Episode 1133
by CristaeEpisode 1133
“S-Student Lee Han. I think it’s a bit much to assume they’re evil god worshippers just because of that…”
While Professor Garcia stammered in embarrassment, the enraged soldiers began shouting.
“You lunatics! Do you know where you are?! How dare you attack Count Buyong’s checkpoint!”
“Wait! Everyone, run away!”
Far from dropping their weapons and pleading, “We’re not evil god worshippers,” they only provoked him further, which shocked Professor Garcia.
And even the soldiers were a little surprised.
They revealed the count’s status and yet he wasn’t afraid?
Even if they were lunatics and ignored it, a reaction like, “Everyone, run away!” was unexpected.
The soldiers quickly found out why they had reacted that way.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Lee Han began to finish off the remaining barricades with Water Orb Projectiles.
Firing off magic with the intent to break every bone of anyone blocking his way, the soldiers on the bridge scrambled to jump into the river.
Professor Garcia shouted out to the soldiers who’d leapt into the river, trying to explain.
“We’re actually from Einrogard! I don’t think you saw our flag! We ask for your understanding!”
The soldiers who’d jumped into the river were too busy spitting out water and swimming to hear him. Only a few soldiers left at the destroyed checkpoint wore dazed expressions.
“E-Even if you’re from the magic school… can you really just act however you want?”
-You can.
-When someone’s pissed and you keep provoking them, this is what happens. Don’t you know that?
The knights sneered as they kicked the remaining soldiers into the river. The soldiers fell in with screams.
Lee Han then asked seriously,
“Shouldn’t we interrogate them to check for evidence of collusion with evil god worshippers?”
-…Ah. Y-yes, of course!
The knights quickly threw chains and dragged the soldiers back out.
That earlier comment had actually been serious…!
When the Empire was founded, the noble houses that cooperated with the Emperor and the archmages each received all sorts of different privileges.
You could find quite a few houses that, even if they weren’t great noble houses, at least had one hereditary privilege.
Count Buyong was one such noble, possessing juicy rights such as the right to collect tolls over areas that included three villages.
Of course, you mustn’t get the wrong idea.
Imperial nobles had no rights to act as willfully as those of ancient times.
Even the toll right was, strictly speaking, less about pocketing the money and more about collecting it on behalf of the Empire.
That, in fact, was already enough. You might not rule like a despot, but you could still make plenty of money.
You could share authority with tax collectors and pocket the money, or raise tolls with various excuses…
But you still had to be sly. You had to do it with finesse.
The Empire was vast and the central bureaucracy crowded, so your chances of getting caught were slim, but the clueless ones always went too far, bringing in the inspectors.
Count Buyong prided himself on this point.
Especially, the fact he accumulated the maximum amount of wealth without tarnishing the family honor or getting caught.
But misfortune always struck suddenly.
This year’s sudden western drought and heat wave had even Count Buyong rattled.
“Of all times, why a drought this year. Why now!”
The now skinny count paced nonstop in his study, far too anxious to sit still.
By imperial law, every region had to stockpile emergency relief supplies for natural disasters, and Count Buyong himself was the one responsible.
Normally, it was no big deal. He could requisition from local merchants and then quietly swap the supplies out for poorer quality ones without getting caught.
But with a sudden disaster like this, it was a different story.
Worse, this year the Count had not just swapped the relief supplies for low-quality ones, but had actually siphoned them off and sold them for cash!
Recently, he had heavily invested in the capital’s confectioner’s guild, but after they lost to the baker’s guild, he had, out of character, taken bolder steps to make up the loss… never expecting a disaster would hit.
“Calm yourself, my lord. I’m certain you’ll manage in time.”
The butler soothed Count Buyong.
“You ordered the soldiers to block the road. Don’t forget you have the authority to manage the bridge.”
The count nodded anxiously.
At the moment, Count Buyong had used his authority to order the checkpoint soldiers to block all access to the area.
The checkpoint soldiers were, in effect, privately paid by the count, and none refused.
The reason? That could be figured out later: bandits had appeared, they were protecting travelers from bands of thieves, the plague was severe so they had to close the road…
“…Or just say evil god worshippers appeared.”
“No, my lord! Then the knights will come.”
“R-right. I must be out of my mind. You’re right.”
Count Buyong snapped back to his senses.
You had to make the excuse plausible—what evil god worshippers? That was an unlucky excuse.
Anyway, with all the troublesome outsiders like capital inspectors, regional officials, church priests blocked, all that was left was to secure the relief supplies again.
Once he got the relief supplies, he’d have nothing to fear from anyone snooping around.
“I heard the number of priests in the area has increased lately, but they won’t get suspicious, will they? Try to break through by force?”
“My lord. If there’s no sign of evil god worshippers, there’s no way priests would do something like that. You know their temperament well.”
Unless it was a special situation, church priests weren’t violent.
If blocked, they might frown, but they’d just choose another route.
That’s why the count gave the order.
“Come on, these merchant bastards! Hurry up and collect the supplies! If I get caught, you’ll all pay too!”
Count Buyong cursed the merchants.
The merchants scrambling around now were longtime associates.
Doing bad things was always hard alone.
These were the same merchants who usually helped the count swap out cheap supplies, raise tolls, and manipulate various rights.
So if there was trouble with the stolen supplies, they had to help, too. If the count got caught, they’d get caught as well.
And still the supplies weren’t ready…
“These idiots, greedy little vermin, and I gave you bastards special privileges.”
Bang!
“My lord! We’ve secured the supplies! As soon as we finished the contract with the northern company, we got the fastest carriage from Richmond’s men. It’ll be here within the day!”
“Ooh!”
When the merchants burst in, Count Buyong’s face brightened instantly.
As if his curses a moment ago were a lie, the count poured praise on the merchants.
“You are the heroes of the land and the lifeblood of the Empire!”
“Thank you, my lord!”
The count gave an especially tight hug to Naseda, the leader of these merchants and the one overseeing this entire matter.
“Naseda, you are my right arm, my own Gonadaltes!”
“I’m truly honored!”
It was high praise—comparing someone to the archmage who aided the founding emperor, called even his right arm.
Of course, if the Imperial Emperor or the archmage saw this, both would be furious…
“As soon as the supplies reach the warehouse, everyone go back to your posts, and I’ll cancel the road closure order. Oh, prepare a donation as well. The priests might have taken offense.”
Bang!
Before the delighted count could even finish speaking, someone else burst through the door.
The messenger, having run nonstop to deliver his news, was sweat-drenched.
It was rude behavior, but Count Buyong just smiled.
“Have you heard we secured the supplies?”
“It’s awful!! The Einrogard mages have forced their way into the territory!”
“……”
“……”
Like cold water thrown in the room, the mood instantly froze.
The merchants shouted first in dismay.
“Why would Einrogard mages come here?! Must be some misunderstanding!”
“Maybe they confused them with some other mages? It must be a Baldrogard mage! Right, Baldrogard! Maybe it’s a Baldrogard mage!”
“If it’s a Baldrogard mage, fine! I know the Baldrogard mages…”
The messenger shook his head fiercely and shouted,
“They’re definitely Einrogard mages. The southern bridge checkpoint has been completely destroyed…”
“Destroyed?”
Count Buyong froze.
Einrogard had all sorts of privileges as the imperial magic school, including unrestricted passage rights, but unrestricted destruction wasn’t one of them.
Blocking the road was their fault, but this was too much!
An idea flashed through the count’s mind, and the merchants seemed to have had the same thought.
“My lord. Use this as an excuse to tie them up.”
“That’s right! Say the checkpoint was closed for a moment because of bandits, and complain they were too much for destroying it.”
If they suggested a meeting to resolve misunderstandings and delayed arrival, it seemed possible to buy time.
Just a day, and the supplies would arrive, and then he could apologize for overzealousness…
“Naseda, my right arm, my Gon… no, never mind, can I trust you with this?”
He almost said Gonadaltes, but got a bad feeling and changed it.
The merchant laughed heartily. Surely he could easily handle a few mages.
“Don’t worry. I’ll tie up the mages in a way they’ll never notice.”
Neither the count, butler, nor merchants noticed, in their excitement over their clever plans,
that the most important thing was understanding exactly why the Einrogard magicians were acting so violently.
“Hm. So they’re not evil god worshippers.”
Lee Han muttered quietly.
When the knights started serious questioning about connections to evil god worshippers, the soldiers, realizing how dire things were, confessed the truth in tears.
-We don’t believe in anything like that!
-I’m a Fleming Order follower…! …Wait, Priest. Aren’t you from the Fleming Order? I’m a Fleming Order believer! I donated as a kid! Please vouch for me!
-…I-I’m not Fleming Order. Pr… It’s Prisinga Order.
-…Priest Siana…
-I can’t help it, I’m scared! Look at Lord Wardanaz’s eyes!
Lee Han had hoped for some remnant of the vile Singuiros Order hidden among the soldiers, but no matter how hard he dug, nothing came up.
What he did learn was that the orders had come from the count who oversaw tax collection.
“Do you think the bandits are real?”
“I’m not sure, Professor Kim.”
Professor Kirmin didn’t fully believe the soldiers.
After all, the count wouldn’t tell lowly soldiers everything.
“Disasters do bring more bandits… but very few would stop taking tolls just for traveler safety.”
“I thought so. Count Buyong didn’t seem like that sort of person.”
“One thing is for sure.”
“?”
“Whether it’s bandits or the count’s private soldiers, we’d better not stand out while passing through here.”
“…Should I try persuading Student Lee Han?”
Glancing at his student, whose sharp gaze was scanning everywhere for hidden evil god worshippers, Professor Garcia whispered.
“There’s no need.”
“Pardon?”
“Wardanaz needs somewhere to blow off steam too. Bandits or the count’s soldiers are better than Einrogard students.”
‘Ah, right. This guy’s Professor Baegrek’s friend.’