A Well-Behaved Dog

“Wait a moment, Count Consilius! We are representatives of the imperial household.”

Perhaps he had misunderstood, so Karl emphasized it once more.

That their advancement and future lay in their hands.

Consilius patted his shoulder sympathetically.

“You must have had a hard time coming all this way. Yes, it is terrible that the Empire summoned you over something like this and made you accuse an innocent man.”

“Huh? Th-then what exactly do you mean…?”

Wasn’t this a different story?

Count Consilius was unquestionably the one who had spoken at length as though Ferda were a damned bastard.

And now he was changing his mind?

‘No way….’

Karl’s eyes shifted between Ferda and Count Consilius.

No. That was impossible.

There was no such close-knit relationship in noble society.

“What is it?”

“Huh?”

Ferda tilted his head and spoke.

“Call in the next witness.”

Ferda crooked a finger as though counting.

“There are still plenty of witnesses left. Excluding the dead Tesalos Walcher, there are thirteen remaining. Call them all here and have them testify. If even one of them says I’m guilty, your role will be over, won’t it?”

That was the Purge Unit’s power: even if ninety-nine said no, if one said yes, they could send someone away.

But Karl knew there was no chance of victory, even if he called all thirteen of them.

If Count Consilius, the true power of the Far East, denied it, then everyone beneath him would deny it as well.

“If you can’t call the witnesses, bring out something else.”

“W-what…?”

“Don’t you have more charges you brought to tear me down and threaten me? Bring them out.”

The tables had turned.

Karl tried to force himself to act stubborn.

With his trembling hand, he pulled something out from his breast.

“I-I heard that you kidnapped this child.”

It was a sketch of a girl with long, straight hair.

Even from her vacant eyes, he could tell it was Mori.

‘If they’re looking for Mori, then it must be Helus Povidas.’

If Helus Povidas had pointed Ferda out so specifically, it meant he had found the maidservant.

“I see.”

Of course, that threat had no chance of landing.

Karl knew that as well.

But his mind had gone completely blank, and all he could do was try anything.

“I’m afraid you’re mistaken. I bought that child. I received the servant’s consent and had ownership transferred to me. It cannot be called kidnapping.”

“……”

“Still, if you insist, it might not be a bad idea to discuss it with the person in question. So, what’s next?”

Karl did not answer.

Aside from those charges, everything else was trivial.

They were merely things like subtly testing whether he would hand over a few more coins.

He had no cards left.

“Then I suppose I’ll have to speak.”

The turn passed to Ferda.

He turned his gaze toward Count Consilius.

“Count Consilius.”

“Yes. Please speak, Regent.”

He bowed deeply as he responded.

“This man openly demanded money from me.”

“Ha ha, is that so? Since you came such a long way, shouldn’t you at least cover his travel expenses?”

“He demanded one hundred thousand goldens as travel expenses.”

“Ha ha ha! That is quite a large sum.”

“What value does that money have?”

“Its value differs from person to person, so it is difficult to give a definite answer.”

“I see. In terms of money spent on your subjects, how much would it be?”

“It would be enough for our subjects to live for ten years without worrying about food.”

“I see.”

Ferda’s blue eyes glimmered faintly.

“So this man tried to take ten years away from the subjects all by himself?”

“That is correct.”

Consilius also shot Karl a sidelong glance.

The eyes that had been smiling slyly now held unmistakable anger.

“He committed an outrage against heaven and humanity.”

“Ah… ah…”

Even the cat he had called in to corner the rat was in league with it.

Karl, who had never imagined being turned on, began to tremble.

“What do you think, Count? What should we do with this man?”

“Those who demand money under the Empire’s name… That is not something a mere knight should do.”

“Isn’t it? He also demanded that I treat him as though he were the Emperor.”

“Ha ha ha! Surely he would not do such a thing? How dare a mere knight try to put himself on equal footing with His Imperial Majesty?”

“If that were true, what would happen?”

“He would have no grounds for complaint even if he ended up in the same state as Tesalos. Tesalos Walcher had a hole drilled through his forehead, did he not?”

“That is correct.”

Faced with their one-sided conversation, Karl could barely breathe.

No words came out, and he merely looked between the two of them while cold sweat ran down his face.

“But before that… how about formally protesting to the Empire over his demand for money and his impersonation of a member of the imperial family?”

“That sounds like a good idea. But would anyone even listen if someone this young filed a protest?”

“You need not worry. I will arrange it.”

Most nobles knew that the Purge Unit engaged in dirty deeds.

But if someone openly made it an issue, that was different.

No one would dare ignore the words of Count Consilius, who had guarded the front lines until old age.

‘Count Consilius….’

Betrayal clouded Karl’s eyes.

The old man laughing and chatting over there was the one who had trapped him.

‘He trapped me and the Purge Unit!’

Consilius and Ferda Valdrowa had conspired to create this disaster.

Karl tried to make one last desperate struggle.

“W-We are a direct unit! It won’t change just because you lodge a protest…!”

“Do you think so?”

Ferda answered coldly.

“How much are you worth?”

“My worth…?”

“Would it be easier to cover for you, or to cut off your head and set things right by treating this as an individual’s deviation?”

There was no need to ask.

The latter was overwhelmingly preferable.

“And even if you somehow survive, do you think your blood relatives will sit still? Your younger brothers will probably come themselves to cut off your head.”

“What are you talking about…?”

“Think about it, eldest son of House Harvest. You have two younger brothers, don’t you? Even if you are on good terms with them, do you think they would remain still after learning that their older brother had been committing corruption?”

There was no way they would remain still.

They were the sort who had looked enviously at everything Karl enjoyed simply because he had been born first.

If they knew the honor of knighthood, they would cut him down for the glory of their house.

If they were merely vulgar careerists desperate to rise, they would cut him down for the sake of their own advancement.

Karl, whose death would benefit them more than keeping him alive, was easy prey.

Amid everything pressing down on him, Karl finally realized it.

‘It wasn’t the dragon.’

The regent they had mocked until only a few days ago was the one they should have been wary of.

“Speak.”

Ferda’s voice jolted him awake.

He asked coldly, as always.

“What do I look like to you now?”

A sharp chill, as though an icy blade had been placed against his throat.

If he answered incorrectly, it felt as though that blade would cut his throat and dismember him.

Trembling with fear, Karl forced out an answer.

“Th-The great Regent of Valdrowa.”

His voice was steeped in submission.

“That’s right. The one who rules in place of the Grand Duke in the Grand Duchy of Valdrowa.”

Ferda rose from his seat and placed a hand on Karl’s trembling shoulder.

“And I think you should become the master of the Purge Unit.”

A sweet whisper, like that of a demon.

“Do you want to become the master of the Purge Unit, or die nobly for it?”

It was a foolish question.

There was nothing noble about the Purge Unit.

Karl bowed his head deeply.

“Please accept my loyalty.”

Ferda shook his head at the answer.

“I have no need for loyalty as fickle as a reed’s.”

When Karl’s heart sank to the floor, Ferda added,

“What I need is a well-behaved dog.”

“A dog…?”

“A dog that does only what it is told and never does anything pointless. One that wags its tail at the occasional bone and knows how to wait quietly for its master. If you can do that, you’ll have a path to advancement. Do you understand?”

Karl nodded.

“I-I understand. I’ll become a dog. I’ll become your… dog, Regent.”

“Good.”

Ferda patted him on the shoulder.

“Stay here tonight. I have to make a dog collar for you.”

“……Yes.”

The pallor never left his face.

* * *

Karl left the reception room.

By now, he would be enjoying dinner with the subordinates he had brought along.

Of course, for Karl, it was merely a last meal before execution, and he had no idea whether the food was going into his mouth or his nose.

Meanwhile, Ferda spoke with Count Consilius.

Count Consilius explained in full how the Purge Unit had come to be dispatched.

“So the reason the Purge Unit came here so confidently was because of you.”

Count Consilius lowered his head.

“I did something deserving of death, with no room for excuses.”

“It doesn’t matter. So what did you reply to that letter?”

“That you were an incorruptible, enlightened ruler who cared for the Far East…”

Count Consilius smiled slyly.

“I thought I should not answer that way.”

“Why?”

Ferda could guess the reason, but he asked anyway.

“The Purge Unit is like a swarm of locusts. When they smell food, they swarm in, tear everything apart, and disappear. The Far East is pursuing development now. They always attack the weak first, then slowly devour them. Once they set foot inside, it is as good as over.”

That was one of the Purge Unit’s primary strategies.

They slowly isolated places without power, then devoured them.

“However, Regent, your reputation had already been damaged by Tesalos Walcher.”

On the surface, Ferda had already been isolated.

It was enough to make it seem that the nobles were lying in wait to stab him in the back.

If that suspicion was merely confirmed, they could make good use of it.

“You made good use of me.”

“I am sorry for causing you concern. It was all part of my plan, so if you must punish someone, please punish this old man.”

Ferda waved a hand.

“No, it’s fine. You merely dealt with the stray dogs prowling around for the sake of the territory’s development and well-being, did you not?”

“But would it not be unpleasant that I tested the Regent like that?”

“You were honest, so it doesn’t matter. As long as you remain loyal to the Grand Duke, I don’t mind how you use me. I did not come here to enjoy the authority of a king. I came here to devote myself to my king.”

“Ah…”

Count Consilius was capable of easily seeing through the superficial formalities of nobles.

Ferda could clearly feel that his sincerity came from the very marrow of his bones.

“Then tell me. To whom are you loyal?”

“To be honest, I was loyal to the Empire. My heart leaned more toward the Emperor of the Empire than toward the Grand Duke who was closer to me…”

Consilius smiled bitterly as he confessed the truth about himself.

“When people grow old, they become timid. Perhaps that is why, as the years pass, there are times when I forget what made me rise to this position.”

“Have you remembered what you had forgotten now?”

“Yes. Thanks to you, Regent, my eyes have been opened.”

Consilius looked beyond the window.

Not far away, the tainted earth, the Land of Demons, stretched out before them.

Because of its elevated position, it was a landscape he could never see from his own castle.

“When I first took this position, I did so with the conviction that I would protect the people. I was loyal to the Empire because the Empire protected its subjects, not because it had raised me to this position.”

“You are a noble of true virtue.”

“You flatter me.”

Consilius chuckled.

Consilius was the spokesman of the Far East.

But as always, there was nothing to kindle a fire in their hearts.

Though countless soldiers had died, all they gained were hearts worn away by time and fear.

“Count Consilius.”

“Yes.”

“Does that conviction still dwell in your heart?”

“It does.”

Ferda reached out his hand.

“Then stand with me. To protect this East, I need someone like you.”

Consilius’s eyes widened at the proposal, and he shook his head.

“No. Please do not say that. I am the one who should say those words, not you, Regent.”

Consilius knelt and carefully placed both hands over Ferda’s hand.

The hands that had once gripped a sword to protect the people were rough and calloused.

“Please lead this East, where nothing but death lies in wait. I will always give my loyalty to His Grace the Grand Duke and follow the Regent’s will.”

* * *

Karl was soaked in a terrible hangover.

Because of his position, which required him to conceal an unspeakable secret, he had drunk himself senseless with the intention of dying.

But instead of dying, all that greeted him was a hangover that felt deadly and the morning sunlight.

‘Damn it….’

He wanted to run away.

But he did not even have the courage to do that.

So he had to sit there and wait like a pig trapped in a slaughterhouse.

Someone came inside.

Thinking it was Ferda, Karl stood up and tried to bow his head, but—

“H-Hello?”

A gloomy black-haired woman entered.

‘What the hell? Who is this woman?’

But she was no ordinary person.

From her clothes alone, she looked like one of the administrators employed by the castle.

Yet an ominous aura that could not be hidden by her ordinary appearance made him want to retreat immediately.

She raised a hand awkwardly in greeting.

“I’ll be the one to sign the contract as the Grand Duke’s representative. And… hmm…”

Her black eyes slowly swept over Karl’s face.

“You’re not as handsome as I heard.”

Her voice sounded genuinely sorry.

He wondered if she was picking a fight, but he could not even bring himself to get angry.

“My name is Echidna Philiads.”

“……Philiads?”

His hangover vanished at once.

‘Philiads? Then that means she’s a witch affiliated with Philiads?’

Philiads.

They appeared among women who awakened the Red Circle, and once they formed a contract, they inevitably became witches.

They were famous for their extreme hatred of men and for never cooperating with anyone outside Philiads.

‘They recruited that witch and are using her?’

How?

He forcibly swallowed the scream-like question he wanted to hurl out loud.

Karl’s assessment of Ferda was being rewritten.

“Here… this is the contract… Would you like to read it slowly?”

“Yes.”

Karl checked the pages one by one with the desperate feeling of someone grabbing a lifeline.

‘I have to find a loophole… a loophole…’

But it was impossible.

Karl was not well versed in law; there was no way he could review a contract dozens of pages long by himself.

‘A witch, just as I thought….’

Witches were called the most hideous beings after demons when it came to contracts.

When Ferda had said he would put a dog collar on him, Karl had assumed he would roughly perform contract magic, but he had never imagined he would use a witch.

Karl read about three pages before giving up and filling in his name one page at a time.

Whatever happened, the fact that he was becoming a dog would not change.

Once he had finished signing the final page, the contract began to glow.

“Ugh.”

Karl groaned at the pain rising from beneath his skin.

That prickling sensation engraved the contract’s sigil on his wrist.

With that, the contract with the gloomy witch was complete.

“Yes. I checked it. From now on, you need to be careful about… your words, okay?”

“What do you mean, careful about my words?”

“I expected it, but you really didn’t read it… So… hmm… if you do anything against the Regent’s will, or try to hint at this contract… your head will go BOOM!!”

Her shoulders bobbed.

“And fly away. You always have to be careful about what you think and what you say, okay?”

Though she stammered like an idiot, speaking so casually about death made her even more chilling.

Fifth-tier contract magic possessed absolute force within the contract.

If there was a loophole in the contract, it had to be forcibly terminated, but even the termination process was difficult and troublesome.

‘The tier is a secondary issue.’

Karl had made a contract with a witch.

If that fact became known, he would not only be beheaded by the Empire.

He might also die at the hands of his younger brothers, who had always coveted his position.

He had to hide it at all costs.

“……”

“Hee hee, I’d like you to answer me.”

He flinched.

An ominous aura poured out of her.

The awkward smile on her face revealed a madness devoid of murderous intent.

That made it even more terrifying.

“Y-Yes, of course!!”

“Yes, I heard your answer. You can go now. Bye-bye~.”

Karl fled the room as though running for his life.

Echidna waved at Karl with a smile as he ran away with his tail between his legs.

Just when he had barely made it outside and thought he could finally catch his breath—

“That contract ended quickly.”

Having escaped one tiger’s den, he found another tiger prowling around.

The tiger placed a hand on Karl’s shoulder and spoke.

“I will give the first mission to a member of the Purge Unit and a dog who has sworn loyalty to the Grand Duchy of Valdrowa.”

Karl could no longer escape.

“What is the mission?”

Ferda answered.

“Helus Povidas.”

The man known as the Sage of Water.

“Bring him here.”

He intended to put a leash on that bastard too.