Four stories high. Below lay a vast garden with an unobstructed view. The mansion’s servants, unable to straighten their bent backs, tirelessly pulled weeds. They’d probably been at it since morning.
The servants posed no real threat to him. They were the sort who wouldn’t even have the strength to chase him if he walked right through them.
The real issue was the guards stationed at the main gate… Their posture alone, holding their spears, was different. Unlike mere scarecrows wearing helmets, they clearly showed signs of rigorous training. Judging by the mansion’s scale, the number of attendants serving here must easily exceed several thousand, and the number of guards likely rivalled that of a small army.
Rather than risking a reckless escape while injured, putting on the clothes the man had left behind was the sensible choice. Besides, having just sent money for Leto’s medicine, he didn’t even have enough left for a single piece of bread.
A noble of this wealth must have a reason for wanting to meet him. Valen picked up the shirt he’d carelessly tossed onto the bed.
He wondered if he might receive a lucrative commission.
The staircase swept upward through the centre of the building, stretching all the way to the top floor. Even from the level where Valen stayed, the first-floor lobby was clearly visible below. Servants wearing hooded caps bustled through the lobby, and faint classical melodies drifted from somewhere.
Valen descended the spiralling staircase. Large gemstones and sculptures modelled after famous paintings adorned each banister.
Whoever owns this mansion must be a fool. It doesn’t even look aesthetically pleasing, and such an inefficient staircase. They must have been completely taken in by the architect’s sweet talk and opened their wallet.
“…Not bad. Follow me.”
No sooner had he stepped onto the last stair than the withered man he’d seen moments before approached and stood before him. His gaze swept over Valen from head to toe like a stud breeder appraising a fine horse. Even this gaze felt familiar, and the time for getting worked up over trifles had long passed.
The man led Valen to the dining room in the central hall. The sound of music grew louder, and the moment the door opened, an orchestra came into view across the room. It was a large ensemble befitting a grand banquet, yet only one person possessed the right to enjoy the music.
It was a face Valen knew well.
Perima Holton. The wife of Sir Holton, the Kingdom’s Knight Commander.
For most of her life, Lady Perima had been known as Perima Lioné rather than Lady Holton. The Lioné family’s domestic history was deeply intertwined with the Kingdom’s own, their name inscribed in every moment of its rise and fall.
Ousted by her younger sister in the family’s power struggle, she chose marriage as if fleeing. Though everyone mocked Lady Perima as a tree with its trunk cut off, she used her husband as a puppet to reappear on the political front lines. Ultimately, she elevated Demi Holton to Grand Master of the Kingdom’s Knights and wielded control over the army, the core of state power.
Rumours spread that soldiers would wet themselves at the mere mention of her name, due to her roar fiercer than a lion’s and her merciless, sword-like ruthlessness that tolerated no mistakes.
With her face printed daily in the newspapers, no citizen of the kingdom could fail to know Lady Perima.
He had guessed she was a major client, but she was a far greater power than he had imagined. While nouveau riche clients obsessed with luxury were welcome, the Holton family—especially Lady Perima—was off-limits to Valen. Messing with them was asking for trouble.
Valen concealed his thoughts and gave a light bow. “Pleased to meet you.”
“No need for formalities, Lord Rudwick.”
A maid pulled out the chair opposite Lady Perima. As Valen approached and sat down, the tableware and food were promptly set.
Valen paid no attention to the food laid out, keeping his gaze fixed on Perima. “My ears are turning red under the intense gaze of such a renowned handsome man.”
“How do you know me?”
“Shall you look around?”
Clink. Lady Perima set down her fork. Valen had already scanned the interior swiftly the moment the door opened. What she wished to show was clear. It wasn’t to flaunt an interior like a temple of luxury. She wanted to display the horns, wings, and corpses of demonic creatures mounted on the walls and ceiling.
What a morbid taste.
Money breeds desire for power, power breeds desire for people. Once you possess all that, you fill the poverty of your mind with bizarre hobbies. It was a typical pattern, hardly surprising.
“The demon race’s tyranny grows worse with each passing year. Parents and children being slaughtered by them is all too common. Like Lord Rudwick’s parents.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Our kingdom’s army is worthless antiquity. If Heritris across the sea or Delion at our border invades with soldiers wielding modern weapons, we’d have no choice but to surrender the throne.”
When Lady Perima raised her hand, three maids approached in unison, their steps and movements perfectly synchronised. One removed the napkin from her lap and wiped her mouth. Another held a pouch wrapped in velvet cloth.
Lady Perima took it herself and approached Valen. As she drew nearer, the pungent scent of perfume stung his nose. The maids slipped out of the dining room like shadows. The orchestra’s performance was racing toward its climax.
“For our kingdom to maintain its independent sovereignty, we must ensure the gaze of the great powers does not fall upon us. And a common enemy is conveniently running rampant.”
“Are you expecting patriotism from me?”
“Not at all. I intend to make use of your desperation.”
Whatever Lady Perima proposed would surely be unwelcome. The class difference was as vast as heaven and earth; he had sensed from the moment he was dragged here that refusal would not be tolerated.
But regardless of rank, Valen couldn’t have refused her offer. Lady Perima had literally touched upon Valen’s desperation.
“I heard your brother is ill.”
“……”
“A rare disease causing stiffness in the limbs and back muscles, with frequent breathing cessation? How unfortunate.” Contrary to her words, not a trace of sympathy could be found.
His brother’s illness was Valen’s weakness, and Lady Perima was wielding it. She saw through everything about Valen. How much he spent monthly on his brother’s medicine, how much income he earned after switching from mercenary to demon hunter. Purely in terms of money, Valen brought in a considerable sum each month. It matched the annual revenue of a modest small trading company.
Yet he remained trapped in poverty because the funds needed to sustain his brother’s life were astronomical. Pouring water into a broken jar like a waterfall only makes it gush out relentlessly. If no cure emerged, he would be doing this until his dying day.
“You must know our kingdom’s medical technology surpasses other nations.”
“They conducted human experiments for over a century before being exposed less than ten years ago. We faced nationwide criticism, so our medical skills had better be exceptional.”
“I will introduce you to a physician far more skilled than the one Lord Rudwick is pouring money into. His Majesty’s personal physician will treat Lord Leto Rudwick.”Of course, the medical fees would have to be paid.
Valen looked directly at Lady Perima for the first time. The cost of treatment didn’t matter. Money could be earned. If it meant his brother could see the royal physician, he would do anything.
Noticing Valen’s change, Lady Perima chuckled softly. “How naive.”
Even as her hand brushed lightly beneath his chin, Valen had no time to feel displeased. “I will do anything.”
“I like how quickly we get to the point.”
Thus, a new order of knights was established in the kingdom. The title ‘Order of the White Knights’ was accompanied by the explanation that they were a demon-slaying unit. Demi Holton, the commander of the royal knights, also served as commander of the Order of the White Knights, and Valen joined without undergoing any particular trials.Wherever Valen went, he became the centre of attention, and scandal followed him like a shadow. Rumours that Valen was Lady Perima’s secret lover spread like wildfire, becoming accepted as fact. It was only natural that Demi Holton viewed him as a thorn in his side. While he couldn’t openly vent his anger, wary of Perima’s reaction, he subtly discriminated against Valen, assigning him only the most gruelling tasks during the war.