Steel and Mana

Chapter 70 – Merchant Trap (2)

I was watching them calmly, somewhat enjoying the fact their panic was showing through their expressions.

"You can't do this! You may be a Viscount, but this is Baron Elliot's territory! We won't stand for this insult and overreach of your tyrannical methods!" The old man argued vehemently, holding onto his walking stick with two wrinkly hands.

"You speak as if you are a noble." I added, keeping on my smile and twirling the wine in my glass. Damn, it was good to be an asshole sometime. My simple comment really shut him up, making some onlookers chuckle. If something is taken seriously everywhere in the Empire, it's the hierarchy. "Can you show me what is in your pockets?"

"..."

"Of course not." I continued, watching them look at each other and seeing their clothes getting wet from the amount of sweat trickling down on their skin. "The thing you have with you is something you shouldn't be able to possess. It is enough to sentence you to prison and conduct an investigation to determine what is going on. Did you forget why my other Uncle was removed with all his goonies?"

"Goo... nies?" They stuttered, not getting the word, but I ignored them.

"They were dealing with and smuggling royal properties. It seems we didn't get all of them, huh? I've had enough! Oleg, take them away!"

"Yes, My Lord!"

There was no mercy. No matter if they wailed, cursed, or pleaded, they were all dragged away. One of them even tried to run, but a perfect punch into his stomach made him kneel over and faint. The only one who didn't resist was Dorian, and in turn, my men didn't rough him up. After the screams of the only woman amongst them faded, I turned to the rest of the nobles.

"I am sorry that you had to witness that. While my Uncle is away cleaning up their courtyards with the army, I will continue hosting this evening!" I could tell many of them were nervous under their forced smiles. "Please, enjoy the night, and if you have any questions about the products we showcased earlier, feel free to ask my wife or me! We are happy to answer any and all questions!"

It took some time for them to return to a somewhat relaxed state, and I knew this would have long-lasting effects. It was the perfect showcase that I fully supported Elliot and worked with him to eliminate any and all opposing forces without hesitation. I know they were not nobles, but for me, sweeping them away would be just as justifiable, and I was willing to do so if Elliot asked me. We can't rule with only fear, but we can reign them in with it. That is enough.

I was speaking with a group of local lords, making some connections, and getting to know them when music began filling the room. I recognized the sounds of the piano and the violin, so at least I knew those did exist here. Maybe I could plagiarize some old classics? Ugh... I never read that many music sheets to choose from, and I don't know if they have the same system here. Probably not. Their alphabet is already different, more like rune writing than what I was used to. Well, whatever. It is not that important.

From the corner of my eyes, I watched as Sasha was doing the same thing as me, mingling with some other nobles, explaining the perfumes, and finally getting loose enough not to think about being shy. When her nervousness disappears, she can be quite the commanding girl, with an unmistakable air of nobility coming off of her presence. It was in how she carried herself when she was acting on her instincts. What was Mikki 2 on about when we sealed her...

"My Lord," Oleg approached me, "Baron Elliot has returned and wishes to speak with you."

"Oh. That was fast! Excuse me, gentlemen and the beautiful women of tonight's party..." I smiled, nodding my head at the people around me, "I will leave for a minute; my wife, Sasha, will be able to answer all the questions you may still harbor within your minds!"

I didn't need to look to know and feel Sasha's glare piercing my back as I left her there. I will try to tell her later that it was just training... but I did expect some new bite marks on me afterward.

Exiting the room, I was escorted by Oleg to the back gardens where Elliot was washing off blood from his arms and face, with his metal breastplate having a dent on it.

"What happened?" I asked, looking a bit more worried, but he looked fine. A bit out of breath, but otherwise, injury-free.

"Traps." He answered, holding his sides, wincing, "I took a log to the chest, and it came down hard. It will leave a nasty bruising, but otherwise, I'm fine. Some of their hired muscle didn't want to surrender, so we killed a few, but we should be okay."

"Let me see." I murmured, examining his chest, making him take a sharp breath here and there as I pressed on it. "Doesn't feel broken, so you should be fine. But yeah, your chest will turn black and blue in an hour, I guess. Good luck with sleeping!"

"I know, I know!" He chuckled and then moaned, shaking his head, "I will have my maids take care of me, fufufu... But let's talk about what is important! My men are still guarding the courtyards right now, and I spoke with my captains. They succeeded in capturing most of their family members and are gathering evidence as we speak. Some may have escaped, but they will be hunted down later."

"Good! We took the guests down to the dungeon. They are enjoying the afterparty."

"I made sure they were all put in separated cells." Oleg chimed in confidently, "We spaced them out as much as possible to prevent them from talking to each other. I have a guard before each of their cells, and if they try to speak, they will hit them with a whip."

"We will interrogate them separately." Elliot hummed, and I simply nodded, thinking of the same idea. "Let's try to make them think they can get out of it if they incriminate the others."

"We are indeed related." I grinned at him before thinking of something. "I want to start with Dorian."

"Why?"

"He was trying to talk to me the moment he arrived with them. Now is the best time."

"I wouldn't trust them."

"Oh, don't worry, I don't. But I am curious... so let me see. He looked smart enough not to resist and give up at once. People can make bad decisions in their lives; learning from it is a good thing."

"You want to recruit him?" Elliot asked, scrutinizing my face while tilting his head.

"Maybe. Depends. First... let me talk with him."

...
....
......

The interrogation was taking place in one of the torture chambers. Was I surprised my Uncle had one? No. Was I surprised he had more than one? Yes. Well, he did say the castle was built, what... 800 years ago? So... I wasn't harping on it. I just thought that I may have missed the opportunity to build one for mine. I bet Luna would have loved it. My thoughts were chased away when Oleg appeared, bringing in the ghostly white Dorian and forcefully making him sit at the other end of the table I was sitting at.

"Dorian Arbuckle." I repeated his name, gently tapping on the discolored, old table before me while my general stood behind him, hand on his sword, ready to kill. I got a quick flashback of when I was dealing with Yuri... Will I always end up like this when I come to visit my Uncle?

"Yes, My Lord..." He answered, barely audible. I saw his parched lips tremble, and his whole body was shaking like a leaf in a typhoon. With a nod to Oleg, he brought over the simple jug in the corner, pouring out water for him.

"Drink. Don't worry; it is not poisoned." I added, seeing his hand begin to tremble even more after that, "Promise." I waited for him to swallow it, which was clearly a struggle as he had to feel like his throat was being squeezed by invisible hands.

"My Lord..." He repeated after putting the mug down, now much more audible than before.

"First," I raised my hand at him to stop, "let me tell you what is happening. Right now, all of you are on the chopping block. You six, specifically, are all dead men walking. Depending on your answers to my questions will determine what will happen to your family. In the worst-case scenario, they will be branded as traitors and given a quick death. Then, there is the option that they will survive but be pressed into servitude and lose their status as free people. If you are honest and cooperative, then your family will be left alone, although most of your wealth will be confiscated, and they will only be left with enough to try and start a new life. As to how that turns out? It would be all up to them."

"Is that true... My Lord? Can they... survive?" He asked as I watched as the fire of hope ignited within his eyes. I saw it clearly... he wasn't afraid of death; he was scared for his family's future.

"Depending on you. Surviving... will be hard; I mean, even if they are allowed to live and remain free, the shame of what you did will be on them like an invisible slave brand."

"I know... I know..." He lowered his head into his hands, beginning to cry, "I don't know how I got swept up in this... it just... happened."

"I get that. Sometimes, small things can spiral out of control and end up worse than you thought. One wrong step, and you tumble down from the mountaintop right into hell."

"That old bastard!" He groaned between two sobs.

"Oh? Your spokesperson?" I whispered, recalling his name for the first time. "Iskra Obertah?"

"Yes. He was the one who initially introduced us to each other. He had been working with the previous Baron for a decade or so, and he had begun getting bigger and bigger slices of his deals. We all got crumbs at first, which made us able to afford to grow our businesses. But work only came if we were on good terms with him, so it made it so that we did things he asked. No questions... Through him, I managed to afford to buy the schematics for machines in the Capital Region and build one for myself. I was too deep into it when I noticed we were put on his leash. No... we put that leash on us willingly."

"You did. And you were smiling." I nodded, making him crack one through rolling tears, moaning with genuine regret.

"We did. I managed to establish a manufacturing shop capable of creating clothes for nobles and regular people. Especially for the latter! I could buy cheap wool, or any textile for that matter, and make my workers churn out clothes quickly. The profit came from the locals, My Lord. They were affordable, and they paid for them willingly, while nobles usually scoffed at my work. Even if I used the most expensive material I could get my hands on, it was still made by someone who was... a commoner. They either tried bargaining or refused to buy my products. It was..."

"Infuriating." I finished for him, and watching him nod, I could understand his feelings.

"I wanted to be a noble so bad... I knew that my work was good enough for them! I just lacked the rank. So, when Old Obertah said we could become one, I didn't think about it... I just said yes to it. And when I realized what we were doing, it was too late to back out! I was already part of it, and if I tried, I would be dead. Well... I am dead... Things... things then began escalating. One day, we were no longer simply trying to outplay our competitors and make their businesses close down, but we began raiding their caravans through bandits. I didn't know he would go that far..."

"Not knowing is not an excuse. No matter the circumstances."

"I know, My Lord... I don't and won't ask for forgiveness, not for myself... but for my family! They... they are innocent! All the decisions were on me! My wife, sons! They are innocent!"

"How old are your sons?" I asked, crossing my arms and listening to his answers without flinching.

"One is only four... the older one is thirteen."

"Oleg, escort Mr. Dorian back to his cell." I nodded, seeing him open his mouth to say something, maybe plead once again, but then, he stopped. He knew it was useless and just feebly stood up, needing Oleg to hold him under the armpits and carry him back, not letting him collapse in the corridor. "This is going to be a long night..." I whispered, leaning back with a satisfied smile.

I wasn't wrong... as when Oleg returned, he brought a different one whom I made to sit, drink a little water, and began the questioning once again as Elliot and I interrogated all of them, leaving the oldest bastard for last...