What Remains at the End of Regret - Chapter 24

White seagulls circled freely beneath the blue sky, gliding through the soft breeze as they swept over the sea with their wings wide open.

In just a few days, Faubert had stepped fully into summer. The region, located farther south than the capital city of Litten, experienced hotter and more humid afternoons. The trade ships that passed through Faubert were not large, but they were enough to make the small town feel alive with activity.

People’s clothing had grown noticeably lighter in the heat. The town’s scenery had not changed much since the early days of summer, but the streets now carried a strange, buzzing energy under the weight of the sun.

A black car made its way through the crowded town and headed straight for the harbor.

Felix Anait, heir to the Marquessate of Anait and cousin to Edmund, was scheduled to arrive today. He was coming to Faubert aboard a sailing vessel owned by the Lockberg family, docking there before continuing on to Argent.

The timing worked out well. The Lockberg ship had recently returned from supplying weapons to the naval front at the Black Sea. Its arrival matched perfectly with Felix’s planned return.

Although there had been a few days’ gap, Felix had chosen to delay his return slightly so he could come straight to Faubert. He could have taken time to rest in the capital first, but Edmund could already guess his real reason.

Most likely, Felix wanted to avoid their uncle’s constant pressure to finish his naval career and return to family matters.

Edmund gave a quiet smile and turned his gaze to the window.

As they neared the dock, the sounds around them grew louder.

Laughter and shouts from sailors echoed across the harbor as they disembarked from the tightly packed ships along the Tannic Sea. Many were excited to be back on land, even if only briefly. Their voices filled the air and gave the harbor a festive atmosphere.

Just as the noise began to feel overwhelming, the car stopped in front of the pier where a large vessel bearing the Lockberg crest had docked.

The ship was far larger than anything usually seen in Faubert. People on the street paused and turned their heads, watching the scene with wide eyes and whispered conversations.

During his time here, Edmund had grown more familiar with Faubert’s easy rhythm. The warm and welcoming people reminded him, in some ways, of Vivian Mabel.

Though the land was small and rural, it had survived a difficult and changing time. That success likely came from the viscount’s ability to adapt and lead well.

As Edmund stepped out of the car, the heavy, humid air sank into his chest.

The one thing he had never gotten used to was the burning heat of Faubert’s midday sun.

Pushing through the crowd, he searched for his cousin.

“Edmund!”

Felix had already come ashore and was approaching with long, confident strides. His cheerful smile lit up his face as he moved through the people with ease.

In one hand, he carried his navy uniform jacket and beret, clearly taken off to escape the stifling heat. His skin was even darker than it had been during last year’s military parade, likely tanned from the strong Black Sea sun.

“It is truly an honor to be welcomed by the Duke himself,” Felix said with a grin.

Barnor, who had come along with Edmund, stepped forward to take Felix’s luggage.

Just as they were about to head for the estate, Edmund gently placed a hand on his cousin’s shoulder and turned toward the harbor again.

“Wait a moment,” Edmund said to Barnor.

Felix looked puzzled but kept his question to himself. He followed behind Edmund, who walked ahead without saying anything more.

Was this supposed to be a walk?

That seemed unlikely. The Edmund he knew was not someone who would casually stroll under the scorching sun without a reason.

As they walked along the pier, Felix began to fill the silence with conversation.

“You know, Edmund, ever since you left the Navy, the pirates have started causing trouble again.”

“Isn’t handling that sort of thing your job?”

“They’ve become worse than when they only focused on looting. People have been disappearing near Atlantia, and we found some of the missing inside the cargo hold of a pirate ship we seized last week.”

Edmund’s eyebrow lifted slightly.

If people were being taken, then there was only one conclusion to draw. He already had a clear idea of what the pirates were involved in.

Felix nodded and spoke in a low voice.

“Most likely human trafficking. I doubt they’ll be bold enough to cross into Argent, but it’s already happening often near the waters between Leman and Atlantia.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

Edmund replied with a flat tone, sounding uninterested despite seeming to listen at first.

Felix clicked his tongue and gave a small shrug, letting out a short laugh as he spoke in a light but teasing voice.

“So that’s it? Now that it’s not your job anymore, you don’t care?”

“Maybe.”

“Of course. Why would the busy Duke of Lockberg spare time to worry about problems in Atlantia?”

His words were half a complaint, half a joke, but Edmund paid little attention and kept walking.

By then, they had nearly reached the far end of the harbor.

Felix glanced behind them to see how far they had come. It was quite a distance from where they started. The large Lockberg ship was now only faintly visible in the distance.

“How far are we going?”

Felix wiped the sweat from his forehead. His brow had begun to furrow in frustration.

Edmund said nothing and kept walking until he finally came to a stop.

His sharp gaze scanned the docked ships ahead.

Following his line of sight, Felix turned his head. His expression instantly tensed.

With his trained naval eye, he quickly sensed something was off.

“Are those guns?”

Felix stepped forward to take a closer look, but Edmund reached out and stopped him with a hand on his arm.

The men unloading cargo did not look like locals.

Their large builds and distinct Atlantian features stood out from the usual population of Argent. At a glance, they looked like merchants here for trade, but something about them felt wrong.

They moved carefully and quickly, trying to cover the weapons with cloth.

It was suspicious.

A few days earlier, Edmund had received a report through Barnor detailing recent activity in the weapons supply line.

The Lockberg family had expanded their influence over generations, building up businesses in land, mining, and transport.

But the core of their power came from the military industry.

Lockberg Industries had exclusive rights to supply weapons to the empire.

That foundation had been laid by Albert Lockberg, Edmund’s father, who had forged close ties with the imperial family.

Now it was Edmund’s duty to protect and manage the family legacy.

And so far, it had not been a difficult task.

But the urgent message from the main office in the capital had revealed something troubling.

Weapons bearing the Lockberg name were being smuggled through unauthorized channels.

And one name listed in the internal report caught his attention.

Faubert.

It was not a large port city, which made it the perfect place for illegal activity to go unnoticed.

A quiet, rural town that no one would think to watch.

It would not take long to find out who had dared to move Lockberg weapons through Faubert. The company had more than enough capable people to uncover the truth.

“Let’s go back.”

Edmund broke the silence and turned away.

Felix followed without another word. The heavy air between them spoke volumes.

The heat on the ground created faint ripples in the air.

Felix could not hide his confusion. He glanced sideways at Edmund and asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

“You’re just going to walk away when unregistered weapons are being moved right in front of us?”

Felix stayed quiet and watched carefully, waiting for Edmund’s answer.

Even he could already guess what was going on, so there was no way Edmund didn’t understand it too.

Edmund had been a remarkable soldier. He was still seen as a hero of the Black Sea.

“We still have time. Waiting a little longer won’t hurt.”

Edmund had always made the right decisions. That was why Felix tried not to worry.

But even so, he could not understand why Edmund chose to remain silent and stay out of it.

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