Chapter 87

"Explanation?"

"Yes, I'm asking what you mean by that."

A woman with her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, exuding a somewhat sexy aura, stood there. She was the secretary of Prince Sting, and she questioned me with a voice that carried a sense of intimidation. Behind her stood Silas and his companions, who were supposed to have been adventurers until a few days ago, now wearing cloaks emblazoned with the national emblem.

"Hey, you were a great help before."

When Silas met my gaze, he glared back with eyes full of resentment.

"You guys, when did you switch to being bodyguards? Or did you take on a guard mission from the Adventurer's Guild?"

"Hah! I quit being an adventurer a long time ago!"

Silas spat out the words.

"Yeah, I heard from the guild that you were penalized for failing your previous mission. So, there was a conflict, huh?"

"Shut up! Whose fault do you think it is—"

Silas started to bark at me but quickly clamped his mouth shut.

"Yeah, that's right! But now, I feel so much better! Being a lord's guard is way better than the dead-end job of an adventurer, where you barely make ends meet!"

Silas and his companions chimed in together, "That's right, that's right."

However, when Valka cleared her throat, they all looked embarrassed.

"Please refrain from irrelevant talk."

"Oops, sorry, Valka."

"Let's get back to the matter at hand."

Valka looked at me again.

"This village is under the jurisdiction of our lord, Prince Sting, and thus part of the tourist city of Vizer. I would appreciate it if you didn't act on your own."

"What do you mean by 'act on your own'?"

I didn't back down from Valka's statement.

"We are simply helping the beastmen who were expelled from the city for unclear reasons and forced to live in poor conditions."

"That is precisely what I mean by acting on your own."

Valka's gaze was intense.

She reminded me of Beltona, the receptionist at the capital's Adventurer's Guild. But unlike Beltona, Valka's hostility was genuine, adding a sharp edge to her pressure. Of course, I had no intention of backing down.

"Originally, the lord planned to restore this land. We knew that the land had been drained of its power by Lady Antimishka, a member of the royal family, and had become barren due to environmental destruction."

Valka spoke matter-of-factly.

"The original plan was this: to exile the beastmen, who were causing problems in the city, as criminals. By placing them in this harsh environment, we hoped they would realize how fortunate they had been. Once they showed signs of repentance, we would spread the word that 'they have sufficiently atoned for their sins' and work to restore their relationship with the city's residents. At the same time, we would work on regenerating the land. You acted on your own and did it prematurely."

You talk a lot.

If the goal was to make the beastmen atone for their sins, why did you leave them to become bandits and let the Adventurer's Guild handle the extermination? You just wanted to let things play out and take credit when it was all over.

"I understand."

But there was no point in pressing this issue now.

I bowed slightly.

"Indeed, as you say, our actions were too hasty. I apologize."

"……"

"……But, I have a proposal."

To achieve our original goal, I made a suggestion.

"As an apology, I would like to speak directly with the lord about the future. Could you arrange a meeting for us?"

"That is not possible."

Valka firmly rejected my proposal.

"The lord is very busy. Matters like this are handled by me on his behalf."

"……What about your request?"

"We want you to leave this land immediately and hand over its management to our tourist city, Vizer."

"Are you kidding me?!"

The Berserkers reacted angrily to this statement.

"You ignored us and now you want to come in and take everything when things are going well?!"

"This village was revived because of Mako and the people of Abatos Village!"

"We were saved by Mako and the others! We have no intention of following you! We'll fight to the end!"

Their anger was palpable, and Silas and his group also prepared for battle.

"Wait, everyone."

While the Berserkers' anger was justified, I didn't want things to turn bloody. I wanted to find a peaceful resolution.

"Since you are determined to resist, we have no choice but to do the same."

But they clearly meant business. As I faced Valka, who was adjusting her glasses, I wondered what to do. The tension at the village entrance was starting to affect the visitors, who were becoming restless. I needed to find a way to break the deadlock.

"Well, it's fine, isn't it?"

Then, a person suddenly appeared right next to us and said,

"Huh?"

It was the old man.

The first customer who visited our village a few days ago. He was in a state of despair, wandering aimlessly, but after meeting us, he left, saying he wanted to repay us. Now, he looked different from the last time we met. His hair and beard were neatly groomed, and he wore a high-quality suit. His sharp expression exuded authority. Behind him stood the young men who had come to pick him up the other day.

"Isn't that the old man from the other day?"

"Hello, Mako. It's good to see your business thriving."

The old man smiled at me. Valka, on the other hand, looked surprised when she saw him.

"You are…?"

She was at a loss for words, but the old man smiled and continued.

"As it stands, this discussion is going nowhere. I believe it would be best for both parties to meet directly and find a mutually acceptable compromise."

"What, old man?"

Silas stepped forward, acting like a thug.

"We're busy here, so back off."

As he tried to push the old man away, one of the guards grabbed Silas's arm. It was the well-groomed man who had come to look for the old man the other day.

"What? What do you think you're doing? For your information, I'm a former A-rank—"

Before he could finish, Silas's body collapsed. He had been tackled to the ground, his face pressed into the dirt.

"Ah!"

Silas finally realized his situation and screamed.

"Don't you dare get close to the Commander, scum."

The guard, whose arm creaked as he restrained Silas, muttered.

"…I see."

Iksa spoke up, placing his hand on his forehead and sighing deeply.

"How could I have forgotten…"

"Do you know this person, Iksa?"

"Yes… but it's been nearly ten years since we last met. He's changed, and I didn't recognize him."

Iksa looked up and continued.

"Mr. Bell Durandbach… the King of Finance."

"The King of Finance?"

I tilted my head, not quite understanding.

"Does that mean he's very rich?"

"…To put it bluntly, he's as rich as, if not richer than, the royal family."

"…I see."

That one statement was enough to convey how powerful he was.

"Years ago, he struck it rich by discovering a gold mine using his unique knowledge and research. Since then, he has expanded into various businesses and now controls a significant portion of the country's financial sector."

Iksa pulled out a gold coin from his sleeve, a coin from the Groggar Kingdom.

"Even this gold coin is manufactured and distributed by his organization. The royal family can't afford to treat him with disrespect, and even nobles and underworld figures bow to him. That's the power of the King of Finance."

"Valka."

While Iksa was explaining, Mr. Durandbach was speaking to Valka, who was speechless.

"I manage the flow of money in this country. I am well aware of what the lord of this land is doing beyond that wall."

"……"

"I have no complaints. Thanks to Lord Sting's innovative leadership, the finances of Vizer have improved dramatically. Money is the lifeblood of a nation, and it must flow to prevent decay. In that sense, your lord is a very capable leader."

Mr. Durandbach then looked at me.

"However, the new tourist destination you've created is of equal value. It's sad to see both sides in conflict… How about this? Would you consider meeting me to discuss this matter?"

"…If it's an order from Mr. Durandbach…"

Valka, gritting her teeth, reluctantly agreed. She had no choice.

"I understand. I will report to the lord and arrange a meeting as soon as possible. I will inform you once the details are set."

With that, Valka and her group left. Silas, who had been tackled, hurried after them. It was like a scene from a historical drama. Thanks to Mr. Durandbach's intervention, a meeting with the lord was arranged. This meant we could now proceed with our plans.

"…Thank you, old man."

After watching Valka and her group leave, I turned to Mr. Durandbach, who smiled.

"Mako, this is all I can do for you."

He continued,

"Given my position, I cannot take sides. I must oversee and control the flow of money in this country, sometimes turning a blind eye to the dirty aspects. It's not all about being clean."

"…I understand."

"…But, I can say this: I, too, was saved by you."

He took my hand and said,

"I wish you success."

"…Thank you!"

***

Thanks to Mr. Durandbach's unexpected help, a meeting with the lord was finally arranged.

"Let's review the situation."

Given the circumstances, the other side would likely set a formal date soon. We decided to hold a strategy meeting before then.

"Our goal is to meet Lord Sting and confirm whether the treatment of the Berserkers was justified. If we determine that the Berserkers are innocent, we hope to restore everything to its original state."

"…There's also the possibility of a physical confrontation with Lord Sting."

As I mentioned before, the Demon Race is often involved in this country's affairs. Just like with Nero, it's possible that Lord Sting is being influenced by the Demon's "voice."

"…If necessary. I'm also considering summoning a supervisor for the royal succession battle on the day of the meeting… Hmm?"

Iksa noticed something. Looking around, I saw that the rabbit beastman, Moe, had approached us.

"What's wrong, Moe?"

"Um… um…"

Moe looked uneasy.

"Mako… are you going beyond that wall?"

"Yes, to meet the lord and help the beastmen return to the city—"

"Please! Help my sister!"

Moe suddenly bowed and shouted.

"Huh? Your… sister?"

"My sister is an S-rank adventurer! She went beyond that wall to correct the lord's tyranny and help the Berserkers, but she never came back!"

I was taken aback by this new information. Moe's sister was an S-rank adventurer? She went beyond the wall and never returned?

"…Moe, can you tell me more about this?"