How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 87

As soon as the innkeeper set down the beer, I grabbed it and poured it straight down my throat.

I lowered my head briefly, savoring the tingling sensation, and when I looked up, Ruth was watching me with an anxious expression.

“Young master, what was in that message that made you react so strongly?”

“It’s nothing much.”

“What do you mean, ‘nothing much’?”

“They’re asking if I can notarize the punishment of criminals in the direct territory.”

“Those who caused trouble?”

Ruth paused, lost in thought, then nodded.

“Ah, so that’s what this is about.”

“You seem to know something?”

“Of course. Though it’s rare, I visited the direct territory once when I was asked to on estate business.”

“Why do they need someone in person? If they’re criminals, can’t they just be arrested and brought here?”

“That’s common in the direct territory, even if it’s not elsewhere. The royal family strictly adheres to territorial law.”

The conclusion I reached after hearing Ruth’s explanation was simple: territorialism.

In simple terms, it’s a ‘when in Rome, do as the Romans do’ situation.

If a citizen registered in Lindayer County commits a crime in the direct territory, the Lindayer family doesn’t punish them. Instead, they’re severely punished under the kingdom’s laws. It’s a law that firmly demonstrates the royal family’s authority over all nobles and symbolizes their power.

“If it were the territory of other nobles…”

“Then it depends. If it happened in the territory of a noble sworn to Lindayer County, the prisoner would be handed over as a sign of respect. But if they were caught in a hostile noble’s territory, that’s another story. Considering all that, the direct territory is quite neutral.”

“Anyway, what about this case?”

“The criminals will likely be punished according to the kingdom’s laws, but there’s a procedure. They want notarization from a Lindayer representative with the proper authority to avoid future complaints.”

“So, you just happened to be in Leydin at the right time?”

“Wouldn’t that be the case? It’s a waste of taxes to keep them rotting in prison. They probably want to deal with it quickly. Normally, it would take months to send letters back and forth to summon someone.”

I held out my beer glass, and Ruth lightly clinked his against mine.

“It’s nothing much. You should rest, young master. I’ll go and be back briefly tomorrow.”

“Will you be alright on your own?”

“Young master, a knight has the right to summarily judge anyone who isn’t a noble.”

“That’s right.”

It’s a time when knights could beat people for bumping into them on the street.

Of course, a proper knight wouldn’t do that, but not everyone is normal.

“I don’t have anything to do anyway, so let’s go together tomorrow.”

Seeing something firsthand is better than hearing about it a hundred times.

I thought it would be good to see it myself rather than just hearing about it.

But unlike my intention, Ruth looked uneasy.

“You’re going with me?”

“Yeah. They’re people from the territory I’ll inherit, so shouldn’t I see them in person?”

“You should rest. It’s something that will be over in a few hours even if I go alone.”

“I told you, I have nothing to do. It’s okay.”

“There are many procedures, so most of the time is spent waiting. You’ll be bored.”

He kept trying to dissuade me, which was strange.

If it’s nothing much, as he said, why would he try so hard to stop me?

“Why? Is something troublesome going to happen if I go?”

“What troublesome thing could there be? It’s not like that.”

“But you look like you don’t want me to go.”

My words hit the mark, and Ruth finally sighed deeply and drank his beer.

“It’s because there’s a high possibility you won’t see anything good if you go.”

“You won’t see anything good?”

“I don’t have much experience, but there are usually only two types of cases when you go to observe.”

“Two types?”

“Yes.”

“What are they?”

“One is, of course, vicious bastards who deserve to be torn to pieces. Beasts that make you want to execute them yourself.”

“…What’s the second?”

I had a feeling I knew the answer, but I asked just in case.

“The opposite.”

Unfortunately, my prediction was perfectly correct.

“Innocent people?”

“There’s collected evidence, so there’s no doubt they’re criminals, but there’s also human intuition.”

“That’s true.”

“In fact, I don’t feel good for weeks after experiencing either case. Either because I couldn’t prevent the crime, or because I feel like I condemned an innocent person.”

“Let’s say the heinous criminals are like that. In the second case, if they’re truly innocent or the evidence is fabricated, can’t they explain it?”

“The kingdom’s laws are supreme. Even for Count Lindayer, the decision is based on all the evidence, so there’s nothing we can do.”

“In the end, all we do is check and stamp?”

“Yes. So, most who are used to it don’t bother meeting the criminals and just handle the work roughly and return. That’s why I said I’d go alone. Usually, if a criminal is serious enough to require notarization, it means they’ll be publicly executed, and they’re heinous criminals who must be kept alive until then, so the result won’t change.”

“It’s an unpleasant measure in many ways.”

“It’s a custom that’s been maintained for a long time.”

“If that’s the case…”

“Anyway, are you going with me tomorrow?”

“For now.”

“I apologize for saying this, young master. I wonder if you have other thoughts in mind…”

“Other thoughts? I don’t.”

“I’m saying this out of concern, but it would be troublesome if you were to defy the kingdom’s laws. It’s something everyone has followed for hundreds of years.”

“I told you, I don’t have any other thoughts.”

I paused, then held out my beer glass to Ruth.

“Let’s put aside any unnecessary thoughts and enjoy our rest.”

“I understand.”

* * *

Noon the next day.

Ruth and I, having slept in late for the first time in a while, had a light meal and headed to the lord’s castle on horseback.

The scale of Leydin’s lord’s castle was quite shabby compared to the big cities I’d visited.

Well, even if he’s a lord, he only manages the king’s territory on his behalf, since it’s a direct territory.

Even if they’re both barons, there’s a difference between local nobles who rule vast territories and bureaucratic nobles who only collect salaries.

Thinking about it that way, Baron Gorde, the lord of Leydin, isn’t that impressive.

But even so, he’s a noble connected to the royal family, so he can’t be ignored.

“What business do you have at the lord’s castle?”

When the guard with a spear blocked our way, I showed him the seal sent by Baron Gorde, and after that, it was smooth sailing.

A groom came to take the horses, and a courteous servant guided us inside.

We were led to a reception room with a neat atmosphere. As I sat sipping the tea they served, the door opened, and a tall, thin man appeared.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Nils Gorde.”

Baron Gorde, after introducing himself, hesitated and looked back and forth between Ruth and me.

“Which one of you is Sir Ruth?”

At Baron Gorde’s words, Ruth stood and bowed slightly.

“That’s me.”

“Then this person is…”

At the questioning gaze, Ruth coughed.

“He’s the third young master of Lindayer County.”

“The third young master?”

It was brief, but I saw it.

Baron Gorde’s eyes widened with a hint of embarrassment at the words ‘third young master’ before returning to normal.

It felt fishy, but I chalked it up to being surprised by my unexpected appearance.

I’m not the grim reaper, so there’s no need to be so embarrassed.

I stood without showing any expression and bowed slightly.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Cain Lindayer.”

“Wow, I never thought I’d meet the champion I’ve only heard about in rumors. It’s an honor.”

“Thank you.”

“I knew about Sir Ruth because I received a report at the gate, but I didn’t know the third young master would be with him. When did you arrive in Leydin? If I’d known, I would have used my authority to provide a comfortable place in the lord’s castle.”

“I was planning to stay quietly and leave.”

“Don’t say such disappointing things.”

The baron smiled and sat on the sofa opposite me.

“But I’m curious. Why did the third young master, who was planning to stay quietly, come here?”

“I heard you were looking for Sir Ruth because there was something to confirm.”

“That’s right. I caught some nasty criminals and planned to punish them as an example, so I needed confirmation. Isn’t it a good thing? You don’t have to travel all the way from the north.”

“Is that so?”

“If you only need Sir Ruth, there’ll be no problem with the procedure, so the third young master can relax here. The chef at the lord’s castle is excellent at cooking lamb. We also have good wine. And what could be more memorable than hearing about the tournament in the capital directly from the person involved? How about dinner tonight?”

I gave Baron Gorde a gentle smile.

“I’ll postpone dinner until I’ve personally checked and processed this matter according to procedure.”

“The third young master?”

I nodded at the baron’s questioning tone.

“Yes.”

“Is there really a need? I think Sir Ruth is qualified enough.”

“Still, I can’t just leave everything to my subordinates and live in luxury. Above all, people from our territory caused trouble, so shouldn’t I take responsibility myself?”

I subtly expressed my intention to refuse his persuasion.

At my words, Baron Gorde nodded as if he understood. I don’t know if he really agreed or just didn’t have any more justification to stop me.

“Anyway, they’re heinous criminals. I feel like they’re wasting air. I’ll feel relieved when they’re executed.”

“What crimes did they commit to deserve that?”

Just as Baron Gorde was about to answer, a knock echoed on the reception room door. Baron Gorde’s butler entered.

The butler bent and whispered something in the baron’s ear. The baron’s expression remained calm as he listened.

“I’ll take care of it soon.”

“I understand.”

The butler stepped back, and Gorde turned to give me and Ruth an awkward smile with a friendly face.

“Well, it seems the notarization will have to be postponed.”

“Postponed?”

“I have to leave urgently.”

“Leave?”

“I have to go to another direct territory nearby. The lord of that territory is in the capital, so I’m needed as an agent. I’d like to proceed as is, but it seems the matter I mentioned earlier requires the lord’s presence…”

“Then there’s nothing we can do. When are you planning to return?”

“I’ll contact you later. If you have anything urgent, you can leave. I can’t make a precious guest wait because of my circumstances.”

“I understand. I’m planning to stay for a few more days, so let me know if you need anything.”

“Oh! How grateful I am! I’ll try to finish my work quickly and return.”

Gorde bowed repeatedly, looking as grateful as possible.

Yes. It seems something unavoidable happened, so the work was postponed. Since someone else from the north will come anyway, we can leave.

As I stood with Ruth, the servants came to help us with our coats.

I glanced at Baron Gorde. He still wore an apologetic look with a friendly face.

‘But you know…’

Baron Gorde.

Doesn’t something feel too fishy?