Chapter 5

"Welcome back, it seems like you've calmed down."

Worm, who had made a grand declaration and resolved to bring about change, found himself with few realistic options. He had to abandon the idea of locking himself in his room from morning.

"Thanks to you, I need some water."

When his brain was numbed by alcohol, he hadn't minded, but now he felt an intense thirst.

"Which water and liquor mix do you want?"

Gangut immediately expanded the drinking options. Worm almost retorted, wondering what Gangut thought of him, but considering his reckless actions over the past year, it was a reasonable suggestion.

"Just water."

This time, the innkeeper's eyes widened as if he had seen an undead like Rais and the others.

"Water...? Are you still feeling unwell?"

Worm, who was worried about just by not drinking alcohol, could only laugh.

"I'm thinking of giving up alcohol."

He managed to force a smile with his stiff facial muscles, but it looked more like a Noh mask twitching.

"That's serious."

Gangut dramatically spread his arms and disappeared into the kitchen. He returned with a ceramic bowl filled with water, which Worm transferred to a wooden cup and drank to quench his thirst.

"Get me some food too."

"It doesn't look like you're in the mood for snacks."

Gangut was sucked back into the kitchen. About ten minutes later, a tray of dishes was laid out: thick slices of bread, a soup with turnips and beans, finely sliced pickled cabbage, and sausages made from minced lamb, seasoned only with salt.

Worm ate voraciously, chewing and swallowing. It had been a long time since he had a proper meal. His stomach, accustomed to alcohol, began to protest with pain, but he finished it all and took a few sips of water. Gangut stood by like a waiter.

"Morning is quiet, huh?"

"Of course. You're one of the few who drinks from morning."

"Hey, Mr. Gangut."

"What's with the formal tone? It's creepy."

The innkeeper narrowed his eyes and gave Worm a suspicious look.

"Is there any work that pays?"

In this foreign city, Worm had very few acquaintances, and among them, the only one he could consult was this innkeeper.

"Ask me... Well, during the great rampage, there was an increase in soldiers to strengthen the border, but now the buffer zone is being held by the buffer zone forces. There's no additional recruitment for the magic silver mine that was a topic of discussion recently. The only other option is to be an adventurer."

"I hate adventurers."

He bluntly stated. For Worm, there were no good memories of adventurers. The only familiar faces among them had perished in the Dandueg Castle.

"Watch your mouth, most of the customers here are adventurers. I used to be one too, you know?"

Worm didn't know the innkeeper was a former adventurer.

"I apologize. Is there anything else?"

"With your appearance... there's no proper work."

Gangut slowly scanned him from head to toe. Despite trying to maintain a composed expression, his beard was overgrown, and his hair was cut haphazardly. He was aware of his appearance, but being called suspicious to his face was frustrating.

"Why are you talking to a customer like this?"

Worm protested, half-jokingly. The innkeeper fell silent, not because he accepted the protest, but because he seemed to be thinking about something.

"...You've changed. Well, if I find any work, I'll introduce it to you. I'll bring you some food, so take your time to think about it."

◆

In the room, the angry voice of Edgar de Dalmarkus, the viscount and head of the Dalmarkus family, who oversees the border with the magic territory and the collapsed Haiselk Empire, echoed.

"Don't play games. A single letter as a final warning, it's clear you have no intention of negotiating."

Edgar's anger, as he threw the opened letter on the table, showed no signs of subsiding. The letter accused the Dalmarkus family and one of the military factions of the former Haiselk Empire of unjustly claiming the jointly developed magic territory and demanded the transfer of control.

"The reclamation of the magic territory is a human duty. How is that unjust? The land where the Meizenauf family's forces were defeated in the past is now well-settled, and mithril mining has begun."

The Meizenauf territory had a river extending from the magic territory, from which fine-grained magic silver could be extracted. The source was believed to be the upstream magic silver mine, and the Meizenauf family had been eager to conquer the magic territory. However, they were repeatedly repelled by powerful monsters.

The situation changed with the great rampage that had targeted humanity. A year ago, the rampage, for which the fallen Ferius was believed to be the mastermind, had shifted the habitat of the monsters, allowing Haiselk soldiers to secure the long-stretching magic silver mine. They then approached Edgar, who ruled the Dalmarkus territory, to jointly mine the mithril.

Some within the family were dazzled by the magic silver and advocated for the exclusion of Haiselk soldiers to operate the mine independently, but Edgar suppressed these opinions.

Despite losing most of their homeland, the Haiselk soldiers, who had managed to hold the southern border of the former Haiselk, were not to be underestimated. Even with a force of 1,500, facing the fanatical Haiselk soldiers would result in significant casualties.

After much deliberation, Edgar had provided soldiers and funds, and together with the desperate neighbors, they had successfully mined mithril. Just as things were starting to go smoothly, the attempt to snatch it away was unacceptable.

The Dalmarkus and Haiselk had not simply taken over the old expedition routes to reach the magic silver mine. The accusation was completely baseless.

There had been many provocations in the past, but direct combat had been avoided. Now, with a large force, they were issuing a final warning. Throughout history, the vast profits from magic silver had driven people to madness.

To maintain the mine, not only the miners but also a strong military force were necessary. The treasure could indeed be destructive, but surrendering to an obvious act of aggression was not an option for Edgar, a viscount.

"They have already gathered troops, numbering over 6,000."

"Apparently, they have even hired mercenary groups and adventurers with nicknames."

Edgar confirmed the situation with his vassal's report. The Meizenauf family, who held a higher rank and more territory, could muster 2,500 soldiers at most, even with a call to arms.

The only good news was that the Haiselk side had responded by sending 500 volunteer soldiers for the mine's defense. Haiselk could not spare more troops for the defense of their homeland, which had turned into a magic territory.

"War is inevitable."

Submission or war, the central government's response would be slow unless the conflict escalated to looting and chaos in the cities. This was a territorial dispute, and the Meizenauf family, known for their contributions and donations, would not allow the central government to mediate.

"We must firmly reject it!!"

"The Count of Meizenauf fears being economically overtaken by our magic silver mine. That's why he's taking such a hard line."

If he accepted the Meizenauf family's demand, he might gain a small profit, but the initial investment would be unrecoverable, and he would face resistance from the Haiselk soldiers.

The northern countries, once considered second-rate, were different in war. Edgar had experienced the strength of the Haiselk soldiers throughout the year. If they became enemies, he would suffer significant losses, and the containment of the magic territory would be compromised.

Showing weakness would also lead to abandonment by his vassals and family. Moreover, he was not a pacifist to the point of giving up the magic silver mine. Resolved, Edgar stood up quietly but declared with unhidden anger.

"War!! Start gathering the troops. Don't spare the money. We'll show the greedy Meizenauf family what we're made of."

"Let's do it!!"

"We'll smash our swords into the greedy face of Meizenauf."

Receiving a resolute response from his vassals, Edgar reaffirmed his resolve. The great rampage had subsided, but the turmoil it had caused continued.