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Chapter 105
Life or Death
"What does that mean?"
"I won't tell the others since it'd just cause panic, but do you realize what you did is no different from suicide?"
Hanson blustered at those words.
"What's the danger? If your administrator lays a hand on me anyway, only you'll lose out......."
"What nonsense. Just a moment ago you nearly lost your life."
Е̃n̈u m̊ а́ .іd
"Administrator Isabella didn't do anything, so why would I lose my life?"
"People like you wouldn't know, but I was once a mercenary. I roamed the Serdes Continent and did every job that paid. During that time, I once encountered dragon spawns."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Normally, one would've thought it was just the usual bluster.
But that middle-aged man had bloodthirsty eyes that no mere braggart could possess.
"That day we were catching an ogre. Since the target was what it was, we led many mercenaries and went in fully prepared. It was a pretty fierce battle. The bastard's regeneration and our preparation were about evenly matched. Then, a latecomer appeared. It was a dragon spawn."
The middle-aged foreman swallowed hard.
Ẃ еb̀ñо̌ṽ е l̄ Е n̈u m а̂
"Whether that ogre was the dragon spawn's target, or we just happened to catch it together in a pincer attack. No, 'pincer attack' doesn't even cover it. The moment he showed up, he cut its throat right off, and we were just scratching the corpse."
"What does that have to do with now?"
"Listen to the end. This is where it starts. After the ogre died, he cut off its ear and threw it to our mercenary captain."
"Subjugation proof?"
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"Right. Since the dragon spawn stole the credit, he showed his own kind of favor."
"Sounds like it was resolved amicably, so why tell this story?"
Е n u m а
"We thought so too. But it wasn't. Our mercenary captain was a former knight. And he had no fear. He acted tough with that dragon spawn. Want to know what happened?"
He made a throat-slitting gesture with a hardened expression.
"He cut his throat right there."
"......."
"Think that was the only one who died? No. He didn't stop the merciless slaughter until he'd cut down ten more including that one."
"Why would he do that......."
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"Simple. Because he talked back. A young, weak thing acting on pride is something they cannot permit. Do you realize now what you've done?"
The foreman jerked his chin somewhere.
It was where the Armor Knight had been sitting.
"If that noble person hadn't stopped you, it wouldn't have ended with just you—several more here would've had to die."
The middle-aged foreman said that, slung his tools over his shoulder, and went outside.
Hanson couldn't follow after him.
Е̊ num а. ǐd̂
He was chewing over the man's words inside.
Just how absurd a thing he'd done.
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'Still, my thinking was right.'
Wasn't it because the Armor Knight was there that he avoided death?
Regardless, there was no doubt things were flowing as he intended.
* * *
Е́ n̄ u mа
Meanwhile, Isabella was also ruminating on a strange sensation.
'Instinct overwhelmed me for a moment.'
A dragon spawn's instinct boils down to honor alone.
The most noble under heaven are Father and Mother,
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Those who sully their name shall be made an example and punished severely,
Those who kill their child shall be chased to the ends of hell and killed painfully.
È ňum̄ å
That nature overwhelmed her momentarily.
It couldn't be helped.
Even among dragon spawns, when looking at the same humans, there are tiers.
Those worthy of respect are duly respected, but anyone else is on the level of dogs or livestock.
The only thing better about them is that words communicate a little.
Isabella, a child of Iorga, was the same.
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Ferda is Valdrova's fiancé and a capable regent, so she respects him.
William possesses outstanding martial prowess and mental strength exceeding that, so she respects him.
But Hanson?
He's no different from ordinary humans.
In other words, he was on the level of a dog that can speak.
She even brought a special treat, yet instead of wagging his tail, the cheeky bastard bit his master's hand.
Ӗnũ m̈а̀ .і d́
She'd come with an amicable solution and gotten approval, and he says give more?
A dog that bites people must die.
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She was seized by exactly that thought, and tried to kill Hanson.
That alone would've been enough for an example.
'Until that man blocked me.'
Armor Knight.
Еn̊û m̀ а̂
Tall stature, solid build.
Armor that see-through magic can't penetrate.
Outwardly it looks like something village blacksmiths could make, but there's no doubt it uses top-grade materials.
'If that man hadn't blocked me.......'
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Isabella would've acted on instinct.
Hanson's head would've rolled on the floor, or if lucky, his whole body would've been wrecked.
W̊ e_b̆ n oṽe ľ Е ñ u ḿ_a
He definitely wouldn't have seen a good end.
'Thought he was just dull and naive, but he's got surprisingly sharp instincts.'
Isabella also started taking an interest in him.
It was a waste to leave him as a mere laborer.
* * *
Armor Knight, Valdrova, thought.
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'Why is everyone sitting here?'
This was before Isabella entered.
The atmosphere wasn't ordinary.
What met the eye were foreman-level figures.
Packed tight in a narrow office, waiting for something.
'The site manager definitely said something.......'
Е ńu m̌ ӑ.і́ d̊
Hanson had said something before this happened.
But the story got so long she didn't grasp the point.
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One thing she understood for sure.
-We desperately need the Knight's help.
Help is desperately needed.
So she didn't know what the job was, but decided to help.
Ê ñ ŭ ṁa
'For this village!'
She figured it'd definitely be something requiring strength.
But the work was just sitting next to Hanson.
No matter how she looked at it, it didn't seem like help was needed.
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'Boring.'
Not moving made her feel like her muscles were stiffening.
Еṅüm̃ ă ..і d
She wanted to lift her butt, but this atmosphere froze her in place.
'Let's wait a little more.......'
Thinking that, she sat for hours.
Soon after, someone came inside.
'Iorga's child.'
At the same time, Ruri's warning surfaced.
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-Please absolutely do not let it be known that Master played laborer here. Especially, those damn water lizards must not find out.
She'd made such a fierce expression that she couldn't ignore it.
She felt nervous for no reason.
Worried she'd be found out.......
Meanwhile, some conversation continued.
Near the end of Isabella's words, she managed to catch the gist.
E̊n̂ um а̃
-Please cease the ongoing strike and return to your livelihoods.
Livelihoods.
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Meaning go work.
Valdrova finally realized.
'So that's what it was!'
The reason they'd been waiting was because that Iorga descendant blocked them from doing it.
Еñúm̄_а̃_. іd̊
That's why they waited here.
'They were mad because they were blocked from working.'
Even Valdrova would've been mad.
She rejoiced alone, thinking she shared something with the laborers.
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'Now I should go work.'
But that was when.
Ŵе b̂ no̊ v̂е̊_l Е̃ňu m á
"No."
Hanson rejected it.
'Why??'
The person who said don't work was clearly Iorga's child, so why refuse when told to work?
Valdrova couldn't understand Hanson's action.
'Working makes money, so why not work?'
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Work makes money.
Money buys delicious food.
They're even offering more money, so she couldn't understand kicking it away.
Above all,
'I want to work.'
Valdrova wanted to quickly see one more building go up.
W̄е̄ b́ n̈оv е̃ l̊ E̊ n̊ ŭm a
Unable to help it, Valdrova moved and poked his shoulder repeatedly.
Fortunately the message got through, and Hanson didn't say anything more, and the foremen went back outside to work.
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Valdrova looked up at the sky.
The sun was already tilting far to the west.
'If I don't finish today's quota soon, it'll be bad.'
It wasn't like she was being chased by something.
Е.num а́
She purely liked working.
So she liked Mondays more than Sundays when others rest.
'Gotta go work.'
Red Dragon, Valdrova.
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Today too, cheerfully commuting to the construction site.
* * *
W̃ е̌ḃń ӧ vėl Е̂ n̈ǔ m_ӑ
Day of the council.
They used the building designated as Pascal Company Hestia Branch as today's meeting room.
The reason was extremely simple.
She just didn't want to bring those cheeky bastards into her nest.
Ruri agreed with that intention, and Isabella only then backed down.
Of course, Isabella explained the reason differently.
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She wrapped it up saying it was to examine Hestia Village's conditions and because she trusted the village's buildings.
Since her reputation was originally good, it wasn't hard to accept it as caring for commoners.
She was spurring on her good reputation.
Ferda, having finished morning preparations, moved to the council hall.
As Ferda entered, everyone stood and paid respects to Ferda.
"Let us begin the council."
W е b̄ nо̂ v̂ е́ l Ё nǔ m ā
The moment Ferda sat, Isabella became the moderator and opened the session.
Ferda followed formalities reciting the phrases while simultaneously scanning everyone's expressions.
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Across from him, many people were already seated.
They all had 'Life or Death' written on their headbands.
'Should I just kill them all?'
They're practically begging to be killed, so wouldn't killing them be manners?
Е ň u m̀ а̂
Or make them suffer enough to want to die.
The fact that he could do neither and only had to talk shit was agonizing for Ferda.
Still, this much was expected.
Ferda could also see an unexpected face.
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An incredibly familiar face.
No, not a familiar face—a helmet.
Е̊ñ ú m̀ а́ .i d
'Armor Knight.'
His feelings toward him were a bit more complex.
The bastard who turned away refusing the offer of a knight position.
Saying it's not infuriating would be a lie.
He talked like that, then kicked away his goodwill.
'No, I understand the kicking away part.'
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But the reason is stirring up trouble by participating here?
'Don't tell me.......'
Ferda thought of one possibility.
'What if that bastard is the actual ringleader of this situation?'
It was possible.
What if he's aiming for a noble position with territory, beyond just a knight?
Е n̆ um а̂
There are plenty of bastards in the Empire who do that.
What if that bastard is drawing a big picture for his comeback?
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'Plus there's no failure risk.'
He sets up Hanson as a figurehead president, and when things get disadvantageous, he just withdraws.
'Pathetic.'
Humiliation rising with betrayal.
Е̂ ń u m_а̄.їḋ
Thought he was somewhat noble, but to be this vulgar.
'Someday I'll tear that bastard's mouth apart.'
Ferda looked at the Armor Knight with eyes mixed with hatred.
Valdroba inside the armor saw those eyes.
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'Ferda-san is glaring at me.......'
Not a shred of kindness in that gaze.
Е̂n ũ m а̌
But strangely, she didn't hate those eyes.
She desperately suppressed her pounding heart.
The first to speak, announcing the opening, was Hanson, the labor executive representative.
"We sincerely thank the Regent and Administrator for lending an ear to the common people."
Hanson spoke reading what he'd written.
"Last autumn, we came here as laborers helping build Hestia Village, and first set foot on this land."
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The start was a story with decent ambition.
"However, due to recent unfortunate events, 30 casualties occurred, throwing the village into great chaos."
There was chaos, but not enough to make a fuss, he'd said.
Whether Hanson doesn't know that fact, or knows but has the shamelessness to pretend he doesn't, was unknown.
"If you are a wise king and leader, we carefully petition that you hear the common people's plea.
First, we request you raise the wages of construction workers.
Ẇ eb̌ n о̌v е̃l Е̃ n̊ũ ma
Second, we request you establish a construction union."
Their demands look like two, but were actually three.
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Money and shelter
'And power.'
Wherever people gather, power is born.
Unions or guilds are power institutions made in the name of representing commoners' voices.
W̃ е̂ b n о́v е l Е̊ n u m̃a
'Certain someone wrote this for them.'
Judging by the vocabulary and reading style, he couldn't believe Hanson wrote it himself.
'Did that bastard write it?'
If he can write at that level, it adds weight to Ferda's mastermind theory.
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'Regardless, everything's as expected.'
Precisely, it was Stefan's prediction.
Ẅ ëb̄ novël En̈u m а̄
Having run a large company under his father, he was sharp at this stuff and caught on quick.
"If."
Ferda asked just in case.
"What will you do if I ignore that request?"
Hanson tensed at those words.
Though young, he was overwhelmed by eyes unbefitting his age.
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So Hanson secretly signaled Valdrova.
'My turn to move.'
Then she smoothly moved and placed her hand on pen and paper.
What she'd write was the phrase on their foreheads.
'Write "Life or Death"...... right?'
Valdrova tensed.
Wе̃ b_n o v̈el̊ Е n um a
Everyone's gaze was on her.
She thought just writing letters would be fine.
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But,
'......How do you write this?'
She forgot how to write letters.
No, closer to not knowing.
Е n̊ u m.а̃
Reading was familiar so she could read letters, but writing was a different problem.
Input works but output doesn't.
That's only natural—she could count on one hand the times she'd written letters in her life.
Naturally never practiced, and didn't properly remember spelling either.
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'Life or Death, Life or Death.'
Muttering hard in her head, she tried mimicking the letters.
Ẃе́ b́nо̌ v̂ еl̀ Е nů ṁа̊
What she wrote was this.
-Salmi or Jugeum.
"......?"
"......?"
Cheap-looking handwriting with incorrect spelling to boot.
Not just Ferda, even representative Hanson was surprised into cold sweat.
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Ferda confirmed one thing looking at those letters.
'No mastermind or anything.'
It was the moment contempt turned to pity.
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