Chapter 4. Go after the weak first. (9)
It was a payment resolution to begin deliveries from her blacksmith shop to the western border.
‘I guess that’s what happened.’
I smiled secretly.
There was no way an outstanding blacksmith like her would collapse like that. She, too, had the strength to escape her pit of despair if she had the chance.
I stamped the stamp vigorously.
‘Diego Kindreal.’
It meant that he would approve the transaction with her. Not me, but as a lord.
‘I’m glad things ended well one way or another.’
Since I benefited greatly from the Guardian’s Gauntlets this time, I thought it would be better to wear other armor.
‘I wonder if there is anything other than a gauntlet.’
The best thing is jewelry. This is because, unlike armor, you can wear multiple pieces on your body.
I touched my empty earlobe. And I traced between my empty fingers.
‘It looks good with accessories, so there’s no need to ruin it.’
If a rugged, giant man wears a ring, he will look hideous. If a handsome boy like me wears it, whatever he wears will become a masterpiece in itself.
‘More than anything, it has the advantage of being able to use magic stones.’
If you craft and embed magic stones, you will be able to see various effects at the same time. Because there are a total of ten fingers.
‘It’s a little early, but there’s no harm in taking action in advance.’
I thought of a girl drinking Firebrandy like water, but then quickly erased it.
Then he asked Philip in a passing tone.
“Are there any rumors going around the village?”
Philip paused and stopped organizing the documents. He looked at me intently, as if trying to figure out my intention, and answered.
“Nothing happened… access was restricted for a while due to maintenance work on Magna Morten, but it has been running without any problems since.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
He grinned and handed over the documents.
I was very satisfied with Philip’s answer. He was sure to give that answer to Lord Diego when he returned tomorrow.
“By the way.”
As I was picking up the next document, Philip lowered his voice and whispered.
“why?”
“Ominous rumors are starting to come from Kader territory.”
Kader.
It was the territory where the slave dealer I had recently wiped out was located.
‘Brothels, gambling houses and even slave trading. When I think about it, it’s a very diverse neighborhood.’
I clicked my tongue and asked.
“Once upon a time it was so quiet there. What’s the rumor?”
“It is said that a pile of bodies was poured out of a store there.”
“If it’s a pile, how big is it?”
I asked back with a calm face. Philip felt chills just thinking about it and shook his head.
“They say there are at least ten bodies. But the problem is the condition of those bodies.”
“What is your condition?”
“That is…….”
Philip trailed off for a moment, as if he was having a hard time putting it into words. Finally, as if he had made up his mind, he opened his mouth.
“It is said that all the corpses look as if they have been in the grave for several years. They are similar to desiccated zombies.
“okay?”
“Yes. Just a few days ago, it was a place that sold dishes. It’s not like it was an abandoned building for several years.”
Philip lowered his voice even further.
“But there are more than one or two strange things.”
“Which one?”
“First of all, I wonder why so many corpses were found in an ordinary tableware store. So, some people are wondering if that place was a place where slave traders used to operate.”
After saying that, Philip swallowed his saliva.
“I guess… it’s not right? Isn’t it true?”
His eyes fluttered with suspicion. Because he knew that I had recently visited a slave dealer.
I glanced at him and tilted my head as if I had no idea.
“what?”
Philip pursed his lips and pleaded with earnest eyes.
‘You didn’t do it, right? Please say yes.’
It was a burning question that I could not bear to say out loud.
“Why are you looking at me like that? If you have something to say, say it.”
At my earnest urging, a sigh of resignation escaped Philip’s teeth. He bowed his head.
“……it’s nothing.”
He seemed to quickly understand that he wouldn’t be able to get any answer from me.
‘What kind of answer did you expect?’
I smiled, looking at the top of his neatly combed head.
“So, what next?”
“…When the guards checked the body, they said they had never seen such a horrible corpse before and they said it was their first time seeing a corpse in such a terrible state. It was like a curse had come upon the scene… That’s how the word is going around.”
“Curse you.”
“Yes, but these rumors are also going around. In fact, there was no curse there, but rather something that a certain demon swordsman did on his own.”
I asked back with interest in my voice.
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“Demon swordsman?”
“Yes. They are saying that a swordsman with black hair and black eyes swept that place away.”
Philip tilted his head. Then, without being noticed, he looked at my hair and eyes.
Anyone can see blue hair and blue-violet eyes. It was a color that could never be mistaken.
“Uh… So,”
The suspicion in Philip’s eyes gradually subsided. I have suspicions that I might be the protagonist of this ominous rumor.
“Rumors abound that it was punishment for those who were running illegal slave shops, or that it was the work of a competitor company, etc.”
“Hmm.”
“However, it is said that no money or items in the store were touched. So, it is difficult to see it as a simple robbery or an act of revenge.”
As he said that, he suddenly had a completely understanding look on his face.
‘Yes, there’s no way you could have killed them all by yourself.’
It was an expression of thinking.
“I see.”
As I nodded silently, Philip continued his explanation.
“As you’ve heard, it’s difficult to kill so many people with just one person. Also, the condition of the corpses is so bizarre… everyone is dismissing it as a rumor.”
“Is that all?”
“yes.”
I picked up the seal again with a look of loss of interest.
‘Did I keep him alive for no reason?’
Those slaves who were drugged and untouched. It seems that some of them have come to their senses.
‘You must have seen it when I was assimilated into Requiem.’
So, I remembered him as a swordsman with black hair and black eyes. It was a very fortunate thing.
I decided to be grateful for this good fortune.
‘Next time I’ll have to kill them all.’
I had to prevent any unnecessary witnesses from finding out my identity. If ‘Abel’s’ action radius is reduced, it becomes inconvenient in many ways.
‘Later, if I kill just a little bit, I’ll be able to fill my stomach.’
I stamped the last document with a smile on my face. I was glad that I could spend my time leisurely for a while.
Philip finished organizing the documents I gave him by tapping them on the desk.
“The following are letters addressed to the Ovest Estate.”
He approached me carrying a thick bundle of letters.
“Tsk, that’s a lot.”
I clicked my tongue briefly and accepted each letter he gave me.
“This is a cooperation letter sent from the southwest Eike territory. It says they are requesting military support due to frequent monster appearances.”
“Our noses are as big as three. Next.”
“The Nar territory sent us a leaflet promoting special products.”
After skimming the leaflet, I crumpled it up.
“Take it away.”
“next…….”
Philip’s speech slowed down.
I threw the flier I had crumpled into a ball up and down and caught it repeatedly, then raised my eyes and looked at him.
“……ah.”
Philip belatedly let out a low groan. In his hand was a thin envelope.
‘aha.’
I immediately recognized the identity of the envelope. But he tilted his head, pretending not to know anything.
“What are you doing if you’re not opening it?”
“Ah, this is….”
Philip’s eyes wandered for a moment, but soon regained their original position.
“Now that I see it, it’s the wrong envelope. I’ll take care of it.”
Then he quickly took out another envelope.
“The following is a promotional leaflet for the winter sea trip held by Sud Estate.”
“Give it to me.”
Without saying anything, I accepted another leaflet from Philip. And while pretending to read the content, I glanced at Philip from the corner of my eye.
“Whew.”
I saw Philip secretly sighing. A look of relief ran down his wrinkled cheeks.
‘… … under.’
I swallowed a bitter smile inside.
‘It’s a face that shows you’ve endured it for ten years.’
Of course, I could have ordered him to bring the envelope back now.
But it didn’t happen. I had no intention of opening it anyway, and I had an idea who the sender was.
An envelope with a colorful design drawn on luxurious off-white paper and a meticulous knot made with red string.
‘It must be a letter from the imperial family.’
But there is no one here who can open that letter right now.
The recipient of the letter, Diego Ovest Kindreal.
Letters from the imperial family are special and should never be opened by anyone other than Diego.
‘Of course, Abel is not a great person to care about such things.’
So Philip hurriedly made up an excuse and stole the letter. I wonder if Abel, who has confirmed the identity of the letter, will try to open it.
‘Hmph, useless thing.’
Anyway, I knew the contents of the letter.
When you untie that knot and unfold it, the first thing you see is the large imperial seal at the top. And below that, you will see the meeting date and agenda written in an old-fashioned font.
‘Regular meeting of nobles.’
This letter is sent to each territory four times a year. To summon each lord to the capital.
At this meeting, the situation of each territory is reported and policies are decided accordingly. As the powerful people of the empire gathered together, its importance was indescribable.
This is because what is decided here will have a decisive impact on the future operation of the territory.
‘But Diego has never been there himself.’
He was absent from every meeting because he had to protect the border. Instead, he would write down his opinions and send his direct article as his proxy.
Even though my son is proud.
‘This means that trust in Abel is at an all-time low.’
Abel in the original did not even know that such an envelope existed.
If I found out that there were regular noble meetings four times a year, and that my father sent a different knight instead of me each time… … .
‘You will know what true immorality is.’
Well, that’s the original Abel story, so I’ll skip it.
Now, I had no intention of doing that. I wasn’t angry or particularly sad about this situation.
I just calmly thought about what to do.
‘Let’s see, this meeting… … .’
It will be held about 15 days from now, on November 1st. And it lasts for about three days.
However, in the original work, Obest Youngji did not attend this meeting.
‘It was because of the appearance of Requiem.’
It took a long time for the news of the Obest Territory, where all its inhabitants were massacred, to reach the capital.
By the time the imperial court became aware of the change, Abel had entered the western mountains under the control of Requiem. He devastated the western mountains, killing monsters at random.
Abel, who has swallowed up such an enormous amount of life, becomes a disaster on the level of a national disaster. Only after the entire army that had stopped him was annihilated did the imperial family urgently summon the knights of each territory.
‘Of course, that won’t happen this time.’
I frowned and looked back at the original text.
“ah.”
And I exclaimed at the realization that felt like it was hitting my solar plexus.
“Cain.”
At this meeting, the main character of the original work appears.
fantasy,
