Chapter 35: 35

“I am reassured.”

At my words, in an instant, Sir Ted politely extended his hand to me with a disciplined expression on his face.

“Then I’ll take you there.”

His appearance was similar to that of a knight escorting a lady at a party, so I said this out of mischief.

“Looks like you’re heading to some party, Sir.”

At my words, Sir Ted instantly blushed and looked at me. Are you shy or embarrassed? His reaction was so cute that I laughed out loud and put my fingertips on his palm.

“No, thank you for your concern. Well then, let’s go, Mr. Knight.”

・❥・

When I entered the drawing room, the guest was seated before me. The man was sitting with his back to the door, looking out the wide window beyond the desk.

Buried deep in the sofa and sitting with his arms up on the backrest, he seemed to either be uncultured or looking down on the situation itself.

Beside him, Albert was pacing around looking somewhat restless.

Normally, he would have had a maid greet the guest and not do it personally.

I thought so and sat on the sofa across from the man. I could feel Sir Ted positioned behind me.

“I greet the Lord of Ensis.”

The man got up from his seat and showed his manners half-heartedly.

He didn’t look disciplined, but he was not rude enough to scold him, so I gestured with my chin for him to sit down.

“Well, I heard you’re a knight from Peloche.”

“I would like to formally greet you. My name is Claude Elroy, a knight of Baron Peloche.”

The man continued.

“The reason I came to Ensis today is no different. I came to see you to deliver the message of Baron Peloche about the debt that the Lord had settled through her representative the day before.”

Well, I know you’re here to talk about that.

Judging from Albert’s reaction from the side, it seemed that it was a development that he had expected.

It was also easy to infer that it wasn’t a good thing to talk about.

When I looked at the knight, as if I had something to say, the man was a little taken aback and opened his mouth again.

“Are you aware that the amount you paid back to our territory a while ago was far less than the interest?”

“What do you mean……!”

Albert, who had been listening intently to our conversation without even thinking about brewing tea next to him, exclaimed in surprise.

Mhm, the reaction from the audience is good.

The man who spoke meaningfully as if I would be surprised to hear that was funny, and I shrugged my shoulders.

“I saw the contract myself and had Albert pay the corresponding amount, but now I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

At my words, the corners of his mouth twitched as if he had  caught the pod. [1]

Oh, look at this guy.

Are you laughing at me now?

“Our Baron is concerned about this, so he sent me here.”

“That is a concern.”

“I heard that the Lord had just come to Ensis. In the meantime, a man here…… named Albert has been in charge of the whole territory.”

At the man’s words, Albert stiffened.

“Pardon me, but how much trust does the Lord have in him?”

“Sir Elroy……!”

“Right now, I think none. Where can you find a host raising his voice while he is receiving a guest?”

Albert closed his mouth at his words. Well…… the man is right in terms of manners.

I silently decided to listen to what the knight in front of me had to say. The man must have thought that I was completely discouraged, and he spoke confidently.

“Could I perhaps look at the debt agreement with our territory kept by Ensis?”

He was very excited. I looked at Albert, and he hurriedly brought us the contract we had kept.

With a solemn gesture, Sir Elroy took a rolled paper from his bosom, compared them very seriously, which were of the same size and similar in writing, and nodded.

“As expected, the content is different. I’m sorry, but it seems that someone on Ensis’ side……. if it’s not Albert, forged the contract.”

“What do you mean by forgery……! My Lord, I would never……!”

“Yes, Albert. I know.”

As I cut off his words nonchalantly and set my eyes again on the polite knight, Albert looked devastated.

The reaction alone made it seem as if I had seriously betrayed him.

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No, Grandpa. You’re really quick-tempered. Let’s hear his story first.

“Of course, this was before you were given the territory, so it has nothing to do with the Lord, but…… if you look here, the interest rate and the amount of principal are completely different.”

“Hm, but isn’t it impossible to know which one is real?”

“What do you mean by that? Are you saying that our contract is wrong?”

The man widened his eyes and muttered as if he was rather offended by my words.

“The parties to this contract were my master and Albert, who was managing Ensis at the time. Don’t tell me that you’re saying that my master, who is a man of high descent…… forged the contract?”

Although this was a world that had become more convenient due to the development of magic, civilization was still far behind the world I was in.

For example, in modern times, things would have been easier if it had been notarized by a lawyer, but there is no such system in this world.

In this case, the only thing the other person could put forward was the argument that the nobility would be more honorable than the commoners, and it was lamentable that such words would really work in court.

“I fully understand what you are talking about.”

At my words, Albert and the man in front of me acted like those who were divided in victory or defeat.

I feel like I’m some kind of judge because one side is triumphant, and the other has a devastated look.

However, this was not a matter of winning and losing, but a battle of words over who could logically subdue the opponent.

“I think we’ll have to check on that as well, so why don’t you go back for today?”

“Yes?”

The man asked. He responded to my words which were very natural.

I spoke to him once again, as if explaining to a child who couldn’t understand my words.

“I know Peloche’s claim, and I think we need to figure out the situation a little bit before we can give him an answer.”

“No, but Lord. Apparently the contract was forged and……”

“That is why I am going to figure out if it is really a forgery and give you an answer, don’t you understand? Or has your master commanded you to receive some answer to this matter today? Then I’ll write a letter to the Baron.”

The man, who looked dumbfounded for a moment at my words, soon continued.

“…… Have you seen the principal and interest rate on our side? We have lent a huge amount of money to Ensis. That means we can’t just wait.”

Then when I saw these two contracts and heard his story, I was horrified, and I quickly punished Albert who was groveling for forgiveness……

What, did you think that this would happen at lightning speed?

I looked at him with an annoyed expression.

There is a process and an order in which things have to be done.

He even seemed to be deluded, but the man in front of me wasn’t the one I was supposed to be in a war of words.

“I am not saying that I won’t pay the money back. Shall I write you a letter in a few days? It has been a few years since I have been in debt anyway, so what’s the big deal with adding a few days?”

When the person who should have considered that a big deal said so, the man also kept his mouth shut as if he had nothing to say.

“Then are you admitting it? That you have a debt that has not yet been settled.”

Right, the goal was probably to get verbal confirmation.

I looked up and down at the man.

A very decent light armor. The word knight has not been overshadowed by his attire.

Since the Lord had sent him as an envoy, he must be trusted by him as well.

“Sir, I think you’re mistaken about something.”

But no matter how the man in front of me views this situation, no matter how much he belittles the territory he has visited for years as a representative of creditors.

If you look at it from the middle, the situation itself was ridiculous.

“Even if I had to give that answer, it is a matter to discuss with the master of Sir, not a matter for Sir to hear.”

Why do I have to tell you this obvious fact?

At my words, the man kept his mouth shut.

I suddenly pictured the situation in the drawing room in my head. The butler of my castle with a surprised expression, and the man in front of me with his eyes wide open as well.

And even my knight, who had been erasing his presence as if he didn’t exist since he entered this room, at this moment, with his back to the window and the backlight, his red eyes were shining behind me.

“I will fully convey to the baron your hard work to come this far.”

I finished speaking with a smile.

“So I want you to go back now.”

It was an obvious act of driving the guest away.

1. 꼬투리 or a “seed pod” or simply “pod”, is like “finding a fault to nitpick with/to”.

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