The Founding Monarch Became the Mastermind

Chapter 64

“We must head to Sionia immediately tomorrow.”

“That’s right. Waiting any longer is pointless, Governor.”

The local gentry and influential figures around Paloma who followed Gede raised their voices.

This was the third scout team they had sent to assess the situation in Sionia, and they had yet to return.

Their patience was wearing thin.

“……”

But Gede remained deep in thought, unable to provide an easy answer.

It was undoubtedly strange that the scouts had not returned and that there had been no response from Sionia or the Twin-headed Eagle Castle for three days.

However, it was also possible that the high-ranking nobles at the Twin-headed Eagle Castle were embroiled in a heated debate, unable to make a decision, which was within the realm of acceptable deviations.

But the real reason Gede was troubled lay elsewhere.

‘They should have joined us no later than yesterday. What on earth happened?’

The mercenaries sent from the Pamel Count’s family, his in-laws, had not arrived yet.

He had sent a steward as a guide, so there was no chance they had gotten lost within the duchy.

The only answer left was that something had happened in the Forest Without Echoes.

However, even that seemed unlikely.

‘Count Pamel hired wandering elves. It makes no sense that they got lost in the forest.’

Did they encounter a large monster?

Even if that were the case, it was impossible for them to have been wiped out.

At least half of them should have crossed the forest and joined by now.

The same would apply if they had encountered the elves of Buksan, who treated the forest like their backyard.

Elven rangers moved in small elite groups, never more than ten.

If the elven rangers had spotted their forces and taken action, Sionia would be in turmoil by now, but there were no signs of movement.

This meant they hadn’t been discovered by the elven rangers either.

Even in the worst-case scenario, at least a few of them should have survived, rejoined the steward, and made their way here.

‘So what on earth is it?’

Gede’s frustration grew as he listened to the urging of the knights and gentry with a stern expression.

“Make a decision.”

All eyes were on Gede.

Gede let out a long sigh inwardly and raised his head.

“One day. Let’s wait just one more day.”

“Governor.”

“I will send one last scouting team. If there is no change or progress by noon tomorrow… we will march.”

Although the plan had been disrupted, it wasn’t hopeless yet.

There was no movement in Sionia, and the regions where other direct lines had settled were also quiet.

This indicated that the overall situation remained unaffected.

The gentry exchanged glances at Gede’s words. It wasn’t entirely satisfactory, but it was acceptable.

“A wise decision.”

“Haha! This will keep everything on track.”

“I’m glad you are satisfied. Let’s have the soldiers make preparations and rest well tonight.”

“Understood.”

“Have a good night.”

With more relaxed expressions, the knights and gentry exited Gede’s tent.

“Father.”

Gede’s eldest son, Hozat, who had been standing silently until then, approached him.

“They are greedy and foolish men. Don’t pay them too much mind.”

“You’re right. But even such men judged that the path of Si-on lay with me, not Blint. We can’t afford to be soft on them.”

“Of course. However…”

Though it was just the two of them, Hozat glanced around the tent before speaking in a low voice.

“Once the grand plan is complete, they too must be dealt with, mustn’t they? I think it would be wise to shortlist a few candidates even now.”

“I’ve already shortlisted them, so don’t worry.”

Hozat grinned broadly at Gede’s response, as if he had expected as much.

“Anyway, we need the support of the high-ranking nobles and even those gentry. Unless we have absolute royal power like the King of Obla, we have no choice.”

“Sigh… it’s truly frustrating. Why did the Founding Patriarch decentralize power? A strong monarch and competent, obedient retainers should be enough.”

Hozat lamented.

As he said, the power structure of the Si-on Duchy was different not only from other territories but also from the Obla royal city.

Though the duke’s power was very great and strong, decisions on actual administration were often made directly by high-ranking nobles, with reports sent only to the duke.

The structure had been established by Duke Jang Si-on, the ancestor, and Duke Jang Theo, the second duke.

“The Centurions are the same. Either they should be granted manors and knighted, or they should be abolished altogether. As it stands, they’re neither one thing nor the other. How long must we endure watching those who aren’t even knights strutting around, flaunting their influence?”

The Centurion families, known as the gentry, were a unique class found only in the Si-on Duchy.

Initially, they had been village leaders and militia captains with both authority and duties, but over time, most of them had become landlords of towns or larger villages.

Their authority and duties had been reduced, but their wealth and influence had grown.

Hozat was not pleased with this.

Gede, Hozat, and many others bearing the Si-on name believed that the true leadership of the duchy belonged only to themselves and the few high-ranking noble families who had originally followed Princess Stella.

It was said that during Duke Jang Si-on’s reign, the Centurions didn’t dare lift their heads in his presence.

But now?

The gentry were raising their heads high and even pressuring Gede, who was soon to ascend as the next duke.

Gede—no, the Si-ons—were appeasing the gentry.

“Just endure a little longer. Once your father rises to power, all will be resolved. By the time you succeed me, the duchy will be great once more. Ten years at the shortest, twenty at the longest.”

“I apologize, Father. I will do my best to make it so.”

Hozat quickly bowed his head. But his heart pounded loudly.

In as little as ten years, he would become Duke Si-on!

“By the way, Father. What do you plan to do with that woman? She’s the only one who knows about the poison; shouldn’t we deal with her immediately…?”

“If her deeds are exposed, there will be sufficient grounds to sentence her to death. We cannot let a witch who killed her husband, the duke, and two of his legitimate children—even if they weren’t her own—go unpunished.”

Despite the mercenaries sent by Count Pamel not joining and the scouts not returning to Sionia, Gede remained steadfast because of this.

He knew that Katrina Bello, Blint’s birth mother, had poisoned her husband, the former Duke Brian Si-on, and his legitimate sons.

If this fact were revealed, Blint’s legitimacy would crumble entirely.

“Then… do you plan not to reveal the rest?”

Hozat’s voice grew sly.

The mother had poisoned her husband and the heirs, and the son was not even the legitimate child of the late duke.

Blint himself didn’t know this truth, and only Katrina, Gede, and Hozat were aware.

Because it was Gede and Hozat who had arranged for Katrina to conceive Blint with another man.

“The knight who fathered him is dead. Unless that crazy woman opens her mouth, only you and I know the truth.”

“Hmm. What are you suggesting?”

Gede pretended not to understand, even though he could guess his son’s intent.

Hozat’s eyes shone with a lingering desire, if not as intense as his ambition for the dukedom.

“After sentencing her to death, how about quietly confining her somewhere in Paloma? If we hold her life over her, we could seize the Bello family’s wealth. There’s no way her father and brother could pretend ignorance after what she’s done.”

Hozat’s words feigned concern for wealth, but Gede knew what he truly desired.

“Didn’t I tell you many times? A ruler must be shameless. Whether it’s your ambition for the dukedom or your desire for women, be honest about it. Your father doesn’t see that as a flaw.”

“Ah… Haha, my apologies.”

Hozat scratched his head awkwardly.

Indeed, Hozat lusted after Katrina, his uncle’s wife, even though she was a concubine.

And Gede felt the same.

Twisted jealousy and inferiority toward his brilliant yet frail brother Brian had fueled his desire for his sister-in-law.

Both father and son intended to claim Katrina, the seductive woman whose beauty and figure were still captivating in her mid-thirties.

“And, Father. I will personally handle the matter of that lowborn bastard. It doesn’t seem right to leave it to others.”

Hozat hated Blint to the point of loathing.

He knew whose blood Blint carried.

Despite not being a true Si-on, Blint had acted high and mighty as the duke’s son and his cousin, flaunting his position even in front of Hozat, who was more than ten years his senior.

For the past ten years, he had endured for the sake of his father and the family’s grand plan, but now it was over.

“Indeed, that’s the way. Such an important task must be handled personally to avoid complications.”

“Of course.”

They had manipulated their sister-in-law into poisoning her husband and his sons.

They intended to share the wife of the duke who had committed a heinous crime.

And they planned to kill Blint, whom they had treated as a nephew and cousin for over ten years, even if he wasn’t of their blood.

Despite it all, the two men felt no remorse.

– The Great Si-on

That belief had worn away their conscience and justified their actions.

Their conviction that only they could restore Si-on’s greatness had turned them into monsters.

But the two monsters were unaware.

Someone was silently watching them.

“Then rest early, Father.”

“Yes. Tomorrow, a new world will dawn. You and I will make Si-on great onc—”

“Yapping away with your bullshit.”

A low, growling voice, as if it carried a beast’s rumbling undertone, froze the father and son in place.

* * *

Shortly after re-registering the Twin-headed Eagle Castle as a stronghold and accepting those who still held loyalty as clan members, Si-on realized one thing.

The various techniques he had learned long ago, simply to avoid experiencing death again, were all ‘skills.’

The masters who had taught him those skills—geniuses and killers of their time—were the ‘Masters’ of their respective fields, and Si-on had used those skills to kill many of them.

He had surpassed his teachers.

One of those who praised Si-on while dying, pleased to see his disciple exceed him, was the contemporary king of assassins known as Black Night.

Si-on had used some of Black Night’s skills when he eliminated the wandering elves and mercenaries sent by Count Pamel in the Forest Without Echoes.

However, since there were too many eyes watching, he couldn’t reveal everything.

He had shown just enough for his allies, including the elf warriors, to know that he was skilled in infiltration and ambush.

But today, without his entourage and prepared to kill everyone within a 300-meter radius if necessary, he no longer needed to hold back.

Si-on slipped silently into the encampment where numerous knights and soldiers were staying, left no trace or sound, and entered the tent.

After incapacitating the two guards on duty, he revealed himself to the two men who were worse than beasts.

“W-who are you?”

“Father!”

Gede stepped back in surprise while Hozat drew his sword and stood by his father.

The father and son glared at the intruder, who was comfortably sitting in a chair with his legs crossed.

The face, calm and indifferent, was astonishingly young. But the shock at the youthful face lasted only a moment.

The handsome, young face reminded both men of one person.

Someone any direct member of the Si-on Ducal Family could not fail to recognize.

“Wh-what…!?”

“This… can’t be…”

Si-on, who had been silently watching the stunned father and son, slowly rose to his feet.

“Originally, I intended to hear you out, whatever excuses you had, since you were still of my blood.”

Whoosh…

The air inside the sealed tent, where no wind could enter, began to ripple.

It wasn’t a mere illusion or feeling.

It was known that the roar of a tiger contained low frequencies that could momentarily paralyze anyone who heard it, whether animal or human.

Si-on had learned this from one of his masters and considered it a ‘killing intent,’ a skill he had put to great use over the years.

But after realizing the existence of skills through the messages, Si-on understood.

Killing intent was low frequency, and he could generate it with his entire body’s muscles or cellular movements, not just his voice.

When humans are exposed to extremely low frequencies detectable by their ears, they either freeze in place or collapse, unable to muster any strength.

And now, Si-on’s killing intent, redefined as a ‘skill,’ rendered the father and son, who had achieved quite a bit as knights, completely unable to speak, as if they were statues.

“You vermin, lower than beasts, are not my descendants.”

“……!!!”

The father and son, realizing who Si-on was from his face and words, could only gape.

In their wide-open eyes, filled with disbelief, Si-on’s figure blurred momentarily.

In an instant, Si-on’s body passed by the two men, who were engulfed in shock, confusion, and disbelief.

With a chilling slice, the two heads slipped off and rolled onto the ground.

“……”

Si-on squatted down briefly, silently staring at the severed heads of the father and son, eyes wide and tongues protruding.

With a dagger that bore no trace of blood, he sliced off each of their tongues.

Grasping the tongues in his hand, Si-on slowly clenched his fist.

Splat.

The tongues of the two, who had spewed their vile words without a second thought, burst in his grip.

Picking up the severed heads, Si-on disappeared from the tent as quietly as he had arrived, like a shadow.

The next morning.

At the entrance of the Paloma encampment, where the troops were stationed, the heads of the father and son were impaled on long spears.