Chapter 10 – The Master of the Northern Social Circle (Part 5)

The densely packed trees slightly shielded the raindrops. Voices of knights came from the tents set up here and there. The knights standing guard did not neglect to look around.

Reubellina chose to sleep inside the carriage rather than getting off. Thanks to her choice, the knights were spared the task of setting up one more tent, and they were moved by her small gesture.

“As expected, our Lady!”

“She cares so much for the knights.”

Heather, however, grumbled. She would have gladly set up a tent for Reubellina, but her refusal took away that opportunity. She jokingly said she could have made a fortune if there had been a bet, to which Hemil scolded her.

“Do you think about betting even in this situation?”

“Of course! It’s a chance to make money!”

“Heather.”

Hemil called her in a serious tone. Heather looked back at Hemil with a frustrated expression. The fellow knights who had been talking about other bets watched the confrontation between Heather and Hemil. The twins always caused interesting incidents.

“Was our family that poor?”

“What are you talking about? Our family isn’t poor.”

Heather and Hemil’s family was well-known even in the north. As knights, they held the title of baronet, but they were from a marquis family.

Heather Istorium, Hemil Istorium. They were heirs of the Istorium family.

One of them had to inherit the title of marquis, but they both found being knights more interesting and left the family. No amount of persuasion could stop them.

This was also why the Marquis of Istorium couldn’t openly support Tartenon. He couldn’t just follow Tartenon, who had taken two of his children as knights. Seeing his children move according to Tartenon’s will sometimes made him furious.

“Then why do you keep betting money?”

“Because I don’t have any money!”

“What do you mean? Father gives you money.” 

“What? You get money from Father?”

Heather tilted her head as if hearing this for the first time.

“You don’t?”

“No. Why would I take money when I left home?”

Hemil’s face turned pale. Heather’s mouth opened, realizing the significance of the allowance.

“Ha ha ha ha ha!”

As she laughed, bending over, Hemil shouted.

“This doesn’t count!”

“What do you mean it doesn’t! Hooray! You’re going to be the marquis!”

“No way. You refused money! That’s impossible!”

Hemil had naturally assumed Heather would take the money too. Her obsession with money was beyond imagination. So when the Marquis of Istorium offered an allowance, he accepted it immediately. He never thought Heather would refuse.

“This is a dream!”

“Dream on. You’re going back to the family! You’ll be buried in that mountain of work!”

Heather’s shout echoed in the clearing. Knights who knew the twins’ situation, having left the marquis family to avoid inheriting the title, came out of the tents. Nearby knights came out hearing Heather’s words, and those farther away came out because it seemed interesting.

“What’s going on?”

“They say Hemil took money supported by the marquis?”

“Then Hemil becomes the heir to the marquis family?”

“Seems so.”

“Oh no! I bet on Heather becoming the marquis!”

“Alright, everyone, pay up!”

Heather shouted loudly. It was the biggest bet among the Speraum knights. Who would become the next Marquis of Istorium? Heather or Hemil? The knights knew one of them had to return to the family.

The longer they stayed at Speraum’s castle, the bigger the bet grew. Heather naturally bet on herself and raked in the money. This was because more knights bet that Heather wouldn’t endure and would return to the family.

Hearing the noisy voices of the knights, Reubellina got off the carriage. Sandy followed her closely. Wearing Tartenon’s raincoat, Reubellina approached the knights immediately. Seeing her approach, the knights each showed their respect.

“Greetings, Your Grace.”

“Why have you come out? It’s cold.”

Reubellina waved her hand at the bowing knights and spoke calmly.

“I placed a bet too.”

“Pardon?”

“What did you say just now?”

Seeing the knights’ eyes flicker, she spoke again.

“I said, I placed a bet too.”

“No, surely you didn’t bet on our gambling?”

Bruelin, seeing Tartenon glaring from afar, spoke up first out of a sense of crisis. He didn’t want to hear that they had introduced gambling to the Grand Duchess.

Unaware of Bruelin’s anxiety, Reubellina replied innocently.

“Yes, I did.”

“Your Grace!”

“What? I bet against Hemil.”

Ignoring Bruelin’s horrified shout, Reubellina extended her hand.

“My winnings too.”

“Indeed. You have a keen eye, Your Grace.”

Among the knights who were agape, only Heather laughed fearlessly. Heather ignored Tartenon’s murderous gaze and continued to laugh.

“Right?”

“Yes. Your Grace has excellent judgment. Choosing our lord as your husband is proof!”

With Heather’s single comment, Tartenon’s murderous aura vanished. The knights sighed in relief, knowing they wouldn’t face training disguised as punishment. Heather’s timely words saved them.

Tartenon, who had approached, asked Reubellina.

“Why did you bet against Hemil?”

“Sir Heather is too obsessed with money to do something that would lose money, right?”

“Wouldn’t she accept the title of marquis precisely because she’s obsessed with money?”

The knights who had bet on Hemil nodded at Tartenon’s question.

“But Sir Heather hates working that much.”

It was a piercing remark.

No one present could refute Reubellina’s words. She had accurately grasped the knights’ personalities in just a few months.

***

The persistent rain erased the traces left by the Grand Duke’s party. The assassins following Neon’s trail wasted time trying to find the traces washed away by the rain. They hoped to follow easily, but the traces were already gone.

“Not here either!”

“Nothing here!”

Onduras, the leader of the assassins, asked his subordinates.

“They said they were definitely heading to the Bego Mine, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then we should head that way.”

“At this pace?”

“Yes. We won’t run into them this way.”

The basic principle of assassination was stealthy pursuit. It was important to catch up without the target noticing.

Unaware that Tartenon’s party had settled early due to the rain, Onduras gave orders to his subordinates.

“Head towards the Bego Mine!”

“Yes, sir!”

The client was a royal of this country. So, there was no room for mistakes. Onduras didn’t want to miss this chance to align with a powerful figure. It was a royal, after all. To commoners like him, they held power higher than the sky.

If they completed this task successfully, it would be like holding a royal’s weakness. Killing the Grand Duchess of the north would give him leverage to demand more from the royals. The thought made Onduras grin widely.

“Hurry up! Before the rain gets heavier!”

“Yes, sir!”

Encouraged by his subordinates’ reliable responses, Onduras spurred his horse faster.

***

The rain was too heavy. Eventually, Reubellina and Tartenon’s party couldn’t reach the mine on time.

It took them two days to reach the mine, which was damp with moisture. The rain had stopped only after they arrived at the mine, but the dampness from the rain lingered.

Still, Reubellina decided to find meaning in the fact that they had arrived.

‘Who would have known that light rain would turn out like this?’

As the ground weakened, a landslide occurred. The road was blocked by fallen trees, causing more delays. Seeing the shabby mine before her, Reubellina sighed.

‘Surely, this won’t be a loss, right?’

It shouldn’t be. So many people had come this far, and even Tartenon was with them. If the business venture wasn’t appropriate, there might be negative remarks. She didn’t want to be the subject of useless gossip less than a year after coming to the North.

“Where are the workers at this mine?”

“They only come on Luna’s day to extract ore.”

“What, so they only come out once every 15 days?”

Listening to Tartenon and Bruelin’s conversation, Reubellina interjected. It was nonsense. That was practically the same as not working at all.

“Then how do they make money?”

As Reubellina tilted her head and muttered to herself, Tartenon didn’t hide his bitter smile. He had also heard reports that the mine’s operation was severely in deficit, which was why he had come to the mine himself.

“So the miners go off to do other jobs and then come back to work for a day before leaving again.”

“Then their expertise will decline.”

“But there’s no other choice. If they only work in the mine, they might starve to death.”

“……”

Bruelin was right. If they kept digging and only found useless stones, of course, they couldn’t make money. The trade company didn’t invest in mines that didn’t generate profit. Reubellina knew this well. She also didn’t invest in worthless mines.

‘Hmm.’

It wasn’t a good situation. Without people, there was no one to ask about the stones.

“Then when will the people come?”

“You’ll have to wait another day.”

They could go down to a nearby village to find people, but that would spread rumors. If word got out that Reubellina and Tartenon were interested in an empty mine, people might start paying attention, thinking there was something valuable there.

“So, we’re camping again today?”

“……Yes.”

If they camped today, it would be their third night outside. While Tartenon and the knights often slept outside due to training, it was different for Reubellina and Sandy. It was the third day without properly washing. Without the magical tool that allowed them to clean themselves lightly, they would have already suggested going back.

‘I didn’t expect to spend so much time outside.’

She had thought it would be easy and moved directly, but if she had known, she would have sent Armur from the Musen Trade Company or someone else to investigate.