Chapter 31

Chapter 31: An Obedient Dog

— Wait a moment, Count Consillus! We are the representatives of the Imperial House.
Just in case there was a misunderstanding, he emphasized it once more.
His career path and his future are in our hands.
Count Consillus patted his shoulder with a look of pity.
— You have had a difficult journey getting here. Indeed. To think that the Empire would summon you for something like this and blame an innocent person.
— Huh? W-what on earth do you mean…?
Is the story not different?
It was definitely Count Consillus who was talking like a son of a bitch.
Is he changing his mind now?
«Don’t tell me…»
Karl’s eyes moved quickly between Ferda and Count Consillus.
No. That cannot be.
There is no way something so united exists in the noble world.
— What is the matter?
— Yes?
Ferda tilted his head and spoke.
— Go ahead, call the next witness.
Ferda snapped his fingers as if he were calculating.
— There are still many witnesses left. Excluding the late Thesalos Walcher, there are 13 left. Bring them all in and let them testify. If even one of them says I am guilty, your role will be over, will it not?
Even if it were not 99, if one said it was correct, that was the Cheokgyeoldan’s power to dispose of someone.
But Karl knew there was no chance of winning, even if he called all 13.
If Count Consillus, who could be called the true power of the Far East, denied it, his subordinates would deny it too.
— If you cannot call the witnesses, bring more.
— W-what…
— Do you not have more charges that you brought to bring me down and threaten me? Bring them out.
The atmosphere had completely reversed.
Karl forced himself to be stubborn.
He took something out of his chest with trembling hands.
— I-I heard that you kidnapped, kidnapped this child.
A composite sketch of a girl with long, straight hair.
A single glance at those empty eyes and one could tell it was Mori.
«If it comes to finding Mori, it’s Helus Povidas.»
If Helus Povidas pointed accurately at Ferda, it meant he had found the maid.
— I see.
Of course, that threat in itself was complete nonsense that would not work.
Karl knew it well too.
It was just that at that moment his mind had gone completely blank and he felt he had to do something.
— I am sorry, but I bought that child. I obtained the consent of that maid and received the ownership rights. It cannot be called a kidnapping.
— ……..
— Even so, if you want to insist, it would not be bad to speak with the party involved. And what is next?
Karl did not answer.
Excluding that, everything else is trivial bullshit.
Things about shrewdly testing the waters to pull out a few more coins.
He has no cards left.
— Then I will have to speak.
It was Ferda’s turn.
He directed his gaze toward Count Consillus.
— Count Consillus.
— Yes. Speak, Your Regency.
He bowed politely and answered.
— This bastard openly demanded money from me.
— Ho, ho, is that so? Since he came from so far away, is it not right to at least cover the travel expenses?
— The travel expenses he demanded were 100,000 gold.
— Ho, ho, that is quite a large sum.
— What value does that money hold?
— Everyone’s values differ, so it is difficult to give a definitive answer.
— Right. Then, how much would that be in money used for the people of your territory?
— That would be enough money for the people of our territory to live without worrying about food for 10 years.
— Right.
Ferda’s blue eyes gleamed faintly.
— So this bastard tried to steal 10 years from the people of the territory?
— That is correct.
Count Consillus looked at Karl with him.
Clear anger was etched into his eyes that had been smiling shrewdly.
— An atrocious act that makes heaven and earth weep.
— Ah… aaaaah…
To think that the cat he called to corner the rat was also in cahoots.
Karl, who never imagined that he would be the one harmed, began to tremble.
— What do you think? How should we deal with this man?
— Someone who carries the name of the Empire demanding money and goods. That is not something a mere knight would do.
— Right? And he demanded to be treated like the Emperor.
— Hahaha! Surely he would not do such a thing? A mere knight daring to compare himself to His Majesty the Emperor.
— And what if that is true?
— He would have no excuse even if he ended up like Thesalos. Thesalos Walcher had a hole in his forehead, right?
— That is correct.
Karl could not even breathe properly before their one-sided conversation.
No words came out, only cold sweat as he looked back and forth between the two.
— But before that… how about we formally protest to the Empire on charges of extortion and impersonation of royalty?
— Good idea. But would they even listen to a protest from someone so young?
— There is no need to worry. I will prepare it.
Most nobles know that the Cheokgyeoldan does the dirty work.
But if you turn it into an open issue, it is different.
No one would dare ignore the words of Count Consillus, who guards the front lines into old age.
«Count Consillus…»
Betrayal filled Karl’s eyes.
The one who caught him in a trap is that old man who laughs and chats over there.
«To me, to the Cheokgyeoldan…! He set a trap for us.»
Count Consillus and Ferda Valdrova had colluded to create this mess.
Karl attempted a last desperate struggle.
— W-we are a directly affiliated unit! Even if you protest, nothing will cha—!
— Will it?
Ferda replied coldly.
— How far does your value go?
— My value…?
— Would it be more convenient to cover it up, or more convenient to slit your throat saying that we will correct the deviation of an individual?
It was not even necessary to ask.
The latter is overwhelmingly better.
— And even if you somehow survive, do you think your blood relatives will stay still? Your younger brothers will probably come to slit your throat themselves.
— What the hell…?
— Think about it, eldest son of the Harvest family. You have two younger brothers, right? Even if you are close, do you think they would stay still while their older brother commits corruption?
There was no way they would stay still.
They were bastards who looked with resentful eyes at what Karl enjoyed just for being born first.
If they know the honor of a knight, they will cut him down for the family’s glory.
If they are just vulgar opportunists thirsty for advancement, they will cut him down for their own advancement.
Karl was a perfect bait that was better off dead than alive.
In a situation where everything was pressing down on him, Karl realized too late.
«The dragon was not the problem.»
Until a few days ago, this Regent they made fun of was the one they should have been wary of.
— Speak.
Karl woke up abruptly to Ferda’s voice.
He always asks coldly like that.
— How do I seem to you now?
A sharp chill like a blade of ice placed before his own throat.
If he answered poorly, he felt that blade would slit his throat and dismember his body.
Karl, trembling with fear, answered with difficulty.
— The gr-great Regent Valdrova-nim.
Submission leaked from that voice.
— Right, the one who rules in place of the Grand Duke in the Grand Duchy of Valdrova.
Ferda stood up and placed a hand on Karl’s trembling shoulder.
— And I am thinking that you should become the owner of the Cheokgyeoldan.
A sweet whisper like the devil’s.
— Do you want to become the owner of the Cheokgyeoldan, or die nobly for the Cheokgyeoldan?
A foolish question.
There is no nobility in the Cheokgyeoldan.
Karl bowed his head.
— Please accept my loyalty.
Ferda shook his head at that answer.
— I do not need your flimsy loyalty.
When Karl’s heart sank to the floor, he added.
— What I need is an obedient dog.
— A d-dog… you say?
— A dog that only does what it is told and does not do useless nonsense. One that wags its tail at the occasional bone thrown at it and knows how to wait obediently for its master. If so, your path to advancement will open. Do you understand?
Karl nodded.
— Ah, I understand. I will become a dog. I will become… the dog… of Regent-nim.
— Good.
Ferda patted his shoulder.
— Stay here for today. I need to make you a dog collar.
— …Yes.
His pale complexion showed no signs of recovering.
Karl left the reception room.
By this time, he would be enjoying dinner with the subordinates he brought.
Of course, for the person involved, it is just a last meal before execution, so he does not even know if the food goes in through his mouth or through his nose.
Meanwhile, Ferda conversed with Count Consillus.
Count Consillus explained the whole story of how the Cheokgyeoldan arrived.
— So the Cheokgyeoldan came with such confidence because of you.
Count Consillus bowed his head.
— I committed an act that deserves death without any excuse.
— It does not matter. Then, what did you reply in that letter?
— He is an upright and benevolent ruler who cares for the Far East…
Count Consillus smiled with a grimace.
— It seems I should not have answered like that.
— Why?
I can guess, but I ask.
— The Cheokgyeoldan are like a swarm of locusts. They smell their prey and swarm, tearing everything apart before disappearing. The Far East seeks to develop right now. They always attack the weak first and devour them slowly. Once they set foot, it is as if everything were over.
One of the Cheokgyeoldan’s main strategies.
First isolate defenseless places, then devour them.
— But Regent-nim’s image was already bad due to Thesalos Walcher.
Ferda was already isolated on the surface.
Enough to think that the nobles were sharpening knives to stab Ferda in the back.
If only they gave him certainty, he could be thoroughly used.
— You used me correctly.
— I apologize for causing concern. Since everything was my plan, if you must punish someone, please punish this old man.
Ferda waved his hand.
— No, it is fine. Did you not take care of the stray dogs for the development and peace of the territory?
— But putting the Regent to the test must have been unpleasant.
— You spoke with honesty, so it does not matter. As long as you remain loyal to the Grand Duke, I do not care how you use me. I did not come to enjoy the authority of the King. I came to dedicate myself to my King.
— Aaah…
Count Consillus, who could easily see through the pretensions of nobles.
Ferda’s sincerity, which came from the depths of his bones, was felt vividly.
— Then, tell me. To whom are you loyal?
— To be honest, I was loyal to the Empire. I was someone whose heart leaned more toward the Emperor of the Empire than toward the Grand Duke-nim, who is nearby.
Count Consillus smiled bitterly and told his truth.
— When one gets old, one becomes afraid. So, as time passes, there are times when you forget what you climbed to this position for.
— Did you remember what you had forgotten now?
— Yes. Thanks to Regent-nim, my eyes were opened.
Count Consillus looked out the window.
Not far away, the contaminated land, the Devil’s Land, stretched out.
A landscape never visible from his castle due to its high position.
— I took this position with the conviction of protecting the people. I was loyal to the Empire because the Empire exists to protect its subjects, not because it elevated me.
— A noble noble.
— Excessive praise.
Count Consillus laughed heartily.
Count Consillus was the spokesperson of the Far East.
But, as always, there was nothing that ignited the fire in their chests.
Countless soldiers died, yet all they gained was the wear and tear of their own hearts and fear.
— Count Consillus.
— Yes.
— Is that conviction still in your chest?
— That is correct.
Ferda extended his hand.
— Then, join me. To protect this East, I need someone like you.
Count Consillus’s eyes opened wide at the proposal, and he shook his head.
— No. Please do not say that. The one who should say that is not Regent-nim, it is me.
Count Consillus knelt and carefully placed his hands upon that hand.
The hand that wielded a sword to protect the people was rough and calloused.
— Please lead this East where only death lurks. I will always dedicate my loyalty to the Grand Duke-nim and follow the will of the Regent.
Karl was suffering from a hangover.
He had drunk like a madman, wishing to die, unable to bear his situation of having to hide an unspeakable secret.
But instead of dying, only a murderous hangover and the morning sunlight greeted him.
‘Damn it……’
I want to run away.
But I do not even have the courage for that.
So I have to sit here and wait like a pig caught in a slaughterhouse.
Someone entered.
Thinking it was Ferda, he tried to stand up and bow, but
— Ah, hello?
A woman with eerily dark hair entered.
‘What? Who is this woman?’
But she was not ordinary.
From her clothes, she looked like one of the administrators employed in this castle.
But an ominous energy that could not be hidden in that normality made one want to step back immediately.
She raised her hand awkwardly and greeted.
— I will contract as the representative in place of Grand Duke-nim. And… hmm…
Her black eyes scanned Karl’s face.
— You are not as handsome as I heard.
A pitiful voice.
He wondered what her problem could be, but he did not even feel like getting angry.
— My name is Echidna Philias.
— …Philias?
The hangover dissipated instantly.
‘Philias? Does that mean a witch belonging to Philias?’
Philias.
It appears in women who awaken the Red Circle, and if you contract with them, they inevitably become witches.
Basically, they hate men extremely and are famous for never cooperating with anyone outside of Philias.
‘He recruited that witch… and is using her?’
How is that possible?
He forcefully swallows the question, akin to a scream, that wanted to burst out.
In Karl’s head, his assessment of the person named Ferda was being rewritten.
— Here… this is the contract… would you like to read it slowly?
— Yes.
Karl checked page by page with the desperation of someone clinging to a lifeline.
‘Loopholes… I need to find loopholes…’
But it was impossible.
There was no way Karl, not very versed in law, could review a contract of dozens of pages alone.
‘As expected of a witch…’
The witch, considered the most disgusting after demons when it comes to contracts.
When he said he would put a dog collar on him, he thought they would make contract magic in a rudimentary way, but to think that they would use a witch for it.
Karl read about three pages and then gave up, signing his name on each page.
No matter what happens, the fact that he becomes a dog does not change anyway.
When he finished signing up to the last page, the contract began to glow.
— Ugh.
Karl groaned from the pain rising beneath his skin.
That tingling sensation: the emblem of the contract was engraved on his wrist.
With that, the contract with this gloomy witch was completed.
— Alright. Confirmed. From now on, you… need to watch your mouth, okay?
— Watch my mouth… what do you mean?
— I expected it, but you really didn’t read it… so… um… if you try to do something against the will of Regent-nim, or give clues about this contract… your head goes poof!!
Her shoulders bounced.
— And it will go flying. You always have to watch your thoughts and words, okay?
Even stuttering like a simpleton, she says that he will die so naturally that it turns out even more chilling.
Fifth-level contract magic has an absolute effect within the contract.
If there is no loophole in the contract, you must force the cancellation, but even that process is complicated and troublesome.
‘The level is the second problem.’
Karl contracted with a witch.
If that fact becomes known, of course, he will be beheaded in the Empire.
He might even die at the hands of his younger brothers who covet his position.
He must absolutely hide it.
……..
— Ehehe, I-I would like an answer, though.
He shuddered.
An ominous energy poured out.
In that awkward smile, madness without murderous intent showed itself.
That made it even creepier.
— Y-yes, of course!!
— Alright, I got the answer. You can go now. Goodbye~!
Karl fled from that place as if he were escaping.
Echidna waved her hand, laughing at Karl who fled with his tail between his legs.
He barely got out and tried to catch his breath when.
— The contract ended quickly.
He escaped from the tiger’s den only to find another tiger prowling.
That tiger placed a hand on Karl’s shoulder and said.
— I will give the first mission to a member of the Cheokgyeoldan and to a dog who swore loyalty to the Grand Duchy of Valdrova.
Karl could no longer avoid it.
— What is the mission?
Ferda replied.
— Helus Povidas.
The man called the Water Sage.
— Bring that bastard here.
He was also going to put a ring in that bastard’s nose.