Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: I'll Protect You (2)
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The one who was flustered by the situation was Allen, instead.
"Ah, it's not entirely certain yet. We haven't confirmed it ourselves, either."
It was a given that the Governor-General's Office was up to some scheme, but for now, they needed to ease these people's anxieties.
Iriel cautiously added,
"They've been staying here for quite a while, haven't they? The posters said recruitment was in a few days."
As she said, the papers we received still had three days left until the recruitment deadline. According to that, no one should have left yet.
"It's been about two months, I think. This is the third round of recruitment. My son joined the second round about a month ago."
"Hmm, could you tell us how it went?"
At Iriel's words, Pallain nodded and continued.
To summarize his explanation:
They had already held three rounds of recruitment. The first round had few applicants due to suspicions, but once people actually received three months' pay upfront, applicants increased for the second and third rounds.
Their intentions weren't entirely aboveboard, but since they were paying real money and people who had supposedly gone and returned came forward to vouch for it, trust built up.
On top of that, it was under the Governor-General's Office banner.
With the hope that a few years of hard work would at least free them from their current starvation, participation numbers inevitably grew.
"So this time, even my daughter applied..."
Pallain trailed off, looking at Daisy.
She was gazing at Allen with anxious eyes.
Because she sensed from his expression that something was going wrong.
"B-But if what they said turns out to be a lie, what happens to my brother and me?"
At Daisy's question, Allen and Iriel couldn't easily respond.
Young men and women under 35.
Their purpose was obvious.
They would live lives no different from slaves.
In the heavy silence that fell, Daisy weakly set down the fork she had been holding.
Her hands trembled like aspen leaves.
"What could possibly happen? Even if they're reckless, it's under the Governor-General's name."
Pallain said.
His tone pretended nonchalance, but his face was etched with unease. Herian beside him was even worse—her face had drained to a ghostly white.
"Then what about our Alss? Huh? What about our son?"
Herian clutched at her collar and said. Her breathing grew ragged, as if she might collapse any moment.
"It's not even certain yet—why make a fuss already?"
Pallain soothed her with a retort. Daisy also went to Herian and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.
"...Don't worry. It'll be fine."
"I'll look into it, so please calm down for now."
Allen handed her some water and said. Pallain's somber gaze turned to him.
"What do you plan to do...?"
It wasn't something we could investigate just by doing merchant work. Allen looked to me for permission, and I nodded in response.
Allen opened his mouth with a resolute expression.
"We're not actually in the merchant business."
At the sudden declaration, everyone's eyes turned to Allen.
They all stared at him with blank faces.
Expressions that said they couldn't comprehend what he meant.
Allen revealed the truth.
"We're actually with the Northern White Lion Independence Army."
At Allen's words, they all gaped in unison.
And shortly after.
We had finished the conversation and stepped out of the house.
"Don't worry too much. We'll check it out and let you know."
Allen said, lightly hugging Herian who had come to see us off. She hugged him back and nodded.
"Thank you so much."
"Take care. I have no face left to show you."
Pallain patted Allen's shoulder.
He seemed to blame himself for the whole situation.
"Don't say that. Am I an outsider? After all the favors you've done me, of course I'll help."
After exchanging goodbyes with Pallain and Herian, Allen turned his gaze to the pitifully standing Daisy.
"...Allen oppa."
Allen clasped her trembling hands, which she had clasped together in fear.
"Just trust me. I'll take care of everything."
With a majestic bearing like a lord, Daisy quietly nodded.
Pallain said,
"Can you two really handle it?"
"Brother Allen is so strong. Don't worry."
Iriel dispelled his concerns while praising Allen.
That guy, Allen.
Shoulders back, spine straight—looking ever so heroic.
"Then we'll be off."
We left amid their farewells like that. As the saying goes, pull the iron horns while they're hot—now that we knew their location, there was no reason to delay.
After revealing we were independence fighters, we got detailed info from Daisy on how they were recruiting.
Nothing particularly noteworthy to remember, and since they got three months' pay upfront and wrote down names and addresses, if we wiped them out and handled the ledger with the personal info, Daisy's side would be neatly resolved for now.
"If we raid their base, we'll get answers, right?"
Allen asked, looking at me.
Forgetting I existed and treating me like a sack of straw when dragging people along, but now that we're out, he finally sees me?
"Why ask me?"
"Huh?"
"You kept me from saying a word until just now."
"Ah-."
At my words, Allen let out a short exclamation and smiled awkwardly.
"Hey, were you that upset? Sir Jenes, come on. You know how I feel—why act like this?"
Allen poked my shoulder with his finger, acting shy. I stared at the coquettish guy and pondered.
Should I just smack him?
While I mulled over punishing Allen, Iriel fanned the flames from the side.
"What kind of man gets sulky over that?"
"What?"
I asked back in disbelief.
Me, sulky?
Ridiculous.
Iriel continued smugly.
"It's because Sir Jenes has such a prickly way of talking usually. Try being nicer normally. Would we have done that?"
"So I kept my mouth shut this time. But you treated me like a sack of straw to toss aside. What else is that but swallowing people when convenient and spitting them out when not?"
"Why exaggerate like that? I told you to eat at the inn. You insisted on going anyway."
Agh. This girl.
Iriel's snide tone made my insides boil.
What to do with her?
While pondering how to get back at Iriel, Allen clung to my arm.
"Ah, Sir Jenes. My bad. So cheer up, yeah?"
"Man. Telling me to cheer up with empty words? You're no better than a highway robber."
"Ah, I'll treat you big-time this time. So cheer up, yeah?"
Ha, unbelievable.
Who does he think he's treating like a beggar?
"Think you can slither away like an eel over a single treat?"
"Then two treats?"
Fine. At least that much.
With broad magnanimity, I nodded.
I knew his intentions were good for them.
I'll let it slide this time.
I said,
"Each one has to be substantial."
"Ah, of course!"
Allen bowed like a eunuch.
I nodded contentedly at the sight.
Anyway, since I played along with the mood, I should milk it properly.
But not all issues were resolved yet.
"Playing it up so smugly just for going along once."
I looked at Iriel, who was grumbling to herself.
"Me? What did I do?"
I just stared without answering.
My gaze conveying, what about you? Reading it, Iriel protested in disbelief.
"Ah, seriously. I lost everything in cards last time, so I barely have any pocket money left. You won a ton then—why bring it up? And I only went because of Brother Allen. I'm innocent."
"Is that so?"
I looked at Allen.
"Ah, Iriel. Hold on."
Allen pulled her aside and quietly soothed her. Moments later, having somehow reeled her in, he sent her back to me.
Iriel approached with pursed lips and spoke.
"Fine. Two big treats, right?"
"No. Yours is three."
"What? Why!"
"Because you're insolent."
Iriel trembled, glaring at me.
Allen held up an index finger to her, pleading for mercy with a pitiful face.
Iriel reluctantly nodded.
"...Fine. Three treats."
"Should've said that sooner."
I nodded contentedly.
Seeing Iriel's face scrunch up like she bit into shit finally cleared the indigestion stuck in my chest.
"Man. So smug just for going along once. Does he ever think about how he treats us normally? His guts are something else. Might as well extract flea livers. That tiny pocket money of his... grumble grumble...."
Irked by the muttering behind me, I chin-nodded at Allen again.
Allen quickly went to Iriel and soothed her.
Iriel kicked a stone on the ground once before behaving.
I shook my head at the sight.
That temper of hers.
Having squeezed out even flea livers, we soon stood before a large mansion.
* * *
A soft glow pushed back the darkness.
Half-eaten snacks littered the table, empty bottles rolled on the floor.
Three men lounged against the sofa, puffing cigarettes and chatting.
Their faces, lit by orange lamps, were flushed red one and all. Eyes glazed—they were clearly drunk.
One burst into hearty laughter.
"Kahaha. Did you see the Francia bastards' faces earlier?"
"Kek. Yeah. They looked thrilled."
"Dragging them off without knowing where to, and that look on their faces."
"They're just lowly scum selling their bodies for a few coins."
"True. What do those idiots know? Just treat 'em like livestock."
Recalling the hopeful expressions of those we saw earlier, they sneered heartily.
"Anyway, gotta hand it to Francia scum for their stupidity."
"Heh, quite a few looked decent enough."
"Don't touch recklessly. One blemish, and your head rolls."
A voice cold as ice cut through their filthy talk then.
"You're really shaking your dicks off, huh."
The unexpected unfamiliar voice made the giggling men freeze and jump to their feet.
Tense gazes turned to the dark corner of the room.
"So you lot are laughing because you know damn well what's coming for you."
Another voice from the darkness. The tone sounded joking, but the emotion within was bitterly cold.
Their throats bobbed deeply with tension as they followed the sound.
"...Who are you."
Thud. Thud.
Footsteps answered instead.
A black shadow slowly emerged into the soft glow.