The Barbarian of the Count’s Family Is Too Strong

Chapter 27: A Sinister Presence (3)

Knock, knock, knock.

“Come in.”

Viscount Caron Redik was buried under an endless pile of paperwork in his office.

Acting as the Count’s proxy while also managing his own territory left him swamped with work from morning until night.

“My lord, you have a visitor.”

“What? I did not invite anyone. Tell them to leave.”

“H-However, I believe you should meet them.”

At the butler’s words, Caron paused his frenzied writing and looked up.

“…Let them in.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Caron rarely received visitors at his residence, so this was an unusual occurrence.

“My apologies for disturbing you so early.”

The guest’s presence left Caron unsure of how to react, and he hesitated in his seat.

A towering young man with an athletic build stood before him, dressed in unfamiliar tribal attire. Beside him was an unbelievably beautiful woman draped in a dark crimson dress that revealed much of her skin.

“Uh… Are you from one of the tribes in my territory?”

At Caron’s question, Agron smirked.

It was a rather polite inquiry.

Had it been any other noble, they would have scoffed, demanding, ‘What is that Barbaroi doing here? Get him out immediately!’

“Pleased to meet you. I am Agron von Veilain, Count of Veilain. This is Elena Rosetti.”

“A—Ah, it is an honor, my lord! My deepest apologies for not recognizing you sooner!”

Caron hastily rose from his seat and gave a respectful bow.

He recalled hearing from the Count of Saltidis after a recent banquet that an unusual individual had become the head of House Veilain.

Caron himself had been too busy with administrative duties to attend that banquet.

“No need to apologize. It was my fault for coming unannounced. I hope you can forgive the lack of prior notice.”

“Ah… Thank you for your understanding, my lord.”

Caron was surprised—not only was Agron’s Kingdom tongue eloquent and refined, but he also displayed a level of courtesy uncommon among high-ranking nobles. Most counts treated barons and viscounts with casual disregard.

After seating Agron and Elena, Caron instructed his butler to bring tea and refreshments.

“To what do I owe the honor of your visit?”

Caron chose his words carefully, ensuring he did not offend his guest.

Agron set his teacup down and assumed a serious expression.

“Do you know Felipe, the Magistrate?”

“Yes, I know him well. But my lord, please speak more comfortably.”

“Very well. I often work as an adventurer under the guild due to certain circumstances. Felipe made me a secret proposition.”

“A secret proposition…?”

“He claimed to own a dungeon and wanted me to clear out its monsters.”

Caron frowned.

There were a few dungeons in Kachiola, but all were inactive.

Such places should not have been producing monsters.

“I don’t understand. Why would Magistrate Felipe make such a request?”

“First, he harbored lustful desires toward Elena.”

“Ah….”

Caron had heard rumors about Felipe.

That he was a womanizer, sometimes resorting to force.

He stole a glance at Elena.

For a brief moment, their eyes met, and Caron, captivated by her beauty, found himself holding his breath.

It was all too easy to understand Felipe’s intentions.

“And the second reason.”

“…Ah, yes. Please continue.”

Caron quickly composed himself and averted his gaze.

“A strange ritual was taking place inside that dungeon.”

“A strange ritual?”

“I couldn’t determine its nature. I only saw remnants of what appeared to be human sacrifices.”

“…Surely not?”

“Do you know anything about such practices?”

Agron sipped his tea as he spoke.

The bracelet on his wrist, adorned with the Ouroboros symbol, gleamed as it caught the light.

“Hmm… I’m not certain. I’ve never heard of anything like that before. Well, I have read about such things, but never imagined they were actually happening. Such barbaric rituals….”

Caron trailed off as his eyes met Agron’s.

Realizing his words had been inappropriate, he fumbled an apology.

“No, my lord, that’s not what I meant! I wasn’t implying that your people—ah, that is, I merely recalled reading about it in a book… I apologize.”

“No need to apologize. I, too, have read about human sacrifices being performed by some barbarian tribes. I believe it was in Bloodstained History.”

“Oh? That’s exactly where I read about it!”

“Oh-ho, you’ve read that book as well? It’s quite the read.”

Striking common ground, the two soon launched into a lively discussion about books.

Elena, however, remained silent, her gaze shifting between Agron and Caron with an unreadable expression.

“…This is the most enjoyable conversation, my lord. It has been so long since I’ve met another noble who appreciates reading.”

“The same for me. It’s difficult to find someone to discuss literature with. I hope we can continue such conversations in the future.”

“It would be my honor!”

Agron smiled in satisfaction but quickly noticed Elena’s subtle signal and returned to the main topic.

“Anyway, I wanted to inform you that last night, I punished the merchant lord Yamong and interrogated Felipe before bringing him here. He has confessed to his crimes and provided evidence. Since you are the ruler of this land, I hope you will see to his legal punishment.”

“I understand, my lord. I swear upon my family’s honor that I will uncover all his vile deeds and ensure he faces the harshest punishment. To think he dared to plot against a noble…!”

Now feeling a sense of kinship with Agron, Caron clenched his fists in anger at Felipe’s actions.

“Then, I shall take my leave.”

“Yes, my lord. Though this is our first meeting, I hope we will meet again.”

“I feel the same. Ah, before I go, allow me to give you one piece of advice.”

“Advice…?”

Caron looked puzzled as Agron fixed him with a serious gaze.

“Beware the serpent that devours its own tail.”

***

“How did it go, Elena?”

“He truly doesn’t seem to know. Even with my ‘Enchantment,’ he didn’t let anything slip.”

“I also revealed my Ouroboros bracelet subtly, but his gaze never wavered.”

Elena’s ‘Enchantment’ could subtly manipulate emotions, making the target feel euphoric and more likely to talk carelessly. The spell she used on Caron merely put him in a slightly dazed and talkative state.

“Have you secured all of Felipe and Yamong’s assets?”

“I had Jacob retrieve everything.”

“There must be a reason why other branches attacked Yamong’s caravan.”

“Master, why does Ananta pit its own branches against each other?”

“To encourage competition, most likely. Those who summon demons first receive rewards, while those who fail are punished. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Of course, this was merely their hypothesis.

Yet, it didn’t seem like a rational system to pit branches against each other so recklessly.

“What will you do now? Will you return to your domain?”

“I originally planned to travel longer, but given what we’ve learned, I must return and investigate.”

The words of the dying cultist during the ritual lingered in Agron’s mind.

The ‘Six Fingers’ of Veilain.

In hindsight, it was obvious.

Had they not encountered cultists summoning Jacob in the cave during the ‘Herbal Tiger’ incident?

Naturally, the cult must have roots in his own land as well.

He had assumed they were merely scattered fools acting independently, but it was now clear that the organization was spread across the entire kingdom.

“The Six Fingers…”

“A harbinger of disaster.”

“What do you mean?”

Elena tilted her head before explaining.

“It must not be a saying among your people, Master. In most villages, a child born with six fingers is considered cursed—a demon’s trick. They are often killed at birth.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s not just six-fingered children. Those born with one eye missing, an extra limb, or with tails and horns were also executed.”

The [Winter Wardens] had no such customs.

They accepted all.

Even ‘White Bison,’ Agron’s close companion, had hands twice the size of a normal man and teeth sharper than a beast’s.

“I see. In my domain, rather than killing them, I will have them abandoned.”

“What? Abandoned?”

“I will establish an orphanage. Instead of killing them, they will be left there.”

Agron acknowledged that the rules of the frozen wilderness and the city were different.

However, he had no intention of blindly enforcing the laws of the wilderness in the city, nor would he blindly adhere to urban traditions.

He would determine right and wrong himself and create a new set of rules that were better.

That was Agron’s way.

***

A dark building, flickering with only a single candle.

One by one, shadows gathered toward it.

The high moon caressed the window frames, yet its light could not seep into the building’s depths.

“The Kachiola branch has fallen.”

“Hah, their greed led to their downfall. Which branch dealt with them?”

“I-I-I heard it was a-a-a demon.”

“Our Lord Demon would never do such a thing!”

“Shut up, you lunatic. Is the demon yours?”

“Silence! Our Lord Demon is supreme!”

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The sound of a heavy object striking the floor silenced the room.

A smooth, delicate voice spoke.

“Now, now, let’s not speak too freely. The Administrator would not be pleased.”

The voice was gentle yet carried undeniable authority. The room fell silent.

“Agon.”

“Yes.”

“Tell me more about Kachiola.”

“Ah… Yamong is dead, and Felipe was captured and put on trial by Viscount Caron. Also, the cultists performing the dungeon ritual were found brutally slaughtered.”

“Who reported this?”

“A surviving city councilor. He has fled to another domain.”

The one who had asked the questions tapped the floor with their heavy staff.

A habit when deep in thought.

“But how was Felipe captured?”

“I’m not sure. There are rumors he turned himself in.”

“That pig of a man, restraining his lust and surrendering? Impossible.”

They fell silent, lost in thought.

“Though we have gained little, we are not the summoning division.”

“Y-Yes.”

“The last summoning division was wiped out by the very being they summoned.”

“Yes, a Vampir, as I recall.”

“We have much work to do.”

Thud.

Exhaling slowly, the figure swept their gaze over the dark assembly.

“The Administrator has issued a directive.”

“…Then?”

“The ‘Six Fingers’ will act as Ananta’s blade, tracking down the fugitive Vampir and uncovering the truth behind Kachiola.”

“Hehehe, may we kill them all?”

“Yes, kill them all.”

Their voices merged into one.

“All for the shadow of the world, for Ananta.”