Chapter 33

The sound of horses’ hooves echoed quietly along the roadside.

A silence that had come after a long time.

Hamel rode alone and felt a strange sensation.

‘Was this how it felt?’

The silence that should have felt familiar was overwhelmingly unfamiliar.

Hamel soon realized that the feeling was loneliness.

It was because he had grown accustomed to the boisterous company of Antonio and Daniel.

He didn’t know how they’d only been together a short time, yet he felt this way.

‘It’s bewildering.’

Hamel absentmindedly rubbed his chin.

If they had never been there, he might not have noticed.

They say a place quickly shows when someone is gone.

And it seemed to be true.

Hamel didn’t much like the situation either, but there was nothing he could do.

‘…Things are urgent.’

Everyone had left to attend to their duties, and Hamel was no exception.

There were two urgent matters to handle immediately.

To secure food to get through the winter.

And to meet Viscount Ramsey, the lord of Sorn in the northern fief of Haidern, to pay the interest.

Although a year remained until the principal’s repayment date, Hamel had a reason to hurry.

‘Viscount Ramsey is clearly eyeing Haidern’s salt mine.’

Even before the repayment date, the viscount had filed a complaint with the crown.

Their claim was that the Gilmore family had neither the ability nor the will to repay the debt.

They requested to take the Haidern salt mine in lieu of the debt.

The crown asked for proof and sent word asking Hamel to visit Sorn.

Resolving that matter came first.

Just as Hamel tightened the reins and urged his horse onward.

A carriage came into view in the distance.

It wasn’t a noble’s carriage, but it was elegant and accompanied by two mounted guards.

The carriage was keeping nearly the same pace as Hamel.

‘This is still Haidern territory, though…’

Since there shouldn’t be a carriage heading north from here, Hamel quickly approached it.

The carriage seemed to notice him too; it slowed, stopped, and the mounted guard turned to face him.

“Halt! If you come any closer we’ll consider it a threat!”

“…”

Hamel obliged, slowing and stopping his horse.

The guard still pointed his sword and spoke.

“You chased a carriage at speed after seeing it. Who are you and what is your purpose?”

Indeed, it was rude to pursue a carriage at speed without cause.

The issue was… that this was Haidern.

“Who are you, then?”

“What?”

The guard’s face twisted at the unexpected reply.

Hamel continued calmly.

“This is Haidern. I wasn’t told that you would be passing through here.”

“What nonsense is that? You’re asking why you should know we’re passing? Do you think you’re the lord?”

The guard scoffed as if incredulous.

Hamel answered calmly.

“Yes.”

“…What?”

Breaking the brief silence, the guard frowned.

“I said so.”

“Have you seen a lunatic like this? Dare impersonate the lord? The lord of Haidern is Dennis Gilmore…”

“Enough.”

It was then.

Someone in the carriage cut off the guard and opened the door.

Then, limping, they stepped out, showing signs of discomfort.

An old man with a full head of white hair and a monocle.

Short and frail, yet his gaze was cold and chilling.

“Mr. Benjamin!”

At his appearance, the guards quickly lowered their heads.

Yet they still watched Hamel warily.

‘He’s not just some random person.’

As Hamel thought this, the old man called Benjamin spoke.

“Could you remove your robe for a moment?”

“…”

Hamel nodded and pulled back his robe.

Benjamin nodded at that, then slowly bowed to the waist in greeting.

“I am in the presence of the lord of Haidern.”

“…!”

The guards were taken aback and widened their eyes.

Benjamin muttered to them in a low, cold voice.

“What are you doing?”

“S-sorry!”

Only then did the guards seem to come to their senses, dismounting and bowing to Hamel.

“It’s all right.”

Hamel paid it no mind.

He was more curious about the other’s identity.

“Who are you?”

Very few knew that Hamel had become the lord of Haidern, yet this man recognized him at a glance.

He was clearly not someone to be taken lightly.

Benjamin, still bowed, answered.

“My name is Benjamin of the Lawrence Trading Company. I’m nothing more than a merchant. Please speak to me plainly.”

“The Lawrence Trading Company… isn’t that Lettria’s foremost trading consortium?”

“You flatter me.”

Hamel didn’t think it flattery at all.

The Lawrence Trading Company was a consortium formed by noted merchants of the empire’s east.

Their issued bonds were famed for being as good as gold.

Hamel was therefore puzzled.

“What brings the Lawrence Trading Company here?”

“Forgive me. In truth, we had urgent business in the fief of Sorn and passed through without prior notice.”

“I’m not here to blame you; please tell me more in detail.”

Hamel needed information.

With not a single soldier defending his fief, he couldn’t very well blame them.

He simply wanted to know why they had to pass through here and why they were heading to Sorn.

Before negotiations, information was everything.

Benjamin raised his head and answered.

“Of course. May I speak while we travel?”

“Sure.”

Hamel nodded, left his horse, and climbed into Benjamin’s carriage.

The carriage started moving swiftly again.

Benjamin began in a calm but clear voice.

“It’s a small matter, so I’m unsure where to begin. May I first explain why our consortium is going to Sorn?”

“Very well.”

Hamel nodded and listened to Benjamin.

Benjamin’s eyes showed a flicker of curiosity at his demeanor.

“The lord is quite unique.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Most nobles pay no heed to the affairs of lowly merchants.”

Benjamin offered a near-smile for the first time and began his tale.

The fief of Sorn typically purchases food by auction from merchant guilds around this time each year.

But Benjamin had secured this year’s contract as a favor for Viscount Ramsey last year.

He had bought the food to deliver and was en route to Sorn.

The problem occurred on the way to Sorn.

The Rosel Forest, located to the east of the fief.

A band of armed men had taken control of the pass there.

Benjamin cleaned his monocle and said,

“They weren’t many in number, but each was strong.”

“Then the guild’s cargo was all…?”

“No, they didn’t. Strangely, they didn’t seize the goods; they only told us to leave their land.”

Hamel tilted his head in puzzlement.

Rosel Forest belonged to no fief.

If anything, it was around the border between Sorn and the eastern fief of Greenwood.

Putting that question aside for now, Hamel asked another.

“Couldn’t you just go around them?”

“There was time before the delivery deadline. But today is the auction day as planned.”

Benjamin tapped his finger on the chair, a gesture Hamel took as anxious.

“I had a verbal assurance of the contract from the viscount’s steward… but I felt uneasy, so I came to the fief first.”

“I see.”

As Hamel nodded, it was then.

“We’ve arrived!”

The outside coachman shouted.

Benjamin opened the carriage window.

Jagged peaks and a gray city clinging to the mountainside came into view.

The city of iron and stone, Sorn.

They had arrived there.

“Welcome.”

Someone bowed to Hamel and Benjamin as they alighted from the carriage.

“I am the steward of Viscount Ramsey’s house. The lord awaits both of you.”

“… The lord is to speak with us personally?”

Benjamin replied, slightly uneasy.

Usually matters concerning the guild were handled with the steward, not by the lord himself.

The steward answered with a stiff expression.

“Yes, both of you. Follow me.”

Hamel and Benjamin followed the steward.

After a short while, they arrived at the castle’s reception room.

There, a plump middle-aged man with a fleshy chin and a lean, nervous-looking young man awaited.

The steward was about to introduce them.

Suddenly the middle-aged man sneered, curling one corner of his mouth, and spoke.

“Who have we here? A lazy merchant late for the auction and an unscrupulous debtor who won’t pay his debts. A fitting pair.”

Benjamin bowed calmly, and Hamel introduced himself without much reaction.

“I am in the presence of the lord of Sorn. Hamel Saint Gilmore of the Haidern fief.”

It wasn’t the reaction he expected, perhaps.

Viscount Ramsey waved his hand in boredom and said.

“What a joke. The lad is far too stiff.”

“My apologies.”

Frowning at Hamel’s stiffness, the viscount clicked the rings on his fingers and introduced the young man beside him.

“This is Sir Conrad, a royal mediator.”

“Pleased to meet you.”

Conrad extended his hand for a handshake, and Hamel met it.

For a moment their gazes locked.

Hands callused and hardened.

They were a swordsman’s hands.

Conrad stepped back, showing a slightly surprised expression.

Viscount Ramsey regarded Hamel with evident annoyance and said sharply.

“Now that introductions are over, I’ll get to the point. Your father, Baron Dennis, borrowed money from me and has not repaid it at all. The interest alone is five thousand marks.”

“I am aware.”

Hamel nodded, and the viscount snorted in response.

“That makes things easier. It appears to me the Gilmore family has neither the means nor the will to repay. To prevent further interest, give me the salt mine quickly and we’ll call it settled. I’ll let you off at that.”

The viscount shrugged as if being magnanimous.

Conrad said nothing further and watched Hamel.

Hamel simply placed a leather pouch on the desk with calm composure.

“What’s that?”

“Two thousand marks.”

“…What?”

For an instant, the viscount’s eyes widened.

But only for a moment; he snatched up the pouch and quickly inspected its contents.

Watching him, Hamel continued.

“The remaining amount will be repaid with the principal. The Gilmore family has both the ability and the will to repay its debts.”

Was this not the situation he had expected?

The viscount bit his lip, slammed the desk, and shouted.

“…This isn’t enough. The longer this drags out, the more we lose!”

“You still have time until the repayment date.”

As Hamel said, the repayment date was next winter.

And the gesture just now showed his willingness to repay.

This made it impossible to seize the mine outright.

As the viscount’s face flushed with anger.

The mediator Conrad spoke up.

“How about we do it like this?”

“…?”

All eyes turned to him, and Conrad continued.

“I understand there is an issue on the eastern side of the Sorn fief.”

“…Indeed.”

The viscount answered and Hamel nodded.

“Have Baron Hamel handle that problem. Since the fief is suffering significant losses, the viscount could forgive part of the debt, yes?”

In short, they suggested repaying with his body, performing the task himself.

If they could reduce the interest, it would lessen the risk of not recovering the money.

The viscount, appearing to ponder, asked suspiciously.

“Sir Conrad, does this fellow even have the ability?”

“I believe he does.”

Conrad glanced at Hamel’s hands and nodded.

After a moment, the viscount sighed deeply and nodded.

“Very well, do that. If he succeeds, I’ll forgive ten, no, thirteen thousand marks.”

Hamel’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

The amount owed was thirty thousand marks principal and five thousand marks interest.

Having already paid two thousand marks, forgiving thirteen thousand would leave twenty thousand marks remaining.

The decision wasn’t difficult.

“I will do it.”

“But we must make this clear.”

The viscount glared at Hamel as if waiting and said.

“If the debt isn’t fully repaid by next winter, or if this problem isn’t resolved, I shall take the mine.”

“I have no objection.”

Hamel nodded.

The viscount made a face as if seeing yet another foolish fool.

But Hamel paid it no mind.

A mysterious armed group that attacked a guild yet spared lives and cargo.

Compared to what he normally faced, it was nothing.