The Lord’s Game and Starling’s Madness

Iordera pondered carefully:

“Could it be for more money?”

“After all, who would complain about having too much?”

Earlier, at Sir Olcott’s place, she had overheard people from the two great families expressing unease about the Lord’s arrangements.

Did this signify that the two great families had caught a scent of danger?

After all, anything she could conceive, they too could.

The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became.

“You see, while the two great families can ‘pay tribute,’ if one could completely absorb them, an immense amount of wealth would be gained.

Moreover, perhaps the Lord simply disliked the two great families and sought an opportunity to eradicate them…”

“No, my dear, you must understand one thing,” Hecate stated.

“The Lord is the Lord precisely because he performs the duties of a Lord, and refrains from those he shouldn’t.”

“…Huh?”

“Juneburg is an imperial city-state.

If he were to commit such an act, he would not escape responsibility.”

“But what if he prepares thoroughly enough…”

“I know what you’re trying to say.

Even if he could execute it flawlessly, shifting the blame to others and making a perfect escape, it would still be meaningless,” Hecate said with a faint smile.

“The Empire would send someone to seize the assets of the two great families.

The Lord would gain nothing.”

“So that’s how it is…”

“Therefore, eliminating the two great families would not only yield no benefits but would be utterly pointless.

On the contrary, without the two great families, and without those who reliably offer tribute, Juneburg would become unsustainable, its overall prosperity regressing by several years.”

Hecate paused, then added: “In short, eradicating the two great families offers no advantage whatsoever, and he would garner no support from anyone.”

Iordera was taken aback.

“Even the people of Juneburg wouldn’t support it?

Their reputation among the populace seems rather poor.”

“It’s merely ‘not good,’ but the two great families haven’t actually done anything egregious.

It’s quite normal for commoners to harbor little affection for nobles; it’s far from a situation requiring a dragon slayer,” Hecate explained.

“They flatter the Lord because he only does what a Lord should.

If the Lord were to move against the two great families, he would transform into an even more terrifying dragon in the hearts of the people.”

Iordera fell into contemplation.

Acting in the Lord’s name would not win popular support.

Framing them to eradicate them would also yield no benefit.

Upon reflection, the Lord had absolutely no motive to eliminate the two great families.

“Then could it be that the so-called ‘plan’ a few days from now is simply the final wrap-up?” Iordera mused.

“The Lord has orchestrated so many events; there must be a way to conclude them.

And using that plan as a pretext, the Lord also demanded a great deal of money from the two great families.”

At Sir Olcott’s residence, people from the two great families had mentioned this very point.

This made perfect sense.

The people from the two great families had likely long realized something was amiss with the masked figures in the city, suspecting they were orchestrated by the Lord himself.

They knew it was an open conspiracy, but their own precarious position left them no choice but to swallow their pride and pay whatever was demanded.

After all this elaborate maneuvering, the Lord had gained renown among the populace and amassed considerable wealth, all without any personal loss.

“Well, he’s certainly quite idealistic,” Hecate chuckled.

“He doesn’t earn money from the poor; he earns it from whoever is rich.”

Iordera gritted her teeth.

“He doesn’t want the poor’s money; he wants their lives.”

To ensure the masked figures created a “realistic” impression, they had shown no mercy during their robberies and killings on the streets.

“So, my dear,” Hecate, having finished her dinner without realizing it, handed her plate away.

“What do you intend to do?”

Iordera bit her lip.

“I don’t know.”

If her earlier conjectures were correct, then she should do nothing and let things take their natural course.

After all, Andrew and the others were still with the Lord, helping him complete his final gambit.

The final wrap-up plan was a spectacle for all to witness, essentially harmless, and it would be best to let it conclude smoothly.

But if that were the case, what about those who had fallen victim to the blades of the “masked figures”…

“I don’t know.

I need to verify this further,” Iordera said, rubbing her temples vigorously.

“I need to investigate again.”

If this were truly the situation, she could only watch the mission conclude, for only then could Andrew and his companions make a smooth exit.

“What then will you do, my dear?” Hecate’s melodic voice drifted.

“Will your redemption, your unwavering principles of right and wrong, your belief in karma, be defeated once more?”

“What can I do?!” Iordera suddenly grew agitated.

“Several of my good friends are still in that Lord’s grasp; I cannot endanger them!”

She picked up her plate, about to leave, when Hecate called out to her once more.

“Say, my dear.”

Iordera halted.

“In the story you told me, of the righteous Clarice Starling (TL Note: “史达琳” refers to Clarice Starling from ‘The Silence of the Lambs’) and the wicked Buffalo Bill, who do you think was crazier?”

Iordera turned back, perplexed.

Hecate slowly began: “Buffalo Bill repeatedly attacked his chosen victims, bloody and cruel, yet he never took excessive risks.

And Starling?

She examined every mutilated corpse, engaged with a dangerous cannibal, and ultimately, without backup, ventured alone into the criminal’s lair.

Every step she took was like a gamble, casting life and death aside.”

Iordera’s eyelid twitched.

“What are you trying to say?”

“Perhaps at that moment, Starling finally understood that if justice truly wished to conquer evil, it had to rely on a madness that disregarded life and death,” Hecate said, gazing softly at her.

“My dear, would you be willing to gamble?”

Iordera’s fingers trembled slightly.

Without another word, she turned and walked away with her plate.

It was rather late when she returned home today, but Nina was waiting at the door.

Seeing her, Nina excitedly waved.

“Young miss, you’re finally back!

Hurry, hurry! Dinner is still warm, we’ve all been waiting for you to eat.”

Iordera paused.

“You haven’t eaten either?”

“Not yet, we were waiting for you to join us.” Nina said, opening the door.

“You really don’t have to wait for me; sometimes I have things to do,” Iordera said, touching her nose.

“Besides, you never waited before.”

“That was then, and it was only for a day or two,” Nina pushed her into the house.

“Quick, to the table… Oh, young miss, your clothes are quite dusty.

Why don’t you change first?”

“Mm.”

When she emerged after changing, both maids were already seated.

Familiar homemade dishes adorned the table, offering no surprises, yet perfectly sufficient.

It had to be said that, despite their various shortcomings, Iordera found herself most at ease in the presence of these two young maids.

Noticing a book by Yuna’s hand, she casually teased: “So you’ve taken to reading now?

I thought all you did was sleep and gain weight.”

And all that weight seemed to settle primarily on her chest.

“Of course I read!

Reading has become my hobby,” Yuna said, picking up the book.

“From now on, I have a dream: to write books, just like these bards.”

“You? Write books?” Iordera scoffed.

“Your sarcastic, passive-aggressive tone would surely infuriate your readers to death!”

She glanced at the book, finding it quite familiar.

‘The Chronicles of Martin Sword-Picker: The Final Battle’