realistic assessment. Hylix had witnessed similar scenarios before.

“First, we need to stop Lucia from creating a trading company. What’s the Inspection Unit doing now?”

“Jericho, the clerk, purchased a building yesterday. He also submitted a business registration application, so it should be approved soon.”

“Pressure the authorities. Tell them to delay the approval.”

“That’ll be difficult. The Duke already approved it. What justification do we have to delay it?”

“Argue that it would infringe on the rights of the Kalisto Trading Company. Use my name if you have to.”

“Alright. I’ll try.”

“And we need to find a new husband for Lucia. That’s the only way to get her out of the family.”

“I heard the eldest son of House Caribe is courting her.”

It wasn’t surprising for a marriage proposal to come from House Caribe, considering their recent interactions.

House Kalisto would be at a disadvantage in terms of prestige, but Caribe’s economic power made it a viable option.

After all, strategic marriages were about combining wealth and prestige.

“That’s good news. Is the eldest son named Eloan?”

“Yes.”

“Send him an invitation. I need to meet with him personally.”

Things were finally starting to look up. Hylix raised the glass that Oracle had refilled.

“Now that we have a plan, it’s time to act. Oracle, you go to the authorities. And Mars, you keep an eye on the Azure Dragon Knights.”

“Understood.”

“As you command, my lord.”

Hylix proposed a toast, and the three of them clinked their glasses.

“Don’t forget. Your futures are also at stake…”