NOVEL WEB Chapter 13
The target I planned to bring into my fold was a man named Bono.
He’s now a whistleblower and a former knight.
His life had hit rock bottom.
Actually, “rock bottom” might be an understatement. When I had a junior knight named Erica, who was close with him, come over and ask for updates, it was clear his situation was truly dire.
“Bono sir… um.”
“Speak freely.”
“Thank you. Sir, didn’t you know that his father used to be a deputy officer? He’s already resigned. He was just three months shy of being eligible for a pension… but it must’ve been too difficult to endure.”
“I heard he had an older brother.”
“Yes, he has an older brother working for a trading company. This person likely quit as well. One of the shareholders in that trading company is Comte Draighton, who happens to belong to the Third Princess’s faction and has also been caught up in the fallout this time.”
Not only Bono, but his entire family’s lives were collapsing drastically.
Considering the severity of the situation, it wasn’t an excessive reaction.
A knight who offended their lord and was exposed for making false accusations should normally be punished for lèse-majesté. Only because Siena didn’t give the signal did the military police refrain from acting.
‘Bono probably doesn’t even have the luxury to think himself lucky.’
Once a member of the Imperial Guard, Bono’s reputation was irrevocably ruined overnight.
He didn’t just lose his job; his future looked bleak, too. No matter how talented he was, if preparing to feud with Siena, there would be no one willing to assist him.
But there was another source of pain for Bono.
“He seemed to be suffering because he mistakenly slandered royalty, which he believed to be his own mistake.”
“Isn’t he just feeling despondent because of his situation?”
“I’m not sure… it’s not really for me to say, but he might have resorted to self-harm.”
“…”
The idea of having to live out the rest of his life branded as a ‘false accuser’ clearly tormented him.
From what I saw, when he spoke ill of Siena to me, Bono was a naïve and brimming-with-justice type. His decision to report to the Third Princess likely stemmed from his belief that it was the right thing to do. The fact that it turned out to be a misunderstanding was certainly devastating.
Of course, I wasn’t extending a hand out of pity for Bono.
I merely understood that a person of this nature, if properly controlled, could be more useful than the hardened types. After all, no one is as vulnerable as someone who sincerely believed they were doing the right thing, only to fail.
I intended to exploit this vulnerability.
“Erica, there’s just one favor I need from you. Please deliver this money to Bono.”
I handed over 2,000 talers to my junior.
An average laborer in the state would earn this amount in a month.
It wasn’t a staggering sum, but it wasn’t trivial either.
There was a condition attached: “Make sure Bono never knows this money came from me.”
“…You don’t want him to know?”
“I’d prefer to keep a low profile. Although we’re old friends, I have no intention of officially backing him.”
There was a reason for this directive.
Bono must’ve been feeling extremely isolated. Too ashamed to even step outside, and no one would willingly try to befriend someone who had crossed two of the empire’s princesses. Essentially, his world had become a self-imposed prison.
Even in such a bleak situation, if he received anonymous support, could he simply overlook it?
‘He’ll likely try to figure out who gave him the money—to confirm if he still has allies.’
My prediction was spot on.
The next morning, the junior came by my house, looking somewhat flustered, trailing an unwelcome guest.
It was Bono, naturally.
He looked even more emaciated, his thinning lips caked with dried blood. Just by looking at him, one could tell how much he had suffered. His hair was streaked with silver from stress—a pitiable sight.
“To think you’d come all the way here.”
While pretending to be disheartened, I looked at Bono. His head drooped, and his trembling hands revealed his nervousness.
All of this was expected.
The surprise came in the form of another visitor accompanying Bono. A middle-aged man who looked somewhat like him was nervously rubbing his hands and looking at me.
“I am his older brother… we came together to ask for forgiveness.”
I hadn’t anticipated Bono’s protector showing up, but it was actually quite advantageous. Those with strong familial bonds are easier to manage.
I sat across from the desperate Bono brothers.
“Alan, I caused both you and Your Highness trouble because of my mistake…”
Bono stammered as he attempted to apologize. I stopped him immediately—it did feel odd to accept apologies for something he did because he fell for my bait.
“You don’t need to make excuses.”
“Huh?”
“I understand why you reported us to the Third Princess. …You probably wanted to prevent the Empress from being poisoned with poisonous herbs. If that were to happen, not just Lady Siena, but everyone working in Temseugung would be in grave danger.”
Bono’s face brightened slightly upon hearing this.
I wasn’t here to forgive him—I needed a lackey, not to save a ruined life.
“Your understanding means a lot to me… thank you.”
“No need to thank me. It’s a matter of understanding your intentions.”
“…”
“You constructed quite an absurd conspiracy theory based on just a handful of pieces of circumstantial evidence… Honestly, I don’t understand how your imagination led you to such conclusions. You could’ve just asked me carefully about it.”
That statement immediately deflated Bono once more. His emotional instability was a clear sign of his collapsing mental state.
“Well, then, what about those poisonous herbs?”
“According to what I know, they were purchased to pacify unruly beast slaves. Recently, our Highness has been interested in the slave trade.”
“…”
“But you associated the poisonous herbs with something dangerous to the Empress without any real evidence…. To you, does Lady Siena appear that dense? So foolish that she’d personally attempt to poison the Empress? She’s no fool.”
“…”
“It’s your blind confidence in your own flawless and righteous judgment that led to this situation.”
I stopped there and glanced at Bono with disdain.
Yet, I also let out a sigh for dramatic effect, making sure to enhance his sense of despair. If anything, it only heightened his self-loathing.
Bono’s lips moved soundlessly as he stared off into the void. His brother’s forlorn expression mirrored his.
There was no point in pushing any further.
Now, I only needed to wait for Bono’s despair to mature.
A situation in which his rash judgment ruined not only his own life but also his entire family’s… Until now, he might have been able to console himself by thinking, “I acted out of righteousness; there had to be something wrong,” but because of me, even that seemed difficult. As is well known, nothing is more agonizing for a whistleblower than the loss of justification.
“So, then… for what?”
At this point, Bono began crying aloud.
‘This is about enough.’
Judging that the time had come, I turned my gaze to Bono’s brother.
“You’re Bono’s older brother?”
“…My name is Jacob. And please, feel free to speak informally.”
“That’s good. It’s unfortunate that your family has suffered from this, but there was nothing to be done. Though it might sound harsh, your younger brother should be in the military police detention center. …This is as far as I could go to help even if I tried to.”
“Thank you for your efforts. Even this much is… fortunate, hehe.”
Jacob, with a wistful smile, bowed deeply to me.
He had a striking resemblance to Bono—a short stature, short limbs, glasses.
He had mentioned working for a trading company, yet despite the likelihood of losing a promising job due to his younger brother, they still shared a bond.
Because of this, things would be easier for me moving forward—it’s always natural to extend goodwill toward kind people.
I slowly opened my mouth after observing the pitiable pair.
“I might be able to secure your livelihood if you both assist me with some tasks.”
Both brothers looked at me simultaneously.
I assigned them a simple errand.
It was a test to see if they would become my loyal friends.
—
That evening.
The brothers came back to me, faces lined with anxiety and placed the item I had instructed them to buy.
It was lime, sealed in a sack—something I would need for producing certain goods in the future.
But I didn’t disclose its intended use to them.
“All I’m asking is that you help me discreetly. In return, I’ll guarantee your livelihood.”
This was the only instruction I gave them. They had probably associated the clues “lives” and “lime” with disposing of bodies or torture.
Still, they followed my orders quietly, indicating their readiness to compromise with immorality to survive.
If they were just errand boys, I might have been satisfied already, but what I needed were diligent gofers who’d do anything for me.
Having pushed them to the depths of despair, I decided it was time to offer some hope.
“I’m about to formulate some medicine. You must know about my treatment of Empress Lianhua?”
Upon hearing this, Bono hesitated and glanced at me. I continued immediately.
“You’ve served on the front line, so you must understand—there are countless people who cannot even witness the Divine Magic of the Saintess before they pass away. …Take, for instance, soldiers who have lost limbs to explosions. I want to provide medicine for people like them.”
“Uh…?”
“Of course, this is about making money, and there’s always a risk of consequences. However, many will benefit from what I’m doing. Isn’t that meaningful?”
Bono’s lifeless eyes began to regain some life. I had given the man who anticipated the worst, the smallest shred of justification, and it had worked.
“Bono, help me with this task from now on. If you’d like, your brother can join too.”
The brothers stood there dazed for a moment, then began shedding tears. Filled with gratitude, they repeatedly expressed their thankfulness to me. Jacob seemed to have realized it was a test but still bowed deeply in gratitude.
Thus, the moment I hired an expert knight as a laborer occurred.
I had every intention of paying them well. To manage people effectively, that’s fundamental.
It was time to start producing the product.
—
The moment I recruited Bono, my expert knight, as a servant.
Money was something I intended to provide generously, as it’s the basis for managing people.
Now, the time had come to produce the item.