A Treacherous Courtier Manages the Empire Well

28 – Crossing the Line

As soon as I heard the message from Karl Hansen, a character came to my mind. The leader of the rebellion. Seorik.

“I heard yesterday that she reported to the Ironblood Legion. One woman was threatened by gangsters, but she drove them away with a shotgun.”

“She had a gun?”

My heart sank. Maybe he came to snipe and kill me. With his marksmanship, he could easily put a bullet through my head at any time.

But wait.

Why would he unnecessarily spare the woman and not kill me right away? If I know that guy, he would have shot me in the head as soon as he arrived in this city.

I thought for a moment, and soon I realized why this hot-tempered one couldn’t just kill me. A sinister smile appeared on my face.

This bastard.

Is he confused by the city I have created?

He must be confused whether I am a betrayer or not.

Now is the perfect time to confuse him.

I can’t just let go of such a capable being, like him.

I immediately went to find Caria.

“Princess Caria.”

“Ah, Randor. What’s the matter?”

“Release the legionnaires and find just one person for me. A Southern huntsman with white hair and black eyes.”

I’ll take care of him.

A tavern in the commercial city of Porto.

Seorik and the leaders of each huntsmen group were gathered together, drinking. Their faces were filled with confusion.

“The citizens are living too well.”

“I saw it too.”

“There are plenty of jobs and the quality of life is high. We can even get cheap medical treatment.”

“I saw it too…I saw it too.”

“Have you tried fast food? I have to order and go pick up the food myself, but you can eat a lot of delicious food for a cheap price, they say. Thanks to that, our Southern villages are also making a lot of money. Captain Seorik.”

“I know too.”

Seorik silently downed his beer. How did this damn town become so good even the taste of beer was good. The leaders and Seorik were silent for a long time. Everyone had one thought in their head.

“Let’s give up the plan.”

And finally, the leader Seorik spoke up.

“Why did we pick up guns? Wasn’t it to stop the pillage of peasants and hunters and let them live like humans?”

“That’s right.”

“It’s already done. That. Even if you just look at our Bellingham village, not only did we not plunder, but we also generously provided money, making the poultry farm business thrive. You guys have been to the city, so you must know. Were there any people who looked unhappy?”

“There were a few…but most of them were living very energetically.”

“Yeah. How were the weak treated?”

“The sick received treatment, and the weak could easily find jobs, so they were able to live a decent life.”

“Yeah. This city…damn it! I didn’t expect to hear myself saying this, but it’s too perfect. So let’s stop the plan.”

Everyone in the team nodded in agreement. One of the hunters who had been silently drinking beer for a while asked quietly.

“So, Captain Seoric, what do we do now?”

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Seoric couldn’t answer.

The captains couldn’t answer either.

They were completely unemployed.

“Well…instead of hunting again…”

“It’s more profitable to build another poultry farm than to hunt a hundred times. Our wives make more money than we do. There’s no need for us to risk our lives to feed them. Thanks to this fast food business.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

An awkward silence settled in.

After ten years, when they came out, the world had changed so normally that there was no work left to do.

Everyone drank their beer silently, and soon Seoric came to a conclusion.

“Let’s help out at the poultry farm.”

The team captains had a bitter taste in their mouths. But well, there was no more realistic alternative to that. Hunters who used to roam the jungle called the “Green Hell” and hunt all sorts of monsters were reduced to just raising chickens.

It was a disappointing conclusion.

“Pack up. Let’s prepare to go back…”

As Seoric was saying that.

The tavern suddenly opened with a creak, and several members of the Iron Blood Corps and a woman entered the tavern.

“Oh! There! That’s the person!”

The woman saw the white hair gathered together and burst into laughter as she approached.

“You saved me yesterday! Isn’t that right? I promised to repay you no matter what!”

Seoric had a dumbfounded expression in response to the woman’s words. The other captains were the same.

While they were in that state, the members of the Iron Blood Corps approached.

Smiling with a full-face mask.

“Congratulations. Lord Landor wishes to meet you. He intends to present you with the Brave Citizen Medal! Everyone, please applaud!”

“Wowww!”

The tavern is instantly filled with applause. Seoric looks around, his face filled with confusion.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Come in!”

“Uh, wai-“

But the members of the Iron Blood Legion do not leave him alone. Seoric, who is still uncertain of the situation, hesitates before realizing he is standing on a stage.

The person he intended to kill, Landor, is smiling and handing him a large medal.

“The brave citizen who drove away the villain! Everyone, please applaud!!!”

At Landor’s words, the people gathered below the stage applaud and cheer.

Seoric receives the medal with a puzzled expression on his face, wondering who he is and where he is.

“Well, then… I guess I’ll be on my way-“

Having someone he intended to kill just yesterday by his side makes him uncomfortable, and he couldn’t stand it any longer. He tries to escape, but Landor has no intention of letting him go.

“I would like to have a meal with the distinguished citizen! Come, come!! Don’t decline! Come in!”

Landor has no plans of letting him go.

In the end, Seoric ends up having a meal with Landor.

“This is a steak made from veal tenderloin. Please enjoy!”

“Thank you, chef.”

It was a gathering at a fancy restaurant I often visit. Karl Hansen and Karia were also present. Seoric, the leader of the rebel forces that become the catalyst for the vile war in the original novel, wonders why he is here as he eats the steak.

I proudly look at him and reveal my true motive.

“Your name is Seoric, right?”

“Yes.”

“Seoric, I’ll be straightforward with you. Have you ever considered becoming the commander of our territory’s guards? And your fellow hunters as well.”

“……Yes?”

I knew well the abilities possessed by the southern hunters.

Specialists in stealth.

Experts in guerrilla warfare.

They are skilled at scouting in the dark.

And most importantly, their ability to read memories intertwined with objects.

They were people who hunted using these abilities, thanks to the nature of dark magic. In the original novel, they are used to fight against the Iron Blood Legion, but well, as long as I’m here, that won’t happen.

In short, they were individuals with excellent abilities to catch criminals.

“You said that you discovered gangsters and rescued a woman, right? It seems that crime rates have been increasing rapidly due to the explosive population growth. It seems like there’s no choice in heavily populated areas.”

“I understand that members of the Iron-blood Legion are performing security duties. I’m just a hunter. What do I need security guards for…?”

Upon hearing that, Karia let out a sigh.

“Did you say Seoric? My legion members are soldiers. They are capable of capturing monsters, occupying an area, and annihilating enemies. However, they are not capable of identifying and capturing criminals. So far, there has been no alternative, so the legion members have been filling in that role. We need a proper security force. Soldiers cannot fulfill the same role as security guards.”

“Well, I see.”

I clapped my hands to draw everyone’s attention.

“I heard that the Southern hunters are very skilled in dark magic. They can hide, move through shadows, read memories entwined in objects to track down their prey, and finish them off with a bullet to the vital spot.”

“…It’s true.”

“If you can do what you did in the jungle, in the city, it would be the same thing. Identifying and capturing criminals. There won’t be anyone as talented as you.”

“Well… I…”

“The gangsters who threatened the woman yesterday. You managed to drive them away, but haven’t caught them yet, right?”

“Yes.”

“We need to catch them, don’t we? It’s simple. When you see a criminal, subdue them and hand them over to the new courthouse that Prince Adran has established here. They have renowned judges who deliver fair and just judgments.”

“I told you, I’m just a hunter…”

“We’ll pay you very generously.”

“I’m just a hunter…”

“You’re from the Southern region, right? If you want, we can invest more in your hometown. The fast-food business is doing well these days, so we need more chickens. If you just take care of security duties, there’s nothing you can’t do.”

“I… I’m just a hunter…”

“We’ll build an elementary school in your hometown. So that the students who couldn’t come here can receive education there. If you want, we’re also willing to build a cinema. It seems like opening a branch of the fast-food chain there would be a good idea, too.”

“…”

“The security barracks will be top-notch. Bonus rewards for capturing a criminal. We’ll provide uniforms that can rival the ones worn by the capital’s security force. Since we’ll need several personnel, we’ll also hire hunters from other Southern villages on a large scale. Aren’t most of them unemployed due to the poultry farm industry? If you perform security duties, you’ll receive a high salary. There’s also honor.”

“…”

“You still don’t want to do it?”

Seoric, who was repeatedly flicked on the forehead by my tongue, hesitated for a moment. It seemed like he couldn’t come up with an answer.

However, his hesitation didn’t last long.

“For the well-being of the people… I will do it.”

“Excellent! hahahahaha! I knew you would agree!”

To think that I could absorb the rebels from the South as my own security guards!

I know very well that with them, I can rid this city of all crime.

Since I’ve seen their abilities in the original novel.

“Let’s discuss the details later. I’m happy enough that you have accepted today. hahahaha! Come, let’s eat!”

After satisfying him, I sent him away.

“With the establishment of a new security force, we can finally train our legionnaires to be true soldiers.”

“hahahaha! Isn’t that fortunate? Princess Karia.”

In response to my words, Karia smiles strangely.

“Lanodore… By any chance, today?”

My face turns red at her question.

“Cough. Rest inside first. I will come find you.”

“I’ll be waiting, dressed up nicely. Lanodore.”

Karia giggles and kisses my cheek before disappearing.

It seems that women really do have a fox-like side to them.

I grumble and head to the office, where I proceed to handle several pending matters that I haven’t dealt with yet.

Carl Hansen also leaves, leaving only me in the office.

It’s around 11 p.m. when I finally finish my work.

The end of the day and the start of a hot night.

“Now, let’s go ba-“

“Lanodore.”

In the empty office, I let out a scream like a little girl upon hearing the voice behind me and collapse to the floor.

“W-Who, who, who is it!!!!!!”

“It’s Seoric. Remember me? We met today.”

It was Seoric.

Despite standing right behind me, I didn’t notice at all. I take a deep breath and manage to stand up after calming down a bit.

“I thought I was going to die from the shock! Even the windows are closed, so where did you…?”

“If it’s a place with shadows, I can move anywhere. Anyway, that’s not important. Lanodore, let me ask you something. What is your purpose in doing all this?”

Seoric’s eyes were serious.

I accepted, but he wants to know my true intentions, right?

So, I told him the same story I had been telling all this time.

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“I want to ensure that the people live well. Provide them with good food, good rest, create job opportunities, and allow them to receive medical treatment when they’re sick. That’s my goal.”

“For someone like you, seducing the emperor in the capital with deceitful words, that’s quite an idealistic story, isn’t it?”

Seoric briefly closes his eyes and looks out the window.

It was late in the evening, but there were still many people coming out of the movie theater and fast food restaurants, enjoying their late-night snacks.

Everyone was smiling.

Seoric clenches his fists as he watches them.

“I will believe your words.”

“Thank you. But please don’t suddenly come at such a late hour. It’s not good for my heart health…”

“Count Pellings has sent someone to me, offering me your assassination.”

Those words left me speechless.

Silently, Seoric takes out various tools from his pocket.

Fake identification cards.

A pocket of space.

Disguise tools and potions.

“This…?”

“As soon as I came out of the Santorabbit Sanctuary, you were there to find me. I had serious intentions to assassinate you. I lived for ten years without knowing any news of the world and thought you were a traitor destroying the empire. But after coming here and seeing the city you built, my thoughts changed. That’s why I’m letting you know.”

A cold sensation, like ice, forms in my heart.

I close my eyes for a moment and rub the back of my neck. Seoric asks me.

“Do you still want to appoint me as the captain of the guards, Randor? Even after I tried to assassinate you?”

“Of course. I know very well how passionate and righteous you are. A common person wouldn’t have stood up against looting and killed the nobles. My thoughts haven’t changed.”

Anyone who has read the novel knows exactly who the person in front of me is. He was the person I needed.

“Please take on the role as captain of the guards.”

Seoric looks at me for a while after my words and then politely nods his head.

“Thank you, Lord Randor.”

Formalities disappear and honor follows. I shake his hand, smiling.

“Go and rest. I will handle this assassination affair.”

“Yes.”

Seoric disappears into the shadows and immediately vanishes without a trace.

After he’s gone, I grind my teeth.

“This son of a b*tch has crossed the line.”

The territory is crumbling.

The farmers have disappeared.

I understand.

But this has definitely crossed the line.

“I will sincerely support you.”

These little bastards, I guess.

It seemed like it was time to tidy things up.