Chapter 030: An Audacious Conspiracy
“Agh!”
Suddenly, Henry let out an exclamation and covered the crown of his head with his clasped hands.
“N-No way… a surprise inspection?”
“And if it is?”
Henry stiffly turned his head to look at me again.
His eyes and mouth were wide open.
“…And if it is? I heard it’s only happened once since the guard was established. Not a single bureaucrat has poked their nose in here since Zephyros took over.”
Unlike his usual self, he wore a flustered expression.
His eyelids kept blinking, as if he could hardly believe it.
“In truth, we were treated like a unit that could vanish any day without anyone batting an eye… and now, suddenly, Sage Roland is here…”
Both of us fell silent, our gazes fixed on the backs of Roland and the man called the treasurer.
Indeed, as Henry said.
Roland was inspecting every nook and cranny of the barracks, occasionally lifting or touching things within reach as he moved about.
At times, he paused with a pensive look, and at others, he stared into the distance, lost in thought.
The treasurer followed Roland closely, scribbling down whatever Roland said with fervor, his quill fluttering as if it might take flight.
Of course, he didn’t miss getting a kick to the rear now and then.
“Is the guard captain absent?”
“Y-Yes, sir…! He’s in personal training!”
“Training, is it.”
Roland grasped the handle of the captain’s office door, then let it go.
His next stop was the stables.
‘Unless someone tells you, you’d never know if it’s a stable, a manure pit surrounded by a palisade, or something else entirely.’
Perhaps because of this, Henry—and even I—felt a growing tension.
An old donkey, munching on fodder inside, greeted Roland.
Even Roland seemed startled.
“…What’s this?”
“It’s a pack animal for transporting supplies.”
“It looks like it’d collapse under a single bale of straw. Keeping this thing seems like a loss in terms of maintenance costs.”
Trembling.
Even its rebellious head-tossing lacked strength.
It was pitiful enough to stir my sympathy.
“It’s never actually been used. At least not while I’ve been with the Easton Guard. However, according to Conwell’s military code, livestock assigned to regional guards are treated as assets of His Lordship, not expendables. So, we couldn’t dispose of it arbitrarily.”
Roland turned to Henry.
One eyebrow twitched, visible through the parted fringe of his hair.
“Sounds like you’d have sold it off long ago if not for the lord’s decree?”
“Honestly, yes. Beyond its usability, the guard’s circumstances mean we have no need for horses, let alone carts. Budget aside, the roads around the barracks are so rough that horses can’t navigate them. As you said, it’s just a drain on maintenance costs, so we’d have gotten rid of it if we could.”
Soldiers and horses are inseparable.
The Easton Guard borrows horses for operational funds.
There’s a stark difference between such workhorses and military horses raised in the barracks, bonding with soldiers, which greatly impacts mission performance.
‘That’s why I rated the Easton Guard lower than even the Empire’s average village militia.’
Henry seemed to be indirectly mocking the Easton Guard’s dire lack of basic resources.
Well, I’m not the only one who felt that way.
I don’t know how Roland took Henry’s bold remark, but his eyes gleamed with admiration, accompanied by a proud smile.
Thwack!
“Ow! M-My lord…!”
“Ugh, worse than a parasite.”
…The treasurer got kicked again.
Next was the armory.
Let me reiterate, it is the armory.
‘I’ve never even been in there myself.’
For some reason, cold sweat trickled down my back.
I had a sinking feeling that avoiding criticism this time would be tough.
After all, being the only storage space in the barracks, it was likely crammed with all sorts of junk.
“Oh―”
The treasurer, opening the armory door, let out a gasp of admiration.
I, too, couldn’t help but widen my eyes upon seeing inside.
‘…This is insane.’
That’s the right word for it.
The armory was so impeccably organized it could pass for the abode of a cleaning deity.
“Well, now. This feels like another world entirely.”
Roland surveyed the surroundings, clearly impressed. I agreed.
The equipment hung on the walls was arranged with precise, uniform spacing, and the gleam from well-maintained blades flashed so brightly it nearly blinded me.
That wasn’t all.
Notes on every corner of the shelves detailed the records of each item’s acquisition and usage.
“Is armory management your responsibility, Henry?”
“Yes, sir. It’s my primary duty.”
“I see. No need to look further here.”
Like Roland, I was half-dazed.
A fleeting thought crossed my mind: if, in my past life’s war, I’d faced a Kingdom army unit with a supply officer like Henry, it would’ve been a tough fight.
‘Well done, Henry.’
I silently cheered for him.
Following Janson, the master of field camps, and Bill, now Henry, the master of armory management…
‘The Kingdom’s prodigies are all gathered here.’
I was entertaining such silly thoughts when, as I stepped out of the armory late, I noticed the three ahead had stopped moving.
‘Ayan?’
Ayan stood rigidly in front of Roland, his posture awkward.
His expression suggested he’d been caught sneaking by.
“Who’s this lad…?”
For some reason, I felt I should step in.
“He’s a child we rescued from the Crimson Flame Cult.”
“Him? Captured, you say?”
What did that mean? I looked at Roland.
Roland’s eyes were usually as small as my pinky nail.
Now they were as big as my ring finger’s nail.
He approached Ayan hesitantly.
“Well, now.”
Roland stared intently at Ayan, making even me feel uneasy.
“Let me see your wrist for a moment.”
Roland grabbed Ayan’s wrist, placed his fingers on it, and closed his eyes.
I could see his eyeballs moving beneath his shut lids.
“Ho, this is… Ohh.”
I watched Roland closely, tensing up.
If I sensed even a hint of hostility, I was ready to counter immediately.
Roland opened his eyes.
“Well, this is interesting.”
Roland crossed his arms and stroked his chin.
Far from hostility, he looked like a gourmet savoring an intriguing flavor.
“You’re sure he was captured?”
He was looking at Ayan but seemed to be asking me.
I nodded.
“Hm, good. What’s your name?”
“A-Ayan, sir.”
“Right, Ayan. But why are you here?”
Ayan glanced at me with pleading eyes.
Thanks to Jayden’s fabrication, we had nothing to hide.
But… somehow, I felt that answering Roland in that way wouldn’t do.
If my judgment was wrong, I’d have no one to blame but my dull instincts.
“He’s staying with the guard under my and Captain Jayden’s supervision. It felt like he needed protection.”
“Protection? Protection, you say… You, for this child.”
Roland turned to Ayan.
“What about you, Ayan? Do you like it here?”
Ayan glanced at me again, then nodded vigorously.
Only then did Roland give a faint smile.
“…The Easton Guard. This place was interesting, wasn’t it? Quite the fascinating place.”
* * *
Jayden, who had gone training with Janson, still hadn’t returned.
Roland, leaving the aftermath to the treasurer, called me to the back of the barracks alone.
“Funny, isn’t it? If you think about it, the biggest problem with this guard is none other than you.”
“Problem?”
“Look, Bihen Benkou. This is a military facility, after all. An Imperial roaming freely here is obviously a serious matter. You didn’t think your exploits so far would grant you immunity, did you?”
No, that’s wrong.
I never thought that.
To be honest… my relationship with Jewel had been used like a privilege here, and I’d unconsciously enjoyed it.
Of course, I never used it for personal gain or in unjust ways, so I felt no guilt.
…My face feels hot.
“Haha! Look, I’m joking. Relax.”
“….”
“Even if I know, it changes nothing, so don’t worry. You may not know, but I’m just a loafer hanging around the lord’s estate without any official title. Pay me no mind.”
“Deception has its limits. Then what’s that guy over there, calling you ‘my lord’ and getting his backside kicked all day?”
How he knew I was referring to him, I don’t know, but the treasurer, in the middle of a discussion with Henry in the distance, stared blankly our way.
“Haha! Doesn’t the Empire have the concept of respect for former officials?
I’ve spent over half my life devoted to Conwell nd that guy’s a far junior.
More importantly, he’s a noble, isn’t he? Just like you.”
Roland sat on a tree stump, his expression dismissive.
Come to think of it… it was like that from his first appearance.
That attitude, as if he’d been watching everything from the palm of his hand from the start.
“Feels like you’ve had my every move tracked since I arrived in Breadport.”
“Well, you don’t get to where I am without that kind of ability. That’s why that guy can’t say a word against me.”
The moment my eyes met the treasurer’s again, Roland added,
“Your words that day left quite an impression. You said there’s no reason needed to help and save people. Ha…”
“….”
“I swear, that was the first time in my life I was left speechless.”
Roland carefully adjusted his parted fringe with both pinky fingers.
A sheen flowed along his glossy hair.
“And what else did you say? That neglecting the people’s welfare is a virtue? Man, that was scathing. But it’s not entirely like that. I feel a bit wronged, even.”
“You didn’t just stand by?”
“Ha, ha! Let’s just call it my shortcomings.”
“You didn’t come all this way just to make fancy excuses.”
“Of course not. The lady said she owes you. I’m here to repay a part of that debt. Though I got an unexpected windfall, that’s a separate matter.”
I swallowed a breath, and Roland exhaled as he stood.
“The lady’s quite interested in you. She figured Bihen Benkou would see Zephyros as a ‘necessary evil.’ She firmly believes you’re someone with that kind of insight. What do you think?”
I followed Roland’s slow movements with my eyes.
How to put it… It feels like an interrogation, but it’s not entirely unpleasant.
Rather, I felt I could finally confirm the instincts I’d had about these people since our first meeting.
“If I were given a cause, and a means to replace Zephyros, Ness Servai would already be dead by my hand.”
Zephyros holds Easton’s security in its grip.
Their mere presence keeps other riffraff at bay, to some extent.
Like a lustful cat let loose in the yard.
Its incessant yowling keeps you up all night, but thanks to it, rats don’t infest the house day and night, so you can’t just drive it away—a ‘necessary evil.’
Roland nodded, as if satisfied with my answer.
“I’m embarrassed to say this, but our lady lacks power. Her family situation’s a bit complicated.”
“I heard rumors that the duke’s daughter is acting as regent.”
“You heard some shallow gossip. To be precise, she’s busy cleaning up after and babysitting a bunch of good-for-nothings.”
“Good-for-nothings?”
Roland held up two fingers.
“The duke’s two sons. They’re hell-bent on ruining the family.”
“….”
“Well, that’s enough for today. Go to Ludglen, Bihen Benkou. This is part of the repayment, in its own way.”
“Ludglen? Why there?”
“It seems many of the Imperials brought here have secretly fled there.”
“You mean the criminal slaves brought by the Gunbel Trading Company?”
Roland’s eyes rolled upward, as if searching his memory.
Tilting his head, he said curiously,
“Does the Empire treat even three-year-old children as criminals?”