How a Second Life Knight Lives

21. The one who is humiliated dreams of revenge.

And such a scandal is a great disgrace.

A noble’s fiancée being murdered while having an affair!

And not just any noble, but the fiancée of the Countess who rules the commercial city!

Of course, there is some leniency towards the infidelity of male nobles.

Even though legally women’s inheritance rights are respected and the culture encourages the social activities of female nobles, this Holy Marsolum Empire is a nation ruled by knights, and the foundation of the rule of law is overshadowed by the threat of blatant violence.

A patriarchal culture inevitably underlies it.

So there is a tendency to turn a blind eye to the transgressions of male nobles.

But there is no mercy for the transgressions of female nobles.

Still, there are limits.

The Countess’s fiancée going to a brothel and being murdered in a quarrel!

This was too extreme to be considered just a transgression.

It was tantamount to smearing the face of the Count’s family with filth.

It was an incident that even the commoners living under the influence of the Kalmar Count’s family felt humiliated by.

All sorts of rumors were circulating.

They said the Countess was so shocked that she fell ill.

They said the Countess was so furious that she had a confrontation with the Plens Count’s family, her fiancé’s family.

They said the prince named Tallin, who was murdered this time, was originally a playboy and had several regular prostitutes.

They said Tallin, unlike a noble, tried to leave without paying the fee and got into a quarrel.

They said Tallin, unlike a noble’s child, was a coward and ran away as soon as the quarrel started.

Everyone with a mouth had something to say. And the direction of the rumors became more and more provocative and sensational.

However, the retainers of the Kalmar Count’s family could not speak without thinking.

They knew things that the commoners did not.

So they were angry.

“Judging by the wounds on the body, he was stabbed in the back with a sword, and it penetrated his lung. This was the fatal wound. The cuts on his arm and the stab wound on his thigh were caused during resistance or escape and were not life-threatening. The reason he failed to escape was that the wound that penetrated his lung was too severe, so he couldn’t run far.”

“Was it an assassination?”

At the question of Countess Linnea, Arekson, the head of the guard in charge of the investigation, nodded.

“Yes. It is believed that he was attacked while he was with a prostitute. When he was found, he was dressed, but it is clear that he was dressed after he died. The scars on the body and the traces left on the clothes do not match. It is judged that he was undressed when he was attacked.”

“They practically shoved the evidence in our faces. It’s like they want us to know it was an assassination.”

Johan growled, not even trying to hide his anger.

But Countess Linnea remained calm. She continued her questions with an expressionless face.

“Did you catch the culprit? Who is it?”

At the dry question, Arekson unconsciously wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“Well, the culprit is likely the prostitute who was with Lord Tallin, but we couldn’t catch her. She had already fled, and she was new to the establishment, so no one around knew her well.”

Lindstrom interrupted.

“Didn’t the guard secure the prostitute who was with Lord Tallin? Did I misunderstand something?”

“There was another prostitute. The one we caught was with Lord Tallin, and the one waiting on the side is the culprit.”

“So he called for two at once?”

“Yes, it seems so.”

“What a piece of trash.”

A vulgar curse burst from Lindstrom’s mouth. It was an uncharacteristic reaction from someone who always maintained a gentlemanly demeanor.

And for good reason, as Tallin had come to Kalmar to formally hold an engagement ceremony.

Originally, he was supposed to come with the people of the Plens Count’s family, but he couldn’t suppress his desire to see the beautiful Countess Linnea and set off first with a few attendants.

But after arriving in Kalmar, he went to the pleasure district before even announcing his arrival, making one wonder about the education of the Plens Count’s family.

It was Countess Linea who calmed the tense atmosphere in the room.

“We don’t know whether they went there with their heads full of nonsense, unable to think, or whether they were lured in like butterflies to flowers, or whether they were kidnapped. And in this situation, it’s not even important what the truth is.”

Everyone’s mouths were agape.

This was not the usual Countess.

She was the epitome of a well-bred successor to the Earl’s family, always calm and composed, adhering to etiquette.

But even she could utter such words.

The Countess didn’t care about her attendants’ reactions.

She was too angry, and her composure could collapse at any moment.

“The problem is that we were attacked. This is a threat against us. An insult to me, a stain on the reputation of the Calmar Earl’s family, and a nasty provocation that undermines our friendly forces. We must find out who did this, Lord Alexson.”

“Yes, Countess.”

“Take charge of this case and oversee everything. If anyone tries to interfere with the investigation or distort the truth, report to me immediately. Submit your report within a month at the latest.”

“Yes, Countess. I will see to it.”

Countess Linea managed to maintain her composure until she left the conference room.

But as soon as she entered her private quarters, she could no longer contain herself.

She clenched her fists and punched the wall.

Thud!

It sounded like hitting a soft wall with a hammer.

A circular crack spread from the center of the impact, about 1 meter in diameter.

The crack collapsed a few moments later, sending dust flying everywhere.

The maids who followed the Countess didn’t seem surprised, as if this was a common occurrence, and immediately began cleaning up.

They gathered the broken bricks, dust, and debris, and finished cleaning the area in under 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, the Countess’s elderly maid helped her dust off her clothes and tended to her hands.

“Sorry, I broke the wall again.”

“It’s bigger than before, isn’t it? This mysterious power of yours is still hard to understand. But it was a good idea to set up a stress-relief wall. I’ll have the broken wall repaired today.”

“Sara, I’m so angry.”

“You did well. Any woman would be angry after being insulted like that.”

“Yeah, I’m furious. The Plens Earl’s family must have thought they could get away with it because I don’t have any close relatives. And what makes me even angrier are the princes who want to manipulate Calmar. They’re probably the ones behind this. Whether they’re involved or not, they’re all the same. They just want to get their hands on Calmar’s wealth.”

“Countess, please watch your language. Even if you’re angry, you should use dignified words.”

“Okay, Sara.”

“You shouldn’t have let her go to the market when she was young. She wouldn’t have learned such bad words.”

“Hey, that’s not right. To be a good ruler, you need to know how commoners live, so I went around. Dad said it was okay too. And I was so careful not to reveal my identity.”

“I know. But you have to be even more careful from now on. There are really no people left in the Count’s family.”

“I know. But I don’t think the existing danger will disappear just because you bury your head and close your eyes. It’s better to open your eyes wide and look ahead.”

“Our little lady. You’ve completely grown up.”

“Sara, it seems I still look like a little princess to you. Sara. Even if I don’t want to grow up, I have to. I have to become the true Count of Kalmar.”

Sara, the middle-aged maid who had been with the Countess Linnea’s mother, nodded and smiled.

“……It will be as the Count of Kalmar wishes.”

* * *

Apart from the massive damage suffered by the Powell merchant group, I had to collect the money they owed. Fortunately, the main branch of the Powell merchant group acted generously, as if this level of damage was nothing.

They paid what they had to pay, compensated what needed to be compensated, and greeted where greetings were due, trying to minimize the aftermath of the failed trade.

I was also able to receive the money I was owed normally. They even gave me a hefty bonus as a token of appreciation for my efforts.

It was a grateful thing.

Having gathered this much capital, I felt strongly that I should proceed with my business before it was too late.

If I spent time idly, I might have to hand over my business to another merchant group and leave without getting the proper value.

I was about to go to a mountain village near Kalmar city with Jukob. It was to purchase high-quality medicinal herbs at the local price.

The wholesale herbal dealers at the port refused to negotiate prices as if they had colluded, so I had no choice.

“Mr. William, don’t worry about the transaction issues and leave it to me. I’m from the mountain village. All my relatives live there. If there’s a medicinal herb you want, they’ll trade it at a reasonable price. Mr. William, aren’t you my lifesaver?”

“But it seems like the wholesale dealers have colluded, so I’m worried it might cause trouble.”

Since experiencing the battle with me, Jukob had treated me like a superior. It was a bit burdensome for someone a few years older than me to do so, but looking back, I had naturally started to command Jukob as a subordinate at some point.

This man had more of a merchant’s temperament than a mercenary’s.

“What’s the harm in buying medicinal herbs with money? Rather, they’ll take out all the herbs they’ve been hoarding, thinking this is the time. Mr. William, won’t you pay more than the wholesale dealers?”

“Of course. If someone I’ve never seen suddenly wants to make a new deal and expects the same price as the merchants who’ve been trading for a long time, that’s a thief’s mindset. I just don’t like the idea of someone in the middle holding my leash.”

“Then you don’t have to worry. I’ll bridge the gap well.”

“I trust you, Jukob.”

But it won’t be easy.

In this medieval-like world, once a trading system is established, they often give up on other attempts altogether.

If I were an ordinary knight A, I would have just made a deal with a suitable wholesaler. But now that I’ve gained some fame, I decided to pursue a bit more profit.

Relying entirely on wholesalers for raw materials was no different from having my leash held by the wholesalers, so that was another reason.

However, if the resistance to my attempt is too strong, I’m prepared to compromise.

After all, I’m an outsider.

The carriage they were riding together moved slowly towards the castle gate.

As befitting a commercial city that lives off logistics, many people were moving in and out around us, flowing like water.

At that moment, something touched my senses.

A strange feeling.

Like feeling a mosquito sitting on the wall in a dark room.

A feeling that I wouldn’t be able to sleep unless I turned on the light and checked.

I saw a traveler walking in the same direction as the carriage.

Someone who would soon leave through the castle gate.

A loose robe and hood covering the entire body,

A backpack on the back,

A staff in hand.

Just an ordinary traveler.

An ordinary traveler who was quite beautiful and had a decent figure, though.

Except for that, it was the appearance of someone who lived in a nearby village outside the city of Kalmar and was returning after a visit.

What was it that touched my nerves?

I quietly observed the traveler walking ahead of the slowly crawling carriage.

Then, as if feeling my gaze, the traveler turned her head to look at me.

It was a woman.

“She looks ordinary, doesn’t she?”

“Huh?”

“I thought you had found a beauty because you were staring so intently. She’s just an ordinary-looking woman.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

But why did I think the traveler was quite beautiful?

And why did I think her figure was impressive?

She was wearing a loose robe, so why did I think that?

Status window.

I called the status window in my mind.

And placed my finger on the minimap.

Oh!

A red dot was moving in front of my eyes.