(1) ‘This is difficult.
Who am I to believe and judge?’ He wanted to believe his son, Patrick, but he also wanted to believe his knight, Brian. This conflict in his heart was clouding his judgment, preventing him from making the right decision.
But then again.
‘There's a way for everything. Do you think I've only dealt with a pushover once or twice?’
Patrick had already anticipated this situation. What do you do when the scales are so evenly balanced you can't make a call? The solution is simple.
You just add a weight to one side.
"Lawrence!"
"Did you call, young master?"
The one who appeared, answering Patrick's call, was an old gentleman with gray hair neatly combed back. It was Lawrence. He was the butler who managed the Schneider Fief, and for some time now, he had been waiting outside the training grounds.
And Patrick said.
"Show the documents you prepared to my father."
"Yes, I understand."
Lawrence then handed a thick stack of papers to Baron Schneider. As Baron Schneider received and read the documents…
"Is… is this truly real?"
"I have investigated everything myself. These documents contain only matters for which there is conclusive evidence."
"This can't be."
Baron Schneider was dumbfounded. The documents he received detailed the amount and methods of the budget Brian had embezzled over the years. With the butler vouching for the evidence, it was impossible to deny it any longer.
"Sir Erickson! What in the world is the meaning of this?"
Brian flinched at the shout of Baron Schneider, who was enraged by the chilling betrayal. No matter how good-natured Baron Schneider was, anyone would get angry after being backstabbed so thoroughly.
"You...! I trusted you, how could you do this..."
Seeing Baron Schneider trembling, Patrick let out a sigh.
‘Have his eyes finally opened?’
Patrick sighed as he watched Baron Schneider, who was now furious after learning the truth. No matter what a pushover idiot he was, it was only natural to get angry after being so directly backstabbed. Now, Baron Schneider would severely punish Brian and conclude the matter…
"I am sorry, my lord."
It was then. Brian had suddenly knelt, touching his head to the ground, and began to speak in a pleading voice.
"I was blinded by greed and made such a mistake. Please forgive me. I will strive to ensure such a thing never happens again."
Brian moved his battered body, prostrating himself on the spot to beg for forgiveness. The shameless figure who had just been proclaiming his innocence was nowhere to be seen. Patrick scoffed at the sight of him, devoid not only of a knight's honor but even the slightest shred of pride as a man.
‘Pathetic bastard. He should have at least been shameless to the end.’
As a knight, he was third-rate, but as a villain, he was fifth-rate. Who would accept his apology now, after all this? Unless they were a complete pushover idiot, no one would forgive him here.
"Are you truly repenting for your mistakes?"
"Yes. That's right.... Huh?"
Patrick was startled. And Brian, as if sensing his chance, said with tears welling in his eyes.
"Of course, my lord. I will strive to ensure this never happens again."
"Hmm..."
"Please, considering the contributions I have made to the fief over the years, I beg you to forgive my sins just this once."
"Hooo... Yes. Everyone makes mistakes."
Finally, Patrick grabbed the back of his neck. Then, he clutched his head with both hands and thought.
‘Master, are you watching? Here is a pushover who surpasses even you.’
And of all people, it had to be my father. It was truly a sad state of affairs. With the lamenting Patrick beside him, Baron Schneider spoke in what he intended to be a stern voice.
"Sir Erickson. From now on, you can do..."
"Father!"
Patrick roared, cutting off Baron Schneider. Then, he raged.
"Does it make any sense to forgive this man? He is a criminal who embezzled the fief's budget for years!"
"But we cannot simply ignore his past contributions, can we?"
"Why can't we? Just don't think about them."
Patrick wore an expression that genuinely said, 'I don't understand why you can't do that.' This time, it was Baron Schneider who looked at his son with an expression that said, 'What kind of child is this?' Baron Schneider sighed lightly and said.
"Then what do you think should be done?"
"Is there any other way? We should just chop his head off."
"Gasp!"
Brian, listening from the side, reflexively brought a hand to his own neck. It seemed that vicious demon was more than capable of cutting his neck.
"Isn't that too harsh?"
"Then should we not cut it all the way, just halfway?"
"If you cut a man's neck halfway? Can he still live?"
"No, he can't." "Then what's the difference, you punk!"
"Tch."
Patrick, clicking his tongue as if disappointed, scratched his head vigorously while looking at Brian.
‘Just killing him would be cleaner, but I guess it can't be helped?’
In any case, his father was the lord. Here, he had to respect his father's opinion. Patrick looked at Brian and said.
"Let me ask you one thing, Brian."
"Yes, please speak, young master."
"Do you want to live?"
"Yes!"
At those words, Brian nodded his head frantically. He was now burning with a tenacity for life.
"Hmm, so you want to live?"
"Please, I beg you, just spare my life."
"Good. That's a good attitude. A person shouldn't let go of the thread of life so easily. You have to live tenaciously."
"That is right."
"If I let you live, you'll accept whatever punishment I give, won't you? Right?"
"Yes. That's..."
Seeing Brian hesitate, Patrick said.
"What? No? Did I misunderstand?"
"It's not a misunderstanding, it's just... that is..."
"Wow, so our Brian was the type to love things like honor or pride more than his own life?"
"That is..."
"Then you should have said so sooner. Here, stick your neck out. Be a good boy, hmm? I'll make sure the cut is painful."
Usually, wouldn't they at least say they'll cut it painlessly? In any case, Brian's mind snapped to attention. That one will do it.
He's more than capable of doing it.
"No. I want to live. I absolutely want to live."
"Really?"
"Yes. It's true."
"Tsk, well then, it can't be helped."
Patrick looked at Brian with pitiful eyes before turning to Baron Schneider.
"Father, would you not entrust the punishment of this criminal to me?"
"To you, you say?"
"Yes. Didn't I render a great service to the fief through this incident? Right?"
"That's true."
It felt a bit off, but he wasn't wrong. As his father acknowledged his contribution, Patrick said.
"Therefore, as a reward for that service, please entrust the punishment of the criminal to me."
It was something that made no sense by common standards. Isn't punishing a criminal the sole right of the lord who governs the fief? Entrusting that to a child who was only ten years old was normally an unthinkable thing.
But...
"Son."
"Yes, Father."
"You really won't kill him, will you?"
"Of course."
"You won't cut something off and cripple him either, right?"
"As much as possible, I won't." "... Alright. Then I will trust you and leave it to you this once."
"Yes. Thank you, Father."
As expected of the pushover who surpasses my master from my past life. Truly, he was a man who loved to trust people. But there was something he didn't know...
‘Hehehe. Yes. Come to think of it, just killing him is a waste. I need to squeeze him dry for as much as he embezzled. Using that, it should be more than possible.’
Sometimes, it is better to just be killed.
For real.
A few days later. Patrick appeared before Brian, who was locked in prison.
"Yo, been well?"
"You've come, young master."
Brian bowed to Patrick, bending his waist in half.
"Yeah. That's right. Prison life must be treating you well? You're looking much better."
"Haha... It is all thanks to the young master's consideration."
"You're laughing?"
"Tsk tsk, this is why they say you shouldn't take in a black-haired beast. You get a little comfortable and you start showing your teeth."
Brian wanted to say inwardly that his hair color was brown, but he wasn't so clueless as to open his mouth here. Patrick said to such a Brian.
"I came today because your punishment has been decided."
"Ahem, first, about the damages. The total amount you have embezzled over the years has been estimated to be over 50 gold."
"No. It is absolutely not that much."
Brian jumped up and denied it.
"What? It's not?"
"That's right. In this destitute fief, how could I possibly have taken such an enormous sum... Keok!"
Patrick's fist twisted Brian's jaw. Then he mercilessly stomped on the fallen Brian and said…
"Has this bastard lost his mind? Destitute? Destituuuute! Are you insulting our fief right now? Huh?"
"Aargh! Sor... keok... That's a vital spot... Gyaaaak!"
After stomping on Brian for a while, Patrick cracked his neck from side to side and said.
"Let's get this straight. Hmm?"
"Yes. I'm sorry."
And Brian said, as if he were truly being wronged.
"But, young master. It really wasn't that much. I swear to God..."
"It's not?"
"You're saying it's not?"
"Am I wrong? Is that it?"
With each word, a deeper madness began to settle in Patrick's eyes. The moment Brian saw that gaze, which was filled with the meaning, 'So I'm wrong and you're right? Is that your last will and testament?', he realized.
‘Ah, it’s hopeless.’
It was an atmosphere where even if they had said 5,000 gold instead of 50, he would have had to just say, 'Yes. That is correct.' That is, if he didn't want to die.
"I believe it was around 50 gold."
"See. That's right."
A bright smile returned to Patrick's face, and Brian lowered his head gloomily.
"Ahem, anyway, if a person steals money, they have to pay it back."
"Are you saying I have to pay it back?"
"Yes. From now on, you will be demoted to a common soldier, and with that salary, you must repay five times the amount you embezzled."
"F... five times?"
"Yeah. Why? Too little?"
"Y... young master. To repay 250 gold, even if I saved every single penny, it would take more than twenty years."
"What are you talking about? Twenty years? How did you calculate that?"
"My monthly salary is 1 gold, so 250 gold would be..."
"No. That's not right. 1 gold was your salary as a knight. I said I'm demoting you to a common soldier, didn't I?"
"You'll be demoted to the lowest of the low-rank soldiers. Your salary will now be 10 silver a month, so after subtracting the minimum expenses to feed and house you, and this and that..."
Patrick thought for a moment in his head, then said with a bright smile.
"It should take about 444 years, don't you think?"
Brian's jaw dropped. And he said to Patrick.
"Do you... Do you really think I would accept such... such an absurd condition?"
"Why? You don't like it?"
"Of course..."
KWAANG!
In that instant, Patrick's fist slammed into the thick prison wall. His fist sank into the wall, and stone dust rained down on Brian's shoulders. And Patrick said.
"Then you can just die."
"..."
"What'll it be?"
Tears streamed down from Brian's eyes.