How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 88

After leaving the Lord’s Castle, I headed to the center of Leydin with Ruth without a word.

Ruth, who normally would have said something, followed me silently, her mouth firmly shut.

It wasn’t until we arrived at the noisy marketplace, where eavesdropping was difficult, that I called out to Ruth.

“Ruth.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“What do you think?”

“…I know something feels off.”

“And?”

“But there’s nothing concrete to suspect, is there?”

“Yeah. It smells fishy, but I can’t figure out what it is.”

“There’s no basis to start digging, is there?”

“What’s the point of running if we don’t know where to start?”

“Exactly.”

Ruth nodded at my seemingly resigned words.

But I wasn’t giving up.

“So, let’s find the starting point first.”

“Yes?”

Ruth, who had been half-depressed, widened her eyes.

“How do you plan to find it? Moreover, this is a direct territory [a territory directly controlled by the ruling family]. Our range of action is limited, no matter who we are.”

“Let’s do what we can. Aren’t you uneasy about just leaving?”

“That’s true, but…”

“I’m not saying we should risk our lives to find it. Just that lingering unease in the corner of our minds. Let’s just poke at it a little.”

In the end, Ruth had no choice but to nod at my words.

“I understand. Then, what should we do first?”

“Let’s go back to the beginning.”

“From the beginning?”

“Yeah. Why did we go to the Lord’s Castle?”

“Because Baron Gorde invited us.”

“That’s right. That’s the important thing. We didn’t just barge into the Lord’s Castle. Baron Gorde invited us.”

“That’s right.”

“But why was he trying to block the certification, acting like we were uninvited guests, when he invited us?”

“Well, the invitation was for me, not you, Young Master.”

“Right. Let’s start there. The reason he could invite you was the entry and exit report from the gate.”

“That’s right.”

“But they didn’t inspect the carriage or the identities of the companions other than you. That means they didn’t know I was there.”

Ruth nodded, listening intently.

“The conclusion is that his attitude changed after he found out about you, Young Master.”

“Yeah. That’s where it gets weird. Why did they let you in without checking the carriage or the companions?”

Ruth tilted her head at my question.

“Is there anything strange about that? They probably weren’t bold enough to rummage through the carriage of a knight with a confirmed identity.”

“That’s not it. The guards already knew.”

“Already knew… What do you mean?”

As Ruth finished speaking, the gates of Leydin came into view in the distance. It was the place we had passed through with Ruth last night at dawn.

“We can find out what they knew.”

I strode forward, and Ruth followed behind, looking puzzled.

I also felt a little nervous as I got closer to the gate.

It might be just speculation. It could be just my imagination, and this could turn into a clumsy detective game.

But it’s not too late to think about all that after seeing the results.

“Hey.”

“Huh? Who are you?”

When I called out to the gate guard, he spoke informally with a fierce look. I slowly took out my identity plate from my pocket.

“I am a Knight Banneret [a knight who leads a company under his own banner], duly appointed.”

“…What is your affiliation?”

“The Lindayer County.”

A Banneret was more of a commander than a soldier who actively participated in war.

But the guard, who seemed to be serving in the military, easily recognized me and was startled, snapping to a salute.

Even if he wasn’t from a direct territory, there was a clear difference in status.

“I apologize for my previous rudeness.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Thank you.”

“I have a question to ask.”

“Ask away. I will answer to the best of my ability within my authority.”

“It’s nothing much. Ah, this is Ruth Meyer of the Wind Knights.”

Ruth flinched for a moment at my words but soon realized my intention and nodded, presenting her identity plate.

“T-The Wind Knights! It’s an honor to meet you!”

“Thank you.”

Ruth, who received her identity plate back, crossed her arms and wore a stern, solemn, and serious expression.

I felt like bursting into laughter at the sight, but I held back and looked at the guard.

“Isn’t there a directive from the Lord’s Castle?”

“Directive… do you mean?”

“Yeah. A directive related to us.”

“Well, I don’t think there was anything like that.”

Just as I was thinking that I had guessed wrong at the soldier’s words, the veteran-looking man next to him pulled the guard’s shoulder.

“You forgot already, you bastard!”

The veteran, who had pulled out the previously clueless guard, stood in front of me instead.

“Please understand, sir. He’s only been assigned here for a short time…”

“I understand.”

“Anyway, you asked about the directive, right? Yes. A few weeks ago, a directive was issued to immediately guide any knight belonging to the Lindayer family to the Lord’s Castle. Isn’t that why you came last night?”

I nodded at the veteran’s words, who was tilting his head.

“Ah, there’s one knight who will arrive late due to a schedule conflict.”

“Ah, is that so? The directive will remain valid until it is revised or withdrawn, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Is that so? I see. Keep up the good work.”

After that, I turned around without hesitation, and Ruth, who had been hardening her expression, hurriedly stuck to my side with her original face.

“Young Master.”

“Yeah.”

“Is that what’s bothering you?”

“What is?”

“Baron Gorde requested a knight from the Lindayer family for the certification, and he mistook us for the knights who came to Leydin for that purpose, so he called us to the Lord’s Castle.”

“Exactly.”

I nodded at Ruth’s words.

Then, I stretched out my index finger and opened my mouth again towards Ruth.

“There’s one more thing.”

“…”

“The knight who came by request and Ruth, who happened to stop by, should have the same authority, but why did Baron Gorde act like he was rejecting me after he found out about my existence?”

At my question, Ruth finally revealed her white teeth.

“The knight to confirm the certification was already decided from the beginning.”

* * *

As soon as we returned to the inn we had booked, Ruth and I headed to the first floor, which was also used as a pub.

The pubs in the center of the city would be full of people buried in alcohol, but the place we had booked was on the outskirts and mainly used for accommodation, so it was quite quiet.

I took a seat at a table with Ruth, took off the cloak that wrapped around me, and took a breath.

“Young Master.”

Ruth, who was sitting down, opened her mouth with a worried look.

“Why.”

“Judging from the circumstances, it seems like something is going on, but this is a direct territory.”

“So.”

“We don’t have the authority or justification to poke around more than necessary. It could develop into a diplomatic issue.”

“Are you worried?”

“Of course, I am. Count Lindayer is very strict in this area.”

“He’s a perfectionist.”

The Count is the type of person who doesn’t let even the smallest things pass without his approval.

Ruth is probably worried that things will get out of hand if I poke around the direct territory like this.

“Don’t worry. I’ll stay within the lines.”

“Still…”

“If you don’t like it, you can just drop out.”

“How can I leave you alone, Young Master!”

“Then shut up and take good care of me.”

“…”

Ruth, who had nothing to say, raised her hand and ordered a beer.

“It’s still broad daylight, already?”

“I can’t do anything without drinking alcohol.”

“Is that so?”

Ruth, who was usually bold, seemed nervous when she thought that Count Lindayer might be involved.

“So, do you think Baron Gorde is doing something shady?”

“It’s just a hunch right now.”

“Let’s assume that’s the case. Let’s assume that Baron Gorde is up to something, and we got involved in the middle of it.”

“So.”

“What could the Baron possibly do that’s shady? He’s just a figurehead, especially the lord of a direct territory. Especially in a rural city like Leydin.”

“Do you think so?”

“What is the dream of a bureaucratic aristocrat? To become a central figure in the capital. What power does Baron Gorde, who has been pushed out to such a rural backwater, have to do such a thing? He doesn’t have the power or ability to do anything on his own. The scribe will record every move he makes.”

Ruth, who seemed thirsty, took a big gulp as soon as she received the beer brought by the waitress.

“Even if he does, he’ll only commit small-scale corruption and embezzle a few gold coins. No matter how I think about it, I can’t think of anything Baron Gorde could do through certification. Moreover, involving the Lindayer family? Baron Gorde would have to be crazy.”

“You pointed that out well. That’s right. Baron Gorde doesn’t have the ability to do anything on his own. He doesn’t have privately raised soldiers, and he’s not wealthy enough to hire mercenaries.”

“Yes. At best, our suspicion is that he’s trying to do something using the certification, that’s all.”

“Let’s look at it differently.”

“Yes? Differently?”

“If we assume that Baron Gorde is the one benefiting from the certification, it doesn’t add up.”

“Then, are you saying the Baron received a request? Isn’t that going too far? Bureaucratic aristocrats who commit corruption are common, but to involve the Lindayer family for that? Baron Gorde would have to be really out of his mind…”

Ruth trailed off, then took another gulp of beer before starting to cough as if she had choked.

“Cough, Young Master. Could it be?”

“Did you come up with a great scenario?”

Ruth lowered her posture and quietly opened her mouth, afraid of being overheard.

“Are you saying that there is some kind of request between Baron Gorde and the Lindayer family?”

“Not that there is, but that it’s suspected.”

“No, even if there is a request, what can you do through certification? At best, you can fabricate evidence to frame someone and have them punished under the kingdom’s law, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then it makes even less sense. Why would the Count bother with such a troublesome task and frame someone under the kingdom’s law? Frankly, the fist is closer than the law [meaning direct action is more effective than legal processes]. If they committed a crime, he has the power and ability to punish them directly!”

“You’re too excited, Ruth.”

Tak, tak.

When I tapped the table with my index finger, Ruth finally came to her senses and took a breath.

“I didn’t say our father made a request.”

“Yes? Then…”

“Well, we’ll have to find out. But I don’t think it’ll be too difficult to find.”

“Not difficult?”

“Framing someone and getting rid of them means they want to eliminate the criminal fact itself, and it means they are doing something shady themselves, so they need to clean up. Moreover, they couldn’t solve it with their own abilities, so they made such an ominous request, and the fact that the other party is Baron Gorde means that they can’t connect with high-ranking officials.”

“…”

“In other words, it’s not Count Lindayer. But that doesn’t mean it’s someone with a very low status either. Wouldn’t that narrow it down roughly?”

Ruth, who had been deep in thought at my words, narrowed her eyes.

“In the end, Baron Gorde is just a puppet, and the real culprit is someone inside the Lindayer family?”

I shrugged at Ruth’s finally spoken words.

“We’ll have to find out from now on.”