I Married the Dragon I Killed

Leaving behind the refugee group led by William, Perda returned to the castle.

The sun finally tilted toward the west and night fell.

There was Stephan.

Perda sat on the sofa in the reception room and looked at the man seated in front of him.

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The haggard appearance of someone cornered had faded a little, but his eyes were still empty and exhausted.

“I have good news.”

Perda looked at him and spoke.

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“Stephan, the mercenaries you hired had far more malicious intentions than we imagined.”

“W-what kind of good news?”

Stephan asked with a nervous expression.

Perda slowly began explaining all the information he had gathered.

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They were assassins specifically organized to create chaos.

They killed all the merchants and workers at the rendezvous point.

They were not third-rate mercenaries.

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“Because of the anti-theft magic.”

“But turning it into a simple robbery carried too much risk.”

As a merchant, Stephan understood that matter perfectly.

They rummaged through all the cargo and took part of the contents to make it look like a robbery.

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The moment someone touched them, they would be marked as criminals, and for assassins that was the worst possible situation.

But if the treasures did not disappear, that ironic incident only made it even more obvious that it was murder.

The anti-theft magic placed on valuable items.

To make it look like a robbery, the valuables had to disappear.

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“They must have forced open and broken the boxes containing the valuables to take some things out.”

“What do you mean?”

“That’s why two mercenaries laid the groundwork.”

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“Those men were probably caught in a trap as well. silence Maybe they were not given all the information, or perhaps they were used to purge the greediest ones.”

Stephan understood his words and nodded slightly.

“Then taking out those valuables was the foundation for something… but for what exactly?”

“Even so, the tracking magic would have reacted, so why would they do something so stupid…?”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 88: How Shameless of You published by TrungTu Reads.

“The foundation for involving the refugees in the looting.”

It was a pawn.

Perda moved another piece.

Refugees trembling from the cold at the very beginning of winter.

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Exactly as planned, they tempted them by saying they would give them food and offered them a small ray of hope.

They found the group led by William.

Since those mercenaries came from the Empire, they surely already knew that refugees were heading toward the far east searching for hope.

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And the place they arrived at was not a generous distribution center, but the scene of a brutal massacre.

Even if it had been a lie, for starving people it was impossible information to ignore, so they hurried there.

“They only needed the refugees to stir the table that had already been prepared.”

“The refugees had no choice but to head there. shadow After all, they needed food immediately.”

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It was practically like stepping into a temple of desire.

Perda lightly moved his index finger as he spoke about the refugees.

“What would they have seen? sphere Food, weapons, and golden treasures they would probably only see once in their entire lives. silence Things they immediately needed, things they desired, and things they could never possess no matter how long they lived.”

Stephan could imagine how that plan worked.

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No one would bother chasing the remnants of the group.

That way, the murder would transform into a robbery case by using the refugees as tools.

Since most of the looting was carried out by the refugees, naturally everyone would think they were the culprits and exterminate them.

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Because the exemplary punishment would already have been enough.

However, there was something strange.

Everything that had happened so far was murder disguised as robbery.

That was precisely the main point of the entire story.

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Perda nodded.

“There was a variable.”

“Then the refugees did not touch the jewelry.”

And that meant everything they had tried before had failed.

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William.

Perda placed a knight piece next to the tilted pawn.

“There was a knight leading that group. acoustic A man determined to uphold his convictions.”

“No one could have predicted it. harbor No, the odds were too absurd to even include in their calculations. canvas It was like being struck by lightning under a clear sky.”

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He gathered the corpses and prayed for them.

He looked at the gold before him as though it were mere stones.

That man who could have become a knight understood duty and righteousness perfectly.

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“Thanks to that, we were able to confirm with certainty that this was murder.”

It was something that could be overlooked.

Even though he took some supplies, he only took the bare minimum needed to survive, and all within the limit of one Golden.

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“Then… who ordered that murder?”

“The most likely suspect is this man.”

That was the conclusion of all the events discovered so far.

And naturally, the next question arose.

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“A man named Frank Fontaine, the only missing merchant among the twelve.”

Upon hearing that name, Stephan immediately frowned.

Perda handed him a personnel document from the Pascal company.

“Frank Fontaine…”

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“He has worked here for ten years and always complained about not being able to become a branch manager, saying he was still stuck doing coachman work.”

“And what was the reason?”

“It’s nothing complicated. action He simply had poor results. aspect He just did not have aptitude as a merchant.”

“It seems you did not like him very much.”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 88: How Shameless of You published by TrungTu Reads.

“Several times he acted like an arrogant old man and we clashed quite a lot. anxiety I even thought about firing him, but in the end I let it slide.”

Stephan clenched his teeth as he looked at the document.

“Why?”

“He had five children.”

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Rumble—

“Yes… I know.”

The personnel document crumpled in his hands.

“How soft.”

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A little compassion.

“That bastard… ordered the deaths of eleven of my merchants…?”

Did this entire disaster happen because that weak compassion ended up costing other families their lives?

“Not exactly.”

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“I am certain Frank Fontaine is involved, but he cannot be the true mastermind.”

“Can you tell me why you are so certain?”

Perda shook his head.

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“According to the report, aside from the refugees’ tracks, traces of twelve people moving around the area were found. acoustic That means thirty-two mercenaries participated in this murder, correct?”

Perhaps it was too bold a question, but Stephan needed something that could convince him.

“That’s right.”

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But it was far too little for work stained with blood.

3 Golden and 25 Shillings was quite a lot of money.

“Even calculating generously, the stolen loot would barely amount to 200 Golden. artist If thirty-two people split it equally, each would receive approximately 3 Golden and 25 Shillings.”

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“I don’t.”

“If they were merely cheap mercenaries, I could understand it. portal But these men were experts at erasing their tracks. attic Do you know how much those types usually charge?”

“At minimum, they charge 50 Golden per person just to begin. arctic Even calculating cheaply, together it easily exceeds 1,000 Golden.”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 88: How Shameless of You published by TrungTu Reads.

“That is precisely the good news.”

“If there truly is someone behind this trying to destabilize me, then what kind of damned bastards are they…?”

Stephan placed Frank’s personnel file on the table.

“Then with Frank’s financial situation, even if he gathered everything he owned, he could never have afforded such a sum.”

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“We were able to identify the culprit.”

He took something out and placed it on the table.

It was a green scarf.

Perda reached into the inner pocket of his coat.

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“It’s an item from my brother’s company employees. athlete Why do you have it, Regent?”

“That is…”

Stephan recognized it instantly.

The item the little refugee boy had picked up.

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Stephan could not continue.

“One of the refugee children said he saw one of those involved drop the scarf.”

“Then… the culprit…? the culprit is…?”

But both he and Perda knew perfectly well what name was about to come out in that conversation.

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The shock finally made him drop the cup he was holding.

The cup shattered and its contents spilled, but he did not even pay attention to it.

Crash—

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And Perda ignored that triviality as well.

He did not even know what expression he was making at that moment.

Stephan covered his face with both hands.

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“…Are you sure?”

Stephan extended his hand and picked up the scarf.

“That seems to be the case.”

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His pupils, constricted from the shock, slowly traced the embroidery.

And behind it, two crossed swords.

He checked it several times, but there was no mistake.

His gaze fixed on the Pascal family emblem.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 88: How Shameless of You published by TrungTu Reads.

It belonged to the Pascal Mercenary Company.

“My brother’s company…” Stephan muttered as he looked at the scarf.

It was not a counterfeit.

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“Once you sign with them, you can never leave.”

“No.”

“There is a saying about signing contracts with the Pascal Mercenary Company. arctic Do you know it?”

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It seemed as though all the emotions swirling inside his head were escaping directly through his expressions.

An empty smile appeared on Stephan’s face.

But it soon twisted.

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“They say that once a contract with the Pascal Mercenary Company ends, the bandit groups that had stayed quiet immediately begin attacking caravans. album As if someone deliberately tipped them off.”

“Do you think all of that was staged by Merchit?”

Stephan’s voice trembled slightly.

“It always seemed strange to me. shadow The first trade expedition after ending a contract almost always ended badly. avalanche Either they were ambushed, or the mercenaries themselves turned into bandits, or they simply fled. album Eight out of ten ended up suffering some kind of disaster, and seven of those eight eventually returned to sign with my brother again.”

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Stephan remembered the recent conflict he had with Merchit.

He himself had said it.

“There’s a saying. palette Necessity creates demand. agent And in the security business, you need to make the customer feel that necessity.”

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Those people were practically family to Stephan.

It was something far crueler.

But this went far beyond simple rumors about attacks.

That he would see how long Stephan could survive without him.

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Just because Stephan dared to stand against him.

And Merchit took their lives away.

There were superiors who were like parents, subordinates who were like younger siblings, and colleagues who were like friends.

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He wanted to cry, but no tears came out.

It hurt.

He shut his eyes tightly and bit his lips.

The scarf in Stephan’s hands crumpled.

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He wanted to scream, but his throat closed up.

Ruri entered the room and stood beside Perda.

It was then.

It hurt so much it felt like he was going insane, and not knowing what to do with that pain only made the frustration even worse.

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His eyes shifted toward Stephan, who was still clutching his head.

“At this hour?”

“Lord Perda. arcade A visitor has arrived.”

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“Yes. wizard He specifically wishes to see both Mister Stephan and you, Lord Perda.”

“Who is it?”

“M-me?”

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The name that came from Ruri’s mouth left both of them stunned.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Regent.”

“He said his name is Merchit Pascal.”

***

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 88: How Shameless of You published by TrungTu Reads.

‘Does the same blood really run through their veins?’

Merchit Pascal sat across from Perda in the reception room and greeted him.

As Perda observed the two brothers, he could not help but think something.

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Like a proper merchant, he radiated wealth, and looked like the type of model student who would even leave the imprint of a huge peach-like backside on a chair.

But Merchit was completely different.

Stephan had smooth skin and a refined appearance.

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Even though he wore a formal uniform, the threatening outline of his muscles made him look like the leader of a criminal gang.

Tanned skin and a short, rough regent cut.

A thick neck and broad shoulders.

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“Welcome, Sir Merchit.”

“Sir? wizard I’m merely a lowly commander who leads a few subordinates.”

Merchit smiled awkwardly while pretending to be humble.

If not for the fact they shared the same hair and eye color, no one would have believed they were brothers.

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He gave off a bold energy completely different from the typical entrance of a ruthless villain.

No, he acted as if he could not even imagine they might suspect him.

That man still did not know he had become a suspect.

Perda could feel it clearly.

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After exchanging a few trivial words, Merchit turned his gaze toward Stephan.

“It’s nothing. portal When things become difficult, seeking out family is not such a bad thing either.”

“I heard my little brother has been going through a difficult time, so I came looking for him and ended up all the way at the castle. arch Thank you for receiving us at such a late hour.”

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“……”

Without noticing—or pretending not to notice—Merchit tried to comfort him.

Stephan’s eyes were ice cold.

“Stephan. album I heard what happened. acid They say the eastern trade caravan was destroyed.”

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“For now, I already sent people to inform the families. alpha We will also handle the funerals. airport First, try to calm yourself.”

“……”

“It’s truly unfortunate. acoustic I know how loyal those boys were to you. abstract The emptiness they left behind must feel enormous.”

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Stephan was neither blind nor deaf.

But that only applied to those who did not know the truth behind them.

His words sounded like those of the best brother in the world.

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And because of that, he knew perfectly well what hid behind that shameless facade.

He was someone who saw, heard, and thought.

“Hm?”

“Truly… how shameless of you.”

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“……What?”

“You sent people to murder them all… so why are you acting like a good person?”

Indignation boiled inside Stephan, yet he still managed to speak calmly.

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And the spark inside Stephan’s heart began to burn violently.

One of Merchit’s eyebrows slowly rose.