Chapter 39: A Spark in the Shadows

Awakening to the morning sunlight, Hans gazed around his room.

The chamber, assigned by Count Cheimon, was one reserved for honored guests.

My body feels at ease.

After enduring Lawrence’s torturous interrogation, the generous sum provided by the Count had secured divine healing from a formal priest.

It wasn’t enough to regrow lost teeth, but it sufficed to mend his battered body.

Over the past month in the Kargas Barony, he’d fed various pieces of information to Count Cheimon.

As a result, the Count received news of the Archduke before any other branch family.

This was precisely why trust in Hans had grown so rapidly.

The Archduke will make his move soon.

Lawrence’s talk of forming an intelligence network was no empty boast.

Somehow, a servant in the Count’s household regularly delivered the latest updates from the Kargas Barony.

The most recent news?

The Archduke had returned to the Kargas Barony.

He’s about to strike the Romenton Baron’s Family.

After a quick wash, Hans headed to the Count’s office.

“You’re here?” Count Cheimon greeted.

“Yes, Count. I have news to share.”

“What is it?”

“The Archduke has returned.”

“Truly?”

“Yes. I received the news just this morning.”

A subtle smile curved Cheimon’s lips. To ensure he never missed updates on the Archduke, he’d given a communication crystal to someone in the Inner Castle working with Hans.

The effect was already evident.

“I heard the Archduke was bustling about this morning. He’s likely preparing to move in earnest soon.”

“You’re certain he’s targeting the Romenton Baron’s Family?”

“Yes. While he was away, I gathered various pieces of information. Putting them together, I’m convinced his next destination is the Romenton Baron’s Family.”

Cheimon nodded at Hans’s words. During the Archduke’s absence, he’d clashed repeatedly with Irdan.

A traitor who abandons allies.

That’s what Irdan had been saying lately.

Let’s see how you act.

If the Romenton Baron’s Family fell, Irdan would inevitably clash with the Archduke. He’d made bold claims, after all.

That’s why you shouldn’t run your mouth.

Despite accusations of being a fence-sitter, Cheimon had stayed cautious for this very reason.

“Hans.”

“Yes, Count.”

“If the Archduke’s next target is indeed there, I’ll value you even more than I do now.”

Guessing the Archduke’s target alone proved Hans’s worth. At the Count’s words, Hans bowed deeply. He was embedding himself deeper into the Count’s household.

The carriage rolled out of the Kargas Barony. Six hours after crossing the border—

A village came into view.

“That’s Polaris Village,” Silvia noted.

One of the villages under the Romenton Baron’s Family. The carriage entered the village. The sight of the elegant carriage left the villagers wide-eyed.

It clearly carried someone of importance.

Soon, the village chief and several residents hurried out.

Two figures stepped down from the stopped carriage. One, dressed in refined noble attire, looked like an aristocrat; the other seemed to be his attendant.

Not from the Romenton Baron’s Family…

From Baron Jifron to his heirs, the chief knew their faces by heart.

But none matched the figures before him.

He bowed, hesitant to ask their identities.

The young man produced a round object.

The chief and villagers’ eyes widened.

A crest.

One bearing the unmistakable emblem of a noble lineage.

“T-The Archduke of Ardan!”

“We greet the Archduke!”

Everyone dropped to their knees.

The Ardan Ducal House was the only noble family treated on par with royalty.

No mistakes could be afforded. The Archduke addressed the chief.

“I have questions.”

“Yes. Command me as you wish.”

“First, can you gather everyone in the village?”

“Of course! If you give us thirty minutes…”

“Do it.”

The chief signaled the villagers. Who would dare defy such an order?

They scattered in a frenzy.

Only the chief remained.

Archduke Ethan.

He silently surveyed the village. The silence wasn’t awkward—it felt natural.

The chief found it more comfortable.

Prolonged conversation with such a figure risked a slip of the tongue.

It didn’t take long to gather everyone.

Ethan scanned the crowd. The children stood out—emaciated, as if they hadn’t eaten proper porridge.

His gaze shifted to the villagers’ hands.

Cracked, calloused. Clearly not the hands of idlers.

He recalled a distant memory.

Long ago, in his past life.

He’d toured the Ducal Territory with his father.

The people’s faces were weary then, too, but not this gaunt.

Poverty couldn’t be eradicated completely.

Ethan didn’t deny that.

But—

Villagers working hard yet unable to afford a single decent meal?

That was a failure of the lord’s basic duty.

Ensuring a minimum standard of living.

That was the responsibility of a region’s ruler.

Filthy scum.

The Romenton Baron’s Family.

No different from the Kargas Barony.

“I have one question.”

All eyes turned to Ethan.

“Do you think this way of life is normal?”

The villagers recalled the past.

When the previous Duke lived, food was rarely a concern.

The Ducal Territory was a good place to live.

But now?

Each day was unbearable, a far cry from the past.

“As an heir of the Ardan Ducal House, I punished Baron Helmut. He extorted beyond reason.”

The villagers nodded. They’d heard of the events in the Kargas Barony.

A tyrant baron beheaded in one stroke.

Could it be…?

Hope flickered in some villagers’ eyes.

Ethan continued.

“That place was a hell. No food, children starving, survivors reduced to beggars in back alleys. I ask—is it the same here?”

The villagers’ eyes darted nervously.

Taxes were a sensitive issue for commoners and nobles alike.

A wrong word could bring Baron Jifron’s wrath.

“Look at this.”

Ethan produced a letter, adorned with an elegant seal. Murmurs spread among the villagers.

“That’s…”

“The royal emblem?”

“Anyone here can read?”

At Ethan’s question, the chief raised his hand. Taking the letter, he read aloud.

“This is…”

“His Majesty decreed that the Ducal Territory’s affairs are for me and the branch families to resolve. If Baron Jifron has imposed harsh taxes like Baron Helmut… I’ll deal with him my way.”

They didn’t need to ask what that meant.

They’d heard what happened to the neighboring baron.

The crowd fell silent.

They instinctively knew this moment could be a turning point in their wretched reality.

Gulp.

Everyone swallowed hard.

The Romenton Barony was as harsh as the Kargas Barony.

Murderous taxes and extortion were rampant.

If the lord of this barony changed?

We might not go hungry anymore…!

Hope gleamed in some villagers’ eyes.

“Y-Yes! That bastard Jifron’s taxes are outrageous! Everyone knows it!” one villager shouted angrily.

Once one spoke, complaints poured out.

“Chief, is he telling the truth?” Ethan asked.

The chief hesitated, then shut his eyes tightly. With things escalating this far, hiding was pointless.

It was just stating the truth.

“Yes.”

“Is there a ledger of the village’s taxes?”

“Y-Yes.”

“Hand it over, and I’ll replace your lord soon.”

The chief’s eyes trembled.

He’d heard the rumors from the Kargas Barony.

Since the Archduke took over, its people lived like humans again.

A true hero’s heir, exceptional in every way.

How they’d longed for such salvation!

This could be their chance.

The chief, eyes shut, answered.

“I’ll hand it over!”

“Thank you.”

Ethan produced a few gold coins.

“Good news will come soon. Hold a festival for a few days. Feed the children.”

“T-Thank you, Archduke.”

Tears streamed down the chief’s face.

The Archduke was their only hope now.

After handing over the coins—

Ethan and Silvia boarded the carriage.

“Six villages on the way, correct?” Ethan asked.

“Yes. I’ve already planted agitators. You should obtain the ledgers without much trouble.”

“Was that villager one of them?”

“Yes. He was easy to sway. His resentment toward Baron Jifron had reached its limit.”

Ethan nodded, satisfied. The villager’s timing was impeccable.

Had he not spoken out first, convincing the chief to hand over the ledger would’ve taken longer.

“You used the intelligence network you mentioned?”

“Correct.”

“Keep nurturing it. Let me know if you need financial support.”

To achieve this in less than two months since forming the network was impressive. It promised even better results in the future.

Silvia bowed deeply.

“Thank you.”

Baron Jifron.

Their destination.

The carriage stopped six times, collecting six ledgers.

As it passed through villages, it neared a city.

The small city of Uldron.

A massive outer wall encircled it—the heart of the Romenton Baron’s Family, the barony’s capital.

The carriage stopped at the gate, and an inspection began.

“Who are—”

A hand extended through the carriage window, holding a crest. The guard’s eyes widened.

Two months ago—

News of the Kargas Barony’s fall had spread to neighboring lands.

[Ethan Ardan]

The golden gleam of the crest highlighted the name. The guard swallowed hard.

“I-I greet the Archduke.”

“May I pass?”

“Of course.”

There was no grounds to stop him, especially for a mere guard.

As the carriage entered, the guard frantically activated a communication crystal.

—What’s the matter?

Facing the knight commander in the crystal, the guard spoke urgently.

“Just now, the Archduke entered the outer wall! He’s heading toward the Inner Castle!”

—What?

The stunned knight commander raced toward Baron Jifron’s office.

A bomb had entered the city, and the news had to reach the Baron immediately.

In his haste, he forgot to deactivate the communication crystal.