Episode 21: The Visit of Baron Simon
“The… the tax collector must have entered it wrong. I’ve only been here a short while.”
The administrator, who earlier had threatened to file a complaint for slander without a shred of evidence, was now shifting the blame onto the tax collector.
“The embezzlement issue will be sent to the Audit Office for investigation.”
At the word *Audit Office*, the administrator burst into tears and threw himself at the duke’s feet. The Imperial Audit Office was a terrifying institution that specialized in investigating and sentencing the crimes of nobles—completely immune to bribes. Since he *had* committed embezzlement, he would be imprisoned with no way out.
“Now then, shall we get to the main topic?”
The administrator, already half out of his mind thinking his life was over because of the embezzlement charge alone, raised his head in confusion.
“What…?”
“I hear an epidemic is ravaging the village. Why did you take no action and fail to report it?”
At the word *epidemic*, the administrator’s mind went blank. He couldn’t say a word.
Embezzlement was a common, almost expected crime among nobles—something one could survive with a prison sentence. But hiding and neglecting an epidemic was undoubtedly a crime punishable by death. To be honest, he had not meant to hide it at first, but he had thought it would disappear eventually. While he neglected it, the disease spread throughout the central region, and by then it was far too late for him to even consider reporting it.
“On my way here, I saw countless innocent people dying. If you had at least acted quickly at the start! No—if you were incapable, you could have asked someone else for help! It would never have spread this far. I could cut you down again and again and it still wouldn’t repay your sins.”
When the duke’s furious shouts pressed in menacingly, the administrator trembled violently, but cried out in desperation to save his life.
“I… I am… a noble. Only His Majesty… c-can order my execution…”
As he uttered the word *execution*, the administrator clutched his neck as if he expected it to be severed at any moment. During wartime, nobles who violated military law could be executed summarily by the commander’s authority, but during peacetime, they were different from commoners—the emperor alone could order an execution, based on the Audit Office’s ruling.
“That’s true. It isn’t wartime, so even I can’t rashly behead you… However, I shall show you that there are pains far worse than death.”
The duke gave an order to the knights standing behind him.
“Until he’s handed over to the Audit Office, dig a deep pit in that filth-covered place from earlier and bury him in it—leave only his face above ground! And don’t give him a single drop of water!”
As the knights dragged the administrator out to carry out the order, horrific screams echoed through the mansion’s hallway.
—
After punishing the administrator, the duke quickly began stabilizing Herka Village. He confiscated all of the administrator’s personal property, purchased grain, and distributed it to the people. He also secured a well with clean groundwater for drinking. As a result, the number of new epidemic cases began to drop noticeably.
“My lord, now that people are using the well, the number of new infections has clearly decreased.”
Ella reported to the duke as she reviewed her carefully compiled report on the epidemic’s progression.
“But… those who are already sick continue to die.”
Although the further spread had been stopped, there were far too few physicians and too little medicine to treat those already infected. A few days earlier they had requested additional support from the capital, but no response had come yet.
Just as the duke sighed over the delayed reply, a messenger from the capital arrived.
“My lord, a response from the capital!”
Ella’s face brightened as she received the documents and the aid funds sent from the capital.
“My lord, with the imperial funds, we can buy more medicine and hire physicians.”
But unlike Ella, who smiled brightly, the duke’s face hardened more and more as he read the letter.
“Damn it!”
Ella immediately sensed that something was wrong as the duke slammed the desk in anger.
“What’s the matter?”
“Ha… that damned emperor. His ‘magnificent’ majesty says there’s no point wasting precious medicine on those already infected since they’ll die anyway, and that we should just hand out a bit more relief grain for show.”
When the duke handed the letter to Ella, her expression also froze.
The emperor had approved less than one-tenth of the support funds the duke had requested.
“True, the number of cured patients is small… but with medicine, at least three out of ten can survive…”
“Ella, how much of the duchy’s budget is left?”
“We’ve used almost all emergency funds, and the estate’s remaining budget isn’t nearly enough. The price of medicinal herbs has skyrocketed so much that it’s impossible without funds from the capital.”
As nobles all over the region had started buying up medicinal herbs indiscriminately because of the epidemic, prices had soared to absurd heights. Hearing this, the duke lit his pipe in frustration.
“Then we’ll need to think of another way.”
Just as the duke and Ella were struggling to find a solution, an unexpected visitor arrived.
“Duke Gloiss, greetings. I am Baron Noah Simon.”
The man guided into the office by the knights was Baron Simon of the Simon Trading Company—one of the empire’s three great merchant guilds. Though he was one of the wealthiest men in the empire, he wore a simple robe without adornment as he bowed respectfully to the duke.
“What business do you have?”
Still irritated from the emperor’s letter, the duke spoke sharply.
“Her Highness the Princess sent me, saying you might have need of assistance.”
Despite the duke’s cold tone, Baron Simon smiled calmly.
“The princess?”
“Yes. The imperial aid will surely be insufficient. As you know, my trading company can obtain anything—and we have plenty of coin. Please don’t worry and use whatever you require.”
“What’s your goal?”
Even when the duke asked bluntly, Baron Simon answered with the smooth smile of an experienced merchant.
“Well, Her Highness harbors no greed. She asks for little—merely that you tell His Majesty that she contributed a bit of help in discovering the cause of the epidemic and in containing it. What do you think? Unlimited support in exchange for a single sentence—surely a fair offer?”
The duke’s expression darkened. Not only was the imperial aid laughably small, but the princess somehow already knew about a situation he hadn’t formally reported yet.
“Her Highness has impressive sources of information. Or did she plant a spy?”
The duke’s icy tone made Baron Simon shake his head quickly. Though he smiled outwardly, he was intimidated—if he offended the duke, the princess’s plans would be ruined. He hurried to explain.
“Haha… Who would dare spy on someone like you, my lord? Her Highness simply has excellent intelligence.”
The duke looked back and forth between Baron Simon’s smile and the emperor’s reply, deep in thought.
It seemed like just a single line of acknowledgment, but publicly praising the princess in front of the emperor—when she coveted the throne—could be interpreted as the duke’s faction siding with her. It was not a decision he could take lightly.
“I’ll think it over. Wait outside.”
“Yes, I await good news.”
Once Baron Simon left, the duke asked Ella for her opinion.
“Ella, what do you think?”
“Are you worried it might look like you’re supporting the princess?”
Ella had correctly guessed his concern.
If he accepted her offer and praised her before the emperor, Empress Sophia and the Second Prince’s faction would surely start treating the duke—who had always remained neutral—as someone aligned with the princess.
“Yes. If they start seeing me as part of the princess’s faction, all my neutrality will have been for nothing… and trouble will follow.”
After thinking for a moment, Ella suggested a way for the duke to accept the princess’s offer while still appearing neutral.
“Then, my lord, how about this? I heard that Empress Sophia once asked you to teach swordsmanship to the Second Prince.”
If one had to name the strongest swordsman in the empire, everyone chose Duke Ruichen Gloiss without hesitation. His powerful border armies had also played a decisive role in the empire’s victories, so Empress Sophia had once tried to recruit him to her side by asking him to teach the Second Prince swordsmanship. But the duke had refused on the spot—an incident that had shocked high society for quite some time.
“So you’re saying… I should accept that fool prince’s request for sword lessons?”
“Yes. If you do, Empress Sophia won’t think you’re siding with the princess at all. In fact, she may try even harder to secure your loyalty.”
“Haa… I suppose you’re right, but teaching that useless prince swordsmanship… I’d rather hand a wooden sword to a stray dog.”
The duke sighed, remembering the Second Prince’s pathetic skills. Ella smiled faintly; he sounded like a child forced to do a chore he hated.
“Ella, don’t laugh. You should’ve seen that boy swinging a sword.”
“Then, my lord, shall I tell you how to quit being his sword instructor after just one day?”
The duke, leaning back with an annoyed look, brightened immediately.
“What is it?”
“Make the prince refuse your lessons himself.”
“How?”
