Chapter 185

Chapter 185

***

If there was day there was night, and if there was a sun there was a moon. By this God showed all truths to humans.

If the nobles' power struggle was the sunny side, everything other than that was the shady side. The lives of swordsmen, adventurers, criminals, and even ordinary commoners.

It shouldn't be that the two worlds were separated from each other, but the world of the sunny side had no particular interest in the shady side. They just completely had no qualms about trampling on it if it was necessary, or if it was in the way.

Rickart belonged to both worlds, the sunny side and the shady side. One as the King of Adelorn, the other as the Chairman of the Master's Federation Council of Six.

If the peace made with the 2nd Prince Lotharius was a fence forming the boundary between the sunny side and shady side, now it was time to expand power in the shady side in earnest.

The historic headquarters of the Master's Federation was built on the outskirts of Stormhearts. In the midst of the war stones were transported by river from who knows where they were obtained, and the Ehrenberg Masons Guild built the building.

A lot of manpower and money gathered. Gathering the manpower was the product of human relationships formed in the past days, and the money was borrowed from the Benicio Merchant Guild using gold mine development as collateral.

Technology, labor, and capital gathered and a full-fledged new departure was beginning.

A place with a forest nearby and a river flowing next to it. The place where there was nothing else was bustling with people. The hammering sounds going hammering and the architect's severe scolding sounds seemed to add vitality.

But looking closely there were people who seemed to have come from other places besides the Beringen Academy students or the Ehrenberg Masons Guild.

They were lining up long in front of the temporarily set up barracks of the Council of Six, and their social status, amount of money, and age group all looked different.

War, that meant the demand for public order surged, and suppliers were few. Therefore, it was a business that had no choice but to did well.

The people lining up were precisely those demanders.

Inside the shaded barracks, a diminutive middle-aged man with a balding head sat on a chair tensely. Exactly like standing on a judgment seat.

He continuously wiped his sweat with a handkerchief, and whether seeing that was pitiful Roy brought him a glass of water.

"Ah, thank you."

To the boy who looked about 11, 12 years old now he used honorifics. It was because of the pressure given by the place and the figures he faced.

Tilting the water glass drinking water, his hand trembled rattle rattle so a little bit of water leaked to the side of his mouth. Still after drinking it to the end, he wiped his mouth with the handkerchief and opened his mouth.

"First of all I am the Mayor of Haubert city, Braut. Haubert is a city belonging to the Count of Kronwald's territory, a territory under His Excellency the Duke of Frederia, that is. However as you well know, it has already been passing 1 year since His Excellency the Duke of Frederia assembled troops. Because he advocated neutrality, we haven't fought any battles in the meantime. Of course I think it's an excellent measure, but the problem is that the period the Lords have vacated their seats has become long. If the Lords vacate their seats naturally evil groups are bound to approach, isn't that so?"

It was words saying public order was getting worse. The places where the army was bandits didn't even dare to come near, but public order couldn't be good in other regions.

Especially if large-scale desertions occurred or stragglers were formed due to defeat in battle, there were many cases where they became bandits as they were. Fortunately the Frederia region wasn't to that extent.

However exactly like permeating slowly, bandits were slowly beginning to twist and gather.

"As you would well know, aren't bandits something that must be subjugated in the early stages so they cannot grow their power? Moreover lately even goblins are causing trouble. The monsters my grandmother mentioned when scaring me when I was young are actually appearing, I'm saying. Some villages in the forest have already had quite a few casualties occur, and because the survivors fled the villages have become a state where people can no longer live. Nevertheless the Duke is not discharging the assembly...... But on top of that who provides that much food and money? It's us again."

Just as there was darkness if there was light, there was a thing called a vicious cycle if there was a virtuous cycle. Sadly the Frederia region was establishing a vicious cycle.

The assembled troops consumed food even if staying still, and the army was a non-productive population. On top of that having to even give wages to those who exceeded their service days, the powerless ones were in a state of doubly bearing the pain.

Rickart who had his elbows on the armrests of the chair and was supporting his chin, asked hearing Braut's words.

"So what do you suggest we do?"

"Since justice has gone missing, I would like you to find justice. I will give as much money as you want."

"Giving money in exchange for buying justice......"

Leaving the chair and sitting on a makeshift table in the corner, swinging his two legs back and forth swish Bori muttered lowly.

Besides Bori in the seat there were Roy and Ice too. Karlrich and Bolka weren't there. Because Karlrich mainly managed administrative tasks and administrative personnel, and Bolka mainly took charge of tasks related to merchant guild escorts so personnel was focused there.

Because it was realistically impossible for the Council of Six to assemble and receive and handle requests every time there was work, tolerable matters were decided at the line of the Chairman Rickart.

Like now meeting with a client and listening to the request too. But Rickart shook his head even hearing the pitiful circumstances.

"We cannot do that."

"I haven't told you the cost yet."

"Regardless of how much the cost is, we do not infringe on a Lord's rights."

"Then where do we go to seek justice?"

"You must tell the Duke of Frederia."

"As I told you His Excellency the Duke of Frederia......"

"Whether the Duke's neutrality measure is reasonable or not is not a matter for me to judge. The problems occurring due to that is also not my place to interfere."

"B, But, please reconsider just once......"

Mayor Braut pleaded and clung to him. Rickart watched such him, then moving his eyeballs up exactly as if thinking then looking at him again said.

"Hmm...... Then how about this?"

"Please speak."

"If I receive work from you and handle it, this would be infringing on the Lord's rights. However if I don't receive money it is not infringing on rights. Then what can the Mayor give to the Federation?"

Because he didn't know Rickart would make such a proposal, Haubert's Mayor Braut couldn't answer readily. No, he didn't know. Saying he hates receiving money too then what must I give? Women? Other goods in kind? Specialty products? Strategic supplies like horses and iron?

"Friendship will do."

Ice said. It seemed exactly like words matched in advance, but Mayor Braut had no presence of mind so he couldn't notice.

"Yes?"

"Friendship and loyalty, that is enough as the price for buying justice. Mayor please give us friendship. Then we will also respond with friendship. For money transactions when times get better go find Bolka and the Viola Clan."

Ice seemed exactly like saying words memorized in advance. But separate from that being strange, Mayor Braut couldn't readily understand it.

"Friendship? I also know a bit of industry terms but it's a bit hard to guess. If you tell me in detail......"

"Literally that. Friendship and loyalty. You just have to give that to us."

Rickart said exactly like driving a wedge. Nevertheless Mayor Braut made a strange expression and seemed to not understand.

It was bound to be so, the friendship and loyalty required by the Federation meant influence. To operate and exert influence in various parts of the Empire the help of local villages or cities was essential, and it was groundwork for that.

For example, even if establishing a branch various document arrangements and the cooperation of local residents, money, such things were needed, and when such matters arise the intention was to bring up friendship and loyalty and ask for a bit of help.

In other words, it was only said nicely as friendship and loyalty but it was no different from saying they would receive an unpriced compensation.

Whether deeply fortunate or unfortunate Mayor Braut didn't have the insight enough to see through up to there. He merely signed the document Roy brought over.

The content was that Haubert city would provide friendship and loyalty to the Master's Federation, and already many people's signatures were seen.

"It is done. Go. The bandit bastards will disappear within a week."

Exactly as if not knowing if it was okay to be like this, Mayor Braut bowed his head with a bewildered expression then went out.

Seeing him go out Rickart said to Bori.

"Tell Lester to send only about five Rangers. Find out to what extent the goblins have settled down, and if it's a state where we can't do anything just pull out. The bandits Ice will handle."

Bori nodded his head, and Ice took notes on a small piece of paper. It was the list of people he had to kill. On there 'Bandits near Haubert' was added.

"Next."

Rickart said. Thereupon Roy ran trickling poked his head outside the barracks, and brought the next person in.

The person who came to seek justice this time was surprisingly an old woman. Various people visit to make various favors or requests, but an old woman was a first.

Whether her movements were somewhat uncomfortable Roy supported the old woman to the chair.

As she sat in the seat Rickart asked.

"What matter did you come for? Old woman."

The old woman slowly examined the surroundings with hollow eyes, then stopping her gaze at Rickart said. Her voice was exactly like a dried-up dead tree.

"Revenge."

"What revenge?"

"My daughter-in-law."

"Speak in detail."

The old woman stared piercingly at Rickart. It wasn't glaring, but the grudge-filled gaze was so intense it was hard to face. It was to the extent that Nameless suddenly came to mind.

"My son died. 2 years ago. At that time, my daughter-in-law went to the battlefield and recovered her husband's corpse. Because it was heavy she cut out absolutely every piece of flesh and brought only the bones. Receiving the rain and wind all by herself she absolutely brought it to the hometown and held a funeral. A tough bitch, she is. But there's a person who killed such a daughter-in-law of mine. Definitely kill him for me."

It was a bloody story.

Rickart quietly watched the old woman's intense gaze directly. However the words matched in advance, asking what they could give us, couldn't bear to come out of his mouth.

"What is your daughter-in-law's name?"

"Sally."

Rickart instantly frowning his brows slightly had the thought, I've heard it somewhere. Bori and Ice were similar too.

"Will you kill him?"

The old woman asked. Her gaze was still intense exactly as if it would pierce Rickart's two eyes.

Although he had to hear more information and stories, Rickart calmly looked back and forth at Ice and Bori. Bori secretly nodded his head, and Ice also expressed his intention of agreement even if by gaze.

The two telling to take the request wasn't simply because the old woman was pitiful or because of that, it was right that they were drawn to the name they had heard somewhere before. Or maybe it was because it was an adventurer-like request after a long time.

Obtaining the agreement of two committee members and two friends, Rickart looked back at the old woman again and nodded his head.

"Understood. I will kill him. Who is the person who killed her?"

Thereupon the old woman said an unexpected name and plunging forward died right on the spot.

"Dunkel."

Flop.

"......"

This time it was definitely a name he remembered. Dunkel was the Head of the Beringen Adventurer's Guild during the days Rickart was a student. Sally was the Vice Master with a good appetite.

The fallen old woman's corpse didn't seem to have died just now but seemed to have died a long time ago.