Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Incognito Knight's Ambush
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Rex was soundly asleep in the early dawn.
A time some might call early morning.
The incognito knights who met the vigilante at the labor office had obtained information from her.
And they immediately raided the mayor's mansion with her.
Of course, since they were acting on a single person's testimony, they didn't resort to force right away.
"Tax officials from the capital. We'd like to check your ledgers."
At first, the incognito knight posed as a tax official, attempting the mildest possible conversation.
But the mayor refused cooperation as if daring them to gut him...
"Yes. Refusal noted. We will now proceed to forced execution."
As if he had expected as much, the tax official—Captain of the Dark Elves—began the seizure and search.
"I'll handle this alone."
"Be careful, Master."
With the vigilante woman among the group, the two maintained their cover as the squinting tax official and the old butler, starting to "clean" the mansion.
However, the cleaning was more than enough for the tax official alone.
The mayor and his knights weren't worth the butler Dominic stepping in.
"Let's keep it quiet since people are sleeping."
A snap of his fingers enveloped the mansion in silence,
a clap sent middling foes collapsing as if asleep,
and a horizontal slice with his finger made even the sturdiest necks roll across the floor.
'Incognito knight sortie!'
While the tax official soloed like a one-man army, Dominic watched his battle, chanting the classic line in his mind.
And the vigilante who had accompanied them...
'These are the tax officials dispatched from the capital...'
She could only accept why just these two had been sent from the capital.
At the same time, she understood why such a powerful butler served under this tax official.
Once the cleaning was done, in a room drenched in bloodstains, the captain pulled out his monocle.
Dominic nodded in satisfaction at the sight.
'Suspicious tax official through and through.'
The Dark Elf captain had whitened his skin and shrunk his ears for his tax official disguise, but he couldn't do anything about the four-white eyes peeking from his perpetual squint.
As a result, his appearance screamed "the shadowy figure who clipped the mayor's tail."
Dominic wasn't the only one who thought so; the vigilante woman's eyebrows twitched repeatedly.
Of course, this 1st Company captain was the most diligent and normal of the three captains Dominic knew, so he sent silent sympathy in his heart.
While Dominic lost focus on the mission, lost in thought, the captain finished his analysis and summarized the situation.
"This mayor was gorging himself pretty good."
Hyrudin shot a disgusted glare at the ledgers.
The city he had thought clean was merely dumping its filth onto the neighboring territory.
They maintained slave labor through the loophole of changing slaves' registrations to the adjacent territory and leasing them back, rather than owning them outright.
"And yet he was pocketing subsidies for abolition from the lord. Shameless doesn't even begin to cover it."
Normally, the proper response would be to replace the mayor and request a new one from the capital while waiting.
The tax official thought the same and began outlining the next policy.
"Until a new local official is dispatched from the capital..."
"Have you forgotten your promise, Master?"
The butler's interruption made Tax Official Hyrudin flinch, glancing nervously at the vigilante woman.
Hyrudin recalled his promise with her.
Help with her revenge in exchange for sharing information.
But his thinking as a tax official differed slightly.
"We did promise. But we didn't know it involved the neighboring territory beforehand. We need to approach this cautiously."
"We can't break a promise, Master."
The loyal butler invoked righteousness, continuing to persuade the tax official.
Dominic's reason wasn't for her sake, but for his true self, the honorable knight Duke.
The two could nullify the promise through sheer force.
But Duke, Dominic's true body, the honorable knight, could not.
Thus, the butler kept pressing Hyrudin.
Faced with his superior's earnest advice disguised as butler counsel, Hyrudin wiped cold sweat and made excuses.
"Mr. Dominic. I'm not saying we won't keep it. I'm angry too. I have zero intention of forgiving those scoundrels who kidnapped our territory's people. But let's take a little time... Yes. Starting a year from now would be fine."
The cautious tax official preached prudence.
Perhaps due to his Dark Elf nature, his sense of time was off.
His words were reasonable.
Inter-territory issues required caution.
Especially since the scale rivaled nations from Duke's previous life, demanding time to maneuver.
But Duke, who had finally unlocked final boss content, had no intention of enduring such a dull lull.
Thus, he swiftly shifted tactics.
'If logic fails...'
Go for agitation and appeal.
The butler slipped slightly into Duke mode, advising the tax official like a loyal retainer.
"Punishing the city's mayor means nothing if the bordering territory keeps supplying slaves. Besides, even now, our territory's people are being kidnapped into slavery."
To cure the disease, treat the root.
"And isn't it our duty to spread word of Lord Rex's grace to the pitiful citizens of that territory who remain ignorant?"
Hyrudin forgot his acting entirely, struck with admiration at Dominic's simple, straightforward appeal.
"As expected...!"
Dominic's words evoked memories of the secret meeting on the evening the Yormungand Knight Order was formed.
'The Commander never intended to settle for this territory from that moment!'
The captain reinterpreted the butler's words with ecstatic fervor.
"Those trapped in caves see only shadows on the firelit wall! Yes! To show them true happiness, people like us must spare no effort! It's our duty!"
Dominic sensed a misunderstanding, but saw no need to correct it.
The hassle of dealing with a subordinate's overzealousness would fall squarely on Rex anyway.
While the butler stayed silent, the 1st Company captain nodded firmly, thoughts sorted.
"Yes. To spread Lord Rex's will to the ends of the earth, we'll help this woman."
Only then did Dominic nod.
"All for the lord."
'Well, they'll handle it themselves.'
And so, their next destination was set: the neighboring Dracon Marquisate.
By the time Rex woke in the morning, the two had already crossed the border without chance for him to stop them.
The group delved deeper into the marquisate, guided by the vigilante woman.
"Just so you know, I don't trust types like you."
"What have we done to earn that?"
"Squinter. You tried to back out of our deal yesterday."
Hyrudin rolled his eyes away from her.
An awkward air settled over the group.
Butler Dominic bluntly changed the subject to break the tension.
He also hated being called "squinter" or "geezer."
"Come to think of it, we haven't introduced ourselves properly. We're in this together now, so we should at least know names."
She glared at the two from horseback, then...
"Jane."
"Hyrudin. Tax official from the capital, but treat me as a fallen noble while we're working together."
"I'm Dominic. Butler and bodyguard."
She accepted Hyrudin's introduction easily, but tilted her head at Dominic's.
"Butler and bodyguard?"
"Yes."
"That make sense?"
At her point, the two met eyes.
And both recalled Rex's combat maid Ari.
"Yes."
"In our territory, butlers and maids doubling as combatants is standard, miss."
"???"
Even for her, who frequently traveled between Karognar and this neighboring territory, it was unheard of.
Unable to accept it easily, she asked again.
"When did that become common sense? Few years ago?"
"It's the new common sense since our lord took office, miss."
"Providence lord's taste?"
At the question, they again recalled Rex and Ari's relationship.
And,
"Yes. You could say that."
"It's the lord's preference."
Tax Official Hyrudin didn't deny it, while Butler Dominic affirmed enthusiastically.
Only then did Elf Vigilante Jane accept it.
"Well, plenty of superhumans are weirdos."
She herself was a superhuman at the 3rd Hierarchy.
Thus, the group broke the ice at Rex's expense(?).
Their journey remained peaceful for about three days.
"The marquisate's security is better than expected."
Squinting Tax Official Hyrudin's mutter drew a scoff from Jane.
"Then why would I be playing vigilante?"
"Are you saying you accomplished this?"
"As if. Justice isn't my thing. Just..."
She clamped her mouth shut and changed tack.
"Anyway, it's got nothing to do with me. From what you're saying, you have no clue about the marquisate's situation."
The two nodded honestly.
Providence County currently suffered chronic manpower shortages.
If they skimmed taxes and focused only on border skirmishes and territory expansion, fine—but Rex was aggressively intervening in administration.
And manpower didn't appear from thin air; purging the corrupt wholesale...
'If Hana hadn't sent reinforcements, even Rex would have collapsed.'
In such circumstances, they lacked leeway to plant informants in neighboring territories.
Dominic smiled sheepishly, wrinkles deepening consciously.
"Our shortcomings are to blame. We only know the rumors."
The rumors amounted to high tax rates compared to other territories and few bandits.
At that, Elf Vigilante Jane let out a mocking laugh.
"Bandits? Of course there aren't any. The bandits run the guards."
"Pardon?"
"The marquisate's already under mafia control in the cities. Why hide in these backwoods robbing people when you can join a mafia family and work the cities?"
The tax official and Hyrudin didn't grasp it immediately, tilting their heads.
Didn't that make them no different from knights?
As if reading their thoughts, she compared the marquisate and county.
"You have knights who openly wield public authority to rob. Here, knights take bribes or get threatened, while mafias scheme from the shadows."
According to her, the marquisate was infiltrated by a mafia alliance.
Each city had its ruling mafia family, allied to control the marquisate.
They didn't tolerate independent bandits in their turf, ensuring safe travel—but cities were the problem.
"Public authority? That's a joke here."
"What of the lord?"
The tax official voiced puzzlement.
A marquis was immensely powerful personally; he couldn't fathom infiltration by mere criminals.
Mafias might be stronger sometimes, but then they'd oust the marquis and launder into legitimacy.
Thus, neither the scheming bribe-taking mafias nor the laissez-faire marquis made sense to the tax official.
Vigilante Jane recognized the oddity too.
"No idea. Rumors say he's from the alliance, or a puppet, or godfather's twin brother. Whatever the reason, the marquis just tolerates it. No need for long explanations—you'll see for yourselves."
Dominic nodded beside her.
'Hmm. No clue.'
Even Dominic, who hated using his brain, could puzzle it out if he tried.
But he had no intention to.
Brains were for those with bad bodies.
The one fact he grasped:
'In short, slaughter the bad guys in the marquisate, leave executive-level for Jane.'
Any resulting security chaos or administrative burden wouldn't fall on Duke/Dominic anyway.
As Duke sorted his thoughts, Jane seemed to recall something and addressed Dominic.
"While we're on it, don't treat me like vigilante."
"Hm? When did we say that?"
"Your attitude."
"Apologies if so. But is there a reason, miss?"
"Those mafias started as vigilante groups too. 'Protecting marquisate traditions from outsiders' or whatever."
"Ah."
Dominic nodded in understanding.
"Then we'll think of you as a wandering knight."
"I don't have such noble aims."
"We'll see as we go."
A protagonist starting for revenge often ends embracing greater justice—a cliché.
Dominic, having cast her as this arc's protagonist, planned to indulge whatever she said.
"Vigilance against evil will one day bloom into justice."
"Hmph. There's no absolute justice. Those mafias too—evil is just another's justice in the end."
"Even so, we mustn't abandon pursuing good and guarding against evil. Relative measures require an absolute standard. One of the few truths this old man has learned in life."
Jane's shoulders twitched.
For some reason, even the tax official gazed at Dominic with enlightened eyes.
'What? Why you too.'
Meanwhile, the group arrived at a city.
Before entering, Jane reminded the two.
"Don't forget the promise."
"Union executives are yours."
Each city's mayor had a mafia family behind them.
But not all family bosses were union executives.
Thus, she demanded only union executive-level.
Remembering her order, Dominic nodded.
"In other words, no need to spare others for your sake."
"Right. Just clear the path to the boss. So, first, the structure of the family ruling this city..."
She opened her mouth, eyeing the gate checkpoint surrounding the city.
"This one's ruled by a union executive, so soldiers (low-level grunts) guard the checkpoint from the start. So we'll need to infiltrate here first..."
But before she finished, an ominous sound came from behind her.
Shring.
The old butler had shed his coat sometime, drawing his sword with a kindly smile.
A spare handaxe strapped to his back, sturdy-issue iron swords in both hands.
"???"
As her mind filled with confusion, the tax official carefully stowed the butler's coat on the horse's saddle.
"What're you doing?"
To the baffled Jane, the butler smiled warmly.
"The city belongs to its citizens. We must return it to its rightful owners."
"No way..."
"No need to bow our heads entering a house occupied by scoundrels who aren't the homeowners, right?"
"Wait!"
Before she could stop him, the butler charged the checkpoint.