The Founding Monarch Became the Mastermind

Chapter 44

“…!”

As was the case for everyone who had experienced Si-on’s killing intent, the remaining mercenaries froze in place like herbivores facing a roaring tiger, wetting themselves.

“Uh… Ugh…”

Among the mercenaries, who were drooling with their mouths agape under the crushing weight of the killing intent, Si-on’s black horse strolled around as if on a leisurely walk.

And Si-on, sitting atop the horse, lightly swung his sword, granting eternal rest to the mercenaries.

But he spared three of them.

After taking the lives of all the mercenaries except three, Si-on released his killing intent.

“Huff!”

Only then could the surviving mercenaries breathe properly, collapsing to the ground.

Their faces were pale, and they panted heavily, still wearing expressions of terror.

They couldn’t even think of picking up the weapons they had dropped.

Before the monster who had inexplicably and effortlessly slaughtered their comrades in an instant, they were nothing.

“P-please spare us!”

“S-Sir Knight!”

Surviving long as a mercenary meant they were not only skilled but also lucky and quick-witted.

Grateful for their fortune, the three survivors quickly knelt, bowing their heads.

Si-on looked down at the three mercenaries and then turned his head.

“Hey, you, Cheolsan scout.”

“Me, you called me?”

Startled by Si-on’s call, the dwarf, who had been just as shocked by Si-on’s overwhelming power as the mercenaries, quickly rushed over.

“Use these guys to take care of your fellow scouts first. Some of them look like they’ll be crippled if not given first aid immediately, so you’d better hurry. You three, move now.”

“Yes, yes, sir!”

The dwarves and mercenaries, quickly coming to their senses, moved rapidly.

The released dwarves joined in, and the situation was swiftly under control.

The bodies of the mercenaries were piled in one spot, and the dwarves who were not severely injured gathered all the weapons and belongings.

Soon, after tidying up the battlefield, the dwarves hesitantly approached Si-on, sneaking glances at him.

“Thank you for your help, sir. All the weapons and belongings of these scum are yours. Ah, and I’m Rangliff of Cheolsan.”

Though his speech had a peculiar accent, Si-on, accustomed to the dwarves’ dialect, didn’t mind and replied.

“I am Si-on.”

At those words, the dwarves’ faces lit up.

“I knew it! I thought so!”

“See, I told you he’s from Si-on.”

“Wow! It’s been a while since we had such an esteemed guest.”

“Thank you! Really, thank you!”

The dwarves surrounded Si-on, who had dismounted, bowing deeply.

Unlike the elves, who showed almost no emotional changes, the dwarves were very honest with their emotions.

Despite their obsessive dedication to their work, they were straightforward and, in some ways, very sincere.

“But why did you spare these bastards? Wouldn’t it be better to just cut their heads off now?”

At Rangliff’s words, the Cheolsan scouts all turned their gazes to the three survivors tied up like fish.

Under the dwarves’ heated, murderous stares, the mercenaries hurriedly shouted.

“P-please spare us!”

“We didn’t kill anyone! We didn’t kill them!”

“Listen to these bastards jabbering as if they won’t be tossed into the smelter.”

“Let’s cut off their hands and feet first!”

As the enraged dwarves spat on the ground and rolled up their sleeves, Si-on intervened.

“Calm down. It’s true they didn’t intend to kill the dwarf friends.”

“Hmph! If a benefactor from Si-on says so, then fine.”

“Sure, the right to deal with these bastards belongs to our savior.”

True to their reputation as precise and calculating, the dwarves soon calmed down.

Since Si-on had saved them by dealing with the mercenaries, it was only fitting that he decide the fate of the three who were spared.

“Let’s head to Cheolsan. I came here because I have business there too. Put the wounded on that horse.”

Grateful, the dwarves unloaded Si-on’s belongings from Goldie and helped the injured companions onto the horse.

With Si-on’s luggage shared among them, the dwarves prepared to lead the three captured mercenaries toward Cheolsan.

Si-on stepped forward again.

“I’ll take these guys. I spared them because I have some questions.”

“Understood.”

With no objections from the dwarves, Si-on moved to the rear with the three mercenaries.

‘Oh, we’re screwed.’

Though they had initially felt relief at being spared, the mercenaries’ expressions darkened again.

Seeing the cold look in Si-on’s eyes reminded them of the scene from just minutes earlier when he had emotionlessly butchered their comrades.

“Hey.”

“Y-yes!”

One of the tense mercenaries made a strange noise. As the dwarves glanced back with scowls, Si-on spoke in a low voice.

“First, answer quietly from now on. Second, I won’t ask the same question twice. Third, when I ask and count to three, answer simultaneously. Fourth, if anyone is late in answering, he dies. Understood? One, two, three.”

“Yes, sir!”

The quick-witted mercenaries answered almost in unison.

“Good. First question. What’s your mercenary group’s name? One, two, three.”

“Polimos Mercenary Group.”

“Is Polimos your leader’s name? One, two, three.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Who hired you to attack the Cheolsan dwarves? One, two, three.”

“We don’t know.”

“Did anyone I killed know who the client was? One, two, three.”

“Yes.”

“Was it the guy who got hit by my thrown sword? One, two, three.”

“Yes.”

“What was his name? One, two, three.”

“Rud Polimos.”

“He’s the leader’s brother.”

“He’s the vice-captain.”

The differing answers left the mercenaries pale.

But Si-on had anticipated such responses, so he didn’t mind.

“Rud Polimos is the leader’s brother and the vice-captain, it seems.”

“Yes.”

Though he hadn’t counted down, the mercenaries answered immediately.

Si-on had gleaned crucial information.

Though they didn’t know who hired them, the fact that the vice-captain and the leader’s brother were directly involved indicated that this mission to attack the dwarves was highly significant.

‘Attacking a mine within the duchy is no ordinary task.’

Only a foolhardy individual would take on such a job.

But not just anyone could orchestrate something of this magnitude.

From Si-on’s experience, those bold enough to engage in such audacious acts usually had wealth, power, or backing.

They relied on those things, believing that no one could touch them.

“Here’s the last question for now.”

Si-on’s words heightened the mercenaries’ tension.

They knew that the most critical question was coming.

“Why did you suppress the dwarf scouting party instead of killing them? One, two, three.”

This time, Si-on counted a bit slower on purpose.

It was not a yes-or-no question that could be answered with one word.

And, as expected, all three mercenaries answered at the same time.

“They said they’d negotiate with the dwarves.”

“The vice-captain said it would be a problem if we killed them.”

“It was Rud’s order.”

Si-on’s gaze shifted slightly to the mercenary who had answered last.

Though his answer was the shortest, he was the slowest to respond.

Moreover, while the other two had similar answers, this one had solely pinned the responsibility on the deceased vice-captain.

Si-on’s lips curled into a cold smile.

“So, you’re the highest-ranked among the three?”

“Ah…!”

The mercenary turned pale upon being singled out.

“Rangliff.”

When Si-on called, Rangliff, who had been walking ahead, quickly rushed over.

“Hand the other two to the dwarves. I only need this one.”

“Understood! Come on, you scum!”

Poking their backsides with his short spear, Rangliff forced the two mercenaries to march forward quickly, screaming in pain.

Si-on looked indifferently at the remaining mercenary.

“You’d better answer well from now on. Whether you’ll end up getting poked in the butt a few times like those two or have it cut off entirely depends on your answers.”

“Y-yes.”

The mercenary swallowed hard, beads of sweat forming as Si-on’s questions continued.

“Where was the Polimos Mercenary Group most recently stationed?”

“Name the last three jobs you completed and your clients before taking on this task.”

“Which route did you take to get here?”

Having dismissed the other two, Si-on didn’t bother counting down anymore.

The mercenary understood why he was left alone.

He knew that if his answers were unsatisfactory, he would be killed immediately, so he squeezed out every detail he knew.

After several minutes of the mercenary’s tearful mental exertion, he began repeating his earlier responses.

Realizing he had disclosed everything he knew, Si-on called Rangliff again, and Rangliff prodded the last mercenary forward with his spear.

“Ugh! Ugh!”

Though the mercenary let out groans from the sharp pain, his expression looked significantly relieved now that he was free from Si-on’s piercing gaze and relentless questioning.

Si-on watched the mercenary’s back with a cold smile.

“This is interesting.”

This incident had occurred while Si-on was on his way to visit the Cheolsan Dwarves.

Was it a ridiculous coincidence?

“No, it’s fate.”

The information Si-on had gathered from interrogating the mercenaries made it clear.

It was no coincidence.

This was part of someone’s well-crafted plan.

And this plan was related to Yonas and Sirvan coming to find him and Piotr at August Estate.

Except for the dead vice-captain, Rud Polimos, none of the mercenaries knew the identity of the client. However, from the interrogation, Si-on had narrowed down the possible clients to just two forces.

And it didn’t matter to Si-on which of the two it was. Because, in reality, both were essentially the same entity.

“Gede, you brat. No matter how much you crave the title, you’re dragging in your in-laws?”

Gede Si-on, one of Si-on’s great-grandsons and the half-brother of Yonas.

His in-laws were the Count of Pamel’s family, who had tried to invade across the Echo-less Forest long ago, only to end up suffering and surrendering to Si-on’s Duchy.

It was no surprise that the Pamel Count’s family, which had become subservient to the Si-on Duchy several generations ago, just like the August Estate, would cooperate with Gede Si-on, who coveted the Duke’s title.

It wasn’t for nothing that Si-on had ordered Jenna to investigate the Pamel Count’s family alongside the Si-on Duchy.

They were a neighboring grand estate that had become subservient not by choice but out of necessity.

Moreover, it had been so long since they were beaten into submission by Si-on that they likely barely remembered how painful that experience was.

Or perhaps, after more than 50 years, no one even remembered it anymore.

“That’s why they overstepped their bounds and did something so reckless.”

Either way, the Pamel Count’s family was already on Si-on’s list of potential targets to investigate and punish if found guilty.

Si-on had planned to sort out the Cheolsan Dwarves’ situation first and then head there to uncover their crimes, but now, evidence was already falling into his lap.

“This works out even better.”

Moreover, when Si-on compiled the information obtained from the mercenary, it seemed likely that the Pamel Count’s family wasn’t the only one involved in this matter.

To grow reckless, one needs money, power, and connections. And the Pamel Count’s family had the connection of “Gede Si-on.”

However, while Gede was a major figure in the Si-on family and the ruler of the port city Paloma, he could not have devised and executed a plan to manipulate the Cheolsan Dwarves on his own.

The Gede Si-on that Si-on had known was not foolish enough for that.

Thus, the conclusion could only be one thing.

“There’s a traitor among the Cheolsan Dwarves.”