Chapter 23

It's about time the stock...

"Leader! How was it?"

"Almost all white, for sure. But..."

I informed everyone that the army of King Verm was approaching.

"It's fine, right? Let's just return them."

"In this case, the trouble is making contact with the Kingdom of King Verm. It's already too late, anyway."

They really brought in something troublesome.

Now, what should we do?

"Should we hand them over to King Verm, or hide them and prepare for a confrontation with King Verm?"

If King Verm isn't around, we could probably accommodate about thirty people.

At first, they might be a burden, but increasing the population is always better.

Besides, I've decided to help those who can be helped.

Children are of course the top priority, but if possible, I'd like to help adults as well.

But I don't want to be criticized by King Verm.

The top priority is everyone here.

"Um... Will King Verm really confront us?"

Soyong raised her hand and asked.

"Who knows? But looking at his governance and how he became king..."

"That's not what I mean... Those people are the ones who once fled. Bringing them back and monitoring them will be difficult, I think."

Now that she mentions it, that might be true.

They fled at night, so they're bad debts. If we bring them back, they might run away again. There's also the risk of them allying with a foreign country.

Is there really any benefit to securing thirty people at such a cost?

Thinking about it normally, the tax revenue from thirty people would be less than the military force needed to monitor them.

I would give up.

Give up and distribute the farmland they abandoned to my vassals to ease their discontent.

Huh?

If that's the case, why are they chasing them?

Come to think of it, that soldier said something ominous.

Could it be...

"Those who flee are traitors. All traitors must be killed."

Tetra said something ominous.

So that's it. They're going to be killed as an example.

That would be effective.

For a thousand people, it would affect tax revenue, but for thirty, it wouldn't be a problem.

Probably, the soldiers haven't been told to kill them to maintain morale.

No one wants to kill their own people, after all.

"Then we should help them. They haven't done anything wrong."

"That's true. I agree with helping them."

Rosward and Ron showed their agreement.

"I'm in favor, too."

Graham also agreed.

"I think we should help them. It's too sad for them to be killed."

Soyong also agreed.

I remember Tetra was in favor, too.

"Since I'm their parent... If I let them die, it would be the same, wouldn't it..."

Lulu showed her agreement, albeit reluctantly.

"Anyone else? Raise your hand if you're against it."

No one raised their hand.

"Who's in favor?"

Everyone raised their hand.

That's settled, then.

____________________________

"Everyone... We've decided to accept you."

When I said that, the refugees... the new villagers cheered.

"But the decision could still be reversed depending on your actions."

When I said that, the new villagers nodded solemnly.

They seem to understand their position.

As long as they behave, I have nothing to say.

"Yar, right? Come here. We need to talk."

I called the representative of the new villagers.

First, we need to discuss how to deal with King Verm's army.

I gathered Yar, Tetra, Ron, Rosward, Graham, Soyong, and Lulu inside the building.

These seven are the leaders of this village.

Ron and Rosward are strong and responsible.

Graham is the best archer in the village and is decisive.

Soyong and Lulu are the village's few magical combatants.

Tetra... well, you know.

Yar will have to manage the new villagers from now on.

"Now, the topic is how to deal with King Verm's approaching army."

When I said that, Yar looked shocked.

Come to think of it, I haven't explained it to him yet. Oh well.

"For now, we're accepting these people on the premise that King Verm is trying to kill them. What if King Verm is stupid and is just trying to retrieve them?"

"In that case... We'll give him some tribute to appease him."

If he's stupid, he might back down with that.

Besides, it feels wrong to go back on our word after saying we'd accept them.

That's when I remembered King Rosais' comment about "crying to him."

Did he mean that we'd lose wheat as tribute...

"What if that doesn't work?"

"...We'll have to ask them to leave."

Yar remained silent, looking down.

In the end, he has no real say in this matter.

But we'll probably have to give tribute when King Verm arrives. He has two hundred men.

If we don't hand it over peacefully, they'll probably come to plunder.

So we'll have to give him wheat, no matter what. Damn... We might really have to cry to him.

"That's enough. Let's assume King Verm is coming to kill everyone. The new villagers will have to strip. If we take their clothes, it will look like they were killed. We also have the bones of the animals we ate yesterday and the bones of the hero near the Griffin's nest. With those, the story will be more believable. This will save face for him."

We don't actually need to kill the villagers.

We just need to make it look like we did.

The only problem is silencing the mouths of the two hundred soldiers.

Considering that talkative soldier, it might be impossible.

"So, the problem is what to do if King Verm sets his sights on our village. In that case... We'll try to appease him with tribute for now."

"The amount matters. If he takes a huge amount every year, we'll suffer."

"For now, let's endure for a year. During that year, we'll gather weapons. We'll use those weapons as leverage in negotiations."

If he still demands an excessive amount...

There's no choice.

"The problem is how much we can give. How much do we have in reserve?"

"We have a decent amount. Our agricultural technology is better than theirs, so we can bluff about the amount. We'll give them seventy percent of our actual harvest, claiming it's fifty percent."

Tetra calculated the amount of reserves in her head.

It's enough for us to eat, but not enough to feed the refugees.

We might really have to cry to King Rosais...

He's really annoying. That bald bastard.

"We'll make up the difference with honey, fur, and alcohol."

Paper and Sueki pottery are out of the question.

They're too valuable.

They'll ask how to make them.

Honey is valuable, but it's fine since it can be collected from natural beehives.

The general plan is set.

"Alright! Prepare the tribute. Also, hide the stored wheat just in case."

The rest depends on my negotiation skills.

"Oh, right. There's something I need to say first."

Everyone's attention turned to me.

"I'm getting married after this negotiation is over."

____________________________

"Really, fleeing is such a hassle. They should just start a rebellion. Then there would be no need to chase them."

Ferm said, sounding annoyed.

If it's a hassle, he doesn't need to go himself.

But he's a serious person, so he's making the effort to go.

His decisiveness and seriousness made him king.

"Are you really going to kill them all?"

"Of course. Understand this: if you show any leniency, the same thing will happen again."

This time, it's only thirty people, so it won't affect the majority.

But if it were a hundred or two hundred, it would be a different story.

It's better to crush the seeds of rebellion.

"Understand this: it's important to do such cruel things all at once and thoroughly. By the way, preparations for invading King Rosais' country are complete. We can feed the people with the food from that invasion."

"Hmm, I see. I know the king is strong, but the problem is the landowners."

The landowners who conspired with Ferm to destroy the As family were dissatisfied with Ferm.

They were unhappy with the high taxes, the lack of important positions, and the inability to live as luxuriously as they did under King Rosais' rule.

They are thoroughly dissatisfied.

"Hmph, ignore them. They can't do anything. Even if they conspire with King Rosais, it won't be a significant blow. It's a chance to get rid of them together. The real problem is those who still swear loyalty to Lagou."

Lagou, the lord, is far from a good ruler. He has made many mistakes.

His defeat in battle against Ferm is evident.

But he is a kind person, and many soldiers and generals are loyal to him.

They only nominally accept Ferm's rule and are waiting for an opportunity to rebel.

But kindness can't fill bellies.

In the end, they were killed by the people, incited by the powerful landowners centered around Ferm.

"It hurts that we let that brat escape."

"He's dead. A ten-year-old child can't survive alone in the forest. He's probably become food for wolves by now."

His aide said he was worrying too much.

"Your Majesty! We've found their location."

"Good work. Where are they?"

"Just a bit south of here. But..."

The male magician hesitated a bit.

"There was a village. The smell of the people comes from there."

"A village?"

Ferm thought about it.

He had heard rumors of a village protected by a Griffin.

But he thought it was just a rumor.

He thought it was just a group of abandoned children trying to survive together.

The Griffin's feathers and iron swords were just things they had found and taken from corpses.

But if there really is a village, it's a different story.

"This is bad... Even we can't win against a god."

"The Griffin doesn't get involved in human affairs. There's no problem. Besides, its territory is deeper in. There's no problem."

Ferm said.

In fact, the Griffin sees Almus and the others as independent beings and has stopped supporting them.

So his prediction is correct.

"That's true. In the worst case, if the Griffin appears, we can retreat immediately."

The aide muttered.

After a while, the view opened up, and the trees became sparse, with more stumps appearing.

"Is that it? It's a decent size."

Ferm muttered, looking at the village in the distance.

Judging from the number of houses and the size of the fields, it's a village of about a hundred to a hundred and fifty people.

The village has a simple fence and moat to keep out wolves.

"Huh? Someone's coming out."

About forty to fifty people came out of the village entrance, armed with bows and swords.

"Should we exterminate them?"

"No, that's not necessary. They seem to want to talk."

A man stepped forward from the group, riding a horse.

The man slowly approached and stopped about a hundred meters away.

"What is your business, King Ferm?"

The man shouted loudly.

Ferm, slightly surprised, answered.

"First, tell me who you are."

"I am Almus, the one who governs this village."

Ferm squinted to observe the man who called himself Almus.

From his build and the blurry face, he could tell he was a young man.

"I have come to retrieve the citizens of my country who fled to this village! Hand them over peacefully!"

"We can't let people be killed in front of us. We can't accept them."

"How did he know I was planning to kill them all?"

An ordinary person wouldn't think of such a terrifying idea.

He must be very intelligent or politically savvy.

"Then let's talk. Come here alone!"

When Ferm called out, the young man started moving forward alone.

He has quite a lot of courage.

The young man stopped at about ten meters away.

At this distance, his face was visible.

His hair and eyes were gray. He had a muscular, well-trained body, visible even through his clothes.

He was wearing quite good clothes.

"Nice to meet you, King Ferm. Should we get closer?"

"No, that's not necessary. You wouldn't feel at ease either."

Ferm answered.

"Now, why won't you accept them?"

"Our village has a small population. If you're going to kill them, it won't be a problem for us to accept them, right?"

The young man answered.

He showed no signs of fear towards Ferm.

He seems to have a lot of nerve.

"That's not an option. I have my reputation to consider. I need the bodies."

"Then there's no problem. We have the bones of bandits who attacked the village in the past. Just the bones, but we can give them to you. We've been displaying them, but we're getting tired of looking at them."

Ferm involuntarily frowned at those words.

He looks like a good young man, but he seems to be a bit of a rogue.

Even Ferm, who is known for his cruelty, doesn't have the hobby of displaying skeletons.

"There aren't enough."

"We can make up for it with animal bones. We have them just right. Also, please take their clothes with you. It will make the story more believable."

Ferm thought for a moment.

For him, as long as it looks like they were killed, it's fine.

So accepting the young man's proposal is good. The only problem is silencing the soldiers behind him.

The enemy is forty, a fifth of his men. He can definitely win, but if they fortify themselves, there will be some damage.

Also, considering they are refugees and non-combatants, he wants to avoid a fight.

It would be foolish to lose soldiers here.

"Fine. But can you afford to support thirty people?"

Ferm licked his lips.

"I will make this village a part of your country. Is that acceptable?"

"That's fine. But I want a promise of autonomy."

"That's fine. As long as you pay taxes. How about eighty percent of the village's harvest?"

Ferm had no intention of governing such a village.

He just wanted to take as much as he could.

Since they are not his own people, he doesn't need to hold back.

If they refuse, he can destroy them.

It's more profitable to attack if it's less than eighty percent, and to accept tribute if it's more than eighty percent.

As long as he gets the grain, he can keep the country going for a while.

After that, he can just leave the village alone.

It's not worth sending soldiers here, and it's close to King Rosais' capital.

If he sends soldiers, this man will probably refuse.

He might seek help from King Rosais.

If that happens, the soldiers he sends will be wiped out. He won't gain anything.

"Right away?"

"Of course. You haven't eaten all the spring harvest, have you? Let me tell you, it's pointless to try to deceive me. I can tell how much you can harvest from the size of the village."

If he doesn't act now, the man will call King Rosais' army.

It has to be now.

If he had a larger army, he could capture the village without much damage... but this village is just a bonus.

There's no choice.

"Eighty percent? That's too much. Can you accept sixty percent? In return, we'll give you our village's specialty, honey and fur."

"Hmm, honey...?"

Honey is very expensive and rarely eaten.

Depending on the amount, it's not a bad deal.

"Seventy percent. I'll make an exception for you."

"Understood. I'll prepare it immediately. Please wait a moment."

The young man said and returned to the village.

After a while, the men brought out carts loaded with jars.

"Here you go."

"Quite quick. Were you prepared?"

When Ferm said that, the young man smiled.

"Well, that's fine. I've gained an unexpected harvest. Let's return. And I need to execute anyone who leaked the information about my arrival."

Ferm turned his horse and faced away from the village.

Another chapter is nearing its end, but I haven't finished writing the second chapter yet.

I might take a writing break after finishing the first chapter.