Wortenia Senki (LN) - Volume 24 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Those Who Fan the Flames

Gray clouds covered the sky, obscuring the sparkling stars and the moonlight. An angry voice rang out in Viscount Romaine’s manor in the noble district within the royal capital. It had been around a month since Mario Romaine died in a back alley in Pireas.

Rage still consumed his father, Viscount Romaine.

“It’s all nonsense! Why did my son have to die? Why?!” yelled Viscount Romaine as he aggressively picked up a bottle of wine and drank.

Only a few drops fell into his mouth since the bottle was empty. When he realized this, he threw it as hard as he could against the wall.

“Dammit! Everyone just walks all over me! Who do they think I am?! I’m the master of House Romaine, a name that has long preceded the Kingdom of Rhoadseria!”

Sounds of destruction filled the room. The pieces of wine bottles, which all had received the same fate as the one just before, formed a pile on the floor near the wall. Viscount Romaine slammed his fists on the desk to release some frustration. His heart burned with rage toward Ryoma Mikoshiba and despair from the death of his son.

Viscount Romaine knew he would soon burn out if he did nothing about the flames inside him. And so he used alcohol as his water to quell the flames. But the viscount could not extinguish a fire that anger and despair had fueled. No matter how much alcohol he drank, it didn’t change reality, and the thought tormented him.

“So he humiliated some lowly commoners. What of it?! What’s wrong with us nobles, who have dignified blood running through our veins, having some fun?! Then he goes ahead and kills my son... No, the heir of House Romaine! Does he think my son’s life is that of a mere street rat?!” The ranting man fixated on being superior yet was filled with resentment. If someone in modern society overheard this, they would verbally attack Viscount Romaine. The situation resembled present-day politicians or cabinet ministers calling their nation’s people livestock or slaves.

Had his tirade been recorded and leaked on the internet, it would be the end of his career as a politician. In a worst-case scenario, he might be forced to pay a huge sum as compensation, making it difficult for him to lead an ordinary life. That was the point of view a modern-day person would have, at least. In reality, Viscount Romaine didn’t need to worry about commoners being angry or hating him after hearing what he had said. He didn’t fear them retaliating either. Commoners were nothing but sources of tax revenue in his eyes, tools that supported his life of luxury.

While his rage consumed him, he didn’t reflect or care how others judged his son. He accused others, shifting the blame off himself onto other external factors. But that wasn’t to say that Viscount Romaine was a piece of trash. Many nobles within the upper echelons of the Kingdom of Rhoadseria felt sympathy for him and defended him. A few nobles had accepted that Mario Romaine was at fault and that his death was justifiable. Those views were common knowledge among the nobles.

“That lot is just mere livestock who pay taxes! Actual livestock don’t complain, and that makes commoners worse! It doesn’t matter if they die!”

Nobles considered Viscount Romaine’s view about peasants normal. Ruling over a territory’s population as their lord was not easy. No matter how good of a ruler he was, there were always complaints. Commoners would still be unhappy even if they were taxed more fairly. Territories depended on agriculture, which heavily relied on an unpredictable climate. Bad weather would lead to crops not growing, making the rabble clamor for the nobles to reduce their taxes.

But when there was an abundant harvest, most commoners would be thankful to God or the weather, sparing no gratitude for their lord. Ruling a territory was a thankless job because lords had unrealistic requests from their citizens. As a result, many lords would prioritize bleeding their peasants dry over keeping them happy. Once they began to do that, it was almost impossible not to see them as exploitable livestock. Whether that was the correct thing to do was a different question. Still...

“Was that the correct form of punishment for the offender?! Like hell, it was not! Stupid guards. They need to read between the lines! See the real meaning behind that upstart’s words!”

The stronger trampling on the weak was common in the Kingdom of Rhoadseria. Someone had trampled on House Romaine, though. There was no other way to describe it than “just deserts.” A noble family accepting that was a different story altogether.

“My son’s... My son’s dead body...mercilessly assaulted. Now, his mother lies bedridden... I was so happy that my concubine bore a son...an heir...”

When Mario Romaine’s body had arrived at the mansion, Viscount Romaine couldn’t bear to look at him. His mother passed out when she saw the body and locked herself in her room with no intention of leaving—it had been that gruesome a sight. Mario had received so many kicks to his head that it had caved in on itself. The man’s most vital part had also received such treatment until there was nothing left; it went without saying how devastating it was for his parents to see. Even someone with nerves of steel would have struggled to look directly at Mario’s body. This attack had come when Viscount Romaine was lucky to have an heir, born to a concubine, to take up the mantle of succession. His previous heir, born to Viscount Romaine’s wife, had died in the northern subjugation. Although his wife and her friends had harassed his concubine, the latter had finally turned the tables and gotten revenge. Her son had been her last chance of being able to do so.

That wish has now died along with Mario.

Viscount Romaine considered his wife someone he married purely for political reasons. His concubine was his true love—a partner he had chosen of his own volition. She had given birth to Mario, who meant more to Viscount Romaine than his dead eldest son ever had.

“Alcohol! Bring me more alcohol!” Viscount Romaine roared. After a while, the door opened, revealing a middle-aged maid who trembled at the shoulders.

“Master... Sorry to have kept you waiting,” said the maid, bowing her head and placing a wine glass on the table before gesturing again. Her trembling shoulders were not a trick of the eye. What had happened had also been a terrible disaster for her. House Romaine was not known for being kind to their servants, an issue with how they were as people. They were the type to take advantage of young village girls summoned to work at their mansion. Thus, the servants faced physical abuse every day.

House Romaine enjoyed protection due to their status as nobles. Commoners perceived them no better than bandits, pirates, or even simple hoodlums who prowled the streets.

Not many people would consider approaching him. But as the master of the house was calling for alcohol, the servants couldn’t pretend not to hear him. He would fly into a further rage and possibly even brandish his sword. Some servants had been killed simply because Viscount Romaine thought them impolite. No one wanted to meet the same fate.

But it was an avoidable situation. Several maids worked at the mansion, and a few of the younger ones had yet to attend the Viscount Romaine. They had begun working at the mansion just a few days ago. If the older maid had prioritized her own safety, she would have sent those young women instead. Considering how Viscount Romaine behaved like a starved beast, it would have been similar to sending a lamb to slaughter.

While the middle-aged woman wanted to protect herself, she was a good person. She could not have submitted the young maids as a living sacrifice to Viscount Romaine. Moreover, she predicted her master might go easier on a senior servant. Yet she braced herself when she noticed how enraged her master seemed. She did not want to enrage him further, but her fears soon became real.

“You’re late!” bellowed Viscount Romaine as he stared directly at the maid, his eyes glazed over from the alcohol. He looked like a drunken customer complaining to a part-time staff member at an izakaya. And so, the small amount of courage the maid had and her sense of duty to protect the younger maids had crumbled to pieces.

“I am truly sorry...” whimpered the maid. Her thin shoulders trembled as she secretly prayed to God, hoping Viscount Romaine would quickly dismiss her from the room. She felt like she was in a cage with a ferocious animal. All she could think about was how much she wanted to leave the room. But God often did not listen to such prayers. Viscount Romaine glared at the bottle of wine on the table.

“You fool! Are you not even able to provide a side dish with the alcohol? Everyone is useless! Who do you all think I am?! Even livestock are more useful than you! Everyone here is simply useless!”

It was a completely nonsensical and outrageous demand. Viscount Romaine had only ordered the servants to bring him alcohol. A more talented servant might have also brought him a dried snack or cheese to have with his drink. An even more talented servant probably would have also brought a glass of water. They might have placed his alcohol on the table, then asked if he wished to have a snack or water alongside it.

That behavior would only apply to servants who felt their masters deserved such considerate treatment. Unfortunately, Viscount Romaine was not the type of master to receive such consideration. He had never thought about the mentality or wishes of the servants working in his manor. People who did wouldn’t make such unreasonable demands. In fact, they would ask politely. Many who mistakenly thought they deserved respect were often not worthy. Viscount Romaine perhaps felt that only those beneath him should bow to his authority. As a result, he could not forgive those who angered him.

“I am terribly sorry... I’ll go find something suitable and come right back...” responded the maid, bowing. She concluded she was better off simply apologizing than saying anything out of turn. But her ordinary comment only made him even more furious.

“There you go again! Do you think I am a fool? ‘Go find something suitable’?! Do you not even know your own master’s tastes? What on earth do you plan on having me eat?!” yelled Viscount Romaine as he reached for his favorite horsewhip. It was a made-to-order punishment device crafted from the leather of a monitor lizard he’d had an adventurer hunt down. The noble wore a cruel smile as he lightly swung the whip about, testing the feel of it in his hand. His objective was plain to see. He wasn’t angry at the maid; he was only using it as an excuse so he could torture her.

He wanted to dispel the sadness and frustration at being unable to exact revenge on Ryoma Mikoshiba. Even though the maid understood that she could do nothing, attempting to run would worsen things. If she somehow escaped the room and the mansion, she would have nowhere to stay. She would lead a miserable life in a back alley somewhere in the royal capital, tugging on a man’s sleeve to get his attention. Should that happen, Viscount Romaine would turn his attention to her family living within the village. He held complete control over whether she and her family lived or died. Knowing that, all the maid could do was beg for mercy. The maid acknowledged it was a pointless act that could only add more fuel to his fire.

“Please, Master. Please...I beg you...forgive me...” The maid’s complexion grew pale as she heard the whip crack the air, reverberating around the room. The horsewhip was shorter than usual whips, lacking the strength of a regular whip. Normal whips were used as torture devices, whereas horsewhips’ main function was hurting the horse in order to make it go faster. Getting beaten like a horse would be unbearable, but the intent was not to cause serious injury to the horse. The same was true of the made-to-order item Viscount Romaine had. His horsewhip could cause damage when used against a weak human, such as the middle-aged maid, including a chance it could cut her skin and make her bleed.

But even that was an optimistic expectation.

Depending on how hard Viscount Romaine hit her and where he did so, the possibility she could die from shock existed. Seeing the maid shake with fear did nothing to stop Viscount Romaine.

He began to whip her with no mercy.

“Aghhh!”

The sounds of the whip hitting her skin and the maid’s screams echoed around the room as she cowered. On a closer look, the right shoulder of her uniform had ripped open. Blood dripped onto the floor through her fingers as she held her hand over her wound. The maid looked up through her disheveled hair, seemingly begging for mercy. Even Viscount Romaine would normally stop around now, but that wasn’t the case today.

“What’s that?! Do I hear complaining?!” He was displeased with the begging gaze from the maid. The whip cracked again as he hit her.

Once became twice.

Twice became thrice.

Viscount Romaine grew more excited with each crack of the whip followed by the maid’s cries. He only stopped once the blood splattered on his face as he lifted up the whip, out of breath. Sweat covered his face, and Romaine wiped the blood off his hands as if annoyed by it. He then turned toward the maid—who had passed out from the pain—proud of his work, and spat on her before grabbing the bottle from the table. Unconscious maids were like gum that had lost its flavor to Viscount Romaine. They were nothing.

He brought the bottle of alcohol to his lips and gulped it all down in one go. The wine dribbled from his lips, staining his white silk shirt red. After downing it all, he returned the bottle to the table.

“Alcohol! Bring me more alcohol! And chuck out this eyesore of a woman too!” He continued to act with no consideration for anyone else. He showed no signs of shame even after leaving a person all but dead. It was more like a reaction to a broken toy. The viscount was probably thinking, “Why did my toy break before I finished having my fun with it?!”

The apple certainly didn’t fall far from the tree.

Considering how Viscount Romaine had acted, one could easily deduce what would have happened to the poor married couple from the restaurant if Ryoma Mikoshiba hadn’t stopped Mario Romaine.

But there were exceptions. A black hen could lay a white egg. The reverse was also true, though the chances of it happening were incredibly low. After all, savage parents gave birth to savage children. The number of people who would willingly associate with such savages was severely limited. But for some reason, tonight someone did seek out Viscount Romaine.

“Excuse me... Master, is now a good time?” A light knock came from the door, followed by a man’s voice.

“What is it?! I ordered you to bring me alcohol! If you have something to say, come in and spit it out already!” yelled Viscount Romaine.

Despite Viscount Romaine being annoyed that his butler hadn’t brought any alcohol, he still allowed the man into the room. The door opened slowly. Behind it stood an older man wearing a stylish tailcoat.

“So... What is it?”

He thought that the butler was here to admonish him about the maid. Judging from the butler’s expression, he wasn’t here for that.

“Master... You have guests...”

Just then, Viscount Romaine instinctively tilted his head in response to the butler’s hesitant words. He wasn’t expecting him to say that since the clock had just turned to midnight. It was much too late for a guest to arrive without sending a messenger ahead of their arrival. From the perspective of a noble within the Kingdom of Rhoadseria, it was a reckless move that appeared rude. There was even a possibility it could lead to a quarrel between noble houses. Thus, Viscount Romaine wasn’t pleased with how his butler had handled it.

Rather than chasing the guests off, he announced their visit to his master. That said, Viscount Romaine didn’t find fault with the butler. He knew that the butler, who oversaw all management regarding the manor, would already be aware of his opinion.

“Who is it?”

“Viscount Orglen.”

Viscount Romaine’s face froze in shock. He struggled to keep his composure because he had received a visit not from a messenger but Viscount Orglen himself. As the initial shock wore off, Viscount Romaine’s alcohol-addled brain slowly grasped the situation.

Leonard Orglen? What on earth does that pompous asshole want with me?

Personally, Viscount Romaine hated Viscount Orglen and clicked his tongue at the mention of his name. Their houses didn’t have much of a relationship but shared the same rank. While they weren’t enemies, per se, they had very surface-level interactions at most, meaning there was no reason for such a late-night visit. Unless his visitor was a higher rank than him, such as a count or a duke, he could normally easily refuse them and ask that they return another day.

Leonard was not only head of House Orglen but was also a fierce, strong knight. He was known as a cultured person within the Rhoadserian royal court, which meant that Viscount Romaine had to change his approach.

After all, Viscount Orglen had even served as Lupis Rhoadserians’s arts teacher in the past.

Someone capable of teaching the royal family not only had talent and a respectable background, they had a good personality and nature. All the nobles in the Kingdom of Rhoadseria admired House Orglen, which the talented Leonard led. Because Leonard Orglen was visiting Viscount Romaine and not just sending a messenger in his place, the host couldn’t disregard him—regardless of what he had been doing with his servants.

“I see. Fine, let him in,” said Viscount Romaine, squeezing out a response. He then remembered the gruesome scene from moments before. “Take him through to the parlor for now and set out some alcohol. I know it’s not ideal to make guests wait, but he came unannounced in the middle of the night and cannot complain if he has to wait a while. I’m going to take a bath and get changed first.”

“Understood. I will prepare everything right away,” replied the butler before he bowed and made to leave the room. The best thing Viscount Romaine could do was meet with Viscount Orglen. The interaction could affect the relationship between their noble houses, so he had no choice. He looked at the butler with a cold gaze as he repeated a previous order.

“Could you also...do something about this eyesore of a woman?”

The butler finally remembered the motionless maid crouched close to the floor. He silently nodded to his master’s order, swiftly turning around on his heel. There was nothing else he could do, even if it went against every moral he knew.

Just how long is he going to make me wait? thought Viscount Leonard Orglen, sitting on the sofa in the parlor. Has it been around an hour now? Although not a young lady, he seems to take around the same time to get ready. Maybe I’ve interrupted him from having fun, and he’s struggling to get the smell of a young woman’s white makeup powder off.

He knew his sudden visit at night was rude by noble standards, so he expected to wait for a bit. But after doing that for over an hour, he was starting to become restless. Viscount Romaine’s parlor had various paintings hanging on its walls and a few statues scattered around. Viscount Orglen was well-versed in the arts, so he had killed time admiring them, although that had a limit.

It appears Viscount Romaine does not understand anything about art. Nothing in this room matches. To put it simply, it lacks character.

Famous artists and sculptors had created all the historical Rhoadserian works displayed in the parlor. While they were all incredibly expensive pieces, they weren’t the sort of things bought just to showcase wealth. For example, a flower painting hanging above the fireplace was a three-hundred-year-old piece by a very famous artist. Over the years, many of this artist’s works had gone missing, so collectors traded his remaining works for very high prices. The room had such historical pieces, yet it didn’t feel like someone with a love for art owned this room.

To Leonard, it seemed that Viscount Romaine had simply bought many high-value, rare pieces and had them put up wherever. Thus, they could not get along. Regardless, he couldn’t just simply cancel the meeting because of that.

Now those rumors are starting to make sense...

Viscount Romaine was a quintessential Rhoadserian noble. He was arrogant, lazy, and proud. Additionally, he strongly believed he was above all others and even considered commoners as lowly livestock. He wasn’t afraid to be heavy-handed with those he deemed had gotten in his way. The people of his territory both hated and feared him.

Consequently, he didn’t have the best reputation within the royal capital.

No one said anything as Viscount Romaine boasted some influence within the noble faction. But many nobles would frown at the mention of his name, specifically Viscount McMaster and Helena Steiner.

Suddenly, there was a light knock at the door. Before Leonard could welcome them in, the door to the room opened, revealing Viscount Romaine. He wore a white silk shirt underneath a navy blue jacket. Gaudy rings adorned with blue and red jewels adorned his hands. He was so well-dressed, it wouldn’t have been strange if he was attending an evening party after the meeting. It also worked perfectly as an outfit to welcome a guest of honor. Although the clothes were extravagant, they lost some of their brilliance due to the character of the person wearing them.

“Apologies for making you wait so long. I was fast asleep when you came, so I needed to prepare. Please forgive me,” said Viscount Romaine, also sitting on the sofa without a hint of shame in his conduct. It appeared he was the type who couldn’t help but antagonize or belittle the person he was speaking with at any given opportunity.

Leonard responded with a cordial smile and effortlessly avoided the greeting soaked with malice. “Ah, please do not worry... It should be me asking for forgiveness. I apologize for arriving at such a late time.”

“Is that so? All right, then,” responded Viscount Romaine, lightly snorting. As Leonard thought, Viscount Romaine probably didn’t find his response entertaining enough.

“So? I wonder what brings you here all of a sudden? I don’t believe House Romaine has ever been friendly enough with House Orglen to warrant unannounced late-night visits,” sneered Viscount Romaine as he looked at Leonard. But Leonard had already long seen through his facade.

He’s responding exactly like I thought he would.

Few noble families would follow up a sudden unannounced visit at night with that question. There was no sneaky reason to be having secret talks with someone in the dead of the night, regardless of etiquette. Hence, there was no way of knowing if this conversation would lead to getting involved in some scheme. In a worst-case scenario, it wasn’t too far-fetched to think that it could wrap them up in a rebellion that would lead to one’s entire family getting executed. If anything, it was reasonable to say that was knowledge a noble should be fully aware of. Even Viscount Romaine, who was dimwitted, understood that.

Since people often spoke behind his back, referring to him as a terrible and dimwitted lord, he was talented at sensing dangerous situations that could threaten his own safety. If not for that, House Romaine would have already perished or been usurped long ago.

Even though he understands that, he still met with me. I wonder why? Though, I guess there is only one reason for it. “I’m sure you know the reason I am here already, Viscount Romaine,” Leonard responded.

Viscount Romaine went pale. “Hm? What do you mean?”

“Do you really not know? There’s been whispers among the commoners, mostly rumors pertaining to a certain upstart and Lord Mario.”

Once Leonard finished speaking, he saw his host’s face flare with rage. The only reason Viscount Romaine didn’t suddenly start shouting was because he was speaking with an equal.

“Viscount Orglen, did you really come all this way at this time of night to discuss that with me?” asked Viscount Romaine with a hint of anger and murderous intent. If there were a sword nearby, he might have already stabbed Leonard with it. Not that Leonard could blame him.

Rumors of what happened had already spread throughout the royal capital as commoners cheered and applauded. As a noble, such a response was unthinkable. But the common folk who knew of Mario’s actions viewed what Ryoma Mikoshiba had done as the right thing to do. The House of Lords usually responded to such a situation but did nothing when considering the commoners’ reactions.

It was difficult to criticize Ryoma Mikoshiba for his actions when he was praised, especially when he was no longer a simple wanderer. He was now one of the highest-ranking nobles in the Kingdom of Rhoadseria after the queen gave him the title of archduke. The House of Lords would normally be a lot more decisive when dealing with him, but that didn’t mean Viscount Romaine was less frustrated. Leonard’s words only served to fan the flames of his anger.

“I’ll ask you again... Did you really come to my house to discuss that with me? Did you come all this way to mock my son and me?”

Leonard remained calm, feigning ignorance, and said, “I see you are quite upset.”

“Of course I am! The heir to my house was killed! So he ridiculed a few commoners, what does it even matter?! Are you going to tell me that was more than enough reason to kill the heir of House Romaine?!”

Yet Leonard shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “That’s besides House Romaine suffering plenty of damage from the Twin Blades in the last war. It must have been hard work restoring the streets of Thelmis.”

Viscount Romaine’s expression changed as the rage drained from his face.

“How... How do you know that...?”

Thelmis stood in the southern part of Rhoadseria and was part of Viscount Romaine’s territory, located halfway between the border city Galatia and the central southern city Heraklion. It played an important role as a distribution hub in Rhoadseria alongside Prolegia. House Romaine’s finances had taken a turn for the worse after Robert and Signus had laid waste to the city of Thelmis. The original reason Mario Romaine, who lived at a mansion based in Prolegia, had come to the royal capital was because the Twin Blades had attacked a vacant house in the southern part of the kingdom during the northern subjugation.

Many of the nobles who had participated in the northern subjugation had uprooted all of their soldiers and skilled commanders from their regions, leaving only second-rate commanders and a handful of soldiers in their wake. Therefore, those left behind could not fend off a surprise ambush spearheaded by the Twin Blades, Robert Bertrand and Signus Galveria. The affected noble houses stopped fighting back and fled to the royal capital with their families to preserve their lineage. Still, none of them would have admitted they feared the Twin Blades and had decided to escape. Mario had made an excuse that his father had summoned him to act as his reinforcements. While he would have added to the military strength of the capital, he had chosen to escape. Said act of cowardice resulted in Thelmis taking a lot of damage.

It makes sense that Viscount Romaine hates Ryoma Mikoshiba with all his heart. That man has taken both of his heirs, and the financial base of House Romaine, Thelmis, was all but destroyed. 

The story of Thelmis brought dishonor to House Romaine. Having the heir to the house fail to protect his people, choosing instead to flee, was an incredibly detestable act. Usually, the heir to the territory led in its defense unless they were very young and unable to do so. No other heirs to various noble houses had done what Mario did. It also showed how important he was to Viscount Romaine.

His son, whom he had fought so hard to protect, meeting such a cruel fate has probably destroyed Viscount Romaine financially and mentally... Hm, I almost feel sorry for him.

That was why Leonard was about to offer him a helping hand.

“I understand the hardship House Romaine is experiencing. As a fellow noble who serves the Kingdom of Rhoadseria, I can imagine what it must be like for you. Her Majesty Radine and the House of Lords have bent before that man’s authority. Looking after our interests and honor ensures the survival of the nation. Would you like to do something about this situation we’ve found ourselves in?”

“What...?” Viscount Romaine choked on his words.

“With the House of Lords not doing anything, it’s understandable that House Romaine may feel it can’t do anything either. After all, the longevity of one’s house is more important than anything else. However, isn’t that a little unfair to Lord Mario?”

Leonard’s words were poison disguised by righteousness. Viscount Romaine’s expression froze as his fists tightened and shook slightly.

“Are you sure you’re happy with that?”

More poison. Viscount Romaine’s face contorted—not with anger, but guilt. When Leonard saw how his peer responded, his evaluation of Viscount Romaine changed a little.

He tried to be a good father to Mario. I didn’t hear him grieve for his eldest son, born to his wife, and thought he was rather indifferent about his children. It seems that’s not the case. Though seeing how he treated his son, he’s still somewhat of an unworthy parent.

In most cases, noble marriages were political, ensuring the continuation of relations between two noble families. Rarely were there any marriages out of love. Some did find love blossoming as they navigated their lives together. But many couples masqueraded as happy individuals due to differences in their personalities and characters. People in such shallow marriages often didn’t opt for divorce, instead just willingly separating the family and living in different residences.

A formal divorce would reflect poorly on the families, leading to cracks in their relations. So, it’s very common for both of them to have actual lovers on the side once an heir to the family is born.

Husband and wife often kept their lovers or concubines close to them, resulting in several half brothers and sisters being born. Leonard was luckily in a harmonious marriage with his wife and had never considered other partners. He had also been blessed with many children, meaning he didn’t have any family members or retainers nagging him to find a concubine. But he was aware that noble families like Viscount Romaine’s existed and had accepted it.

Anyway, Viscount Romaine did love Mario. Considering what became of Mario, it was also true that Viscount Romaine had a warped view of what made an ideal father figure.

Viscount Romaine had chosen the worst approach when raising his son. He let him run wild, which did nothing but teach him that no matter how unjust or inhumane he was, his father would always protect him. That did nothing for Mario’s development. After all, his parents wouldn’t be around to do that forever. Mario had played with fire and received a mortal punishment. If Viscount Romaine really loved his son, he should have been stricter and scolded him where needed, maybe even teaching him with physical discipline.

Mario probably could have avoided such a hideous death if Viscount Romaine had been more strict, thought Leonard.

Any decent human being would think that. Physical punishment as a means of education wasn’t always the right choice, but blindly believing that one could solve everything by talking about it was nothing short of a fairy tale. What mattered was picking appropriate methods and not completely cutting out physical discipline as something inherently bad.

For that to happen, the parents have to be decent people. They wouldn’t make good parents otherwise. At least not good enough to lead a child through life.

As Rhoadserian nobles, Mario’s parents weren’t completely wrong in their methods. But as people, Leonard considered them nothing more than garbage.

Something is quite fascinating, albeit strange, about people who feel nothing when hurting and stepping on mere commoners but are full of remorse due to being unable to avenge their child.

As a poet, he had a heightened sensitivity to the world around him, which often opened his mind to its irregularities. Leonard didn’t plan to ridicule and jest with Viscount Romaine, though. He had yet another wedge to drive into his heart.

“Judging from those bloodshot eyes of yours... It seems like you’re drowning yourself in alcohol. Are you just trying to wash out all the pain with wine? All the while tormenting yourself over the fact you’re powerless...” said Leonard.

“No, you’re...wrong,” denied Viscount Romaine. However, there wasn’t any strength in his words. Even he didn’t believe in what he was saying.

That seems to have worked. Now for the final push. 

Leonard had been an influential figure within the royal palace for years, meaning he was talented at noticing the inner workings of other people’s emotions and manipulating them as needed. He could see right through Viscount Romaine, who had a very typical noble way of thinking.

“Really? I won’t say anything more if that’s what you truly think. But could you say that to your son proudly?”

Leonard’s question had targeted why Viscount Romaine had turned to alcohol to escape. Viscount Romaine seemed reluctant to admit it, and turned his suspicious, dark gaze toward Leonard.

“Why are you even talking to me about that?” asked Viscount Romaine.

“What? I just thought a noble living in this country would want to maintain their pride,” responded Leonard composedly.

“Pride?”

“Yes. Your pride as a noble who has long supported the Kingdom of Rhoadseria.”

Viscount Romaine could not pass that off as a mere immature jest. Had he been his usual self, he would have laughed it off and ridiculed the person who dared to question his pride and self-respect. But Leonard Orglen spoke with such intensity that it stifled any of Viscount Romaine’s attempts at mockery.

“But... What can I do? The House of Lords and Her Highness just do what that man says. Even other nobles only offer words of sympathy while distancing themselves from me! What am I supposed to do in a situation like this?” said Viscount Romaine with a strained voice. His doubts were natural. “Viscount Orglen, do you know what rumors the civilians are spreading?”

“Yes, I have a rough idea.”

“So you understand, right? That man is maliciously twisting the truth. That son of a bitch... What kind of grudge does he have, cursing my family so?!”

House Romaine was a laughingstock among the civilians living with the royal capital. Mario’s deeds and those of the knights he led became rumors. Not all of them were true, but a large number of those rumors, albeit exaggerated in some parts, still had hints of truth. It did not matter to the civilians spreading the rumors, because they didn’t care about the truth.

The civilians were more concerned that the nobles had met a cruel fate at the hands of Ryoma Mikoshiba for abusing their authority. They didn’t care much for the accuracy of the rumors. Additionally, it didn’t interest them that Mario had died in a horrific manner that would make even battle-hardened soldiers turn their heads away in disgust. Many civilians weren’t even aware of the reality of his death.

Well, it’s not like anything would change if they knew what happened.

To the civilians, spreading rumors and the like was just their way of airing out their daily frustrations. This situation reminded Leonard of a fairy tale he had read many years ago. The fairy tale had been passed down through generations within the Kingdom of Rhoadseria. It was about a demon king who died at the hands of a hero. While it sounded like the usual tried-and-true plot of a fairy tale, this particular story was far from conventional.

The hero of this tale had a bizarre plan. To defeat the demon king, who boasted almighty magical power, he sneaked into the room where the enemy’s wife slept and sexually assaulted her. He then used that as a pretense to have the wife steal the sword that was the source of her husband’s power. When the demon king embraced his wife to comfort her for being assaulted, the hero then defeated the demon king by cutting him and his wife down with the sword. It was strange that a mere mortal, even if he was known as a hero, could attack the demon king’s wife. How was he even able to get close to her? And if such a powerful sword existed, it was difficult to imagine the demon king becoming so weak after having that sword stolen.

Even though it was a magic sword, it is still a sword. It’s still a tool...

Being a knight of unparalleled strength himself, Leonard understood that. Double standards like that were common in fairy tales. Once he first read the original text, rather than feeling uneasy about the setting, he felt hatred toward the cowardly hero. His feelings remained strong even now. Although the hero had acted in the name of justice, he had approached the situation inhumanely. But the story that became widespread in the Kingdom of Rhoadseria now differed from the original. The problematic scenario had been removed as if it had never been a part of the tale.

Maybe over the months and years, as people told the story, the parts of the story that didn’t suit the idea of a hero were removed. People ignored inconvenient truths and only saw what they wanted to see.

The same applied to the current situation House Romaine found themselves in. Civilians saw the noble house as the ultimate evil, so no matter how unjust their hero Ryoma Mikoshiba’s methods were, they would applaud his efforts. So long as those unjust methods had that negative connotation, none of it would affect them or their families.

Viscount Romaine understood that. He couldn’t get revenge, even if he still festered with rage and sadness.

“I’ll ask you again... What can you even do?”

At this point, Viscount Romaine had an accurate idea of his situation. For as much of an arrogant, idle excuse of a human as he was, that didn’t mean he was incompetent.

“Good question. You’re right that House Orglen’s assistance alone won’t do much to change the situation. However...” Leonard trailed off before revealing his ace.

“However? Spit it out! No need for the dramatics!” Viscount Romaine could no longer keep his cool as Leonard hinted at something, causing him to raise his voice in anger.

“If one house alone can’t do anything, we must get the House of Lords to act. They all remain silent when they face an overwhelming enemy. But plenty of houses also have their qualms with Archduke Mikoshiba,” replied Leonard calmly.

“How foolish of you. There’s no way the House of Lords will do anything now,” spat Viscount Romaine, though he was correct.

If the House of Lords had done something like Leonard suggested, they would have already had Ryoma Mikoshiba in chains upon hearing what had happened to Mario Romaine. They would have at least investigated and arrested him within a few days. Rhoadserian law stated that should a noble be a suspect of a crime, under certain conditions—and with consent from the House of Lords—they could detain that noble. In practice, it was often easy for nobles to circumvent such laws, especially if the suspect in question was someone in an influential position.

Leonard understood that and had reached out to help Viscount Romaine.

“Yes, ordinarily it would be impossible... But if we get certain people to act, they can make the impossible possible.”

“Certain people?” asked Viscount Romaine.

“Charlotte Halcyon, Bettina Eisenbach...as well as Diana Hamilton and her friends,” responded Leonard with a chilling smile.

“Really? Are you sure?” mused Viscount Romaine, eagerly bending forward. As a viscount within the noble faction, he had a hierarchical relationship with the upper noble families, including House Halcyon. He was less of a vassal, having a more familial relationship with them, like a parent and child.

Since the northern subjugation, there had been a visible decline among the nobles. They had lost a lot of money due to the ever-increasing war expenditures, not to mention they had also lost many knights who acted as vassals for their families due to the war. Although their power declined, they remained a secret power in the Kingdom of Rhoadseria.

Sometimes, they could even manipulate the ruler of the kingdom. The nobles could turn black into white if they really put their minds to it. Given that, Viscount Romaine saw this as an opportunity to reverse his predicament.

Leonard smiled calmly in response to Viscount Romaine’s question.

“Yes, I have already made the first move and spoke with Her Majesty Radine as well as Lady Charlotte. We are now just waiting on your approval.”

Viscount Romaine was at a loss for words and retorted, “So, how about it? Are you still too hesitant?”

Eventually, Viscount Romaine’s expression morphed into a mixture of greed and loathing.

“I see... You’ve already set the scene. With this, we can finally remove that eyesore of a man from this world. We can restore our previous glory to the kingdom and usher in an age where nobles can revel in their prosperity!”

“Yes, you’re right. Just as it was promised,” said Leonard so quietly that Viscount Romaine couldn’t hear as he smiled. The proposal had delighted Viscount Romaine, causing him to fail to miss a sharp, hidden twinkle within Leonard’s eye.