Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Saint's Appearance (2)
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Saint!
The holy name of one who sacrifices himself for all mankind!
Rumors had been circulating for one or two months already that a man who shared his name with the Saintess and the Pope had appeared.
In every village he visited, he healed the wounded, cured those suffering from illness, and performed miracles by raising up the sick and the lame.
Dozens of people already followed in his wake, calling themselves his disciples and servants. And hundreds, even thousands who had received his healing prayed for him every day.
'A good word for drawing in the masses.'
Rokan was also traveling behind him, but his assessment was entirely different.
It was true that he was healing people and that those who received treatment were witnessing miracles, like cripples leaping to their feet. But Rokan knew something was off about his actions and their results.
"Oooooh!"
"The Saint has done it again!"
"A miracle! It's a miracle!"
In truth, it was simple if you applied common sense. Recovery spells could heal wounds and diseases, but they couldn't do anything about chronic illnesses or disabilities.
No matter how high-level a priest was, they couldn't excise a cancer tumor, make a cripple stand on their own legs even if they could levitate them, attach severed limbs yes, but regrow them? Impossible.
"Oh, Lord..."
But he did it. He pretended it was hard, but he pulled off the impossible with surprising ease.
Some might call it a 'miracle' for that very reason.
But Rokan thought differently.
'Fraud.'
Impossible was impossible precisely because it was impossible. Sticking to that simple truth, he wasn't shaken even when witnessing the miracles right before his eyes.
"Purchase items."
After watching the Saint enter a new village, bestow miracles, and prepare to stay for a while, Rokan left the area and headed to a magic shop.
There, he began buying teleport scrolls in bulk, ones marked with the village's location.
"Rune Book use, to Taimura."
Then, without looking back, he returned to Taimura. More precisely, to his shop within Taimura.
"Set up vendor."
He immediately manipulated the vendor settings to add a new item for sale.
[Limited Sale. Cocomo Village Teleport Scroll][Price: 20 copper]
It wasn't exactly cheap. Cost price was 30 copper. Just a 10 copper difference per scroll. But the power of "limited sale" was immense.
Even without knowing what Cocomo Village was, plenty of players got excited by the first-ever limited sale notice and snapped them up.
Of course, since they could turn out to be worthless scraps of paper, no one bought more than ten. Still, the 1,000 scrolls he prepared sold out in no time.
'Take a breather.'
But he didn't restock right away. They needed time to figure out what these scrolls meant.
In the meantime, some impatient users activated them on the spot and teleported to Cocomo Village.
'Will they spot it right away?'
But whether they'd grasp the scrolls' significance immediately was another matter. If they did quickly, they'd suck up the honey; if not, once he restarted sales, they'd be treated like trash.
After hanging around the home page for a good while, when he relisted the items, sales that had stalled at first suddenly skyrocketed. They'd figured out the purpose.
Even when he raised the price to 25 copper, it was the same. Rokan had monopolized the teleport scrolls to Cocomo Village.
Using marks would cost even more in teleport scrolls than using the Rune Book.
'People will drink sewage if it's free, huh.'
That was the value of scrolls to the Saint's village. Free healing and buffs.
Even villains and murderers weren't turned away—he healed them all. So even just as potion substitutes, seeking him out was always a profit.
Without realizing it might eat away at them from the inside.
'Hmm, this should do it.'
Rokan put every last teleport scroll he had—even knowing everything—up for sale in his shop, but he felt no guilt. It was something that would have happened in his previous life anyway, even without him.
He'd just accelerated the timeline a bit, and in the end, he'd end it faster, so no issue at all.
Sure, some users would take losses, but depending on how they used the opportunity, they'd gain too. No one to purely blame.
"...Huh?"
As Rokan gauged the right timing, a letter arrived. An urgently delivered magic letter, no less.
The sender was none other than Lord Linaie.
"Has it blown up?"
Grinning as soon as he received it, Rokan tore open the letter and instantly teleported to Linaie territory, slipping quickly into the lord's castle.
"You called for me?"
"Ah, you've come."
He looked frantic and anxious. Just seeing his trembling hands and pale face hinted at the severity of the situation.
"Have you seen it?"
He was asking about the letter's contents. Rokan had peeked at it on the way over, so he nodded lightly.
"...What should we do?"
"Well. What do you want to do?"
"..."
But Rokan didn't give an answer. He asked about the lord's intentions first.
Silence in response.
Which made sense—he had no conclusion he could reach.
"Abandon the territory... is that what you're saying?"
The failure of the second mine development. The territory's coffers drained as a result.
Some funds remained, enough to keep things running for now, but after one mistake already, returning to normal life wouldn't be easy.
No, that alone would have been fine. The real problem started after investing in the second mine: Lord Remington, who had been cozying up, began slipping people into the territory, and lately, provocations and disturbances were frequent.
And today, he had sent an official protest letter loaded with terrifying threats.
"Look at this protest letter. If things continue like this, Lord Remington will surely push for a territory war."
'Protest my ass—it's outright provocation.'
Anyone could see it was their fault, or a non-issue, yet they condemned strongly in the name of protecting their citizens' safety and interests, declaring they'd resort to force if needed. What else could you call that but picking a fight?
But the issue was that Linaie territory lacked the power to stand against them. Rokan hadn't raised funds to train soldiers, promoted agriculture or commerce, or pulled strings with influential figures.
The lord's greed—not quite greed—to develop the territory's signature mines for a century's worth of sustenance had backfired spectacularly with the failure.
"How about this?"
"What..."
Rokan, who had been quietly responding with silence, spoke cautiously, and Lord Linaie watched him with desperate eyes.
"Sell the territory before it's too late."
"Out of the question!"
"Then no choice. Get swept into a territory war and everyone dies."
Rokan replied indifferently to the lord's firmer-than-expected stance.
Since the path he could choose was set, Rokan prodded the sore spot harder rather than trying to persuade and risk seeming pushy.
"...Lord Remington is a greedy man. Even if you hand over the territory intact, the citizens will be exploited."
"Then sell it to someone who won't."
"Foolish talk. Do you think nobles like that are common? Besides, our territory is a hot potato. Who'd buy a place that only produces a bit of copper ore for big money?"
Lord Linaie was sincere. His own position mattered, but he genuinely worried for his citizens' well-being.
Having lived like family with them, even if not richly, it was entirely plausible.
That was why Rokan carefully voiced what he wanted.
"I'll buy it."
"...You?"
In that instant, Lord Linaie's gaze changed.
As if realizing Rokan had that intent all along, the boundless trust turned to distrust and betrayal.
"Fortunately, I have some money. And I just got an honorary baronetcy, so I meet the conditions to own a territory. But I have no intention of managing it myself."
"What do you..."
Regardless, Rokan continued, drawing a firm line.
"I won't manage the territory directly. Territory management? An efficient administrator can handle it brilliantly. Of course, not you, my lord."
Brutal facts. No sugarcoating. Lord Linaie winced like he'd taken a critical hit, but he couldn't lash out with nonsense. He knew his own incompetence all too well.
"From what I've seen, Miss Saron does excellent work. She could handle the territory's affairs, don't you think, my lord?"
Saron was a child he had noticed too. Smart, she not only handled tasks well but always exceeded expectations.
If only she weren't a commoner, a girl—he'd thought she could achieve great things. Now Rokan suggested promoting her boldly? It made him look at Rokan anew, shaking his thoughts.
"Go on."
"Of course, she'd struggle alone. But with Loti, Miki, and Tantan's help, I think they could manage well. Childhood friends, each with talents in different areas."
Nod.
Lord Linaie nodded unconsciously. He lacked the courage to use them boldly, but it aligned with his thoughts.
And he felt a bitter pang thinking they'd actually do better than him at managing the territory.
"If you wish to stay, my lord, I'll make a position for you. Hmm, Chief of Public Safety should do."
"Chief of Public Safety, you say..."
The exact same role as Rokan's. Far beyond what Lord Linaie, with his meager personal strength, could handle.
Yet his reaction wasn't anger or humiliation.
The Chief of Public Safety was a prime position in territory management.
To squeeze the citizens, you needed your most reliable, ruthless confidant there. Not someone soft like him.
That alone showed Rokan had no interest in exploiting the citizens, at minimum.
"Very well. I'll think on it seriously. But what about Lord Remington?"
A bigger problem remained.
Lord Remington. As long as that greedy tongue flicked out, protecting Linaie territory wouldn't be easy.
"We crush him."
But Rokan's answer was clear-cut.
Said so casually, like buying groceries, Lord Linaie briefly wondered if he was missing something.
"How..."
Squeezing out the question, the lord received Rokan's light reply, as if it were nothing.
"Considering the current emperor's stance, a full territory war is unlikely. He's greedy too, so he won't want to lose subordinates and soldiers. Thus, Lord Remington has only one option."
"...Proxy war?"
"Yes. He'll push for a proxy battle with knights. A direct lord duel would be tough for us anyway."
"Hmm... Confident?"
After agonizing over the words, Lord Linaie's question earned only a grin from Rokan.
'That guy's around level 270, I think.'
Answering if he was confident against guys not even level 300 was laughable.