Translator: Nox

I Married the Dragon I Killed

Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Ferda tilted his head.

「What does that have to do with conspiring to and inciting rebellion?」

「Because you are arming soldiers in reliance on a private company and constructing a road connecting to the Empire. Is it not your intention to facilitate an invasion?」

It was the height of absurdity.

Ferda responded calmly.

「The road is being improved to stimulate and streamline supplies and trade, and to make it easier to receive support from the Empire in case of an emergency. Furthermore, as we have signed a contract with the Pascal Trading Company, it is necessary to build a road for them. What kind of fault are you finding with a road in a land where the only enemies are magical beasts and monsters?」

「The East has consistently defended itself until now even without roads. What you are doing now is excessive armament and an act of intimidation toward the Empire.」

「Defended, you say……?」

At that moment, Ferda’s calm emotions surged.

「Have you people ever once seen what is happening on the Far East Front?」

「We have not.」

「Have you ever set foot in the Far East?」

「We have not.」

「Then you wouldn’t know what is happening in the Far East.」

Ferda hadn’t known either until he came here.

He had participated in the Far East Front Allied meetings several times, but it was only later that he realized the situation was dire.

「To begin with, the Far East border was in a state where budget, troops, and morale were all lacking. We’ve only just managed to fill about 25% of it. And yet, that looks like excessive armament to you?」

「There have been no problems until now. To increase armament when there is no need is precisely what I mean.」

「Do not be absurd. To be honest, defending against magical beasts in the Valdrova Principality was only possible because of my fiancée, Duke Valdrova. Without her, this place would already be nothing but corpses. The soldiers of the Far East need to be armed with better weapons.」

「Calling me absurd!」

Karl raised his voice, catching onto Ferda’s words.

「I have come here with the status of an inspector! Do you not know that you should treat me as if you were looking upon the Emperor of the Empire?」

Karl threatened, bursting out in a loud voice.

He attempted to break Ferda’s momentum, but—

「Right now.」

Ferda’s quiet voice silenced Karl’s mouth.

He merely looked up at Karl while holding his teacup with his legs crossed.

However, there was something in those blue eyes.

「Did you just raise your voice in front of me, Sir Karl?」

Something that could not be considered human.

Karl was not suppressed by that energy.

He was the one who could speak loudly.

Ferda was equally angry.

If it were his original personality, Karl should have been a corpse by now.

No, he would have cruelly destroyed and crushed him.

Even so, he was holding back.

‘Has Valdrova been nothing more than a guard dog until now?’

The way they treated her was beyond imagination.

Ferda had known it implicitly.

They feared her, but there was no fear stemming from the source.

Ferda felt a burning desire to send them back to the Western Empire immediately.

But he didn’t.

Ferda decided to look further ahead.

All of this was for the sake of my fiancée, Valdrova.

In the end, Karl, who had tried to suppress him with momentum, tucked his tail.

「If a full-scale investigation follows, the Regent can be punished according to the laws of the Empire.」

Ferda replied while sipping his tea.

「Then try to stop me.」

「It is impossible to struggle alone when the higher-ups are also watching the situation.」

「Is that so?」

Ferda waved his hand as if it were a pity.

「Then it can’t be helped. I shall faithfully undergo the investigation and find the light.」

Karl, with a frustrated face, finally opened his mouth.

「……Once it starts, it cannot be stopped.」

「It is unfortunate, but it cannot be helped. You have done your job. You should head back.」

Finally, Karl let out a long sigh.

「Why are you being like this? A person of your standing keeps pretending not to know.」

He stopped the clumsy acting and revealed his true colors.

His murky eyes turned toward Ferda.

「Let’s pass this over smoothly. If you are a person of the Rosnova family, don’t you know what our Eradication Squad does?」

「Of course, I know well. Aren’t you the knight-types who commit banditry against lords?」

「We are called that as well, yes.」

He made a face as if insults were nothing.

He made a circle with his index finger and thumb.

「Just give us the money to give to the higher-ups and a small commission for me. Then we will back off.」

「How much?」

He spread out all his fingers.

「100,000 Golden should be enough.」

「Hmm, 100,000……」

Ferda nodded and set down his teacup.

Ruri approached with the kettle and refilled the warm tea.

「Let me ask one thing.」

「Go ahead.」

「What do I look like to you?」

At Ferda’s question, Karl replied as if it were ridiculous.

「Are you not the Regent of Valdrova?」

「Is that how I look? I think you see me as a total joke.」

「A, a joke?」

Karl was flustered as profanity flew at him point-blank.

「What do you mean by that? How could I possibly treat the Regent in such a way……」

「Don’t worry. I’ve already heard many times that I’m Valdrova’s kept man and the Rosnova family’s trash son. I could have expected you to see me as a joke.」

The very fact that someone from the Eradication Squad came here meant as much.

「I know everything.」

Ferda liked honorable knights.

Among them, the best were the Eradication Squad who monitored the corruption of the lords.

「I know how you people drive honest lords into the abyss.」

So when he realized the reality, he was more disappointed than anyone.

「What would I become if I gave you money? Ah, you would say this person admitted his guilt and paid money to silence us. That’s how you create an easy target to fleece.」

The moment you step in, you become entangled.

It becomes impossible to escape by your own power, as if you’ve jumped into a thick swamp.

「And then things like you will gather one by one. Just like a child toddling to their mother to ask for allowance to buy snacks, you’ll ask me to slip you some money.」

Similar demands and similar threats would start pouring in from all around.

Even if a lord has a lot of money, it is not infinite.

To grant the demands is unbearable, and to clean it up requires even more money and power.

In that way, the lord will start raising taxes and exploiting the surroundings.

It drives a decent person into a corner and forces them down a path where they have no choice but to be truly corrupt.

The Empire’s corruption is continuing in that way.

「Knowing all that, do you think I would give you money?」

Ferda swore.

That he would protect the things Valdrova loved and sought to protect.

There was no way he would allow himself to be swayed as a toy for these bastards.

「So do as you wish. Search hard for that grand conspiracy and incitement of rebellion and nitpick all you want. I have no intention of giving you even one Coupe, let alone one Golden.」

Ferda showed a firmer attitude than expected.

However, Karl was used to this kind of situation.

How many times had he seen it?

Lords who tried to hold out without giving money to the Eradication Squad.

「Then I have no choice but to bring this up.」

But without exception, they crushed those who opposed the Eradication Squad.

Even if he was someone backed by the status of a Duke, the opponent was just a brat who had just become Regent.

「I hear there was talk of a noble being murdered recently. What about that?」

It was the story regarding Thessalos Walcher.

He decided to bring up a crime that actually existed, not a fabricated one.

「Murder? How preposterous. Is it the law of the Empire to arrest someone for killing a person in a duel?」

「A death that occurs at the end of a duel is clearly murder. Are there not those who witnessed it?」

「They saw it. There is one right here too.」

Ferda glanced toward Ruri.

「Tell him. Did I commit a murder?」

Ruri shook her head.

「It was an execution. Since we knew he was secretly researching black magic using magical beasts, a summary execution was only fitting.」

「So it seems.」

「Is that not a charge unrelated to the duel!? And having your servant speak carries no weight.」

「Then whose story should I listen to?」

Karl replied with a slimy smile.

「As it happens, I am in the process of bringing that witness. He will arrive at this castle soon.」

「A witness……」

Ferda merely sipped his tea.

「I would certainly like to meet whoever it is.」

Ferda made a gesture as if it didn’t matter what he did.

Since he didn’t waver no matter what he did, Karl couldn’t help but be irritated.

‘Let’s see how long you can stay relaxed. You will end up begging at my feet!’

But the belief that he would be the one laughing in the end.

Karl smiled with that belief.

A moment later, the witness Karl said he had brought entered the drawing room.

He was an elderly lord with a thick white beard.

He was the oldest person in this Far East Front and held the highest rank after Ferda.

—Ferda Valdrova is a fool drunk on his own power, so arrogant that he might soon suffer Valdrova’s wrath.

He was an opponent who hated Ferda Valdrova and was also the source of information that made them decide to mobilize.

「Oh, Count Consilus, welcome!」

Karl welcomed him at the entrance with an affectionate voice.

However, Consilus didn’t even give Karl a glance.

His eyes were fixed on Ferda.

Consilus walked over there and politely knelt on one knee.

「Regent-nim, have you been well?」

Ferda accepted the greeting plainly.

「Welcome, Count Consilus.」

A normal greeting between nobles.

However, seeing that scene, Karl stood dazed like someone who had been hit over the head.

Greetings among nobles are common.

But it was general practice to give a silent bow if they were not meeting officially or were not on good terms.

Showing respect as he was doing now was impossible in noble society unless one truly expressed their respect.

‘He’s just showing courtesy.’

Karl did not show any signs of awkwardness.

It was right for now to handle it with composure until the end.

‘Count Consilus is on our side.’

Count Consilus was a knight who had sworn loyalty to the Emperor of the Empire.

He was an old man who only played both sides in the Far East, and until recently, he had looked upon the young Regent with disapproval.

‘Every lord in the Far East was like that.’

The verification was already complete.

Ferda was one who threatened the lords with their crimes and tried to rule by suppressing them with fear.

Fear makes people shrink.

But the moment they find a chance to escape it, they can betray faster than anyone.

Since he had received such information from Consilus, he would surely cooperate.

Having received the greeting, Ferda politely pointed to an empty chair with his hand.

「Have a seat. I don’t want to leave an elderly man kneeling like this.」

「Yes.」

Count Consilus took a seat, and Karl sat down as well, clearing his throat.

He tried to take the lead in the conversation.

「Count Consilus. Thank you for coming like this.」

「Not at all. The timing just happened to work out exquisitely.」

Consilus chuckled as he stroked his beard.

Karl smiled along and set the topic of the conversation.

「Count Consilus. You mentioned that you know about the incident with Thessalos Walcher.」

Consilus nodded.

「That’s right. I watched it as an observer at the time.」

「That is correct. Would you testify right here and now what kind of atrocity Regent Valdrova committed?」

「That story? Yes, you did ask me to tell that story……」

「Yes. Can you give your testimony of that time?」

Count Consilus’s eyes flickered toward Ferda.

「To start with the conclusion, Regent Valdrova……」

He continued his answer.

「Did nothing wrong in that duel.」

「……Pardon?」

The answer was far from what Karl had expected.

「W-what do you mean by that? Haha, I think I misheard……」

「I shall say it again. Regent Valdrova did nothing wrong in that duel.」

Consilus did not choose the Empire.

「On that day, Thessalos Walcher manifested a magic formula with the intention of killing Lord Valdrova, and Lord Valdrova merely countered and suppressed it. At the time, the Regent’s level was the 1st Circle. And he was a 4th Circle mage. The difference was enough to make the outcome certain. However, that Walcher brat didn’t know when to be ‘moderate.’ Even so, he lost.」

「That’s right. He lost. He lost, but it led to the murder of a noble—」

「No, it cannot be seen that way.」

Count Consilus cut Karl off.

「Even when the duel was over, he might have been trying to kill him with magic. There is such a thing as killing intent that only the parties involved in a duel can feel. It could be that he counterattacked before the opponent could strike. The world of mages is profound like that. Is it not?」

Ferda nodded.

「Hiding one’s final trump card until the very end. That is indeed what a mage does.」

「Since a noble tried to kill a noble, even if it ended in an attempt, the right over life and death must be guaranteed. That is the conclusion the lords have reached.」

What is this?

The story is different.