Vol 3 Chapter 74: “Demands”

“Do you have any explanation to offer?”

Sukui stood within the lord’s manor.

“I do not,” Sukui replied, his voice devoid of emotion.

The lack of feeling in Sukui’s tone made Duke Mayenne grimace.

The events traced back to the day Sukui and Horo had reunited at the ruins of the great cathedral.

Following the battle that had taken place a few days prior, Sukui had returned Horo to their lodging. With an uncharacteristic firmness, Sukui had ordered Horo to wait and had gone to report the incident to the lord.

The conclusion, however, was that Sukui’s actions could not be deemed innocent.

The village had been attacked, putting Sukui and the others in immediate danger. Sukui had managed to repel Martir, the deputy priest who led the assault. This confrontation had escalated into a battle with Mistel, the high priest who claimed to be the mastermind behind the attacks.

On the surface, these events might have seemed like acts of self-defense.

However, Sukui had killed numerous innocent civilians during the fight with Martir. As for the encounter with Mistel, despite him being the true instigator, Sukui had taken the initiative to seek him out and attack.

In the process, the cathedral—a historic symbol of the city—was completely destroyed.

Most damning of all, the deaths of all witnesses left little evidence to verify whether Mistel was truly the mastermind behind the entire incident.

Sukui could have fled without killing innocent citizens. Executing judgment upon Mistel without authorization left no room for leniency; such matters should have been entrusted to the proper authorities.

If one were to argue otherwise, Sukui’s actions would still fail to hold up against these facts.

Moreover, the Church of Love’s religious authority held substantial influence over the city and its noble class. Now that the matter had escalated, rumors were bound to spread.

Such a development gave rise to calls for Sukui’s execution from both nobles and devout followers.

Despite all this, Duke Mayenne bore no ill will toward Sukui for reporting to him immediately.

Even setting aside Sukui’s abilities and accomplishments, the duke had always held a fondness for him. He owed much to Sukui’s leadership in training the knights and handling post-mission cleanup. Additionally, Sukui had earned the favor of his only daughter, Françoise. Maintaining a good relationship with Sukui was in the duke’s best interest.

However, the current situation left him with no choice.

“You should have fled immediately and sought my aid,” the duke said, frustration evident.

Even though he knew it was too late, Duke Mayenne could not stop himself from confronting Sukui.

“Do you think I don’t know how much care and affection you poured into those villagers, trying to fulfill the responsibilities I entrusted to you? Or that I don’t realize how much it pained you when the innkeeper’s family, who had shown you such kindness, was caught up in this tragedy?”

The lord understood.

If their roles had been reversed, he could not claim he would have acted differently.

And yet.

“You should have fled. You should have told me everything and left it all in my hands.”

“And if I had entrusted everything to you, what would have happened then?” Sukui replied.

Cold.

For the first time, Sukui’s voice was icy, utterly devoid of warmth.

“I could have saved you!” the duke shouted, his voice strained and desperate.

But even as the words left his mouth, he knew how powerless they were.

He was a lord who had done nothing but turn a blind eye to the criminal organization’s misdeeds for so long—while Sukui had been hailed as the hero who crushed them.

The lord, who himself practiced the Church of Love and had even interacted with High Priest Mistel, had been entirely unaware of Mistel’s involvement with the underworld or his acts of mass murder.

Even if Sukui had fled and presented evidence to seek aid, there was no guarantee Mistel could have been brought to justice. Even if a fight had ensued, the knightly order would likely have been decimated. Mistel would have escaped, continuing his killings elsewhere while Sukui’s vengeance remained unfulfilled.

Sukui knew this. He also knew that, from any perspective but that of the villagers he sought to protect, his actions were undeniably wrong.

From the villagers’ perspective alone, however, he had been right.

“I didn’t flee or hide anything because I have a request,” Sukui said, his voice calm and steady.

At these words, Duke Mayenne turned his gaze to Sukui’s face.

“Regarding the charges for this incident and the chaos that ensued,” Sukui continued, “I ask that they all be placed on me alone. As for Horo-san…”

“Please declare her unrelated to the matter,” he requested plainly.

The duke stared at Sukui.

“That’s how far you’d go, is it? For someone else’s sake?”

Sukui had made no plea for the concealment of facts or any measure of clemency.

The very act of coming to the duke and confessing everything—this was not an act of deception or denial, and the duke was not so foolish as to misinterpret it.

“It will take time to reach a judgment,” Duke Mayenne finally said.

Then, without looking at Sukui, he commanded his subordinates, “Take him to the cells.”

The cell was empty, save for Sukui himself.

“It’s surprisingly comfortable,” Sukui muttered as he sat alone in the underground prison beneath the lord’s manor.

After contemplating the practicality of having a dungeon in such a place, he turned his thoughts to what lay ahead.

Considering his recent busy schedule, having time to relax like this wasn’t entirely unwelcome. If it came to an execution, so be it. But Sukui, cursed or blessed, was not someone who could simply die.

Prolonged imprisonment would only waste time.

There were countless ways for him to escape if he chose.

If he were to escape, though, where would he go? Bainte, where the hero’s rebellion was said to have taken place, seemed unappealing for the time being. While the idea of meeting a hero again after so long had its appeal, he had no intention of getting involved in that particular conflict.

That left Ventii, the neighboring nation. It might not be a bad choice.

From what Sukui had heard, Ventii was a cold country, though its people were said to be cheerful and vibrant.

Its security, however, was reportedly poor.

Unlike Bainte, where the king’s authority was absolute, or Van, where the political system was well-established, Ventii’s vast territory was riddled with lawless zones beyond the government’s reach.

Perhaps bringing some form of salvation to such places wouldn’t be a bad idea. Sukui’s thoughts wandered to the days before he became a mercenary, when he lived in dangerous, lawless regions.

“Such clumsy work you’ve done,” a voice suddenly cut through the silence.

It was already deep into the night, yet a voice had reached the prison.

“I was wondering when you’d show up, now that everyone else is gone,” Sukui replied, his tone casual.

Although the prison held no other inmates, it had been under surveillance. That surveillance had now disappeared, and Sukui had anticipated this moment. More than anything, he couldn’t imagine her not coming to see him under such circumstances.

“Were you waiting for me?” she asked, her tone carrying no hint of joy.

Françoise, Duke Mayenne’s only daughter, stood before him.

Sukui, still lying on his back, gazed at the ceiling without even glancing her way.

“To be at a loss for words—it’s so unlike you.”

A loud metallic clang echoed near Sukui’s side, but he didn’t bother to move. He already knew what had happened without looking.

“Leave this place immediately. I will handle everything regarding your punishment,” Françoise said, as if it were a simple matter.

Her tone was casual, but her political prowess far exceeded that of her father. Unlike him, she had no qualms about resorting to underhanded methods.

She could suppress rumors, silence the Church of Love and the nobles if needed, or even ensure no word leaked out in the first place. Her mastery over such power was exceptional.

“You’ll need to stay out of public sight for a while, but that suits us just fine. Spend some time with me, and once this incident blows over, I’ll fabricate a proper excuse and even grant you a noble title.”

She added, without a hint of embarrassment, “And then, just marry me already.”

Though she spoke boldly, Sukui caught a faint trace of urgency in her words.

He could sense how desperately she wanted to save him. And he understood that

even for someone like her, it wasn’t an easy task.

“That won’t be necessary,” Sukui replied calmly.

As if expecting his response, Françoise frowned.

“I’ve already spoken to the lord about this matter, and we’ve reached an understanding. I’m satisfied with the outcome, and there’s no issue,” he continued.

“Besides, you know full well that even without this key, I could leave whenever I wanted.”

Sukui’s words dismissed Françoise’s goodwill with a bluntness that bordered on cold.

“And what do you intend to do?” she asked, her voice rising in frustration. “Do you plan to escape and live the rest of your life burdened with the stigma of a criminal?”

“That would be an amusing experience as well. I’m not particularly concerned with morality or titles,” Sukui replied nonchalantly.

His relaxed demeanor and inscrutable thoughts were precisely what Françoise had always loved about him.

Unpredictable, unyielding to her will—he had been the one to shatter her long-standing boredom.

“I won’t allow that!” she declared with sudden intensity.

And that was precisely why, for once, she felt she needed to force him to her will.

“You’re planning to leave this city, aren’t you? If you do, I’ll be left to rot in this dreary castle, bored out of my mind again!”

She would not let him escape.

The thrill she felt in the gambling den. The adrenaline of destroying an organization. The danger of a mass killing.

To Françoise, Sukui was the first person who posed a genuine threat to her—a real danger.

“And that’s exactly why you’re the only one for me,” she added.

“Speaking of which,” Sukui interrupted, as though he hadn’t heard her words, finally turning to look at her.

Françoise, regaining her composure, adjusted her expression, realizing she’d let her emotions slip too much.

“What is it?” she asked, trying to steady her tone.

“You owe me one favor, don’t you?” Sukui said.

For a moment, Françoise felt a flicker of excitement. She recalled the bet they had made when they first met at the gambling den.

She had delayed fulfilling Sukui’s request for some time.

“Yes,” she replied.

She assumed that Sukui would use this favor to escape his predicament. He didn’t need to; she would save him regardless. But perhaps this was his way of preserving his pride. What kind of request could possibly overturn this situation?

Yet, she quickly realized it wasn’t about winning his innocence.

A true winner’s request is one the defeated wouldn’t want to fulfill.

“My request, no—my plea is this,” Sukui began.

Françoise leaned in to listen.

It was the rightful request of a victor to a defeated party.

When she heard it, Françoise’s reaction was immediate.

“How can you possibly call that your wish?!” she shouted, her fury igniting.

“Yes,” Sukui replied, his calm expression unchanging. He smiled warmly at Françoise, but the gesture only served to irritate her further.

“I’ve ensured preparations have been made to allow for it. The rest is—”

“That’s not the issue here!” she cut him off.

Because this request, this premise—it was too much.

As she opened her mouth to retort, Sukui stopped her with his gaze.

“I’m sorry, Lady Françoise Mayenne. But this is all I have.”

Hearing this, Françoise let out an enraged cry and kicked the iron bars of the cell. Once wasn’t enough; she kicked them again and again, shouting with all her might.

“I’ll promise you this, so you must promise me too! I am Françoise Mayenne, the lawless free woman!”

Don’t make me keep a promise like this, she thought.

As Sukui gave a troubled nod, Françoise left the prison without another word.