Chapter 26
During the ride back to the castle in the carriage, the butler repeatedly asked me if I had sustained any injuries. Even if there were any, they would have been at most bruises from being knocked down by giants. This degree of injury would heal in a day or two, and the pain wasn’t severe, so I didn’t make a fuss about it.
…Here, if I admitted any injury, it seemed that things would take an irreversible turn for the worse.
“Um, Lord Gweneur? I heard you’re summoning that family to the castle…”
“Yes. We intend to officially hold them accountable for their crimes. It’s outright treason.”
“Just out of curiosity, what kind of punishment is usually meted out for treason…”
“In the current wartime situation, treasonous acts against the nation often result in the total annihilation of the family.”
I let out a deep sigh while looking at the butler, who was calmly speaking such outrageous words.
This world was a medieval setting where reason and common sense were intertwined. Moreover, the continent was currently embroiled in a war that decided its very existence.
The moment I heard the word “treason,” I sensed ominous vibes. But really, wiping out an entire family?
…The situation was already spiraling into an uncontrollable direction.
“That seems a bit extreme…”
“Lord Bin almost lost his life at their hands, I hear. The blade was at his neck. If the bodyguard had applied a bit more pressure with his finger, Lord Bin’s life would’ve been taken. For the Grand Marshal to risk his own life to eliminate the hope of humanity… how futile…”
The butler spoke in a tone as if coaxing a petulant child.
“Lord Bin, you should take your value more to heart. Lady Lir is a talented mage, but from now on, you should travel with proper bodyguards.”
The butler sighed once again, creating wrinkles on his forehead as if still shocked.
“…Surely you don’t actually believe I could be killed by such fools?”
Despite the lingering sensation of a cold blade at my throat, I boldly lied.
Even if they had intended to kill me, I couldn’t bear staying idle as members of a house went one by one to the execution block. Wouldn’t there be innocent children among them?
I didn’t want to involve such children.
“Even the most brilliant mage is vulnerable to surprise attacks. They are not like warriors who train their bodies daily. I hear that Lady Lir herself narrowly escaped during her last expedition due to an ambush by a far lower-level Tauros.”
The butler brought up an obvious battlefield fact, something I couldn’t argue with.
“Still, the punishment seems excessive.”
And yet, I persisted, obstinately.
‘Because of me, people are going to die.’
This thought wouldn’t leave my mind.
“That’s not something you should say to me.”
The butler, having finished his part, turned his gaze out the carriage window, closing the topic.
“What do we do?”
Turning to Lir seated beside me, I lamented the situation that had grown beyond our ability to manage.
“…”
As always, she pulled her hat brim down to cover her face, executing a defensive strategy that could rival a turtle. Completely speechless, I could only hold my face in my hands.
…Somehow, I had managed to push an aristocratic house to the brink of death.
Why did everything I do end up so twisted?
*
A promising member of the Sword Saint team was almost assassinated. By none other than a noble lady from the wealthy Gweneur house, who had long been amassing wealth and prestige in the capital.
Given the seriousness of the matter, the Elven Queen and the Human Emperor personally summoned them to the audience chamber to hold them accountable for their crimes.
Unfortunately, the Dwarf King and the Orc Grand Chief couldn’t leave their duties to attend this session.
“So, it’s you, is it? The idiots who almost killed our promising one?”
The cold voice of the Elven Queen filled the audience chamber.
The clan of Gweneur bowed their heads to the floor, unable to speak a word, as if acknowledging their shame.
Even the Emperor stared silently, tapping the armrest of his chair with his fingers.
“I hear you have quite a reputation. Cutting off ankles for a missed day of rent, overcharging merchants with two-faced contracts… or worse, forcing illiterate people to sign contracts and then enslaving them. Is this what you do, knowing full well what times these are? In the era of chaos, can you still call yourselves nobles after engaging in such acts?”
The Emperor was a completely different person now. His face, etched with the deep anguish of the past war, looked like a judge risen from the depths of hell.
“Do you even know what you were about to do? This young lad is someone who will end the current war.”
Ah, that’s unnecessary, you really don’t have to bring that up again.
“Within just two weeks of becoming a general, the young mage here solved the continent’s food problem, an accomplishment that you worthless ones could spend a lifetime striving toward and fail to achieve. He is a hero.”
No, seriously, even a lifetime of striving could produce something similar, don’t you think?
“And having no ability is one thing, but don’t be a nuisance, at least. Attempted assassination of a general, you say? Listen, Gweneur’s eldest daughter. The one you tried to murder was not someone like you, but the future of all humanity.”
No way, no way. My life isn’t equal in value to all of humanity, regardless of how you look at it.
Your Majesty, you’re going a bit overboard there…
“That’s right.”
Oh my, why is Your Majesty also like this?
I really want to scream.
“Excuse me! I had no idea he was such an important person! You looked too much like a commoner…”
“A commoner is someone you can kill at will, is that what you’re saying? Do you even think this excuse will wash?”
The Emperor smiled ruefully and questioned.
“That…!”
The Gweneur clan’s noble lady remained silent, her head bowed to the floor, seemingly devoid of words.
Even at this moment, she still regarded commoners as beings that could be treated freely…
…this really is an irredeemable family, isn’t it?
“Well, setting aside all the petty crimes. Placing a blade to our promising one’s neck is punishment-worthy by itself. Instead of wasting time reciting your minor offenses, just condemn you to death and be done. We have better things to do than waste time dealing with you worthless people.”
The sharp words of the Elven Queen made the criminals tremble. She appeared particularly exasperated because they had placed a blade at my neck and tried to kill me, far more annoyed than by the multitude of their other crimes.
“Your Majesty, Queen, please… spare our lives…”
“Silence.”
The queen dismissed their pathetic pleas as something unworthy of even her hearing.
“Do you even understand the consequences of what you almost did? That young lad is the talent who will end this war.”
Ah, you really don’t have to bring that up again…
“That young boy, sitting before you right now, is the mage who, within only two weeks of being a general, solved the continent’s food problem. He has achieved what none of you could ever hope to accomplish in a lifetime, flying or crawling.”
No, I mean… with a lifetime of effort, such things might be possible.
“He lacks any ability, but at least he should not be a nuisance. An assassination attempt on the general, you say? Hoh, listen here, Gweneur’s eldest daughter. The person you tried to kill was not some talentless youth like yourself, but the future of all humanity.”
No way, my life isn’t equal to that of all humanity.
Queen, you’re going a bit too far…
“That’s true.”
Tsk, what’s wrong with the Emperor as well?
You’re driving me crazy.
“I’m sorry! I really didn’t know he was such a great person! You looked too much like a commoner…”
“Is a commoner someone you can kill at will? Do you think such excuses are acceptable right now?”
The Emperor smirked, looking as if he found the entire situation laughable.
“Tha… that…”
The Gweneur family’s noble lady bowed her head, speechless.
Even at this juncture, she still seems to regard commoners as beings you can treat how you please.
…These really are an irredeemable family, aren’t they?
“You have nothing more to say? Personally, I recommend the guillotine, but if you prefer, I can also arrange a public burning.”
The Elven Queen turned to me, observing everything silently from a corner of the audience chamber and then asked.
Tsk, Queen, you sure do give scary options.
“…”
Despite everything, I still defended them, keeping my eyes closed tightly.
Most of them deserve death for sure, but surely, there must be children in their household who are completely innocent. There must be relatives among them who have done no wrong and were living normal lives.
The total annihilation of a family would be a barbaric punishment that’s far too much to bear, for someone who’s lived about 20 years in modern times.
“You’re a general of the allied army. Speaking disrespectfully to a duke isn’t a problem, but…”
“I admit I somewhat baited them into trouble, though I never thought they would pull a knife on me right away… I don’t think all the fault lies with that noble lady alone.”
“Hm. So you don’t think all the fault lies with the noble lady? Is that you taking responsibility for the current situation?”
The Elven Queen chuckled derisively, eyeing me. It seemed she was growing increasingly irritated as the matter was dragging out longer than expected.
“Um… maybe one percent of the fault could be mine…?”
I spoke slowly, opening my tightly closed eyes a little.
“Are you mocking me?”
The Elven Queen looked at me with a thoroughly annoyed and exasperated expression.
“No, it’s just… I’d prefer that you don’t sentence all family members to death. I would lose sleep thinking that someone died because of me.”
“You are far too soft. You’re excessively modest compared to your skills. Humans with childlike personalities should only exist around the Sword Saint.”
The Elven Queen displayed a look of disappointment at my decision. She was perhaps expecting me to make a more ruthless and coldhearted judgment. But what can I do?
This is me.
Living nearly 20 years with the morality and ethics of modern times, wouldn’t it be stranger if I suddenly adapted perfectly to the customs of medieval times?
“Still, I don’t want anyone to die. Especially not because of me.”
Her audacious response made the Emperor burst into laughter, wiping deep wrinkles off his face.
“25 years ago, this is exactly what the Sword Saint used to say when we first met.”
“He was this kid, barely seven years old, talking nonsense… it made my head ache so badly. Seems like this situation is exactly the same as back then.”
In contrast to the Emperor’s broad smile, the Queen massaged her temples with both hands, shaking her head.
“Geniuses on different paths truly connect somehow! To me, this is only a good sign.”
The Elf Queen sighed in response to the Emperor’s words.
What? Why are you comparing me to that monster, the Sword Saint?
Please stop! I’m merely an incompetent mage who only knows how to use one magic!
“Big hopes for you, Commander Bin.”
“Er… um… yes…?”
It seems I once again inflated their expectations unnecessarily in some irrelevant part.
… I’m already overwhelmed with the current level of their expectations. If I didn’t have the [Calming] trait, I would have probably died of heart attack by now.
Why does everything I say or do lead to such strange misunderstandings?
This must be due to my bad luck.
…Exactly bad luck.
The stat I should have invested more points in should be Luck…!
“…Regardless, losing sleep to unnecessary guilt isn’t welcome. I’m already not in the best health, you know.”
With that, I quietly fell silent again.
The Elven Queen and the Human Emperor conversed privately amongst themselves, then appeared to have come to a decision and ordered the convicts to raise their heads.
“Ordinarily, everyone in the family, including their servants, would deserve beheading for such heavy crimes… but… well, we don’t want to see our “good child” losing sleep over such guilt, do we?”
The Elven Queen particularly emphasized the phrase “good child.”
Her face still carried an expression of obvious dissatisfaction. She apparently wanted to immediately pull their heads beneath an executioner’s sword and display the end of traitors to the public.
According to her earlier conversation with the Emperor, her intention wasn’t due to her enjoying executions for the sake of it.
It was because executing nobles who were strengthening themselves illegally would benefit the United Empire in the long run.
The Gweneur family weren’t simply arrogant dukes, but an organized cartel within a family, planning and executing crimes.
Publicly executing a family empowered through crimes would serve as a warning to other aristocrats gaining influence illegally.
“Tragic, waste of good trash. Personally, I thought about hanging you all in the square and slowly burning you out with weak fire, one by one…”
The Elven Queen actually clicked her tongue, expressing sincere regret.
To suppress aristocrats illegally accumulating power and strengthen the empire’s foundation.
Under the current wartime situation, strengthening central power institutions is a simple common sense taught in middle school, isn’t it?
It’s like… didn’t Goguryeo fail centralization and thus get defeated by Silla? Or not?
Anyway, not that it matters.
I was the kind of person who had abandoned studying from a young age, so I couldn’t properly remember which country failed centralization and fell.
Just knowing that centralization was important during wartime was already something to be proud of.
“All assets of the family of Duke Gweneur will be confiscated, and his noble title will be stripped. Moreover, those who participated in the family’s crimes will be sentenced to life imprisonment.”
“Additionally, the confiscated properties, lands, and servants will be bequeathed to Lord Bin, the victim of the case.”
…?
What did our Emperor just say?
“Hmm?”
“Their managed land alone exceeds 20 square kilometers. If the owner suddenly disappears, all sorts of problems will arise, won’t they? Someone will have to manage it, right?”
“But, I’ve never managed land before, and anyway, my monthly salary is already enough to live comfortably…”
“Tolerance. Charity. These are the two important virtues a wealthy person must possess, and you’ve shown them. That’s enough.”
The Emperor cut me off mid-sentence as if my opinion wasn’t important.
“No, no, no, there are plenty of more important things to consider. Like how to manage money, how to manage land, how to conduct surveys on the people working on that land… I just want to focus on getting stronger…”
I interrupted the Emperor’s opinion despite the risk of being disrespectful.
I would have to review the contracts with landowners and traders, check if their properties were pawned to the bank, and more. Undoubtedly, inheriting such a huge sum of money would lead to a mountain of annoying responsibilities.
I didn’t want to bother managing something as useless as estate. I needed to focus entirely on improving my abilities right now.
The high-level Marauders and Grand Marshals are coveting my life. Compared to their strength, my power is laughably weak.
Isn’t it just two weeks ago when, to survive, I had to risk my life in front of a high-level Marauder?
Bragging, intimidating, hoping such luck would turn up again—no, I don’t expect it.
What I need right now is not money, but the ability to survive in this crazy world.
“Well, it’s only registered under your name in title, but you don’t need to worry about the estate management. Honestly, we’re not expecting you to be a good landlord. I will assign some capable servants to take care of it properly, so you don’t have much to worry about.”
The elf queen looked at me, speaking a bit more straightforwardly to clarify the situation for me.
“That still sounds quite burdensome…”
Why register it under my name if it’s not my land to manage?
If anything goes wrong, won’t I be the one to face the consequences?
“Don’t worry too much. We were actually considering giving you some decent land anyway, given the commendations you earned in the Enker High Plain.”
The emperor, as if hinting at something more, gave a friendly smile, echoing the elf queen’s words.
“…Ah. Yes… understood.”
Judging by their actions, it seemed both the Emperor and the Queen were worried that giving this vast area of land within the capital—some 20 square kilometers—would only end up strengthening the power of other aristocrats.
As previously mentioned, in wartime, it was essential to weaken the aristocrats’ power and to enhance the central power’s position.
Giving the land to another aristocrat would unnecessarily inflate their influence. It was much more reasonable, from their standpoint, to give it to someone who was already loyal to their side, like me.
…Regardless, wasn’t that the most half-heartedly concocted justification? What are “tolerance” and “charity”? If that logic holds, shouldn’t all clergy across the continent own at least 5,000 pyeong in the capital?
“Congratulations, you own a wonderful piece of land now! Hehe.”
Judging from the emperor’s demeanor following my grumbling, it seemed I had no choice in the matter.
“Erm… thank you…”
In this way, in the blink of an eye, I became a lord in possession of a vast area of 20 square kilometers, all within the capital.
This meant I now carried the obligation to protect the lives of all the residents living on my land.
Staring with wide eyes, I couldn’t help but blink multiple times, overwhelmed by the significant economic advantage as well as the heavy responsibilities bestowed upon me.
“Commander’s salary was good enough.”
…Is there a moment more fitting than this for the term “albatross”?
