Chapter 41: The Treaty of Six Families

[Phermos] “Thanks to the Princess, I think things will go much easier. When I thought about having to watch the priests disrobe…….Ugh, I think I’m going to lose my appetite.”

Now that they had a clue, they needed to move quickly.

Rienne had already started making the necessary preparations to convene the representatives, and Black was supposed to go to the Temple with Phermos.

Without wasting a single moment, their party prepared to head for the Temple.

[Phermos] “Ah, here come the horses.”

Up came a few mercenaries, leading Phermos’ horse to the yard.

[Phermos] “Hm? You only brought one?”

But they didn’t bring Black’s horse along with them. For a moment, Phermos thought the underlings had lost their hearing but apparently that wasn’t the case.

[Black] “You’re going alone. I have something I need to take care of.”

[Phermos] “Oh, you’re not going back to the Princess to finish what you started…………are you?”

Phermos’ tone expressed his blatant appall, but the second he noticed Black’s face, he pulled his composure back together.

[Phermos] “I spoke out of turn, my Lord.”

Changing the subject quickly, Phermos’ averted his eyes away.

[Phermos] “Though that reminds me, is the Princess alright? After what happened this morning, she must’ve been very shocked.”

[Black] “She says she’s fine, but I’m keeping an eye on her.”

[Phermos] “That would be for the best. Anything could pose a threat in the early stages, even if she looks well on the outside………Ah, by the way…” (1)

As if remembering what happened before, Phermos gave a joking smile.

[Phermos] “Doesn’t the Princess seem a little…..how do I put this……naïve? Sometimes she reminds me more of an eighteen year old than a twenty-five year old…..Are you alright, my Lord?”

[Black] “………….Pick somewhere.”

[Phermos] “I’m sorry?”

[Black] “Where do you want to be hit this time?”

[Phermos] “…….Ah! I’ve slipped up again, my Lord.”

And just like that, the smile was wiped from his face, gone without a trace. Based on this interaction, it would appear as though Black was unwilling to tolerate anyone speaking about the Princess.

[Phermos] “I will think twice in the future before I ever allow the Princess’ name to leave my…….mouth!”

Feeling intimidated by the glare of his lord, Phermos lowered his head and shoulders, muttering to himself before suddenly shouting as Black grabbed him by the collar.

[Black] “Keep quiet.”

Black lowered his voice as he spoke right into Phermos’ ear.

[Black] “There’s a sick old man near the Temple. Find him first. Don’t let anyone know.”

[Phermos] “………Anyone…..?”

[Black] “The Princess sent her nanny.”

[Phermos] “And you want me to find him before she does. I understand.”

Accepting the order with a nod, Phermos asked a question.

[Phermos] “May I know why?”

[Black] “I think he recognized me.”

[Phermos] “Recognized you, my Lord? Then…….”

As always, Phermos’ clever mind moved quickly. From a single word, he was able to infer a lot of information.

Those who knew of Black’s shrouded past still remained.

Princess Rienne must’ve sent one of her people knowing such a person existed, and now, before that person was found, Black wanted to get them out of the way.

That meant that Black did not wish for Princess Rienne to know about his past.

[Phermos] “What do you wish for me to do? Shall I silence him?”

[Black] “……..Not yet. Just hide him for now.”

[Phermos] “Very well.”

Black released Phermos. Phermos just nodded, rubbing his aching neck.

[Phermos] “I will return soon, my Lord.”

Without even responding, Black turned around and left, disappearing into the distance. Left behind, Phermos muttered to himself with a sullen look on his face.

[Phermos] “Was his lordship’s personality always this sour…….?”

In any case, he needed to be more careful with his words in the future.

After that, Phermos left for the Temple alongside five mercenaries.

***

Step. Step.

Underground, the echoing sound of footsteps carried a different kind of atmosphere. The moisture that gathered on the stone floor clung to the soles of one’s feet, making for a more somber and dreary sound.

[Mercenary] “Huh, you’re here!”

All the guards posted in the dungeons were members of the Tiwakan mercenaries. It was a gradual process, but those of Nauk’s castle guard were being relieved of their original positions and replaced.

No doubt the absence of the former captain, Weroz made the shift significantly easier.

The mercenary who first noticed Black’s visit to the underground dungeon quickly straightened out his posture.

[Mercenary] “I didn’t get a message saying you would be coming today. Did you come for the interrogation?”

[Black] “Quiet.”

Apparently, Black didn’t want to make his presence known. The mercenary sensed this, immediately lowering his voice.

[Mercenary] “Did you want me to lead you to the guy that was brought in today?”

Black nodded without saying anything back.

[Mercenary] “This way, sir.”

Looking at the state of the dungeon, all the members of the Tiwakan could easily agree that it was worth its salt.

Though there weren’t many people imprisoned currently, it was still a big facility— a large-scale prison made to accommodate several layers of security measures. Such an intense dungeon definitely proved the power the royal family once had.

[Mercenary] “The structure of the dungeon has been designed so that you can’t escape from it easily, but Sir Phermos told us not to take any chances, so I tied them up.” (2)

[Black] “Good work.”

[Mercenary] “Thank you, sir.”

At the unexpected praise, the mercenary gave a goofy grin.

Eventually, they reached a set of double doors, locked from the outside where the prisoners were waiting.

[Mercenary] “I’ve been keeping them in this room. I’ve also been monitoring what they talk about.”

[Black] “Have they said anything more?”

[Mercenary] “Not after Sir Phermos left. Ah, here.”

Clink.

The mercenary opened the door and Black entered the room.

There were the two Kleinfelders, sitting in wooden chairs and tightly bound by ropes. Hearing someone enter, the two of them raised their heads.

[Black] “Go. And shut the door.”

The mercenary left, quietly closing the door behind him.

Now that room was a place where no one could interfere with Black. When he was there, one could could consider the rest of the Tiwakan guard entirely unnecessary, and none would dare interrupt him.

Seeing Black’s blue eyes, Linden Kleinfelder glared up at him.

[Linden] “What are you going to do to me?”

[Black] “Well…….”

Though Black’s tone was slow and languid, it intimidated his enemies all the same. Right now was no different.

[Linden] “You can’t hurt me. Nauk would never allow it. The day I die is the day……..”

[Black] “So noisy.”

Thwack!

Black kicked out the leg of the chair Linden was sitting in with a loud crashing noise.

Boom!

[Linden] “Ugh!”

Linden fell to the floor, his arrogant face struggling and sniveling as Black looked down on him.

[Black] “What do you know?”

[Linden] “Wha……What are you…….t….talking about…..!?”

Black kicked towards Linden, using his foot to turn his body onto his stomach. Once his bound hands were within view, he stepped right on his wrists.

[Linden] “ARGH!”

It was a rather violent scream. With how much pressure was being put on it, his wrist must’ve surely snapped under the weight.

[Black] “Quiet.”

Then he moved his foot from crushing his wrist to the back of his head. As Linden’s face smashed against the stone floor, he let out a terrified scream—muffled by the ground beneath him.

[Rafit] “What the hell are you doing!? Stop!”

Though he was once sitting still, Rafit began struggling in his chair, shouting out.

[Black] “Don’t move.”

But instead of discouraging Rafit, Black ignored him, putting more pressure on the back of Linden’s head.

[Black] “There are two people here with working mouths.”

[Rafit] “. . .”

Rafit turned pale and stopped moving.

As if he knew he would, Black turned his attention back to Linden, lifting his foot only a little.

[Black] “I’ll ask again. What does Princess Rienne not know?”

[Linden] “You…..obviously…….must…..”

[Black] “Why do I want Nauk?”

[Linden] “You, it’s obvious…….you…..Ugh!”

[Black] “Think about what I said and try again. It wouldn’t be difficult for me to break your neck in an instant.”

[Linden] “Gah…….!”

Linden took a haggard deep breath. His head was spinning, trying to figure out if Black’s threats were sincere, or if he was simply trying to intimidate him.

But then he remembered how he mentioned there were two people with working mouths. That meant even if Linden got his neck broken, that wouldn’t matter because someone else could just as easily speak.

[Linden] “…….Agh…….That girl knows…….gh…..nothing.”

So Linden tried proving there was nothing to gain from killing him, though all that did was reveal that he did indeed know something.

That was what Black wanted.

[Black] “Then say it.”

[Linden] “Th….that……..”

Only now realizing his mistake, Linden rolled his eyes.

But it was too late to take anything back.

[Black] “It’s possible to break someone’s neck in way that allows them to still talk.”

[Linden] “……………Rienne is blind.”

And the moment he accepted his situation, Linden muttered.

[Black] “Keep going.”

[Linden] “She has no idea how her father became king in the first place. How the Treaty of Risebury came to a conclusion.”

[Black] “And?”

[Linden] “It was the Kleinfelders who gave the Arsak family the chance to become royalty! It would be ridiculous to ignore the blessing………Augh!”

As Black again put pressure on the back of Linden’s head, his mouth was forced shut.

[Black] “A blessing.”

Black’s lips twisted into a sarcastic smirk.

[Black] “And yet, the Princess’ life could never be considered perfect.”

[Linden] “She was born as the eldest daughter of an insignificant family! Without us, she would’ve been sold off to someone, but instead she’s being called a princess! If that’s not perfect then what is……….Ugh!”

As if was just waiting for his chance, Black kicked him in the back of the head.

[Black] “You should fix your way of speaking. Show some respect for your sovereign.”

[Linden] “….At….at any cost……you’ll definitely take….”

With an uncontrollable anger surging through him, a chill ran through Linden’s body.

[Black] “At any cost? Is that what the Princess doesn’t know?”

[Linden] “……..It is.”

[Black] “You’re lying to me.”

Black tapped the back of Linden’s head mockingly with his foot.

[Black] “That’s not a good enough reason for me to take the Princess’ head. Why would I do that just to get Nauk?”

[Linden] “. . .”

[Black] “Answer me.”

And the next words to escape Linden were a series of curses.

[Linden] “Goddammit……! You should know the answer to that! Why would you ask me when you’re the one doing this!?”

[Black] “I just proposed but you’re the one saying there’s another reason for it.”

[Linden] “What…….what a joke……..! Just proposed!? Not even a dog would be foolish enough to believe that! You must be doing this because you’re after something else!”

[Black] “So what is it I’m after?”

[Linden] “Nauk…….”

[Black] “What’s in Nauk?”

[Linden] “………It’s a fine enough place. Where else could a barbarian like you be treated like royalty after rolling around in a battlefield!?”

Though it was just for a moment, Black didn’t miss the violent shaking of Linden’s eyes.

[Black] “If I killed the Princess, that’s not how things would go.”

[Linden] “Y, you’ll get married, then gain control of the nation……….”

[Black] “I was told that the sovereignty of Nauk belongs to the Arsak family. If I killed the Princess, the throne would fall to the next person of Arsak blood and that’s not me. Don’t act like you didn’t know that.”

[Linden] “…………A barbarian like you would never honor the rules of the royal family. You’ll just do whatever you please.”

[Black] “So you’ll keep trying to hide the truth?”

[Linden] “. . .”

Linden just swallowed hard without answering.

It was clear to Black that a more cruel and complex form of torture would be necessary to get him to open his mouth. Kicking his pride around wouldn’t be enough.

[Black] “Fine then.”

Then Black pulled his foot away.

[Black] “I found out what I needed to know. That’ll be it for today.”

[Linden] “……..?”

Linden looked confused and perplexed when Black suddenly turned to leave.

[Black] “……Ah.”

Then he stopped for a moment.

[Black] “I did it on the left.”

His words were so quiet, he might as well have been talking to himself, but Linden could clearly understand him.

[Linden] “What’s on the left……?”

Black turned and leaned over, untying the rope that bound Linden’s hands together.

But there was no one who would interpret this as a kindness on his part, especially not Linden, who’d already had his left wrist broken by him.

[Linden] “What the hell is wrong with you!? Get your hands off me…….ARGH!”

And just like that, Black took Linden’s right wrist and snapped it.

It was the same place where Linden had injured Rienne’s wrist so terribly, he’d left a hand print behind.

[Linden] “Ah, augh! Agh!”

And as Linden writhed on the floor, pride tossed aside from the pain in his wrist, screaming out in agony, Black gave him a simple warning.

[Black] “Know this. The only cause the Tiwakan will have to fight for in the future is for Princess Rienne.”

[Linden] “Ridiculous……..Don’t make me laugh!”

Through tears and a runny nose, Linden screamed out.

[Linden] “The Princess is pregnant…… with another man’s child, no less! You’re doing all of this for a woman like that!? Who the hell would believe that!?”

Black’s eyes moved over to Rafit, whose mouth was clenched shut.

[Black] “That’s really none of your concern.”

[Rafit] “……..!”

[Black] “The child is mine. If I hear you say anything else, you’ll prove your tongues troublesome, so I’ll rip them both out.”

They couldn’t say anything back.

Boom!

Leaving behind an ominous warning, Black closed the door and left the dungeon.

* * *

T/N: (1) The early stages of pregnancy

(2) The mercenary technically calls Phermos a word meaning ‘aide’ or ‘right hand’ (or anything to that effect), but the sentence sounded awkward in English, so we replaced it with his name.