Chapter 1: The Plot to Assassinate the Head of the House
On a night of the full moon, while the howls of magic wolves echoed in the distance.
In a room in the villa, two men were secretly plotting.
Sebas, though breaking a cold sweat, asked calmly, "Are you... truly planning to strike down Lord Gray?"
"Yeah, I'm serious. It’s the only way. They tried to kill us. Right now, he hasn't realized the assassins are dead, but it’s only a matter of time. Besides, his reckless spending is preventing us from getting the Elixir funds. He’s drowning in wine and women every day, his reputation among the people is in the gutter... He's nothing but poison for Ardren. Eventually, we were going to have to do this. ...It just happens to be now. I heard there was a mistress who suggested our assassination, wasn't there?"
"Yes. According to Dylan, she is currently the Baron's favorite concubine."
"Then let’s wipe out all the poison at once. My father, that mistress... and those knights I’ve been hearing about who are taking bribes and embezzling funds. We’ll get rid of all of them."
It was impossible for the circle around a man who was the embodiment of trash not to be rotten. Reports of bribery and embezzlement had been coming in almost every month from their allies in the intelligence department. A mass purge was the only reasonable course of action.
Ryuu noticed Sebas looking unusually somber.
"What is it, Sebas?"
"No... it is just..."
Sebas had served the House of Ardren for a very long time. If Ryuu and Rena were like grandchildren to him, then Gray was, in a sense, his son. Based on time spent together, he had known Gray much longer. Even if Gray treated him like an outcast now, it was only natural to hesitate when hearing about taking his life.
However, if he had to weigh Gray alone against Ryuu, Rena, and Airisu...
I must make my decision. For Master Ryuu and the others, who place such trust in someone like me...! And for my greatest wish—the recovery of lady Airisu—this is the only path.
"Looks like you've made up your mind."
"Thanks to you, I have reaffirmed my resolve."
"By the way, the final goal isn't just reclaiming the Barony."
"It’s securing the funds for the Elixir," Sebas finished.
"Exactly. But even if we opened every safe in this house, we wouldn't have even half of what we need."
"Yes. We will need to discuss the fund-raising for the Elixir later."
Ryuu let out a massive sigh.
"Haaa... If that trash father weren't around, Ardren would probably be in its prime right now."
"I am not fond of speaking ill of others, but the possibility was indeed high."
"To top it off, his personality and his habits with women are the absolute worst. He really is better off dead for the sake of the territory."
"S-Surely you don't need to go that far..."
"I haven't said enough, if you ask me."
Ryuu paused to take a sip of tea.
"Your tea is as excellent as ever, Sebas."
"You honor me, sir."
"There are four ways to secure the Elixir funds. First, raise taxes. Well, that's out."
"Indeed. The hearts of the people would turn away from Ardren."
"Second, trigger an explosive development in the territory within a year to create a new source of income."
"That might be possible over several years, but in one year? Virtually impossible."
"I thought so. Our territory is famous for having absolutely nothing."
A peaceful, picturesque rural noble's land. That was Ardren.
"Third, form a crack team of assassins within the family and steal an Elixir in secret."
"Dylan might be able to pull it off... but even if it succeeded, I suspect lady Airisu would beat us half to death if she found out."
"Mom is weirdly serious about that stuff. If she knew it was obtained through crime, she’d probably drag us to the authorities herself. She's terrifying when she's angry. So that's a no-go too."
"And the fourth... wage war on another noble house, win, and seize everything they have."
"!?!?"
Under the laws of the Astoria Empire, conflicts between nobles aren't strictly forbidden. But without a just cause, one would lose the trust of the entire Empire and live in the shadows for the next hundred years.
"T-That is surely..."
"Relax, it's a joke. The most realistic one is territory development, followed by tax hikes, with robbery as a last resort."
"It seems we will be even busier after the assassination."
"Yeah. I'm going to work you hard, Sebas, so be ready."
"Hahaha, I’m in game. I look forward to it, even in my old age."
Ryuu drained his tea and set the cup on the table.
"I feel bad for you, since you've looked after my father since he was a kid, but for the reasons I mentioned, assassinating him is nothing more than a warm-up."
"Not at all. My resolve is firm, so please do not worry. In fact, I believe we should move the execution date up as much as possible."
"It's tomorrow."
"???"
"I said the assassination is tomorrow."
"...Huh?"
Startled by Ryuu's words, Sebas began to think as he stroked his beard.
Tomorrow...? Master Ryuu must have a reason. Tomorrow, tomorrow... tomorrow is...
Sebas's eyes slowly widened.
"You realized it."
"Yes. Tomorrow is... the day of the semi-annual territory inspection."
The territory inspection was an event where the head of the house would ride in a carriage and spend the entire day touring the land.
◇◇◇
The next morning. The master bedroom of the Ardren mansion.
In the center of the room was a king-sized bed, where the Baron and his favorite mistress lay sleeping defenselessly. A servant knocked on the door, but there was no reply from within.
Passed out drunk again... Normally I'd just get back to work, but today is the inspection day. If I don't wake him, there'll be hell to pay later... Haaa...
The servant sighed and opened the door.
"Lord Gray. It is the day of the territory inspection, so please wake up."
"...Shut up. Just cancel it."
Gray’s face was flushed even though it was morning. It seemed the alcohol hadn't fully left his system yet.
How much did he drink last night...? For a house head, he really needs to get a grip.
"But my Lord, this event is mandated by His Imperial Majesty. Should your absence become public knowledge, there is a high probability of future penalties."
"Tch. Coming up with such annoying rules... Those royal idiots."
The Baron sat up, letting out a string of curses unbefitting an Imperial noble.
"Hey, you, get up and get ready. You're coming with me."
After eating breakfast, the Baron headed toward the carriage parked outside, mistress in tow.
Two horses were hitched to the carriage, surrounded by four armored knights. These were the Baron's personal guards—the ones suspected of embezzlement.
As a mark of their elite status, all four wore red medals on their chests.
"We have been waiting for you, Lord Gray."
"..."
In a foul mood, the Baron ignored the knights' greeting and stepped into the carriage.
The knights closed the door and began whispering among themselves.
"He’s always been stubborn, but ever since the Lady moved to the villa, he’s become even more unhinged. I wonder if the House of Ardren will be okay like this..."
"Well, it's better for us if the boss is useless. Otherwise, we wouldn't get to enjoy all that sweet hush money. Let’s finish this quickly and head to the gambling dens in town~."
"You idiot! We agreed not to talk about that out here!"
"Haha, sorry, sorry. It slipped out."
The knight, trying to play it off, gave the order to the coachman.
"Driver! We’re heading out!"
"Yes, sir!"
The coachman cracked his whip. In this case, the knights wouldn't be riding. Since the carriage moved relatively slowly during inspections, the knights would stay on foot, guarding the perimeter for the entire day.
From a window in the villa, two shadows secretly watched the scene.
"...Master Ryuu."
"Yeah. I’m heading out before Mom and Rena wake up."
Ryuu changed into the rough, practical clothes he usually wore for his trips into the forest.
"Are you sure there is nothing I should do?"
"Just act as you always do, Sebas. If you do anything out of the ordinary, they might get suspicious. My father is an idiot, but the servants aren't."
"Understood."
The job of a servant for the House of Ardren was a prestigious one, and every time there was a vacancy, countless commoners applied. Consequently, those currently serving the house were the elite who had passed a highly competitive selection process. One could call them the "Ardren Territory Selects."
The two hurried to the back entrance. And then...
"I’m off."
"Master Ryuu, I wish you the best of luck."
"You too."
Ryuu lightly vaulted over the high fence and vanished into the forest.
Watching his back, Sebas muttered, "Finally, he moves. The monster of Ardren...!"
They say the clever hawk hides its talons. No, he is more than a hawk. In his case, given his name...
"A 'Dragon'... perhaps."
Around noon that day.
The carriage carrying the Baron had successfully finished touring half the territory and was heading toward a farming village at the very edge of the domain.
The escorting knights, having not taken a single break, were out of breath.
"Huff... huff..."
"The speed isn't much more than a fast walk, but moving for hours in full armor is exhausting. Is the Lord planning to go until evening without a single rest...?"
"He'll probably stop at the next village. Even if he doesn't care about us, the horses need a break. We just have to hold out until then."
That wooden puppet of a Baron wouldn't care about our stamina, so I knew this was coming. It’s infuriating, but I’ll just have to bear it. I’ll blow off some steam gambling after this.
Ignoring the guards who were moving like robots, the Baron was inside the carriage with his mistress, leisurely enjoying his wine.
"Wine tastes better outside every once in a while."
"Hey, Lord Gray~Don't just drink. Pay attention to me~"
"You’re such a spoiled kitten."
"Kyaaa! Lord Gray, you lecher!"
The Baron reached into the mistress’s dress, groping her crudely.
"Hey, hey. If I become your official wife, you’ll give me more money, right?"
"Hahaha, of course. I don't know why, but Ardren’s management has been going well lately, and our safe is overflowing. There’s plenty of gold."
"As expected of Lord Gray! Truly a genius Lord~"
Ufufu. I'm just one step away from being the official wife. I wish that trash woman Airisu would just hurry up and die. I can't wait for the assassination squad to arrive.
That assassination squad had been wiped out by Ryuu the previous day, though the two of them didn't know that yet.
The path to the farming village passed through a canyon, requiring them to cross a large bridge. A river flowed at the bottom of the canyon; a fall from that height would almost certainly be fatal.
The driver called out, "We're about to cross the bridge! Watch out for any bumps!"
"You heard him. Be careful."
"Kyaa~, how scary~"
The woman clung to the Baron with exaggerated fear.
...But they didn't know yet.
That behind a massive tree on the far side of the bridge, a boy was holding his breath.
"..."
Finally, you're here, you trash father. I’m tired of waiting.
◇◇◇
"Hyah!"
With the driver’s shout and the crack of his whip, the carriage carrying the Baron finally began to cross the bridge.
The carriage rattled and shook, but the Baron didn't care, occupying himself by insulting Ryuu.
"Hey, Lord Gray, what's your eldest son doing these days anyway?"
"Ugh... that brat. He never puts in any effort and just plays outside every day, so he can't even use basic magic. He's a useless brat born from a useless mother."
"What? A noble who can't use magic!? How lame~!!"
"It was the right choice to kick him out. Right now, he's probably in the woods chasing around some piglets."
"Pfft! What is that!? Ahahaha!!"
The Baron, high on wine, continued his insults.
"Heh... maybe I’ll just leave Ryuu’s corpse out as monster bait..."
At that moment—BOOM!
A dull, heavy impact shook the area.
"!? ? ?"
"My Lord! The bridge is collapsing! Get out of there!"
The knights' warnings were audible from outside, but—
CRACK! SNAP! CRASH!
The sound was immediately drowned out by the noise of the bridge falling apart.
The carriage and the knights could do nothing as gravity took hold.
Of course, the Baron and his mistress were no exception.
"Kyaaaaa!! Lord Gray, help! I don't want to die!!"
"Get out of the way! You're in my way, you bitch!!"
I have to get out or I'm dead! Just me, somehow...!
The Baron violently shoved aside the mistress he had been so fond of just moments ago, desperately trying to escape, but it was impossible to move effectively inside a falling carriage. Still, he struggled with sheer tenacity and managed to reach the door.
However,
Dammit!! It’s locked!!
...In the end, he couldn't open it.
The last thing the Baron saw through the window was the towering canyon walls and, looking down from above with a cold expression...
Ryuu??? Was it him!?!?!?
"RYUUUUUUUUUUUUAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!!!!!"
The carriage smashed into the water with a violent crash, the sound echoing through the canyon along with the Baron’s death rattle. The bodies and debris were instantly swallowed by the raging current, becoming nothing more than silt at the bottom of the river.
At that time, Ryuu was...
"Oh, that was a pretty good sound."
He was casually watching the scene from the top of the canyon.
"Well, I feel like I went a bit far with the people other than that trash father and his mistress, but it was a necessary sacrifice."
Knights, your luck ran out the moment you started taking bribes and embezzling money. A kind noble house would have settled for a dismissal or a pay cut, but the current Ardren doesn't have the luxury of keeping people with baggage like yours. Officially, you died in the line of duty. I'll give your families a small severance package, so forgive me for this.
If there was one thing to say, it was just bad timing. That was all.
"Just you two—Father and that mistress—can rot in hell. ...Later."
Ryuu muttered as he turned his back on the scene.
His fist was still crackling with violet lightning.
In the evening, Ryuu returned to the villa as usual, a kill slung over his shoulder. He greeted his mother and sister, handed the food to Sebas, and took a bath.
Up to this point, Sebas and Ryuu hadn't spoken about the plan. The fact that Ryuu was living his life as usual meant the job was done.
Later, while the three of them were eating in his mother's room...
"Lady Airisu! Master Ryuu! Lady Rena!!!!!"
Sebas burst into the room with an expression of panic quite unlike him.
Iris asked calmly, "Calm down, Sebas. What happened?"
Sebas took a deep breath, composed himself, and said, "Around noon today, the carriage on the territory inspection was caught in a bridge collapse..."
The three of them swallowed hard.
"..."
"It seems seven people, including the Baron, have lost their lives."
"!?!?"
Everyone was stunned by the sudden news. No one could speak for a long time after such a shocking revelation.
"No... he really...?"
"Father..."
"Dad..."
Ryuu aside, to Airisu, Gray was the man she had loved for many years and with whom she had two children. Even if she was treated this way now, the grief of his death outweighed the resentment. Rena, who shared her mother’s kind personality, also looked devastated.
Sebas continued, being careful of their feelings.
"Currently, an investigation into the cause is underway, but according to the head of the nearby farming village, the probability of collapse due to age is very high."
"But as far as I know, no request for bridge repair had come from the local residents."
"Perhaps the knights who were embezzling funds suppressed it for some reason. ...In short, it was the negligence of the knights."
"Ironically, the knights who fell into the canyon with Father were the ones rumored to be corrupt."
"Then it could be said they got what they deserved. Although we cannot overlook the fact that they took Lord Gray with them."
A few minutes later, the mother and daughter finally regained some of their composure.
"Are you two okay now?"
"Yes. Sorry for breaking down."
"I'm okay now too."
"Then let’s talk about the future. To put it bluntly, with Father gone, the title of Baron automatically passes to me. It's the rule in the House of Ardren that the eldest son inherits. That's the correct understanding, isn't it, Sebas?"
"Yes! That is correct, sir."
In the Empire, there was no ridiculous law stating that only men could become the head of a noble house.
Some houses passed the title to men, some to women, and some were meritocracies regardless of gender. In short, such decisions were left to each individual house.
In fact, the current Emperor was a woman. While it was the custom in the House of Ardren for men to inherit, Ryuu originally wanted his mother to take over.
However, considering her health, he had no choice but to take the path of becoming the Lord himself.
"So, everyone. ...Let's go back. To our real home."
At those words, everyone nodded firmly.
◇◇◇
The day after the incident, all servants—except for the intelligence department—were summoned to the audience chamber of the main mansion.
Ryuu was seated in the Baron's chair, with Sebas standing naturally by his side. Without soaking in the nostalgia of entering the mansion for the first time in years, Ryuu immediately began to move.
There was no time to waste.
Amidst a heavy atmosphere, Ryuu began to speak.
"First, thank you all for gathering."
The servants nodded silently, breaking out in cold sweats.
And for good reason.
While Ryuu and his family were banished to the villa and treated poorly, they had been living in this mansion as if nothing were wrong.
Even though they had maintained a good relationship with Ryuu by bringing food and taking instructions on management, they couldn't help but feel guilty. If they were truly loyal, they might have forced their way to the villa even if the Baron forbade it.
But they didn't have the courage to risk their lives.
In fact, someone who could remain unfazed in this situation probably wouldn't be suited for the high-level job of a noble’s servant.
"Yesterday, the former Baron, Gray Ardren, was caught in a 'tragic accident' involving a bridge collapse during his inspection and lost his life. The knights are currently investigating, but the result will likely remain an accidental death.
"Even though our relationship wasn't great, as his son, I find it very regrettable. ...Now then, Sebas, I'll let you take it from here."
"Yes, sir. According to the ancient traditions of the House of Ardren, Master Ryuu will inherit the position of House Head. Everyone, from now on, you are to serve Master Ryuu with all your heart and soul."
"Yes, sir!"
Sebas stroked his impressive beard and delivered a massive dose of irony.
"Well, technically, you should have been serving Master Ryuu with all your heart, soul, and lives from the moment he was born... right, Master Ryuu?"
At those words, the servants' faces grew even paler.
Nice pass, Sebas.
"I’ll let that matter go. You all have families to support. If you had come with us years ago, the former Baron might have fired you on the spot. Anyone would have made the same choice in those circumstances. So, don't worry about it.
"I haven't forgotten that you not only brought food to the villa but also worked hard to manage the territory according to my instructions. I'm very grateful. As Sebas said, just continue to support the House of Ardren with everything you’ve got under my leadership. That's all I ask."
"..."
At those words, everyone let out a breath of relief.
I can't believe there’s no punishment.
What a magnanimous person...
To think we turned a blind eye to the suffering of such a wonderful person...
We all had the wrong idea about Master Ryuu.
Because Ryuu had been operating out of the public eye since he was young, the servants didn't know much about him.
Most of them had the impression that he was a "noble who couldn't use magic, loved to play outside, and for some reason sent management instructions from the villa."
But that perception had now begun to change.
Ryuu cleared his throat and raised the volume of his voice.
"Now, the real problem starts here. You there, explain the current state of the Barony briefly."
Ryuu pointed to one of the stewards.
"Y-Yes, sir! But, um..."
"Speak clearly. We must face the facts."
"Well... thanks to Master Ryuu's efforts, things are trending toward recovery, but compared to other noble lands, the situation is still quite dire. Due to the former Baron's mismanagement, trust from the people, adventurers, and the merchant guild has hit rock bottom. Rebuilding everything from here will be a Herculean task."
"Exactly. In short, it’s bad. As you all know, our next goal is to purchase an Elixir. It’s to cure my mother, of course, but at this rate, her body will reach its limit before we can save the money. That’s how urgent this is."
The air in the audience chamber grew heavy once again. Sebas asked, "Master Ryuu, what will you do?"
"...One year."
"Meaning?"
"Within one year, I will definitely surpass Ardren’s peak. I’ve already drafted a reconstruction plan, so don't worry."
"???"
"That's what he says. So, everyone, let’s work together as one... Fufufufu..."
Sebas had a wicked look on his face.
"Also, assign five maids to me at all times. And assign three to my sister, Rena. Finally... for the next week, gather all the information you can from the territory according to Sebas’s instructions. No matter how small. Important keys are often hidden in such places. Got it?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Good answer. Alright, dismissed."
After that, under Sebas's command, all sorts of information from the territory were gathered, and problems that had previously gone unnoticed began to surface one after another. The mansion became quite hectic.
"Sebas. Talk to Dylan about that matter later."
"Yes, leave it to me. I will see to it today."
"That matter" was the plan to once again flush out any servants or knights who were involved in corruption.
While the four knights who were embezzling had been "dealt with," there were bound to be others secretly doing bad things. It would be much easier to move forward after purging those elements and making the internal affairs of Ardren clean.
◇◇◇
Going back a bit in time, around noon that day.
In the small farming village across the canyon, an investigation of the incident was taking place. A knight shouted loudly.
"Hey!! Commander Silva has arrived!!"
The knights cleared a path, and a giant of a man walked forward from the back.
"...Good work, everyone."
This man, who carried a greatsword on his back, was Silva. He was the Commander of the illustrious House of Ardren’s knight order. The knight led him to a plain-looking middle-aged man.
"Commander Silva, this is the one."
"Are you the representative of this village?"
I shouldn't say it, but he looks a bit unreliable for a village head.
"Ah, yes. My name is Fyodor. I'm registered as the village head in the records."
"Then I shall call you Fyodor. I’d like to hear everything you know about yesterday's incident."
"Understood. I'll tell you everything I know."
"Please do. It’s highly likely you will be the most important witness in this case."
After several dozen minutes of back and forth.
"Well, that’s about it. It was probably an accident. It was already falling apart, and when a big carriage and several knights got on it at once, it's no wonder it collapsed."
"I see... Then why didn't you submit a request for repair?"
"I sent one in properly before. ...Well, I never even got a reply, though."
"Wha—!? Is that true?"
"Forget whether it's true; I'm surprised it didn't even reach you, Commander. What's going on with your knight order?"
"I see... By the way, who did you give the letter to?"
"I don't know his name, but I remember he had a red medal on his chest. He was extremely arrogant, so we villagers were worried if he'd actually deliver it."
"A knight with a red medal is a direct subordinate of the Baron. And there are only four direct knights in total."
"Eh, then the ones who died yesterday were..."
"Naturally, it was those four. That means you entrusted the letter to one of them. Haaa... Of all people, to give it to a direct knight..."
The Commander couldn't help but hold his head in his hands.
"What was the problem? 'Direct knight' sounds like a very reliable title."
"It's the opposite for us. You've heard the bad rumors about the former Baron, haven't you?"
"Ah... the wine and women, banishing his sick wife... I see. Those direct knights are basically the Baron’s dogs. You gave it to the worst possible person."
"Exactly. They knew it wouldn't mean anything even if it reached the Baron. They probably just tossed it in the river. Also, just between us, I received information this morning that they were repeatedly involved in corruption like embezzlement. I was fuming that it was reported too late, but even if I had known, I couldn't have touched the Baron's direct knights. ...It's pathetic, but true."
"The Knight Commander has it tough too, I guess. Well, anyway, they got what they deserved."
"Yeah. Thanks for your help with that. But I have a few more questions. Let's continue. This accident wasn't something planned by anyone, including the villagers here, was it?"
Silva already had a conclusion in his heart, but he asked to be sure for his report.
"Yes. Everyone in the village was waiting here because we heard the Baron was coming for an inspection. It would’ve been impossible."
"What about the possibility of someone else doing it?"
"Well, the forests around here are so dangerous that even experienced hunters go missing, so it’s not very realistic for an outsider to pass through. If they used the main road to carry out the plan, there’d be footprints or a witness or two. Right, everyone?"
When the village head said that, the hunters behind him nodded vigorously.
"I see. Initially, I suspected someone from the House of Ardren... particularly Master Ryuu, who has spent so much time in the forest since he was little. But given what I've heard, that seems highly unlikely."
In reality, only a noble of Viscount rank or higher could judge the current Baron, Ryuu. In other words, it didn't really matter if a mere Knight Commander like Silva suspected him.
Naturally, Silva understood this, so he had no intention of voicing his suspicions loudly. He was just looking for the truth out of personal interest.
"Um, how old is Master Ryuu now?"
"He should be fourteen this year."
"Then it's definitely impossible. It sounds bad, but this accident would be difficult for even several adults to pull off, let alone a child by himself. Also, isn't that technically lèse-majesté?"
"...Forget I said anything."
The village head, seeing Commander Silva fall silent, decided to end the conversation to be kind.
"Well, good luck with the rest of the investigation. Also, if possible, please hurry with the bridge repair. That bridge is practically a lifeline for us."
"Understood. Thank you for your cooperation."
Leaving a few knights behind, the investigation team, including the Commander, galloped their horses downstream along the canyon.
The village head exhaled deeply.
"Phew..."
This is okay, right? Ryuu-kun.
In fact, this man named Fyodor was the only person Ryuu trusted outside of his family, Sebas, and Dylan.
He looked plain and unreliable at first glance, but as evident from the recent exchange, he was competent enough for Ryuu to include him in the plan. Furthermore, the village he ruled was a strong ally of Ryuu's.
By the way, the story about giving the repair request to a knight with a red medal was a complete fabrication. Ryuu, Sebas, Fyodor, and his companions had collaborated and perfectly aligned their stories.
It was Ryuu's idea, of course. Everyone had been perfectly deceived.
In the end, the incident where the Baron of Ardren died was settled as a tragic accident. A letter was sent by fast horse to the Imperial capital, noting that Ryuu had inherited the domain.
A few nights later.
"Master, give me a glass of the good stuff."
"You got it."
Ryuu was gathering information at the counter of a tavern next to the Adventurer's Guild.
He was wearing a deep cloak, and since he was taller than most adults, there was no risk of him being recognized as the Baron. In fact, there were several adventurers with similar appearances in the tavern, so there was no need to worry about being suspicious.
By the way, the law in this country stated that alcohol could be consumed from age fifteen, so fourteen-year-old Ryuu was technically breaking the law. Well, there was no one left in this territory who could judge him anyway.
As for why he was here...
A tavern is a place where all sorts of information flies around. Adventurers, merchants, and knights come in frequently and talk about anything once they’re drunk. It's perfect for me right now.
As he was slowly enjoying some decent wine, an interesting conversation caught his ear from the table behind him, so he stopped and listened closely.
"Lately, the prices of food and drinks haven't changed, but don't the portions seem smaller?"
"Ah, you noticed too? Well, the food and wine here are top-tier, so I don't mind as much. But the portions at the diner next door have shrunk too. It’s a real problem..."
Ryuu asked the tough-looking man wiping glasses in front of him.
"Master, can I ask you something?"
"...What is it?"
"The guys behind me say the portions of food and wine have been shrinking lately. Did something happen?"
"..."
But the master kept his mouth shut.
"Master, give me the most expensive wine you've got."
"You got it. Just a second."
The master took out a top-shelf bottle from the back of the shelf and poured a glass. This was what you’d call an information fee. The master suddenly became talkative.
"The merchants suddenly jacked up the prices."
"Is that true?"
"Yeah. Just when the economy was finally starting to recover, they went and hiked prices again... What the hell are those merchants thinking?"
Ryuu could feel the master's quiet anger through his words.
He frowned under his hood.
What’s this? I haven't heard anything about that.
"Didn't anyone petition for a change? Like... to the House of Ardren?"
"We told them plenty of times. But instead of talking to the merchants, they confiscated a portion of our sales under the guise of 'making an example.' Because of that, several restaurants had to close down. This place and the diner next door don't know how much longer we can last. Does Ardren have some kind of grudge against us?"
What? What the hell is going on where I can't see it?
"That's rough. But I heard the head of the house changed a few days ago. I don't know the details, though."
"Hmph, serves them right. I hope something changes now..."
"I hope so too... Master, another glass."
"Coming right up."
"Finally, tell me the name of the idiot who extorted the sales money."
The master said as he poured the wine again. "I think... it was Belter."
"I see. Thanks."
Belter, huh? I’m sure we have someone by that name. ...I'll never forgive him.
Ryuu drained his glass and placed a gold coin on the counter.
"I'll come back for more good wine."
"If the shop is still here, I'll serve you."
Ryuu smirked at the master’s ironic joke as he turned and walked away.
◇◇◇
"And that’s what happened."
"I see. Since it contradicts the reports we’ve been getting... it’s a typical case of information manipulation. Considering the scale, there are likely multiple people involved."
"Agreed. Capture and interrogate that traitor Belter immediately to flush out his accomplices. We might catch a big rat depending on how things go."
"Understood. At once."
The words "big rat" that Ryuu had said on a whim...
Neither of them ever imagined that they would soon become a reality.
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