The first snow of the year fell. A light layer of snow accumulated on the grass that had lost its vigor in the biting cold. Duke Vandermir lit a cigar while glaring irritably at the snow fluttering like cotton.

The Duke took a deep drag on the cigar, exhaled the smoke with a whoosh, and spoke in a husky voice.

“Still haven’t found the will?”

“No. I apologize, Your Grace.”

As the aide bowed in apology, the Duke’s face contorted. Unable to contain his anger, he picked up an ashtray and threw it at the aide.

“You think I called you here to listen to your apologies?! It’s been months already!”

“……I’m sorry.”

The aide, his forehead struck by the ashtray, quietly apologized again. Without bringing satisfactory results, he had no choice but to bear the Duke’s anger.

Hot blood trickled down the aide’s forehead. The Duke, panting, kicked him in the shin and shouted.

“Shut up and just get out! Know that your salary will be cut this month for failing to do what I ordered!”

“……Yes, I understand.”

The aide left the office with a gloomy face. The Duke tried to calm himself, brushing back the hair that had fallen over his forehead.

As the saying goes, the more urgent, the more roundabout way one should take; the angrier one gets, the calmer one should be. Of course, this was a difficult maxim to follow for someone with his fiery temper.

Still, when his excitement had somewhat subsided, the Duchess cautiously knocked on the door and entered.

“Darling, are you busy?”

“What.”

“It’s nothing, I just wanted to see your face……”

The Duke frowned sharply at the words uttered as if trying to flatter him.

“You came to bother me when I’m busy for such a trivial reason? You! Do you have any thoughts or not?”

“I-I’m sorry. I just……”

“Enough! What happened with that actress or whatever wench?”

While the Duke was searching for the will, the Duchess was supposed to be in charge of dealing with Claire, who was pregnant with Oscar’s child.

If Claire really gave birth to the child, Oscar would have an illegitimate child with commoner blood, which could act as a fatal weakness. They had to take action before it became one.

The Duchess, who had quietly sat down on the sofa while watching her husband’s mood, swallowed dryly and answered.

“Well, I couldn’t take care of it……”

“What? Why!”

“The person we hired ambushed that woman in a dark alley, but it failed when a passerby happened to intervene.”

To be precise, that passerby was someone Demian had assigned to Claire, but unaware of this fact, the Duchess was completely dejected.

She feared what harsh words she would hear from her husband next.

The Duke ruffled his hair randomly while puffing hard on his cigar. He felt stifled, as if a stone had settled in his chest.

“This is really maddening. Who told you to kill her? I said to just cause a miscarriage, avoiding that since there are many eyes watching. How could you not even do that!”

“I’m really sorry, darling. That woman must be quite tough and stubborn…… She won’t budge an inch even when asked for a face-to-face meeting, her guard is so high.”

With the scandal of Oscar’s illegitimate child spreading throughout the empire, even the interior of the duchy was in an uproar.

Some vassals were even preparing to turn their backs on Demian, so the ducal couple was in a hurry. Though they were mobilizing all means, from persuasion to threats, Claire remained unmoved.

Her strong will to give birth to the child no matter what was evident, making them feel like they would burst with frustration.

“What should we do, darling? If Demian takes the duke’s position……”

“Who dares to take the duke’s seat from me?! I am the Duke of Vandermir! The right to designate the next duke belongs to me!”

The Duke shouted in anger at the thought that he still hadn’t escaped his father’s influence. The Duchess shrank her shoulders and kept nodding, affirming that her husband was right.

After venting his anger alone for a while by throwing things, the Duke sat heavily on the sofa. He lit a new cigar and looked outside.

Bare trees and white snow, a blue clear sky and strong sunlight.

These were signs that the season had arrived for the living beings of this land to prepare for the next year. Reminded of the fact that the year was coming to an end, the Duke spoke in a low voice.

“We still have a chance left.”

“Really……? Will our Oscar be able to safely become the next duke?”

“Of course. When the year changes, that opportunity will surely be given.”

As if he had something to believe in, the Duke smiled slyly. A new opportunity would surely come in the approaching new year.

Since he would be utterly ruined if his incompetent son collapsed like this, he had to raise him up no matter what.

The Dom Trading Company had grown based in the coastal area near the capital. However, that was a recent story, and if one traced back the history of the company, its starting point was not legal.

They were originally pirates. Plundering coastal villagers and attacking nearby ships to seize goods.

As their power grew and, conversely, the crackdown on pirates intensified, they changed their occupation. They established a trading company with their overflowing money and manpower.

But as if that evil root couldn’t just disappear, even now when they had somewhat established themselves, they were still committing bad deeds behind the scenes.

The prime example of this was the illegal slave auction held every other week.

It’s been so long since slavery was abolished in the Setron Empire, yet they were still profiting from buying and selling people like objects.

This was a fact Demian learned while investigating Ken’s black magic bomb and the Dom Trading Company.

“Is that the ship?”

Demian pointed to a cruise ship floating alone in a quiet harbor.

He had heard that a secret trading venue under the pretext of a noble party on board would be held there today.

Needing more detailed internal information about the company, he immediately decided to use this. He resolved to raid the illegal slave auction site to subdue the company and its owner.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Everyone prepare to move out.”

Isaac, who nodded, quietly signaled to the subordinates standing behind. Demian, who had concealed his appearance with a worn robe, took the first step.

As the guards guarding the entrance to the ship saw the shabbily dressed man approaching, they frowned and waved their hands.

“Hey, there’s no one here to give you alms, so scram.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Huh? Has this beggar gone mad? I said scram, dammit!”

One of the guards threateningly swung his hand and hit Demian’s robe hood. The smooth face revealed was far from that of a beggar.

When the man hesitated, momentarily confused by the unexpected face,

“Kuhuk!”

Demian, pulling his hood back on with a chilling smile, punched him in the solar plexus. It was an attack so fast and precise that no one could have seen it.

The guard with the massive build collapsed sideways with a thud. The other guards, surprised by the sudden situation, were in disarray.

“W-What’s going on!”

“Why did he suddenly collapse?”

“Is it an intruder?”

Before they could grasp the situation, Demian snapped his fingers. Simultaneously, the knights hiding around the ship appeared, answering his call.

The guards defending the deck fell without even being able to scream properly.

Leaving some subordinates on the deck, Demian led the rest into the empty entrance.

“Who are you people?”

“Aaagh!”

“P-Please spare……”

They quietly took care of every single guard encountered on the way. Just in case, they left two subordinates at each floor as they descended the stairs.

Only when they reached the lowest level of the ship did they faintly hear human voices.

Demian arrived at the red door that was the source of the noise. The guard who had been guarding it was already lying unconscious on the floor.

“I’ll open it.”

“Go ahead.”

Isaac carefully grasped and turned the doorknob. Demian slightly lifted his robe hood to secure his view.

The space beyond the door was chaotic. Smoke, whether from cigars or something else, was thick, and people gathered here and there were shouting excitedly about something.

Demian’s gaze passed over the people lost in pleasure and focused on the man standing on the circular platform.

“Now, now! This item is not something you see often! It’s a boy with different colored eyes!”

As the masked man shouted, people cheered. Soon, a boy with shackles on both hands and feet was dragged stumbling onto the platform.

The boy’s eyes were indeed different colors, and his expression looked like he might burst into tears at any moment.

‘These bastards are nothing short of devils.’

Demian frowned at the sight that seemed to have abandoned human decency. Who would want to do such disgusting things to a child who looked barely in his mid-teens?

He turned his eyes to survey the surroundings. Then, spotting the face he wanted at the table behind the platform, he commanded in a low voice.

“Draw your swords.”

“Yes, Commander.”

As Isaac drew the sword from his waist, Demian kicked the door open.

Bang!

At the undeniable loud noise, everyone’s attention turned to the door. Demian, who had already removed his robe hood, declared.

“In the name of the Red Hawk Knights, we are here to arrest this illegal slave auction. Everyone sit down and raise your hands above your heads. If you move even a step, it will be considered an attempt to attack, and you will be summarily disposed of.”

People’s faces instantly turned pale. They were all nobles who had lived luxuriously and came here today on the excuse of relieving their fatigue, with much to lose.

But now they had been caught in an illegal act, and they felt their world crumbling.

Half of them froze and obediently raised their hands above their heads as Demian said, but the other half recklessly attempted to flee.

The guards guarding the interior also rushed in, and in an instant, it became a scene of chaos.

“Get out of the way!”

“Run away!”

“Take those guys down!”

Even in the chaotic situation, Demian calmly gave orders.

“Jerome, you take responsibility and handle this place. Don’t let a single one escape. And Isaac, you follow me.”

Demian nodded, eyeing a man hurriedly gathering papers and money from the table and fleeing.

The guards tried to block his way but retreated, intimidated by the Sword Master’s aura. Demian charged towards the target along with Isaac.

The identity of the half-bald man running frantically was none other than Brandon, the owner of the Dom Trading Company.

Brandon, who had escaped to a quiet back corridor with his subordinate beside him, shouted.

“Damn it, go tell Hans to burn the confidential documents right now!”

“That won’t do.”

Demian, who had approached without a sound, grabbed Brandon’s collar and said coldly. Brandon choked as his clothes were pulled back opposite to the direction his body was moving forward.

The subordinate who was about to run after hearing his order was caught by Isaac.

Demian slammed Brandon onto the corridor floor. Then, before he could get up, he thrust his sword next to his neck.

“Hiiik―!”

Feeling the threat to his life, Brandon looked up at Demian with a pale face, trembling violently.

“W-Who are you! How did you know about this place?”

“You talk too much. Do you want your lifeline to be shortened too?”

Demian twisted the blade, lightly cutting Brandon’s skin. With a face that looked like he might faint at any moment, Brandon curled up his body.

“I-I’m sorry! Please spare me!”

“If you answer well to what I say from now on, you’ll live. By the way, I don’t like repeating myself, so it’s better to answer in one go.”

“Y-Yes. Please speak.”

Realizing that he wanted something, Brandon prostrated himself. If he played his cards right, he might be able to get through this crisis unscathed.

What could this handsome man in front of him want? Probably money, right?

As he was mentally calculating the assets he currently possessed, Demian’s next words completely missed his expectations.

“To whom did you sell the black magic bombs from A70 to 85?”

Brandon, who took a short breath, desperately shook his head and denied it.

“W-What are you talking about……”

“I told you to answer in one go. And don’t bother trying to use your brain unnecessarily.”

Demian twisted his lips into a smile.

“Our knights are already at your company office, and we’ve obtained information that you’ve been evading taxes for over 10 years.”

From the beginning, this wasn’t the first raid. They had occupied the empty company office earlier before coming here.

All pretexts were for arresting the illegal slave auction, but in reality, it was to track the black magic bombs.

“Ah, perhaps it might be faster to accidentally kill you and search the office.”

At the words dropped with clear intent of threat, Brandon tightly closed his eyes.

Right. Even if he kept the secret and died here, it would be over if this guy searched the office and found the confidential documents.

If that’s the case, it would be better to at least save his life, Brandon thought as he opened his mouth.