I Possessed the Heroine’s Teacher

“Cough cough!”

Count Holstead coughed up blood, staining the white sheets with red. It was clear that his condition was far from normal. Whatever illness he had, it seemed like he was on the brink of death. His fingertips were black, and his eyes were hollow—treatment would likely be impossible.

“You’re probably thinking something like, ‘He must have some chronic illness… Looks like it’s hard to treat… Such a shame for a young person…’”

“How do you know that…?”

“I’m quite used to that kind of gaze. It’s better than the disgusted looks people give, wondering if it’s contagious.”

I couldn’t reply, having been hit with the truth. To think I had unwittingly shown pity—this wasn’t like me. I knew better than anyone how such looks could be deeply hurtful. Pity like that could leave a deep wound, especially from someone who understood how painful and disgusting it felt.

If I were just some clueless kid, maybe it would have been different, but I, a Confucian scholar, shouldn’t have acted this way.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. I bow in apology.”

“There’s no need for that, Lord Werner.”

Count Holstead vomited blood again, staining the sheets. Was this a ketchup factory?

“That kind of gaze is nothing to me… it’s just a trivial thing. What’s important isn’t that, but the matters concerning my territory.”

“… So, is it true that the Black Round Table has infiltrated this territory?”

“Yes, the source is reliable… and I’ve verified the information myself. The Black Round Table that you defeated at the ball has infiltrated this territory.”

That incident was concluded as mere treason by the nobles that were arrested… but given that I was close to the Crown Prince, perhaps I had access to such information? It seems like my trustworthiness with the Crown Prince isn’t something to be taken lightly.

“But what do you mean by ‘direct verification’? How did you confirm this?”

If he had encountered them directly, he wouldn’t have made it out unscathed. Besides, a person without legs wouldn’t have been able to escape on their own.

“Before I lost my legs, I was able to walk. And I had quite a few knights with me at the time. Does this suffice as proof?”

What is wrong with me today? Did I catch this from that damn kid, Hun? I kept inadvertently poking at his painful spots.

“Don’t worry too much about it. I was weak, so I rarely walked anyway.”

“Right, and there’s another issue, I’ve heard.”

“Yes… it may not be related to the Black Round Table, but recently, the miners’ guild has been acting strangely.”

“… The miners’ guild?”

“Yes. As you know, this territory is known for its minerals, such as iron ore. Many of the people here work in related industries, with most of them being miners. To protect their own interests, they formed a miners’ guild.”

A guild in this era? This could either turn into a political revolution or lead to some wild consequences. It might even be the start of a new revolution.

“Why would they form such a guild?”

“You’re asking why I allowed the formation of such a guild? Well, at first, I thought it would act as a shield to protect them. I thought it was a group formed by the powerless to protect themselves.”

“So, at first, you thought…?”

“Initially, they demanded better working conditions and reasonable wage increases… but that’s no longer the case.”

I could roughly guess what was going on.

“They started asking for the lower, middle, and upper classes to work in three shifts… They even demanded wages equal to the noble’s retainers… They’ve been putting forward absurd demands.”

“What kind of crazy…”

“While the three-shift system was unreasonable due to the labor shortage, it was possible to increase the workforce. It wasn’t possible to match the noble’s retainers’ wages, but we did raise theirs by 30%. Their working conditions were indeed poor, after all.”

Wow, at this point, he might be the best employer ever.

“If you’ve agreed to those conditions, then why is there a problem with their actions?”

“After accepting those demands, they started pushing for even more unreasonable terms. They demanded one house per miner and insisted on paying for their children’s education…”

“Did you actually agree to those conditions?”

“Partially, yes. But in the end, they made a demand I simply couldn’t agree to.”

“And what was that?”

“… They wanted me to marry my younger sister to the leader of the guild. The guild leader is 43, and my sister is only 16.”

‘Damn, really. When you spoil them, they turn into little shits. As expected, there was no wrong in the words of my ancestors. When you keep showing kindness, they get so full of themselves and start acting out.’

“I firmly rejected it. No, I was so angry that I beat the person who brought the proposal and sent them back… I still regret that part.”

I’m actually surprised that he didn’t execute them? If someone spoke such nonsense, wouldn’t they deserve to lose their head? No wise ruler would spare someone who talked like that; they’d tear them apart.

“Then everyone went on strike. They demanded an enormous amount of money for medical expenses, and they forced me to marry my younger sister to the union leader.”

“What kind of fucking assholes are they?”

“Well, I could give them the money. But as for my sister… I didn’t want her involved in this. But as the strike dragged on, problems started to arise in the territory.”

“Problems?”

“… Didn’t I mention that most of the people in the territory work in the mining industry? Not all of them are miners, though. When the supply of raw materials stopped, the territory’s economy fell into chaos.”

Count Halstead spoke while coughing up blood.

“I had no choice but to find other miners and continue the mining. But the miners’ union killed all those miners. The perpetrators are in prison… but they’re all young kids. The reason is obvious, isn’t it?”

It was clear that the ones who carried out the act were the leaders of the miners’ union, but the young miners were the ones who took the fall for it. I had a rough idea of the structure. I’d seen organizations like that where I came from.

“Then my sister said she would get married. I tried to stop her, but her will was strong, so I took her to the meeting.”

“So, that meeting…”

“At that meeting, I was able to finish the ‘verification.’ But how they appeared at the meeting with the miners’ union is still a mystery. What could they have gained from that? I wonder if they had any connection with the miners’ union.”

It certainly seemed so. There was no reason for the Black Round Table to interfere in a simple agreement between a border noble and a miners’ union. Their purpose was unclear, but at least it was certain they didn’t meddle in such small matters.

“Alright, I understand. I’ll look into it.”

“I’d appreciate that. And if there’s anything inconvenient, please tell the butler.”

“Well, there’s nothing particularly inconvenient.”

Except that there were quite a few rooms, but only two available for us.

“Ah… Please do not enter any rooms other than the guest room, my room, and the dining room. Some of them are rooms where important items are stored…”

“Yes, I understand.”

Did they hide something strange? I was curious, but this was Count Halstead’s house. I wasn’t the type of person to break the host’s rules in someone else’s house.

.

.

.

I decided to ask what I had been wanting to ask while following the butler back to my room. I had almost asked Count Halstead questions earlier, but I held back. After all, I had unintentionally touched a lot of his nerves today, and I was afraid of triggering him again.

“Umm… Where is Count Halstead’s younger sister?”

I had never seen the younger sister, who was said to have attended that meeting. Usually, when guests come, unless someone is particularly ill, it’s common for them to greet, but she hadn’t.

“Please don’t ask about that… in front of the master. The clothes he wore at the funeral haven’t even dried yet.”

“… I see.”

“She was such a bright person. But that bastard, the union leader… he…”

Ah, since the Black Round Table is a secret, it seems like the union leader is being blamed for the murder.

“Don’t worry too much. I’m here to solve everything.”

“Yes… I hope so.”

This seemed like something I had to take seriously. Killing those scumbags is my duty as the great Confucian scholar, Werner Alton.

Big powers come with big responsibilities.

With the Confucian divine power and my innate magical abilities, it was my duty to wipe out that trash. And most importantly, in my hands, I had the magic book, Enoch, which would prove that my sense of justice was right.

Father God, please help me kill those bastards.