Chapter 42
As expected by Gyle's secretary, it didn't take long for Caron and his group to be released from custody. The captain of the security forces, who was half-bald, escorted them all the way to the front of the security headquarters.
"Take care, Young Masters!" he said with a tone honed by years of experience dealing with people of all kinds.
Caron waved lightly in response, replying, "See you again! I'll be sure to drop by often."
The captain replied in a booming voice, "Yes! I'll always welcome you with a smile... huh?"
Something felt off. Was he really supposed to be happy about Caron's promise to visit the headquarters frequently? Although the captain hadn't conducted a proper investigation, he knew well enough how to handle someone like Caron Leston.
Smile as much as possible... or risk getting bitten, he thought.
The captain shuddered as he glanced at the disheveled appearance of Drogol Kian, who had arrived at the headquarters along with Caron's group. The half-conscious look on his face and the bloodstains on his clothes suggested something terrible had happened.
Complaints related to Drogol Kian flooded the security forces daily. Everyone in the capital knew that this scoundrel from that noble family was nothing more than trash. But up until now, all those complaints had quietly been resolved at the security forces' level. Drogol's family was too powerful to be punished by the complaints of commoners.
But this time, it was different. Drogol had been brought to the security headquarters and started confessing to every single one of his misdeeds.
"Ah, Captain, may I have a word before we go?" Caron asked with a pleasant smile.
"Of course, Young Master Caron," the captain replied.
"If that Drogol confesses to his crimes and you let it slide... You know what will happen, right?" Caron continued. Although his words were delivered with a smile, they were anything but humorous.
The captain broke into a cold sweat, showing discomfort as he said, "Well, for investigations involving nobles, the standard procedure is for the Imperial Guards to handle..."
"Aren't rules meant to be broken every now and then?" Caron quipped.
"Haha, but that's a rather complex situation involving—" the captain began.
"I think I'll ask my grandfather about it," Caron cut him off.
At that moment, the captain's face turned pale. Grandfather? If this boy was talking about his grandfather...
"D-Does that mean you're going to ask Duke Halo directly?" the captain stuttered.
"Yes. I'll ask my grandfather... Oh! I should also ask my other grandfather too," Caron replied casually as if it were no big deal.
"And, uh, may I ask for your other grandfather's name—" the captain asked. But at that moment, one of the guards standing behind the captain leaned in and whispered something into his ear. When he heard the guard, his eyes lost focus.
"T-The Demon Commissioner of the Imperial Tax Office...?" he murmured.
"I trust you'll carry out justice, Captain. Well, I'm really going now," Caron said.
"Y-Yes, of course!" the captain said.
Caron gave him a bright grin and joined his group, who had been waiting for him at the entrance.
"What were you talking about back there?" Hugo asked Caron.
"Oh, nothing much. I just told him to listen to what I say, that's all," Caron replied.
Hugo sighed and said, "Well, the matter's settled, so I won't press it any further. But, Caron... Can you promise me one thing?"
"Anything for you, Hugo!" Caron answered.
"Let me know before you cause trouble next time. I think that's a fair request, right?" Hugo asked.
Hugo knew well that controlling Caron with words was impossible. Which was why he offered the next best option. This kind of guy would explode no matter what.
The crazed look Caron had shown back at the restaurant still lingered vividly in his mind. He had never encountered anyone this crazy in his twenty-eight years of life.
Hugo could still picture Caron forcefully opening Drogol's mouth to pour a potion down his throat, then beating him up again with the hilt of his sword.
The only way he resembles Uncle Fayle is... Hugo thought.
Caron bore a slight resemblance to his uncle in appearance, but their personalities couldn't be more different. Fayle was an exemplary noble. He was always considerate, with a gentle disposition. Hugo had always admired him. But Caron, on the other hand? He was seriously out of his mind.
"Hehe, got it! I'll make sure to tell you before I cause any trouble!" Caron said.
"...Thanks, but I'd be even more grateful if you didn't cause any trouble at all," Hugo muttered.
"Hehe, well, that's something I can't control," Caron replied.
Grandfather, you told me to keep him out of trouble, but what do I do when he's the one causing it? Hugo thought.
It seemed he would need to request a knight's restraint rope to tie Caron down. Or maybe even buy one from the Magic Tower...
When Hugo was lost in thought, Amy said with her head down, "I'm so sorry, Young Master Caron. All of this trouble happened because of me."
Caron waved his hand dismissively as if it were nothing. He replied, "No need to worry about it. I had fun, anyway. By the way, do you owe a lot to the Kian family?"
"...It's a long story," Amy replied, her voice trailing off.
"Well, how about we chat over some tea? But if you'd rather not, you can just head off," Caron suggested.
"No, leaving like this would be rude. Please, at least let me treat you to some tea," Amy insisted.
"Sounds good. How about you, Hugo and Leo?" Caron asked his cousins.
The two nodded in agreement.
"Well, we don't have any other plans. Let's just not cause any trouble, Caron," Hugo replied.
"I'm in too. It wouldn't be right to let Miss Amy go off on her own," Leo added.
Caron smiled at Amy and said, "They're all in."
"I'll take you to my go-to tea shop. Shall we go?" Amy offered.
"What about the duel?" Caron asked.
"We'll do it after the tea," Amy replied.
"Perfect," Caron agreed.
With that, the group headed off to their next destination.
***
They arrived at Amy's favorite tea shop, but things started taking an unexpected turn for Caron.
"This is on the house, Young Master," the shop owner said as he brought out a plate of freshly baked cookies that no one had ordered. The warm chocolate cookies were still steaming, as if they had just come out of the oven.
At first, Caron assumed this was just a service commonly offered to nobles, but the shop owner's expression suggested otherwise.
"Thanks to you, Young Master, a lifelong wish of mine has been fulfilled. I can't thank you enough," the owner said.
"...Excuse me?" Caron responded, taken aback.
"I heard that you delivered divine punishment to that vile Drogol!" the shop owner said.
"Uh, yes. That's true," Caron said.
"Just thinking about the things he's done still keeps me up at night. Please, if there's any tea or dessert you'd like, just say the word. I'll make anything for you!" the owner insisted.
It hadn't even been two hours since the incident, and yet the news had already spread this far.
The shop owner lowered his head to Caron repeatedly before saying, "Please enjoy yourself. From now on, whenever you visit this shop, everything will be free of charge."
"There's no need to go that far—" Caron started to say, but the owner cut him off.
"Oh, how gracious of Duke Halo to send his grandsons to protect the people of the capital! May the glory of the Ducal Family of Leston shine forever!" the shop owner exclaimed before retreating with a look of pure joy.
As Caron watched him go, he thought, Something's not right.
The way the shop owner had looked at him... It was as if he was gazing at a heroic figure. This wasn't what Caron had anticipated.
Caron liked that he'd managed to beat a noble's son nearly to death on the first day, but shouldn't that have earned him a reputation as a troublemaker? But instead, he had somehow ended up being hailed as a hero.
"...Maybe I should've just killed him outright," Caron muttered to himself, realizing that the problem was Drogol Kian was someone who was despised by everyone in the capital.
He then took a bite of the cookie in front of him.
"Mmm, this is good," he remarked.
The cookie was the ideal dessert; it was warm and perfectly balanced, with a rich, buttery flavor and just the right amount of sweetness from the chocolate.
"Damn, doesn't this mean I can't be a troublemaker?" Caron said.
"That bastard Drogol was such trash. His reputation was so bad that if you lined up everyone who held a grudge against him, the line would probably stretch past the capital gates," Hugo said as he sipped his tea with a laugh.
After all, what Caron had done would ultimately bring prestige to their family, so their grandfather likely wouldn't be too mad. There could be political repercussions down the line, but dealing with those would be up to the elders of the family.
It was also Drogol who had started the trouble first. While it could be argued that Caron's response had been excessive, it was easy enough to frame it as defending the honor of a ducal family.
"You didn't plan this all out, did you?" Hugo asked; part of him knew that with Caron, that was possible.
But the only response Hugo got was a sigh, deeply laced with frustration.
"Ah, I'm doomed, completely doomed... What was that, Hugo?" Caron replied.
"...Never mind. Why did I even bother asking you that?" Hugo muttered. He quickly realized that the less he tried to understand Caron, the easier it would be for him.
"I'll get a chance to make up for this mistake eventually. Right, Leo?" Caron remarked.
"Of course. If a guy like you isn't a troublemaker, then who is? Sooner or later, the people in the capital will see your true colors," Leo replied.
"That sounds like an insult," Caron said.
"You bastard, being so quick-witted," Leo shot back.
"After I'm done with my duel with Amy, it's your turn," Caron said.
As Leo sensed the shift in conversation, he quickly turned his gaze out the window, pretending to be interested in something else.
After Caron looked at Leo as if to say "you're pathetic", he smiled and said to Amy, "Alright, let's get down to it. What's your connection with House Kian? That guy mentioned something about debt... Does your family owe them a lot?"
Amy smiled bitterly as she nodded and said, "Yes. My father overextended himself trying to expand his business, so he borrowed money from Count Kian."
"Isn't the primary income for most noble families the tax from their lands?" Caron asked.
"It is, but for nobles like us who come from the countryside, we need additional sources of income to keep up with the expenses in the capital," Amy explained.
"What's so good about the capital..." Caron muttered.
"I agree, but I guess my father doesn't. We've still managed to pay back a lot of the debt, and my father is back on his feet," Amy said.
"Did the Imperial Guards not offer you any support? With your talent, I think they would've helped out," Caron inquired.
Amy took a slow sip of her tea before replying softly, "I haven't chosen a side yet."
"Oh," Caron responded.
"I know it's foolish. If I had aligned myself with someone earlier, my family wouldn't be struggling like this," Amy said.
Politics existed in every organization, and the Imperial Guards, the royal knight order, was no exception. Those who remained neutral were always the ones to suffer, just like Amy was now.
"Hmm." Caron stirred his lemonade a few times with a straw, deep in thought. He asked, "Is there a particular reason why you haven't chosen a side yet?"
Amy hesitated for a moment before answering softly, "...I don't think Sir Cain would have wanted this kind of Imperial Guard."
"In what way?" Caron pressed.
"Well, the Imperial Guards are split in half. The knights care more about politics than their swords. That isn't the knight order I dreamed of joining. Sir Cain upheld his honor until the very end... Wouldn't he be disappointed to see them like this?" Amy replied.
In the end, it came back to Cain again. Caron realized that Amy hadn't just been saying she respected Cain. The way she stubbornly held to her ideals, even when it made her path harder, was admirable.
"You're trying to take the difficult path," Caron noted.
"I know," Amy replied, her voice resolute.
"That's a good attitude to have. My grandfather might even have praised you for it," Caron said.
Caron thought that it was a shame that someone like Amy was stuck in the Imperial Guards. Since she was only seventeen years old, her potential was limitless. If she had been in the Oceanwolf Knight Order instead, her talent could have bloomed far more brilliantly. That was precisely what made her such a tempting prospect.
With a soft voice, Caron spoke again. "Listen carefully, because chances like this don't come often."
"Huh?" Amy replied.
"I'll pay off your family's debt," Caron said, pausing for effect before adding with a smile, "So, why don't you come with me?"
The friendly atmosphere shattered in an instant.
" Pffft! Cough cough! " Leo spat out the tea he had just sipped. He hastily wiped his mouth with his sleeve, then shouted at Caron, "What are you doing? I know you dream of being a troublemaker, but this is too much!"
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Caron shot back.
"You just offered to pay her debt in exchange for her coming with you! How are you any different from that bastard Drogol? That's some garbage—" Leo was abruptly cut off as Caron slapped a hand over his mouth.
Upon reflection, Caron realized that there could have been a misunderstanding. Amy's lips were pressed together, with her head slightly bowed. Clearly, she had interpreted the offer the wrong way as well. And even Hugo seemed to side with Leo this time.
"Caron, Amy may not have been knighted yet, but she dreams of becoming one. You can't just trample on her honor like that," Hugo said.
The way Leo was nodding along in agreement made it worse. Caron quickly realized this was getting out of hand.
"No, that's not what I meant! I was asking if she wanted to join the Oceanwolf Knight Order! Amy hasn't officially become a knight yet," he tried to explain to correct the misunderstanding.
"It's too late to fix this," Hugo said.
"I swear, that's what I meant!" Caron said.
"I'll have to contact Uncle Fayle right away. Caron, you'd better brace yourself," Leo said.
As the situation spiraled out of control, Amy, who had been silent with her head down, finally spoke sadly. "...That's right, Young Master Caron, you'd be a better option than Drogol... I'll tell my parents about your offer. I think my parents will also agree—"
"Y-You!" Caron exclaimed, and at that moment, he saw a faint smile tugging at the corners of Amy's lips.
...I've been played, Caron realized. This girl wasn't normal either.
But he wasn't worried. He had a way to deal with situations like this.
Caron drew his sword halfway from its scabbard. He glanced around the group and said, "Go ahead, say one more thing. Let's see what happens."
The effect was immediate.
"The tea is delicious... isn't it, Leo?" Hugo commented, suddenly focused on his drink.
"The weather is also wonderful... wouldn't you agree, Hugo?" Leo chimed in, his eyes averted.
"The Oceanwolf Knight Order... What an intriguing offer, Young Master Caron. I'll have to give it some thought," Amy added.
No one dared test the troublemaker's patience any further.