A Famous Traitor and Treacherous Genius

9 – These funds are now mine (4)

It may be surprising, but there is no other family as full of beans as ours.

A father whose only criterion of judgment is his wife.

A mother who committed infidelity because she wanted passionate love.

It can be said that the relationship between the three siblings born from these two was quite good until ‘the day they raised a glass’ –

“Master. Can I go without seeing my younger siblings?”

“Not really.”

Now, we have become estranged from each other to the point that even on the day I leave for the royal capital, he is afraid to approach me.

Do you have to take care of your younger siblings unconditionally?

That may be true, but considering the actions they committed in the future, I don’t know.

“Sir Robert. Do you think people are born evil from the moment they are born?”

“Uh, um, this is a very philosophical question, isn’t it?”

“It’s similar. There was a question like that in a book I read at the library.”

Robert, the knight who was supposed to escort me to the royal capital, could hardly answer right away.

“Rather than being born evil, wouldn’t the environment you grow up in have a greater influence?”

“Environment?”

“Yes. What do you mean, even in a violent family, if there are people around you who can comfort you… Well, hehehe.”

Robert smiled innocently.

He probably grew up in a violent home, but he probably had someone to soothe his mind and body.

It’s a good story.

If the future is not one in which this country collapses and is taken over entirely by the empire-

-Robert!

-I’m back. Now I will protect you.

There could be a happy ending where he settles down as a knight, returns to his hometown, and confesses to his childhood friend.

This is just my guess.

“Then, in your opinion, is our family a good environment for a child to grow up in?”

“Uh, big, big!”

“Oh my. Was it a bit of an awkward question to ask a knight of the Earl of Gibraltar?”

“Wow, you’re being mischievous.”

Robert scratched his cheek.

It looks like he has something to say, but he can’t seem to say it.

“Then just be the target of my complaints. Listen with one ear and let it go with the other.”

“Uh, um. Yes! I’m good at that!”

“The Count and Countess are not good parents.”

“…….”

Robert gaped his mouth.

He probably never thought that he would make such an immoral comment from the beginning.

“Materially, they are rich. But mentally, they are a bit sore. It’s not because they come from a noble family, it’s because they don’t take care of it properly even when there’s an accident.”

The day my father decided to betray the country.

My father killed his servants in the name of showing his anger.

In the presence of my younger siblings.

“Noir and Letard, they’re probably still shaking in their room.”

A person died.

My father killed someone.

The children were greatly shocked, but neither their father nor their mother did anything to console them.

Rather, the two of them have been sticking close to each other for the past few days.

-Well done, my son. After all, he is the eldest son.

Perhaps thanks to persuasion rather than my persuasion, the two began sharing the same room again.

My younger siblings probably don’t know what they did between them.

Just knowing that when she woke up in the morning, her mother came out wearing clothes that reached up to her neck was enough for me to secure information.

“I’ll have to look for a tutor when I get to the capital.”

“Is there something you want to learn?”

“There is one, but not me, but my younger siblings.”

I don’t need a teacher who teaches liberal arts, but my two younger brothers do.

“I would like a female teacher who is kind, compassionate, and will take care of the two of us.”

“Hmm… I think the young female teacher could be dangerous.”

“Why?”

“Yes, because I can fall in love with the Count.”

“……There was such a variable.”

Well.

Although Margrave is in his mid-30s, he still retains the good looks of someone in his mid-20s.

That’s why my mother likes it so much.

Even he is a sword master.

Physical strength is the best in the kingdom.

“Then the carriage has arrived just then, so let’s leave quickly.”

I boarded the carriage that arrived at the main gate of the Earl’s Castle, and Sir Robert himself climbed into the driver’s seat.

“Please take care of the capital.”

“Of course. Well, if you’re bored, you can keep talking inside.”

“I’m fine.”

I can’t just think alone while moving long distances.

“By the way, Master, may I ask you a question?”

“What is it?”

“What do you want to learn, Master?”

“Me? Oh, yeah. It’s nothing special.”

After the fire was extinguished.

“Martial arts.”

If you think about the future, you need to develop strength and stamina.

“Sir Robert. Your father is a sword master, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then, if I am good at using a single-edged sword rather than a straight sword, should I call myself a blade master?”

“…Master.”

Robert swallowed his saliva and continued, as if his pride was slightly scratched.

“Master, it’s not that easy.”

“I know.”

There are less than 10 ‘Masters’ across the entire kingdom, empire, and continent.

“Much less a blade. Aren’t those blades only used in that empire?”

“That’s right.”

“If you’re a citizen of the kingdom, use a sword! A lance! At the very least, a rapier! A blade that only cuts but feels flimsy is a bit….”

“I guess so.”

I checked the two business plans and a neatly folded handkerchief in my arms, then closed my eyes.

“If I inherited my father’s talent, would I be able to become a sword master?”

This life.

* * *

The Kingdom of Nostrum is a country of knights.

We worship chivalry and honor, and value tradition and formality.

So, usually when a fight breaks out between men, the nobles challenge each other to a duel by throwing their white gloves at the other person.

Duel.

An honorable match.

As people say that most problems can be solved by dueling, dueling is a very sacred act in Nostrum.

Why didn’t a duel take place in this case?

Of course, the social position of the Margrave and King is also a position –

‘Will the king be called crazy and receive a duel?’

Margrave is a sword master.

In comparison, the king is an ordinary man with no talent in swordsmanship or other martial arts.

If the incompetent king has some talent –

‘The lineage that gave birth to Princess Naria?’

Exactly, that much.

Although there is one thing that gives him an edge over his father, it is a secret between the king and his mother.

“Master. We have arrived at the royal capital.”

The carriage stops.

I got off the carriage and took in the magnificent sight of the royal capital with my own eyes.

‘The magnificence is nonsense.’

Compared to what the future will look like, it is truly shabby.

The future also looks like a ‘colony of an empire.’

The emperor took over the kingdom and completely destroyed the royal capital.

Roads that were not properly laid with bricks were reorganized, and wizards were mobilized to lay water and sewage systems underground.

In the name of redevelopment, all slums were demolished and large-scale imperial-style residences were created.

Although it became a colony, some of the people said such things.

-It was much better to live as a second-class citizen of the empire than to live like a beggar in the kingdom.

Says.

From the nobles’ point of view, they were deprived of everything, including their titles, but for the people, there was no significant difference in their lives even if the country changed.

“Huh, master? Hey, the knights are coming.”

While we were looking at the kingdom’s walls and people for a moment and comparing the present and the future, Robert pointed ahead.

Clunk, clack, clack.

Knights wearing shining golden armor approach us.

The lion’s head symbolizing the royal family was engraved on his chest, and he stopped in front of us, waving a red cloak.

“Gray Gibraltar of the Earl of Gibraltar, is that right?”

“Yes. I am Gray Gibraltar.”

I bowed my head towards the middle-aged man with an overbearing voice.

“Meeting with you, Zeros Barcel, the knight commander of the Royal Knights [Golden Dawn].”

“Hmm…!”

Beneath the helmet, a voice flows out.

He seems to have thought that he would not be recognized because of the face mask-type helmet that covered his face.

“Is the Margrave safe?”

“Yes. I heard a lot about the leader from my father.”

“Margrave, me?”

“Yes. If there are five people who can hurt you, it’s one of them.”

“…Huh. hahahahaha!”

Knight Commander Zeros burst into laughter.

“I never thought he would think of me that way. This is so rewarding.”

It’s a compliment from the Sword Master, so it’s natural to be happy.

But do you know?

Those words were actually an evaluation of the people who would become his ‘enemies’ in the process of rebellion.

-There are people in the royal capital that you need to be careful of.

Before I came to the royal capital, my father left several warnings.

One of them is this man.

“Gray Gibraltar, follow.”

When you think of ‘chivalry’ in the kingdom, the first image that comes to mind is the knight itself, who values honor.

I did not become a master.

So, he was killed by the future emperor of the empire.

In one blow.

“Ah, yes. I have a story to tell you.”

Knight Commander Zeros bowed his head to me and lowered his voice.

“No matter what happens in the halls of the royal palace, don’t panic.”

“……Yes. I will keep that in mind.”

What happened?

Yes, of course.

‘An incompetent king became an incompetent king.’

I guess that’s about it.

“Are the queen and princess also in the hall?”

“……You’ll know when you go.”

The knight commander ground his teeth in a voice that sounded somewhat tired.

“Never panic.”

“……?”

In a moment.

I almost burst out laughing at the absurdity.

The king’s throne was empty.

* * *

“Nice to meet you again, Gray Gibraltar.”

The king’s throne was empty, and the person in the queen’s chair next to it greeted me.

“Grey Gibraltar, see the moonlight of Nostrum.”

“Still, it’s perfect etiquette.”

Queen Carmen smiled softly.

She glanced at the empty king’s throne for a moment, but she soon changed her expression and extended her hand towards me.

“You have something to give me, don’t you?”

“This is a business plan that must be given to His Majesty the King.”

“Then give it to me. Since you are currently away from speaking.”

“…….”

I slowly stood up and took out two pieces of parchment from my arms.

Originally, the queen should not receive something like this just because there is no king.

As it is a large-scale business plan submitted by the Margrave himself, the basic and rule is that the king unfolds it first.

“Here it is.”

“Um, okay.”

The royal administration is broken in many ways to the extent that even such rules are not properly followed.

“…Hmm.”

In fact, the queen is in charge of all politics.

“The skybridge redevelopment project and the elevator installation project… I don’t know about the former, but the latter is a fairly large project.”

“Yes.”

“Please provide all of this budget from the royal capital?”

“Yes.”

100%.

“If you add it all up, I think it’ll be around 50 billion gold.”

50 Billion gold.

“Do you know what the salary of a level 9 administrator is?”

“I understand it’s about 30 million gold.”

“Yes. In the case of a knight, the average annual salary is approximately 100 million gold. But… That is 50 billion.”

The queen looked down at her business plan with sunken eyes.

“This will require a meeting.”

The queen cannot make decisions on her own.

‘Yes.’

There is the king’s seal on the nightstand next to the queen.

Regarding administrative orders, the queen already manages the seal.

Still, talking about a meeting without approving it right away means that you need some time to think about it.

“Let me talk to the ministers.”

Instead of a representative, we will have a meeting with the Duke family members.

Are the ministers of government in this country proper bureaucrats?

No.

9 Out of 10 people are either wealthy people who bought government positions with money or are parachutes from aristocratic families.

“It was a long journey and you had a hard time. I will tell you the results as soon as they come to a conclusion, but in the meantime… okay, stay in the royal palace’s guest room.”

“Thank you for your kindness.”

Normally, one would stay in a mansion in the capital, but the Earl of Gibraltar does not have a mansion in the capital.

For generations, they subtly discouraged people from buying it in the kingdom.

This means that you should not rest here, but quickly go to the canyon and protect the kingdom.

So, most people stay in hotels, but-

“Or would you like to rest at the Duke’s house?”

Queen Carmen playfully suggests in a coy voice.

“There is always a room available for the Gibraltar family in the Duke of Morgania. hehehehe.”

No matter how close you are to your maternal family, is it okay to talk like this in the hall where the throne is?

It works.

There are only a few people present, but the Commander of the Zeros Knights and the others are all the queen’s people.

However.

“Thank you for your favor. I will follow the queen’s wishes.”

“…Huh?”

I am not the traditional Gibraltar who answers ‘I will follow the royal family’ in this situation.

“Queen. Could you please give me a cup of tea?”

“…Hoo?”

“It’s nothing else.”

It could be said that a child was arrogant and rude towards the queen.

“There is something my father told me to give to the queen.”

“……!!”

I know the queen’s weaknesses.

“What is that?”

“A little from here.”

“……I see.”

Queen Carmen stood up immediately from her seat, holding her plan.

“Come to my bed.”