Translator: SFBaka
Editor: Thor’s Stone
The next day, I departed via carriage toward the castle in order to attend an audience with the king. Of course, since the king himself was the one who summoned me, Hermann has already made all the arrangements for today’s castle visit. Fortunately, it seems Hermann was also going to join me in attending an audience with His Majesty.
We stopped the carriage in front of the castle gate. Dalshim, who was in the coachman’s seat, brought out my official coat of arms and showed it to the guards. We were then allowed to proceed inside.
Our carriage advanced and passed by the castle guards who were lined up on both sides of the gate. Some of the soldiers on duty apparently were familiar with me, and they were all smiles the moment they found out I was the one on board.
Phew. What a relief. In the worst case, I was prepared for everything to be a trap designed to lure and dispose of me, but judging from the reaction of the soldiers, it probably wasn’t the case.
The carriage stopped right in front of the castle entrance. We found Hermann waiting for us as promised.
“Good morning, Hermann.”
“Good morning, Your Excellency.”
“Are we entering through here today? We aren’t going to use the rear entrance?”
“Absolutely not, Your Excellency! It is unthinkable for the Lord Protector to enter the castle through the rear entrance.”
I see. So it depends on the status of the person in question huh. Well, it’s not like they can afford to station that many men to constantly watch over both entrances, so I suppose this is only natural.
I proceeded to enter through the main door that was reverently opened by the castle chamberlains.
I’ve already gotten a quick look at it a few days ago, but this area really was quite flashy. There were large paintings and golden armor sets on prominent display and the overall design of the front hall looked pretty gaudy. Will the sword that would be made from the dragon fang I offered up be displayed here as well, I wonder.
We proceeded through the castle with the guidance of the chamberlains. It looks like we were going to be making use of the audience hall as well today.
The king still hasn’t arrived when we entered the audience hall, and knights who were probably this country’s royal guards were lined up in two neat rows. It looks like no other nobles were attending today’s audience.
I and Hermann knelt in front of the central seat on one knee as we waited for the king’s arrival. Before long, the king and the prime minister finally made their entrance. We quickly bowed our heads low.
“I permit you to raise your heads and address me directly. ……Well met, Baron Corinth. I am glad that you could come.”
“Yes. I will answer your summons without fail at any time, Your Majesty.”
“I heard that your crackdown on the bandits was successfully completed yesterday.”
“Yes. I believe that we have finally managed to wipe out the bandits and criminal elements plaguing the royal capital, Your Majesty.”
Well, I believe there were still quite a number of criminals lurking around the capital though. I wonder if it’s really okay to claim that we’ve cleaned them all up.
“How many bandits have you managed to capture, Lord Corinth?”
“About 803 people altogether, Your Majesty.”
“Excellent. Splendid work, Lord Corinth.”
“It is all thanks to Your Majesty’s foresight and grace in allowing Sir Bahr to work with me.”
This was the truth. Things wouldn’t have gone so smoothly without the full cooperation of the Royal Capital Defense Force and Sir Bahr.
“I certainly did hear that you and your soldiers also performed wonderfully. Excellent work, Hermann.”
“I am unworthy of such praise. But just as Lord Corinth said, this is mostly because of your benevolence and wisdom, Your Majesty. Right now, the royal capital is filled with songs of praise for you.”
“I see. This simply means that it was well worth troubling Lord Corinth with this matter. Lord Corinth, what kind of reward do you wish for?”
Should I just ask for money? Nah, I probably should decline humbly this time.
“I am Your Majesty’s loyal vassal. It is my pleasure to enact Your Majesty’s will. I need no reward whatsoever.”
“Lord Corinth, pay those things no mind. There is no need to hold back. Go ahead and tell me what you desire.”
“……I shall humbly state my request then. Would you please allow me to recruit citizens for my territory from this royal capital once it has been sufficiently developed?”
I wouldn’t mind recruiting citizens from other places, but it seems things would be less troublesome to recruit some from the capital since this place had a pretty large population in the first place.
“……You truly have no ounce of greed in your bones, Lord Corinth. Very well. I shall issue a proclamation under my name once your territory has been sufficiently developed.”
“My greatest thanks, Your Majesty.”
“I have heard that you will be bringing some orphans and craftsmen with you. ……If possible, I would be gladdened if you gave priority to recruiting from orphans and the poor.”
“Yes. I have been intending to do so from the beginning.”
“I see. However, giving out only such a reward will not do. This involves my dignity as the king as well. Though a paltry sum, I implore you to at least accept a cash reward of 5 million Guineas.”
“Yes! My greatest thanks for your generosity.”
I’ll be getting 5 million Guineas for capturing 800 or so men. That means the reward would be roughly 6,250 Guineas per head. You can say this amount was pretty reasonable since the average reward for capturing a bandit was 5,000 Guineas.
“In addition, I will continue to entrust you the title of Lord Protector.”
Hou. I brought the Lord Protector shield for today’s audience because I thought I would have to return it after this, but it looks like I can continue to keep it.
“Your Majesty! Are you saying you are going to officially appoint Baron Corinth as our kingdom’s Lord Protector!?”
The prime minister, Marquis Villis Burke, who has been eerily silent since the beginning of today’s audience, finally opened his mouth. It looks like the king was also surprised by his sudden outburst. Well, he was the prime minister after all. I guess he’s allowed some leeway to interject and question the king’s words.
“Prime Minister, wasn’t it you who pushed for Lord Corinth’s appointment as Lord Protector in the first place? I do believe Lord Corinth has more than proven himself capable of undertaking the responsibilities of a Lord Protector. Is there any problem with my thinking?”
Apparently, the king’s intent to officially appoint me as Lord Protector was a spontaneous thing.
“……That may very well be true, but there are only a total of three Lord Protector seats available. I am merely worried this may hinder future national affairs.”
“I see. Well then, Lord Corinth’s authority will only last until the appointment of another two Lord Protectors, and the range of said authority will continue to be limited to the subjugation of bandits and criminal elements within our borders. With this, there are no longer any problems, correct?”
“……Y-Yes, I believe so, Your Majesty.”
Heh. He sounds pretty reluctant. This guy really was lying through his teeth when he said he held me in high regard huh.
“Now then, Lord Corinth. Please continue your efforts for the wellbeing of this kingdom’s citizens.”
“Yes, I shall do my utmost, Your Majesty.”
The king was younger than me, but it looks like he was a pretty fine man in his own right. Working for the benefit of the people does not conflict with our own goals. There’s no problem, I suppose.
With this, it seems the royal audience was finally over. We really just discussed my reward huh.
The king and prime minister finally left the chamber, and I and Hermann stood up from our kneeling position.
“It looks like you didn’t get any reward yourself huh, Hermann.”
“The royal order was not given to me after all. It is only natural. And in any case, I and the defense force soldiers have already received plenty of benefits from you, Your Excellency. You shared part of the loot to us after all.”
Hermann said so with a satisfied smile on his face. I left the matter of dividing the loot among the defense force soldiers to Hermann, but it seems they divided it according to rank.
And of course, with that, Hermann’s share would definitely not be lacking. Anyway, judging from the attitude of the soldiers, it doesn’t seem like Hermann and the high-ranking officers pocketed a lion’s share of the loot for themselves, so I suppose it’s fine.
“The loot will be fully converted to cash in about two to three days. We will let you know immediately once it’s all settled.”
There’s already an estimate of the total profit, but I don’t dare to ask about the amount. Let’s just look forward to it.
I parted with Hermann at the castle and left via carriage.
Translator: SFBaka
Editor: Thor’s Stone
Once the carriage got out of the castle gates, I spotted Selena and Sharon waiting nearby. The carriage stopped in front of the two of them. It looks like they didn’t have to wait that long.
From now onward, I’m planning on taking a day off and wandering around the royal capital with the two of them. They asked to be my escorts for today’s outing.
I’ve, of course, informed everyone about the matter in advance. I declared that once the royal order to capture bandits was accomplished, I planned to sightsee around the royal capital without any escorts.
Although we were finally in the royal capital, I rarely went out of the inn except for when we’re conducting operations, and whenever I did get to go out, at least ten guards would follow after me.
It wasn’t all that bad to go around town with companions, but I felt kinda suffocated by having to always play the part of a noble.
Initially, I planned to head out alone, but everyone else objected and said it was too dangerous. They finally agreed to it on the condition that Selena and Sharon accompanied me as well.
If I take off this noble tunic, I’d look like your average well-off commoner. So today, I’ll be the well-off commoner Alan.
“Good work today, Alan. I’ve made a reservation at the restaurant with the highest reputation in the royal capital. Would you like to have your lunch there?”
It looks like Sharon already prepared for today in advance huh. The best food in the royal capital huh. Interesting.
“That sounds good. Alright then. Let’s eat there. My treat.”
The two cheered when they heard that I was treating them to lunch. I have to properly act like a respectable superior officer every now and then after all.
But suddenly, a commotion was raised on the streets. A scream echoed out from the distance as well.
“Watch out! It’s a runaway horse!”
Further cries resounded from the other side of the street. It’s true that a horse without a rider was running loose, but it didn’t seem to be on a rampage. It’s more like it was just intent on running at full speed as much as it can. Perhaps it’s possible to stop it in its tracks.
“Defensive formation!”
Dalshim shouted his order, and it prompted the rest of the Clan members with us to surround me from all sides. It was a fast reaction worthy of them being former royal guards. They surrounded me in a double-layer formation that didn’t expose any gaps.
No matter how you look at it, they were overreacting. The horse was just approaching our position, and it’s not like it was on a direct collision course with us. Furthermore, it looks like it was gradually slowing down.
They formed such a tight defensive formation as if we were getting attacked by a large pack of Gray Hounds.
As we watched on, the horse swiftly passed by our carriage.
“Dalshim, isn’t this too much? The horse looked like it could be stopped.”
“No, we absolutely cannot tolerate any possibility of harm coming upon you, Alan-sama. ……The royal capital is dangerous, as expected. Wouldn’t it be better if we came with you as well after all?”
There’s a limit to being overprotective y’know. Mm, we should probably get going now before they insist more.
“Don’t worry so much. We’ll be fine. Yosh, Sharon, Selena, let’s go.”
“Adjutant Dalshim, we will take responsibility and protect Alan well, so do not worry.”
After hearing Selena’s words, Dalshim reluctantly backed down.
“We’ll be back before dinner guys.”
With Dalshim and the rest seeing us off, we immediately headed to the restaurant Sharon made a reservation with. Maybe I should buy some souvenirs for everyone later as well.
The restaurant was just a short walk away, and it looked like quite a luxurious establishment. Since it’s praised as the number one restaurant in the royal capital, it should be a royal purveyor that’s well catered to nobles.
“Welcome. We have been waiting for your arrival, dear guests.”
A man dressed as a butler welcomed us. He immediately guided us to a private room where some maids pulled our chairs for us and made us take our seats. Um, what about the menu?
“If you have no particular requests, I would like to recommend our restaurant’s specialty dishes. How about it, dear customers?”
The dishes the restaurant was most confident in were probably their most delicious dishes. It looks like Sharon and Selena didn’t have any objections as well.
“Alright. We’ll order those then.”
It looks like we were gonna be served a full-course meal. As expected of a place hailed as the best restaurant in the royal capital. The customer service was also quite impeccable and didn’t miss a beat. It seems we can look forward to the dishes as well.
And as expected, the food was nothing short of excellent. Starting with an aperitif, we were then served appetizers, soups, fish dishes, meat dishes, and desserts at a steady tempo. All of the dishes were quite refined and exquisite. There was nothing to complain about the waiter serving us, and Selena and Sharon were very satisfied as well. It seems they rate the food and service to be comparable to the high-class restaurants in the empire.
I wonder how much the bill will be though.
Around the time we finished drinking our after-meal tea, the butler-like man reappeared.
“Were you all satisfied with our food, dear customers?”
“Yes, very. Every dish was exquisite and very delicious. I can see why your establishment is hailed as the best restaurant in the royal capital.”
“Thank you very much for the praise.”
“Now then, how much is our bill?”
“That would be 700 Guineas per person, sir.”
700 Guineas! As expected, the price was also high-class huh. And it also indicated their absolute confidence in their dishes. Well, I was pretty convinced with the dishes anyway.
“Oh, right. Do you know of some interesting shops around this part of the city?”
I asked while handing over our payment. After all, locals were more familiar with stuff like that.
“Let’s see…… There is a jewelry store seven shops away from the right-hand side of our restaurant that seems to be very popular with the ladies of the capital.”
Jewelry? Accessories huh. Selena and Sharon’s eyes shone in excitement after hearing the restaurant staff’s words. It looks like they were pretty interested.
“Alright, let’s go and check it out then.”
We immediately headed for the jewelry shop after exiting the restaurant. It was another luxurious-looking establishment. Once inside, we were greeted by a man who seemed to be the owner. No, he actually looked a bit too young to be the owner.
“Welcome.”
“We plan on looking around the shop for a bit. Would that be fine?”
“But of course. Go ahead and have a look, sir.”
The store was packed with various accessories such as bracelets, pendants, and rings.
“Waa, this looks really cute!”
“It does!”
My two companions were gushing around excitedly like normal teenage girls.
“Hmm, it looks like they aren’t that expensive.”
Many of the accessories lined up were priced in the hundreds. The most expensive ones only went up to a thousand Guineas or so. The prices were pretty cheap, considering this was a luxury store.
“The articles being displayed on this floor are catered to young people. We have more upscale articles on the second floor.”
I see. So this stuff was aimed at commoner teens huh. They were all reasonably priced and were perfect for attracting customers.
“Yosh, it’s my treat again, you two. Go ahead and choose accessories you like.”
“”Really?””
“Really. ……Oh, but you have to keep the cost to a thousand Guineas or below per person, alright?”
“”Understood!””
The two of them started to choose accessories with serious looks on their faces. Fortunately, they didn’t take all that long and finished selecting items in about five minutes or so.
The two of them chose silver rings with jewels on them. The jewel in Selena’s ring was blue in color while Sharon’s was red. They looked pretty good to me and were apparently made in the same basic design. Each item costs 950 Guineas. Just a bit short of the max budget I gave them huh.
After making our payment, the two immediately put the rings on their fingers and began admiring them. They’ve been a big help to me after all. It’s only right to give them such rewards every once in a while.
Oh, come to think of it, wasn’t it a violation of corps rules for officers to hand their personal money or gifts to subordinates of the opposite sex? Oh well.
We then left the store and continued wandering around, but my two companions still seemed to be preoccupied with their rings. It looks like they really like them huh. It was well worth treating them, seeing as they’re both so happy.
As we walked around, a boy suddenly came running out of an alley. He looked to be about twelve to thirteen years old.
“They’re havin’ a fight over there! Somebody stop them!”
A fight huh. Was it between fellow minors?
Two adventurer-looking guys got pulled by the boy inside a nearby alleyway.
“They have a lot of people. Please help stop them too, big bro! I beg you!”
The boy turned to me and implored. I guess it can’t be helped since he’s pleaded so earnestly.
“Let’s go and check it out.”
We also decided to follow the boy. The alley led to a dead end, and there certainly were people fighting at the very back. However, they weren’t children but fully grown adults. There are about ten or so of them.
The moment the three of us approached, they immediately stopped fighting and scattered. They then ran past us. Curiously, this included the two adventurer-like men the boy dragged in with him.
All the men stopped near the entrance to the alley and glared at us. What’s the meaning of this?
『We’ve been had, Captain. You’ve been placed in a bad situation. If possible, please escape from your position as soon as you can.』
The bad situation Iris described was displayed through a virtual window. It was certainly bad alright.
(It looks like we’re a little too late to make a clean escape. So it was a trap huh. I didn’t think we’d actually fall for such a simple trick.)
『I’m sorry. I was late to notice the danger.』
More men were rushing toward the alley from the main street.
I never thought they’d actually make use of a child. Well, I suppose they made use of him precisely because they anticipated that I would think so. The acting was also very natural, and they even prepared two extras who dressed as adventurers. It was a pretty professional job.
『What’s our move, Alan?』
『Let’s observe the situation first. There’s no need to panic.』
As more and more reinforcements came, the men slowly advanced toward us. They don’t seem to intend to launch an attack immediately.
According to the area map displayed on a virtual window, the group of drones performing surveillance missions over the royal capital were already gathering overhead.
As long as the five drones have a clear line of sight, it doesn’t matter no matter how many men they surround us with. If this situation is as I imagine, it would be better to squeeze as much info as I can.
The initial number of thirteen men now ballooned to more than fifty. That’s a lot of people. Does this mean they were that wary of our ability?
They slowly advanced as if probing us and stopped at a distance of about five meters away from our position.
Most of the men were dressed poorly like your ordinary commoners, but there was also a single well-dressed man among them who looked the part of a noble. I suppose he’s the leader.
However, contrary to my expectation, a man who was fully clothed in black came forward instead. A description supplied by Iris was displayed above the man’s head.
Selena and Sharon came forward to defend me.
“Greetings, Your Excellency Baron Corinth. I am called Elvin. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”
“One of the prime minister’s men, I presume. What is your business with me? No, I suppose there is no need to ask.”
“……Why do you think we are under His Excellency the Prime Minister?”
“You frequented the prime minister’s estate often, did you not? Additionally, those two over there have been keeping a close eye on the inn we are staying at, and that one was working as a server in a cafeteria just across the street. I see some more familiar faces among you. Your surveillance work wasn’t too shabby, but unfortunately, we’ve noticed you guys from the start.”
“……I didn’t think you already had eyes spread around the castle town, Your Excellency. Impressive showing as usual. I’d even like to meet your subordinates at least once.”
“Sorry, but that’s not possible.”
“How unfortunate. ……Why did you insist on staying in the royal capital for so long if you’ve already noticed our surveillance? You should have left when you had the chance, Your Excellency.”
“There are various circumstances on our end you see. ……But you really gathered quite a number of men, haven’t you?”
“That I did. I told my employer that I did not need to take this many people, but it looks like they do not have much trust in my abilities. They insisted on sending all of us out. Thanks to that, it took so much time to gather all my subordinates, so it’s already turned this late.”
“I didn’t think the prime minister was so afraid of me.”
“What we are afraid of isn’t you but the dragon. If you weren’t involved with the dragon, you would probably have been let off, Your Excellency.”
“Is that so? I’d like it if you just left me to go about my business though.”
“It’s truly unfortunate. It’s even more unfortunate due to the fact that this country currently needs someone like you……”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Stop all this useless talk and finish this cretin off already!”
The man dressed in noble attire impatiently ordered Elvin around.
“Would you mind keeping your mouth shut for me? I have also been ordered to gather information. Please do not get in the way of my business.”
Elvin’s retort silenced the man who seemed to be one of the prime minister’s attendants.
“Do excuse us, Your Excellency. This man was sent as our overseer, you see.”
The guy was probably sent to confirm that I was properly finished off.
“There were many points of interest, but we’ve finally confirmed something interesting earlier. While observing the Shining Star member’s speaking, drinking, and eating habits, there were some things that caught my eye. And my suspicions were finally confirmed today.”
“……Those are some pretty suggestive words. Can you tell me what you have managed to uncover about us as well?”
“It’s due to the defensive formation that Your Excellency’s subordinates performed earlier. I’ve observed such a formation in another country a while back you see. It was performed by the knights of the Alois, no, Starveek kingdom. And furthermore, they were royal guards.”
So they were behind that runaway horse as well huh. Dammit, this is the worst. They managed to uncover the information I wanted to hide the most.
“……Then there was the escape of the captured knights. There are also the features of that female adventurer who strangely always had people who were guarding her. Yes, there’s no doubt about it now. It finally all makes sense.
It should have been easy enough to notice, but why didn’t I manage to do so until now? How strange.”
So this guy’s also aware of our hand in the escape incident and even Cleria’s identity. It looks like we can’t leave these guys alive.
“However, I still have some things that are puzzling me. How about this, Your Excellency. Would you like to exchange information with me? We will take turns revealing information to one another. I swear to the Goddess that I will speak the truth and nothing but the truth.”
Well, since we’re gonna kill them all later anyway, I suppose it’s fine.
“Very well. I will also promise to tell you nothing but the truth.”
“Thank you! My utmost gratitude, Your Excellency. Well then, I shall begin. How did you manage to avoid being poisoned by the wine at the conferment ceremony banquet back then? I confirmed that you drank the wine myself, Your Excellency. I suspected it was due to drinking panacea and bought one to test it out, but it was just a waste of money and time.”
“Most poisons actually don’t work on the current me. That’s simply how it is.”
“Your Excellency…… I thought you were a person of integrity but was I mistaken?”
It doesn’t matter what this guy thinks of me, but it does kinda bother me that he’s accusing me of being a liar. However, I’d like to continue on with the information exchange.
“Do you have poison on hand right now? If you have some, hand it over.”
After thinking for a short while, Elvin drew his knife from its scabbard and threw it on the ground in front of me.
“The blade is coated with a very potent poison. Even a little wound from it will kill a man within two minutes.”
I rolled up my sleeve to keep my clothes undamaged and cut my arm from the wrist to the elbow.
Blood dripped out but I felt no pain. The blood flow stopped almost immediately. I then cast healing magic and closed up the wound.
“…………I am truly sorry. Please do forgive me. I will no longer doubt Your Excellency’s words from here onwards.”
“Very well. Now then, it’s my turn to pose a question.”
When I tried to return the knife, I noticed that it wasn’t any ordinary knife. It was a large combat-oriented knife with a very intricate design. It had unique patterns which looked somewhat familiar engraved on its blade. I tried to pour magic power onto the knife, and its blade emitted a bright glow.
“Oh, this is actually a magic weapon? I’ve heard that you can’t forge a magic blade without at least reaching a certain surface area requirement, but this…… Oh, this wasn’t my question by the way. You don’t need to answer.”
“I do not mind telling you about something so simple without any conditions attached, Your Excellency. That blade was made in the Kingdom of Iririka. In that country, even a blade of that size can be forged into a magic weapon.”
All the other men had similar swords and knives strapped onto their waists.
“Do all of you possess such weapons?”
“That’s right. We just happened to get them through a certain channel. And our swords are also the finest magic swords forged by Iririka Kingdom blacksmiths. “Of course, we’re well aware that these weapons are far beyond our caliber, but they do come pretty handy. They are excellent weapons.”
Man, these assassins sure are extravagant. They all had weapons that even knights would go green in envy for.
As for the number…… Since they each had a pair of a knife and swords, that would make it a hundred magic weapons huh. Yosh, it looks like I managed to find some great souvenirs for the rest of the Clan. It looks like I’ll barely be able to gift one to each member.
I had noticed for a while now that the rest of the members were gazing at Elna’s magic sword with looks of envy from time to time. It looks like they placed importance on the fact that I personally bought it for her as well.
I was already thinking of buying some for them when I have the chance, but I didn’t anticipate I’d get an opportunity like this all of a sudden.
I threw out the knife and returned it to Elvin.
“Here’s my question then. Who are the ones who hold hostility toward me?”
“First, you should consider His Excellency the Prime Minister and all members of his noble house as your enemies. Also, Count Khalifa and Count Gantz have suffered considerable losses due to the crackdowns led by Your Excellency. They probably hold grudges against you as well. There might be some more, but those are the ones I am aware of.”
Hmm, there are surprisingly few of them. Does this mean the lord of Gantz was also up to no good? This was some good info.
“Does His Majesty the King not hold any animosity toward me?”
“Of course, he doesn’t. In fact, His Majesty seems to favor you a lot, Your Excellency. I’ve heard that he often talks about you to his closest confidantes.”
I see. It did seem that he was favorable toward me in today’s audience…… Though it would have been less complicated if he was hostile toward me as well.
“Then it’s my turn again. Regarding the dragon who attacked the castle, just how did you manage such a feat, Your Excellency? How were you able to persuade it to retreat?
Just as Your Excellency has said, dragons aren’t creatures that humans can normally contend with. Even now, I am still in doubt about what I witnessed that day.”
This man seems to have been present at that time as well. What should I tell him? I suppose I’ll just come clean.
“That dragon, Gloria, is our comrade. She fully understands human speech, and she was perfectly in control of herself during the attack. The reason she seemed to go on a rampage was because of my orders.”
“Your orders? However, you seemed to have barely avoided being eaten at that time, Your Excellency?”
“That was just acting. I asked her to put on a little performance together with me. At that time, the rescue attempt was at risk of being discovered, and I was also poisoned twice. We had to cause a huge commotion in order to safely make our way out of the castle.”
“……Do you mean to say that the dragon was actually willing to heed the orders of a human?”
“That’s right.”
“……Very well. I am convinced.”
“Then it’s my turn again. Once he finds out that you have all died, what do you think the Prime Minister’s next move would be?”
“………You have no sufficient military power under you, Your Excellency, so it would be a bit difficult to pin you with the crime of rebellion and treason, which is a commonly used move. This is especially true considering your current burgeoning popularity among the populace.
He cannot mobilize the national armed forces, and since both bandit attacks and assassinations have failed, he’d probably have no choice but to send his own private forces after you next.
He doesn’t have enough private forces staying in the royal capital, so I believe he’d mobilize the forces from their house’s territory. Their numbers will probably be around four hundred to eight hundred men at most.
Of course, this move will only be played if he judges that you have to be eliminated at all costs, Your Excellency. There is still a chance that he will choose not to mobilize his private troops.
As for the odds of that happening, at my estimates…… it should be about fifty-fifty.”
“Fifty-fifty huh. ……How troublesome.”
“My condolences…… Now then, here’s my question. What exactly does Your Excellency and Her Royal Highness Princess Cleria intend to do? What is your ultimate goal?”
“Founding a new nation.”
“As I thought. Do you really believe such a thing can be realized? Are you that confident that a country can be founded deep in the Great Demon Forest?”
“I thought we’re only supposed to ask one question at a time?”
“……Forgive me. Then you can go ahead and ask a question, Your Excellency.”
“You said earlier that this country needed someone like me. Just what did you mean by that?”
“The Crown Prince of the neighboring country, Cecilio Kingdom’s Prince Rouge has been a staunch advocate of militarism since he was but a young boy, and he has been making some worrying statements regarding his intentions on our country recently.
The old king is still alive right now so he’s been holding back, but this tenuous situation won’t last long. Once the old king dies, I’m sure he will immediately make his move to invade this country. We estimate the probability of an invasion to be about seventy to eighty percent.
Although I have reported about this matter a good number of times already, there is no sign of the higher-ups trying to address it at all. We’ve already wasted far too much time.
And after witnessing Your Excellency’s performance, we have come to think that perhaps you might be able to do something about this sorry state of affairs. That is just how impressive your feats have been.”
This man seems to hold me in very high regard. A single baron wouldn’t be able to solve such a situation though. Ah, perhaps he’s counting on my position as Lord Protector?
In any case, with this, I managed to get some valuable info regarding a neighboring country. That’s a good thing, at least.
“It’s my turn to pose a question again. Just why did you choose the Great Demon Forest to build your territory? A man of your caliber surely knows that it is impossible to develop such a land, Your Excellency. If your main goal is to found a new nation, it would have been better to choose the other options for your reward.”
“It is not impossible to develop within the Sea of Trees. Or rather, we’ve already developed it.”
“……What do you mean by that?”
“I meant it literally. The territory has already been developed. At the very least, people can already live in it.”
“……Forgive me, but I cannot bring myself to believe those words, even if they came from you, Your Excellency.”
“Didn’t you say you will no longer doubt any of my words earlier?”
“But–! …………No, as I thought, I really cannot believe it. If Your Excellency had such divine ability, you would not have found yourself in this sort of predicament.”
“It certainly was careless of me to be lured here by you, but no matter how many of you surround us, we wouldn’t have any trouble at all.”
“No trouble? Even if you’re about to be killed?”
“There’s no way I would get killed in a place like this. It’s the opposite. Sorry, but I’m going to have to take all your lives.”
“……What do you mean by that? Are you saying we’ll lose even with our overwhelming advantage in equipment and numbers? ……What makes you so sure of your victory, Your Excellency?”
“That’s two questions, but I’ll make an exception and answer honestly. Your defeat is due to a lack of information. Your information regarding us is woefully lacking.
A dragon isn’t something that mere humans can normally defeat. When you got the information that I managed to defeat a dragon, you should have assumed that I might be in possession of power that ordinary humans do not have.
Instead of suddenly launching a full-on assault like this, you should have resorted to other means such as stealthily launching magic from somewhere out of view or other means of information gathering.”
I’m well aware that I’ve been running my mouth unnecessarily. It was probably because I was pissed off at this guy for forcing my hand to kill as many as 54 people.
“……You do have a point. However, the two dragons might have felled each other in their fight and Your Excellency merely granted the finishing blow.”
“I wonder if someone in your line of work really can trust the words of another at face value.”
“……You’re right. However, no matter how strong Your Excellency is, did you truly manage to defeat a dragon? ……And in this situation, I don’t think that just three of you would be enough to defeat all fifty of us. If we all come at you without care for our lives, even someone with Your Excellency’s skills will not be able to do anything.”
“That’s exactly what I’m referring to earlier when I said you woefully lack information about me. In the first place, it’s fatal to assume that you are facing only the three of us here.
In other words, your judgment that you are only up against the three of us proves your lack of information.”
The five drones have been hovering 120 meters above us for a while in Silent Mode. Of course, they’ve already gotten locks on all the enemies ages ago.
Elvin and his men began scanning the surroundings warily after hearing my words.
“I do not feel any other presence nearby…… Are some of your men really present?”
“Of course. You’re not someone who would back down from a bluff, correct?”
“That’s true. However……”
Like I thought, he’d find my words hard to believe.
“Just how long do you intend to keep talking uselessly? Hurry up and kill him!”
“……The next time you disturb the conversation between His Excellency and me, I’ll kill you. Understood?”
After Elvin’s threat, the man on observer duty trembled in fear.
“Your Excellency, if you please.”
“……Hm? What?”
“I am aware there is no need for Your Excellency to do so, but if possible, I request for some proof that your words were no mere bluff.”
Was this the last request of someone about to die? I guess I’ll just humor him.
“Very well. Hmm, let’s see…… Go ahead and throw something up into the air.”
“What do you mean by this?”
“Anything is fine. Throw something about three meters upward. ……Oh, but you can’t throw your dagger though.”
“And why is that?”
“……Sorry, but I’m thinking of bringing back your weapons as souvenirs for my Clan members.”
“Souvenirs? ……I see. Dead men need no weapons. Is that it? How about a bronze coin then?”
Elvin took out a large bronze coin from his pocket.
“That’s fine.”
Elvin flipped the coin with his fingers. The bronze coin spun around and flew upward to a height of about three meters. Elvin caught it again once it fell back down.
“………So what was the point of all that?”
“Take a look at the coin in your hand. There’s a hole where the face of a man is supposed to be, right?”
Elvin trembled as he stared at the coin with a shocked expression.
“……I-It’s exactly as you say. T-This can’t be. Just how……”
Elvin hastily threw something upward once more. His hasty actions were as if he wasn’t aware that he was about to die soon.
He apparently threw even more coins into the air. He deftly caught them when they fell and checked them one by one with an increasingly distraught expression.
“Just how did this happen……? An invisible Artifact? T-This is Your Excellency’s power……”
“No, not mine. It’s my comrade’s.”
“………It seems everything you’ve told me was true.”
“That’s what I promised, right? I’m not exactly an honest man, but none of my earlier words were lies.”
“……So this means you are able to kill us freely at the drop of a hat.”
“That’s right. I will have all of you die here. ……However, your sacrifice will not be wasted. No, I will ensure that it will not be wasted.”
“W-What are you doing!? Hurry up and kill this man already!”
The man who played the role of an observer finally realized how screwed he was and frantically urged Elvin. As for Elvin himself, he merely stared back at the guy with an icy glare.
“Do it.”
At Elvin’s instruction, his subordinate pulled out his sword and surprisingly beheaded the man who was supposed to be their observer. The man’s head rolled on the ground. He couldn’t even move a step and collapsed dead within moments.
Elvin suddenly got down on his knees. A moment later, all of his subordinates knelt with him.
“Your Excellency, Forgive my impertinence, but I would like to plead for the lives of my men. Could you please allow them to live? You can kill me in whatever way you wish.
We will absolutely not get in the way of Your Excellency in the future. Please just take my life and spare the rest. Please.”
Elvin kept bowing so much that his forehead was about to hit the ground.
I felt my current agitated emotions suddenly calm down.
Ah…… The emotion filter kicked in huh. This is my first time actually experiencing the effects of this system.
Nanom, which constantly monitors my mental state, should have activated it to reduce my mental stress that probably became too high.
In this state, it felt like I could kill anyone without any hesitation or remorse. Was it also a cybernetic system that facilitated efficient mass killing?
“……That’s impossible. You all know too much. You may not believe my words, but I truly feel this is unfortunate. ……I hope you will live more decent and fulfilling lives in your next ones……”
“P-Please wait! Please, stay your hand, Your Excellency! If you spare our lives, we all promise to work under you.”
“……I’m sorry, but I can’t bring myself to trust such words.”
“That’s more than reasonable. There is no way you would believe in men who would change their allegiance so easily. However, please believe me when I say that we have not once pledged our allegiance to this country, or even the current prime minister, Marquis Villis Burke.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Our organization was formed by the first prime minister of the Belta Kingdom when it was founded.
As time went on, the position of prime minister was passed down, and command of our organization was passed down as well.
In exchange for lending our strength to the succeeding kings and prime ministers, our village was promised to be given yearly aid and monetary support.
Since then, our village has served this kingdom for the past seven generations.
However, Marquis Villis Burke said that times have changed and unilaterally set the aid’s amount to one-third of the original.
The times may truly have changed. We may have been convinced to voluntarily give up some of our benefits if it was done through diplomatic means and reasonable discussions. However, it’s a different story for them to decide in such a one-sided manner.
To be honest, our line of work really isn’t easy. There are many hardships, and many of our family members and friends often died in the line of duty. Our ancestors may have pledged loyalty to this country, but we do not.
The only reason we’re still serving them like this is to honor the promise that our ancestors have poured their entire hearts and souls into.
We felt it was inexcusable if we broke the oath that hundreds of our ancestors have kept through their sacrifices.
In the three years that the new prime minister has taken over the position, we have been constantly searching for a new way to make a living.
If Your Excellency takes us under your employ, we will all serve you in good faith and with all sincerity.”
So they weren’t working due to a sense of duty but only for money, and now that the situation has changed, they are basically looking for a new employer who can give them better conditions than their current one huh.
“……Are you all from the same village?”
“Yes. Everyone here is from the same village. For example, the man beside me is my little brother, and the ones over there are our cousins. I am also serving as the current head of our village.”
Well, they certainly did look alike. It might be true that they really were relatives.
(What do you think, Iris?)
『According to the lie detector module, there is a 92 percent chance that he is telling the truth. Of course, it’s a different story if he’s undergone systematic espionage training.』
Was it really possible to avoid killing them here? I would like to avoid killing people for the reason that they know too much about us if I can help it.
“……Were you guys related to what happened to the former prime minister, Lord Werner Leister, and his family?”
Lord Leister, the former prime minister of this country, has already sworn an oath to serve as Cleria’s vassal. In other words, he was already one of our comrades. If these guys were involved in the murder of Lord Leister’s family, then we have nothing more to discuss.
“We were not involved with what happened to Lord Werner at all. At the time that incident happened, most of us were deployed to the Cecilio Kingdom at Lord Werner’s orders. Lord Werner can attest to my words. ……How is that person currently faring?”
“He has already pledged his allegiance to Cleria’s cause.”
“That is good. Well then, you can go ahead and check with Lord Werner. He will clear us of all involvement.”
“Why did you not attempt to rescue him from his imprisonment in the dungeon?”
“By the time we grasped the situation, Marquis Villis Burke was already appointed to the Prime Minister position. Our duty was to follow the orders of whoever has succeeded in the position of the king and prime minister. Rescuing him was an abandonment of our duty.”
I see. So they worked under whoever was in position regardless of who it was huh. What a dry and bland relationship.
“Then wouldn’t not killing me be a violation of your duty as well?”
“That’s true. However, it was the current prime minister who violated the agreement first. And if we all died here, the rest of the village people will not be able to survive for long as well. I am aware this sounds self-serving, but I’m sure our ancestors will understand since the very survival of our village is at stake.”
Well, I understand his line of thought. I’m also confident in making any compromise if it meant the survival of my comrades.
“Do you mean for us to take care of the rest of the people from your village as well?”
“Yes, if possible. I am confident we will be able to put out work that will be well worth your support.”
“…………Well now. What should I do, I wonder.”
“We attempted to kill Your Excellency and are now begging for our lives. We are willing to pay any price for our survival. Please tell us whatever you wish for us to do. We will definitely accomplish it for you.”
Hoh. So they were willing to pay a penalty or price in exchange for survival huh. I didn’t think of that. It wasn’t a bad suggestion though.
If there’s a fifty-fifty chance of the prime minister sending out his private forces after us if we killed them here, was it worth letting them live, I wonder.
If we are truly able to get these men who know this country inside and out to work under us, the merits would be considerable
“We swear to never betray Your Excellency. And even if we did betray you, we will probably not be able to escape from your subordinates, correct? ……I suppose you already know the location of our base of operations as well, right, Your Excellency?”
“………Is it the fifth house to the right of the Commerce Guild head office?”
“Exactly. I didn’t think you would even be aware of that secret underground passage…… It’s our complete defeat. Just like Your Excellency said, you have grasped all vital information about us while we know very little about you.
We brought our current situation upon ourselves. If we ever make any mistakes to your detriment, please feel free to take our lives.”
“……You claimed earlier that there was a fifty-fifty chance of the prime minister sending out his private forces. Are you able to delay their deployment?”
“Yes. That is a simple matter for us. ……For how long would you like them to be held up?”
“It would be enough if you can delay them until we’ve entered the Sea of Trees. Once we’ve entered, we’ll be able to deal with them adequately.”
“……Understood. ……Is that all you ask of us, Your Excellency? To be honest, I feel like such a task is a little lacking in exchange for our lives.”
Well, just get a load of this guy. It looks like delaying the private army of the prime minister was an easy matter for him. Well, he did say, there was only a fifty-fifty chance.
“Guinea Alchemint. Do you know of it?”
“……Yes. I’ve heard rumors that it’s stored deep inside an abandoned mine tunnel somewhere. I have some candidates for the location, but all of them are tightly guarded, and people’s movements are cleverly disguised. It’s not easy to pinpoint its true whereabouts.
Only a handful of people know about the Guinea Alchemint and the full extent of its operation.”
“I want to get ahold of it.”
“Certainly, acquiring the Guinea Alchemint will be a true test of our loyalty and dedication. We will definitely acquire it for you, Your Excellency.”
“What is the name and number of people in your village?”
“There aren’t many people who know of it since it is practically a hidden village. It’s called Exter, and it houses about two hundred people.”
“……They certainly don’t look like they’re living good lives. There are 209 people living there, all in all, right?”
“Y-You have also investigated our village, Your Excellency!?”
“Well, yes, I suppose. ……Alright. Bring the rest of the villagers to my territory. We will take care of them. If your people want to live in the city, I will prepare houses for everyone. And if they want to continue farming, I will prepare arable fields for them. I will allow them to live better lives compared to now.”
“……If that is possible, then please grant them fields. Most of our people only know how to grow vegetables.”
“Vegetables huh. That’s fine. Growing vegetables is one of the most important and profitable jobs at this point in our development. Your people will probably make a pretty good fortune out of growing and selling them. If you have vegetables you prefer to grow, then you can go ahead and bring some seeds and seedlings yourselves.”
“Yes. We certainly will.”
“……Elvin, the extent of my reach is quite far. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“……Yes. It will be the end for us if we ever betrayed you, Your Excellency.”
“Never forget those words. My agreement, no, contract with you will be dissolved once you’ve fully paid back my investment. Until then, your lives are mine.”
“Yes. Thank you for your generosity!”
“By the way, will there be no problems now that you’ve killed that guy?”
I pointed to the headless corpse of the observer they killed off earlier.
“There is no need to worry. We will properly dispose of the corpse. We will also clean up our swords and daggers and send them to the inn you are staying at later.”
“……Are you fine with that?”
“We didn’t actually pay for these things anyway, so it’s alright. They aren’t worth more than our lives. Please go ahead and take them.”
“I will take you up on that offer then.”
“……Um, Your Excellency. I’ve been wondering about them for a while, but what are those things the two ladies are pointing at us?”
“They are weapons.”
“Weapons? ……They do not look like that to me though.”
Selena raised her A18P laser gun and smoothly fired several shots. High-pitched electronic sounds echoed throughout the alley.
The high-powered laser shots went past the men and methodically tore the corpse lying on the ground to pieces. Whoah, that’s pretty gory.
Elvin and his men jumped away from the location of the corpse in shock. They gazed at the now-torn apart corpse with trepidation and gaping expressions.
“Now it should be easier to carry that heap of meat around. Or perhaps…… did I do something unnecessary?”
Selena asked as she pointed her laser gun back at Elvin.
“…………No, thank you for that, my lady.”
Elvin bowed low enough to almost hit the ground again.
It looks like Selena was pretty pissed off huh. No, that’s not it. I guess this was her way of warning them of the consequences of betrayal. In other words, a demonstration.
“Alright then. Please contact me if anything crucial comes up.”
“Yes.”
Elvin and his men knelt down and bowed their heads deeply once more. I left the place with Selena and Sharon as they continued to bow. We finally made it back to the main street.
“Alan, was that really okay?”
“I want to avoid going up against the prime minister’s private forces as much as possible right now. It’s too early for us to get into open conflict with this country. If that happens, there will be no point in me gaining a noble title. Even if it’s a dangerous bet, I think it’s worth the risk. Well, even if I actually do get betrayed by them in the end, I’m sure we’ll be able to do something about it.”
“That’s true, but……”
Since they already attempted to assassinate me, they shouldn’t have any complaints if I did the same to them, right?
(Iris.)
Iris appeared right in front of us.
“Strengthen your surveillance on those men. Of course, this includes the army, castle, the prime minister, and his house’s territory as well.”
“Understood.”
Iris disappeared after offering a military salute.
“Man, I don’t feel like sightseeing anymore. Let’s head back to the inn.”
“”……Yes.””
When we got back to the inn, the rest of the Clan members wanted to hear about the details of the audience with the king, and when I talked about the rewards I was going to receive, they all got excited. Everyone was particularly pleased that I’d be able to keep the title of Lord Protector.
By the way, I kept silent regarding being surrounded by Elvin and his men. It’s already resolved anyway, so there’s no need to make such a big deal about it. And more importantly, they’d probably overreact and restrict my freedom even more. I’ll have nothing of that, thank you very much.
Soon, it was already dinnertime. Katolle called out to me while we were in the middle of having our meal.
“Alan-sama. Alan-sama, were you expecting packages to be delivered to you today?”
It looks like Katolle already received them for me, and he was now having his assistants bring in five large and heavy-looking wooden boxes.
“Oh, so they’ve arrived huh. Alright, let’s open them up and check them out.”
When the lids of the wooded boxes were opened, sets of swords and daggers neatly packed within the boxes were revealed. When I counted them, I confirmed that there were a total of 55 sets. That means there were a total of 110 weapons delivered.
There was more than the number of men we faced earlier. Perhaps they accounted for the knights we broke out of the castle dungeon as well. If that’s the case, then those guys were pretty attentive.
“These are…… swords and daggers?”
“That’s right. I was told they’re all pretty high quality.”
“High quality…… Can I take a look? I’m a former weapon shop manager after all, so I know my way around weapons.
……Let’s see… Magic swords! And judging from this mark, these are actually from the Iririka Kingdom, aren’t they!? Ah, these daggers are from there as well! Just how did you manage to acquire so many of these, Alan-sama!?”
“It looks like they really are pretty great items huh. I actually got these for free.”
“Eh! No, no, something like that is impossible, Alan-sama! Each one of these swords has a purchase price of at least 120,000 Guineas, these daggers… should go for 80,000!? Of course, they would sell for even more when bought from a weapon shop.”
“They’re that valuable!? ……Wow, I actually netted a profit of eleven million Guineas huh. That’s way more than I expected.”
“……Did you really get these for free?”
“Of course. A guy I happened to meet in the city told me to take them. I’m sure it’s due to my personal virtue. Hey, everyone, gather around for a bit.”
The people present in the dining hall gathered around to see what the fuss was about. Their gazes gathered around the sword being held by Katolle.
“Ooh, that is one fine-looking sword.”
“Is that a magic sword?”
“Yes. It’s the highest grade of magic sword produced in the Iririka Kingdom.”
“”Iririka Kingdom!?””
It looks like knights and soldiers were very knowledgeable regarding swords, just as I expected.
“Adjutant Dalshim, there are fifty-five magic swords and fifty-five magic daggers here. It’s an odd number, but these are a gift from me to everyone as thanks for all their hard work and effort. I’d like you all to receive them.”
“You actually got all these valuable goods for us……… Alan-sama, our utmost and heartfelt gratitude.”
Translator: SFBaka
Editor: Thor’s Stone
The next day, I departed via carriage toward the castle in order to attend an audience with the king. Of course, since the king himself was the one who summoned me, Hermann has already made all the arrangements for today’s castle visit. Fortunately, it seems Hermann was also going to join me in attending an audience with His Majesty.
We stopped the carriage in front of the castle gate. Dalshim, who was in the coachman’s seat, brought out my official coat of arms and showed it to the guards. We were then allowed to proceed inside.
Our carriage advanced and passed by the castle guards who were lined up on both sides of the gate. Some of the soldiers on duty apparently were familiar with me, and they were all smiles the moment they found out I was the one on board.
Phew. What a relief. In the worst case, I was prepared for everything to be a trap designed to lure and dispose of me, but judging from the reaction of the soldiers, it probably wasn’t the case.
The carriage stopped right in front of the castle entrance. We found Hermann waiting for us as promised.
“Good morning, Hermann.”
“Good morning, Your Excellency.”
“Are we entering through here today? We aren’t going to use the rear entrance?”
“Absolutely not, Your Excellency! It is unthinkable for the Lord Protector to enter the castle through the rear entrance.”
I see. So it depends on the status of the person in question huh. Well, it’s not like they can afford to station that many men to constantly watch over both entrances, so I suppose this is only natural.
I proceeded to enter through the main door that was reverently opened by the castle chamberlains.
I’ve already gotten a quick look at it a few days ago, but this area really was quite flashy. There were large paintings and golden armor sets on prominent display and the overall design of the front hall looked pretty gaudy. Will the sword that would be made from the dragon fang I offered up be displayed here as well, I wonder.
We proceeded through the castle with the guidance of the chamberlains. It looks like we were going to be making use of the audience hall as well today.
The king still hasn’t arrived when we entered the audience hall, and knights who were probably this country’s royal guards were lined up in two neat rows. It looks like no other nobles were attending today’s audience.
I and Hermann knelt in front of the central seat on one knee as we waited for the king’s arrival. Before long, the king and the prime minister finally made their entrance. We quickly bowed our heads low.
“I permit you to raise your heads and address me directly. ……Well met, Baron Corinth. I am glad that you could come.”
“Yes. I will answer your summons without fail at any time, Your Majesty.”
“I heard that your crackdown on the bandits was successfully completed yesterday.”
“Yes. I believe that we have finally managed to wipe out the bandits and criminal elements plaguing the royal capital, Your Majesty.”
Well, I believe there were still quite a number of criminals lurking around the capital though. I wonder if it’s really okay to claim that we’ve cleaned them all up.
“How many bandits have you managed to capture, Lord Corinth?”
“About 803 people altogether, Your Majesty.”
“Excellent. Splendid work, Lord Corinth.”
“It is all thanks to Your Majesty’s foresight and grace in allowing Sir Bahr to work with me.”
This was the truth. Things wouldn’t have gone so smoothly without the full cooperation of the Royal Capital Defense Force and Sir Bahr.
“I certainly did hear that you and your soldiers also performed wonderfully. Excellent work, Hermann.”
“I am unworthy of such praise. But just as Lord Corinth said, this is mostly because of your benevolence and wisdom, Your Majesty. Right now, the royal capital is filled with songs of praise for you.”
“I see. This simply means that it was well worth troubling Lord Corinth with this matter. Lord Corinth, what kind of reward do you wish for?”
Should I just ask for money? Nah, I probably should decline humbly this time.
“I am Your Majesty’s loyal vassal. It is my pleasure to enact Your Majesty’s will. I need no reward whatsoever.”
“Lord Corinth, pay those things no mind. There is no need to hold back. Go ahead and tell me what you desire.”
“……I shall humbly state my request then. Would you please allow me to recruit citizens for my territory from this royal capital once it has been sufficiently developed?”
I wouldn’t mind recruiting citizens from other places, but it seems things would be less troublesome to recruit some from the capital since this place had a pretty large population in the first place.
“……You truly have no ounce of greed in your bones, Lord Corinth. Very well. I shall issue a proclamation under my name once your territory has been sufficiently developed.”
“My greatest thanks, Your Majesty.”
“I have heard that you will be bringing some orphans and craftsmen with you. ……If possible, I would be gladdened if you gave priority to recruiting from orphans and the poor.”
“Yes. I have been intending to do so from the beginning.”
“I see. However, giving out only such a reward will not do. This involves my dignity as the king as well. Though a paltry sum, I implore you to at least accept a cash reward of 5 million Guineas.”
“Yes! My greatest thanks for your generosity.”
I’ll be getting 5 million Guineas for capturing 800 or so men. That means the reward would be roughly 6,250 Guineas per head. You can say this amount was pretty reasonable since the average reward for capturing a bandit was 5,000 Guineas.
“In addition, I will continue to entrust you the title of Lord Protector.”
Hou. I brought the Lord Protector shield for today’s audience because I thought I would have to return it after this, but it looks like I can continue to keep it.
“Your Majesty! Are you saying you are going to officially appoint Baron Corinth as our kingdom’s Lord Protector!?”
The prime minister, Marquis Villis Burke, who has been eerily silent since the beginning of today’s audience, finally opened his mouth. It looks like the king was also surprised by his sudden outburst. Well, he was the prime minister after all. I guess he’s allowed some leeway to interject and question the king’s words.
“Prime Minister, wasn’t it you who pushed for Lord Corinth’s appointment as Lord Protector in the first place? I do believe Lord Corinth has more than proven himself capable of undertaking the responsibilities of a Lord Protector. Is there any problem with my thinking?”
Apparently, the king’s intent to officially appoint me as Lord Protector was a spontaneous thing.
“……That may very well be true, but there are only a total of three Lord Protector seats available. I am merely worried this may hinder future national affairs.”
“I see. Well then, Lord Corinth’s authority will only last until the appointment of another two Lord Protectors, and the range of said authority will continue to be limited to the subjugation of bandits and criminal elements within our borders. With this, there are no longer any problems, correct?”
“……Y-Yes, I believe so, Your Majesty.”
Heh. He sounds pretty reluctant. This guy really was lying through his teeth when he said he held me in high regard huh.
“Now then, Lord Corinth. Please continue your efforts for the wellbeing of this kingdom’s citizens.”
“Yes, I shall do my utmost, Your Majesty.”
The king was younger than me, but it looks like he was a pretty fine man in his own right. Working for the benefit of the people does not conflict with our own goals. There’s no problem, I suppose.
With this, it seems the royal audience was finally over. We really just discussed my reward huh.
The king and prime minister finally left the chamber, and I and Hermann stood up from our kneeling position.
“It looks like you didn’t get any reward yourself huh, Hermann.”
“The royal order was not given to me after all. It is only natural. And in any case, I and the defense force soldiers have already received plenty of benefits from you, Your Excellency. You shared part of the loot to us after all.”
Hermann said so with a satisfied smile on his face. I left the matter of dividing the loot among the defense force soldiers to Hermann, but it seems they divided it according to rank.
And of course, with that, Hermann’s share would definitely not be lacking. Anyway, judging from the attitude of the soldiers, it doesn’t seem like Hermann and the high-ranking officers pocketed a lion’s share of the loot for themselves, so I suppose it’s fine.
“The loot will be fully converted to cash in about two to three days. We will let you know immediately once it’s all settled.”
There’s already an estimate of the total profit, but I don’t dare to ask about the amount. Let’s just look forward to it.
I parted with Hermann at the castle and left via carriage.
Translator: SFBaka
Editor: Thor’s Stone
Once the carriage got out of the castle gates, I spotted Selena and Sharon waiting nearby. The carriage stopped in front of the two of them. It looks like they didn’t have to wait that long.
From now onward, I’m planning on taking a day off and wandering around the royal capital with the two of them. They asked to be my escorts for today’s outing.
I’ve, of course, informed everyone about the matter in advance. I declared that once the royal order to capture bandits was accomplished, I planned to sightsee around the royal capital without any escorts.
Although we were finally in the royal capital, I rarely went out of the inn except for when we’re conducting operations, and whenever I did get to go out, at least ten guards would follow after me.
It wasn’t all that bad to go around town with companions, but I felt kinda suffocated by having to always play the part of a noble.
Initially, I planned to head out alone, but everyone else objected and said it was too dangerous. They finally agreed to it on the condition that Selena and Sharon accompanied me as well.
If I take off this noble tunic, I’d look like your average well-off commoner. So today, I’ll be the well-off commoner Alan.
“Good work today, Alan. I’ve made a reservation at the restaurant with the highest reputation in the royal capital. Would you like to have your lunch there?”
It looks like Sharon already prepared for today in advance huh. The best food in the royal capital huh. Interesting.
“That sounds good. Alright then. Let’s eat there. My treat.”
The two cheered when they heard that I was treating them to lunch. I have to properly act like a respectable superior officer every now and then after all.
But suddenly, a commotion was raised on the streets. A scream echoed out from the distance as well.
“Watch out! It’s a runaway horse!”
Further cries resounded from the other side of the street. It’s true that a horse without a rider was running loose, but it didn’t seem to be on a rampage. It’s more like it was just intent on running at full speed as much as it can. Perhaps it’s possible to stop it in its tracks.
“Defensive formation!”
Dalshim shouted his order, and it prompted the rest of the Clan members with us to surround me from all sides. It was a fast reaction worthy of them being former royal guards. They surrounded me in a double-layer formation that didn’t expose any gaps.
No matter how you look at it, they were overreacting. The horse was just approaching our position, and it’s not like it was on a direct collision course with us. Furthermore, it looks like it was gradually slowing down.
They formed such a tight defensive formation as if we were getting attacked by a large pack of Gray Hounds.
As we watched on, the horse swiftly passed by our carriage.
“Dalshim, isn’t this too much? The horse looked like it could be stopped.”
“No, we absolutely cannot tolerate any possibility of harm coming upon you, Alan-sama. ……The royal capital is dangerous, as expected. Wouldn’t it be better if we came with you as well after all?”
There’s a limit to being overprotective y’know. Mm, we should probably get going now before they insist more.
“Don’t worry so much. We’ll be fine. Yosh, Sharon, Selena, let’s go.”
“Adjutant Dalshim, we will take responsibility and protect Alan well, so do not worry.”
After hearing Selena’s words, Dalshim reluctantly backed down.
“We’ll be back before dinner guys.”
With Dalshim and the rest seeing us off, we immediately headed to the restaurant Sharon made a reservation with. Maybe I should buy some souvenirs for everyone later as well.
The restaurant was just a short walk away, and it looked like quite a luxurious establishment. Since it’s praised as the number one restaurant in the royal capital, it should be a royal purveyor that’s well catered to nobles.
“Welcome. We have been waiting for your arrival, dear guests.”
A man dressed as a butler welcomed us. He immediately guided us to a private room where some maids pulled our chairs for us and made us take our seats. Um, what about the menu?
“If you have no particular requests, I would like to recommend our restaurant’s specialty dishes. How about it, dear customers?”
The dishes the restaurant was most confident in were probably their most delicious dishes. It looks like Sharon and Selena didn’t have any objections as well.
“Alright. We’ll order those then.”
It looks like we were gonna be served a full-course meal. As expected of a place hailed as the best restaurant in the royal capital. The customer service was also quite impeccable and didn’t miss a beat. It seems we can look forward to the dishes as well.
And as expected, the food was nothing short of excellent. Starting with an aperitif, we were then served appetizers, soups, fish dishes, meat dishes, and desserts at a steady tempo. All of the dishes were quite refined and exquisite. There was nothing to complain about the waiter serving us, and Selena and Sharon were very satisfied as well. It seems they rate the food and service to be comparable to the high-class restaurants in the empire.
I wonder how much the bill will be though.
Around the time we finished drinking our after-meal tea, the butler-like man reappeared.
“Were you all satisfied with our food, dear customers?”
“Yes, very. Every dish was exquisite and very delicious. I can see why your establishment is hailed as the best restaurant in the royal capital.”
“Thank you very much for the praise.”
“Now then, how much is our bill?”
“That would be 700 Guineas per person, sir.”
700 Guineas! As expected, the price was also high-class huh. And it also indicated their absolute confidence in their dishes. Well, I was pretty convinced with the dishes anyway.
“Oh, right. Do you know of some interesting shops around this part of the city?”
I asked while handing over our payment. After all, locals were more familiar with stuff like that.
“Let’s see…… There is a jewelry store seven shops away from the right-hand side of our restaurant that seems to be very popular with the ladies of the capital.”
Jewelry? Accessories huh. Selena and Sharon’s eyes shone in excitement after hearing the restaurant staff’s words. It looks like they were pretty interested.
“Alright, let’s go and check it out then.”
We immediately headed for the jewelry shop after exiting the restaurant. It was another luxurious-looking establishment. Once inside, we were greeted by a man who seemed to be the owner. No, he actually looked a bit too young to be the owner.
“Welcome.”
“We plan on looking around the shop for a bit. Would that be fine?”
“But of course. Go ahead and have a look, sir.”
The store was packed with various accessories such as bracelets, pendants, and rings.
“Waa, this looks really cute!”
“It does!”
My two companions were gushing around excitedly like normal teenage girls.
“Hmm, it looks like they aren’t that expensive.”
Many of the accessories lined up were priced in the hundreds. The most expensive ones only went up to a thousand Guineas or so. The prices were pretty cheap, considering this was a luxury store.
“The articles being displayed on this floor are catered to young people. We have more upscale articles on the second floor.”
I see. So this stuff was aimed at commoner teens huh. They were all reasonably priced and were perfect for attracting customers.
“Yosh, it’s my treat again, you two. Go ahead and choose accessories you like.”
“”Really?””
“Really. ……Oh, but you have to keep the cost to a thousand Guineas or below per person, alright?”
“”Understood!””
The two of them started to choose accessories with serious looks on their faces. Fortunately, they didn’t take all that long and finished selecting items in about five minutes or so.
The two of them chose silver rings with jewels on them. The jewel in Selena’s ring was blue in color while Sharon’s was red. They looked pretty good to me and were apparently made in the same basic design. Each item costs 950 Guineas. Just a bit short of the max budget I gave them huh.
After making our payment, the two immediately put the rings on their fingers and began admiring them. They’ve been a big help to me after all. It’s only right to give them such rewards every once in a while.
Oh, come to think of it, wasn’t it a violation of corps rules for officers to hand their personal money or gifts to subordinates of the opposite sex? Oh well.
We then left the store and continued wandering around, but my two companions still seemed to be preoccupied with their rings. It looks like they really like them huh. It was well worth treating them, seeing as they’re both so happy.
As we walked around, a boy suddenly came running out of an alley. He looked to be about twelve to thirteen years old.
“They’re havin’ a fight over there! Somebody stop them!”
A fight huh. Was it between fellow minors?
Two adventurer-looking guys got pulled by the boy inside a nearby alleyway.
“They have a lot of people. Please help stop them too, big bro! I beg you!”
The boy turned to me and implored. I guess it can’t be helped since he’s pleaded so earnestly.
“Let’s go and check it out.”
We also decided to follow the boy. The alley led to a dead end, and there certainly were people fighting at the very back. However, they weren’t children but fully grown adults. There are about ten or so of them.
The moment the three of us approached, they immediately stopped fighting and scattered. They then ran past us. Curiously, this included the two adventurer-like men the boy dragged in with him.
All the men stopped near the entrance to the alley and glared at us. What’s the meaning of this?
『We’ve been had, Captain. You’ve been placed in a bad situation. If possible, please escape from your position as soon as you can.』
The bad situation Iris described was displayed through a virtual window. It was certainly bad alright.
(It looks like we’re a little too late to make a clean escape. So it was a trap huh. I didn’t think we’d actually fall for such a simple trick.)
『I’m sorry. I was late to notice the danger.』
More men were rushing toward the alley from the main street.
I never thought they’d actually make use of a child. Well, I suppose they made use of him precisely because they anticipated that I would think so. The acting was also very natural, and they even prepared two extras who dressed as adventurers. It was a pretty professional job.
『What’s our move, Alan?』
『Let’s observe the situation first. There’s no need to panic.』
As more and more reinforcements came, the men slowly advanced toward us. They don’t seem to intend to launch an attack immediately.
According to the area map displayed on a virtual window, the group of drones performing surveillance missions over the royal capital were already gathering overhead.
As long as the five drones have a clear line of sight, it doesn’t matter no matter how many men they surround us with. If this situation is as I imagine, it would be better to squeeze as much info as I can.
The initial number of thirteen men now ballooned to more than fifty. That’s a lot of people. Does this mean they were that wary of our ability?
They slowly advanced as if probing us and stopped at a distance of about five meters away from our position.
Most of the men were dressed poorly like your ordinary commoners, but there was also a single well-dressed man among them who looked the part of a noble. I suppose he’s the leader.
However, contrary to my expectation, a man who was fully clothed in black came forward instead. A description supplied by Iris was displayed above the man’s head.
Selena and Sharon came forward to defend me.
“Greetings, Your Excellency Baron Corinth. I am called Elvin. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”
“One of the prime minister’s men, I presume. What is your business with me? No, I suppose there is no need to ask.”
“……Why do you think we are under His Excellency the Prime Minister?”
“You frequented the prime minister’s estate often, did you not? Additionally, those two over there have been keeping a close eye on the inn we are staying at, and that one was working as a server in a cafeteria just across the street. I see some more familiar faces among you. Your surveillance work wasn’t too shabby, but unfortunately, we’ve noticed you guys from the start.”
“……I didn’t think you already had eyes spread around the castle town, Your Excellency. Impressive showing as usual. I’d even like to meet your subordinates at least once.”
“Sorry, but that’s not possible.”
“How unfortunate. ……Why did you insist on staying in the royal capital for so long if you’ve already noticed our surveillance? You should have left when you had the chance, Your Excellency.”
“There are various circumstances on our end you see. ……But you really gathered quite a number of men, haven’t you?”
“That I did. I told my employer that I did not need to take this many people, but it looks like they do not have much trust in my abilities. They insisted on sending all of us out. Thanks to that, it took so much time to gather all my subordinates, so it’s already turned this late.”
“I didn’t think the prime minister was so afraid of me.”
“What we are afraid of isn’t you but the dragon. If you weren’t involved with the dragon, you would probably have been let off, Your Excellency.”
“Is that so? I’d like it if you just left me to go about my business though.”
“It’s truly unfortunate. It’s even more unfortunate due to the fact that this country currently needs someone like you……”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Stop all this useless talk and finish this cretin off already!”
The man dressed in noble attire impatiently ordered Elvin around.
“Would you mind keeping your mouth shut for me? I have also been ordered to gather information. Please do not get in the way of my business.”
Elvin’s retort silenced the man who seemed to be one of the prime minister’s attendants.
“Do excuse us, Your Excellency. This man was sent as our overseer, you see.”
The guy was probably sent to confirm that I was properly finished off.
“There were many points of interest, but we’ve finally confirmed something interesting earlier. While observing the Shining Star member’s speaking, drinking, and eating habits, there were some things that caught my eye. And my suspicions were finally confirmed today.”
“……Those are some pretty suggestive words. Can you tell me what you have managed to uncover about us as well?”
“It’s due to the defensive formation that Your Excellency’s subordinates performed earlier. I’ve observed such a formation in another country a while back you see. It was performed by the knights of the Alois, no, Starveek kingdom. And furthermore, they were royal guards.”
So they were behind that runaway horse as well huh. Dammit, this is the worst. They managed to uncover the information I wanted to hide the most.
“……Then there was the escape of the captured knights. There are also the features of that female adventurer who strangely always had people who were guarding her. Yes, there’s no doubt about it now. It finally all makes sense.
It should have been easy enough to notice, but why didn’t I manage to do so until now? How strange.”
So this guy’s also aware of our hand in the escape incident and even Cleria’s identity. It looks like we can’t leave these guys alive.
“However, I still have some things that are puzzling me. How about this, Your Excellency. Would you like to exchange information with me? We will take turns revealing information to one another. I swear to the Goddess that I will speak the truth and nothing but the truth.”
Well, since we’re gonna kill them all later anyway, I suppose it’s fine.
“Very well. I will also promise to tell you nothing but the truth.”
“Thank you! My utmost gratitude, Your Excellency. Well then, I shall begin. How did you manage to avoid being poisoned by the wine at the conferment ceremony banquet back then? I confirmed that you drank the wine myself, Your Excellency. I suspected it was due to drinking panacea and bought one to test it out, but it was just a waste of money and time.”
“Most poisons actually don’t work on the current me. That’s simply how it is.”
“Your Excellency…… I thought you were a person of integrity but was I mistaken?”
It doesn’t matter what this guy thinks of me, but it does kinda bother me that he’s accusing me of being a liar. However, I’d like to continue on with the information exchange.
“Do you have poison on hand right now? If you have some, hand it over.”
After thinking for a short while, Elvin drew his knife from its scabbard and threw it on the ground in front of me.
“The blade is coated with a very potent poison. Even a little wound from it will kill a man within two minutes.”
I rolled up my sleeve to keep my clothes undamaged and cut my arm from the wrist to the elbow.
Blood dripped out but I felt no pain. The blood flow stopped almost immediately. I then cast healing magic and closed up the wound.
“…………I am truly sorry. Please do forgive me. I will no longer doubt Your Excellency’s words from here onwards.”
“Very well. Now then, it’s my turn to pose a question.”
When I tried to return the knife, I noticed that it wasn’t any ordinary knife. It was a large combat-oriented knife with a very intricate design. It had unique patterns which looked somewhat familiar engraved on its blade. I tried to pour magic power onto the knife, and its blade emitted a bright glow.
“Oh, this is actually a magic weapon? I’ve heard that you can’t forge a magic blade without at least reaching a certain surface area requirement, but this…… Oh, this wasn’t my question by the way. You don’t need to answer.”
“I do not mind telling you about something so simple without any conditions attached, Your Excellency. That blade was made in the Kingdom of Iririka. In that country, even a blade of that size can be forged into a magic weapon.”
All the other men had similar swords and knives strapped onto their waists.
“Do all of you possess such weapons?”
“That’s right. We just happened to get them through a certain channel. And our swords are also the finest magic swords forged by Iririka Kingdom blacksmiths. “Of course, we’re well aware that these weapons are far beyond our caliber, but they do come pretty handy. They are excellent weapons.”
Man, these assassins sure are extravagant. They all had weapons that even knights would go green in envy for.
As for the number…… Since they each had a pair of a knife and swords, that would make it a hundred magic weapons huh. Yosh, it looks like I managed to find some great souvenirs for the rest of the Clan. It looks like I’ll barely be able to gift one to each member.
I had noticed for a while now that the rest of the members were gazing at Elna’s magic sword with looks of envy from time to time. It looks like they placed importance on the fact that I personally bought it for her as well.
I was already thinking of buying some for them when I have the chance, but I didn’t anticipate I’d get an opportunity like this all of a sudden.
I threw out the knife and returned it to Elvin.
“Here’s my question then. Who are the ones who hold hostility toward me?”
“First, you should consider His Excellency the Prime Minister and all members of his noble house as your enemies. Also, Count Khalifa and Count Gantz have suffered considerable losses due to the crackdowns led by Your Excellency. They probably hold grudges against you as well. There might be some more, but those are the ones I am aware of.”
Hmm, there are surprisingly few of them. Does this mean the lord of Gantz was also up to no good? This was some good info.
“Does His Majesty the King not hold any animosity toward me?”
“Of course, he doesn’t. In fact, His Majesty seems to favor you a lot, Your Excellency. I’ve heard that he often talks about you to his closest confidantes.”
I see. It did seem that he was favorable toward me in today’s audience…… Though it would have been less complicated if he was hostile toward me as well.
“Then it’s my turn again. Regarding the dragon who attacked the castle, just how did you manage such a feat, Your Excellency? How were you able to persuade it to retreat?
Just as Your Excellency has said, dragons aren’t creatures that humans can normally contend with. Even now, I am still in doubt about what I witnessed that day.”
This man seems to have been present at that time as well. What should I tell him? I suppose I’ll just come clean.
“That dragon, Gloria, is our comrade. She fully understands human speech, and she was perfectly in control of herself during the attack. The reason she seemed to go on a rampage was because of my orders.”
“Your orders? However, you seemed to have barely avoided being eaten at that time, Your Excellency?”
“That was just acting. I asked her to put on a little performance together with me. At that time, the rescue attempt was at risk of being discovered, and I was also poisoned twice. We had to cause a huge commotion in order to safely make our way out of the castle.”
“……Do you mean to say that the dragon was actually willing to heed the orders of a human?”
“That’s right.”
“……Very well. I am convinced.”
“Then it’s my turn again. Once he finds out that you have all died, what do you think the Prime Minister’s next move would be?”
“………You have no sufficient military power under you, Your Excellency, so it would be a bit difficult to pin you with the crime of rebellion and treason, which is a commonly used move. This is especially true considering your current burgeoning popularity among the populace.
He cannot mobilize the national armed forces, and since both bandit attacks and assassinations have failed, he’d probably have no choice but to send his own private forces after you next.
He doesn’t have enough private forces staying in the royal capital, so I believe he’d mobilize the forces from their house’s territory. Their numbers will probably be around four hundred to eight hundred men at most.
Of course, this move will only be played if he judges that you have to be eliminated at all costs, Your Excellency. There is still a chance that he will choose not to mobilize his private troops.
As for the odds of that happening, at my estimates…… it should be about fifty-fifty.”
“Fifty-fifty huh. ……How troublesome.”
“My condolences…… Now then, here’s my question. What exactly does Your Excellency and Her Royal Highness Princess Cleria intend to do? What is your ultimate goal?”
“Founding a new nation.”
“As I thought. Do you really believe such a thing can be realized? Are you that confident that a country can be founded deep in the Great Demon Forest?”
“I thought we’re only supposed to ask one question at a time?”
“……Forgive me. Then you can go ahead and ask a question, Your Excellency.”
“You said earlier that this country needed someone like me. Just what did you mean by that?”
“The Crown Prince of the neighboring country, Cecilio Kingdom’s Prince Rouge has been a staunch advocate of militarism since he was but a young boy, and he has been making some worrying statements regarding his intentions on our country recently.
The old king is still alive right now so he’s been holding back, but this tenuous situation won’t last long. Once the old king dies, I’m sure he will immediately make his move to invade this country. We estimate the probability of an invasion to be about seventy to eighty percent.
Although I have reported about this matter a good number of times already, there is no sign of the higher-ups trying to address it at all. We’ve already wasted far too much time.
And after witnessing Your Excellency’s performance, we have come to think that perhaps you might be able to do something about this sorry state of affairs. That is just how impressive your feats have been.”
This man seems to hold me in very high regard. A single baron wouldn’t be able to solve such a situation though. Ah, perhaps he’s counting on my position as Lord Protector?
In any case, with this, I managed to get some valuable info regarding a neighboring country. That’s a good thing, at least.
“It’s my turn to pose a question again. Just why did you choose the Great Demon Forest to build your territory? A man of your caliber surely knows that it is impossible to develop such a land, Your Excellency. If your main goal is to found a new nation, it would have been better to choose the other options for your reward.”
“It is not impossible to develop within the Sea of Trees. Or rather, we’ve already developed it.”
“……What do you mean by that?”
“I meant it literally. The territory has already been developed. At the very least, people can already live in it.”
“……Forgive me, but I cannot bring myself to believe those words, even if they came from you, Your Excellency.”
“Didn’t you say you will no longer doubt any of my words earlier?”
“But–! …………No, as I thought, I really cannot believe it. If Your Excellency had such divine ability, you would not have found yourself in this sort of predicament.”
“It certainly was careless of me to be lured here by you, but no matter how many of you surround us, we wouldn’t have any trouble at all.”
“No trouble? Even if you’re about to be killed?”
“There’s no way I would get killed in a place like this. It’s the opposite. Sorry, but I’m going to have to take all your lives.”
“……What do you mean by that? Are you saying we’ll lose even with our overwhelming advantage in equipment and numbers? ……What makes you so sure of your victory, Your Excellency?”
“That’s two questions, but I’ll make an exception and answer honestly. Your defeat is due to a lack of information. Your information regarding us is woefully lacking.
A dragon isn’t something that mere humans can normally defeat. When you got the information that I managed to defeat a dragon, you should have assumed that I might be in possession of power that ordinary humans do not have.
Instead of suddenly launching a full-on assault like this, you should have resorted to other means such as stealthily launching magic from somewhere out of view or other means of information gathering.”
I’m well aware that I’ve been running my mouth unnecessarily. It was probably because I was pissed off at this guy for forcing my hand to kill as many as 54 people.
“……You do have a point. However, the two dragons might have felled each other in their fight and Your Excellency merely granted the finishing blow.”
“I wonder if someone in your line of work really can trust the words of another at face value.”
“……You’re right. However, no matter how strong Your Excellency is, did you truly manage to defeat a dragon? ……And in this situation, I don’t think that just three of you would be enough to defeat all fifty of us. If we all come at you without care for our lives, even someone with Your Excellency’s skills will not be able to do anything.”
“That’s exactly what I’m referring to earlier when I said you woefully lack information about me. In the first place, it’s fatal to assume that you are facing only the three of us here.
In other words, your judgment that you are only up against the three of us proves your lack of information.”
The five drones have been hovering 120 meters above us for a while in Silent Mode. Of course, they’ve already gotten locks on all the enemies ages ago.
Elvin and his men began scanning the surroundings warily after hearing my words.
“I do not feel any other presence nearby…… Are some of your men really present?”
“Of course. You’re not someone who would back down from a bluff, correct?”
“That’s true. However……”
Like I thought, he’d find my words hard to believe.
“Just how long do you intend to keep talking uselessly? Hurry up and kill him!”
“……The next time you disturb the conversation between His Excellency and me, I’ll kill you. Understood?”
After Elvin’s threat, the man on observer duty trembled in fear.
“Your Excellency, if you please.”
“……Hm? What?”
“I am aware there is no need for Your Excellency to do so, but if possible, I request for some proof that your words were no mere bluff.”
Was this the last request of someone about to die? I guess I’ll just humor him.
“Very well. Hmm, let’s see…… Go ahead and throw something up into the air.”
“What do you mean by this?”
“Anything is fine. Throw something about three meters upward. ……Oh, but you can’t throw your dagger though.”
“And why is that?”
“……Sorry, but I’m thinking of bringing back your weapons as souvenirs for my Clan members.”
“Souvenirs? ……I see. Dead men need no weapons. Is that it? How about a bronze coin then?”
Elvin took out a large bronze coin from his pocket.
“That’s fine.”
Elvin flipped the coin with his fingers. The bronze coin spun around and flew upward to a height of about three meters. Elvin caught it again once it fell back down.
“………So what was the point of all that?”
“Take a look at the coin in your hand. There’s a hole where the face of a man is supposed to be, right?”
Elvin trembled as he stared at the coin with a shocked expression.
“……I-It’s exactly as you say. T-This can’t be. Just how……”
Elvin hastily threw something upward once more. His hasty actions were as if he wasn’t aware that he was about to die soon.
He apparently threw even more coins into the air. He deftly caught them when they fell and checked them one by one with an increasingly distraught expression.
“Just how did this happen……? An invisible Artifact? T-This is Your Excellency’s power……”
“No, not mine. It’s my comrade’s.”
“………It seems everything you’ve told me was true.”
“That’s what I promised, right? I’m not exactly an honest man, but none of my earlier words were lies.”
“……So this means you are able to kill us freely at the drop of a hat.”
“That’s right. I will have all of you die here. ……However, your sacrifice will not be wasted. No, I will ensure that it will not be wasted.”
“W-What are you doing!? Hurry up and kill this man already!”
The man who played the role of an observer finally realized how screwed he was and frantically urged Elvin. As for Elvin himself, he merely stared back at the guy with an icy glare.
“Do it.”
At Elvin’s instruction, his subordinate pulled out his sword and surprisingly beheaded the man who was supposed to be their observer. The man’s head rolled on the ground. He couldn’t even move a step and collapsed dead within moments.
Elvin suddenly got down on his knees. A moment later, all of his subordinates knelt with him.
“Your Excellency, Forgive my impertinence, but I would like to plead for the lives of my men. Could you please allow them to live? You can kill me in whatever way you wish.
We will absolutely not get in the way of Your Excellency in the future. Please just take my life and spare the rest. Please.”
Elvin kept bowing so much that his forehead was about to hit the ground.
I felt my current agitated emotions suddenly calm down.
Ah…… The emotion filter kicked in huh. This is my first time actually experiencing the effects of this system.
Nanom, which constantly monitors my mental state, should have activated it to reduce my mental stress that probably became too high.
In this state, it felt like I could kill anyone without any hesitation or remorse. Was it also a cybernetic system that facilitated efficient mass killing?
“……That’s impossible. You all know too much. You may not believe my words, but I truly feel this is unfortunate. ……I hope you will live more decent and fulfilling lives in your next ones……”
“P-Please wait! Please, stay your hand, Your Excellency! If you spare our lives, we all promise to work under you.”
“……I’m sorry, but I can’t bring myself to trust such words.”
“That’s more than reasonable. There is no way you would believe in men who would change their allegiance so easily. However, please believe me when I say that we have not once pledged our allegiance to this country, or even the current prime minister, Marquis Villis Burke.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Our organization was formed by the first prime minister of the Belta Kingdom when it was founded.
As time went on, the position of prime minister was passed down, and command of our organization was passed down as well.
In exchange for lending our strength to the succeeding kings and prime ministers, our village was promised to be given yearly aid and monetary support.
Since then, our village has served this kingdom for the past seven generations.
However, Marquis Villis Burke said that times have changed and unilaterally set the aid’s amount to one-third of the original.
The times may truly have changed. We may have been convinced to voluntarily give up some of our benefits if it was done through diplomatic means and reasonable discussions. However, it’s a different story for them to decide in such a one-sided manner.
To be honest, our line of work really isn’t easy. There are many hardships, and many of our family members and friends often died in the line of duty. Our ancestors may have pledged loyalty to this country, but we do not.
The only reason we’re still serving them like this is to honor the promise that our ancestors have poured their entire hearts and souls into.
We felt it was inexcusable if we broke the oath that hundreds of our ancestors have kept through their sacrifices.
In the three years that the new prime minister has taken over the position, we have been constantly searching for a new way to make a living.
If Your Excellency takes us under your employ, we will all serve you in good faith and with all sincerity.”
So they weren’t working due to a sense of duty but only for money, and now that the situation has changed, they are basically looking for a new employer who can give them better conditions than their current one huh.
“……Are you all from the same village?”
“Yes. Everyone here is from the same village. For example, the man beside me is my little brother, and the ones over there are our cousins. I am also serving as the current head of our village.”
Well, they certainly did look alike. It might be true that they really were relatives.
(What do you think, Iris?)
『According to the lie detector module, there is a 92 percent chance that he is telling the truth. Of course, it’s a different story if he’s undergone systematic espionage training.』
Was it really possible to avoid killing them here? I would like to avoid killing people for the reason that they know too much about us if I can help it.
“……Were you guys related to what happened to the former prime minister, Lord Werner Leister, and his family?”
Lord Leister, the former prime minister of this country, has already sworn an oath to serve as Cleria’s vassal. In other words, he was already one of our comrades. If these guys were involved in the murder of Lord Leister’s family, then we have nothing more to discuss.
“We were not involved with what happened to Lord Werner at all. At the time that incident happened, most of us were deployed to the Cecilio Kingdom at Lord Werner’s orders. Lord Werner can attest to my words. ……How is that person currently faring?”
“He has already pledged his allegiance to Cleria’s cause.”
“That is good. Well then, you can go ahead and check with Lord Werner. He will clear us of all involvement.”
“Why did you not attempt to rescue him from his imprisonment in the dungeon?”
“By the time we grasped the situation, Marquis Villis Burke was already appointed to the Prime Minister position. Our duty was to follow the orders of whoever has succeeded in the position of the king and prime minister. Rescuing him was an abandonment of our duty.”
I see. So they worked under whoever was in position regardless of who it was huh. What a dry and bland relationship.
“Then wouldn’t not killing me be a violation of your duty as well?”
“That’s true. However, it was the current prime minister who violated the agreement first. And if we all died here, the rest of the village people will not be able to survive for long as well. I am aware this sounds self-serving, but I’m sure our ancestors will understand since the very survival of our village is at stake.”
Well, I understand his line of thought. I’m also confident in making any compromise if it meant the survival of my comrades.
“Do you mean for us to take care of the rest of the people from your village as well?”
“Yes, if possible. I am confident we will be able to put out work that will be well worth your support.”
“…………Well now. What should I do, I wonder.”
“We attempted to kill Your Excellency and are now begging for our lives. We are willing to pay any price for our survival. Please tell us whatever you wish for us to do. We will definitely accomplish it for you.”
Hoh. So they were willing to pay a penalty or price in exchange for survival huh. I didn’t think of that. It wasn’t a bad suggestion though.
If there’s a fifty-fifty chance of the prime minister sending out his private forces after us if we killed them here, was it worth letting them live, I wonder.
If we are truly able to get these men who know this country inside and out to work under us, the merits would be considerable
“We swear to never betray Your Excellency. And even if we did betray you, we will probably not be able to escape from your subordinates, correct? ……I suppose you already know the location of our base of operations as well, right, Your Excellency?”
“………Is it the fifth house to the right of the Commerce Guild head office?”
“Exactly. I didn’t think you would even be aware of that secret underground passage…… It’s our complete defeat. Just like Your Excellency said, you have grasped all vital information about us while we know very little about you.
We brought our current situation upon ourselves. If we ever make any mistakes to your detriment, please feel free to take our lives.”
“……You claimed earlier that there was a fifty-fifty chance of the prime minister sending out his private forces. Are you able to delay their deployment?”
“Yes. That is a simple matter for us. ……For how long would you like them to be held up?”
“It would be enough if you can delay them until we’ve entered the Sea of Trees. Once we’ve entered, we’ll be able to deal with them adequately.”
“……Understood. ……Is that all you ask of us, Your Excellency? To be honest, I feel like such a task is a little lacking in exchange for our lives.”
Well, just get a load of this guy. It looks like delaying the private army of the prime minister was an easy matter for him. Well, he did say, there was only a fifty-fifty chance.
“Guinea Alchemint. Do you know of it?”
“……Yes. I’ve heard rumors that it’s stored deep inside an abandoned mine tunnel somewhere. I have some candidates for the location, but all of them are tightly guarded, and people’s movements are cleverly disguised. It’s not easy to pinpoint its true whereabouts.
Only a handful of people know about the Guinea Alchemint and the full extent of its operation.”
“I want to get ahold of it.”
“Certainly, acquiring the Guinea Alchemint will be a true test of our loyalty and dedication. We will definitely acquire it for you, Your Excellency.”
“What is the name and number of people in your village?”
“There aren’t many people who know of it since it is practically a hidden village. It’s called Exter, and it houses about two hundred people.”
“……They certainly don’t look like they’re living good lives. There are 209 people living there, all in all, right?”
“Y-You have also investigated our village, Your Excellency!?”
“Well, yes, I suppose. ……Alright. Bring the rest of the villagers to my territory. We will take care of them. If your people want to live in the city, I will prepare houses for everyone. And if they want to continue farming, I will prepare arable fields for them. I will allow them to live better lives compared to now.”
“……If that is possible, then please grant them fields. Most of our people only know how to grow vegetables.”
“Vegetables huh. That’s fine. Growing vegetables is one of the most important and profitable jobs at this point in our development. Your people will probably make a pretty good fortune out of growing and selling them. If you have vegetables you prefer to grow, then you can go ahead and bring some seeds and seedlings yourselves.”
“Yes. We certainly will.”
“……Elvin, the extent of my reach is quite far. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“……Yes. It will be the end for us if we ever betrayed you, Your Excellency.”
“Never forget those words. My agreement, no, contract with you will be dissolved once you’ve fully paid back my investment. Until then, your lives are mine.”
“Yes. Thank you for your generosity!”
“By the way, will there be no problems now that you’ve killed that guy?”
I pointed to the headless corpse of the observer they killed off earlier.
“There is no need to worry. We will properly dispose of the corpse. We will also clean up our swords and daggers and send them to the inn you are staying at later.”
“……Are you fine with that?”
“We didn’t actually pay for these things anyway, so it’s alright. They aren’t worth more than our lives. Please go ahead and take them.”
“I will take you up on that offer then.”
“……Um, Your Excellency. I’ve been wondering about them for a while, but what are those things the two ladies are pointing at us?”
“They are weapons.”
“Weapons? ……They do not look like that to me though.”
Selena raised her A18P laser gun and smoothly fired several shots. High-pitched electronic sounds echoed throughout the alley.
The high-powered laser shots went past the men and methodically tore the corpse lying on the ground to pieces. Whoah, that’s pretty gory.
Elvin and his men jumped away from the location of the corpse in shock. They gazed at the now-torn apart corpse with trepidation and gaping expressions.
“Now it should be easier to carry that heap of meat around. Or perhaps…… did I do something unnecessary?”
Selena asked as she pointed her laser gun back at Elvin.
“…………No, thank you for that, my lady.”
Elvin bowed low enough to almost hit the ground again.
It looks like Selena was pretty pissed off huh. No, that’s not it. I guess this was her way of warning them of the consequences of betrayal. In other words, a demonstration.
“Alright then. Please contact me if anything crucial comes up.”
“Yes.”
Elvin and his men knelt down and bowed their heads deeply once more. I left the place with Selena and Sharon as they continued to bow. We finally made it back to the main street.
“Alan, was that really okay?”
“I want to avoid going up against the prime minister’s private forces as much as possible right now. It’s too early for us to get into open conflict with this country. If that happens, there will be no point in me gaining a noble title. Even if it’s a dangerous bet, I think it’s worth the risk. Well, even if I actually do get betrayed by them in the end, I’m sure we’ll be able to do something about it.”
“That’s true, but……”
Since they already attempted to assassinate me, they shouldn’t have any complaints if I did the same to them, right?
(Iris.)
Iris appeared right in front of us.
“Strengthen your surveillance on those men. Of course, this includes the army, castle, the prime minister, and his house’s territory as well.”
“Understood.”
Iris disappeared after offering a military salute.
“Man, I don’t feel like sightseeing anymore. Let’s head back to the inn.”
“”……Yes.””
When we got back to the inn, the rest of the Clan members wanted to hear about the details of the audience with the king, and when I talked about the rewards I was going to receive, they all got excited. Everyone was particularly pleased that I’d be able to keep the title of Lord Protector.
By the way, I kept silent regarding being surrounded by Elvin and his men. It’s already resolved anyway, so there’s no need to make such a big deal about it. And more importantly, they’d probably overreact and restrict my freedom even more. I’ll have nothing of that, thank you very much.
Soon, it was already dinnertime. Katolle called out to me while we were in the middle of having our meal.
“Alan-sama. Alan-sama, were you expecting packages to be delivered to you today?”
It looks like Katolle already received them for me, and he was now having his assistants bring in five large and heavy-looking wooden boxes.
“Oh, so they’ve arrived huh. Alright, let’s open them up and check them out.”
When the lids of the wooded boxes were opened, sets of swords and daggers neatly packed within the boxes were revealed. When I counted them, I confirmed that there were a total of 55 sets. That means there were a total of 110 weapons delivered.
There was more than the number of men we faced earlier. Perhaps they accounted for the knights we broke out of the castle dungeon as well. If that’s the case, then those guys were pretty attentive.
“These are…… swords and daggers?”
“That’s right. I was told they’re all pretty high quality.”
“High quality…… Can I take a look? I’m a former weapon shop manager after all, so I know my way around weapons.
……Let’s see… Magic swords! And judging from this mark, these are actually from the Iririka Kingdom, aren’t they!? Ah, these daggers are from there as well! Just how did you manage to acquire so many of these, Alan-sama!?”
“It looks like they really are pretty great items huh. I actually got these for free.”
“Eh! No, no, something like that is impossible, Alan-sama! Each one of these swords has a purchase price of at least 120,000 Guineas, these daggers… should go for 80,000!? Of course, they would sell for even more when bought from a weapon shop.”
“They’re that valuable!? ……Wow, I actually netted a profit of eleven million Guineas huh. That’s way more than I expected.”
“……Did you really get these for free?”
“Of course. A guy I happened to meet in the city told me to take them. I’m sure it’s due to my personal virtue. Hey, everyone, gather around for a bit.”
The people present in the dining hall gathered around to see what the fuss was about. Their gazes gathered around the sword being held by Katolle.
“Ooh, that is one fine-looking sword.”
“Is that a magic sword?”
“Yes. It’s the highest grade of magic sword produced in the Iririka Kingdom.”
“”Iririka Kingdom!?””
It looks like knights and soldiers were very knowledgeable regarding swords, just as I expected.
“Adjutant Dalshim, there are fifty-five magic swords and fifty-five magic daggers here. It’s an odd number, but these are a gift from me to everyone as thanks for all their hard work and effort. I’d like you all to receive them.”
“You actually got all these valuable goods for us……… Alan-sama, our utmost and heartfelt gratitude.”
