Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 429: What’s the Enemy’s Goal?
Tauro approached the territorial castle while remaining invisible.
Ordinarily, he would have dispelled the magic before reaching the entrance. After discovering that unknown people were monitoring him, however, he could no longer be certain who might be watching the gates.
He slipped inside and didn’t reveal himself until he had reached the corridor outside his room.
A maid was cleaning when he entered.
“Welcome home, Tauro-sama.”
“Thank you. I need to speak with my father. Do you know whether he’s available?”
“Count Graunewald is probably working in his office. If the matter is urgent, shall I check his schedule?”
“Please do. I’ll change clothes while you’re gone.”
“Then allow me to assist you.”
“N-No, that won’t be necessary! Please speak with my father first.”
Tauro hurriedly sent her away. He still couldn’t become accustomed to servants treating dressing as something requiring assistance.
Approximately thirty minutes later, Count Graunewald made time to receive him.
“What happened, Tauro? I was told that the matter was urgent. Did something occur during your journey?”
“Yes. We encountered a hidden village, and its chief offered us a private assignment.”
Tauro summarized the request, the surveillance, the concealed sewer entrance, and the apparent connection to the organization involved in the dangerous-drug case.
“They claimed to be acting in the name of justice…” Count Graunewald murmured. “That may point to an old grievance. Before I inherited the title, I was known as something of a prodigal son. My reputation among the territory’s retainers was far from good.”
“Really?”
The confession surprised Tauro. The current count was so highly regarded that criticism of his rule was difficult to find.
“Several retainers even told my predecessor that they’d resign if I became the next head of the family.”
“Whatever happened in your youth, you have governed the territory well since inheriting the title.”
Tauro had seen the results himself: agricultural and commercial development, the capital’s waterworks and sewer project, and a general standard of living higher than that of many neighboring territories.
“I take pride in what I have accomplished. Even so, some of those who opposed my succession searched for other children of my predecessor.”
“That explains the persistent rumors that the previous count left another child somewhere in the territory.”
Tauro had heard several versions of the story, but none had ever been confirmed.
“The hidden village may belong to an old opposition faction,” the count said. “Your adoption could’ve forced them to act. They may intend to use the unveiling ceremony to challenge me.”
“Then we should allow them to believe that we accepted. I can provide selected information, learn their objective, and give us time to prepare a response.”
“Agreed. Their deadline leaves approximately a week for us to act after they reveal their purpose. We must also assume that they have collaborators inside the castle or territorial forces.”
“Would they need to hire outsiders like us if they already had someone inside?”
“Perhaps not, but even former opponents have been pardoned over the years, and some returned to my service. I can’t assume that every apparent ally is loyal.”
“Then the complete security plan should be restricted to only the people you trust absolutely.”
“I’ll see to it.”
The count paused, then changed the subject.
“How did the journey through the territory seem to you?”
“Most of the towns and villages appeared stable. There are poor households, of course, but I saw no communities suffering widespread hunger. Compared with many other noble territories, the people here seem fortunate.”
Tauro gave an honest assessment rather than empty praise.
“I’m glad to hear that. After governing for many years, a lord can lose sight of the ground beneath his feet and begin to wonder whether his policies truly help anyone. Your answer gives me reassurance.”
Count Graunewald smiled and patted his adopted son’s head.
“The unveiling will be attended by our retainers, influential residents, and nobles from neighboring territories. We can’t permit a disturbance. It may be unreasonable to place such a burden on the guest of honor, but I’m counting on you.”
“I’ll discover what they intend and help stop it before the ceremony.”
After Tauro left, Count Graunewald remained at his desk with a grave expression.
“An opposition faction… I investigated the old groups before, but several people disappeared from view. If they’re moving now, we must be ready.”
Tauro returned to his room, changed back into his adventurer’s clothing, and left the castle under invisibility magic.
Even a ruler as respected as Count Graunewald had enemies. Yet an opposition movement would require a figure around whom it could rally.
Haku was the obvious possibility, but the boy had black hair and black eyes. The Graunewald family’s distinctive traits were purple hair and blue eyes.
Unless those features are being concealed, Haku doesn’t fit.
If Haku wasn’t their intended claimant, perhaps the conspirators planned to assassinate Tauro, attack the count, or create a public scandal during the ceremony.
There were too many possibilities and too little evidence. For now, Tauro decided to provide controlled information and wait for the enemy to reveal its goal.