Chapter : 4

From now on, secrecy was key.

I sent the servants out of the inner castle and filled the gap with soldiers.

I couldn’t guarantee that the soldiers wouldn’t reveal things to the outside, but it was at least better than the servants.

Contrary to popular perception, the servants were all from noble families.

They were beings who would spread the affairs of the inner castle according to the interests of the families they belonged to.

‘It doesn’t matter when I have a firm grip on the domain, but…’

Right now, the domain has practically been taken over by my stepmother, Isabella.

That’s why the affairs of the inner castle could easily enter her ears.

And if that were to happen.

‘The plan will meet with catastrophe.’

My head would probably be cut off by the guillotine and hung on the castle gate. Disgracefully, with all sorts of accusations pinned on me.

I absolutely did not want that kind of ending.

At the gruesome thought, I shivered and waited anxiously for Hamil.

It should be about time for him to return….

Sure enough, not long after, someone opened the door and came in.

“My Lord, we’ve caught him!”

It was Hamil and Biden.

They came before Johan with five fully armed soldiers and knelt down.

“Fortunately, the fool was still in the city.”

“Oh, I was worried sick we’d lose him, what a relief.”

“It seems he thought that witch-like woman was looking out for him.”

Biden said, panting, next to Hamil. It seemed he had finally heard the full story.

“How would you like to deal with the stablemaster?”

“First, I have to see him. Bring him in.”

Upon receiving my consent, Hamil gestured behind him. Two soldiers went out the door and dragged a man in.

“Let go, let go of me! What is this madness? Hamil! Have you gone mad?”

It was the man in the seemingly normal situation, the stablemaster.

He screamed at the top of his lungs even as he was dragged along.

“If Lady Isabella finds out, you will! Uh…?”

Then he spotted me with Hamil and his mouth fell open.

“What happens if Isabella finds out?”

“Th, that….”

“It seems our stablemaster has another lord he follows besides me?”

“N-no, sir. Please spare my life, My Lord.”

The stablemaster collapsed to the ground and crawled towards me. His face was pale as a ghost’s.

“Spare you? It seems you’ve committed a crime worthy of death?”

“No! My Lord. I am innocent. I know nothing.”

It would have been better if he had just confessed his crime and begged for my forgiveness.

My mouth tasted bitter.

Unfortunately, the system of [Pangea Universalise] did not lie.

-Tiriring!

[You have captured a pawn of the assassination.]

[Impending Disaster: The progress of the Threat of Assassination is lowered.]

[Notification: The risk of assassination is reduced for the time being.]

[You can receive updated information on the poisonous herb from the assassin.]

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason I thought that way.

The lord’s horse was poisoned to death, and he claims he’s innocent?

Even a dog wouldn’t believe that. Horses were very valuable items in this era, and the warhorse the lord rode was managed separately by the stablemaster.

So much so that a lower-ranking noble was employed for this position.

Besides, he also checked the horse’s condition when he brought it out, so there was no way he couldn’t have known.

“Ah-! You know nothing.”

With a hollow laugh, I nodded. At that, the stablemaster seemed to take it as a positive sign.

“Yes! That’s right. I have no idea why you are doing this.”

“Yes, I’m sure you don’t.”

I gritted my teeth.

I didn’t want to go this far, but I had no choice. If this is the way of this era, I have no choice but to follow.

If I handled this softly, I would be plagued by assassinations for a long time to come. I needed to give a strong warning to my stepmother, Isabella.

I gave a signal to Biden behind me.

Just then….

Crack-!

Along with the sound of flesh being pierced.

“Kuaaaaaaaah-!”

The stablemaster’s scream echoed. I slowly approached the sobbing stablemaster.

“M-my Lord. Please….”

Gasping for breath, the stablemaster grabbed my trouser leg. But I ignored it and forcefully stomped on the dagger embedded in the stablemaster’s hand.

Kaddeudeuk.

Along with the sound of breaking bones, the stablemaster’s scream rang out again.

“Why am I your lord? Go beg Isabella, the one you follow.”

Looking down at the stablemaster indifferently, I turned to Biden behind me and said.

“Don’t go easy on him until this man tells the truth. I’m making a special request.”

“Do not worry. I will be sure to get a confession.”

Biden exclaimed, thumping his chest.

Someone was trying to assassinate his lord, and he knew nothing about it. It was a disgrace for a knight.

Biden mercilessly dragged away the pleading stablemaster.

Thankfully, it was a very good opportunity to restore his honor.

* * *

After the commotion subsided, silence fell in the room once again.

I slumped into a chair at my desk and wiped the blood from my face. My heart was still pounding from the face of the screaming stablemaster and the nauseating smell of blood.

‘To think I’ll have to do this as a matter of course now.’

To be honest, I wasn’t confident.

When would a modern person like me have ever done something so violent?

‘Like it or not, I have to adapt now….’

This was the path I had to take from now on.

My hands would probably never be free of blood….

But I had to do it.

If I didn’t want to die.

It was a damned situation.

“Hoo.”

I let out the heat in my chest with a sigh. It seemed the excitement had finally subsided and my head was calming down.

I slowly got up from my seat. This was no time to rest easy.

There was still a mountain of things to do to drive out Isabella. I couldn’t afford to waste precious time like this.

After calming my mind, I raised my head and looked at Hamil.

“You found the poisonous herb and the pouch of gold coins?”

“Yes. The scoundrel had hidden it in a secret safe.”

“Unfortunate for the stablemaster, but fortunate for us. It will be easier to get a confession.”

That was a real relief. Without it, I would have had to punish him based on his confession alone, which would have made it difficult to gain the support of the vassals.

Things going well from the start felt like a good sign.

But I did not let my guard down.

‘Reality and the game are definitely different.’

In the game, such problems could be solved with a few clicks, but this was reality where people interacted.

A single, insignificant mistake would surely lead to an unforeseen disaster.

‘Speed is important, but I have to handle it for certain.’

It wasn’t a problem that would be solved just by getting rid of Isabella.

The Bozen-faction vassals who followed Isabella also had to be dealt with at once. If even one of the Bozen-faction vassals were to escape, a war with the House of Count Bozen would be inevitable.

“How are the numbers of soldiers?”

“We are secretly gathering soldiers, focusing on the nobles who are on friendly terms with me, but… the numbers are still insufficient.”

He spoke as if he were ashamed, but I didn’t mind. This seemed to be the effect of my personal stats.

[You are carrying out a scheme to drive out your stepmother, Isabella.]

[Notification: The effect of the scheme is reduced due to your low Intrigue stat. It will take more time than usual to achieve your plan.]

I clicked my tongue inwardly and said.

“You mean you need more time.”

“Yes. It’s a bit slow because we’re trying to gather them secretly, My Lord.”

“Hmm….”

I tapped my fingers on the table.

I needed a way to buy time. At the same time, I also had to make Isabella think that the stablemaster’s absence was nothing to worry about.

What should I do?

Lost in thought for a moment, I soon smiled at an idea that came to mind.

A method that any modern person would have seen countless times.

After finishing my thought, I called Hamil.

“Steward Hamil.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

“Spread a rumor among the servants.”

“A rumor? What kind of rumor are you talking about….”

Hamil trailed off, perplexed by my words. He seemed confused, unable to understand my intentions.

“The rumor that I am gravely ill. Carefully spread the word that I am coughing up blood every time I cough and am on my deathbed.”

“A-are you serious, My Lord?”

Steward Hamil asked back in surprise. I looked at Hamil and simply nodded my head without a word.

‘Cover one issue with another.’

When a bigger issue arises, the previous one is naturally treated as insignificant. If the news was more shocking than the news of the stablemaster’s disappearance, Isabella wouldn’t pay attention to it.

Rather, at the news of the lord being gravely ill, she would gather people.

To put her own child, João, on the lord’s seat.

“Ah-!”

Then, as if he understood the meaning of my words, Steward Hamil let out a gasp.

“Indeed, indeed so. It is a great scheme, My Lord. Isabella, blinded by the lord’s seat, will not think much of it. Rather, she will only wait for the news of when you will die, My Lord.”

As expected of someone who was not just a knight, he was a quick thinker.

But that wasn’t all.

This would be an opportunity to distinguish who was truly on my side.

At the very least, a vassal who cares about my family would visit me in my illness, and if not, they would only go to Isabella and suck up to her. After weeding out the vassals like that.

‘When they are gathered together, I will annihilate them all at once.’

A clean sweep, so to speak.

After that, there would be no great difficulty for me to reform the domain.

Of course, to do that, I had to show them something more definite.

So that they would believe my life was in danger.

“Oh, and Hamil. While we’re at it, do one more thing.”

“Please speak, My Lord.”

“Send a messenger pigeon to the feudal vassals on the frontier. Tell them I am gravely ill and to come to the main castle.”

“Hmm….”

At that, Steward Hamil let out a groan.

The feudal vassals on the frontier.

They were the lords who ruled the domains that belonged to me, the Margrave. They were mostly composed of nobles from the collateral branches of my family.

That’s why they often had a claim to the succession of the domain.

But for them to hear the news that the lord is gravely ill and come to the main castle? There was a very high possibility of a major accident.

“If we’re not careful, it could lead to great chaos, My Lord.”

“I am well aware.”

But despite Steward Hamil’s concerns, I did not bend my will.

To catch a big fish, you must deceive everyone.

“Will you not make soybean paste for fear of maggots? If we can just deal with Isabella for certain, the feudal vassals are nothing. So…. proceed.”

The greater the risk, the greater the reward. And it seemed I wasn’t the only one who thought so.

[A Vile Scheme!]

[You are carrying out an unprecedented conspiracy. If it succeeds, a reward will follow.]

[Success – Intrigue +1 & Trait Open]

[Failure – Death]

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