Chapter 88
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: The Journey Continues
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1.
Despite their lord being branded a traitor and summarily executed, the city's atmosphere wasn't grim.
No, to be precise, it was good.
To think he was emptying our pockets dry all while plotting treason.
I told you. What good was having that lord around, anyway?
I knew the lord was turning a blind eye to the slave trade, but I never imagined he was capturing and selling them himself.
So thats why he never let any of the citizens leave the city.
A short walk down the street was all it took to hear curses being hurled at the former lords name.
Not a single person had a good thing to say about him, even in death.
The soldiers were no different.
I had expected cleaning up the mess to be a headache, but the soldiers followed orders without the slightest resistance.
In fact, they were even more cooperative than the citizens.
Most likely, they were desperate to avoid being implicated in the treason, even by the slimmest of margins.
And so, with the full cooperation of everyone involved, the long night finally passed.
The next morning.
In the castle of Margrave Leandro.
Now without a master, Rebellio sat in the lords chair, letting out a deep sigh.
Across from him, Karron was munching on beef jerky with an amused grin.
This city is a complete wreck. Aside from its military strength, nothing here is in working order. That bastard, Margrave Leandro, must have had muscles for brains.
As Rebellio grumbled, Karron chewed his jerky with relish.
Ah, maybe I should have split his skull open to check? If you want, I can go do it now.
Im not asking because you actually sound like youd do it. Never mind.
Hey, thats not something our dear prince, who shipped Margrave Leandros family off to the capital at the crack of dawn, should be saying.
I was just following protocol. Protocol.
Cold-blooded. Did you see the look on Margrave Leandros sons face? He was a blubbering mess of tears and snot.
Leandros family had been immediately sent to the capital to answer for his crime of treason.
Of course, a death sentence wasn't a foregone conclusion for them.
A final verdict would be reached only after a thorough investigation to determine if they were aware of the plot beforehand, if they had participated, and so on.
Rebellio took a sip of water from his desk and spoke with irritation.
Why should I care if some trashy bastard cries his eyes out or coughs up blood? Let him get a life sentence in the capital for all I care.
Wow, so harsh.
The father has his knights capture innocent people, and the son gets his hands on the slaves his father brings in According to testimony from some of the slave traders, most of the more beautiful slaves passed through that bastards hands.
Like father, like son. The saying fit the family perfectly.
And it wasnt just the son.
Margrave Leandros wife was far from normal herself.
Capturing young slaves and what? Enjoying their screams while torturing them? The very fact that scum like this existed in the Empire is disgusting. Ill make sure they get the death penalty. Theyll be drawn and quartered.
You said a life sentence just a moment ago.
Ill have them sentenced to life, and then Ill kill them! Seriously, these damn nobles the moment you give them an inch, they become corrupt and rotten
Aren't the royals the pinnacle of the nobility? If the water upstream is clean, then the water downstream will be
Please just shut up.
As the two continued their light banter.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the office door.
Your Highness! Master Karron! Its Cobbler.
Come in.
A moment later, the door opened, and an ugly man in a suit stepped inside.
It was Cobbler, the man who had contributed the most to this liberation operation.
Karron sighed as he looked at Cobblers face.
If it werent for those petitions, I would have just thrown you in with the rest of the slave traders.
Heeik!
You didnt threaten anyone into writing those petitions for you, did you?
I-Im not that vicious I think?
Look at him. He doesnt even trust himself.
One unexpected development was the sheer number of petitions submitted on Cobblers behalf.
Notably, every single person who had been held in Cobblers facility wrote a petition for him.
That much was within the realm of expectation, but even some citizens had willingly written petitions for him.
-Cobbler is a dear friend of mine. When I was at my wits end with no money for my parents funeral, he willingly lent me the money without asking for anything in return.
-He was a consistent donor to the orphanage. I only just found out he was a slave trader but considering his good deeds, I hope you will show him leniency
Recalling the contents of the petitions, Karron spoke with annoyance.
Youre really trying to clean up your image. But in the end, youre still nothing more than a slave trader.
I wont deny that, Young Master. If you wish to hold me accountable for my crimes, I will gladly accept the punishment.
Cobbler said to Karron with an uncharacteristically serious expression.
A bitter smile played on his lips.
Seeing this, Karron let out a deep sigh.
Smack!
Keoheok.
He smacked Cobbler on the back of the head.
Cobbler yelped and fell to the floor.
Where do you get off trying to play the sympathy card?
I-I was found out
Theres only one reason youre not being thrown in a cell: everyone from your facility wished for you not to be punished. If even one of them had asked for your punishment youd be punished, hero of this operation or not. Got it?
No matter how much he tried to clean up his act, this man was, at his core, a slave trader.
That nature wouldn't change.
But Karron had decided to give this man one chance.
Cobbler. Theres something I need you to take responsibility for, so listen carefully.
Yes, yes, Young Master. I will do my utmost to follow your orders.
Its time to put your specialty to good use. You know the people who were just freed from slavery, right? Do everything you can to help them adjust to life in the Empire. Give them vocational training, or help them make use of their talents. Do you understand what Im saying?
At those words, Cobbler bowed deeply and replied.
I will do my absolute best! After all, such matters are the specialty of our Cobbler Manpower Agency, are they not?
Rebellio, who had been quietly observing their conversation, also sighed and chimed in.
Cobbler. Ill send an official request to the Imperial Immigration Office so you can receive assistance. The Empire cant keep ignoring the issue of refugees from the southern kingdoms forever
The war started years ago, and theyre only acting now? The height of incompetence.
The higher-ups are always slow to get moving. Theyll probably only act after this incident becomes public knowledge. Cobbler. Lets make a promise, just you and me.
At Rebellios words, Cobbler prostrated himself and replied.
Just give me the order, Your Highness!
Do everything in your power to erase the stigma of being a former slave trader. That manpower agency of yours, try to grow it. If you need to, you can even get help from the Leston Ducal Family here.
D-does that mean I can continue to run the manpower agency
It means stop doing business in the shadows and bring it into the light. Of course the moment even a single victim of yours from the past shows up, youre headed straight for the capitals underground prison. You know what I mean, right?
I will bear that in mind for the rest of my life.
Good. Karron. Anything else to say to Cobbler?
Karron shook his head.
Nope.
Then thats settled. Cobbler, you may leave.
Rebellio resolved the matter quickly.
Cobbler rose to his feet, then bowed once more to Karron and Rebellio.
Thank you so much for giving a man like me a chance! I will throw my entire being into my work so as not to disappoint you both!
Karron smirked at him and said.
This should be a sufficient reward for siding with me, right?
Cobbler replied with a bright expression.
Yes! Well then, I will be on my way!
And with that, things were more or less settled.
At least, the things Karron had to deal with.
Karron stood up from his seat with a broad smile.
Well, Ill be taking my leave now.
Suddenly so formal? Where are you going?
I have a mission I was originally assigned to Its about time I prepared to leave. Oh, and if my father happens to contact you, please tell him Ive already left.
Youre running away, arent you?
Hey now. I am absolutely not leaving because Im scared of my fathers nagging, Your Highness!
Get back here this instant, you little
Slam!
Karron slammed the door shut and walked away with a cheerful smile.
As always, he hated dealing with troublesome things.
2.
Karron left the lords castle and walked through the streets.
The city was still in some disarray from the aftermath of the rebellion, but it was a stark contrast to the impression Leven had first given him.
People were bustling about, and a sense of vitality pulsed through the entire city.
Could a place really change so much overnight?
This is why leadership is so important.
Karron casually rested his hand on the hilt of Guillotine. A voice echoed in his mind.
-You seem to be in a good mood, master. See? I told you. You just wanted to kill them too.
Is that so wrong? Anyone who was a slave in a past life would understand. And youre one to talk, gobbling up the knights mana like that.
-You demonic master.
Yup, and youre a demonic sword.
Still, he had made a significant gain from this battle.
He had absorbed a portion of the mana the knights had unleashed in their frenzied state.
Although he had consumed most of it during the fight, some of it remained.
The absorption rate is about ten percent, huh.
Since it wasnt Azure Mana, it didnt fill his mana core by much.
In terms of the Sea-Conquering Art, his sixth sea was about eighty percent full.
He could probably open the seventh sea right away from this stage, but Karron decided not to rush.
There was a time for everything.
He would open the seventh sea immediately after completely filling the sixth.
Ill have to be careful.
-About what?
Your ability.
Theoretically, he could use Guillotine to forcibly absorb mana from knights and grow stronger.
The temptation of getting stronger easily and quickly.
He had always jokingly called it a demonic sword, but its ability truly was like that of one.
However, Karron had learned one lesson from his past life.
Power that came easily only served to define ones own limits.
How did the Founder endure this impulse?
It seemed a testament to the self-control befitting the great founder of the family.
But to Karrons question, Guillotine replied as if it were obvious.
-Rael didnt endure it. He absorbed it to his hearts content.
He was just a butcher? Thats completely insane
-He didnt cut down humans. He absorbed mana while cutting down demons instead. I may not look it, but Im a sword that can even purify demonic energy. This body is a sacred artifact of the North Sea!
You might want to work on your phrasing, you demonic sword.
That was good information.
It would have been nice if it had told him how to use it sooner, but he could understand, given that this was Guillotine.
In any case, it was undoubtedly a feature that would be useful in the distant future.
-Hey, here comes your new friend.
As Karron was lost in thought, Guillotine spoke.
At its words, Karron casually lifted his head and looked ahead.
Thump, thump, thump.
In the distance, a giant was running toward him, his feet pounding the ground.
His steps were so powerful that the road dented with each stride.
Karron Leston!
The giant, Utulla, stopped in front of Karron, greeting him loudly.
He then lowered a young girl he had been carrying on his shoulders to the ground.
This young girl was looking for you! She says she has a gift for you!
Karron slowly lowered his gaze to look at the little girl.
She looked to be about eight years old.
Her body was stick-thin, as if she hadnt eaten properly in a long time. From this, he could tell that Lea was one of the slaves who had just been rescued.
Hello.
Karron bent his knees to meet the girls eye level.
The girl bowed her head deeply in greeting.
Hello, Sir Karron Leston. My name is Lea.
Nice to meet you, Lea.
I heard you were the one who saved us I wanted to give you a gift, no matter how small.
The girl pulled a small flower crown from her clothes.
She then spoke cautiously to Karron.
There were flowers in front of the inn where Im staying, so I secretly picked some and made this.
Youre very skilled. Its beautiful.
At Karrons praise, Lea beamed.
May I place it on your head?
The flower crown?
Karron hesitated for a moment, but he soon nodded with a smile.
A gift is meant to be received. Thank you.
At Karrons reply, Lea carefully placed the small flower crown on his head.
And it was at that very moment.
Karron Leston!
Thank you!
Sir Karron, thank you so much!
Voices erupted from the surrounding crowd.
Only then did Karron raise his head and look around.
A huge crowd had gathered around him without him noticing.
Every single one of them was cheering enthusiastically for him.
Ah.
Had he ever received such cheers before, even including his past life?
It was a scene he had never expected.
After all, he had acted purely on personal feelings.
Karron silently studied their faces. Then, a faint smile formed on his lips.
This is nice.
It felt good.
Karron gently stroked the head of Lea, who had placed the flower crown on him.
Since Ive received such a nice gift, Ill come back to give you one someday. Lea. Ill remember your name.
At his words, Lea spoke again in a cheerful voice.
Thank you for saving me! Ill never forget this kindness for the rest of my life!
Alright. Grow up well.
Though he had acted on emotion, so many people were happy as a result.
Wasnt this a good enough ending?
His journey in Leven thus ended amidst the cheers of countless people.
Well then, see you all again.
It was now time to head south once more.
Giving a light wave to the people, Karron slowly took a step forward.
He walked very slowly, so he could cherish the sound of their cheers for a long time.