Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: War Against Crime (4)
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As we began arresting everyone at the scene and heading to the guard barracks, the low-level gang members and the prostitutes started crying out in terrified expressions.
"Sp-Spare us!"
"Even if you take the men, we were just doing what the pimps told us to... Please spare us, Your Excellency!"
"We only went because they gave us food... Just give us one chance, and we'll live good lives."
We'll know for sure after investigating, but the prostitutes probably aren't very guilty.
In this era, prostitution is mostly done by poor women on the brink of starvation to avoid dying, or girls kidnapped off the street or sold by impoverished families to reduce mouths to feed.
That's why the women in this trade are controlled by beatings and abuse that avoid scarring their faces or other noticeable areas.
So, 99% of the women here were surely forced into sexual exploitation... Punishing them with execution just for being here would be punishing the innocent.
And personally, seeing these exploited prostitutes reminds me of how, not long after I possessed Siel, Ella was sniffling and offering her body, which makes them seem even more pitiful.
But the low-level male members here joined voluntarily, whether lured by food or ambition for advancement... so they're criminals by choice.
"Women, if you cooperate with the investigations by my soldiers, you'll be let go unharmed, so don't worry. The pimps are the bad ones; you were forced into it."
At my words, the low-level gang members, seeing a glimmer of hope for survival, asked with brightened faces.
"Your Excellency, does that mean you'll spare us too if we cooperate with the investigation? We only did this to survive; we had no intention of defying you."
As if they had no thought of defying me.
According to reports from Lieutenant Short and the other scouts, these guys went wild after being promised beauties, booze, and riches by the Count of Petergburg once they took over the city's back alleys...
You expect me to believe that?
They'd have died a bit more comfortably if they'd just unconditionally begged for mercy...
Since I need the information they have, I suppose I should give them false hope for a while.
So, in a flat voice, I offered them that empty promise.
"The same goes for you; cooperate with the investigation, and I'll spare you."
At those words, their faces began to relax.
But except for the one who throws out truly valuable info, no matter how much they cooperate, the best they can hope for is hanging.
The default punishment for you lot is drawing and quartering.
Why? Because the outsiders from other places can claim some mitigation as foreigners.
But my own vassals betraying me? It's only natural to make them pay accordingly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After separating the criminals by gender and imprisoning the men in the guard barracks and the women in the parade ground, I gathered the commanders in the meeting room to organize the collected information.
Colonel Bierman sat at the head of the long table, his subordinate lieutenant colonels and majors beside him, and for some reason, Ensign Short at the very end.
Sitting among real nobles with knightly titles... that guy must be inwardly stressed out.
As I took my seat slightly elevated above the meeting room table, all the commanders stood, knelt on one knee before me, and bowed their heads in greeting.
I gestured for them to rise and said,
"Thanks to everyone's cooperation, we eradicated the Blue Mold without issue. Without your help, my citizens would still be living in fear. Thank you for protecting them. In the name of Siel von Kroitel, I promise generous rewards for this operation."
At those words, the faces of the commanders before me flushed with excitement.
They're probably swelling with anticipation over how much bonus I'll hand out...
"Then let's begin the reports. Start with Major Frost, who suppressed the central headquarters."
At my words, Frost stood and began reciting his summary.
"First, we captured alive the Blue Mold leader Nikolai and four other executives, and 20 out of 50 low-level members. Inside, there was the daughter of 1st District Chief, presumed kidnapped, the daughter of 3rd District Chief's concubine, plus 10 women and 5 men of unknown origin."
"And how much funding was there?"
"Inside the headquarters, roughly 10 tons of estimated vodka and various hallucinogenic herbs, and in the facility warehouse, about 100 gold coins and 2,000 silver coins."
"Understood. Next, Major Magonel, report on the raid on the 2nd branch..."
That way, I received reports on all Blue Mold branches.
Six executives presumed to be nobles of knight rank or higher, including Nikolai; 34 regular executives; 340 low-level members; 30 tons of smuggled vodka; equivalent to about 800 gold coins...
10 noble family members nearly sold into slavery, 60 presumed citizens or serfs...
No matter how recklessly criminals act without thinking, to pull off something this scale...
You can't do it without backing from at least a count or higher noble...
"Colonel, this really seems like the Count of Petergburg orchestrated it. Otherwise, how could they openly try to stab us in the back on such a massive scale?"
"Your point is valid. But His Excellency has made many enemies among the merchants too. Could it be a scheme by a merchant with a grudge against Kroitel to bring us down...?"
"Those sneaky merchants are capable of it. But which merchant could invest this much budget at once...?"
"I've heard Hamburg's Doge is suffering lately because of us. Word is grain wholesalers took a big hit from falling food prices..."
"Even so, the Doge is making even bigger money relaying sugar trade. My relative serving the Doge says rumors are flying he'll buy a title in Romania soon."
As the discussion continued, some raised their voices, uncomfortable with differing opinions.
I slammed my fist on the armrest to quiet them and said,
"Enough! What is this disgraceful behavior? If there's a possibility, investigate it. What is this at the starting stage of interrogations?"
The commanders, ashamed, bowed their heads and said,
"My apologies, Your Excellency."
"It's fine. Everything you said has merit. Hamburg's Doge and the Count of Petergburg... both are scum capable of unleashing smugglers and criminals on our territory. Especially the Petergburg Count, who's dirt poor lately, and his nobles are blowing money like water on luxuries exported from our lands, causing a huge fuss. And merchants? Merchants are ready to flood rivals with drugs or women to ruin them."
I've never been as broke as the Petergburg Count, so I don't know what possessed him to incite crime, but back then, to ruin Schwein, I pulled every dirty trick.
I sent the two maids bullying Ella as concubines to find dirt on his private life, and further used their beauty to turn my liege lord from human trash to human waste.
Based on that experience, even if not the Count, if I were the Doge...
I definitely would've chosen this to break my momentum.
Otherwise, trade-dependent free city Hamburg would get swallowed by Romania or me.
Looking around, the other commanders were lost in thought on how to proceed with the investigation, none opening their mouths.
So, to give them more info, I decided to let Ensign Short speak.
"Ensign Short, I gave you the secret order for the headquarters infiltration... Can you share what you learned with them?"
At my words, Short replied with a highly tense expression.
"Yes, sir. From my investigation, the executives divided themselves into two groups. First, the initial executives who smuggled in together. Second, Blueport residents with influence equivalent to quasi-nobles or higher. The seconds are just given executive hats and used then discarded as needed; normally given no roles."
"Continue."
"Yes, and what I learned matches the reports already submitted on the organization, so I'll report only the key points."
"Proceed."
"When I infiltrated, they used our Franch language but with a distinctive accent mixing slight Northern and Romanian tones. They fed me their food, borscht and pirozhki, to avoid suspicion—I ate it. The borscht they gave me was topped with sauerkraut, mainly eaten in Romania."
"Sauerkraut, the salted cabbage those Romanian or Hamburg guys eat?"
"Yes. But in the Northern Alliance, borscht usually has red turnips or beets, veggies, and meat. They called it Northern style but topped it with sauerkraut. Guys who eat it that way are typically from the Maxburg Duchy in eastern Romania."
At those words, I felt a missing puzzle piece click into place in my mind, and all the information started forming a single picture.
If those guys are under the Duke of Maxburg...
It makes sense why those idiot villains used the Petergburg Count's name and rapidly gathered more slum dwellers than necessary.
Once we'd taken enough damage from the internal erosion...
They'd cut them off like a lizard's tail and hand them over, claiming it was the Petergburg Count's doing.
Even if not, it'd drive a wedge between the Petergburg Count and me, turning the North hostile...
So the sloppy, almost deliberate clues make sense.
They probably never imagined getting caught by former knights and executives well-versed in Northern language and culture to fool me...
Short, you nailed it.
And my subordinates, convinced by Short's words, were all nodding in agreement.
"Ensign Short, how do you know Northern Alliance and Romanian cuisine so well? Have you...?"
"I lived as a child in Northheim, the northernmost village in Maxburg Duchy. Local merchants who visited often made borscht, so I know it well."
"I see..."
Then I clapped sharply, drawing everyone's attention, and said,
"Everyone, then proceed with investigations assuming they're from Maxburg."
"Yes, sir."
"And no torture until I order it. Lock them in the worst cells, give just enough water and food to not die. Dismissed."