Episode 7. dark eyes
“Ian. “You need to concentrate.”
Ian turned his head to the tutor’s words.
Guest room in the west annex. Unlike before, a clear breeze came in from the windows that were open on all sides. Seeing the pupil’s displeasure, the teacher sighed and put down his pen.
“ruler. Let’s try again. Let’s say 100 people in the territory gave five sacks of wheat as tax. If half of them were sent to the capital and the remaining half were distributed to the servants of the mansion, how many bags would be left in the end?”
Ian yawned lightly and looked away. Studying for a couple of hours in the afternoon is so boring that I can’t stand it.
“I do not know.”
I thought it would look strange if I changed it right away, so at first I pretended to calculate by holding up my fingers.
But that only happens once or twice, and it’s quite a hassle to keep doing it. Ian changed her mind and pretended that he had no idea.
“At least do the calculation.”
“hmm. “Isn’t it 100 bags?”
Moreover, taking advantage of the bastard’s foolishness brought unexpected benefits. This is because the tutor and the butler often wrote in writing about Ian’s educational process.
Most of it was trivial, though. She sometimes spilled information, such as the affairs of the head of the family.
“… I’ll leave the math here. Next is literature. “You read ‘The Fate of Destiny’ last time, right?”
The tutor was unenthusiastic. Whether Ian understands it or not, he sticks to the boundaries given to him and earns his paycheck.
It was fortunate for Ian. If you say you don’t know, you just give up, so there’s no need to pretend you’re studying.
smart.
“Come on in.”
“excuse me.”
The butler came in carrying snacks. The fact that the butler, rather than a servant, brings it directly may be intended to observe the child’s learning attitude.
“How far has the progress progressed?”
“I plan to end with literature.”
“okay. “It seems like the finish is early today.”
“Ian is so good at following along.”
What the hell. It’s funny.
Ian munched on his snack and looked down at the book that had half a picture in it. The butler showed his palm towards the tutor and quickly wrote something down. It is not visible from Ian’s position.
“then. Thank you for your hard work.”
“yes. “Deacon.”
Percussion.
The tutor read the few letters, wrote them down on parchment, and had Ian write them down.
The boring afternoon study session ended like that. When the alarm clock on the wall rang, the tutor got up, taking her books.
“I will see you off. teacher.”
“no. it’s okay. I’m busy today. “Ian, please finish studying your handwriting.”
I always met and sent off my tutor, learning how to walk, greetings, and social etiquette.
However, a day of refusal like today meant that he was going to meet someone in the family.
“yes. Well, I’ll see you next time.”
Ian nodded without saying anything in return.
The tutor, who put on his coat, smiled and left the room.
‘Are you going to meet the butler?’
Sometimes it’s like seeing a count or a countess. After being moved to a separate building, there were many servants wandering nearby, so it was impossible to follow them.
Ian, who gave up his regrets, roughly put the parchment aside and relaxed his body lightly. The good thing about having a bigger room is that you can train your body even if you don’t go outside.
‘Physical strength is magical power.’
Build your stamina with magical power, and use that stamina to store magical power again. That was the reason why wise men called great wizards thrived even as gray-haired men.
“Ian.”
smart.
And that night.
The butler called Ian after he had finished dinner.
“The Count asks you to come up to his office.”
The time has finally come.
* * *
Derga’s office was on the top floor of the mansion, and since he occupied the entire floor, he never walked down that hallway. Although Ian was puzzled, he resolutely followed the butler.
“Count. Master Ian has arrived.”
After knocking on the thick door handle a few times, I was allowed inside.
“Come in.”
Squeak.
Unlike Ian’s old room, which had only a luminous stone, the office was as bright as daylight. This is because the magic lanterns packed in tightly shone everywhere.
Nevertheless, the gloomy atmosphere was probably due to the presence of Count Derga.
“Did you call me?”
Ian asked politely, but Derga had no answer. Compared to the commoners who plow the fields day and night, it is truly a peaceful work environment, but the Count is probably busy and hectic in his own way.
“…You probably know that there is a luncheon the day after tomorrow.”
“yes. of course.”
Derga muttered, still not taking his eyes off the document.
“It seems that other aides from the central government will also be accompanying us this time.”
The first meal must have been quite impressive. It seems that interest has been piqued in the countryside, where a bastard child is discussing Förne’s philosophy.
“You will have to be more alert than last time.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Did they just call this to crack down on this?
Even when we changed rooms, Derga didn’t say anything. Ian patiently waited for the rest of the story. The sound of a pen tracing across his parchment continued, and the count reopened his heavily closed mouth.
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“The Cheonryeo tribe requested your handwritten letter.”
Ian also knew that this side had announced that they would send Derga’s second son as a condition for peace.
A potion that only reacts to members of the same family was included, so there was absolutely nothing to say about bloodlines.
Of course, you may not know that he is a bastard from a low class class. anyway.
“My handwriting?”
They seem to want their own security measures.
Could it be that Derga feels sorry for his son and changes his mind at the last minute? Since the Cheonryeo tribe considers family bonds to be important, there was ample room for such thoughts.
“Like a barbarian, they buy troublesome work and make it happen. Tsk tsk. “At the agreement ceremony, we will use the homogeneous potion again.”
Unlike the Bariel Empire, the Cheonryeo tribe does not have any wizards. They are creatures that are no different from beasts and go against nature from the very beginning.
“what. “There is no reason for me to refuse.”
The intention is to receive a handwritten letter and compare the handwriting later. To confirm that Ian was Derga’s bastard son and that he was the target he had been eyeing.
“Write and send letters periodically. I’ll tell the tutor, so you just dictate. “I’m sure he’s not an idiot who can’t even do that.”
“I will do it without mistakes.”
Squeak.
That moment. The small door attached to the office was opened. The bailiff looked for Derga with a somber look on his face.
“Count. “No matter what we do, the calculations are not correct.”
He was holding a pile of documents that were tightly piled up. The Count waved his hand as he looked as if he would collapse at the slightest misstep.
“done. “I’m moving.”
The look in Ian’s eyes told him to wait a moment.
The documents he had been working on were spread out on the desk, but the Count did not seem very alert. Ian was almost blind, and even if he could read, it was only at the level of listing syllables.
“wait.”
Derga ordered as he entered the bailiff’s office. Ian’s expression, which had been smiling politely as he said “I understand,” changed at once.
‘Let’s take a look. ‘What’s so busy?’
It was now early spring. Honest family heads take care of their estates even when the ground is frozen, but no matter how you look at it, Derga was not a person worthy of that. Didn’t he enjoy outings in the back alleys until the day he met Moline?
Charak.
Ian quickly scanned the documents. The skill of dispersing the paper so as not to mix up the order was very smooth.
‘hmm?’
Ian frowned as if he knew that would happen.
As suspected, Derga had far more private soldiers than he could handle.
As for the size of the Bratz change, it should be around 300 at most to run smoothly. However, when looking at the number of military food expenditures, it was possible that the number was 2,000 to 3,000.
‘It’s a good thing it didn’t fail.’
Moreover, the tax imposed on the residents of the territory was more than twice the recommended rate for the capital. In history, it may have been natural for the Cheonryeo tribe to exterminate the Bratz.
The situation is so close that it will collapse naturally even if you just leave it alone. Ian stared blankly at the small office.
What on earth is going on in the author’s mind that makes him run the territory like this? It’s not like I’m just a stranger, it’s from a family that’s been around for several generations.
‘Do you have any other sources of money?’
I don’t know how long it was run like this, but it seemed like it would be quite difficult to cover it with taxes alone.
‘There won’t be anything on the Bratz side.’
As I pointed out, it was the Bratz territory adjacent to the land of the Cheonryeo tribe outside the border. The land was not fertile, and there was no sea. There aren’t any resources that are important enough to be memorable.
‘If that were the case, the ancestors would not have distributed the territory to other nobles.’
The Emperor cut out territory and granted it to the nobles who together defeated the Cheonryeo tribe. If there were important resources, the imperial palace couldn’t have done that.
Click.
At that time, the door opened without warning.
Ian, who was leaning his arms on the Count’s desk, instinctively held his breath and poured out his magic power.
Jiyiing. Jiing.
“hmm?”
At the same time, all the lanterns in the room went out.
The same goes for the bailiff’s office.
Since the moon was hidden behind clouds, the surrounding area was instantly plunged into darkness.
“Count? Are you okay?”
“It must have been a while since you changed the magic lantern?”
“wait a minute. Would you like me to light a candle, ugh!”
thud!
The bailiff stuck himself somewhere.
Before the moon appeared, Ian moved to the center of the room, quietly hiding his presence. Derga fumbled around in front of her and found her desk.
“Ian. “Answer me.”
“yes. father.”
Ian’s voice rang out in the darkness. From the sound, it looks like he’s standing near the sofa.
“Is there anyone out there?!”
The bailiff who was looking for a candle stumbled, and the darkness does not know how to go. Derga shouted, showing her frustration.
Jiing. Ji-ing.
Then the lantern came on again. After catching his breath, Ian reaped his magic.
Derga made eye contact with Ian, who was standing calmly. The absinthe-colored eyes were beautiful.
“Are you okay?”
“······.”
The Count looked down at his hands on the desk. The documents were a little disheveled, but he could easily chalk it up to something he had messed with in the dark. He opened the drawer without question.
“It is done. “Come and get it.”
“What is?”
It was a small pocket embroidered by hand. Derga threw it lightly, as if it was no big deal, and it fell exactly at Ian’s feet.
“It’s given to you by your mother.”
Small pouches scattered on the floor.
Ian slowly picked it up.
“Always look at it, think of your situation, and be mindful of your actions.”
When Ian stopped hearing news from Hannah, his mother attempted suicide. If I can’t meet you in life, I will meet you in death.
In response to this sudden action, the Count had no choice but to offer to deliver a letter and a gift as a compromise. If she dies, the shackles of her life will be gone.
“… … .”
It was a fact that Hannah had told without exception through the coachman that this and that had happened. She usually pays generously for errands, so there can’t be any lies involved.
“Stop leaving.”
Derga waved his hand.
Ian quietly left the office carrying an old bag. As I leaned in the dark hallway and untied the rope, miscellaneous things poured out.
Jang!
Five gold coins. dried flowers. A very small note.
One gold coin was equivalent to the amount a commoner could earn in a month. Ian looked at the letter with a calm expression. The neat handwriting clearly indicates that someone was asked to ghostwrite it.
So, does it really contain only the mother’s sincerity from beginning to end?
‘no. There is a possibility that Derga’s intentions are hidden. I changed the letter or something… … .’
Ian fingered the gold coin and then read the letter.
fantasy,
