Wolves of Hader

Chapter 68

Silence enveloped the knight's hall.

The heads of the three angry houses could no longer speak and only glared at me.

They must have thought things would go very smoothly when they headed for Urada Castle.

After all, they'd heard that those who had occupied the castle numbered only about forty.

But upon arrival, only then did everyone realize—why a combined force of 2,480 had lost to less than a hundred soldiers of House Hader.

They had come with their troops to strike us, believing our strength had waned in the war.

They probably schemed to drive us out easily, then take this territory for themselves.

They did have their own justification. All were creditors, and they had family ties with the Count.

So, the three had likely pretended to cooperate, while plotting to stab each other in the back.

It was clear they had been blinded here. They must have ignored or failed to receive reports from the retreating or deserting soldiers.

Had they read those reports properly, they would never have come here.

They'd know that if they led their troops over, not only would they be wiped out, but their houses would be doomed.

I opened the book that lay on the table.

It was a ledger recording the accumulated debts and interest of Count Urada.

Various loans had been converted to gold coin sums.

Viscount Kiris, 18,000 gold coins.

Goro merchant guild, 26,700 gold coins.

Baron Urada, 11,100 gold coins.

Lansen merchant guild, 15,500 gold coins.

The principal alone was considerable, but with interest added, the debt was substantial.

The borrowing period exceeded ten years.

After reading, I closed the book.

Then I spoke.

"To repay the debts, this territory will be divided into three. The debt of the territory will be paid out of a portion of the tenant rents from each estate, so know this."

Soon, the creditors bristled.

"Say something reasonable! With drought ruining the harvest, how much do you think rents will be!"

"That's right! When tenant farmers are abandoning the land and leaving, from where do you expect to collect any rent?"

I stared steadily at the three heads.

"House Urada attacked us, and now you want us to pay off their debts with our own money?"

"If, in fact, you won't be paying back the debt, then why were we summoned here at all?"

"You can handle collecting House Urada's debts yourselves. Since the Count's bloodline survives, the house has not yet been extinguished."

Both the Viscount and the Baron were furious, while only Goro, the master of the merchant guild, looked at me with intent.

"Very well, I'd like to hear how you plan to divide the lands."

The man with the moustache was the husband of the Count's third daughter. He was also the father of that lovely young girl.

"The Viscount shall take the southwest of the estate. The Baron, the southeast. The Goro merchant guild will receive the tenant rents from the south of the territory."

"There's nothing but sand to the south."

"Well, I didn't know that."

"Hahahahaha!"

Merchant Goro.

Unlike the two nobles, his eyes were keen and sharp. Goose may have been a former gangster, but this man is a current one.

After laughing, Goro said,

"I don't care about money. I came to take away my wife and daughter, who are hiding in this castle. Where are they now?"

"They're in this castle."

"Bring them to me now. I'll take only the two and leave."

"That won't do."

"Why not?"

Goro gave me a sly grin.

A classic gangster's look.

"Your wife is the acting lord of this castle."

"What?"

Everyone present was startled. The Viscount and the Baron's mouths fell open, while Goro's brow furrowed.

"What do you mean, a lord?"

"We intend to temporarily administer this territory. Conveniently, the Count's daughter is here, so we've entrusted it to her."

Goro's frown deepened.

The corners of his lips turned up, as if he was about to get angry, but chose otherwise.

"I support this."

"What is this nonsense! You think a naive young woman can manage this estate?"

"Why couldn't she?"

"I object! Merchant Goro will inevitably interfere in the administration of the territory!"

"That's right! If your wife becomes lord, merchant Goro won't just sit by and watch, will he?"

I quickly turned to another creditor.

"You are the steward of the Lansen merchant guild, correct?"

"That's right. My lord just told me only to attend the lord's funeral, regardless of the debt."

"Yes. I've heard. Still, the debt must be collected."

"How does one collect a debt from the dead?"

"You collect it. Not only the repayment, but there will be steady profits as well."

"Profits, you say..."

"Please assist the woman who'll serve as acting lord. In return, I'll share the county's tax revenues with you."

"Are you serious?"

"Of course."

At last, the three creditors exploded.

"What on earth are you playing at!"

"You refuse to repay us, but you'll repay him? Ridiculous!"

"Isn't this amusing."

The steward of the Lansen merchant guild was cowed by the other three's energy.

Though the Lansen merchant guild was considerable, it didn't match the power of the three houses.

I told him,

"We will guarantee your personal safety. Should a member of these three houses enter this castle from now on, whoever it may be, orders to shoot on sight will be given."

"What!"

"This young master must be mad!"

As the two heads grew menacing, the Berserkers began to exude their aura—something regular knights lacked: the energy of magic power.

The Secret Council investigator, who attended while pretending to be a creditor, was also stunned.

Though he was from the Secret Council, he was on our side, having received a special imperial order.

"My apologies for the disturbance, investigator."

"N-no, not at all."

At the mention of the Secret Council, the faces of the Viscount and Baron hardened all at once.

It seemed it had never crossed their minds that we might have reported to the Secret Council.

I continued.

"We have prepared a report regarding the dispute between House Urada and House Hader, so all you need is to verify its accuracy."

"I have already reviewed it."

"Yes. I understand the Secret Council has dispatched a separate investigator. I'd appreciate if you could cooperate with him to prepare a fair report."

"Naturally."

I shouted towards the door.

"Bring them in."

"Yes, sir!"

Deputy Hans entered, leading a man in only the undertunic of a military uniform.

At this sight, the Viscount flinched in shock.

It wasn't just one. Behind him, our knights brought in four retreating soldiers one after another.

With the sudden appearance of witnesses, the three heads were at a loss for words again.

As the witnesses lined up beside the table, the three pressed their lips together and clenched their jaws.

I addressed the first retreating soldier.

"State your name and affiliation."

The retreating soldier glanced at the Viscount, then spoke listlessly.

"I am Hall, deputy-commander of the Kiris Viscount's knight order."

"Why was a high-ranking knight from the House of Viscount Kiris serving among the invading force of House Urada that attacked House Hader?"

The knight named Hall glanced at the Viscount, who was baring his teeth, glaring at him as if to kill.

"I carried out the order of our lord, Viscount Kiris, to command the forces of House Urada and attack House Hader..."

"You are certain the order was from Viscount Kiris?"

"It was delivered directly."

"What other orders were there?"

"Enough! That's enough!"

The Viscount shouted furiously.

At that, Donnie stepped in front of the Viscount and shot him a warning look.

At my gesture, the knight named Hall resumed his testimony.

"Orders were given to all company commanders who participated. Disguise all personnel as belonging to House Urada's forces. If defeat seemed imminent, retreat. If that failed, kill the soldiers."

"So you killed your own troops?"

"The majority died in battle, and many deserted. Few were executed by our own hands."

"In other words, you killed your own to conceal that House Kiris participated in the campaign?"

"In a word... yes."

The knight called Hall's eyes wavered violently.

The Viscount looked as though he might collapse in a rage.

"House Urada fielded barely 500 soldiers. Other than your unit, were there additional forces?"

"There were. Our army numbered 1,200, and other house forces numbered about 400. There were also mercenaries from another country."

"Mercenaries from another country?"

"There were those who spoke with a Belternian accent."

"The other house's troops—whose were they, and who hired the mercenaries?"

"The 400 were Baron Urada's men; as for the mercenaries, I believe the Goro merchant guild hired them."

"That's a lie!"

The Baron shouted urgently, but quickly fell silent at the sight of the items Deputy Hans brought forth.

Pointing to the items, I said,

"This sword and helmet belonged to the late Macco Urada, who fell in battle. Macco Urada is the Baron's younger brother and a cousin of Count Urada seated here. And—"

I indicated the deserters.

"Of the four standing there, two are soldiers of the Baron's house, two are mercenaries."

The investigator scribbled furiously.

It was clear the three heads were desperate to strike back.

"Those items are forgeries! Those aren't my soldiers! And my brother traveled west!"

"Investigator."

"Yes. Please speak."

"May I request more investigators from the imperial palace?"

"Of course. You are entitled to seek the truth and call for punishment or liability from any house that invaded without cause."

"So if another house invaded us, we are justified in launching a counterattack?"

"By imperial law, yes."

I paused, then looked at the Baron.

He was shaking uncontrollably.

I said to the investigator again,

"As you see, the Urada force that attacked House Hader was a combined military of all three houses."

At that moment, another Secret Council investigator entered the knight's hall and watched us.

I spoke as if for his benefit.

"We do not know why House Urada attacked our fortress with Viscount Kiris, baron Urada, and Merchant Goro of the merchant guild. Regardless of the reason, the responsibility lies no less with the late Count Urada."

"What is the precise relationship between the three houses and Count Urada?"

"Baron Urada is the Count's cousin. The wife of Viscount Kiris is the Count's second daughter. The wife of Merchant Goro, who is the interim lord, is the Count's third daughter."

"Did this incident arise solely from family ties?"

"I must clarify what I say next is conjecture only."

The three house heads already looked resigned.

Only the investigator wrote on, seemingly intrigued.

"House Urada was in dire financial straits due to a severe drought, and in an attempt to revive the house, borrowed large sums from the three heads here—but ultimately failed."

Glancing around the hall, I continued,

"In the meantime, the three creditor houses received instructions from someone in the capital to attack a house and were promised Urada's territory and titles in return."

"Nonsense!"

The Viscount cried out, but the investigator paid no heed.

No matter what was said here, it would all be recorded as [circumstantial inference] for the case.

"The three houses then prepared for war and, likely promising debt relief or support to Count Urada, joined him in attacking House Hader."

Regarding the furious Viscount, I added,

"But the outcome was utterly different from what they expected. Once the conscripted Urada troops realized they'd been deceived, most deserted; the rest remained, forced to fight under their superiors' watch."

"Was there testimony of this deception?"

"Absolutely. Most of House Urada's soldiers survived through desertion; troops of the Viscount and Baron were essentially annihilated. Attempting to eradicate witnesses is the main reason for their casualties—they wished to pin all blame on the Count."

The investigator's pen flew over the page.

I spoke on.

"Count Urada made his desperate choices to save his estate. The three houses launched the war to seize the territory, even though, in two cases, it was their wives' family home."

The Viscount and Baron's eyes darted nervously, while Merchant Goro looked at me expressionlessly. All probably harbored the same thought—that they'd kill me one day.

"Whatever the conjecture, together with House Urada, these three houses clearly invaded us, and we will be seeking compensation from them."

Only then did the three heads look at me again, their fury now so extreme they appeared calm.

"As compensation and responsibility for this war, we demand 50,000 gold coins from House Kiris; 30,000 each from Baron Urada and Merchant Goro."

"Impossible!"

The Viscount and Baron shouted together.

The Goro merchant guildmaster merely grinned.

I told them,

"If you promise compensation, we will enter negotiations with your houses. If you refuse, then within three days, we will seek to exact responsibility ourselves. And—"

All three, faces drained of color, looked at me.

The magic power slowly flowing from my body began to bind the three.

"I suggest the three of you stay away from this castle from now on. Do not send anyone either. If I see a spy, I will consider the truce broken."

Their faces turned ashen.

Only then did everyone realize—

I was not just a mere noble house's young master.