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Episode 30: What Do You Take Me For?
Ferda tilted his head in confusion.
“What does that have to do with plotting or instigating rebellion?”
“It’s because you are arming soldiers through corporate sponsorships and constructing roads connecting to the Empire. Isn’t that clearly preparation for a smooth invasion?”
That logic was absurd beyond reason. Ferda responded calmly.
“Improving roads serves the purpose of facilitating supply lines, trade, and securing easier support from the Empire in case of emergencies. And since we’ve signed a contract with the Pascal Trading Company, we naturally need to build roads for them. Why are you accusing us of planning a rebellion when the only threats here are magical creatures and monsters?”
“The eastern region has been defended consistently without roads until now. What you’re doing is overarmament and a threatening act toward the Empire.”
“Defense…?” In that moment, Ferda’s previously composed emotions flared up.
“Have you ever set foot in the Far East to see what’s happening there?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Then have you even been to the Far Eastern front at all?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Then you have no idea what’s happening in the Far East, do you?”
Ferda himself didn’t know either—at least, not until he arrived there. It was not until much later that he realized how serious the situation was, despite having attended a few Far Eastern Allied Front meetings.
“The Far Eastern border has consistently lacked everything: personnel, funding, and equipment. We’ve only managed to cover about 25% of what’s needed so far. Does that still seem like an over-arrangement to you?”
“There haven’t been any issues so far. Increasing armament when it’s unnecessary is exactly what I mean by over-armament.”
“Don’t twist the facts. Let’s be honest—if not for my fiancée, the Grand Duke of Valdrova, you wouldn’t even be standing here making that claim. She alone is the reason magical creatures have been kept at bay. Without her, we’d all be corpses by now. The soldiers in the Far East need better weapons.”
“Twisting the facts?!” Karl raised his voice, catching onto Ferda’s words.
“I’m here as an auditor! Don’t you know you should treat me with the same respect as you would the Emperor himself?”
Karl’s raised voice attempted to intimidate Ferda. But—
“Now.” Ferda’s quiet voice immediately silenced Karl.
Ferda, sitting with one leg crossed, holding his teacup, simply looked up at Karl. But his blue eyes held something unidentifiable, something not of a mere human.
“Did you just raise your voice at me, Sir Karl?”
Karl stayed confident, sure that he was still in charge. After all, it was his role to press this matter. But Ferda’s anger burned quietly. Under normal circumstances, Karl would already be dead.
No, Ferda wouldn’t just kill him; he would have torn him apart, leaving nothing behind. And yet, he held back. Has Valdrova been reduced to the level of a mere… watchdog?
The treatment Ferda’s fiancée received was worse than he’d imagined. Even so, Ferda knew. He knew they feared her, but it wasn’t a fear born from the depths of their souls.
Ferda had half a mind to send Karl straight back to the Empire. But he refrained. Ferda decided to look further ahead. For the sake of his fiancée, the Grand Duke of Valdrova.
Karl, who had attempted to press with threats, eventually pulled back.
“If a proper investigation begins, the regent could be punished under Imperial law.”
Ferda sipped his tea and replied.
“Then go ahead and proceed.”
“You can’t stop it. Even with support from above, this is beyond your control.”
“Is that so?” Ferda raised a hand as if to say “how unfortunate” before waving it dismissively.
“In that case, I’ll comply with the investigation and let the truth come to light.”
Karl, visibly frustrated, finally spoke again.
“…Once it begins, you won’t be able to stop it.”
“That’s unfortunate, but it can’t be helped. You’ve done your job, so feel free to return.”
Karl let out a deep sigh.
“Why are you doing this? Someone of your stature can’t just keep pretending ignorance.”
Dropping the pretense, Karl revealed his true intentions. With murky eyes, he turned to Ferda.
“Let’s settle this amicably. Surely someone from the Rosnova family knows what the Purification Squad does, don’t they?”
“Of course, I know. Aren’t you the so-called knights who rob lords under the guise of righteousness?”
“That’s one way we’re described, yes.”
Karl remained unfazed by the insult. Forming a circle with his thumb and forefinger, he made his offer.
“All you need to do is pay a sum for the upper ranks and a little commission for me. Then, we’ll back off.”
“How much?”
Karl raised all ten fingers.
“100,000 golden.”
“Hmm, 100,000…” Ferda nodded as he set down his teacup. Ruri approached with a teapot and refilled his cup with warm tea.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
“Go ahead.”
“What do you take me for?”
It was an unexpected question, and Karl appeared confused.
“You’re the regent of Valdrova, aren’t you?”
“Is that what I look like? Because I think you see me as a goddamn idiot.”
“A-a what?” Karl was flustered by Ferda’s use of profanity.
“What are you implying? How could I possibly see the regent in that light—”
“Don’t worry. I’ve heard it all before—how I’m nothing but Valdrova’s leech or the useless son of the Rosnova family. So thinking of me as a goddamn idiot isn’t far off, is it?”
The fact that someone from the Purification Squad had come here in the first place already carried that implication.
“I know everything.”
Ferda had once admired honorable knights. Chief among them were the Purification Squads, known for monitoring corrupt lords. But when he realized their true nature, his disappointment was unparalleled.
“I know exactly how you people drag decent lords into ruin.”
Accepting their demands for money was a one-way ticket to disaster.
“If I give you money, what do you think that makes me? Oh, right—someone who just admitted guilt and paid hush money to cover it up. And then, I’ll become the perfect prey for you people to exploit.”
Once you stepped into that trap, you were stuck. Like getting sucked into a marsh, escape was impossible.
“After that, more people like you will come crawling in, one after another. Like children asking their mother for pocket money, they’ll come to me begging for bribes.”
The demands would escalate, spiraling into an unmanageable situation. Even the wealthiest lord couldn’t endure it forever. Unable to sustain the bribes, the lord would have no choice but to raise taxes, exploiting their own people to survive. And that was how the corruption of the Empire had spread.
“Knowing all this, do you think I’d ever give you a single coin?”
Ferda had made a self-promise. He would protect the things that Valdrova cherished and fought to preserve. There was no way he’d let some petty scoundrels like this toy with him.
“So do as you please. Investigate rebellion or stir up trouble to your heart’s content. But I’ll tell you now—you won’t get a single golden, not even a single copper, from me.”
Ferda’s resolute stance was beyond what Karl had expected. But Karl had seen many lords try to resist the Purification Squad. And not one of them had succeeded.
“Then I’ll have to bring up something I can’t ignore.”
Karl pulled out the one weapon he was certain would hit. It was about Tesalos Welcher. This time, it wasn’t an unfounded accusation. It was a crime that truly existed.
“I hear you recently killed a noble. How do you explain that?”
He was referring to the incident involving Tesalos Welcher.
“Accusing me of murder? That’s ridiculous. Does Imperial law convict someone for killing in a duel?”
“The death that occurred during that duel is undoubtedly murder. Weren’t there witnesses?”
“Of course. There are witnesses right here.” Ferda glanced toward Ruri.
“Tell me. Did I commit murder?”
Ruri shook her head.
“That was an execution. He was secretly researching black magic using magical creatures. Immediate execution was only fitting.”
“That’s what she says.”
“That crime has nothing to do with the duel! And using your servant to testify holds no weight!”
“Then whose account should we listen to?” Karl smirked as he answered.
“As it happens, I’ve already summoned a witness. They should be arriving at this castle shortly.”
“A witness, you say…”
Ferda sipped his tea, unfazed.
“I’d very much like to meet them.”
Ferda gestured as if he didn’t care what Karl did. No matter what Karl tried, Ferda’s composure remained unshaken, which only fueled Karl’s frustration.
‘Let’s see how long you can act so calm. Soon, you’ll be groveling at my feet!’ Karl smiled, confident that he would have the last laugh.
A short while later, the so-called witness Karl had summoned entered the reception room. It was an elderly lord with a face lined by a white beard. He was the oldest noble in the Far East and the one with the highest rank after Ferda.
—Ferda Valdrova is an arrogant fool, blinded by power. His pride will surely bring disaster upon Valdrova.
This man was Count Consilus, one of Ferda’s staunchest opponents, a member of the opposing faction, and the source of the information that led to the Purification Squad’s involvement.
“Oh, Count Consilus, welcome!” Karl greeted him warmly at the entrance.
But Consilus didn’t even glance at Karl. Instead, his gaze was fixed on Ferda. Walking over to Ferda, Count Consilus knelt respectfully.
“Regent, have you been well?”
Ferda calmly accepted the greeting.
“Welcome, Count Consilus.”
A simple exchange of greetings between nobles. But seeing this, Karl froze as though he had been struck on the head. Nobles exchanging greetings wasn’t unusual. But if relations were poor, it was customary to offer only a minimal nod. For someone to show this level of respect, as Consilus had, was highly uncommon unless they truly revered the other party.
‘It’s just a gesture of politeness.’ Karl maintained a confident expression, hiding his unease.
Staying composed was the best course of action now.
‘Count Consilus is on our side.’
Count Consilus had sworn loyalty to the Emperor of the Empire. In the Far East, he was an old politician skilled at maneuvering through tricky situations and had openly expressed his displeasure with the young regent.
‘Every lord in the Far East feels the same.’ They had verified this in advance.
Ferda was someone who ruled through intimidation, threatening the lords with accusations and controlling them through fear. Fear made people shrink back, but when given the opportunity to break free, they would betray faster than anyone else.
Since even the information about Ferda’s methods had come from Consilus, he was sure the Count would cooperate.
Ferda, having received the greeting, gestured to an empty chair.
“Please, take a seat. I wouldn’t want to keep an elder kneeling like this.”
“Thank you.” Count Consilus took the offered seat, and Karl sat down as well, clearing his throat to take control of the conversation.
“Count Consilus, thank you for coming all this way.”
“It’s nothing. It just so happens the timing was perfect.” Count Consilus chuckled lightly, stroking his beard.
Karl chuckled along and steered the conversation toward the matter at hand.
“Count Consilus, I’ve been told you’re familiar with the Tesalos Welcher incident.”
Consilus nodded.
“Yes, I witnessed it firsthand.”
“So, would you testify right now regarding the crimes that the Valdrova regent committed?”
“You mean that story? Ah, yes, you asked me to tell it…”
“Yes, if you could share your account of what happened then.”
Count Consilus’s eyes flicked briefly toward Ferda.
“To get straight to the point, the Valdrova regent…” He continued his statement.
“…committed no wrongdoing in that duel.”
“…What?” Karl’s face twisted in shock at the unexpected answer.
“Wh-what do you mean by that? Haha, I must have misheard…”
“I’ll say it again. The Valdrova regent committed no wrongdoing in that duel.”
Count Consilus had not chosen the Empire’s side.
“On that day, Tesalos Welcher cast a spell with the clear intent to kill the Lord of Valdrova. The regent merely countered and subdued him. At the time, the regent’s magical ability was at the level of a 1st Circle mage, while Welcher was a 4th Circle mage. The difference in skill was vast enough to make the outcome obvious. But that Welcher brat didn’t know the meaning of ‘restraint.’ And yet, he still lost.”
“Yes, he lost, but the result was the killing of a noble—”
“No, it can’t be seen that way.” Count Consilus cut Karl off.
“Even after the duel ended, Welcher might have tried to use magic to kill him. There’s a thing called ‘killing intent’ that only the duelists can feel. It’s possible the regent sensed it and struck preemptively in self-defense. The world of magic is more profound than you seem to realize. Don’t you agree?”
Ferda nodded in agreement.
“A mage will keep their final trick hidden until the very end. That’s the nature of mages.”
“If a noble tries to kill another noble, even if it ends in failure, the right to decide life or death… should be guaranteed. That was the conclusion reached by the lords.”
What is this? This isn’t what I was told!
