“As expected.”
Feeling guilty for making Nea wait so long, Ian sighed.
‘This training hall is perfect, except…’
Its one flaw was that only those of Schrantz blood could enter. Even urgent matters had to wait outside.
That’s why he needed to stick to a schedule.
“Did I miss meal time?”
“Yes, quite a while ago. Though reheating the food isn’t an issue.”
“No need. Too much hassle, and I can’t be bothered to wait. I’ll just eat it cold. You know what would be nice? An alarm clock. Though here, it’d have to be some delicate mechanical device. Wonder if it’s even possible to make one. Probably expensive, huh?”
“What are you talking about?”
Ian brushed it off without answering.
Nea didn’t press further.
Him spouting nonsense wasn’t anything new—she was used to it by now.
“Ah, right. There’s something I need to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“The investigation is finished.”
“Investigation?”
When Ian gave her a blank look, she sighed.
“Did you forget? Ever since we arrived, you told me to look into what’s been happening in the territory.”
“Oh. Right.”
Hugo hadn’t just sent Ian here to guard the estate.
The real reason was to solidify Schrantz’s influence in the Dariel region.
After deploying agents and gathering intel through Nea, the final report was finally ready today.
“Let me see.”
Ian took the report and began reading.
The further he got, the more stunned he became.
“Is this for real?”
Nea nodded grimly.
“At first, even the men thought the rumors were exaggerated. But it’s all true—still happening now.”
The contents varied, but the highlights included:
-
Local officials and village chiefs acting like kings, imposing excessive taxes to line their own pockets.
-
Some officials openly harassing young women, even resorting to assault.
-
Married women weren’t spared either.
-
Despite complaints, the guards turned a blind eye.
As a result, discontent festered. Some villagers abandoned their homes, while others turned to banditry.
“Hah! I heard administrative gaps were severe due to the sudden expansion and lack of manpower, so they delegated some authority to existing officials, but…”
These were former Erce retainers now serving Schrantz.
With no replacements available, they had kept their positions to avoid administrative chaos.
“When the cat’s away, the mice will play.”
And play they did—far worse than expected.
The situation was so volatile that a rebellion could erupt any moment.
“Nea.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“This ‘Redem’ guy—he’s the ringleader? The most influential figure in the region?”
“Yes. He even has a private force of over a hundred and connections with local soldiers and knights.”
Meaning corruption ran deep.
If Ian marched in with troops, word could leak, and evidence might be destroyed.
‘Worse, they might even turn their blades on me.’
“This is bad.”
And if left unchecked, things would only deteriorate further.
‘Some parents were so desperate they even sold their own children to slavers?’
That detail had shocked Ian the most.
‘For things to get this dire…’
Even the agents compiling the report must have been just as appalled.
This wasn’t something Ian could ignore.
‘If this drags on, we’ll lose manpower—or face outright rebellion.’
A worst-case scenario for Schrantz.
It had to be dealt with before things escalated.
“In that case…”
Ian set the report down and stood.
His crimson eyes gleamed with lethal intent.
“We normalize things.”
Swiftly. Permanently.
“Nea.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“We’re paying this bastard a visit. Prepare to leave immediately.”
It was late, but Ian wasn’t waiting.
“And summon four attendants to accompany me.”
“Attendants?”
“Yeah.”
He listed the names—each one chosen for a reason.
“As expected.”
Redem’s days were filled with nothing but joy and satisfaction.
A grin stretched across his face—he had never imagined he would live to see the day when money flowed so effortlessly into his hands.
Relaxing on the terrace, he sipped expensive wine and indulged in rare, exquisite fruits that were hard to come by in this region.
‘Well, I’ve suffered like a dog my whole life. This much reward is only fair.’
Back when he served under House Erce, he had worked like a slave for meager wages.
There were countless times he considered switching jobs, but the only thing he knew was administration.
He gritted his teeth day after day, climbing the ranks—only to be unjustly framed by his superior, who pinned their own mistakes on him.
As a result, Redem, once a promising official in House Erche’s main estate, was exiled to this backwater.
‘Heh. When House Erce lost the territorial war and this place fell under Schrantz’s rule, I thought I was done for.’
It was practically a demotion, and he had been drowning in despair—until he realized it was an opportunity in disguise.
Schrantz had left him in his position without a second thought, too preoccupied to care.
Before long, he took advantage of the chaos. With the new rulers too busy to monitor the region, he began skimming funds.
He didn’t even have to work hard—just delegate to his underlings and let the system run itself.
Sure, his subordinates took their own cuts, reducing his share bit by bit…
‘But this way, they stay quiet, and I stay safe.’
He made sure they were all complicit, ensuring no one would dare report him.
And it worked perfectly.
He even taught them how to embezzle discreetly, turning them into loyal followers.
Besides, he had other businesses running on the side—this was just pocket change.
Of course, Redem didn’t fully trust his lackeys.
‘Long tails get stepped on.’
He never assumed he’d go unpunished forever.
‘But let them try. If they can even catch me.’
He had bribed all kinds of people—soldiers, officials, anyone who mattered.
If anyone came for him, the local garrison would tip him off long before they arrived.
He’d have more than enough time to flee.
‘So I’ll take what I can while I can.’
Once he left this territory, he’d live the rest of his life in luxury, free from want.
“I’m feeling a bit lonely… Ah, right. That madam mentioned a new girl at the brothel with exceptional ‘night skills’… Should I call for her?”
The wine had gone to his head, and the solitude was getting to him.
Just as he reached for the bell to summon his butler—
“Master!”
The very butler he was about to call burst in, panting.
“Perfect timing. I was just about to call you. You know that brothel I frequent? Go and—”
“This is no time for that! Some unidentified troublemaker is causing a scene at the gates! He says if you don’t come out within five minutes—or refuse—he’ll storm in!”
“An unidentified troublemaker?”
“He won’t say who he is! Just keeps shouting that he’ll only speak to you directly!”
Redem’s face twisted in irritation.
‘Who the hell is this? Someone I screwed over?’
He had silenced or framed anyone who got in his way—so the list of potential enemies was… extensive.
The problem was, he had too many people who might hold a grudge.
No way to guess who it was.
“Can’t the guards just throw him out? Why bother me with this?”
He had hired private soldiers precisely to deal with nuisances like this.
“T-that’s the issue, Master. They can’t.”
“What do you mean, can’t?”
“Four of our men have already been subdued by him.”
That was surprising.
His private soldiers weren’t pushovers—they were known for their strength in the region.
For someone to take down four of them… this wasn’t some ordinary thug.
‘None of the people I’ve crossed are that strong… Did someone hire muscle?’
Honestly, the idea intrigued him.
“Fine. I’ll go see for myself.”
“W-what? You’re really going out there?”
“I want to see this troublemaker’s face.”
If this guy was as capable as he sounded, Redem could use him—either as a bodyguard or to deal with future pests.
Strong subordinates made life easier.
And if he looked like some hulking brute, even better.
Intimidation worked wonders in avoiding messy situations.
“But just in case, gather all the guards.”
“Yes, Master!”
Redem wasn’t taking chances. If negotiations failed, overwhelming force would do the trick.
He walked toward the main gate.
Just as the butler had said, four of his men lay sprawled on the ground.
More soldiers had arrived in the meantime, now forming a defensive line at the entrance.
‘Huh. He’s not as huge as I expected.’
Given how easily he had taken down four men, Redem had assumed the intruder would be built like a bear.
But the figure standing there wasn’t much larger than his own men.
‘…Those eyes, though.’
Something about his gaze sent an involuntary shiver down Redem’s spine.
But he couldn’t show weakness in front of his men.
Just a few months ago, he wouldn’t have understood why nobles cared so much about appearances—but now, in this position, it made perfect sense.
Show vulnerability, and your subordinates start looking down on you.
So he had to project strength.
And right on cue, the butler returned with over ninety guards in tow.
‘This should make him realize his mistake.’
Mobilizing this many men for one guy was a bit excessive, but it drove the point home.
By now, the intruder should have grasped just who he was dealing with.
“So. Where did you crawl out from, you stray mutt? And who hired you? Speak nicely, and I might let you off easy.”
Redem smirked, oozing confidence.
But the intruder didn’t so much as flinch.
“‘Stray mutt,’ you say?”
His eerily calm response only deepened Redem’s confusion.
‘What’s his deal? Does he have some powerful backer?’
Or was he just insane?
The dim lighting made it hard to see, but as the man stepped closer, his features became clear.
“Huh?”
Black hair.
Crimson eyes.
Even if Redem had never seen him before, there was only one thing this combination could mean.
‘Schr… Schrantz…?’
His time in House Erce hadn’t been wasted—he had heard plenty about Schrantz.
And the one thing repeated most often was this:
Every member of House Schrantz is born with black hair and crimson eyes.
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