The Terminally Ill Young Master is the Mad Dog of the Underworld - Chapter 25
Chapter 25: There are too many chaff grains
The reception room was located inside the library, meant to welcome guests. There, I drank the tea that the elderly librarian served me.
“Wow, this tea has a wonderfully unique aroma!”
“Can you discern the notes?”
“It has a crisp, yet fruity quality. But the slightly bitter aftertaste would pair well with a sweet snack.”
“Remarkable! I didn’t realize you were so knowledgeable about fine cuisine.”
“I just tried my luck, really.”
“Ah, so not only are you a culinary prodigy but also a master of the tea ceremony!”
I was at a loss for words at this compliment.
“That’s too kind.”
No use denying it – I am indeed particular when it comes to food.
After all, those who grew up not getting enough to eat tend to be obsessed with what they eat.
“I anticipated as much, which is why I prepared a cake for you.”
“Good heavens.”
I quickly helped myself to the cake.
“Delicious! The slightly bitter finish really complements it, making it go down smoothly without being cloying.”
“I’m glad to see you enjoying it so much. It makes serving you worthwhile.”
The librarian spoke with a grandfatherly warmth, like feeding his grandchild.
“Come to think of it, I must have mooched quite a few snacks off you when I was young.”
“You did deplete my paycheck quite a bit.”
“And I’ve forgotten it all – how shameless of me.”
“It’s alright. It was a small joy for an old man like me.”
I found myself quite enjoying conversing with this elderly gentleman. Perhaps he reminded me of the grandfather who had once rescued the orphan Karzan.
“Next time, I’ll be sure to bring something as well.”
“That’s a kind offer. As one gets older, sweet things become more appealing.”
“Noted. I’ll make sure not to bring anything tooth-achingly sweet.”
The librarian laughed heartily.
“You’ve really changed, haven’t you? Joking like this.”
“By the way, what brought you here today? I heard your mastery of the martial arts has progressed remarkably.”
“News travels fast, doesn’t it?”
“Well, the head butler did mention it to me the other day.”
I hadn’t realized Aiden was on such good terms with the librarian.
‘I suppose it’s not strange, considering how long they’ve known each other.’
“That’s right.”
“In fact, I reached the 4th level in the Eternal Ocean Chain Technique just yesterday.”
“Is that so? Truly remarkable!”
The librarian exclaimed in admiration.
“To achieve that level in just a few days is truly remarkable. And judging by your physique, you’ve also been diligently training your body…”
“That’s right.”
I replied.
“However, I have not yet started cultivating the martial arts passed down by ancestor Vitenfeld. But I have committed the principles to memory.”
“It is wise not to be over eager. Given your brilliance, I have no further advice to offer.”
The librarian added, sounding a bit regretful.
“But I cannot give sword arts to you now.”
“Why is that?”
“The butler came and conveyed the lord’s orders. He said that he would send someone to show you the sword arts at the proper time, so you should wait.”
“…Well, in that case, there’s nothing to be done.”
The lord’s orders are absolute. It is a bit regrettable that I cannot study it on my own, but it’s not an urgent matter that requires immediate learning.
“As for the higher martial arts, you will need the approval of the lord and the Council of Elders to learn them. They are arts that require proper qualifications.”
The librarian advised.
“I understand. I’m not particularly in a rush, so don’t worry about it.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Seeing that I was not pushing the matter or expressing disappointment, the librarian seemed a bit concerned and quickly added.
“By the way, young master.”
“What is it?”
“Have you managed to recall those past events?”
“I didn’t recall them on my own. I had some help from the servants.”
“Ah, I see.”
Sensing that I was referring to the tragic events from 7 years ago involving my mother, the librarian’s expression darkened.
“Do I seem disheartened?”
“Not at all. In fact, I sense a fierce determination from you.”
I gave a wry smile.
“So there’s no need to worry.”
“Well, um, about that…”
The librarian lowered his voice.
“When you were young, you used to keep a diary as a hobby.”
“A diary?”
“You said you hid it in a hard-to-find place to prevent someone from looking through it.”
“…So you know where it is?”
“If you’re amenable, would you like to take a look?”
“Of course.”
Whether the diary contained an important secret or simply the innocent musings of a child, it didn’t really matter.
I just wanted to delve deeper into the heart and mind of the young Allenvert.
***
“Do you understand? Governance is about finding common ground between groups with their own vested interests, and at times, pursuing mutual prosperity, while at other times, ruthlessly purging and employing political machinations…”
I had been dreading this lecture since morning, as the content was quite dry.
“Indeed, politics is an art in itself.”
“Precisely. For you see…”
Though I was keeping my ears open, my mind was elsewhere.
‘Olivier is probably interviewing the staff and compiling a hit list right about now.’
That had been our prior arrangement. While I attended the lecture, Olivier would swiftly sort out who needed to be eliminated and who should be spared.
In other words, Olivier’s task was akin to separating the defective goods from the good ones.
‘But it’s a bit more complex than that.’
This could be described as a feint, a ruse, a deception, or a blitzkrieg of sorts.
Remember, the dark undercurrents do not reveal themselves easily. But when there’s a spectacle, human curiosity can’t help but stretch its neck to take a peek.
‘I just want to get this over with and go take a look.’
“Young master? Young master? I trust you are listening attentively?”
“Of course.”
But after just a few days of absence, the tutor didn’t seem inclined to let me off easy.
‘Damn, being too good-natured can be a curse.’
Like with the librarian, I’ve always been a bit weak against the kindness of my elders. It’s all because of that grandfather of mine.
But this tutor seems a bit…unhinged?
“Don’t worry, I’m focusing well.”
“Hehehe! I’m relieved to hear that. I was worried that my lectures might be a bit boring for you, young master. If my lessons were unsatisfactory for a prodigy like yourself, I would take responsibility and even cut off my own finger as an apology…”
His words scared me, so I quickly tried to calm him down.
“Don’t say such frightening things. If you lose a finger, it will be inconvenient for you to write.”
“You’re right, of course. To have you concerned about my humble worries, you are truly benevolent.”
“It’s nothing.”
The tutor suddenly posed a question.
“In your view, young master, should ruthlessness or benevolence take precedence for a ruler?”
This was not a difficult question for me to answer.
“I believe benevolence should take precedence.”
“And why is that? If discipline is not maintained, an organization will become lax and easily crumble against external threats.”
“Of course, neither should be lacking. Let me make that clear first.”
“Very good.”
“Ruthlessness may be an effective method, but it has its limitations. True loyalty cannot be obtained through ruthlessness alone.”
This was a truth I had learned through my previous life.
“Ah, an excellent insight, young master.”
The tutor seemed quite satisfied with my response.
“Your words remind me of an anecdote about a great king from over 300 years ago. There was a king who ascended the throne as a bastard son…”
While I listened with one ear, my mind wandered elsewhere.
‘Come to think of it, I haven’t heard much from the Barclava side. They’re not planning to simply wash their hands of this, are they? Surely they’re not giving up.’
According to Olivier, there was supposed to be some form of compensation, so that couldn’t be the case.
‘And those aristocratic types aren’t the kind to leave a lingering bad taste. If they can get a good price, they’ll consider it a profitable deal. And I’m not one to balk at paying a hefty price.’
Once this lecture was over, only the reliable individuals filtered by Olivier and Peter would remain in my residence.
‘Even in the process of bringing in new staff, there will inevitably be some impurities mixed in. But the human barrier I’ve already established will effectively block information leaks. So catching any planted moles will be that much easier.’
Infiltration, collusion, coercion, and recruitment were basic skills among the criminal organizations. I was a man who had lived in that cutthroat world for decades.
I was determined to make it abundantly clear that any amateurish meddling would result in their heads being separated from their bodies.
***
“This is the list of people whose positions will be reassigned.”
“That’s quite a lot, damn.”
I nodded as I reviewed the list of targets compiled by Olivier, along with the reasons for their removal.
“So this one was connected to my eldest brother, and his role is a gardener?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“And this one is a lackey of my second brother and this one of my third? Damn, this is a mess.”
Including the servants who were relaying information to the collateral branches or vassal families, the number of moles were truly staggering.
Surprisingly.
Amidst all this, neither elder sister’s nor Barclava’s people were on the list.
As for Barclava, he was an idiot, so that made sense.
“Does the elder sister have no interest in these internal power struggles?”
“She generally tends not to get involved in such family matters.”
“That’s fortunate.”
That meant she could potentially become an ally.
“But, you were truly impressive earlier.”
Peter gushed.
“Just a few stern words from you, and the servants were trembling, barely able to stammer out excuses before throwing themselves to the ground in surrender.”
“You were like a magistrate.”
Julia chimed in as well.
“Is that so?”
Olivier is quite competent.
“The information provided by Peter and Julia made it much easier to identify the targets.”
Olivier said matter-of-factly.
“He’s capable, isn’t he? But you kept Marco on the list?”
This was somewhat unexpected, given that he had been eagerly cracking my pumpkin seeds.
“Yes, I made that judgement.”
“Explain your reasoning.”
“Firstly, there was no evidence of him leaking information externally, and secondly, the head butler had provided some advice.”
“The head butler? What?”
Peter answered instead.
“Didn’t I mention it? He is the head butler’s nephew.”
“What? Count Aiden’s?”
“That’s right.”
I looked at Olivier again.
“So it turns out you come from a distinguished lineage.”
“I would never boast of my lineage in front of you, young master.”
“I see.”
While it was surprising, there was no need to make a big deal out of it. Still, this was good. Even that crotchety old man might show a little more favoritism towards his own nephew.
“So you weren’t just placed in some cushy position because you’re his nephew, right?”
My jest was met with a firm shake of Olivier’s head.
“Absolutely not.”
“My apologies, I understand.”
“No, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”
“I know. You seem to be the type who doesn’t take well to jokes.”
“Uh, well…”
Peter discreetly whispered something to the slightly flustered Olivier.
“You’ll need to get accustomed to this. It’ll be easier if you just think of him as an ordinary person.”
“I can hear everything, you know.”
“Ahem.”
Olivier cleared his throat to change the subject.
“My uncle instructed me to keep an eye on those who complain the most and those who are the quietest.”
“I see.”
I quickly grasped the meaning behind his words.
“So you’ve left Marco behind. Then who’s the most quiet one?”
“The chef.”
“Aha.”
The most subversive and the most cautious types. Wouldn’t they be the best representatives to gauge the mood of the organization?
‘Ah, the head butler indeed.’
I could feel the gravitas he possessed when it came to handling people. It’s curious how the underworld and the aristocracy think alike in this regard.
“I’ll entrust this task to you, so feel free to handle it as you see fit.”
“I shall do as you ask.”
“Oh, by the way-”
A good idea suddenly struck me.
“I should go meet this Marco fellow.”
“Huh?”
Peter asked in surprise.
“Are you going to beat him up?”
“Do I look like a thug to you?”
I said, flicking his forehead.
“I’ve got a job for him to do.”
While I’m at it, I shouldn’t forget to give him a good thrashing too. That’s just how thorough of a man I am.
———-