Even after the messenger departed, the sealed envelope from the royal capital sat untouched on my office desk.
High-quality paper, a silver cord, and the formal seal of the Royal Bureau of Civil Affairs. I knew even before opening it that this was going to be a headache. I sat in my chair staring at the thing, wishing I could just pretend it didn't exist, but Clarice, sitting across from me, wasn't about to let me escape.
"Vain... I've been watching you for a while, and it’s not going to vanish on its own. If you ignore it, they’ll just send a follow-up messenger or an even more abrasive letter."
"Is the royal palace only this efficient when it comes to being a nuisance?"
"Only when they suspect someone is trying to evade them. The officials in the capital loathe being kept waiting."
This was the worst.
Clarice wouldn't open my mail without permission, but she wouldn't let me run from it either. Since she’d started working as my aide, she had shed most of her formal reserve. Being the daughter of a former prestigious house, she had a sharp eye for documents from the capital. It was far more efficient than having her grovel, so I had no intention of making her correct her tone, but still...
I gave up and broke the seal.
Inside was a command to attend a Medal Ceremony at the royal palace.
The text used the word "invitation," but once you stripped away the flowery rhetoric, all that remained was "Get here," "Don't be late," and "Show up in person." I hated noble correspondence; it bloated its word count with pointless fluff just to avoid calling a command what it was.
Clarice moved to my side to read over my shoulder.
"Merit for the suppression of bandits on the Southern Highway and its restoration... Attendance at the Medal Ceremony, a reward, formal permission for highway maintenance, and it looks like the request for tax deferment we submitted will be processed simultaneously."
"So, in other words, if I don't show up, the money stops flowing?"
"It’s more than just the reward. If the permission to repair the highway is delayed, they could accuse you of expanding the road outside your domain without authorization. The tax deferment would be pushed to the bottom of the pile, and it would give some meddler in the capital more room to interfere with our affairs."
I looked at the letter again.
Going to the capital was a massive chore. But if I didn't go, the funds would be delayed, the highway construction would grind to a halt, and some random noble would start poking their nose into my domain. That would be even more expensive in the long run.
I didn't care about a medal. What I needed was the gold and the permits.
I hadn't hunted those bandits because I was some saint who wanted to save the highway; I did it because if the cargo stopped moving, the merchants would stop coming, tax revenue would vanish, and my own quality of life would suffer. Since I’d acted to minimize my losses, I was damn well going to collect the compensation for my efforts.
"Fine. I'm going to the royal capital. Once I have the reward and the signed permits in hand, I’m coming straight back."
"That’s the most sensible approach. Just try not to cause any trouble when some annoying noble tries to pick a fight, okay?"
"What exactly do you take me for?"
"A man who, when insulted, digs up his opponent's family scandals and hits them with a metaphorical club."
I wanted to deny it, but I couldn't. How irritating.
Mylene looked at me anxiously as she set a fresh cup of tea on the desk.
"Lord Vain, you're really going to the capital? Please, don't overexert yourself before you return."
"I'm just going to collect some money. I have no intention of letting those vultures in the capital get their claws into our business."
"Please refrain from using that kind of language at the palace..."
"I know, I know. I won't say anything unnecessary. I’ll just take what’s mine and come home."
Clarice sipped her tea, her eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"I’ll hold you to that."
I was well aware that the capital wasn't like the domain. Unlike the domain, where a quick look at the ledgers could expose corruption, the capital was a hive where family ties were hidden behind smiles. I wasn't stupid enough to strike first at someone I didn't know.
That was why, before we departed, I had Clarice compile a list of capital nobles, their businesses, their debts, and their connections to our domain.
If I didn't have to use it, so much the better.
◇
The great hall of the royal palace was filled with overly polished floors, the heavy scent of incense, and gazes that didn't even try to hide their scrutiny.
Royal crests lined the walls, and the assembled nobles wore their house regalia with pride. I had dressed in the black formal attire befitting the young head of House Razgrim. Between the silver hair, the black clothes, and my naturally sharp eyes, I looked like someone most people would actively avoid talking to.
The capital nobles kept a noticeable distance when they saw me.
The "young head" who had purged his father's old staff the moment he took over... The eccentric who surrounded himself with fallen women and mercenaries... The dangerous man who had annihilated a bandit army on the Southern Highway... It seemed the rumors had taken on a life of their own while I was busy at home.
Well, it didn't matter to me.
If it meant fewer pointless greetings, I could leave that much sooner.
I stood at the edge of the hall, ignoring the medals and the royal musicians. My focus was entirely on the civil official holding the list of rewards. I wasn't leaving until I had confirmation of the funds, the maintenance permits, and the tax deferment.
In my domain, my word was law, but this was someone else's house.
I intended to endure it—to avoid snapping back at every little slight and to make calm judgments based on the rank and house of whoever approached me. I was prepared to show that much restraint.
Naturally, that was when a complete nuisance decided to walk right up to me.
"Well, well, Lord Razgrim. Aren't we looking grand today?"
The speaker was a middle-aged noble with a protruding gut. The decoration on his chest was massive, but his face was flushed with the telltale signs of too much wine and grease. A group of younger nobles watched from a distance.
Whether he had come to test me of his own volition or had been egged on by his peers didn't matter. Either way, he wasn't here for a friendly chat.
"Excuse me, but who are you?"
The man’s brow twitched.
"My, to think you don't know me. It seems a frontier noble who never shows his face in the capital forgets even basic manners."
"It’s impossible to 'know' someone who hasn't introduced themselves. I didn't come to the capital to memorize every face and crest in the room."
A few muffled snickers broke out nearby.
The man’s mouth tightened.
"I am Baron Barzen. My house holds considerable sway in the southern wheat trade. I’ve heard quite a few rumors about your domain as well. I hear you've been filling your manor with servants, an aide, and even mercenaries on the cheap... Goodness, how far House Razgrim has fallen."
I didn't respond immediately.
I had intended to let a single insult slide. If I caused a scene, I’d be labeled a hot-headed brat who ruined a Medal Ceremony. Getting angry wouldn't increase my reward.
However, the man took my silence as a sign that I was defenseless.
"A maid caught thieving, a girl cast out of her own house, and a female mercenary who couldn't hack it in the knights... How charitable! I suppose if you sweep enough refuse into your manor, it might actually look like you have a proper staff."
If I stayed silent now, it would be taken as an admission that his words were true.
But more than that, I was just plain angry.
If he had just mocked me, I could have ignored it. He could say whatever he wanted about my hair or my face. But this man had just dismissed Mylene, Clarice, and Raisa as "refuse."
The people I had vetted, I had chosen, and I had entrusted with my home!
This man was mocking my judgment. By extension, he was mocking me. There was no way I was letting that go.
If merchants or royal officials started thinking House Razgrim was a haven for the useless, it would jeopardize future contracts and highway projects. But before I even weighed the profit and loss, I just wanted to wipe that smirk off his face.
I slowly turned my gaze toward him.
"I see. So in your house, you choose your staff based on how well they serve as ornaments."
"What was that?"
"In my manor, there is someone who manages the granaries. There is someone who handles the administrative burden. There are those who drive off bandits. I hire them for a fair price, and at the very least, they do their jobs. Tell me, is your house so brimming with talent that you feel qualified to laugh at mine?"
Baron Barzen’s eyes narrowed.
"You backwater peasant, how dare you speak to me—"
"You mentioned having influence in the southern wheat trade. I wonder... which house was it that fell behind on its payments to the Southern Granary three times last year?"
The man’s face went pale.
In the reports Clarice had prepared, the name Barzen had appeared. They weren't a direct client of my domain, but they influenced the merchants who used the Southern Highway. I’d memorized it just in case.
I hadn't expected the target to come walking right up to me, though.
"I also hear you aren't particularly well-loved by the wagoners. Didn't three separate trade groups switch to a different route because you tried to extort double tolls? And I believe five servants quit your employ in the last two months alone. Before you mock my 'refuse pile,' perhaps you should take a look at your own kitchen."
"Y-You...!"
"And shall we discuss your recent attempt to artificially hike wheat prices right here in public? There’s quite a crowd today. I'm sure they’d love to hear the details."
Baron Barzen’s throat hitched.
I was only stating facts. He was the one who had brought up Mylene and the others in public to mock me; it was only fair that his own dirty laundry be aired in the same venue.
The man stood speechless, his face turning a deep shade of crimson.
The surrounding nobles were carefully looking elsewhere. If they laughed, they’d earn the Baron's enmity. If they defended him, they risked having their own ledgers scrutinized next.
Honestly... the capital nobles are only quick to make decisions when they see a personal loss on the horizon.
"I’ll give you some advice. Before you laugh at the people I hire, think about why people run away from your house even when you pay them. A house where workers won't stay is worth less than the 'refuse' you claim to despise."
There was no need to say more.
I wasn't here to destroy his house, nor did I want to make unnecessary enemies at court. It was enough that everyone present realized Barzen’s insults weren't based on fact.
I turned away from him and looked toward the official with the reward list.
It still wasn't my turn.
Everything in this capital took far too long.
◇
Near a pillar a short distance away, a girl was watching the scene.
She had bright chestnut hair tied loosely at her shoulders and wore clothes that looked surprisingly practical for a palace hall. They were a bit light for formal wear, but the fabric was high-quality, and she stood with a peculiar, calm poise.
I thought she might be a noble's daughter, but there was something else. She didn't seem to have any guards. Despite that, none of the surrounding nobles crossed her path, and even the palace guards only glanced at her once without attempting to intervene.
Either she was incognito, or her face was so well-known she didn't need an introduction. At any rate, she was no ordinary girl.
When our eyes met, she didn't look away. Instead, she gave me an amused, knowing smile.
Who is this impudent brat?
Her lips moved, though no sound reached me. She had clearly watched my entire exchange with Baron Barzen.
I committed her face, her clothes, and the reactions of those around her to memory and looked away first.
She wasn't ordinary. I could see that much. But I didn't have enough interest in the capital to go out of my way to meet some mystery girl.
My goal was to get the money and the permits and get back to the domain. Just because some high-ranking girl was staring at me didn't mean I was going to invite more trouble.
If she didn't come to me, I’d just ignore her.
Even as I made that decision, I could feel her eyes on me, her smile never wavering.
I had nothing but a bad feeling about this.
Are there only troublesome people in this city?