The Founding Monarch Became the Mastermind

Chapter 48

“The Elder of the Gosans has also agreed to join.”

“Understood.”

At Friel’s words, Yonas nodded, but his expression was far from bright.

Friel, who seldom showed emotional changes and rarely considered the feelings of others, turned towards his kin without any reaction.

“All three Elven tribes are really attending? Isn’t this truly amazing, Uncle?”

Sirvan couldn’t contain his excitement and fussed about.

His nephew, still ignorant of the circumstances.

However, Yonas, unsure of what to say or whether it was appropriate to even tell Sirvan, had to stifle the sigh that threatened to escape.

“Don’t make a fuss. It’s not unprecedented, and you just focus on your duties as part of Paloma… No, as a member of Si-on.”

“Yeah, yeah. Oh! Then should I go and build some rapport with the Gosan Elves?”

“Hoo… Fine.”

Sirvan hurried off to where the Elves were.

“Are you alright, brother?”

At Piotr’s voice, Yonas offered a faint smile.

“I’m fine. With the cooperation of the Elves secured, what could be wrong? I’m just a bit tired.”

Although they had marched quite rigorously, it wasn’t enough to tire a seasoned knight like him.

However, while his body was fine, Yonas was mentally exhausted from the past few days.

“If you’re tired, should we stay here another day?”

“What nonsense. The Founding Patriarch gave us an order, so we can’t do that.”

Since Si-on had revealed his true identity to Piotr as well, the two had grown closer than before.

Serving the great Founding Patriarch up close and sharing secrets about him had brought Piotr and Yonas together like true cousins, despite their considerable age difference.

“Are we heading to the Ducal Castle now?”

“That’s what we should do.”

Just like those in the Northern Mountain, the Elves of the Southern Mountain and Gosans were also few in number. Selecting a delegation to send to the Si-on Ducal Family’s Twin-headed Eagle Castle would take only a few minutes.

“What about the mercenaries? They’ve been moving around constantly, so they must have complaints.”

“The Stelman Mercenary Group? They have no complaints at all.”

“Really?”

Even though Piotr had been with them for a few months, he was clearly a noble, different from the mercenaries in status. He also wasn’t from the same region.

Yet Piotr spoke as if he were part of the Stelman Mercenary Group.

Yonas had noticed during their journey that Piotr had grown quite close to the mercenaries, but seeing a noble act like he was truly one of them was still surprising.

“How did you get close to those mercenaries?”

“Well, fighting alongside them helped….”

“Hm. Do you feel a sense of camaraderie?”

“I guess so.”

Piotr chuckled awkwardly, thought for a moment, and continued.

“I think it’s because, like me, the Stelman Mercenary Group is under the command of the Founding Patriarch. People directly recruited or commanded by him tend to have… a sort of kinship? It’s like a camaraderie, as you said.”

“Kinship… hm?”

Yonas murmured quietly, his gaze suddenly sharpening.

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

Piotr asked, puzzled by the sudden change in Yonas’s expression, but Yonas quickly shook his head.

“No, it’s nothing.”

In truth, it wasn’t nothing.

Through their conversation, Yonas realized a new possibility.

‘Could it be that the Founding Patriarch intends to…?’

No, it couldn’t be.

That was going too far.

Yonas tried to dismiss the thought that Si-on might be using the mercenaries’ force to position Piotr as the new ‘head’ of the Ducal Family.

Piotr being recognized as the new Si-on after returning to the Ducal Family after two generations was already a monumental task, and achieving the title of Duke through force was practically impossible.

‘But….’

Still, Yonas was uneasy.

He felt as though something he hadn’t considered was unfolding, something that might lead Si-on into a period of upheaval.

“Oh? Look over there, brother.”

Piotr’s voice drew Yonas’s gaze in the direction he was pointing.

Two large Gau were approaching, carrying Elven warriors on their backs.

“Hm?”

Upon closer inspection, there were two people riding one of the Gau, and as they neared, the person sitting behind suddenly jumped off.

“Sir Piotr!”

“Oh, Rit. What brings you here?”

Piotr greeted the man approaching quickly with enthusiasm.

“I’m under orders from the Founding Patriarch, serving Jenna at the August Estate.”

“I see.”

Recalling Jenna, who looked fairly pretty and intelligent—though honestly a bit like a sly wildcat—Yonas nodded.

She seemed to be someone the Founding Patriarch trusted enough to leave the August Estate in her care. But why had she sent a subordinate?

“Jenna Olrot, the Branch Chief—ah, no, the Agent Jenna Olrot urgently sent this to Sir Salen. Where is Sir Salen?”

“Si… Sir is moving separately for the moment. But urgent? Did something serious happen at the August Estate?”

“Well, there were some things… but I’m not sure myself. In any case, I need to get this to Sir Salen as soon as possible.”

“Hmm.”

Yonas hesitated.

Even though he was under Si-on’s subordinate’s command, sending an outsider to Cheolsan didn’t sit right with him.

Seeing Yonas hesitate, Piotr stepped in.

“Brother, since we’ve finished here, why don’t we all go find Sir Salen? He went to meet the dwarves, so we might meet him halfway if we follow the path.”

“Yeah. That sounds best.”

There were several ways to get to Cheolsan, but only one road from there led to the Ducal Castle.

If they followed that road, they’d meet Si-on on his way back after finishing his business. Otherwise, they could catch up with him in Cheolsan.

“Tell Friel we need to hurry a bit.”

“Yes.”

Piotr walked toward the Elves, and Yonas watched his retreating figure.

Despite his young age, his dependable younger relative had sharp wits and, according to the mercenaries, was an exceptional knight.

Even the somewhat arrogant and immature nephew, Sirvan, followed him surprisingly well despite his protruding mouth.

Honestly, Yonas was quite impressed with how Piotr had managed to get along with Sirvan in such a short time.

‘The other direct descendants will be surprised too.’

Sirvan’s personality was well-known among the relatives.

The boy ignored anyone who didn’t please him, regardless of their direct bloodline, behaving as though he was untouchable.

Seeing him get along with a relative he hadn’t interacted with in decades, and who was just a few years older, would surely astonish many of the direct descendants.

And this would likely foster goodwill toward Piotr.

‘Did he anticipate all this? Could Piotr really be… No, I shouldn’t jump to conclusions. I should just ask the Founding Patriarch.’

Yonas shook his head vigorously, trying to shake off his concerns.

* * *

“Vodka.”

“Yes, yes.”

After dismissing everyone else, Si-on and Sminov met privately.

Of course, Knight Longlive and the other Labor Council members were eager to join, but Sminov had to send them away.

If the man before him was who he thought he was, and indeed, if he was certain of his identity, the ‘truth’ could not be revealed to others.

“I figured you would have noticed by now. You were always sharp for a dwarf, even as a child.”

“S-so sorry.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.”

“……!”

Sminov shivered in his prostrated state.

A suffocating silence fell.

Listening only to his own heavy breaths, Sminov remained still, bowing low.

The mind that was unusually quick for a dwarf seemed to creak like a broken machine.

“Stand up.”

“Y-yes.”

Sminov carefully rose.

In his eyes was the same unchanged face of Si-on from long ago.

‘Can this really be happening?’

The rumors he had half-doubted, the legends he had heard from others, crumbled before the undeniable truth.

What he thought might be possible had now turned into reality, and fear, rather than excitement, rose like a dark cloud.

The source of that fear wasn’t just the fact that the person before him was an immortal, undying entity, but also that this unfathomable being might have already seen through his scheming and could be preparing to ‘punish’ him.

Indeed, the person before him could execute him right now and not suffer any loss or consequence.

“Why did you do it?”

The soft but commanding voice carried a force that was hard to resist, causing the Mine Master of Cheolsan to shudder.

With that single question, everything was clear.

The unfathomable entity—the protector, ally, and strongest shield and sword of the Cheolsan Dwarves—knew everything.

“P-please forgive me. I-I was foolish.”

“I’ll listen to your excuses later. I asked why you did it, Mine Master Sminov.”

It was better when he called him by the odd nickname, Vodka.

Calling him by his formal title meant Si-on was now viewing the current situation not as the old acquaintance from childhood but as the Founding Patriarch in his role as Si-on’s first and last.

Sminov spoke, struggling to keep his trembling knees from buckling.

“The dispute over the Duke’s title dragged on, and Cheolsan was continually shaken. Deliveries were delayed, and the artisans stationed in the duchy grew increasingly anxious and dissatisfied. As Mine Master, I found it hard to just stand by and watch. So….”

“You accepted Gede’s proposal?”

“…Yes.”

“Are you aware that the Pamel Count’s family is involved?”

“I-I found out recently. The mercenaries were hired by the Pamel Count’s family… So I was told that, if anything went wrong, the blame could be shifted to the Pamel Count’s family….”

“And if Gede ascended to the Ducal title, you’d just pretend to apologize and sweep it under the rug.”

“Y-yes, that’s correct.”

Sminov sweated profusely.

How could someone who had turned his back on the duchy for decades understand the situation so precisely as if he were watching from the sidelines?

“They promised to adjust the share in favor of Cheolsan when renewing the contract?”

“Yes.”

“From 60-40 to 50-50, they said.”

“Sorry? N-no, they said it would be adjusted to 45%.”

“What?”

As Si-on’s brows lifted slightly, Sminov was struck with fear and hurriedly explained.

“It’s true! I swear on the hammer and the shovel, that’s what they told me. You can ask Longlive outside!”

“Hah….”

Si-on furrowed his brows at Sminov’s desperate attitude, not because he doubted Sminov’s words.

‘Those bastards dared to defy my will?’

Crack.

Si-on flexed his knuckles.

At that sound, Sminov’s face turned even paler.

Sminov knew too well how powerful the man before him was.

In his childhood, this man had single-handedly killed two grizzly bears that had chased him.

Those very hands, now cracking the knuckles, had beaten to death a bear that could hunt full-grown Gau single-handedly.

And back then, before killing the bears, he had loosened his fingers just like that.

Sensing that he might end up like the bears from his past, Sminov prostrated himself at lightning speed.

“P-p-please forgive me. I was blinded by a mere 5% and committed a terrible mistake. Please, just once, forgive me.”

“50-50.”

“…What?”

Sminov, who had been shouting desperately with all his life, unknowingly lifted his head.

“I’ll make it 50-50.”

“…!!!”

“But Vodka, I need you to do something for me.”

“Anything, just give the command.”

Rather than punishment, Si-on himself was increasing the share by a whole 10%, and Sminov bowed his head again like a flash.

And in this moment of unexpected fortune, Sminov pledged his unwavering loyalty to the being who had granted him this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Yet he had no idea.

‘The final share was always meant to be adjusted to 50-50 according to my will. And if this secures the complete allegiance of the Cheolsan Dwarves, then it’s all the better.’

Someone had completely soured relations with the Cheolsan Dwarves for a meager 5% gain, while someone else secured a new benefit by offering what was always intended.

This was the way of the undying, ever-astute elder.