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Chapter 328 – Baiter
“Please, just spare me… I have a wife… and children…”
Finally.
Seeing Kius’s reaction, I felt relieved that his eyes had died.
As I observed him, I felt something was off and couldn’t stop thinking about it.
What exactly breaks Kius?
The man named Barche wanted a peaceful death.
In a way, he was easy to handle. But Kius seemed on the verge of breaking yet never did.
Based on prior information and my observations, this man valued money above all else.
Judging that, I chose the option that seemed most likely to damage him. Yet he only let out a groan, and his face—slightly flushed from alcohol—turned sickly pale.
Even when I told him I’d seize the goods from the branch he managed, he glared back at me. His eyes still held some strength.
Does he think that, as long as he has connections to the nobility, he can get the goods and money back?
Or did he think that Baron Olan would offer some kind of relief or compensation by standing as a wall to stop us?
I thought this was the reason Kius’s heart was still tethered here, but I see now that I was wrong.
This man’s highest priority is, unexpectedly, “family”?
If so, that’s an utterly unexpected outcome.
“Your family stayed in Domia while you lived alone in the capital, correct? For simple longing, vanity, and the woman you kept.”
“Wh-whyy… Why do you know even that much?”
“Begg-san told me.”
“Begg…? I don’t know him. I’ve never heard of him.”
“He was your former subordinate. He worked diligently for you as a transport worker. Yet, you forced him to take the blame for a bandit attack. Then, you reduced him to a debt slave.”
“Bandits… debt… slaves…”
“You probably don’t even remember, do you? There are too many similar incidents. People like you have no awareness of the harm you inflict on others, so you feel little guilt and don’t bother to remember. You only see the convenient outcomes built on someone else’s sacrifice.”
“…”
“So, from here on out, you’re going to face reality. You spent years building and expanding the shop, amassing a fortune by plunging people into misery. You supported your precious family with that money. Watch it all vanish before your eyes. Then die.”
“Uh… Ah… P-please… Just my family!”
Half sincere, half a threat.
I have no intention of condemning them simply because they’re related to a villain. Nor would I unconditionally release them just because they’re not the perpetrator.
What matters is whether Kius’s family is equally tainted.
Ultimately, everything hinged on this point, but I finally grasped how to completely break this man.
“Just your family… Very well. If you confess Baron Olan’s crimes and side with those who expose them, I might reconsider Domia’s residence.”
“What must I do? What exactly are you demanding of me?”
“First, do you have any physical evidence of your connection to Baron Olan? And if you lie, I’ll use Slave Magic to force a confession from you.”
“I swear, there’s nothing. The baron is a typical provincial noble, but he’s cunning. He himself told me not to leave anything that could be used as evidence. Besides—”
“?”
“It’s questionable whether the Baron himself has committed any crime.”
“Eh… What do you mean?”
“If I sense something amiss with the procurement and report it to the Baron, he’ll lend me Barche. It’s essentially a way of saying, ‘Use this to handle things smoothly,’ but that’s all it is.”
“Eh? What?”
Hearing this, I instantly turned my gaze to Barche. He slowly nodded.
“He said to follow Kius’s instructions and cooperate until the ‘problem’ was resolved. After that, Kius—or rather, his son, who’s in charge of the Domia branch—and I had already made the arrangements.”
“Barche, you bastard!”
“Hmph… I got dragged into your dirty money-making scheme and ended up like this?”
The two were glaring at each other right in front of me, but they didn’t seem to be colluding to cover for each other.
In other words, this was the truth. From what I’d heard, Baron Olan seemed to be treading on the gray line between black and white.
“Who noticed the suspicious activity in Morfran, and how? I’d assumed it was within the territory and that the baron himself had noticed it.”
“It was my subordinate handling procurement in Morfran. If the purchase volume drops unnaturally without a poor harvest, you have to wonder where the rice is going. If other connected trading companies aren’t buying either, it’s highly likely someone is sneaking around behind the scenes.”
As he said this, he glared resentfully at Quad-san, who seemed completely unfazed and answered immediately.
“That’s for sure. The people doing the buying know each farmer’s output best. If there’s a fluctuation too big for individual farmers to handle, they’d notice right away.”
“I see…”
It’s the people on the ground who notice the anomaly, not the lord.
Any unease felt by the purchasing agent would be reported to middlemen like Kius. If Kius then consulted Baron Olan, the Baron would lend Kius Barche to resolve the issue.
Wanting to secure sufficient profit, Kius would naturally use Barche to stop those movements.
Even if the matter discussed was dangerous, blaming the lord without proof wouldn’t force a confession.
It’s hard to believe this was a mere coincidence. It suggests deliberate manipulation to frame Kius in the event of anything happening.
Then, he could escape with his prepared excuse, “I merely lent mercenaries I happened to have under my command…”
“What if the two of you, who hold positions distinct from mere commoners, were to accuse the Baron of crimes before the guards or connected nobles?”
“They wouldn’t take you seriously. Unless there were extraordinary circumstances, nobles on the judging side protect their own nobility. If you’re going to owe someone a favor, it’s better to protect someone powerful because you’ll reap greater rewards later.”
“For me, even if I could balance things out, it’d only be up to a knightly title, I suppose…”
“Then, what if the two of you, as parties clearly involved who understand the inner workings, jointly denounce the Baron himself?”
“I don’t think that man would admit guilt. He’d just pin all the blame on us.”
“The ledgers only show that I bought large amounts of rice from the Baron at an inflated price. Beyond that, they’ll force us to plead ignorance. We’ll likely lose our heads, and that will be the end of it.”
“L-Loki-san. Getting revenge on Kius alone is enough for me. We really shouldn’t push our luck any further…”
Negative words keep coming one after another.
He’s cunning and meticulously prepared to protect himself.
There’s no physical evidence. Testimony that should be crucial becomes meaningless. Facts are twisted, and you’re silenced by force.
Proceeding any further is a huge risk—anyone can see that.
But I detest those who commit evil deeds and smirk while shielded by power and position. For those who wish to improve this world, such beings must be considered cancerous.
(If you have the power to save, please do so, huh?)
Suddenly, I remember the words of Captain Alback, the guard captain who taught me about the law when I first killed someone.
Even if I kill Kius, a replacement will be found if Baron Olan is left alive. Peasants, ignorant of reality, will just keep getting exploited.
The chance to sell surplus crops at a high price will be lost. Even if a merchant like Quad-san appears—someone who could benefit the peasants—if he’s killed in secret, the situation won’t improve.
This wasn’t about any sense of justice. All that existed was a personal feeling of dislike and the uncertain gains that might follow.
Still, precisely because I’m not bound by position, there are things I can do.
If, as a result, people like the citizens of Guinier are saved, that would bring me joy too.
The only question left is whether I can muster the resolve to face the worst-case scenario of becoming a “wanted man” if it comes to that.
“I’ll do it anyway. Those who need to be crushed most are those who hide behind power.”
Just imagining it makes my heart tremble.
It only feels premature now. This “shortest route” is what I truly desire deep down.
Sooner or later, I’ll become a wanted man.
I have a feeling about it.
But what about this particular situation?
The current state is close to being completely blocked. If things continue like this, it will be forced through by a “divine power” greater than mere authority. No, perhaps there is still a way.
It’s a thin thread, but if pushing doesn’t work, pulling might. If that works, it might reveal the Baron’s true nature.
To spare the noble or kill him?
“For now, shall we try to bait Baron Olan?”
At these words, I wondered if the Different Language Comprehension was working.
The three of them stared at me, their faces blank.
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