Chapter 93

"Please let it go! I beg you! If you take my daughter, I will have no reason to live!"

Alti's father, bowing his head to the ground, pleaded with the magician.

Alti seemed to not fully understand the situation, but she clung to her father, trembling in fear from the hostility she felt from the private soldiers in front of her.

"Lord Lagal is not malicious for issuing such an edict. This is a rule to save you. Currently, the residents of the designated eight districts of the Lagal viscount's territory do not have an environment to raise children properly. In the designated eight districts, eighty percent of the children die before they turn fifteen. If you are paying the special tax, you are considered to have the means to raise a child and are exempted. But you haven't paid, have you? You can either let your child die by being selfish and doing nothing, or entrust her to Lord Lagal and give her a guaranteed life..."

The magician spoke calmly.

"I can't believe that! Specifically, what will Alti be made to do, and where?"

"Yes, yes, I understand. I am not a monster. I have no intention of forcing anyone. If you are not convinced, I will persuade you until you are. Lord Lagal has ordered me to ensure that each and every person is convinced."

The magician nodded thoughtfully.

"Bring the compensation bag."

"Of course, Forbain-sama!"

The magician called out to the private soldier standing behind him.

The private soldier, addressing the magician as Forbain, handed him a burlap sack.

(The burlap sack contains silver coins...)

The gleam of silver could be seen from the opening of the bag.

It was not something he was giving to just anyone.

Originally, it was a system where the compensation bag was exchanged for a child by force.

"What do you mean? Can I hear your explanation..."

Alti's father was confused.

Naturally, he was confused. He was told he would be given a convincing explanation, but then suddenly presented with a bag of money, which made no sense to him.

Forbain nodded vigorously, extended his arm to cut off the man's words, and fiddled with his robe to extract three gold coins, which he placed in the burlap sack.

"W-What? Huh?"

Confusion was evident on Alti's father's face.

"Is this satisfactory? How many days of work, where you sacrificed your sleep and your body, does this amount to?"

Forbain laughed from behind his mask.

The private soldiers behind him also laughed.

"Here, here, you want it, don't you? The money! Look! Look!"

He shook the bag, showing it off by swaying it from side to side.

Then, he tipped it upside down, scattering silver and gold coins around.

The coins rained down mercilessly on the back and head of the man, who was still bowing to the ground.

"Pick them up, pick them up! Hahaha! No matter how much you try to act tough, you beggars can't help but want this, can you? Hahaha, hahaha! Ah, it's always so amusing to see this!"

Alti's father remained frozen for a moment, but then began to gather the coins that had fallen to the ground.

Seeing this, the magician and the private soldiers laughed.

"Well, I'll be taking that girl. I hope you will taste the joy and offer another healthy child to Lord Lagal in the future."

Forbain said politely, bowed deeply, and bent his waist.

Alti's father, who had gathered the coins with both arms, extended his arms to Forbain.

"If the money cannot be used for my daughter, it has no meaning... Please, please... let it go. That is my only wish. I cannot bear to think that Alti will be happy if I entrust her to you..."

"Huh? Are you stupid?"

Forbain's tone became harsh as he bent the man's head further down, peering into his face from close range through his mask.

"I'm making the maximum concessions to avoid unnecessary rumors, and you're getting cocky! A troublesome brat turning into gold? Isn't that great? I'm done, kill the man and take the girl."

With Forbain's declaration, the three private soldiers behind him moved.

"You should have done this from the start. It's a waste of money to give it to such a guy."

"Right, right. We could even keep it for ourselves by telling Luruk-sama that we exchanged the girl for money and pocketed it."

Alti's father panicked on the spot.

Alti, holding her father's hand, looked at Rambert pleadingly.

"I observed quietly to understand the situation, but this is enough."

Rambert drew his greatsword.

"No matter how you try to justify it with words, you are just dirty slave traders. I will cut you down."

One of the private soldiers laughed through his nose, pointing his sword at Rambert.

"Bad luck, you outdated, super-ugly armored man. Recently, the higher-ups have been afraid of information leaks. You might as well die."

In the next instant, a vertical slash cut through the private soldier's armor.

His body flew backward, spewing blood.

The impact against the wall caused his organs to spill out through the gaps in the cut.

"Correct that. By the testimony of the Regius Kingdom's guardian knights, this is the traditional armor of a noble mage, the Regionicus Orgajella Armor. It is not an outdated, super-ugly armor."

Even if he wanted to correct it, it was impossible.

The private soldier's eyes were vacant, and blood flowed from his mouth.

It was clear that he had died instantly.

The remaining two private soldiers were wide-eyed.

They could see that the man in the great armor had swung his greatsword to cut the other down.

However, they could not see the sword technique at all.

Despite the greatsword being visibly heavy, it was as if it had moved too fast to be seen.

"Come at me all at once, I will take you on."

Rambert said to Forbain.

Forbain's face was hidden behind his mask, but his shoulders were shaking.

It was clear that he was shaken by Rambert's sword technique.