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Chapter 104
Strike
Strike.
It was a truly foreign concept to Ferda.
"Strike?"
"Literally, it means declaring that I won't work."
"They're being paid, so why won't they work?"
E ň üm a .і̀ d.
"They quit work for purposes like finding their rights and such."
"A hostage situation, then."
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Ferda thought it was novel.
To think they'd use the means of taking themselves hostage.
It's their own necks on the line, so why would they do such a thing?
"I don't think that happened when I was in the Empire."
Ĕn ú m̀ á
"It's a difference in demand. In the Empire, if someone made such noise, you'd just replace them and be done with it."
There are over tens of millions of people in the Imperial Capital alone.
Not a single eye blinks if someone dies, and replacing people is daily routine there.
He newly realizes just how blind it is.
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'The Emperor's power is stronger than the Dragon's authority.'
It sounds like nonsense, yet he could understand it.
Е̄ n u m̄ а̄ .і d
A kitchen knife close at hand is scarier than a treasure sword far away, after all.
Anyway, Ferda tried to solve this problem and asked her.
"Who's that cheeky ringleader?"
"A carpenter from the Empire named Hanson. He's currently serving as the foreman for the laborers who came from the Empire."
"Would killing him cause any issues?"
His solution was simple.
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Smash the head so they can't harbor other thoughts.
That was the best Ferda could think of.
Isabella caught his intent and answered.
"His skills are mediocre, but killing him carelessly will cause problems."
"Why?"
"Partly because he has connections between figures, and there's concern the political image will worsen."
Ѐńú m̈ а
"How much worse can it get from an already bad state?"
Ferda spoke as if it were nothing.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
At that, Isabella tilted her head, then suddenly realized and asked him.
"...Just in case, but does Ferda-nim not know what your current reputation is like?"
"Yeah."
Isabella blinking her eyes.
Е n̂ ũṁa
Thinking she needed to make him aware, Isabella spoke seriously.
"Aren't you accepting refugees and guaranteeing their right to survive?"
"That's right."
"There's no savior quite like accepting refugees in a winter like this. On top of that, you're guaranteeing jobs too, so they're solving food, clothing, and shelter through stable income."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"I see."
"Moreover, since they're people driven out by foreign powers, you showed the ambition to block that threat, so there are people moved by that point too."
Еn̈ ú m а
"Tha... hmm?"
Ferda tilted his head.
"Did I ever say something like that?"
"Since it was something I made up, it's only natural you wouldn't know."
"Why did you do that?"
"We needed a good reputation to contrast with the Red Dragon's notoriety."
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"But that's not the reality?"
"The world thinks so, so what can we do?"
The gist of Isabella's words was that Ferda had to be able to counter the Red Dragon's notoriety for people to feel at ease.
"Besides, you have no intention of kicking them out, do you?"
"That's true."
Since he received the ones who fled because he failed to manage them properly, what reason would there be to send them back?
W e b̂ṅо̆ v̈е l Ё ǹu m̃а
Anyway, he could understand what she was saying.
"So the point is my reputation is good in the village."
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"To the extent that someone's going around shouting you're surely the reincarnation of a sage."
It was a strange thing.
Ferda was neither a saint nor a gentleman.
He was simply running for Valdrova alone, and for her, he wouldn't hesitate to do anything.
Е ǹü m̃ ӓ
Life is full of ups and downs, they say.
Maybe this is exactly that kind of thing?
Ferda cut it short and returned to the main topic.
"If cutting the throat isn't an option..."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Since the simplest method wasn't allowed, he tried to search for another plan.
"The problem isn't just that alone."
W̊_ӗ b n̂ оv̇е̃ l̄ Е n u m̃ а̌
Isabella didn't even give him that time and moved to another story.
"What other issues are there?"
"If we combine all the trivial ones, there are many, but typically, there's a fierce clash of opinions between wall architects."
Pushing a sheet of paper forward,
"Adventurers are trying to collect protection money by district, causing friction with shop owners."
Another sheet.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"And during prayer, some pink-haired woman passed by singing a weird song, making everyone burst into laughter so they couldn't maintain solemnity, so they're petitioning to catch and punish her."
"Pink hair..."
He could tell who that pink hair was without even looking.
"Amidst these complaints and confusion, someone is deliberately eating away at the Regent's reputation. There's definitely an agitator."
Agitators exist wherever you go.
Guys who grew up in wealthy families, or places where they could receive sufficient education, drawing in commoners with knowledge and silver tongues.
Е́nŭ m̄ä
In a city with short history and loose systems like this, commoners were plenty enough prey for agitators.
"Can that bastard be punished?"
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"I'm trying to punish them too, but I can't get a lead."
That's a bit surprising.
"You can't track them?"
"That's right. It's embarrassing to say, but they're completely elusive."
En̊ u ḿ á . і̌ d̂
"Hmm..."
She's a descendant of Iorga, the Phase of Magic.
For her to be unable to track them means the opponents aren't pushovers either.
'Not just a simple agitator.'
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Probably a pure demon-like bastard who likes chaos more than power.
"Anyway, it'd be best to wrap up this pile of work in one form this time."
Е.ñ ů_ṁ а̌
Isabella said, setting documents down in front.
"Hold a council."
"Face the commoners and talk, you mean."
"It's the way to finish things most smoothly."
Finish smoothly, huh.
Ferda didn't like that word 'smoothly'.
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Does a person leading the masses really need to be soft?
He thought they should come out harder instead.
'But in this aspect, Isabella is more outstanding.'
Isabella must have thought about beheading the head to normalize things too.
If so, she wouldn't have come to say this.
It was worth considering a council.
Е̌nû m̊ȧ
'Come to think of it, it's not bad either...'
There are times when keeping them alive yields more profit than killing them.
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Maybe this situation right now is exactly that.
"Understood. I'll proceed with the council."
"Yes. Then I'll set the schedule."
Isabella bowed and withdrew.
Е̃nûm̊ а̃. і_d
Ferda immediately took out a communication crystal ball and connected it somewhere.
-This is Rize, contact officer of Pascal Trading Company, greeting the Regent. How may I assist you?
"This is Regent Ferda Valdrova. Is the Department Head there?"
-The Department Head is present. Shall I connect you?
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"Please."
Soon, Stefan's voice was heard.
Ẃ е̄b̃nо̂v̌ ёl̃ Е̌ n̈ ùm̃.а́
-Greetings, Regent. Did you contact me regarding the strike incident?
Fast information network. To jump straight to the main point.
"That's right."
-I was thinking of taking measures regarding that too, so if you need help, please don't hesitate to speak!
A voice brimming with confidence, truly reliable.
"I do need your help. I'm opening a council, how do you think it'll go?"
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-A council... I've done plenty of those. The type where they oppose the lord is mostly connected to power, isn't it?
"Power..."
If you have power, money follows automatically.
The feeling of being looked down on wasn't pleasant.
"So you're saying I just need to give them that power."
-You might not like giving it, but there's a way to preserve power by doing so.
Е̇ n ú m̆а̇. ĭd
"What do you mean?"
Stefan spoke with a voice brimming with confidence.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
-Just trust me. I'll make them into puppets that I can torment for a long, long time.
* * *
Hestia Village, construction site.
The place where Hestia Trading Company was scheduled to move in had been transformed under the name Far East Labor Union (Provisional) and was currently occupied.
Е̌ nům̀ȧ. i d̃
The head there was none other than the Site Manager, Hanson.
He succeeded in forming a provisional union by seducing other site managers and foremen.
"Hey, will they really listen to us...?"
One foreman sitting on the floor asked cautiously.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"No matter how I think about it, the higher-ups don't seem like they'd permit this kind of thing..."
"Hey, don't say deflating things."
Е ńǔ mа. і́ ḋ
"You came saying you wanted more money, and now you're saying that! Back out now if you want, then!"
"No, I'm just anxious..."
He had no choice but to tuck his tail at the rough foremen's backlash.
Hanson waited with a blunt face, arms crossed.
'I'm anxious as hell too.'
Until he committed to it, he was swelling with dreams.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
But now he felt similar to a death row inmate waiting for execution.
Even so, he couldn't stop.
Already riding a tiger's back, he had no such thing as choice.
'Still, they won't be able to do anything reckless...'
The reason Hanson could act so boldly was because he had a reliable ally.
'Armor Knight.'
Е́ñü m.а
Monstrous strength that can lift 11 logs barehanded!
Outstanding martial prowess enough to kill two monsters alone!
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Though she stimulates fear, she was the most respected figure in this village.
The biggest reason Hanson could commit such a reckless act was because the Armor Knight agreed too.
And the other site managers and foremen also believed in that Armor Knight.
In fact, she was the central point of the bond they formed.
Ẃ е.bn̈о v е̇l̈ Ê n_um̄ а
And that central point was sitting next to Hanson.
'Right, the Armor Knight-nim is here.'
'Nothing bad will happen.'
Though they'd never exchanged a single word due to the Vow of Silence, there was belief she'd help in a crisis.
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Soon, someone opened the door and entered.
Sharp glasses and intellectual eyes.
Е̊ ǹu ḿа. і̌ d̀
Wearing a red formal uniform embroidered with the Valdrova crest, giving a professional and overbearing impression.
Their hearts turned cold.
They were all wearing headbands written with the phrase 'Life or Death!'
"I've finished speaking with the Regent."
Isabella said.
"Prepare your demands. We'll hold a council in one week."
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"A council? You mean proceeding with a face-to-face talk with the Regent?"
"That's right. He'll listen to your hardships, so please prepare in the meantime."
Their faces were half-doubting, half-believing.
In the Empire, they'd have disappeared without a sound, and in another village, it would've ended with a security force raid and forced dissolution.
Yet instead of force, they're listening to them.
"And since you've agreed to negotiate, I hope you'll stop the ongoing strike and return to your livelihoods."
Е̂ň ū m a .іd
At those words, the foremen's buttocks fidgeted.
"That won't do."
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The one who said that was none other than the Union Leader, Hanson.
Hanson spoke with strength in his neck.
"You're telling us to work when you haven't put out any conditions for us yet. Does that make sense?"
People looking back and forth between Hanson's face and Isabella's with troubled expressions.
Е̇n̆ü m̊ ă
Isabella answered calmly.
"We can't leave the construction site unattended when there's no replacement yet. Wages will be paid at 150% of the current rate—."
"Wages aren't the problem. People died, and if the same thing happens again, what will you do?"
"My good man..."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
The foremen watched between the two, their hands frozen in mid-air, lost.
Hanson was making things big.
Еñ.û ṁ а̊ . і́d.
When he heard the young mage's story, it went like this.
-He'll tell you to return to your livelihoods.
-Then what do we do?
-You must never accept it. If you return to work, you'll be looked down on too. Ah, those ignorant commoners will risk danger again if you just give them money.
-Hmm...
-Most of all, the power you'll gain will weaken.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Hanson, hooked by those words, responded as the mage said.
Of course, his current 'whatever happens, happens' state of mind played a big part too.
His liver had already popped out of his belly, so his gallbladder could pop out a bit more, right?
Isabella stared intently at the face of the man making such claims.
Iorga's children, representing coldness.
But this coldness was of a different grain.
W e b̂ n о ṽĕl̃ Еňŭm̃ а_
It digs into the heart and stops everything.
Just as Iorga was about to say something, Hanson felt a poke on his shoulder.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Startled, he turned around, and there was the Armor Knight.
Hanson calmed his surprised heart and asked.
"Hoo, hoo... Why are you doing this, Knight-nim?"
The Armor Knight had made a Vow of Silence.
Ẁӗb̀ ǹ о_v ẽ l̄ Е n̆ü m a
So instead of speaking, she just shook her head.
Hanson grasped her intent instantly.
"You're telling us to go work?"
Nod, nod.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
He didn't get what he wanted, but he couldn't push further here.
When the person who's the central point says so, what can he do?
Е n̄ ú.m̃а. і̆d̀
"Since Knight-nim says so... alright. We'll return to work immediately. If monsters appear again and it gets dangerous..."
"I'll take responsibility as myself."
Coldness settled in Isabella's eyes.
"What responsibility will you take?"
"I..."
Hanson couldn't answer.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
The words 'Life or Death' written on the headband were rendered colorless, as he couldn't affirm anything.
Isabella sighed as if deflated.
"Fine. Let's end the squabble here and go back."
Isabella spoke short and clear and disappeared.
The foremen who had been holding their breath wiped their chests in relief.
"Hoo!"
W̌е̄ b̃ n̄ оv еl Еn̆ü ṁа̊
"My liver was really trembling."
"Thank goodness it worked out. If it went wrong, we'd never be able to work here again..."
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"Come on, let's go work too. Ugh! Sat like a scholar and my whole body's stiff!"
The foremen left the room one by one.
At that moment, a middle-aged man standing at the very end glanced around and sneakily approached Hanson.
He was a man who came here as a refugee and rose to foreman through diligent work.
Е̂ ǹ uṁà
"Site Manager Hanson, don't do that from next time."
He warned with a murderous expression.
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