Chapter 82: Secret Talk
"You have come. I have been waiting for you."
There in the king's hidden room, lit by luminous stones
Since the first time I entered here, the king and I have brought in all kinds of things, and now...
"Behold. Don't you envy me, a rocking chair made by a craftsman?"
Various board games and rocking chairs
Card games, books of all kinds.
A soft bed
And so on.
No longer a place for secret talks
It had become a place where the king and I could play without worrying about the public eye.
"So? Andrei, Shiro, what's the story?"
The Marquis and I pleaded.
We explained to him what had happened and recommended Druknen as Quies's personal guard.
"Hmm, can't you do something like the wife of the Frontier Count?"
It must be about Gotton
In short, if we make Druknen's wife a hero or such a brilliant woman, the nobles can't complain.
"I don't think that would be possible. The woman my son has introduced will never become a talented woman, no matter how hard she tries."
I agree
That girl is too mature.
No, Gotton is just too invincible
“It shouldn’t be a problem if he just becomes a guard.”
"Then..."
"But I don't think the Marquis is going to tell me to do something without a price, right?"
"If it is something I can do. I will risk my life to do it."
"Don't worry. You don't have to risk your life to do it. You too, Shiro?"
"Me too!?"
"Naturally"
And the king's price was a terrible one.
"Shiro, you should become a noble."
“Okay Marquis, let’s give up.”
“Andrei, you must do everything in your power to make Shiro a noble.”
"Ha!"
You betrayed me, Marquis!
"Impossible! It's impossible for me to be a noble!"
"No, it's a done deal. I'm making all kinds of preparations to make you a noble."
Preparations! What preparations?
"What am I going to do when I become a noble? I can't even run a territory!"
"Don't worry. The Count will take care of that."
"King. What a coincidence, the late Viscount Kyrgy's territory is now vacant!"
"The cursed domain of blood and corpses! Don't mess around!"
"Don't worry. The bodies have been disposed of, the water is clear, and the land is now under the control of the frontier count, and people are living there normally."
“By the way, when we consulted with the Frontier Count, all of the Lizardmen who lived on the Dragon Mountain expressed their desire to live under Shiro-dono's care.”
Don't press for an answer, don't press for an answer!
Marquis!
You're going to sacrifice me for your youngest son!
"Shiro."
"What is it?"
"You've seen different parts of the kingdom, right?"
"Yeah"
"Isn't it terrible?"
"...I will refrain from answering."
"Be honest, I won't get angry."
To put it bluntly
Most of the nobility in this country was rotten
Kadaza, the town where Wince was born and raised.
That city had been taken over by bandits.
At the time, I thought it was the town's topography that had brought it to that state.
But I was wrong.
There were many towns that were taken over like Kadaza
The worst part was that the ruling class, the nobility, knew about it and left it alone.
For the nobles, it didn't matter if they were bandits or commoners, as long as they paid their taxes.
If there was no danger to themselves, they would ignore the fact that the commoners were being robbed, raped, and killed.
On the contrary, some of them were enjoying themselves with women kidnapped by bandits and offered to them.
“In this country, the nobles are the rulers, and the commoners are the property of the rulers.”
"Somehow with the royal order... impossible, it's impossible."
I knew they were people who might revolt if the king did it.
"That's why we need Shiro-dono."
"Reason?"
“Because you're a commoner and an adventurer with accomplishments. If we had a person who could replace them as soon as we found out they were corrupt, they would be desperate."
Getting rid of the privileged incompetents immediately and putting the privileges in the hands of the competent ones, huh?
As an aristocrat, that must be terrifying.
Because one day they might suddenly be dropped as a commoner
"There will be problems, that's for sure."
"It's going to happen, but it's inevitable."
“It would have been better if we could have cut it out early before the rot spread. It would have been obvious that it would have caused a lot of problems, but if we left it alone, it would cause the death of the country. If I had to choose between death and problems..."
"Are you going to use me as an example?"
I wonder what?
Isn't this mainly about me becoming a noble?
......Ah!
"Did you notice?"
"...Marquis, you've been after me from the start!"
They got me
He used Druknen as a convenient excuse.
"I'll ask you again. Would you like to become a noble?"
"Hmm......"
"I won't allow it to rot, but I will allow you to be extravagant. Well, it depends on your efforts."
"But I won't be able to leave my territory, right?"
Luxurious life is fine, but I want to travel
“Hmm… then, let's try to be flexible in that area as well.”
It's a good deal. Is it?
"Haa... I understand. However, I really don't know anything about managing a territory!"
"Don't worry, we'll send someone competent."
"I don't care if it's a decoration at worst. The achievements you've already made are huge."
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After that
Shiro-dono reluctantly left the hidden room.
"But Andrei, I'm a little surprised"
The king asked.
"What is?"
"Shiro has some achievements, but I have my doubts about making him a noble. You said so yourself, didn't you?"
The point of dissatisfaction is that his birth is too unknown.
"Shiro-dono has a servile side, but..."
"Isn't that a virtue?"
"At the banquet, he clearly said, [I was born a little lower than a commoner]."
"I see. For a heroic tale, it's a fine birth."
If you're as knowledgeable as he is, there's no way you don't know what it means to be a commoner in this country. He must not have investigated it
Below the commoners are bandits and criminals.
And he said "little lower" instead of "lower"
"A child of a sinner, huh?"
“The sinner rapes a woman, impregnates her, gives birth, grows up while people throw stones at him, and still grows up fine and becomes a hero who saves people. I see. The people are going to love this."
Damn, the king nailed it.
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