Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: 39. Corrupt City (1)
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"What did you just say?"
The guard's face twisted into a scowl as he puffed out his chest and strode toward Yuri. His pecs bulged noticeably—he'd clearly trained them well.
"You little brat..."
The guard bumped into Yuri and tried to shove him back with his chest.
Before Rolang's eyes could flip in rage, Yuri reached out a hand to stop him.
"What did I say?"
Yuri chuckled lightly and slipped some money into the guard's back pocket.
Then he whispered in the man's ear.
"I was just trying to pass some coin to the gentleman naturally. Heh heh heh..."
The guard felt a heavy weight settle near his hip.
Years of corrupt guard work had honed his senses—he could guess the amount just by feel.
His heart melted like frozen earth under spring's warmth.
The corners of his mouth twitched upward, and soon he was grinning ear to ear.
This was a man capable of such expressions, too.
"If you lot act rude again, you'll catch hell. Got it?"
"Yes, sir!"
"This is a one-time pass—say 'thank you' properly."
"Thank you!"
"Get in there and do your business. Next."
And just like that, Yuri's group passed through the gates without issue.
Jared stared at Yuri like he'd spotted some exotic artifact.
"Your Highness."
"What."
"That was..."
"Your glare's disrespectful."
"You really grew up in the palace, right?"
"Yeah. You were there with me."
"Then how are you so worldly?"
"What'd you say?"
Yuri kicked Jared in the butt.
As they bantered on, they fully entered the city, and Yuges's bustling interior came into view.
It wasn't on the scale of the capital, but it was plenty lively.
Carts laden with goods streamed endlessly down the streets, and noisy clamor drifted from the open market in the distance.
"Welcome to Yuges."
A little kid standing by the roadside ran up and held out a flower.
"Buy a flower?"
She was probably scraping together pocket change from visitors.
Rolang smiled and took the flower.
"How old are you, kiddo?"
"Seven."
"Already working like this? Good for you."
"The price is..."
"Here."
Rolang pulled a gleaming silver coin from his pocket and placed it in the child's hand.
"Get something tasty with your folks."
"Thank you!"
The kid's eyes widened as she pocketed the silver and bowed to Rolang.
Rolang smiled warmly.
"Cute kid."
But Rolang's good mood didn't last.
Before the child, who'd scampered off, could return to her spot, two ragged-looking men grabbed her by the clothes.
"That silver coin—where is it."
"Hand it over, quick."
The silver ended up in their pockets.
As Rolang stared in stunned silence, the men shot him a glance, smirked, and vanished into a dark alley.
The sum was big enough to make them bolt right away.
Yuri placed a hand on Rolang's shoulder.
"Know what beggars are?"
"What's that?"
"What you just saw."
"They exploit kids?"
Yuri patted his shoulder and started walking again.
"Yeah. Make sure Franchese doesn't have kids like that."
"Any way to stop it?"
"The territory needs a total overhaul."
"Couldn't we at least take that kid..."
"Rolang."
Rolang knew he was overstepping and fell silent.
Yuri chuckled at him.
"Got it. I'll figure something out, so trust me and wait."
"Yes, sir."
"Focus on our business for now."
Yuri glanced around as he walked.
"Should be something near the market..."
Then he spotted what he was looking for on the ground.
As Yuri eyed the dropped flyer, Jared laughed.
"Man, these loan sharks have style these days. 'Uncle Pawnshop'? Acting all friendly to lure you in for a loan? Haha..."
"Exactly."
Yuri memorized the location on it roughly and kept moving.
Gorio and Uncle Pawnshop had already taken over most of Brioll's back alleys. Wiping out one beggar gang was no issue.
More important was protecting the kids left behind afterward.
"Rolang."
"Yes."
"Want to build an orphanage? Your family's loaded, right?"
"We have our share, but compared to Your Highness..."
"I'm just the third prince—ain't got much."
"I'm the heir, but only a count's estate."
Jared, the commoner salaried guard knight walking beside them, stared blankly at the two.
But the rich kids' conversation rolled on endlessly.
"Franchese is filthy rich. All those fields visible from the castle spire belong to House Flandre, yeah?"
"What's the point? The whole kingdom will be His Majesty's soon enough."
"I'm telling you, I'm just the third prince."
"And I'm just a count."
Jared looked up at the sky and let out a deep sigh. He thought of his hometown friends who used to look up to him for landing a palace gig.
"So damn lonely..."
Yuges was a vast territory.
Though much of the population clustered in the city attached to the lord's castle, plenty lived scattered in small villages.
So Yuri hadn't expected to run into familiar faces right away.
But something unexpected happened.
"Transporting a criminal! Clear the way!"
Just as Yuri's group left the inn after stabling their horses, a commotion erupted on the street.
The crowd parted, revealing a prisoner locked in a mobile cage, escorted by soldiers.
The bowed head of the prisoner looked familiar from the side.
Yuri muttered.
"Told you so."
"What?"
"Once the war ends, nobody lives right."
"Huh?"
"Don't you recognize him?"
"Uh..."
Jared's jaw dropped.
"No way—our Raymond bro?"
"When'd he become your bro?"
"We agreed to bro terms in the Allied Forces."
"Didn't expect that. Sir Raymond hanging with a lightweight like you..."
"Knights from poor families stick together. What would royalty know?"
"Lightweight as ever."
Maybe because of that connection, Jared's eyes burned especially bright.
Jared started counting the escort soldiers. Yuri poked his side.
"Crazy bastard."
"We hit 'em?"
"It'll sort itself out in time. Let's hear the situation first."
"From who?"
Yuri nodded toward the rear of the prisoner cart.
"Those guys."
Jared's eyes lit up.
A group of men followed the procession, holding picket signs in protest.
All familiar faces.
"All Yuges natives from the Allied Forces."
"Looks like it."
"Raymond ending up like that must tie into why we're here."
Yuri grinned.
"Let's tail them."
Yuri's group blended into the crowd like ordinary residents and followed.
The Allied Forces group occasionally shouted to draw eyes.
"Sir Raymond is innocent!"
"Free him!"
"Repent, you corrupt lord!"
"Stop persecuting Allied Forces veterans!"
The lead knight glanced back, wrinkling his nose.
"Keep yapping and we'll beat you senseless."
"Yes, sir!"
The soldiers, clearly annoyed, bellowed their reply.
The protesters fell silent at once. They'd quiet down for a bit, eyeing the guards, then start up again when things seemed calm.
"Free Sir Raymond!"
"Sir Raymond is an honorable knight!"
They were careful not to get hit—just enough to be a nuisance.
Watching, Jared muttered.
"Allied Forces turned 'em into mini Your Highnesses."
"I act like that?"
"You hit and run like a pro."
"That's tactics."
In the end, Raymond was hauled off to prison.
The Allied Forces group stood before it, hands on hips in defeat.
"If even Sir Raymond ends up like this, they'll take all our money."
"Shut it. We gotta save Sir Raymond."
"Gotta save both."
They dropped their signs and trudged off.
Yuri stepped in front.
Heads down, they hadn't seen him and scowled as they looked up.
"Who the hell are..."
The man in front locked eyes with Yuri.
He furrowed his brow.
A face he knew from somewhere, but couldn't place.
Yuri spoke first.
"Insolent punk."
"Pardon?"
His tone automatically respectful.
"Forgot me already? No wonder your card game's trash—memory like a goldfish."
"No way..."
"That 'no way' every time."
"Wait—your hair..."
"Magic artifact. Idiot."
Finally, the man's eyes widened, and he rushed Yuri, hugging him tight.
"Your Highness!"
"Too close, man."
Not just him—the rest of the group piled on, hugging Rolang and Jared too.
They looked utterly aggrieved from all their hardships.
"We wrapped up the Allied Forces and immediately this crap..."
"Heard from Pides."
"Yes. It's happening nationwide, so we sent him just in case. But you coming personally—Your Highness, you're really..."
"Get it now?"
"Got plenty of free time, huh."
"What?"
"Kidding. Haha..."
Meeting as royalty and commoners outside the battlefield felt awkward at first, but Yuri's attitude was the same as ever, so the group soon relaxed.
"Heard you blew all your cash on cards?"
"What? No, I quit gambling."
"Just messing."
"But we did lose money. Those corrupt lords..."
Yuri headed with them to a house in a rundown corner of the city.
A plain family home. A dog in the yard wagged its tail in greeting as they entered the courtyard.
"Humble digs, but it's home."
Yuri was a bit surprised.
"Too cramped for Your Highness, probably..."
"You actually have a proper house?"
"Pardon?"
"Figured with your card debts, you'd be in some crumbling shack."
"My in-laws are well-off."
"The debt?"
"That was personal."
"You bastard..."
At least he hadn't wagered the house deed or family—not a total lost cause of a gambler.
Inside, his wife greeted them and showed them to seats.
Since Yuri hadn't revealed his status, she seemed to think he was just one of her husband's buddies.
As they sat, Yuri grinned.
"Ace, she's too good for you."
His name was Ace—Yuri used to tease that he was born for cards.
"Heh heh heh..."
Ace laughed bashfully.
"So, what happened?"
"Huh? Oh, well, my charming personality..."
"No, I mean the Allied Forces stuff."
"Ah, right. No idea. They suddenly started collecting taxes..."
"No income tax on compensation, by agreement."
"They make it up as they go. Even invented a 'veteran security burden fee'..."
"What's that?"
"They might've turned violent fighting orcs, so extra for public safety."
"Ooh..."
Yuri was impressed. Creative scam.
"Plus, they're holding our Allied Forces comrades fund—won't release it."
"Genad's doing?"
"Probably. Lords pulling this are all in cahoots with him."
"That faction exists."
"Money with unclear origins..."
"Anonymous donations—what origins?"
"Demand full donor details. Otherwise, it's dirty money."
"While hiding their own warehouses as private property..."
Yuri closed his eyes.
In his past life as a mercenary, he'd endured nobles' abuses. His whole company got stiffed once.
They'd protested with force and gotten paid eventually.
But how could these folks fight giant nobles like that?
"Your Highness."
Jared, who'd been listening quietly, asked.
"Even if compensation's big, why go so hard? Not worth it from the lords' side."
"Street money, you pick it up no matter how small. Easy to snatch from them."
"Bastards..."
"Still weird, though."
Yuri tilted his head. Jared had a point—too aggressive.
Yuri asked Ace.
"Anything happen before Genad started this?"
"Something? Hmm..."
Ace pondered.
"Not sure, but one thing bugs me."
"What?"
"Feels like the harassment kicked off after that."
"After what?"
"Well..."
Ace scratched his cheek sheepishly.
"We went around bragging how awesome and great Your Highness is. Who in the Allied Forces didn't? Then knights showed up, told us to quit yapping about it."