The current head of the Bof family, Orone Bof, was in the royal castle.
Several days earlier, he’d received a letter in Carol Flue Shaltl’s name. It had dictated that he come at once to renew his vow of vassalage unless his loyalty now lay with Carla Flue Shaltl. He’d had no option but to agree.
As a precaution, he’d arrived in the royal capital the night before his scheduled appearance and stayed in his own residence. He’d hoped to learn more about the Ho family’s attitude toward him before his visit, but his efforts had been fruitless—the messenger he’d sent out had failed to return.
He’d been permitted to keep five of his escorts with him inside the castle.
“This is the room. I’d like to ask that the knights escorting you go no further,” the maid guiding him said.
Orone grew fearful. “But why—”
The maid cut him off as she opened the door. “There is no one other than His Excellency Yuri Ho and a secretary in the room.”
Peering inside, he saw that she was right. Orone entered.
The door closed firmly behind him.
The small room contained a large, perfectly square table with four legs, across which sat Yuri Ho. The boy looked as young as ever—and young he was. Strictly speaking, he was still a student of the Knight Academy.
Beside him stood someone with short hair—presumably the secretary. He judged that the secretary was male, but he couldn’t be quite sure.
“Sir Yuri, I hope you’re in good spirits,” Orone said.
He wasn’t sure of Yuri Ho’s current status. His title might have been prince consort or lord-supreme. All that was certain was that he’d assumed control of the Ho family while he was still a student.
“Sit down,” Yuri Ho said sternly.
“Y-Yes. As you wish.” Orone obeyed and took a seat.
It was an ill-mannered way for someone so young to address an elder, but Orone wasn’t angry. Perhaps it was because he knew he’d wronged Yuri Ho.
“First, read this,” Yuri Ho said curtly.
The secretary took a sheet of parchment from Yuri Ho and slid it along the table to Orone.
The nature of Orone’s betrayal was written right there. It was the secret contract with the witches, which also bore his signature. He’d prayed that the evidence would become lost forever amid the chaos, but now he knew that the witches had allowed it to fall into the Ho family’s hands.
Orone repeated the line he’d rehearsed in advance. “I have no recollection of this.”
The secretary left Yuri Ho’s side and slowly walked over to the door. Orone thought they were perhaps going to fetch tea, but they locked the door and returned to their previous position.
“Really...? Well, it doesn’t matter.”
“Indeed it doesn’t. I’ve never seen this,” Orone said. “Rest assured that Orone Bof and the chieftain family he hails from fight for the royal family now and always.”
Orone hadn’t been caught off guard when confronted with the contract. He’d seen this coming because he knew it bore his signature. He’d discussed the issue with the wisest of his close associates, who’d talked through the likely outcomes with him. Ultimately, they’d concluded that Yuri Ho couldn’t afford to make an enemy of the Bof family, and Orone had agreed. With a crusade force soon to arrive, the contract meant little. It was obvious that the Bof family’s assistance would be needed in the war. No good could come of a conflict between them.
“It doesn’t matter, because the Bof family is finished,” Yuri Ho said coldly.
“Wh-What do you mean?”
“Is a man who’d form such an agreement with witches worthy of commanding knights? I don’t think so.”
Orone slammed his fist on the table and stood up. “What are you saying?!”
He wasn’t actually enraged. In situations like this, he liked to make an outward display of anger while rising to his feet. In his thirty years as head of the Bof family, he’d found this trick could remedy almost any situation.
“Shut up and sit down,” Yuri Ho said.
“You’ve no right.” Orone placed his palm on the parchment and crushed it. He thrust out the crumpled sheet and yelled, “I’ve never seen this parchment! Do you know who I am?! How dare the Ho family show the Bof family such disrespect?!”
“Shut up. Listen to what I’m about to say.”
“This parchment...” Orone tore it into four pieces and threw them into his mouth. Once they were wet with his saliva, he forced himself to swallow. The contract disappeared with a loud gulp. “...never existed. This discussion is over.”
“Are you really that stupid?”
Yuri Ho shot a glance at his secretary, who handed him a new sheet. He placed it down on the table. It was perfectly identical to the parchment Orone had just swallowed.
Orone’s mouth hung open.
“You think I’d give you the original? I wasn’t born yesterday,” Yuri Ho said in disbelief.
“Uhh...” Orone opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out. Try as he might, he couldn’t form a sentence.
“Now listen.” Yuri Ho’s expression hadn’t changed the whole time. He was looking at Orone as if he was a speck of dirt. “If you’ll voluntarily relinquish the title of lord-supreme and hand back the province that the royal family placed in your care, your family can continue as minor landowners. I’ll give you a territory large enough to keep three other families in your service.”
Orone wasn’t about to accept such a ridiculous proposal from a Knight Academy student several decades his junior. “This is an outrage!”
“Fine. Sit back down. It’ll make this easier.”
“Do you even realize who you’re talking to?!” Orone Bof spoke in the same tone he used when scolding his retainers. He always reacted like this when faced with someone who wouldn’t agree with him. They all cowered before him and accepted what he had to say. For him, this was the most natural way of dealing with people. “I’m the Bof family’s—”
“Enough.”
One of Yuri Ho’s hands disappeared from view. His right shoulder dropped a little as his right hand went under the table. Then came a click, followed by a whooshing sound. A moment later, there was an explosion that threatened to rupture Orone’s eardrums, accompanied by a shock like a kick to his lower abdomen.
“Guh!”
His legs suddenly lost their strength, sending him falling to the floor. He’d been hit in the hanging region of his flabby stomach. He felt a strange burning sensation as blood spilled from him. He touched the area and found a hole.
Yuri Ho got up and approached Orone with a dagger in his hand. “I did tell you to sit.”
“W-Wait! Listen to me!” Orone pleaded as he put pressure against the hole in his abdomen.
But Yuri Ho didn’t stop. His expression remained the same. With the calmness of an experienced cook preparing a chicken, he grabbed Orone by his hair, lifted his jaw, and slid the dagger across his windpipe.
“Guhh!” Orone clutched at his throat as fresh blood gushed out. He felt the warmth of his own lifeblood spray forth in his hands as his consciousness faded.