I Married the Dragon I Killed
Chapter 29
Chapter 29
That day, from the highest point of the castle, Ferda watched a group galloping toward the Valdrova Principality.
There were approximately twenty of them, all mounted on horseback.
Unless a horse was raised in the Far East, it would naturally show an aversion to a dragon’s presence.
However, these horses showed no instinctive rejection despite being raised in the Central Region. They were horses trained to charge into a place of death until their last breath, even if it meant losing their lives or having their legs severed.
Only the Empire’s finest elites could ride such steeds.
Ferda knew exactly who they were.
“The Eradication Squad has arrived.”
Ruri, standing beside him, responded.
“The Eradication Squad… you mean the imperial institution that monitors the lords?”
“Yes. They were originally called the Imperial Inspection Group, but they changed the name themselves.”
Originally, the institution was created to monitor and check the corruption of local lords. It was established by the Emperor to win the hearts of the people.
“They hadn’t shown their faces until now, but they’ve started lingering around the Far East ever since you arrived, Ferda-nim.”
Ruri spoke as if they were the root of all evil. She wasn’t exactly wrong.
“Do you know why? It’s because there was nothing to eat.”
“Nothing to eat?”
“They call themselves the Eradication Squad, but in reality, they’re just a group that extorts money from the lords.”
It was an institution the Emperor had ambitiously introduced to win over the populace, but within a few months, it had lost its function and become corrupted. Ultimately, they transformed into state-sanctioned thugs who traveled around threatening lords and extorting money under the guise of inspection and rooting out corruption.
What was the Valdrova Principality like before Ferda arrived?
The castle itself was abandoned, and the local lords were merely a front line that entrusted their safety solely to Valdrova’s back. The squad had ignored it simply because it was dangerous and wouldn’t even cover their travel expenses.
“They’re no different from the Wandering Knights.”
“The only difference is whether their target is a lord or the local residents.”
“If they’ve come to extort money under the pretext of an inspection… they’ll likely press you about Thessalos Walcher. Will that be all right?”
Murdering a noble was a serious crime.
The news must have reached the Empire’s ears through the local lords who witnessed it.
“Well, they’ll bring up the charge of murdering a noble, but they’ll treat that as just one of many offenses.”
“Are there other crimes you’ve committed?”
“None, and yet there are.”
Ferda was a man from a family of knights. Thus, he knew the first words the Eradication Squad would pull out—the words that made every lord’s heart race.
“They will pressure me with allegations of conspiring and inciting rebellion.”
Conspiring and inciting rebellion.
What other words could be so heart-pounding? It was a charge that could be twisted to fit any situation—a ’nose ring if worn on the nose, an earring if worn on the ear’—and it was a charge that could cost one their head.
They would undoubtedly force a non-existent crime upon him and push their way in.
“It might be best not to even talk to them. Shall I chase them away?”
At Ruri’s question, Ferda shook his head.
“No, they’re guests who’ve come all this way. Shouldn’t we reel them in properly?”
“Reel them in?”
“They are people from the heart of the Arken Empire. Imagine how much easier things will be if we win them over in advance.”
“Hmm…”
Their heads were filled with blind greed. They were men whose only faith lay in the epaulettes on their chests. They were beings riddled with flaws from birth.
“To think such things, worse than trash, are entering our castle…”
Ruri muttered. She openly loathed knights. Her disgust had reached an all-precedented peak.
It was inevitable. Until recently, she had suffered from the smell, even being told by Valdrova that she herself smelled.
“Ferda-nim.”
“What is it?”
“If those primitive idiots are to enter this castle, shouldn’t they wash ‘thoroughly’?”
They absolutely had to. Her face suggested she might start a rebellion herself if they didn’t.
“Do as you wish.”
“Thank you.”
Having received permission, Ruri hurried off to prepare the bathwater.
Karl Harvest.
As the eldest son of the Harvest family, a knightly house, he served as the field inspection leader for the Eradication Squad. The position of leader didn’t sound very prestigious, but Karl had no complaints. It was one of the few roles where he could use his status as a knight to suppress local lords and act like a king.
Recently, a new prey had appeared for them.
Ferda Valdrova.
A man who was about to be kicked out of the Rosnova family but claimed to be engaged to the Duke—a claim he had snatched up.
At first, everyone laughed. They called him a fool who chose to be torn apart by the Duke rather than give up being a noble.
But he hadn’t been torn apart. In fact, he was thriving. Ever since he set foot in the Principality, the Eastern Region, which had been stagnant, began to show signs of growth. For now, it was just the Pascal Trading Company setting up a branch, but the traffic of merchant groups would gradually increase.
That meant a lot of money would be flowing through the East. The Valdrova Principality, which they had treated like a worthless husk, now looked like delicious prey.
The first to catch that scent was the Eradication Squad, an institution directly under the Imperial family. It was a foregone conclusion that this development would accelerate and follow an upward trajectory.
However, they undervalued the achievement Ferda had accomplished.
‘It just means Valdrova’s treasures have piled up that much.’
They didn’t imagine it was possible because Ferda was capable. To them, he was just a brat kicked out of the Rosnova family.
‘Since the current Regent is from a knightly family, he’ll know what we do.’
Being from a knightly house, he would know about the Eradication Squad. Thus, the thought that he might be easier to talk to than other lords took precedence. Ferda would know that the Eradication Squad was the type to stop harassing you once they were given a reasonable amount of money.
‘I need to squeeze as much as I can out of him while he still has money.’
The Principality was dangerous, and Valdrova’s wealth and treasures couldn’t be infinite.
‘But I shouldn’t take it too lightly.’
Karl wasn’t a fool who thought everything would go exactly as planned. People tend to change when they become intoxicated with power beyond their station. If Ferda began to act arrogantly after rising to the position of Regent, Karl had to be able to crush him.
Naturally, Karl was already prepared for that.
“Has the reply I sent for arrived yet?”
Karl had sent a letter to Count Consilus for a final check. His adjutant, who had confirmed the contents, replied.
“Yes. He says he is currently on his way to Valdrova Castle. He suggested we start the conversation first.”
“Good.”
Karl grinned. An informant who had provided information about Ferda Valdrova, an ally who would solidify the Eradication Squad’s position, and a witness. With this, he held the card to crush Ferda Valdrova. No matter how the boy acted, he wouldn’t be able to escape the pressure of the Eradication Squad.
Finally, they reached the entrance of the inner castle.
As the castle had no servants to speak of, the surroundings were desolate. Usually, lords would keep many servants around to maintain their face and prestige. However, upon entering the inner castle, all they saw was a grey-haired man in a uniform and a young girl in a maid outfit.
The man was looking down at them with his hands behind his back, as if he had been waiting.
‘Is that him?’
The third son kicked out of the Rosnova family. As rumored, he was tall, but his frame was slender. He looked so weak that one could never imagine him being from a knightly house.
‘His gaze is unusual, perhaps because he’s the Regent.’
His deep eyes and expression seemed to indicate, even at a glance, that he wouldn’t be an easy opponent. Ordinary people would have been nervous, but Karl had seen this situation countless times. People who had no substance but put on airs with their expressions.
Karl had even seen them crumble.
‘In the end, he’s just a man living off Valdrova.’
In Karl’s eyes, he just looked like a brat with a fancy attitude. Hiding his sneer behind his helmet, Karl dismounted and removed his headgear. As expected of the eldest son of a knightly family, his face was sharply chiseled.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Ferda Rosnova! I am Karl, the eldest son of the Harvest family, come to investigate under orders from the Eradication Squad, a unit directly under the Imperial family!”
Karl greeted him politely, placing a hand over his heart. Ferda accepted the greeting graciously.
“A pleasure to meet you, Sir Karl Harvest. However, it has been a long time since I cast off the Rosnova name, so I would prefer you call me Ferda Valdrova.”
“Oh, my apologies.”
It wasn’t a mistake. He had only intended to remind Ferda that he was the third son of the Rosnova family. His words carried a strong nuance of, ‘You know how it is, since we’re from the same knightly circles, right?’
Of course, it was a petty trick that didn’t work on Ferda at all.
“What business brings the Eradication Squad, protectors of the Empire’s subjects, here? There aren’t even any subjects to protect in this Valdrova Castle yet.”
“This doesn’t seem like a conversation to be had standing up. How about we go inside and talk?”
“Talk inside, you say…”
Ferda was welcoming them at the entrance of the inner castle. He glanced back. After locking eyes with the young maidservant, he nodded.
“It is possible, but you must follow our castle’s rules. Is that acceptable?”
“What rules are you talking about?”
“A new rule was recently established in our castle. All knights must complete a full cleansing before entering.”
Karl frowned. It sounded like a blatant insult, as if he were being told he smelled.
“Who decided on such a ridiculous rule?”
Ruri Silverwind, the attendant of the Red Dragon, Valdrova.
“I decided it.”
However, Ferda replied that he had. He simply wanted to avoid useless back-and-forth questioning. Ferda gestured toward the silver plate armor with his chin and spoke.
“Wearing those sweat-trapping things makes it easy to fall ill. Especially in the Far East, where ominous energies linger. Maintaining cleanliness is the priority. That is why I decreed that everyone must wash consistently.”
“Hmm…”
He didn’t like the idea of bathing first upon arriving at someone else’s territory, but when in a lord’s domain, one must follow their rules first. Moreover, he had felt the foul energy of the East continuously on his way here.
“Understood. Since we have come to the Principality, we shall follow its laws.”
“I appreciate it.”
Ferda turned his head slightly to look at Ruri, who was waiting. As if she had been waiting for this moment, she stepped forward and greeted the inspection group.
“Welcome to Valdrova Castle. I am Ruri, and I will be assisting you with your bath. Please, this way.”
Karl’s eyes couldn’t hide his disappointment. Ruri was a beauty with silver hair and silver eyes, but she had the body of a girl without any curves. When such a plain, unimpressive girl said she would assist with the bath, his expectations plummeted.
‘I’ll just take a quick bath and come out.’
Of course, that was only Karl’s thought.
‘I will make sure not a single speck of dirt remains on them.’
Ruri was more sincere than ever. In her hands was a coarse loofah. Even the spirits she summoned were waiting in the bathhouse, each holding a loofah just like Ruri. She welcomed them, fully prepared to strip away every bit of grime stubbornly clinging to their skin.
“Aaaargh!”
“Help me!”
“Ack! Aaaack!”
That day, screams echoed one after another from Valdrova Castle.
Ferda and Karl met in the drawing room after the bath. Ferda discovered one surprising fact.
‘His skin was actually quite bright.’
The difference was so great one might believe a layer of skin had been scrubbed off. Karl, who had been scrubbed ‘thoroughly’ to that extent, swallowed his curses inwardly.
“Thank you… for the hospitality.”
“Not at all. I didn’t expect such a warm welcome myself. Please, have some tea.”
“Yes.”
Karl and Ferda both picked up their teacups. To facilitate the conversation, Ferda threw out a topic.
“So, what business brings the Eradication Squad here?”
“As I mentioned, we have come here for an investigation. Do you know what charges you are facing, Regent-nim?”
“I do not. That is why I am asking, is it not?”
“Understood.”
‘He’s playing dumb.’
Karl brought out his prepared lines.
“Regent Ferda Valdrova, you are currently under investigation on suspicion of conspiring and inciting rebellion against the Empire. Do you understand?”
The charge didn’t deviate an inch from Ferda’s expectations. It was cliché, but he decided to play along for now.
“I see. So, have you come to give me a medal then?”
“This is not an atmosphere for joking with the Empire’s inspection leader.”
“Was it not a joke? I only thought so because you mentioned inciting and conspiring for rebellion. All I have done is contribute to the development of the territory.”
“I am aware that you are dedicated to the development and peace of the Empire. However, once an accusation has been made, it is my duty to investigate.”
“And the accuser?”
“I cannot tell you. It is a confidential matter.”
‘You can’t tell me? More like you can’t because there isn’t one.’
“I heard you recently signed a contract with the Pascal Trading Company.”
“That is correct.”
“I also heard that road improvements and the supply of scarce goods are being carried out with full support from Pascal.”
“It’s not full support. I’m contributing a tiny bit as well.”
Since it was important to have even a small stake, the Valdrova Castle was paying about 1%. It was Stefan who had suggested it.
“All of this can be investigated under the charge of conspiring and inciting rebellion against the Empire.”
