A Barbaric Proposal Side Story 34

※Duel Without Swords※

Digging for secrets personally was far too laborious. Furthermore, when the targets were Randall and Fermos, the task was nearly impossible. Thus, Shellan sought a different approach: she would utilize someone capable of doing the work for her.

[Ashker] "Hm... Where exactly did you hear such a thing, Princess?"

It wasn't a simple feat. It wasn't that the knights were clever enough to see through her schemes, but rather that their foundation was built upon unyielding loyalty.

[Shellan] "Does that matter? What matters is the fact that a secret exists."

[Ashker] "Forgive me, Princess, but I find it hard to believe there is a secret within the Knights—especially one that an outsider would notice before us."

This was exactly the reaction the brilliant Shellan had anticipated.

[Shellan] "I understand your skepticism, Sir Ashker. But instead of doubting my source, why not ask them directly?"

[Ashker] "Hmph. I suppose I should."

[Shellan] "Even if you discover the truth, you don't need to tell me. I’m not actually interested in the Knights' secrets."

With that, she turned away gracefully, a satisfied smile playing on her lips.

---

[Fermos] "What? Those crazy bastards!"

Fermos, having just reviewed a freshly delivered secret missive, burst into a sudden rage.

[Randall] "What is it?"

[Fermos] "The rabbits have left their burrows."

[Randall] "Are they insane? Already?"

[Fermos] "Exactly. Those idiots. Isn't this peak piracy season? What reason do they have to crawl onto land now?"

[Randall] "Is the information reliable?"

[Fermos] "Don't even ask. It’s the source I always use."

[Randall] "Hah. This is quite the development."

Fermos had planned his vacation for the winter. Since it was currently early summer, his leave was still a long way off. However, Fermos, already buzzing with anticipation, had been using informants to track the movements of the Rambasol pirates.

Piracy was undeniably a seasonal profession, particularly for a crew like Rambasol that maintained a strict territory. While some crews shifted waters to avoid the cold, they did not.

They spent their summers plundering to their hearts' content before heading ashore to weather the winter before the ports froze, sailing their ships again in the spring. It was a lucrative, clockwork lifestyle.

[Randall] "What’s their reason? Surely they haven't retired?"

His expression grew serious.

At this stage, the one thing they didn't want to hear was that Rambasol had "washed their hands" of crime. There was no satisfaction in hunting down retired pirates; the glory lay in catching them in the act.

[Fermos] "No. There's no mention of that."

[Randall] "Then why? Why would men who should be in the middle of the sea suddenly..."

[Fermos] "Wait, that’s it."

He cut Randall off, a thought striking him.

[Fermos] "Unless the season has changed, those rabbits never leave their burrows. Which means... perhaps?"

[Randall] "Perhaps?"

There were a few reasons for pirates to rush to the mainland—specifically to a city like Blue Warren—in the middle of their season.

[Fermos] "They have loot to move. Something urgent."

[Randall] "If that’s the case...!"

Their eye flared with excitement.

It was a plausible theory. Rambasol had pillaged something that couldn't be kept on a ship until winter—something that needed to be fenced immediately. They were likely crawling onto land even at the cost of abandoning their current campaign. This meant that taking their head would be ten times more rewarding.

[Fermos] "I need to squeeze the informant more. I’ll have them find out exactly what those rabbits are carrying."

[Randall] "Yes, do it quickly."

[Fermos] "And you’re going to contribute."

[Randall] "What? Contribute what?"

[Fermos] "Information isn't cheap. Besides, I’ve been paying for this out of my own pocket."

[Randall] "How can a Chancellor squeeze the pocket change of a simple swordsman? Where have you hidden the fortune you've piled up?"

[Fermos] "Do you think I’m doing this because I’m stingy?"

[Randall] "Yes."

[Fermos] "I’m doing it to ensure you’re genuinely committed to this mission."

[Randall] "Don't worry about that. I’ll be so aggressive you'll have to hold me back."

[Fermos] "What if you suddenly back out?"

[Randall] "Why would I do something so insane?"

[Fermos] "One never knows. You might want to join now, but you could decide your vacation days are too precious later."

Randall let out a scoff of disbelief.

[Randall] "If I didn't have a vacation, I’d take an unauthorized leave just for this. What a ridiculous worry..."

[Fermos] "Which is why you should contribute. I won't ask for much."

[Randall] "Honestly. Will that paranoia of yours ever be cured?"

[Fermos] "Not until I'm in a coffin. Anyway, you're paying, right?"

In truth, his lack of trust was a mere excuse. If he were doing this alone, he would naturally foot the bill. But since Randall was muscling in on the fun, there was no way Fermos would let him off for free. Expenses had to be shared.

[Randall] "Fine, I’ll pay a little. But you, as the Chancellor, are paying for our food and lodging when we get there."

[Fermos] "How petty. Why worry about such small things? Now, about the amount—"

[Ashker] "Wow, so it was true."

A third voice suddenly joined the conversation.

[Fermos] "Gah! What the—!"

[Randall] "Who goes there!"

They nearly jumped out of their skins as Ashker’s head popped up from beneath the desk. He glared at them while massaging his arm, which had gone numb from being cramped into such a small space.

[Ashker] "What’s all this about 'rabbits,' hm?"

[Fermos] "You brat! Why were you hiding in there?"

[Randall] "This is insubordination! Why are you suddenly acting so out of character?"

[Ashker] "Seeing as you won't give me a straight answer, the Princess was right."

At the mention of Shellan, the color drained from the faces of both Fermos and Randall.

[Fermos] "The... the Princess? Why does she come into this?"

[Ashker] "Don't the two of you know better than anyone?"

They both exchanged a panicked glance.

To extend their own fun by even a day, they were currently committing the bad act of detaining children who were crying for their parents.

They weren't entirely without a conscience. If Princess Shellan had discovered their secret, they shouldn't be thinking about hunting pirates; they should be running to her to beg for forgiveness.

[Fermos] "What exactly did she say?"

He asked, his face turning pale.

---

[Shellan] "Sir Fermos."

[Fermos] "Yes, Princess Shellan."

The two sat across from each other. It was merely a cute child facing a handsome young man, yet the atmosphere was frigid.

Fermos watched her with his hands clasped beneath his nose. Shellan leaned her chin on one hand, a bright smile on her face.

Despite the smile, the air remained chilly. While the two leads were composed, the expressions of the surrounding servants were stiff with tension. They couldn't quite explain why, but the air felt heavy. It hadn't even been this intense when Shellan and Fermos played chess with a year’s worth of allowance on the line.

[Fermos] "What is it you desire?"

[Shellan] "I don't believe you’re unaware of that, Sir."

[Fermos] "Actually, I am."

He replied with a look of utmost gravity.

[Fermos] "I understood that Your Highness wished to go to Bellisa. That is why you tried so hard to contact Renfel. However, I fail to see the intent behind trying to cause a rift within the Knights based on groundless speculation. Doing so won't get you to Bellisa, will it?"

[Shellan] "Groundless speculation? You’re using vague and emotional language that doesn't suit you, Sir."

Her smile widened.

[Shellan] "You can't deny it, can you?"

[Fermos] "......"

She was right. Fermos hid his fluster with a small gesture, rubbing his eyebrow with a fingertip.

[Fermos] "It seems Your Highness is the one avoiding the answer. I shall ask again. What do you hope to gain by undermining the unity of the Knights?"

[Shellan] "Hm... the tense of your sentence is wrong."

[Fermos] "How so?"

[Shellan] "I haven't undermined the unity of the Knights yet—that’s a future plan. And as for what I hope to gain, I’ve already obtained it."

His mouth hung open as if he had been struck.

[Fermos] "Does that mean...!"

[Shellan] "Yes."

The conversation felt less like a chat and more like a duel fought with invisible swords.

[Shellan] "What I wanted to gain was a negotiation with you. And the unity of the Knights will be maintained—depending on the outcome of that negotiation."

She was essentially threatening him: if he didn't listen, she would go to every single knight in the Arsak Knights and tell them Fermos was keeping secrets. Ashker was only the beginning.

He wiped his brow.

[Fermos] "Princess."

[Shellan] "So, when are we leaving for Bellisa?"

He wiped his brow again.

It had been a long time since he had felt the urge to wipe away a cold sweat that wasn't even there. The last person to make him feel this way was a young, hot-blooded Black.

In other words, Fermos had no way of winning against Shellan.

[Fermos] "That is... difficult at the moment."

[Shellan] "Why? Because Father will be angry?"

[Fermos] "Well,"

[Shellan] "But would he be less angry if the Arsak Knights started fighting amongst themselves because you and Sir Randall decided to keep secrets?"

[Fermos] "Haaa... Princess,"

Fermos calculated the possibilities of what would happen if the entire Knights found out about his "rabbit hunt" as Shellan threatened. It would be a headache. He would have to struggle to keep the others from demanding to join in.

But it was still better than the vacation being cancelled entirely.

[Fermos] "Forgive me for not complying. I would rather risk my secret being exposed than disobey His Majesty’s command. My secret is undeniably less significant than the security of the Nauk Royal Family."

He braced himself for Shellan to screw up her cute face and cry about betrayal, wounding his conscience. But she was eight years old. She was smarter than he had ever given her credit for.

[Shellan] "So the negotiation has failed. That is why I prepared my next move."

[Fermos] "What? What do you mean by that?"

[Shellan] "I asked Sir Ashker earlier."

[Fermos] "And what did he say?"

Fermos remained confident. No matter how loose-lipped Ashker was, there was no way he would have mentioned the rabbit hunt to the Princess.

[Shellan] "You needn't worry. Sir Ashker doesn't actually know your secret. However, I was able to learn that you received a secret missive today."

[Fermos] "Wait!"

He bolted upright from his seat instinctively. At that same moment, Shellan smirked.

[Shellan] "Guess where Dief is right now?"

It was the smirk of a winner.

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