Chapter 73, Let Me Ask Just One Thing (4)

Translator: Hedge

Editor: Lizzz

 

Sillike’s Pavel Knight Order.

 

Tayle was previously a vice-captain within the Pavel Knight Order.

 

And now, that very Tayle was sitting on the ground with the face of someone who had given up on everything.

 

It was a miracle that he had survived thus far, avoiding the ice spears shot by that Mage. From the mouth of the boy who had cut off his comrade’s neck with a dagger barely the length of a forearm came words that were truly like a bolt from the blue.

 

‘High Highness said there’s no need to bring them back.’

 

This must have been Kalian’s orders.

 

It meant there was no need to be curious about the mastermind or anything else.

 

So, Tayle simply gave up.

 

He was about to either get a hole in his neck or lose his neck altogether. He had been willing to sell out his comrades to live, so why would keeping someone else’s secret be important now?

 

Once he gave up, his mouth, which had always been heavy, opened on its own.

 

“Please wait a moment, both of you. I have so many things to say to the Third Prince.”

 

He still thought that if he could just get to the Royal Palace, Sillike would save him.

 

Therefore, Tayle obediently put his hands together and started to freely say everything. He thought that when they heard what he knew, they would have no choice but to take him to Kalian.

 

“You did well to keep me alive. I received a direct request from the Queen. Look at this. Here is the money pouch given for the job.”

 

Tayle’s words, which started like that, seemed endless.

 

Tayle had not only received money from Sillike. He had also received money from Lannen and Evan and had done many jobs worth the price.

 

“I once dealt with a maid, who had delivered something from Lannen Beurisen to the Third Prince’s servant. I will testify if needed.”

 

It was the story of the maid who had disappeared after delivering the poisoned teas to Ian. Arsene had heard something about it, and her disappearance seemed to be Tayle’s doing.

 

However, Arsene knew that Kalian had already exchanged a Seal of Oath with Sillike, promising to bury the matter.

 

Besides, Tayle did not seem to know exactly why he had killed the maid, so such testimony would hardly be necessary now.

 

“That is of no use now. And the Prince doesn’t want to think about that time anymore.”

 

Arsene, who had gulped down strong coffee in front of Kalian, said so. Then, he looked at Kyrie standing behind Tayle. It meant they should finish him off and leave. Kyrie took half a step forward.

 

*Thud.*

 

Realizing that the sound of Kyrie’s footsteps was the sound of his life line being cut, Tayle quickly tried to dissuade them.

 

“I can tell you one more important thing! This is really important information!”

 

At those words, the sound of Kyrie stepping back was heard. Momentarily relieved, Tayle quickly opened his mouth.

 

“Do you know where the Marquis’s source of funding is?”

 

“Bribes, isn’t it?”

 

“Of course. That’s a big part of it, but that’s irregular income, isn’t it? There’s a separate source of regular funds. That’s what I’ve been in charge of since leaving the Royal Palace.”

 

Finally, Tayle opened the box he had kept tightly closed.

 

With an expression suggesting he was playing his trump card, Tayle lowered his voice.

 

“There’s a private gambling house in Cyriesus. They bet on people, and the money that changes hands in a day is beyond imagination. I’ll tell you where it is, so please take me to the Third Prince…”

 

“Are you referring to the fourth floor of Syspanian’s Boozy Breath?”

 

Tayle’s mouth quietly closed.

 

Regardless, Arsene asked Kyrie.

 

“Is that actually the name of a tavern?”

 

“Yes, it is.”

 

“That name is quite frivolous.”

 

“On the surface, it’s a tavern, but there are gambling dens in the basement. It’s not particularly remarkable information.”

 

Tayle bit his lip and then opened his mouth with a grave expression.

 

“Lannen Beurisen. Do you know because of whom he disappeared?”

 

[Who else? Our Prince caused his disappearance, of course.]

 

A long sigh escaped from Arsene’s mouth. He clearly was not very curious, but Tayle raised his voice.

 

“You probably didn’t even know that Lannen Beurisen is still alive and well! If you want to know where he is, please take me to Prince Kalian,”

 

Arsene cut off Tayle’s words and asked Kyrie.

 

“Didn’t he say that Lannen would be imprisoned in the Beurisen Marquis Family?”

 

“Yes, that’s what he said.”

 

Of course, that was Kalian’s prediction.

 

Arsene, who was starting to feel drowsy, gave a long yawn.

 

Tayle’s eyes twisted. Even information about Lannen Beurisen was not working.

 

The head of his comrade that had fallen earlier had been staring at Tayle since before. It now seemed to be telling him to give up and follow.

 

Tayle spoke in an even lower voice than when he talked about Lannen, as if revealing something very secretive.

 

“Count Beurisen being injured this time is probably something the Marquis personally arranged. Who else but the Marquis would injure the Count?”

 

[Who else would do that? That was also the doing of our Prince…]

 

Arsene’s eyes were gradually closing. In truth, he was really tired. He had not slept for days because of the development of the Teleportation Magic Circle. After finally getting one good sleep, he was immediately seized by Allan.

 

In such a state of physical fatigue and severe stress, having used a lot of Mana after a long time, he was not in a state of mind to have such a leisurely conversation.

 

Whether aware of this or not, Tayle’s words continued.

 

“The Marquis has actually been on the path of the sword for a very long time. Me and that guy lying on the riverbank. The two of us saw the Marquis’s sword completely break from his strength. But he hid this fact from the Count.”

 

At those words, strength returned to Arsene’s drooping eyelids. Arsene finally showed interest and he said.

 

“The Prince might like information about that.”

 

“That’s right. Although it’s said that the relationship between the Marquis and the Count is bad, the extent of it isn’t known. There was a big fight between them before he was appointed as a Count. If you let me see the Prince, I can tell you about it in detail…”

 

Having heard that much, Arsene raised his hand to momentarily stop Tayle.

 

“You seem to know quite a lot.”

 

At those words, Tayle’s face brightened. He thought he would be granted his wish to meet with Kalian. But Arsene’s words were not finished.

 

“And I think the reason you’ve been alive until now is because your mouth has been heavy compared to what you know. Isn’t that right?”

 

Somehow, it did not seem like a compliment, so Tayle just stared at Arsene without answering. Arsene, instead of Tayle, looked at Kyrie and quietly asked.

 

“Did the Prince really say not to bring him?”

 

“Yes. But he also said that it is to your discretion if he could really be of help.”

 

Arsene nodded and then opened his mouth again towards Tayle.

 

“So. Did you think that if you went to the Royal Palace under the pretext of revealing those secrets to us, Sillike would step in to save you?”

 

Tayle, who knew so many secrets but had forgotten what kind of person Sillike was, hurriedly opened his mouth.

 

“That is…!”

 

At that moment, moonlight filled Kyrie’s dagger.

 

The cold blade brushed past Tayle’s neck.

 

*Slash!*

 

In the end, Tayle could not finish his words.

 

*Thud!*

 

Tayle’s head rolled alongside the head of the taciturn Knight, who had fallen a while ago. Arsene, who had deployed Shield to block the spraying blood, looked at Tayle’s fallen head for a moment and said.

 

“A mouth that was once heavy should remain heavy. If you try to be clever and open your mouth, your life shortens.”

 

Soon, Arsene took a deep breath, then looked at Kyrie and said.

 

“Thank you for coming to help. Now, you should return to the palace. My coachman will have reported this incident by now, so the Capital Knights will soon arrive. I’ll explain the situation and return.”

 

Kyrie shook his head. Then he picked up the money pouch that Tayle had been holding until recently, put it in his bosom, and said.

 

“I will do it. Lord Hertz should not be noticed.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Kyrie took out a black robe from his saddle and handed it to Arsene. Then, he revealed the rest of what Kalian had said.

 

“He said to rest well for five days at Lord Manasil’s mansion without contacting anyone.”

 

He did not know the exact reason, but anyway, he was told to rest well.

 

At those words, Arsene’s showed a half-smile.

 

A vacation was a vacation nonetheless, but a vacation spent at Allan’s house?

 

He could not tell whether he should like it or dislike it.

 

* * *

 

The fact that the Marquis was running a gambling den was something completely unexpected. It was not immediately useful, but it would be valuable information eventually.

 

And also, the fact that the Marquis was hiding his skills was another unknown fact. Allan, who had listened to Kyrie’s words alongside Kalian, nodded and opened his mouth.

 

“When I said I wanted to buy the Beurisen Trader’s Guild before, I thought the Marquis got angry too hastily.”

 

Allan was recalling Evan’s demeanor, who immediately revealed killing intent at his words.

 

“Then, he quickly became docile again, but perhaps he was deliberately acting that way to cover my eyes?”

 

Kalian nodded at those words as if it could be so.

 

“I can confirm it when I meet the Marquis. Now that I can attend the Central Noble Council, there will be many opportunities.”

 

Soon, Kalian wrote a few words on a small piece of paper and handed it to Ian.

 

“Immediately send this to the border, where the Count is.”

 

He meant to send a messenger bird.

 

After receiving it, Ian went outside, and Kalian encouraged Kyrie with a brief word saying he had worked hard, then sent him to rest.

 

Thus, left alone with Allan, Allan activated Silent.

 

It meant he had something to say to Kalian, so Kalian gazed at Allan’s face.

 

“Your Highness wanted to meet the person who tried to harm the Deputy Commander of the Mage Order in person.”

 

He meant to ask why had they killed them all rather than capturing Tayle?

 

Kalian looked at the pouch on the table. With its still-wet bloodstains, it was the money pouch that Sillike had given to Tayle.

 

“If Pavel were still Knights within the Royal Palace, I would have done so, but now they’re not, are they? That man is now the Marquis’s man, not Sillike’s. Also, he had been involved in Lannen’s matter as well.”

 

He used to run errands for Sillike, but now he had become Evan’s limb. That was why they killed all of them instead of capturing them. The reason was simple.

 

“If he got captured in the Royal Palace, the Marquis would be on alert. He would be on edge, not knowing what Your Highness or I might demand, using the secrets that man could reveal as leverage.”

 

After saying that, Kalian pointed to the rye cookies in front of Allan. They had sent so many that no matter how much he ate, the pile did not seem to decrease.

 

“I haven’t even met the other Nobles yet. So, the Marquis should not take an interest in me yet. It’s better to keep him engaged in a tug-of-war between Gray and Sillike for now.”

 

In other words, he was trying to prevent Evan, who was wary of Kalian, from joining hands with Sillike again.

 

Kalian could not deal with Sillike and Evan if they teamed up, not now. He did not have that much power yet. So, he was gradually reducing their power.

 

He had separated Lannen and Gray from Sillike’s hands. And because of Gray, the relationship between Sillike and Evan had started to deteriorate.

 

Kalian planned to maintain this state for as long as possible and exploit it.

 

Soon, Kalian tapped the pouch on the table and grinned.

 

“Instead, Sillike will now become more anxious.”

 

Tayle was dead. The nine Knights who were with Tayle were also dead.

 

And Arsene disappears as well. For the next five days, they would not even know whether Arsene was dead or alive.

 

If Arsene was alive, what would he have heard from Tayle?

 

If he heard something, would he have told Kalian?

 

And what would Kalian do to Sillike, who had attacked his subordinate?

 

The list of worries would be endless.

 

“Let her worry all she wants.”

 

Thinking of Sillike holding her head in worry, a deep smile emerged on Kalian’s lips.