The Founding Monarch Became the Mastermind

Chapter 20

Thunk!

“What did you say!?”

Baron Jetman hurled his wine glass against the wall and let out a furious roar.

“You’re breaking the contract? Are you out of your mind? Who the hell accepted that on whose authority? Go find those bastards and kill them right now!”

As expected from a lord notorious for his violent nature, his first reaction was to scream about killing someone, raging without restraint.

The retainers, well aware of their lord’s temperament, all pulled their heads back like turtles, nervously exchanging glances.

Anyone who recklessly intervened at a time like this could expect more than just a string of curses—they might even get beaten and end up with a broken bone or two if unlucky.

However, Sir Irvin, who had gone to Alphmarine on behalf of Baron Jetman to negotiate the mercenary contract and had also accepted the recent cancellation, was different.

“My lord, please calm down and listen to what I have to say.”

“Sir Irvin. Right, you accepted the cancellation. Fine, let’s hear what you’ve got to say.”

Facing the baron’s murderous glare that threatened to deal with him first if things went south, Sir Irvin spoke calmly.

“My lord, it’s a whopping 7.5 million Dien. It was paid in full with a Brelian Bank check. When I checked at the Alphmarine branch, even they were surprised. They said paying that amount all at once in gold or silver coins would be difficult for them as well, so we’d need to wait about ten days.”

“Huh!”

“Hmm!”

The enormous sum, equivalent to about a year’s income for a typical estate, drew gasps from those around.

Even Baron Jetman, whose greed matched his vicious nature, had a glint of excitement in his eyes.

“So? Keep going.”

“My lord entrusted me with the mercenary contract. So, I used the breach compensation to place a deposit of 1 million Dien and recruited other mercenaries. We’ve gained around 700 more mercenaries with just the 1 million Dien. Combined with the troops we already have, our forces exceed a thousand. With this strength, we can overpower the Volphart Estate.”

“That’s… not bad.”

Despite his notorious temper, Baron Jetman wasn’t entirely brainless, and he acknowledged this point.

After all, the ultimate goal of this affair was to defeat the Volphart Estate and negotiate from a position of strength.

No matter how much support the Volphart family received from their in-laws, their forces would clearly not exceed a thousand, meaning victory for Jetman was even closer.

“It’s a bit unfortunate we couldn’t utilize Stelman Janstrick, but this war will still end in our favor. Plus, we’ve pocketed several million Dien in profit. Isn’t that good enough?”

“Hmph! Fine. It’s not bad. The Janstrick guys are lucky. But still, I can’t forgive them for daring to slight me. Do you get what I mean, Sir Irvin?”

Although they hadn’t really suffered any losses and had actually made a huge profit, Baron Jetman wasn’t satisfied.

Instead, he downed the liquor from his newly filled glass in one gulp, his eyes gleaming with a sinister intent.

“Yes, of course, my lord. That’s why I’ve already taken measures and rushed back to report to you.”

“Measures? What kind?”

“I’ve placed spies on both the royal Salen and the Janstrick side. They said they were heading to the Si-on Duchy, so if they show any signs of leaving Alphmarine, I’ll be immediately informed.”

“Oh. And then?”

“We’ll send some of the mercenaries we’ve newly recruited. About 200 to 300 should be sufficient. That way, we can crush Janstrick, who dared to damage your honor.”

“Heh, good, good. But is that all?”

The endless greed of their lord left the retainers looking exasperated, but Baron Jetman didn’t care.

And Sir Irvin, who knew all too well what kind of man his lord was, smirked.

The plan to send Irvin to Alphmarine as the lord’s proxy, as well as the strategy to use and discard the Janstrick Mercenary Group, had all been orchestrated by Irvin himself.

He was just as greedy and ruthless as Baron Jetman.

“Of course not, my lord. We also need to deal appropriately with that royal collateral branch member named Salen.”

“What, what? Sir Irvin, have you lost your mind? Do you have any idea what kind of retaliation you’d face for harming a member of the royal family?”

One of the retainers jumped up in horror.

However, Irvin turned his sly gaze towards him and replied.

“Getting injured in the heat of battle due to unfortunate accidents can happen anywhere, anytime. As long as it doesn’t threaten his life, it’s no big deal. A few broken bones or a minor disability, perhaps.”

“But still! The royal capital is already in turmoil over the succession issue, and if we stir up trouble…”

“Foolish, Alvis.”

“What…?”

Baron Jetman interrupted the retainer with a sneer.

“That’s exactly why the royal family won’t bother with whatever happens over here. They’re too busy trying to devour each other over the throne. Who’s going to care if some obscure collateral branch member gets beaten up?”

“Well, that’s…”

“And think about it. We can detain him on the pretext of his injuries and later release him when the situation favors whoever looks poised to take the throne. Wouldn’t that give us a chance to score points with the future king?”

“…!”

“On top of that, if we send him back with some money as an apology, don’t you think I, Jetman, would gain even more favor?”

“You are truly wise, my lord.”

While the retainers gaped, only Sir Irvin eagerly agreed with him.

But soon, the other retainers of the Jetman Estate also…

“It… it does sound plausible, doesn’t it?”

“And we can cover the compensation from the damages we’ve already received, so there’s no need for additional expenses…”

“Wouldn’t it be better to align ourselves with one side before the succession issue is fully resolved?”

“It’s… convincing.”

“Hahaha! See? Even you all agree with me, don’t you?”

The retainers, who had been murmuring among themselves, all bowed their heads simultaneously towards the laughing Baron Jetman.

“As you command, my lord.”

* * *

The matter between Si-on and the Janstrick Mercenary Group was settled that day.

However, there were still various issues like settling debts and tidying up loose ends, but these were swiftly handled thanks to the efforts of Bikau, the mercenary guild leader who had always cared for Stelman.

From the perspective of Guild Leader Bikau, it wasn’t ideal that the Janstrick Mercenary Group was half-dissolved and completely leaving Alphmarine, but he knew this was the best option.

Moreover, although Stelman had made and broken the contract with Jetman on his own, Si-on had arranged the new contract with the Janstrick Mercenary Group through the guild’s supervision.

Thanks to Si-on’s consideration, Bikau earned a significant commission, which naturally led to him treating Si-on with respect and favor.

Thus, he did whatever he could.

Since the combined group of over 50 people required a lot of provisions and supplies, Bikau facilitated quick and affordable purchases.

This shortened the preparation time for Si-on’s party and Stelman’s mercenaries from at least three or four days down to just two, and they finally left Alphmarine.

Forty-two mercenaries from the Janstrick Mercenary Group chose to follow Stelman out of loyalty.

Among them, about 30 fit the criteria Si-on originally wanted, while the rest were either inexperienced in mounted combat, illiterate, or both.

Nevertheless, they had all been active as mercenaries for at least three years, meaning their basic skills were competent.

And being part of Janstrick meant they strictly refrained from thug-like behavior such as plundering civilians or rebelling against employers—a rarity among mercenaries.

Si-on purchased several carriages, assigning those inexperienced in mounted combat to manage the supplies, and since no one had to travel on foot, the group’s movement was swift and stable.

There were no thieves or bandits foolish enough to mess with an armed force of 30-plus mounted warriors.

Likewise, hungry beasts and monsters avoided them.

The Janstrick Mercenary Group often participated in monster hunts or wild beast exterminations rather than territorial disputes, so the scent of monster blood lingered heavily on their gear.

Thus, after departing Alphmarine early in the morning, the group found themselves in front of a small river about 30 meters wide by late afternoon.

“That’s the Marin River, Master.”

Stelman pointed toward the old stone bridge, partially covered in moss. Despite his large build, he seemed inexplicably restless.

Seeing him like this reminded me more and more of his father, making me chuckle.

“What’s wrong? Do you need to pee? Go by the river and take care of it.”

“It’s not that… Could you perhaps reconsider?”

Stelman couldn’t hide his concern.

It was understandable, as crossing that bridge would bring them right into the territory of Jetman.

Despite having paid a jaw-dropping amount in damages to cancel the contract, it was unlikely that Baron Jetman, notorious for his foul temper, would just let the Janstrick Mercenary Group go.

Stelman was worried that Si-on, who was both the employer and benefactor of him and the Janstrick Mercenary Group, might get caught up in any unforeseen trouble.

“If we follow the river upstream for just a day, we can reach Volphart Estate. We could pass through there and take the central highway to reach the Si-on Duchy.”

“That’s possible. But crossing this bridge will get us there at least ten days faster.”

“Well, yes, but…”

Stelman trailed off, glancing nervously at the handsome young man standing directly behind his employer and the tall, slender, and rather attractive woman with fierce eyes.

“Pfft!”

The sight was almost like a bear begging a human for food, prompting Piotr, the young man, to turn his head sharply, trying to stifle his laughter.

Jenna, looking displeased, glanced at the bear-like Stelman before reluctantly addressing Si-on.

“Sir Salen, even if it takes a little longer, do we really need to deal with unnecessary trouble? There will likely be plenty of opportunities to conduct the… test you’re after along the way.”

“Can you guarantee that the Lord of Volphart will let us pass without issue?”

“Uh…”

“Volphart’s nerves are probably on edge too. Do you think he’d just sit by while a 50-man armed force crosses his territory? If I were Baron Jetman, the first thing I’d do is spread the word that the Janstrick Mercenary Group signed a contract with Volphart.”

“…!”

“But… wasn’t the contract canceled?”

“What’s the chance the Lord of Volphart won’t see it as a trick by Jetman to reassure him?”

“…”

Stelman fell silent, immediately rebutted.

“Either way, the Lord of Volphart will summon us to confirm things. In the worst-case scenario, he might detain us until the territorial conflict is over.”

“Then we’ll just have to use force…!”

“And that’s when Volphart’s suspicion turns into certainty.”

“Ah.”

“Jetman’s actions are predictable, but Volphart’s are not. So, which should we choose? The predictable option, of course.”

“You’re absolutely right.”

Stelman couldn’t hide his admiration.

The mercenaries, who were listening to Si-on’s words while taking a break, nodded with similar expressions of agreement.

They looked quite different from how they had when they first set out from Alphmarine this morning.

It was only natural, as the mercenaries trusted Stelman but didn’t know or trust Si-on very well.

Some of the squad leaders had even suspected that Si-on might be exploiting Stelman in his time of need.

However, despite his young age, this employer, who suspiciously had more money than one could imagine even for a royal, turned out to be surprisingly wise.

‘If he’s this kind of person, it wouldn’t be bad to work under him for a few years.’

‘He’s a well-learned royal, I guess. His strategic thinking is quite reassuring.’

Completely unaware of who their employer truly was, the mercenaries acknowledged Si-on in their own way.

“Since we’ve decided to take the path through Jetman’s territory, shall we camp here for the night and move early tomorrow morning?”

Piotr suggested the basic tactic he had studied in his mercenary training.

After a long day of travel, it would indeed be prudent to rest, recovering from the day’s fatigue and preparing for any possible battles that might come tomorrow.

But Si-on shook his head.

“No. We’ll have dinner here, rest until midnight, and then cross the bridge.”

“What? Why?”

Piotr asked, puzzled.

The answer came not from Si-on, but from Stelman.

“That way, we can catch the enemy off guard. Moreover, by doing as the Master says, we get to choose the battlefield.”

“Exactly.”

Si-on’s estimation of Stelman rose a little higher in his mind.