Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Chapter 9. At my words, the Fox Merchant Union stirred.

I continued the words to drive in the wedge.

“You know what punishment you receive when you scam, right? Naul! Since they seem not to know, explain!”

“Yes, Madam.”

Naul solemnly explained the content he had memorized in advance.

“The punishment for scam is that the perpetrator must pay compensation of twice the amount scammed to the victim. If they cannot pay the compensation, the person and their family work as slaves for the amount of the compensation, that is the empire's national law.”

“So it is.”

I nodded arrogantly and looked around the Fox Merchant Union.

Human psychology is like that.

Even a good citizen who has lived without committing crimes usually flinches when seeing the police for no reason.

Moreover, this side is a high-ranking noble Duke, and those are at best Viscounts.

They couldn't help but feel pressure.

“The amount you told the Valfruga family to put out was 1 billion marks. Twice that is 2 billion marks. Does everyone have the money to pay the compensation?”

There's no way.

After deciding to unfold the blank cartridge operation, Naul and I gave up looking into the promissory note.

Instead, we investigated the Fox Merchant Union.

The Fox Merchant Union was a group made up of small-scale merchants active near the territory.

Two among them were Viscounts, but they had no territory either.

They aren't poor, but not abundant either, so they must have climbed the rough mountain path in midwinter to receive that money.

Even adding all their total assets, they couldn't compensate 2 billion marks.

That is, according to my words, their families all the way will work as slaves.

The Fox Merchant Union who understood the situation raised their voices with pale complexions.

“Wh-what nonsense is this! When did we scam!”

“That's right! Scam? Even if it's a ducal house, you can't frame people like this!”

“If you don't have the leeway to repay the money, just say so! Don't threaten like this!”

When Naul signaled with his eyes, the soldiers behind struck the floor with the spears they were holding.

Thump!

At the orderly movement, fear gathered in the merchants' eyes.

There was worth in practicing only striking the floor matching for three hours yesterday.

“Where do you think this is to raise your voices! The person in front of you now is the Duchess!”

Naul also put strength in his stomach and raised his voice.

Already overwhelmed by the atmosphere, the eyes of the merchant union rolled quickly.

I don't know well, but I know well that all sorts of imaginations are unfolding in their heads.

In the quiet space where even the sound of a needle dropping could be heard, I said as if it was the monarch's last mercy.

“Of course, processing according to the national law is the right thing, but since it's a contract from so long ago, there must have been a mistake on your side too.”

The faces of the ten merchants changed from moment to moment.

“I'll give you until tomorrow. Those who confess their crime will be spared, but if not.”

The soldiers' spears were aimed at the merchant union.

The sharp spear blades shone blue under the light.

Of course, this was also a movement practiced yesterday.

“I will process according to the national law.”

Among the expressions of fear, confusion, doubt, and retracing the past, there was a person with an interesting expression.

It was also the man that Naul and I thought was suspicious.

The man who had been leading the merchant union all along.

Lewan.

He glared at me with a resentful face as if his plan was ruined.

“What on earth scam did we commit against the ducal house! It's unfair!”

Lewan shouted earnestly.

“Do I have to answer even that? You who scammed would know better than me.”

“There's no scam, what on earth are you saying! Are you going to oppress us with power? This is Valfruga's will!”

There was appeal in his voice, and it made it look as if we were pressing people with position.

It was ridiculous saying such things knowing that our family is completely collapsed.

I snorted as if it was ridiculous.

“So? Isn't it you who entered such a Valfruga castle.”

I slowly said while turning my gaze to the spears.

“A snowstorm will soon rage. Do you know? In our territory, there are very many people who go missing in snowstorms. Once missing, it's hard to find.”

I looked back at the merchants who had turned blue with a fishy smile.

“You also be careful not to go out and lose your way for nothing.”* * *Before executing the blank cartridge plan, I prepared many things.

Investigated the Fox Merchant Union, and trained soldiers to create the atmosphere.

And the last thing prepared is this man.

“Wow... Wowaaa...”

Although the continent's number one ducal house completely collapsed, there was still something left.

That is people.

The core figures of the ducal house had all devoted loyalty to the ducal house for nearly a thousand years.

Of course, among them there are many who betrayed or left, but there were also talents who remained until the end.

And this man was the person strongest in tracking, assassination, and intimidation among the figures remaining in our castle...

I was clearly introduced that way.

I looked at the man in front with suspicious eyes.

He was wearing a thick apron of a material like rubber, and it was a mess with blood splattered a lot.

Looking at me ecstatically in that state was a bit creepy.

A harmless type of young man with light brown hair who looks like he could be a kindergarten teacher, but combined with the blood-splattered clothes, it gave off an even more terrifying atmosphere.

The man who was looking at me ecstatically suddenly came to his senses and greeted cheerfully.

“Ah, I have to greet! Hello, Madam! I am Butcher Crimson.”

Right, if he's a member of a secret organization, he can't live a life so far from blood.

I shouldn't be scared of the level of blood.

When I tried hard to calm my startled heart, he looked at me with sparkling eyes.

“Madam... I really wanted to meet you so much... Can I just shake hands once?”

When I held out my hand, Butcher grabbed my hand tightly with both hands with a moved face.

It was an attitude exactly like meeting an idol he admires.

“...

Is it really trustworthy?”

When I asked looking back at Bella, Bella answered confidently.

“Of course! Tracking, assassination, intimidation that Madam mentioned, Mr. Butcher is an expert!”

I looked at the man looking at the hand that shook with me with a moved face.

“...

Really?”

“Actually a bit... He's a dangerous person, but his skill is trustworthy. Originally he was the head of the secret organization that does secret and dangerous things in the castle.”

“What is he doing now?”

“Animal slaughter.”

“...”

“There's no money to operate the organization and he has to earn money. But he was really an unprecedented genius even in that organization! Even when the Duke's grandfather was alive...!”

“Got it.”

I cut off Bella's words and looked at Butcher.

“Butcher.”

At my call, he looked at me like a puppy whose name was called.

“Yes, Madam!”

“Butcher. There's something I want you to do.”

“What is it?”

“Follow a certain person and listen to everything that person says and come back.”

Lightning flashed in Butcher's eyes.

If the previous Butcher was in power-saving mode, the current Butcher looked like the power was turned on.

“Really? Is it real? Is it hunting after a really long time?”

The slightly dull atmosphere disappeared somewhere and Butcher entered an excited state like a dog seeing a walk leash.

“Who? Who? Who should I eavesdrop on? Wow, Madam is really too good! To be able to do the mission Madam gave...! I'm so happy.”

It seems Butcher's secret organization work really suited his aptitude well.

To be that happy.

“The guy hiding behind me that I look at last. Chase that guy and find out everything he says, everything he does and report.”

“Got it!”

Butcher who was about to run out excitedly returned to me again and asked.

“Madam, Madam. If I handle it well and come back, can I do the work of serving Madam for just one day?”

Butcher pouted his lips.

“Always only Bella serves Madam... I also want to serve the cute Madam... Animal slaughter is boring now...”

“Hey! The work of serving Madam is mine! This ungrateful guy! I went through the trouble of letting you meet Madam...!”

Before I could say anything, Bella shouted loudly.

“Only you serve the cute Madam! I also want to serve Madam! Mean!”

Suddenly the two people started fighting over the work of serving me.

Hearing them fight saying each is more confident in tying Madam's hair better than the other, I clean better so I'll do Madam's room cleaning better, my head hurt.

“Stop!”

At my words, the two people stopped in the state they were fighting and looked at me.

“Got it. If you handle it well and come back, I'll switch for just one day.”

“Wow!”

“Madam...!”

At my words, Butcher cheered, and Bella despaired.

“But it's only when you handle the work well. Got it?”

“Yes, yes, yes! Don't worry!”* * *Have to do well.

Butcher tightly clenched both fists.

It's a mission the master gave after a long time.

Even when he heard that a mistress was coming, he didn't have particular expectations.

Anyway it would be the same as the previous generation's mistress.

The previous generation's mistress got tired of the castle every day, and when she saw the castle's children including Butcher, she made a face of being sick of them.

Hysterical and indifferent even to the child she gave birth to.

She even had an affair with another man and received jewels and hoarded them.‘If she hadn't died, we might have killed her from this side.’But this time's mistress was different.

The appearance was lovely enough to make anyone smile the moment they see it, but the spirit contained inside was no less than a lion.

Moreover, she even gave such a fun mission.

Under the pretext of lack of money, the secret organization was disbanded, and how long has it been since receiving a mission.

Butcher hid on the ceiling and saw the mistress leave, and the messed up merchant union.

“I did as you said, what are you going to do about this!”

“Scam? We never heard such words! Somehow the conditions were too good...!”

“Th-this, we can't die like this! This is all Lewan, if I confess that you plotted it...!”

“Stop!”

Lewan struck the desk and shouted.

“That is a lie right now. Scam?”

“But...”

“My life is also at stake! If you die, I die too! That is all a lie. It's a lie because they don't want to give us money. Do you believe that when they can't even properly say what the scam content is?”

Lewan replied calmly, but the merchant union was already buried in fear.

“But that side is a Duke. If they really kill us and throw us in that snow field... I... I don't know. What to do.”

“Then did you think you could obtain such a large sum of money for free?”

Lewan's eyes shone viciously.

He couldn't ruin the plan like this.

“Do you think they'll spare you if you confess? We are already on the same boat. Remember that!”

Lewan coldly rebuked and left the room.

Butcher hid in the shadows and chased after Lewan.

Lewan who returned to the room threw off the calm appearance until just now and roughly kicked the chair.

“Damn!”

He anxiously walked around the room.

“No. Could they have noticed this method? No way. How much effort was put into preparing it. It doesn't make sense.”

There was no way it would go wrong.

How much effort his master put into preparing the plan.

It's a matter planned from dozens of years ago to swallow this Valfruga Castle.

There was no way there would be 1 billion marks in the completely collapsed Valfruga with only the name left.

The Valfruga family just had to hand over the castle and step back.

Even if they prepared 1 billion marks, it didn't matter.

It means they poured all the remaining funds of the ducal house, so with just a slight attack, he could get the castle in hand.

He wasn't afraid of the arrogant Duchess's threats.

Anyway it's a plan where if it fails, he loses his life.

Then, someone knocked on Lewan's room door.

One of the merchant union, the one who was put into the Fox Merchant Union together with Lewan to complete this plan.

“How is the situation.”