kscans

t/n: continued from last chapter, baritōdo telling story to barudo while eating pod potato. consider this whole section is him talking.

1

Bard-dono, the frontier is truly abundant. The richness of the trees is especially overwhelming. It is filled with birds, animals, fruits, nuts, and water, all the blessings necessary for human survival.

I find it hard to believe the legends that say the central plains were once filled with greenery. Perhaps there were more forests in the past, but even if the central plains were devastated by the battles of gods and the passage of time, the trees should have revived. Ultimately, the central plains are a place with less of the forest’s bounty.

Oh? Hahaha, indeed. It is true that there is more iron, copper, gold, silver, and other mineral resources in the central plains compared to the frontier. And stones too. However, I believe that it’s not that the frontier lacks metals, but rather they are difficult to find. Nevertheless, there are still some green places in the central plains. The largest of them all is undoubtedly the Mordos Mountain Range. When you left the Seion Kingdom, you saw the Mordos Mountain Range, didn’t you?

Oh? Haha. That’s right. The road leading to the Mordos Mountain Range is covered with steep rocky mountains. But beyond those mountains, you could catch a glimpse of green mountains, couldn’t you? Those mountain ranges extend far to the west. No one knows their exact size, but roughly speaking, yes. It would be large enough to encompass the distance from Lordvan Castle to the capital of Gaineria.

Hahaha, is the story too grand to believe? But it is truly enormous and abundant. The Principality of Zarban enjoyed this abundance. Bard-dono, of course, you are familiar with the “Werewolf King.” I assume you also know that the country founded by the Werewolf King is the Principality of Zarban.

Oh? You’ve heard of Zarban, but didn’t think the country of the Werewolf King actually existed? Hahaha, I see, I see. So, that’s how it was conveyed in the frontier. Of course, it is a real country. Although, if you were to ask whether the Werewolf King himself actually existed, I would have a hard time answering.

It is said that the nameless demon took the form of a giant snake. Its massive body surrounded the Mordos Mountain Range. When the people, on the verge of destruction due to the wrath of the demon, prayed to the Star God, a huge and powerful wolf appeared, tearing through the darkness of the night. The divine wolf fought against the demon for three years and finally defeated it. The divine wolf transformed into a human and married a human wife, establishing a kingdom in that land. This is the origin of the founding of the Principality of Zarban. In reverence to the first Werewolf King, the successive rulers did not call themselves kings but instead took the title of Grand Duke. The rulers of Zarban have always been filled with compassion and pride, continuously sharing their abundance with other countries.

Wait, Bard-dono. You said you thought the country of the Werewolf King was just a legend. So, you didn’t know that the Lierre Pargog (Green Flame Stone) can only be found in the Mordos Mountain Range?

That’s right. That precious stone can only be mined in the Mordos Mountain Range, which is under the control of the Principality of Zarban. The Lierre Paoje (Green Flame Tree) is a truly mysterious tree. The wood itself is neither easily combustible nor resistant to fire. It’s more accurate to say that it’s difficult to burn. When you cut into the trunk with a knife, a sticky sap oozes out, but even this sap is not easily flammable. When freshly harvested, it is brown, but it turns into a translucent green color when dried. This is the Green Flame Stone. Of course, you are familiar with the Green Flame Stone. If you expose it to a spark for a while, it ignites and continues to emit an astonishing amount of heat for a long time. There is no better fuel for keeping warm or boiling water. Many rulers in the past desired to cultivate the Green Flame Tree in their own countries, but no matter what they tried, it was impossible. For some reason, the Green Flame Tree only grows in the Mordos Mountain Range.

Ah, of course. The Neligog (Black Stone) is an excellent fuel. Its ignition temperature is extremely high, and without it, steel cannot be produced. I see, I see. The frontier cannot mine black stone, can it? Even this Milk City has four nearby mountains where black stone can be found, and there are over a hundred mining sites throughout the country. However, the Black Stone. They digs holes and digs them out. The more they dig, the deeper the hole they have to dig. This is quite difficult and transportation is also cumbersome. There is naturally a limit to the usable amount. It is impossible to rely solely on Black Stone to cover all the fuel. If it is as lush as the frontier, there would be no problem. Because you can cover all the fuel with wood and grass. In the Central Plains, it is not so. In this country, except for the very south, there are too few trees for the number of people in the capital and the northern region. If there were vast forest areas like the Goriora Empire, it would be a different story.

To solve this fuel shortage, the countries in the Central Plains have been importing Green Flame Stones from the Principality of Zarban since ancient times. No, they didn’t buy it. They just received it. The ruler of Zarban allowed each country’s king to determine their respective areas and freely extract Green Flame Stones. Can you believe it? This Parzam Kingdom was given seven mountains.

Government offices were established, and every day a huge number of carriages transported the Green Flame Stones. Transportation is difficult, but extraction is extremely easy, and there is no worry about running out even if you keep extracting. Each country’s king monopolized and sold it in towns and villages. The use of Green Flame Trees as timber was of course allowed, but cutting down anything other than old or dead trees was strictly prohibited. In a sense, it is not wrong to say that the stability of the Central Plains monarchy was supported by the Principality of Zarban.

Despite receiving such benefits, what a thing it is. A country, and humans, are greedy beings. They are not satisfied with just being given a share, but they want even more, and the countries bit the throat of Zarban.

2

That was in the year 4,251. It’s been twenty-one years now. Suddenly, a proclamation flew to the Central Plains countries from the King and Grand General of the Shinkai Kingdom.

• “Zarban Grand Duke is a vile ruler who mixes with filthy demi-humans. Destroy that country and establish justice.”

At that time, our country’s palace was perplexed. The Principality of Zarban can be said to be the oldest country in the Central Plains region and has various legends. The founding king was actually a demi-human resembling a wolf, and even now, it is well-known that the descendants of those demi-humans live in the Mordos Mountains. There were rumors that the Grand Duke family occasionally mixed in demi-human blood to keep their bloodline from thinning. The act of humans and demi-humans having children is certainly extremely sacrilegious and abominable. However, it is extremely unnatural to attack Zarban now based on such rumors. First of all, it was well-known that the knights of Zarban were strong, and the country was also protected by steep cliffs. If several mountain passes were blocked, it would be easy to defend. The roads were narrow, and large armies could not pass. It was not a country that could be forcibly taken.

However, it is true that there was a slight unease in that proclamation. Because alongside the King of Shinkai, there was the signature of the General of Greed.

No, you didn’t mishear. It’s Grigol Entrar (General of Greed). His real name is Lugurgoa Geskas. There are also rumors that he was not originally from Shinkai. Shinkai is a completely mysterious country. They do not accept envoys from other countries. If foreigners enter the country, they will be killed. The city, blessed with resources, is densely populated and the national power is thought to be unimaginably high.

Little is known about this country, not even the name of the king or when the succession took place. It is the only country in the Central Plains region that does not receive priests from the Mercano Temple for the coronation ceremony. In such a situation, only the name of the General of Greed resounded in the Central Plains region.

Do you know King Kherdevaj? He was the king of a country called Yanga, which no longer exists. About eighty years ago, King Kherdevaj obtained a magnificent spear. He invited knights and held a banquet to show it off. Not only his own knights, but also famous knights from neighboring countries were invited. The spear was actually wielded at the banquet. It was wielded by the knights of the royal guard, and it was said to have an incredibly powerful force.

After the banquet, a messenger came from General Lugurgoa. He wanted to buy the spear for a proper price.

It is like being treated as a vassal to be told by a foreign general to send the king’s treasures. The other party is a country with no diplomatic relations at all. It would not have been possible to agree, even for the sake of the king’s dignity. Then, two months later, General Lugurgoa himself arrived with two hundred knights. They came, bypassing the Mordos Mountain Range and boldly lodging and resupplying in the towns along the way.

Upon learning that two hundred knights were approaching, King Kherdevaj firmly closed the gate. At the gate, the General of Greed presented a jewelry box and offered this box full of gemstones in exchange for borrowing the aforementioned spear and knights for only one year. If only the spear and knights were taken and the gemstones could not be obtained, King Kherdevaj’s reputation would be tarnished. Once the spear is lent, it will never return. Moreover, even responding seriously to such a disrespectful offer is a matter concerning the king’s authority. King Kherdevaj himself suggested that it would be better to receive it not with gemstones, but with an axe. No matter how sudden the situation, there are knights and soldiers in the castle, as well as arrows and provisions. Neighboring knights will also come rushing in within a day or two. If the General of Greed does not give up and immediately flees, he will only die. King Kherdevaj had no worries.

The General of Greed requested to see the face of the knight who was said to have skillfully wielded that spear. A knight from the royal guard who was standing beside King Kherdevaj introduced himself. Then, the General of Greed ordered his subordinates not to kill that person and smashed the castle gate with a large sword.

No, no. It is understandable and reasonable to be astonished. In reality, it is impossible to do such a thing. However, it seemed that way. Or perhaps someone is spreading false rumors. Nevertheless, when Seifert and I discussed this, he said that if the gate panel had rusty or rotten fasteners and leather straps, and if it was tied together like a log, it might be possible to cut it into pieces.

Anyway, the General of Greed and his subordinates infiltrated the castle. The knights and soldiers of the castle were quickly defeated, the spear was taken, and the skilled knight was captured. The treasures of the castle were also completely looted. The General of Greed lifted King Kherdevaj’s severed head by grabbing his hair and said that he would leave the promised gemstones but not return the spear. He then threw the head and smashed it with the treasure chest before returning to his country.

This is also strange. The royal castle was captured. If it is sold, immense wealth can be obtained. Or should the king and knights be killed? If kept alive, a ransom of millions will still be obtained. This way, only resentment and dishonor remain. Moreover, paying for the spear to the king who was killed.

In the end, the country of Yanga was invaded by surrounding countries and perished. The survivors of the royal castle told this story.

The General of Greed committed atrocities even in the towns and villages on the way there and back. He forcibly demanded hospitality at the mansions of local lords. If there were weapons or furnishings he liked, he would forcefully take them as his own. He showed no interest in beautiful women, only in material possessions. He showed great interest in good food and drink, but he would leave behind a considerable amount of wealth before leaving.

There are many stories like this. According to rumors, the General of Greed is a knight who must obtain anything he desires, whether it belongs to other knights or the king, in his own country as well. On the other hand, it is also rumored that he is generous and rewards his subordinates without being stingy. Without anyone saying so, this strange knight came to be called the General of Greed.

The name of that General of Greed was mentioned in a proclamation calling for an invasion of the Principality of Zarban. Something was about to happen. It was impossible not to feel such anxiety.

3

In our country, we immediately investigated the situation in other countries. To our surprise, it was already at the point of war, and the armies of each country were advancing towards the capital of Zarban. It seems that the three countries, Thula, Seion, and Karizau, had a secret agreement with Shinkai. All three countries were heavily dependent on Green Flame Stones and desperately wanted more.

From some time ago, the number of demonic beasts had decreased and the wild beasts had become docile, making long-distance transportation much easier compared to ancient times. In every country, the population was increasing, and they needed fuel to support it.

The methods of Shinkai, Thula, Seion, and Karizau were extremely cowardly. They suddenly attacked the country of Zarban without declaring war. It was the tactics of thieves, not the honorable way of knights. However, Zarban managed to successfully block the five passages through the rocky mountains, despite suffering significant damage in the initial battle. However, it is still unclear how Shinkai managed to bypass the western passage. Whether it was a betrayal on Zarban’s side or if they knew of a secret path, it remains unknown. Zarban’s defense was broken, and Thula, Seion, and Karizau also penetrated the Mordos Mountain Range. In other words, from the west, north, and east the Shikoku army attacked the country like a tsunami. (t/n: Shi = 4, koku = kuni (country). so shikoku basically mean four country army)

The Principality of Zarban was originally a country with a small population. The capital of Zarban was located in a small basin surrounded by the Mordos Mountain Range. There were several towns surrounding it. No matter how strong Zarban’s knights were, it seemed impossible to resist the overwhelming number of enemies. Furthermore, the Mercano Temple Knights and the Gaineria Army joined the battle. It seemed inevitable that Zarban would be defeated, and they wanted a share of the spoils.

However, the momentum of the allied forces was lost here. The leaders of each unit were taken down one after another, and they fell into chaos. It was due to the power of the “King’s Sword,” which could be considered the trump card of the Principality of Zarban.

In the Principality of Zarban, there was a knight known as the “King’s Sword” who would appear during times of national crisis and repel foreign enemies. I thought it was just a legend, but there really was such a knight. Needless to say, the influential knights who commanded the army were heavily protected. The black-armored knight would dodge the swords and spears of the guarding knights with almost magical movements, swiftly inflict fatal wounds on the target knight, and then disappear. Considering the wide range of their activities and their short travel time, the “King’s Sword,” or rather the Black Knight as they were called at the time, seemed to be more than one person.

However, the resistance of the Principality of Zarban only went so far. Grigol Entrar, the “General of Greed,” appeared on the front lines and easily defeated the formidable Black Knight. The Shinkai army, gaining momentum, finally invaded Zarban’s capital and began killing people indiscriminately. They killed the knights without trying to capture them and also killed the defenseless civilians. In a normal war, knights would be captured for ransom, and the people would be enslaved. But this was different. They wanted to kill every single person who could claim ownership of this territory and the Green Flame Stone. At that moment, the Black Knight went out again despite being injured, but was defeated by the General of Greed once more. It wasn’t just the Black Knight. The General of Greed had monstrous combat power and scattered Zarban’s forces. It was said that a swing of his giant sword could blow away ten knights. When I first heard it, I couldn’t understand why everyone believed such an unbelievable story. From the ruler of Zarban to the royal family, they were all killed.

At that time, the Parzam army had already advanced deep into the Mordos Mountain Range, but they did not support either side. If the Principality of Zarban had successfully defended, they planned to withdraw their troops. Moreover, they had prepared a large amount of medicine and food as a gift to the war-torn Principality of Zarban. I was also accompanying them as a member of the medical relief team. At least King Parzam and his subjects had not forgotten the years of gratitude towards the Principality of Zarban. However, they couldn’t make the decision to directly confront the overwhelmingly superior invading army. In fact, the situation was progressing rapidly without a clear understanding.

At that time, the Count of Ryde, Bakenborg Seed, was in command of the Parzam army. The city of Ryde was the closest to the Principality of Zarban within the Parzam Kingdom, and the Seed family had close ties to the royal family and was highly trusted by the king. The Count of Ryde, based on the fragmented information he received, made the bold decision that the Principality of Zarban was doomed to destruction. In fact, Grand Duke Enishiritorg of Zarban had already fallen victim to the greed-driven general’s blade, but his wife, Lady Trienta, and their child, Lord Suwarutorg, had taken refuge in the city of Phalom, which had become Zarban’s last stronghold. The lord of Phalom was Count Huddle Zoruarus, and it is likely that he and the Count of Ryde had a close relationship.

Lord Suwarutorg was only thirteen years old, but under the guidance of Count Huddle, he took an oath and became a knight. He then declared his intention to ascend to the position of Grand Duke, which Count Huddle approved. Immediately, the Count of Ryde declared war on the Principality of Zarban. The acceptance document was issued, a duel between two knights took place, and Parzam emerged victorious. Thus, Grand Duke Suwarutorg and Regent Count Huddle surrendered to the Kingdom of Parzam.

Of course, the General of Greed would never acknowledge such a magical turn of events. However, the Count of Ryde skillfully dismantled the General of Greed’s arguments through eloquent debate. The General of Greed had the weakness of not having made a formal declaration of war, while the Count of Ryde had the moral high ground, but his methods were akin to those of a thief in the night. Prince Parzam, who arrived late, meaning the former king, fully supported the Count of Ryde.

Representatives from various countries joined the debate, and it began to take on a confusing aspect. At this point, the countries took a somewhat accepting stance towards Parzam’s claims. They feared that only Shinkai would reap all the benefits. By acknowledging Parzam’s claims and currying favor, they sought to gain their own share. Furthermore, Parzam had indeed followed the proper procedures for war, so by recognizing this, they could mend the wrongdoing of invading other countries without declaring war.

The General of Greed, impatient with the prolonged conclusion, made significant concessions. As a result, the valuable mountains were divided among the countries that participated in the invasion. The entire Grand Duke’s family of Zarban had to perish. The surviving people of Zarban had to abandon their country.

At this point, Count of Ryde made a strong demand. He wanted to save Lady Trienta, who was the Grand Duke’s wife, even if it meant the death of Grand Duke Suwarutorg was inevitable. The General of Greed insisted that the tainted Grand Duke’s family must be destroyed. However, Lady Trienta was not from the Grand Duke’s family. Finally, even the General of Greed relented and imposed a strange demand, the death of the Black Knight and the surrender of his sword. It was believed that the Black Knight had died protecting the palace, but he had actually escaped to the city of Phalom despite suffering serious injuries.

Under the watchful eyes of the representatives from various countries, Grand Duke Suwarutorg took his own life with a poisoned cup, and the Black Knight, also known as the “King’s Sword,” slit his own throat. The General of Greed took the Black Knight’s sword with him.

The representatives from various countries breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, they did not expect the General of Greed to willingly divide the mountains. They were worried that Shinkai would claim all the mountains where the Green Flame Stone were found and only sell the rights to extract them. They feared that they would no longer be able to obtain even the Green Flame Stone that they had obtained during the Principality of Zarban era. The countries in the mainland were in a situation where they wanted even more Green Flame Stone. The reason they allowed the invasion of Zarban was the fear of losing access to the Green Flame Stone.

The General of Greed was lenient when it came to the distribution of the mountains. Of course, for Shinkai, the Green Flame Stone were not an essential resource, as they had an abundance of mountains and forests in their own country. Looking at it now, it is hard to understand why Shinkai suddenly had to invade the Principality of Zarban.

Of course, no such demi-human as the wolf people was discovered. Well, Shinkai claims to have discovered and annihilated a wolf people’s settlement. However, according to the knights who went to inspect, the bodies they were shown belonged to a different demi-human tribe that lived in the Mordos Mountains. In any case, the kingdom of the wolf people perished. Each country’s official historian would have recorded that in the year 4251, the Kingdom of Parzam destroyed the Principality of Zarban. In exchange for this dishonor, they were able to help only a few people.

Now, after the departure of the representatives from each country, the General of Greed returned with a changed expression. At that time, I was tending to the injured. It was then that I laid eyes on the General of Greed.

Bard-dono, the terrifying rumors were not mere fabrications. He was not human. He stood twice as tall as Bard-dono, and the length of the sword he carried on his waist exceeded Bard-dono’s height. It was hard to believe that there were still giants in this world.

The giant, with bloodshot eyes and hair standing on end, was furious. With a voice so loud it felt like their ears would burst, the General of Greed spoke. “Where is the sword? That is a fake.”

Prince Royal, Count Bakenborg, and Count Huddle answered that the sword indeed belonged to the Black Knight and they were not hiding anything. The General of Greed was not satisfied and demanded they take an oath. As a nearby priest, I was called upon to witness their oaths to their respective guardian deities. Finally, the General of Greed made them swear the following,

“If the sword, Van Fleur, is found, it must be delivered to the General of Greed.” (t/n: jeng jeng jeng)

4

Bard-dono, what’s the matter? Are you feeling unwell? Ha ha, perhaps it’s just a case of overheating. Why don’t you come out of the bath for a moment and have some cold water at the pavilion?

Now, where did we leave off? Ah yes, Van Fleur. When the General of Greed mentioned that name, I couldn’t believe my ears.

There is no one who doesn’t know Van Fleur, the crawling thing. It’s a famous fairy tale, after all. A giant snake that could wrap around mountains, defeated by the Werewolf King and transformed into a sword. This is the magic sword, Van Fleur. It’s a story that every child on the continent has heard.

Did the General of Greed really believe that such a sword existed? And that it was in the Werewolf King’s country, the Principality of Zarban? It’s completely unbelievable, but after witnessing his demeanor, I can’t help but wonder if he invaded the Principality of Zarban just to obtain that sword. No, I spoke in jest. If they were killed and destroyed for such a delusion, the knights and people of that country would not find peace.

Now, this concludes the story of the Principality of Zarban’s downfall. After that, Count Huddle Zoruarus led the surviving people to the frontier and established the town of Krausk. I wanted to tell you this story after hearing about the development of Krausk from you and learning that the Count is well. However, the story doesn’t end here. I also want to tell you a very strange epilogue. And if you ever visit Krausk again, I would appreciate it if you could pass on this story to the appropriate person. Let’s dismiss the servants. Although they are familiar to us, this story is not something they should hear.

5

Here, have another glass of wine.

Ah, you think I brought too much food. Ha ha. I won’t take it back with me. Please just throw the leftovers on the ground. Well, it’s not really the ground, it’s a stone floor that’s been thoroughly washed with hot water, so it’s not dirty.

The servants must never touch the food left on the plates. But we have to clean up the food scraps thrown on the ground. They put leaves in the bags they carry on their waists and use them to wrap the food scraps. If they find out that I came to the hot springs today, their families will expect good food.

Ha ha ha. No, I didn’t leave it on purpose. If you’ve had enough and there are still leftovers, just throw them down.

Now, back to the story. After the Grand Duke’s wife, Lady Trienta, stayed with the Count of Ryde under the agreement that he would watch over her, she fell seriously ill. She was not allowed to remarry and was supposed to live quietly in the depths of the castle until her death. However, Trienta-sama was carrying the child of Enishiritorg-sama. When Trienta-sama learned of this, it is said that he was overjoyed as if he had come back to life. The Count of Ryde was perplexed. He consulted with the Crown Prince and concluded that if the child born was a boy, he would have to be killed, but if it was a girl, she would be imprisoned until death, and it would not be considered a violation of the oath. This was because the child in Trienta-sama’s womb was not newly conceived, but had been conceived before the oath.

Indeed, a girl was born. Trienta-sama returned to seclusion, savoring her modest happiness. The existence of this princess was kept secret, and she began to live quietly deep within the Count of Ryde’s castle.

And time passed, and the princess turned twenty. If she resembled her mother, she must have grown into a remarkably beautiful princess. A troubling event occurred. the Count of Ryde’s eldest son, Lord Zweiborg, insisted on marrying this princess. The Count of Ryde, who had struggled to have children and finally had them at the age of forty with a young concubine, had Lord Zweiborg and his younger brother. When the princess was fifteen, a Hair-Rising Ceremony was held, and since then, Lord Zweiborg had been infatuated with her and eventually they had secretly met. (t/n: hair-rising ceremony is basically coming of age ceremony where kids hair that was hanging down tied up on the top of the head and hung back.)

In reality, marriage was not impossible. However, it was absolutely forbidden to have children. If she could be a mere concubine in name, it would be acceptable, but Lord Zweiborg insisted on making her his legal wife. This could not be allowed. Even if a child was born from another concubine, they would be treated as the legal wife’s child, so it would be the same as the princess’s child in the eyes of others. If the intention was to imprison her to prevent the blood of the Grand Duke family from being extinguished, making her the legal wife of the eldest son would be an extremely dishonest act, and the Count of Ryde’s honor would be lost.

However, Lord Zweiborg, who would not give up, was given a condition by the Count of Ryde. If he could increase his wealth from 10,000 Gales to 1 million Gales within a year, he would allow the marriage. However, he must not sell any of the castle’s possessions, including what he was wearing. He must not borrow or receive money from anyone. Furthermore, Lord Zweiborg himself must not step out of the castle. It was an excessively harsh condition.

Although Lord Zweiborg had the ability as a knight, he had never engaged in business before, so it was impossible for him to earn 1 million Gales under these conditions. However, Lord Zweiborg had inherited his parents’ strategic talent. He called in merchants and gave them half of the 10,000 Gales, asking to buy knowledge. Knowledge about investments. And based on the knowledge he gained on the spot, he ordered investments with the remaining half. Of course, he paid the appropriate fees. The investments were successful.

After that, he steadily increased his wealth, sometimes making profits and sometimes losses. As the promised year approached, Lord Zweiborg bought a large amount of high-quality tea leaves from a southern country. They could be sold at a very high price, and if they were all sold, he would have more than 1 million Gales. In the end, instead of investing in someone else’s business, Lord Zweiborg tried to buy and sell the goods himself. Thanks to his skillful advertising, the tea sold like hotcakes.

At this point, the Count of Ryde behaved somewhat unfairly. He bought similar tea leaves and had them sold at a lower price in the shop next to the one where Lord Zweiborg was selling. Lord Zweiborg’s tea suddenly stopped selling.

The day was approaching. Lord Zweiborg had received over 900,000 Galess, but it was hopeless to make the remaining less than 100,000 Gales in profit. The aforementioned merchant seemed to have wanted to buy it himself, but that had been prohibited in advance. At that moment, the princess spoke up. She said she would buy the remaining tea leaves. The princess handed over 90,000 Gales. With that, Lord Zweiborg’s funds reached exactly 1 million Gales.

The Count of Ryde was furious and demanded to know who gave the money to the princess. The princess didn’t have any money at all. It was certain because she had been taken care of since she was a baby. So, someone must have given money to the princess. However, even after thoroughly investigating family members and servants, no one had disobeyed the lord’s orders. But it was discovered that a strange incident had occurred. A soldier who had been guarding near the princess’s room had lost consciousness for a very short time a few days ago. The Count of Ryde thought that the guard had been knocked out and someone had infiltrated the castle. Furthermore, upon further investigation, it was discovered that a few months ago, a soldier on duty had also fallen asleep. Count of Ryde, suspecting the presence of an accomplice, questioned the princess. In response, the princess admitted that she had received money from someone who owed a debt of gratitude to the Zarban Grand Duke family.

The Count of Ryde declared that the final sales were invalid, as Lord Zweiborg had stated. They questioned what the problem was, as the amount paid to the princess was in line with market value. The issue of where the princess obtained the money was a separate matter. The transaction itself did not violate any rules. The Count of Ryde had prohibited the people in the castle from buying tea, but he had not forbidden the princess. He never even considered the need to do so. In the end, the Count of Ryde’s eldest son emerged victorious.

Finally, the Count of Ryde made up his mind and blessed the couple, allowing them to marry. Afterwards, he disinherited Lord Zweiborg and made him swear to never have children. The townspeople were informed that the son’s wife was unsuitable for producing an heir, hence the disinheritance. Although it was only for a few days, the princess became the legitimate wife of the heir to the Count of Ryde. This was the Count of Ryde’s consideration to protect the princess, even if something were to happen to Lord Zweiborg.

That was the events of last year. Bard-dono also stayed in the town of Ryde. Even now, isn’t this rumor quite popular in that town? The eldest son, who gave up his status for love, is beloved by the people and has begun to demonstrate his business acumen. It is certain that he will support the management of the estate as an assistant to his younger brother in the future.

Huh? You wonder why I know all this? Well, even I find it mysterious. Perhaps it is because someone must know the truth. Otherwise, we won’t be able to handle things when they happen. It must be kept a secret, but someone must know. And by chance, I suppose I was chosen to be that someone.

That’s why I’m telling you all this. Someone must know the truth. I felt that you were the person who should know. Now, it’s getting quite late. Shall we get some rest?