Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Sowing Discord
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“If you need anything else, come find me anytime.”
“Then may I trouble you a few more times?”
“Haha, of course. As long as you show your sincerity.”
“Thank you.”
In the end, a bounty was placed on an innocent person!
Such were the ill effects of bribery.
In any case, Lee Shin immediately went out to catch his target, and as soon as they were caught, he beat them to a pulp and extorted taxes.
“There he is!”
“Get him!”
“……!?”
He grabbed him.
“I'm arresting you on suspicion of multiple crimes.”
“What are you talking about! I haven't committed any crimes…!”
“Shut up! We'll find out once we investigate.”
“What…!?”
“Begin.”
Thwack! Thud, thud, thud!
“Aaargh! He-help…!”
[The resident is terrified.]
[Tax collection complete.]
[Bounty target apprehended.]
*‘...This is pretty good.’*
He realized in the process that this method was remarkably efficient.
This way, he could progress the bounty hunter arrest quest and the tax collection quest at the same time.
If a small bribe could nearly double his efficiency, it was an exchange that was always worth it.
*‘I should spread more bribes.’*
It was the moment Lee Shin slightly altered his method.
He would put a bounty on them first, then go find them.
“Why am I wanted…?”
“Shut up!”
“!?”
[Tax collection complete.]
[Bounty target apprehended…]
“…No, seriously, why am I a wanted man!”
Naturally, the residents' complaints grew stronger, but Lee Shin paid them no mind.
In fact, he secretly welcomed this hostile atmosphere.
[The residents' discontent is skyrocketing.]
[Warning!]
[An ominous undercurrent begins to flow among the residents of Ampiri Territory.]
*‘Oh?’*
It felt like something big was about to erupt.
Whenever Lee Shin walked down the street, everyone would glare at him as if they wanted to kill him and whisper amongst themselves.
Lee Shin nodded in satisfaction.
*‘Looks like I'll be able to clear the remaining quest soon.’*
* * *
Lee Shin's prediction was correct.
“…We can't live like this!”
After several days of Lee Shin's brutal tyranny, the residents could no longer bear it.
“Does it make any sense for them to collect taxes when we don't even have enough money to eat!”
“And to top it off, the lord's castle has chests upon chests of money piled up!”
“Booo!”
“Just kill us instead!”
[The residents' discontent has exploded.]
[A protest is breaking out!]
“Everyone, rise up! Let's go to the square!”
“Let's drag the lord out!”
As if to express all their pent-up frustration, the protest quickly turned violent, and countless resident NPCs flocked to the square.
“Isn't this getting out of hand!?”
“It's fine.”
Jeong Yu-ra said, fidgeting anxiously, but Lee Shin was unconcerned.
He had already fed massive bribes to the guild and the guards, so there wouldn't be any problems.
All he had to do was handle it well.
And for Lee Shin, who was already accompanied by a dozen or so knights, this was not a difficult task.
He didn't even need to act himself; a single command would be enough.
“You know what to do, don't you?”
“……Yes.”
“Then move.”
The knights hesitated for a moment, but an order was an order.
Besides, this was just an extension of what they had been doing all along, so they had no real grounds to object.
In the end, with hardened expressions, they began to suppress the protesters.
“Stand back!”
“Disperse now, or we will disperse you by force!”
“…!”
The residents flinched at this.
“Damn it, those bastards again…”
“What do we do?”
But with so much pent-up anger, they wouldn't back down so easily this time.
“…Don't retreat! Just fight back!”
“Knock them down however you can and stomp on them!”
“There are way more of us!”
Kill us if you can!
Fueled by rage, the citizens resisted, swinging their weapons.
…But it was no use.
The ones blocking their path were knights, who only looked like thugs on the outside.
No matter how much they raged, mere residents were no match for them.
Thwack! Thud, thud!
“…Urgh!”
“Gah!”
The protesters were futilely suppressed with single blows from the clubs.
As a result.
[You have violently suppressed the protesters!]
[Your infamy greatly increases.]
[<Territory Quest (B) - Riot Suppression> has been completed.]
The protest was suppressed anticlimactically.
Lee Shin left the cleanup to the guards and headed straight for the guild.
He then found the familiar receptionist and spoke.
“It's done.”
“Huh?”
[3 Territory Quests completed.]
[Calculating results.]
[Taxes Collected: 1,507,000/999,999]
[Bounty Targets Apprehended: 66/9]
[Riot Suppressed: 1/1]
“Let's see… Whaaaaaat!?!?”
The receptionist was shocked.
That's how astounding Lee Shin's performance had been in such a short time.
[You have exceeded the quest limits!]
[Your infamy greatly increases.]
[Your contribution points greatly increase.]
[Current Contribution Ranking: 9]
[Your contribution ranking is extremely high!]
[Your name will now become known among the territory's high-ranking officials.]
Lee Shin nodded in satisfaction.
A connection with a high-ranking official. He had achieved the result he wanted in one go.
*‘Good.’*
Now, all that was left was to wait.
* * *
The reaction Lee Shin had hoped for appeared right away.
While Lee Shin was just hanging around the guild house, a neatly dressed male NPC came looking for him.
“Arthur?”
“That's me.”
“There is someone who wishes to see you.”
Lee Shin didn't even ask who it was and simply nodded.
He would meet them first.
He could tell from the man's rather luxurious attire that he was the servant of someone of considerable status.
“Can I meet them right now?”
“Pardon? Ah, yes. Please follow me.”
“I have companions with me…”
“That is fine. They may come as well. Then…”
The man nodded and began to walk.
Lee Shin followed behind him.
“…Hm?”
However, as they drew closer to their destination, Lee Shin felt that something was strange.
Why are we heading toward the lord's castle…?
Lee Shin asked.
“Where are we going right now?”
“Pardon? To the lord's castle, of course? Wait, don't tell me you followed me without knowing?!”
The servant was shocked that he had just followed along without even knowing who he was meeting, but the one who was even more surprised was Lee Shin himself.
*‘...The lord!?’*
Lee Shin's original plan was to make a connection with a suitable high-ranking official, bribe him, and then arrange a meeting with the lord.
He thought that was realistically the fastest way to meet the lord.
But now, much faster than he had anticipated, the lord himself had summoned him.
The intermediate step had been skipped!
It was a deviation from his plan, and for Lee Shin, who had a lot to feel guilty about, it was natural for various thoughts to cross his mind.
*‘...Did I spread too many bribes?’*
As Lee Shin worried, Gillaim whispered to him.
“How about we just kill him while we're at it? If I make a move, it might be entirely possible.”
“……You be quiet. Nothing's certain yet.”
Gillaim's words weren't entirely impossible.
Just as he said, if he personally stepped in, assassinating an unsuspecting lord seemed entirely possible, and by using the other knights, they could escape afterward.
Of course, there might be casualties in the process, but if he considered it an exchange for the lord's life, it wasn't a huge loss.
However.
*‘It'd be a waste to end it like that.’*
He hadn't gone through all the trouble of spreading bribes for days just to kill a single lord, had he?
If it ended so anticlimactically, the result would be disappointing compared to the effort.
Furthermore, if it was discovered that Edgar Territory was behind the assassination, they could be put at a disadvantage in the upcoming Territory War.
It wouldn't be strange for the other territories, feeling threatened, to band together against Edgar Territory.
That would mean hitting a reef right from the start.
Lee Shin thought to himself.
*‘I should meet him first and then decide.’*
If it's about the bribes, I'll bolt immediately. If not, I'll hear him out.
It was a bit risky, but if he threw the knights he brought as bait, an escape would be more than possible, so it was fine.
While Lee Shin was lost in thought, the group soon arrived at their destination.
[Entering the Ampiri Territory's Lord's Castle.]
[First time entering this area.]
[Fame increases by 100.]
“My lord. I have brought the adventurer you mentioned.”
“Hm? Ah.”
The lord of Ampiri Territory, Rodin, was an overweight, middle-aged man.
Turning his head at the servant's words, he looked Lee Shin up and down before asking.
“Are you the adventurer called Arthur?”
“I am.”
“I heard you suppressed the recent protest. Is that correct?”
“Pardon? Ah, yes! That's correct.”
“Hmm….”
Rodin nodded at Lee Shin's answer.
From his words and expression, Lee Shin was able to notice one thing.
*‘It wasn't about the bribes.’*
The atmosphere wasn't accusatory.
If anything, it was favorable.
From the moment he entered the castle, he had been ready to set off a smoke bomb and flee if things went south, but now there was no need.
Lee Shin lowered his guard a notch and asked.
“For what reason have you summoned me?”
“Because of the protest, of course. As the lord, I can't just ignore an adventurer who single-handedly resolved the turmoil in my territory, can I?”
“If it's about that, I've already received sufficient compensation.”
“Haha! I figured as much, so I had no intention of giving you more rewards either.”
“……?”
*‘...This bastard?’*
“Anyway, I didn't call you for a reward… I called you because I have something to ask about this riot.”
“If you have something to ask…?”
In response to Lee Shin's question, Rodin let out a deep sigh and answered.
“You may not know this, but riots tend to happen here from time to time.”
“It doesn't seem like something to worry about. After all, isn't it just a bunch of ignorant pigs acting out of place?”
“Hahaha! You know your stuff.”
[Rodin's mood improves.]
[Your affinity with Rodin increases.]
“…Ahem, but those lowly things don't understand that. That's why they periodically start riots, so someone like me needs to stomp them down and educate them.”
“Ye-es…”
“But this time, the riot happened too quickly. It hasn't been long since I last put them down.”
“…!”
With those words from Rodin, Lee Shin quickly grasped the situation.
He understood why he was able to meet the lord directly, without any intermediate steps.
The man had sensed that something was strange about the current situation.
…It hadn't been long since the last riot was suppressed, so why did another one happen so soon?
Rodin asked.
“What do you think is the cause?”
“I…”
At that moment, Lee Shin's judgment was incredibly fast.
This was a chance to turn the lord's attention outside the territory.
Lee Shin racked his brain as fast as he could before answering.
“Actually, I've heard something……. They say the movements of a nearby territory have been unusual lately.”
“What?”
“The movements of a neighboring territory are suspicious. Especially…”
Especially the movements of the soldiers from Killaris Territory.
Killaris Territory was one of the territories with particularly bad relations with Ampiri Territory.
At this, the Count frowned.
“Count Killaim?”
“Yes. This is just my speculation, but perhaps he is preparing for a Territory War?”
“What does that have to do with the riot?”
“The current riot could have been instigated by spies he sent. To throw his opponent into chaos before a war.”
“That makes sense, but…”
The Count's reaction was lukewarm.
“Still, a Territory War seems a bit of a stretch, don't you think?”
It was a very reasonable doubt, but Lee Shin shook his head firmly.
“Not at all!”
“Not at all?”
“Yes. Their soldiers are on the move, are they not? It's not like there's been a sudden monster outbreak, so what other reason could there be! It must be for war.”
“Hmm….”
“And in the first place, Your Lordship knows his greed better than I do, don't you? He is a man who would start a conflict for no reason other than his own avarice!”
“!”
That last statement was the decisive blow.
The two already had such a bad relationship that all it took was for Lee Shin to scratch the itch a little to sow discord.
[Skill, <Deception> activates.]
[You have successfully deceived the Count!]
“…That's true!”