15-1 Part 3
A Certain Man's Madness / Midnight in
Erin
- On Behalf of Heaven -
Translator : PolterGlast
When I went straight
to Puis's study, there was Puis, unusually wearing glasses. He
seemed to push up the nose pads as if to confirm it was me.
「You
wear glasses too, huh. They suit you strangely well.」
「That
is wonderful to hear. Actually, Georg-sama gave these to me. While it is
a bit too strong for daily use, it works quite well for paperwork.」
Stacks of documents
are piled up on the work desk. It was an amount that truly made me grateful for
Puis's presence.
「I
can't thank you enough, Puis.」
「Fufu...
Please offer the same words to Atomina-sama. ...By the way, why are you
in formal dress?」
「Ah, I
came back in damp clothes, and Aneue took them away saying they smelled.」
「Fufufufufu...
That's amusing again, hahahaha...!」
「You
don't have to laugh that much...」
「Women
have a more sensitive sense of smell than men, after all. From Atomina-sama's
perspective, having lived in a palace, it's probably inevitable.」
I wonder if I should
buy perfume or something. But then again, it would leave a distinctive scent,
which isn't suited for hiding.
「So
that's how it is after all. The young lady Yumil didn't say anything,
though...」
「Yumil...
Who might that be?」
「The
daughter of the Fimbul Duke House. I don't really know, but she said she
wanted to meet the Emperor, so I brought her.」
「Fumu...
That's intriguing. Let's ask Georg-sama about it later.」
「Do as
you please. I'm not interested.」
There might be some
plan involving the Emperor. But it's pointless to guess. If there's a need to tell me, they will make
contact from their side.
「However...
to disappear again so soon after the Shadows of Bergelmir started
operating, you truly are a troublesome individual...」
「I'm an
ornament. It's the same whether I'm here or not.」
「That
is true. Though there are many situations where that won't suffice.」
「I am
the shadow of Aniue and Aneue. I'm not the kind of human resource
to stand in the spotlight and shine.」
「That
is... well, you're right. Those two bear a strong resemblance to His Majesty,
and besides, they are very beautiful. They are truly the treasures of the
Empire.」
I agree. I directed
a smile of agreement at Puis. Aniue and Aneue are the
treasures of the Empire. If I try harder, I might be able to protect those two.
「More
importantly, I'll give my report for the past few days. Tell Aniue too.」
「Yes,
that goes without saying. I make it a point to share all information with Georg-sama
as much as possible.」
「That
helps. Then listen, having left the Imperial Capital, I—」
It's strange to
evaluate my own experiences like this, but it was also quite an amusing and
funny story. So I carefully recounted the whole story of this time to Puis.
「The
first Emperor's Shovel and his personal legacy, the legendary
underground tunnel that Zirant-sama spoke of... It's all too grandiose,
my head can't process it as I'd like...」
「If you
say things like that, that intrusive one will show her face again, so please
pretend you understand that part.」
I've gotten used to
being watched, but when she suddenly appears and acts contrary to my
intentions, even I get bewildered. It throws me off my rhythm and doesn't feel
very good.
『Since
you say that, I didn't intend to, but I might as well interject.』
Stop it, I want to
go back to my room and sleep already.
『Umu, I
agree on that point. I'm tired today, so I'll pass.』
It doesn't look like
you did anything tiring, though. I intended to be sarcastic, but Zirant
seemingly withdrew without retorting.
「Well,
let us rejoice that the prerequisites for the plan utilizing your abilities, Ashley-sama,
have been met.」
「Right.
Now we can finally move.」
「Regarding
the ancient underground tunnels and the treasure transport convoy, shall we
make Yashu-san the leader and rely on the night-vision capable beastmen?」
「You're
going to use Yashu? Yashu is an Ambassador's assistant, isn't she?」
「The Fimbul
Duke House, despite being in the Empire, possesses an independent authority
since ancient times. Let's leave this to the rookie diplomat.」
The King of the
beastman country Kaha says he's betting on us. According to Sigrun,
Lion-mane, also known as Ambassador Vegal, likely won't complain about
the casting of these roles either.
「Now
then, it's my turn to report to you. Well, even if I call it a report, what can
be done in a mere five days is limited. To make the organization function as an
organization, it still requires a lot of groundwork. I've been quietly
proceeding with that.」
Puis ended up
taking off his glasses. They suit him, but the prescription must be too strong
after all. I was curious, so I borrowed them and tried them on, but they're
strong. It seems I won't need them for the time being.
「They
suit you strangely well...」
「You
think so?」
「Yes,
it fuels my delusions... No, continuing the story. While quietly proceeding, I
prepared something like this.」
「This
is... And when did you make this...」
It was several
sheets of paper. The heading was written in beautiful handwriting: [List of
Unforgivable Villains to be Shown Hell on Behalf of Heaven]
Names of people and
their crimes were enumerated there. It seems those with more ☆ marks
are worse villains.
「Currently,
Erin is actually experiencing financial difficulties. Even if we try to
proceed with development and projects, we lack the funds for it.」
「So
you're saying go steal money from villains?」
Emperor Ausar's
legacy can't be converted into cash immediately either. Just grasping its
existence took 7 or 8 days round trip, and if you include everything from
dealing with the Fimbul Duke House to actual transportation, it will
still take a long time.
「Yes,
that plan of Sigrun-sama and Carral-sama is not bad at all. It
should be given top priority.」
「It's a
tough world...」
「Everyone's
livelihood for tomorrow depends on it, after all.」
「I
suppose so, securing financial resources first, huh... But the problem is who
to target.」
I moved next to Puis
and dropped my eyes to the list together with him. It was truly a document that
made you feel sicker the more you read it...
「My
recommendation is this man. Knight Lord Codwall. He is the treasurer for
Yord, who commands the Knight Order.」
「Yord's
comrade...」
That guy wants to
cut down Georg-aniue. Leaving the future of the Empire aside, in the
simplest sense, Yord was our enemy. There's no loss in weakening his
faction.
「He
calls himself a Knight, but Codwall is merely a merchant who bought his
knighthood with money—the problem is that the wives he marries die of illness
every 1 or 2 years. Rumor has it he's a sicko who kills the old one every time he finds a new
one.」
A disturbing story. Yord
who makes such a sicko one of his confidants is also terrible.
「If
it's true, he's a piece of trash deserving of a curse. But why isn't that
punished...?」
「You
should know. It's because he is Yord's cash cow. This man also relies on
Yord's power; it's what you call a symbiotic relationship.」
If true, he can't be
left at large. To obtain such information in 5 days, Puis's ability is
quite something too.
「In
other words, the typical privileged class that can't be judged by the law.」
「Yes.
However, what protects this man is money and connections. If you just steal his
money, he will self-destruct. And you possess more than enough power to ruin
him.」
Puis seems to
have a side closer to me, unlike the noble Georg-aniue. To deliver
divine punishment to evil even if it means using dirty methods. Sympathizing
with that ideology, he smiled maliciously.
「A plan
that sounds like it would make Georg-aniue furious if he heard it.」
「Yes,
let's keep this a secret between us. Will you do it?」
「...Alright,
I'll investigate Codwall from my side too. Once I gain conviction, let's
execute it.」
「Oh my,
are you dissatisfied with my investigation...」
Even though he went
through the trouble of investigating, Puis looked visibly dissatisfied.
He probably tried to save me the trouble.
「That's
not the issue. If I'm going to get my hands dirty, I want conviction.」
「No,
there is no gray area on this list. This is 99% black.」
He's suggesting we
lynch him. Without this level of arrogance, one cannot handle this kind of
dirty work. Inwardly, I also want to immediately strip this villain of
everything from the root.
「If you
say so, maybe it is. Also, how to transport the stolen goods is a problem. Even
if we try to load them onto the Hez Company's ship, going through Naglfar
increases the risk of leaving unnecessary traces.」
「That
is—that's true too... I was careless.」
Puis is a
humble man. Then what should we do, he thought on my behalf. A man who is
smarter than me and has studied properly. That's why he's reliable. But I also
think it's questionable to just be spoon-fed by this man. I should think for
myself too.
「Then
how about proceeding with that plan first. Scraping the cliffs and rocky reefs
of Erin to create a place where ships can approach; it's a
hard-to-believe plan regarding whether it can truly be realized—but considering
the risks the Hez Company bears, there's no loss in trying to execute it. Oh,
what's wrong?」
「Don't
say what I was thinking of doing before me. It saps my motivation.」
However, our ideas
overlapped. Or rather, maybe there was no other option.
「Fufufu...
Since I am a fan of yours, I am honored that we could share the same thoughts.」
「...Is
that so.」
I won't say it's
unpleasant, but fans have deep karma... But it's not bad. With this, we can
take the stolen treasure out without passing through Naglfar Port. I'd
feel bad if Carral and the others were treated as thieves. I should do
at least this much.
「Well,
fine. By the way, Puis, want to go for a walk? It's already late at
night, don't overwork yourself.」
「No,
that's incorrect. I am staying up all night like this in your stead, you see.」
Puis's
cynical nature is the same as always. That's true. If I acted a little more
like a Lord, you would have had an easier time. But I refuse. I'm not suited for
it. That's why I chose you.
「Then
shall I drop the walk?」
「No,
let's go. Right, please tell me stories about the kind Georg-sama from
around the time you left the tower. With just that, I can work energetically
for a week.」
「Well,
I don't really mind, but...」
Rather, I'm the one
who wants to talk about the Aniue of that time. He was a wonderful,
ideal Prince. To the pitiful Ashley, Aniue and Aneue
extended their hands without discrimination. They treated me as a younger
brother. How much Jii and I were saved by that...
「Really?!
It's always worth asking!」
「Yeah,
the Aniue of the past was kinder than you imagine. A Prince among
Princes who could pay delicate attention to others... In contrast to the active
Atomina-aneue, he was good at supporting people from the shadows, or
rather modest, the type who mediates between people.」
After that,
reluctant to return to the mansion, I chatted with Puis in the garden
for about an hour. The topics of conversation were, of course, Georg-aniue
and Atomina-aneue. And potatoes.
「Ashley-sama,
that's enough about potatoes.」
「No, I
haven't talked enough. Do you know of a variety called taro? I haven't eaten it
yet, but this is—」
Taro... I wonder if it's buried somewhere. Taro is my aspiration...
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