Chapter 333
(Kyle Calendar Year 514: Age 21)
Infiltrating Enemy Territory
Translator : PolterGlast
Around the time Takuhir
and the others were staying in Kylar,
the Royal Capital of the Kyle Kingdom, a party of trade merchants was
heading from the Westlights Demon Territory Dukedom to the Istoria
Imperial Kingdom via Empire
territory. They were aiming straight for the border barrier gate of the Imperial
Kingdom, their 30 horse-drawn wagons fully loaded with foodstuffs and
weapons—goods whose distribution is normally hesitated upon. And they had
reached the point where they would arrive at their destination border in just a
little while longer.
「Even
so... Boss, you are a bold person. To think that a Baron himself would disguise
his identity and do something akin to a spy... I never would have imagined it.」
「Hmph,
rough business is my true calling. I merely call myself a Baron occasionally
when unavoidable, and even then, reluctantly. Because even I am sometimes
bewildered by things unsuited to my stature.」
The man who answered
so laughed a little self-deprecatingly.
「Pardon
me, but you are a strange person. And His Majesty the Archduke as well... Of
course, I mean that in a good way.」
Feeling Raphael's
gaze sharpen as the conversation turned to the Archduke, Handler
hurriedly added that. However, in his opinion, the Archduke, just like this
Baron, was a very mysterious person. He was so approachable that he absolutely
didn't look like the King of a nation, no, not even a noble, and he behaved
naturally that way. Because he carried an atmosphere unsuited for a hero who
had thoroughly crushed the First Prince's army—elites of the Empire Army—and the rebel army of the Fearalt
Principality.
『Birds
of a feather flock together... An eccentric attracts eccentrics, is that what
it is?』 He admonished himself and kept these words only in his heart.
Actually, for Handler
himself, this accompanying journey is the third time he has actually met this
eccentric Baron. The first time was when Handler went to convey the
trends in the Istoria Imperial Kingdom, staking his future business on
it. The second time was when he went to report a breaking news update after
infiltrating the Imperial Kingdom carrying a new mission. The third time
is this journey.
During the first
time, after meeting with the Archduke, the three of them—including the Minister
of Internal Affairs highly rumored to be a shrewd man—held a meeting regarding
the future. From the Minister of Internal Affairs, he was told the request for
additional accompanying personnel, the contract terms, and that they wanted him
to conduct the initial infiltration in a short period, probe the trends and
actual strength of Archbishop Castro's army, and report back. At that
time, Raphael merely spoke sociably while occasionally bringing up
derailed topics, and Handler never thought he was a noble.
During the second
time, after the report, Raphael invited him for a drink. Probing each
other at a drinking party is a common occurrence for merchants. However, he
merely drank alcohol and made various small talk bloom at the drinking party,
to the point where it felt foolish to be on guard. And after barhopping a few
places, he was informed for the first time by other customers that Raphael
was a noble holding the title of Baron, an experience that instantly blew away
his drunkenness.
And the third time,
on this journey, Raphael only talked about the alcohol and women of the Imperial
Kingdom along the way. Toward his constantly natural and sociable demeanor,
before he knew it, Handler had come to call Raphael 'Boss' and
interact with him just as casually.
「Even
so, Boss, is the cargo this time really okay? Food is one thing, but to bring
in this many weapons, if you get scolded by His Majesty the Archduke later...」
「Is
there a problem? Business means stocking up on what the other party wants as
cheaply as possible and selling it as high as possible; I thought that was the
case.」
「I
mean, that is true, but... even if we have informal consent, this is quite a
massive amount. The weapons smuggled out this time might be turned against you and your people next
time, you know.」
「Hahaha,
if those swords don't reach us, they won't have any meaning. Besides, most of
the ones brought in this time are cheap ones carried by common soldiers, and
they're all damaged goods. Our pockets won't hurt.」
That's not what I
meant... Handler was about to say, but gave up. The people of that
country are far too unconventional in various ways, and thinking too deeply
about it would just wear him out. Coming to terms with things—that, too, was a
necessary quality for a merchant. He decided to leave it at that.
Actually, Handler
didn't know that the massive amount of swords brought in this time were merely
a portion of the weapons and armor Takuhir had in storage—or rather, was
troubled with disposing of. Because under him, who had now become the Archduke,
there was an enormous amount of weapon spoils obtained in past battles.
·
Spoils from Marquis Bradley's army in the
Battle of Teigoon.
·
Those abandoned by the First Prince's army
during battles with monsters and their retreat.
·
Those abandoned when Viscount Hiyorimi's
army was defeated at Gaia and Teigoon.
·
Spoils from annihilating the Imperial Kingdom
army in the battles over the eastern border.
·
Spoils from destroying Count Goyoku's
army in the Battle of Burg.
·
Spoils from when the First Prince's army
suffered a near-annihilating defeat.
·
Those abandoned in the final decisive battle at Kleirat
and the battle on the western border.
·
Those captured when disarming defeated soldiers
in the siege of Salaam.
·
Those captured when defeating the rebel army in
the final decisive battle on the outskirts of Fearalt.
Of course, some of
those were distributed to subordinates as rewards, but the number obtained was
far too large.
After the final
decisive battle with the Empire, among the captured weapons, some of the
valuable ones were sequentially sent to blacksmiths in Gaia to be
repaired or reforged. Because of that, blacksmiths gathered from all over the Kingdom,
and the blacksmith town in Gaia achieved great prosperity. And those
were supplied for their own army or sold through merchants, bringing massive
revenue.
『Cheap
version swords won't fetch much even if we sell them as damaged goods anyway, and if
even things like this can become money, we might as well sell them to those
guys. According to Handler's report, they seem overwhelmingly short on
weapons. If we can win the upper echelons' favor with this, subsequent
espionage should become easier. Besides...』
Raphael had
also received such unofficial intentions from Takuhir. Therefore, in
reality, he is merely diverting them 'officially' receiving orders from his
lord.
「If we
can make contact with the upper echelons using these souvenirs, it would be a
very welcome development for me.」
「Well...
it is exactly as you say, Boss, but.」
Regarding that
matter, Raphael dared not speak much. Knowing nothing will also protect
the person himself. And the position as a country too...
「Even
so, Handler, are you fine with proceeding as planned for your business?」
「Hahaha,
Boss, I'm a merchant too. Even if I lose a client, I can obtain a client with a
much bigger dream. For us, who have always taken a backseat to large trading
companies and could only aim for the gaps, this is a big gamble. Because of
that, please use them to your heart’s content... but as for the compensation,
I’ll be counting on you.」
「Yeah,
His Majesty the Archduke is also aware of that point.」
「Now,
it's almost the barrier gate. Boss, I'm counting on you as a merchant from here
on. Though, the role of an unscrupulous merchant partaking in diversion might
be perfect for you.」
「Hahaha,
isn't it a role perfect for me. Well, leave it to me.」
Exchanging light
banter before their important mission, staring at the barrier gate with strong
gazes, the two stepped into the barrier gate of the Imperial Kingdom's
border.
※
Tria, a
regional city located at the southernmost tip of the Istoria Imperial
Kingdom. This place once prospered as a trade window with the Griffonia
Empire, but in recent years its former prosperity had faded into the
shadows, becoming a rustic regional city. However, that situation had now
completely changed.
Since Archbishop Castro,
who has now become the Pope of the Istoria Orthodox Theocracy, visited
this city, people seeking salvation have gathered from the neighborhood,
receiving the blessings (food rations) of the Pope. Therefore, the city where
the savior descended regained its former momentum and was now experiencing
extreme prosperity.
「Your
Holiness the Pope, according to a report from the guards just now, a trade
merchant claiming to have received a request from Your Eminence has visited the
city fully loaded with food and weapons, and desires an audience. How shall we
handle this?」
「A
trade merchant... the sugar merchant from the Empire?」
「Yes,
it is the Handler Trading Company. It seems he wishes to introduce an
interesting man as a souvenir...」
「Oh, I
have been eagerly awaiting him. There are many merchants doing business
extensively, but few are useful men like him. Tell him an audience is permitted
and have him wait at the cathedral. Let us hope it is a souvenir that aligns
with my intentions...」
Saying so, Castro
showed a magnanimous smile. And shortly, the merchants in question were invited
into a corner of the cathedral, which was newly under construction.
Arriving late, Castro,
as the Pope, appeared on the dais.
「Handler.
Does your prompt return mean I may have expectations?」
「It is
a direct word from His Eminence. Direct answers are permitted.」
At the instruction
of a close aide, Handler, who was prostrating himself, slowly raised his
head. Even so, so as not to be disrespectful, his gaze remained fixed at his
feet.
「Yes,
the food and sugar requested are fully loaded in 20 horse-drawn wagons. And,
although it took some trouble, about 100 first-class swords...」
「Oh, I
heard there were 30 wagons?」
「Oh,
your ears are quick as expected. The others are cargo related to the one
waiting here, named Raul, a humble souvenir from us to Your Eminence.」
「Hmm...
it will be fine as long as it aligns with God's will. The one named Raul,
direct answers are permitted. What have you brought?」
「Yes...」
Answering briefly,
the man called Raul raised his face. And slowly, he stared at the Pope
and floated a smile.
「We possess
a connection to a certain supplier. We humbly considered that what Your
Eminence needs right now is the means to realize judgment, to give to the
warriors protecting God's teachings.」
「I see,
an interesting deduction.」
「Therefore,
I arranged with Lord Handler 100 swords suitable for Your Eminence to
bestow upon those who have newly become Holy Knights. However, I believe that
is still insufficient for the people seeking to protect Your Eminence.」
「So
about how many swords have you managed to arrange?」
「Yes,
for the immediate future, about 1,000. If you can give me time, I can arrange
several times that number.」
「Oh...」
Uttering a word of
surprise, Castro narrowed his eyes. Suspicious... he thought.
「Even
within the Empire, the demand for swords is tight. I haven't heard that you
could arrange such numbers overnight, though?」
That is only
natural. The Third Prince's camp is seeking to bolster their military force under the pretext of settling and
defending the new territory. The First Prince's camp was trying to prepare
their military force secretly, but they cannot procure weapons publicly.
Therefore, they were cornering the market on weapons secretly. For that reason,
the price of weapons skyrocketed, and obtaining a substantial number of swords
was extremely difficult.
In the Istoria
Imperial Kingdom, because they placed more emphasis on archers (longbows)
than foot soldiers holding swords, domestic production capacity and surplus
inventory were scarce. Actually, this was the seed of Castro's worries.
「Yes,
it must be said that items out in the world are currently in a difficult
situation to obtain due to the recent circumstances. However, it is a different
story for items that are not out in the world. They are meant for common
soldiers and have some scratches, but they exist where they exist in reasonable
quantities.」
「If
so... are they things like stripped goods?」
「Yes,
there are countries storing massive amounts of those stripped goods with no use
for them, letting them sleep. I formed a connection with the manager of that
warehouse and obtained them.」
「Hmph,
diverted goods. We serve God. Did you think we would be pleased with swords of
such origin!」
Hearing Raul's
words, one of the close aides raised his voice roughly. The men standing around
also did not hide their contempt for Raul.
「We
serve His Eminence and God. We can confiscate items obtained through wicked
means, and hand down punishment for the sins. Or perhaps, in exchange for
donating those 1,000 swords, do you seek God's salvation for the sins you have
committed?」
「Hahaha,
I think that would be fine as well. However,
don't you think that’s a bit of a waste?」
「What
do you mean?」
「There
are three points I wish to state. If Your Eminence makes a judgment after
considering them, that too would be God's will.」
「Oh, to
me? Speak. And you lot, hold back for now.」
At Castro's
words, the close aides who had raised their voices bowed once and fell silent.
「I
thank Your Eminence for your mercy. The method everyone just mentioned is no
different from what the church of the Imperial Kingdom has done in the
past. It would be unsuited for Your Eminence's army, which seeks to correct
that.」
「Hmm...」
「Secondly,
regarding weapons (power), I believe what matters is how they are exercised,
rather than the means by which they were obtained. Giving the means to realize
that will to those who protect Your Eminence's teachings by God's guidance—I
believe this takes priority.」
「I see,
a very apt saying... indeed.」
「The
third point is the realistic 'profit' for everyone. Even if you judge me now
and confiscate the merchandise, it is merely 100 and 1,000 swords. But if you
give us the path to serve God, that number will swell many times over.」
「Hahaha,
the one named Raul, you are quite an interesting man. You have quite the
nerve for a merchant. For this time only, God will surely grant mercy to a
servant he also loves and respects. I will ride on your proposal. And by when
can those several times more swords be delivered?」
「Please
forgive my rudeness in daring to return a question with a question. Conversely,
by when should I have everything prepared? Based on that, the amount of the
"hush money" we let the other party catch a whiff of... no, excuse
me. I shall adjust the way I preach the teachings of God accordingly...」
「Hahaha,
you speak of preaching our sublime teachings? What an interesting thing to say.
Let's see... the coming new year will surely be our new dawn. Have everything
ready by spring. Can you do it?」
「Yes!
It is no trouble at all.」
「Very
well. For this delivery, I will pay a sufficient price after inspecting the
contents, so you should strive hard. The swords needed by God's apostles are at
least five times more... no, even double that is fine... can you do it?」
「Yes!
Of course. Grateful for Your Eminence's mercy, I will strive even harder.」
Closing his eyes
respectfully and prostrating himself, Raul muttered only in his heart.
『By
spring... which would mean that next summer, before the harvest, would be the
opportune time? Based on the words alone, that would be at least 10,000 in addition to the
current military force... but there is more to it than just that. I will likely
need to investigate a little further.』
Holding one result
and a new doubt, Raul took his leave from them and exited together with Handler.
「Boss...」
Handler
deliberately didn't say what came next. But what his words meant, Raul,
aka Raphael, understood accurately.
「First,
we properly deliver the current delivery and receive the payment. Things are
going to get busy from here on!」
Saying so, he nodded. As if to say, I know...
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