Rebirth of the 8th-Circle Mage

Chapter 69: Count Eisen (3)

When Von returned to Vivaldi, he was greeted with unexpected news from Ten.

“He went out to handle a commission?”

“Yes. He said that he was meeting someone in Salgaera, so Sir Henry departed the day after you left for Enkelmann.”

‘Is it because of what happened last time?’

On the day Henry and Von had planned to return to Vivaldi from Enkelmann, he asked Von about the exiles. Von had told him what he knew, and Henry immediately went to track down the men as soon as Von had left.

‘I have to admit… He gets on top of things right away.’

Henry left the day after Von did, which meant he must have arrived in Salgaera already. After some thought, Von decided to leave for Salgaera as well.

“What? You’re going to Salgaera?”

“I’m going to visit some people in Salgaera too.”

“Ha… Okay, I won’t stop you… When are you planning to depart?”

“I’m planning to leave as soon as I finish my preparations.”

“What? But you just got back to Enkelmann today?”

“I’ll only be able to meet up with the ones who left for Salgaera first if I depart as soon as possible.”

“Even so… You just got here today.”

“You don’t need to worry about me. Just prepare a coat, dehydrated food, and some fatigue recovery medicine from the temple.”

The special fatigue recovery medicine from the temple could relieve fatigue very quickly. Even still, Von had just returned from Enkelmann, and Ten could not understand what he was doing.

“I’ll leave it up to you.”

“Okay, I will get those ready for you since you insist on going.”

Von took two bottles of the fatigue relief medicine then took a hot bath. He put on fresh clothing and headed straight to Salgaera on a new horse.

* * *

Henry, who had left the reception room as if he had been kicked out. Vedican led him to the count’s treasure room, which was full of gold and silver treasures Eisen had chosen to show off the Shonan family's wealth.

“The count told me to give you a generous reward, so choose as much as you want until you’re satisfied.” Vedican showed the treasures off as though they were his.

Henry looked around and thought to himself, ‘It’s filled with useless items.’

Anyone else would have been overwhelmed by the treasures, but Henry already possessed plenty of them. He had no interest in anything, and he only picked up a single gold coin on the floor and said, “This will do.”

“W-what…?” Vedican’s expression was full of shock. Although he was in charge of guarding the treasure room, even someone like him struggled with his greed whenever he entered. It was hard to believe that a mere mercenary didn’t feel the same.

“I will leave on my own, so there’s no need to escort me out. Ah, also, here’s a little tip.”

Henry patted the bewildered Vedican on the shoulder and put the gold coin he had just picked up into Vedican’s pocket.

“Y-you bastard…!”

However, Henry had already walked far away before Vedican could even get angry.

* * *

The members of the six Patrician Families, who were in charge of discussing state administration, had the right to summon any of the Patrician Families at any time. The members of the Patrician Family had to comply with the summoning, except for the emperor and the grand dukes.

However, there was one powerful summoning order that could call the emperor, although not the grand dukes, called a reporting order. It was used to accuse someone of plotting to kill the emperor or committing treason.

Today, none other than Count Eisen Shonan announced the reporting order. It was a rare occasion. Inside the imperial palace, the six leaders of the Patrician Families sat around a half-moon table facing the throne. The table was called the “table of affairs” because they only ever discussed state affairs there.

The first to speak was Marquis Alfred Etherwether of the Etherwear family, a member of the three Great Families. “Count Eisen, why have you made a reporting order?”

A reporting order was an act that did little more than backstab another person, which was why no one used it unless it was absolutely necessary. It was significant that Eisen had issued one.

Everyone had a concerned expression, but the only ones that looked distressed were the three Great Families. The two counts had the same title as Eisen, but they weren’t as powerful as he was because they joined the Patrician Families later.

The emperor did not show much interest in the reporting order. He was busy flirting with a beautiful court lady next to him. However, the emperor would soon gain interest in the proceedings.

Eisen Shonan rose from his seat and began to talk with a proud expression. “I was just about to tell everyone why I issued a reporting order. Hey, those of you outside, bring them in!”

The soldiers waiting outside brought in a number of bloodied men: Munke and his employees.

As the soldiers brought them in, Eisen called out to the emperor. “Your Majesty! If Your Majesty will allow it, may I bring in the bodies of the Viper Knights to use as very important evidence? I’ll prove that I was right to issue a reporting order.”

“Viper Knights?”

The name of the imperial knights made the emperor’s eyes widen. He pushed the court lady to the side. “Let them in.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. Come in!”

Eisen pointed his chin at a soldier and several soldiers brought in the bodies of the tough Viper Knights and put them next to Munke.

Marquis Aubert seemed to stiffen. Eisen made eye contact with him, and after a slight smile, he turned back and began to appeal to the emperor in a loud voice. “Your Majesty! I called for a reporting order today because one of the six Patrician Families not only disobeyed Your Majesty’s royal command, but they also used the imperial knights and wasted the nation’s resources!”

Marquis Aubert’s expression stiffened even more and the rest of the families started to glance at each other. The emperor frowned and began to express his anger. “Who! Who dared do this! Who dared disobey me and lead the imperial knights to their deaths!”

Silver Jackson Edward, emperor of the Eurasia continent, was incompetent and stupid but he wielded absolute power as its sole monarch. When such a stupid and simple man held so much authority, it was impossible to know who would become the next enemy of the entire empire.

Eisen made eye contact with Marquis Aubert once again and…

“It is him.” Eisen pointed at Marquis Aubert.

The emperor’s expression also stiffened like stone.

“What…?”

Marquis Aubert of the Crimson family, a family known for producing reliable soldiers and bookbinders for generations. Marquis Aubert was also a competent individual who’d developed useful policies with Henry. When he was fingered as the culprit, the emperor’s expression grew even darker. “Marquis Aubert, is this true?”

Aubert’s expression was frozen because Eisen was right. However, he was only in charge of giving orders; Salmora had done everything else. When the mission was complete, he only received reports through letters. Aubert knew the existence of the Painted Merchants, but he did not know what Munke and his employees looked like.

‘...So this is why the report was delayed.’?Aubert remembered all of a sudden that he hadn’t received a report for the last mission. However, there was no going back now.

"Strip the bodies!” Eisen ordered.

The double snake symbol of the Viper Knight was on the bodies of the dead.

‘Hehehe, how’s that for a taste, Aubert?’

The evidence was irrefutable. In addition, Munke and his employees had already been tamed in a private torture chamber earlier on. All he had to do now was continue provoking the emperor to unleash his fury on Aubert. If things worked out, Eisen would be able to replace Marquis Aubert.

“Your Majesty! Marquis Aubert has also been embezzling the supplies that Your Majesty has been sending to the exiles of Salgaera for more than a year now.”

“W-what?’

“Everything is true, Your Majesty! Aubert pretended to hire a merchant group to send the supplies, but they were working together with the leader of the imperial knights to pretend that bandits had stolen the supplies and deceived Your Majesty.”

“Aubert! Is this true!”

“That is not all. Auber also hired junior mercenaries from the mercenary guild to kill the merchants to support his lie that the supplies had been stolen. Your Majesty, no matter how insignificant the lives of commoners are, they are still your people. And not only that, he’s taken the nation’s money. Not only did Aubert defy Your Majesty’s commands, he also slaughtered your people. This is why I called the reporting order.”

“Aubert, how dare you!”

Shiiing!

Silver Edward Jackson had an inferiority complex that made him sensitive to being ignored or disrespected. The emperor couldn’t hold back his boiling rage. He took the rapier of the soldier standing next to him and ran toward Aubert, then…

Thrust!

Completely irrational from anger, the emperor stabbed Aubert in between his shoulder and chest. The blade dug deep into his skin, but Aubert didn’t let out a single groan and only opened his eyes wide and swallowed down the pain.

The emperor grew even more enraged. His anger was past boiling point, and he tightened his grip on the hilt to pierce through Aubert’s skin.

“Grr…! Grrr…!”

Covered in Aubert’s blood, the emperor breathed heavily, glaring at Aubert until the very end. “Aubert…! You…! You dare insult me!”

Anger sometimes doubled people’s strength, and the emperor pushed the blade through the flesh with all his might, screaming like iron being sawed.

Slash!

The blade left Aubert’s armpit as ragged as a mop. His white clothes were soon redder than the sunset.

Clank!

The emperor calmed down slightly, perhaps because he’d broken through skin, and he threw the blood-stained sword to the ground, breathing heavily.

“Ha… Ha…”

The sound made everyone listening terrified.

‘It’s over!’

Eisne’s eyes were filled with pleasure. It was only a matter of time before Aubert’s head would be cut off, but Aubert suddenly got down on his knees.

“...!”

The high-and-mighty Aubert was kneeling! Then, through the blood in his mouth, he said, “I couldn’t stand it, Your Majesty.”

“What…? What did you just say…?”

“The people who have been deported to Salgaera are all from traitorous families, and while Your Majesty has been generous to them, I could never forgive them.”

“You couldn’t… forgive them?”

“I still remember clearly when the treacherous Henry Morris bargained with Your Majesty for his life and the lives of the exiles.”

Aubert was in so much pain that it wouldn’t be surprising if he passed out, but he didn’t show even a hint of pain. He explained himself clearly and calmly, looking composed.

The emperor finally came to his senses and he dimly recalled using the family members of the State Contributors as hostages and encouraging Henry to take the poison. Henry had drunk the poison and admitted his guilt only if the lives of his comrades’ families could be spared.

The emperor wasn’t the only one who’d encouraged this: four other Central Aristocrats were present to watch the downfall of the last State Contributor.

“I couldn’t stand the sight of a treacherous man like him having the nerve to bargain with Your Majesty. Even though I knew I was defying an imperial order, I had to do it to preserve Your Majesty’s honor. Please kill me for violating the imperial order, Your Majesty.”

Aubert bowed, pressing his forehead to the ground.

Marquis Alfred and Duke Arthus couldn’t help bursting into laughter.

‘Hahaha, that crazy bastard.’

‘As expected of Aubert. You gotta admit, he’s got real talent in acting.’

The two other counts sighed.

‘How could he fall for such an obvious lie…’

‘Is it Eisen’s turn now?’

The situation had turned on its head.

Aubert had almost been condemned after violating the imperial order and wasting the nation’s resources, but now he was a loyalist who only cared about the emperor. Aubert’s passionate performance managed to change the emperor’s mind.

“The priest! Call the priest! Marquis Aubert, I was a fool! I didn’t know your true intentions and I did this…!” The emperor embraced Aubert and wept.

Aubert made eye contact with Eisen past the emperor’s shoulders.

Smirk.

Abuert’s eyes were like crescent moons as he embraced the emperor with his bloody hands. The corners of his lips rose like those of a snake’s.