5
I killed the Demon King. It was a mistake.
Chapter 5
Caesar suddenly realized.
"Have I been thinking about making money in an incredibly difficult way?"
Caesar pulled the axe out of the thief's skull.
The surroundings were filled with the corpses of thieves who had targeted Caesar's carriage.
Caesar searched the pockets of the one who appeared to be the leader.
A pouch containing bundles of money, jewels, and bonds popped out.
"Money. Money."
Caesar tossed the pouch onto the carriage and then searched the pockets of the other thieves.
Less than the boss, but wallets containing silver rings and cash popped out.
How much did he earn from this one haul?
It seems he earned over 5,000 Del.
"Oh, right."
Caesar brought down the axe on the boss's neck.
Then he wrapped the guy's head tightly in a shirt and loaded it onto the carriage.
This era was similar to the mid to late 1800s in America, full of romance and barbarism.
Because there were armed outlaws everywhere, traveling alone by carriage was no different from suicide.
Of course, news that bands of thieves were rampant in the Empire would have reached the Emperor's ears.
The reason they couldn't suppress the robbers was that the soldiers and knights responsible for public safety were at the front lines of the demon realm war.
And because officials at all levels were corrupt.
In short, this country was in decline.
In a world where order has disappeared from the world and the logic of power is favored over law, a 'knight' was no different from a top predator.
Capable knights who could use aura were all dragged into the demon realm war, and most adult males who could hold guns also volunteered for the demon realm war.
Then the only people left were cowards who had abandoned their sacred duty of military service.
In front of Caesar's power, who had already become an aura user, armed robbers were no match at all.
"Stop."
Lost in thought, he had already arrived in the city.
The guards were all holding guns, wary of Caesar.
"State your name and purpose."
Caesar handed over a ring engraved with the tiger emblem, the symbol of the Sylvatil family, and his discharge papers, saying, "Caesar Sylvatil. I came to rest for a bit."
The guards' eyes widened upon seeing the ring and discharge papers.
"Welcome to Big Tone. But Sir Knight, has the, has the demon realm war ended?"
"No. But I heard the Demon Lord was killed. Others will probably return soon."
At the mention of the Demon Lord's death, the guards cheered.
"My goodness! The war will end soon! Oh, right! Please come in. If you need a place to stay, go to the Whale Tavern. It's run by my mother, and if you tell her about the demon realm war, you'll probably be able to drink beer to your heart's content."
It's not that there are no telephones, but since landlines haven't spread to small towns like this yet, information spreads slowly.
Maybe in the countryside, they might not even know the demon realm war has started?
Or maybe not.
"More importantly, I'd like to meet the sheriff. I killed some robbers on the way here, and I'm curious about how much the bounty is."
"Ah, yes! If you go straight down this main road, you'll find the security office. The sheriff should be there!"
"Thanks."
"Then I'll see you at the Whale Tavern!"
Caesar headed towards the main road, pulling his carriage.
People gathered around, looking at Caesar with curious eyes.
Children peeked from behind pillars, and some housewives were busy whispering openly.
Caesar parked his carriage at the security office.
"Where are you from?"
"I came to collect a bounty." Caesar handed over the heads of the bandit leaders he had met on the way to the guards.
"I-I'll guide you to the sheriff."
"Make sure no one steals the carriage. There are some quite valuable items there." Caesar handed a 100 Del bill to the guard.
In this world, 1 Del is roughly equivalent to about 1,000 Korean won.
It's easier to think of 1 Del as about 1 dollar.
So the 100 Del given to the guard is about 100,000 won.
"Yes! Understood!"
The guards began glaring at children and petty thieves to prevent anyone from even touching the carriage.
Only then could Caesar enter the security office with peace of mind.
As Caesar entered, a sheriff wearing a hexagonal star on his chest approached.
But his face seems somewhat familiar.
Neat suit, puma head cane, and somewhat mischievous brown eyes.
It's a familiar face, but he can't quite remember.
"What is your name?"
"Caesar Sylvatil."
"If it's Sylvatil..."
"The main family is quite far west of here. It's in Vex Province."
"Ah, I see it's the Sylvatil family I knew. Did you sell wine?"
"No. We're in magazine publishing. Don't you know Knight Night?"
"Oh my. How rude of me. I'm sorry. I confused you with the Silva family. My apologies."
The guards might have just glanced at the family ring and let it pass, but someone of the sheriff's caliber is different.
They always go through the process of cleverly confirming identity, just like now.
"Bring those robbers' heads here."
"Ah, yes."
The guards unwrapped the bundle on the table.
The sheriff bit on a cigar and examined the robbers' faces with his cane.
"Big Duck, Olf, Denim... They're all notorious criminals in this Wizard Province. How did you catch them?"
"With an axe. It wasn't difficult compared to the demon folk."
"Oh... If you could catch all these guys, you must have quite a reputation..."
"Being a wandering knight, I wasn't given many opportunities."
"Well, connections are important everywhere. That's why the hero is so great."
The sheriff said while roughly wiping his cane with a handkerchief.
"Follow me for a moment. I need to settle your account."
Caesar followed the sheriff to his office.
The first thing Caesar noticed was the sheriff's nameplate.
'...Harrison Walterwood.'
He thought the face was familiar, and indeed it was someone he had seen in the game.
Occasionally, when Seo-han meets a named character from the game, he sometimes wonders if this is reality or a dream.
The hero Yan, Raven Gale, Mitchell Redfield, Prince Dior, and more.
They are all significant figures whose influence can change the entire story depending on the player's choices.
So what about Harrison Walterwood?
He's certainly a character you can meet in the game.
But this guy doesn't have the same impact or abilities as the hero to change the entire game story.
Harrison was one of the few advisory NPCs that players could recruit early on when starting as a businessman.
Harrison opened the safe drawer and started taking out bundles of cash.
"Big Duck is 5,000 Del, Olf is 3,200 Del, Denim is 6,100 Del, totaling 14,300 Del... But I don't think you only caught these guys..."
"I killed anyone who came at me without sparing their lives."
Harrison took out more money.
"Then I'll give you 15,000 Del."
15,000 Del.
That's 15 million Korean won.
15 million won just for slicing off the heads of some nasty robbers.
Making money shouldn't be this easy.
"What about taxes?"
"The Province law changed recently, so there's no tax on bounties in Wizard Province."
That's the same as saying lawlessness is rampant.
The entire Eileen Empire must be groaning over this issue.
"What about donations?"
"Usually, people go to a religious order of their choice and give about 10%."
Ironically, in this era, the power of religious orders is extremely strong.
There's even a saying that the further you are from the imperial capital, the stronger religious authority is compared to public power.
The explanation for this reason...
Let's talk about that later.
Money is more important right now.
Anyway, it's fortunate that Wizard Province is close to Gold Mile Province where the Emperor is. If it were 'Dre Province' or 'Royder Province', you might have had to give 30-50% as a donation.
"But it doesn't seem like there are any religious orders around here?"
"There are two small churches. Of course, being a small town, there's no bishop... If I may ask, which order do you belong to?"
"I was originally a follower of the Dre religion, but... I've been having doubts recently."
"Ah"
Harrison immediately understood Caesar's intentions.
"Then let's offer a thanksgiving service to Goddess Absin today. I know a priest there... About 5% should be enough there."
"Absin?"
"Absin's religion is surprisingly powerful in Wizard . Haha."
The Absin religion, which values integrity as a virtue, is ironically very popular among nobles and the wealthy.
They receive less in donations compared to the Dre or Royder religions, and rumor has it that they also serve as a tax haven for nobles and the rich.
But the benefits they receive are equally less.
They don't even engage in 'demon hunting', which is the very reason for the order's existence, so ordinary people don't feel the need to follow the Absin religion.
"I'd like to offer worship, but I'm in a hurry..."
"Where are you headed?"
"I'm looking to settle down in a suitable city now. I don't want a city that's too small, I'd like to go to a large city with good infrastructure."
"Then there's a place that's not bad."
Harrison pointed to a spot on the map of Wizard Province hanging on the wall.
"Homigraph. It's a large city surrounding 'Sapientia', where the magic tower is located."
So it's Homigraph after all.
Homigraph is a commercial city that distributes all goods entering and leaving the magic tower.
Moreover, with a direct train connection to the imperial capital and the Dior Kingdom, along with a large river flowing through it, it was the fastest-developing city in the empire.
"And there are many wealthy individuals and nobles living there who would like to meet and talk with Sir Caesar, who has returned from ending the demon realm war."
This guy's got quite the silver tongue, doesn't he?
It feels like he might have snagged the sheriff position purely based on his eloquence.
Is this because he's a named NPC?
"Is it easy to find a house there?"
"There's a requirement for a clear social status, but... Given that you're a knight and a member of the Sylvatil Viscount family, that shouldn't be difficult for you."
Caesar really liked Harrison.
There's a feeling that having him around would be incredibly convenient?
It's like that feeling you get when you first touch a smartphone after using a regular cell phone.
"Harrison, is there a reason you became a sheriff?"
Harrison smiled awkwardly and said: "Would you believe me if I said it was to avoid being drafted into the army at middle age?"
"Then I suppose you don't have a reason to continue being a sheriff?"
Harrison's eyes changed subtly. "Is there something you want from me?"
"I've been on the battlefield for 3 years, so my head's gone stiff. I need someone to manage my money and house. Would you consider becoming my personal butler?"
Harrison took a puff of his cigar and exhaled slowly. "First, I sincerely thank you for thinking highly of me. However, I've never learned to be a butler, nor do I want to do butler work."
"I don't know what a sheriff's salary is, but it can't be more than 100,000 del. 100,000 del."
"I don't really think..."
"150,000 del."
Harrison swallowed hard.
150,000 del is equivalent to 150 million Korean won per year.
Does Caesar have the ability to give that much money?
Of course.
Just selling the gold coins and bullion brought from the demon realm would easily make 5 million del.
Now the important thing is to find someone capable of managing that enormous amount of money.
Caesar was certain that person was Harrison.
This guy was an S-class talent in the game when it came to recruiting and managing personnel.
If he just absorbs all the people this guy brings in from now on, there will be almost no headaches about money.
"If you're not going to smoke that cigar, why don't you give it to me?"
Caesar pulled out Harrison's cigar.
Caesar used psychometry while smoking the cigar.
-150,000 del? Does this guy know how much money that is?
-This guy is nouveau riche. He has absolutely no concept of money!
-He seems to think he's something special because he made a big score in the war, but that's definitely not the case.
-But... If I use this nouveau riche, I might be able to return to Homigraph.
'This guy seems to have some other thoughts.'
Whatever the case, Caesar needs him too.
If he's talented enough to appear in the game, it's right to use him even if he's a bit shady, by handing over wads of cash.
If he betrays me... I'll just bury an axe in his skull.
He decided to shake him hard while he was wavering.
Caesar took out a gold coin from his pocket.
"This is your last chance. I'll give you this as a signing bonus for 200,000 del."
The moment he saw the gold coin, Caesar's eyes widened.
"...Even if I express my intention to retire, I can't quit immediately. The mayor has to accept my resignation."
Got him.
"How long will it take?"
"It will probably be about 3 to 4 weeks."
"That's quite a bit of time. Then come up as soon as you retire."
"Wait... I have one thing to ask."
"Go ahead."
"What exactly do you see in me to invest so much money?"
If it were Caesar who had lived his whole life in Vex Province, he wouldn't be able to answer, but Seo-han is different.
"Has the Walterwood family ever missed a seat in parliament since the assembly was established in Homigraph? You say you're a native of Vex Province, but I know that the Walterwood family is quite a famous political family. I think 200,000 del is a bargain if I can have a member of that political family work for me."
"If you're thinking about the backing of my family..."
"I don't think I'll get help from the assembly just because I hired you. But I thought I could recruit capable friends you know all at once. Is this explanation enough?"
"If that's the case, wouldn't it be cheaper to ask me to write you a letter of recommendation?"
"Then I wouldn't get you."
At those words, Harrison stared at Caesar with a blank expression.
"Do you think I'm worth that much?"
"Yes. My instincts have never been wrong. Look at me. I came back alive and well from that damned battlefield, didn't I?"
Caesar put down the gold coin and stood up.
"We'll write the contract when you come up later. I'll see you then."
"Aren't you taking the bounty?"
"Use that money to lure smart guys and come up. That's your first task."
"What do you want to do in Homigraph? I'll come up accordingly."
"I want to live in a splendid mansion, fooling around with 20 maids."
Harrison's expression twisted like a broken clockwork doll.
"...Pardon?"
"Well, that's all."
"Are, are you serious?"
"You figure it out yourself."
Caesar left the sheriff's office with a smile.