Chapter 58

Demon Moth eggs in the vineyards.

If that were true, it was an emergency for the Frenzel territory, a place that loathed Demon Insects above all else.

Jonas’s expression shifted in agitation as he furrowed his brows.

However, even as he processed the news, servants continued to pour into the dining hall one after another.

“It’s a disaster, My Lord! When the guards told the commoners to wait, those whose anxieties had reached a breaking point turned into a mob…! They’re breaking the estate’s windows and destroying artworks; we can’t control them!”

“The guards tried to hold them back, but it only increased the tension…!”

“My Lord! It’s no use, the people are coming this way—ah, hey! This is the Frenzel family’s private—Guards! Stop them!”

From behind the shouting servants, members of the rioting crowd leaned forward, attempting to hurl objects.

In the blink of an eye, the dining hall and the corridor leading to it devolved into a brawl.

“Don’t screw with us! Let go! Let go of me…! Hey! Is your master planning to just sit by and watch our vineyards die?! Well!?”

“Stop… please, calm down—”

“Hey! Are you listening, you gloomy Lord?! It’s the Demon Moths! Eggs, an incredible amount of them, have been found! The branches and roots are a mess. What are you going to do about it, huh?! This happened because—because you didn’t do a damn thing despite our repeated petitions!”

The men causing the most commotion appeared to be the ringleaders.

They were loud and possessed impressive physiques.

Driven by these men who shouted with bloodshot eyes, the surrounding atmosphere began to take on an ominous weight.

“So what if you’re the prodigy who invented the Ringing Chains! Nowadays those things have completely lost their effect—they’re nothing but noisy junk! You scattered junk all around the mountains, but what the hell have you been doing this whole time?! Answer me!”

“Forget doing nothing, you’ve been heading to the Demon Marsh night after night to feed the Demon Moths, haven’t you?! Huh? You’re keeping them, aren’t you?! You made a pact with a monster and you’re feeding it! Did you stray that far from the path just for the sake of one woman, you bastard!”

Facts and speculation were now hopelessly intertwined; in their minds, it was already a settled fact that Jonas had made a pact with a demon.

To them, a Lord who failed to resolve this crisis was as good as one who had fallen to darkness.

The arrival of the Demon Moths just before the Harvest Festival.

If they handled this poorly, they would lose this year’s harvest—no, they would lose the yield for several years until the vines could recover.

The people were on the verge of total panic.

“Say something! Huh?! Hey, let go! Get your hands off me!!”

Jonas wore a grim expression and attempted to leave the room, but the men shook off the guards’ restraints and shouted at him.

Their wildly flailing arms struck the paintings and vases on the walls, making the scene even more chaotic.

Kevin, witnessing the roaring anger of the people for the first time, had turned completely pale.

Watching from behind the wall, Lucas pressed his lips into a thin line.

Stepping out now would be fatal for the investigation, but things had reached a point where someone had to intervene.

He reached for the door, thinking he should end the surveillance and step out before them, but—

“—Calm yourselves!”

Before he could move, a dignified voice struck the ears of everyone present.

It was Deborah.

Once nicknamed the “Ugly Daughter,” a woman who was supposed to be arrogant and sheltered, she now stood with her back perfectly straight, staring the men down with large eyes that showed no fear.

“What is the guardian of the sacred vineyards doing, becoming so distraught over mere insects! Action, not blame. You men—no, all of us—should be attacking the Demon Moths, not our own kin, should we not?”

Her words were so sharp and decisive that the men fell silent, their momentum stolen.

They stared blankly at Deborah, their faces unified in confusion.

“Wh… Who are you…?”

“I am the daughter of the Margrave of Frenzel, the Brand New Deborah! Details later! For now, we must deal with the Demon Moths.”

Breezily dodging the shock over her “before and after” transformation—a reaction she was now quite used to—she swept her gaze over the crowd. Her piercing look, combined with her aggressively ample chest, possessed a force that pinned onlookers down both mentally and physically.

“I understand your terror and your haste. That being said, the courage you showed in attempting to burn your own fields to prevent the spread, and the level-headedness to come seek permission from our house without breaking the chain of command, is to be commended.”

“Lady… Deborah…”

Having their fear acknowledged and their difficult decision validated, a small sense of relief began to spread among the men.

In any disaster, the greatest enemies are fear and haste, more so than the Demon Insects themselves.

While secretly clenching her fists to suppress her own trembling, Deborah was successfully seizing control of their hearts.

“In my father’s stead, I give my permission. A small sacrifice is unavoidable. Use fire-starting tools to incinerate the affected fields and the surrounding half-mile—”

“I will not allow it!”

However, Jonas’s sharp voice cut through her command.

“The use of fire is forbidden! You must not burn the Demon Moths!”

“Why, Father!?” Deborah asked back, aghast.

To her, her father’s argument was utterly impossible to accept.

“They are Demon Moths! No matter if they are currently eggs, those beings will surely rot the branches. Not only that, but once they hatch, toxic scales will be scattered across the surrounding area—no, throughout the entire territory’s fields! If we don’t burn them now, what are we supposed to do!?”

“—I said no! Burning the branches that already have eggs on them won’t restore them now. If that is the case, then we only need to stop the hatching. I will personally remove every affected branch and dispose of them appropriately. If we do that, there is no need to pointlessly burn the surrounding fields—”

“It is impossible to transport every single egg-laden branch without missing one! Besides, if the eggs are left as they are, the parent moths will be drawn back and lay even more. It is vital to burn them as quickly as possible. Surely you know that much!?”

Deborah’s counterargument was bordering on a scream.

Why was her father so stubbornly forbidding an attack on the Demon Moths?

It was as if—it truly was as if—he was trying to protect them.

In front of the commoners, she barely managed to swallow that accusation, but her efforts were in vain. The men’s expressions began to turn grim once more.

“You really are…”

“Have you… sided with the Demon Moths… with the side of evil!?”

The air grew heavy with a tension so thick it felt like it was humming.

One wrong move and a revolution could break out right here.

Behind the wall, Lucas let out an anxious monologue.

“What is the Margrave thinking…? Not only did he allow the outbreak of Demon Moth eggs, but refusing to permit an attack on them is an act of recklessness that is unheard of in ordinary circumstances.”

“I apologize for speaking out, but isn’t this the moment for Your Highness to intervene? To hesitate when it comes to attacking Demon Insects… even to a layman like me, it seems Lord Jonas is no longer in his right mind.”

Irene also pointed this out, her brow furrowed.

She, too, was a person from a family—albeit a Baron’s—that ruled territory.

She understood the weight of that responsibility all too well, and she could feel the confusion and despair Deborah must be experiencing as if it were her own.

It would be bad if it were discovered they were eavesdropping, but the peace of the land came first.

To the people on the verge of panic, the presence of Lucas—who was experienced in command and held the authority of the King’s brother—would be a salvation.

But as Irene tried to urge him forward,

“—Is that so?”

A terribly quiet, cool voice echoed.

When they turned around, Elma was putting down a carving knife—apparently, her side-work had shifted from knitting to woodcarving at some point—and was calmly pushing up the bridge of her glasses.

“I understand Lady Deborah’s instinctive reaction to want to drive away the Demon Moths as quickly as possible, but I cannot agree that setting fire to them is the ordinary thing to do.”

“Eh?”

“I mean, using fire to drive away bugs? Isn’t that a bit primitive?”

Ignoring the two who had fallen silent in surprise, Elma stepped forward.

She threaded a flute-like object—apparently the finished product—through the lace chain she had been knitting earlier, hung it around her neck, and placed her hand on the hidden door without the slightest hesitation.

“Excuse me. The door is opening.”

“Gwahhhhh!? Where did you come from!?”

The commoners shouted in shock as Elma and her group suddenly appeared from behind the painting.

Some were so startled they fell over, but Elma paid them no mind. She bowed toward Jonas, who was staring at her in shock.

“Elma, a maid. I take the liberty of inferring Lord Jonas’s thoughts and hereby express my support for him.”

“Ha…?”

The man being supported was just as stunned as everyone else, but Elma simply let her glasses glint as she nodded.

“In this day and age, pest control should be energy-efficient, clean, and cost-effective. Naturally, when one speaks of driving away Demon Moths, rather than fire or pesticides, it should be… ultrasonic waves, right?”

“—Ultra… sonic… waves…?”

The men, who had been on the verge of drawing their weapons, just stood there with their mouths hanging open.