C15: Rogue Lords (15)

“Chamberlain, what the hell are you doing?”

“I heard that……I hear you’re going to dismiss Viscount Bord and fix the tax system!”

“Well, I intend to. What does that have to do with you getting down on your knees?”

Don’t tell me there’s some kind of connection between the chamberlain and Viscount Bord? That’s why he’s going to turn himself in for conscience’s sake?

“As I recall, you said earlier that you were going to stop playing with women and focus on rebuilding your territory…….”

“What about it?”

The chamberlain did not answer my question, but rather looked up at me as he talked about something else.

“Because of my sudden change, therefore you are suspicious?”

I scratched the back of my head, wondering if it was possible. Surely, the chamberlain would have noticed the difference between the real Erhin and me and would have felt uncomfortable.

“I’ve been thinking about this since I was a kid. It is only by being vicious that I can sift through the same category and dream of reviving my territory. That’s why I’ve endured so much. If word got out that I was incompetent, people would underestimate me even more. That’s why I was able to win the battle against the Narja Kingdom. I was able to reveal my true form in this war, so from now on, I will show the world a lord who has completely returned to his true form. So much for deception!”

“I have felt the change in your state of mind recently. I’m really impressed…….If you don’t mind me asking, what are your ambitions?”

The chamberlain asked, not even bothering to stand up from his kneeling position. It didn’t look like he had anything to do with Viscount Bord.

The chamberlain had been in the service for a long time, and he came from a loyal family that had served the Aintorian family for generations.

“The restoration of Aintorian. I intend to make it such that all the people in my domain can live in prosperity.”

“……Oh, my lord! That’s exactly what the previous lord said!”

There’s no need to cry like that.

He seemed to have accepted my strange sophistry. However, even though Erhin’s behavior has changed, his appearance and voice are completely the same. So there is no way that he can realistically imagine that Erhin is a completely different person. He probably hadn’t even thought about such a surrealistic thing.

“Stand up now. What if you kneel like that and……the other servants see you?”

I supported the chamberlain’s body, he staggered to his feet, bowed to me again and opened his mouth.

“In fact, there is something that the previous lord has told me to give to the master when he becomes a man who can carry on the wishes of the ancestors. I’ve been anxious about it for a long time…….I have been looking forward to the day when I can give it to you as soon as possible!”

The former lord had left something for his son, Erhin? Apparently, the former lord knew that his son was a natural devil. That’s why he didn’t give it to him directly, but told the chamberlain to give it to him when he became more sensible.

“My father left something for me?”

“Yes. This way, finally, this burden is lifted from my shoulders…….”

The chamberlain started walking, urging me to follow. I went downstairs, not stopping at the first floor. I saw a large iron door that led to the space where the tablets that had once granted me Daitouren were located. But the chamberlain did not stop there either. His destination did not seem to be behind the iron door.

“Chamberlain, is that a dead end?”

The chamberlain shook his head.

“It is indeed a dead end, but there is a secret here that only I and my predecessor know.”

The chamberlain then held the pendant he was wearing up to the wall at the end of the hall. Suddenly, a huge mana formation was drawn on the wall. It was a kind of magic circle. It appears mainly when a skill is activated in this world.

As soon as the mana formation disappeared, the wall also disappeared, there was a staircase leading down.

“Master, this way.”

The chamberlain walked calmly down those steps. At a loss for words, I looked at the space that had suddenly appeared for a while, and then hurriedly followed the chamberlain. It was a very long staircase and the surroundings were dark, only the stairs were shining in that space. There was no doubt that this was a space related to mana.

The chamberlain who had been walking in front of me finally stopped. It seemed that the stairs were finally finished, so I picked up speed. When I reached the end of the stairs and stood next to the chamberlain, he pointed ahead.

“Over there, Master. These are the jewels that have been collected for the reconstruction of the country from the time of the Aintorian Kingdom until now when we became a border count after falling prey to other countries!”

When I turned my eyes in that direction, I couldn’t even open my eyes because of the brightness. After squinting my eyes and gradually getting used to the blinding light, it finally became clear to me what it was. What I saw in front of me was a huge number of gold bars.

“So…….Are you saying that these are the……war funds that the Aintorians have been collecting for generations with the dream of restoring the country?”

I couldn’t help but smile. These riches were enough to manage my territory and prepare for world domination.