Praise

The second gift he received unexpectedly, Frank Fontaine spilled everything he knew.

After hearing the story, Ferda and Isabella realized one thing.

“So giving us Dandolo Trading Company meant giving us everything Tilda had prepared.”

Ferda had found it somewhat puzzling that they intended to acquire and hand over the Empire’s largest trading company.

The outline became clear as Frank Fontaine poured out his testimony.

-I was promised that if I cooperated, I would become an executive at Dandolo Trading Company’s headquarters in a few years! In exchange, I was to hire and manage the assassins.

“You did something stupid.”

Ferda had thought that a merchant would at least carefully weigh the profits and losses before doing something like this.

Then he suddenly remembered something Stephan had said.

That Frank Fontaine had failed to rise because he was simply incompetent.

And that incompetence was plainly evident in this rebellion as well.

Even so, Ferda had not blindly believed that Frank Fontaine was a complete idiot.

He was stupid in a clumsy way and clever in a clumsy way.

He had a document in his possession that could prove Frank Fontaine had led the rebellion while someone else was its overall mastermind.

The box confirming that all the funds had been provided bore Henri Dandolo’s seal.

Tilda had prepared everything so that, in the worst-case scenario, she could pin the whole thing on Dandolo Trading Company.

And Ferda could use this document as well.

“So when Black Bandana hands over Dandolo Trading Company, you mean you intend to use this document.”

“Do you think it will be enough?”

“It could damage the Dandolo family’s credibility, but transferring the company is still asking too much.”

In any case, thanks to the document and the testimony, Ferda’s task had become easier.

Tilda Pascal could be brought down on her own.

Henri Dandolo could likewise be brought down.

‘Is Rico Dandolo really the client?’

If the goal was simply to protect the company and his son from a worthless daughter-in-law, Rico had been the most likely candidate.

But giving this document to Ferda meant he intended to cast his son out of the company, and it would be fair to say he was saving the company.

Ferda wondered whether that was truly a choice a father would make.

“I do not know how you intend to hand the company over to Lord Ferda, who is practically a third party, but the backlash will be considerable.”

“There is no need to worry about that.”

Ferda possessed the most attractive asset of all: magical engineering.

Many investors were salivating over it, and if it were offered to Dandolo Trading Company, they would welcome a new manager.

“Even so, I cannot imagine a proper way to take it from them.”

“As the administrator, would it be better for me to quit while I still can?”

“It will benefit our finances, so how could I quit? I will investigate the acquisition and make preparations in advance.”

“Do so.”

Isabella smiled as she pushed her glasses up with one finger.

She often complained about their finances, so this proposal was cause for celebration.

While everyone should have been delighted, Ferda glanced at Ruri and asked her a question.

“More importantly, what about you?”

“What do you mean?”

As usual, Ruri was businesslike and blunt.

“Cooperating with a human plan. You do not look as though you would enjoy it, so are you really all right with this?”

Ruri answered.

“I do have my pride as a dragonspawn, but I am not a fool. What is there to be proud of in a matter like this?”

“Is that so?”

“More than anything, if I were to resent someone, it should be my master.”

Ruri sighed and grumbled.

“Unlike other dragons, you did not gather treasure and lived like a layabout, so this situation arose where we have to bring in finances. Therefore, should even this insignificant attendant not take action?”

“You had quite a lot built up against your master.”

“Do you have a complaint?”

“No.”

Even if she insulted her master, she was moving for his sake. How could Ferda not find that endearing?

“I am simply grateful that you are lending me your strength.”

Ferda reached toward her head.

At the sight of his hand, Ruri flinched and lowered her head slightly.

“Lord Regent.”

Just before his hand touched her head,

Isabella’s voice cut between them.

“What is it?”

“Were you about to touch Miss Ruri’s head?”

“I was.”

“Why would you do such a thing?”

Isabella’s voice grew sharp.

Faced with this unexpected emotional reaction, Ferda answered for the moment.

“I heard that praising a child is more effective when you do it this way.”

“That is indeed how one praises a youngster, but in that case, it is an action you must not perform with Miss Ruri.”

“Is that so?”

“I……”

“I trust you have not forgotten that dragonspawn have strong pride?”

Hearing her out, Ferda nodded, since she had a point.

Isabella continued to argue her case.

“More importantly, Miss Ruri is several times older than you, Lord Regent. Although her outward appearance seems to possess a young, immortal purity like an unfading flower, you must not overlook the fact that she is an adult.”

“Is that so?”

Although Isabella had piled on plenty of self-serving embellishment, there was some merit to what she said.

Ferda turned to Ruri and asked her with his eyes.

“That is correct.”

Ruri nodded.

“I have lived several hundred years longer than Lord Ferda. Do you really think I would enjoy that sort of praise?”

Ruri seemed to agree with Isabella’s logical argument, but her face betrayed her displeasure.

However, Ferda thought it was indignation caused by her wounded dignity.

“I am sorry. It seems my method of praising you was mistaken, so I will refrain from patting your head-.”

“No.”

Isabella interrupted him as though she had been waiting for that moment.

“There is a way.”

“A way?”

“As I said, it is how an elder praises a younger person. Is that not so?”

“Yes.”

Isabella pushed her glasses up and spoke.

“Then would it not work if an older dragonspawn praised a younger one?”

“……?”

“……?”

Ruri and Ferda wondered what on earth she meant.

Isabella raised her glasses and said,

“In other words, I, as the elder, should praise Miss Ruri.”

“Huh?”

“……What?”

Ferda raised another question mark, while Ruri’s face grew sour.

The two of them wondered whether this was some sort of joke.

“What did you just say?”

“To put it another way, I intend to praise Miss Ruri by stroking her head.”

Isabella’s glasses gleamed.

She was more serious than anyone.

Isabella took one step forward.

Ruri took one step back and reflexively assumed a defensive stance.

“Do not come any closer.”

“There is no need to be shy. As the older one, I……”

Her fingers began to wriggle.

“……will praise you over and over.”

Her fingers moved with such flexibility that it was hard to believe she used them only for clerical work and magic.

They writhed like tentacles crawling up from the depths of the abyss.

At last, Ruri fled the spot as though utterly disgusted.

“Ah.”

Isabella gazed emptily at the place where she had vanished like the wind.

A moment later, she returned to her usual businesslike stiffness.

Ferda spoke.

“It seems that was not a good idea.”

“……It would seem so.”

Isabella was genuinely disappointed.

* * *

Black Bandana’s headquarters.

In truth, they did not have an actual headquarters.

For the sake of secrecy, they moved their headquarters once every three months, operating so secretly that even the lowest-ranking members did not know where they were going until the day of the move.

The place they were currently using as their headquarters lay inside a low mountain in eastern Cerdes.

It had once been a hideout for people who manufactured and smuggled drugs, but after they were wiped out, Black Bandana had begun using it as its own hideout.

It was rare for them to let outsiders into such a secret place.

And even when they did let in an outsider, it was rare for that outsider to be met with murderous intent.

In that sense, Jed Swallow was the first person in Black Bandana’s history to experience it.

“Jed Swallow. I have seen you only in drawings until now, but this is my first time seeing the real thing in person. Huh?”

“Ha ha, look at how smooth this fellow’s skin is.”

Men with hands as large as pot lids ran their hands over Jed’s body.

Jed’s entire body was rigid as he let out an awkward laugh.

“Ha ha, would you please not grab my face so casually? Even if I look like this, I used to take extremely good care of it…….”

“Really? Then shall we take a look at your butt? There is a man here who likes men, and if he sees your butt—.”

“Would a face wear out just because you touched it? Touch it all you like. Ha ha!”

Realizing he had misspoken, Jed hurriedly brushed the matter aside.

Jed lamented his life while smiling.

‘Why did I have to come all the way here to suffer this……?’

He hated Garnet for dragging him here.

But as expected, he hated Ferda, who had sold him off, the most.

‘Is that paltry money really so important? Is a knighthood really so important?’

After thinking it over carefully, he answered himself.

‘It is, damn it.’

Jed had no choice but to smile meekly.

“Brother, I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“Why are you all so desperate to get a bite of this guy?”

“Huh? You did not hear?”

The man smiled brightly and smacked Jed on the crown of his head.

“This fellow raped our young lady. You mean you do not know that famous story?”

“Huh? I think I have heard something like that before, but this was the fellow?”

“That’s right. This fellow.”

“Oh…… he dared to do that to our young lady…….”

Just as even that innocent man began to burn with fury, Jed waved his hands and shouted.

“Wait a moment! That ‘rape’ was a bit exaggerated, you know?”

“Go on, spit it out.”

“We had just finished a rough mission that day, and we were both exhausted, so we were comforting each other. Then we were a man and a woman in the same room, and the mood was rather good, so I thought it might be rude for a man to pull out at that point…….”

“So did you take responsibility like a man?”

“Well…… if I had only known she was a young lady from a family like this…….”

“Did you take responsibility?”

“……I ran away.”

“Then how is that any different from rape, you lecherous prettyboy?”

The hands that had been gripping his face grew rougher.

Those hands seized Jed firmly.

“Ha ha, wh-what are you doing, brothers?”

“We do not need many brothers. Let us just draw one line across your face. Then repent and marry our young lady.”

“Ah ha ha! Why don’t you put that sword away!? I do not like these sorts of jokes!”

“The things that are jokes to you are real incidents to us. Hold him tight, boys.”

“What are you doing?”

A rough woman’s voice rang out among the sweaty men.

“Oh, the captain is here. We were just about to give him his initiation.”

“He is not even one of our members. What initiation are you talking about? And initiations are not performed with daggers.”

“Come on, we ought to work in a ‘family’-like atmosphere, shouldn’t we?”

Jed sent her a silent plea for help with his eyes.

Garnet sighed and drove them out.

“Stop doing pointless things and all of you leave. Either way, Jed is the Regent’s knight.”

“Tsk, count yourself lucky.”

“We will take a look at your butt next time.”

At Garnet’s command, everyone withdrew.

Jed trembled like a gazelle surrounded by beasts and spoke to Garnet.

“Thanks for saving me.”

Garnet slapped Jed across the cheek.

Smack!

“Ow! Wh-why?”

“The price for doing something stupid at Waldrova Castle.”

“That was worth getting hit for. Other than that, you have no hard feelings, right?”

“Not at present. I do hold a grudge against you, but it is not strong enough for me to let it interfere with the job.”

“What? No woman has ever said that after experiencing me…….”

“……Do you want me to blow you up?”

“I am sorry. Please continue.”

Since they had not seen each other for years, a great many feelings remained between them.

They could have gotten straight to the point, but they decided to talk about the things they had been unable to say.

“You shamelessly bear the name Swallow.”

“You are no different, Fiendtooth.”

“Do not use that nickname.”

“It brings back old memories. It is nice.”

“Did I not break your nose when you used that nickname?”

“Even after you broke my nose, I still got plenty of use out of it with you.”

Jed gave her a sly grin.

At the sight of that face, she growled like a mad dog.

“Do not smile like that. Loose women may like it, but it makes my blood boil.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Jed immediately wiped the smile off his face.

Garnet took a deep breath and spoke in a cool voice.

“I need your help with this job.”

“What kind of help, specifically?”

“Infiltrating a place and finding an object.”

Jed waved his hands with exaggerated innocence and said,

“Infiltration? What power do I have to do something like that? I cannot.”

“You are suited to this job.”

“On what basis?”

“That is my conclusion after considering your recent actions and your time as a mercenary.”

“What did I do when I was a mercenary? I do not think I did anything in particular.”

When Jed continued denying it to the end, Garnet sighed and said,

“Do you remember the battle at Palestine Castle?”

“Of course. It was rough.”

“All of us were captured, but you were not. We all thought you had escaped, but you secretly entered the castle, rescued us, and got us out.”

“I was lucky then.”

“You were lucky seven times. No one else noticed, but I know. You moved without anyone else realizing it and saved us.”

“You are overestimating me…….”

In truth, Jed himself had not been aware of it.

He had merely thought it was something he had to do for his comrades, and that he had moved covertly because it was necessary.

He had never considered it anything so remarkable.

When he continued refusing to cooperate, Garnet decided to bring out her last resort.

“Do you want me to force you to reveal that you are the last descendant of the Red-Eyed Tribe?”

Jed’s face hardened.

“I do not want to make things uncomfortable with something like this, but right now I—.”

“That information.”

“What?”

“Who else knows?”

Unlike before, Jed asked with a murderous expression.

Garnet met his intense gaze and answered.

“Only me.”

“If you intend to cover for me, you had better not. I cannot overlook this, even for the sake of our old ties.”

Garnet scowled and snapped angrily.

“You idiot. Who do you think has managed your information all this time? I have been personally controlling every piece of information about you.”

“My information?”

“You believe you are hiding it well, do you? You think you have somehow kept it hidden by living like a lecherous prettyboy? You idiot. You would be dead by now without my help. Do you understand? They would have figured it all out, captured you, and put you on display like a monkey in a zoo!”

As Garnet huffed angrily, Jed scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“R-really? I thought you hated me enough to kill me all this time.”

“Why would I try to kill you? Either way, you are a comrade who shared life and death with me.”

“Oh.”

“Of course, those men really are trying to kill you.”

“Uh…….”

Jed smiled, but his face was pale and cold sweat streamed down it.

Garnet snorted at his pathetic appearance.

“So what exactly is the job?”

“You have to infiltrate a mansion and find the medium for a Garden Contract.”

“A Garden Contract…… I am done with making witches hold grudges against me.”

“Your name has already appeared on their kill lists several times, so what difference does it make?”

“It has?”

“Are you an idiot, or are you pretending to be one?”

Garnet looked at him as though he were pathetic, then returned to the matter at hand.

“We believe the other party made a contract with Yorr Philiaz. We have judged you suitable for this job, but what do you think?”

“That is the best judgment you could have made.”

To the Red-Eyed Tribe, known as mage killers, people who used magic were easy prey.

A real witch might have been troublesome, but the opponent was merely an evil woman imitating one.

“Then show me the blueprints of the places I need to infiltrate.”

Garnet placed a thick bundle of documents in front of Jed.

A picture formed in Jed’s mind.

The blueprints and the locations of the objects they had identified.

Using them, he pinpointed the place containing the object he needed to steal and worked through the operation in his head.

At last, once the outline became clear, Jed turned to Garnet.

“But you know.”

“What?”

“This job does not have to be carried out entirely through infiltration, does it?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, would it be all right if I did something a little underhanded?”

Garnet’s face grew weary.

“……Are you saying you intend to seduce Tilda Pascal?”

“No. Why would I go to the trouble of doing that?”

“Because that is the sort of thing you do.”

“Heh heh, goodness. You know me, yet you do not know me at all.”

Jed grinned.

“You see, jobs like this are solved by making one hell of a commotion.”