SOTBW - 178

Rockbell showed Maximón an identical stack of documents that he had sent to Maurice. Maximón read a little of what was written inside but stopped. He didn’t seem very interested in the things Lucas had done.

Rockbell, usually composed, couldn’t help but notice the dark and gloomy expression on Maximón’s face. It was obvious why Maximón was in such a mood without asking.

It was because Najane Schnicks had collapsed in the field. Rumors had spread throughout the fortress that Najane had coughed up blood and collapsed while fighting the Holy Knights. There was also gossip that Maximón had collapsed beside him, but whether that was true or not was uncertain.

Maximón was a steel man. How many people would actually believe that such a man had fallen? Rockbell tried to find out what had happened in the field that day, but everyone only talked about Najane.

Najane was the center of Maximón’s life. In the future, no one else would shake Maximón like Najane did.

Maximón had no interest in anyone other than Edwin Elgort. But even Edwin couldn’t ruin Maximón this much. Whether or not “ruined” was the right word, Rockbell thought Maximón was breaking down.

Maximón was no longer the cold-hearted man he once was. He was now a man consumed by fear and anxiety, someone who was afraid of things getting worse, blinded by love.

Was it truly a good thing that the leader who effectively protected Noctis Fortress had undergone such a change?

Rockbell realized anew that he needed more information about Najane. In order to survive, he needed to align himself with Najane, not Maximón.

“I’ve infiltrated a few people into Lucas’ mansion as servants. By now, Maurice is probably reading this. It says to bring Luna to the village of Ferencia Inn, north of Noctis, by midnight. That old man is extremely loyal, so I’m sure he will bring Luna to protect the master I serve.”

At those words, Maximón silently sighed in relief. He was glad to bring some positive news to Najane.

Maximón’s mind was entirely focused on Najane. The thought of eliminating Luna so that only he could occupy a place in Najane’s heart had long been forgotten. If he could bring hope into Najane’s life, he would do anything.

However, Rockbell, unable to see into Maximón’s thoughts, still believed that Maximón was quietly planning to eliminate Luna.

“Shall I quietly handle Luna from my end? I have a few reliable assassins. If you provide a small deposit...”

“When’s the deadline?”

Maximón cut him off, as if he didn’t want to hear any more.

Rockbell, hiding his surprise, answered obediently.

“Oh, I didn’t mention it. It’s three days from now, by midnight. Would you like to verify it personally?”

“Do you think Maurice would kill the woman?”

“Of course not. Absolutely not.”

“Then make sure not a single hair on her head is harmed.”

“...Has your mind changed?”

Rockbell asked in surprise. Maximón did not answer. Rockbell, shrugging his shoulders, nodded in agreement with Maximón’s sudden change of mind.

“It could be. By the way, I’ve gathered some information that might be useful to Lord Elgort. Would you like to buy it?”

“How much?”

“You can pay whatever you wish.”

Maximón took out some coins from his pocket and placed them on the table. As Rockbell counted the coins with his eyes, he nodded, thinking this amount was reasonable.

“Daniel Luamars has reportedly defeated the bandits of Elbision.”

Maximón chuckled at Rockbell’s words. He had never imagined that Daniel would lose to such a disorganized bunch of bandits.

Daniel was a knight who had served in the Romsoa Order for years. He was skilled and well-respected, to the point where he could have been a commander instead of just a knight.

“That was to be expected. Was that all you wanted to say?”

Maximón let out a dry laugh, clearly unimpressed, and Rockbell smiled as if he had anticipated such a response.

“Apparently, Rachel Rochelle is also with him in Elbision.”

At those words, Maximón’s face stiffened.

“Rachel? Rachel is in Elbision?”

“It seems she got stuck there while trying to come down to Noctis Fortress. She’s dealt with the bandits, so she should be back on her journey soon.”

“Madness.”

Maximón looked stunned at the mention of Rachel’s name. He fell deep into thought, his eyes cold, as if he had no affection for his fiancée.

Rachel was in no condition to come to Noctis Fortress. Even if she tried, it would take at least two months for her to make the journey. It typically took about eight days to travel from Rochelle Territory to Noctis Fortress, but with Rachel’s health, that was out of the question.

Then Maximón remembered the letter Rachel had sent. It had been sent a while ago, but because of the bandits who had settled in Elbision Territory, it had arrived late. If she had sent the letter and immediately prepared to leave for Noctis Fortress, considering her health, she would probably still be staying in Elbision by now.

Maximón grew irritated at the fact that Rachel was sincere. Why now...? He roughly brushed his hair back and sighed.

He couldn’t let Najane find out about this. It would surely disappoint him greatly. Maximón didn’t want to hurt Najane anymore.

“You look upset, but I still have something to tell you.”

Rockbell, seeing Maximón’s increasingly serious expression, cautiously spoke up. Maximón looked at him, signaling to continue.

“Lord Edwin Elgort is also coming down to Noctis.”

Maximón’s expression changed drastically at the mention of a name he had momentarily forgotten while consumed by thoughts of Najane.

“...My father is coming?”

Maximón was clearly taken aback. Edwin, as a noble, could not leave Elgort Territory and had to constantly attend to the king, which meant he was frequently at the royal palace. For Edwin to personally come to Noctis meant something had happened that couldn’t be resolved by letters.

Maximón’s face tightened with tension. He wasn’t happy about the prospect of seeing his father after such a long time; instead, he was afraid that if his father found out about Najane, he would order their separation.

Edwin was a kind person, but he didn’t like breaking promises. Since Maximón was already betrothed to Rachel, it wouldn’t be surprising if Edwin disapproved of Najane.

Of course, if Maximón confessed that he loved Najane, Edwin would reluctantly allow it, but he didn’t want to burden Najane even a little. The mere appearance of his stepfather, Edwin, would be a major trial for Najane.

“Do you know why he’s coming to Noctis? Have you found out the reason?”

“I couldn’t find out why he’s leaving the royal palace and Elgort Territory to come to Noctis. It seems he made the decision to come unexpectedly...”

“It might be because of Lucas.”

“That could be it. He’s probably not unaware of Lucas’ wrongdoings.”

Maximón pressed his throbbing forehead tightly.

“First, we need to get Luna out of that house. There must be no delay in this.”

“I’ll make sure to remind the people we’ve infiltrated to keep a close watch on Lucas and Maurice. Don’t worry too much.”

“…Alright, I’ll leave it to you.”

Maximón handed Rockbell some more coins and left. He hurried back to his private residence, looking like a child afraid of being abandoned.

Having not expected Najane to collapse, Maximón couldn’t guarantee what would happen here. Rockbell, holding the coins Maximón had left behind in his palm, thought about the many people walking toward an uncertain future.

Even though the walls could collapse and kill them all tomorrow, they were still struggling with power, love, and hatred. Of course, Rockbell was among them.

With a slight smile, Rockbell tightly grasped the coins. For now, he had to make sure Luna escaped the mansion and maintain Maximón and Najane’s trust.

________________________________________

Kharki Ronsa rushed to the gambling house as soon as the sun set. His salary had been taken by loan sharks the moment he received it, and he had to borrow money from people around him.

Today, he had to win, no matter what. Otherwise, he wouldn’t even be able to cover his living expenses. After becoming a priest, he had severed ties with his family, so there was no one to support him. But at the very least, to live as a scribe, he needed a certain amount of money.

Without money, Kharki couldn’t even fetch water or take a bath. Being a scribe was a respected position at Noctis Fortress, and if anyone saw him wandering around in a filthy, disheveled state, he would be kicked out of the scribe’s office.

Clutching his pocket full of money, Kharki entered the gambling house. It was already crowded inside. Wearing a hooded robe to avoid revealing his identity, Kharki wandered around searching for a decent table and found a spot in the corner.

Perhaps driven by the sense of mission to win money, he didn’t want to get involved in high-stakes games. Sniffling a bit, Kharki sat down, observing the game while slowly pulling out his money from his pocket.

There were only three people at the six-seat table, so the betting amounts were relatively small, and none of them seemed to be professional gamblers. Feeling relieved, Kharki placed his money on the table and gave a subtle nod to the dealer.

As soon as the game ended, the dealer dealt cards to Kharki. The other players at the table all had dazed expressions on their faces. It seemed like this time, he might be able to win some decent money.

With a good feeling, Kharki flipped over his cards. The hand he was dealt was excellent. He hid his excitement and placed a reasonable bet, winning some money. The men sitting next to him watched as Kharki collected his winnings, exchanging looks with one another.

Kharki continued winning for a while, racking up quite a bit of money. He thought that with just a little more, he might be able to pay off all the money he had borrowed from others.

But then, as if all the earlier victories were a lie, he started losing in a streak. The stakes suddenly increased, and he lost money so quickly that he was struggling to even break even.

Kharki’s face, which had been smiling the entire time, slowly turned pale. Despite having good cards, for some reason, the opponents’ cards were always higher. After a series of defeats, Kharki ended up losing all the money he had borrowed from his companions.

“Sir, if you’re not going to participate, please vacate your seat.”

At the dealer’s words, Kharki snapped out of his daze and glanced behind him. He hadn’t noticed when people had gathered behind him. The tough-looking men were glaring at him, clearly displeased.

Terrified, Kharki muttered an apology and stood up. He was quickly shoved aside by the burly men, retreating to the corner of the gambling house.

Just moments ago, he had been sitting at that table, winning a huge amount of money, and now, in an instant, he was penniless. He had lost it all so quickly that it felt like a dream.

With a timid gesture, Kharki fumbled at his empty pockets, his face filled with the look of someone on the verge of tears as he left the gambling house. The sounds of laughter and cheers from the gambling house only deepened his loneliness.

Blinded by the prospect of big money, he had made another foolish mistake. Clutching his empty pockets tightly, Kharki trudged out of the gambling house, and in an alley, his eyes met those of a man smoking a cigarette.

The man’s face was unfamiliar, yet strangely familiar. As he stared at him, Kharki realized who he was—the man who had been sitting at the same table playing cards.