The Founding Monarch Became the Mastermind

Chapter 10

The territory of the Kilburn Baron Family, Lagos, was located about half a day’s walk from Burgos.

Roughly within 20 kilometers, this distance could be considered very close in this world.

Of course, even though it was close, the roads were terrible, and there were threats from wild beasts, monsters, and bandits, so Administrator Swart of Burgos brought along about 20 guards, including the captain, as escorts.

Considering that Burgos had fewer than 100 guards in total, it was clear that the administrator was showing significant favor to Si-on.

“Thank you for your kindness, Administrator. I just hope my presence hasn’t compromised Burgos’s security.”

“Oh, it’s fine. There’s also the deputy administrator, and if I may say so, there’s no one in Burgos who doesn’t mind my family, Sir Salen.”

Salen was the middle name of Si-on’s late wife, Stella, and the name of her grandmother, who had been a princess of the Obla Kingdom.

It was one of the surnames commonly given to the collateral branches of the royal family in the Obla Kingdom, making it quite suitable for situations like this.

“I’m relieved to hear that. In any case, thank you.”

“Haha! No need to thank me. Hahaha!”

The administrator’s face was brimming with a smile at Si-on’s compliment.

Even though he was from a cadet branch excluded from the line of succession, he was still a member of the royal family.

Riding side by side with such a person, chatting casually, filled the administrator with an overflowing sense of pride.

Si-on, who had long since identified the vanity of the Burgos administrator from his habit of always wearing an impractical monocle around his neck, continuously fed his ego.

“…Really? Is that so? Your insights are remarkable, Administrator. There are few nobles in the capital with such discernment.”

“Oh, my! Haha! You flatter me, you flatter me. Hahahaha…”

Complimenting the other party subtly and naturally during the conversation was nothing to Si-on.

Moreover, Si-on wasn’t the type to just talk.

“By the way, the head of the Information Guild’s Burgos branch, Jenna, seems quite capable. Do you know her?”

“Oh, you mean Jenna Olrot? I’ve heard she’s quite skilled.”

Though he had only seen her a few times and wasn’t personally acquainted with her, the administrator quickly agreed when Si-on spoke positively of her.

“I’ve made a personal contract with her. Or rather, it’s more of an investment.”

“An investment?”

“Yes. I invested about a million Dien.”

“A million Dien?!”

The administrator’s eyes widened.

For a man of his standing in Burgos, a million Dien was half of his entire wealth.

Investing such a fortune in the head of a mere guild branch?

Did he try to seduce her with money because she was attractive?

However, not foolish enough to voice such thoughts to royalty, the administrator cautiously asked.

“Were you acquainted with Branch Head Olrot from before?”

“No. I just met her today.”

“Uh… I-I mean, excuse me for asking, but what made you invest such a sum…”

The administrator stammered, thinking Si-on was trying to buy her favor with money, but Si-on tilted his head.

“Hmm? Does investing that much require so much consideration?”

“…”

Si-on smiled at the administrator, who was left speechless.

“Of course, I didn’t do it thoughtlessly. I trust my judgment, after all. Besides, this is Burgos, a region governed by Administrator Swart, who is capable and responsible. I doubt the branch head would dare stray from the right path.”

“Of course. H-Haha…”

“In any case, I found a good investment opportunity and met a great administrator. I’m starting to like Burgos more and more.”

“T-That’s wonderful.”

“I’d like it even more if I could get my horses back without any issues. Then I’d consider it a lucky place and might even be inclined to invest more.”

“Pardon? If you’re talking about another investment…”

Unable to hide his anticipation, Administrator Swart looked at Si-on, who smiled.

“If Administrator Swart, with his keen insight, recommends someone trustworthy, of course, I would invest. If it’s within 5 million Dien, I could easily put more into it.”

“…!!!”

Five million Dien.

That was more than the entire fortune of Administrator Swart, a local dignitary.

And Si-on said he’d casually invest that amount?

To someone recommended by Swart?

“Huh?”

At that moment, the administrator saw a halo spread behind Si-on’s face and wings unfold on his back.

Additionally, cherubic angels descended, blowing trumpets around him.

“Sir Salen.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“I will make sure to retrieve your prized horses.”

As the administrator saw a halo and wings behind Si-on, Si-on saw flames burning around the administrator.

“I have no doubt you will.”

Si-on smiled with satisfaction at the administrator, whose modest ambitions were now burning brightly.

* * *

“Will he be okay?”

Jenna, sorting through various reports brought in from all over, muttered to herself while holding a pipe in her mouth.

“Who? And are you sure you don’t need to sleep? You should consider your age.”

One of the guild members clicked his tongue at Jenna, who had dark circles down to her cheeks.

“I won’t die from staying up one night. And you little brat, what about my age, huh?”

“I mean, I’m just saying… But when will this be done? Can’t we just organize this year’s stuff? I doubt anyone would notice even if we half-assed it.”

Thwack!

“Ouch!”

Jenna, who hit the guild member’s head with her pipe, glared at him as she lit her cigarette.

“Are you suggesting we start slacking off on the first task given by our client—no, His Grace? You crazy idiot. Go make some tea. No alcohol, just tea.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The guild member pouted as he walked out, and Jenna, looking over the hundreds of reports organized by time and type, muttered.

“I gave him only brief information in a hurry. I wonder if it’s enough…”

Yesterday evening, Jenna was briefly startled when Si-on returned to the branch, escorted by the Burgos guard captain.

Si-on had requested information on Administrator Swart, and Jenna compiled all the information she had to prepare a brief report.

Although Administrator Swart wasn’t significant enough for the Information Guild to dig deep into, he had been in Burgos long enough for the guild to have various details about him and other influential people.

“He doesn’t even know his own limits. Ambitious, vain man… I wonder if His Grace plans to use someone like that.”

Jenna, who had no fondness for Administrator Swart, clicked her tongue.

However, before being the branch head of the Information Guild, Jenna was foremost a subordinate of an immortal lord and a living legend. Si-on’s orders were absolute.

Wishing that the information she had provided would be helpful to her lord, Jenna, after a short break, returned to the tasks Si-on had assigned her.

* * *

“We’re almost at Lagos. Just cross that stream, Sir Salen.”

“Hmm.”

Si-on nodded lightly at the administrator, who reported with the diligence of a personal secretary.

The information Jenna Olrot had provided was valuable.

Using it, Si-on was able to discern the administrator’s disposition through their conversations, and with a tongue honed over nearly a century, he managed to ensnare him.

Si-on had always been perceptive.

For a child abandoned by his parents and raised in an orphanage, awareness was as essential as a seatbelt in a car.

That keen perception was further sharpened by his days in this world, where he constantly had to worry about his life, his experiences with various mentors of differing statuses, the comrades he fought with during the Dark Dragon War, and his decades as a lord.

Once he had sufficient information about his opponent, it wasn’t difficult to win their favor or bring them to his side; it was just a matter of time.

‘Once I invest in the places the administrator recommends and Jenna oils the palms of those under him, it’ll be perfect.’

Even if half of the investment destinations were run by the administrator himself or his relatives, it didn’t matter.

In any case, his money would flow into Burgos, and investments backed by power were invincible.

And what if the Burgos administrator changed before the day when the users arrived?

Given the circumstances, it was certain that half of the investment would be evenly distributed among the local dignitaries of other regions.

The fact that the influential families of Burgos took turns serving as administrators without significant issues already proved that.

If not, Jenna could make it so.

The newly appointed administrator would then try to ingratiate himself, seeing what his predecessor had gained.

And the next successor, and the one after that, would do the same.

‘In this way, the entire area surrounding a potentially crucial quest zone will fall under my influence.’

The misfortune of losing his two prized horses had turned into a great stroke of luck.

Of course, this luck would only be complete if he could retrieve Blackie and Goldie.

“By the way, do you have any guesses about which of the Kilburn Baron’s children bought my horses?”

Si-on asked, gesturing towards the innkeeper, who was tied up and trailing behind them.

“No. As I mentioned earlier, the Baron has seven children, so it’s impossible to tell which one it was.”

“That’s quite a lot.”

It wasn’t surprising for people in this world to have many children, but the fact that seven had “survived” meant he likely fathered over ten.

In a world where the infant mortality rate reached 50%, many children didn’t live past eight or nine.

‘Even Jenna doesn’t have much detailed information on the Kilburn Baron Family.’

Though Jenna’s basic skills weren’t bad, she wasn’t dedicated enough to thoroughly grasp the affairs of neighboring territories with minimal presence.

In the end, Si-on would have to confront the Kilburn Baron himself to determine the baron’s disposition, which of his seven children had bought the horses, and whether he could retrieve them without issue.

* * *

Lagos was quite a large estate.

It couldn’t compare to the Si-on Duchy, but with a population and land area in the tens of thousands, it was not to be underestimated.

Even the town with the lord’s castle had hundreds of buildings, and the main street had a marketplace and shopping district larger than Burgos’s.

‘The residents look well-off, and the market is bustling. The lord is no ordinary figure.’

From Si-on’s perspective, who had traveled to countless regions over long years, Lagos was a fairly prosperous territory.

Before venturing into the Dragon’s Wasteland, most territories in this world barely sustained their residents, with many starving to death.

Although seven years had passed due to Derkios, it was highly unlikely that the world had dramatically changed during that time.

This meant that the Kilburn Baron, who governed Lagos, was an exceptionally competent lord.

‘This might go smoothly.’

A competent lord was far better than a greedy, incompetent one who ran their estate poorly.

There was a higher chance of a reasonable conversation.

However, Si-on’s expectations were shattered within ten minutes of entering the lord’s castle.

“Pay 100,000 Dien in compensation for the horses, and I’ll return them.”

This was the response of the Kilburn Baron after Si-on revealed his (forged) identity, and the administrator explained the situation, presenting the bound innkeeper.

“What kind of nonsense is this? Sir Salen is a clear victim. How can you demand compensation from the victim? And what on earth is this compensation even for…”

While Administrator Swart fervently argued on Si-on’s behalf, Si-on wasn’t listening to his earnest pleas.

His attention was entirely focused on the face of the Kilburn Baron, whom he was seeing for the first time.

‘He looks familiar, somehow.’

In Si-on’s memory, which spanned over 80 years in this world, those he remembered, whether in a good or bad light, were often significant people.

‘Kilburn… Kilburn…’

As Si-on mentally matched the Kilburn Baron’s face to his memories, his eyes slightly widened.

‘Kilburn! Adrian Kilburn Ritner!?’

The middle name, along with the fact that it had been ages since he last saw him, made it difficult to recall immediately.

The dignified Kilburn Baron before him bore a striking resemblance to the aristocratic scoundrel who seduced Si-on’s youngest daughter and eloped with her like a bandit.