Chapter 109
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Village Chief's Daughter - 4
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“I’m back.”
“Welcome back, Sian. You’ve worked hard.”
As we returned to the high-end inn, Elsia greeted us.
“Sian, who’s this?”
“His name’s Gregor. He’s a knight who’ll serve me from now on.”
“Sir Gregor, I presume.”
“I’ve lost my title. There’s no need to call me ‘sir,’ my lady.”
“I’m not Sian’s proper wife either—just a concubine. Feel free to speak comfortably.”
I introduced the two of them to each other like that.
Then Elin looked at my leg, pointed at the pink fur stuck to it, and asked,
“Big brother Sian, who’s that?”
“This isn’t a person—it’s a cat. A conscienceless scoundrel.”
“Nyaaang! I’m a conscientious merchant.”
“Shut up.”
“Hnyaang...”
Pina, stuck to my leg like chewing gum, showed no signs of letting go.
She clung on as if my leg were a climbing rope.
“So, you’ve finished what you set out to do, then.”
“Yeah. Let’s buy only what we need tomorrow morning and head out.”
Elsia, having heard the rough details of the Village Chief’s letter delivery, pondered for a moment before looking at Nabira and asking,
“What the Village Chief wants is for his daughter Colin to return home to her hometown, right?”
“Exactly. You caught on quick.”
“If he’s suddenly sending a letter to a daughter who left the village, it can only be that.”
Elsia turned to me this time and shared her opinion.
“Sian, how about bringing this woman Colin along, if possible?”
“That weirdo?”
“Her personality might be a problem, but if she returns to the village, she’d be a huge help.”
“True...”
The biggest issue in Lugeron Village right now was the lack of talent.
We were already short on people, and even fewer had proper skills.
The only ones who could read were the Village Chief and Tom, and Tom was the only craftsman.
Kan could brew alcohol, and Selnia had decent sewing skills, but that was still just average village level.
And the most needed talent in Lugeron Village was a strong fighter backed by real power.
Carlson was there, but he was still a rookie who’d just reached the fourth-rank threshold.
We needed solid troops, and in that sense, Colin—a native of Lugeron Village—was the most suitable talent available right now.
‘If she’s Father’s disciple, she must be skilled at hunting too.’
The problem was her shitty personality.
We’d only met briefly, but she hadn’t earned her nickname “Mad Dog” at the adventurer’s guild for nothing.
Nabira seemed to think the same, as she opposed Elsia’s idea.
“Elsia, it’d be best to give up on the sister-in-law.”
“Why?”
“Because of old customs, she doesn’t get along with Father.”
“Ah, that?”
Elsia seemed to know a bit about Lugeron Village’s past bad habits and quickly grasped the situation.
But with gold running through her veins instead of blood, she didn’t seem too bothered.
In fact, she planned to use it to her advantage.
“We can just buy her off with money.”
“With money?”
“She demanded platinum coins for Sian’s request. She might be in a situation where she needs a lot of money.”
“Felt more like she said it just to piss Sian off.”
“You wouldn’t understand, Nabira, but there’s nothing money can’t solve. People instinctively crave gold. She didn’t show it outright, but calling out such a large sum from the start means deep down, she’s desperate for cash.”
“...”
Nabira was left speechless by the merchant daughter’s gold-is-all-powerful philosophy.
“What do you think, Sian?”
“Before that, how much does it usually cost to hire a fourth-rank knight?”
I asked Gregor.
Gregor hesitated for a moment, glanced at my expression, and answered.
“It varies by the noble served, but knights usually don’t get salaries—they receive fiefdoms.”
“There’s a difference based on skill, right?”
“Yes. Someone like me, a knight commander, would get fertile lands.”
“Hmm...”
Gregor seemed to gauge Colin’s skill as comparable to his own in his explanation.
From the brief display of power I’d seen, her strength was at a mature fourth-rank level.
No wonder she was an S-rank adventurer.
“At least three platinum coins a year.”
“Considering her personality, she’d probably demand double that.”
It was a huge hit for me, with only forty platinum coins to my name.
And I’d need to pay Gregor a fair salary too, so I figured there was no need to push it now.
As I thought about putting off hiring her, Elsia offered advice.
“Sian, I have a plan.”
“What is it?”
Chloe was right to insist on taking Elsia as a concubine for times like this.
...
Wealth for nobles was relative.
If you were like Hippo Baron and got saddled with trash lands, you’d live in poverty, but Viscount Issur, who’d amassed riches through heavy taxes in the prime trading hub of Lugadrian, was among the wealthiest in the west.
And like rich nobles do, Viscount Issur loved flaunting his wealth.
“Hahaha, I’ve never seen such a massive war bear pelt.”
“Yes, it was the biggest war bear I’ve ever hunted.”
“Then it must’ve been the strongest prey you’ve ever faced, hero!”
“Not quite.”
Following Elsia’s advice, I went to Viscount Issur with Fores.
It wasn’t easy for someone of my current status to meet a noble, but we had Fores the nymph, so access was simple.
Nobles actually considered it an honor to host a visiting nymph.
‘Especially now, with all the ominous rumors flying around—they’d want to stay on a nymph’s good side even more.’
Plus, Viscount Issur, who loved showing off, took interest in the monster byproducts I’d hunted.
As expected of a rich noble, he bought them at a generous price.
‘Not something I can do often, but it’s decent money.’
But the reason we’d come to the viscount wasn’t just this.
Fores, who’d been concerned about the city’s state since arriving in Lugadrian, asked Viscount Issur—the lord—a few questions about the city’s issues.
“You mean the hoarding of Tower of Wisdom soap in the markets?”
“Yes. How much does Viscount Issur know about it?”
Tower of Wisdom soap was different from regular soap.
Like basic soap, it could be used for washing faces and bodies, and depending on concentration, it could sterilize and disinfect.
It was practically an all-purpose soap for public hygiene.
Naturally, Viscount Issur looked troubled at Fores’s question.
He didn’t want to upset a nymph, but having the city’s problems pointed out made his nerves stand on end.
“I’m not asking to interrogate you, Viscount. We’re trying to uncover those scheming behind the scenes. As you know, the Holy Kingdom sells Tower of Wisdom soap cheaply to protect the hygiene of the poor too.”
“I know. But as you also know, Fores, what happens in the free market is outside my jurisdiction as a noble. The moment I interfere, Lugadrian loses its meaning as a trade city.”
You couldn’t underestimate the savvy of a noble surviving in a trade city—Viscount Issur slipped away like a loach.
Of course, Fores, a nymph over three hundred years old, wasn’t one to ignore.
“That’s not all. The city’s waterways are more polluted than regulations allow.”
“I have no excuse. I apologize for that.”
“It’s fine. No one’s perfect like Emperor Astilen. But you need to resolve it soon. Also, by nymph authority, I’ll request Holy Knights from the Holy Kingdom. Viscount Issur, please assist them and fulfill your noble duties.”
“...Understood.”
Fores immediately activated the disc above her head, emitting light.
With her beautiful appearance and the dazzling glow, it created quite the convincing atmosphere.
“Huh?”
But suddenly, a hissing voice made things feel off.
“Hero, it might be best if we head straight back to Lugeron Village.”
“Why? Suddenly?”
To my question, Fores shared the info she’d just gotten via communication.
“Word is Anitul Earl’s faction has allied with the Hadron faction. Holy Knights are gathering in the west.”
“Hah?”
I wasn’t the only one shocked by her words.
Viscount Issur, under Sahad Duke’s faction, also grew serious.
“This is the first time a vicious faction has colluded with nobles. War might break out. We should hurry back to Lugeron Village, just in case.”
“This is insane.”
As Fores finished speaking, my head suddenly started aching.
Why was our life never easy?