#73 Dauphin the Phantom Thief (17) – Top Secret. For Internal Use Only

The power-brokers of Levreuk are but refuse.

And those assembled within this grand estate currently? They are the dregs, the absolute bottom of that barrel.

It wasn’t that Dauphin merely preferred to savor the best morsels last. No, those whose transgressions were mild or held promise of redemption, had already submitted to “voluntary taxation” – that is, they’d heeded Dauphin’s “recommendations.”

In a noble society where honor and reputation are akin to capital, succumbing to the threats of a mere ‘thief’ and kowtowing to a ‘commoner’ with apologies and restitution is a societal calamity.

Yet, as humiliating as such penance may be, it pales in comparison to being beaten like a dog on Dog Days by that rogue, then trussed like a silkworm and displayed in the town square.

To bend alone would brand one a fool or a traitor, cowed by blackmail. But if others were to join in this collective act of contrition, then what reason remained for hesitation?

Put another way, the fact that only ten targets remained at this juncture meant either they were consumed by a useless pride, their stubbornness having burrowed deep into the marrow, or they were wretches whose sins were too great, their misdeeds too vile, to be atoned for by mere apologies.

And these very refuse, at this moment, were revealing the full extent of their depraved natures without restraint.

“To think we’re suffering like this because of a single thief.”

“If the guard had only performed their duties properly, we wouldn’t be in this predicament. But then, what can one expect from an organization harboring an informant?”

“The thought of that woman brazenly standing by my side still sends shivers down my spine.”

“Indeed. We must ensure such an incident never repeats itself by holding a most severe execution.”

Most among them had, until recently, extended their hands to Dahlia, vying for her protection, and had even received her aid. Yet none dared mention such trivial matters.

For a lowly guard to protect their noble selves was simply “their duty.”

The fact that they hadn’t immediately executed Dahlia for failing to flawlessly execute even that ‘duty,’ for allowing Dauphin to slip through their fingers time and again, was an act of magnanimity and grace beyond measure.

And to think it was all a deceit!

How could such a reprehensible thing occur!

They genuinely believed this, eagerly condemning Dahlia, and rejoiced in the fact that others shared their conviction.

‘That vile wench. I offered to take her as my concubine, and yet, that commoner dared to hold her head so high! All the while, she was plotting such schemes behind my back?’

‘She refused my recruitment offer, claiming she wanted to devote herself to her duties as a guard. To think she was concealing such a nature. Of course, she’d be afraid of the truth coming out, with skills so obviously forged!’

Absolutely, positively, no personal grudges were involved. Certainly not.

Furthermore, they had already secured the information, subtly provided by the Knights, which allowed them to “freely slander Dahlia.”

“Besides, that woman’s father is…”

“Damnable! The more I think of it, the angrier I become!”

Just as one man was about to steer the conversation into a more sinister vein, a thunderous roar echoed through the banquet hall prepared for the esteemed guests.

The dignitaries startled, their faces quickly contorting into expressions of displeasure.

Who would dare commit such a rude and insolent act in this place, where the power-brokers of Levreuk had gathered?

The nobles turned their gazes, ready to unleash a scathing rebuke, but upon identifying the source of the commotion, they cleared their throats and averted their eyes.

Among those gathered, not one lacked influence, yet the man now bellowing at the top of his lungs possessed a status especially distinct.

The Levruk tax official. One of Count Sarnos’ offspring.

The former was, truth be told, not particularly important, but the latter… well, that mattered a great deal.

‘Never mind his looks, his voice is a perfect echo of his father’s. My heart pounds with every shout.’

‘I heard he’s been stress-eating from all the trouble Dophin’s causing, and gained a mountain of weight… good grief. Another year and Dophin will have turned him into a perfect sphere.’

Whether aware of the gazes directed at him or not, the tax official continued his tirade without pause.

“I trusted that guard so implicitly! I was even touched, watching him protect me from that villainous Dophin’s claws! How could he trample on my heart like this? How could he?!”

*Crash!*

As if unable to contain his rage, the tax official flung the goblet in his hand to the floor with reckless abandon.

Had anyone from the Redbell Marquis family been present, they might have glimpsed the shadow of a certain ill-tempered Miss C in the tax official’s outburst, but alas, no one at this Sarnos stronghold possessed such discerning eyes.

They could only shake their heads at what was, in essence, the very picture of a wastrel.

Seemingly unable to relieve his frustration, the tax official trembled his thick belly and plump cheeks before fixing a gleaming gaze on the assembled company.

“Hey, you there.”

As those around him instinctively avoided eye contact, the knight he singled out felt his face begin to crumble.

“…Yes, sir? What is it?”

“I’m having trouble understanding something, so let me ask you. I saw that guard move a few times, yes? And he cleaved a building in half with just a spear! If all his heroics were staged, then that building-splitting business… was that a trick too?”

“Of course, sir. It must have been. Buildings, you see, can be prepared with weakened points, allowing them to be destroyed with only slight force.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

“Absolutely, sir. How else could a mere guard display such prodigious strength?”

“Then I’ll need to go back and thrash some servants.”

“Pardon?”

At the tax official’s pronouncement, question marks bloomed in the minds of not just the knight, but everyone within earshot.

They simply couldn’t make sense of the current line of conversation.

The tax official, however, spoke with an air of perfect logic.

“The building damaged was mine, after all. That means someone on the inside must have been plotting something before that bandit even attacked, no? Whether they were complicit or simply negligent in their duties, either way, someone needs to be punished. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Y-yes, sir. As you say.”

“Hmm, but those servants were sent from the main estate, so messing with them too much could get messy…. Hey, you, are you sure about what you just said? That guard’s strength was all a fake? If I find out later that ‘that wasn’t actually the case,’ things will get unpleasant, understand? Hmm?”

“That is…”

The knight hesitated to answer.

If by ‘servants’ they mean lowly scullions, then there’s no real problem.

But if they’re including personal butlers or head maids, vassals even, things get complicated.

If they brought them from the Count’s main estate, of all places, then it’s likely they’re from families with some name recognition.

The Revenue Officer’s eyes narrowed.

“Why can’t you just speak plainly? Hey, damn it. You’re not just spouting nonsense as you see fit, are you? Do I look like a fool to you?”

“Ah, no, sir!”

“Something’s fishy.”

The Revenue Officer tilted his head this way and that, before pointing to another knight and asking his question.

“Hey, you, over there. You answer. That damned thief clearly used outlandish cards to cause explosions, and lightning, and all sorts of strange tricks, but that guard just took it head-on? That’s all trickery too, then?”

“Of course, sir.”

“How was it done?”

“Surely, that’s something to discover through interrogation, wouldn’t you say?”

“Really? Then share the results with me.”

“Pardon?”

“Come on, now, if some mere guard can show off such resilience with a ‘trick,’ then that’s a technique in itself, isn’t it? Naturally, we should figure out that technique and make use of it.”

“Hmm.”

“Haa, how can someone be so slow on the uptake? All you can do is swing a sword, that’s it. Nothing in your heads. Tsk, tsk.”

“…….”

“Oh? What’s with that look? Got a problem?”

“No, sir!”

“I’ll let it slide this once.”

The Revenue Officer turned away as if bestowing a great favor, and continued to grab each passing knight, asking them all about Dahlia’s ‘trickery.’

And the knights, with distinctly sour expressions, had no choice but to answer his questions one by one.

Dahlia’s abilities are all a sham.

Dahlia has no such power.

There’s no way a mere guard could do something even they couldn’t.

It wasn’t until he’d done this to almost every knight in the banquet hall that the Revenue Officer finally wore a satisfied look, while the other dignitaries stared at him, dumbfounded.

After that little commotion, the Revenue Officer finally noticed the strange looks directed his way, and furrowed his brow, “Huh?”

The dignitaries flinched, ever so slightly.

Considering their standing and position, it was unlikely that the Revenue Officer would unleash his venom on them as well, but then again, considering his formal title was merely Revenue Officer, treating Sarnoth’s knights, the pride of the Count’s family, in such a manner was already unthinkable.

But, thankfully, the honored guests’ worries proved unfounded.

For the taxman suddenly revealed a sly grin on his face.

“Ah, forgive me. There are so many others, and I’ve burdened you all too much, haven’t I? With so much building up, so much I couldn’t understand, I lost myself.”

“Haha, such things happen, surely. We understand.”

“As recompense, though inadequate, today—no, I’m feeling generous! For the next three days, all expenses for your food and drink here will be on me! Bring out all the rarest vintages of Lebreuk and let us revel!”

“Ooh…!!”

Nobles, it seems, are not immune to free things.

All the more so, considering the excesses they’d been denied lately, thanks to the rampaging Dauphin. To enjoy such extravagance, under the Ironclad protection of the knights, free of worry, would be a joy beyond words.

Of course, the knights’ and servants’ burdens would increase accordingly, but what did they care? If they had a problem with it, they should have caught the Dauphin and prevented this situation in the first place.

The banquet grew ever more lively, and those who, one would think, were targets of some unseen enemy ate and drank with abandon until, one by one, they fell insensible and were carried off to their rooms.

Before their doors.

The knights, to a man, were vexed.

“Is this not too much? To treat us so carelessly!”

“Especially that pig of a man. He clung and groped right until the end, driving me mad with annoyance.”

“It is the Vice-Captain’s command, so bear it a little longer. Though these people individually are nothing, if they were to rise up together, it would become a headache. Revenge can wait.”

Ordinarily, esteemed guests wouldn’t dare act so freely toward the knights, who were, after all, a core part of the ruling elite. But this banquet was different.

As if the taxman’s actions had set some kind of precedent, those fueled by drink began to hurl insults and seek arguments, one by one.

The knights, no less proud than the nobles, wished they could simply crush these wretches who were barely worth a handful, but alas, the circumstances were unfavorable.

“Room 104. All clear.”

“Room 107 likewise. Sleeping like the dead, save for the disgustingly loud snoring.”

“Of course, after drinking so much. Be careful not to wake them. If they start picking fights again, we’re the only ones who will suffer.”

“Understood.”

Normally, when many people are gathered in one building, there will invariably be some who stay awake and engage in other pursuits. But none of the esteemed guests wandered about in the night.

The knights found nothing strange about this. After drinking so much, it was only natural that they would be out cold.

“Kyaaak!”

“What?! What is it?!”

Thus, it was not until the next morning that they realized something was amiss.

A maid, having entered a room to attend to her master, let out a scream upon finding a meticulously crafted doll, an imitation of a person, lying in the bed.

“I-Impossible!”

One of the knights, as if to deny reality, touched the body of one of the honored guests, an action he would have been better off not taking.

With a sound like something bursting, the VIP’s body transformed into a thin, oddly-textured membrane that fluttered in the air.

The membrane maintained a vaguely human shape. Inside what Dopheng would have called a specially-made balloon, lay a meticulously illustrated card. From it, a cacophony of snores, teeth grinding, sleep-talking – all the nocturnal noises the Order had endured – played out in repeating patterns.

The faces of the knights paled as one.

“Gone. All of them gone? Not a single one of the protectees remains, and nobody noticed? And you didn’t even inform me? What kind of idiotic nonsense is this?!”

“We, we are terribly sorry. We are currently tracing the underground tunnels we believe he used…”

“W-wait! Captain! Vice-Captain! Now, now in the streets!”

*

The citizens of Levruk stared, blank-faced, at the ten cocoon-like shapes displayed throughout the city and the bizarre cards dangling from their necks, emitting sound.

《Yes, the 8th Squad Leader’s abilities are all fabricated. Superhuman strength to demolish buildings?》

《Utter deception. I swear on the name of the Sarnos Knights.》

《Even our knights are incapable of such a feat. How could a mere guard achieve something beyond a knight’s abilities? It defies logic!》

Click.

《Familiar with the 8th Squad, you ask? Ha, hardly. They are nothing more than commoners, after all. It is only natural for peasants to serve us.》

《That wench? Don’t even get me started. I urged her repeatedly to stick close by, but she kept insisting she needed to patrol other sectors. As if she shouldn’t prioritize our safety over those lowlifes! Utter imbecile.》

《Just you wait. The riffraff are feeling mighty emboldened now, but the moment we apprehend Dopheng, I intend to crush them all! Resistance? Ha! We’ll just seize a few of the ringleaders as an example, and the rest will have no choice but to submit. That’s the nature of these peasants – no pride, no shame!》

Click.

《Hey, tell me. No, Sir Knight. Be honest with me. I’m simply too curious to bear it.》

《I really shouldn’t.》

《Just a little hint, just for me. Surely, I deserve to know at least that much? Or shall I inform my father of this whole affair?》

《A sigh… Absolutely, under no circumstances, are you to breathe a word of this to anyone.》

《I understand, just hurry!》

《(Static) Your suspicions are correct.》

《Oho! I see. So, that guard’s power was real, after all? And the story about him colluding with Dopheng was a fabrication? I knew my eyes wouldn’t deceive me! Haha, to think the Order’s scheme would dupe even me – truly remarkable!》

《I must stress again, you absolutely must not divulge this to anyone. Even for (Static)-nim, the Captain would not stand idly by.》

《Understood, my lips are sealed.》

Click.

The card, having unspooled its tale, returned to the beginning, repeating the same information.

Despite having already heard it, the people did not tire.

They absorbed the content, again and again, etching it into their very souls.

Citizens, seeing them stopped in the street, approached, curious what the commotion was, and soon reacted just as the others had.

And then, finally, someone among them spoke.

“─Look at these b*stards, will ya?”