Chapter 12
Blanzore (2)
Within Albern Castle’s garrison, there was the captain of the guard and several officers who assisted him.
Among those officers, Harmond and Rondo were tasked exclusively with guarding the lord inside the castle.
Harmond, who was responsible for protecting the lord at night, led his men forward with heavy steps.
“To think I’d have to guard that place again…”
His expression darkened as he made his way toward the old office for the change of duty.
Three years ago, when the former lord was assassinated, he had been there at the scene.
He could still see vividly in his mind the dark blood pouring from the dead lord’s body.
When he heard that the new lord had decided to use the old, sealed office as his bedroom, he had been greatly unsettled.
“Where is the lord?”
“He’s asleep.”
Rondo, who had come to relieve Harmond with his soldiers, studied the look on his face.
“Are you all right?”
“Why? Do I look strange?”
Harmond let out a faint laugh and placed his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
“You must be tired. Go get some rest.”
Rondo looked at Harmond’s faint smile for a moment, then patted him on the shoulder.
“Then take care. I’ll come back early in the morning.”
“You talk to me like I’m a child. Damn bastard.”
At Harmond’s lighthearted joke, Rondo laughed heartily and marched off with his men.
Left with about ten soldiers to guard the lord’s chamber, Harmond stood with his back against the door.
Hoo…
He had pretended to be calm before Rondo, but now he parted his lips slightly to steady his breathing.
“That’s the past.”
It took him a while to calm himself.
As the night deepened and the air seemed to hold its breath, the door suddenly opened, and the lord stepped out.
Harmond and the soldiers immediately saluted in unison.
“We pay respects to our lord!”
“At night, there’s no need for such loud greetings. A quiet voice will do.”
Ian, after glancing at the soldiers, fixed his eyes on Harmond.
“You’re Harmond, right?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Come inside for a moment. I have something to ask.”
“Yes, my lord!”
Ian handed Harmond a sheet of paper once they were inside.
Drawn on it was the shape of a helmet and armor, similar to what Ian had witnessed earlier at the docks.
“Whose attire is this?”
Even at the sudden question, Harmond didn’t ask back but focused on the drawing.
“Is it hard to identify?”
“No, my lord. Judging by the wolf’s face embossed on the cuirass… this is the armor of the soldiers of Haphasha.”
“Haphasha?”
“Yes, the region ruled by High Lord Bonnen. Their soldiers use armor and shields adorned with wolf faces like this.”
At the mention of the High Lord’s men, Ian stared intently at the drawing he had made.
“Why did they come to my territory?”
He recalled how those soldiers of Haphasha had blatantly ignored his guards and boarded their ship at the dock. His curiosity only deepened.
“Harmond.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Is there any reason for Haphasha’s soldiers to come here?”
“…”
At the lord’s question, Harmond replied in a heavy tone.
“Once or twice a year, they come to collect the debt owed by the late lord.”
“To collect debt?”
“Yes. I don’t know the details, but that’s what I’ve been told. For more precise information, you’d have to ask the treasurer.”
Ian hadn’t imagined the finances of the territory were so bad.
For the High Lord’s soldiers to come every year and take money away…
He now suspected the heavy boxes he saw at the docks were related to this.
“What a mess. Damn it.”
Suddenly weary, Ian rubbed his face with his hand.
“Are you all right, my lord? Shall I fetch a healer?”
“No… I’m fine.”
Ian forced a smile, then asked,
“How many soldiers does High Lord Bonnen command?”
“More than thirty thousand. His domain is vast, and as a royal himself, he is responsible for guarding part of the kingdom’s borders.”
That was more than a hundred times the number of Ian’s own regular troops, which numbered only three hundred. If he refused to pay, his territory could be crushed in an instant.
“Summon the treasurer.”
“…Excuse me?”
A chill ran down Harmond’s spine at the sudden order.
“At this hour, my lord?”
“Why? Am I not allowed to summon him? I’m the lord here.”
“N-no, my lord. I’ll send someone at once.”
The treasurer, who had been asleep with a woman in his arms, was filled with rage when suddenly summoned by the lord.
After suppressing his anger for a while, he got dressed and shouted,
“Prepare the carriage!”
When he arrived at the castle, he looked up at the brightly lit lord’s quarters.
Someone stood by the wide-open window, gazing down.
It was the young lord, looking like a mischievous little devil.
“Come up quickly! I’ve been waiting!”
Hearing his cheerful voice, the treasurer couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
“You called for me, my lord.”
The treasurer addressed Ian, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, with a gentle expression.
Whatever his true feelings, Ian needed him.
“Forgive me for summoning you so late.”
“Please, think nothing of it.”
“But you were a little slow. When I call, you should come at once.”
At Ian’s words, the treasurer’s brow twitched, but Ian covered his mouth and coughed lightly a few times.
“Treasurer, I was about to sleep, but a question came to mind, so I called you.”
“I’m listening, my lord. What would you ask?”
“How much debt did my father leave behind?”
“You called me for that, my lord?”
“I can’t wait until morning. My temperament has gotten a bit odd, hasn’t it?”
After peering at Ian for a moment, the treasurer opened the ledger he always carried.
“The late lord left behind a debt of roughly four hundred and sixty thousand gold coins. The remaining debt now is about four hundred and ten thousand.”
“Wait, over four hundred thousand gold coins?”
Ian’s eyes widened.
A soldier’s monthly wage was only about two gold coins—this was an astronomical sum.
“Does that answer satisfy your curiosity, my lord?”
The treasurer smiled smugly, as if pleased that he had managed to shatter the young lord’s composure for waking him at night.
“So in three years since my father’s death, we’ve only paid off fifty thousand? That’s all?”
“That’s hardly ‘only.’ I’ve wracked my brains and cut expenses wherever possible to make those payments.”
“What about the territory’s income?”
“From taxes levied on one hundred and seventy-two villages, tariffs collected from the merchant guilds, and revenue from your gold mine, quarry, and iron mines—after subtracting necessary expenses, the annual surplus is barely over twenty thousand gold coins.”
Ian had no way of verifying the truth of his words at the moment.
“So, according to you, I’ll have to keep paying like this for decades?”
“Yes, my lord. Until then, you won’t see piles of gold stacking up in your treasury.”
The treasurer looked up from his ledger and stared at the lord, as if to ask whether he had more questions.
“What’s with this guy? Is he the creditor himself? Why does he sound so smug?”
Ian tilted his head, listening from the bed.
“To whom is this debt owed?”
“Not to many people—just one.”
“High Lord Bonnen, right?”
The treasurer’s eyes sharpened at Ian’s accurate guess.
“Curious. You claim to remember nothing, and yet you know that?”
“His name just came to me somehow. A good sign, isn’t it? Maybe my memories will return little by little. Don’t you think so?”
“Yes. I pray you soon abandon this state of confusion and return to being the great lord you once were.”
“Was I really so great?”
Ian gave a faint laugh, then stood and looked around the chamber that had once been the office.
“Treasurer, how did my father end up indebted to High Lord Bonnen?”
“That is not for me to speak of.”
“It’s fine. Tell me—I need to know.”
Pressed by Ian, the treasurer slowly answered.
“Every year, High Lord Bonnen hosts a stag hunt to strengthen ties with neighboring lords. Many lords attended, including the late lord. There, gambling tables fueled by pride were set up, and large sums changed hands.”
“So Bonnen won it all?”
“Yes. But the late lord had the spirit of a gambler. Even after the hunt ended and the other lords returned home, he stayed behind and gambled with Bonnen for over a month.”
“And that’s how he fell into debt? What a shame. If I’d been there, I might have stopped him.”
“My lord, you were there.”
Ian, who had been sipping water, nearly choked.
Coughing violently, he finally steadied himself and faced the treasurer.
“I was there?”
“Yes. The late lord took you along to introduce you to Lord Bonnen. Of course, you don’t remember.”
Feeling awkward, Ian dropped the subject of his father.
“What’s the fastest way to pay off the debt?”
The treasurer answered eagerly, as if he’d been waiting.
“Sell some of your gold and silver mines, and part of your iron mine, to the guilds. Then double the taxes on your subjects. With that, the debt could be cleared within a few years.”
Ian thought for a moment, then shook his head.
“That’s troublesome. The mines are my sources of income. If I sell them, my revenues shrink. That defeats the purpose.”
“My lord, debts bear interest. The longer you take, the more you’ll owe Lord Bonnen.”
“There’s interest too?”
“Yes. The sooner you repay, the better.”
Ian’s eyes fell to the treasurer’s wrist.
A luxurious golden bracelet, set with colorful gems, gleamed beneath his sleeve.
Noticing Ian’s gaze, the treasurer quickly pulled his sleeve down to cover it.
“Don’t hesitate, my lord. Sell them. I’ll find the merchants.”
“Hm. I don’t like the sound of it. We’ll discuss this another time.”
When Ian avoided giving a firm answer, the treasurer bowed slightly, his voice heavy.
“Very well, my lord. Then, at least, double the taxes on the people. That alone will help.”
“That’s not right either. I can’t raise taxes without reason.”
“You are the lord. Who would dare defy your command?”
“Enough. Find another way.”
The treasurer straightened, his tall frame towering over Ian so that his chin nearly aligned with the young lord’s face.
“My lord, a ruler burdened with such great debt cannot wield his power effectively. Soldiers will dwindle, and subordinates will lose heart.”
At his provocative tone, Ian’s gaze turned icy.
He drew a dagger and pressed his fingertip against its edge. Red blood welled and dripped to the floor.
“So what are you saying? That I should step down as lord?”
Startled by Ian’s sudden shift, the treasurer stiffened and took a step back.
“That’s not what I meant, my lord. I live only to serve you.”
Sucking the blood from his finger, Ian gestured.
“Go now. You’ve done enough, coming here so late.”
“Yes, my lord. Then rest well.”
The treasurer bowed deeply and retreated out of the chamber.
After passing through the guard-lined corridor, he climbed into his carriage waiting below. Before shutting the door, he looked up at the lord’s quarters.
The young lord was leaning out the window, watching him.
“I can’t tell where this boy will turn. At times, he seems rational; at others, like a madman.”
After a moment’s pause, the treasurer slammed the carriage door shut.
