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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: The Young Master's Return
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The absurd sight of a goblin—not a human—leading the group.
"Hurry up, you little Dobie bastard."
Thud!!
There was Leon Cascadia, the young master of the count's household, striding forward after kicking the goblin in the back.
"Le-Leon, Young Master?!"
"Hm? Oh, right. Long time no see, old man Hanson."
"Good heavens, is that really you, Young Master?"
Hanson dropped his guard and rushed toward him.
Up close, the goblin's full appearance came into view.
Its face was so battered that there wasn't a single spot without swelling.
"Y-Young Master... why the north gate...?"
"I came back after rescuing the kidnapped villagers. No word from inside?"
"Kidnapped... you don't mean."
The shocked Hanson glanced back at the villagers trailing behind.
"My god... so the rumors were true."
If the rumors had spread even to these people, it was only a matter of time before they reached Melissa's ears.
"Well, Tibel Cascadia's probably already swallowed up the guards by now anyway. Don't worry about it. We'll purge them all later."
"And this goblin..."
Hanson finally turned his gaze to the goblin and asked cautiously. Leon nodded.
"Oh, right. This thing's a monster."
He grinned and patted the goblin's small green head.
"Good job."
-Kieee....
The goblin looked up at him with sparkling eyes.
It was like the scene of a beast tamer at work.
Did the Young Master have a talent for beast taming?
Just as that question arose—
Splat!!
Leon, who had been stroking the goblin's head, mercilessly grabbed its skull and crushed it.
"Once you're done, go join your friends. No point sticking around."
He crushed its head without a second thought, kicked the corpse aside, and spoke.
"Hanson, can I head in now?"
"Y-Yes? Oh, yes!"
"And who were the two guards on duty two hours ago?"
"Two hours ago...?"
"Senior, it's those two."
Following the junior guard's gesture, Hanson turned to see two men approaching the gate, snickering.
As far as Hanson knew, they were recent recruits with powerful backers—real rotten apples who harassed women and extorted money.
Leon, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, nodded.
"Sounds like them. Lend me your sword for a sec."
With that, Leon drew the dagger from Hanson's belt.
At the same time, the villagers who had followed him squeezed their eyes shut, as if they knew what was coming.
Whoosh!! Thunk!!
"Aaaagh!!"
"Urgh!!"
The dagger flew in an instant, piercing both men's shoulders. Leon said flatly,
"They're accomplices who worked with human traffickers to smuggle out villagers. Lock them up. If you let them go, I'll take their heads too."
"Y-Young Master!"
"Remember what I said. Even if that old bastard Tibel Cascadia shows up, don't release them."
They went out through this side gate, and the guards didn't notice? No way—they just looked the other way.
Intent aside, human trafficking was a serious crime banned not just in the count's territory but across the kingdom.
While Melissa couldn't act, Tibel had already extended his tentacles deep inside.
"Being too soft on people leads to crap like this going unchecked. Tch."
He'd have to purge them all while sorting out his uncle.
How much fallout that would cause, he didn't know, but leaving a festering wound was foolish.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Right now, Melissa was face-to-face with Bishiri Cascadia—Tibel's son, her cousin and virtual enemy.
Her hatred for Tibel Cascadia deepened, knowing he wouldn't even show his face at a time like this.
"Melissa, I won't say it twice. Hand over all your authority to my father."
"Don't make me laugh. Who do you think you are? This is my father's countship. What right do you have to take it?"
Melissa couldn't hold back her anger.
Aura rippled around her, but Bishiri Cascadia paid it no mind.
"You're still too young and naive about the world. Do you think handing it to me and my father means we'll look down on you? You're family—Leon and you both. Would I abandon my own kin? No, surely not."
He made the offer in a conciliatory tone.
By their calculations, they had already stripped most of the power.
The businesses that had supported Melissa were preparing to leave, and they'd seized more than half the military permits.
With the countship's funds drying up, they couldn't even maintain the knights and soldiers loyal to it.
The fight was already over.
Of course, they weren't using force just to avoid leaving a mess.
But Melissa, merely at the entry to Sword Expert, and Leon, talentless and unable to even hold a sword properly—what threat could they pose to Tibel and Bishiri?
"The central nobles are already questioning your competence. If this continues, the whole house could collapse. How can you not see that?"
"That's all your doing. The moment Father passed, you disrupted the businesses, fawned over the central nobles with empty flattery, and abused your authority. You think things will change if you take power? You'll just be their puppet."
Bishiri shrugged at her sharp words.
"Stubborn as you are, it won't change the tide. Most villagers already want Father to inherit the title. Learn to read the public sentiment."
"You should drop your greed first. And 'most villagers'? Screw that—it's just your puppets agreeing."
Bishiri sighed at that.
Then he said quietly,
"Fine. I knew you wouldn't give up easily."
He pulled a document from his pocket and held it out.
"Stamp it. It transfers all your authority to Father."
"You're insane. You think I'd do that?"
"Tch. So dense, Melissa. You already know where Leon is, don't you?"
Melissa's fists clenched tight at his words.
"Bishiri Cascadia!!"
"Don't you want to save your brother? This stubbornness will only hurt him."
"..."
"Stamp it while I'm asking nicely. Do that, and we'll spare Leon's life."
His tone was gentle, but he'd barged in right after learning of Leon's kidnapping. No—he was probably behind it.
Blackmail using Leon's safety.
"..."
"Melissa, some advice from someone older: To achieve your goals, you need resolve to do anything. Not like you, trying to carry everyone gently."
"Filthy bastard..."
"If you're bitter, you should have grown stronger. If you were a Sword Master like your father, who would dare look down on you? Heh."
Bishiri smirked with his sharp eyes.
Then he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Make the smart choice. Your brother's probably begging to be spared right now..."
"You dog..."
Melissa glared at him, tears streaming down her face.
An uncle trying to steal the house, title, everything overnight.
It was utterly revolting.
Yes, she should have cut them out sooner, since they were like this.
Her gentle father had let them stay because they were kin.
And this was the result.
She still hadn't confirmed if her father was alive, and now they were taking the house too? If Father returned alive and saw this, how heartbroken would he be?
Of course, her resentment toward her father for letting this happen grew too.
Still, she clung to the slim hope that her parents and youngest sister might be alive.
As she silently pointed to the seal on her finger, Bishiri lashed out like lightning, slapping her cheek.
"You insolent bitch, stamp it!!!"
He bellowed,
"Do I have to tear that bastard Leon limb from limb in front of you to make you see sense...?"
Boom!!!
That was when it happened.
The firmly shut parlor door exploded open, and a foot appeared.
"Excuse me, little sis. And Bishiri Cascadia—I said we'd meet again soon, right?"
At the boy's entrance, Bishiri Cascadia and Melissa's eyes widened in shock.
"Why the hell are you coming out of there?!"
"Why is Big Brother coming out from there?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
My entrance threw the room into chaos.
"All this attention is kinda embarrassing."
"You... how...?"
Melissa gaped at me, her face full of disbelief, mouth opening and closing.
I considered explaining what happened in the forest, but there was something more urgent.
"Bishiri Cascadia."
I called him quietly, and his face twisted.
"No manners for your elders, you worm—gurk?!"
Thud!!
The instant I stepped forward, he bulged his eyes and tried to react.
But I was a beat faster.
The moment he flinched at my sudden approach, my foot slammed into his gut.
"Guh?!"
He flew back from the impact, his face contorting in agony.
The unexpected force brought pain and humiliation that overwhelmed him.
"Who the hell gave you permission to slap my sister?"
Teasing and tormenting my little sister is big brother's privilege.
Shing!!!
Clang!!
Crash!
At once, Bishiri's escort knights drew their swords and aimed them at me.
"Drawing blades without the regent's permission in the countship—I'll forgive it once, but not twice."
I lightly flicked away the sword at my throat with a finger, then plopped down on a chair midway between Melissa and Bishiri.
"This... this punk!!"
"Mind putting the swords away first? We have some talking to do."
He ground his teeth at my smile, then gestured.
The knights didn't sheathe their blades, but their momentum died down.
Of course, a threatening aura poured from the beaten Bishiri's entire body.
Bishiri Cascadia was mid-level Sword Expert, like his father.
His escorts were at the entry to Sword Expert as well.
It was a force too much for sixteen-year-old Melissa, barely at Sword Expert entry, to handle alone.
So where were her guards right now?
Simple.
She'd sent them all out recklessly to search for me.
The essential personnel were probably guarding the Demon Realm.
The countship was already short-staffed with so many having left.
As Bishiri's pressure bore down on me and Melissa, her face paled and she staggered.
The realm difference was just one step.
But Bishiri Cascadia, with more years under his belt, was a sly old fox.
His intensifying pressure made Melissa's body tremble finely.
But it had no effect on me.
His aura pressure dissipated at my feet like insects swept away by ocean waves the moment it touched me.
"Aren't you getting too worked up over a little payback?"
"There's a limit to disrespecting your betters!!"
As he raged and threatened me, Melissa kicked up her sword from the floor, gripped it, and warned him.
"Threaten us more, and this becomes real war."
"You dare talk war, you brat?!"
"You started it."
"Insolent fool!!"
I crossed my arms and legs, watching her stand her ground and glare fiercely without backing down.