Chapter 040: Repaying a Debt
* * *
The day Roland conducted an unannounced inspection of the Easton guard barracks.
That is, before Bihen and Adeline left for Ludglen.
At the Conwell administrative office, where Adeline’s study was located.
“Huff, huff.”
Roland strode quickly down the corridor.
Being someone who usually found physical exertion bothersome, even a brisk walk left him short of breath.
As he swung his arms to pick up speed, a young bureaucrat approaching slowly stepped aside and bowed to Roland.
“Sage Roland, peace be—”
“Shut up!”
Despite the harsh response, the bureaucrat chuckled.
It wasn’t the first time, after all.
If anything, Roland’s blunt, unpretentious nature made him a popular figure.
The bureaucrat was smiling fondly at the thought when…
A chill ran down his spine.
The hurried footsteps that should have echoed behind him suddenly stopped.
“Hold on.”
“…Yes?”
Sure enough, Roland had turned his head, glaring with wide eyes.
“You… I told you to bring the Harrington irrigation project schedule report by this morning, didn’t I?”
“Well, sir, the nearby beast subjugation has been dragging on. It’s been hard to set a schedule. The local militia hasn’t been cooperative…”
Smack!
Roland gritted his teeth and kicked the bureaucrat’s backside.
“You idiot! Then go prod them yourself or hustle to hire mercenaries to get it done! Are you going to let the villagers starve?!”
“I-I’m sorry…!”
“Why do something you’ll be sorry for? Want another hit?!”
Smack!
Without looking back, Roland continued on his way.
His angry strides stopped at the door to Adeline’s study.
He tidied his hair, steadied his breathing, and knocked.
Knock, knock.
Roland opened the door before a response came from within.
To him, noble etiquette was the epitome of inefficiency, a bad habit destined to vanish.
“You’re here, Roland.”
Adeline, seated at her desk flipping through documents, was a woman unfazed by such behavior.
Roland threw himself onto a modest sofa in the center of the study.
Across from him, someone lowered a parchment they were reading, revealing their face—it was Sword Master Eugene, legs crossed.
“You’re here.”
“…Pfft! Well, our dear Sword Master must be enjoying all this free time, huh?”
“My body’s heavy with age.”
“Want a kick to lighten it up?”
The Sword Master didn’t respond, not even a twitch on his face.
He raised the parchment back to his face, effectively shutting down the conversation.
“You went to the Easton guard, didn’t you?”
Adeline said, taking a seat between Eugene and Roland.
Roland swung his legs toward her.
“Milady.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“About Jayden.”
“You mean the Easton guard captain?”
“I’m not talking nonsense, so listen carefully.”
Adeline had a habit of taking even Roland’s jests seriously.
A remnant of their past as teacher and student.
“Jayden, that guy. Let’s make him a knight.”
This time, even Adeline couldn’t help but furrow her brow.
Eugene lowered his parchment just below his eyes.
“That’s not all. The entire Easton guard—we need to train them into an elite force. I saw the future of Conwell, no, the Kingdom, there.”
“Tell us slowly.”
Adeline turned to face him, ready to listen.
Eugene set his parchment down entirely.
Roland began with what he’d seen of the guard that day.
He didn’t even glance at the treasurer’s records—he’d already confirmed everything with his own eyes.
Bringing the treasurer was merely to delegate work, nothing more, nothing less.
Roland’s eyes occasionally sparkled as he spoke without pause.
It happened when he shared his thoughts on Henry and Ayan.
“The boy captured by the Crimson Flame Cult?”
“Yes. Bihen Benkou rescued him. I didn’t examine closely, but it seemed his mana circle was sealed for some reason.”
Roland paused, closing his eyes.
He recalled the moment he’d checked Ayan’s wrist.
Even with his vast experience observing the mana flow of countless mages, he’d never been so overwhelmed by such grandeur.
It was akin to an ocean.
Ayan’s mana well, vast as a great sea, was shrouded by a dark veil that seemed to reject even being seen, yet the resonance from beyond was unmistakable.
The vibrations grew fiercer, as if warning that approaching further would swallow him whole, nearly leaving Roland in an embarrassing state.
“…Hmph.”
Roland opened his eyes, his body trembling slightly.
For a moment, he’d tasted the terror of being alone in a boundless sea.
“That Henry fellow isn’t ordinary either. If we’d brought someone like him in earlier, I wouldn’t be living with this stress. Damn it. Anyway, we need to talk more about those two.”
Adeline and Eugene let out wry chuckles, not because of anything else, but because it had been ages since Roland showed such intense interest and passion.
The Sage Roland, who constantly pestered Adeline to let him retire and sometimes threw tantrums like a child, was this very man.
Adeline suddenly smiled warmly and said,
“You’re excited, Teacher. It’s nice to see.”
“Don’t use that title, it makes me uncomfortable…”
“No, I mean, you’re so worked up you’re veering off-topic, which isn’t like you. So, why must we make Guard Captain Jayden a knight?”
“Whoops.”
Roland smoothed his wavy hair.
“Our initial goal was to recruit Bihen Benkou, wasn’t it?”
Now it seemed he was getting to the point.
Adeline and Eugene leaned in to listen.
“Bihen Benkou is definitely… not a petty man driven by profit. Nor is he cunning enough to scheme. He’s simply someone like us, someone we can share our ideals with and treat as a comrade.”
“A comrade. Did you mention anything about Ludglen?”
“Yes. He was ready to move immediately. You’ll need to hurry, milady.”
Though he’d seemed poised to talk about Jayden, the topic shifted to Bihen, but no one called him out on it.
The trio’s original goal was Bihen Benkou.
From their recent close observations, the bond between Bihen Benkou and Easton Guard Captain Jayden appeared unusually strong.
So, when Roland suddenly proposed elevating Jayden to knighthood, Adeline and Eugene already suspected it was tied to Bihen.
Roland licked his lips.
Despite his genial appearance, his tongue flicked out with a serpent-like cunning.
“Bihen Benkou will surely try to rescue the Imperials in Ludglen. That leaves the question of where to lead them.”
Roland propped his chin, his gaze fixed on Adeline.
“Milady, assess the situation and suggest they go to Canchester.”
Adeline nodded immediately.
It made perfect sense.
“A case of reaping what we sowed, in a good way. I doubt he planned to take down the Roxley Family with this in mind.”
This time, Eugene asked,
“So, you mean to place Jayden in Canchester?”
“Exactly, you fool. Before the real fight begins, we need to start building our roster. Thanks to your picky standards, we’re short on men. Look at this! If you’d left even one decent knight under your command, things wouldn’t be this complicated.”
“There was no ‘decent’ one.”
“Oh, sure, of course. You’re just splendid, my lord. If a civil war breaks out, I bet your creaky old body could take on a hundred men single-handedly, right? So reassuring.”
“Civil war again? All the lords near Conwell are deeply tied to His Grace. If His Grace names milady as the official heir, they’ll follow the greater cause without complaint. The eldest son lacks the guts and influence to challenge them all. He’s not even cunning. Stop making a fuss. Words have power.”
Roland grimaced as if utterly appalled, pointing at Eugene’s forehead—the only man bold enough to point at Conwell’s greatest Sword Master.
“Tch, tch. You soft old fool. Living your whole life seeing only the good and tasting only the sweet, you can’t smell the rot.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“…Milady, don’t underestimate the eldest son.”
By now, Adeline had closed her eyes, organizing her thoughts.
The two men’s bickering was a regular occurrence, so it barely fazed the lady.
When they finally quieted, Adeline spoke.
“Conwell’s direct lineage is granted the authority to knight someone once, under the pretext of an escort, as the eldest son did with Yeats. There are some external conditions, of course, but I believe Jayden can handle them, provided he’s willing. If so, we can naturally build a cooperative relationship with Bihen Benkou—and the Easton guard, as you mentioned.”
“Quite right, milady.”
“First, we head to Ludglen. Roland, please handle things here for a while. Eugene, finish scouting Talrug Canyon in the meantime. That’s the most urgent matter.”
“What about your escort, milady…?”
“I’ll take Joel. Since I’ll be with Bihen Benkou anyway, there’s little to worry about.”
“Understood. Roland, don’t forget to cast a tracking spell on milady.”
Roland snorted.
“Think I’m you? I don’t forget things like that.”
* * *
I was about to knock before entering but paused at the sound of Adeline and Eugene’s voices from inside.
This enhanced hearing of mine was proving useful in the most unexpected moments.
“Talrug Canyon is dangerous, milady.”
“We can’t keep delaying the subjugation. Besides, we can address Jayden’s merit issue at the same time, so there’s no need to hesitate.”
“The Easton guard isn’t yet at a level to be considered a proper force. You know this. Filling their ranks with mercenaries will only create a rabble. Are you intent on leading them all to their deaths? Reconsider.”
“It’s not a beast horde or a colony—it’s a demonic corruption. A demonic corruption has taken hold in our territory. It’s unprecedented.”
“Discuss it with Roland first, then decide.”
“This is an urgent situation where every moment counts. I need to inform them first.”
…Hmm. To think the refined Eugene would raise his voice—that’s a rare sight.
I instinctively glanced side to side.
The underground corridor of Roxley’s hideout was silent.
Used as a secret space from the start, few could even access it.
‘The lady’s quite the busy one.’
We’d just arrived in Canchester. To avoid exposing her identity, she’d sought a discreet location, and the moment we entered, this was happening.
“Ahem.”
Knock, knock.
I opened the door and walked in, skipping unnecessary greetings.
“As you instructed, I sent word to the guard. Oh, and to the Gunbel Trading Company too.”
Adeline tilted her head.
“The Gunbel Trading Company? Why?”
“Because of the Crimson Flame Cult and the Canchester matter, they gained an advantage by chance. Time to collect on that debt.”
“You plan to demand support for the Imperials.”
“Yes. Well, whether it’s voluntary or coerced depends on Jewel’s reaction.”
I shrugged.
I’d tried to add a bit of wit, but… perhaps because of their earlier conversation, Adeline and Eugene remained stiff.
As for me, I’m not the type to tiptoe around in moments like this.
“It wasn’t my intent, but I overheard your conversation before coming in.”
Since Adeline had mentioned informing them, I had no reason to feel guilty.
I was just too curious to hold back.
Cutting to the chase, I lowered my voice.
“You said Jayden’s knighthood depends heavily on merit points. To earn merits quickly, one must take corresponding risks, no?”
The more I learn about Adeline, the more I see her subtle flaws.
The way her lips twitched—she was practically admitting I was right with her face.
“Well, with me around, what’s there to worry about?”
Guess I can afford to swagger a bit too.