OBT 40

Chapter 40

Temple (2)

If he hadn’t been there, an entire village might have disappeared.

At the same time, it would have been an open display of his incompetence.

How weak must the territory have looked, for bandits to invade so brazenly and for slavers to land without fear and attack a village?

“Such a thing happened, you say. Pardon me, my lord, but may I ask where you heard this news?”

The administrator and the treasurer were stunned by how well the lord seemed to know about last night’s incident.

Normally, provincial matters had to pass through the administrator or treasurer first. Yet here was the lord in his castle already knowing something even they hadn’t heard. It was hard to believe.

They even wondered if perhaps false information had somehow reached the lord’s ears.

How could a fishing village possibly have fended off two hundred attackers in a sudden raid?

The more they thought about it, the less sense it made.

Guessing their thoughts, Ian swung his command staff to the side.

The golden rod cut the air and passed right before their eyes.

“Are you doubting my words right now?”

Still holding the staff outstretched to the side, Ian asked coldly.

“Doubting you, my lord? Of course not. It is simply such a grave matter that we wish to understand it thoroughly.”

The administrator answered respectfully. Ian stared at him a moment, then slowly lowered the staff.

“The news from Randen was brought by one of the Shadows who act under my command. His name is Hyunseong. He captured Chrome and eliminated his men. That’s who it was.”

The administrator and the treasurer exchanged looks like men hearing an unbelievable story.

So the lord had someone moving separately under him? And strong enough, ruthless enough, to take down two hundred enemies alone.

He has a monster serving him… Hyunseong, I’ve never heard that name before. Did he recruit him recently?

The treasurer felt as if a new burden had been dropped on his shoulders.

“Administrator.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Soon news of what happened in the southern lands will spread. When it does, you’ll believe me all the more.”

“I already believe your words completely, my lord. After all, is that not why you called us here at this hour?”

Ian patted the administrator’s shoulder.

“You are reliable, as always.”

“I too have no doubts about your words, my lord,” said the treasurer, belatedly echoing him.

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“Eh? Ah, yes… of course.”

Chastised by Ian, the treasurer forced an awkward smile.

“Administrator, Treasurer—assess Randen’s damages precisely and prepare relief measures. Make sure the people truly feel the lord protects them.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“There’s a ship as well. A large one, the slavers came on. If sold, it should fetch quite a price. Treasurer, contact the merchants and sell it for as much as you can. That money will go to support Randen.”

“I’ll see to it, my lord.”

Leaning once more against his command staff, Ian looked down intently at the military map.

“Listen carefully, you two. A village burned by slavers is a disgrace. How lowly must our land appear, for such things to keep happening? The bandits, the slavers…”

“……”

The administrator and treasurer stayed silent before the faint anger in the lord’s voice.

“I’ll raise our troops back to a thousand.”

“What? But my lord, the finances…”

As the treasurer hesitated, Ian slammed the staff against the floor with a heavy thud.

“Silence. Five years ago, my father reduced our forces because of debt. That was acceptable then. But times are different now. Bandits rampage, slavers invade. And with the succession struggle, the kingdom could be plunged into civil war at any moment.”

At the mention of royal succession, the treasurer—who had opposed the expansion—closed his mouth. The administrator gave a small nod.

In troubled times, strength was all that mattered. And a territory’s strength meant well-trained soldiers.

“The cost of expansion will come from the funds you pledged to me, Treasurer. Prepare them without fail.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“And Administrator.”

Ian pointed across the red canyon with his staff, toward Rovellon.

“Do not send the twenty thousand gold coins to Rovellon as planned. We have little money as it is; there’s no need to curry favor with those useless wretches.”

“But my lord, if we do that, we might give Rovellon a pretext and they could encroach on our lands.”

The administrator’s expression tightened with concern.

“I’ve thought it over. If I were Rovellon’s lord, I wouldn’t waste resources attacking another territory, gold or not. Do you know why?”

Ian pointed at the banner of the kingdom, hanging beside his family’s flag in the office.

“With succession disputes looming, would he really waste his strength needlessly? He should be more worried about Rovellon’s own future.”

The administrator was impressed. It was a convincing argument.

“If that is your judgment, my lord, I shall obey. But if our soldiers cross the red canyon, we must notify Rovellon clearly. That way we avoid greater burdens later. Even if we don’t send the money, we should send the envoys as planned.”

“I won’t stop that. Handle it as you see fit.”

Looking at the lord standing with his staff, both men felt an aura of bold determination.

Not long ago, this same frail lord would keep his head bowed before them—yet here he stood transformed.

“I’ll discuss the troop increase in detail with the captain of the guard. You may go now.”

“My lord, about the slaver Chrome—you said he was captured. How will you deal with him?”

The administrator, halfway out the door, turned back to ask.

“We’ll do it by the law. A scaffold in the square, his head cut off. Unless… he pays enough for his life. If he wants to live a little longer, he’ll pay his ransom.”

Ian fully intended to wring money out of Chrome.

With finances strained and aid needed for Randen, it would take no small sum.

Once the officials had left, Ian turned his gaze to Harmon, who stood stiffly with his sword at his side.

“Harmon.”

“Yes, my lord!”

“Send the guards. Bring Chrome here.”

The cold floors of the underground prison could breed illnesses in a man after just a few years.

Persistent coughing, a trembling in the hands and feet, or pins and needles that wouldn’t stop.

Fortunately, aside from hunger, Cain was relatively healthy.

The night before, after pushing Josh aside and taking the bed, he awoke with a rested face.

Warm sunlight streaming through the window tickled his face.

Despite the heavy meal the night before, he was hungry again the moment he opened his eyes.

The hardest thing in prison wasn’t the forced labor or the cold.

It was hunger.

Food rationed to keep a man barely alive was the most effective way to break prisoners.

“You’re awake?”

Josh entered through the door.

“Good morning. Thanks to you giving up the bed, I slept well for once.”

Stretching wide, Cain sat on the edge of the bed.

“When do we eat?”

“We’re eating now. Come on.”

In the kitchen, Linda and Nekamo were already gnawing on hard bread.

“Good morning, both of you.”

“Come, sit over here.”

Nekamo tried to treat Cain as well as he could.

Without a proper translation of the dungeon book, there was little hope of making a cure.

“There’s plenty of bread—eat all you like.”

“This makes me feel pitiful.”

Cain grabbed two loaves, one in each hand, and loudly munched away.

The usually quiet house felt noisy that morning because of him.

“After breakfast I’ll start making the translation draft. Prepare paper and pens.”

“There’s no need to rush. You must still be worn out from prison,” Linda said between chews of bread.

In truth, she felt as much pressure as her father to create the cure, though she hid it well.

But after the lord’s secret visit at dawn, she felt calmer, more reassured. His encouragement had given her strength.

“Thank you, but I want this done quickly. The sooner it’s finished, the sooner I’m free. I need to get back to my laboratory—by now it’s surely covered in cobwebs.”

“Laboratory?”

“Yes. I must resume building golems.”

Hearing this, Josh put down his bread and burst out laughing.

“Ha! And get called a fraud again?”

“Shut your mouth.”

Cain shoved his wide piece of bread into Josh’s laughing face.

“If you’re going to live with me, you’d better stop seeing only half of the world.”

“What do you mean, live with you?” Nekamo asked, pouring water.

“This boy has no talent for medicine. I’ll take him, set him to chores, and teach him how to see the world properly.”

“Don’t listen to him. You think I’m crazy enough to follow this man?” Josh snorted.

“Once I make a golem, I’ll sell it for a fortune. You could be rich too. Think it over seriously.”

For Josh, who had grown up in the slums, the word rich was dangerously alluring.

Caught off guard, he mouthed the word rich to himself. Then suddenly, he shook his head violently.

He had nearly fallen for it.

“Just eat your bread. I’m not going with you.”

“Heh, we’ll see.”

Cain chuckled softly, reaching for the last loaf in the basket.

Wearing a robe as white as snow, Linda walked down the corridor of the lord’s residence. From her bag she pulled out a seashell.

Why did he leave this behind?

As she neared the lord’s chamber, she tried to interpret its meaning.

Was it an apology for waking me at dawn? Or just an accident?

The shell still carried the unique smell of the sea, as if freshly gathered from the shore.

Why am I thinking so hard about this? It’s just a shell. What matters more is that the lord was wounded.

She sighed softly and slipped it back into her bag.

Come to think of it, the wounds she had treated that morning must have been agonizing, even though he had borne them with patience.

Aside from the visible injuries, his upper body was covered with cuts—sharp wounds from blades and arrows.

Scars that could never have been inflicted inside the castle.

What is the lord hiding?

She hadn’t told even her father about his secret visit.

The lord hadn’t ordered her to keep quiet, but the atmosphere made it feel only natural.

“Ah!”

Lost in thought as she walked, she turned a corner and bumped into one of two maids approaching from the opposite direction.

“Oh, I’m sorry! Are you all right?”

Linda asked, concerned, seeing the maid clutch her shoulder.

“I’m fine.”

With a grimace, the maid brushed past her.

Feeling uneasy, Linda opened her bag.

“Just in case, let me give you some medicine for your shoulder.”

“I said I’m fine.”

The maid spoke curtly and quickly left with her companion.

Left holding her bag open, Linda smiled faintly at their retreating figures.