Chapter 23: The Marquis wields his blade in retaliation ①
Translator: Soafp
“Giorg-sama…… No, Welcome back, Yakata-sama1.”
The one who bowed was Vance, the head butler in charge of the mansion in Legnos, the capital of the Zafing territory.
Following Vance’s words, the other servants bowed in sync. I reconfirmed the high quality of the servants of the Zafing family.
By the way, “Yakata” is a term of endearment for the Marquis of Zafing. Some of my retainers call me by my first name, Giorg, while others call me Yakata, so there is no clear distinction between the two.
“Thank you for welcoming us all. It’s good to see you all looking well.”
“What a waste of words, Master. It’s a shame to hear you say that, but I’d like to express my heartfelt congratulations on your safe succession to the Marquis of Zafing.”
“Thank you. Vance, I look forward to working with you.”
“Your kind words are wasted on me, master.”
Vance bowed again. Raising his head, Vance looked at the butlers and maids standing behind me, and slowly smiled.
“You have done a good job of protecting Yakata-sama from King’s Landing. You must be exhausted by now, so we will take care of him today and you can relax. Is that all right with you?”
“Umu. That’s good. Make yourselves at home.”
Vance’s suggestion was immediately accepted by me. I’m going to do some light work today and take my time.
The servants I had brought with me from the capital all bowed and began to carry my luggage in. However, since this is also my residence, it’s not that much.
I went straight to my office to make a final settlement of the documents. I prioritized the documents that needed to be settled, so I settled the most important ones first. It took me only about an hour to finish the paperwork, when Vance called out to me.
“Thank you for your hard work, Yakata-sama”
“Yeah, but it’s refreshing to be called Yakata by Vance.”
“Fufu, I was thinking of calling you Giorg-sama as before, but I thought it was my way of making up for it, so I decided to call you Yakata-sama.”
“It makes me proud to be called that.”
“You’re joking, Yakata-sama, since the loss of your predecessor, you’ve always been very stern.”
“Do you know why?”
“Of course. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve tried to get rid of him for his rude treatment towards you ……”
“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do to stop you guys.”
I returned Vance’s words with a wry smile. For the past five years, many of my men have been trying to kill Ghazel after seeing how they treated me. I had to stop them every step of the way, and it took a lot of effort.
Of course, I had to stop them all for my own revenge and to show them that I was ready.
“Four more days, right?”
“Yes. Some of them are going to have a fit of rage when they see those two.”
“I can’t blame them. We’ve had our loyalties trampled upon, you know. But I’m impressed that you’re obeying my orders so well.”
“Thank you very much. It is very rewarding to hear you say so, Yakata-sama.”
“Ah, yes. How are those two doing?”
Vance looked momentarily uncomfortable at my question. The expression was fleeting, and on a level that most would not notice.
“Nothing changed”
“I see, those stupid fools ……”
“Yes.”
Vance responded reverently to my words and bowed. Vance’s words of “Nothing changed” were an appeal for Ghazel and Armada to release them. They are acting as if they are in the upper echelon.
“Fumu….Well, they have four days to live. I guess I’ll let Leon deal with it.”
“The kid?”
“Have Leon inform them that I will talk to them, so they won’t lose hope.”
“That’s very considerate of you.”
“Everyone is kind to the condemned.”
“I see. …… Shall I call Leon right away, then?”
“Well, although they only have 4 days left, let’s give them a chance to talk to each other.”
“As you wish, master”
Vance bowed and left the office.
A few moments later, Vance returned with Leon. His expression was tense and pale.
“Leon. Thank you for coming.”
“…… Yes.”
I spoke to Leon in a friendly atmosphere, but his expression remained stiff.
“Hoo, you seem to have gained some wisdom.”
If Leon were to see my friendly smile, he would not be able to resist it.
Vance would have chastised Leon if he had let himself be distracted by my amicable mood. It was here that Leon finally learned how to survive.
“Leon, I heard that Ghazel and Armada are screaming in the cage. You go and quiet them down.”
“Yeah, …… are you sure?”
“Yes, it’s fine. Just listen to what they have to say.”
“Y-Yes”
“Depending on how they behave, I may consider treating them differently.”
Leon bowed his head at my words.
Seeing this, Leon seemed to have hope that he could save the lives of Ghazel and Armada.
Well, not really, but it’s not up to Leon to believe that, it’s up to Ghazel and Armada to believe that.
“Now, Leon, I’m done talking to you. Go and relieve those two of their worries.”
Leon bowed and walked out with a strangely light step.
“Are you sure?”
I laughed sarcastically at Vance’s question.
“I told you before. Everyone has a soft spot for the condemned one.”
Vance bowed silently.
- The next honorific title after the Gosho is Yakata. … The term “Yakata” refers to the residence of a nobleman, such as a court noble or a samurai.
Chapter 22: The Marquis’ mind is not distracted. – Soafp Translation
January 9, 2022 at 2:44 pm[…] Chapter 8: Beat the s**t out of all of them.Chapter 23: The Marquis wields his blade in retaliation ① […]