The Emperor Has Returned - Chapter 44

Chapter 44 Indeterminate polyhedron(3)

“I thought things would have gotten simpler than in the past…..”
Heretia was glaring at Juan. Juan was wiping the blood off his hand with Heretia’s handkerchief.
With his nose broken, Kelmory was spouting death threats at Juan.
But no one was taking his threats seriously, when he was wrapped in a bandage, covered in blood.
“Don’t suddenly act like you don’t understand. I know you beat him half to death on purpose.”
Juan avoided Heretia’s gaze and acted innocent.
While Heretia implied what’s done is done, Juan acted like he knew what she was really getting at.
“At this rate, a duel would be unavoidable.”
“Thought you said no to a duel?”
“Legal duels yes. However, with the opponent’s consent, you can still agree to a light duel. Only difference is when one person comes out critically injured or dead, you won’t be protected by the law. It will be considered an assault or they’ll brand you as a criminal.”
“Isn’t that just a brawl.”
“Nowadays, you call that a duel…… I really can’t understand you. Somedays you seem like you’re from the capital and yet other days, I feel like you’re a dimwitted outsider that doesn’t know anything. It’s as if you’ve come from the past when the empire was still ruled by the emperor.”
Heretia grumbled.
By now, they’d finished patching up Kelmory. Cloth was wrapped around his face held on with bandages. It was an unsightly view. The cloth was stained in deep red.
Still angry at what transpired previously, he ordered his servant to bring him his sword.
“He was humiliated by a servant in front of a crowd…his reaction is only natural. Actually I think this is for the best.”
“What do you mean?”
Juan looked at Heretia with a puzzled look.
“Go easy on him. Try to drag the fight on for as long as possible. Everyone’s attention will be focused here so in the meantime, I’ll go do my business with Earl Hannbon.”
Heretia looked at Juan and asked.
“Kelmory is a well trained knight. You sure about this?”
“Hmm. I don’t know. Thought you said, there wasn’t going to be any danger.”
“I mean, you’re most to blame for creating this situation in the first place, but if you don’t want to fight, I’ll try to negotiate.”
“It was a joke…. Don’t negotiate.”
“Thought as much. Oh and by the way, don’t die.”
“Hmm. A difficult ask.”
Kelmory was walking up to Juan with a fuming look. The sword in his hand was thin and elegantly decorated, but the blade looked razor sharp nevertheless.
In comparison, Juan held up his blunt looking sword. It felt as if it would shatter the moment it clashed with another sword.
“Duel? Did you say duel? Alright, you little prick. Looks like you’ve only fought beasts growing up in the barbaric lands, I’ll show you what a duel looks like. Get your ass out here now!”
Kelmory directed his bloodshot eyes to Heretia and also shouted.
“Don’t think you can convince him otherwise Mrs! Anyways, this will be less painful than if I accused his sin to the local priest!”
Without waiting for Heretia’s reply, Kelmory immediately stormed off to the garden. Juan simpered and followed behind.
He could see Heretia waving her hand when he looked back. Then without a beat, she turned and headed off.
‘Feels a little strange.’
Juan noticed Hannbon’s daughters face among the crowd that he was surrounded by.
She had a rattled and uneasy face, not knowing who to support between Juan and her fiance. However more often than not, her gazes were directed at Juan.
Kelmory recklessly swung his sword in the air and shouted.
“You’ll soon know what it means to duel after I bleed you like a dog! I’ll teach you some manners, brat!”
Juan sighed. His words were right. Someone was going to bleed.
Every fight that Juan participated in, not once had it ended without death.
He braced for a difficult fight ahead of him.
*****
Heretia made her way to Earl Hannbon’s office, seeing everyone’s attention fixed on the fight.
Initially, she was worried whether Earl Hannbon would interfere in the scuffle, but she noticed he nowhere to be seen at the banquet.
While he hadn’t sent any word for her to come, she was quite certain that he was in his office.
‘Maybe he’s already meeting someone else.’
Being the Earl of Hiveden, it wasn’t strange for Hannbon to be meeting any classes of people, high or low.
While she was walking down a corridor towards his office, she noticed two people standing on a terrace out the window.
One was Earl Hannbon and the other was someone she hadn’t seen at the banquet.
However, Heretia soon recognised the other person as well.
‘White crow knights? Looks like a commander too……Ethan Ethil? What business would he have with Hiveden’s Earl?”
They were discussing quietly, so it was difficult to hear much of anything.
Heretic quickly started to think. There was a big incident in the south recently, and reports suggested of heightened Hugin knight activities.
Amongst these events, it wasn’t strange to see the commander of White crows knights ask Hiveden for assistance. It was already well known that the Hugin knights had a strong presence in this city.
More than likely, he was asking for permission to conduct a search or an inspection.
‘Won’t be easy.’
This request had been asked many times in the past. But everytime, Hiveden had the power to say no to such requests, even if Paladins had the church behind them.
Nobles with their hand in Hiveden’s business would buy off priests to tie up the White crow knights.
Unsurprisingly, both were wearing unexcited expressions.
It appeared, Ethan was repeatedly asking for something but Hannbon would wave his hand in decline.
Ethan with a disappointed expression walked away towards the corridor. His face told her, he had somewhat expected Hannbon to reject.
Heretia acted as if she’d not noticed Ethan and walked past him.
Ethan, who was about to greet her, appeared as if he remembered something. He turned his head and walked away without saying as well.
In a business environment among nobles, it was common courtesy to ignore others that you coincidentally run into.
“That certainly looked like a tiring talk you just had.”
Upon walking out onto the terrace, she saw an annoyed Earl Hannbon with a pipe in his mouth. He quickly put his pipe away after he’d noticed her presence.
“Don’t worry, no need to put it away. It looks as if the previous discussion has left you in a predicament. Ease of mind is an important part of a smooth business conversation.”
“Thanks for your consideration. Mrs Heretia.”
Hannbon smiled awkwardly and returned his pipe to his mouth.
“Having received a lady’s kind consideration after talking with a Paladin, it’s even making the taste of tobacco sweet….These paladins never learn any manners do they.”
“Agreed. The empire has enough bone-headed people at the capital. No need for others to act the same.”
Hannbon raised an eyebrow in surprise then let out a laugh. When two people ridiculed someone behind their back, it tended to bring them closer.
Especially if the person in discussion was someone that was hated by the majority.
Hannbon seemed a little hesitant at first but he felt it wouldn’t matter if he spoke out, so he opened his mouth.
“It appears, the Hugin knights are currently in the city. He asked for permission to blockade the entire city.”
Heretia was surprised. She’d expected a search or inspection request, not a lockdown of the entire city.
“What? Is it really that big of a deal that those apostates are inside the city? Does it warrant a blockade of the entire city? They’re simply too ignorant. They don’t understand the implications of locking down an entire city everytime one or two of them are seen.”
“You’re correct. That’s something I can’t understand either. But it appears it’s a little more concerning this time.”
Hannbon surveyed his surroundings before whispering to Heretia’s ear.
“They’re claiming that Lars Raude has entered the city.”
Heretia opened her eyes wide. A couple of Hugin knights entering and exiting the city wasn’t a big deal.
But Lars Raude was different.
One of the six apostates that led the assasination of the emperor. Upon discovering his location, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say, all of the nearby soldiers would be deployed.
More than anyone, Lars was stealthy in his movements. After his failed assansination attempt on Vares Valte, no one knew if he was still alive or dead.
Seeing Heretia’s expression, Hannbon laughed out loud and waved his hand.
“It’s just assumptions. The White crow knights aren’t sure yet either. When are they never not suspicious of anything…. There’re more places to hide outside than in this city, so if they were sure that Lars was here, I don’t think they’d ask for my permission before acting. They’d simply attack, thinking that the innocent can take care of themselves and avoid danger.”
“That’s…..a relief.”
“If this city falls, there are too many people in the capital that would be in a conundrum.”
Hannbon gave a naked laugh. Heretia thought this was enough side chatter, it was time to talk about her real business.
“Then should we get down to business? I prefer talking about business rather than staying on the topic of Paladins and apostates.”
“Agreed. To be honest I didn’t know the Helwin family would be interested in business in Hiveden. I thought the Helwin family was more stubborn about their ways. However, I realised after seeing the child that you brought along. That the prominent people at the capital are starting to act. I’ve noticed the effort that was put in.”
“Yeah. Slaves are basically worth bars of gold.”
Heretia gave a wide smile. Hannon appeared to like the analogy Heretia used.
“Right. Gold that increases in value after leaving them to grow on their own. It’s a shame that it’s only limited to demi-humans, so instead I’m planning to have my operations just in the south, then I can think about decreasing the constraints of the type of slaves I can have. Over here, slaves are a friendly existence but that might not be the case down south….. That’s why the acquired item is all the more important.”
“You’re talking about the indeterminate polyhedron right?”
Heretia asked to confirm.
While looking at her dazely, Earl Hannbon tapped the ashes off his pipe.
“Again, I’m amazed at the Helwin family’s information network. I don’t know how you found out, but yes, you’re correct. Me and my Hiveden colleagues were planning to deliver it to Bishop Rieto. If the Helwin family helps, the safety and delivery of the item will be even more secure. Ah, but don’t go discussing this with anyone else. Some of my colleagues would oppose the share of profit being split even more.”
“Right. Certainly an honorable act.”
Heretia gave him a big smile then relayed out her thoughts in her head.
“However, what I’m offering you is something different. Why don’t you hand the indeterminate polyhedron over to me.”
The smile on Earl Hannbon’s face disappeared. He nibbled on his pipe and silently stared at Heretia.
Heretia was also not smiling anymore. Hannbon chewed on the end of this pipe.
“Mrs Helwin, as I’ve explained, this item is……”
“Is going to Bishop Rieto, yeah.”
“Yes, who was not the previous owner of the item but the owner before the previous owner. I won’t ask why you need this. But I assume, if you already know how much Bishop Rieto covet this item, then you already know I cannot accept Mrs Helwin’s offer. Please don’t tell me you want it, just because it’s pretty right…”
“I don’t know, maybe~.”
“If Helwin’s young family head was someone that was squandering her family’s fortune on chasing after pretty crystals, then I wouldn’t believe it.”
“I’m not asking you to give it up for free. I’ll give you a reasonable compensation.”
“Enough to warrant Bishop Rieto’s wrath and lose out on expanding my slavery business? Even the Helwin family’s entire fortune wouldn’t be enough.”
“But instead I can introduce you to a new business, that would at the very least sustain your current wealth. Naturally, you would be giving up on slavery business. By the way, I personally think your business ventures are very distasteful. The fact that you’ll mobilize the empire’s army to make it work…. If you don’t accept my offer, I have a plan in mind so that you’ll lose all your wealth that you’ve accumulated.”
Hannbon glared at Heretia.
“And you think the Illde family will just stand and let it happen?”
“You really think I care about those merchant swines? As I’ve said, Simply, hand over the indeterminate polyhedron. This in an opportunity to clean your hands from illegal business trade and join a collaborative business venture with us. Doesn’t it sound good? Or you can choose to go under with your current business partners.”
“What makes you think your family has the power to do this?”
“What makes you think we can’t?”
Heretia crossed her arms and smiled coldly.
Hannbon felt a sweat dripping down his back.
The Helwin family wasn’t powerful as they once were back when the empire was founded.
However, their royal status in their own region and the stake they earned by contributing to the empire’s foundation was not something that was taken lightly.
Furthermore, they had even somehow survived after expelling one of the six apostates in their family, Hamon Helwin.
It crossed his mind that Heretia’s words may not be a bluff.
Especially if she really was this young family head that everyone claimed to be a reincarnation of Hamon.
“…….Shit.”
Seeing Hannbon curse out, Heretia knew it was only a matter of time till he agree to her proposal. Hannbon with a distorted face opened his mouth to say something.
And at that moment, they suddenly heard a sound of glass shattering.
“Intruder!”
It was towards the office. Hannbon’s expression paled. Over where the glass was shattered, a slender shadow was running away while holding onto something tight.
Size of a trophy, the item glowed purple being reflected in moonlight.
Hannbon screamed in despair.
“The bastard has the indeterminate polyhedron! Chase after him!”
Heretia’s mind started to go dizzy seeing everything turn sour, when it had been going according to plan.
Who in the midst of all this would steal the indeterminate polyhedron?
The fact Hannbon had it, was information that even Heretia had just recently heard about.
She rushed back towards the corridor after realizing that she couldn’t just stand here dazely. In that instant, someone grabbed her wrist, pulling her back.
Hannbon’s distorted face showed a clear sign of anger. Heretia couldn’t understand his expression.
“What is the meaning of this!? Earl Hannbon?”
“Are you going to tell me that was a coincidence? A thief stole it, the moment you demanded the indeterminate polyhedron. I’ll track the thief down. You on the other hand will need to prove your innocence.”