From early morning, the city of Nowen was in turmoil. News of the attempted kidnapping of the duke’s eldest son, his subsequent rescue, and the discovery of an illegal elven slave facility inside Alistair’s mansion—each of these was enough to fuel conversation for months.

  But before the previous news had even fully spread, events just as shocking unfolded throughout the city. The duke’s forces raided every commercial establishment belonging to the Norz Merchant Alliance, sealing all locations and arresting all employees as suspects in the illegal elven slave trafficking scheme.

  The Norz Merchant Union was one of the wealthiest trade associations in the Empire, its influence extending across the continent. But Cédric was the ruler of Nowen and the entire surrounding region, bearing the title of imperial duke—the highest noble rank beneath royalty itself. A merchant association with immeasurable wealth and political influence in the capital, or an imperial duke and war hero—everyone wondered who would come out on top, for it was clear that the Merchant Union could not remain idle after Cédric’s actions.

  The Aster family estate was equally restless. Accommodating more than a hundred elven “guests” required tremendous effort and organization. If not for the administrative capabilities of the lady of the house, Helena Aster, the place would have descended into chaos.

  Cédric, too, had not had an easy time. Awake since the previous night, he remained in his office, listening to report after report from his subordinates.

  “As I said, Your Excellency, all caravans belonging to the Norz Merchant Union within the territory have been seized,” said Edgar, commander of the Ducal Cavalry.

  His gaze then shifted to Joseph, who was also present.

  “We also managed to locate the man you were looking for—Hector. He was fleeing in disguise in one of the caravans, but we captured him before he could cross the county border.”

  Joseph nodded with satisfaction.

  “That simplifies matters considerably.”

  Turning toward Cédric, Joseph displayed a stack of documents in his hands.

  “As Your Excellency can see,” he began, “this Hector was responsible for much of the administrative work under Alistair. Capturing him will make things much easier for us.”

  The documents in Joseph’s possession were only a fraction of the many seized from the Union’s stores and properties. Since early morning, Joseph had been bringing more and more of them.

  “We have also captured most of the Union’s members, Your Excellency.”

  The one who spoke was Sigur, commander of the City Guard.

  “Most?” Cédric asked, his hands steepled before his face.

  “…Yes. Some managed to hide, but my men are searching for them. By the end of the day, we should have the rest.”

  Hmm, as I thought.

  Cédric nodded.

  “Finish it by the end of the day.”

  After a moment’s thought, he added, “Use the necessary force, but do not overdo it.”

  “Yes, sir,” Sigur replied before withdrawing.

  “Your Excellency, since early morning, a representative of the Merchant Chamber has requested an audience,” Joseph commented.

  I expected as much.

  The Merchant Chamber was an organization to which all reputable Merchant Unions belonged, and the Norz Union was no exception. Its sole purpose was to defend the interests of its members, especially in political matters. Given Cédric’s actions, it was only natural the Chamber would have something to say.

  “Denying them an audience could prove problematic.”

  Cédric had to agree. The Norz Union, though powerful, was not the only Merchant Union in the Empire. If he handled the Merchant Chamber carelessly, he risked turning every major merchant in the country into an enemy.

  “Schedule a meeting for this afternoon.”

  “It has already been arranged,” Joseph said with a faint smile.

  Cédric nodded in satisfaction.

  Efficient as always.

  “Anything else to report?” Cédric asked Edgar.

  “No, sir.”

  “You may leave, then.”

  “With your permission.” Edgar bowed slightly and exited the office.

  “The coming days will be quite hectic,” the old assistant remarked. He hesitated before continuing. “Don’t you think… you’re being somewhat aggressive?”

  Aggressive, hmm…

  Cédric crossed his arms thoughtfully.

  Alistair had been a high-ranking executive within the Norz Merchant Union, directly involved in the elven slave trade with the southern nations.

  But Norz was far more than that.

  The Union was one of the Empire’s largest commercial conglomerates, with interests in transportation, mining, military supply contracts, and loans to lesser noble houses. Elven slave trafficking was only one of its many ventures.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Cédric knew this.

  In most people’s eyes, the appropriate response would have been simple: execute Alistair, confiscate his personal assets, and imprison the subordinates directly involved. A firm, exemplary gesture that would not disrupt the duchy’s economic balance or provoke unnecessary friction with the Union as a whole.

  Instead, he had acted far more drastically—arresting all Union members within his territory, closing every one of their establishments, and seizing all assets in their possession. And that was after already executing Alistair, the man responsible for the incident.

  To outsiders, his reaction was undoubtedly disproportionate. But—

  “I am a noble. An imperial noble,” Cédric said with a cold smile. “My son was kidnapped—nearly killed. I must act forcefully. I must send a message.”

  Joseph shook his head.

  “Even so, the response still seems somewhat excessive.”

  Cédric nodded. But there was a point to consider.

  “From nobles, it is expected that they always act to defend their wounded honor and pride. Whether they like it or not, people understand that a noble with injured pride may act impulsively and irrationally.”

  He leaned back in his chair, his index finger tapping rhythmically against the armrest.

  “From merchants, it is expected that they act rationally—always in defense of their interests.”

  Understanding dawned on the old assistant.

  “I see,” Joseph said, stroking his chin. “If the Union believes Your Excellency is enraged enough to sever all ties with them—regardless of the losses that might bring to the duchy—they will have no choice but to negotiate from a weaker position.”

  Cédric nodded. As expected of Joseph, he grasped his reasoning immediately.

  “But it is a risky move,” the old assistant warned, frowning. “If they see through Your Excellency’s intentions, they may double down.”

  Indeed, there was that risk. But Cédric was not particularly concerned.

  He spent most of his time in his own territory, visiting the capital only on truly important occasions.

  Even during those rare visits, his presence was more procedural than social. He attended the required ceremonies, fulfilled the minimum expectations, and departed as soon as possible—avoiding banquets, informal gatherings, and any attempt at fostering closeness.

  Among nobles, such behavior was considered improper. Maintaining ties, cultivating relationships, and exchanging favors were essential parts of the political game in the capital. Yet Cédric had the privilege of ignoring those rules.

  As duke and ruler of one of the Empire’s largest and most strategic regions, he did not need to compete for attention or favors. His power did not stem from the court, but from the lands he controlled—and everyone knew it.

  Precisely for that reason, in the capital, Cédric was known more through rumors than personal acquaintance. Rumors of his coldness and ruthless nature. Of the brutality with which he dealt with his opponents. Rumors born in times of war, yet still lingering in peace.

  “Human nature is a very interesting thing,” Cédric said with a smile.

  Humans hated the unknown. When confronted with something they could not understand, they did their best to fill the gaps in their ignorance—even if the pieces they used did not quite fit.

  “Curious indeed,” Joseph replied with a slight nod.

  The old assistant’s gaze drifted to the office window.

  “You’ve truly become skilled at this,” he remarked, stretching his back. “Using your own son in this way. Truly ruthless.”

  “Hardly,” Cédric shrugged. “I am merely making use of something that has already occurred.”

  It was not as though he had planned this from the beginning. The opportunity had simply presented itself—and he had seized it.

  “Certainly.”

  Joseph agreed in a way that did not entirely sound like agreement, drawing a faint smile from Cédric.

  “Have you softened?”

  A wry smile spread across the old assistant’s face.

  “I suppose so,” he sighed. “That’s what age does to a man.”

  The visible fatigue in Joseph’s posture made Cédric fall into contemplation. In his memory lingered the image of a younger Joseph—steadfast, sharp, always one step ahead, seemingly tireless.

  Time… what a cruel thing.

  Would he, too, become like that?

  Cédric clenched his fist.

  The more powerful a warrior became, the more resilient his body grew. But one could not escape age. Inevitably, he too would grow old, tired, weak…

  How ironic.

  He smiled. His younger self would never have entertained such thoughts. But those were different times—and he had been a different man.

  “Then I shall organize the remaining documents,” Joseph said as he moved toward the door. “Ah, and to think that even at my age I must still work this much.”

  “Joseph.”

  As the old assistant was about to leave, Cédric called out.

  “Yes, Your Excellency?”

  “Find out who on our side was assisting Alistair.”

  Joseph’s eyes widened slightly, but he nodded in acknowledgment before finally leaving the office.

  According to the intelligence they had gathered, of the more than one hundred elves held captive at Alistair’s estate, at least thirty had arrived after the law banning elven slave transit had already taken effect.

  In other words, the merchant had been fully willing to ignore Cédric’s orders and intended to continue his illegal activities.

  Arrogance—or stupidity?

  Cédric tapped his finger rhythmically against the desk.

  It was neither.

  Alistair had been an extremely cautious man. From the day they first met, Cédric had assigned someone to follow his every move, and even after all that time, nothing had been found. Even during Lucius’s kidnapping, Alistair had ensured he remained as distant as possible from any direct involvement. Had Lucius not surprised everyone, things likely would not have ended the way they did.

  That boy…

  Thinking of his eldest son, the furrows on Cédric’s brow deepened. He had lost count of how many times in recent days Lucius’s name had been tied to troublesome matters—just like this one.

  But—

  Cédric had to admit that this time, the surprise had not been unwelcome. Escaping from such a situation was not something many could have done.

  Well, if he hadn’t had that maid with him, he certainly would have died, but—

  Even so, it was impressive.

  Perhaps I underestimated him.

  Cédric pondered. A miscalculation. A fortunate one.

  “Dear?”

  Helena’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. She stood before his desk, observing him with a curious expression.

  “Have I come at a bad time?” she asked hesitantly.

  Cédric shook his head.

  “No, I am free now. Is there something you need?”

  It was uncommon for her to visit him in his office, so it must be important.

  “Yes, it’s about our new guests.”

  Cédric could not fail to notice the emphasis Helena placed on the last word.

  As I thought…

  He looked at her. Her expression was as composed as ever, yet he could tell she was not entirely pleased. An expected reaction, considering he had suddenly dropped the task of organizing and managing more than a hundred people onto her shoulders.

  “They have all been accommodated. The guest wing is completely occupied, and we also had to clear the secondary pavilions, but we managed.”

  Cédric nodded.

  “We also provided them with proper clothing. We couldn’t very well leave them in those rags.”

  “Hmm.”

  “The most difficult part was the food. The manor kitchen was not prepared to feed so many people, so we had to bring in additional staff from outside—which did not please Yulian—but that has also been resolved.”

  Cédric nodded again, listening to Helena’s “report” for nearly half an hour before she finally finished detailing everything that had been done regarding the elves.

  “Anything else?” he asked.

  “No, nothing…” she replied, covering the lower half of her face with her fan, her ruby eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at him.

  It seems there is something more.

  That was what Helena’s gaze seemed to suggest. No—perhaps…

  “Thank you for your help,” Cédric said.

  Helena turned her face away.

  “I was merely fulfilling my duty as lady of the house.”

  “Hmm, yes. Even so, thank you.”

  He caught a small smile flicker across her face—only for a moment—before she turned and made her way toward the door.

  “There is still much to do, so I won’t trouble you any further, dear.”

  “Very well.”

  Cédric smiled faintly, almost ironically.