Chapter 42

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: There Is No Mercy 42

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"Crembel Viscount!"

"I-I don't know. I..."

Crembel stammered and turned his head, catching sight of Aden watching him sidelong.

Even though Aden was just staring, the moment their eyes met, Crembel's entire body stiffened.

Ferocious eyes filled with killing intent.

It felt like a massive demonic beast, like a giant boulder, was looming over him.

Crembel swallowed hard involuntarily, feeling cold sweat trickling down as he shook his head.

While Oxiad Count's despair-filled eyes blankly followed Crembel, Aden's gaze shifted back down to Mormond Marquis.

"Mormond Marquis."

"...Yes, Your Excellency."

"The Mormond family has spent long ages alongside the empire's history, dedicating themselves to the empire's safety and defense. As proof, they've produced dozens of commanders, and you're one of the commanders guarding the capital yourself."

"..."

"Yet you, of all people, agree to this absurd bill? Unbelievable. Have you been hanging around businessmen so much that you want in on their games? Or do you just want to grab a big cut this time?"

"That's not..."

"If not, I can't imagine you'd agree to this proposed bill. Right?"

His lips, pale from biting them so hard, trembled.

Was he angry, or just scared?

The man who had dominated the conference room atmosphere just moments ago was nowhere to be seen.

The fierce beast that was Mormond Marquis was overwhelmed before the giant demonic beast, unable to even speak properly.

Aden glanced at Sierra, who was quietly observing the situation, and smirked, lifting the corner of his mouth.

"Don't you know that acts like treason or collusion with enemy states, which undermine the empire's safety, all fall under high treason and lead to the ruin of one's house?"

"...I know."

"You must also know that if the empire falls into danger because of this, it's no different from an act of treason."

"..."

Aden frowned as he looked down at the silent Mormond Marquis.

Mormond Marquis took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

As his shoulders heaved and his face fell, Aden continued with a furrowed expression.

"I don't know why a steadfast and loyal man like you agreed to this bill, but we'll find out in due time."

"Your commander authority is suspended as of today."

"What do you mean by that?! Suddenly why?!"

"We can't just leave someone who tried to commit treason alone. Once the investigation clears all suspicions, you can be reinstated. Isn't that straightforward?"

"What...!"

"Do you intend to defy my words, Marquis?"

"..."

Mormond Marquis's eyes widened at Aden's words, which gave no room for rebuttal.

It was practically a dismissal.

Even if Mormond Marquis had led it himself, admitting to a crime akin to treason meant dismissal, and even if he sold out Bozbon, he clearly couldn't withstand their pressure and would have to step down anyway.

There was no way out, either way.

The first commander in Mormond family history to be dismissed.

It was a disgrace that would go down in history.

Mormond Marquis glared at Aden with a flushed face before turning his body.

Aden's eyes curved softly as he watched the marquis's retreating back.

"Ricardo Count."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

"Hand over the list of everyone who proposed that bill and everyone who agreed. It seems they've been pushing this for quite a while, so I'm curious about their intentions. We need to investigate."

All the nobles who had raised their hands gasped in horror at Aden's words.

Aden looked around, meeting each person's eyes one by one, then turned his body.

"Then, I'll await your report."

"Understood."

With the sound of footsteps, Aden walked away, and soon the door closed, vanishing into the darkness.

After the meeting ended, I entered the room assigned to me.

The moment I opened the door, a familiar voice flowed out.

"I could tell you were coming just from the sound of your footsteps echoing from afar."

"You can tell who it is just by footsteps?"

"As if."

Aden chuckled softly and closed the book he was holding.

I closed the door as I approached Aden, who leisurely slid the book back into the shelf and turned around.

As I took a bottle from the closed cabinet, a relaxed voice followed from behind.

"Knights don't drink in the middle of the day, Sierra."

"Good thing it's juice then."

I poured juice into a tall glass and handed it to him, and Aden turned his head with an awkward expression.

I smirked at his changing expression, picked up my glass, and moved to my seat.

"Thanks for coming. I thought it was an unreasonable request."

"When you call someone you need, they have to come, no question. Who called?"

I stared at Aden, who tilted his glass with a relaxed voice, then lifted my own glass.

Through the clinking glass, Aden briefly recalled the events from a few days ago.

"A gate?"

Even the perpetually cool Riplton was inevitably hit by the midsummer heat.

Unable to bear the humidity and heat after the rainy season, Aden was swinging his sword bare-chested in his private training grounds.

As Baran approached such an Aden and casually brought it up, Aden turned with surprised eyes.

"Yes, the messenger from Brilloxen just delivered that message."

"A gate out of nowhere? Did Brilloxen send any prior contact?"

"No. They suddenly sent someone with the message."

Aden lowered his swinging sword and put on a serious expression at Baran's report.

Sudden visitors weren't that unusual, but the problem was the gate.

Sweat droplets trailed long down the bridge of Aden's nose in the silence, dripping from the tip.

Aden frowned and lifted his head.

"Is something wrong with Si... no, Brilloxen?"

"We've checked, but no reports have come in yet."

And yet, they were opening a gate?

A gate was a teleportation method inspired by magic teleportation spells, made usable even for commoners.

Using magic stones, it could transport distances and numbers of people proportional to the mana contained within.

More versatile than a mage's teleport spell, it was popular, but the issue was the price of the magic stones.

The empire only mined them in three places, and excluding the Gray Mountains, the yield was negligible.

A fist-sized magic stone fluctuated around the price of a house.

Even then, it could only cover the distance of one small village at best.

"I'll meet them in person."

Aden hurriedly wiped his sweat, changed clothes, and headed to the room Baran guided him to.

Upon entering, the man waiting inside stood and gave a knightly salute.

"What is it?"

Aden cut straight to the chase after a brief greeting.

The knight looked flustered by the question before he could even lower his hand, but quickly pulled a letter from his bosom and handed it over.

'Sierra's handwriting.'

Aden tore open the letter with a grave look, scanned the contents carefully, then let out a hollow laugh.

Aden slowly moved to the sofa, slouched down, and shook his head.

"No matter how I think about it, she's an amazing woman."

Aden glanced up at the knight watching him.

After debating whether to ask if the knight knew the letter's contents, he let it go.

Aden folded the letter, tucked it into his bosom, and crossed his arms.

"When will the gate open?"

"It seems it will be on the day of the military supply conference."

"On the day itself? So, I'm insurance, then?"

"I don't know what it means. I was just told to deliver Miss Sierra's message. The details are in the letter."

As the knight said, the letter contained all the necessary information.

Aden nodded briefly, and the knight pulled out a small box from his bosom and handed it over.

Inside the box Aden opened was a fist-sized magic stone.

"Top-grade."

Even small magic stones were graded by the quality of mana they held.

Aden stared at the stone, worth a small mansion at least, then smirked.

The image of Sierra, effortlessly surpassing his expectations, formed in his mind.

As the box closed, Aden's mouth opened.

"Relay this to Sierra."

Aden's lips curved softly into a smile.

"Use it freely whenever you need."

"Was the trip here tough?"

"No trouble thanks to the gate you opened. But it must have been quite an expense. Wouldn't it have been easier to just tell me in advance and have me come?"

"I couldn't ask you to come and go in an uncertain situation. Even with a contract, we have to keep our promises. Besides, even a rural lord is busy managing their territory—how much more so for someone guarding vast Riplton? Right?"

I smiled, and Aden let out a soft chuckle.

He sipped his juice like it was wine, gazing out the bright window.

Sunlight streamed in, slanting across Aden's cheek.

I stared at his sharp jawline until I felt oddly embarrassed and turned my head.

As I lifted the glass in my hand toward my mouth, Aden's voice flew in.

"I hope I was helpful today."

"You were. Very much so."

"Is that so?"

I nodded and lowered the glass that hadn't touched my lips.

As Aden's gaze turned back, our eyes met.