The Mad Dog of the Duke's Estate

Chapter 80

Finally, they arrived in Reben.

The city, which Caron had returned to in just under a day, looked far more heavily guarded than when he first left. At first glance, the tension was palpable, as if the winds of war were blowing through. Given the growing threat of military action from the Zion Kingdom, perhaps that wasn't just a feeling, but rather reality.

"Stop!" a guard called out.

Revelio's gold-plated automobile came to an abrupt halt, blocked by the city's remaining soldiers. The guards hesitated after stopping such an extravagant automobile, unsure of how to proceed. Even without opening the door, it was obvious that someone important was inside.

Revelio just barely poked his head out of the window and shouted, "What do you think you're doing, blocking my way?"

One of the guards immediately bowed, flustered, and said, "A-Apologies, sir! Rules are rules!"

"Hold on, what's going on in the city?" Revelio asked.

"The southern forces of the Zion Kingdom have begun moving toward the border! So because of that, martial law has been declared, and we've tightened entry and exit restrictions to prevent any suspicious activity!" the guard explained.

The guard's voice was sharp, full of discipline, but Revelio frowned and pointed at the white lion insignia emblazoned on his automobile door. He asked, "Can you not see the insignia emblazoned here? You seem to have eyes in the right place."

"S-Sorry! But even if you are from the imperial family, rules are rules—" the guard began.

Just then, the city gates creaked open, and a fully armored knight sprinted toward them at full speed. As soon as he arrived, he kicked the soldier's shin furiously.

"You idiot! How could you block the path of the Sixth Prince?" the armored knight yelled.

"I-I'm sorry!" the other knight replied.

"You're hopeless. That's why people like you are useless. Tsk tsk," the knight openly scolded his subordinate, then turned to Revelio, bowing deeply. "My sincerest apologies, Prince Revelio! Due to the provocations from the southern kingdom, we've increased security checks."

Unlike the other guards, this knight had immediately recognized him. Revelio glanced at him with mild amusement before asking, "And how did you know that I was the Sixth Prince?"

"Well... I've heard that the only person who travels in a gold-plated automobile is you, Your Highness," the knight replied.

"That's impressive. What is your name?" Revelio asked.

"I am Sir Decal, the Deputy Commander of the Reben Knight Order," the knight answered.

"I will remember that name," Revelio said.

Hearing that, Decal bowed repeatedly, his movements an exaggerated display of gratitude. He then said, "It is an honor, Your Highness! May I ask what brings you to this city?"

Revelio shot him a sharp look and asked, "Is there anywhere in the empire I cannot go?"

"N-No! I didn't mean it that way!" Sir Decal stuttered.

"Come closer to me," Revelio ordered while beckoning. Decal cautiously approached the automobile.

When Decal was standing in front of Revelio, the prince lowered his voice and said, "A little brother of mine that I'm close with said I could find some... entertainment here."

"Entertainment, Your Highness? What do you mean by that?" Sir Decal asked.

"You know what I mean. Beastfolk, elves... Don't pretend you don't know. I've already been told, so don't try to weasel your way out of this," Revelio explained.

"May I carefully ask who recommended this place to you?" Decal asked.

"You're slow, aren't you? It was Caron Leston. The youngest grandson of the Duke of Leston. He bragged about buying an elf from here. Am I supposed to let that brat one-up me?" Revelio replied.

Recognition dawned on Sir Decal's face. Caron Leston, the young man who had bought an elf from the auction just yesterday, had to have wasted no time boasting about it. While the Sixth Prince had only recently started gaining attention, everyone knew about his origins. As someone born from a lowborn mother, his tastes, unsurprisingly, were as crude as one could expect.

Decal gave a respectful nod, understanding the situation clearly now.

It suits him quite well, he thought, although he wisely kept his opinions to himself.

Sitting in front of the vehicle was a knight. He was Sir Mason, an 8-Star knight sworn to protect the Sixth Prince. Decal wasn't foolish enough to insult royalty in front of a royal guard.

Once Decal had sorted things out in his mind, he cautiously addressed the automobile, "Would it be possible for us to conduct a search—"

Before he could finish, Revelio, who had been grinning the entire time, snapped angrily, "A filthy worm like you dares suggest searching a carriage carrying a member of the imperial family? Are you challenging the emperor's authority, you pathetic creature?"

Caught off guard by the sudden outburst, Decal quickly bowed his head and stuttered, "I-I was foolish. Please, forgive my ignorance."

"Where's Marquis Leandro? I'm going straight to him! I didn't realize he ran such an incompetent force," Revelio said.

"Marquis Leandro has personally gone to the front lines at the border. I apologize once again, Your Highness," Decal said, his repeated apologies doing little to ease Revelio's irritation.

"How long am I expected to wait here?" Revelio snapped, staring down at Decal with undisguised disdain.

"I'll guide you inside right away. Everyone, clear the way!" Decal barked, and the knights guarding the gate quickly parted, creating a path for the carriage.

As the path opened up, Revelio rolled up his window and called out, "Sir Mason, let's go."

"Yes, Your Highness," Sir Mason replied.

Whoosh.

With a low hum, the carriage resumed its journey.

Caron, who had been silently watching behind Revelio's seat, couldn't help but comment, "You've really mastered the art of pulling rank. Guess that kind of attitude comes naturally to those who've had it used on them enough."

"Authority works best when you slam it down on people's heads. Back in the day, people would've mocked me, but not anymore. I've got the Leston family behind me now. So, you'd better be careful too," Revelio said.

Caron smirked and said, "Sometimes I wonder if you're actually smart or just pretending to be smart."

Revelio chuckled and answered, "Both."

After taking a sip of water, he glanced out the window. The city looked even gloomier than Caron had described, likely worsened by the dark clouds hanging overhead.

"The guards don't seem too plentiful," Revelio noted. "Alright, Caron, what's the first thing we need to do?"

"We need to head to the slave auction and capture that bastard, Noor. Then we take every ledger he has and free the slaves held in the city's underground facilities. That'll accomplish our first objective," Caron explained.

"You make it sound easy," Revelio answered.

"It won't be that hard. The groundwork has already been laid," Caron said.

Revelio narrowed his eyes and asked, "Groundwork? I don't recall hearing about this."

"Oh, it's nothing too complicated. I just had one of our local allies spread a few rumors among the citizens," Caron explained.

"What kind of rumors?" Revelio asked.

"What do you think? It's Marquis Leandro plotting a rebellion. You know how rumors work. If you say it enough, it starts to seem true," Caron replied.

He pulled out a piece of jerky from his pocket and took a bite, grinning. "Though in this case, we're the ones planting the seed."

With that, Caron had successfully reentered Reben without anyone noticing.

***

Perhaps it was due to Revelio's earlier outburst at the city gates, but after entering Reben, everything went smoothly. Sir Decal, the Deputy Commander of the Reben Knight Order, obediently led them to the slave auction. Rumor had it that the auction also dealt in precious metals during the morning hours. And sure enough, the people they passed all appeared well and dressed in fine clothing.

"How'd you manage to pull off that disguise so quickly, Caron?" Revelio asked, his eyes widening as he took in Caron's new appearance.

Caron was clad from head to toe in black plate armor, his entire look transformed in an instant through the shape-shifting powers of the artifact known as Kavana.

"Is that an artifact? Even my sis couldn't make something like that easily," Revelio said, his tone tinged with envy.

"It's an heirloom from the head of the family," Caron replied, adjusting the armor.

"That's insane. You can change your appearance whenever you want? I'm just really curious, but if you have time..." Revelio said.

"No, not happening. If you're that eager, be born into the Leston family in your next life," Caron said.

"Damn, I really want it, though," Revelio muttered, shaking his head in admiration. The term 'dark knight' suited Caron perfectly. With the solid black armor covering him from head to toe, the air around him felt oppressive, almost intimidating. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Revelio nodded and slowly stepped out of the automobile. The person who was waiting at the entrance of the auction house had a familiar face.

"Welcome, Prince Revelio. I am Noor, the head of this auction house. It is an honor to have such a distinguished guest visit us," Noor said, bowing deeply. He wore a golden mask, just as he had when Caron last met him.

Revelio waved a hand dismissively at Noor's overly formal greeting. "Do I need to wear a mask, too?"

Noor's lips curled into a small smile beneath his mask as he replied, "We simply deal in fine metals, Your Highness. While our status may not compare to your own, you needn't worry about prying eyes."

With that, Noor subtly glanced over at the two knights standing behind Revelio. One elderly, and the other clad entirely in black. The older knight was already well known to him, thanks to Decal's report.

Mason Fall, the 8-Star knight, also known as the Unyielding Shield. He's an absolute powerhouse, Noor thought.

If Mason so much as swung his sword, it wouldn't be surprising to witness an entire building flying. Noor swallowed nervously and turned his gaze toward the black knight, whose face was completely obscured by his armor.

Who is that? Noor wondered. But whoever they were, if they were escorting the prince, they would undoubtedly be formidable.

"Do you need something from my knight?" Revelio asked, noticing Noor's lingering gaze.

Noor quickly shook his head with a chuckle and said, "Not at all. Allow me to lead you inside."

Feeling there was no need to verify the identity of the prince's knights further, he led them into the auction house. It was a stark contrast to the scene at night. Inside, merchants traded gemstones, and appraisers busied themselves with inspecting the goods. If one didn't know better, they would never suspect that the same place hosted slave auctions after dark.

"I've heard you were referred by Young Master Caron," Noor said as they walked deeper into the hall. "But I must ask, the capital is quite far from here. How did you hear the news and arrive so quickly?"

His tone was polite, but the underlying curiosity was clear. Revelio, however, didn't so much as blink at the prying question. He answered with shameless ease. "I happened to be on leave in Thebe at the time."

"So, you didn't meet with Young Master Caron?" Noor asked as he tilted his head slightly.

"Why would I bother seeing that irritating guy? The moment he saw me, he'd start bragging about his elf slave," Revelio said.

"I never expected Young Master Caron to send such a distinguished guest our way. But as you know... Some people are uncomfortable with the whole slave trade," Noor commented.

Revelio snorted derisively and said, "You've got some nerve for someone dealing in slaves, which His Majesty banned. Did you really think I didn't know what was going on here?"

"Haha... We're just being cautious," Noor replied.

"I'm not the type to shout from the rooftops about buying slaves, unlike that idiot Caron. Of course, you guys have to keep it a secret that you saw me here today," Revelio said.

"Our auction house prides itself on protecting the identities of our clients, Your Highness. You needn't worry," Noor said reassuringly, his smile still firmly in place.

As they exchanged a few more words, they soon arrived at the reception room located on the top floor. It was the same room where Caron had previously met with Marquis Leandro.

Noor quickly gestured to the finest seat in the room, inviting Revelio to sit. "I apologize for the humble setting, Your Highness. It's not quite fit for someone of your stature."

Revelio sat down with a smirk and replied, "I didn't expect much from this backwater place anyway."

"Perhaps some refreshments...?" Noor offered.

"No need. As if anything served here would taste good," Revelio scoffed, waving off the offer.

Despite the cold response, Noor simply nodded, maintaining his polite smile and saying, "Just as I've heard, you're quite direct. Excellent. Please let me know what kind of product you're looking for."

Noor slid a thin book across the table to Revelio and said, "This catalog contains details on the goods currently available at our auction. Normally, these items would be part of next week's auction, but we are offering you an exclusive preview."

Revelio flipped through the pages. The book was a catalog of auction items.

"Item No. 12 Species: Beastkin – Tiger Tribe Sex: Female Details: This item possesses a sturdy physique, strengthened through the unique martial arts of the Tiger Tribe. However, the tendons in both her legs and wrists have been severed during the acquisition process. Although she is exceptionally beautiful, she has not yet been fully controlled. It will take time to tame her."

The catalog listed the goods and their features. Though Caron had already warned him about what to expect, seeing it in person filled Revelio with disgust. He skimmed through it quickly, then placed it back on the table.

"This isn't what I'm looking for," he said flatly.

Noor hesitated for a moment before asking cautiously, "Could you perhaps be more specific about what you desire?"

"The ledger," Revelio responded.

"...Pardon?" Noor questioned.

"No matter how much Marquis Leandro profits from this place, you must have a record of auction proceeds. Bring me that," Revelio demanded.

Noor's smile vanished instantly, and his voice stiffened as he replied, "I'll assume that's a joke, Your Highness."

Revelio's golden eyes gleamed as he leaned forward and asked, "Does this look like a joke to you?"

"If it's not a joke, then—" Noor began.

"My little brother doesn't seem to think it's funny," Revelio said.

Boom!

"Ahhh!" Noor screamed.

In an instant, Noor's face was slammed against the table, shattering his golden mask into pieces. He groaned in pain, looking up to see the black-armored knight pressing his head into the table.

"W-Why?" Noor stuttered, utterly confused. He wondered why the Sixth Prince would do something like this.

But then, when the knight's helmet was removed, his expression turned to one of pure shock.

"Long time no see. Oh wait, it's only been a day, hasn't it?" the knight grinned, revealing his blonde hair, striking blue eyes, and perfect features.

That face was unforgettable. Noor struggled to force the words out of his mouth. "C-Caron... Leston... Why are you here?"

"Why do you think?" Caron retorted.

Crack!

"Arrgh!" Noor screamed as Caron, still grinning, twisted his arm backward until it snapped.

"I came to settle a debt. I did say I'd pay you back later, didn't I?" Caron said.