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Chapter 7
When I think about it, it was only natural.
As soon as I heard the story of his son's abduction, I was certain that I was the tastiest hostage.
* * *
Sigh...
lissa Cascadia, the acting Count of Cascadia, held her head in her hands, overwheld by an intense headache brought on by extre fatigue.
She let out a deep sigh.
"Manpower, funds... There's nothing that isn't lacking..."
As the businesses faltered, the funds dried up, and as a result, there was no money to maintain the forces.
Having fallen into the vicious cycle once, she, still young, had no idea where to begin fixing things.
"No. I can't just sit here like this."
She slapped her cheeks and shook her head vigorously.
She wanted to throw it all away and cry, but she couldn't.
Too many people's lives depended on her shoulders.
"External pressures... Just how many people are tangled in this?"
Signs of external forces reaching into the Cascadia County were becoming increasingly apparent.
On top of that, there was an internal saboteur.
Tyvel Cascadia.
Her uncle and now practically her mortal enemy.
He was claiming his own qualifications as the next Margrave and had been exploiting her authority as he pleased.
Normally, it wouldn't have been possible.
However, unlike lissa, who had not been formally recognized as the Count's successor, Tyvel Cascadia had connections to central nobles and was unilaterally stealing her authority.
He had actually taken significant control of the private army and knights allowed to the Margrave, securing a considerable amount of forces and even filling part of the county guards with his people.
Now, he was systematically getting rid of those who could support lissa.
At first, she hadn't realized it.
But by the ti she figured out he was orchestrating things behind the scenes, it was far too late.
As a result, the county's military forces were in shambles, and the funds were depleted.
This recent issue with the Verus Armory business was probably another one of his maneuvers.
At its core, dealing with Tyvel, who had succession rights, would extinguish the biggest fire.
But realistically, his forces were far stronger, making that impossible.
She hadn't told her older brother, Leon, about this because she feared he might act recklessly.
Though he wasn't particularly powerful or a genius, her brother had a fiery streak, and she worried he would storm off to confront Tyvel the mont he found out.
Considering Tyvel's side was already willing to resort to murder to get rid of both lissa and Leon, she had no choice but to hide the information to protect her brother.
However, she couldn't hide it forever.
Moreover, she was so short-handed that she judged she needed his help, even if it was risky.
For now, Tyvel’s side was relatively quiet, so they probably wouldn’t target Leon just yet.
Before it was too late.
‘I have to protect Leon...’
Even if it ant marrying him off to another household as a son-in-law.
At that mont—
Bang!!
“Ah... My lady!!”
A knight burst in with a panicked shout.
“Hmm?”
It was none other than Haphon, the knight who served as her escort and aide.
He had originally followed the previous Count, Galeon Cascadia, but now swore his loyalty to her.
“Sir Haphon, what’s wrong?”
“You need to co outside right away!!”
The urgency in Haphon’s voice sent her anxiety skyrocketing.
lissa jumped from her seat and hurried out.
She soon arrived at the mansion's entrance, where two knights were kneeling with their heads bowed low.
“What is this...?”
“We’re sorry! My lady!”
“Please, kill us!!”
As soon as they saw lissa, the two knights slamd their foreheads to the ground and shouted.
“What happened?! Explain imdiately!!”
Her unease grew exponentially.
Had Leon done sothing reckless?
No, then where was Leon?
As countless thoughts swirled in her mind, the worst possible news struck her ears.
“It seems that Lord Leon has been kidnapped.”
“What? By who?! Don’t tell ... Was it my uncle?! That man?!”
“It appears to have been Tyvel Cascadia... His subordinates, to be precise. We tried to chase down those trailing the young master, but it seems we were outmaneuvered...”
* * *
I was now being led into a shabby underground hideout.
Surrounding were knights, their nacing deanor pressing in on from all sides.
“Move quickly.”
“Well, it's so blatantly obvious you plan to lock up that it’s hard to even bother reacting.”
As I followed the knights, I saw that the underground cavern already held nurous other captives.
From young boys and girls to grown n and won, the variety was vast.
But one thing was clear.
The people imprisoned here were likely relatives or close acquaintances of those running businesses under the Count's domain.
After a long trek, we arrived at a cell made of sturdy iron bars.
“If you don’t want to get hurt, get in.”
The knights’ actions were filled with an unspoken threat: noble lineage or not, resistance would get killed.
I entered the cell without resisting and asked,
“So you’re just planning to lock up? Didn’t Tyvel specifically say he wanted ?”
“That’s why I’m here.”
The answer didn’t co from the knights.
“You’ve always lacked even a shred of courtesy.”
Footsteps echoed through the underground prison as soone approached from the other side.
Soon, a man in his thirties with short, ash-colored hair erged into the torchlight.
“Long ti no see, Leon.”
He looked down at coldly and spoke.
“If you had just kept quiet and hidden, this wouldn’t have happened...”
“Well, soone decided to let cockroaches infest the house.”
This man wasn’t my uncle, Tyvel Cascadia.
But I knew him well enough.
The man before was Tyvel Cascadia’s eldest son, Vishiri Cascadia.
A man who needed to be eliminated as a priority in cleaning out the branch family.
That was his true nature.
He was a man with considerable ambition, much like his father, and he was also the reason I had co to terms with my lack of talent for the sword in the past.
While I certainly disliked my uncle, who frequently barged into the count’s estate to cause trouble, I loathed him even more—he who directly picked fights with and lissa.
-You idiot. Even with noble blood, you're utterly useless. You're not fit to wield a sword. Doesn’t the count already know that? Soone like you being a direct descendant—what an unjust world we live in.
I could never forget the words he said when he first saw pick up a sword and swing it.
Even when my father was alive, he spewed venomous insults.
Now that my father was gone, it didn’t take much imagination to figure out how wild he would beco.
“So, where’s my uncle, and why are you here instead?”
“My father is a busy man. He doesn’t have ti to et soone like you.”
“Oh, so you’re free enough to co et ?”
At my provocation, he let out a faint chuckle.
BANG!
Then, as if to threaten , he kicked the iron bars between us.
“You still don’t seem to understand your situation. Do you even know where this is?”
“Where else would it be? So hideout you people set up.”
I shrugged and casually leaned against the wall, sitting comfortably.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
On the way here, they had dragged into a forest outside the estate’s borders.
If I’d tried to find this place on my own, it would’ve taken quite a while.
“You don’t seem to grasp your predicant.”
“I’m a hostage, aren’t I?”
It was obvious from the mont they brought here.
In fact, I’d anticipated this outco from the start.
The only reason I followed them without resistance was to see if Uncle Tyvel or Vishiri was sane enough to et .
I also needed to confirm the location of the place where they were holding Verus’ son.
Indeed, during the process of being brought here, I’d seen nurous iron cages, one of which held a dwarf who seed to be Verus’ son.
I had successfully identified their secret hideout.
There was no need to complicate things by searching for it myself when they were willing to bring straight to it.
This was only possible because they mistakenly believed I was completely powerless.
After all, no one in their right mind would bring a ticking ti bomb to their stronghold.
“A hostage. Heh, yes, a hostage. So my father can formally take over the authority of the margrave.”
“Do you really think lissa would negotiate over my life alone?”
“That remains to be seen.”
“So, the businesses the count’s estate has been investing in lately—are they all packing up and leaving because you’ve been rounding up their families?”
“Why take the long way around when there’s a simpler option?”
“And you’re confident you can handle the aftermath?”
“Many of the nobles in the capital are already on our side. Who would listen to the likes of you?”
It’s clear there are more than just a few traitors.
If lissa is to beco the legitimate margrave, we might need to make a hit list.
He sat down on a chair prepared by one of his soldiers and looked at .
“Stay quiet. Once we get that woman to transfer her authority, I’ll consider sparing your life, even if not your sister’s.”
“Because lissa deserves to die for being a rightful heir?”
“It’s tragic, but that’s how it has to be. If we’re being honest, the authority should’ve gone to my father or rather than an unqualified brat like lissa.”
I couldn’t help but let out a bitter chuckle at his words.
“People who shouldn’t even have any claim to the count’s authority are buttering up central nobles to grab an opportunity, and now you’re talking about legitimacy? Well, I guess whoever wins and spins the narrative gets to be the hero, while the loser becos the villain.”
“You’re quick to understand. That’s good. If you behave, you’ll be fine.”
He rose from his seat, seemingly out of things to say.
“Once my father officially takes over the authority, an official margrave appointnt will co down from the capital. From that point on, Cascadia County will no longer be managed by you siblings but by my father.”
“And then you’ll inherit it after him?”
“That’s right.”
He turned away.
“Keep him under strict watch. If he tries anything funny, feel free to break a limb or two.”
“Yes, sir.”
So knights bowed their heads.
“Those faces seem familiar. Turns out the ones who left the estate after my father passed were the ones you’ve recruited. When did you start enticing them?”
At my question, Vishiri Cascadia didn’t respond and simply left.
“Vishiri Cascadia.”
When I called his na, he paused.
“I’ve got things to do right now, so I’ll let you go. But let’s et again in a little while.”
“You’re nothing more than a barking dog.”
Apparently confident I couldn’t escape, he promptly exited the underground prison.
Left behind were five knights who seed to be aura users, along with over ten soldiers.
There was likely a considerable force waiting beyond this underground area as well.
Sitting back down, I closed my eyes and began circulating my aura slowly.
I was already exhausted from lack of sleep, which only worsened my foul mood.
Perhaps because of this, the aura coursing through my body mirrored my emotions, circulating more violently.
“Librarian.”
I suppressed my voice and called out to the librarian through thought, and a question mark appeared before my eyes.
The librarian’s text seed invisible to others.
“Is there any way to force myself to sleep?”
[It is possible to temporarily block your aura and lose consciousness, but it is not recomnded.]
I figured as much.
With the sheer amount of aura I possess, there’s no telling what might happen if sothing goes wrong.
This is the first ti I’ve ever experienced a situation where my aura is overflowing like this.
[However, if you exhaust yourself with strenuous activity, fatigue will likely lead you to sleep.]
So, basically, I should tire myself out.
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