Chapter 37
“These days, there are so many spies sent by the royal family. Sorting them out is a task in itself.”
Zermin and the others looked at Cassia with curious expressions as she spoke.
It was as if they were in awe, seeing how Cassia not only rooted out traitors but also managed to turn the process to her own advantage.
“This is the vice head of the Jeifron Trading Company, and he’s been continuously helping us with our work.”
“We’ve heard a lot about the vice head of the Jeifron Trading Company. The people here talk about you so much it’s almost tiresome.”
The locals showed Cassia great trust, and thanks to that, matters moved along quickly.
The spies who had been working for Sedpol were dragged in, unable to hide their bewildered anxiety.
Now, there wasn’t a single person who dared to claim they were being wronged.
Lujenbik told those who remained that as soon as they arrived at the trading company, they would be bound by an oath spell — and that anyone who lied afterward would be executed on the spot.
The remaining people nodded readily, saying that would be for the best.
If there were still a spy among them after that, he would be someone worthy of acknowledgement and respect.
Cassia told us to wait and went to get a carriage.
Whenever Cassia passed by, people eager to help him appeared naturally, so he had no trouble securing a carriage.
Even when he tried to pay for borrowing it, people scolded him with serious faces, refusing the money.
Embarrassed, Cassia would quietly tuck his coin pouch away again each time.
While riding the borrowed carriage toward the trading company, Lujenbik listened to many stories from the people of Pelmon.
Most of them spoke about the place where Pelmon captives were being held, describing the treatment they suffered there. Lujenbik’s face hardened as he listened, unable to conceal his horror.
His hands trembled, and his expression turned grim.
Zermin tried to comfort him, saying they would rescue them soon and that he should ease his heart.
“By the way, Zermin, were you originally a knight?” I asked.
He looked at me and nodded, then pointed to several others in the group, saying they were the same.
“Lady Hestia, I don’t know why you’ve chosen to help us, but we are truly grateful that you have.”
They gave me polite bows, and I felt that this must be part of Pelmon’s national character — they were graceful, calm, and prudent.
Even in their current predicament, they had not given up. They kept searching for ways to save their comrades.
“Just assist His Highness the Prince well from here on out. That will be enough.”
“Thank you, Lady Hestia. We certainly will.”
Lujenbik asked each of them where in Pelmon they had lived and what they had done there.
Although he didn’t seem to know anyone personally, he nodded with a pleased look, as if happy to hear about them.
“This is only the beginning. From here on, we’ll take it step by step,” he said.
Everyone seemed to understand what he meant, nodding gravely.
When the carriages arrived in front of the trading company building, the chief steward came out to meet us.
“I was expecting wagons loaded with goods… Who are these people, Vice Head?”
Cassia beamed and said he had accomplished something amazing.
“These are criminals we could lock up and sentence to hard labor.”
“…What?”
“They can die for all I care. His Highness was going to execute them, but I managed to claim them instead.”
Cassia’s words were rather bloodthirsty.
If one didn’t know about their bloody history of killing countless others, Cassia might have sounded like a villain.
“That’s certainly good news. Are all these people like that?”
The steward’s eyes lingered on Zermin, who clicked his tongue in disbelief.
“Not me! What do you take me for? I am no traitor!”
Zermin shouted in genuine outrage, and the steward scratched his head sheepishly.
“Understood.”
Just then, Beatrice came out. Seeing the Pelmon people who had arrived in the carriages, she approached us.
Pelmonites didn’t have any especially distinguishing features, so she didn’t recognize them — but they recognized her and bowed deeply.
Everyone knew the princess was the prince’s twin; it would have been impossible not to recognize her.
“Your Highness the Princess!”
At the sight of Beatrice, they seemed unable to hide their grief.
She was in plain clothes, but they didn’t look shabby — rather, they seemed saddened by her shortened hair.
When Lujenbik explained who they were, Beatrice’s face brightened as she encouraged them.
“I’m glad you’ve come. I have high expectations for you. I hope you will aid us in achieving great things.”
“Yes, Your Highness. We will serve with all our hearts.”
Cassia, watching the exchange, scratched his head and spoke quietly.
“There are many people here from the palace secretly observing the situation. It would be best not to show scenes like this. That goes for calling His Highness ‘Prince’ or Your Highness ‘Princess,’ too. I’ve been calling him ‘Prince’ up to now, but I think I should start calling him Lord Lujenbik instead. What do you think?”
Lujenbik nodded immediately.
It would not only be safer for the trading company, but also for the Pelmonites.
If others saw people bowing deeply to a ‘prince’ or ‘princess’ and reported it, the trouble could easily spiral out of control.
“Then, let’s go inside. I’ll show you where you’ll be staying. Sir Zermin, please help the steward with locking up these people.”
“Yes, I’ll do that. May I take a few with me?”
Cassia nodded at once, and Zermin gestured to the former knights, taking them with him and the steward to escort the spies away.
The steward looked very pleased.
It seemed he liked the idea of being able to legally exploit the labor of six people.
“I hope you bring me more people like this. I might finally be able to breathe a little easier. This is really great.”
He even hummed a tune as he spoke.
I couldn’t help but smile — I’d never seen the steward in such a good mood before.
“But what’s been keeping you so busy lately?” I asked Cassia as we went inside.
He shook his head.
“Sir Erkan had some requests, and I’ve been focused on fulfilling them. Once they’re completed, we should be able to defend ourselves to some extent, even if the palace knights attack all at once.”
“There’s really something like that?”
Lujenbik sounded genuinely amazed.
“Yes, apparently so, Your Highness.”
“If I succeed in rebuilding Pelmon, I’ll actively foster mages. Not training them is the one thing I regret most right now.”
Cassia chuckled at Lujenbik’s words.
“Sir Erkan said something similar — that he might end up becoming the royal archmage of Pelmon someday.”
He laughed loudly, and Lujenbik seemed pleasantly surprised.
“Did he really say that? Then I should make the offer to him first. If he agrees, I couldn’t ask for more.”
Then Lujenbik glanced at me.
I didn’t know why, and he didn’t end up saying anything.
“What is it, Lujenbik?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
Blushing suddenly, he rubbed his forehead and quickened his pace.
Watching him, Beatrice leaned toward me with a smile.
“I think he’s going to ask if you’ll go with him to Pelmon when the time comes, Hestia.”
“Then why not just say so? Why be embarrassed?”
“Because it’s not just an invitation. My brother is smitten with you, Hestia. He probably hopes you’ll stay by his side through it all.”
Beatrice grinned as she spoke.
From my perspective, Lujenbik didn’t seem to dislike me — he even smiled at me sometimes — but I wasn’t sure his feelings were as strong as she claimed.
“Beatrice… do you really think so?” I asked hesitantly.
She beamed at me.
“Hestia, do you… not dislike my brother either?”
My face flushed uncontrollably at that.
It was fortunate that Lujenbik had walked ahead quickly enough not to hear us.
Beatrice looked at my expression and grinned knowingly.
“Hestia, I’d like it if you two ended up together. If that happened — if you became my brother’s wife, the queen of Pelmon — I’d be truly happy.”
She seemed to be waiting for my reply.
“Um… that’s… I mean…”
“Won’t you tell me what you really think? You don’t completely dislike him, right? Even if there were misunderstandings before, they’re all cleared up now, aren’t they? Right, Hestia?”
“Well… yes.”
I couldn’t understand why telling someone I liked them was so difficult.
“These days, there are so many spies sent by the royal family. Sorting them out is a task in itself.”
Zermin and the others looked at Cassia with curious expressions as she spoke.
It was as if they were in awe, seeing how Cassia not only rooted out traitors but also managed to turn the process to her own advantage.
“This is the vice head of the Jeifron Trading Company, and he’s been continuously helping us with our work.”
“We’ve heard a lot about the vice head of the Jeifron Trading Company. The people here talk about you so much it’s almost tiresome.”
The locals showed Cassia great trust, and thanks to that, matters moved along quickly.
The spies who had been working for Sedpol were dragged in, unable to hide their bewildered anxiety.
Now, there wasn’t a single person who dared to claim they were being wronged.
Lujenbik told those who remained that as soon as they arrived at the trading company, they would be bound by an oath spell — and that anyone who lied afterward would be executed on the spot.
The remaining people nodded readily, saying that would be for the best.
If there were still a spy among them after that, he would be someone worthy of acknowledgement and respect.
Cassia told us to wait and went to get a carriage.
Whenever Cassia passed by, people eager to help him appeared naturally, so he had no trouble securing a carriage.
Even when he tried to pay for borrowing it, people scolded him with serious faces, refusing the money.
Embarrassed, Cassia would quietly tuck his coin pouch away again each time.
While riding the borrowed carriage toward the trading company, Lujenbik listened to many stories from the people of Pelmon.
Most of them spoke about the place where Pelmon captives were being held, describing the treatment they suffered there. Lujenbik’s face hardened as he listened, unable to conceal his horror.
His hands trembled, and his expression turned grim.
Zermin tried to comfort him, saying they would rescue them soon and that he should ease his heart.
“By the way, Zermin, were you originally a knight?” I asked.
He looked at me and nodded, then pointed to several others in the group, saying they were the same.
“Lady Hestia, I don’t know why you’ve chosen to help us, but we are truly grateful that you have.”
They gave me polite bows, and I felt that this must be part of Pelmon’s national character — they were graceful, calm, and prudent.
Even in their current predicament, they had not given up. They kept searching for ways to save their comrades.
“Just assist His Highness the Prince well from here on out. That will be enough.”
“Thank you, Lady Hestia. We certainly will.”
Lujenbik asked each of them where in Pelmon they had lived and what they had done there.
Although he didn’t seem to know anyone personally, he nodded with a pleased look, as if happy to hear about them.
“This is only the beginning. From here on, we’ll take it step by step,” he said.
Everyone seemed to understand what he meant, nodding gravely.
When the carriages arrived in front of the trading company building, the chief steward came out to meet us.
“I was expecting wagons loaded with goods… Who are these people, Vice Head?”
Cassia beamed and said he had accomplished something amazing.
“These are criminals we could lock up and sentence to hard labor.”
“…What?”
“They can die for all I care. His Highness was going to execute them, but I managed to claim them instead.”
Cassia’s words were rather bloodthirsty.
If one didn’t know about their bloody history of killing countless others, Cassia might have sounded like a villain.
“That’s certainly good news. Are all these people like that?”
The steward’s eyes lingered on Zermin, who clicked his tongue in disbelief.
“Not me! What do you take me for? I am no traitor!”
Zermin shouted in genuine outrage, and the steward scratched his head sheepishly.
“Understood.”
Just then, Beatrice came out. Seeing the Pelmon people who had arrived in the carriages, she approached us.
Pelmonites didn’t have any especially distinguishing features, so she didn’t recognize them — but they recognized her and bowed deeply.
Everyone knew the princess was the prince’s twin; it would have been impossible not to recognize her.
“Your Highness the Princess!”
At the sight of Beatrice, they seemed unable to hide their grief.
She was in plain clothes, but they didn’t look shabby — rather, they seemed saddened by her shortened hair.
When Lujenbik explained who they were, Beatrice’s face brightened as she encouraged them.
“I’m glad you’ve come. I have high expectations for you. I hope you will aid us in achieving great things.”
“Yes, Your Highness. We will serve with all our hearts.”
Cassia, watching the exchange, scratched his head and spoke quietly.
“There are many people here from the palace secretly observing the situation. It would be best not to show scenes like this. That goes for calling His Highness ‘Prince’ or Your Highness ‘Princess,’ too. I’ve been calling him ‘Prince’ up to now, but I think I should start calling him Lord Lujenbik instead. What do you think?”
Lujenbik nodded immediately.
It would not only be safer for the trading company, but also for the Pelmonites.
If others saw people bowing deeply to a ‘prince’ or ‘princess’ and reported it, the trouble could easily spiral out of control.
“Then, let’s go inside. I’ll show you where you’ll be staying. Sir Zermin, please help the steward with locking up these people.”
“Yes, I’ll do that. May I take a few with me?”
Cassia nodded at once, and Zermin gestured to the former knights, taking them with him and the steward to escort the spies away.
The steward looked very pleased.
It seemed he liked the idea of being able to legally exploit the labor of six people.
“I hope you bring me more people like this. I might finally be able to breathe a little easier. This is really great.”
He even hummed a tune as he spoke.
I couldn’t help but smile — I’d never seen the steward in such a good mood before.
“But what’s been keeping you so busy lately?” I asked Cassia as we went inside.
He shook his head.
“Sir Erkan had some requests, and I’ve been focused on fulfilling them. Once they’re completed, we should be able to defend ourselves to some extent, even if the palace knights attack all at once.”
“There’s really something like that?”
Lujenbik sounded genuinely amazed.
“Yes, apparently so, Your Highness.”
“If I succeed in rebuilding Pelmon, I’ll actively foster mages. Not training them is the one thing I regret most right now.”
Cassia chuckled at Lujenbik’s words.
“Sir Erkan said something similar — that he might end up becoming the royal archmage of Pelmon someday.”
He laughed loudly, and Lujenbik seemed pleasantly surprised.
“Did he really say that? Then I should make the offer to him first. If he agrees, I couldn’t ask for more.”
Then Lujenbik glanced at me.
I didn’t know why, and he didn’t end up saying anything.
“What is it, Lujenbik?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
Blushing suddenly, he rubbed his forehead and quickened his pace.
Watching him, Beatrice leaned toward me with a smile.
“I think he’s going to ask if you’ll go with him to Pelmon when the time comes, Hestia.”
“Then why not just say so? Why be embarrassed?”
“Because it’s not just an invitation. My brother is smitten with you, Hestia. He probably hopes you’ll stay by his side through it all.”
Beatrice grinned as she spoke.
From my perspective, Lujenbik didn’t seem to dislike me — he even smiled at me sometimes — but I wasn’t sure his feelings were as strong as she claimed.
“Beatrice… do you really think so?” I asked hesitantly.
She beamed at me.
“Hestia, do you… not dislike my brother either?”
My face flushed uncontrollably at that.
It was fortunate that Lujenbik had walked ahead quickly enough not to hear us.
Beatrice looked at my expression and grinned knowingly.
“Hestia, I’d like it if you two ended up together. If that happened — if you became my brother’s wife, the queen of Pelmon — I’d be truly happy.”
She seemed to be waiting for my reply.
“Um… that’s… I mean…”
“Won’t you tell me what you really think? You don’t completely dislike him, right? Even if there were misunderstandings before, they’re all cleared up now, aren’t they? Right, Hestia?”
“Well… yes.”
I couldn’t understand why telling someone I liked them was so difficult.
