Chapter 22. Misunderstanding Men’s Hearts
Before returning to the Regel family, Sirius first visited the Yuterus family.
He had to inform Palteon of the current situation.
“It’s really… unbelievable.”
After hearing Sirius’s story, Palteon clicked his tongue.
Turning the Kalstein Swordsmanship into his own subordinates entirely was beyond imagination.
“Sirius, are you by any chance from the Black Society?”
“What nonsense.”
“I asked because it seems like you completely understand the ecology and psychology of the Black Society.”
Palteon had only thought that when Sirius intervened, he would dissolve the Kalstein Swordsmanship.
Because if the Kalstein leadership was destroyed, they would lose their focal point and scatter.
However, Sirius didn’t stop there; he intercepted the Kalstein Swordsmanship and made it his subordinates.
This is not something anyone can do.
“Even if I had tried such a thing, everyone would not have listened to me and would have run away. Or they would have tried to kill me together.”
“The likelihood of that is high.”
“Are you truly not from the Black Society?”
“I have lived my whole life reading books in the northern border.”
“But how do you handle the Black Society members so well…?”
“I learned it from books.”
“….”
Should I believe this or not?
“Understood, Sirius.”
Palteon sighed and nodded his head.
“Having already set sail… the Yuterus family will continue to follow you, Sirius.”
If Sirius manages to defeat the Valkain Guild and the Oblea Mercenary Corps and completely dominate this region… the future of the Yuterus family will be secure.
“Then I will return to the Regel family now. I need to share the situation with Yustia.”
“Ah, I see.”
Palteon nodded and smiled.
“You should deliver the news of victory to your wife. She will be pleased to hear of her husband’s achievements.”
“It’s not quite like that…”
Sirius furrowed his eyebrows, displaying a displeased expression.
***
When Sirius arrived at the main house of the Regel family, the master, Lutvein, was out.
He had gone to deal with a group of thieves who appeared on the outskirts.
So Sirius met Yustia immediately and shared the current situation.
“….”
Unlike Palteon, Yustia did not seem particularly surprised even after hearing Sirius’s explanation.
She simply let out a long sigh.
“Sirius.”
“Why so?”
“You are truly an extraordinary person.”
Yustia gazed at Sirius with a serious expression.
“I thought of you as a weak scholar who only read books.”
“….”
“But you… You had a barbaric tendency to use force without hesitation to subdue your opponents.”
After confirming who Sirius was, Yustia proceeded with the confidential consultation.
However, the current appearance was completely different from what Yustia knew.
“You know how to control the Black Flame rebels. You’ve even seen through the nature of the nobles who stick to their principles.”
“….”
“Understanding the minds of both nobles and rebels and devising strategies.”
That was only natural.
Baek Murang was a figure who fought regardless of being on the side of the nobles or the rebels.
“Moreover, you have the power to defeat Nael and Kalstein.”
“….”
“How did you acquire such abilities?”
To Yustia’s question, Sirius answered succinctly.
“I learned from books.”
“….”
Yustia stared at Sirius for a moment with her mouth shut.
“Indeed, you have no intention of telling me the truth.”
“….”
“Truly, an unreliable person.”
Muttering like that, Yustia let out a sigh.
“So, what are you going to do?”
Sirius threw a question at Yustia.
“If you can’t trust me, are you going to drive me out of the Regel family?”
“Do you think the current Regel family has the power to drive you out?”
Looking at Sirius, Yustia said.
“Even if you had different intentions, the Regel family can’t do anything.”
“That’s true.”
“After all, the Regel family has no choice but to rely on you. So, they have no choice but to follow you.”
Yustia continued with a calm voice.
“I can’t trust you. But… there’s one thing I trust.”
“What is it?”
“The direction you’re pointing towards.”
“….”
“You, who have given hope to the dying Regel family.”
To Yustia, Sirius remained an enigmatic presence.
But one thing was certain.
The path Sirius was taking was the path to rebuild the Regel family.
That, she was sure of.
“If you seek power as the son-in-law of the Regel family…”
“….”
“As the daughter of the Regel family, I will walk the same path as you.”
The course was set.
Sirius needed the Regal family to achieve the goal he couldn’t in his past life.
Yustia needed Sirius’s power to rebuild the Regal family.
They were not a couple bound by love and trust.
However, they could join forces for their respective goals.
Though not of one mind, they could walk the same path.
“Yustia.”
“Yes, Sirius.”
“To determine our future course, I want to assess the situation surrounding the Regal family.”
“I will show you the map.”
Yustia promptly unfolded the map.
Her demeanor was resolute.
“As you can see on the map, the Regal family is located in the northeastern border of the continent.”
“It’s certainly at the edge.”
“Back in the day, the entire east was under the Regal family’s influence. Slowly, they were pushed back to here.”
As she pointed out the location of the Regal family on the map, Yustia’s expression turned bitter.
“Due to its position behind the northern mountains, the north is relatively secure. We just need to guard the key points.”
“The issue lies in the south.”
“Yes, the south is wide open.”
While there are mountains and forests in between, it’s almost as obstacle-free as the north.
“To the south of the Regal family, there were major powers like the Uterus family and the Kalstein Swordsmen. But these powers… you subdued them, Sirius.”
After marking the territories of the Uterus family and the Kalstein Swordsmen on the map, Yustia made an X mark.
“Besides the Uterus family, there are other large and small families in the vicinity. But we don’t need to worry about them.”
“Why is that?”
“We sent letters.”
“Letters?”
“We need to explain the conflict between the Regal family and the Uterus family. Sending letters in the name of the Regal family is the most effective way.”
While Sirius was out fighting their enemies… they were also engaged in diplomacy.
“We emphasized that we were merely victims who fought to protect ourselves. Everyone showed a friendly response.”
“That’s a relief.”
“For the time being, there shouldn’t be any families openly hostile to us. However…”
As she spoke, Yustia hesitated for a moment.
“Sirius, I have something to apologize for.”
“Apologize?”
“In the letter, I may have exaggerated a bit.”
Blushing, Yustia bowed her head.
“I… I described you… as someone who would never forgive those who dared to covet his wife.”
“…”
“If I didn’t do that, it wouldn’t have been convincing… I’m sorry.”
With those words, Yustia cautiously gauged Sirius’s reaction.
“Are you angry?”
“No, there’s no reason to be angry.”
Sirius scratched his head in response.
If others were talking nonsense, it wouldn’t matter, but if Yustia judged it that way and spoke, there would be no issue.
“If it’s more advantageous for us to do so, then we should.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“I’ll leave it to your judgment on that matter, so handle it as you see fit.”
Yustia knows better which logic works well among the nobles.
It’s better to leave this part to Yustia.
“It’s a far-fetched story, but I’m being sentimental.”
“Yes, it’s far-fetched; you’re being sentimental.”
In reality, neither Sirius nor Yustia have any affection for each other.
They only had a formal marriage, and even now, they are holding hands for the sake of their goals.
After confirming this fact, the two of them resumed their discussion.
“The organization leading the south of Kalstein Sword Sect is the Valkain Guild and the Oblera Mercenary Group. So far, due to Kalstein Sword Sect, they couldn’t expand in this direction, but once they find out Kalstein is dead, they will surely come rushing in.”
Yustia marked the headquarters of the Valkain Guild and the Oblera Mercenary Group on the map.
Unlike the Kalstein Sword Sect, they considered major cities as their headquarters.
“The Valkain Guild originated from a transport guild and has grown into a powerful force by intimidating merchants, controlling a significant portion of the northeast’s logistics flow. The Oblera Mercenary Group, as the name suggests, is a group of mercenaries who fight for money, but these days, they are more involved in extorting money from civilians under the guise of protection fees.”
Sirius felt a sense of déjà vu.
He had seen many blackguards in the Murim do similar things.
“In that case, there must be many people extorting money from both sides simultaneously.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“If we sweep them away and make this area our territory, the entire region could prosper even more.”
“….”
Should they establish something like the Tianlang Escort Bureau to lead the logistics in this area?
Suddenly, that thought crossed his mind.
But to establish an escort bureau, they would need someone good with money calculations.
So, who would be suitable?
“Sirius, if we drive out the Valkain Guild and Oblera Mercenary Group, we will become a prominent force in the northeast.”
“That’s true.”
“Once that happens, the ‘Alliance’ that rules over all the black societies will start paying attention to us. Other noble families will start to monitor us as well.”
Yustia spoke in a tense voice.
“Would it be okay to be in such a situation?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Sirius….”
“Eventually, we will move beyond the northeast, covering the entire east, and even the entire continent with our name.”
“….”
As Sirius pointed at the map again, facing Yustia who was at a loss for words, he said, “For now, let’s focus on the enemies we have to deal with immediately. Tell me more about the Valkain Guild and Oblera Mercenary Group.”
“Understood.”
After that, Sirius listened to Ustia’s detailed talk.
After discussing their future plans thoroughly, Sirius stood up from his seat.
“Alright. I’m going out for a bit.”
“Where are you going?”
“I heard the Duke is heading out to deal with a band of thieves.”
“Are you going with him?”
“Yeah, just to check out the atmosphere around here.”
“…”
His voice was light, as if he was going out for a stroll.
“Alright. Take care.”
“Sure… Oh, right.”
Sirius took out a pouch from his pocket and placed it on the table.
“What’s this?”
“It’s what I retrieved from Karlstein’s vault.”
“…!”
The pouch was filled with all sorts of jewels.
The amount of wealth Karlstein had accumulated over time was by no means small.
Most of it was intended to be used as operating funds for the Cheollang Guild, but… Sirius had brought some of it for the financially struggling Regel family.
“For household expenses.”
“…”
This should be sufficient as operational funds for Ustia.
Leaving Ustia, who was at a loss for words, behind, Sirius went outside.
***
“Miss Ustia, how about dinner… Huh?”
Maria, who had entered the room, widened her eyes.
From Noble mtl dot com
Ustia was in a state of confusion, surrounded by a heap of jewels.
“Did Sirius give you all these jewels?”
“Yes, just a moment ago…”
“My word…”
Maria couldn’t close her mouth.
“I never knew Sirius could be so romantic.”
“Pardon?”
Ustia was taken aback.
“Romantic?”
“After coming back after a long absence, giving such a large number of jewels as a gift.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. Giving jewels to a wife, it’s not the Middle Ages.”
“Oh, other ladies would be delighted to receive jewels from their husbands, wouldn’t they?”
“…”
Ustia remained silent for a moment.
Certainly, if her sisters had received such jewels as gifts, they would have been overjoyed and paraded around proudly.
“Sirius simply provided it as operating funds for the family. Not a single word about it being a gift to me…”
“Sirius-nim expresses themselves through actions, not words.”
“No, but…”
“Miss, you really don’t understand a man’s heart.”
…”
Yustia was momentarily puzzled by Maria’s outburst.
But soon, she raised her head.
“I will sell all of this. Don’t talk nonsense.”
“Miss! If you do that, Sirius-nim will be deeply hurt inside! Despite appearances, how much…”
“I said no.”
Blushing, Yustia rebutted, picking up the jewels again.
These are the type of misunderstandings I’m ok with.