Chapter 51

"But Your Highness, wasn't this really just a stroke of luck? In this continent with its distinct four seasons and such complex natural changes, it's impossible for it to be warm all year round..."

"Don't worry about that, just keep going. And for now, don't expand the scale. I'll have the land in other directions reclaimed and allocate it as farmland."

"Wh-What? Ah... Yes, sir!"

Amy and the others nodded without further argument at my words.

Greed in excess is never a good thing.

It's important to maintain the balance of supply and demand.

"Monmither, discuss with the steward of Bernil to make adjustments to the facilities within the estate. For now, just fix the places that are unusable. We'll do a major overhaul after I return."

"I will take care of it."

"Since we can't ignore the royal summons, I'll go and come back."

Without any lingering, I stood up from my desk and put on my lightly packed luggage.

"Your Highness, what about the escort?"

"I'll go alone."

"Alone?"

At my absurd statement, the steward of Bernil was about to say something but fell silent.

It's certainly not a normal situation, but there's nothing I can do about it.

* * *

Recalling the memories left by Surt, who was once called the Thousand-Year Night, it was certain that his dungeon was somewhere between the Haines estate and the capital.

But I can't pinpoint it exactly.

After all, he was a person from thousands of years ago.

They say that in ten years, the landscape changes.

After thousands of years, it's honestly uncertain whether his legacy still remains in the same place.

It wouldn't be strange if someone had already plundered the ruins and taken Surt's legacy.

No matter how excellent a seal is, it eventually weakens over time.

Isn't the best example right in front of me?

-Your gaze when you look at me is strange.

"It's nothing."

-Hmm...

She narrowed her eyes and glared at me, looking somewhat displeased.

-You're not thinking something strange about me, are you?

You're looking at me as if I'm a witness to the broken seal.

"Sure, sure."

-...

She continued to look at me with a distrustful expression, and I smiled and looked around.

"We've arrived."

-Isn't this Balharashad?

"That's right."

Before heading to the palace, I arrived at a place that was quite famous on the continent.

One of the few tourist attractions in the Kingdom of Rau and a territory under the jurisdiction of the Barrietta Dukedom, which the Continental Union is actively working to preserve and study.

And...

The home of Queen Riness, who is practically my enemy.

-This isn't a good place for you.

"Still, it seems the noble faction is in quite a state. The atmosphere is tense."

Due to my appearance as a free mercenary rather than a prince or lord, no one recognized me.

If the nobles who know my face saw me, it would be a different story,

But the entire territory had a very strict atmosphere from the moment I entered the gate.

"Identification."

"Here it is."

"Hmm... Davey."

Davey, an F-class free mercenary.

It was a carefully prepared false identity for coming here.

The same name?

There are plenty of people with the same name, so what's the problem?

The guard, who had been staring at me silently, suddenly looked at my rank.

F-class. A rank that signifies a complete novice mercenary.

"Hah."

At the same time, a subtle sneer appeared on his lips.

"No, go back."

"What do you mean?"

"You must be here to explore the newly discovered labyrinth. Don't think you can do something big and get out of here. Get lost!"

He pushed me roughly, and his actions were extremely rough.

What was surprising was that no one found his behavior strange.

As if it was a common occurrence.

"Hah, what's going on here?"

I let out a hollow laugh, and he glanced at my feet with a look of annoyance and shouted.

"Next!"

His actions clearly showed that he had no intention of paying me any more attention.

"..."

Even if it's the territory of the noble faction, specifically the Barrietta Dukedom,

The country is teetering on the brink, with talk of a complete overhaul due to the excessive influence of the nobles, but the situation seemed even more serious upon closer inspection.

"Hey."

An old man approached me as I stood staring at the city gate.

"Did you come from far away?"

"Well, yes."

"Tsk tsk. You still don't know much."

"Is something wrong with the territory?"

"No, nothing much."

The old man sighed deeply and shook his head at my question.

"Look over there."

Following his gaze...

-It's rotten.

People were shoving money into the guards' hands as if paying a toll to pass through the gate.

The amount wasn't large, but this was clearly an illegal act under national law.

Toll.

Haven't the laws regarding this been revised for a long time?

As I silently watched the guards, the old man patted my shoulder and took something small out of his pocket, placing it in my hand.

"Tch... That guy, he's completely emotionless."

The old man clicked his tongue.

"There's nothing you can do. Take this and go in."

"Sir?"

"This should be enough, even if it's a bit short. Don't get beaten up for nothing, take it."

Since I was in disguise, I was a commoner. If I entered as a prince, the Barrietta Dukedom would inevitably notice.

I wanted to handle things quietly, but what kind of situation is this?

"Why the money..."

"Hehe, it reminds me of my young grandson back home. Don't cause trouble and take it."

The old man's intentions were genuine.

Even the information check I used reflexively confirmed his sincerity.

I felt a chill run down my spine, despite being grateful.

'Oh, this...'

-Do as you wish.

The demonic whisper of Perseus echoed in my mind.

While it's not wrong for a demon to say such things,

Her whisper was indeed very welcome.

-That's right, my contractor isn't the type to do complicated detours when the path is blocked.

Ignoring her muttering, I returned the money pouch to the old man's hand.

"Thank you, but I'll save this money to buy a gift for your grandson."

The old man's face showed confusion at my words.

"You...?"

"I don't need it."

With that, I slowly stood up.

I brushed off the dirt from my body and walked forward.

"Huh? What, you're still here?"

Seeing me not leave, the guard looked annoyed and extended his hand.

"Hand it over."

Without hesitation, he was demanding the toll.

It was a very familiar gesture.

"Unless you are a foreigner or part of a large caravan for trade, no toll is collected."

"What?"

At my words, his eyes narrowed slightly. But I continued.

"Collecting tolls from individuals is illegal and strictly controlled by national law."

"Hah... What is this kid talking about?"

He started to chuckle at my words.

The other guards around him also began to laugh and snicker at me.

They had reason to.

A sudden novice mercenary was acting all high and mighty and spouting nonsense.

"So."

The guard in front of me finally asked, threateningly.

"What are you trying to say? Get out of here right now..."

"I'm giving you one last warning. Return all the money you've collected and admit your guilt. I'll consider leniency."

The authoritative tone.

It was a bit theatrical, but it didn't matter. What did it matter?

It was just a process like the Miranda rights.

The famous line from police dramas: "You have the right to an attorney and the right to remain silent."

"Ha ha ha ha!!"

"Look at this guy, hahaha!"

At my words, the guards burst into laughter and snickered.

At the same time, their faces showed signs of unease, realizing the situation was not good.

The old man who had tried to help me looked pale.

It wouldn't be strange if I were to fall to their swords at any moment.

Swish!!

And just as they expected, one of the guards drew his sword and pointed it at my neck.

"Hey, rookie mercenary. Do you know where you are?"

"Do you think anything will change if you kill me?"

"Do you have any intention of following the law?"

"Hah. Here, we are the law! And in this territory, Duke Barrietta is the law!"

At my question, they shouted brazenly.

That was enough.

"Yeah, I thought so."

"What?"

"This guy!"

Their voices grew louder, as if their moods had soured, and the atmosphere quickly became chaotic.

The old man, trying to defuse the situation, stepped forward, but I extended my hand to stop him.

I didn't want him to get involved and complicate things.

Smack!

As soon as I moved, my hand struck the back of the guard's hand holding the sword.

His grip loosened, and he dropped the sword. I seized the opportunity and snatched it.

The balance was terrible, and the material of the sword was the worst.

It was an impossible action without considerable skill or strength, but my strength was enough to rip a human head off with my bare hands.

Do you think Swordmasters are called "demigods" for nothing?

"Ah?"

Swish!!!

The moment I gripped the poorly balanced longsword, a white flash of light cut through the air, slicing a round object.

Without even drawing an Aura or Aura Blade, the sheer weight of the sword made the swing not particularly fast.

But it was already fast enough to be invisible to the average person's eyes.

Everyone fell silent, and I looked at the round object falling to the ground, then turned to the other guards and declared:

"The crime of forcibly and extorting taxes from the citizens is equivalent to embezzlement of public funds and is punishable by immediate execution. The responsibility extends to all who have tacitly accepted this situation and are aware of it."

Technically, their jurisdiction lies with the Duke of Barrietta, the lord of this territory.

But the crime of insulting the royal family had already been unjustly established, and even if it hadn't, I wasn't the one to care.

I just wanted to see the face of the noble under the Barrietta Dukedom who was managing the territory in the Duke's absence.

"Is it so hard for you to live that you have to extort money from struggling commoners?"

At my words, the atmosphere at the Balharashad city gate turned cold as if doused with cold water.

"Bring the manager. You scum, worse than dogs."

My words cut through the air again, cold and sharp.