Chapter 29: If you have come to the Duchy, follow the laws of the Duchy
3tSDyThThat day, Perda saw from the highest point a group running toward the grand duchy of Valdrova.6Jro5
bgLoEThere were approximately twenty people, all mounted on horseback.zCP
f4DUnless they had been raised in the Far East, all horses normally showed rejection toward the presence of a dragon.0k9EB
zL3IHowever, these horses did not show that instinctive rejection even though they had been raised in the central region.IemqTa
U2Fxjq9Horses trained to advance until the last moment even if they lost their lives or their legs were broken.8xrN
GP62Only the most select elite of the Empire could ride horses like that.1oJV
J1NPerda knew who they were.zwzi
Roc“It is the Extermination Squad.”8Xli
zwCcfpORuri, who was at his side, replied.pjRpoeo
KAfke“If it is the Extermination Squad, it is the Empire’s organization that monitors the territorial lords.”M5qG
1G5I“That is correct. Originally it was called the direct auditing corps of the Imperial Palace, but they themselves changed the name to that.”9aSy
WUU5tUUAt first it was an organization created to monitor the corruption of the territorial lords and keep them under control.N0EFZVE
yZErThe emperor had established it to win the hearts of the people.CXT
mLaw“Until now they did not appear, but since Lord Perda arrived they began wandering around the Far East.”0X3
L9TZA0Ruri spoke as if they were the root of all evils.EnmeU9
85Nl3xAnd she was not wrong either.ptjkg
gm6“Do you know why?”ErRlCa
1mS“Why?”TNBFt2j
KNmfu7“Because there was nothing to eat.”hCcg
q3EQQ“Nothing to eat?”ki3
COfytz“Although they call themselves the Extermination Squad, in reality they are a band that extorts money from the territorial lords.”KQHb
6KDW14VIt was an institution created with great ambitions by the emperor to win over the people, but in a few months it lost its original function and became corrupted.HbU6mZp
gVwfLq2In the end it transformed into state-authorized thugs who traveled through the territories threatening the lords under the pretext of supervision and purging corruption in order to extract money from them.6pXro
Jft2GdWhat was the grand duchy of Valdrova like before Perda arrived?5CCxuhs
CgQHM2The castle was practically abandoned, and the local lords were only the front line that entrusted their fate to the back of Valdrova.CoSdR5
JpmUbzeSince going there only meant danger and did not even cover travel expenses, they had simply ignored it.ZSQ
fPep“They are no different from wandering knights.”JkOVNU
Ab9“The only difference is whether they extort lords or peasants.”70po4vi
sCEf“If they come with the excuse of an audit to extract money they will probably question you about the matter of Tesallos Walcher. Will it be alright?”jRQ7
Y2edThe murder of a noble was a serious crime.FHH3JK
gXiLr0GThe territorial lords who witnessed it had surely already made it reach the ears of the Empire.QVp04e
8XeqG6A“They will probably also mention the murder of a noble as an accusation, but it will only be one of the charges.”dlKZ
kywaGM“Have you committed some other crime?”HyCC4eB
HQi“No, but yes.”x9Be
slXC1OZPerda came from a family of knights.S9v
upOeTDBecause of that he knew what word the Extermination Squad brought out first.FKRat2
2lFiPA word that made the hearts of territorial lords tremble.c8ViQ
9kwBW“They will pressure me with charges of conspiracy and incitement to rebellion.”0JDP
IOtM3Conspiracy and incitement to rebellion.tEun3Iu
VxYviFew words made the heart beat so strongly.ppGRh
QlFpvIt was an accusation that could mean anything depending on how it was interpreted, but that could also cost you your head.2gkAW
zdSVctSurely they would try to impose a nonexistent crime on him and proceed with that.3myUU
cHZ7qjF“Then it would be better not to speak with them from the beginning. Shall we expel them?”Vd8
graP0QAt Ruri’s question, Perda shook his head.cOSKF
ERq9O7d“No. After all, they have come as guests. Should we not attract them properly?”IbCYWW4
kc3KYc“Attract them?”kiG23t
T6qHAj“They are people who are at the heart of the Arken Empire. If we persuade them in advance, would it not be very convenient?”1ZPPU
0F02“Hmm…”x2GVa
iIOfThe only thing they had in their heads was blind greed.hS4i
DHlpz3Men who trusted only in the insignia they carried on their chest.E0992
GjbPQFrom their very origin they were beings full of weaknesses.zcYXEq
7gwn9xU“That these types, who are not even worth as much as garbage, enter our castle…”6Xn
pVEofTjRuri murmured.BvhX
N39WPShe openly hated knights.Y7TY3
DRHdVVHHer repulsion had reached a level never seen before.GtvXrs
HW6It was natural.Olh2z0x
C8vvy4Until recently she had been suffering because of the smell, and then even Valdrova had told her that she herself smelled bad.6Dnq7A
ATn“Lord Perda.”7ic
NI0“What is it?”zqh
03Y“If those barbaric idiots want to enter this castle, should they not wash thoroughly first?”1vMAtA
b6KqouThey had to do it.gtPGlE
AVhIf they did not, her face seemed to say she would start a rebellion.BdI
GXQNMT“Do as you wish.”r10yCd4
J5m6“Thank you.”JOwwT
L96saAfter receiving permission, Ruri quickly went to prepare the bath water.DEM8
gPk***UmfOrUC
TqlKarl Harvest.v4D
tr1lThe eldest son of the Harvest knight family, who served as the field audit chief of the Extermination Squad.2ZC9
a0D6D9oThe position of chief did not seem very prestigious, but Karl had no complaints.zrRvQH
budEBecause it was one of the few positions from which he could crush the territorial lords and behave like a king using the title of knight.Szkn
13D2Recently a new prey had appeared for them.p2ni
BTGUaHPerda Valdrova.pQgRq
yPNZtBA man who, expelled from the Rosnova family, ended up becoming engaged to the grand duchess in order to survive.zwK
yoWBsCAt first everyone mocked him.IRx
GP90TuThey said he was an idiot who had chosen to be torn apart by the grand duchess rather than give up his status as a noble.xWMkuqi
JWC0CoBut he was not torn apart.fC9
riNGb0On the contrary, he was prospering.HbWxGb
7Vt5HSince he set foot in the grand duchy, the eastern region, which had long been stagnant, began to show signs of growth.CsZrk
fWhFor now it was only that the Pascal trading company would establish a branch.ZUB5
2tJlrVqBut soon more merchant caravans would begin to come and go.fHQbXvj
AQWX5That meant that large amounts of money would circulate in the east.JzOWNu
1SSCcfThe grand duchy of Valdrova, which until then they had treated like garbage, began to look like a delicious prey.m9Y4
hvMylAOThe first to smell that scent were the Extermination Squad, an institution directly subordinate to the Imperial Palace.aZot
EkudTThat this development would accelerate and draw an upward curve was practically a fact.edmtP
puhNBut they completely underestimated Perda’s merit in that development.Nk4
jyv“That only means that Valdrova has accumulated many treasures.”VUt
fEVJThey never imagined that it was possible thanks to Perda’s ability.UI5sXuN
vvZ8rTAfter all, he was a young man expelled from the Rosnova family.wu9R
XJU“Since the current regent comes from a family of knights, he will know well how we operate.”8R14Zw
r2qxlAs someone from a knight family, he surely knew the Extermination Squad.ZBZ6
3BIBecause of that they thought it would be easier to speak with him than with other territorial lords.IDDLl
DqwsMfAIf they gave him some money and sent him back, he would know that the Extermination Squad did not bother too much after receiving their share.58wg
tprVAzQ“We must squeeze as much as possible while there is still money.”bvHd
OMR27The grand duchy was dangerous, and Valdrova’s treasures could not be infinite either.I3VlT
xc5fp“But we should not trust too much either.”zWI
9l33nKarl was not an idiot who believed everything would go exactly according to plan.q1Rbq
d2wYY3When someone becomes intoxicated with power that does not belong to him, he changes.9Et
q7GIf Perda began to behave arrogantly after becoming regent, he had to be able to crush him.8XVg5bc
MUp8qdtKarl had already prepared everything for that.FT5
YY1“Has the response arrived to the letter we sent earlier?”wtVCV
C6ZRFor the final review, Karl had sent a letter to Count Consilus.YWW
TZOThe aide who verified the contents replied.h56qT0
ZZQos6“Yes. They say he is now coming toward Valdrova Castle. It seems he will speak with them first.”M7L
6bJZPz“Perfect.”EnUloIh
jwLCFKarl smiled.CgUq7M0
Xg5R4The informant who had told him about Perda Valdrova.SAbOT
5rwJW4A collaborator who would strengthen the position of the Extermination Squad.ekj3
VhVZgAnd also a witness.G5gVFG
f3ysTWith that he already had a card sufficient to crush Perda Valdrova.i7L63
2Z9No matter how he responded, he would not be able to escape the pressure of the Extermination Squad.PP7be
IH7IiFinally they arrived at the entrance of the inner fortress.Tay
IsUJSince it was a castle without servants, the place was desolate.E2x
20ZNormally territorial lords filled their castles with servants to show their prestige.fAuLw
M59But inside the fortress there was only a man with gray hair in a military uniform and a girl wearing servant clothes.RGv
pd3ylEThe man stood looking down with his hands behind his back, as if he had been waiting for their arrival.j51Xr
faHZ“Is that him?”6g5vc
5DmEN1JThe third son expelled from the Rosnova family.O6Y
k1962nJust as they had heard, he was tall, but his body looked thin.a40EQsv
YJt29He was so fragile that no one would think he belonged to a knight family.6eNIdL
yPT‘Since he was the regent, his gaze was not ordinary at all.’xnbpAy
OPsAoLHis eyes had depth, and his expression gave the impression that he was not an opponent easy to deal with.InQwlW
PrraMost people would become nervous before something like that, but Karl had seen situations like that countless times.wDnBk
FhdZePeople without substance who only pretended elegance on their faces.il85c
uDgbcuKarl had even seen how those people ended up collapsing.fdo
2JpT‘In the end he is nothing more than Valdrova’s kept man.’beF
3oSshIn Karl’s eyes, Perda only looked like a pretentious young man.ml88K
muGLBWHiding his mockery behind the helmet, Karl dismounted from the horse and removed the helmet.3AQ
MUyjlWAs the eldest son of a knight family, his face had marked features.QWcHs
XBj“Pleased to meet you, Lord Perda Rosnova. I am Karl, the eldest son of the Harvest family. I have been sent by the Extermination Squad, a unit directly subordinate to the Imperial Palace, to carry out an investigation.”5chQbZ
QC1J77Karl greeted respectfully with his hand on his chest.iIlPlo9
mcZGPerda accepted the greeting with courtesy.PlIgHqS
kjyauIh“Pleased to meet you, Sir Karl Harvest. But I left the name of the Rosnova family behind a long time ago, so I would prefer that you call me Perda Valdrova.”OfFBlM
TKGG“Oh, excuse my mistake.”nIj
WjwIt had not been a mistake.u0ob
QJeZHe only wanted to remind him that he was the third son of the Rosnova family.fPHjIvf
KYVIt was a way of saying we are from knight families, so you already know how this works.SHKpZlp
3pDUjl8Of course, that small trick did not work on Perda.7TkmJ
Qp4“What matter brings the Extermination Squad, which protects the subjects of the Empire, here? In this Valdrova Castle there are still not even subjects to protect.”krGKxaU
2SRhNF8“It does not seem like a suitable topic to discuss standing out here. What do you think if we go inside and discuss it there?”S59xQ
XCzo44“Go inside to talk…”xLboWWV
h989uPerda was receiving them in front of the gate of the inner fortress.S68JYIg
RJVfHe briefly looked back.I6GVdal
ZT44After exchanging glances with the young servant, she nodded.Ukr
aPQ“It is possible, but you will have to follow the rules of our castle. Is that acceptable?”YgaRh
jLBv“What rules?”THd
nxh“Recently a rule was established in our castle. All knights must bathe before entering.”2lyE4F
ufpKarl frowned.Zbxh
uPo4It sounded like a direct humiliation, as if they were saying they stank.X7Vfu
Rww“Who established such an absurd rule?”RlIUx
P4kThe servant of the red dragon Valdrova, Ruri Silverwind.DqUyvCr
4iUC“I established it.”9aoStp
Au89r3But Perda answered that it had been him.gTSH
ZYkIHQHe only wanted to avoid unnecessary questions.gzes
CU0TPPointing with his chin at the silver plate armor, Perda continued.LT3oAo
JYG“You are wearing things that make you sweat a lot. It is easy to fall ill, especially in the Far East, where sinister energies lurk. Maintaining cleanliness is the first thing. That is why I established the rule of bathing regularly.”fc5WA
p8Gy1Xq“Hmm…”9nhr
0Zq2w0Karl did not like the idea of having to bathe first upon arriving in another lord’s territory.BdT7
ZVrkhT5But if they were already in that territory, the correct thing was to follow its rules.0e0
GtBVBesides, he had felt the impure air of the east during the entire journey.nb4
bkwFrI“Understood. Since we are in the grand duchy, we will follow your rules.”xNSng
xSqNdjq“Thank you.”ToxaR
yku2jBnPerda slightly turned his head toward Ruri, who was waiting.NToinK
thbNukOAs if she had been waiting for that moment, she approached and greeted the audit group.Do3
4ascf“Welcome to Valdrova Castle. I am Ruri, who will be in charge of assisting you with your bath. Please, this way.”c4Qx
x6GsaSKarl’s gaze could not hide his disappointment.KS1nf
LdfdERuri was a beauty with silver hair and silver eyes.DJOQj
j5aF5RBut her body was that of a young girl without curves.7fQXkhu
tigsjQgA girl with nothing to see or feel in charge of the bath made any expectation disappear.puCzLR
25pHQ‘I will bathe quickly and leave.’Eu9lc
ZL5Hqg5Of course, that was only what Karl thought.HOtEl
rHK‘I will not allow a single drop of filth to remain on their bodies.’8jQu
5oHKSveRuri was more determined than ever.nvyfy0
ZTdIn her hand she held a rough scrub brush.WA06SgQ
t8vWSThe spirits she had summoned also each held a scrub brush and waited inside the bath.aq9oEX
ZAsnTeIAll prepared to tear off even the last layer of filth stuck to the skin.DvOM9r
7UOj5“Ahhh!”Q1CG
j3V“Save me!”zyXpyb
vOp“Agh! Aaaagh!”m7nT8kw
5DfThat day, the screams echoed continuously in Valdrova Castle.NBtbTZ
kYdiaUb***CSJwIi
S9eAfter the bath, Perda and Karl met in the reception room.CRmkzz
4g2hPerda discovered something surprising.sDc
i7Hh8‘His skin really became clear.’axpsAl
aas8UjThe difference was so great that it looked as if a layer of skin had been torn off.UhZ41
yQiiKarl, completely scrubbed, swallowed his anger in silence.GCtAC5
WNHYL“Thank you… for the hospitality.”DAwUOc
6Hpnt“It is nothing. Not even I expected them to treat you with such hospitality. Let us have a cup of tea.”7niBK
mwIJru“Yes.”tPvbu
VjSprKarl and Perda raised their cups.PPil3t
ylsUzRpTo facilitate the conversation, Perda opened the topic.2o8w5Hs
fpr2ev“So, what matter brings the Extermination Squad here?”w1SEZN
insdG6“As I already said, we have come to investigate. Do you know what you are accused of, Lord Regent?”VEQgajy
AmaSsTr“I do not know. That is why I ask.”akN
d0j4“Understood.”5GZsX
FfYglSo he pretends not to know.CApiAu
OZ1Karl recited the phrase he had prepared.1jy
nJWMZ“Perda Valdrova, regent of Valdrova, is currently being investigated under suspicion of conspiracy and incitement to rebellion against the Empire. Do you understand?”ElR
gU38J6yIt was exactly the accusation Perda had anticipated.k3I
o13iAlthough it was obvious, he decided to play along.xogwz
2JbQT3“I see. So you have come to decorate me?”ol3NA
G4r“This is not a moment for jokes with the Empire’s chief auditor.”N3aSLC
Uwl“Was it not a joke? You said conspiracy and incitement to rebellion, so I thought it was that. The only thing I have done is contribute to the development of this territory.”M2w
nGQxuKL“We know that the regent works for the development and stability of the Empire. However, once a complaint is presented, we are obligated to investigate.”zJJ
cBozK7“The complainant?”73bb
9eLvdm“We cannot reveal it. It is confidential information.”53z6Wl
0clIt is not that they cannot reveal it.0gU
8fsPQVIt is that it does not exist.foLKR
IMv“We have heard that you recently signed a contract with the Pascal trading company.”nRx
jjt4“That is correct.”gpre
c6pDlR4“We have also heard that improvements to the roads and the supply of materials are being carried out with full support from Pascal.”F3jESf
Xru“Not completely. I also contribute a small part.”LuCR89
OKWZcGEven if it was minimal, it was important to have participation.3iJUoT
MinXdwThat was why Valdrova Castle contributed around 1%.NSiXkN
mGmrNuDThe idea had been Stephan’s.fwz0
c3sS“All of this can be investigated under the charge of conspiracy and incitement to rebellion against the Empire.”YII
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