Episode 36

Su had ridden tirelessly day and night until she finally reached the Bratz estate. At dawn, under the cover of darkness, she slipped into the mansion. Quietly climbing a tree, she carefully observed the guards’ movements.

‘Those are the palace investigation team. Looks like they’re using the main building as their quarters, and the annex is heavily guarded. Isn’t that the same building Ian and we used?’

Soon, she spotted Derga’s shadow by the window. Finally, it was time to put down the unsettling corpse head she’d been carrying on her back. Without hesitation, Su climbed down the tree and circled around to the back of the annex.

Swish!

Just like the day she had fought Beric.

She nimbly scaled the window up to the floor where Derga was staying. The bolt was firmly locked—not from the inside, but hammered shut from the outside. Su drew a dagger and shattered the wooden plank.

Crack!

“Oh my!”

Mrs. Mary, who had come over and was drawing the curtains, jumped back in surprise. Derga, looking utterly worn from days of captivity, rushed in.

Click.

Su easily opened the window. Derga gestured hurriedly for her to come inside, but she only dangled precariously from the railing.

“Aren’t you one of the men who came with Nersarn?”

“And the knight? Where’s Knight Bell…?”

“You look terrible. They wouldn’t even let you open the window?”

Su chewed on some jerky as she unpacked her bundle. Knowing the butler had escaped, the investigation team had nailed the window shut. Derga didn’t understand what was going on but accepted the small box Su handed him.

“Here, take this too. It’s a reply from Kakan.”

“What did the chieftain say? And Ian? You must have killed Ian, right?”

Su didn’t answer. She glanced at Chel, who was trembling in a corner, then just nodded slightly before dropping down.

“Ah!”

Mrs. Mary screamed, squeezing her eyes shut, but that was all. There was no sound or vibration from the fall. Like the wind she had come with, Su vanished just as swiftly.

“What on earth…?”

“Honey, hurry and read the reply. I’ll open the box.”

“Mom, the Cheonryeo tribe is helping us, right? They are, aren’t they?”

“Shh, Chel. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Something must have happened to Bell, but the Cheonryeo tribe’s envoy had come personally—even tearing open the window for them.

Mary wrapped her arms around her son’s head and offered a prayer of thanks to the gods. If Derga hadn’t thrown a bowl in anger, the prayer might have continued.

Clang!

“I’ll kill them! I’ll kill them all!”

“Honey?”

“Father, why, why are you like this?”

“Kill them! I’ll crush their necks with my own hands! Aaaah!”

Derga swept the table violently. Chel, trembling with fear, ran to hide in Mary’s arms and began to cry. The count threw a chair against the wall and started smashing everything within reach.

“Break the alliance? Break it? Filthy, ugly barbarians. Even my rotten bloodline is shaking from this! Knowing only how to take and never give, you’re no better than dogs. Fine. Let’s see what happens! Once this place is cleaned up, I’ll start a war—tear them apart and feed them to the beasts!”

“Honey!”

Blood dripped from Derga’s hand. Mary finally managed to hold her husband back. The wounds were bad enough, but louder noise could arouse suspicion from the investigation team.

“Calm down. Break the alliance? That can’t be. If we act like this, won’t it only make their position more difficult later? I know that much, but why would the chieftain make such a decision…?”

There was no justification. None at all.

This kind of behavior was tantamount to declaring them barbarians. Mary’s trembling hands unfolded the torn reply and gasped in shock, covering her mouth.

“Is this true? Smuggling gulut leaves?”

“Damn it! Damn it!”

Bang!

Two reasons were cited for breaking the alliance:

Ian’s non-admittance and the attempted smuggling of gulut leaves.

The latter was treated as a serious offense. The count had directly ordered Ian, the peace envoy, to smuggle prohibited goods, which severely damaged trust and made continuing the alliance impossible.

“That bastard Ian… what the hell is going on?”

Did he think it was all under his mother Philia’s orders? Even if caught, they had prepared to cut ties, so how did he know someone was backing him?

Derga ground his teeth and cursed.

“Open that box.”

“Oh, right!”

At Derga’s command, Mary quickly untied the string. Though hope was gone, she still held onto a sliver of possibility.

“Ahhh!”

“Ugh!”

Inside was the gruesomely severed head of Knight Bell. The neck was sliced so cleanly that the cut surface faced upward, as if the box had been opened upside down.

Knock, knock.

“Count, is something wrong?”

At that moment, an investigator knocked on the door. The tension in the room snapped instantly. If it was discovered they had contacted the Cheonryeo tribe to stage a coup, summary execution was possible. They were at the mercy of the chief’s mercy, begging for their lives.

“…N-no, it’s nothing.”

“May we come in?”

Mary whipped her head around at the investigator’s words. The torn window was clear evidence. She shrieked in protest.

“N-no! I’m changing clothes right now!”

“…Excuse me?”

“If you don’t intend to insult me, please do not open the door under any circumstances!”

“Madam, we’ll give you some time.”

“Wait! Please wait!”

Mary shouted as she closed the window. She didn’t just toss the scattered wood debris under the bed but even tidied the curtains neatly. Meanwhile, Derga stood frozen in anger, and Chel trembled in fear.

“…Hic.”

She covered the box and shoved it into a corner of the wardrobe with trembling hands.

“We’ll come in now.”

“W-wait!”

Creak.

The investigator placed a hand on the sword at his side and opened the door. The two standing awkwardly and Chel curled up sobbing in the corner.

“What were you doing?”

“Doing what?”

The investigator glanced at the broken chair and scattered items. It seemed Derga had thrown a fit. After slowly surveying the room, he bowed politely.

“Apologies. Please keep the noise down to avoid misunderstandings.”

“Get lost, you pathetic fool.”

“…Calm down.”

Despite Derga’s blatant insult, the investigator didn’t flinch and smiled. After all, Derga was a doomed man, and the investigator’s only path was to rise by serving his master.

Creak.

“Damn it.”

Derga gripped the table, silently wishing this nightmare would end. Mary and Chel sat down, enveloped in heavy silence. Suddenly, Derga ground his teeth and muttered.

“Fine. Let’s do this.”

There was only one path left for him now: to stand up on his own. With or without the Cheonryeo tribe’s help, he would use his authority over his domain to drive out the investigation team and the central army.

And declare independence from Bariel.

He was already branded a traitor. What did he have to lose?

If he succeeded, he wouldn’t have to send any more lousy taxes to the capital. How wonderful would that be?

“…Honey?”

“Wife, you stay here with Chel. You know the secret storage, right? Go hide there and don’t come out until I come for you.”

“What about you? I’ll go with you.”

“Fine, Father.”

“Shut up!”

His plan was set.

Without the Cheonryeo tribe’s help, his only card was time. If he could deal with the investigation team before the central reinforcements arrived, he had a chance to turn the tide.

Swish!

Derga tore down all the curtains and tied them into ropes. Mary and Chel stepped back, swallowing nervously. He was preparing to leave.

“Ah…”

But as the reality of leaving hit him, his nerves tightened. Derga draped the roughly tied curtains below the window.

“Go down. Hide in the underground storage.”

“What about you…?”

“Hurry!”

At Derga’s command, Mary and Chel climbed onto the windowsill, tears streaming as they reluctantly grabbed the fabric and hung on. While they left, Derga gathered some papers and lit a lantern.

Flare.

The flames slowly came alive. Derga fanned the fire to make it blaze. When the smoke thickened, he looked down from the window.

Mary and Chel were nowhere to be seen.

They must have moved to the secret storage.

Thud!

“Ugh, damn it.”

Derga grabbed the curtain and dropped down. Limping on his aching ankle, he headed toward the stables. The darkening smoke mixed with the dining hall’s fumes, filling the sky.

Thump, thump, thump!

“This is serious!”

Erika, sorting documents in the main building, frowned at the sudden commotion. But when she saw her subordinate’s terrified face, she jumped to her feet.

“The count set fire to the annex and fled.”

“They’re rushing their own doom.”

“Draw your swords!”

“Kill them if you must. Don’t let them escape the estate.”

“Philip! Inform the central reinforcements.”

“Yes! Understood!”

“The rest, follow me.”

Erika tied her hair tightly and ran down the stairs. If she handled this well, this would be her estate.

But to dare set fire?

“Ahhh!”

“Please, save me! Help me…!”

“Fire! Fire!”

“Get some water! Throw sand on it!”

“Find Derga! He can’t have gone far!”

Whoosh!

The servants’ quarters were in the annex downstairs. Since they were confined there just like Derga, they couldn’t escape easily despite the fire.

“Help! Please, please save us!”

“Ahhh! There are people trapped here! Over here!”

“I’ll do whatever you say! I’ll tell you everything you want to know!”

Screams echoed from all directions, but Erika hesitated to give orders. Derga had disappeared, and the investigation team was scattered. If the rescued servants started a riot, it would be impossible to control.

“W-what should we do, Commander?”

Amid the men scrambling to douse the flames with water and sand, the fire only roared higher. Erika bit her lip, wrestling with the decision.

“In the end, if Derga dies, they’re all doomed anyway.”

They’d likely be sold off to the slave market to cover the missing taxes, but either way, their fate was sealed.

Erika turned her gaze toward the main gate.

“Just contain the fire enough to prevent it from spreading. Since it’s the annex, there shouldn’t be any important documents inside. If we have the manpower, catching Derga takes priority.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“Everyone, pursue Derga!”

“A small group stays inside the mansion; the rest head outside!”

“Hurry!”

Erika turned away coldly. Behind her, the heat, the sticky smoke, and the desperate screams blazed up together with the fire.