Chapter 162 - Exposure

The day before the murder of the Young Duke Yurei, in Hestia Village.

Unaware of what was about to unfold, the people of Hestia Village carried on with their ordinary lives.

As the population continued to grow, crime increased alongside it, and rough men began forming organized groups.

It was only to be expected.

And preventing those inevitable problems at all costs was the responsibility of Hestia Village's Public Security Force.

They moved tirelessly to keep order in the village.

"Captain William, aren't you heading home yet, sir?"

"Is it already that time?"

"It's been past quitting time for a while. You're working overtime again."

William didn't mind working overtime.

But when the superior kept working, the subordinates felt pressured to stay as well.

Some work simply had to be left for tomorrow.

William picked up his coat and stood.

"Then I'll be off. Good work today."

"Yes, sir! See you tomorrow, Captain!"

"And don't get drunk and pass out again!"

Leaving behind the laughter and playful teasing of his men, he started the walk home.

Looking up at the evening sky painted red and black, he thought to himself,

So another day comes to an end.

Everything looked perfectly ordinary.

Yet somewhere deep inside his heart remained a knot that refused to untangle.

Whenever that lingering resentment surfaced, his left hand would throb.

The hand Regent Ferda had stabbed with a dagger.

The hole had healed enough for him to use it again, but it still ached as though fragments remained buried inside.

A wave of anxiety washed over him.

What if I lose the use of this hand?

"Damn it..."

There goes another night's sleep.

Muttering to himself, William continued walking.

On the way home, he stepped into a tavern.

Unlike the noisy establishments lining the main streets, this one was quiet.

Since loyal regulars meant everything here, the mustached owner warmly greeted William.

"Oh, Captain! Off duty already?"

"A mug of beer, please."

"Coming right up."

William slid a few Copper Coins across the counter.

The owner handed him a mug of beer.

Though talkative by nature, the owner was equally good at reading the atmosphere.

It was obvious William needed some peace and quiet.

"Here you go. Don't gulp it down like last time. Take it slow!"

The owner set down the beer and turned away.

William noticed the coins still sitting on the table.

"Owner, aren't you taking the money? Digging up the ground to make a living?"

"Digging up the ground? I'm just an honest businessman! Someone already paid for your drink. Why would I charge you twice?"

"What are you talking about?"

"That gentleman over there said he'd like to buy you one."

William turned his head.

The man was a complete stranger.

He had never seen him anywhere in this village.

Instinctively, William felt uneasy.

Still...

Don't jump to conclusions.

William simply raised his glass in silent thanks before turning away again.

As soon as he did, he heard a chair scrape across the floor.

The stranger had stood up.

William quietly undid the clasp securing his dagger sheath.

"You're Captain William of the Public Security Force, I presume?"

"That's right."

"I'm the one who bought your drink. Isn't it only proper to at least share a toast?"

"My apologies. I'm not exactly the type to become friendly with strangers."

"Fair enough. You are the Captain of the Public Security Force, after all."

William's hand slowly drifted toward his waist.

"Don't be so wary. I didn't come here to harm you."

The stranger placed both hands openly on the table to demonstrate he meant no harm.

William acted as though resting his hand there was perfectly natural.

The act didn't last long.

As he lifted the beer mug with his left hand, pain shot through it.

His hand trembled violently, making the beer foam.

"That injury looks rather serious. You should probably drink with your right hand."

"Mind your own business."

His voice grew even colder.

Yet the stranger only became more interested.

"Sounds like quite the story. Care to tell me?"

"I simply fell while drunk."

"Don't lie. People don't get stab wounds from falling over drunk."

"...It's an embarrassingly stupid story. So drop it."

The stranger's sharp observation forced William to brush it aside with a casual excuse.

"Let's not waste time playing games. I already know what happened."

"Didn't I just tell you? I fell."

"Don't do that. I'm here to help you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, so leave. Otherwise—"

"Regent Ferda is going to ruin the Far East."

The stranger cut him off.

William felt emotion surge inside his chest.

"You're making such slanderous accusations within the Grand Duchess's territory?"

"Slander? It seems you don't know. That man practices Black Magic. Even the Magic Association of Cerdes Continent has already taken notice of him."

William finally drew his dagger.

"As Captain of the Public Security Force, I can no longer overlook this. State your identity. If you refuse, this conversation ends here."

Even with a blade pointed at his throat, the man remained completely unfazed.

It was as though risking his life had long since become second nature.

Calmly, he reached into his coat and took something out.

"I am an investigator of Golden Eye, an Imperial organization."

It was an identification badge proving he was an Imperial mage.

"And I also serve Crown Prince Alexander Arken."

"So an investigator came all the way here just to throw his weight around against a lowly captain?"

"A lowly man? William Miller... you're hardly someone who deserves to be treated as such. I already know you earned quite a reputation as a promising knight in Duke Yurei's territory."

He knew exactly who William was.

William had more or less expected that from the moment the man started provoking him.

"So put the dagger away and let's talk. I have no intention of using force in another lord's territory... but if you strike first, I won't hold back."

"..."

William didn't believe he would lose.

But as Captain of the Public Security Force, he couldn't cause a disturbance.

He lowered the dagger.

The investigator smiled.

"What brings an investigator all the way here?"

"I'm investigating a murder."

"Whose?"

"Someone you know well. The Young Duke Yurei."

William stiffened.

A murder investigation was alarming enough.

But for it to involve a member of House Yurei...

"Rumors say he died within this territory. Were you aware of that?"

"Are you accusing me?"

"Hardly. I've heard you betrayed your former lord, but I also know you're not the sort of man capable of killing the Young Duke."

"Then I have nothing more to say. I've never seen the Young Duke Yurei or his knights."

"The questions are mine to ask. You simply answer them."

"What?"

The investigator produced a crystal orb.

At first glance, it appeared ordinary.

But the Mana and Spellcraft contained within it were anything but.

After finishing his preparations, he asked,

"Let's start with something simple. Your name is William Miller?"

"That's right."

As William answered, the crystal glowed green.

It was an Orb of Truth.

"You were once a knight apprentice under House Yurei?"

"Correct."

Green.

"And later became the leader of a large refugee group before coming here?"

"Correct."

Green again.

"Are you satisfied with your position as Captain of the Public Security Force?"

"I am."

"Hmm... I don't think so."

The orb glowed red.

A lie.

"You may say that, but you can't deceive your own heart."

"..."

"A promising knight apprentice reduced to nothing more than a village captain. You may find meaning in your work, but do you really expect me to believe someone who once stood so high feels completely satisfied?"

"I've never thought otherwise."

Red again.

William asked himself...

Do I truly have no desire to rise higher?

Impossible.

He knew the answer better than anyone.

Sometimes...

He regretted it.

If only I had closed my eyes that one time...

I wouldn't have suffered like this.

"Do you know what kind of man your lord truly is?"

"I do."

"Do you also know that he's a Black Mage?"

"..."

William's face stiffened.

He had never told anyone.

But...

He had harbored his own suspicions.

He had sensed it clearly whenever Ferda lost control of his emotions.

That Ferda possessed a Red Circle.

And most mages who possessed a Red Circle were practitioners of Black Magic.

Still...

It wasn't William's place to judge.

So he had buried those doubts deep inside.

"No answer?"

"...I don't know."

Red again.

"Even if he's a Black Mage, it's still nothing more than suspicion in my heart. What I do know is that he's devoted himself to the Far East."

"Devoted himself..."

The investigator slowly nodded.

"Then let me ask you one more thing."

"What do you think of a Black Mage with a Red Circle showing mercy?"

Having walked the path of an elite knight, William answered without hesitation.

"It would be extremely dangerous."

Black Mages always had ulterior motives.

Their mercy and generosity always concealed cruel blades and deadly poison.

"And do you believe Regent Ferda is different?"

"There are no exceptions among Black Mages."

"Every one of them is the same. Policies made for the people are nothing more than tossing feed to pigs. They gorge themselves without understanding anything, only to realize the truth on the day they're led to slaughter. 'I should have escaped this place much sooner'."

"..."

"Wasn't the reason you fled Duke Yurei's territory to save innocent people from dying unjustly?"

"..."

"You escaped a pit of thorns... only to find yourself standing before a pit of fire. Would you simply accept such a fate?"

William bit his lip.

If only he himself were to die...

That would be one thing.

But imagining the people of Hestia Village suffering...

It broke his heart.

Imagining himself one day regretting his own foolishness...

That thought was unbearable.

"You're a righteous man. You cannot forgive injustice standing before your eyes. Shouldn't you uphold justice?"

Justice...

William unconsciously looked down at his injured hand.

The wound where the dagger had pierced it had yet to heal completely.

Whenever the pain returned...

So did the memories.

The rage Regent Ferda had shown.

And the black aura surrounding his body.

That's right...

That day...

It wouldn't have been strange if Ferda had killed him.

The terror he felt then remained vividly etched into his memory.

What rose within me at that terrifying moment...

Was anger.

That anger still lingered in William's heart.

Closing his eyes in thought...

He finally made his decision.

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

"Tomorrow, Regent Ferda will be named the murderer of the Young Duke Yurei. All you need to do is let people know he possesses a Red Circle and that he's an emotional time bomb. You don't even have to accuse him directly. Just show them that injured hand of yours and play a supporting role."

The investigator gestured toward William's bandaged hand with his chin.

"And what do I get in return?"

The man looked at William in surprise before answering,

"Crown Prince Alexander Arken will appoint you as one of his Guardian Knights. If you don't wish to become an Imperial Knight, you'll be granted territory instead. You can settle there and live however you please."

"..."

To receive land...

To move there and begin a new life.

To uphold the justice he believed in.

That was every knight's dream.

William was no exception.

"...Very well."

"Then I can take that as a definite agreement to cooperate?"

"I will expose his atrocities."

The Orb of Truth glowed green.

The investigator smiled broadly and rose to his feet.

"Then let's be on our way. There's someone who's been eagerly waiting to hear that you've agreed to cooperate."

William set down his beer and followed the investigator.

Time was short, so they needed the fastest means of travel.

The investigator cast Teleport Magic, transporting both of them together.

And that was how William now stood before the Golden Council.

Only two people occupied William's vision.

His former lord—

Duke Yurei.

And his current lord—

Regent Ferda.

Duke Yurei's glare pierced him.

William couldn't blame him.

After all, the Duke had fed him, sheltered him, and trained him...

Only for William to betray him by siding with rebels.

"Sir William, would you please give your testimony regarding Regent Ferda?"

At the Chairman's request, William instinctively turned toward Ferda.

His gaze was immediately drawn to Count Consilus, whose Adam's apple bobbed violently as though he were struggling to suppress the fury born from betrayal.

If even his closest aide is this angry...

Then how does Ferda feel?

Ferda simply stood there with his arms crossed.

Unlike Consilus, there wasn't a trace of resentment or bitterness on his face.

His eyes were calm.

Steady.

Like the surface of a deep lake.

"Regent Ferda..."

Looking into those eyes...

William became certain.

That standing on this podium had been the right choice.

"He is a man who has devoted himself to the common people more than anyone else."

***

With that single sentence from William—the very man who had supposedly come to expose Ferda's true nature—the atmosphere split in two.

The most obvious change appeared on Alexander's face.

His trusted subordinate had assured him William had been completely persuaded.

Yet here William was, giving testimony that was the exact opposite of what he had been expected to say.

I was told Ferda stabbed the back of his hand...

A knight's hands were his life.

Alexander knew exactly how insulting and humiliating it was to injure one.

And he had also been told William had been furious.

A man who had lived as a knight all his life should never have been able to forgive Ferda.

To stop William from shifting the direction of the hearing, Alexander suddenly interrupted.

"Just a moment, Sir William!"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"As I understand it, that stab wound was inflicted by Regent Ferda?"

If William tried to lie by saying he'd merely fallen while drunk, Alexander intended to accuse him of violating his oath to speak nothing but the truth.

"That is correct."

William admitted it without hesitation.

"Even for a lord, injuring a knight's hand is a serious offense, is it not?"

"That punishment applies to knights. I am not a knight—I am the Captain of the Public Security Force. Therefore, it was a punishment I deserved."

There was no denying it.

Ferda had acted emotionally that day.

Even now, every time William looked at the scar on the back of his hand, he vividly remembered the emotions Ferda had shown.

But after that...

Nothing happened.

Despite the fact that William, as Captain of the Public Security Force, had committed the grave crime of helping abduct a princess because he let his emotions get the better of him...

Ferda never pursued the matter any further.

"He chose to end my punishment with nothing more than this. I remain grateful for his mercy."

At the same time, anger welled up inside William.

Not toward Ferda.

Toward himself.

For making such a foolish choice.

"Sir William, you came here to expose Regent Ferda. If your purpose is to praise him, then step down from the podium immediately."

"It is true that I came here to expose someone."

Only...

Not the person everyone expected.

William shifted his gaze away from Ferda.

This time, it landed on Duke Yurei.

"The reason I wished to stand here... was to expose Duke Yurei's tyranny!"

He revealed everything he had witnessed while walking the path of an elite knight within Duke Yurei's territory.

"He refused to take responsibility for my failures! He ruined the people's lives with excessive taxation! He branded anyone who refused to submit as traitors and squeezed them dry! That is the true tyrant!"

Public opinion, which had been steadily turning against Ferda, suddenly came to a halt.

The lifeless expression on Count Consilus's face brightened.

Curious why Ferda himself had remained completely unfazed, Consilus quietly asked,

"Your Excellency... did you know Captain William would do this?"

"I had a feeling."

"'A feeling'?"

"I wasn't certain myself. He came here without telling me."

"If he was planning this, the least he could've done was give us a hint. He nearly gave us all heart attacks."

Though Ferda admitted he hadn't been certain...

He had trusted William.

The reason Ferda had brought William to the Far East in the first place was because he believed there was true chivalry in the man's heart.

That very belief had made William's involvement in the princess's escape all the more painful.

Had William uttered even the slightest nonsense today...

Ferda had been fully prepared to kill him on the spot.

But William hadn't.

Because what had happened before wasn't malice.

It had been a mistake.

And Ferda believed William would never make that mistake again.

That belief had now been proven before everyone.

William was still...

A noble knight.

Alexander covered part of his face with one hand.

But not even that hand could conceal the crimson color spreading across his skin like a ripe chili pepper.

Valdemar Golt had been made to look just as foolish.

Yet unlike Alexander, he showed no sign of agitation.

Either he truly wasn't shaken...

Or he simply hid it better.

As William continued speaking, Marquess Akard Dvelung stepped forward.

"Sir William, your revelations are all well and good, but today's hearing is meant to determine Regent Ferda's character. Please keep your remarks limited to that."

Understanding that he was being asked to get to the point, William answered,

"If Regent Ferda says he did not kill the Young Duke Yurei, then I believe he did not kill him. And even if he did... I believe he would have had a justifiable reason, exactly as he claimed."

"...Very well. You may step down."

As William descended from the podium, he glanced toward Duke Yurei.

The Duke's face had turned bright red with rage.

"Miller... How dare you..."

"..."

William remained silent.

He couldn't wear a relieved expression simply because he had spoken the truth.

The fact remained...

He had betrayed his former lord.

Yet thanks to William infiltrating the enemy while pretending to stand with them, they could no longer treat Ferda carelessly.

Having waited in silence until now...

Ferda finally chose to speak.