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037 Aftermath
of the Shardina Bandit Incident
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Translator : PolterGlast
▽▽▽ Side Arcaine (Duke) ▽▽▽
Zaigen, his brow
furrowed, flipped through the report, looking displeased. "Following this
operation to annihilate the Shardina Bandit Gang, we've decided to deal with
four trading companies and eight noble houses. We've crushed the trading
companies and confiscated their assets, but the noble houses are the problem.
Six of the eight houses govern territories. It's easy to crush them all,
but..."
"Will we be able
to manage their territories after that?" I finished his thought.
Our house has many
vassals who govern territories. While I call them "territory
holders," they are in fact governors who govern the land on my behalf as
Duke. If I crush the six houses entrusted with territories, managing those
territories afterward becomes a problem.
"Nonetheless, the
territories entrusted to those six houses appear to be in quite a dire state.
The report that arrived this morning states that it will be difficult to rebuild
them."
"Then we will
crush all eight houses. Let this be an example of what happens to those who aid
bandits. Show no mercy. The head of the house and his wife will be beheaded.
Adult males will also be beheaded. Women and children will be sent to the
temple." It pains me for the children, but this is a noble's duty. If I
show mercy here, more scoundrels will appear in the future, repeating the same
actions. We must deal with this with strict impartiality.
"What about their
relatives?" Zaigen asked.
"Have their
record cards presented. If a crime is confirmed, they will be punished.
Otherwise, there is no need for special punitive measures." If we punish
everyone, it becomes a reign of terror. Discipline is important, but excessive
punishment is unnecessary. Moreover, if the head of the family and their entire
lineage are completely eliminated, and many more are punished, then managing
the territory would indeed become impossible. If they have not committed any
crimes, then that is sufficient.
"Now for the next
report. Regarding the informant, we believe his identity has been
confirmed."
Believed, he says...
"So, you haven't
confirmed it with the individual himself?" I asked.
"No, we do not
wish to rashly provoke someone with such stealth skills," Zaigen replied.
"Hmm. That's
right. That's fine. And who is this person?"
"He is an
explorer named Toi," Zaigen reported. From his report, Toi sounds like a
rather elusive individual.
This individual, Toi,
is supposedly a Traveler. He has only been in Kerniff for less than a month.
His job is apparently still Traveler, yet he is entering the dungeon. If my
memory serves me correctly, Travelers shouldn't gain levels in combat. What
does this mean?
"He reportedly
enters the dungeon with two slaves. According to reports, he has already
conquered the 5th floor and is exploring the 6th."
"Huh? It hasn't
even been a month, has it? Are his two slaves that exceptional?"
In the Baldark
Labyrinth, those who explore the 5th floor are considered proficient. However,
they are still second-rate explorers. It is the subsequent 6th floor that is
difficult to conquer. The Gargoyles that appear on the 6th floor are incredibly
tough. Defeating a Gargoyle requires a Mage or someone who can deal elemental
damage. Therefore, overcoming the 6th floor is the first hurdle to becoming a
first-rate explorer. Normally, one cannot conquer the 5th floor in a month.
Even the fastest would take over a year. And even then, exploring the 6th floor
would still be difficult.
"His slaves are
exceptional. We appraised them, and one is reportedly a Mage Lv21, and the
other a Battle Master Lv16."
"Battle Master?
That's a job I haven't heard of."
"We checked the
records, but there was no mention of a job called Battle Master."
Rare jobs are
generally powerful. That Battle Master is probably a powerful job too.
"So, a Mage Lv21
makes conquering the 5th floor easy, then?"
"The 6th floor
should also be no problem. However... the slaves Toi purchased were supposed to
be an old woman and an ugly Goblin, but they are somehow now two young and
beautiful women."
I don't understand.
Does that mean he bought young and beautiful slaves?
"According to the
slave transaction report from Golteo Trading Company, they were indeed an old
woman and a Goblin. That establishment is reputable, so I doubt there was a
clerical error."
Golteo Trading Company
is a major trading company with its main store in the capital. They would have
no need to engage in criminal activities. They were also not involved in this
Shardina Bandit Gang incident. Furthermore, I don't believe they would submit
false slave transaction records. As Zaigen says, something strange is
happening.
"...Perhaps they
are different individuals with the same name?" I mused.
"That might be true
if it were only the names, but the old woman's job and level also match. As for
the Goblin, it's possible it evolved into a Hobgoblin, so it's hard to say.
However, even Hobgoblins are still Goblins, so for her to be a beautiful woman
is somewhat unconvincing."
It doesn't seem to be
a case of different slaves with the same name. How truly mysterious.
Individuals with many mysteries tend to have quirks, but they are often
exceptional. Even if this Toi isn't an informant, my interest is piqued.
Moreover, he's suspicious. Like Zaigen, I can't help but feel he is indeed the
informant.
"According to the
captured bandits' testimonies, Toi killed their comrades, and they were looking
for him, planning revenge. However, they reportedly lost sight of Toi immediately
after spotting and tailing him."
"A Traveler's
skills should be Strong Legs and, at higher levels, fatigue recovery. Is it
possible for a Traveler to notice and shake off bandits tailing them?"
"Toi is likely
sensitive to presence and is probably an Assassin skilled in stealth,"
Zaigen surmised.
"I am also aware
of the Assassin job, but that job hasn't appeared in over a century!"
For orthodox jobs like
Swordsman or Lancer, the job change conditions are widely known, but no one
knows them for Assassin. It's rare for someone who can change to Assassin to
appear, perhaps once every few hundred years. Is he saying this Toi is an
Assassin? Perhaps one existed somewhere in the world, but even then, it would
be just one. Assassin is that rare of a job.
"But this Toi was
a Traveler, wasn't he?"
"We confirmed his
record card at the government office. It was also confirmed when he registered
with the Explorer's Guild, and Toi's job is indeed Traveler. However, I have
heard that Assassins have skills to disguise their jobs and skills. Perhaps he
used one of those?"
The skill set of the
legendary Assassin job is not recorded. As Zaigen says, they are rumored to
have disguise-type skills, but this is unconfirmed.
"Barukan, what do
you think?" I asked.
"I cannot say
anything without meeting the individual myself," Barukan replied.
If Barukan were to
meet him, he might be able to determine if this Toi is an informant. Barukan's
raw intuition, not skills, would tell him.
"Can you arrange
a seemingly coincidental encounter... no, you can't."
"I am troubled by
such requests from you," Barukan stated. In terms of martial prowess,
there is no one more reliable than him, but other matters are beyond his scope.
Subtlety is completely out of the question for him.
"Zaigen. Do you
have any good ideas?"
"It would be
impossible. Therefore, I believe it would be best to meet him openly and
honorably," Zaigen replied.
No need to think about
it further. What's impossible is impossible.
"Then, arrange
for Barukan to meet this Toi."
"After locating
the informant, what would you like to do?" Zaigen asked.
"I will give him
a reward. He resolved such a significant matter. I cannot not reward him. This
concerns my honor." If the informant desired a reward, he would have already
come forward. His not doing so means he either doesn't need a reward, wishes to
keep his distance from me, or has some other reason.
Not rewarding someone
who has achieved a great feat concerns the honor of the ducal house. The very
fact that I didn't know about someone who accomplished such a significant feat
is the problem itself. On my ducal honor, I must find him and reward him.
Whatever his reasons, I will only offer a reward. Even if the informant says he
doesn't need it, the fact that I offered it will suffice.
Furthermore, the
security of this castle is comparable to that of the royal palace, yet he
easily entered my bedchamber. This means that if the informant wished it, he
could also enter the king's bedchamber. I cannot ignore this individual. At the
very least, I must ascertain his true nature. If the informant is malicious, he
must be eliminated. I would prefer not to do such a thing. For now, I will
thoroughly confirm the informant's character.
"If Barukan
determines that Toi is the informant, bring him to me. Do not delay, as he
might escape even if under surveillance." If he truly is an Assassin, he
would easily escape. There's no need for him to escape, but he seems to dislike
having his identity known, so this is a precaution.
"Understood!"
Barukan replied. I believe Barukan will not be outmaneuvered, but I will
instruct Zaigen to provide thorough support.
Now, as for this Toi,
is he an informant or not? Good or evil?
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