The Founding Monarch Became the Mastermind

Chapter 9

“Hey.”

“Y-Yes? Are you talking to me?”

The remaining guard, who was stunned by Si-on’s composed demeanor despite the massive disturbance, responded with unexpected politeness.

“Take care of those guys somehow. They won’t die, but if you leave them like that, they’ll end up crippled.”

“Yes, sir!”

The guard quickly tended to the thugs crawling on the ground like bugs.

Though all their bones were shattered and it was unclear how to properly care for them, he at least made them lie down or sit as comfortably as possible.

“Huuu… huuu.”

Listening to the innkeeper’s sobs, tears streaming down his face as he leaned against the corner of the pub, Si-on tapped his finger on the table.

‘This place is run by an administrator, not a lord, right?’

Unlike a lord, who wielded unchecked power akin to a king within their territory, administrators appointed or dispatched by the royal capital governed regions like this, where law and administration were more structured than in ordinary territories.

This was one reason why Si-on handed over his royal identification plaque to the guard without hesitation.

Of course, he wasn’t naive enough to solely rely on that.

‘Burgos. A backward village, but it’ll become an extremely important place for me.’

Most people in this world didn’t pay attention to such rural areas.

But it was different for Si-on.

According to Derkios, the Dragon’s Wasteland would be a critical quest area that every user must visit.

‘I need to secure it first. At the very least, I must leave some influence behind.’

That was precisely why Si-on had deliberately handed over his royal identification plaque to the guard.

‘Even if that guy runs off with the plaque, it’s fine. The innkeeper selling my horse on his own is a bit too weak as a pressure card.’

Would a guard dare steal and flee with a royal identification plaque?

This would create a legitimate reason to interrogate (or beat up) those responsible.

Of course, the ideal scenario would be the guard delivering the plaque to a high-ranking official in the area.

That was the primary objective, after all, and no sane administrator would ignore a royal identification plaque.

‘Let’s just see how things turn out.’

Since the moment Si-on arrived in Burgos, his plan was already in motion.

* * *

“What’s this?”

The guard captain, a man in his early forties with a bored expression, picked up the metallic plaque handed over by the guard.

“Well, you see…”

The guard trailed off with an uncomfortable look.

According to protocol, he should report the incident truthfully and show the mercenary causing havoc in the town the full force of law enforcement.

However, if he did so, justice would be served, but his small side business would be exposed.

“Hmm? This is…”

The captain’s eyes sharpened as he examined the plaque.

The guard, relieved that his superior’s attention was focused on the plaque rather than his side business, inwardly rejoiced.

“Do you recognize it? The person at the Cactus Pub who gave it to me said to bring someone who could identify it.”

His superior was an ex-mercenary who had traveled extensively in his youth; surely, he’d recognize it…

“It’s real gold? Pure gold. Ho…”

A fleeting glimmer of greed appeared in the captain’s eyes, crushing his subordinate’s expectations.

But the captain wasn’t foolish; he quickly suppressed his desire.

Having a solid gold identification plaque was one thing, but the person who casually entrusted such a valuable item to someone else couldn’t be ordinary.

The captain, who preferred a long, stable life, even as a rural guard captain, over a momentary greed, cleared his throat and spoke.

“Ahem! Anyway, did you say that the person who gave you this asked you to bring someone who could recognize it?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm. He wouldn’t have said that for no reason. Plus, I heard there was a commotion, so there must be a reason for it, right?”

The guard hesitated, thinking that describing the incident, which left several people seriously injured, as merely a “commotion” might be a stretch, but he quickly answered.

“The owner of the Cactus Pub said…”

The guard briefly summarized the cause of the incident as relayed to him by the innkeeper’s son.

“…That’s what happened.”

The captain, who had been stroking his beard with a slightly hardened expression throughout the guard’s explanation, scowled.

“Good grief. So, in the end, it’s just a matter of the innkeeper selling the guest’s horse as he pleased?”

“Uh… well, technically, yes.”

“Technically? What kind of ‘technically’ is that? Didn’t I tell you? We only deal with causes and consequences. Circumstances are not ours to judge; that’s the administrator’s job.”

Though dressed up nicely, the bottom line was clear: this was a pass-off.

Impressed by his captain’s political savvy, which had kept him in the position without major issues for over a decade, the guard nodded in admiration.

“As expected of you, sir. So, shall we proceed in that direction…?”

“Yes, pass it along. I’ve got a bad feeling that nothing good will come from getting involved. Send the men to keep an eye on that guy—no, that gentleman—and detain the thugs and the innkeeper. And, make sure they don’t die; at least treat them enough to keep them alive.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll head to the administrator immediately.”

Once again impressed by his captain’s willingness to smoothly delegate tasks without hesitation, the guard turned to leave.

“No, hold on. I’ll go with you. If you go alone, you might get ignored.”

“Captain…”

The guard felt deeply moved by his captain’s refusal to push the responsibility solely onto his subordinates.

“Come on, don’t make a fuss. Let’s go.”

“Yes, sir!”

However, the guard did not realize that the captain’s calculation was more cunning: by getting involved just a little, he might snag a small reward without getting too entangled.

* * *

“What’s this?”

“Uh, well, you see…”

The administrator responded almost identically to the guard captain’s reaction from ten minutes earlier.

Though the administrator of Burgos was technically a noble, he was not a titled lord.

Nor was he directly appointed by the royal palace, yet the guard captain maintained a formal stance and reported respectfully.

This was because the position of Burgos’s administrator rotated among members of a long-standing influential local family.

“So, I thought it would be best for you to see and judge for yourself, Administrator.”

“Is that so? Hmm, let’s have a look…”

The administrator, wearing a monocle wedged between his sunken cheekbones and eye socket, scrutinized the plaque.

‘He could just look at it normally.’

Understanding that the impractical monocle was meant to emphasize his noble status, even as a mere rural figurehead, the captain wisely kept his thoughts to himself.

“A lion with a sword in its mouth. Hmm, I feel like I’ve seen this somewhere before…”

The administrator, who had been examining the solid gold plaque closely, suddenly froze.

“Do you recognize it? Judging by its pure gold, it seems to belong to a fairly prominent family.”

Feeling relieved that he hadn’t rashly handled it himself, the guard captain asked just as the administrator jumped to his feet.

“Where is it!?”

The captain was startled.

“Excuse me? What do you mean, where?”

“Where is the person who had this? Where are they!?”

“Uh, well, we have him… detained—no, secured at the Cactus Pub.”

Thinking it was fortunate that he’d sent the soldiers to keep an eye on things, the captain adjusted his words naturally.

“Good job. Let’s hurry. Move quickly!”

“Yes, sir. Right away.”

Remembering that someone said this was the second son of an earl, the captain followed the administrator, who had never once gone to personally meet someone during the past ten years, except when a knight from a grand noble family with considerable influence even in the royal capital had visited.

And it was wise to gather information about a potential “small reward,” so the captain carefully asked as he followed the administrator’s brisk steps.

“Which noble family is it? I’m not well-versed in such things…”

The administrator, who had been striding forward, suddenly stopped and looked back at the captain.

The guard captain regretted asking as he met the administrator’s half-contemptuous, half-pitying gaze.

“You ignorant fool. Even as a guard captain, how can you not recognize this emblem?”

‘Not that you recognized it immediately yourself.’

Unable to criticize his employer’s minor oversight, the captain offered an awkward smile.

But he froze in place at the administrator’s next fervent words.

“It’s the royal family! The royal family of our Obla Kingdom!”

* * *

“Oh, my goodness! What an honor! The pride of Burgos! The pride of our great kingdom! What brings such a distinguished member of our royal family to this humble place?”

The administrator, practically flying as he rushed forward, bent like a willow branch in front of Si-on, who sat with his arms crossed in a chair.

‘What is this now?’

Si-on had anticipated that a high-ranking official like a lord or administrator might come if the guard didn’t run off with the plaque, but he hadn’t expected this reaction.

Still, seeing the response, Si-on figured things would proceed smoothly and spoke calmly.

“Are you the administrator of this place?”

The administrator, who was accustomed to adopting a formal, period-specific speech depending on his audience, quickly bowed his head in response.

“Yes, that’s correct. I am Inola Swart, appointed as the fourth administrator of Burgos by His Majesty the King.”

“Nice to meet you, Administrator Swart.”

Si-on nodded while seated, not bothering to offer his name or reveal his exact status.

It was impolite for someone who looked like a young man in his mid-twenties to do so toward an official in his forties, but no one—least of all the administrator himself—dared to protest.

In fact, the administrator’s lingering doubts vanished at the sight of Si-on’s conduct.

‘He’s definitely royalty, even if from a Collateral Branch. His attire, his demeanor, everything confirms it.’

As a local figure, both the administrator and his family were particularly sensitive to the behaviors and lifestyle of genuine nobility.

Thus, he immediately recognized that, though Si-on’s leather armor and boots, and even his sword, might appear slightly worn, they were undeniably high-quality items.

“I’ve heard a rough account from the guard captain.”

“That’s good. I would’ve been annoyed if I had to explain it all over again.”

“Oh, how could I commit such a discourtesy? I will handle this matter well to ensure you have no troubles on your way to the capital.”

“If the administrator handles this properly, only good things about Burgos will reach the capital, as well as the palace.”

Having quickly understood the administrator’s intentions, Si-on gave the response he knew the administrator wanted to hear.

This made the administrator’s smile grow even broader.

“I am grateful that you say so. I will immediately inquire with the innkeeper to clarify the situation.”

“Go ahead.”

The administrator bowed respectfully at Si-on’s words before approaching the innkeeper, who was subdued along with the thugs in a corner of the pub.

After a few minutes of whispering threats and yelling at the innkeeper, the administrator returned to Si-on with a flustered expression, quite unlike his confident demeanor earlier.

Si-on narrowed his eyes at the sight of the administrator’s troubled face.

“I apologize for the wait, Your Grace.”

“No worries. But it seems something didn’t go as planned, did it?”

“Well, the thing is…”

Unable to hide his discomfort, the administrator hesitated, prompting Si-on to speak in a low voice.

“Administrator, whatever the issue may be, just speak honestly. There is nothing in the kingdom that the royal family has to be cautious about.”

“Ahem! If you put it that way, I’ll be frank. The innkeeper sold your horse to the Kilburn Baron’s family.”

“The Kilburn Baron’s family?”

Si-on tilted his head, finding the name vaguely familiar but unremarkable.

“Yes, they’re the lords of Lagos nearby, and apparently, they bought it as a birthday present for one of their children.”

“Hmm…”

Pretending to ponder, Si-on uncrossed his arms and tapped his fingers on the table.

Though a small action, it was far from trivial for the administrator watching Si-on closely.

The administrator quickly continued.

“You are the clear victim here, and to avoid any further disrespect, I will send someone to the Kilburn Baron’s family. Even though they paid for it, it’s still a stolen horse, so they should return it once the purchase price is reimbursed.”

Though the administrator forced a smile, his tone subtly shifted compared to before, something Si-on noticed.

“Really? But it doesn’t sound very certain to me.”

“…!”

Flinching, the administrator sighed deeply.

“Haa… It’s embarrassing. As you know, although I am the administrator of Burgos, I cannot enforce anything on the Baron’s family. Moreover, the Kilburn family has been the lords of Lagos since before the Dark Dragon War…”

Simply put, they were powerful.

While the administrator could push around local powers or petty landowners, it was impossible for him to command a lord with history, tradition, and a solid reputation.

It wasn’t just about orders; even talking to them first without permission was out of the question in this world.

‘And yet he’s still willing to send someone?’

This could mean one of two things, or perhaps both: either the administrator had a personal dislike for the Kilburn family, or he wanted to stay on Si-on’s good side even more than expected.

Given how he had acted the moment he saw Si-on, the latter was a certainty, and now it was time to verify the former.

“Would a proud lord’s family even listen if you brought up an unpleasant incident from a few years ago? You’d be lucky if they didn’t beat you up and throw you out.”

“Ahem.”

The administrator’s reaction, only managing a cough, didn’t deny that the baron’s reputation was tarnished.

“Don’t bother complicating matters by sending someone; let’s go together. What do you say?”

“Oh! If you put it that way, then of course, I will gladly follow your wishes.”

Though the administrator should have shown some courtesy or regret, he immediately broke into a broad smile, which made Si-on chuckle.

With this, the administrator of Burgos now owed Si-on a “debt.”