SOTBW - 186

The servant led the way, then glanced back at the man who claimed to be a slave trader. The man reeked of an overwhelming cinnamon scent, as if he had bathed in water steeped with copious amounts of cinnamon. While it was true that many people enjoyed cinnamon chocolate due to the influence of the Holy Church, he had never encountered anyone who carried such a strong aroma of cinnamon.

“The butler will be here shortly. Please wait here for a moment.”

The man watched as the door to the drawing room closed and then sat down on the sofa. The once lavishly decorated drawing room, filled with expensive items, now appeared much simpler than before. It seemed the rumors about selling slaves due to financial difficulties were true.

As the man surveyed the spacious drawing room, he adjusted his robe and checked whether the smell of decaying flesh was emanating from his body. He hadn’t been able to change bodies in time while fleeing from Mahilen. Once a body died, there was no way to prevent its collapse, no matter what measures were taken.

Though the cold winter slowed the decomposition process, the stench inevitably spread in warm spaces. Since escaping from Mahilen, it wasn’t that he hadn’t had any opportunities to switch to a new body, but using magic would likely expose his location. If Mahilen knew anything, he surely possessed magical arrays capable of detecting magical energy.

The man removed his leather gloves and anxiously looked down at his hands. His fingernails had all fallen off, and his skin was peeling away, revealing the muscles beneath. Soon, even the remaining flesh would rot away, leaving only bone. Examining his grotesque, horrifying body, the man clenched his teeth tightly.

“Damn it…”

Muttering a curse under his breath, the man put his gloves back on. Just then, footsteps could be heard from beyond the door. Maurice knocked and entered the drawing room. Upon seeing the man, Maurice greeted him warmly and extended his hand for a handshake.

“It’s been a while, Kieron. How have you been?”

“Of course, I’ve been well. You look healthy too, Butler Maurice.”

Kieron smiled insincerely.

Maurice sat across from Kieron, his expression bright with excitement.

“Your presence here must mean you’ve found a slave as excellent as Luna, right?”

“A slave as beautiful as that girl is hard to come by. But with enough effort, nothing is impossible.”

It wasn’t difficult to use magic to alter someone’s appearance. However, if the slave became aware that magic had been used, it would cause problems, so their mind would need to be broken. Perhaps Lucas, who had long surpassed the boundaries of normalcy, might even prefer a mad slave.

Relieved by Kieron’s words, Maurice clasped his hands together as if in prayer.

“Oh, thank goodness. Truly, thank goodness. Master has been so fond of her that it’s been weighing on my mind.”

“But may I ask where you’re suddenly sending that girl…?” 

Kieron asked in a tone suggesting he found it hard to understand.

Maurice avoided answering, lowering his gaze.

“Hmm. Unavoidable circumstances have arisen…”

“Didn’t you say Master treasures her? Could it be you’re selling her because you’re short on funds?”

“No, absolutely not. Due to unavoidable reasons, I’ve had to give Luna to someone else. That’s all there is to it.”

Maurice waved his hands dismissively, signaling that he didn’t wish to discuss the matter further. But that wasn’t enough to quell Kieron’s curiosity.

Luna was Najane’s only family. Kieron had also heard rumors of Najane frequenting the black market. It was clear she had visited the black market upon realizing her precious younger sister had become a slave.

Kieron had deliberately gifted Luna to Lucas. The worse Luna was treated, the more Najane’s guilt would spiral out of control.

The fact that Lucas was connected to Maximón was also a favorable point. The two, though not blood-related, despised each other as brothers.

If Lucas learned that Luna was Najane’s younger sister, it was obvious how he would react. Therefore, Luna had to remain by Lucas’ side to complete the tragedy Kieron had orchestrated.

Kieron had already found Maurice’ letter suspicious. Who could Lucas possibly be giving his cherished slave to? If the reason for selling slaves was financial hardship, why choose Luna when there were others? After much contemplation, Kieron arrived at one conclusion.

“Could it be that Maximón Elgort is threatening you, Butler Maurice?”

At Kieron’s words, Maurice flinched.

“Ah… I see what happened now.”

Kieron leaned forward with a thin smile and whispered to Maurice.

“That whore Maximón is keeping must have begged him to save her younger sister. Am I right?”

At Kieron’s whisper, Maurice was startled.

“…So, did you know about Luna and that girl’s relationship?”

“Do you think I would’ve gifted a slave to Master without knowing?”

Kieron had anticipated that Maximón might try to save Luna for Najane. But rather than being a problem, this turn of events worked in Kieron’s favor. The humans of this era, who knew nothing of magic or sorcery, were merely pawns dancing on the palm of his hand.

With a meaningful smile, Kieron looked at Maurice.

“Hmm, it seems Maximón has completely fallen for that wretched whore. To go so far as to take the only brother’s slave just to please her—how infuriating.”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I wanted to say!”

Maurice grew indignant again at Kieron’s words. Seeing Maurice’ inability to forgive Maximón, Kieron suppressed a sneer.

“If you didn’t want to send Luna away, you could have refused. The fact that you’re willingly sending her off suggests you’ve been cornered.”

After days of agonizing over the blackmail, Maurice readily nodded, relieved to finally have someone to confide in.

“I’m not entirely sure if Maximón is truly the mastermind behind this. But the person who threatened me… they have the power to ruin Master’s life if they so desire. That’s the problem. The one who demanded Luna seemed to have thoroughly investigated even the smallest misdeeds Master has committed. If those things were exposed, Master would face a great ordeal. In that case, it’s better to just give up the slave girl…”

“What if I resolve this matter for you?”

At Kieron’s words, Maurice’ troubled expression shifted. Though Maurice was suspicious of Kieron’s confidence, he was willing to accept any solution to escape this predicament.

“What do you mean by resolving it? The blackmail?”

“Since Master Lucas treasures Luna so much, my heart aches at the thought of sending her elsewhere. If you provide me with the meeting location, I will quietly resolve this matter for you.”

“But…”

How could he possibly resolve it?

The blackmailer held Lucas’ weaknesses in their hands and could expose them to the Holy Church at any moment. A reckless move could put Lucas at a severe disadvantage.

Maurice couldn’t trust Kieron unless he offered a solution that was both certain and safe. A wrong step could harm not only Lucas but also the entire Elgort family.

Maurice eyed Kieron with suspicion. Kieron, wearing the most amiable smile he could muster, tried to persuade him.

“Don’t worry. I assure you, no harm will come to Master Lucas. I’ll ensure an outcome that satisfies everyone. Trust me. You know better than anyone how much Master Lucas cherishes Luna. If she leaves, he’ll be deeply heartbroken. While it’s possible to find another slave with similar beauty, whether Master will be satisfied with her is another matter…”

As Kieron mentioned Lucas, Maurice’ expression darkened again. Lucas still didn’t know about this situation. If he found out about the blackmail, he might fly into a rage and confront Maximón. If that happened, it would spell disaster.

If Lucas started lurking around the Romsoa Knights again, there was no telling what might happen. Maurice wanted to resolve this matter without Lucas ever finding out.

“…Can you really resolve this situation quietly?”

Maurice asked in a worried voice.

Kieron clasped his hands together and replied with a voice full of confidence.

“Of course. I can and will resolve it. Leave it to me, and I’ll ensure no harm comes to either Master Lucas or you.”

Though Maurice sighed reluctantly, he didn’t tell Kieron to do nothing. Kieron grinned at Maurice, his lips curling into a smirk.

Things were becoming interesting. If it meant making Najane miserable, Kieron would gladly sell his soul to the devil. Though, in truth, his soul already belonged to the one he respected and loved most—his master…

What mattered was Najane’s tragedy. The more Najane suffered, the more Mahilen would be driven to despair.

Imagining Mahilen’s anguish as he watched a tormented Najane, Kieron’s expression brightened.

---

Kharki was, as always, organizing the list of exiles at his desk and transcribing court rulings. Since he always worked in a secluded corner, no one paid attention to him. Though his rank was high, he was originally a cathedral priest, not a records keeper, so no one entrusted him with important tasks.

After finishing transcribing the court rulings, Kharki finally let out a sigh of relief. With crimes happening frequently at the fortress, his workload had been piling up day by day.

Kharki set down his quill and pretended to roll his shoulders as he glanced at the corridor guarded by the sentries. It was a place he had always passed through, but now that he needed to extract information from there, he suddenly felt nervous.

That day, Kharki had received seventy lirangs from a man he met near the gambling den. The man claimed to have a relative working as a records keeper and gave Kharki an advance payment. If Kharki provided the right information, he was promised a thousand lirangs. The agreed meeting place was the tavern where they had eaten and drunk together.

There was a chance the man might take back the money after hiring someone else, but a thousand lirangs was a significant sum for Kharki. Burdened by gambling debts, Kharki had little to lose. Besides, Najane Schnicks wasn’t someone closely tied to the Holy Church, so leaking her information wouldn’t cause any major issues.

Pretending to head to the archives to store the transcribed documents, Kharki quietly rose from his seat. As he approached the corridor entrance, the guards saluted him. Startled, Kharki awkwardly nodded in greeting and stepped into the hallway.

Walking down the corridor, Kharki glanced behind him. Since he was as inconspicuous as dust, no one paid him any mind.

Relieved, Kharki entered the records room where documents were stored, just as he normally would. Countless scribes were busy with their individual tasks inside.

Kharki lingered near the bookshelf where the court rulings were kept, discreetly eyeing the section displaying personal records. Everyone in Noctis was required by royal decree to leave their information with the records office. The scribes documented everything from portraits to family relationships and minor personal details.

Moreover, Najane was a knight of the Romsoa Knights. It was impossible to appoint someone as a knight without proper records.

Trying not to look too conspicuous, Kharki searched for Najane’s records. However, no matter how much he looked around the N section, he couldn’t find any trace of a record under the name “Najane.”