Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
◆???◆
「…He only has the high ground because of that Heroes’ Party member.」
Lord Goeren had invited the other nobles for a drink at his residence after the meeting. He clapped his hands and an adolescent servant entered. Upon hearing the baron’s instructions, the servant left as gracefully as he had come, returning with a refill of alcohol and snacks shortly after.
「We’re free to do whatever we want the moment we depose Ta’uro, and yet…」, sighed one of his guests with a shake of his head.
None of the pioneering stakeholders were still alive. Their positions had been passed down to generation after generation of heirs, finally landing in the hands of the four nobles.
The baron knew nothing about the Goeren family from before he had become its head. But he had nonetheless reaped countless benefits from the adventurers’ guild. Until Ta’uro became top dog, at least — shortly after rising to power, the new Guild Master had seen that the funds he deemed to be leftovers were rightfully returned to the adventurers.
「If I’m not wrong, Seraphin-sama was the leader of the Heroes’ Party. Negotiation and bargaining must be second nature for her by now」, suggested the baron.
The other three snorted in contempt.
「Getting shot down like that left a bitter taste in my mouth…」, one moaned, to which the other two nodded in agreement.
To them, honor and face came before everything else. All they thought about was how to stuff their coffers with money.
In other words, they’re extremely predictable, he thought.
「…What a stickler for righteousness his Majesty is.」
The usual grumbling had begun. These nobles’ avarice knew no bounds — their appetite for power and wealth was akin to a bottomless pit that could never be filled.
「Since we’ve already been placed in charge of our land, what’s stopping them from trusting us to do what we need to?」
「We do collect the taxes — if only we could write the rules when doing so」, said Lord Goeren.
Now that he was singing the same tune, the others readily agreed with him.
「So is Ta’uro really so difficult to… deal with?」
The baron nodded. He understood what the guest was implying.
「He is. For lack of a better description, he has the… instinct of a wild animal. Even my men will have trouble dealing with him…」
「Do you not have anyone more suited for the job?」
「If we play our cards correctly, Ta’uro will end up on his Majesty’s list of those to be purged. But that’s also when we must be careful」, answered the baron, knowing that the others were aware of his underground connections.
「One misstep from any of us, and all of us will fall like dominoes. Take care.」
The warning was given on the others’ behalf, in silent recognition that all three had full trust in the baron.
「It’s as you say.」
The way Lord Goeren saw it, Ta’uro would be a challenge to bump off. It would have been possible before I quit, he thought. But now that he had left his old profession, all he could do was lament the incompetence of those below him.
「What about that woman?」, proposed the baron. 「She wasn’t a frontliner like Almeria, was she?」
The others stared at him.
「I doubt she’s that powerful.」
「Once we get rid of her, it’ll only be a matter of time before Ta’uro falls.」
「What we saw of her that day didn’t make her seem like a Heroes’ Party member at all.」
Conflicted, the baron sighed a little. These folks are good at nothing but maintaining an image and using others for their own ends, he thought. All he had wanted was to experience the good life himself, and not amass more personal wealth than he could ever need.
「…Sounds good. Let’s get to know her a little better.」
He called for one of his subordinates and gave orders to conduct an investigation on Seraphin Mariade. Seeing that, the three conspirators appeared to feel more at ease. They knew that they were no match for a lady who had returned from the battlefield. Having had their fill of snacks and alcohol, they left as the sun began to set.
The baron retreated to his private study where he sipped on a glass of wine alone.
「Seraphin Mariade, huh.」
As he sat there wondering how much he could have earned by doing it himself, he suddenly sensed a presence appearing out of nowhere. A bitter chill made his hairs stand on end. His body trembled and he felt a bead of sweat slide from his chin down his neck.
「You felt my presence? That’s very revealing」, came a voice from behind.
He did not want to turn around. It felt as if moving a single muscle would result in his death.
「I did not forget」, said the person.
Lord Goeren had felt this kind of pressure before, and he remembered every second of it. He had been on the receiving end of things for the first time, and he could never forget the humiliation he had felt while begging for his life.
「To think that the assassin hired by King Reubens to kill me would be here of all places.」
King Reubens… the monarch who had ordered the Friday Purges. The baron was sure of it. That meant that the person behind him right now was none other than —
「W-What are you doing here? Have you come to kill me?」
「That would be a waste of my time. I’m just here to have a chat.」
The sound of footsteps could be heard as the person moved into his field of vision and sat down on the opposite sofa.
He was dressed as an employee. Could he be on an assignment?
「I came here to say one thing. Give up.」
「…」
「And I’ll say it again. Give up. This is a warning.」
The baron felt that the intruder’s aura had softened since they last met. The ‘edge’ seemed to have mellowed and the pressure lightened.
「Now that you’re out, don’t even think of putting a toe back into the water」, he continued. 「If you insist, I will have no choice but to tell King Randolph everything.」
Shit.
「We are in the same boat. I left that life behind, and here I am now –」
He gestured to himself.
「– a ‘normal’ employee.」
「Y-You sought peace and stability, like myself?」
An assassin skilled enough to choose his clients instead of the other way round, quitting? The baron thought he was joking.
「Anything wrong with that?」
「…I can’t thank you enough. You were what drove me to leave that wretched world behind.」
「I see.」
「I was in my prime. I believed that nobody walking this Earth could kill me… but you shattered that belief. The raw power you exhibited… it made my abilities look like child’s play and drained me of any resolve to continue.」
「I see」, repeated the employee placidly. 「If you give up on your current endeavor, you can continue your life as a noble. And I don’t have to spill unnecessary blood — it’s a win-win. Which is more important? Money, status or your life? The choice is yours.」
With that, he disappeared into thin air.
Lord Goeren was suddenly aware of the sound of ice cubes clinking in his glass. What had just happened felt like a hallucination, but that aura had been unmistakable. Regardless, he quickly called his subordinate back and cancelled the investigation.
I’ve had enough, he thought. I’m done. Done with it all.
He got up and began stuffing all the money he had into a bag. His son, feeling that something was off, walked in.
「What’s wrong, Father?」
The baron had first met his son when he was just a child. Now, he was fourteen years of age. He’s ready, thought Lord Goeren.
「From now on, you are the head of the Goeren family.」
「Father? What do you mean by that?」
「Your real father… Furi Goeren is dead.」
「What on earth –」
He shoved his son aside and left, making no attempt to explain.
「Why, Father? Why –」
None of it had been his. His nobility, his status, his money, his mansion, his son.
Not even his name.
The baron dispelled the skill he had been using the entire time, allowing a refreshing sense of liberation to wash over him.
「Now that’s the stuff. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen my own face. Just… how could he have seen through my skill?」
He had a small fortune with him. It’s enough for me to live out the rest of my days in the quiet countryside, he thought. My inner voice still sounds like a noble’s, but I’ll adapt. I have all I need.
「That was a short seven years.」
For more than half a decade he had been posing as Lord Furi Goeren, who should have been thirty-nine this year had he lived. He could deceive the entire world, but not that man. No matter how he changed his appearance, he could never be the real baron. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, he knew that he no longer needed to pose as another person. He no longer needed to live a lie.
That would be the second time that man has changed my life, he thought.
I must thank him again someday.
Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
◆???◆
「…He only has the high ground because of that Heroes’ Party member.」
Lord Goeren had invited the other nobles for a drink at his residence after the meeting. He clapped his hands and an adolescent servant entered. Upon hearing the baron’s instructions, the servant left as gracefully as he had come, returning with a refill of alcohol and snacks shortly after.
「We’re free to do whatever we want the moment we depose Ta’uro, and yet…」, sighed one of his guests with a shake of his head.
None of the pioneering stakeholders were still alive. Their positions had been passed down to generation after generation of heirs, finally landing in the hands of the four nobles.
The baron knew nothing about the Goeren family from before he had become its head. But he had nonetheless reaped countless benefits from the adventurers’ guild. Until Ta’uro became top dog, at least — shortly after rising to power, the new Guild Master had seen that the funds he deemed to be leftovers were rightfully returned to the adventurers.
「If I’m not wrong, Seraphin-sama was the leader of the Heroes’ Party. Negotiation and bargaining must be second nature for her by now」, suggested the baron.
The other three snorted in contempt.
「Getting shot down like that left a bitter taste in my mouth…」, one moaned, to which the other two nodded in agreement.
To them, honor and face came before everything else. All they thought about was how to stuff their coffers with money.
In other words, they’re extremely predictable, he thought.
「…What a stickler for righteousness his Majesty is.」
The usual grumbling had begun. These nobles’ avarice knew no bounds — their appetite for power and wealth was akin to a bottomless pit that could never be filled.
「Since we’ve already been placed in charge of our land, what’s stopping them from trusting us to do what we need to?」
「We do collect the taxes — if only we could write the rules when doing so」, said Lord Goeren.
Now that he was singing the same tune, the others readily agreed with him.
「So is Ta’uro really so difficult to… deal with?」
The baron nodded. He understood what the guest was implying.
「He is. For lack of a better description, he has the… instinct of a wild animal. Even my men will have trouble dealing with him…」
「Do you not have anyone more suited for the job?」
「If we play our cards correctly, Ta’uro will end up on his Majesty’s list of those to be purged. But that’s also when we must be careful」, answered the baron, knowing that the others were aware of his underground connections.
「One misstep from any of us, and all of us will fall like dominoes. Take care.」
The warning was given on the others’ behalf, in silent recognition that all three had full trust in the baron.
「It’s as you say.」
The way Lord Goeren saw it, Ta’uro would be a challenge to bump off. It would have been possible before I quit, he thought. But now that he had left his old profession, all he could do was lament the incompetence of those below him.
「What about that woman?」, proposed the baron. 「She wasn’t a frontliner like Almeria, was she?」
The others stared at him.
「I doubt she’s that powerful.」
「Once we get rid of her, it’ll only be a matter of time before Ta’uro falls.」
「What we saw of her that day didn’t make her seem like a Heroes’ Party member at all.」
Conflicted, the baron sighed a little. These folks are good at nothing but maintaining an image and using others for their own ends, he thought. All he had wanted was to experience the good life himself, and not amass more personal wealth than he could ever need.
「…Sounds good. Let’s get to know her a little better.」
He called for one of his subordinates and gave orders to conduct an investigation on Seraphin Mariade. Seeing that, the three conspirators appeared to feel more at ease. They knew that they were no match for a lady who had returned from the battlefield. Having had their fill of snacks and alcohol, they left as the sun began to set.
The baron retreated to his private study where he sipped on a glass of wine alone.
「Seraphin Mariade, huh.」
As he sat there wondering how much he could have earned by doing it himself, he suddenly sensed a presence appearing out of nowhere. A bitter chill made his hairs stand on end. His body trembled and he felt a bead of sweat slide from his chin down his neck.
「You felt my presence? That’s very revealing」, came a voice from behind.
He did not want to turn around. It felt as if moving a single muscle would result in his death.
「I did not forget」, said the person.
Lord Goeren had felt this kind of pressure before, and he remembered every second of it. He had been on the receiving end of things for the first time, and he could never forget the humiliation he had felt while begging for his life.
「To think that the assassin hired by King Reubens to kill me would be here of all places.」
King Reubens… the monarch who had ordered the Friday Purges. The baron was sure of it. That meant that the person behind him right now was none other than —
「W-What are you doing here? Have you come to kill me?」
「That would be a waste of my time. I’m just here to have a chat.」
The sound of footsteps could be heard as the person moved into his field of vision and sat down on the opposite sofa.
He was dressed as an employee. Could he be on an assignment?
「I came here to say one thing. Give up.」
「…」
「And I’ll say it again. Give up. This is a warning.」
The baron felt that the intruder’s aura had softened since they last met. The ‘edge’ seemed to have mellowed and the pressure lightened.
「Now that you’re out, don’t even think of putting a toe back into the water」, he continued. 「If you insist, I will have no choice but to tell King Randolph everything.」
Shit.
「We are in the same boat. I left that life behind, and here I am now –」
He gestured to himself.
「– a ‘normal’ employee.」
「Y-You sought peace and stability, like myself?」
An assassin skilled enough to choose his clients instead of the other way round, quitting? The baron thought he was joking.
「Anything wrong with that?」
「…I can’t thank you enough. You were what drove me to leave that wretched world behind.」
「I see.」
「I was in my prime. I believed that nobody walking this Earth could kill me… but you shattered that belief. The raw power you exhibited… it made my abilities look like child’s play and drained me of any resolve to continue.」
「I see」, repeated the employee placidly. 「If you give up on your current endeavor, you can continue your life as a noble. And I don’t have to spill unnecessary blood — it’s a win-win. Which is more important? Money, status or your life? The choice is yours.」
With that, he disappeared into thin air.
Lord Goeren was suddenly aware of the sound of ice cubes clinking in his glass. What had just happened felt like a hallucination, but that aura had been unmistakable. Regardless, he quickly called his subordinate back and cancelled the investigation.
I’ve had enough, he thought. I’m done. Done with it all.
He got up and began stuffing all the money he had into a bag. His son, feeling that something was off, walked in.
「What’s wrong, Father?」
The baron had first met his son when he was just a child. Now, he was fourteen years of age. He’s ready, thought Lord Goeren.
「From now on, you are the head of the Goeren family.」
「Father? What do you mean by that?」
「Your real father… Furi Goeren is dead.」
「What on earth –」
He shoved his son aside and left, making no attempt to explain.
「Why, Father? Why –」
None of it had been his. His nobility, his status, his money, his mansion, his son.
Not even his name.
The baron dispelled the skill he had been using the entire time, allowing a refreshing sense of liberation to wash over him.
「Now that’s the stuff. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen my own face. Just… how could he have seen through my skill?」
He had a small fortune with him. It’s enough for me to live out the rest of my days in the quiet countryside, he thought. My inner voice still sounds like a noble’s, but I’ll adapt. I have all I need.
「That was a short seven years.」
For more than half a decade he had been posing as Lord Furi Goeren, who should have been thirty-nine this year had he lived. He could deceive the entire world, but not that man. No matter how he changed his appearance, he could never be the real baron. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, he knew that he no longer needed to pose as another person. He no longer needed to live a lie.
That would be the second time that man has changed my life, he thought.
I must thank him again someday.
