Bravado

It was humiliating.

That single word was all that swirled in Geuronzel's head.

It was maddening from the start that some no-name adventurer, whose roots were utterly untraceable, had popped up and begun to affect everything he had built up until now. Even the reason for it was absurd. To swing violence around with nothing but suspicion and no tangible proof. There wasn't a savage alive who was that savage.

But what angered him most of all was the reaction and attitude of those he tried to hire to deal with that very savage.

The thug who had been his business partner for years pulled out after offering some advice that barely qualified as advice, and the mercenary group he tried to hire instead, swallowing his rage, immediately started interrogating him on whether the target was Eldmia Ega or not. He had no idea what kind of insane shit some random nobody he'd never even heard of had been pulling, but the bastard was clearly damn famous among the uncivilized lot.

In the end, after tricking those cowards into heading for the waterways, Geuronzel had hurriedly packed only the essentials in case the worst should happen, stashed his belongings in his hideout, and was on the move, grinding his teeth. If the mercenaries came back unharmed, they'd be pissed about being deceived... but what could those worthless fucks do about it? No matter how low mercenaries were, they weren't living just for today, so they'd know to crawl back in line on their own.

"When it comes down to it, the bastard's nothing but a mere adventurer."

Geuronzel, who had once been an adventurer himself, had been dealing with high-ranking officials and nobles from his position as guild master for so long that he had arbitrarily convinced himself he was on a completely different level.

But since there was no one around to correct that warped mindset, he thoroughly believed in his own righteousness as he knocked on the door of a noble's mansion he was usually indebted to. After going through pointless procedures that weren't even proper etiquette, fitting for one of the most luxurious mansions in Englem that flaunted its many personal soldiers and mercenaries, the noble he met greeted him with a laugh, his chubby cheeks jiggling.

"Why, my goodness. Geuronzel, what brings you here without any word?"

You damn pig bastard. Acting all fake when you know exactly what's going on.

Geuronzel had never once made an unannounced visit unless he had something truly urgent to request. That pattern of behavior was well-learned by those who helped him, and they also understood perfectly well that Geuronzel, having visited like this, would always repay them with a large sum.

The noble before his eyes was no different.

"Thank you for receiving me personally despite my sudden visit, Baron. It's nothing else, but I find myself in a situation requiring your help..."

"Heh-heh. I told you, it’s baronet, not baron. You always make that mistake!"

"Oh my, I always do this whenever I see Baronet Bwyngseu. It must be because you’re so overflowing with noble ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dignity."

Even when he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠threw out such blatant ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠flattery, the man called Baronet Bwyngseu only waved it off lightly, grinning from ear to ear without making any real effort to correct him. It was an attitude too pathetic to even call pretense, but Geuronzel didn't mind. Even if it was a title bought with money during wartime, Baronet Bwyngseu was that rich, and within Englem alone, he wielded influence rivaling that of the ruling Baron.

The power he had rapidly built up over years, thanks to his connections even in the capital, wasn't the sort of thing that would just vanish because he had been lying low for a few weeks.

"It's discourteous to keep a guest standing out here. Come in, come in. You say you need help, so I must do my utmost to assist."

Baronet Bwyngseu's attitude and movement as he placed a hand familiarly on Geuronzel's shoulder were no different from the last time he remembered. Moreover, he didn't seem to have a single worry in the world, and if anything, his complexion looked even better. It seemed the rumor that he had suddenly gone into hiding after hitching his wagon to the wrong people in the capital was nothing but idle talk, Geuronzel thought as he accepted Baronet Bwyngseu's hospitality.

"I'm truly grateful, Baron. The thing is, a lawless thug who knows nothing of the law is threatening my personal safety."

"Good heavens. Threatening you, who has always contributed to the prosperity of Englem. What sort of rootless commoner could dare do such a thing?"

Even though he was deliberately called 'Baron,' Baronet Bwyngseu did not correct him and seemed to enjoy the title. Forcing himself to swallow the disgust that arose at the sight of the man's ostentation, flickering beneath a mask of feigned concern, Geuronzel acted troubled as well.

"It's some adventurer scum named Eldmia Ega. I commissioned the subjugation of the bandits who recently threw our city into chaos, and he immediately started making all kinds of excuses, bringing up irrelevant matters, threatening me and trying to extort compensation."

"Huh! These uneducated wretches. Committing such barbaric acts when the kingdom's laws stand firm and upright!"

"Truly lamentable. I've already personally hired mercenaries to take measures, but ultimately, aren't they just as unreliable? As I was thinking it over, looking for someone I could truly trust and ask for help, I naturally came to you, Baron."

In the end, Baronet Bwyngseu had barely twenty private soldiers at his disposal, and the rest were no different from the mercenaries, whether they were the Blue Owls or whatever they called themselves, that he himself had hired, but Geuronzel, of course, didn't breathe a word of this fact.

"Worry not! I shall mobilize my forces at once!"

"I am truly grateful, Baron."

"Hmm-hmm, by my estimation, even if the bastard crawls out of the waterways, he'll have to fight the mercenaries first, and even if he defeats them too, he'll drag his exhausted body straight to the guild to protest against you. I shall deploy my soldiers to the guild, so you just wait at ease!"

Forces, deployment—it was all quite laughable, the way he spouted such grandiose words and got carried away as if he were devising a strategy when he'd never even been to war, but Geuronzel could hide his laughter by bending at the waist in a bow. Exactly at the moment Eldmia would emerge from the waterways and encounter the Blue Owl Mercenary Band.

And as time passed, it led to the present.

"What did you just say?"

Eldmia, who had checked the guild master's office and had come down to the first floor in a seething rage, frowned as he glared at the twenty private soldiers standing in formation in the adventurer guild hall. He saw Laika trot over and sit at his feet, wagging their tail, and he tried to suppress his anger as much as possible to hear them out, but what came out of the bastard's mouth wasn't words, but a fart.

"I said I am arresting you on charges of destruction of guild property, blackmail and threats, attempted murder, theft, and so on."

The private soldier's attitude was so utterly brazen that Eldmia blinked his eyes, rubbed them, and looked again.

But they were still private soldiers. Kneeling down and petting Laika, Eldmia swallowed his rage once more and calmly asked back.

"With what authority? You're not the city guard or the patrol."

"We are the private soldiers of Baron Bwyngseu, a most esteemed noble of Englem! As a leading figure of this city, Baron Bwyngseu could not overlook such a situation and has personally drawn his sword, so submit quietly to detention!"

"...A leading figure of the city? A baron? Are you talking about the Lord of Englem? Are you the guard force?"

They were spouting such utterly incomprehensible nonsense with a straight face that he was starting to doubt if there was a defect in his own language comprehension.

A gate city was designated as a barony following the royal house, to keep the power of dukes and counts in check. There couldn't be two barons in a single city that wasn't even the capital, so if that Bwyngseu or whatever his name was was truly a Baron, then he was the Lord of Englem, and his private soldiers should have been officially marked as military or attached to the guard or patrol.

Or could there actually be two barons? Before he could even feel discomfort at a conversation that was warping the common sense he had built up in this other world, the private soldier instead snapped at him irritably.

"Haah, he’s Baronet Bwyngseu."

"What? Just a moment ago you said Baron."

"What does it matter whether he’s a baronet or a baron? You’re the one..."

"Will you look at this crazy bastard."

Profanity flew out of his throat, but instead, a smile began to creep onto Eldmia's lips. The soldier interpreted that reaction as clear mockery, and in a fit of sudden fury, he gave himself over to the emotion and raised his hand. At that, with a Charrarak!, the soldiers leveled their spears in formation.

"You criminal bastard, we were trying to take you in quietly..."

Just as he was about to show this clueless adventurer the taste of power, Eldmia opened his mouth.

"Impairment and contempt of royal authority by impersonating official law enforcement. The lawful punishment is death."

"...What?"

"Deception of the royal house and the Noble Council by impersonating a noble, death. Violation of the Gate City Act due to clear overreach by a mere private soldier, death. Participation in criminal acts, attempted destruction and fabrication of evidence. Imprisonment according to the ruling sentence. However, if the incident is related to city corruption and abuse of power, up to the death penalty is possible. Leaving the authorized post where carrying spears as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠private soldiers is permitted. Consequent attempted impersonation of national regular forces. Death by military law. All enforcement can only be carried out by a law enforcement officer authorized by the royal house, however..."

As the charges and a flood of death sentences poured out without a hint of hesitation, the private soldier's eyes began to spin like mad.

"...Self-defense against the criminal acts of such lawbreakers shall be recognized as acquittal if it can be proven afterward through witnesses and evidence."

By the time he felt that something had gone terribly wrong, it was already too late. In contrast, Eldmia was feeling immense satisfaction that the laws he had memorized until his nose bled, carving time out of his non-existent free time while working for the Ogatorf household, were finally shining.

"I fucking studied law, which I never wanted to have anything to do with in my life, so goddamn hard just to legally chop off the heads of bastards like you."

Eldmia smiled. Because he felt certain he could find out at once where the guild master, who he'd thought had pulled a complete runner, was, and even who was behind him.

"Now, who's the criminal?"

"A-Attac..."

"Laika. Bite."

Wiggling that plump butt, Laika shot forward like lightning.