Chapter 42
“Kremble, you idiot!”
“I-I don’t know… I just…”
Kremble stammered, turning his head to see Aden watching him out of the corner of his eye.
Even though Aden was just looking at him, their eyes met, and Kremble felt his whole body freeze.
Those eyes—fierce and filled with killing intent.
It felt like a giant monster was towering over him, glaring down, even though it wasn’t real.
Kremble swallowed hard, feeling a cold sweat break out as he shook his head.
While Count Oxiard’s despair-filled eyes followed him blankly, Aden’s gaze shifted back to Marquis Mormond.
“Marquis Mormond.”
“Y-yes, Your Excellency.”
“The Mormond family has served the Empire for generations, dedicating themselves to its safety and defense over time. As proof, you’ve produced dozens of commanders, and you yourself are one of the commanders protecting the capital.”
“…”
“And yet, here you are, agreeing to such an outrageous bill. Unbelievable. Have you been hanging around businessmen so much that now you want to get in on their games? Or are you just trying to secure a nice payout for yourself?”
“No, that’s not—”
“Unless that’s the case, I can’t think of any reason you’d agree to this bill. Isn’t that right?”
His lips, which had been clenched tight, trembled, pale and bloodless.
Was he angry or scared?
The man who had dominated the meeting earlier had vanished.
The once-fierce Marquis Mormond was now overwhelmed, unable to speak properly before this giant.
Aden glanced at Sierra, who was watching the situation and smirked slightly.
“Are you not aware that treason and conspiring with enemy countries to endanger the Empire’s safety can both lead to the ruin of your family?”
“…I know.”
“And I’m sure you understand that if this situation puts the Empire in danger, it’s practically an act of treason.”
“…”
Aden frowned as he continued to look down at the silent Marquis Mormond.
Mormond took a deep breath and let it out slowly, his shoulders heaving.
As Mormond’s face lowered in defeat, Aden continued with a frown.
“I don’t know why someone as honorable and loyal as you agreed to this bill, but I’ll find out in time. As of today, your authority as commander is temporarily suspended.”
“What?! Why all of a sudden?!”
“I can’t just stand by and do nothing when someone’s committed an act close to treason. Once the investigation is done and the suspicions are cleared, you’ll be reinstated. Isn’t that fair?”
“That’s…!”
“Are you planning to defy me, Marquis?”
“…”
Marquis Mormond glared at Aden, who wasn’t giving him a chance to respond.
It was practically the same as being fired.
Whether he took the lead in this or not, the fact that it was considered treason meant he’d be dismissed. Even if he tried to sell Bozbourne off, it was obvious he wouldn’t be able to withstand the pressure and would have to back down.
There was no winning this.
For the first time in Mormond family history, a commander had been fired.
It was a disgrace that would go down in history.
Marquis Mormond’s face flushed red as he glared at Aden and turned away.
Aden’s eyes softened as he watched Mormond walk off.
“Count Ricardo.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“Give me a full list of those who proposed and agreed to this bill. They’ve been trying to push it through for quite some time, so I think it’s about time I look into their motives.”
At Aden’s words, the nobles who had raised their hands earlier froze, filled with fear.
Aden surveyed the room, meeting each person’s eyes before turning around.
“I’ll be expecting that report.”
“Understood.”
With the sound of footsteps, Aden walked away, and soon, the door closed behind him, disappearing into the darkness.
* * *
After the meeting ended, I went back to the room that had been assigned to me.
As soon as I opened the door, a familiar voice greeted me.
“Just from the sound of your footsteps, I could tell it was you.”
“Can you really recognize someone by their footsteps?”
“Not really.”
Aden chuckled and closed the book he had been holding.
I closed the door as he calmly slid the book back into the shelf and turned toward me.
When I pulled a bottle from the closed cabinet, a relaxed voice followed behind me.
“A knight shouldn’t drink in the middle of the day, Sierra.”
“Good thing it’s just juice.”
When I handed him a tall glass of juice, Aden turned his head, looking a bit embarrassed.
I smiled as I watched his expression change, then picked up my own glass and moved to sit down.
“Thanks for coming. I know it was a bit much to ask.”
“You needed me, so of course I came. Who else would it be?”
As Aden’s relaxed voice filled the air, I stared at him while lifting my glass.
Aden briefly recalled what had happened a few days ago through the glass he was holding.
* * *
“A gate?”
Even the usually cool Rippleton couldn’t escape the sweltering heat of mid-summer.
Aden, unable to stand the heat and humidity that had come after the rainy season, had taken his shirt off while swinging his sword in the training yard.
Baran approached him carefully and said something that made Aden turn in surprise.
“Yes, someone just delivered that message from Brilloxen.”
“What gate? Was there any prior contact from Brilloxen?”
“No, there wasn’t. They sent someone out of the blue to deliver this.”
Aden lowered his sword, his face turning serious at Baran’s report.
It wasn’t unusual for someone to show up suddenly, but the mention of a gate was concerning.
Sweat rolled down Aden’s nose, forming droplets before falling to the ground as he silently considered the situation.
With a frown, Aden lifted his head.
“Sier… I mean, is there some issue with Brilloxen?”
“I’ve checked, but no reports have come in so far.”
But now they’re saying they’re going to open a gate?
Gates are a teleportation method powered by magic, allowing regular people to travel.
They used mana stones, and depending on the mana stored in the stone, they could move a certain number of people over a certain distance.
They’re more practical than the teleportation spells used by wizards, but the issue is the cost of the magic stones.
There are only three places in the Empire where they mine these stones, and aside from the Gray Mountains, the amount is pretty limited.
A single magic stone, about the size of a fist, can cost as much as a house. Plus, even using those stones, you can only travel a distance that barely reaches a small village.
“I’ll meet them myself.”
Aden quickly wiped off his sweat, changed his clothes, and headed to the room Baran had directed him to.
When he entered, the man waiting inside stood up and greeted him with a knight’s formal bow.
“What’s this about?”
Aden, after quickly returning the greeting, cut straight to the point.
The knight looked momentarily startled by the direct question, but quickly reached into his coat and handed over a letter.
‘Sierra’s handwriting.’
Aden carefully opened the letter, read through it thoroughly, then let out a small laugh.
Moving slowly, Aden sat down on the sofa, shaking his head.
“No matter how much I think about it, she’s an impressive woman.”
Aden glanced up at the knight who was watching him.
He considered asking if the knight knew what the letter was about but decided against it.
Aden folded the letter and tucked it into his coat, then crossed his arms.
“When’s the gate supposed to open?”
“On the day of the military supply meeting, sir.”
“So that means I’m just insurance?”
“I don’t know what you mean, sir. I was only asked to deliver Lady Sierra’s message. Everything else is in the letter.”
Just as the knight said, everything was written in the letter.
Aden nodded briefly, and the knight pulled out a small box from his coat and handed it to him.
Aden opened the box to find a fist-sized mana stone inside.
“Top quality.”
Even small mana stones were graded based on the quality of the mana stored within them.
Aden stared at the stone, worth enough to buy a decent-sized house, and chuckled.
Sierra’s face came to mind, as she’d clearly thought even further ahead than he had.
Closing the box, Aden spoke.
“Tell Sierra.”
A small smile curved Aden’s lips.
“She’s free to use me whenever she needs.”
***
“Did you have a hard time getting here?”
“Thanks to the gate you opened, no issues. But it seemed like a pretty big expense. Wouldn’t it have been easier to just let me know and I could’ve made the trip myself?”
“I can’t just tell you to come or go when the situation’s uncertain. Even if it’s a contract, I have to stick to my word. Plus, the country lord is busy managing their territory, and it’s even crazier trying to keep the vast Rippleton safe. Right?”
She smiled, and Aden let out a small laugh.
He sipped his juice like it was wine, looking out the bright window.
The sunlight cast across his cheek as he sat at an angle.
Watching Aden’s sharp jawline for a moment, she felt a bit embarrassed and looked away.
She was about to bring her drink to her lips when Aden spoke again.
“I hope I was helpful today.”
“You were. A lot, actually.”
“Really?”
She nodded and lowered the glass before it touched her lips.
When Aden turned his gaze back to her, their eyes met.
