Chapter 195
Chapter 195: The Master of the Trade Route (32)
A few hours later.
I returned to the villa in Southton.
In the front yard of the villa, Hans, the coachman who had brought me here personally, was waiting.
As I had ordered in advance, he was holding a gathering using the gold coins he had received.
Many coachmen were gathered in the yard, grilling meat.
A savory aroma wafted up from the grill.
“You’re back, Representative.”
“Yes. Nothing happened while I was gone?”
With my hands clasped behind my back, I approached the coachmen.
At that, they all bowed their heads repeatedly, thanking me for allowing them to relax and enjoy themselves.
“As you can see, we’re having a meal with the money you gave us.”
“Thank you, Representative!!”
In response to their repeated cheers, I waved my hand, saying it was fine.
“Mr. Hans, you’re quite the meat griller. You could work in a hotel kitchen.”
“Haha, you flatter me……!!”
In the brightened atmosphere, I quietly scanned the surroundings.
Fortunately, there still didn’t appear to be anyone watching the villa.
I tilted my head slightly and looked down at my current appearance.
Outwardly, I was dressed in a perfect formal suit, but there were faint traces of mud on my shoes.
It showed that, after visiting the gun shop, I had stopped by somewhere else.
“But there are a hundred carriages, yet quite a few people are missing?”
“Ah, some of them said they wanted to rest and went back to the lodging. I think the journey all the way to the South was rather exhausting.”
Roger calmly gazed at an ordinary hotel some distance from the villa.
Even that place was one that only upper-middle class residents of the Empire could afford to go.
‘So the other coachmen are all over there…….’
“Good. Then let’s have a drink with those of us still in good shape.”
“Understood. Toby, another beer over here!!”
The younger ones brought over bottles of beer, and I also picked up a couple of pieces of meat to eat as I passed the time.
About an hour went by like that.
None of us noticed the man riding a white horse from afar.
――――――.
At the sound of powerful hoofbeats, everyone enjoying the gathering turned their attention.
Soon, a man in a white uniform dismounted in the front yard of the villa.
“Are you Baron Roger Julius?”
He was a handsome man with long brown hair tied back.
Looked to be in his mid-to-late twenties.
His eyes were strikingly intense.
His skill level was around intermediate Sword Expert.
That placed him in the mid-to-upper ranks in terms of martial skill within the knight order.
“I am. Did Count Anton send you?”
“Yes. He ordered me to check whether you were resting well.”
The man in uniform took off his white gloves.
These Southern nobles—why were they all so obsessed with white?
“I’m Greek. I’m an intelligence agent from the Southern Knights. Well, from the looks of it, you seem to be enjoying yourself quite well.”
“Yes. The meat here in Southton is of excellent quality. It’s just perfect.”
I answered as we shook hands lightly, as if I were a little tipsy.
“Have you been at the villa the whole time?”
“No, I just came back from the city not long ago.”
Greek looked at my reflection in the beer bottle quietly for a moment.
Then, lifting his sharp eyes, he gave a silent cue to explain further myself.
“Lately, I’ve taken an interest in hunting. I stopped by the gun shop to take a look at firearms.”
“You didn’t buy a gun?”
At his question, I lightly shook my head.
“I did purchase one, but I haven’t used it yet. I plan to use it for hunting.”
“A man who comes down on business and still makes time for hobbies... you live quite leisurely, don’t you?”
I had come purely as a guest.
But his tone, more suited for interrogating an immigrant, was cold and blunt.
“Your Count told me not to be nervous and to make myself at home.”
In response, I met him with the dull eyes I had in my days as Chief Secretary.
Without a single tremor.
“If the Imperial Palace catches wind of my visit here, they’ll definitely grow suspicious. I need to create at least some sort of excuse so I’ll have something to say in my defense.”
“……”
Greek furrowed his brows at my reply, all traces of his smile vanishing.
However, he soon seemed convinced, letting out a short sigh.
“You’re right. If you came down here and did nothing, that would be suspicious too.”
“The South has long been known for its wild beasts, so hunting is encouraged here. I simply made the most fitting choice for the region.”
The long-haired knight pulled a small notebook from the inner pocket of his uniform.
He efficiently recorded what I’d said.
A fitting show of professionalism for someone tasked with intelligence gathering and distinguishing friend from foe.
“Understood. I’ll report it accordingly.”
Greek snapped the notebook shut and looked at me with a satisfied smile.
“By the way, I’ll be assisting you from now on. You didn’t bring a bodyguard with you.”
“I can take care of myself well enough.”
The knight in his stark white uniform lightly waved a hand.
“Haha, unfortunately, the South isn’t as safe as the North.”
Greek slowly turned away from me.
And in the next moment, he warned me in a crisp, soldierly tone.
“This is a place where it wouldn’t be strange for someone to die at any time. You’ll definitely need me.”
“……”
I, too, dropped my smile as I turned toward his back.
“Please convey my thanks to the Count for his kindness.”
“Of course. Then, enjoy the rest of your gathering.”
The inquisitor withdrew for now.
However, he was surely suspicious of me.
No—he might have let it slide for now, but under the Count’s orders, he would certainly keep an eye on me.
‘What a headache.’
From the moment I looked at his face, I could tell—he was no fool.
Still, judging by how easily he accepted my reasoning, he didn’t seem like the obsessive type.
More the kind who just wants to avoid troublesome matters and enjoy peace of mind.
‘I’ll need to think about how to handle that knight until the day of the deal.’
With that thought in mind, I turned back to the grill.
A delicious piece of meat let out a satisfying sizzle as it cooked.
Ssshhhh―――――
「――――――」
The inquisitor Greek climbed back into the saddle.
Then, riding his white horse, he left the villa and headed toward the city.
“Suspicious.”
As expected, he didn’t trust Roger.
“No matter the excuse, why a gun shop of all places?”
The young knight repeated the thought to himself as he took a shortcut.
Through a dark alleyway.
He intended to report back to the Count as quickly as possible.
But for some reason, the alley was completely blocked by carriages at the far end, making the road impassable.
“What the… why is this road blocked all of a sudden?”
The man’s brows furrowed deeply in irritation.
Left with no other choice, he pulled the reins and settled in for a tedious wait.
However…
No matter how long he waited, the carriages showed no signs of moving.
Finding it odd, Greek dismounted from his horse to check the situation.
“There’s no event in the city today—so why the blockade…?”
But in that instant.
Someone emerged from the darkness and yanked him violently by the back of the neck.
“Who goes there…!!”
The Southern knight quickly reached for the sword at his waist.
But his hand on the hilt was instantly subdued and twisted back with brutal force.
“Kghaaah!!”
A sharp scream echoed through the alley.
Yet, no one came to help.
As if no one was around at all.
“If you don’t want to die, you’d better shut that mouth of yours.”
Soon, a chilling female voice whispered into his ear.
Greek barely managed to move only his pupils, just enough to identify the woman.
“W-Who are you to dare assault a Southern knight…?”
The first thing that caught his eye was a plain hunting cap.
A design typically worn by street coachmen.
Next came a drab jacket and a white shirt.
Also, the kind of attire a common coachman might wear.
But her elegantly flowing hair and the striking beauty beneath it…
“That’s not something you need to know.”
It was a face unmistakably belonging to one of the most exalted women in the Empire.
“Kghh…!! Alright, I get it, now stop twisting!!”
The strength was overwhelming—hard to believe it came from a woman.
And the pressure of her mana was so intense, it sent cold sweat running down his spine.
Greek racked his brain, frantically trying to recall what he might have done to incur the wrath of someone like this.
But no matter how much he thought, as someone who had spent his life simply minding his own business, nothing came to mind.
“What do you want…? I’ll tell you anything, just let go of me first!”
“So you’re a knight who caves in the moment you feel a little pain?”
The area beneath his eyes twitched.
“Of course I’m saying that because you clearly want something from me! That’s why you attacked me, isn’t it?!”
“Right. But I doubt there’s much to gain from someone with a mouth as loose as yours.”
Despite the intense situation, her voice remained disturbingly calm.
Greek realized then that his attacker wasn’t some common thug—she was part of a highly trained, upper-level organization.
“N-No!! I’ll tell you everything as it is, I swear! Please!!”
“……”
Only after he had resorted to honorifics did she finally let him go.
He collapsed, gasping for air, clutching his swollen wrist.
“You were on your way to report to Count Anton, weren’t you?”
“Y-Yes… That’s correct.”
The woman removed her hunting cap.
A cascade of black, silk-like hair flowed out beautifully.
“Y-You’re the Vice-Captain of the Black Knights?”
“I told you to shut your mouth.”
Her tone was cold—completely unlike how she usually sounded in front of Roger—and Greek immediately bowed his head.
“I’m sorry……”
Echina raised one hand slightly, signaling that it was safe to come out now.
At that, coachmen began stepping out from the carriages that had blocked the alley.
All of them were among the hundred men Roger had hired.
“Let me be clear—I came here knowing all about the corruption you committed in Southton.”
Echina sat gracefully on the edge of a railing in the alley.
Then, with her arms crossed, she looked down at the Southern knight with a chilling gaze.
“You could say I’m here on a kind of covert investigation.”
In truth, covert investigations can’t be carried out without a special decree from the Emperor.
However, there was no way to verify that on the spot.
And besides, when a Black Knight shows up in another region, most people have no choice but to accept it.
That was why Greek could only tremble.
“Don’t worry. I’m not planning to arrest you right this moment.”
Echina tilted her head slightly, watching the terrified knight closely.
Her golden eyes bore down on him like a predator.
“I’m here to give you a special chance at immunity.”
“I-Is that really true…?”
Greek slowly lifted his head and asked again.
Fortunately, this time, Echina answered him kindly.
“It is. But in return, you’ll need to help me collect evidence that proves the Count’s corruption.”
“……”
The knight, who served as an intelligence officer within the order, swallowed hard.
Given his position, he was well aware of numerous wrongdoings.
“If I do that… would I still be able to keep my position?”
Echina paused at his transparent question.
She touched her smooth chin, then smirked.
“Of course. Depending on how much you contribute, you might even get promoted.”
“……”
Greek swallowed again, deeply.
“Understood. Then, what should I do first?”
The Grand Duke’s daughter of the North rose from the railing at his cautious question.
Then, narrowing her eyes, she said—
With eyes sharp and slender, just like a certain man’s.
“You’ll report that Roger has been quietly staying at the villa.”
Greek nodded slowly in agreement.
After receiving further instructions from Echina, he mounted his white horse once more, cautiously glancing around.
“Keep this in mind. Who ranks higher—Anton, or me?”
“……”
The Southern knight nodded meaningfully.
But it seemed that still wasn’t enough for Echina, as she seized his wrist again.
“Ghk…!!”
“If you try anything stupid, you’ll never set foot in this country again.”
Greek shook his head much more quickly than before.
Only then did Echina release him indifferently.
――――――!!
The white horse galloped away.
The Grand Duke’s daughter of the North watched him intently, then pulled her hunting cap down low again.
“Um, Lady Grand Duchess……”
The accompanying coachmen approached her.
“Yes? Go ahead.”
“It’s just… are you sure it’s alright to come down here, setting aside such an important event like this……?”
“He’s right. His Grace the Grand Duke must be worried too.”
Echina gave a faint chuckle at their concern.
Then, turning slowly toward the direction of the villa, she replied.
“It’s alright. Right now, this is more important to me.”
The Grand Duke’s daughter left behind that strange remark, then slowly closed her eyes.
“He’s a man who threw away his entire fortune—for me, and for Nord.”