Isaac walked into the room. The sword in his hand flashed with a cold light.
He stared at the Baron who was looking at him in shock and anger.
"I will ask once. Bring me the land acquisition documents for the farms. If you fail, there will be consequences," Isaac said.
"Who are you to order me—"
The baron snapped his mouth shut when he noticed Isaac’s calm gaze. Only a madman could cause so much chaos, and look completely unperturbed.
The Baron knew to not question a madman. Listening to them was the best choice.
"Hans! Bring us the documents from the office!" the Baron shouted. Hans was his son. To teach him how to manage the barony, the Baron had assigned him the role of personal butler.
No response came.
"Hans!" the Baron roared at the top of his lungs.
"O-Okay, Father," a meek voice answered from somewhere on the ground floor. Both Isaac and the Baron heard it clearly with their enhanced senses.
The two then entered the office.
The Baron glared at Isaac the entire way. He could have tried fighting. Isaac might be strong, but the Baron was still a noble with considerable power.
However, Isaac was Duke Wright’s son.
The Baron had heard what happened to nobles who offended Isaac in the past. Duke Wright always cleaned up after his son, and the Baron had no desire to face that monster. Not to mention, he had spent the past year observing Isaac. The young man was a close friend of the Miracle Mage Merlin and Princess Vera, who was rapidly becoming one of the strongest candidates for the throne.
Whenever the Miracle Mage Merlin visited the barony, he brought gifts for the Baron. He always made a point of asking whether Isaac was being treated well and would subtly warn him that any discomfort caused to Isaac would make the Miracle Mage "unhappy."
Isaac sat in the Baron’s chair and flipped through the documents.
He ordered them to bring him the family registers and tax records. As he read, he matched the names of the farmers against their family members and noted who had disappeared.
"Ginz was one of the farmers who sold his land late," Isaac said.
"Yes," the Baron replied.
"Where is his wife?" Isaac asked.
According to the records, Ginz had a family of three, but he had been paying taxes for a household of two. Isaac had only ever seen Ginz and his father. He had never once seen the wife.
"She ran away with a young man from the next town last year," the Baron answered calmly. Despite trying to remain calm, a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. An ominous feeling had begun creeping into his heart.
Isaac nodded and moved to the next document.
"Tress was also someone who sold his land quite late. Then he was imprisoned for... violating the Draconic Domain Act?" Isaac asked.
"Yes," the Baron replied.
The Draconic Domain Act was one of the kingdom’s harshest laws. It declared all mountains as the property of dragons, and anyone caught entering them without authorization faced imprisonment, or worse.
People could enter, hunt on, and forage within hills up to the height of a six-floor building. However, they could not construct permanent structures there or live on them. Anything taller belonged to the dragons.
"There are only hills around the Yilla Barony. Which mountain was he planning to climb?" Isaac asked.
"He was planning to climb the mountains in the Ghor Valley. They are two weeks away. He had stacked a considerable debt in gambling the next town over, and wanted to try and see if he could find a dragon’s treasure on a mountain," the Baron answered.
Isaac nodded. He flipped the pages.
"What about Nathaniel? He was the one who sold his land last, and his daughter was...." Isaac stopped speaking, seeing what was written.
"She stole the flowers from the grave of my second wife. As per the Protection of Noble Standing Act, I had every right to punish her," the Baron replied.
Isaac lifted his gaze from the registers and looked at the Baron. The man was either not lying, or well prepared.
Isaac turned to Hans, the Baron’s son.
"How old are you this year, Hans?"
"F-Fifteen, Sir Isaac."
"What are your plans for life?"
"I am going to inherit the Barony, S-Sir Isaac."
"That would be difficult."
Confusion appeared on the faces of the Baron and Hans.
"As you know, Princess Vera’s Knight, Strider, is from the Silk Plains. The Princess is very fond of her. Your silk project would compete with the Silk Plains and cut into their profits. I heard from the Princess herself that she plans to deal with anyone involved to keep her Knight happy," Isaac explained.
The words were shocking for the Baron. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.
"That can’t be true. Strider has been expelled long ago by the Silk Plains. That’s why she had to live on the streets of the royal capital city. Why would she care about those who expelled her?" the Baron asked, losing his composure.
"She was expelled after running away as a child. It was her mistake. But then she became one of the Ten Stars. Do you really think the Lords of the Silk Plains wouldn’t quietly mend their relationship with her? The lure of a Ten Star is too great to ignore," Isaac said.
The Baron fell silent. Anyone could tell that countless thoughts were passing through his head. His brows creased, and sweat rolled off his head in large amounts. He was afraid.
Isaac focused on Hans.
"Hans, you are young, unlike the Baron. You still have a large future ahead of you. It would be a shame if you couldn’t enjoy your life because the princess crushed the Barony," Isaac said.
"...what do you mean?" Hans questioned.
"I can help you, but..."
Isaac raised the land acquisition documents.
The Baron and Hans instantly understood what Isaac meant.