Chapter 66 - Sixty-Six ... A Confession

Chapter 66: Chapter Sixty-Six ... A Confession

Chapter Sixty-Six ... A Confession

Jan immediately gathered the soldiers who had been scattered across the canton city.

He meant to have Captain Lampard lead them to the mansion where his kin lived. Once the soldiers and knights had assembled, Jan led them off at a brisk pace.

"Is this the place, Captain Lampard?"

"It is, human lord."

Fortunately, the mansion where Captain Lampard’s kin lived wasn’t far off. It stood just three or four houses down from the councillor’s mansion where they had stayed a little earlier.

When the guards on watch at the mansion caught sight of the troops Jan was leading, they shouted with frightened faces.

"H-halt! This is the residence of the head of the Black Rock house, member of the canton council and great merchant of the canton! Who dares bring an army here..."

"Jan Lupton."

The guards stared, their mouths falling open.

It was far too sudden an appearance.

"Uh, w-well... Why would his lordship come here?"

"You fool! Does his lordship need to argue with the likes of you? And open your eyes and take a good look at who I am!"

The guard peered at him, then blinked. "Master Lampard?"

Why on earth would the young master, who had left home so long ago, suddenly turn up now? ℯℯ𝘭.

The guards were thrown into even greater confusion.

"If you recognize me, then clear the way, you louts!"

"B-but we have strict orders not to let any outsider in..."

"What? Outsider? Are you calling me an outsider?"

Strictly speaking, he wasn’t an outsider, but he was coming in with one, wasn’t he?

"And would I dare bring his lordship here without good reason? Step aside, quickly."

"Ah, yes. Understood."

Before they knew it, the guards were shuffling out of the way. He carried himself so confidently that they assumed he must have been called for from inside.

Besides, the man before them was the Gold-rank lord who was said to work miracles.

’Surely he wouldn’t lie.’

That was what every one of the guards was thinking. Of course, there had been no arrangement to visit at all. They had simply burst in.

"Where is the councillor who’s said to be cursed?"

"He’s being treated separately in a detached wing inside the mansion, human lord."

"Is he? Then let’s go there."

With that, Jan strode through the mansion. People came out at the sudden commotion and stared in surprise, but fortunately no one tried to stop him.

It was the power of moving with complete confidence, and of the aura of a miracle worker that now clung to him.

The councillor inside, however, was plainly shocked at his sudden visit.

"Wh-who’s there! Aaagh! Intruders! Guards! Guards!"

On seeing Jan, the canton councillor cried out in alarm.

It was only natural. If an outsider suddenly barged into the heart of his own home, anyone would be startled.

"Calm down. It’s me."

The councillor stared at him blankly.

"This is the Gold-rank lord of Lupton! Show some respect!"

"Ugh... What? What kind of nonsense is this...!"

At such an absurd claim, the councillor sprang up without thinking, then collapsed from the pain. Gasping, he caught sight of Captain Lampard standing beside Jan and blinked.

"...Huh?"

"That’s right, uncle. It’s me. Your good-for-nothing Lampard. Hmph... I’ve brought his lordship here."

"Wh-what...?"

Leaving the flustered councillor to his confusion, Jan got straight to the point.

"I’ve received word that you’ve been struck by a curse, so I came."

"Th-that’s a lie, my lord! Who would slander me like that?"

The councillor said it while sweat trickled down his face. He sounded so aggrieved that, from his voice alone, it might have passed for the truth.

However...

"Hm. It’s a curse."

"A curse! It is a curse. It must be purified!"

"It certainly looks like a curse, doesn’t it?"

Unfortunately, the signs of a curse were plain on the body of the canton councillor, Captain Lampard’s uncle. Something like a dark, murky mist crept all over his body, and he claimed it wasn’t a curse?

No one who saw it would ever believe him.

Realizing the situation, the councillor scrambled over, took Jan’s hand, and begged.

"..."

"P-please save me! I’m truly sorry for deceiving you, my lord!"

"Holding my hand won’t cure your curse."

"Ah, ha ha..."

The councillor awkwardly slipped his hand away.

He, too, was only an ordinary man who believed in the same superstitions as everyone around him.

"Well, then. What on earth happened? Tell me."

"Er... well."

The councillor’s eyes darted about as he tried to read the room.

"You don’t want to say? I hear you did something strange up in the Arpen Mountains."

Seeing that, Jan sighed and gave him a warning.

"I came to you first, to help you, because you’re kin to Captain Lampard, whom I’ve hired. If you keep trying my patience... I intend to make what you’ve done known to the citizens. You’ll have to deal with the consequences yourselves, won’t you?"

"Hiik!"

At Jan’s words, the councillor cried out in terror. At last he seemed to grasp the situation.

"I-I was wrong! Please forgive me, my lord! I deserve to die for this!"

With that, he burst into tears, weeping great drops as he began to confess everything.

Once he had heard it all, Jan could only think one thing.

’They really must have been mad, to go looking for a curse like that...’

The System’s messages appeared before Jan.

[You have learned the full truth of the curse that befell the members of the canton council.]

[Notice: If you make this known, you will be able to punish the members of the canton council without gaining Infamy.]

[Notice: If you punish the members of the canton council, you can bring the canton under your sphere of influence.]

[Current control of the cantons: 0/12]

What Captain Lampard’s uncle told them came down to this.

The councillors had stumbled upon a heathen temple of the barbarians in the Arpen Mountains. They had immediately sent in soldiers, destroyed the place, killed those who resisted, and looted it.

Worse, they had smashed the holy images and even relieved themselves on them as an insult. If anything was going to bring down a curse, that was it.

Everyone who heard the story was left dumbfounded.

"That’s asking to be cursed."

"Are they out of their minds, human lord? What a cursed lot."

"They’re your own kin... Captain Lampard."

"Ah! So they are. Ahem."

Captain Lampard was not the only one appalled.

"Heathens or not, to sate their greed like that!"

"For once, I agree with the bishop. Whatever is worshipped in a place, anyone who treats it so recklessly pays the price sooner or later, councillor..."

Bishop Graham and Agphiel both rounded on the canton councillor as well.

Heathen or not, to steal holy objects and desecrate them like that was reckless beyond all measure.

"They should have reported it to the diocese and offered up the plunder! These greedy dwarves."

Of course, one of them was missing the point somewhat.

"I-I’m sorry, my lord."

"Enough. What’s done is done. What can be done about it now? If you’re truly sorry, I could still stand you before the citizens of the canton so you can repent and confess."

"Hiik! No, my lord. Please, spare me."

His reaction was almost tempting to push further, but the man looked as though he might faint if Jan did, so he let it go.