Chapter 265

Chapter 265 - Secret Banquet (1)

Thanks to taking over the city without looting or massacre, stabilization was achieved quickly. However, Eugene had to bear the cost.

"Usually, when you achieve this level of results, doesn't the lord take the largest share? We almost ran a deficit despite capturing a city."

Marbas, who was checking the income and expenditure statement with Eugene, had a sour expression.

"Since I forbade looting, I have to fill the subordinates' pockets through other means."

"To be frank, this capture is mostly thanks to the merits of you and the special operations unit."

"The moment we start nitpicking like that, a feeling of disappointment takes root in the subordinates' hearts. Anyway, aren't they the friends who crossed swords with the garrison in the middle of the night?"

Eugene used the bribes received from the council and opened the storehouses of the Imperial faction prominent figures he had confiscated to reward his subordinates.

"I don't think your bond with them would be shaken just by preventing them from looting once."

"A hairline crack could still form. The closer you are, the more careful you have to be."

What Eugene took for his share were the bonds of the Imperial faction prominent figures. These were assets that were tricky to convert into cash and took a long time, making them difficult to distribute to his subordinates.

Having finished checking the statement, Marbas looked out over the city's panoramic view. True to its nature as a city of entertainment, it became even more lively as night fell.

"I'm saying this out of elderly concern, but do not trust the reaction the city council is showing right now."

"You mean their submissive attitude towards me?"

"That's right. The situation seems to be working out well, but that's only superficial. If they sense your power waning, someone to instigate a rebellion will definitely appear."

Even after cheering togAAether arm in arm at a banquet, the moment the conqueror turns around, they look at him with eyes as cold as ice—that is a city noble.

"It is common for a lord who fOrcibly occupied a free city to lose the city to a rebellion and go bankrupt."

"Isn't that mostly because they squeezed the citizens to recoup their costs after losing public support through initial looting, leading to an explosion of dissatisfaction?"

"Nine times out of ten, that is the case. However, there are also quite a few cases where rebellions occurred even after treating them leniently. It takes at least thirty years before it can be considered truly stabilized."

"I don't blindly believe the sweet words of the council members right now either. When I leave here, I will leave five centuries of the Hammer Brothers behind."

Marbas nodded in satisfaction.

"In this situation, there are no friends better suited to be entrusted with a city than the Dwarves. WhAAether it's an external enemy or an internal one, they will defend it stoutly. But isn't drafting 500 men too many?"

"I have to leave at least that much so they won't dare harbor ulterior motives in the city. Since I will be proceeding with operations centered on maneuver warfare from now on, I don't need that many heavy infantrymen."

Eugene intended to adopt a method similar to the Grozya Khanate, which was currently looting and roaming around Roman. Consisting entirely of cavalry, they would strike the Emperor's supply routes.

"Besides, there are those among the Dwarves who wish to retire. It's difficult to keep dragging them around the battlefields."

"At a time like this? Just when we need combat power the most, of all times..."

Unlike Marbas, who thought from the perspective of an administrator, Eugene's reaction was understanding.

"It's not particularly strange. Haven't they followed me and toured the battlefields all over the world until now?"

"It has indeed been four years since you rose as a warlord. Time truly flies."

Unlike Dark Elves, whose nature is that of a nomadic tribe, Dwarves are a race of the earth. They are far from having wanderlust. Those who were severely injured or had earned enough were beginning to emerge, wishing to slowly leave the battlefield.

"When I recently conducted a survey of those wishing to retire, 48 people came forward. All of them are Dwarves."

"When did you even do such a thing? So, did you grant them permission?"

"Of course."

In this era where power determines everything, nobles would resort to any means to avoid losing experienced warriors. However, this peculiar warlord was going in the exact opposite direction.

"I don't view a benevolent attitude as a lord negatively, but an army is a group that requires a certain level of suppression."

"They are not machine parts. Putting everything else aside, I want to respect their desire to leave the battlefield. It's not like I don't have the leeway to do that."

Eugene pointed to the high city walls clearly visible even from the mansion.

"Even though it's called retirement, they just want to leave the battlefield, not put down their weapons entirely. When I asked if they were interested in working as guards near their hometowns, they readily accepted."

"Come to think of it, Hesed is quite close to the Dwarf Mountains, isn't it? If they use the ships on the River Rhen, they will be able to return home comfortably."

"This city is located in a very exquisite position in many ways."

Although it was merely the occupation of one city, it felt like several puzzle pieces were interlocking because of it. Marbas now understood why Eugene had been so desperate to capture Hesed.

As his faction had grown, it had reached the point where arrangements for those leaving, in addition to those joining, were also necessary.

"I am also thinking carefully about a rebellion in the city, so please do not worry too much."

Apart from the stationing of the five Dwarf centuries, Eugene was preparing another safety device.

* * *

"The monster the Lord took down was this kind of bastard?"

"I-It's huge. I think it's even taller than Elford's Tavern."

When the taxidermied Hell Giant entered through the city's main gate, all the residents flocked to see it. It was such a crowd that even the elderly who had lived in the city their entire lives had never seen anything like it.

Thanks to its skin with a rock-like texture, its massive muscles from when it was alive were fully displayed even in its taxidermied state. Even experienced mercenaries shrank back before that terrifying presence.

-I'm telling you, the Troll was beaten up unilaterally! It felt like a neighborhood kid being pulverized by a thug.

-He tore a Warg to death as easily as wringing a chicken's neck in the kitchen. He grabbed its chest and legs and pulled as if wringing out laundry, phew. I even felt sorry for that ugly monster.

-The ones I truly felt sorry for were the knights. Rushing in blabbering about honor, only to be slaughtered like flies.

After the pagan army was subjugated, a significant number of mercenaries led by Walter had visited the city to find mental comfort. They had endlessly chattered about the monster battle they had witnessed.

The residents' curiosity and expectations regarding the Hell Giant were piercing the sky. And those feelings were perfectly rewarded.

"Guests from foreign countries will come just to see this taxidermy! You won't find a spectacle like this even in the capital!"

The council member known as the Inn King, who operated the most lodging establishments in the city, clenched both fists tightly.

"If investigators from the Apostolic State come, let's guide them starting from this square. They constantly slander our city as a den of corruption and accuse us of pagan worship at every opportunity, but let's see them spout that nonsense in front of this taxidermy."

The council member who operated the Temple of Joy in the pleasure district chimed in. Her establishment was a brothel and a temple at the same time.

The girls working there also professed to be priestesses serving Hedone, the Goddess of Pleasure, while being prostitutes. Because all of them wore priestess robes and possessed refinement while providing services, it was highly popular from the lower class to the upper class.

Although it was strictly a faith with a long tradition passed down from ancient times, the rigid religious orders had always considered it profane. Naturally, they had faced all sorts of attacks, so it was understandable for her to shudder with disgust.

They were deeply moved by the gift of the taxidermy, even more than by Eugene's lenient occupation or treatment.

"Dajan. You said you've seen an Ogre before, right?"

"How does it compare to that Giant?"

The spectating mercenaries looked at Dajan. An Ogre is the supreme ruler of the wild, belonging to the strongest tier among medium-sized monsters.

"I don't think even an Ogre would stand a chance against that guy."

"Tell us in a bit more detail."

"Even though an Ogre is the biggest among medium-sized monsters, I think that Giant is taller by two heads. Besides, an Ogre's body is thick and bumpy, which can feel fat depending on how you look at it. It's definitely not like a lump of fat like a Bugbear, though."

"Yeah! Yeah!"

The mercenaries on leave listened with sparkling eyes.

"But look at that Giant. Can you find a single speck of unnecessary parts on its body?"

A perfect inverted triangle upper body. Insane trapezius muscles reaching all the way to its ears. Extremely compressed pectorals and abs, as well as limbs.

-Would its body fat even be 3%?

It was enough to make even Eugene click his tongue. The distinct separations between muscles were as clear as canyons. The shock the people of this era received was immense, seeing a monster twice the size of a grown man possessing such a body.

"I thought the story about breaking a Minotaur's horns and snapping its neck to kill it was an exaggeration..."

The mercenaries looked at the Giant's rock-like left hand. It was holding a brutal horn that looked capable of piercing a horse's torso in one strike. The blood that flowed profusely when it was broken off hadn't been wiped away, making it feel even more realistic.

Tucked under the Giant's right armpit was the head of the Minotaur it had put in a headlock. The agonized expression created as its horns were ripped out and its neck was choked overflowed with vitality even after being stuffed.

-You can keep the monster corpses, but I will take the Minotaur's head. I absolutely need this to add a story to the Giant's taxidermy.

It was something Eugene had obtained by rather fOrcefully demanding it from Walter.

The citizens of Hesed were enthusiastic and praised their new lord. Valda, who was watching the scene with satisfaction, spoke.

"A Minotaur's horn and head are practically worthless in the alchemy market. I wondered why you were so keen on taking them..."

"They are quite useful, aren't they?"

"It's not just 'quite useful'. The city nobles who harbor treasonous thoughts against you will change their minds every time they pass through the square. A great monarch who took down even such a terrifying monster in one blow. They will realize that's the opponent they are pointing their swords at."

"Because there are so many crazy bastards in the world. The ones who will commit treason will commit it anyway."

"Even so, wouldn't it be difficult for them to find comrades to join them? There will also be many informants who fear you."

"That much is sufficient."

"Fufufu."

Valda nodded continuously. She, too, had been concerned about a rebellion in Hesed. But seeing the Hell Giant exhibited in the square seemed to have significantly lightened her heart. The praises the crowd sent to her husband were also sweet.

"Your Excellency! We have found the mayor's corpse!"

Just then, a messenger ran up and reported.

"I wanted to capture him alive if possible, put him on trial, and hang him, but that's a shame. Where did you find him?"

"Fishermen pulled him out when he floated up in the river."

"Hmm?"

At the location Eugene was guided to, there were corpses reeking of foul odors, pickled in filth.

"Use this."

"Thank you."

Valda covered Eugene's nose with a handkerchief scented with pine needles from her bosom.

"Did they fail while trying to escape through the sewers?"

"Yes, my Lord."

The sewer manager, brought by the tribal warriors, answered politely.

"The sewer the former mayor escaped through is narrow, but it's a place where only half of it is filled with wastewater. However, the other half isn't exactly air fit for breathing. It's filled with harmful gases that cause nausea and dizziness when inhaled."

"Since their lives were on the line, their breathing must have been rougher due to tension."

"Yes. They probably all collapsed from asphyxiation halfway through without even realizing it. Since it's fully flooded with water right now, they will float up to the river surface one by one, pushed by the water pressure."

Listening to him, Eugene felt his hands and feet go cold.

'I forgot about the toxic gas. I almost ended up like that too.'

Plan A and B were crossing the water gate and the river-side walls, respectively. But he had also considered entering through the sewers as a last resort. If they had entered the sewers, Eugene and the special operations unit members would have also aimed for the place that was only half-filled with water.

"This is a field where even those with 20 or 30 years of experience in sewer management can cause fatalities if they make a single mistake. Accidents like this happen when you move knowing only the city's structure through blueprints."

"Those are good words. I'll leave the cleanup to you as well."

Eugene rewarded the fishermen who pulled the corpses floating in the river and the sewer manager with silver coins.

* * *

As Marbas had worried, in the shadows of the city lurked those burning with animosity toward Eugene.

However, not all of them were hardcore opposition fOrces. Some wanted to appropriately adapt to the current situation, while others were skeptical of resistance activities that had low chances of winning and were bound to be arduous.

These people needed a catalyst to abandon their lingering attachments and turn around. And the Hell Giant exhibited in the city square became the perfect trigger.

"The city's prominent figures are throwing a private banquet?"

"Yes. We obtained a partial list of the VIP members, and there were quite a few people who could be considered dangerous elements. The banquet is a smokescreen, and they might be plotting a rebellion behind the scenes. Even if it's too much right now, they might be planning for the future."

Cassandra, who had been investigating the city in the shadows under Eugene's orders, reported.

"Don't tell me several council members also sympathized?"

"No. The hosts seemed to want to expand the scale, but participation seems to be very low."

Cassandra was also engaged in sifting through dozens of tips pouring in every day. Most of them were full of nonsense from beggars or thugs trying to score free copper coins or a few pennies. But among them, there was genuinely useful information.

"The mansion you see over there is the venue for the banquet."

"It's magnificent."

"It's a place owned by a wealthy man from the peninsula named Giovanni. He accumulated his wealth through the transport business on the River Rhen, but there are a lot of rumors behind it."

The building Cassandra pointed to was unusually luxurious even compared to the private residences of the city's successful people.

Not only were there burly private soldiers, but even free knights wearing excellent armor, invited from gods know where, were roaming around.

"You remember the drug smugglers we dealt with at the dock warehouse when we infiltrated? There's a rumor that their cartel is involved."

"If drugs are their source of funds, it makes sense that they're this wealthy."

"They say all the VIPs are gathering tonight. Will you raid them?"

"...It's difficult without concrete evidence."

The city's atmosphere was stabilizing so well that it couldn't get any better. If he suppressed them by fOrce but found no evidence of rebellion, the resistance fOrces would gleefully seize the opportunity to grow their influence.

"But we can't just leave it be either. It's not confirmed information, but there's a rumor that a skilled mage has joined them."

"That's a story we can't ignore."

A significant number of those who call themselves mages are swindlers who only perform cheap tricks. However, truly skilled ones often created variables that no one could predict.

The VIP list Cassandra showed consisted of many who had built their power in the city's shadows. Naturally, their eye for distinguishing the real from the fake would be exceptional.

"If it's a mage invited by such people, they aren't just some nobody."

"Because the moment they are found out, a brutal underworld-style retribution will follow. Like having their fingernails and toenails pulled out one by one, or being ground into salted fish paste alive."

Cassandra told a gruesome story while smiling brightly.

"I need to investigate."

He couldn't use the army, so he would have to plant a skilled spy.

"Appearance and adaptability to flawlessly blend into such a gathering without issue. The combat prowess to easily escape even if their identity is discovered. The perception ability to recognize the presence of a mage if one is truly invited. We need someone who possesses all these things, right?"

Cassandra's index finger was drawing circles on Eugene's chest.

'That's me.'

A mage who sees mysteries can instantly recognize another mage. Right off the bat, the number of people who satisfy this condition drops drastically.

"But don't you need an invitation to enter a gathering like that?"

Swish!

As soon as he finished speaking, Cassandra pulled an invitation out of her cleavage.

"How did you get this?"

"It's complicated to explain. It's a corporate secret."

"But there's only one?"

Cassandra smiled enchantingly and offered her arm as if asking to be escorted.

"Because it's a type of invitation only women can receive. The Lord will have to come in the role of my escort. A servant would also be fine if you prefer."

"Don't be cheeky."

Eugene tapped Cassandra's forehead with the side of his hand.

"But there will be people who know my face."

"There's no problem."

When Cassandra snapped her fingers, the special operations unit female warriors appeared carrying various disguise props.

"Did you anticipate that I would step forward myself?"

"As you always say, the Lord prefers to roll around directly in the field."

Eugene and Cassandra looked at Giovanni's mansion, slowly bathed in the sunset glow. The city had fallen, but it seemed the infiltration mission was not yet over.

"Alright. Let's finish the city's business tonight. And then leave feeling refreshed."

Eugene's subordinates were still investigating the city, both openly and covertly. If they hit the jackpot in one place, other places would be affected and come out in a string.

"You all heard, right? Attend to the Lord."

"Leave it to us! We'll make you look very pretty!"

Eugene, who nodded with a knightly face, was dragged to the dressing room by the excited female warriors' hands.