The Mad Dog of the Duke's Estate

Chapter 25

The City Hall stood in the heart of the Thebe Autonomous Territory. It was tax audit season, so the City Hall was holding meetings one after another.

"The imperial tax authority is really cracking down hard this time," a voice complained.

"Well, that's because they found evidence of your money laundering!" another retorted.

"As if you didn't do the same! You lot aren't innocent either!"

Raised voices filled the room, capturing the chaotic essence of the scene. They belonged to representatives of the various trade guilds, the dominant powers in Thebe. They had set aside their dignity and were shouting at each other, pointing fingers.

Mayor Grine, the seventh mayor of the Thebe Autonomous Territory, sighed deeply as he watched the bickering unfold. It had been a year since he was elected, yet he still hadn't gotten used to this. He'd witnessed such scenes countless times, but the sheer lack of maturity and responsibility from these so-called leaders of the city never ceased to amaze him. They were simply pathetic.

"Everyone, please calm down—" Mayor Grine began.

"Mayor! You must punish these criminals on behalf of the city!" one of the leaders shouted, interrupting him.

"Excuse me? Criminals? You think I don't know about the shady deals your guild has struck with the southern kingdoms regarding weapons—" another voice interjected.

"I said there was a complicated reason for that!" came a defensive response.

"Tsk tsk. We're supposed to be discussing city governance, and yet here you all are, focused only on your own interests. Such a lack of dignity. Mayor Grine, I propose we remove these ruffians from the room immediately!" said a noble representative.

The room was out of control. The council members born of noble families expressed their dissatisfaction, but the council members born of common households continued their bickering, completely ignoring the nobles' complaints. The mayor's authority had long since vanished.

In reality, the position of mayor in Thebe was little more than a figurehead role. The mayor was responsible for maintaining the city's order, overseeing disaster prevention, and managing urban infrastructure. However, when it came to significant matters, especially those involving economic interests, decisions were made by the council members representing the various power groups in the city.

In short, the mayor was just a face to show the public.

...It's a worthless position, where the responsibilities far outweigh the authority. What was I thinking when I took this job? Grine thought.

Just a few years prior, Grine had been serving as a minister in the Imperial Department of Finance. After he successfully completed his term of two years, the representatives from the Thebe council had approached him with an offer.

"Minister Grine? We've come to offer you the position of mayor in the Thebe Autonomous Territory."

Despite his strong desire to take a break, Grine had accepted their proposal because the financial offer they made was simply too large to refuse.

Back then, I had no idea it would be like this... Grine reflected.

Thebe was the most developed city in the empire after the capital, and was the largest source of tax revenue in the empire. It was a city where anyone, regardless of status, could find opportunity. It seemed like an enticing place, at least on the surface.

But the true nature of this city, which Grine had only discovered upon taking the role of mayor, was far from what he had imagined.

"Tsk, these commoners," one of the noble council members sneered.

"What did you say? Ah, I see you've developed a sense of inferiority from losing the mana stone bidding rights to our guild every time, eh?" a commoner council member retorted.

"...How dare a commoner like you speak like that!" the noble member exclaimed.

Thebe was a city in chaos, barely held together by threads of self-interest. Grine shook his head as his fingers toyed with a cigarette in his pocket.

"...Let whatever happens, happen," Grine muttered under his breath. After all, he only had two years left in his term. When he'd first taken up the position, he had grand ideas of developing the city. But now, those ambitions had faded. He planned to finish his term and retire comfortably, using his earnings to build a villa in a resort town on the southern continent.

Just as Grine was indulging in these pleasant thoughts as he tried to ignore the ongoing chaos, the door to the meeting room suddenly burst open with a loud crash. The arguing council members paused and turned towards the door. A man with a pale, stricken face stood there. It was Grine's aide.

"M-Mayor Grine," the aide stuttered.

Grine sighed deeply again and lazily waved his hand before asking, "What is it, Deon?"

"Urgent... It's urgent news..." the aide replied as he rushed over to Grine and whispered something into his ear.

Upon hearing the news, Grine's expression hardened, and he remained silent for a long moment. Then he pulled out his pack of cigarettes and placed one between his lips.

"Damn it," he cursed quietly.

"Um... Mayor Grine, we're in a meeting, and smoking is..." Deon began.

"Deon," Grine interrupted.

"Yes, Mayor Grine?"

"Shut up and light it for me."

The aide complied and lit the cigarette for Grine, who inhaled deeply. The council members stared at the mayor, who had always been a stickler for rules, with wide eyes. Never before had he smoked indoors, let alone during a meeting. This sudden change from his usual behavior stunned them.

What on earth could the urgent news be?

What kind of news is it...

Unable to contain their curiosity, one of the council members cautiously asked, "Mayor Grine, what happened? Is it about the tax investigation?"

With a bright smile, Grine responded, "Tax investigation? To hell with that. Councilman Johnson, the tax audit is the least of our concerns right now."

"...This sudden change is quite troubling," Johnson replied nervously.

"If you're troubled, that's your problem, not mine," Grine snapped back.

"Mayor, I must say, your behavior is highly inappropriate. We are here representing the citizens of this city," another council member began to protest.

"Yes, the city... This damned city. I should have never accepted this job," Grine muttered as he tossed his used-up cigarette to the floor and crushed it under his shoe. He took another cigarette and quickly gestured for Deon to light it as he grinned at the increasingly agitated council members.

Then, with a voice barely above a whisper, he dropped a bombshell. "Five minutes ago, a train departing from Azureocean Castle, carrying members of the Leston family en route to the capital, exploded. Among the passengers were two direct descendants of the Leston family, Leo Leston and Caron Leston. The exact casualty count is still unknown."

"W-What are you saying?" one of the council members stuttered.

"What do you think I'm saying?" Grine replied. When his aide lit his cigarette again, he took a deep breath. Then, he replied in a low voice, "It means we're all as good as dead."

***

A piercing, ringing sound filled Caron's ears and made his head spin. Slowly, he opened his eyes, frowning as he took in the chaotic scene around him. The train car was a wreck. Judging by the way the chairs and ceiling were upside down, it seemed as if the train had overturned.

I feel fine, Caron thought as he took note of his condition.

The train had derailed. However, thanks to the protective mana circles embedded within the train cars that had activated as the train overturned, they were able to avoid serious injury.

"Young Masters, are you alright?" Hans' voice broke through the ringing.

"I'm fine. How about you, Leo?" Caron responded.

"...I'm okay too," Leo muttered.

Hans, who had been joking with them just moments earlier, now wore a grim expression. He drew his sword from its scabbard and quickly activated the train car's communication crystal to contact the other compartments.

"Report on the situation," Hans ordered.

Then a voice responded through the crystal.

—Eleven accounted for. One seriously injured, two with minor injuries. The seriously injured one is Master Dales. Other than Master Dales, everyone else is ready for combat.

—T-This is Urhan. We lost two in our compartment... And most of the others are unconscious...

Despite the defensive mana circles, it was clear that the servants' compartments had taken the brunt of the damage. The fact that Urhan, one of the lower-ranking servants, was the one who responded indicated how dire the situation was.

"Hans, have you confirmed our location?" Caron asked.

"We're about ten kilometers west of the Thebe Autonomous Territory's city center. I've already contacted them, so their forces should be mobilizing as we speak," Hans answered.

"And what is their estimated arrival time?" Caron asked again.

"They'll be here in about twenty minutes," Hans replied.

Moving with injured people was impossible, especially when it involved the kind of lunatic who would go so far as to lay explosives on the tracks. The tracks were considered the emperor's property.

Treason, Caron thought.

Treason was the worst kind of crime. It was clear that only those without any concern for their own safety would commit such an act.

Meanwhile, Caron's sword, Guillotine, continued to vibrate in its scabbard. It was a sign that the danger wasn't yet over.

"Young Master Caron, the attackers are approaching. There are twenty of them, including knights," Hans whispered tensely. He turned to Caron and asked, "Do you remember what I told you before we left? No matter what happens, you and Young Master Leo must survive. We'll hold them off."

"That's impossible," Caron said firmly, rejecting Hans' suggestion.

Although Leo had said he was fine, Caron could tell that his cousin wasn't in good shape. He was sure that the blast had injured Leo's right leg. In that state, it would be difficult for him to walk, let alone run... especially with enemies in pursuit.

In the end, that left them with only one choice.

"There's nothing else we can do," Caron said.

Their enemies, who had dared to commit treason by attacking the Ducal Family of Leston, were clearly in it for the long haul. Running away would be futile.

Caron drew Guillotine from its scabbard, and it slid out with a sharp hiss.

"...Caron, wouldn't it be better if you run away while you still can?" Leo suggested weakly.

"Leo, you can still fight, right?" Caron asked.

"Yes," Leo answered, determination creeping back into his voice.

"That's all I need to hear. Hans, tell the squad to stay inside the compartment and be ready," Caron ordered.

The enemy's capabilities were still unclear, so the best course of action was to wait. Hans shared the same opinion. They both gripped their swords tightly, getting ready for anything.

Moments later, sounds of movement came from outside, followed by the shadows of figures that crept through the shattered windows. Without hesitation, Caron drove his sword, Guillotine, into the wall beside the window.

Squelch!

A muffled gurgle followed, accompanied by the sensation of flesh being pierced by Guillotine. When he pulled his blade back, a masked assailant collapsed in front of the window.

"Let's move out," Caron ordered.

"Yes, Young Master Caron. Everyone in the Second Squad, get off! " Hans responded, immediately slicing through the wall of the compartment with his sword. Soon, the landscape outside was revealed. It was a wide open field, strewn with fragments of the railway tracks that had been damaged by the explosion. Additionally, waiting for them were more enemies than expected.

"Oh, there's more of them than I thought," Caron muttered, noting at least thirty masked figures in black. He couldn't help but smile at the sight. Just as soon as Sabina left, things were already getting interesting.

"Stand behind us, Young Master Caron," Hans instructed as he and the rest of the Second Squad formed a protective circle around Caron and Leo. It was a standard formation for guarding important individuals.

These enemies were no ordinary thugs. True to their nature as lunatics who would directly attack a train, it seemed that each of them was at least a 3-Star. Although a 3-Star knight wouldn't be regarded very highly at Azureocean Castle, it was still a level at which one could be formally recognized as a knight.

"The one in the far back, he's a 6-Star," Hans pointed out.

"Where on earth did all these guys come from? The Leston family has so many enemies, it's hard to guess," Caron mused.

"Is now really the time to be curious about that? You need to calmly stay behind us," Hans insisted.

"Hmm... Well, I'm not so sure that's the best idea," Caron replied.

As Caron and Hans shared their opinions, the 6-Star knight Hans had identified began to step forward. After a moment, the knight said in a voice distorted by magic, "Caron Leston, if you cooperate, we won't harm the knights or the servants."

"Cooperate? Hans, did you hear that? They want me to cooperate," Caron said.

"Drop your weapons and surrender. Our goal is not to kill you," the knight continued.

Caron had already predicted their intentions. If they were here to kill him, they wouldn't have bothered sending someone to check the condition of the train's interior. They would've prepared to finish the group off from a distance.

What a fool, Caron thought.

Revealing their purpose so blatantly was a mistake only an amateur would make. This wasn't the work of a professional assassin.

"Hans, listen carefully to what I'm about to say," Caron began.

"What is it, Young Master Caron?" Hans asked, keeping his eyes on the enemy.

"I've just realized something very important," Caron said.

Hans was sure that Caron was going to say something crazy, because the youngest Leston's mind was anything but ordinary.

"They want to capture me alive. And they want it done within the next twenty minutes," Caron said.

"...Isn't that obvious?" Hans replied.

"They've committed treason, so they can't afford to walk away empty-handed. Which means they can't kill me. As for me, on the other hand?" Caron began.

Whoosh.

Guillotine began to vibrate violently as it resonated with Caron's mana. With a wide grin on his face, he continued, "I can kill them all I want."