BXBX NOVEL Chapter 14 – Duel (2)
“I didn’t do anything special. I just noticed some employees’ salaries were flowing into unknown accounts, so I seized those accounts. It looked like someone was embezzling. Do you know anything about it?”
“Young master!!!”
If there was one thing I realized after examining the family’s affairs over the past few days.
It was that there were far too many rats within the Vermont family.
Maybe they thought they could get away with blatant embezzlement because the family was already on the decline.
But now that I’m here, I can’t let the Vermont family fall apart.
Whether it’s due to external forces.
Or internal corruption.
“Are you accusing me? I, Leon Verkus, who has served the Vermont family loyally for generations since my grandfather?”
[Leon Verkus’ affection has decreased by 1.]
I now understood why Leon’s affection level had been high.
The young master had been a pushover, staying locked up in the library and ignoring the affairs of the family, creating a perfect environment for embezzlement.
In other words, Leon saw Aslan as an easy target.
But now that Aslan was acting differently, Leon’s affection was naturally dropping.
“Why would I do such a thing? I am practically part of the Vermont family! If there was embezzlement, it must have been done by that uneducated commoner woman!”
“What!? How dare you accuse me? I always ranked first in the knights’ integrity evaluations. How could you say such nonsense…!”
“Shut up, you halfwit. Are you still yapping after losing your ability to use mana? You probably embezzled out of fear of not being able to make a living.”
“Hmm. That makes sense.”
“Ha…!”
Sylvia, at a loss for words, clutched her chest in frustration.
Her expression was a mix of anger and betrayal.
“Young master, please let me handle the investigation. I will find undeniable evidence to punish this woman and return the seized funds to their rightful places.”
“Are you confident?”
“Yes, of course.”
Leon knelt on one knee and bowed his head.
Sylvia’s expression turned to one of disbelief.
‘You’re really going to believe this idiot?’ her face seemed to say.
“Hmm. Your words make sense, but I’m not entirely convinced. I think we need a public opinion survey.”
“A public opinion survey?”
“Yes. Gather those who support your view. I need to hear from others as well before making a decision.”
“Yes, I will do that.”
Leon struggled to keep his expression neutral as he bowed again and left with a light step.
Only Charlotte and Sylvia, with looks of betrayal, remained.
“The sun is scorching. I should head inside.”
“You are truly…! I thought you had changed a bit!”
[Sylvia’s affection has decreased by 1.]
[Sylvia’s affection has decreased by 1.]
“You two should also get out of the sun and rest. It’s good to be enthusiastic, but if you collapse, it’s all for nothing.”
“You haven’t changed at all! You don’t listen to me because I’m a commoner! You believe that thug over me? Do you really think I’m the embezzler?”
[Sylvia’s affection has decreased by 1.]
[Sylvia’s affection has decreased by 1.]
Tears welled up in Sylvia’s eyes as she yelled at me.
Would she have gotten this angry if it were the usual Aslan? No.
She believed Aslan had changed, and now that trust had been betrayed, she was exploding.
But it’s not me who hasn’t changed—it’s Sylvia.
“You are so consistent. Dumb, foolish, and impatient. Can’t you learn by now?”
“What are you saying…!”
“I’m telling you to stop jumping to conclusions and wait patiently.”
“…?”
Sylvia’s expression turned dumbfounded, and her tears started to flow.
She always looked so clueless.
I handed handkerchiefs to both Charlotte and Sylvia before turning to leave.
If I stayed any longer, I’d get sunburned.
As I turned away, Sylvia’s eyes lost their anger.
She was always so easy to handle.
“Can I trust you, young master…?”
“Do as you please. Trust me or don’t. All I want are employees who benefit me and the family. I’m not asking for loyalty or faith.”
“…”
Now it was time to wait.
I’d cast the net, and soon the fish would come rushing in.
“Oh, I almost forgot. Since you were so disrespectful, I’m docking an additional 50% of your pay.”
“…”
[Sylvia’s affection has increased by 4.]
What a masochist…
It’s almost creepy now.
.
.
.
“Damn it, damn it! Did they really take everything?”
Payment suspended.
Payment suspended.
And another payment suspended.
Leon scrutinized each notice confirming his accounts were frozen, his expression souring.
How did they find out?
He had been embezzling skillfully, making it hard to detect.
He had targeted the salaries of employees who didn’t keep track of their pay.
Most employees didn’t know how much they were supposed to be paid.
In some cases, he had embezzled up to 50% without them noticing.
But now, not only was the embezzlement discovered, but the accounts he had siphoned the money into were all frozen.
How did that fool Aslan find out?
Aslan never meddled in paperwork!
“Someone must have tipped him off.”
It had to be that damn woman.
Sylvia must have forged documents to get Aslan to verify them.
“Kekek, but it didn’t go her way, did it?”
Aslan didn’t follow Sylvia’s plan.
Even if there was evidence of embezzlement, there was no proof it was him since he used an alias account.
Naturally, Aslan would suspect Sylvia or another employee.
Those street urchins who couldn’t shake off their pickpocket habits were obvious suspects.
“Aslan, that bastard is always so stupid, I like him so much!”
Even if caught stealing, Aslan wouldn’t suspect him.
A useless fool who believed himself to be smart.
He was the perfect master to serve.
Aslan would probably continue blaming the commoner employees until the family went bankrupt.
“But his indecisiveness is such a hassle…”
Leon’s laughter faded.
With all his accounts seized, he needed to unfreeze the funds quickly, but Aslan, the indecisive fool, couldn’t make a decision without public opinion.
There were plenty of accomplices.
He had a slew of employees who had been embezzling with him. He just needed to gather their signatures.
Leon started running around to collect signatures from various key employees in the family: butlers, knights, cooks, and more.
He managed to gather signatures from most of the major positions in the family.
This should suffice as public opinion, right?
Not even 24 hours had passed before Leon completed his task and, abandoning any pretense of dignity, rushed to the library.
“Young master! I have… completed…?”
Opening the library door, he was met with a crowd of people.
Leon was taken aback.
Why were there so many people in the usually deserted library?
“Oh, you’ve arrived, Leon.”
“Young master, what is all this?”
“I didn’t feel like going outside, so I handled the hiring interviews here.”
“Hiring interviews…?”
Were they hiring new staff?
Ah! They must be looking for someone to replace Sylvia once she was kicked out.
Leon, having reached a quick conclusion, smiled.
But why were there so many people here just to replace Sylvia?
“I have completed it, young master. These are the signatures of those who support my view.”
“Hmm. So this is your opinion.”
“Yes! Exactly!”
“There are more names than I expected. Two names weren’t even on my initial list. Thorough work.”
“Of course. Thank you…?”
A list? What was he talking about?
Leon began to sense something was off, his voice trembling.
Why did this feel so ominous?
“Then I’ll verify it again. These signatures all support your innocence and accuse Sylvia of embezzlement, correct?”
“Y-Yes. Is there a problem…?”
“No, there’s no problem. Everything is perfect.”
Aslan’s smile widened, a chilling grin.
Seeing that smile, Leon felt a shiver run down his spine.
“Leon, it must have been hard gathering all these signatures.”
“It wasn’t difficult.”
“No, it must have been hard. So, I’m giving you a vacation.”
“Thank you, young master! But how long is this vacation…?”
“You can take a lifetime off. It would be lonely to go alone, so take everyone who signed with you.”
“Wh-What? Excuse me?”
Leon’s eyes widened.
A lifetime vacation…?
That meant being fired.
What was going on?
Unable to comprehend the situation, Leon’s first reaction was bewilderment, followed by anger, clenching his fists.
His sharp gaze turned to Sylvia, lurking in the shadows.
“Young master! Are you being fooled by this woman again?”
“Let’s say I am. Pack your things and leave by tonight. I don’t want to smell your bad breath any longer.”
“I can’t accept this! I am a hereditary knight who has served this family my whole life! You haven’t even taken over the family’s leadership, how can you fire me?”
“Do you want to be kicked out, or will you leave on your own? I’ll give you the choice.”
“Ha! You think you can beat me and throw me out? Try it! If anyone here can beat me, I’ll leave willingly!”
Leon shouted, spitting with rage.
He didn’t know how Sylvia had managed to manipulate Aslan, but it didn’t matter.
With the head of the family vacant, he couldn’t be fired.
Well, unless he was beaten and thrown out.
As the only Sword Expert in the Vermont family’s knights, if he was beaten to a pulp, rumors would spread, and he wouldn’t be able to show his face here.
“Yes, you heard him, Sylvia?”
“Yes?”
“Go on, Silvia. Teach this thug a lesson.”
“…?”
“…!?”
Leon was dumbfounded.
In the shadows, Sylvia’s eyes widened, blinking rapidly.
What? She couldn’t even use mana right now, and he wanted her to defeat a Sword Expert?